"My master, the great Yeenoghu."
"Your servant cannot contend with the Eternal and Time Dragon. Please descend upon the Prime Material Plane and show your might."
The Ghoul King frantically called out to Yeenoghu in his mind.
Meanwhile, the silver dragon's gaze shifted slightly, sensing a strong, clear presence from the outer plane focusing on him.
The 422nd layer of the Abyss, Yeenoghu's domain, the Ooze Forest.
In the deepest part of the Ooze Forest, concealed by countless twisted, withered yellow leaves, stood a towering temple shaped like a howling gnoll. This was Yeenoghu's usual residence.
In front of the temple was a colossal statue, hundreds of meters high, sculpted from stone, representing the Gnoll God Yeenoghu, casting a contemptuous, condescending gaze over his domain and all its inhabitants.
Inside the temple, Yeenoghu sat on his throne, eyes half-closed.
Yeenoghu, with black and red fur, appeared no different in size from an ordinary gnoll, but his powerful muscles nearly bursting through his fur marked him as anything but ordinary.
An aura of evil and chaos swirled around Yeenoghu, flowing through his fur.
At this moment, the Gnoll God was hesitating and contemplating.
He hadn't expected to encounter Garon on the Prime Material Plane. As a member of the giant pantheon, Yeenoghu knew better than the Ghoul King about Garon's extraordinary power.
Still, the Ghoul King had once been a demon lord. Despite his poor showing before Garon, he wasn't weak.
Moreover, Yeenoghu needed the Ghoul King to manage his ghoul legion in the Abyss. If the Ghoul King died on the Prime Material Plane, Yeenoghu would lose control over the ghoul legion. Those mindless undead wouldn't submit to Yeenoghu's will.
Without the ghoul legion, Yeenoghu's control over his domain would weaken.
"The real clash between the giant gods and dragon gods hasn't begun yet."
"Is it up to me and the Eternal and Time Dragon to start the first battle?"
Despite rumors that Garon had lost his greatest asset and could no longer summon quasi-deity-level time dragons, Garon himself was still a formidable foe. Under these circumstances, Yeenoghu's hesitation and contemplation were normal.
But as he tried to think rationally, Yeenoghu's greedy and bloodthirsty nature stirred.
Every war god had immense confidence in their power.
As a seasoned intermediate deity with quasi-deity-level power as a demon lord, Yeenoghu felt confident in handling a wounded Garon on the Prime Material Plane.
"If I can defeat a prominent dragon god at the war's outset..."
Yeenoghu extended his crimson tongue, licking his sharp teeth.
Meanwhile.
On the Dark Plain of Rosen, under the silver dragon's oppressive gaze, the Ghoul King had been calling for Yeenoghu's help for over ten seconds. But with the Gnoll God lost in thought, the Ghoul King received no response.
Seeing the silver dragon's growing impatience and dangerous expression, the Ghoul King felt a chill in his heart.
"Enough. Since Yeenoghu won't come, you can die in his place."
After a few more seconds, Garon spoke calmly.
Opening his mouth, Garon's spiritual will locked onto the Ghoul King. Layers of demon-binding spells made the space around the Ghoul King feel like solid matter, hindering his movement.
At that moment, the Ghoul King felt a prickling sensation on his skin, sensing a mortal danger.
"Damn, I can't escape."
The Ghoul King doubted Yeenoghu would abandon him, needing him to manage the ghoul legion. But now, facing Garon alone, the Ghoul King had to save himself.
"Awooo!"
The Ghoul King dropped to all fours and howled like a beast.
Instantly, the countless ghouls, packed together like a pale ocean, fell silent, then surged toward the Ghoul King. A powerful suction force emanated from the Ghoul King, speeding up the ghouls.
The mass of ghouls formed a gigantic, horrifying flesh mound around the Ghoul King.
Claws, maws, and tails melded together, with countless ghouls howling in unison, producing an ear-piercing sound.
In the next moment, Garon's breath of time shattering shot out, piercing the space and striking the ghoul mound, reducing layers of ghouls to powder and heading straight for the Ghoul King at the core.
Boom!
The kilometer-wide ghoul mound was torn apart, with the breath extending into the ground, leaving a gash stretching for tens of kilometers.
Exhaling, the silver dragon looked at the ghoul mound.
The time-shattering breath had nearly obliterated the Ghoul King, leaving only half a head.
But countless writhing blood threads connected the remaining head to the ghouls, drawing life from them.
Under Garon's gaze, the outer ghouls stiffened like stone, drained of their life force.
The ghoul mound peeled away, revealing the Ghoul King within.
Amidst the pile of ghoul corpses, the Ghoul King had not fully recovered, looking like a skinned ghoul, with exposed muscles and a weakened aura, shivering in the cold wind.
"Although you're quite ugly, since you're still alive, you'll become my trophy."
Garon looked at the Ghoul King, casting a time amber sealing spell.
Crack, crack.
Amber-like crystals formed at the Ghoul King's feet, extending to cover him.
The Ghoul King slashed at the time amber, but his weakened body had little strength, barely scratching the amber, unable to stop his sealing.
But just as the Ghoul King was about to be sealed.
Three dark gold shadows broke the space, shattering the time amber like glass.
A dark gold flail with three spiked heads appeared, each head surrounded by snarling gnoll shadows, glaring at Garon.
The Gnoll God Yeenoghu's weapon, the Flail of the Beast.
Seeing the Flail of the Beast, the Ghoul King felt both relief and fear.
The Flail of the Beast had once smashed the Ghoul King's body into pieces, forcing him to submit to Yeenoghu, giving up his position as a demon lord and serving Yeenoghu.
"Doresain, you've become useless."
"Can't even escape when you lose a fight?"
A voice mixed with gnoll howls and savage breaths echoed above the Dark Plain.
A black-purple mist formed and dissipated, revealing Yeenoghu's muscular form, his black and red fur bristling with sinister light and evil energy.
After much thought, Yeenoghu couldn't resist the boiling bloodlust and desire to claim the first victory in the war.
Against the old Garon, Yeenoghu wouldn't have come, seeing no chance of victory. But with Garon supposedly weakened, Yeenoghu felt it was worth a try.
Maybe he could eliminate this significant threat to the giant pantheon.
"Forgive me, master."
The Ghoul King bowed his head to Yeenoghu.
"Given your current state, you can't fight anymore."
"Return to the Abyss for now."
Looking up at the silver dragon in the sky, Yeenoghu instructed the Ghoul King.
Receiving the order, the Ghoul King tried to escape through an abyssal rift, but like before, he collided with solid earth as Garon's spell sealed the rift.
The Ghoul King's head emerged from the dirt, looking helplessly at Yeenoghu and the towering silver dragon.
"I... I can't leave."
The Ghoul King said.
Under the gazes of Yeenoghu and the Ghoul King, Garon spoke calmly, "I never said you could leave."
Yeenoghu's mouth twisted into a cruel smile, revealing sharp teeth.
"Doresain, you heard him. He won't let you leave easily."
"Go, kill the dragons around here, and wait for me to defeat this arrogant Eternal and Time Dragon before taking you back to the Abyss."
Though severely wounded, the Ghoul King, a demon lord, could still overwhelm ordinary demigods. The dragon army here had no match for him.
Hearing Yeenoghu, the Ghoul King showed a bloodthirsty grin.
Like a blood-red lightning bolt, he lunged at the dragon army.
The surrounding dragons felt a sinking dread.
But another pale lightning bolt emerged, colliding with the Ghoul King.
Boom!
The Ghoul King was sent flying, crashing into the ground.
Looking up, he saw a mirror image of himself in pristine condition, cloaked in white, radiating an aura identical to his own, as if from the recent past.
The time mirror image didn't hesitate, pursuing the Ghoul King.
Seeing this, some powerful legendary dragons joined in, attacking the Ghoul King.
Facing the onslaught, the Ghoul King, unable to attack the dragons, could only flee, howling in pain from constant hits.
Witnessing this, Yeenoghu's face darkened with shame.
"Let me see the legendary power of the Eternal and Time Dragon!"
The Gnoll God growled, each word forced from his throat, accompanied by snarls.
As he spoke, dark abyssal energy and vast divine power enveloped Yeenoghu, causing his body to swell to over 500 meters tall.
Perhaps due to some giant worship, as part of the giant pantheon, Yeenoghu's size doubled even under Prime Material Plane constraints, surpassing that of the elven deities.
Seeing this, Garon took the fight seriously.
Yeenoghu was no weakling.
Although not originally a giant, the Gnoll God was much stronger than the Lord of Wrath. While he might not match Solrem and Surtr, the intermediate deities of the giants, he was not far behind.
The silver dragon lifted his neck and took a deep breath.
Amid the roaring wind, the dragon's body expanded, quickly growing into a colossal thousand-meter-long behemoth, resembling a silver dragon-shaped mountain in the sky.
Two beings, far beyond the Prime Material Plane's limits, released their power, causing the world to tremble.
The sky darkened, with rolling black clouds and torrential rain. Lightning snaked across the sky like serpents.
Rain poured down in thick sheets, the sound filling the world, while the ground trembled and cracked, leaving scar-like fissures.
Driven back by the gods' power, the dragons observed from a distance.
On their faces, there was a mix of reverence for Garon and disdain for Yeenoghu.
In the eyes of dragons, gnolls were lowly and filthy creatures. While some gnolls followed dragons, powerful dragons rarely accepted them as kin.
Naturally, the dragons saw the Gnoll God as unworthy compared to their Dragon God.
Meanwhile, the silver dragon roared thunderously.
His mountainous form churned the wind and lightning, charging at Yeenoghu with unstoppable force.
In terms of size, due to his gigantification ability, Garon often dwarfed other deities in the Prime Material Plane, except when facing the Chaos Lord.
But despite the overwhelming presence of the silver dragon, Yeenoghu showed no fear.
Size wasn't everything. Even the largest mountains could be shattered.
Like many evil gods, Yeenoghu wielded the powers of evil and chaos, expertly using them in battle.
Chaos Authority: Corruption Howl!
Yeenoghu took a deep breath, his chest expanding, and let out a deafening roar. Visible sound waves radiated out, enveloping the silver dragon.
Interestingly, while the sound waves were blocked by Garon's Temporal Barrier, the authority within them penetrated the barrier.
For a moment, Garon saw Yeenoghu's massive form rising like a planet, grinning maliciously, with colossal gnoll claws descending like continents, each hair as tall as mountains.
"My will is iron. This trick won't shake my resolve."
Garon sneered, seeing through the authority trying to affect his will.
The undeterred silver dragon ignored the phantom claws and continued.
The towering Yeenoghu illusion vanished.
Garon's draconic aura surged like a tide, pressing down on Yeenoghu with tangible force, causing the Gnoll God to bend under the pressure.
Yeenoghu's eyes glowed red, and he roared.
Evil Authority: Malignant Presence!
Boom!
The unleashed divine power resisted the dragon's aura, allowing Yeenoghu to stand tall.
At the same time, the mountain-sized silver dragon closed in, reflected in Yeenoghu's eyes, as a terrifying claw, capable of rending space-time, slashed at his head.
Gnoll Authority: Gnoll God Form.
With an explosion of divine power, Yeenoghu's bipedal form transformed, falling to all fours. His claws, already sharp, grew even larger, turning into a massive, fur-covered gnoll.
Dodging Garon's attack, Yeenoghu lunged.
Garon activated his time-stop field, aiming to catch Yeenoghu off-guard and crush him.
But Yeenoghu, aware of Garon's abilities from numerous battles, was prepared for this.
Sensing the spatial anomaly, Yeenoghu expended a large amount of divine power to avoid being completely immobilized.
His speed slowed, but he narrowly dodged Garon's spatial rending claw.
Meanwhile, the Flail of the Beast, with its three dark gold wolf heads, materialized on Yeenoghu's shoulders, extending their necks to bite at Garon's belly and a vulnerable spot.
The temporal barrier cracked under the bites but didn't shatter.
The dragon's tail came down, aimed at Yeenoghu's head, but the Gnoll God dodged swiftly.
Garon turned, rearing up on his hind legs, his claws creating a storm of afterimages, enveloping Yeenoghu and leaving no room to escape.
The three wolf heads snapped at Garon's claws.
Amid the sound of metal clashing, shockwaves rippled outwards.
Garon's temporal rending claws were formidable, and soon the wolf heads twisted and cracked, their light dimming.
Yeenoghu's wolf face showed pain.
His Flail of the Beast was heavily damaged and would soon be destroyed.
Gnoll Authority: Devour!
Howling, Yeenoghu's main head lunged at Garon's throat, his teeth glowing with divine power, capable of tearing through anything.
"I'll rip out your throat!"
The three dark gold wolf heads also lunged, striking at Garon from different angles, their necks extending like snakes.
The black scales on Garon's right claw rotated counterclockwise, targeting the three wolf heads.
The wolf heads recoiled, no longer a threat.
Simultaneously, Garon's other claw slashed at Yeenoghu's neck.
"Got you."
Up close, Garon grinned viciously, his claw gripping tight.
Crack!
Yeenoghu's divine shield shattered, and his fur couldn't withstand the dragon's claw. Garon's claw dug into the fur, gripping Yeenoghu's neck.
Garon lifted Yeenoghu off the ground.
Yeenoghu struggled wildly, his claws tearing Garon's chest scales, drawing blood.
But the dragon, seemingly unfazed, tightened his grip.
Yeenoghu's gnoll form was resilient, but bones creaked under the pressure, clearly unable to last.
At that moment.
Lightning descended, striking Garon's head and the arm holding Yeenoghu.
Garon sensed the lightning's power and had to release Yeenoghu, retreating swiftly.
Looking up, he saw eyes filled with storm and lightning, staring coldly at him.
"The Storm Lord... intervenes now."
Garon's face darkened.
Simultaneously, a familiar dragon god's power appeared, entwining with the Storm Lord.
The sky above Rosen turned half-gold and half-blue-purple, trembling from the clash of deities, drawing countless gazes of fear from the world's inhabitants.
"Garon Aurelian!"
"Next time, I will tear you apart!"
Yeenoghu roared a threat, opening a portal to the Abyss, preparing to flee.
Garon moved to stop him.
But more lightning fell, hindering Garon.
"The Storm Lord has become unfathomably powerful."
Reluctantly, Garon watched Yeenoghu escape.
The portal to the Abyss formed, and the battered Yeenoghu sneered at Garon, stepping through.
But then, a bark-like howl echoed, speaking clumsy Draconic, excitedly.
"Woof, taste my spear!"
A spear, covered in dragon-scale patterns, shot out of the void, piercing Yeenoghu's waist.
Yeenoghu convulsed, trying to break free.
Divine power from the spear invaded Yeenoghu, immobilizing his already injured body.
Lightning struck the void, targeting a lizard-headed, rat-tailed kobold with sparse dragon scales.
The kobold dodged the lightning, appearing before Garon.
To Garon, the kobold was tall, muscular, and radiating divine light.
The intermediate deity, Kurtulmak, the Kobold God, served both the Eternal Dragon Queen and the Metallic Dragon God.
Seeing Garon looking at him, the kobold beamed with admiration, nearly struck by lightning but still excitedly saying, "Dragon God, I, Kurtulmak, am here to assist you!"
The weakened Yeenoghu growled, "You dare attack me, you coward."
The Kobold God laughed, his bark mixed with mocking tones, "Only fools and losers follow the rules of fair duels. Didn't your Storm Lord ambush our noble Dragon God?"
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