Chapter 609 - 605 – THE WARNING OF THE AZURE DRAGON, THE SECRET OF THE ANCIENT GOLDEN DRAGONS, AND THE ANOMALY BEHIND THE OBSIDIAN RIFT

A suffocating silence blanketed the obsidian chamber. The white light of Sylvia’s War Sun Flame reflected dimly upon the scales of the gigantic chained dragon. A cold aura swept across the skin, carrying an ancient mystic pressure so dense that the Qilin still remained bowed and trembling on the stone floor, not daring to raise its head before the Guardian of the East.

The golden eyes of the Azure Dragon flickered dimly, radiating both the wisdom and the sorrow of thousands of forgotten years. Its gaze shifted from Sylvia’s figure toward the small golden cat standing frozen on her shoulder.

’Golden Dragon...’ the telepathic voice of the Azure Dragon whispered, resonating deep within Sol’s soul. ’This aura... this existence. You are the last seed of the Astral Golden Dragon Clan that once stood beside us before the earth first split.’

Sol stepped slowly to the tip of Sylvia’s shoulder. His tiny claws gripped the fabric of the Queen of Death’s black gown, his eyes widening as he stared at the colossal Asian dragon. ’You... you know me? You know who my parents were?’

’I know the scent of your bloodline’s soul, little one,’ the Azure Dragon replied, its breath releasing a soft silver-blue mist that whispered through the air. ’The ancient Golden Dragon King was the core protector of this dimension alongside us, the Four Directional Guardians. Yet when the cosmic war erupted, and the Earth Avatar seized the ancient throne, the Golden Dragons staked their entire life essence to seal the dimensional rifts so that the apocalypse would not devour the whole crust of the world. Your egg was flung out and contaminated by dark energy from that destruction. I had believed your bloodline had vanished completely...’

Sol fell silent. His chest rose and fell. The dark memories of his past, when he had been isolated within the Silvermist rift as a suffering mass of corruption, seemed to find their answer. He was not merely the remnants of a mutated monster, but the last descendant of the world’s cosmic protectors.

"We’ll discuss that history later, Sol," Sylvia cut in with a calm yet firm tone. Her footsteps echoed lightly as she approached the black chains crushing the Azure Dragon’s shoulder. Her True Sight mapped dozens of purple energy threads creeping out from the cracks behind the ancient dragon’s body. "Azure Dragon, you said the seal behind you is being opened from within. Who or what is sealed behind this obsidian wall?"

The Azure Dragon closed its eyes for a moment, enduring the pain as the remaining chains trembled and emitted dull red rune flashes.

’Behind this chamber,’ the Azure Dragon began its explanation in a heavy tone, ’lies a rift hollow that separates the main dimension from the Primordial Abyssal Abyss. The entity sealed there is not an ordinary god, but The Devourer of Concept, a Manifestation of Ancient Corruption born from the residual negative emotions of a vanished civilization. When the apocalypse occurred, the ancient civilization attempted to imprison it, yet the seal was too fragile. That is why I sacrificed my freedom to become a living stake in front of that fissure.’

The gigantic dragon’s eyes opened again, staring sharply toward Sylvia. ’Yet over the past few decades, an outside influence has triggered movement within. The purple mist seeping into the human city above is the soul-poison essence of that entity. It deliberately drains human vitality to restore its power and severs my binding chains from the inside!’

’So...’ Noir partially emerged from Sylvia’s shadow, ears upright and red eyes blazing wildly. ’The poisonous mist in Eldridge isn’t merely a natural anomaly, but feed being forcibly extracted to awaken that monster?’

’Exactly,’ the Azure Dragon answered. ’And if the three main chains remaining on my neck and heart are severed, this rift will completely collapse. The city above will be swallowed into the Abyssal Abyss, and that corruption will spread to eradicate all life on this Continent.’

Sylvia raised her right hand. The Chain of Abyss the Absolute Death Chains of the Queen, began evolving in the air, coiling like iron serpents with a blackish-silver glow that cut through the darkness.

"In that case, the solution is simple," Sylvia said coldly. "I will sever your binding chains, destroy that ancient seal, and kill the entity behind it before it can step out."

The Azure Dragon exhaled heavily, the tremor making the foundation of the obsidian chamber shake gently. ’Death Girl... my power has been completely drained over the centuries. Even if you free me from these chains, my physical form is bound to the natural laws of this place. I will need time to restore my divine essence, just like Baihu in the west.’

The Qilin looked up, voicing its thoughts with full hope. ’Your Excellency, Azure Dragon! The Guardian of the West has already been freed and is now under Nocture’s protection! The essence of Nocture’s Astral Star Furnace is capable of supporting the dimensional burden without having to drain the vitality of living beings!’

The Azure Dragon’s eyes flashed with surprise. ’Astral Star Furnace? The Lumina civilization... you succeeded in subduing their star reactor?’

"Not only subdued it," Sol answered, with pride once again rising. "Sylvia consumed the authority of its explosion and turned it into fuel for our ships! If you want freedom, follow our way!"

Sylvia smirked thinly. She floated upward until her position was level with the Azure Dragon’s eyes. The aura of Absolute Death spread massively from her body, pressing down the cosmic pressure within the chamber. "I dislike wasting time. Qilin, prepare your soul-recovery magic to support the Azure Dragon’s essence when the chains are severed. Sol, Noir, stand guard at the threshold of the fissure. If any mist or claws try to emerge from behind the obsidian wall, level them."

’Ready, Your Majesty!’ the Qilin cried as it leapt to its feet. Its single crystal horn radiated waves of pure golden light that immediately enveloped the blue dragon’s body to withstand the impact of the energy release.

’I’ll shred anyone who dares disturb my sleep,’ Noir growled while leaping toward the darkness behind the Azure Dragon’s body, followed by Sol, who transformed into a ten-meter Golden Dragon to fortify the surrounding area.

Sylvia flicked her finger.

CRACK! BANG!

The Chain of Abyss shot forth like midnight lightning, wrapping around the three gigantic chains that bound the Azure Dragon. With a single surge of Absolute Death will, the law of existence erasure activated instantly. The ancient obsidian chains that had shackled the Guardian of the East for thousands of years suddenly cracked, turned grayish, and shattered into spiritual dust!

ROAAARRRRRRRRR!

The Azure Dragon’s roar shook the entire dimensional rift! Freed from the chains that had pierced its flesh, its blue-black divine essence exploded outward, enveloping its body. The healing light from the Qilin merged with Sol’s golden aura, stabilizing the Guardian of the East’s soul so it would not collapse from the sudden energy release.

Yet the moment the final chain shattered, the obsidian wall behind the Azure Dragon cracked violently.

BOOM!

A gigantic, sharp-angled palm imprint slammed against the wall from the inside. Dense purple mist, many times more toxic than what had covered the city of Eldridge, burst from the crack, carrying a piercing screech capable of tearing the consciousness of ordinary humans.

"I... AM FREEEE..." a hoarse cosmic voice echoed from beyond the darkness. Blackish-purple tentacles with slick skin and hundreds of blinking red eyes began crawling out from the shattered wall fissure.

Noir spread his shadow wings and released a burst of Shadow Flame, burning the foremost tentacles until they curled and charred. ’These rotten worms really don’t know their place!’

’Hold your positions!’ Sol shouted while unleashing an explosion of Holy Gold Breath to hold back the seeping purple mist that threatened to flood the chamber.

Sylvia floated right in front of the swirling mist crawling outward. Her black gown fluttered majestically, her eyes blazing red-gold with True Sight fully open. In her vision, she did not see an ordinary physical monster, but a mass of rotten Fate Threads that intertwined into a parasitic manifestation trying to devour the life threads of Eldridge City.

"Using the vitality of my people for your ridiculous resurrection?" Sylvia murmured in a cold tone that pierced the bone.

She raised her right hand, directing her palm straight at the heart of the Abyssal rift vortex. The Chain of Abyss chains behind her back spread into hundreds of black spears inscribed with Absolute Death runes.

"You chose the wrong continent to wake up on," Sylvia said softly.

With a single tap of her finger in the air, the Domain of Absolute Death expanded to envelop the entire obsidian hollow. Monochrome light drained the purple color from the mist, halted the movement of the ancient tentacles in midair, and froze the flow of time for the corruption attempting to break through.

"Perish," Sylvia commanded briefly.

Hundreds of chain-spears shot through the fissure, tearing the essence of The Devourer of Concept down to the roots of its soul. A piercing scream of agony echoed from the neighboring dimension before a vacuum shockwave swept away every remaining trace of purple mist until nothing was left.

The obsidian wall gradually returned to calm, and with the aid of Sylvia’s space magic, the dimensional rift connected to the Abyssal Abyss was closed and permanently sealed using a matrix of Death magic and Astral energy.

When the chamber fell silent once more, the Azure Dragon had already shrunk its gigantic form. The blue light dimmed, and from the center of that radiance emerged a small dragon two meters in size with glossy deep-blue scales and a pair of elegant silver horns.

It gazed at Sylvia with profound respect.

’Thank you, Queen of Death,’ the Azure Dragon said softly. ’You have saved me and prevented a catastrophe that would have annihilated this land.’

Sylvia landed back on the stone floor casually, adjusting the hood of her gown. "I simply didn’t want my journey interrupted by toxic smoke that ruins the scenery."

She turned toward Sol, who had now returned to golden-cat form on her shoulder. Sol looked at the Azure Dragon with awkwardness.

’So...’ Sol cleared his throat lightly. ’Azure Dragon... do you truly remember my parents?’

The Azure Dragon smiled thinly, its eyes radiating the warmth of an ancient guardian. ’I remember them very clearly, Sol. And if you are willing to return to Nocture with us, I will tell you the entire history of your clan that once ruled the skies of the ancient era.’

The Qilin exhaled in relief, wiping the sweat from its forehead with an expression full of gratitude. ’Everything has ended safely... Her Majesty Alicia will be overjoyed to hear this news.’

"It’s not finished yet," Sylvia cut in as she turned toward the exit corridor. "We still have to deal with that mayor of Eldridge who wet himself and make sure all the refugees receive proper food."

Noir chuckled coldly from the shadows. ’And don’t forget a souvenir for Stacia, Your Majesty.’

Sylvia laughed softly, her footsteps cutting through the darkness toward the surface of Eldridge, which was now beginning to be illuminated by bright sunlight free of any toxic mist veil.