Chapter 419: Changes in the Afiaiv Kingdom

Afiaiv Kingdom. Inside the White Tower Laboratory of the Oqi City royal palace.

The White Dragon Lord's clone was conducting a magical experiment. He held a crystal beaker etched with measurement lines. A violent magical reaction bubbled continuously inside, emitting a pale red gas that filled the laboratory with a pungent odor.

He sensed a familiar aura from the Teleportation Chamber, and his true body abruptly teleported into the laboratory.

The clone was not the least bit surprised by the true body's return. The moment the White Dragon Lord shattered space to appear in the outer layers of the Abyss, the clone had sensed their connection reestablish and initiated a preliminary exchange.

Watching himself perform an experiment felt rather surreal to the White Dragon Lord. "Well... it seems you've adapted nicely."

"Of course. We are one and the same, after all. I possess your complete magical knowledge and experience." The clone set down the beaker and looked back at the White Dragon Lord.

Because that peculiar demiplane had severed their connection, they had not exchanged memories in decades. The clone was highly curious about the White Dragon Lord's immense transformation, and the true body wanted to search the clone's memories to learn what had happened over the years.

"Let's begin."

The two white dragons intertwined their mental energies, exchanging information. The clone learned of the true body's experiences over the years, while the true body acquired the clone's decades of magical research results.

Through this memory exchange, the White Dragon Lord learned everything that had occurred in his absence. This included the specific details of the blood war, the achievements of his dragon brother and dragon sisters on the Blood War Battlefield, Merlin Heavenly Principle invoking a deity to cast a Divination Spell, and Grand Duke Silver Dragon's recovery.

"Hmm, I haven't seen them in a long time. You keep working; I'm going to pay them a visit." With that, the White Dragon Lord vanished.

"What's the rush? You could have at least left behind some Abomination Rank dragon blood!" the clone muttered. As he picked up the crystal beaker from the lab table, his instincts told him something was wrong.

Wait!

Wasn't magical experimentation the true body's job?!

Was he trying to dump it all on me?!

Even a tool dragon had dragon rights!

...

Meanwhile, the White Dragon Lord teleported into White Castle. After notifying his scattered dragon siblings, his numerous subordinates, and the kingdom's ministers, he sat on his Crystal Throne, surveying the familiar great hall.

Two symmetrical rows of stone pillars supported the vast ceiling, creating a central space large enough to fit ten football fields side by side. The Crystal Throne faced the hall's entrance directly.

'I used to think it was quite spacious, but now it feels a bit small. This hall needs an expansion,' the White Dragon Lord thought, instantly drafting a grand renovation plan in his mind.

While he debated whether to tear down White Castle and rebuild it or use magical methods to expand the interior space, a massive two-headed ogre appeared at the entrance. It was the kingdom's prime minister, Gurgalu.

Over the decades, Gurgalu had grown significantly. He now stood a terrifying two stories tall, making the ground tremble slightly with every step. The Combat Staff of Caucasus, which had once served him as a long staff, now looked like a short club, and his primary weapon had become the Totem Pillar gifted by Master Owen.

The White Dragon Lord noticed a new scar on Gurgalu's one-horned, one-eyed head. From his clone's memories, he knew the scar was a souvenir left by a High-Tier Legend demon. In return, the enraged ogre had severely wounded that demon, who had eventually perished in the blood war.

"Scan."

[Name]: Gurgalu Skull-Crusher

[Level]: Level 20 Ogre, Level 23 Warrior, Level 23 Mage

[Strength]: Legendary

[Alignment]: Lawful Evil

[Description]: He is an adult Skull-Crusher ogre. Born as a two-headed ogre, he received the full support and training of the historic Skull Crusher Clan. After becoming the servant of the white dragon, Amos, he gained access to even more cultivation resources. Having endured countless battles, he broke through the physical limits of the ogre species, becoming an exceedingly rare triple Legendary practitioner.

A triple Legendary practitioner!

While not completely unprecedented in history, it was currently unmatched across all of Nordhill. At his current strength, an ordinary High-Tier Legend might not even be able to defeat Gurgalu.

The White Dragon Lord was extremely satisfied, feeling a profound sense of accomplishment that he had judged the ogre correctly.

The mountain-like Gurgalu dropped to one knee in the center of the kingdom's great hall. "Congratulations on your glorious return, Master! May you enjoy eternal life!"

Although Gurgalu did not fully comprehend the specific significance of a fifty-meter-long dragon, the oppressive aura radiating from the White Dragon Lord told him that his master had reached the Abomination Tier, gaining an endless lifespan.

"Rise! You have done exceptionally well these past years! I am very pleased!"

The White Dragon Lord knew from his clone's memories that after his disappearance, Gurgalu had gone mad, leading the army into the blood war to fight the demons to the bitter end. He had nearly lost his life several times, but it was exactly this desperate, death-defying combat style that had caused his strength to skyrocket. In the final battle, he had even joined the high-tier legendary battlefield, earning himself the title of Blood Butcher.

Several other kingdom legends had shared Gurgalu's frenzy, such as Hogg Riverclaw and Bucky Darkscale. The blood war had wiped out nearly half of the Afiaiv Kingdom's legendary practitioners, but those who survived had seen their power skyrocket.

As Gurgalu stood, numerous legendary subordinates gradually appeared at the hall's entrance. Sweeping his gaze across them, the White Dragon Lord noticed that many familiar faces were missing, replaced by new ones.

The incoming subordinates and ministers gaped in shock when they saw the White Dragon Lord seated on his throne.

The massive Crystal Throne was large enough for someone to jog laps around, yet it appeared cramped with the White Dragon Lord seated on it. At the same time, a faint but exceedingly pure dragon aura spread in all directions, compelling everyone to fall to their knees in submission.

"We welcome Your Majesty's return!"

"All of you, rise! I am aware of everything that has transpired over the years, and I have seen your loyalty to the kingdom. I gathered you here today, firstly, to announce my return, and secondly, to reward you for your merits."

"Gurgalu! Hogg Riverclaw! Bucky Darkscale! Step forward, you three!"

The three named subordinates took a step forward. Three drops of dragon blood seeped from the White Dragon Lord's fingertip and drifted toward their foreheads.

To them, Ancestral Dragon blood at the Abomination Rank was an unimaginably precious gift. The dragon blood fortified their muscles, bones, and internal organs, even reaching something far more profound hidden within their very genetics.

Acquiring a fraction of an Ancestral Dragon's power came at a cost. The blood transformation was accompanied by a pain akin to thousands of ants biting into them, but the three endured it in absolute silence. Their bodies trembled as they forced themselves to bear the agony.

Under the envious gazes of the others, the blood transformation concluded. The White Dragon Lord ordered the three back to their places and then announced the rewards for the rest. While these rewards could not compare to the dragon blood, they consisted of extremely precious magical equipment, equally valuable potions, and wondrous magical items.

Once the rewards were distributed, the White Dragon Lord dismissed the assembly and headed to the main hall of the White Tower. Inside, Felicia and Willy were already waiting, alongside the Ancient Gold Dragon, Adelaide Leslie.

From his clone's memories, he knew that Willy had taken the Ancient Gold Dragon as his master to learn combat techniques after his disappearance. Thus, when he summoned Willy, the Ancient Gold Dragon had come along.

"It has been a long time, Senior Adelaide."

Recovering from his visible shock, the Ancient Gold Dragon replied, "Well... fifty years isn't actually that long, but your changes are truly massive, Amos! Massive in every sense of the word!"

"I did indeed encounter some fortuitous events."

The White Dragon Lord turned to his pleasantly surprised dragon brother and dragon sister, noticing how much they had grown. Both possessed the biological level of a Level 23 dragon. Felicia was a Level 22 priest, and Willy was a Level 23 Warrior.

"We are just missing Elena. She and Her Excellency Hajir are on their way."

The White Dragon Lord chatted with the three dragons for a short while before Elena and the Cat-Woman appeared on the Teleportation Platform of the White Tower, joining the gathering. Everyone was incredibly curious about the White Dragon Lord's experiences over the years, so he recounted the story of Mohotlond and the Winter Legion.

The tale of the hundred-meter-long Ancestral White Dragon, the Time Dragon, and the Demon Prince Demogorgon drew continuous gasps of amazement from the audience. After finishing his story, the White Dragon Lord looked toward Elena.

Among his three younger siblings, Elena was undeniably the strongest. Her biological level was currently that of a Level 24 Dragon, and her Withered Vine Druid class had broken through to Level 28—a level higher than even the White Dragon Lord's own Mage level. Moreover, the White Dragon Lord noticed that her necklace was missing.

"Elena! Where is your necklace?"

At the mention of her necklace, Elena instantly perked up.

"Amos! Did you know? The necklace the Silver Dragon Scholar gave me was actually left behind by His Excellency Desert Bane! And it contained a portion of the plane's blessing that Desert Bane received for repairing the Nordhill Plane. When I was restoring the Rodoro Plane, it triggered the necklace, and the plane's blessing allowed my druid class to instantly break through to High-Tier Legend!"

"Over these past few years, I continued restoring the Rodoro Plane. The planar feedback directly pushed me to my current level!"

Realization dawned on the White Dragon Lord. Planar blessings and feedback were rewards granted by a plane to those who contributed to it; in some planes, this was also known as karmic merit. A planar blessing was undeniably a tremendous boon.

"Ah?! Wait! Did you say the Rodoro Plane is already fully restored?!"

Elena swelled with pride at the White Dragon Lord's astonishment. "Of course! With me on the job, it was a piece of cake."

"Well done, Elena!" The White Dragon Lord was overjoyed. "To what extent has the plane been repaired? Can plants survive there now? What about animals?"

"Hmm, green grass is already growing in many areas of the Rodoro Plane. My teacher and I are currently discussing transplanting some flora over. Animals can't survive there just yet, as the plane's atmosphere still lacks a few essential components, but it won't be long now. Once that's ready, we'll map out a biological ecosystem and bring some small animals over from Nordhill, completely reviving the entire plane."

"Good! Very good! Excellent!"

"Amos? Why are you so happy?" The Cat-Woman tilted her head, studying the White Dragon Lord in confusion.

"To be honest, I have been planning to find a safe paradise for the Dragon Race for a long time. What plane could be more suitable than the Rodoro Plane?"

This idea had lingered in the White Dragon Lord's mind for a very long time. Due to competition from other creatures and hunting by intelligent races, the survival rate of Very Young Dragons in Nordhill was deeply concerning.

His plan was to migrate the Dragon Race to the Rodoro Plane. Abundant food, zero competitors, a vast living space, and the elemental energy of a medium material plane—these factors would be monumental in reversing the scarcity of Nordhill's dragon population.

The only issue was that the Rodoro Plane was jointly owned by White Castle and the Holy Sanctuary. However, the White Dragon Lord was confident he could resolve this. After all, he had a good relationship with the Holy Sanctuary, and they had no special need for the Rodoro Plane. As long as he offered wealth of equal value, the Holy Sanctuary would have no reason to refuse him.

He silently added the Holy Sanctuary to his visitation list, intending to take action as soon as his internal affairs were settled. Naturally, his itinerary didn't just include the Holy Sanctuary; he also planned to visit Sky City and Grand Duke Silver Dragon.

After finishing his reunion with his younger siblings, the Ancient Gold Dragon, and the Cat-Woman, the White Dragon Lord teleported to a large island on the edge of the kingdom. This island used to be obscure, but ever since a hydra made its home there, it had become the renowned Ten Thousand Snake Island.

This hydra was none other than the one the White Dragon Lord had brought back from the Abyss—Hydra.

Initially, out of concern for Hydra's vast ambitions, the White Dragon Lord had left him under the Ancient Gold Dragon's supervision. However, reality proved that he had completely overthought things.

After arriving in the Afiaiv Kingdom, the hydra had effectively become a completely different snake compared to his time in the Abyss. He used to be a supreme overlord of the swamps with mountains of bones piled at his doorstep. But now... the Afiaiv Kingdom had raised him into a happy, lazy, shut-in snake.

Upon moving to the Afiaiv Kingdom, the hydra no longer faced any pressure to survive. Even his meals were prepared and delivered straight to his door by the murlocs. He had fallen into absolute decadence.

Satiated and comfortable, Hydra gave in to his lust and embarked on his grand enterprise of expanding the snake lineage. He ravaged every female snake on the Ancient Gold Dragon's island. When the Ancient Gold Dragon woke from a slumber, he found his island turned into a massive snake nest, with Hydra's mixed-blood offspring slithering everywhere.

Unable to tolerate the chaos, the Ancient Gold Dragon discussed the matter with the clone and relocated Hydra to the current Ten Thousand Snake Island. The clone was actually quite happy for the hydra to grow his clan, as these snakes with hydra bloodlines made excellent combat pets. They significantly bolstered the combat strength of the New Murloc Tidehunters.

Hydra knew this was a colossal plane that even housed Abomination Rank powerhouses, and that White Castle was one of its major factions. Therefore, he hadn't dared to act out. It wasn't until he broke through to High-Tier Legend that he started to become a little insubordinate, outwardly compliant but ignoring actual orders.

As a result, the hydra had become the only unstable internal factor in the White Dragon Lord's eyes. He decided it was time to knock some sense into the beast.

Hovering in the sky, the White Dragon Lord gazed down at the lake in the center of the island. He saw a lazy snake lying on the shore, sunbathing while murloc servants scrubbed his scales up and down. Not only was he being hand-fed by the murlocs while taking his bath, but he was also occasionally humming a few off-key tunes.

"Oh! Look who knows how to enjoy life!"

Hearing a mocking voice ring out right above his head, the hydra jolted in sheer terror.

'Who goes there?! To think someone managed to approach me without a sound!'

The nine massive snake heads looked up, only to gape in shock at the sight of a behemoth floating a hundred meters above them.