Chapter 270: The Kingdom Hidden in the Jungle!

Deep in the jungle, surrounded by mountains, a huge lake was as vast as the sea.

The water and grass by the lake were lush, the species were abundant, and the densely intertwined rivers meandered outward, soaking into the forest... viewed from the air, it was like a brilliant, blazing sun!

In the center of the lake, a city made of granite stood majestically. Within the mighty and stern giant stone walls, the antique streets intersected, colorful ribbons fluttered under the glazed tiles, and the sunlight passed over the wide leaves and sprinkled on the solid, heavy granite bricks, like a rainbow that would never fade.

The shouting of street vendors rose one after another, the air was filled with the fragrance of flowers, vegetables, and roasted spices, lizardman women carrying jars on their heads and bamboo baskets in their hands walked through the bustling market, lizardman guards wearing obsidian armor patrolled the streets with steady steps, and occasionally priests wearing red robes passed by—what a lively scene!

This is the capital of the Sacred Armor Dragon Kingdom, named "Assam."

In the dictionary of the Sacred Armor Dragon Kingdom, this word has the meaning of "the place where the dragon rises," and also implies "the place where the great legendary dragon was born together with the sun, moon, and stars."

Lizardmen on the Aus Continent often claim to be descendants of dragons, and the lizardmen here seem to be no exception; it is hard to say who achieved whose legend.

However, for now, the lizardmen's story is clearly more long-standing; after all, it has always been the former singing the legends of dragons, not the other way around—dragons singing of their subjects.

Night gradually fell, and the busy and repetitive days passed once again. As the light on the clouds extinguished, the light on the ground lit up in its place.

The brilliant lights not only lit up the entire prosperous and sacred capital but also illuminated the clear lake as if it were broad daylight.

At this moment, it seemed to have turned into a real sun!

At the same time, in the center of Assam City, on a pyramid piled with granite.

A young and strong lizardman priest, with a devout and solemn expression, holding an obsidian dagger, came to the side of the altar in the center of the pyramid.

A bronze brazier was placed in the center of the altar, and the sacred fire was burning fiercely, just like the endless national fortune of the Sacred Armor Dragon Kingdom.

The drums began to beat, and the master of ceremonies began to chant.

Strange and low prayers enveloped the entire pyramid, plating the moss-covered granite bricks with a layer of blood and killing intent.

The lizardman priest began to chant something, suddenly hardened his heart, and the obsidian dagger in his hand fiercely stabbed into his own chest.

Puchi——!

Fresh blood sprayed out, shooting into the center of the fiercely burning brazier!

His eyes were blood-red, his breathing heavy, he raised his front claws high, and suddenly reached into his chest again, forcibly pulling out the beating heart!

While chanting the incantation, he placed it into the brazier.

A strange scene occurred.

The fiercely burning sacred fire seemed to have obtained nourishment, suddenly expanding a circle and changing from warm orange to cold azure, emitting ripples flickering like fireflies in the night sky, blowing toward the outside of Assam City, and merging into the sparkling lake water...

"... Dedicated to the Great Dragon!"

The young lizardman priest finally finished the last sentence of the prayer, and a trace of relieved holiness gradually appeared on his face, which was twisted by pain.

Afterward, he fell to the ground silently, the scarlet pupils gradually fading in color and light.

The vivid color did not disappear but, together with the black blood gushing from the heart, overflowed from the edge of the brazier, flowing over the gradually cooling corpse.

Driven by a strange energy, the scarlet energy crawled over the entire pyramid's peak along the twisted patterns on the floor tiles, and followed the withered vines all the way down, pouring into the imprints carved on every road in Assam City.

And at the same time, the young corpse withered at a speed visible to the naked eye. Not long after, only a withered bone attached with scales remained, and then even the skeleton was gone, turning into ashes in the evening breeze and being blown into sand flying toward the sky...

It was not just flesh and blood.

He had sacrificed his soul together to the great Dragon God!

And not long after the young lizardman priest left, an aged figure came to the side of the burning brazier, placing his withered claws beside the azure flame.

His name is Zel Tu'a, meaning the ancient wisdom and mysterious prophet. His status is the High Priest of the Sacred Armor Dragon Kingdom, second only to the Holy King in this land!

"Praise the Great Dragon... thank you for bestowing upon us prosperity, abundance, and peace!"

"May your glory last forever... may your majesty be like the sun, moon, and stars hanging in the sky, forever guiding the way for your descendants!"

Zel muttered in a low voice, and at the same time raised the dragon bone staff held in his right hand, like raising a torch, raising a ball of slightly flickering blue light.

His expression was solemn and grave, as if mourning the great sacrifice, and as if praying for the eternal prosperity of the Sacred Armor Dragon Kingdom.

The chanting of the masters of ceremonies grew louder, and the aura enveloping the pyramid grew bloodier, more ferocious, and more ominous!

The solemn sacrifice and the increasingly rapid drums entered the final climax together—

However, just at this moment, a strange change suddenly occurred!

A light suddenly flashed in the cloudless night sky, like lightning exploding in the clear sky, like the roar of a giant dragon!

The torches on the altar moved without wind, nearly extinguishing in the chaos!

The blue holy fire burning fiercely in the brazier was the same; it was almost swallowed by the suddenly exploding thunderous light, and only after swaying several times did it dazedly return!

However, strangely, there was clearly no wind blowing just now, and the blood filling the copper basin was calm and waveless, just like a frozen mural!

The High Priest's pupils shrank suddenly, looking up at the deep, pitch-black sky like obsidian.

From the night sky full of stars, he felt an indescribable terrifying aura attacking toward the direction of Assam City!

"The 'Great Barrier'... is loosening," his brow furrowed, a trembling sound coming from his throat, "I heard the low roar of the Dragon God... He is warning us that our ancient contracts and traditions will face the most severe test in a thousand years!"

The so-called Great Barrier is a miracle cast by the Dragon God to protect his descendants, using the power in dragon blood on this fertile and abundant land!

That is "magic" that transcends all incantations in the world. It not only permanently changed the terrain and landforms of this world but even changed the laws of all things, opening up a utopia independent of turbidity in this world of five turbid evils, far away from the influence of all evil thoughts in the world.

It is precisely because of the existence of the Great Barrier that the lizardmen living on the Gana Continent have been able to maintain ancient traditions for the past thousand years, living a pastoral, isolated life.

However, although the Great Barrier is powerful, it is not without flaws!

Zel still remembers the ancient prophecy passed down from generation to generation by the Tu'a family—

The threat from the sea will overturn everything in the place where the sun, moon, and stars were born, and will give birth to the most terrifying existence in the entire universe.

Although the Dragon God did not tell his subjects what that threat was, this did not prevent him from remaining vigilant against all threats from outside the Great Barrier!

Hearing High Priest Zel's whisper, the assistant priests standing around changed color drastically, their faces showing panic and helplessness.

"Is it... Chaos?" one of the assistant priests asked with a trembling voice.

And the moment they heard the word "Chaos," the surrounding assistant priests all trembled slightly, panic flashing in their amber pupils.

"I don't know." The High Priest raised his head, deep thought and hesitation flashing in his vertical pupils, "But I can feel that some existence outside the world... is peeping at us."

Speaking of this, he swallowed hard and continued with difficulty.

"... Presumably, the loosening of the Great Barrier is precisely because of the peeping of those with malicious intentions."

The surrounding lizardmen all trembled, exchanging glances with each other, not daring to say more.

High Priest Zel pondered for a long time, a trace of decisiveness flashing in his amber pupils.

"... Evil is approaching us. If we don't take action, the order of the Gana Continent will vanish into thin air!"

After saying this, he turned around, flicked the thick, long tail behind him and the black-red robe, and said seriously.

"Must report this news to the Holy King!"

……

The news of the "Great Barrier" loosening was like blood flowing through the cracks in the stone bricks, spreading toward the direction of the Holy King's Palace with an ominous and panicked aura.

Inside the golden hall, the Holy King of the Kingdom was sitting quietly on a throne made of pure gold, overlooking the ministers who came to see him.

Noble blood gave him pure golden scales, emitting dazzling light under the brilliant lights.

His name is Izu Pal, meaning "obsidian symbolizing royal power."

Although his strength is not the strongest in the Sacred Armor Dragon Kingdom, he is the lizardman recognized by the subjects of the Sacred Armor Dragon Kingdom as having the bloodline closest to a dragon!

According to legendary records, the blood of the Pal family has the power to call upon the Holy Dragon. The power of one drop of essence blood is enough to equal tens of thousands of sacrifices! Three drops of essence blood are enough to invite the Dragon God to descend miracles in person, moving mountains and filling seas, turning grass into forests!

Of course, this is only recorded in legends.

Because the Sacred Armor Dragon Kingdom is strong and has tens of millions of subjects, there is no need for their king to wear armor and go into battle, let alone for their king to sacrifice himself to call upon the power of the Dragon God... therefore, this ability has never had a chance to be tested.

However, even if the great power of calling upon the divine dragon with blood is just an ancient legend, the majesty of the Holy King is still enough to make the descendants of the Pal family look down upon the descendants of all dragons.

Izu's gaze swept over the heads of the nobles of the Elder Council and finally landed on the aged and respected High Priest.

"The Great Barrier... is loosening? Are you sure?" Izu's claws tapped lightly on the armrest of the throne, making a crisp sound, a trace of scrutiny in his amber vertical pupils.

"Yes, Your Majesty..." The High Priest lowered his head and slowly recounted the encounter during the sacrifice earlier.

When he heard the thunder flashing in the night sky and the sacred fire nearly extinguishing, Holy King Izu's pupils shrank suddenly, his claws gripping the armrests of the golden throne unconsciously, a trace of solemnity finally appearing between his brows.

As the supreme Holy King of the Sacred Armor Dragon Kingdom, guarding the Great Barrier is a task passed down from generation to generation by the ancestors of the Pal family, and it is also the legal source of his rule over this land!

If he let the barbarian aliens flowing with unclean blood step onto this land, let alone the subjects of the Sacred Armor Dragon Kingdom not being able to forgive him, even he himself could not forgive himself, and he would have no face to face his ancestors and the Dragon God soaring in the sky!

No matter what—

The Great Barrier must not have any problems!

Just as the Holy King was lost in thought, the nobles of the Elder Council were also discussing in low voices. Some lizardmen showed worried expressions, while others were indifferent.

If there is a problem with the Great Barrier, the shipping route between the Gana Continent and the Vast Ocean will be opened, which also means that the Sacred Armor Dragon Kingdom living on this land will inevitably be passively involved in the disputes of the "Ancient Continent"... just like the previous millennium!

In this way, this catastrophe will not only impact the existing order of the Gana Continent, but might even shake the foundation of the Sacred Armor Dragon Kingdom!

However—

They can also think from another angle.

The struggle between Saint Xisi and the God of the Underworld has lasted for a thousand years. If both sides are still undecided, the "Ancient Continent" must be a mess right now.

And looking at the Gana Continent, it is abundant in products, strong in soldiers and horses, and the national power is flourishing... If the Great Barrier is really lifted, it's hard to say who will bully whom!

The Elder Council of the Sacred Armor Dragon Kingdom is already too crowded.

The nobles on this land are as numerous as the scales on the Dragon God's body. If they can lift the shackles cast upon them by the Dragon God a thousand years ago, they can just divide and seal off some of those idle juniors and go to more distant worlds to expand their territory.

This might not be a bad thing!

The nobles of the Elder Council probed each other with their own thoughts, exchanging glances in the hall.

The Holy King pondered for a long time, and just as he was about to speak, a burst of rapid footsteps suddenly ran from outside the hall door.

"Report—! Traker requests an audience!"

The sharp and sloppy noise and rapid footsteps rushed into the hall together.

The Holy King and a group of nobles looked at the front door that was suddenly pushed open, only to see a blood-stained figure limping in and kneeling on the ground with a "thump."

"Greetings, Holy King!"

Seeing Traker kneeling in the hall, High Priest Zel Tu'a, who was standing on the side of the hall with his head lowered, had his pupils shrink slightly.

The sturdy lizardman warrior had obvious battle wounds on his body!

His armor was damaged, his chest was covered with scorched marks, and the obsidian spear on his back was broken into two pieces, scarlet blood dripping onto the granite floor tiles along his robe.

Zel remembered this young and brave lad; he was not only a warrior and hunter blessed by the Dragon God but also the captain of the Sacred Armor Dragon Kingdom's hunting team!

If he remembered correctly, the area he was responsible for patrolling was the northern coastal area!

Zel's heart sank slightly.

The thing he was most worried about had indeed happened!

Looking at Traker, who was covered in wounds, Izu, sitting on the golden throne, also had a sharp gaze, his voice rapid.

"Traker! What exactly happened? Who hurt you like this!"

Traker lowered his head, his voice hoarse.

"Reporting to Your Majesty, I and others followed the decree of the temple and patrolled the northern coastline, but accidentally discovered footprints that did not belong to this forest. In order to defend the land bestowed upon us by the Dragon God, I followed them with my subordinates and finally discovered their stronghold on the beach..."

Traker reported his encounter in the forest and on the beach to Izu, who was sitting on the golden throne, one by one.

Including his order to attack, including the living dead fighting back with fire-spitting magic wands, and including the iron box that finally appeared on the beach.

The Sacred Armor Dragon Kingdom has ironware, but it is not used much.

When mentioning that his subordinate Saku died in battle, Traker's voice not only burned with irrepressible anger but also carried a hint of faint fear.

"Saku is dead, died at the hands of a guy with the appearance of a human, the ears of a cat, and the speed of a leopard. However, what makes me wary is not that guy, but a... monster I don't know how to describe!"

"It has no feet and no wheels, yet it can advance on muddy land, and every step is accompanied by the roar of mountains collapsing and the earth splitting! It has no arms, yet it can easily overturn the earth and flatten the forest—"

"Shut up!" His words hadn't finished when they were interrupted by a rude voice.

A sturdy lizardman warrior stepped forward with heavy steps, looking at him with disdain, his voice full of contempt.

"A monster with no feet and wheels that can advance on muddy land, listen to what you're saying! Can such a thing exist? Traker, blowing up the strength of your opponent cannot wash away the shame of your failure. This is the Holy King's palace, not a place for you to talk nonsense!"

"Enough, Kuchar!" Holy King Izu suddenly scolded, but he did not interrupt the speech of the sturdy lizardman, choosing instead to wait for him to finish before making trouble.

No feet and wheels, yet able to walk on muddy land, this sounds too unbelievable.

He tried to seek the wisdom of the High Priest.

However, when he looked at the High Priest, the respected wise man was silent, lowering his head as if thinking about something.

"What I said today is absolutely true," faced with Kuchar's glare and the Holy King's suspicion, Traker said calmly, "I can swear to the Dragon God that I will be responsible for every word I say today."

Kuchar squinted his vertical pupils, sizing up this guy with a scrutinizing gaze.

The hall was silent as death.

The nobles' discussions rose again, and many people's faces became ugly.

At this time, the High Priest, who had been silent, suddenly raised his head, his turbid pupils looking at Traker, who was kneeling on one knee.

"Are they Chaos?"

The moment they heard this, the nobles of the Elder Council gasped, while Traker was stunned for a moment, nodding slowly after a moment of hesitation.

"... Perhaps... After all, except for Chaos, I really can't explain why they possess such terrifying power."

After a pause, he continued.

"At least the ancient classics do not record that such a terrifying existence exists on the Ancient Continent... We must prepare for the worst; the world on the other side of the sea may have already fallen!"

The moment his words fell, the atmosphere in the hall was like a pot of boiling water, splashing out of the hot stove!

"Chaos?!"

"How is that possible! Even if the false gods on the other side of the sea are trash, they wouldn't just watch their believers be corrupted by Chaos!"

"However... the world outside the sea has passed a thousand years after all."

"So what!"

"Enough! What we need to discuss now is what to do, not how the world outside the sea is!"

The noisy sound waves filled the entire hall.

Izu, sitting on the golden throne, had a face as calm as water, his expression terribly gloomy.

Seeing that no one believed him, Traker was anxious.

And just at this moment, High Priest Zel suddenly took half a step forward, looking at the Holy King, whose face was uncertain.

"Your Majesty, whether or not that is a threat of Chaos, the loosening of the Great Barrier is an indisputable fact. I think we should respond to this crisis cautiously."

After a pause, he continued.

"To be safe, I suggest you send envoys to the surrounding tribes to negotiate peace, and invite their envoys to Assam City to discuss the stabilization of the Great Barrier together... This is not only related to the interests of our Sacred Armor Dragon Kingdom but also related to the stability of the entire Gana Continent. I think they will definitely not refuse. And we can also take this opportunity to weaken their strength, for example, let them go first..."

Holy King Izu nodded slightly and was about to speak, but Kuchar stepped forward, clasped his claws into fists, and said in a deep voice.

"Your Majesty, no need for such trouble. You only need to allocate ten thousand clansmen to me, and I will definitely make those dirty guys regret reaching their claws toward this land blessed by God!"

When he said this, he looked at Traker with disdain and mocked.

"By the way... I'd like to see what kind of guys can run on the ground with their bellies without hands and wheels."

The generals in the hall let out a burst of wanton laughter, and pairs of disdainful gazes fell on Traker along with Kuchar.

Traker clenched his claws, gritted his teeth, but could only swallow this breath.

Kuchar is a noble of the Elder Council, and his family has been servants of the Dragon God for generations. Compared to himself, who had only been baptized by the "Hunting Mark," it was like the sun compared to starlight.

Clearly, the respected Holy King also trusted this descendant of a general family more.

Traker sighed in his heart.

As he expected, the Holy King, sitting on the golden throne, only pondered for a moment before ordering.

"Kuchar, I order you to lead thirty thousand Armored Dragon Soldiers to the northern coastline to purge the enemies from the sea!"

"Yes!"

Kuchar was refreshed when he heard this, clasped his claws to take the order, and then walked out of the hall eagerly.

Thirty thousand Armored Dragon Soldiers!

With this kind of force, let alone wiping out a group of bandits, even destroying a country would be enough!

Watching Kuchar turn and leave, a group of generals showed envy, only regretting that they didn't come forward first and were snatched of the opportunity by this guy.

Watching the clansmen in the hall not taking the enemies from the sea seriously at all, Traker was anxious in his heart, but finally couldn't help but speak again.

"Your Majesty, I have no objection to your wise decision, but General Kuchar is not familiar with the treachery and cunning of the enemy... I am worried that his carelessness will cause the warriors of the Sacred Armor Dragon Kingdom to bleed in vain. Please allow me to follow him!"

His voice was full of earnestness.

Holy King Izu looked at him and continued with a majestic voice.

"Traker, I understand your desire to wash away your shame, but please also consider the overall situation and trust our General Kuchar... his bravery and wisdom are not inferior to yours."

"Yes..." Traker lowered his head, not daring to agree, but had to accept it.

The Holy King's order is absolute.

The consequences of defying the Holy King's majesty are even more serious than losing a war.

Moreover, Izu was actually right.

General Kuchar is a noble of the Elder Council and was born in a prominent general family; his experience in commanding large army groups is far above his own.

Not only that, his soul level is higher than his own, who came from a commoner background, no matter what!

Watching Traker, who expressed submission, a look of approval appeared on Izu's face, and he nodded slightly and continued.

"As for you... I have a more important task to entrust to you."

Traker's expression became solemn, and he immediately said.

"Please give your orders!"

Izu waved to the side, signaling the palace attendant to bring a golden token forward and hand it to Traker, who was kneeling on one knee.

"The Great Barrier is loosening. This matter is not only related to the stability of the Sacred Armor Dragon Kingdom but also to the safety of the entire Gana Continent! Now, Traker, I order you to go as an envoy of the Sacred Armor Dragon Kingdom to the Tide, Sand Ridge, and Wind Roar tribes, and bring the news to their chiefs... You must tell them that the crisis in the prophecy has arrived, and according to the oath our ancestors made before the Dragon God, now is the time to be united against the outside world! I hope they will put aside past grievances and send envoys and priests to Assam City on the Shenghu."

"We will discuss countermeasures on the altar together!"

Traker clasped his claws.

"As you command!"

Although he had wounds on his body, this did not prevent him from embarking on the journey for the fate of the kingdom and his clansmen.

And—

Perhaps the Holy King specifically chose him, who survived that encounter, as the envoy to make those stubborn old antiques realize how terrifying the enemies from the sea are.

For lizardmen, using vision to convey information is a much more intuitive way than letters...

Just like that, Traker embarked on the journey with the peace delegation.

On the other side, Kuchar, who received the Holy Order, led the thirty thousand Armored Dragon Soldiers who had finished assembling and marched toward the northern coastline in a mighty force.

The moment that decides the fate of the Gana Continent is coming!

And at this very moment, no one noticed that on a mountain peak less than a hundred kilometers from the Shenghu, two lizardmen were stretching their necks and looking toward Assam City.

After a long journey, they finally followed the incomplete footprints, passed through the dense rainforest and rugged hills, and arrived here.

Looking at the huge city standing in the lake, the two little players were shocked by the scenery that came into view.

"Holy crap... this modeling!"

"Is it too realistic!?" ===== CHAPTER 271 =====