Chapter 388: Descent of the Dragons

Seeing the very token of affection Ice-Bound had given his wife now resting in the White Dragon Lord's hands, the dragons had no doubt that Ice-Bound had died by his claws.

Crimson Flame Streamer shot the White Dragon Lord a look of mingled scrutiny and surprise.

"Since we can confirm that Ice-Bound is dead, I vote in favor of descending upon the Northern Continent."

With the neutral Crimson Flame Streamer siding with the Northern Continent, joined by the White Dragon Lord, the Ancient Gold Dragon, and the Black King, four of the seven High-Tier Legendary Dragons were now in agreement. The destination was no longer in question.

"Prepare yourselves, everyone. I am initiating the teleportation."

As soon as the words left his mouth, the White Dragon Lord teleported into the White Tower's control room. Taking the Control Core in hand, he entered the coordinates for the Sincaro Titan World and set their arrival point in the northern region of the plane.

"Targeted teleportation standby! Ten!"

"Nine!"

"..."

To the sound of the Tower Spirit's countdown, two massive magic arrays materialized above and below the levitating White Tower, sandwiching the structure between them. Gorgeous filaments of purple magical energy surged forth, profound magical runes flowing within the glowing threads.

"Two!"

"One!"

"Activate!"

In a blinding flash of light, the White Tower vanished from the spot. Down on the ground, ignorant natives witnessed the spectacle and frantically dropped to their knees in worship toward the sky.

...

In the Sincaro Titan World, a colossal Floating Tower abruptly materialized in the howling, wind-swept sky.

The White Dragon Lord surveyed the surroundings from a bird's-eye view. Gloomy clouds blanketed the dim sky, and a freezing wind shrieked past, stirring the sparse, low shrubs and withered yellow grass scattered across the landscape. Vast swathes of dark brown earth lay exposed, with not a trace of civilization visible in any direction.

"Good, there are no titans in the vicinity. We will rest here for now. The White Tower also needs to replenish some energy; that targeted teleportation was entirely too draining."

Through the Control Core, the White Dragon Lord checked the status of the White Tower's Elemental Pool and found that its stored energy had been depleted by half. That missing half had been consumed by the fierce battle in the Muxinge Plane and the recent targeted teleportation.

Targeted teleportation was not only extremely energy-intensive, but also a dangerous gamble. Even an insignificant bird at the arrival point could cause the teleportation to fail. Extraordinary times called for extraordinary measures, however, and the White Dragon Lord had no desire to face a titan ambush before the White Tower had even fully emerged from the spatial rift.

The White Dragon Lord set the White Tower down upon the tundra and activated the recharge array, absorbing ambient elemental energy to replenish what the Elemental Pool had expended.

The Black King pushed open a window of the White Tower, letting the howling, freezing wind pour inside. The White Dragon Lord found the chill thoroughly invigorating, but the Flame of the Molten Mountain, who preferred blistering heat, drew in his neck.

"I hate this place!"

The Flame of the Molten Mountain grumbled, stalking into a corner to lie down and draping his wings over his head to sleep, while the King of the Thunder Prison walked over to the window to observe the tundra outside.

"This is the northern permafrost of the Sincaro Titan World. If we fly south, we will find titan settlements. When the time comes, we can grab a captive for interrogation to get a clear picture of this world."

"If the magic tower Ice-Bound left behind is still operating normally, a captive might even deliver himself right to our doorstep."

The Black King turned to the White Dragon Lord.

"Lord Amos, you had better conceal the White Tower, lest we scare our captive away."

"Thank you for the reminder."

The White Dragon Lord promptly activated the Invisibility Barrier.

Half an hour later, a Storm Titan appeared within the White Tower's field of view. Resting with closed eyes, the White Dragon Lord opened them.

"Everyone, our captive is here. Who wants to go fetch him?"

"I'll do it."

Crimson Flame Streamer volunteered, cloaking himself in invisibility before flying out of the White Tower. The White Dragon Lord watched his movements through the tower, quite curious about one of the most "terrifying" dragons from the Evil Scale Fortress.

Once outside the White Tower, the invisible Crimson Flame Streamer soared straight into the clouds, vanishing from the White Dragon Lord's sight. Watching the gloomy cloud cover, the White Dragon Lord understood that the copper dragon intended to use the clouds as concealment to close the distance to the Storm Titan.

Tasked with investigating abnormal magical fluctuations, the Storm Titan remained vigilant, constantly scanning the ground below while overlooking the danger lurking in the sky above.

Suddenly, the White Dragon Lord saw the Storm Titan vanish into thin air.

"What happened?"

Before long, Crimson Flame Streamer returned empty-handed.

"Where is the captive?"

"He'll be along in a moment."

The other dragons were puzzled, but Crimson Flame Streamer leisurely sat down to the side of the hall, staring at the empty air with eager anticipation and obvious gloating.

After a while, a peculiar fluctuation of magic rippled through the air, as though space itself were about to tear open.

Understanding dawned on the White Dragon Lord; this was the aura of a Maze Spell.

"Truly a master of pranks!"

It turned out that after closing in under the cover of the clouds, Crimson Flame Streamer had used a special technique to mask the magical fluctuations of his spellcasting, trapping the Storm Titan inside a labyrinth without raising the slightest alarm and setting the Maze Spell's exit directly inside the White Tower.

Now, the Storm Titan had unraveled the maze and was about to emerge.

The White Dragon Lord could not help feeling a twinge of sympathy for the Storm Titan, hoping his heart was strong enough to handle such a shock.

The White Dragon Lord was not the only one to understand Crimson Flame Streamer's trick; the King of the Thunder Prison quietly edged aside, attempting to put more distance between himself and the eccentric copper dragon.

A moment after the space rippled, just as abruptly as he had vanished, the Storm Titan reappeared several meters above the White Tower's floor.

Inexplicably ambushed and trapped inside a labyrinth, the Storm Titan—Archer Windhunter—was on the verge of exploding with fury when he suddenly caught sight of a room packed with dragons. Stunned senseless, he plummeted straight out of the air.

With a twitch of the White Dragon Lord's brow, moisture in the air condensed rapidly into a chair of solid ice.

Archer Windhunter crashed onto the seat as frost spread rapidly over his arms and legs, locking him firmly to the chair.

"Mmm... welcome to the White Tower, Mr. Titan."

The White Dragon Lord's thoroughly teasing tone snapped the stunned Storm Titan out of his daze. Startled, the titan began to struggle, only to find his limbs completely immobilized.

"Do not be nervous, and there is no need for pointless resistance. We only invited you here to inquire about a few trivial matters."

As he spoke, the White Dragon Lord thickened the layer of ice and unleashed his dragon might at the High-Tier Legendary Rank.

Oppressed by the dragon might, the Storm Titan's body seized up. By the time he broke free of the pressure, he had grasped the grim reality of his situation; despair filled his eyes, and he ceased resisting.

"Name?"

"Archer Windhunter."

"Windhunter. Quite a name. Very well, Mr. Archer, whom do you serve?"

Asked about his allegiance, a flicker of struggle crossed Archer's otherwise numb eyes. Gritting his teeth, his gaze sharpened with resolve.

"Kill me! I won't tell you anything!"

"Amos, leave him to me. Young titans with backbone are my absolute favorite. Kekeke."

In the guise of an old human man, the Black King gave a sinister smile, his voice sounding like a sharp blade scraping across smooth metal. The Storm Titan shuddered involuntarily in horror.

The White Dragon Lord shrugged.

"As you wish."

Having received permission, the Black King advanced toward the Storm Titan step by step.

"I do hope you can hold out a little longer. Kekeke."

As he spoke, a surge of black energy billowed from the Black King's body, enveloping himself and the titan pinned to the chair.

"Ahhh!"

The White Dragon Lord had no idea what manner of torture the titan was enduring to produce such agonizing shrieks. Huddled in the corner resting his eyes, the snoozing Flame of the Molten Mountain was woken by the noise and lifted his head.

Soundproof barrier!

The White Dragon Lord turned to look at the Flame of the Molten Mountain, only to see the fellow flop right back down to sleep.

Before long, the black mist dispersed, leaving behind only the Black King and a bloodstained ice chair.

"All right, everything has been made clear. This fellow was a resident Mage of the Tower of Flowing Wind, three hundred li away. After Ice-Bound went missing, Ice-Bound's wife falsely claimed her husband was in secluded cultivation, so on the surface, this continent remains fairly stable. But whether it is stable or not, they cannot withstand a single blow before us."

"Furthermore, calculated from the intelligence he provided, the titan population in the Sincaro Titan World should number between 6,000 and 10,000. Taking a middle figure of 8,000 and excluding underage titans with no combat capacity, they possess roughly 6,000 at the Legendary Rank. That is a terrifying force."

The White Dragon Lord remarked, "To be precise, they are a terrifying force only when assembled. Right now, they are nothing more than scattered sand. Where is the nearest titan settlement?"

"Right at the Tower of Flowing Wind."

The White Dragon Lord checked the charging progress of the Elemental Pool and found it was still twenty percent short of full capacity.

"Everyone, prepare to set out."

"Amos, aren't you going to charge it to full? Once battle begins, there won't be another chance."

"It doesn't matter. I have stockpiled enough Elemental Crystals as reserve energy."

Piloting the White Tower into the sky, the White Dragon Lord activated the Invisibility Barrier and flew toward the Tower of Flowing Wind.

Flying over barren tundra and dense coniferous forests, the White Dragon Lord spotted the Tower of Flowing Wind atop a small hill. Surrounding the Magic Tower was a colossal city—colossal not in overall footprint, but in the sheer scale of its buildings, the shortest of which stood twenty meters tall.

Drawing closer, the titan city presented itself even more clearly in the White Dragon Lord's view. Near the Tower of Flowing Wind, the core area consisted of a splendid complex of massive marble structures—temples and dwellings for the titans—while surrounding the core were identical, blocky houses belonging to the giants.

Titan society maintained a rigid hierarchy: titans were the aloof rulers standing high above, while giants served as laborers and servants, a caste determined from the moment of birth.

At the sight of the titan city, the dragons grew animated. Even the Flame of the Molten Mountain, who hated cold weather, rose to his feet and moved to the window to glare toward the distant Magic Tower.

While charging the Metamagic Railgun, the White Dragon Lord calculated their speed, distance, and chanting time.

"Reaching spell range in twenty seconds! Wipe this city from the map in a single wave!"

The seven High-Tier Legendary Dragons and thirty ordinary dragons chanted incantations at rapid speed, preparing immensely powerful spells.

Once the White Tower drew within range, the Tower of Flowing Wind detected the unidentified flying intruder. The titans inside reacted immediately, activating all of the Magic Tower's defenses.

An elliptical shield of cyan light enveloped the Tower of Flowing Wind, and a massive wind blade slashed straight toward the cloaked White Tower.

At the exact same moment, the dragons inside the White Tower completed their magic.

Metamagic Railgun!

Emitting a dazzling yet perilous purple radiance, highly concentrated magical energy surged from the Metamagic Railgun, trailing a comet-like tail as it shot toward the Tower of Flowing Wind.

Legendary magic—Fall of the Ice Emperor!

A vast sea of magical energy gathered above the Tower of Flowing Wind, condensing into a magnificent crown of ice. The translucent, ice-blue crown plunged from the heavens, blanketing the colossal Magic Tower and a broad expanse of the surrounding area. Even before it struck, its terrifying pressure and blood-freezing cold filled all below with despair, stifling any thought of resistance.

Legendary magic—Magma Burst!

Using his own magic as a fulcrum and his spell incantation as a lever, the High-Tier Legendary red dragon Flame of the Molten Mountain stirred the crimson sea of magma deep underground. Like a volcanic eruption, molten rock surged through narrow fissures toward the surface, only to be held back by the city's rune-protected foundations. As the two opposing energies clashed and canceled each other out, the giants standing on the streets above felt the surface temperature suddenly skyrocket.

Legendary magic—Light of Disintegration!

A profound purple magic array appeared in the sky, rotating continuously as its purple runes radiated a dazzling glow. From the center of the array, purple magical energy poured down like a pillar of light, Crimson Flame Streamer's aim locked directly onto the Tower of Flowing Wind.

Legendary divine spell—Poison Nova!

A drop of emerald magical energy appeared in the city beyond the Tower of Flowing Wind's protection, rapidly breaking down into pale green toxic gas that blew in all directions upon the wind. The Matron of Venom's target was the giants living throughout the titan city.

Legendary magic—Spear of Malice!

The Black King pointed a withered finger out the White Tower's window. Black magical energy surged from his fingertips, rapidly forming a gigantic, ghastly pale bone spear coiled in near-solid negative energy. Merely gazing upon that chilling aura was enough to make one hear the wailing of damned souls.

The White Dragon Lord was thoroughly startled to sense the aura of the Storm Titan, Archer Windhunter, wrapped around that very bone spear.

Legendary magic—Thunderstorm!

Clouds as black as ink seemed to materialize out of thin air above the Tower of Flowing Wind. Lightning bolts as thick as water barrels cascaded downward, piercing straight through the center of the icy crown to strike the tower below.

Secret technique—Dragon's Wrath!

The Ancient Gold Dragon extended his head out the White Tower's window. A phantom dragon head materialized before him, looking identical to the ancient dragon yet more than ten times larger. As the Ancient Gold Dragon opened his serrated jaws, the phantom did the same.

Roar!

Accompanied by an earth-shattering roar, a shockwave carrying terrifying kinetic energy surged toward the distant Tower of Flowing Wind, violently twisting and warping the air in its path.

The seven High-Tier Legendary Dragons launched their attacks almost simultaneously.

Crimson Flame Streamer's Light of Disintegration was the fastest. It collided with the incoming wind blade, the two forces annihilating each other as the wind blade dissolved into the purple energy. The Light of Disintegration then struck the cyan magical shield, immediately draining a massive chunk of the barrier's energy.

Lightning as thick as water barrels crashed down from the heavens onto the magical shield, silver arcs dancing across the cyan barrier with deafening crackles.

Weakened to the brink of collapse by the relentless thunder, the Magic Tower's shield could no longer suppress the magma welling up from underground. Molten rock breached the surface, flooding house after house.

Simultaneously, the Spear of Malice pierced straight through the Tower of Flowing Wind's control room, impaling the titan operating the tower. A horrifying burst of negative energy erupted throughout the entire structure, billowing out through the windows and corridors like smoke.

Before the negative energy could even fully saturate the Magic Tower, a shot from the Metamagic Railgun blasted the entire structure right in half.

The toxic gas erupted and swept across most of the city, the pale green mist seeping through the giants' pores. The terrified giants managed only a few frantic steps before their strength gave way, sending them stumbling and collapsing to the ground.

The Fall of the Ice Emperor cast by the White Dragon Lord crashed down from the heavens into the earth, grinding every building it struck into powder. Terrifying glacial chill erupted in all directions, coating everything it touched in a thick layer of white frost.

The icy chill and subterranean magma were entirely irreconcilable; the upper portions of the city's buildings were encased in frost while their lower sections radiated blistering heat, creating an utterly bizarre spectacle.

The shockwave of Dragon's Wrath then slammed into the city, shattering everything along its trajectory and carving a deep trench across the earth that cleaved through the entire city before tearing the distant woods into a chaotic ruin.

Following that, attacks from the numerous Legendary Dragons rained down upon the titan city—a deluge of flames, ice, storms, and boulders.

When the dust settled, not a single piece of rubble in the titan city stood taller than five meters.