Ashen Dragon

The giant dragons in the grand hall were in a fervor, each vying to condemn and scold the "ungrateful Red Dragon," even if it meant feigning rage.

"Very well."

Tiamat looked around once more, her sharp gaze sweeping over the dragons as she asked lowly, "So... who among you can kill this traitor for me?

Just kill him, and I shall bestow upon you the strength of a demigod, the bloodline of an Ancestral Dragon, and a mountain of gold!"

Tiamat's voice was resonant and powerful as it echoed within the hall, but at this moment, those dragons who had been passionately vocal fell silent as if under a Silence Spell, collectively sinking into a hush.

The terms of strength, bloodline, and riches indeed sounded quite substantial, exceptionally enticing, and under normal circumstances, countless five-colored dragons would surely rush forward.

Yet no matter how good the offer, no wealth can be enjoyed without life, one's own life is the most precious — the five-colored dragons understood this wisdom well.

Send them to assassinate Cassius?

What a joke, he's one of the most powerful giant dragons on the Material Plane today, capable of battling Hell Lords, opposing Divine Incarnations, even killing a demigod giant dragon!

Moreover, the other side has a powerful, rapidly expanding empire with superior military prowess, sending them to assassinate Cassius—how is that different from sending them to die?

This group of selfish, greedy five-colored dragons wouldn't do such a foolish thing; they preferred flaunting power by the Dragon Queen's side, effortlessly plundering wealth and bullying the weak.

Tiamat, somewhat exasperated, angrily scolded the dragons: "You are truly a bunch of cowards, is this how you express loyalty to me?"

"Majesty, no, we are just..."

"I nourish you with divine power—yet you are content to prattle here? Begone to the Material Plane! Destroy the armies of the Ashen Empire! Without accomplishing the task I've assigned, you are unworthy to return to the Divine Realm!"

In her wrath, Tiamat suddenly swung her Dragon Wings, instantly unleashing an immensely powerful storm within the hall, causing dozens of five-colored dragons residing in the Divine Realm to fall helplessly, their forms turning transparent.

"Majesty, please wait!"

"I don't want to return to the Material Plane!"

"Please, Dragon Queen, let me stay in the Divine Realm! There's a mad Paladin chasing me on the Material Plane!"

The five-colored dragons struggled desperately, continuously wailing and begging for mercy, yet to no avail.

Enraged, Tiamat drove these dozens of five-colored dragons out of the Divine Realm, sending them plummeting to the Material Plane.

Tiamat gazed coldly at those five-colored dragons sent to the Material Plane, saying, "They should understand... since they've enjoyed this inherent strength, they must willingly contribute to the five-colored dragon clan."

The ancient Red Dragon Kaleimas quickly approached and echoed, "Majesty, you are truly wise and discerning; continue letting this pack of dragon whelps run amok, and it'll eventually breed more ungrateful ones like Cassius."

"If that's the case, when will our five-colored dragon clan rule the earth again?"

Kaleimas' intention was to flatter Tiamat and also to declare his stance, to draw the line with the Ashen Empire's Emperor, as being a Red Dragon himself, he could not avoid the Mother of Evil Dragons' suspicion and misgivings.

Unexpectedly, Tiamat fixed her gaze tightly on him, her eyes, aside from the remnants of rage, reflected an unexplainable excitement, her mouth curled into a sinister smile.

"Kaleimas, today you shall serve me once more, remember to transform with four horns, tonight... you may suffer a bit."

"Yes, yes, Majesty, it's my honor to serve you."

The ancient Red Dragon, long having lost reproductive ability but forcibly restored by Divine Arts, tucked his tail between his legs, his hind legs trembling, cold sweat pouring down his forehead, a face full of unspeakable agony.

...

Talilo Desert.

The scorching sun blazed, distorting the air with high temperatures, amidst the endless yellow sands appeared to be a lush oasis.

But should a parched traveler approach the oasis, they would hopelessly find that it was merely an illusion, hidden within which is an expansive ancient ruin, with the surrounding sky thick with Blue Dragons, lion scorpions, and desert dragon beasts.

This was the palace ruins of the Gulan Empire, now a stronghold for the Blue Dragon Sect of the Dragon Worship Church, and the abode of the "Thunder Tyrant" Goraz Dera.

In the depths of this palace ruin, within spacious chambers, the ground was soft sand, everywhere covered with glass crystals formed by Lightning Breath, shimmering faintly in the dimness.

Air stood still in dead silence, leaving only the chilling hum of static echoing within the hall, subtle yet piercing.

Soon, arcs of electricity danced, the crisp crackle reverberated throughout the palace, the air suffused with the sharp scent of ozone.

Sand dunes violently trembled, grains of sand shivered like fear, pouring and flowing down the slope, from beneath the earth came the muffled toll of a bronze bell.

Suddenly, yellow sand burst forth, the entire dune crumbled abruptly as a massive, sinister figure awoke from the earth veins and slowly stood from the sands, revealing its fearsome form.

It was a fearsome Blue Dragon, sharp and jagged like a creature hewn by axe and chisel, its heavy scale armor no longer the cobalt or sky blue of a young Blue Dragon, but a deep indigo metallic hue, with worn edges grown pale.

Covered in ancient etched patterns and minute crystalline protrusions, countless massive, deep scars crisscross its rugged scale armor, a sight both shocking and distressing.

The Blue Dragon's pupils emitted a piercing light blue glow, akin to a rift leading to the Thunder Purgatory.

When it fully emerged from the dune ruins, the scene was enough to make the bravest warrior's heart tremble.

Along its powerful spine stood a row of massive, sawtooth deep blue bone plates, majestic and towering to the tail's end, with each bone plate's tip sparking restless electricity.

Joining this terrifying form were two pairs of expansive giant wings, displaying an unusual semi-transparency with blue liquid lightning seeming to flow endlessly within.

Most uncanny was the energy surrounding it. Visible twisted blue arcs danced between its heavy scales, converging at the tips of bony spikes and giant horns, emitting terrifying sounds of crackling.

This ancient Blue Dragon was as though the embodiment of Thunder, the manifestation of desert storms.

Her every inch of body, every movement, even each breath silently proclaimed her origin from the world's essence, a terror great enough to rend the sky and crush the earth.

Within the Talilo Desert, there existed a long-standing poem describing the appearance of this Blue Dragon:

"The legend awakens, the sand Her bed, thunder Her heartbeat, and mortal cities—mere dust swept by Her tail's tip."

This was the Thunder Tyrant, the Mother of Storms and Dunes, the crowned king of the Talilo Desert—the ancient Blue Dragon Goraz Dera Farria.

Only this time, Goraz Dera's awakening was not to bring calamity to mortals, but to complete the Five-Colored Dragon Queen's decree.

The ancient Blue Dragon tilted her head slightly, gazing respectfully at the five-headed dragon phantom in mid-air, gently intoning:

"I understand, Majesty, as you wish, I shall use thunder and lightning to destroy his armies, crush his flesh, so that arrogant one and all mortal things perceive—the consequence of betraying you."

Before her words even fell, tiny bolts of lightning struck the large horn on her nose tip, electricity flickered around, even sand on the ground burned into pure glass crystals.

She lifted her head in a long howl, the sky and earth changed color, above the ruins emerged ominous thunderclouds, amidst this rumble like war drums, Blue Dragons, Desert Wyverns, and Thunder Element Sub-dragons hovered in the air, weaving through pervading lightning, roaring incessantly.

All in a moment, within a hundred miles around, whether human or dragonkin, all were panic-stricken, shivering in fear.

They knew, the Thunder Tyrant sleeping deep in the sands—had finally awakened!