Chapter 269 A kingdom hidden in the jungle!
Deep in the jungle, surrounded by mountains, there is a huge lake as vast as the sea.
The lakeside has abundant water and grass, luxuriant species, and dense intertwined rivers winding outwards, immersing themselves in the forest... Looking down from the air, it looks like a blazing sun!
In the center of the lake, a city made of granite stands majestically. Inside the majestic huge stone wall, there are ancient streets connected with each other, colorful ribbons fluttering under the glazed tiles, and the sunlight shines through the wide leaves on the solid and thick granite bricks, like a rainbow that will never fade away.
The shouts of street vendors come one after another, and the air is filled with the fragrance of flowers, fruits, vegetables and roasting spices. Lizardmen women with earthen pots on their heads and bamboo baskets in their hands are walking through the bustling streets. Lizardmen guards wearing obsidian armor patrol the streets with steady steps. Occasionally, priests in red robes pass through - what a lively scene!
This is the capital of the Holy Ankylosaurus Kingdom, and its name is "Assam".
This word in the dictionary of the Holy Armored Dragon Kingdom not only means "the place where the dragon thrives", but it also means "the place where the great legendary dragon was born together with the sun, moon and stars."
The lizardmen on Osland often claim to be descendants of giant dragons, and the lizardmen here seem to be no exception. It is difficult to say who made whose legend possible.
However, at present, the story of the lizardmen is obviously longer-standing. After all, it is the former who have always sung the legend of the dragon, not the other way around - the dragon sung its people.
· Night gradually fell, and the busy and repetitive days passed again. As the light on the clouds extinguished, the light on the ground lit up instead.
The brilliant lights not only lit up the entire prosperous and sacred capital city, but also illuminated the clear lake surface like daylight.
At this moment, it seems to have turned into a real sun!
At the same time, in the center of Assam City, there was a pyramid made of granite.
The young and strong lizardman priest looked pious and solemn, holding an obsidian dagger in his hand, and came to the altar in the center of the pyramid.
A bronze brazier is placed in the center of the altar, and the holy fire is burning brightly, just like the endless national destiny of the Holy Armored Dragon Kingdom.
The drums gradually beat, and the master of ceremonies began to sing.
The strange and low prayers enveloped the entire pyramid, coating the moss-covered granite bricks with a layer of blood and chill.
The lizardman priest began to recite something, and suddenly his heart trembled, and the obsidian dagger in his hand suddenly stabbed into his chest.
Puch——!
Blood flew out and hit the center of the burning brazier!
His eyes were blood red, and his breathing was heavy. He raised his front paws high, and suddenly inserted his paws into his chest and tore out the beating heart!
While reciting the incantation, he placed it in the brazier.
A strange scene happened.
The blazing holy fire seemed to be nourished, and suddenly expanded in a circle, and changed from warm orange to cold blue, sending out circles of ripples like fireflies in the night sky, blowing outside the city of Assam, blending into The sparkling lake water...
"...Dedicated to the Great Dragon!"
The young lizardman priest finally finished reciting the last prayer, and a trace of relief and holiness gradually appeared on his face that was distorted by pain.
Hence, he fell to the ground silently, his scarlet pupils gradually losing color and light.
The vivid colors did not disappear, but together with the black blood spurting out of the heart, overflowed from the edge of the brazier and flowed over the gradually cold corpse.
Driven by a strange energy, the scarlet energy climbed all over the pyramid spiers along the twisted lines on the floor tiles, followed the withered vines all the way down, and poured into the carvings that filled the roads of Assam City.
At the same time, the young corpse withered at a speed visible to the naked eye. After a while, only a dead skeleton with scales was left, and then not even the bones were left. It was turned into ashes in the evening wind, and was blown into sand flying into the sky...
It was not just flesh and blood.
He sacrificed his soul to the great Dragon God!
Shortly after the young lizardman priest left, an aging figure came to the burning brazier and placed his skinny paws on the edge of the blue flame.
His name is Zel Tua, which means the prophet of ancient wisdom and mystery. His identity is the high priest of the Holy Armored Dragon Kingdom, and he is second only to the Holy King in this land!
"Praise the great dragon...Thank you for giving us prosperity, fertility and peace!"
"May your glory last forever...May your majesty be like the sun and moon hanging high in the sky. The stars will always guide your descendants! "
Zell chanted silently in a low voice, and at the same time raised the keel crutch in his right hand, like a torch, raising a ball of slightly flickering blue light.
His expression was solemn and solemn, as if he was mourning the great sacrifice and praying for the prosperity of the Kingdom of the Holy Armored Dragon.
The voices of the masters of ceremonies became louder and louder, and the aura that enveloped the pyramid became more bloody, ferocious, and ominous!
The solemn sacrifice and the increasingly rapid drumbeats entered the final climax——
However, at this moment, a change suddenly occurred!
The cloudless night suddenly flashed with a light, like thunder exploding in the clear sky, like the roar of a giant dragon!
The torch on the altar moved automatically without wind, and almost went out in the frenzy!
The same is true for the blue holy fire burning in the brazier. It was almost swallowed up by the sudden explosion of lightning, and it swayed several times before coming back in a trance!
However, the strange thing is that there was no wind blowing just now, and the blood filled in the copper basin was even more peaceful, like a frozen mural!
The high priest's pupils suddenly shrank, and he looked up at the sky, which was as deep and dark as obsidian.
From the starry night sky, he felt an unspeakable terrifying aura, heading towards Assam City!
"The 'Great Barrier'... is loosening," he frowned, and there was a trembling sound in his throat, "I heard the Dragon God's low roar... He is warning us that our ancient contracts and traditions will face the most severe test in thousands of years!"
The so-called Great Barrier is a miracle that the Dragon God used the power of the dragon's blood to cast in this fertile land in order to protect his descendants!
That is the "magic" that transcends all spells in the world. It not only permanently changes the topography of the world, but even changes the laws of the operation of all things. In this evil world of five turbidities, it opens up a utopia that is independent of the turbidity and is 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 lizard people living on the continent of Janna have been able to maintain their ancient traditions and live an idyllic and isolated life over the past thousand years.
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 Tua family——
The threat from the sea will subvert everything in the birthplace of the sun, moon and stars, and give birth to the most terrifying existence in the entire universe.
Although the Dragon God did not tell his people what the threat was, it did not prevent him from remaining alert to all threats coming from outside the great barrier!
Hearing the whispers of High Priest Zell, the expressions of the deacons standing around changed dramatically, and they all showed panicked looks on their faces.
"Is it Chaos...?" one of the deacons asked in a trembling voice.
The moment they heard the word "chaos", the shoulders of the surrounding deacons trembled slightly, and their amber pupils flashed with fear.
"I don't know." The high priest raised his head, his vertical pupils flashing with deep thought and hesitation, "But I can feel that some existence outside the world... is peering at us."
Speaking of this, he swallowed a sip of saliva and continued in a difficult tone.
"...The looseness of the great barrier must have been due to the prying eyes of those with sinister intentions."
The lizardmen around them all trembled and exchanged glances with each other, not daring to say anything.
High Priest Zell pondered for a long time, a trace of determination flashed in his amber pupils.
...The evil is approaching us. If we don't take action, the order of the Janna continent will disappear!"
After saying that, he turned around, flicked his thick tail and black and red robe behind him, and said seriously.
ô ô
In the golden hall, the holy king of the kingdom was sitting quietly on a throne made of pure gold, looking down at the ministers who were in attendance.
The noble blood gave him pure golden scales, which exuded a dazzling light under the brilliant lights.
His name is Izzy Pal, which means "obsidian that symbolizes royal power."
Although his strength is not the strongest in the Holy Armored Dragon Kingdom, he is recognized by the people of the Holy Armored Dragon Kingdom as the lizard man whose bloodline is closest to the dragon!
According to the legendary records, the blood of the Parr family has the power to summon the holy dragon. The power of a drop of blood is enough to equal tens of thousands of sacrifices! Three drops of essence and blood are enough to invite the Dragon God to personally perform miracles, move mountains and fill seas, and turn grass into forests!
Of course, this is just a record in the legend.
Since the Holy Armored Dragon Kingdom is so powerful and has tens of millions of people, there is no need for their king to wear armor and go into battle, let alone sacrifice himself to call on the power of the Dragon God... Therefore, this ability has never been tested.
However, even if the power of summoning the dragon with blood is just an ancient legend, the majesty of the Holy King is still enough to make the descendants of the Par family look down upon all the descendants of the giant dragon.
Izzy's eyes swept over the heads of the nobles of the Presbytery, and finally fell on the old and highly respected high priest.
"The Great Barrier... is loosening? Are you sure?" Izzy's claws lightly tapped the armrests of the throne, making a crisp sound, with a trace of scrutiny in his amber vertical pupils.
"Yes, Your Majesty..." The high priest lowered his head and slowly recounted what happened during the previous sacrifice.
When he heard the thunder flashing in the night sky and the holy fire almost extinguished, Holy King Izzy's pupils shrank suddenly, his claws unconsciously grasped the armrests of the Golden Throne, and a trace of solemnity finally appeared in his brows.
As the supreme holy king of the Holy Armored Dragon Kingdom, guarding the Great Barrier is a task passed down from generation to generation of the Parr family, and it is also the source of legal principles for him to rule this land!
If a foreign barbarian with unclean blood were allowed to set foot on this land, not to mention that the people of the Holy Armored Dragon Kingdom would not be able to forgive him, even he himself would not be able to forgive himself, let alone face his ancestors and the Dragon God soaring in the sky!
No matter what——
There must be no problems with the Great Barrier!
While the Holy King was deep in thought, the nobles in the Council of Elders were also discussing in low voices. Some lizardmen showed worried looks, while others were disapproving.
If there is a problem with the Great Barrier, the sea route between Janna Continent and the vast ocean will be opened, and this also means that the Holy Armored Dragon Kingdom living on this land will inevitably be passively involved in the disputes of the "Ancient Continent"... just like the last thousand years!
As a result, this catastrophe will not only impact the existing order of the Janna continent, but may even shake the foundation of the Holy Armored Dragon Kingdom!
But——
They can also think about it from another angle.
The battle between Saint Sith and Hades has lasted for thousands of years. If the two sides still have no victory or defeat, the "Ancient Continent" will be in chaos at this moment.
On the other hand, the Janna continent has abundant products, strong soldiers and horses, and the national power is booming... If the big barrier is really untied, there is no telling who will bully whom!
The Council of Elders in the Holy Ankylosaurus Kingdom is already too crowded.
The nobles in this land are as numerous as the scales on the Dragon God. If they can untie the shackles that the Dragon God placed on them thousands of years ago, they can just entrust some of the idle juniors to expand their territory in more distant worlds.
This is not a bad thing!
The nobles in the Presbytery tested each other with their own thoughts and exchanged glances in the main hall.
The Holy King thought for a long time and was about to speak when a rush of footsteps suddenly came from outside the hall door.
"Report——! Trakor asks for an audience!"
Sharp and scrawled noises and rapid footsteps rushed into the hall.
The Holy King and all the nobles looked at the main door that was suddenly pushed open, and saw a figure covered in blood limping in and kneeling on the ground with a "thud".
"Meet His Majesty the Holy King!"
Seeing Trakel kneeling in the hall, the pupils of High Priest Zel Tua, who was standing on the side of the hall with his head bowed, shrank slightly.
I saw that the sturdy lizard warrior had obvious battle wounds on his body!
His armor was damaged, his chest was covered with charred marks, and the obsidian spear carried behind his back was broken into two pieces. Scarlet blood dripped down his robe and onto the granite floor tiles.
Zell remembered this young and brave young man. He was not only a warrior and hunter blessed by the Dragon God, but also the captain of the hunting team of the Holy Ankylosaurus Kingdom!
If I remember correctly, the area he is responsible for hunting is the northern coastal area!
Zell's heart sank slightly.
What he was most worried about actually happened!
Looking at Trakl who was covered in injuries, Izzy, who was sitting on the golden throne, also had sharp eyes and said in a quick voice.
"Trakel! What happened? Who hurt you like this!"
Trakel lowered his head and said in a hoarse voice.
"Reporting to your majesty, we followed the order of the temple and patrolled the northern coastline, and accidentally discovered tracks that did not belong to this forest. In order to defend the land given to us by the Dragon God, I followed with my men and finally found their stronghold on the beach..."
Trakel reported everything he encountered in the forest and on the beach to Izzy, who was sitting on the golden throne.
Including the attack he ordered, the living dead fighting back with fire-breathing wands, and the iron box that finally appeared on the beach.
The Kingdom of the Holy Armored Dragon has iron weapons, but they don’t use them much.
When he talked about the death of his subordinate Saku, Trakl's voice was not only burning with suppressed anger, but also with a touch of fear.
“Saku died, at the hands of a guy with a human appearance, cat ears, and the speed of a cheetah. But it’s not that guy that scares me, but a monster that... I don’t know how to describe!”
"It has no feet or wheels, but it can move forward on the muddy land, and every step is accompanied by the roar of landslides and cracks! It has no arms, but it can easily overturn the earth and level the forest to the ground——"
"Stop!" Before he could finish his words, he was interrupted by a rude voice.
I saw a sturdy lizard warrior walking forward with heavy steps, looking at him with disdain in his eyes and his voice full of disdain.
"A monster without feet and wheels can move forward on the muddy ground. Listen to what you say! Is it possible that such a thing exists? Trakel, preaching about the strength of your opponent cannot wash away the shame of your failure. This is the palace of the Holy King, no This is where you talk nonsense! "
"That's enough, Kuchar!" Holy King Izzy suddenly scolded, but he did not interrupt the strong lizard man's speech, but chose to wait until he finished speaking before attacking.
It sounds incredible to be able to walk on muddy ground without feet or wheels.
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," Facing Kuchar's glare and the Holy King's suspicion, Trakl said calmly, "I can swear to the Dragon God, I will be responsible for every word I said today."
Kuchar narrowed his vertical pupils and looked at the guy in front of him with a scrutinizing gaze.
The main hall was deathly silent.
The discussion among the nobles started again, and many people's faces became ugly.
At this time, the high priest who had been silent suddenly raised his head, and his cloudy pupils looked at Trakl, who was kneeling on the ground.
"They are Chaos?"
The moment they heard this, the nobles in the Presbytery took a breath, while Trakor was stunned for a moment, and then nodded slowly after hesitating for a moment.
"...Perhaps yes...after all, apart from Chaos, I really can't explain why they have such terrifying power."
After a pause, he continued.
"At least there is no record in the ancient books that there is such a terrifying existence on the ancient continent... We must prepare for the worst, the world on the other side of the sea may have fallen!"
The moment he finished speaking, the atmosphere in the hall was like a pot of boiling water, splashing out from a hot stove!
"Chaos?!"
"How is it possible! No matter how useless the false gods on the other side of the sea are, they will not watch their believers being corrupted by Chaos!"
"But... after all, a thousand years have passed in the outside world."
"So what!"
"Enough! What we want to discuss now is what to do, not what the world is like outside the sea!"
The noisy sound filled the entire hall.
Sitting on the golden throne, Izzy's face was as dark as water, and his face was terrifyingly gloomy.
Seeing that no one believed in him, Trakel was very anxious.
At this moment, High Priest Zell suddenly took half a step forward, looked at the Holy King with a gloomy face and said.
"Your Majesty, whether it is the threat of Chaos or not, the loosening of the Great Barrier is an indisputable fact. I think we should deal with this crisis cautiously."
After a pause, he continued.
“To be on the safe side, I suggest that 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... This is not only related to the interests of our Holy Armored Dragon Kingdom, but also related to the stability of the entire Janna continent. I think he They will definitely not refuse. And we can also use this opportunity to weaken their strength, for example, let them go first..."
Saint King Izzy nodded slightly and was about to speak, but Kuchar took a step forward, clenched his paws into fists, and spoke in a deep voice.
"Your Majesty, there is no need to go to such trouble, you only need to allocate me ten thousand people, and I will make those dirty guys regret extending their claws to this land blessed by the gods!"
When someone arrived here, he looked at Trakl with disdain and said mockingly.
"By the way... I just want to see what kind of guy can run on the ground on his belly without using hands or wheels."
The generals in the hall let out a burst of wanton ridicule, and a pair of disdainful eyes fell on Trakel along with Kuchar.
Trakel clenched his claws and gritted his teeth, but he could only swallow this breath.
Kuchar is a noble of the Elders' House, and his family has been servants of the Dragon God for generations. Compared with himself, who has only been baptized by the "Hunting Seal", it is like the blazing sun to the stars.
Obviously, His Majesty the Holy King also trusts this general more.
Trakel sighed in his heart.
As he expected, His Majesty the Holy King, who was sitting on the golden throne, only thought about it for a moment and then gave the order.
"Kuchal, I order you to lead thirty thousand armored dragon soldiers to the northern coastal area to eliminate the enemies from the sea!"
"Yes!"
Kuchal's spirits perked up upon hearing this, and he accepted the order with his paws clasped in fists, and then he walked out of the hall eager to try.
Thirty thousand armored dragon soldiers!
With such a force, it would be enough to wipe out a whole country, let alone a group of bandits!
Looking at Kuchar who turned to leave, all the generals showed envy. They only regretted that they did not take the lead and were robbed of the opportunity by this guy.
Seeing that the tribesmen in the main hall did not pay attention to the enemies from the sea at all, Trakel felt anxious, and finally couldn't help but speak again.
"Your Majesty, I have no objection to your wise decision, but General Kuchar does not understand the enemy's cunningness after all... I am worried that his carelessness will cause the soldiers of the Holy Armored Dragon Kingdom to bleed for no reason. Please allow me to follow him!"
His voice was full of sincerity.
Saint King Izzy looked at him and continued with a majestic voice.
"Trakl, I understand your desire to avenge your shame, but please also put the overall situation first and believe in our General Kuchar... His bravery and resourcefulness are not inferior to yours."
"Yes..." Trakl lowered his head and did not dare to agree, but he had to agree.
The Holy King's order is absolute.
The consequences of disobeying the majesty of the Holy King are even more serious than losing a war.
Furthermore, Lord Izzy is actually right.
General Kuchar is a nobleman of the Presbyterian House, and he was born into a family of prominent generals. His experience in commanding large corps in battle is far greater than his own.
Not only that, his soul level is higher than that of a commoner himself!
Looking at Trakl who expressed his surrender, Izzy had an expression of approval on his face, nodded slightly and continued.
"As for you... I have a more important task to give you."
Trakel looked solemn and said immediately.
"Please give me your orders!"
Izzy waved to the side, signaling the palace attendant to bring a gold token forward and handed it to Trakl, who was kneeling on one knee.
"The looseness of the Great Barrier is not only related to the stability of the Holy Armored Dragon Kingdom, but also to the safety of the entire Janna continent! Now, Trakor, I order you, as the envoy of the Holy Armored Dragon Kingdom, to send envoys to the Tide, Sand Ridge, and Windhowl tribes to eliminate the Bring the message to their clan leader... You have to tell them that the predicted crisis has arrived. According to the oath our ancestors made in front of the Dragon God, now we are officially open to the outside world! I hope they will put aside their past grievances and send envoys and priests to the city of Assam above the holy lake."
「我们将在圣坛上共同商议应对之策！」
特拉克尔双爪抱拳。
"As you command!"
Although he was injured, this did not prevent him from embarking on a journey for the fate of the kingdom and his people.
And——
It is not certain that His Majesty the Holy King specifically selected himself who survived that encounter as an envoy just to make those stubborn old antiques realize how terrifying the enemies at sea are.
For the lizard people, conveying information visually is a far more intuitive method than writing letters...
In this way, Trakor embarked on a journey with the peace envoy.
On the other side, Kuchar, who received the holy order, led the assembled 30,000 armored dragon soldiers and marched to the northern coastline in a mighty manner.
The moment to decide the fate of the continent of Janna is coming!
At this moment, no one noticed that on the top of the mountain less than a hundred kilometers away from the holy lake, two lizard men were looking towards the direction of Assam City with their necks stretched out.
After a long journey, they finally followed the incomplete footprints and came here through the dense rainforest and rugged hills.
Looking at the huge city standing in the lake, the two young players were immediately shocked by the scenery they saw.
“Damn...this modeling!”
“Isn’t it too real!?”