Ashen Dragon-Chapter 616 - 57 Dragon Blood Mountain
In the moment when Gelrazax’s soul had been burnt to ashes, thick dark clouds suddenly surged in the sky, endless thunderbolts, flashing white light descended from the high heavens, accompanied by a downpour.
At that instant, it seemed as if the world felt the demise of the abyssal demon and rejoiced, exhilarated beyond measure.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
The sound of thunder continued to roar nonstop, with bolts of lightning as thick as a bowl streaking across the sky and the earth, sweeping away the dense Chaos Fog.
Gradually, the clouds dissipated, and the sun, which had been obscured by darkness for days, reappeared before the eyes of the world, casting rays of light upon the earth.
Finally, dawn broke.
Under the sunlight, the remains of the abyssal giant dragon had become riddled with gaping wounds, its dull crimson scales covered with a hazy halo.
On that mountainous corpse, blood gushed from the wounds, wantonly eroding the land and forming deep ravines, eventually converging into a scarlet river.
The shadow that had hung over Cassius since his arrival in this world, the heavy shackles bound to him, at this moment had vanished into thin air.
"It’s finally over...
The destined fate, Gelrazax’s curse, Karex’s madness, and... all of this."
Cassius murmured softly.
In an instant, memories from over a decade ago, when he had transformed into a dragon chick, flashed through his mind, recalling the perilous plotting with the demon, and the madness of being infected by The Abyss years before...
"No, perhaps it’s not over yet."
The Red Dragon gazed at Karex’s spectacular and winding remains, then turned to look into the distance, where the thousands of meters high Abyssal Wall was also on the verge of disappearing.
The blinding lightning, the brilliant starlight, flickered on and off in the pitch-black Chaos Fog, with an air of an impending storm.
By then, the avatars of the so-called "Three Gods of Justice" would also descend upon the Prime Material Plane, and the fate of Karex’s remains would become a problem.
The Gods would certainly not wish for a being with the potential to become a "World-end Dragon" to remain on the Prime Material Plane; they would probably eliminate any threat, even attempting to erase themselves if possible.
And if Cassius were to entirely consume Karex’s remains, Gelrazax’s curse at the time of his death echoed in his ears.
This taboo object left behind by the God Scourge, infected and driven mad by The Abyss, could very well hold Gelrazax’s last move.
If used rashly, it could lead to issues like the "Heart of Karex" taking over one’s mind.
"No matter what... meet force with force, and seal breaches with soil."
Cassius whispered an adage from his former life and then slowly raised his right claw, feeling the power to control the world surge forth.
—He had already thought of a temporary solution for keeping the dragon’s corpse; he didn’t need to absorb the Ancestral Dragon’s strength immediately, nor did he want to lose control over it.
The Red Dragon’s raised claw clenched slowly, and a torrent of pure strength poured out, ravaging the land, transforming everything around it.
[Imperial Region: Control]
"Boom—"
A heavy sound came from the ground, as rocks on the surface gradually bulged, slowly enveloping the nearly three-hundred-meter-long dragon corpse.
The earth trembled violently, countless stones tumbled down, dust rose, and the layers of the earth lifted the dragon’s corpse slowly into the air, eventually raising it several kilometers high.
Looking up at the dragon’s corpse, bathing in the sunlight and being lifted, witnessing that miracle-like scene, whether it was the Imperial Kin, reinforcements from Heaven, or the invited Metal Dragons, were all, without exception, shaken by this spectacle.
"Gods above ...,"
"What immense power! That Red Dragon, he ... he’s actually creating mountains!"
"Such feats are supposed to be the work of the divine!"
Heavenly creatures pointed toward the rising rock formations in the distance, their mouths agape in shock. Their flawless, pale faces were filled with surprise.
To them, mundane beings of the Material Plane simply couldn’t create such a spectacular miracle that raised the ground and lifted mountains; such was the domain of deities of the Heavenly Mountain.
"Lord of the Northwind above, such strength ...
It seems my brother was right—this Emperor of the Crimson Dragon has transcended our ability to confine him. His rise is too swift, like a shooting star."
Transformed into human form, Pablichko adjusted his glasses on the bridge of his nose, his expression grave, and whispered to Imelda standing beside him.
"Let’s just hope this Emperor will bring a change for the better to the situation on the Fianso Continent. Otherwise ...
Regardless, Melwood will battle him to the end for justice and fairness, to the death if need be."
Imelda too gazed into the distance. The Ancient Silver Dragon retracted its mirror-like silver wings to align them closely with its massive body, then emitted a low hum.
"Cassius above!"
"Long live the Great Red Dragon!"
"His Majesty succeeded, the Abyssal Giant Dragon has fallen!"
The Imperial Kin erupted in waves of fervent cheers. Although many among them had witnessed Cassius’s miracle of creating mountain ranges before, they were still wildly exhilarated and shocked by the scene before them.
The earth cradled the hundreds-of-meters-long corpse of the dragon, which rose slowly under the sunlight—what a majestic spectacle!
Even Ogre Ramp, standing resolutely in the crowd, lifted his head, tears lingering in his murky eyes, his throat quivering.
Ramp lowered his voice, muttering repeatedly to himself: "Master, master, your plan has come to fruition!
You really did slay ... a God Scourge; this will be a crucial milestone in the grand blueprint."
With a "click, clack," the remains of Karex gradually transformed into dull rocks.
The proud dragon’s head that arced upward became rugged peaks; its bulging spine became towering ridges, the broken dragon wings drooping became expansive hill slopes.
The tail that stretched hundreds of meters became winding mountain ranges; the blood spilling from its wounds became flowing rivers; even the massive claws transformed into chaotic crags at the mountain’s base ...
Ultimately, a towering mountain shaped like a giant dragon howling at the heavens stood amid the ruins of the Ancytica Mountains.
This grand and majestic mountain directly replaced the once "King of the Snowy Mountains" Terry Peak to become the highest peak in all of Ancytica, and even the entire Anzeta Great Wilderness.
Cassius, over a hundred meters long, emitted sulfur-scented white smoke, with dragonflame spurting from gaps in his scales and pores all over his body. His body, elementalized, gradually dissipated and shrank, returning to his normal forty-meter size.
Thus, he flapped his wings, soaring into the air, and arrived at the summit of the newborn peak, his scarlet scales glittering in the sunlight.
The Red Dragon spread his wings wide, his deep voice echoing across Ancytica: "Henceforth, this place shall be a forbidden area belonging solely to the Ashen Empire. Any who dare trespass shall become the empire’s undying enemies.
I shall name it ..."
Cassius paused, pondering for a moment before he continued:
"Dragon Blood Mountain."
