The dark clouds were as thick as ink, hanging so low that they seemed ready to crush the entire mountain ridge.
Blinding lightning snaked through the depths of the clouds. Every explosion sent out deafening thunder, illuminating the vast wilderness in flickering light, like a turbulent painting.
This was the absolute Domain of the Blue Dragon, the home turf of the master of storms and thunder.
The air was filled with the pungent smell of ozone, mixed with the heavy air pressure of the rainstorm, making it almost suffocating.
However, in this storm territory where Blue Dragons should have been in their element, the Blue Dragons who should have been soaring freely in the wind and rain, riding the lightning, were now all wearing grim expressions, every muscle in their bodies tense, standing in a posture of extreme vigilance, as if facing a great enemy.
At the edge of the horizon, a black tide was surging forward with unstoppable momentum.
To be more precise, it was not water, but a torrent of war formed by the Molten Iron Legion.
Countless steel armors shimmered with a cold, hard luster under the dim sky, and the faint, flickering light of runes within them added a touch of mystery and murderous intent to this army.
"Lava flows in our veins, flames burn between our teeth!"
"We want more than just victory!"
"If we fight, we fight thoroughly, smashing the enemy's skull!"
"If we kill, we kill with abandon, until the river of blood stops flowing!"
The heavy footsteps of the Ogres shaking the earth intertwined with the resounding clatter of the Centaur Warriors' hooves; the shrill howling of the Gnolls and the hissing of the Snake-men rose and fell.
Various monster races were roaring, combined with the wild bellows of Vicious Beasts and magical creatures, composing this rough and powerful war song.
The wild sound waves rushed straight into the sky, echoing powerfully even amidst the howling wind and rain.
"Fight! Fight for the supreme Dragon Lord!"
"Every wound on our bodies is the most glorious medal of the future!"
"Every drop of blood we shed is the most mellow wine of the moment!"
"But is this enough? Does this satisfy us? No! Far from it!"
"Then use your claws to tear open more enemies' chests! Use your heavy hammers to smash more enemies' spines!"
"Until even the moon in the sky is scared into hiding behind the blood-stained clouds! Until the sun itself is dimmed by this slaughter!"
On the ground, the Molten Iron Legion marched forward singing loudly.
Opposite them were the kin forces of the Dominic Dragon Flight.
Listening to the impassioned war song of the enemy and watching the heavily armed monsters approaching, these native defenders could not help but feel their hearts waver, morale dropping; it was unclear whether the liquid running down their foreheads was rainwater or cold sweat.
Above the Molten Iron Legion, the Ignas Dragon Flight was circling.
Led by the King of Molten Iron, the dragons flapped their strong wings, forcefully tearing through the wind and rain, unreservedly exuding rolling Dragon Breath, exerting pressure in all directions.
Below the dragon flock was the bird beast legion led by the Phoenix Angia.
They gathered densely together, like another dark cloud moving at low altitude.
Time seemed to stretch in this tense atmosphere, passing slowly and steadily.
The heaven-shaking roars and majestic dragon bellows tore through the silence of the sky and the earth together.
Wherever the Molten Iron Legion passed, trees collapsed in swathes, the earth trembled violently, and the biting murderous aura that permeated the air seemed as if it would even disperse the thick dark clouds in the sky.
However, the Blue Dragons in their home turf did not choose to clash head-on with this massive army gathered with many powerful creatures.
Their subordinate forces kept retreating, not choosing to intercept head-on, but strategically dispersing to various areas with complex terrain.
And just as the Iron Dragon Sorog and the Blue Dragon Heriam had anticipated before the battle.
The Dominic Dragon Flight fully utilized their superior advantage in speed.
Zzz—!
Amidst the piercing thunder, several Blue Dragon shadows, swift as ghosts, suddenly swooped down from the thick dark clouds high above.
They did not get too close to the central area of the legion, but opened their fanged maws at the extreme range of their ranged attacks.
Dragon Breath of Thunder!
Several thick bolts of thunder Dragon Breath tore through the sky, bombarding the Gnoll and Lizardfolk phalanxes on the flanks of the Molten Iron Legion.
In an instant, electric light exploded, a pungent burnt smell quickly permeated, and the hit kin soldiers were turned into charred remains before they could even let out a complete scream.
More ranged attacks followed.
The Young Adult Dragon Blue Dragons, dispersed and hidden in the high-altitude clouds, acted like agile aerial batteries, fully utilizing the cover of the dark clouds, continuously releasing long-range lightning Dragon Breath, or casting Spells to summon lightning strikes.
These attacks did not seek one-hit kills.
They were continuous, intending to disrupt the legion's rigorous formation and create constant chaos and panic within the massive enemy Ranks.
Similar harassing attacks were staged one after another.
Small Blue Dragon formations, composed of one or two adult dragons leading several Young Adult Dragons, relied on their superb mobility to launch swift surprise attacks from various tricky directions. After releasing a round of Dragon Breath or casting lightning Spells, they would immediately pull up their altitude rapidly, re-hiding in the dark clouds, never lingering in the fight.
There were also a few particularly cunning Blue Dragons.
They guided violent lightning strikes and sharp lightning beams to bombard key nodes on the Molten Iron Legion's marching route.
Narrow mountain passes, fragile roads, soft marshlands... attempting to create physical separation zones, forcing the massive legion to disperse into several groups.
The tactical intent of the Dominic Dragon Flight was very obvious.
They were trying to use their advantage in speed to divide and pull the Molten Iron Legion, continuously creating chaos, and then finding opportunities to break the isolated parts one by one, slowly bleeding them.
At this moment, the Gluttony Demon Karu looked up and saw an adult Blue Dragon flying past.
He opened his huge mouth and spat out a sphere containing destructive energy.
The energy ball evaporated the rain along the way; its speed was not slow, even arguably quite fast, but it was easily dodged by the Blue Dragon with a light side-step, failing to land a hit.
The Gluttonous Ogre roared unhappily, subconsciously wanting to break away from the legion formation to chase after it.
But as soon as he moved, he remembered the serious order received before the battle, so he suppressed his surging anger and did not break away from the main force because of the Blue Dragon's provocation.
"What an annoying fly!"
The Red Dragon Cahill also roared angrily, spraying a scorching flame Dragon Breath at a Blue Dragon attempting to get close.
The latter had long since nimbly turned, and the scorching flames only singed the faint electrical sparks left in its wake.
Like the Gluttonous Ogre, although the Red Dragon Cahill was extremely annoyed, she still kept the order in mind and did not rashly pursue.
"Do not pay attention to these small groups of enemies!"
The steady voice of the Iron Dragon Sorog spread across the battlefield through psionics, "Their goal is to delay and disperse our strength. Continue forward, straight to the core of their territory, giving them nowhere to retreat!"
Meanwhile, Garros, Solrog, Samantha, as well as three powerful lords, the Golden Dragon Alberto, the Iron Dragon Leticia, and others.
They were all like pillars of the sea, sitting in the center of the army, as steady as a rock.
Because of their presence, the Blue Dragons felt wary and dared not get too close, only daring to harass the peripheral areas of the legion's forces.
This kind of harassment had some effect.
But for the entire massive Molten Iron Legion, it was ultimately harmless, like a few mosquito bites on a giant beast, completely unable to stop its unwavering forward pace.
"Raise shields! Hold the line!"
"For the great King of Molten Iron!"
The ground legion continued to advance steadily amidst the roars of the kin leaders at all levels.
Strong Ogres shouldered huge tower shields, while the Snake-men Warlocks, Kobold Warlocks, Gnoll Warlocks... a large number of Warlock professionals in the legion jointly supported a combined magic shield, stubbornly taking one wave of lightning baptism after another.
Even as casualties kept falling, the subsequent troops filled the vacancies without hesitation.
The entire Molten Iron Legion was like a massive beast covered in steel and magic scales, braving the fierce attacks of thunder and lightning, unwaveringly crushing through one base after another that originally belonged to the Dominic Dragon Flight, including major resource points and forward outposts, getting closer and closer to their final target—Thunder Cliff.
Thunder Cliff was the most core area of the Blue Dragon territory.
This was a peculiar cliff rich in thunder-attribute magic Ore. The Ore buried deep in the mountain and the earth could spontaneously attract the electric charge in the sky to gather here, making the sky of Thunder Cliff forever obscured by thick dark clouds, with storms and thunder never ceasing all year round.
To take this territory, the Blue Dragons had spent a great deal of time and effort when they first arrived.
They would never give up easily until the very last moment.
As time passed and the vanguard of the Molten Iron Legion drew ever closer to Thunder Cliff, the Blue Dragons, who had been trying to stall, gradually began to grow anxious and impatient.
Their attacks on the legion also became increasingly frequent.
Slowly, the Blue Dragons' attacks were no longer limited to merely harassing the peripheral areas.
Finally, six robust adult Blue Dragons, their scales shimmering with electric light, flapped their massive wings in unison, broke through the clouds, and began to chant within a formation, summoning chain lightning strikes that were denser and more violent than before, concentrating their bombardment on the center of the legion's formation on the ground.
Their attack trajectory became noticeably deeper, and the lethal range they covered was rapidly expanding.
They were attempting to tear the Molten Iron Legion apart and forcibly divide it.
Garros narrowed his eyes, casting his gaze toward a massive dragon shadow looming amidst the dense storm clouds above Thunder Cliff.
"Angia, Ennus."
Withdrawing his gaze, Garros turned to look at the magnificent Phoenix and the majestic Amethyst Dragon-Lion.
Under the gaze of the Red-Iron Dragon, the noble Phoenix raised her slender neck and let out a clear, resonant cry.
"You ugly dragons with horns on your noses, let us show you who the true dancers of the sky are!"
Angia let out a long cry, and the brilliant flames around her body suddenly surged.
She transformed into a dazzling streak of flowing fire, flying to meet the few Blue Dragons that were pushing deeper.
The Phoenix's wings fluttered nimbly, scattering dense, rain-like scorching fire feathers that covered the area like a precise hail of arrows, forcing the Blue Dragons to dodge repeatedly.
At the same time.
The dense swarm of eagle-like Vicious Beasts and monsters under her command also followed the Phoenix's lead, launching a coordinated attack against those Blue Dragons.
Ennus the Amethyst Dragon-Lion said nothing, merely letting out a cold and majestic roar, his body flickering with psionic light as he charged straight toward the Blue Dragons.
While these adult Blue Dragons were numerous, they could not compare to the Phoenix and the Amethyst Dragon-Lion in one-on-one combat.
Moreover, a large flock of flying beasts was also attacking at the same time.
For a time, lightning and fire intertwined crazily in the air, with broken feathers and shattered dragon scales flying everywhere. The few Blue Dragons that dared to penetrate deep immediately fell into a bitter struggle, unable to continue their rampage, and soon became covered in wounds.
"To the left! Watch out for those two Young Dragons!"
Heriam the Blue Dragon caught sight of some movement in a corner of the battlefield.
He and the four Young Dragons—Cahill the Red Dragon, Ludwig the Green Dragon, and Serafina the Black Dragon—were currently forming a tight combat squad, specifically responsible for filling gaps and intercepting enemies attempting to attack the legion's flanks or the Warlocks in the rear.
The four Young Dragons pounced simultaneously in perfect synchronization.
Heriam's lightning breath collided violently in mid-air with the opposing Blue Dragon's breath, erupting into an incredibly blinding ball of light, its power not at all inferior to that of the older Young Adult Blue Dragons.
Cahill the Red Dragon charged straight at a Young Adult Red Dragon in the opposing team, crashing into it without a hint of fear.
"You scum who have tarnished the honor of the dragon flight, today is your death day!"
That Young Adult Red Dragon roared and hit back head-on, refusing to show weakness.
With a dull thud!
Although the opponent was older, the power of Cahill, the Wild Dragon, did not fall behind in the slightest; she held firmly against the body of the Young Adult Red Dragon without retreating.
Taking this opportunity, the attacks of the Green Dragon and the Black Dragon followed in quick succession.
The four Young Dragons coordinated closely, actually beating two older Young Adult Dragons into retreat.
Meanwhile, the Blue Dragon known as the "Cloud Splitter," the strongest adult Blue Dragon in the Dominic Dragon Flight with a level as high as 16, was relying on its terrifying speed to lead two other adult Blue Dragons, executing the classic dive-breath-pull-up tactic with fluid and lethal movements.
Whoosh!
A golden figure tore through the sky, slashing out diagonally at a speed far exceeding that of ordinary dragons.
It was Alberto the Golden Dragon. He had been patrolling high above the legion, suppressing his raging anger toward the Mountain King's subordinates; now that the battle was intensifying, he had found a suitable target to vent his fury.
"In the name of order, I declare your guerrilla tactics at an end!"
Alberto roared, like a brilliant golden meteor, slamming hard into the leading Cloud Splitter.
The Cloud Splitter instinctively did not intend to clash head-on with this powerful Golden Dragon.
His wings instantly crackled, flashing with intense electric arcs, as he prepared to accelerate away.
But just then, the Golden Dragon reached out his dragon claw from afar and made a distant grasping motion toward the Cloud Splitter, and the sacred Oath of the Crown runes on his dragon arm suddenly shone with dazzling light.
Oath of the Crown Spell: Compelled Challenge!
In an instant, a strong urge inexplicably surged in the Cloud Splitter's heart.
He felt his dignity had been provoked like never before, and a desire not to retreat, but to defend his honor, took the upper hand.
So he turned abruptly, abandoning his withdrawal, and counter-attacked madly toward Alberto the Golden Dragon.
Bang!
The Cloud Splitter was slammed by the stronger Golden Dragon, his scales shattering, and he tumbled backward in a sorry state.
Blue Dragons are not known for their strength; the intense pain brought him to his senses instantly, and he hurriedly flapped his wings with all his might.
Crackle! Blinding electric light exploded, and his figure instantly vanished from the spot, leaving only an afterimage that was shattered by the giant tail the Golden Dragon swung immediately after.
Alberto did not continue to pursue this slippery Blue Dragon, but instead turned his cold gaze toward the other Blue Dragons on the battlefield, searching for the next suitable target to vent his anger.
Seeing the change in the battle situation, Samantha the Red Dragon, Solrog the Iron Dragon, and the more powerful Leticia the Iron Dragon no longer stood by; after receiving permission, they successively joined the battle personally.
Not long after, the Blue Dragons could barely even execute their most basic harassment missions effectively.
The battle on the ground also presented a tragic situation, or rather, a one-sided tragedy.
Because the core territory of Thunder Cliff, which could not be lost, was right behind them, the minions of the Dominic Dragon Flight finally stopped retreating.
A large number of Young Dragons, and even some Young Dragons under ten years old with tender scales.
They acted as leaders at various levels, personally leading the minion troops, and engaged in a head-on slaughter with the Molten Iron Legion on the ground.
The Holy Spirit Deer leaped gracefully onto a giant rock.
White light shone from the tips of her beautiful antlers, and sharp beams of light shot out like raindrops, precisely sniping the enemy minions charging in the front.
At the same time, the healing aura constantly spreading from beneath her feet swept over the battlefield like ripples.
The injured Molten Iron warriors were quickly healed, pushing forward unstoppably.
The massive number of Vicious Beasts, monsters, and elite warriors of the Molten Iron Legion were far beyond what the minions of the Dominic Dragon Flight could contend with; in the blink of an eye, the defenders were beaten into retreat, their formation collapsing.
Finally.
When the vanguard of the Molten Iron Legion could already clearly see the jagged rocks on Thunder Cliff and the lightning flashing and leaping among them.
The guerrilla tactics the Blue Dragons relied on to maneuver were completely unsustainable and declared a failure.
And so...
Rumble!!!
Above Thunder Cliff, one unprecedentedly thick bolt of lightning after another struck down, as if in the wrath of a Heavenly God.
The storm became incredibly violent in an instant, and the lightning within the storm clouds grew so thick that it seemed to have turned into a liquid sea of lightning.
A massive Blue Dragon shadow, surrounded by countless dancing lightning bolts, slowly revealed its towering true form from the deepest part of the thunderclouds, carrying a terrifying pressure.
It was none other than the Blue Dragon leader, the level 20 Heart of Thunder—Perest!
"Your advance ends here!"
The purest lightning and storms boiled in the Blue Dragon leader's eyes, and he released his full dragon might; the intensity was so great that it almost made the thousands of thunderclaps in the sky pale in comparison.
With his appearance, all the Blue Dragons on the battlefield, as well as the Evil Dragons of other colors, quickly disengaged from the battle.
They circled and gathered in the sky behind Perest, forming a powerful and orderly aerial formation.
Previously, although the Dominic Dragon Flight had been retreating step by step, there was not much real fear or withdrawal in their eyes.
Because in the area surrounding Thunder Cliff, all Blue Dragons would receive a huge boost from the environment.
In the eyes of the Blue Dragons, as long as the opponent did not have a Legendary-level powerhouse, then the level 20 leader, Perest, should be invincible in this area.