Golden Dragon: Six Thousand Years of Empire
Chapter 67: Ancient Black Dragon, Great Lord of the Dead

Chapter 67: Chapter 67: Ancient Black Dragon, Great Lord of the Dead

The first ray of sunlight in the morning, and every ray of starlight at night—each moment is a unique vista. Yet in the blink of an eye, day and night alternate, seasons change, and a few short years quietly pass by.

"Unknowingly, I am already a fifteen-year-old dragon!"

Noah gazed down at the increasingly prosperous Elisium, a true large city at the border with a population reaching the millions, and expressed heartfelt sighs,

"Unfortunately, I’m still a young dragon."

Normally, after fifteen years, a pure-blood dragon species is ready to enter the next life stage and become a juvenile dragon, but at this moment, Noah had no desire to sleep.

After all, his hatchling stage lasted six years, and even conservatively estimated, his young dragon stage would extend by another two years; meaning, at eighteen, he would experience the second transition of his dragon life.

In fact, Noah estimated it would be even longer because he consumed several small Blood Origin Fruits, which, though they provided only slight nourishment to his bloodline, did have some promoting effect.

As for the source of these Blood Origin Fruits, they did not come from the conflict between the Augustus family and the Dark Territory. In fact, these two behemoths have so far maintained a relatively peaceful coexistence.

If real warfare broke out, Noah speculated that the Golden Tree would bear truly complete Blood Origin Fruits, rather than tiny cherries not even enough to fill the gaps in his teeth.

In reality, ever since some clans in the Dark Territory caused a volcanic eruption, there have been no significant actions. The canyon where lava flows and many tunnels connect underground has seen the migration and settlement of many grey dwarf clans.

These grey dwarves, similar to their near kin on the surface, enjoy strong spirits and ironwork, but they are more irritable and aggressive.

Yet even so, no grey dwarf tribe has left the canyon area and truly set foot on the surface; they establish caves on both sides of the canyon. They claim that a river of flames, capable of melting any metal, makes the place ideal for dwarves.

It seems like there’s nothing unusual, but a deeper look reveals inconsistencies. However, the Augusto family has not troubled these underground producers.

Moreover, within a few short years, several large caravans have managed to open a route to Flame Canyon, risking annihilation to trade with the grey dwarves.

The profits were staggering; merely some high-proof spirits could be exchanged for a large quantity of exquisite finished weapons from the dwarves, and with luck, enchanted weapons and Rune Armament.

Such price difference and profits were enough to turn any merchant into a desperado.

However, this is only on the surface. Those grey dwarves are not fools, and the Augustus family, which permitted and even encouraged caravans to trade in the Valley of Flames, is not naïve; they harbor no illusions.

Both sides use trade as a guise to learn more about each other. Like the beasts in the jungle who linger and observe when encountering unknown prey, they wait until they understand the other’s nature before deciding whether to show their fangs or retreat.

The increasing number of grey dwarves in the Valley of Flames proves that Casius Augustus is able to deter those plotting clans below.

Yet how long a single legend’s deterrence can last is uncertain, given Noah’s foster father does not have a glorious record of fighting legends of the same realm.

Hiss~ roar—

The gusts of roars and hissing resound from the horizon; a group of flying dragons, their bellies reflecting metallic sheen, rapidly approach Noah’s Dragon Nest.

"Noah!"

One particularly robust flying dragon deliberately lowered its altitude, then a young knight holding a Dragon Spear leapt from the saddle on the dragon’s back, landing heavily in the flower garden, instantly drawing a wave of complaints and curses.

"Be careful, big guy! How many times this month have you done this?"

"I’m going to ask Lady Sifreya to ban you from drinking mead ever again."

"How can there be such a foolish knight as you?"

Facing the scolding of numerous little elves, the young man showed slight embarrassment on his face, but then with some pride, he lifted his spear, on which hung a hideous and ugly gigantic head.

The protruding fangs and canine teeth, even devoid of life signs, made the head extremely intimidating and exuded a fierce aura.

However, the little elves were not affected, having become immune after witnessing such scenes countless times over the years. They had buried countless of these themselves, using them as flower fertilizers in the garden.

"Look, this is the Ogre Chief I just beheaded!"

When the sinuous and slender body, already over thirteen meters, truly a juvenile dragon size, turned its gaze to him, the young man began boasting of his spoils.

"Still falls short of Edith, a few days ago she led the Knight Order to completely annihilate a thousand-strong mountain troll tribe."

Noah didn’t even bother lifting an eyelid, leisurely remarking,

"You’d need to kill a two-headed Ogre Chief to compare with her."

"Where are there so many two-headed Ogres? Encountering a thousand-strong troll tribe was sheer luck. If it were I who met them, I could annihilate them too."

Tidel’s proud expression instantly froze, retorted unwilling to back down.

"Luck is a part of strength, just like how she managed to subdue a dragon steed on an outing, while you, the Son of Legend, still have to ride a flying dragon."

Dragon steeds are hybrids between dragons and horses, possessing dragon clan bloodlines, while flying dragons are merely beasts resembling dragons, with sparse dragon veins.

"Dragon steed, huh!"

Mentioning the mount his wife captured on an expedition, the young man couldn’t help but show a look of envy.

This is a creature so rare that some scholars consider it mythical because dragon steeds deliberately avoid areas of humanoid activity, and it’s unknown how his wife managed to approach and subdue it.

"Keep searching; you’ll come across one someday."

Noah encouraged.

Tidel and Edith, this pair of spouses, frequently patrolled the borders of their territory to hone their newly founded Knight Order; they even took the initiative to attack monster clans posing significant threats to human production and life. The Blood Origin Fruits on the Golden Tree resulted from this.

"Noah, how long do you think the peace in the territory can last?"

The young man inserted the Dragon Spear into the ground, impaling the Ogre head in the soil, suddenly asked.

"No idea."

Noah responded lazily.

"You’re now better informed than I am; you should know, the news from the caravans."

Tiger’s expression was extremely solemn as he gazed into the distance toward the Valley of Flames, appearing somewhat gloomy,

"When the ancient black dragon awakens from its slumber, it will spread its wings laden with the bones of the dead, commanding a tide of undead to engulf all life and living creatures."