Golden Dragon: Six Thousand Years of Empire-Chapter 197 - 146 I Should Be Able to Kill You All_2

In present-day Elisium City, the permanent population has already exceeded two million, and if you count the transient population, the number can double.

It is already the largest city in the Eastern Kingdom, whose prosperity faintly surpasses that of the Capital. It is a city that would tempt any conspirator or ambitious person.

However, all malicious intent and greedy eyes are swept clean of their thoughts when they see the Mage City standing like a Divine Sword at the edge of the city, leaving their gaze pure.

Because ordinary people and low-level Adventurers, walking through the streets and alleys of this city, may look up to see the vast blue clear sky.

But if one’s strength crosses two more levels to reach the Radiant Gold Rank, they can see a real part of Elisium, a sky-spanning elemental vortex centered around Mage City.

The vast elemental vortex envelops the entire city below, a scene that strikes directly at the heart of every High Rank Transcendent, causing them to tremble. The stronger the Transcendent, the deeper the feeling.

"Unfortunately, it seems a bit old."

The Dark Territory is an extremely dangerous and unique Underground World. Due to the restricted living space, conspiracy and betrayal happen every moment in every corner, with slaughter and plunder visible everywhere.

In small settlements, a Radiant Gold Rank can become a leader, but generally not for long, as they will soon either stab themselves seven times due to various schemes or announce abdication, then wander elsewhere.

The souls with a bit more stability can generally be leaders of a major power, ruling for a long time, albeit still surrounded by plots and schemes.

The truly stable ones are the Legends, but even this is not absolute. In the Dark Territory, Legendary Queens are assassinated or disappear due to accidents from time to time.

Compared to the surface, the replacement rate of leaders and territories in the Underground forces is much faster, which is not particularly friendly to surface forces attempting to rule this area.

To maintain rule and hold these high-positioned newcomers’ ambitions in check and ensure they dutifully fulfill their tribute obligations, sufficient military power must be displayed to them.

As a result, each year the Augustus family requires those tribes in the Dark Territory that submit to them to send their leaders and some core members to the surface, to Elisium City, to pay tribute to the Augustus family.

This serves to harvest wealth and resources from the Dark Territory and shows these ambitious troublemakers sufficient military might to deter their ambitions—you can fight all you like underground, but extend your claws to the surface, and there will be as many chopped off as there are.

For the previous Augusto family, this was just a small matter. Selena needed only to send a projection, or even just an image, to sit in Mage City, spending ten minutes at most to meet all the leaders of the Underground Tribes at once.

She didn’t need accolades, could easily insult, or even kill a few disrespectful leaders, and still maintain the family’s rule over the Dark Territory. For Noah, who is taking over, this presents a significant challenge.

"Tidel, you’re too slow!"

Noah wanted to delay until Tidel successfully merged with the Titan Blood Crystal and advanced to Legend, hoping he could meet these Underground Clan leaders, but clearly, Tidel struggled to live up to Noah’s expectations, leaving Noah to handle it himself.

"Sigh!"

The Sun Governor project custom-made for him by his adoptive mother, although sounding good, lives up to its name more in how hard it is to accomplish.

Taking over everything to become an integral external deterrent force for the Augustus family means no more freedom.

In truth, the situation happened abruptly, and Noah was not mentally prepared, but now it was clear he had no time left to prepare further.

[Lord Noah, the dedication mission from the Dark Territory has all arrived. Comparing information from all sides against last year, this dedication mission includes six new tribes. Last year, seven tribes disappeared and have now been removed from the list...]

"Mm, got it."

Noah fully understood why his adoptive mother, in her Sun Governor plan, set the longest strike range to reach the Valley of Flames.

Because the Dark Territory is like a supervolcano that could erupt at any moment; even having waged war on it twice, the hidden dangers were still not reduced in the slightest.

"To establish power, it still has to be through killing!"

Noah sighed, after confirming once again that Tidel could not intervene, he had to step in for his adoptive mother to meet the Underground Tribe leaders who came for tribute this year.

Unsurprisingly, even with Noah meeting them in person, there was quite a stir and discussion among the Tribe leaders.

The gap between Legends and non-Legends cannot be bridged by race or noble bloodlines; underground beings recognize only strength, not lineage. Even with the potential, without growth, they remain merely resources in their eyes.

"What? Do you have any objections to me?"

Faced with the anticipated commotion, the Golden Dragon, majestic as a King while walking, coiled atop the governmental hall, and with the Word Spirit·Tyrant exploded, a crushing pressure like a mountain fell upon the heads of the Clan leaders,

"Some of you have met me, maybe even heard of me, others have not seen me nor know of my existence, but it does not matter. Remember me from now on."

Noah took a deep breath, sighing within, yet his aura became increasingly imposing, declaring and asserting his presence to the Underground Dark Clan leaders with various thoughts,

"I am Holy Dragon Noah, also the Sun Governor; from today on, I will take over all affairs of the Dark Territory!"

"Any objections?"

Noah slightly eased the Word Spirit.

"Holy Dragon Noah, I have heard of your esteemed name, but before this, it was always the great Mage, Lady Selena, accepting our homage. Now that you are responsible for accepting our homage, what about Mage Lady Selena then..."

A particularly sharp-looking Snake-man crawled out, glaring at the noble Golden Dragon atop the platform, voicing his doubts.

"She no longer has time for you; from now on, I will be in charge."

Noah’s chilling gaze swept across, the violet aura in his increasingly radiant gold dragon pupils surging,

"If any of you have issues, feel I am unqualified to accept your homage, voice it now, I will respond to you!"

"Is Lady Selena in some trouble? My tribe has a recovery...

The Drow speaking hadn’t finished when Noah’s massive dragon body appeared beside her, the crushing Dragon Claw showed a horrified expression on the Drow Elf’s face, the teleportation talismans on her body burst one after another, but still, she was bound in place, unable to move.

Ah!

The fierce Yang Flame surged on the Dragon Claw, the querying Drow didn’t even have the chance to beg for mercy, managing only a brief, hurried scream before turning to ash beneath the Dragon Claw,

"The first to feel I’m unsuitable, anyone else feels I’m unqualified?"

The Golden Dragon’s mouth curved, revealing a brutal and stern smirk that did not match its noble and elegant posture,

"Feel free to speak up, even if you all oppose it doesn’t matter, I should be able to kill you all, then take my Favored ones to massacre your tribes again.

My adoptive mother told me, never worry about the Dark Territory’s population, you’re like the cheapest Blue Shimmering Grass, no matter how many are killed, they never end."