Among the dragon race, considered one of the mightiest in the world, there exists a legendary belief embraced by all dragons—the existence of a city floating in the skies known as Eryuentium.
In the ancient records of the dragon race, this city is revered as the birthplace of all dragons, earning it the illustrious title of "the holy land of the dragons."
The yearning to visit this city has always been present in the hearts of all dragons worldwide, but sadly, it remains an unattainable dream for each and every one of them.
Eryuentium, the holy land of dragons, vanished without a trace 7,000 years ago, leaving no clue of its whereabouts.
Despite their relentless search efforts, the dragons found no trace of the city, leading them to speculate that it might simply be a myth or a tale passed down through generations.
***
*Rooaar!*
Against the backdrop of the clear sky, a colossal fire-red dragon, its body akin to a mountain in size, unleashed a deafening roar that echoed throughout the surroundings, causing the space within a kilometer radius to distort as if on the brink of collapse.
*Whoosh!*
With a mighty flap of its immense wings, the colossal red dragon ascended into the sky with astonishing speed.
Half an hour later, the colossal red dragon, previously soaring at incredible speed, gradually slowed its pace before halting altogether.
Before it loomed an unusually colossal white gate, adorned with intricate gold and purple patterns.
The gate's enormity made even the mountain-sized red dragon appear diminutive in comparison.
Observing the immense and imposing gate, the dragon's golden eyes remained indifferent as it calmly parted its massive jaws.
*Rooar!*
An even louder roar than before erupted from its colossal jaws, causing the previously silent white gate to tremble violently before slowly opening.
*Whoosh!*
As the gate parted, the red dragon immediately beat its massive wings and soared straight through.
Continuing its flight with increasing speed, the fire-red dragon eventually decelerated as a grand and magnificent white palace came into view.
*Whoosh!*
Descending rapidly, it landed gracefully in the spacious courtyard of the grand palace, raising its proud gaze to its surroundings.
*Buzz!*
Suddenly, a bright red light emanated from the dragon's body, enveloping it before dissipating to reveal a woman with an extraordinarily beautiful and charming face, her long red hair cascading down to her plump buttocks.
Wearing a loose red robe adorned with golden patterns, her extremely sexy, curvaceous body was impossible to conceal.
Furthermore, her aura exuded a glorious and charming temperament that would ignite desire in any man who laid eyes on her.
"It seems it's been a long time since I last visited this palace. Probably hundreds of years ago, wasn't it?" She whispered in an indifferent tone as she glanced at the magnificent and beautiful palace scenery around her.
This woman was none other than Athena Hellness, the Dragon Empress of the Dragon Empire and the strongest dragon in the world.
Given her failure to complete the task assigned by her ancestor, Athena felt a sense of inevitability about reporting the matter to him, leaving her feeling somewhat helpless. S~eaʀᴄh the NôᴠelFirё.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
"Hah~ I don't know how to face him later," Athena remarked in a slightly helpless tone.
Last night's task, her first assignment from her ancestor since his awakening from his long slumber, had ended in failure, leaving her feeling embarrassed at the thought of facing him.
Nevertheless, she found solace in the fact that her failure had a legitimate reason, so she wasn't overly worried.
Suddenly, the events of last night flashed back into her mind, prompting an involuntary smile.
"I never expected to encounter Leon again," she whispered happily, biting her lower lip.
Despite Leon altering his appearance last night and nearly fooling her, his distinctive scent, ingrained in her memory, couldn't deceive her.
However, her happiness was swiftly replaced by anger and jealousy as she recalled Liliana by Leon's side.
"Why did Leon change his appearance so drastically, and why is he with Liliana, the Demon Emperor? Moreover, their relationship seems unusually close, doesn't it?" Athena narrowed her eyes as a dangerous aura suddenly emanated from her body.
This matter kept her up all night, as she had no idea what the relationship between the two was.
Moreover, she vividly remembered her conversation with Liliana, where the woman claimed that she and Leon were husband and wife, reigniting her anger.
"Damn her! How dare she claim my Leon as her husband?" Athena gritted her teeth as her beautiful and charming face contorted with rage.
Had Leon not been there and her departure not been mandated by her ancestor, she wouldn't have hesitated to kill Liliana on the spot for daring to say such a thing.
Taking a deep breath to quell the anger on her face, Athena's expression gradually regained its composure, though a hint of hatred still lingered in her eyes.
"No matter what, I must swiftly resolve matters with my ancestor, and only then will I go to the Demon Empire's palace to retrieve Leon," Athena declared with a cold resolve in her eyes.
Without hesitation, she shook out her long hair and strode purposefully into the palace.
***
"Did you say you failed to bring him to my palace, Athena? Can you explain what happened?"
In an enormous hall, a black-colored dragon with a fire-red pattern on its forehead, nearly three times the size of Athena in her dragon form, stared at Athena, who bowed her head, with indifference in its enormous red eyes.
"That's correct, ancestor," Athena admitted calmly, her expression unwavering as she faced the imposing dragon before her. "The reason for my failure was his reluctance to meet with you."
"Oh? He refuses to see me? It appears he's quite cautious and wary," the dragon remarked, its indifferent eyes widening slightly in apparent surprise at Athena's revelation.
"Indeed, it appears so, ancestor." Athena nodded in agreement, recalling how strongly Leon had resisted her invitation to meet her ancestor, as if he were very wary of him.
The enormous black dragon fell silent for a few moments before letting out a deep sigh.
"Well, that's acceptable," the black dragon said calmly, continuing, "his wariness of me only confirms his worthiness of the title 'The Fated One,' and I'm certain our meeting is inevitable."
Athena frowned at the mention of 'The Fated One,' as it was the first time she had heard those words.
'The Fated One? What does that mean, and how does it relate to Leon?' Athena pondered to herself, her mind clouded with confusion.
To be honest, Athena was deeply puzzled by her ancestor's actions.
Why had he slept for thousands of years, waiting only for Leon's arrival?
Was there something extraordinary about Leon that she wasn't aware of?
These questions gnawed at her mind, sparking her curiosity, though she felt too timid to voice them to her ancestor.
As if sensing Athena's inner turmoil, the black dragon lowered its head slightly to gaze at her.
"Athena, perhaps it's time for you to know everything, including why I tasked you with stopping the heroes who aim to destroy the Demon race with the fall of every Demon Emperor in every era," the black dragon said, snapping Athena out of her reverie.
"Ancestor... Have you finally decided to reveal it?" Athena asked with an incredulous expression.
The reason the Demon race survived after the fall of each Demon Emperor in every era was due to her intervention.
In each era, every three heroes of mankind who emerged and successfully defeated the Demon Emperor always harbored intentions to annihilate the entire Demon race, yet she consistently thwarted their plans.
Despite her lack of understanding, as her ancestor never explained the reason, she adhered to it faithfully, as it was the first duty bestowed upon her.
The black dragon nodded slightly and replied in a nonchalant tone, "Indeed. The time has come, and there's no need for secrecy anymore, Athena."
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It lowered its massive head onto its two bent arms, regarding Athena with an indifferent gaze.
"Pay close attention, Athena. This story isn't merely a 7,000-year-old truth; it's also intertwined with the individual you encountered last night—your destined partner, the one I've prepared for you..."
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A/N: Ahem! Sorry it's a little late, but it's okay!
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