The Mighty Dragons Are Dead

The number of Devil Towers visibly diminished at a speed observable by the naked eye, which allowed Liszt to witness various types of devils that retained their forms from when they were alive.

There were devils who had fallen from mermaids, from Naga, and from Yu Chou, as well as half-human-half-crab, half-human-half-lobster, and half-human-half-shark devils. These were all intelligent species living in the Devil's Sea, and they were subjects under the rule of the Mermaid Kingdom.

There were even devils formed from the fallen Sea Serpents.

Unfortunately, as the Devil's Sea was polluted by the Cursed Dragon, no species escaped, all transformed into devils. The natural cleansing properties of the sea, after millions of years of washing, allowed the Devil's Sea to regain vitality and various marine animals to reproduce. However, since the devils gathered into towers, they resisted the natural cleansing.

Until they were completely erased from the sea by Liszt and his men.

"The sea is truly vast, three months have passed, and only one-third of the Devil's Sea has been cleansed," Liszt, riding on the back of Water Dragon Walter, was quite emotional. "Even the Whale Fall of Leviathan cannot be seen more than four times; it shows how prosperous the Devil's Sea was originally."

Leviathan, a marine behemoth, now seems extinct, with only its body slowly sinking to the seabed, its nutrients nourishing the impoverished sea plagued by devils.

Compared to the coastal waters, life in the Devil's Sea is still too scarce.

"After the devils are purified, the sea will one day recover its colorful past, but the intelligent rule of the Mermaid Kingdom will no longer exist," Duke of the Great West-Eternia sadly sighed. She was the oldest mermaid, born in the polluted sea, but she still faintly saw a glimpse of the past prosperity.

The other six mermaids were not so lucky; they were born busy avoiding the pollution from the power of the Cursed Dragon, only hearing about the good old days of ancient times.

"Purify with full force, and by October this year, the cleansing of the Devil's Sea can be completed. Crossing to the other side of the Devil's Sea should then lead to the Mafa Continent."

Liszt had great expectations for this.

He currently has four places under active exploration. The first is the moon, but it's uncertain when the Moon Teleportation Circle will be repaired; the second is the Exiled Lands, where searching for the Immortal Dragon occurs, where his and Ach's potential love could blossom.

The third place is the Mafa Continent across from the Devil's Sea, according to the murals recorded in the legend, it should be where the Shadow Dragon died.

This place was under the Sun Empire in ancient times, it's uncertain what it is like now, or what kind of existence the species polluted by the Shadow Dragon have turned into.

The fourth place is the Far North Land, where the sea is completely frozen, even the deep sea, with temperatures so low that not even dragons can explore. According to the legend in the murals, the Silent Dragon fell in the Far North Land; it's unknown whether its body has decomposed.

"Ach, continue purifying the sea here, I'm going back first."

"Alright, brother, go ahead with your tasks."

Liszt did not continue with the team purifying the sea; he rode a dragon back to the Flame Kingdom himself, as too many affairs of the kingdom could not proceed without him.

After more than four months, the Eagle Kingdom has been completely replaced by the Flame Kingdom.

A vast territory is being surveyed by arcanists sent from the Royal Arcane Academy, holding sextants to measure the terrain and latitudes and longitudes, then drawing accurate maps to be archived.

The nobles all pledged allegiance, with most not undergoing any changes, still maintaining their original territories and even continuing their wasteful lives. However, just because Liszt is not acting against them now doesn't mean he won't in the future, as he already has plans to mobilize the knights of the entire country for the war of annexing three nations before it begins.

Let the war consume the decayed nobility and nurture a new class of nobles adapted to the Flame Kingdom system.

On the magician side, Liszt dispatched Archmage Lerald·Truth to rally. He gathered most of the magicians within the former Eagle Kingdom, bringing them into the Royal Arcane Academy for transformation to adapt to the Arcanist System as soon as possible.

It can be said that the Eagle Kingdom was transformed into the Flame Kingdom in a flash.

...

Flame Calendar Year 3, July.

Inside a vast volcano crater within the territory of the former Eagle Kingdom, bubbling magma suddenly exploded, shooting out two flames. As the flames ascended, they rapidly transformed into a gigantic Fire Dragon obscuring the sky and a tiny human.

The human landed on the Dragon Tooth Platform of the Fire Dragon.

Unity of Man and Dragon.

Flying off into the distance.

It was Liszt and Leo.

With eyes slightly closed, a cold smirk appeared on Liszt's lips: "Leo, do you feel it? Destiny is telling me, some people can't resist anymore and have started targeting me."

"Oh wow!"

"Pity, they don't know I'm already on the verge of controlling destiny. Their every move is within my control."

"Oh wow!"

"Let's go, since they think they have prepared a trap that can kill me, how could I not attend? The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind. Do they think they are the mantis or the oriole?"

Soon enough, one man and one dragon returned to the temporary royal palace—the original palace of the Eagle Royal Family, which now serves as Liszt's palace.

"Your Majesty, you have returned." The palace butler, along with servants, bowed in welcome.

"Arrange the dinner."

"As you wish."

Dinner was a solo affair for Liszt. Emily, Paris, Hippolyta, Lucy, and Rose, none of his companions had come to this palace; after all, Liszt was here near the Volcano Crater to train, not to indulge in pleasures of the flesh, focusing on his training.

To break the barrier sooner, to rule the world sooner.

"Your Majesty, would you like to taste the wine from Doppler Estate tonight, or the dark beer from the Ceva Lian Highlands?"

"Bring some fresh orange juice." Liszt glanced at his butler, who was dispatched from the Flame Kingdom's royal palace. Each temporary palace harbored a servant from the Flame Kingdom as butler. This young butler had neatly combed hair and stood ramrod straight.

Under the glint of the light, his shadow was almost invisible.

The butler stepped back, signaling the serving boys to bring over the juice, then personally held the bottle, wiped the bottle's mouth with a napkin, and poured the golden orange juice into Liszt's glass.

Just as Liszt picked up a piece of foie gras from his plate, preparing to eat.

Suddenly, the butler threw away the juice bottle, flicked his sleeve, and a dagger popped out, stabbing fiercely towards Liszt's heart.

Snap.

Liszt quickly grabbed the butler's wrist, shaking off the dagger, his lips curving into a mocking smile: "You are but an ordinary man, why try to play at assassination?"

The butler didn't reply, just chuckled sinisterly, then black blood flowed from his mouth, having bitten the poison in his teeth, committing suicide.

The mocking smile stayed on Liszt's face, he lightly stomped on the butler's shadow.

Instantly.

The butler's shadow trembled like water ripples, a blurred figure emerged, bleeding while transforming into a naked man.

He still held a golden goblet adorned with colorful gemstones in his hands.

"Another King of Shadows? Emperor Jupiter does really invest heavily; pity, if you sent a Shadow Dragon, you might kill me, but just a King of Shadows with an ancient artifact, what can you do." He signaled the panicked servants and guards to continue their duties, bending down to pick up the golden goblet.

He played with it in his hands.