The all-out war against Sulfur Land ended in a disastrous defeat. Holden's legions stationed in Abyssal Front began to rout on a large scale. The soldiers abandoned their weapons and armor and fled backwards.
Source-Siphoning Root.
These important nodes were occupied one by one by the Demons, and fell one after another.
Planar Teleportation Passage is also turned on again.
However, the last time it was Holden Legion who shouted the slogan of victory and counterattacked Abyss, with a rainbow of momentum, battle flags, and the soldiers' eyes burning with the flame of conquest.
This time, it was a group of defeated generals who had been defeated.
His eyes were empty and his morale was extremely low.
All countries attach great importance to this battle.
Although they still don't know exactly what happened in Abyss, they can only speculate based on the current situation to get the result closest to the truth.
Holden, go to Abyss with the determination to win.
However, in the end he was defeated.
When this news gradually spread, it immediately caused huge waves among Atlan States.
At first, many people didn't believe it.
Holden, this empire stands in the clouds and makes the whole continent look up. Its Floating City covers the sky, and its Immortal One overlooks all living beings.
How could such an empire collapse overnight?
In response to this, Holden Nexus remained silent for a while and finally issued a brief but heavy announcement.
The words were extremely restrained, but still could not hide the paleness and despair.
The army that counterattacked Abyss was almost completely wiped out.
Sunlit Dawn Nosien, confirmed to have died; Darknight Star Ryan, confirmed to have died; Platinum Star, the ultimate weapon, confirmed to have been destroyed by Abyss.
After Holden's official confirmation, any fluke no longer exists.
Doubt turned to certainty, and certainty turned to panic.
The atmosphere throughout Atlant became depressing and heavy, and panic continued to spread across the land, spreading from one city to another, and from one country to another.
People began to speculate on the worst possibilities for the future.
If the Abyss door is completely opened, will the end be coming?
Then, chaos sets in.
Food prices soared several times within a few days, rising by leaps and bounds.
You could buy a bag of flour for the price of one bag of flour on the first day, but you could only buy half a bag of flour the next day, and the prices of weapons and armor increased more than ten times.
People waved their money bags and scrambled for anything they could use to defend themselves.
Chaos occurs frequently.
But.
The chaos did not last long.
Because, in the cloudy Atlant, the light of the Sacred Aura Empire has not been extinguished, but has become even brighter.
The majestic and majestic dragon silhouette keeps passing across the sky.
One by one, steel-like Aura warriors appeared in the streets and alleys of various countries, with stern faces and sword-like eyes.
Adhering to the emperor's will, they declared Atlant to enter a state of emergency war, and all vassal countries were unified and taken over by Sacred Aura.
Soon, those tumors that had taken advantage of the chaos were picked out one by one.
The profiteers who were driving up the prices of basic supplies were dragged out of warehouses by soldiers and put into prison vans; the cult leaders who spread doomsday rumors were arrested in public, and their followers dispersed in droves.
There are also propaganda to welcome the surrender of Abyss: thugs who take advantage of the chaos and trample on order.
They were executed on the spot without even a trial.
Use heavy scriptures in troubled times.
In this way, batch after batch of people were sent to the guillotine, their heads rolled down, and their blood formed a red river.
Sacred Aura used unquestionable ruthlessness and Ironblood methods to quickly curb the spread of chaos and firmly restrain it within a controllable range.
Perhaps the peaceful days have lasted for too long, and people have almost forgotten what kind of country Sacred Aura is.
Now, they remember it again.
The Red Emperor, who was made of iron and fire, grew from scratch, from weak to strong, from a small and peaceful border country to the Dragon Empire in the Overlord mainland in just a few hundred years.
This empire has never been built on kindness and tolerance.
Its foundation is the scorched earth burned by Dragonflame, the battlefield crushed by steel, and the ashes left after countless enemies were crushed.
And now, it has become the only hope for the entire Atlant.
Just like that, time quickly came to one year later.
New Calendar 749, late winter.
It has been snowing heavily for three days.
There are no more variegated colors between the sky and the earth, only pure white remains. The distant mountains are hidden in the thick clouds, and the dead branches are wrapped in ice crystals and turn into jade color. When the wind passes, they are shaken to pieces.
Red Iron Dragon stands on the peak.
He just returned from White Dwarf in deep space.
At this moment, the scorching heat remained on his scales, forming a circle of twisted air waves visible to the naked eye around his body.
The flying snow melted into water droplets before it even got close to his body, and the water droplets evaporated into white smoke in an instant, forming a ring of surging steam around him.
Phew...
Red Iron Dragon slowly exhaled a breath of hot breath, which condensed into a straight white line in the air, and was then torn apart by the wind and snow.
His eyes scanned the surroundings.
It was snowing heavily, covered in silver, and the white wind and snow almost covered everything.
However, when he raised his head slightly, his sight could still penetrate the snowy sky and see the outline of the giant city looming in the snow.
"These Floating City, we still can't leave them alone."
Red Iron Dragon's pupils narrowed slightly and he thought to himself.
After about a year of adaptation, the effects of Abyss's corruption have basically dissipated.
He just went to Abyss as a clone, not as a real person, and the time he stayed was not long, so he was not seriously affected.
After confirming that your judgment has not been corrupted or distorted.
Garos reexamined these Floating City in the sky.
The final conclusion reached is almost the same as before.
He really wanted to destroy all these Floating Citys without leaving a single one behind.
But the difference from before is that he now clearly knows that although this is a good way to weaken the danger of Abyss, it is extremely difficult to operate in practice.
Destroying Floating City itself is not a problem.
The problem is that the process of destroying them may trigger a chain reaction, so he has not yet issued the final order.
"Each one of these Floating City is a time bomb."
"It's best to dismantle them in advance. The sooner the better. The problem is that although Immortal One and Platinum Star of Holden are gone, these Floating City themselves are also weapons."
"If we attack forcefully, it will only make Holden choose to die together, causing greater trouble and making the situation get out of control."
This is the crux of the matter.
Holden people are extremely stubborn, it can even be said that they are stubborn to the core.
This nation lives in the clouds and has long regarded Floating City as a symbol of identity and glory.
Even though Abyss suffered an unprecedented defeat, and even though they knew that their Floating City and Abyssal Rift were closely connected and each one was a potential source of danger, these guys still clung to Floating City.
If Garos asks them to give up Floating City, they will never agree and will even resist in the most violent way.
Garos shook his head slightly, suppressing the messy thoughts for the time being.
Just then.
Deep in the wind and snow, there is a white spot that is rapidly enlarging.
That's a dragon.
She walked through the blizzard, surrounded by fine ice crystals and frost, as if the blizzard sweeping the world was paved for her. Her flying posture was extremely light, as if the wind and snow were supporting her to glide.
Dragon of Ten Thousand Laws, White Calamity, Hitherfell.
In the blink of an eye, she had reached the top of the mountain from the depths of wind and snow, folded her wings, and landed lightly on a huge rock beside Red Iron Dragon.
Her arrival did not surprise Garos.
Destiny Rank Legendary Realm dragons that rush to other empires without notification will only be regarded as potential danger or even a declaration of war.
White Calamity always does whatever she wants, but she is not stupid.
Before she came this time, out of respect for Sacred Aura, she said hello in advance via remote messaging.
Garos stayed on this peak, on the one hand to cool down the body temperature that had increased significantly after exercise, and on the other hand, to wait for her arrival.
"Hitherfell."
Garos turned his head, looked at White Dragon, and said straight to the point, "Come over here at this time Atlant, what's the matter?"
White Calamity let out a low laugh, with a bit of careless laziness.
"Garos, what you said is too outrageous."
"Although we haven't met a few times in total, we are both Evil Dragon. Even though I am thousands of miles away, I am always paying attention to you, Red Emperor. Can't I just come over and appreciate your light?"
Garos blew out a wisp of hot air from his nostrils and was not distracted by her compliment.
"The Empire is now in a state of emergency."
"If you don't have anything urgent to do, I won't have time to accompany you. Besides, I don't believe you flew all the way from Coldwater Ocean just to talk nonsense."
"Tell me, what do you want to do?"
He said seriously.
"So serious?"
White Calamity tilted his head, a trace of amusement flashed across his vertical pupils, "It seems that even you take this crisis very seriously. I thought Red Emperor was not afraid of anything."
She paused, restrained her joking tone, and said seriously, "However, I really don't have anything particularly important."
"I came here this time mainly to inform you that I plan to live in Atlant in your territory for a while. If I am still there when Demon invades, I will kill some Demon for fun."
She paused again and added, "It's just in passing, not a special trip."
Garos naturally doesn't believe it.
White Calamity is staying well at Coldwater Ocean, and, if you don't come early, you won't come late, but you come just before Abyss is in imminent danger and Demon is about to invade Atlant?
This is certainly no coincidence.
Red Iron Dragon thought for a moment, and then expressed his judgment bluntly. "Did you hear about Atlant's recent situation and come here to support me?"
White Calamity asked for help from him, and he knew this very early on.
The icing on the cake is far inferior to providing help when it is timely.
She chose this time to come and provide support, and the timing really suited her needs.
Hearing Red Iron Dragon's words, White Dragon turned his head sharply, with a hint of anger in his eyes after being exposed.
She snorted coldly and said decisively, "You are thinking too much."
"I'm just tired of staying in Ocean. In Coldwater Ocean, there's nothing but fish and ice, and there's not even anyone I can talk to. I want to change the environment and relax."
"The scenery of your Sacred Aura is not bad, with many mountains and rich terrain."
"As for Demon, I just can't stand these ugly things and want to kill them to relieve my boredom. I'm not here to help you at all."
Red Iron Dragon looked at her eager rebuttal and was too lazy to say anything more.
He had not been in contact with this White Dragon for long, but it was enough to understand her character.
Her mouth is probably tougher than her own dragon scales. If I continue to question her, she will probably make up even more outrageous reasons. I have no interest in listening to her continued nonsense.
So, he chose to remain silent.
White Calamity also seemed to feel that his defense was a bit too hasty.
She raised her head, looked at the looming outline of Floating City, changed the subject, and asked, "Why do you still keep these Floating City? Don't you think it's an eyesore if they hang above your head?"
"Holden is basically finished. Now it is just hanging on. Atlant relies on you Aura to support the situation below, leaving their city hanging above their heads. You can see it every day when you look up. Don't you find it annoying?"
Garos followed her gaze and shook his head slightly.
"Because there is no good solution yet."
He spoke slowly, and then gave an overview of Floating City's troublesome situation.
White Calamity couldn't help but snorted after hearing this.
"Stubborn?"
She grinned, revealing a row of neat frosty white teeth, and said, "I see, these stupid and stubborn Holden people just lack education."
"Don't you Aura have some ecological niche theory?"
"I think it's very suitable for them. It's perfect for dealing with this kind of race that is obsessed with face.
"They were quite strong before. There were two Immortal One and Platinum Star, and they had such a huge legion. That's okay, the strong are indeed qualified to save face."
"But given their current situation, how dare they be so disrespectful?"
"Haha, the weak should be severely humiliated by the strong. This is the simplest and most effective principle."
"I suggest you Aura drag them down from the clouds and step on them in the mud to let them know their place clearly and let them know that they are not some arrogant people in the clouds now."
"For example, crush them both mentally and physically."
"Humiliate their incompetence, deprive them of their dignity, and crush their pride into powder.
"When you've been insulted enough, your mind will clear up and your thoughts will naturally change."
White Dragon spoke very enthusiastically, and finally even showed a look of eagerness to try. "I don't belong to you Sacred Aura, but if you decide to severely insult Holden, I can do it for you."
Red Iron Dragon laughed dumbly and shook his huge head.
"I don't mind doing that either."
"I have never had any psychological burden when dealing with Holden. It would have been very polite not to settle old scores with them, but the current time does not allow it."
Hitherfell spread its wings slightly and made a shrug-like movement.
"That's true."
She simply gave up her suggestion and said, "I'm not good at these things either. It's your problem how to treat Holden. You can just worry about it yourself."
She regained her lazy tone and said, "In short, I came to Sacred Aura for two things. First, to take a walk, relax and take a look at the scenery. Second, to play some Demon and do some activities."
"Nothing else."
White Dragon emphasized the word "by the way" again.
Garos looked at her and nodded his huge head.
"As you wish."
"As long as you don't cause any trouble in my territory, you can stay in Atlant as long as you want, but if I find out that you have done anything outrageous, I will go find you personally."
Hearing this, White Dragon burst out laughing.
"Don't worry, don't worry, I have always abided by the law, even more so than Metal Dragon."
She left a joke, and then stretched her wings. The frost-white wings spread into a wide arc in the wind and snow.
White Dragon rises into the sky.
Her figure blended into the flying snow and disappeared in an instant.
Red Iron Dragon watched her leave, then looked back, thoughts swirling in her heart.
Soon after, the temperature of his body surface gradually returned to normal, the vapor ring gradually thinned until it disappeared, and a thin layer of snowflakes fell on the steel-like scales.
The giant dragon shook its body, and the snow fell softly.
He is preparing to leave from here.
Suddenly, Blood Kin Link was triggered, Sorog had something to tell him.
Red Iron Dragon paused slightly, turned his attention to Blood Kin Link, and asked, "Has the chaos in various places been controlled?"
After the news of Holden's defeat spread, Atlant fell into chaos.
This initial chaos may not seem to have much direct impact on Sacred Aura, but it is actually a very dangerous sign.
The difficulty of the Abyss invasion is directly related to the "Chaos Level" of the world. The higher the chaos, the easier it is for Abyssal Rift to expand, and the easier it is for Demon to come.
Therefore.
After discovering the flames of chaos, Garos immediately issued an order, which was executed by Sorog, asking him to use an iron fist to strangle all potential sources of chaos and not give it a chance to grow and become more intense.
The voice of Sorog came through Blood Kin Link, calm and cold. "Yes, everything went smoothly, and there was no decent resistance."
Sacred Aura, prefixed with the word "sacred".
But this empire has nothing to do with true holiness.
When needed, it will reveal its minions even more terrifying than Demon.
Resist?
The history of Sacred Aura is not very rich, just a few hundred years, but looking at its past rise, all those who disobey the will of the empire have only one ending.
-One is reduced to ashes, ground to dust.
After the idiot who tried to cause chaos was swiftly and resolutely sent to the guillotine, the remaining people became much more honest.
At this time, Sorog changed the topic slightly. "I didn't mean to talk about this."
Garos asked, "What's the matter?"
Iron Dragon's voice paused, and then said, "There is a man who has come to see you. He is in the royal city now. I think you should go and see him in person."
Garos asked again, "Who is it?"
Sorog only replied with one name.
Communication is brief and quick.
In a few sentences, the information has been conveyed.
Red Iron Dragon narrowed his eyes slightly, turned his head to look in the direction of Red Emperor Royal City, then stopped pausing, his wings shook, and his huge body tore through the snow.
Red Emperor Royal City, Dragon Court.
In the vast and empty palace, Red Iron Dragon sits on a huge throne.
His posture was casual, his wings were half-folded, the tip of his tail rested casually on the edge of the steps, his head was slightly lowered, and his vertical pupils looked down at the tiny figure below the steps.
Servants and guards have long been driven back.
There were only two figures left in the hall.
Apart from the powerful and majestic dragon, there was a person standing at the foot of the steps.
An old man.
His hair was all white, and the wrinkles spread from the corners of his eyes and mouth to the entire face, as deep as ravines carved by axes. The originally straight bridge of his nose now looked sharp because his cheeks had been completely sunken.
Fafweil, the emperor of Holden, the king of Holden.
Garos almost didn't recognize him at first sight.
The last time I saw Fafweil in person was on the parade stage of Cloudpiercer City.
Although the King of Holden at that time was a bit old, with slightly white temples and lines at the corners of his eyes, he didn't look old at all.
Wearing platinum light armor, he raised his right fist high and shouted to the ready army that Holden must win, declaring war on Abyss.
Immediately afterwards, the cheers of countless soldiers surged like a mountain and a tsunami.
That was just a year ago.
The person standing in front of him now looked like an ordinary person who was more than twenty years older.
Although his back is still very straight, it is no longer the high-spirited posture it used to be. It is more like an old tree that has been bent by the wind and snow but is still holding on with gritted teeth.
Obviously, the failure of Holden had a huge impact on him.
Not only mentally, but also directly fed back to his body.
At this time, Fafweil looked up at the majestic dragon.
His eyes first fell on his majestic body, then slowly moved up, and finally looked into the pair of vertical pupils, and he looked dazed for a moment.
Then, he bowed slightly.
The magnitude is not small.
The angle of the curvature of the back is beyond the scope of equal etiquette, unlike the polite nod from one emperor to another, and closer to the bow of a seeker to the person he is requesting.
All in all, the posture is a bit humble.
"Dear Lord of Sacred Aura."
His voice was hoarse and dry, and he said, "I have wanted to come here for a long time to formally visit you, but I have never found the right time. It seems a bit late to come now."
Red Iron Dragon looked down at him and said, "It's just a meeting, it's never too late."
Hearing this, Fafweil raised his head and was in a trance again.
He had read Red Iron Dragon's name countless times in intelligence documents. He had discussed the threat of Red Iron Dragon many times in strategic meetings, and had deduced countless plans to deal with Aura's expansion. But today, he had to stand in front of Red Iron Dragon in person, with a humble attitude.
But what Fafweil didn't expect was...
He did not encounter the ridicule he expected.
Fafweil is ready to be humiliated deep down in his heart, and even thinks that he deserves it. When a loser stands in front of a winner, it is natural to accept humiliation.
However, Red Iron Dragon's voice was calm.
There was no emotion or anger in it, and it was calm.
At the same time, under the gaze of King Holden, Red Iron Dragon slightly adjusted its entrenched posture, and its tail slowly unfolded on the steps of the throne.
"As the emperor of Holden, you do not bring any servants, any guards, nor do you convey any diplomatic messages in advance."
The giant dragon stared at the human being and said in a calm tone, "What is the reason that makes you appear in front of me so suddenly?"
His attitude was very casual, not as formal as treating the head of a country, and even a little too casual.
However, although they are both lords of the empire, their status is not at the same level at all.
Fafweil doesn't come here for any dignity.
He did not avoid the dragon's gaze, raised his head, and said directly, "I hope to give Holden a way to survive."
Red Iron Dragon's vertical pupils narrowed slightly.
"How to give it?"
He asked, "What does this have to do with me?"
Fafweil took a deep breath, his chest rose and fell, and then said slowly, "His Majesty Immortal One, Dark Star of our empire, he left his last words."
Last words?
I have a deep impression on Immortal One and Garos.
He became interested and looked at Fafweil seriously, waiting for the next chapter.
Fafweil continued, "Before Dark Star went down to Abyss, he secretly built a Ark using the engine from the old era."
"Ark is hidden in a Shadow Space, not in the docking area of any Floating City, nor in any official Imperial records."
"He did this very secretly, and only a few people knew of its existence."
"Even I only learned the whole truth after receiving His Majesty Dark Star's last words."
Speaking of this, Fafweil's eyes flashed with a guilty expression.
He previously suspected that Dark Star was corrupted by Abyss.
The main reason for this is that Dark Star was originally a stern and taciturn person. After Abyss Development Project proposed it, he has remained quite active and even personally participated in some specific technical solutions.
This is completely different from his past behavior pattern, Fafweil cannot but doubt it.
But now it seems...
He had a premonition of danger in advance and was worried about serious internal corruption. If he made Ark's affairs public, who would destroy it in advance, so he could only act secretly and silently pave the way for Holden to retreat.
Red Iron Dragon's pupils flashed slightly.
Thinking of the previous conversation between Dark Star and himself, he asked, "Are there the coordinates of other Material Planes in this Ark?"
"Yes."
Fafweil lowered his eyes and replied, "Dark Star Your Majesty has already drawn up a list of personnel, a group of young people who have been strictly screened."
"He hopes that this Ark can carry the best and most outstanding Holden's People he has chosen to the New World he selected, and then start everything over and build a different Holden."
The dragon smiled and said, "Start again?"
"Once the news about this ship Ark is made public, I'm afraid not only the people on the list will be able to board it. When it comes to life and death, those powerful people will use all means to squeeze in."
"The list? The list is just a piece of waste paper in the face of survival."
"In the end, I'm afraid only the Holden royal family and the most powerful families will be able to board the ship. You will only make the same mistakes again."
Hearing this, Fafweil raised his head.
His eyes were already a little cloudy and his eyes were no longer clear, but at this time, there was a very determined light in these cloudy eyes.
"No, absolutely not."
Fafweil said categorically, "The existence of Ark is strictly confidential."
"Except for those personally selected by His Majesty Dark Star to lead the revival of Holden in New World, no one else will board Ark, including myself."
"I just want to ensure that Ark sets sail smoothly, carrying those who can truly rebuild the empire, to New World."
Fafweil's life is running out.
If he was still young, he might force his way onto Ark out of fear of death, occupying a position that should belong to a young man.
But now, death is near and inevitable.
Fafweil just wants to save Holden as much as possible before he dies, leaving behind the spark of revival.
For him now, his reputation during his lifetime and after his death are the most important thing.
"I probably know why you're here."
Red Iron Dragon spoke slowly, "Ark is going to New World, carrying the revival seeds you selected, and then leaving Bernardo forever.
"What about the old Floating City?"
Fafweil did not hesitate and said word for word, "The old ones will be completely left to Sacred Aura's disposal."
His voice paused slightly, and he continued, "In this year, I have almost never left the center. From the day the news of the failure came back, I knew that the era of Holden was over."
"Every day after that, I lobbied."
"From Noble Council to the top military officials, from the Alchemists' Guild to the business consortium, I convinced them one by one, telling them that the era of the empire was over, and holding on to Floating City would only lead to everyone being buried with him."
"There were many obstacles in the way, so many."
"But in the end, through some means, I made them agree with my decision."
He did not elaborate on the method, but the process was probably not gentle.
"The empire will dismantle all Floating City's weapons and defense systems and open all airports."
"At that time, Sacred Aura's legions can take over every Floating City without any hindrance, whether it is dismantling the engines, destroying cities, or disposing of them in any way you see fit."
"I will fully cooperate and personally ensure that there will be no resistance from Holden.
Garos knows, Floating City is just superficial.
Handing over Floating City almost means that Sacred Aura can get everything Holden has, especially the technology and knowledge.
However, there is no free lunch in the world.
Fafweil must have something to ask for when offering such conditions.
The dragon's eyes were firmly fixed on Fafweil and asked, "So, what price do you want me to pay?"
Fafweil was silent for a breath.
Then, he made an action that Garos didn't expect.
The emperor of Holden, the ruler of the Cloud Kingdom, slowly bent his knees and knelt in front of the red throne. His white hair fell from his shoulders, covering most of his face, "There is no price, Your Majesty."
The voice came from behind the hanging white hair. Fafweil lowered his head and said, "I don't make conditions, I don't bargain, I don't ask for equal exchange."
"Floating City, technology, knowledge, everything, are free."
Fafweil put his hands on his knees and raised his head.
"I have only one request."
"I beg you, I beg you, I beg Sacred Aura to accept these people of Holden who are staying in Bernardo and cannot board Ark."
"I don't ask for any status to be given to them, and I don't ask for being treated like Aura's People."
"I just want to give them a way to survive.
ps: Please give me a monthly pass, in case you get it, orz.