After the White Dragoness left, the abnormal dragons retreated to their floating islands to rest and recover.
Garon also returned to the Eternal Spirit Hall, ceasing his absorption of life energy, and entered a brief slumber.
Meanwhile, in the fourth layer of the Windswept Abyss, within a sealed empty corridor that once imprisoned the Demon Prince Lolth, a figure appeared silently. It was Shar, the Goddess of the Night, her gown like a weave of night itself, flowing around her.
This corridor, full of increasingly narrow tunnels, led to independent, closed-off spaces. Each of these spaces held strange creatures, lost languages, or knowledge and treasures that should not exist in the multiverse. Shar moved through the corridor, arriving at the end of a particularly narrow passage. Her deep purple eyes glimmered as she murmured softly to herself.
"You have been dormant for so long. It's time for you to reemerge."
With these words, she stepped forward, her body becoming a shadowy silhouette as she passed through the solid wall.
The world twisted and spun.
An independent space, dark as the universe itself, unfolded before Shar's eyes.
Instantly, nine shadowy figures began to stir around her, their forms indistinct and flowing like shadows in water.
These shadows, pulsing with life, projected waves of anger and questions.
"Shar, you have broken our agreement."
"When will you fulfill your promise to return the multiverse to its primordial state?"
"We trusted you, sacrificed our comrades and power to restore you, yet you betrayed our trust."
The shadows circled Shar, resembling menacing ghosts, their demands relentless.
The Goddess of the Night remained unshaken.
"Currently, the Primordial Wild Gods are clashing with the gods, aiming to destroy the material plane and return the multiverse to its primordial state post-creation."
"But they are on the brink of failure."
"While I have no desire to align with the Primordial Wild Gods, to move closer to the primordial era, assisting them in shattering the planes and gods is acceptable. Besides, the gods are our obstacles too."
Shar spoke slowly.
"For this, I need you to act first."
The shadows twisted and, after a moment of silence, one responded with a peculiar wave of uncertainty.
"Shar, can we still trust you?"
Shar smiled slightly, saying, "Our goals are the same. Besides, if you don't trust me, who else can you trust?"
The dark space fell into a deathly stillness.
After a time, the shadows around Shar began to pulse again.
"Very well, we will trust you once more."
Shar's gown fluttered as she declared, "The gods have forgotten you. It's time to remind them of your names—Primeval Shadows!"
Primeval Shadows, entities more ancient than ancient.
They existed before the creation of the gods, before the birth of the two Primeval Goddesses. These beings thrived in the darkness and shadows of the primordial era until the first light appeared, awakening them.
Since then, their hearts have been filled with fury and distortion.
They yearned to return to their slumber in the unlit darkness.
Sharing a common goal with Shar, in the earliest ages of the primordial era, the Primeval Shadows allied with the Goddess of the Night. Together, they extinguished countless sparks of life, becoming her most powerful minions.
This alliance persisted until Shar was severely wounded by her sister, the Moon Goddess Selûne, in a life-risking strike.
Both paid a heavy price.
The Moon Goddess fell to the level of weak divine power and has not recovered since. The question remains: how has Shar, who fought Selûne to a standstill, maintained her powerful status in the multiverse?
The Primeval Shadows, yearning for a return to infinite darkness, aided Shar after her battle with Selûne.
Selûne's divine injuries were not easily healed.
To restore Shar, the Primeval Shadows lost four of their own, reducing their number from thirteen to nine, and these survivors saw their powers wane to the quasi-medium level.
Part of this was due to their alliance with Shar.
Born from darkness, these shadows were affected as the multiverse became illuminated, where darkness and light intertwined and cycled, further destabilizing their weakened states until they were reduced to quasi-medium power.
If not for their hiding place in the sealed corridor, they might have continued to weaken and possibly faced their own extinction in some unnoticed corner of the world.
Now, the Goddess of the Night reactivated these ancient entities.
---
After a period of rest, the silver dragon in the Eternal Spirit Hall slowly opened his eyes, his platinum irises deep and clear, like a serene lake in a secluded forest.
Sensing the status of the other abnormal dragons, Garon noted that they, like him, had mostly recovered from their slumber, full of vigor and energy. Some were wandering around the Dragon Court, casually inquiring about Garon from the other dragons.
Any dragon questioned, whether an ordinary legendary dragon or an ancient demigod dragon, would set aside their pride and respond with reverence and admiration.
The abnormal dragons gradually learned more about Garon.
Garon, the leader among legendary dragons, the mysterious and powerful Time Dragon, revered as the Eternal and Time Dragon, also the ruler of the Dragon Court, the Time Dragon God, and the sovereign of the Heroic Domain. The more they understood, the more unfathomable this dragon capable of traversing time and space appeared.
"Everyone, now that you have awakened, it's time to once again instill fear in the Primordial Wild Gods."
Garon's calm and steady voice echoed in the minds of the abnormal dragons.
Simultaneously, at Garon's command, the Time River surged with waves, engulfing the abnormal dragons and transporting them to the material worlds.
The formidable Abnormal Dragon Legion returned to the battlefield.
In a sunless material world, the clouds gathered heavily in the sky, dark and oppressive, almost pressing down to the ground.
Rain poured incessantly, turning into torrents that nearly submerged the world in a curtain of water.
Boom!
A flash of lightning illuminated the dark world for a moment, reflecting off the powerful, menacing figure of a massive black dragon. The lightning highlighted its robust body, each scale as impenetrable as steel.
The Black Emperor let out a low growl, and his wings flared.
Dark red patterns on its wings glowed, and fiery vortexes seemed to erupt at the edges, doubling its speed.
Like a streak of black and red lightning, it tore through the gloomy rain.
In the distance, a humanoid Primordial Wild God stood amidst the storm, its eyes fixed on the fearsome Black Emperor.
This Primordial Wild God, standing three meters tall—larger than most humans but dwarfed by the dragon—had six pairs of blood-red metallic wings extending from its back, each feather a sharp blade, shining coldly.
This was the Fallen Edge, one of the top-tier quasi-medium power Primordial Wild Gods.
"Since the primordial era, nineteen gods have fallen to my blade."
"Black dragon, you shall be the twentieth. My blade will savor your blood; consider it an honor."
The Wild God's voice was sharp and cutting.
The Black Emperor remained silent.
In its hands, the Fallen Edge held a blood-red long blade, dark and dull, its edge concealed.
Facing the charging black dragon, the crimson blade expanded instantly.
A blood-red line seemed to pierce the world as the blade extended to four thousand meters, held by the three-meter-tall Wild God. Though the size difference was striking, it did not diminish the blade's deadly sharpness.
Clang!
The crimson blade swung, slicing through mountains, severing rivers, and cutting the very fabric of space, aimed precisely at the black dragon's neck.
The Black Emperor's dark eyes showed a hint of apprehension.
Even before the blade touched it, its neck felt a faint sting, as if the scales had already been cut, the blade piercing into its flesh.
The Black Emperor's claws crossed, their dark scales like black crystals.
Clang!
Sparks flew.
The hundred-meter-long Black Emperor blocked the mountain-sized crimson blade with sheer strength.
Hiss... Steam like white mist rose from the black dragon's scales.
Blood seeped from its claws, and its muscles writhed as if alive, gripping the blade tightly.
"You think this toy can cut through my body? Ridiculous."
The Black Emperor's low voice rumbled.
One claw held the crimson blade at bay while the other formed a fist and smashed into the blade's surface.
Boom!
The impact reverberated like thunder, sending waves of force that scattered the rain and even dispersed the clouds above.
The Fallen Edge's grip trembled violently, struggling to hold onto its weapon.
Cracks spread from the point of impact along the crimson blade.
"You wish to break my blade? Fine, as you wish."
Time seemed to pause for a moment.
The next second, the four-thousand-meter blade shattered into thousands of fragments, swirling around the black dragon like a hurricane, cutting into its body repeatedly.
The Fallen Edge's wings flared, each feather a gleaming sword.
Blade-like feathers fell, sharp beyond compare, raining down on the Black Emperor and combining with the blade fragments to engulf it. Under the Wild God's ferocious assault, the surrounding space looked like it was being shredded, with countless blade marks crisscrossing the ground.
Deafening explosions echoed.
The dragon's heartbeat roared like an engine.
The Black Emperor's body was covered in blade wounds, some deep enough to reveal bone.
At its chest, dark red light shone like magma, and the fiery vortexes on its wings flared, increasing its speed.
With a powerful beat of its wings, the Black Emperor burst free from the storm of blade fragments and feathers.
The Fallen Edge's narrow, sharp pupils contracted.
Facing the Black Emperor's full-on assault, the Fallen Edge hesitated to engage directly.
It flapped its wings, trying to evade temporarily.
But at that precise moment, the Black Emperor's mind commanded a silent incantation.
**Decree: Dominion!**
Boom!
A crushing force targeted the Fallen Edge, exploding with immense power.
It felt like an invisible giant hand pressing down on the Wild God, even collapsing the dark clouds above and causing the ground beneath to crack and crystalize from the pressure.
At that instant, the Black Emperor closed the distance with lightning speed, nearly upon the Wild God.
The Fallen Edge's wings curved inward, forming a cocoon-like shield around its body, with each blade-feather trembling defensively.
In a flash, the black dragon's massive form loomed over the Fallen Edge.
**Decree: Sanctuary!**
A ring of peculiar ripples spread out, washing over the Fallen Edge.
The bladed feathers drooped weakly, and the defensive stance of the Wild God was undone momentarily.
In that fleeting moment, the Black Emperor's claws tore through the Fallen Edge's defense, gripping its body tightly and crushing it with sudden force.
Crack, crack, crack. The Fallen Edge's body crumbled inch by inch.
"Black dragon, if I am to die, you will join me in death."
The Wild God's eyes filled with bloodshot veins, glaring fiercely.
In the next heartbeat, the wings of the Fallen Edge, clamped together by the dragon's claws, began to tremble violently, heating up like a burning iron brand, sizzling against the dragon's grip.
At that critical juncture, the Wild God hesitated, pausing its self-destructive attack.
"Hmm?"
The Black Emperor's eyes shifted, thoughts racing.
The Fallen Edge was staring past the Black Emperor, into the shadows behind it.
In the midst of the intense moment, with heightened focus, time seemed to slow.
A shadowy figure rose silently, creeping up to the Black Emperor's neck without the slightest disturbance, almost undetectable.
The shadow twisted, extending a claw-like shape that silently stabbed into the dragon's neck.
Inky black shadow spread from the wound, seeping into the dragon's scales through the tiny breach, invading its body.
The Black Emperor roared in rage.
Its massive head twisted 180 degrees, glaring directly at the shadow.
Roar!
The Black Emperor unleashed a burst of dragon's breath, bright flames dispelling the darkness.
The shadow withdrew with the receding darkness, evading the dragon's breath.
Slash!
The dragon's claws throbbed with pain.
The Fallen Edge seized the opportunity, gathering its strength, and slashing at the Black Emperor's claws with its bladed wings, drawing blood and weakening its grip. The Wild God broke free, quickly widening the gap between them.
"How can such a vile creature claim nobility?"
The Black Emperor growled, glaring at the Fallen Edge.
Surprisingly, the Wild God appeared just as bewildered, seemingly unaware of the shadow's origin.
The Black Emperor scanned its surroundings; the endless rain fell from the sky, and the dim world was filled with shadows, making it impossible to identify the attacker.
Simultaneously, a feeling of weakness began to spread through its body.
Turning its head, the Black Emperor saw the shadow spreading like poison from the wound on its back, corroding its body.
The shadow beneath the Black Emperor shifted, launching an attack at its abdomen.
Boom!
The Black Emperor beat its wings, lifting its body away.
The shadow's strike left only a small wound on the dragon's belly before it vanished back into the shadows.
Yet, this new wound, too, carried the shadow's taint, spreading a growing sense of weakness and cold through the dragon's body, as if its movements were becoming rusty and sluggish.
Realizing the shadow was an ally, the Fallen Edge decided to coordinate its attack.
Raising its arm, it summoned the scattered fragments of the crimson blade, reforming them into a cohesive weapon. It then slashed through the darkened sky and rain, aiming a deadly blow at the Black Emperor.
The Black Emperor found itself in a dire struggle.
With the Fallen Edge's relentless assaults and the unseen shadow's elusive strikes, which left corrosive wounds with every hit, the dragon was gradually worn down.
"Black dragon, though my victory may not be honorable, I will still claim your head!"
The blood-red blade cut through the air like a streak across the sky.
The weakened Black Emperor lifted its head, its dark pupils reflecting the incoming blade.
"Will I, Kaiser, perish here?"
"No, I won't let my life end like this."
In the Black Emperor's mind, memories of its life flashed by, feeling a vague new strength rising within, separated only by a thin barrier, a breakthrough just within reach.
Suddenly.
The Time River surged with roaring waves.
The entire world seemed to come to a halt.
The clouds, lightning, rain, blades, and shadows all froze in time.
A massive silver dragon claw emerged from the Time River.
The Fallen Edge, coming to its senses and seeing the intervening claw, reacted with alarm.
Struggling against the temporal binding, it retracted its crimson blade and severed space to escape the material plane.
The colossal dragon claw grasped the weakened Black Emperor and receded into the Time River.
At the same moment.
The shadowy figure sprang forth, attempting to leave a mark on the silver claw.
"Begone!"
Blinding white light erupted from the claw, driving away the shadow completely.
With a faint, almost inaudible wail, the shadow fled like a startled rodent, no longer daring to challenge the dragon's authority.
Back in the Dragon Court, the Black Emperor, now bearing significant wounds, noticed other abnormal dragons were also there, suffering from similar shadow-inflicted injuries.
"This was a coordinated assault on the abnormal dragons."
The Black Dragon pondered.
Not far away, the Winter White Dragon, its pale scales tainted by shadows, nervously asked Garon, "Lord Garon, do you recognize the shadows that attacked us? Are they a kind of Primordial?"
Under the scrutiny of the abnormal dragons, the silver dragon shook his head and replied, "There are nine of them, identical in power and form, and they are not Primordial Wild Gods."
"As for their true nature, it's hard to say."
"Perhaps they are demons, devils, or some long-hidden quasi-divine entities."
"But regardless, since they have chosen to ally with the Primordials, they cannot be spared."
The Primeval Shadows were so ancient that they were known only from the earliest battles between the Primeval Goddesses, Light and Dark. Information about them was exceedingly rare.
They could meld seamlessly with shadows, undetectable even to the gods, and their attacks carried the power of shadow corrosion, making them perfect assassins.
During intense battles, their surprise attacks injured many of the targeted abnormal dragons.
However, none of them died instantly, which was already a significant achievement. This frustrated the Primeval Shadows, as they had never failed to kill their targets before.
"They seem to fear light."
Under the shadows' assault, the Solar Dragon and Xilong sustained the least damage and observed this.
Garon nodded slowly, "It's not just a possibility; it's a fact. They are linked to darkness and shadows. Light can weaken and even kill them."
At this point, Garon and his divine counterpart merged back into one.
The Solar Dragon Wings gently flapped, emitting a soft, radiant light that enveloped the abnormal dragons.
Basking in the sunlight, the shadowy corrosive marks on their scales melted away like snow.
The Black Emperor flexed its body, feeling the chill and stiffness fade under the warmth of the light.
"Lord, we are prepared now and won't be caught off guard by them again."
"Please, allow us to return to the material plane."
Angered by the ambush and now healed, the abnormal dragons were eager to return to the fray.
"Very well."
Garon sent them back to the material worlds, while he watched silently.
In the material plane.
The returning abnormal dragons resumed their hunt for the Primordial Wild Gods.
However, the Primeval Shadows followed closely, lurking in the darkness, striking at opportune moments.
With their initial ambushes behind them, the abnormal dragons were now on alert and avoided being easily caught off guard.
But the need to constantly be on guard against the shadows forced them to divert attention from their primary battles with the Primordials. This prevented them from fully engaging the Wild Gods and often led to stalemates rather than decisive victories.
Given this situation.
The silver dragon in the Eternal Spirit Hall gently flapped his radiant Solar Dragon Wings, his gaze sweeping over the material worlds.
"It seems I must intervene."
Garon, possessing the Solar Authority, was the perfect counter to the Primeval Shadows.
He decided to personally deal with these shadowy assassins lurking in the dark.
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