Chapter 376: Let Blood Flow Like Rivers, Let the Wilderness Burn!

Ser Wilderness, northwest region, on a wide clearing ringed by sparse shrubs.

Iron dragon Sorog stood calmly, raindrops that landed on him shattering instantly. The red dragon Samantha’s vivid scales glowed like living flames.

Beside them were the blue dragon Heriam, the red dragon Kahir, the green dragon Ludwig, and the black dragon Seraphina.

Four adolescent dragons had also gathered here.

In addition to them, the Amethyst Dragon Lion, the holy spirit deer, and the phoenix—three powerful lords—were present as well, all waiting for the arrival of the Lord of Molten Iron.

During the wait, they exchanged quiet words and soft communications with one another.

“Rushi, you smell particularly fragrant today. Did you absorb the essences of some plant?”

The Amethyst Dragon Lion Ennus leaned toward the holy spirit deer, nostrils twitching, a flattering grin on his face as he asked.

“Hey, why did that lion with only mediocre looks suddenly start talking? Aren’t you usually the type to put on an aloof, keep-your-distance act?”

The phoenix Ankhia, preening her iridescent plumes, interrupted without restraint.

“You have to maintain necessary dignity and aloofness in front of those ordinary followers.”

Ennus flicked his ceremonial mane and said matter-of-factly, “But we are lords equal in rank, comrades who fight shoulder to shoulder. There’s no need to always act high and mighty.”

He paused, raised his head, and added, “Of course, the Dragon Lord likes my aloof look. When the Dragon Lord arrives, you will see the silent, distant, powerfully lordly me. That is the demeanor a dragon-lion lord should show.”

As he spoke, he unconsciously edged a little closer to the holy spirit deer.

“Annoying lion, stay away from me.”

The holy spirit deer Rushi bared her hoof and said displeasedly, “Don’t forget, we still have an unfinished duel between us!”

A pained expression appeared on the Amethyst Dragon Lion’s face.

“A duel... I really can’t bear to hurt you.”

He spoke sincerely, “But out of basic respect for a powerful opponent, if we must duel, I will have to use all my strength without holding back.”

“That really puts me in a dilemma. Why don’t you just give up that idea?”

In the brutal battle to exterminate the Mad King Gorthax, Lord Flower Shire had tragically fallen and his soul had been sealed in a phylactery. Apart from Shire, the one most grievously wounded had been the Amethyst Dragon Lion Ennus.

He had nearly stepped one foot into the realm of death.

The holy spirit deer Rushi had expended her life essence and, at the cost of nearly collapsing from exhaustion, forcibly pulled him back from death’s door and then slowly healed him.

After that ordeal, all hostility the Amethyst Dragon Lion had felt toward the holy spirit deer had long since vanished, replaced by deep gratitude and a more profound affection. He now wanted with all his heart to turn an enemy into a friend.

“Don’t talk big.”

The holy spirit deer scraped the ground impatiently with her front hoof, producing a dull sound, “If we duel, I will use these hooves to stomp your barely-healed head flat again.”

The dragon-lion Qinli cocked his head and thought for a few seconds, then said, “He’s very determined. You can’t agree to duel him.”

“But if he loses, all future grudges between you will be wiped clean. How about that?”

Seeing Qinli’s earnest eyes, the holy spirit deer’s expression softened a touch.

You nodded and said, “No.”

Overjoyed, the Amethyst Dragon Lion exclaimed immediately, “Haha, with you saying that I can relax!”

“At that time, I promise to go all out, to give you the utmost respect, and show no mercy, beating you until you admit defeat or beg for mercy.”

In an instant, the brief thaw on the holy spirit deer’s face froze over again, visibly hardening.

At the same time.

The blue dragon Heriam glanced at the many powerful beings gathered around and asked Iron dragon Sorog, “Lord Sorog, the leader urgently summoned all of us here. For what purpose?”

At the question, Iron dragon Sorog’s gaze slowly swept over the four adolescent dragons.

“For you.”

Under a stream of focused gazes, he continued, “Or rather, for the dragon cluster that once betrayed you—the Dominik Dragon Cluster.”

“Not long ago, that cluster sent an envoy to the convergence lands to meet with our lord.”

In about a minute, he briefly relayed the details of the blue dragon Zoraya’s visit and how the negotiations had broken down to all present.

The three lord-level beings showed little visible reaction.

To them, broken negotiations most likely meant war. Prepare for war, confront it, or strike preemptively—this was the normal logic of survival in the wilderness.

However, the moods of the four adolescent dragons could not remain as calm as the lords’.

“Dominik Dragon Cluster! Damn them! How dare they show their faces and even demand to execute us?!”

Red dragon Kahir could not contain his fury first, emitting a low electric roar, flames of fury burning in his dragon pupils.

“Traitors? They call us traitors?! Ha, what a cosmic joke!”

“In that cluster they treated us like slaves, treating us as disposable lowly followers! And they still expect our loyalty?!”

Compared with life in the Ignas Dragon Cluster, their days under the Dominik cluster could only be described as unbearable.

In their hearts, they already saw themselves as true members of the Ignas Dragon Cluster.

As for the Dominik Cluster, it was merely an oppressive, suffering birthplace that should have been abandoned long ago.

Heriam’s tail lashed, the gaps between his scales crackling with tiny arcs of electricity, his emotions stirred.

He said in a deep voice, “That great Lord of Molten Iron is willing to go to war for us and against the Dominik Cluster. No matter what happens, I swear to follow to death.”

The Lord of Molten Iron was not present in the moment and could not hear his oath.

Still, he could not help but declare his loyalty and excitement aloud.

Frankly, no matter how much they had contributed to the tribe, at their current adolescent stage they were not indispensable in the eyes of any rational dragon-cluster leader.

Had the roles been reversed, facing the Dominik cluster’s demands, another dragon cluster might have handed them over in exchange for real gold or gemstones to end the matter.

Heriam himself had once considered leaving after his contract term ended to pursue his own advancement.

After all, becoming the head of one’s own dragon cluster and ruling it is a dream buried deep in most blue dragons’ souls, something impossible within the Ignas Dragon Cluster.

But now his thinking had completely changed.

Leading a small, struggling cluster of weak dragons and living a forgotten life could never compare to following the war banner of the Ignas Dragon Cluster, following Garoth—the Lord of Molten Iron—into battle to seize more victories and win greater glory.

“I swear to follow the great Lord of Molten Iron to the death!”

The other three adolescent dragons—Kahir, Ludwig, and Seraphina—also adopted solemn expressions and declared in unison.

Red dragon Samantha expelled two bursts of fiery sparks from her nostrils and said gruffly, “Listen up. You little brats choosing to loyally follow the Ignas Dragon Cluster is the wisest decision of your lives. It is your honor!”

She shifted tone and continued, “But pretty words everyone can say.”

“If you want to repay the dragon cluster’s protection, then prove it with concrete actions!”

Listening to the giants’ conversation, the three powerful lords nearby nodded thoughtfully. Their sense of belonging and trust in the Ignas Dragon Cluster had quietly increased.

Whatever the case, a cluster that does not readily abandon its members and is willing to take risks for them is certainly more worth following than one that casually trades its own for wealth.

Not long after.

The clouds across the sky were abruptly torn by a swift streak of light.

A burning meteor trailed a long, dark-red tail and streaked into the sight of every giant dragon and beast at incredible speed.

The Lord of Molten Iron flapped enormous wings. The surging tail flames behind him formed a red carpet fit for a king.

His speed was unbelievable. From a distant black speck on the horizon, in only a few breaths his silhouette became crystal clear, bearing a suffocating sense of pressure as he arrived overhead at close range.

The red-iron dragon folded his wings, slowed his dive, and touched down steadily on the ground, stirring up a faint halo of dust.

He looked even larger and more imposing than before, and the life aura radiating from him had visibly increased with his rise in level. As soon as he landed, he became the most eye-catching presence and drew every gaze.

“Strong, powerful, majestic... wow, you’ve grown more magnificently muscular since the last time I saw you.”

Ankhia the phoenix’s eyes glittered with admiration as she praised sincerely.

Although, she mentally added, still just a touch behind my own flawless allure.

Garoth nodded slightly toward the phoenix as he accepted the compliment.

Then his gaze swept across the assembled subordinates. Without unnecessary small talk, he went straight to the point, “Sorog already informed you why I summoned you.”

“Our negotiations with the Dominik Dragon Cluster have broken down. War is unavoidable.”

He paused, his tone resolute: “The Molten Iron Tribe and the Ignas Dragon Cluster will soon march into the central region!”

On the way here, Iron dragon Sorog had already transmitted everything that had happened, including the adolescent dragons’ declarations, through their bloodline connections.

Garoth did not repeat them and turned his attention to the iron dragon.

He said, “Sorog, report here again the intelligence we have on the Dominik Dragon Cluster, and then outline your strategic ideas.”

That intelligence mainly came from the blue dragon Zoraya’s disclosures and was combined with the Ignas Dragon Cluster’s own reconnaissance of the central region.

There might be minor errors, but the overall frame and key information should be accurate.

Iron dragon Sorog nodded slightly and stepped forward.

“The Dominik Dragon Cluster is led by the mature blue dragon Perest, Heart of Thunder.”

“Based on existing intelligence, excluding juvenile and younger wyrmlings, the total number of adult dragons in that cluster is thirty-five.”

He spoke clearly and methodically: “Among them, there are two mature blue dragons: Perest, Heart of Thunder, the cluster leader, life level 20, and his direct descendant, the blue dragon Zoraya, life level 17.”

“Adults number eight, with life levels distributed between 12 and 15, and blue dragons around level 14 make up about half.”

“Young adult dragons total ten, most with life levels below 12, between 10 and 12.”

“Adolescent dragons total fifteen, their life levels are basically all under 10.”

Sorog summed up, “Overall, this is a fairly large, centuries-old mature cluster whose strength lies in a complete and substantial echelon of dragons across age groups.”

He then shifted focus toward their side.

“But compared with our Ignas Dragon Cluster, they lack in individual quality and cutting-edge ecology.”

Garoth, the young red-iron dragon, life level 18.

Red dragon Samantha, young red dragon, life level 15.

Iron dragon Sorog, young iron dragon, life level 15.

Heriam, Kahir, Ludwig, Seraphina—although adolescent dragons—have levels generally above their peers and even approach ordinary young adult levels.

The dragons of the Ignas cluster are generally stronger than dragons of the same age.

“In terms of followers and allies.”

Sorog continued, “The Dominik Cluster’s subordinate army, whether by quality or by scale, cannot compare with our Molten Iron Tribe.”

“They lack sufficiently strong subordinate leaders capable of independent command.”

He seemed to find his previous phrasing imprecise and paused, then chose a more accurate description: “More specifically, the cluster’s numerous adolescent dragons and younger members take the places that are usually held by powerful subordinate leaders.”

“In other words, their young dragons are, in some sense, their ‘subordinate leaders.’”

Comparing the visible data, the Dominik Cluster’s advantage lies in the quantity of mid-to-upper tier dragons, especially the single powerful leader at life level 20.

The Ignas Dragon Cluster’s advantage lies in higher average individual quality among its dragons, three lords whose strength far exceeds ordinary adults, and many capable subordinate leaders.

Under these lords are also powerful beast armies.

“It can be predicted that on the ground battlefield, thanks to the advantage of lord armies and tribal followers, we will hold absolute superiority in frontal engagements,” Sorog analyzed. “However, the opponent has many dragons, and blue dragons are naturally exceptional in aerial combat. In the broad sky, they still hold considerable advantage.”

“Don’t forget about my bird-and-beast legions!”

Ankhia the phoenix proudly arched her long neck, flames rising all around her: “We are noble and beautiful flying creatures.”

Sorog turned his gaze to the phoenix.

“Lord Ankhia, your bird-and-beast legions are indeed a powerful aerial force, that cannot be disputed. But compared to a full dragon cluster centered on blue dragons proficient in air warfare, they are still inferior.”

Even the proud phoenix could not refute that.

Compared to dragons, ordinary raptor-like beast-fiends are on a different level.

A flicker of spiritual energy flashed through Sorog’s eyes as he continued his analysis.

“Dragons possess high mobility and flexibility and can quickly reinforce any area on the battlefield that falls into crisis.”

“And blue dragons, as representatives of storms and lightning, have top-tier flight speed among chromatic dragons. This racial advantage is innate.”

Under normal circumstances, among dragons of the same life level, few can surpass the blue dragon in pure speed.

This conclusion would remain even if the comparison extended to metal dragons and gemstone dragons.

“Considering many factors, my initial strategic concept for going to war with the Dominik Cluster is—”

Sorog lowered his voice, “We should assemble a large, cohesive force, choose a clear offensive route, execute a frontal breakthrough, and force them to fight a decisive battle with us. We must minimize opportunities for them to exploit their speed and mobility to split the battlefield and conduct guerrilla harassment.”

At these words, the blue dragon Heriam immediately nodded in agreement.

Based on his experience living within the Dominik Cluster, he added, “Lord Sorog’s judgment is very accurate.”

“In past expansions and conflicts, the Dominik Cluster has been skilled at using blue dragon mobility to segment the battlefield, then concentrating strength for local swift strikes. We must avoid falling into that passive situation.”

Time slid quietly by during the discussion.

The dragons and lords refined Sorog’s core idea, working out specific attack routes, force deployments, coordination between corps, and contingency plans for possible unexpected situations.

Throughout the process, the Lord of Molten Iron stood silently to the side.

He was like a statue, simply listening without interjecting or offering opinions.

Garoth knew his current condition well. The influence of the frenzied flame made overly complex strategic thinking potentially provoke unnecessary agitation and poor judgments.

So he entrusted the strategic planning to his reliable blood-brother.

Sorog had always been very good at this.

After a period, the dragons and lords present reached a consensus in their discussion, which received the Lord of Molten Iron’s approval.

“Everyone, prepare to meet war.”

Finally, the red-iron dragon bared his huge maw, revealing razor-sharp teeth as his gaze swept slowly across every face.

“I want to see the enemy’s blood run like rivers, endlessly pouring! I want to see—the Dominik Cluster’s lands burning fiercely under our dragon breath and our fury!”