"You are despicable, you are shameless."
The spirits of the two artifacts spoke angrily.
Garon smiled lightly, his demeanor as calm as a gentle breeze, "Insults from enemies are no different from praise to me."
He paused, his gaze sharpening, "So, tell me, what is your answer? Will you submit to my will, or defy me and watch your original masters suffer in torment?"
Upon hearing Garon's stark threat, the spirits of the two artifacts fell silent.
Then.
Garon wove his power into threads, intertwining them like a spider's web, spreading toward the two artifacts.
Throughout this process, the spirits of the two artifacts watched him with sorrow and anger, but unlike the Moonkey God Bow, they did not resist. Unlike the situation with the Moonkey God Bow, which involved only a saint and not a deity itself, these two artifacts, belonging to half-god divine envoys, chose to submit to Garon, their enemy, to prevent their original masters from enduring torment at the hands of an enemy due to their loyalty and protection.
"Smart choice."
Garon was pleased with the response of the two artifacts.
As time quietly passed, Garon branded the two artifacts with his own imprint. The runes formed by the power of time gradually covered the surface of the artifacts, penetrating inside and out.
With the divine power brand established and a psychic connection formed, the thoughts of the two artifact spirits would gradually become twisted. Soon, they would come to recognize Garon as their master from the bottom of their hearts.
Meanwhile, Garon also learned about the effects of the two artifacts.
He had already had a good idea of their capabilities during his battle with the Twin Flower Divine Envoys, but upon becoming the master of the artifacts, he gained a more detailed understanding.
Among them, the Vastwood Shield was superior.
Its main feature, aside from being indestructible, was its inbuilt Mysterious Lock defensive barrier. The dense forest barrier, which had blocked many of Garon's attacks, giving the two half-gods a chance to breathe.
As for the Thousand Flowers Divine Sword, Garon didn't pay much attention to it.
Its ability to transform and split into countless deadly petals during a slash was beautiful and dangerous, but its lethality, in Garon's view, was negligible, unable to breach his holy armor and scales.
In reality, Garon didn't truly need these artifacts.
It was more about his collector's mentality.
These trophies were his now; how could they still be loyal to their original masters?
After storing the Time Ambers, Garon played with the two artifacts, which were now devoid of will to live, in the Dragon's Nest for a while. Once the novelty wore off, he stopped tormenting them and left the Dragon's Nest.
As Garon arrived directly at the Dragon's Nest via spatial teleportation.
The dragonkin, recognizing the aura of the Dragon Court's master, knew of his return, especially in the northern hemisphere near his Dragon's Nest.
Out of admiration for the Time Dragon, a large number of true dragons had gathered nearby, centered around Garon's territory.
The majestic silver dragon stood on the mountaintop, its powerful claws gripping the rugged rocks, its scales shimmering under the golden sunlight. He surveyed his surroundings, his gaze intensifying as a storm-like dragon might, embodying Garon's will, emanated from him.
Before long.
A forty-meter-long ancient silver dragon, Nehemiah, flapped its wings and arrived at the peak where Garon stood.
Nehemiah retracted its wings, landing on a slightly lower peak.
"Do you have something for me?" Nehemiah asked, now addressing Garon with a title of respect.
The shift in how Nehemiah addressed Garon was a natural result of sensing Garon's overwhelming presence. The ancient silver dragon could hardly remain calm in front of this sixty-meter-long behemoth, especially now that the Dragon Court's master's achievements had spread across the material world.
First, capturing a divine saint with medium divine power, then capturing two half-god entities.
With such illustrious achievements and formidable strength, even though Nehemiah knew Garon from earlier times, it could no longer regard him with the same familiarity.
Garon noticed the change in Nehemiah's address.
He frowned slightly but said nothing.
Dragonkin have always respected the strong.
He was far stronger than Nehemiah, and they were no longer on the same level. It was natural for Nehemiah's attitude to change.
Yet, being addressed so formally by Nehemiah felt like a barrier had formed between them.
However, Garon had grown accustomed to such changes.
As a Time Dragon, only beings immortal as he could truly be his friends. To the common beings, ancient dragons might seem unapproachable, but unless they could become immortal, they would eventually turn to dust with time and be swallowed by the river of time.
Thinking this, Garon asked, "Have you mastered the spell of immortality?"
The spell of immortality from Ionia was a shortcut to becoming immortal.
Since Garon taught the spell of immortality, nearly seven years had passed, and Nehemiah was among the first legendary dragons to receive it.
Nehemiah shook its head, "The spell is complex and intricate, and with my magical prowess, it's not easy to learn."
Legendary dragons possess some magical abilities.
However, their magical capabilities are mostly incomparable to legendary mages. After all, dragons become legendary creatures not just because of their spellcasting abilities but due to a combination of physical strength, dragon breath, dragon might, and other factors.
Only ancient dragons as powerful as Nehemiah could possibly possess legendary-level spellcasting abilities.
"Moreover, after receiving the spell of immortality, the war quickly erupted."
"I had no time to study the spell of immortality deeply, and I guess other legendary dragons who received it are in a similar situation."
Hearing Nehemiah's words, Garon nodded slightly.
"How's the situation in the northern hemisphere?" he asked.
Nehemiah carefully chose his words, "After you demonstrated your might,"
"The elven forces have basically stayed put, no longer expanding into other territories."
"Now the roles have reversed; we, the dragonkin, are attacking, and the elves are defending."
"In this period, I've led the dragonkin army to conquer five elven strongholds, and other dragonkin forces have their own victories."
"However, the elves' Mysterious Lock defenses are quite formidable. To completely eliminate them, we still need some time."
The elves on Kara could be described in one word: stalling. They knew the tide had turned against them, but they were determined to hold the dragonkin back, hoping for support from the elven realms.
However, the elves on Kara were doomed to fail. They had been left to fend for themselves as almost all the portals connecting the elven realms to Kara had been closed.
These portals, originally opened for the conquest of Kara, served solely to transport troops and were not bidirectional.
Transporting troops from the elven realms to Kara was far easier than returning from Kara to the elven realms.
The elven realms had abandoned the elves on Kara.
Garon nodded slightly, then handed the coordinates of the Lava Half-Plane to Nehemiah, speaking sternly, "Next, I will personally take action to cleanse the northern hemisphere of elven forces."
"You go to
the Lava Half-Plane and check its condition."
"It might already be shattered, lifeless."
"But if the kin I have in the Lava Half-Plane are still alive, command them in my name to take all the wealth accumulated there over the past six years, navigate the magical ships, and come to Kara."
The Lava Half-Plane had obviously been exposed to the gods long ago.
This half-plane, not belonging to the primary material plane, was no longer safe for Garon.
After the attack, Garon decided to abandon the Lava Half-Plane. If its resources weren't destroyed, they could later be mined by legendary dragons of the Dragon Court, with part of the proceeds going to the Dragon Court's treasury, part as compensation for the miners, and part as Garon's own wealth.
As for the kin in the Lava Half-Plane, Garon hoped the Alpha lineage, along with Roel and Grelsa's young dragons, were still alive.
This was quite likely.
As long as the Lava Half-Plane wasn't shattered by the attacker, they should be safe.
"I understand."
"I'll head there now," Nehemiah responded.
Garon nodded, "Thank you. Go on."
Nehemiah smiled, "I'm happy to serve the Dragon Court's master."
With that, the ancient silver dragon opened a planar portal using the coordinates given by Garon.
Planar teleportation wasn't difficult for legendary beings, who almost all possessed similar abilities. Some high-level spellcasters even frequently traveled between planes, like Garon's once-faithful curse mage, Krytens.
Under Garon's watchful eye, Nehemiah was about to step into the portal.
But suddenly, Nehemiah paused, looking towards a certain place in the west.
Garon also turned his gaze in the same direction, spotting a familiar silver dragon figure.
Nehemiah shook its head almost imperceptibly, then leaped into the planar portal.
Garon was momentarily startled, then his massive form disappeared from the spot.
The dragon vanished in a flash, almost instantaneously appearing beside the super-sized silver dragon.
When Luna regained her senses, Garon had already retracted his dragon wings and landed among the vast forests where she was located, his majestic body making the surrounding ancient trees look like mere saplings.
"Luna, it's been a long time."
"I'm glad to see you're still alive," Garon said sincerely.
War is an unpredictable crucible, both for the elves and the dragonkin.
A young adult silver dragon like Luna, not yet legendary, was of middle to low rank among the dragonkin. A moment's carelessness could result in death from the aftermath of legendary battles. Surviving was already a stroke of luck.
Garon could see that the scales of this graceful silver dragon bore many visible marks, adding a fierce touch to her appearance.
Yet, Luna's demeanor remained as serene and elegant as ever.
"Should I address you as the great Dragon Court's master, or just Garon?"
Luna looked up at the silver dragon, several times her size and with a tangible oppressive force, smiled lightly, and spoke.
Garon smiled slightly, looking down at the comparatively petite silver dragon, "As you wish, you can call me whatever you prefer."
"Then I'll still call you Garon. The glory of the Dragon Court's master is too dazzling," Luna smiled gently.
In a swirl of light, she transformed into her usual appearance of a beautiful woman with golden hair and fair skin, as always.
Luna lightly tapped her toes, leaping up to sit on a branch of a tree several tens of meters tall, her legs gently swinging.
"I hope this war ends soon."
"I've seen too much death. Our dragonkin currently have the upper hand, but our losses are also quite severe," Luna said, gazing into the distance, her golden hair fluttering in the wind.
As a naturally kind silver dragon, she was not fond of war. Although she participated in the conflict, she had no enthusiasm for the smoke and flames of battle.
Garon nodded slightly, "I will end the war as soon as possible."
With him around, the dragonkin had a significant advantage in the primary material world, able to clear out elven garrisons one by one. As long as the elven realms could not find a way to counter Garon, their defeat was inevitable.
The elven side had many half-gods.
These half-gods, if descending in larger numbers to the primary material world at once, could trouble Garon. However, in the divine realms of the dragon gods, there were also many ancient dragons with demi-godly power, having lived for tens of thousands of years.
Previously, the Metal Dragon God expressed willingness to send forces to aid Garon, but he declined.
The battlefield for half-gods was mainly in the outer planes.
However, at Garon's level of 41, venturing into the outer planes to fight deities who had become half-gods thousands or millions of years ago would not end well.
For example, the Twin Flower Divine Envoys, both above level 50.
Fighting them in the outer planes without using Time Reversal, Garon estimated he would not stand a chance.
But in the primary material world, where everyone was on the same level, he could take on multiple opponents and still prevail.
Moreover, during wartime, the primary material world's battlefield is as important as those in the outer planes. If the dragonkin achieve large-scale victories in the primary material world, the dragon gods would also gain a significant advantage in their fights against the deities.
Time gradually passed.
Garon and his long-lost friend chatted for a while, reminiscing about amusing incidents from their weaker days, occasionally roaring with laughter, creating a relaxed and peaceful atmosphere.
"By the way, I have news about Nicolette," Luna suddenly said.
Under Garon's gaze, Luna's expression became somewhat solemn and worried, "She was taken away by her clan's elders and went to the Star Realm."
The Star Realm.
A peculiar domain between or blending spirit and matter, where the corpses of deities transform into islands, providing habitats for various creatures of the Star Realm or becoming forbidden zones of life.
Nicolette's absence was not due to an accident, which was a relief.
Because there had been no news of Nicolette for a long time, Garon had long thought she might have died accidentally.
Now, knowing the Crystal Dragon was in the Star Realm was somewhat expected. As one of the three major dragon kinds—the Gem Dragons, alongside the Chromatic Dragons and Metallic Dragons—the Gem Dragons' main base was in the Star Realm, less distributed in the primary material world than the other two kinds.
However, compared to the primary material world, the Star Realm was more dangerous at this time.
During the war, the vast and boundless outer plane of the Star Realm also became one of the main battlefields for demi-god level deities and above.
Demi-godly dragons, dragon gods, elven deities... both sides clashed incessantly in the Star Realm.
The aftermath of the gods' battles could easily kill countless beings.
"In the Star Realm, I hope she doesn't get caught in the battles between gods," Garon could only wish Nicolette well.
He currently had no plans to go to the Star Realm. The suitable battlefield for Garon was in the primary material world.
After catching up for a while longer, Garon narrowed his eyes, noting the darkening sky, and said to Luna, "Rest time is over. It's time to clean up the remaining elven garrisons."
After a pause, Garon added, "Once the war on Kara ends, if you wish, you can live peacefully in this world."
Luna shook her head, her tone firm, "Although I dislike war, my kin are fighting bloody battles for our race. How can I remain indifferent?"
She smiled gently at Garon, calmly stating, "The worst outcome is nothing more than turning to dust. I have never feared death."
Garon nodded, "Be careful."
He produced a World Rune, casting multiple solidified magical enhancements on Luna, hoping the silver dragon would survive until the end of the war.
"This is a small gift from me, take it."
Luna nodded slightly, accepting it.
After sensing the effects of the numerous enhancement spells, Luna dispelled her transformation spell, returning to her super-sized silver dragon form, and winked at Garon, softly saying, "Noble Dragon Court's master, it's time for you to lead your troops."
"I will fight alongside you under your dragon wings."
As the war was about to begin, Luna addressing Garon as the Dragon Court's master meant she didn't need Garon to treat her as a friend; treating her as an ordinary dragonkin soldier was enough.
Garon nodded, his dragon wings flapping, instantly taking him to the clouds above.
The silver dragon, with a crown of dragon horns, stood tall against the night sky, his dragon might spreading far and wide, eliciting responses from many true dragons.
The rich dragon scent filled the air.
Soon, nearby true dragons and their kin gathered, forming a formidable army.
"My dragonkin warriors, it's time to make the elves pay for their blood debt!"
The roars of the dragons were incessant.
After a few motivational words to boost the morale of the true dragons.
Under Garon's leadership, the army surged towards the nearby elven garrisons with unstoppable force.
Then.
Under the dark, moonless, and starless night sky, the flames of war spread once more.
With Garon present, breaking through the elves' Mysterious Lock defense barriers was easy. Under his command, the dragonkin army steamrolled over each elven stronghold, turning them to ashes.
The efficiency increased by more than a hundredfold compared to when Garon was not leading.
Quickly.
As the moon set and the sun rose.
But the dragons' roars and howls continued, attacking elven strongholds across Kara, only resting briefly to recover their strength.
Then, with replenished vitality and magic, the campaign resumed.
Day and night passed.
After a month of continuous, high-intensity battles, the elven garrisons in the northern hemisphere were completely defeated by Garon's dragonkin army, countless elves killed or captured.
Meanwhile, in the southern hemisphere, under the leadership of the great serpent dragon Ulysses, the dragonkin army also eradicated elven strongholds.
When Garon resolved the situation in the northern hemisphere and returned to the southern hemisphere.
Under his command, another half-month later, the last elven garrison, located in a formidable canyon, was overwhelmed by the dragon breath and claws of the dragonkin.
This planet, plagued by calamities, once again became a world wholly belonging to the dragonkin.
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