Under the Red Dragon.

Chapter 557 for the Elder
It snowed even in the capital of the Golden Empire, a rare and spectacular sight.

Especially as the year draws to a close, many people and officials are taking a break at home, and every household is lighting fires. In this cold and divine city, it is difficult to distinguish whether it is the chill of the snow or the warmth of everyday life.

Many citizens of the empire found this incredibly strange, as such snowfall covering the entire empire was unprecedented. It could only be seen in the far north of the empire, in the frozen wastelands bordering the Frost Giants.

Many people say that this was the work of the white dragons in the empire, led by the White Scale King Grimhot and Kamid.

Some say it was the work of those blue dragons who like to control the weather and trends.

Some even suspect that the Frost Giants have lived in the Empire for too long, and the effect of this giant aggregation has caused changes in the Empire's environment.

But many dragons knew that Emperor Gorgmora was behind it all.

Phyllis Tiamat, the demigoddess dragon, also knew that it was Kalon Gogmora operating the rules, influencing the celestial phenomena of the entire Golden Empire.

The current Emperor of Gogmora, like the sun and stars in the sky, operates according to his own rules and shines his own light, and basically no longer directly interferes in the affairs of the empire.

This makes the role of the other dragons in the Gorgmora dragonflight even more important, and Phyllis is now beginning to step into the heart of this dragonflight.

Even Phyllis, the female dragon, didn't know whether her mother, the immortal dragon goddess Tiamat, and her own subtle influence were the reasons she was able to join the core dragon pack.

Just as the immortal dragon goddess Tiamat could not see through the thoughts and motives of the ten-crowned, seven-headed red dragon, Phyllis Tiamat also had little understanding of the dragon emperor.

Moreover, Phyllis Tiamat was certain that even dragons like the silver dragon Chris Tiana, the green dragon Antajena, and the red dragon Kleinaya, who could slumber alongside the Dragon Emperor, could not truly understand everything about that great red dragon.

This can be seen from the time when the great red dragon ruled the country.

In Phyllis's eyes, Karon Gogmora had surpassed countless kings and rulers in the mortal history of Ekania. He governed the country with ease, taking things lightly, knowing how to use people effectively, and being indifferent to right or wrong.

But every talent and dragon who accepted the rule of this Dragon Emperor and served him did so not only because of the great red dragon's ideology and charm, which surpassed that of a succubus.

This is also because the great red dragon behaves differently towards each living being, and each dragon presents itself differently.

As the saying goes, everyone has a different face. The Dragon Emperor that each living being sees is the image that the great red dragon presents to them, which is why so many living beings revere this red dragon.

This also made Phyllis Tiamat extremely wary of facing the true dragon emperor. To say something that would make the other dragons in the hellish kingdom laugh, Phyllis was now very afraid to face that great red dragon alone.

It's not just because the Great Red Dragon's spirit and strength are extremely dangerous, but also because Phyllis's current mindset is affecting the demigod's strength.

In recent years, many mages skilled in mental powers have served as mental health officers in the Golden Empire. Phyllis Tiamat even concealed her identity and consulted those mental health officers about her condition.

The psychiatrist said that Phyllis's condition is called the arrival fallacy.

This means that many people often believe that as long as a certain expected goal is achieved, everything will bring the joy and happiness that is due when the mission is accomplished.

For example, I have money, I have time, I am free, and so on.

When this anticipated goal arrives, happiness will naturally follow.

But its paradox is that if you don't feel happy in what you're doing on your current journey, then you won't actually feel happy when you reach that expected goal in the future.

Because for you at that time, that moment was just an ordinary present moment.

There are three levels to understanding the hierarchy of civilized society: civilized technology, civilized institutions, and civilized culture.

Phyllis Tiamat didn't know if the psychiatrist was right, but Phyllis knew all too well that the Golden Empire, a civilization created by dragons, had begun to mature, and this maturity had permeated every tiny corner of the empire.

As a result, all industries are developing at a pace that Phyllis Tiamat could hardly comprehend.

"So, if I can complete my mother's plan, will the Golden Empire still be the same as it is now?"

For the first time in over a hundred years since her birth, Phyllis Tiamat, this proud demigod, doubted her own abilities and goals, and for the first time, doubted her mother—the immortal dragon goddess Tiamat.

Fortunately, in the snow-covered forest, the small nightlights illuminating the stone steps gave Phyllis Tiamat a calming power, allowing the female dragon to regain her composure before ascending to the Dragon King's court.

The only downside is that the tree-people that she planted along the mountain trails would always suddenly come to life, wanting to play tricks on Phyllis and then wish her a happy new year.

This game, popular among the Treants, is something no dragon could frighten, but the Treants of the Empire never tire of it.

Phyllis shook her head, thinking that perhaps only the ordinary people in the capital would be frightened by these strange tree people.

However, when Phyllis stepped into the Dragon Court, she found that the Dragon Court, which should have been bustling and noisy, and where the Gorgmora dragons should have gathered to spend the New Year's Eve together, was extremely deserted.

This is not a description, but a real feeling.

Even though the lights cast into the Dragon King's Court flickered, with each step Phyllis took forward, she felt the air becoming increasingly cold and damp.

This immediately reminded Phyllis Tiamat of the feeling brought about by the endless night, the chill of perpetual darkness and the damp smell that the sun could not dispel.

The lights cast on both sides of the royal court could not conceal the feeling of darkness, but Phyllis Tiamat was not surprised.

Since the day of the Imperial Grand Ceremony, the Golden Empire has stood tall in the Northern Continent, watching the rise and fall of civilizations on other continents.

In such a stable environment, Emperor Gogol Mora seemed quite at ease and devoted more of his energy to himself.

Therefore, it always displays many strange and unusual methods. It is said that this dragon emperor has touched upon deeper mysteries in the legendary realm, so many strange tales have been happening in the royal court recently.

For example, many maids often saw the figures of Titans, demons, devils and divine messengers appearing in the royal court, and they also often saw many wild beasts and strange creatures appearing.

But when the maids tried to arrest these strange creatures, they discovered that they were none other than the true dragon emperor, Kalon Gogmora.

This great red dragon was constantly changing its appearance, so much so that many maids coveted the dragon emperor and hoped to capture him when he transformed into some kind of big cat, thus rebelling against him.

Phyllis knew that the Dragon Emperor must be testing the power of the Dragon's Proof, a secret technique related to the Gorgorra dragons, something that even the immortal dragon god Tiamat was now coveting.

Many magicians possess unique meditation techniques and methods for accumulating magical power, as well as their own unique spell series and legendary abilities, but the wonder of the Dragon's Proof now far surpasses countless secret methods and spells in the world.

Because it is not just a single secret technique or spell, but a comprehensive system.

It is also a powerful arcane art that allows mortal beings to directly cross the threshold of legend, which means that it can produce legendary dragons and beings in an assembly line, just like the factories of the Golden Empire.

Regardless of what kind of power one ultimately gains, the minimum standard is at least legendary, because the path pioneered by the Dragon Emperor himself is already deep within the rules of legend.

What Phyllis and the immortal dragon god Tiamat couldn't understand was exactly how many laws the Dragon Emperor had mastered and how many races they could apply to.

But without a doubt, the power that the Dragon Emperor himself has shown is not all that they know.

Therefore, even gods would inevitably be tempted by such a powerful secret technique.

The Dragon Emperor that Phyllis Tiamat is now seeing is exhibiting a different kind of power that has never been seen before.

“Your Majesty,” Phyllis Tiamat, still in human form, slowly approached the unique creature lying lazily beside the huge, warm fireplace and greeted it.

The enormous fireplace is flanked by sphinx statues, which seem to be breathing warm fire into it. The creatures lying in front of the fireplace bear some resemblance to the sphinx statues.

However, this creature had a lion's face and a dragon's body, with wings, and was twenty meters long.

Apart from the firelight shining in front of the lion-faced, dragon-bodied monster, the entire royal court was shrouded in darkness. The lights that flickered around the dragon royal court seemed to have lost their power, and their light could only remain around their own shapes.

The glow of the furnace illuminated the creature's fur, which was as soft and smooth as black silk, making it appear more beautiful than the smoothest obsidian in the world.

The lion-faced, dragon-bodied monster seemed to be waking up from a dream. It lazily yawned, scratched its cheeks with its thick, furry claws, and then raised its mane-covered head to look at Phyllis Tiamat, who was still in humanoid form.

But when the night lion opened its eyes, Phyllis Tiamat noticed that the cold, damp feeling, as if it were an endless night, suddenly disappeared, and the faint darkness that had enveloped the entire Dragon Court vanished as well.

It seems that this special being, the incarnation of the Dragon Emperor, has a certain influence on the Long Night, much like the authority of certain deities.

"Oh, Phyllis, I remember that's your name, isn't it?"

When Kalon opened his mouth, it nearly made the demigod female dragon grind her fangs to pieces.

The demigod female dragon believed that the red dragon was definitely doing it on purpose.

"Why didn't anyone tell you that tonight's New Year's Eve banquet is a themed banquet? Why are you still in human form? That doesn't seem very sociable!"

Caron asked, somewhat surprised.

But the suspicious female dragon suspected that there was a deeper meaning in the dragon emperor's words, which made her feel a chill.

"I haven't yet mastered the secrets of the true dragons of the Goggmora Dragonflight, so I can only appear in humanoid form. Your Majesty, not all dragons can be like the great dragons of the Goggmora Dragonflight,"

"To change shape at will,"

Phyllis Tiamat remained neither humble nor arrogant. In fact, this female dragon was extremely proud and looked down on even the red dragon Kleinaya and the green dragon Antajena, let alone the other dragon kings.

The female dragon's current inner turmoil and contradictions may also stem from suppressing her true nature.

"Ouch,"

Kalon said lazily, "I see. You've worked very hard all these years, and the other dragons have all seen that. Many of them, along with several dragon kings, have recommended you."

"In that case, let that little guy Caesar teach you then,"

Caron's dark eyes turned to Phyllis, and he chuckled softly, "That little rascal Caesar also told me..."

"He said that not only is your appearance rare among the billions of beings in the empire, but your strength and abilities are also uniquely outstanding, and he has a very good impression of you."

But Charon's words were abruptly interrupted by the proud female dragon. Phyllis craned her neck, staring intently into the monster's eyes, and asked with displeasure, "Does Emperor Gogmora insist on letting royal decrees override divine authority?"

"Even I, a demigod dragon who has betrayed the Mother Goddess, need to lower myself to the dust to satisfy you?"

"So you've allowed the second-generation elves of the Empire to spy on me, just to show the outside world that even Tiamat's own bloodline is only worthy of the Empire's elves?"

Caron showed no shame whatsoever, casually remarking, "Not at all, Phyllis, your problem as a female dragon is that you're a bit too suspicious. You see, I noticed it the first time I saw you alone."

"You need to change that!"

Phyllis was so angry at the shameless red dragon that she almost laughed out loud, and her breathing became several times faster.

But the female dragon's impending attack was interrupted by Kalon's claw strike.

"Alright, alright, if you don't like Caesar, fine. I think that little guy is really too young anyway."

Charon waved his paws, which were covered in paw pads, and the darkness that had enveloped the entire Dragon Court was instantly dispelled, leaving Phyllis Tiamat stunned.

The Dragon King's Court was already filled with dragons, clinking glasses and making a great commotion.

But it wasn't just dragons; all sorts of monsters roamed among them. If these monsters hadn't still retained their original auras, even Phyllis wouldn't have been able to recognize which dragons these strange, ferocious creatures, beasts, and monsters had transformed into.

Even the several young lion-faced dragon-bodied monsters lying on either side of the Dragon Emperor were unnoticed by Phyllis Tiamat.

This gave Phyllis a chill down her spine.

The spell that separates the two realms is recorded in the spellbooks of the Imperial Court, and the great dragons of the Gogmora Dragonflight can peruse it according to their merits in the Eight Dragon Armory.

Phyllis had also read about it in order to understand Caron Goggmora, and knew that it was a profound magic that the Dragon Emperor used to like to use.

However, Phyllis, the demigod, could not detect when such magic was activated or dissipated.

This was something Phyllis simply couldn't accept.

"Go, go, enjoy this feast to the fullest. After today, you'll be even busier,"

Kalon waved his hand dismissively, as if shooing away a mosquito, and chased away the angry and terrified demigod female dragon.

"Rest assured, under my magic, no dragon will be able to know what we were talking about."

Only after receiving the Dragon Emperor's assurance did Phyllis reluctantly join the dragons.

Only then did a young lion-faced dragon-bodied monster, also lying beside Kalon, grin and complain somewhat discontentedly, "Master, you don't have to use my name to test this female dragon!"

Blue Dragon Caesar said slowly, "I can't beat this female dragon right now. What if she doesn't like me? Wouldn't that make the young lord of the empire lose face?"

Kalon never told the second-generation young dragons in the empire what they should do or how they must do it.

But now Kalon has shifted his focus to managing the empire's homeland, and he also often personally teaches these young dragons, who have begun to shape themselves successfully, many techniques and magic.

Nero chuckled. This young red dragon had mastered the Dragon's Proof to a very high degree. Although he had not yet been able to possess the Night Lion's innate abilities when transforming, his appearance already bore a five-tenths resemblance to Charon's Night Lion form.

"It's not like you're guaranteed to beat that female dragon in the future. Of course, Caesar, if you can't beat her, you can ask me for help. I'll reluctantly lend a hand for you out of consideration for our friendship."

Blue Dragon Caesar glanced sideways at Red Dragon Nero, then looked at the female dragon who had already disappeared into the group of dragons, and slowly chuckled, "She's not the patriarch, so why would I be unable to defeat her?"

The other young Night Lions burst into laughter, whispering, "Caesar, that's a demigod! A demigod these days? You're talking way too much!"

Kalon reached out his massive claws and touched the heads of the young dragons, chuckling softly, "Youth should be ambitious, but don't let ignorance blind you."

"Let's go, it's time for us to join them!"

(End of this chapter)