Chapter 257 because we’re… um… bigger

The sky was still filled with a lingering, oppressive force.Countless bolts of lightning, once fierce and overwhelming, now hung limply in the air. The Thunder Dragon, which had embodied the might of the heavens, had completely dissipated.

"Azura made it through the tribulation!"

The dark clouds stretched for miles, still refusing to disperse. Even now, the remnants of the heavenly power within the clouds inspired awe in anyone who looked up.

But it was precisely because of this that the scene before them was even more astonishing.

No one had ever witnessed such a terrifying Ocean's Gate lightning tribulation before.

And yet, Azura had endured this overwhelming force with nothing but her own body.

A Dragon King with such a pure Ancestral Dragon bloodline hadn't appeared in countless millennia.

As the vast spiritual energy, as boundless as the ocean, gathered from all directions and surged into Azura's body, every dragon present stood in solemn silence.

They all knew very well.

This time, Azura had shattered the curse that had plagued the dragon race for generations, reaching an unprecedented level of power.

But at that moment, Azura's small frame could no longer bear the strain of the immense spiritual energy she had just absorbed.

Her eyelashes fluttered weakly, and her eyes slowly closed in exhaustion. She began to fall gently from the sky.

In a flash, Timothy appeared and caught Azura in his arms.

As if she had found a warm and safe place to rest, Azura curled up slightly in his embrace.

A soft, contented smile appeared on her lips, and she drifted into a deep sleep, like a baby peacefully slumbering in Timothy's arms.

"…"

For a long moment, the dragons watching this scene were too stunned to react.

They had almost forgotten that Azura had already formed a pet contract with Timothy.

To break through to such a pure bloodline, something that hadn't been seen in millennia, was already hard for many to believe.

But after the tribulation, not just the dragons of Elant, but even those who had once been enemies of the Shrine of the Oceanic Dragon, now held Azura in reverence and awe.

Yet here she was, the one they all revered, the one destined to become the strongest Dragon King in thousands of years, lying softly in Timothy's arms.

Like a little girl, peacefully asleep.

The dragons exchanged bewildered glances, feeling utterly dumbfounded.

"The Ocean Dragon King is so powerful, but… why does she seem kind of cute too?"

"Damn it, Azura is our Dragon King! If anyone's going to hold her, it should be one of us dragons!"

That serene, sleeping expression not only won over every dragon present, but also left countless practitioners feeling a deep sense of frustration.

Why did Timothy get all the luck?

That small, soft body—just imagining how it must feel to hold her was enough to drive them crazy.

But now, only Timothy could enjoy that privilege. It was just too unfair!

"What's wrong with these people…"

Timothy suddenly noticed the gazes around him, filled with jealousy, envy, and barely concealed frustration. He couldn't help but feel a bit exasperated.

Why were they jealous of him holding his own pet?

If they saw him holding Goddess Sylvia, wouldn't they lose their minds?

"Though, to be fair, she does feel pretty nice to hold."

Like cradling a soft, plush doll, Timothy couldn't help but smile as he looked down at the peacefully sleeping Azura in his arms.

But then…

He noticed something strange.

A faint, ethereal shadow was flickering around Azura's body.

Within that shadow, her long hair had turned a pale blue, and her body had grown to the size of a young woman.

Her figure was now slender and graceful, with curves that could no longer be described as underdeveloped.

But just as quickly as the shadow appeared, it vanished.

As if it had never been there at all, leaving only Timothy as the sole witness to what had just happened.

"Could this be the second form Azura mentioned before?" Timothy couldn't help but feel a surge of curiosity.

At that moment, dark clouds gathered in the sky, casting a heavy shadow over everything.

Near the Sky Sanctuary, practitioners from various sects had come to witness this sacred event, along with dragons from all over.

Figures began to emerge from the crowd.

There were dragons, Sea Folk from the depths, and even members of the Sea Serpent clan.

All of them had taken on human forms, their bodies adorned with scales that symbolized their status.

They stood solemnly, gazing at Timothy and the Azura in his arms.

Then, as if on cue, they all bowed their heads in reverence.

Under the vast expanse of dark clouds, aside from the howling winds that swept across the land, there was an eerie silence.

Tens of thousands of dragons, Sea Folk, and Sea Serpents bowed their heads in unison.

The sight was grand and awe-inspiring, filling the air with a sense of reverence.

"Azura."

This Dragon King, who looked so small and adorable, and had formed a contract with Timothy, was destined to become the strongest Dragon King the continent of Elant had seen in millennia!

"So, what kind of person is Timothy, to have a Dragon King this powerful as his pet?"

"It's insane! I'm starting to think that the rumors about Timothy slaying two Holy Emperors weren't just luck or coincidence."

"And the most important thing is, I've heard that Goddess Sylvia…"

"Shh." seaʀᴄh thё Nôvel(F)ire.ηet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

For a moment, the hearts of all the practitioners were in turmoil.

But the ones most shaken were the older dragons, those who had lived for over a century and held high status.

"The Golden Scale Dragon Carp."

To the dragon race, the Golden Scale Dragon Carp was the most precious creature in existence.

For years, dragons across countless seas had searched tirelessly, but none had ever found a trace of the Golden Scale Dragon Carp.

Some within the Shrine of the Oceanic Dragon had even begun to believe that the Golden Scale Dragon Carp had gone extinct, completely wiped from existence.

But today, they had seen one with their own eyes.

Azura's Ancestral Dragon bloodline had always been pure, but it had never reached the level it was at now.

Which meant…

"Could it be that this human disciple has not just one, but multiple Golden Scale Dragon Carps? Just how many secrets is he hiding?"

They dared not voice these terrifying thoughts aloud, but as they looked at Timothy, the older dragons couldn't help but show a hint of fear in their eyes.

…

After a long while, the practitioners and dragons who had gathered began to slowly disperse.

Holding the peacefully sleeping Azura, Timothy was about to head back to his room.

But just then, several graceful figures hurried after him.

These figures were all young women from the Sea Serpent clan, and leading them was none other than Sylphina from Blooming Hall.

"Sir, please wait a moment."

With a few equally beautiful Sea Serpent girls in tow, Sylphina caught up to him.

Though they hadn't known each other for long, Timothy had a good impression of Sylphina, so he asked, "What brings you here?"

"I've been sent by the dragons to take care of the injured Dragon King," Sylphina quickly replied.

"Why would the dragons send you to take care of her?" Timothy asked, puzzled.

The Sea Serpent clan, due to their impure bloodline, were not held in high regard by the dragons.

It wasn't that Timothy looked down on them.

But the dragons had always been extremely proud of their bloodline and obsessed with maintaining their dignity.

Logically, they would never send members of the Sea Serpent clan, with their diluted bloodline, to the Sky Sanctuary to care for Azura.

Even though Timothy had a decent relationship with Sylphina and the other Sea Serpent girls from Blooming Hall, this situation didn't seem to align with the dragons' usual behavior.

"Well… I…"

Hearing his question, Sylphina bit her lip, clearly embarrassed.

Normally so composed and decisive, she now seemed hesitant, her cheeks flushing slightly.

The girls behind her also looked deeply uncomfortable, their eyes darting around as they avoided Timothy's gaze entirely.

It seemed like Sylphina had to muster a great deal of courage before she finally, after a long pause, forced herself to speak the truth.

"The reason the dragons sent us to take care of the Dragon King is… because we're… um… bigger."

Timothy: "Huh?"