Chapter 874: King of Sky and Void, Meeting The Great Dragon King (III)

Wooo!

Just as the Dragon Emperor was preparing to subdue the remaining ray-like beasts, a deep, ancient horn-like cry echoed through the spatial rift. A moment later, a terrifying ancient-titan-level aura surged toward them at great speed.

Instantly, the wounded ray-beasts lit up with excitement, except the one still clutched in the Dragon Emperor’s claw. The other seven let out excited calls in response. The surrounding gray currents within several thousand kilometers churned and dispersed, revealing an immense ray-like beast over sixty thousand meters long.

Its entire body was covered in thick, heavy scale armor of black and gray, and etched across those scales were intricate principle markings. Unlike the titan-level ray-beasts, this ancient colossal beast had clearly undergone a metamorphosis, and now wielded a formidable principle power. At its rear, torrents burst forth like exhaust from a sixty-kilometer-long aerial jet carrier, sending violent shockwaves rippling outward.

The 3,600-meter-long Dragon Emperor looked like an insect in comparison, and because its aura still carried the deceptive signature of a titan-level beast, the Ancient Ray-Beast didn’t even register it as a threat. With an aggressive aura, it charged forth.

As it closed in within a thousand kilometers and saw the wounded state of its kin, its fury erupted in a thunderous roar.

Titan beast, you dare trespass into the great Alius’s domain and injure my kin. This is unforgivable!

Boom!

A wave of immense power exploded from the Ancient Ray-Beast. Within moments, the surrounding thousand kilometers of gray currents twisted and collapsed inward, forming a violent destructive vortex, with a massive black hole appearing at its core.

The Dragon Emperor let out a savage roar and hurled the ray-beast in its grasp behind it. Stepping forward, it unleashed a world-shattering aura.

Boom!

Crimson lightning erupted from its body, radiating in all directions. Even the gray currents that could dissolve all laws were shattered and melted, leaving behind bloody red trails.

Bathed in blinding scarlet light, a dark-red destructive beast, ten thousand meters long and standing over five thousand meters tall, appeared. The space around it collapsed, forming a dark zone spanning hundreds of kilometers.

After absorbing heavy elemental materials from multiple massive ore veins, the Dragon Emperor’s body had become unimaginably dense and durable. Now, after entering its Dark-Red Form, its size swelled several times over. Every aspect of its power had been enhanced, and it now released force without restraint. Just standing there, it distorted space and formed a black hole spanning hundreds of kilometers, swallowing light itself. Even its own red radiance couldn’t escape.

Such a terrifying form caused even the Ancient Ray-Beast to feel utter despair. The titan-level ray-beasts trembled uncontrollably as fear filled their eyes. Under that terrifying bloodline aura, they couldn’t even muster a thought of resistance.

No fight, no fight! The great Alius surrenders!

Confronted by the Dragon Emperor’s overwhelming presence in its Dark-Red Form, the once-aggressive Ancient Ray-Beast abruptly halted and decisively surrendered. To show its sincerity, it dispersed the gray currents gathered around it by the power of its principles, fully revealing its colossal body.

Even the Dragon Emperor paused for a moment. Golden-red vertical pupils flickered with bloody lightning as its terrifying gaze landed on the Ancient Ray-Beast, maw slightly opening. A low growl filled with destructive intent reverberated through space and time.

We haven’t even fought yet, and you're already surrendering? What if I was just bluffing, just looking strong?

Even though, truthfully, the Dragon Emperor had no intention of killing this ancient titan, not fighting at all after transforming into its Dark-Red Form would’ve felt like a waste of a dramatic entrance.

𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

Besides, it was curious about just how strong this ancient titan was, being born in an environment of chaotic destruction. Could it take a few of its claws, or withstand a blow from its tail blade?

Though it had crushed and slain a beginning-stage ancient titan earlier, the gap between middle-stage and beginning-stage ancient titans was still vast. The Dragon Emperor couldn’t afford carelessness. It needed to face more powerful beasts to truly grow familiar with its evolving strength. The further one advanced along the transcendent path, the greater the disparity between even minor realms.

The ancient ray-like beast slowly shook its head.

Great beast, my instincts tell me... you’re too strong. I can’t win, I just can’t.

Of course, it wasn’t foolish. It surrendered so readily because it saw that the Dragon Emperor hadn’t killed any of the other ray-beasts, and it hadn’t sensed any killing intent either.

Otherwise, it would have fled long ago. This beast was simply too terrifying. Despite only being at the titan level, the aura it exuded after entering that Dark-Red Form was enough to strike terror into its heart.

Staring at the Ancient Ray-Beast whose eyes flickered with intelligence, the Dragon Emperor fell silent. This was the first time it had encountered an ancient titan that surrendered so swiftly.

It growled,

Surrender is acceptable, but a simple concession is not enough to overlook the offense your subordinates made against my dignity. When I first encountered them, I flew over to ask for directions, yet they attacked me unprovoked. That cannot be forgiven.

The eight ray-like beasts surrounding them all showed visible bewilderment.

Wait, what? The way you charged in, with that overwhelming aura, it was definitely not to ask for directions! You were obviously coming to destroy us!

The Ancient Ray-Beast let out an angry whistle.

Idiots! How dare you offend this great beast emperor? Are you seeking death? Apologize to this mighty king at once!

We're sorry.

Please, great beast emperor, forgive our offense...

Unlike those affected by the Chaotic Region’s distortive power, these beasts dwelling within the destruction currents were highly intelligent, and their auras carried little of the typical savagery. One by one, they bowed their proud heads and sincerely offered apologies.

However, since they had already been marked by the Dragon Emperor, even an apology wouldn’t spare them. Its gaze remained cold as it growled,

If apologies were enough, what would be the point of all our effort to grow stronger? In my eyes, all beings in this world fall into three categories: those who are my subordinates or allies, those who are irrelevant, and those who are enemies. And for enemies, I always follow one rule: eliminate them completely. Kill them, eat them, leave none alive.

The Dragon Emperor’s chilling words made the ray-beasts tense up. Then, its tone shifted.

However, your earlier display of strength was passable. Your bodies didn’t explode from one of my normal strikes, barely acceptable. At present, my colossal beast empire is expanding. We are recruiting powerful beasts. If you’re willing to join the Dragon Palace, I won’t pursue your offense further.

The Ancient Ray-Beast and the others froze in place.

Colossal beast empire?

They had lived in isolation within the destruction currents and had never encountered the outside world. Though highly intelligent, this was their first time hearing of such an empire.

Seeing their confusion, the Dragon Emperor slowly growled,

An empire is a vast collective of colossal beasts—tens of thousands of us, alongside millions of aliens and mutated beasts. I am Ao Batian, the Thunder Fiery Dragon King of the Dragon Palace, and lord of the Dragon King Palace. Aside from me, it has ten other dragon kings, each of them incredibly powerful. Right now, the Dragon Palace is expanding in all directions, soon to unify the entire Chaotic Region. Alius, if you are willing to join us, I will bestow upon you the title of dragon king. But if you refuse... then I will kill and eat you.

As the Dragon Emperor mentioned eating them, a murderous aura spread from it. If these beasts chose to decline, it fully intended to kill every last one of them, harvesting not only their Chaotic Crystal Cores, but their flesh and blood as nutrients for its own evolution. This rift in space-time stretched endlessly, and if it let them escape now, there was no telling whether it would ever find them again.

Sensing both the Dragon Emperor’s killing intent and the weight of its words about ten other Dragon Kings existing in this Dragon Palace Empire, the Ancient Ray-Beast wisely nodded.

I will join. It is my honor to serve under the great Thunder Fiery Emperor.

Such a straightforward answer left the Dragon Emperor feeling unexpectedly disappointed. This was the first time it had ever subdued an ancient titan without even fighting. Suppressing its raging, destructive urge, the Dragon Emperor slowly exhaled a stream of searing red air current, erasing all matter and energy a dozen kilometers ahead.

Since you’ve chosen to join, we are now family. From this moment on, you are the twelfth dragon king of the Dragon Palace—the King of Sky and Void. You hold full council rights in the Dragon King Palace.

With a low growl, the blood-red lightning coiled around the Dragon Emperor’s body began to fade. Its immense frame rapidly shrank, returning to its original size of just over three thousand meters. Amid the raging gray currents, it fixed its gaze on the head of the Ancient Ray-Beast and growled in puzzlement.

Alius, why don’t you have any Chaotic Crystals on your head?

Great King, what are Chaotic Crystals?

The massive Ancient Ray-Beast froze, looking genuinely confused.

The Dragon Emperor let out a low rumble.

I’m referring to those gray crystals on the heads of your subordinates.

So that’s what you meant... Those things are just impurities. When our kind flickers and filters this turbid current, some materials that we can’t absorb or break down circulate through the blood and eventually accumulate in our heads.

But once I advanced to the ancient titan level, all of those impurities were refined and dissolved. That’s why I don’t have any left.

The Dragon Emperor paused. So it turned out those Chaotic Crystals were nothing more than waste deposits the ray-beasts couldn’t absorb. That would explain why they hadn’t consumed them themselves. Or perhaps the ray-beasts didn’t know that once those impurities were removed, they would activate and transform into another energy form.

That being the case, these ray-beasts could indeed become a renewable resource, constantly producing chaotic matter for the Dragon Emperor. The only question was how long it would take for each crystal to grow.

Deep in thought, the Dragon Emperor continued its inquiry.

Alius, since you dwell here, do you know how long and wide this rift in space-time is?

How long and how wide...

Lacking a concept of kilometers, the Ancient Ray-Beast thought for a while before replying with a growl.

Great King, I do not know the exact measurements. I only know it’s extremely vast. However, when I was attempting to break through to the ancient titan level, I once flew along the edge of the destruction zone for nearly a full day-cycle, and only then reached the other side. The zone is also not uniform. Some parts are wide, others narrow. At the narrowest point, even I took three star-hours to fly across. And deep within, there are many regions even I find threatening. If you truly wish to cross it, I suggest I guide the way from the front.

Besides the ray-beasts, there were virtually no other lifeforms in this destruction zone. After countless years of solitude, Alius and the others had grown quite bored, and so had taken the time to familiarize themselves with their surroundings.

This region is that long?!

The Dragon Emperor was stunned.

With the Ancient Ray-Beast’s size and strength, its normal flight speed was at least a hundred times the speed of sound. At nearly three million kilometers per day, and with a day-cycle spanning forty days, the total length came to over a hundred million kilometers—an utterly staggering distance. It now seemed plausible that this Chaotic Region was completely severed by the spatial rift.

Its width was just as terrifying. Even the narrowest point required about four and a half Blue Planet days to cross—over 10 million kilometers wide, more than twice the 4.2 million kilometers they had currently traversed.

Phew!

No wonder the explosion from this world’s shattering pierced even the mythical world’s crystalline wall. The Dragon Emperor exhaled a searing wave of air, then growled,

I do intend to cross this region, but before that, we must leave for a while. I want to introduce you to the Great Dragon King of the Dragon Palace.

Earlier, the Dragon Emperor had already noticed that the backs of these ray-beasts could shield passengers from the gray currents. That meant the Silver Dragon and the others could ride atop the ray-beasts and fly through safely.

However, as soon as the Dragon Emperor said this, the Ancient Ray-Beast’s eyes widened in disbelief.

It had never imagined that this terrifying black-and-red beast wasn’t the Great Dragon King. For a moment, the ray-beast was once again deeply shaken by the might of the Dragon Palace.

Just how powerful must the true Great Dragon King be?

But wait... didn't this black-and-red titan just claim to be the ruler of the Dragon King Palace?