Over the boundless ocean, day and night cycled in endless succession.

Saga soared through the skies, having traversed calm seas and towering waves, stormy clouds and thunderous tempests. With time’s passage, he crossed vast maritime realms, rapidly nearing the Golden Sea.

In the beginning.

As he passed various seas, a mere glance at the surface revealed a multitude of marine lifeforms. He even encountered numerous attacks from sea monsters.

But as he drew closer to the Golden Sea, Saga became acutely aware that life around him was dwindling. Intelligent sea tribes swiftly vacated the area following the outbreak of war, unwilling to be embroiled in the conflict. Even the instinct-driven beasts knew to avoid danger, steering clear of the storm’s epicenter.

Thus, when Saga reached the Hakandom Sea near the Golden Sea.

He gazed down from the heights, his senses sweeping across the area, detecting only a sparse few lifeforms of lower tiers, their dull senses of danger keeping them lingering in these waters.

“The Golden Sea lies ahead.”

Saga’s wings stretched out, gliding on the high-altitude currents, his gaze fixed on the horizon.

After a lengthy flight.

He was about to reach his destination.

Another six thousand kilometers and he would enter the realm of the Golden Sea. With Saga’s flying speed, this would take no time at all.

“I hope the situation at Deep Sea Dragon City isn’t too dire.”

Taking a deep breath, Saga surged forward, accelerating towards the Golden Sea.

Before long.

The Golden Dragon paused mid-flap, his expression grave as he looked ahead.

Before him lay the Golden Sea, its waters shimmering gold, as if forged from molten gold – his destination.

However.

Compared to the Golden Sea’s usual fair weather and sunny days.

The current Golden Sea was dimmed, its golden luster faded, the vast expanse oppressively subdued – dark clouds amassed overhead, so low they seemed to press upon the sea, fierce winds howled, and dreary rain fell sporadically, the air heavy with a suffocating atmosphere that weighed on the heart.

The faint-hearted would not dare to enter.

Saga sniffed the air.

Beyond the rich scent of Dragon Kind, there was a mix of evil and darkness invading his nostrils, causing his brows to furrow.

“Probably the stench from the Casserly Abyss.”

He thought to himself.

Then, Saga flapped his wings, slowly approaching the Golden Sea.

The Golden Sea wasn’t a natural boundary but a magical maritime realm crafted by dragons through the power of magic. Inside and outside the Golden Sea, the waters displayed two starkly different hues, clearly demarcated.

In the blink of an eye, Saga reached the airspace of the Golden Sea.

Staring at this somber and oppressive sea, Saga took a deep breath, then folded his wings and descended through the thick clouds.

At about three thousand meters above the sea.

The Golden Dragon paused, hovering in mid-air.

“What’s this?”

Saga’s keen senses detected an invisible barrier separating the inside from the outside.

Upon closer inspection, Saga was astonished to find that the entire Golden Sea within his sensory range was enclosed by this barrier.

Focusing, Saga saw faint magical runes in the air, twisting and floating like little dragons.

“A Dragon Realm. Entry is permitted, exit is not. Without the Dragon Realm’s master’s permission, passage of dragons is forbidden – a colossal dragon magic domain.”

“Deep Sea Dragon City has constructed a massive Dragon Realm covering the entire Golden Sea.”

No wonder there was little information about the war at Deep Sea Dragon City. With the Dragon Realm in place, everything was isolated from the outside world, Saga mused silently.

Facing the invasion of the Casserly Abyss prisoners, Deep Sea Dragon City took extreme precautions.

To ensure no prisoners escaped, the Metal Dragon Kind turned the entire Golden Sea into a war zone, sealing themselves and the abyssal prisoners within the Dragon Realm.

Either they would resolve the Casserly Abyss rift and reopen the Dragon Realm, or the Metal Dragon Kind would be annihilated, and the Dragon Realm breached.

Otherwise, this colossal Dragon Realm would continue to exist indefinitely.

Establishing the Dragon Realm.

It meant Deep Sea Dragon City was prepared for a fight to the death.

Why would Deep Sea Dragon City go to such lengths?

The Metal Dragon Kind are considered good dragons, and not without reason. Compassion for the weak is one thing, but more importantly, they possess a strong sense of duty and a willingness to respect and protect order.

Since the Casserly Abyss rift wasn’t an external factor but a breach in the planar barrier accidentally caused by the Metal Dragons themselves, they couldn’t just ignore the mess they had made.

If it were the Rosen Kingdom or similar nations.

They would have ignored the prisoners invading the prime material world, allowing them to escape freely elsewhere, forcing the world to pay for their mistakes and compelling other powers to intervene.

Or more accurately, many other kingdoms and empires would likely make similar choices.

“A bunch of foolish dragons. Without creating a Dragon Realm, not fighting so desperately, other maritime empires, even continental empires, would be forced to help.”

“Now, they’ve taken all the pressure and responsibility upon themselves.”

Saga shook his head, murmuring to himself.

As a red-gold hybrid, Saga’s moral compass wasn’t as strong as that of pureblood Metal Dragons.

Faced with a similar situation, he wouldn’t outright ignore it, but he wouldn’t make the same choice as the Metal Dragon Kind, even finding their approach somewhat foolish.

But despite his words.

Deep down, Saga didn’t dislike their methods, even holding a great respect for the Metal Dragon Kind.

Otherwise, he wouldn’t be here now.

Actions speak louder than intentions, regardless of the original thoughts, his final choice was to come to this dangerous forbidden zone, to stand with the Metal Dragons against the fierce Casserly Abyss prisoners.

“I wonder if Yekaterina is still at Deep Sea Dragon City. According to my father’s wishes, she was meant to leave only after reaching Legendary status. But given the current situation at Deep Sea Dragon City and Yekaterina’s combative nature, if she’s reached Legendary, she definitely wouldn’t leave.”

The haughty dragon sister, though not as powerful as himself, was still formidable.

If she had reached Legendary status, she would undoubtedly play a significant role in the war.

“Dragon Realm, Casserly Abyss prisoners, father, Yekaterina.”

The Golden Dragon’s gaze was profound, his face calm, as he crossed the invisible barrier without hesitation and entered the Dragon Realm, as if not heading into danger, but returning home.

After entering the Dragon Realm.

The sensation was distinctly different from outside.

Looking up, the Dragon Realm’s barrier, with its faint dragon scale patterns, appeared like a second sky, covering the entire Golden Sea, preventing any creature within from escaping.

Saga extended his dragon claw, pressing against the edge of the Dragon Realm, then slowly exerted force.

The Dragon Realm remained immovable.

This was a powerful domain constructed by demigod dragons and a multitude of Legendary dragons. Even Saga, upon entering, found it nearly impossible to break free, as even demigods would struggle to escape.

Unless…

“I wonder if my most powerful Annihilation Dragon Breath could open a gap in the Dragon Realm.”

Saga pondered silently, his head turning, even feeling a bit tempted.

To date, Saga hadn’t encountered anything that could withstand his Annihilation Dragon Breath, not even the Sect of Pleasure’s barrier, crafted with the power of an evil god, could withstand it.

Saga strongly suspected that even a demigod couldn’t withstand his Annihilation Dragon Breath if hit directly.

Of course, Saga didn’t actually make a move.

Reason prevailed, and he abandoned the attempt.

If he truly breached the Dragon Realm, attracting the attention of the Casserly Abyss prisoners and causing the powerful prisoners that Deep Sea Dragon City had been diligently containing to escape, he would be doing more harm than good.

The Emperor Dragon couldn’t afford to lose face like that.

Moreover, interestingly, upon entering the Dragon Realm, Saga felt his attributes enhanced – strength, agility, reaction, and more were all boosted.

Within the Dragon Realm, all lifeforms with dragon blood received a certain enhancement.

Apart from confining the prisoners, the Dragon Realm was also deployed to create a home field advantage for dragons.

Without further testing the robustness of the Dragon Realm, Saga flapped his wings and sped straight towards the center of the Golden Sea, where Deep Sea Dragon City lay.

The abyssal rift had opened right around Deep Sea Dragon City.

In the vast expanse of the Golden Sea, the most intense battle zone was undoubtedly centered around Deep Sea Dragon City. As for the peripheral areas, at least from what Saga had seen so far, no dragon shadows were visible.

However, just ten seconds into his journey.

The sea surface trembled slightly, with fine golden waves rolling in from afar, accompanied by waves of residual energy.

“There’s a battle ahead.”

Saga’s eyes narrowed slightly, his extensive senses confirming the situation ahead.

Having just stepped into the Golden Sea and not yet delved into the center, he already sensed the brutality and ferocity of the war between dragons and abyssal prisoners.

Whoosh!

A gust of wind rose, parting the waters below.

The Golden Dragon’s wings sliced through the air, his faceplate calm, as he raced against the surging energy waves towards the site of the battle.

Meanwhile.

A hundred kilometers from Saga.

Gurgle, gurgle. The already tumultuous sea began to boil.

The next second.

Boom!

With a deafening roar and a sky full of shattered golden droplets, a Bronze Dragon, about twenty-three meters from head to tail, was sent flying backward, its bronze scales marred with scars, bleeding as it was thrust into mid-air.

Following close behind.

A dark figure burst through the sea’s surface.

It was a birdman.

It pursued the adult Bronze Dragon, its wings spread wide, each feather like a black blade, metallic and sharp.

The birdman wore tattered leather armor, as if scavenged from a trash heap.

Aside from its blade-like feathers, the birdman’s body was hunched and scrawny, its other feathers grayish-white and sparse, patchy and withered, appearing as an aged, life-weary birdman.

But none of this could hide the sharpness and brilliance in its eyes.

Before being exiled to the Casserly Abyss, this birdman, in its strongest and youngest days, led its tribe to sweep through a small prime material world, becoming a birdman king, invincible in its birth world, dazzling an era.

Unfortunately.

Invincible within its world, but there were enemies beyond.

The good times didn’t last.

The birdman king later inadvertently provoked a more powerful caster, randomly transported from another world for leisure. After a battle, the caster used a spell to banish the birdman to the Casserly Abyss. There, it struggled for hundreds of years in the dark, despairing plane, desperately seeking escape, but to no avail.

As time passed, as hopes shattered bit by bit, as years aged it.

The once Legendary birdman king fell to a high-tier nine.

But recently.

Having returned to the material world, the birdman felt its withered body rejuvenating, and it wouldn’t be long before it could return to Legendary status, regaining the vigor and mindset of its youth.

“Bronze Dragon, dying by my hand is an honor for you.”

“Ha ha ha, once I’ve slain all you dragons and left this sea, I will rise again!”

The birdman’s face now bore a hint of its former kingly majesty, commanding and imperious, utterly disregarding a True Dragon.

“Heh, ignorant abyssal prisoner.”

“You think you have a chance to escape the Dragon Realm? The mighty ones of Deep Sea Dragon City won’t allow it.”

“You filthy, chaotic creatures should struggle and sink in the Casserly Abyss forever until death!”

The Bronze Dragon roared, stabilizing itself while exhaling a breath of lightning.

Zap! A cluster of lightning breath burst forth from the Bronze Dragon’s mouth, speeding directly towards the birdman mere hundreds of meters away.

The birdman’s eyes flashed with malevolence.

“Native dragons of the prime material world, you dare to contend with the mighty from all worlds, you stubborn fools who keep obstructing our escape.”

Prisoners like the birdman, banished to the Casserly Abyss, were plentiful.

Many even stronger than it at its peak.

Deep Sea Dragon City was contending with the mighty from all worlds, the difficulty of which was unimaginable.

Muttering, the birdman sidestepped, effortlessly dodging the Bronze Dragon’s lightning breath, almost grazing the attack as it sped by, rapidly closing the distance to the Bronze Dragon.

“Die!”

Twisting its body, the birdman’s wings slashed like blades toward the Bronze Dragon’s neck.

Reflected in the Bronze Dragon’s eyes were the birdman’s sharp, invincible wing blades. Its gaze dimmed, forced to watch death approach, feeling time slow to a crawl as fleeting memories surfaced unbidden.

Hatching from its egg, sheltered by its parents, spending joyful times in the Metal Dragon City.

After adolescence, leaving Dragon Island to roam the continent, witnessing diverse landscapes, growing into an adult dragon with high-tier seven strength, then learning of Dragon City’s peril, rushing to the battlefield, surviving close brushes with death, war-hardened in just over a decade, breaking through to high-tier nine, until now, on the verge of being slain by an abyssal miscreant.

Sigh.

Had I known…

Before rushing to battle, I should have properly bid farewell to Maria, the noble lady who gave me a time of pleasure. But now, she must be wed, charming in her own right.

The Bronze Dragon’s thoughts wandered.

Suddenly, it noticed something odd.

“Eh? Why am I not dead yet?”

The birdman’s lethal feathers had touched its neck, but the anticipated pain and death did not come.

The Bronze Dragon couldn’t help but feel puzzled, its reminiscing abruptly ceasing as time’s flow returned to normal.

It focused on the birdman.

The birdman’s eyes were bloodshot, as if straining against some unseen force, but to no avail. Its body seemed pulled by an invisible hand, retreating faster and faster.

Whoosh!

The birdman became a black streak, zigzagging through the air, shooting in another direction until a casually grasping golden claw halted it.

With an effortless squeeze of that claw.

The birdman king, once a figure of renown in its world, died on the spot, without a chance for last words, its death unceremonious.

The Bronze Dragon was taken aback.

Its gaze shifted, and soon it beheld a majestic Golden Dragon, its scales as lustrous as gold and as radiant as diamonds, resplendent and dazzling, with three pairs of crown-like horns atop its head, a robust and agile body, perfect in every detail from each scale to its overall proportions, as if crafted by a god who adored dragons, beyond ordinary.

At first glance.

The Bronze Dragon found the newcomer somewhat unfamiliar.

At second glance.

The Bronze Dragon sensed familiarity amidst the unfamiliarity.

At third glance.

The image of the Golden Dragon overlapped with another figure in the Bronze Dragon’s mind.

Then, the Bronze Dragon’s pupils contracted and dilated, its eyes glazed over, its mouth opening involuntarily to utter a shocked whisper.

“The Chosen One, son of Nagaias, the Golden Heart, the former young dragon champion of Deep Sea Dragon City, Saga Alzhus?”

The Bronze Dragon, having witnessed Saga’s consecutive victories over many favorites in the young dragon competition and having bet heavily on him, earning a tidy sum, never expected to encounter the young dragon champion again under such circumstances.

Calculating the time.

The other should be around twenty-four years old now, still considered a young dragon.

Staring at the thirty-five-meter-long, robust and powerful Golden Dragon, whose presence was suffocating even to an adult dragon like itself, the Bronze Dragon swallowed hard.

Damn it, this is a young dragon!

Recommended book [Bronze Dragon: The Tyrant’s Conquest Path]

“Do not let the Bronze Dragons, in their pursuit of absolute order, become rulers. Their disdain for chaos could turn them into tyrants a thousand times more terrifying than Evil Dragons. To maintain their perceived order, they wouldn’t hesitate to resort to city-slaying or even genocide.”

— The Sage, Friedrich Quin.

Those who dare defy my command shall be destroyed!

— The Sovereign of the Seven Seas, the Joint Ruler of the Deep Sea Tribes, the Catastrophe Shadow soaring above coastal nations, the Immortal Tyrant, Diereil Orellian Nazdom.