Kalon's mighty and robust body coiled on the crown of the Tree of Life, which seemed to reach almost as high as the clouds. His thirty-two-meter-wide wings were covered in mysterious flame patterns.
Beside these flame patterns, runes representing earth and metal were intertwined. These rune patterns quietly lit up at this moment, making the Red Dragon's wings resemble the wings of a god.
His fierce and majestic head looked down from above, surrounded by True Dragon flying. In the eyes of the kneeling Elves, he seemed like a manifestation of divinity.
Thus, these Elves placed their hopes and expectations upon that Red Dragon, and upon the True Dragons swirling beneath the Red Dragon.
The aged Elf Great Elder, Kade, shouted loudly: "Praise the Great Red Dragon, praise the Great True Dragon! We offer you our highest praise, Supreme King of the World!"
At this moment, all the Elves, from their fear of destruction, turned to fervent devotion. They shouted in unison: "Praise the Great Red Dragon, praise the Great True Dragon! We offer you our supreme praise and allegiance, Supreme True Dragon King of the World, Noble True Dragon of the World!"
The voices of the Elves shook the forest and the heavens, converging into a thunderous roar. Even the surrounding forest echoed with songs of praise, and the Tree of Life swayed, shedding green life-giving light, seemingly joining in the acclamation.
The Elves gathered here numbered more than tens of thousands; the assembled life far exceeded the True Dragon's estimates. The elite Elf Warrior and Druids from the remaining large Elf tribes in the Green Field Forest were all dispatched. Excluding the ordinary Elves, their numbers already exceeded twenty thousand.
Adding the numbers of the original three huddled Elf tribes, a rough estimate put the total at least fifty thousand Elves. Even though many Elves hung from the branches of the War Treant, they were still everywhere, covering the mountains and plains, a sea of people.
If the True Dragon hadn't stood high enough, one couldn't have seen the end of them.
These fully dispatched Elves had originally intended to test the True Dragon's power. If the True Dragon's power could contend, they would switch to a state of total war.
But under the focused attack of the True Dragon, the destructive ability, which was almost overwhelming, made these Elves quickly change their minds. The giant pit, hundreds of meters wide and a kilometer long, instantly buried thousands of Elves.
Under such divine power, these Elves had already become the Giant True Dragon's general and casual believers.
Tens of thousands of Elves' power of faith and psionic energy instantly enveloped the Red Dragon and the True Dragon in the sky. Although this power of faith was weak and almost imperceptible.
However, the number of Elves was simply too abundant. The Elves in this world alone already far exceeded the number of subjects in the Dragon Clans Territory.
And these Elves were the elite of this world. Although the shallow belief they brought was weak, it was quite considerable when added together.
Every True Dragon in the Dragon clan was ecstatic. They felt the unfamiliar power, like trickling streams, flowing into their bodies.
One by one, they soared excitedly in the sky, emitting clear and resonant True Dragon roars.
Although this power was weak, and each True Dragon received only a small amount, and although this power was unfamiliar, no True Dragon had ever seen it before.
But the True Dragon's heritage told them that this was a power that could only be touched when one reached the divine realm—the power of faith.
Although the power of faith was already a common and widespread knowledge among deities and their favored ones, below the divine realm, it was still considered a supreme mystery.
In the historical traditions of these True Dragon, no True Dragon had ever ascended to godhood through the power of faith. Even the True Dragon's Dragon God was born a god and then became a god.
The reasons for this were varied, but the main reason was that no one was willing to worship the True Dragon race as a god. Even the monsters who revered True Dragons as their masters would at most regard them as their overlords.
This could be seen from the conduct of the True Dragons when they once ruled the world.
Countless eons ago, the True Dragons ruled everything in the world—the sky, the land, and the seas—yet no Giant True Dragon ascended to godhood because of it.
This was because, in the era when the True Dragons ruled the world, the rise and fall of all races in the world depended solely on the Giant True Dragon's whims.
If the True Dragons liked you, your race would decline; if the True Dragons disliked you, your race would face extinction.
At this moment, the Elves felt worship and reverence for the True Dragon's power. But if the True Dragons also acted like other True Dragons in ancient times, these Elves would quickly change, becoming a force to resist the True Dragon's rule.
This was the flaw of the ancient True Dragon era: chaos mixed with a little order, but not much order.
However, although the power of faith was scarce, it was extremely helpful to the True Dragons in the Dragon clan. They could gain many benefits by touching this power.
Most importantly, they would gradually realize the benefits and advantages brought by order, and this power of faith was just one of them.
And Kalon, perched at the very top of the Tree of Life, received the greatest impact. Abundant psionic energy and a large amount of faith power, compared to other True Dragons, descended into his body.
The previously accumulated and expanded psionic vortex now resembled a swirling galaxy, emitting points of mysterious light, floating in Kalon's mental sea.
However, the power of faith, mixed with the Elves' prayers, blessings, and praises, was repelled by Kalon's own pure psionic will, which represented supreme authority.
The birth of this ability was closely related to Kalon's own will and mind. The supreme authority actually demanded that the power of faith, which deities consider essential, also submit to him.
But this power of faith was also actively attaching itself to Kalon's soul, will, and even his body, causing some kind of collision and conflict with Kalon's psionic energy.
Although this conflict and collision gradually merged under Kalon's own will, a wonderful change gradually emerged from this friction and merging.
Kalon's massive True Dragon body began to transform, switching from a massive Red Dragon to a Dragonborn form with horns pointing skyward, standing upright with a fierce skull and scaly armor.
But in the next instant, his figure gradually transformed again, from the Dragonborn form to another form. His True Dragon horns retracted, his scales disappeared, and his long tail vanished.
His figure subtly transformed, his five claws became long and powerful fingers, and his ears became pointed like an Elf's, though he had a head of red hair like flowing flames.
His fierce and majestic face also transformed into an Elf-like face, but unlike those slightly effeminate Elves.
Kalon's face had distinct features, Stereo features, and an unparalleled bone structure, representing the most masculine and handsome combination.
It was just that the inherent feminine quality of Elves slightly refined Kalon's overly aggressive gaze and the Red Dragon's flamboyant temperament, preventing his gaze from being one that no one dared to face.
But at this moment, the Elves' fanaticism was even greater than before. Even some Elf Warriorwith particularly firm minds developed a shallow belief in the Elf avatar before them. They swarmed, like worker bees facing the supreme queen bee, gathering around the Tree of Life.
These Elves were no longer empty praises, but heartfelt songs. They held hands and danced beneath the Tree of Life, performing the dances of the Elf tribe's grand festivals.
"O Great Red Dragon, he is the Supreme King of the World, he possesses the avatar of an Elf, that is the most beautiful color in the world, the face that all Elves yearn for."
"O Great Red Dragon, he is the Supreme King of the World, he is the King of other races, and also the God of the Elves. That is the embodiment of Elf beauty and power, he can bring destruction, and he can also bring new life!"
Amidst the Elves' singing and praises, Kalon's Elf form rapidly took shape at an unimaginable speed.
The Tree of Life beneath his feet wove its most life-energy-rich tender shoots into a garland, but it could not be worn on Kalon's head. Instead, it transformed into a small bracelet, carrying the blessing and energy of life, radiating a gentle glow.
But in the next instant, Kalon's Elf form quickly switched back to his original Red Dragon body. He lowered his head, and his deep, resonant voice echoed in the ears of the many Elves: "I am King first, and then God! You may see me as God, but first honor me as King!"
Countless Elves stopped their dancing and singing, their faces filled with disappointment, and sighed softly. They were disappointed that they would no longer see Kalon's Elf form.
But Kalon's words represented the will of the Red Dragon. All the Elves bowed down and shouted in unison: "Our King, our Lord, we obey your will!"
Kalon spread his broad wings and roared loudly. His voice drowned out the voices of all the Giant True Dragon and the resonance of all the Elves.
But his calm will was sensing his own changes.
At that moment, his polymorph spell had been completely transformed beyond recognition. Under the distortion of Evil Dragon Blood, psionic energy, and the power of faith, the polymorph spell, originally a magical ability, had formed a power similar to a bloodline talent.
The transformation of three forms flowed in his eyes. These were three phases, each form representing a phase. Currently, there were only three phases: the Giant True Dragon's true form, the Dragonborn form, and the Elf form.
The transition between the three phases also brought Kalon a new realization. Perhaps in the future, for every additional race under his command that worshipped him as a deity and whose power of faith reached a certain level, he would generate a new phase.
This phase represented the image that the race worshipping Kalon hoped Kalon would embody. From this, it could be seen that Kalon's previous self-form transformation was also influenced to some extent.
"Is this the influence from the myriad beings under my rule? Come on, come on, let's see if you influence me more, or if my will is stronger."
Kalon bared his mouth full of ferocious fangs. He felt himself enveloped by the light of the mind, his pure soul and will, and revealed a victorious smile of challenge.
Those powers of faith were distorted by Kalon's will and psionic energy, changing Kalon in another way of existence, but Kalon felt that this was not a bad thing.
"For every additional race that believes, a new phase will be generated when it reaches a certain level. Will my title also have to include 'True Dragon of a Thousand Faces and a Thousand Forms' in the future?"
Kalon thought about his newfound ability, stroking his chin and falling into a brief contemplation. "It seems that the Creator Dragon God io also has a related title, 'Nine-Faced Dragon God Io,' which represents this aspect of ability."
"Tsk," Kalon shook his head, throwing this somewhat blasphemous thought out of his mind. He felt that such an existence might be able to perceive his presence with just a touch of thought.
Although Nine-Faced Dragon God Io was rumored to be dead, such a great existence possessed the ability to rise from the grave at any time. Kalon did not want to test whether he could attract the attention of such an existence.
Moreover, although the power of faith provided by these Elf tribes was far from enough for ascending to godhood, Kalon could not guarantee whether the chain reaction triggered by attracting the attention of these ancient existences would be good or bad for him.
To say that Platinum Dragon God Bahamut and Chromatic Dragon Queen Tiamat, born from the corpse of the Creator Dragon God, had no means or connections to monitor this Creator Dragon God, even the unintelligent True Dragon beasts would not believe it.
"I just hope the later I attract attention, the better," Kalon suddenly exhaled. Although Kalon had habitually concealed all his aura and traces, and his psionic energy was, to some extent, following Kalon's will to hide Kalon's existence, Kalon was not sure if this measure was useful against those high and mighty deities.
Even if Kalon's methods were effective for himself, when his territory developed to a certain extent, and the True Dragon he led grew to a certain extent, it would eventually attract attention.
For this, Kalon could only be grateful that even those immortal deities were not omnipotent. Their gaze was fixed on the endless astral sea and would not constantly monitor a fixed Prime Material Plane.
"Forget it, why think so much? It's just dealing with problems as they arise. If I can't stop it, then I'll deal with it then."
The Red Dragon relaxed, lazily stretched out his wings, patted the joyful Tree of Life beneath him, and said, "Hey, do you have any fruits? You know, those really powerful fruits!"
It was time to harvest the fruits of victory, although the largest fruit had already been harvested by the True Dragon.
...
The Dragon Clan Territory has been bustling recently. Many people from villages in the forest are rushing to the only two major cities in the Dragon Clans Territory, Golden City and Bay Stream City.
This has led to severe challenges for the public order in these two cities recently. Although no one dares to cause trouble in front of the armed and leather-clad security soldiers, conflicts inevitably arise when there are many people.
The entire city is noisy, and severe disputes even lead to both parties entering the newly built True Dragon gladiatorial arena to decide the victor.
Not only the subjects within these True Dragons territories, but also many outsiders who heard the news have flocked to Golden City in droves due to the regulations recently issued by the Dragon Territory.
Because the Dragon clan gave out wives.
According to the newly enacted law in the territory, all subjects settled in the Dragon Territory, whether single men or women, would be assigned a husband or wife by the Dragon clan, or as laborers, and all of them were Elves.
Regardless of race or creature, if one is a ruler, the first priority is absolutely clear rewards and punishments. This is an important foundation for all existing rule.
Therefore, Kalon enslaved all three Elf tribes that were guilty in the eyes of the True Dragons, and then integrated and assimilated them with other races in the territory through family units. This not only allowed for the rapid absorption of these Elves but also promoted racial integration and the formation of a cohesive ideology within the territory.
However, Kalon clearly underestimated the impact of this measure. Originally, a lot of effort would have been needed to buy slaves and attract immigrants. Under the influence of this law, even some slave-hunting mercenary groups settled in pairs in the Dragon Clan Territory, not to mention other immigrants.
Because the Dragon Territory, it really gives.
At this moment, the area in front of the Golden City office was already packed with people, so much so that many short Kobold Soldiers had to bark themselves hoarse, while struggling to swing their weapons to push back the surrounding crowd.
But the Kobold Soldiers' hoarse barking was long drowned out by the noisy discussions, and no one paid any attention to these Kobold; they just tried to squeeze forward one by one.
"Hey, Old Datun, you already have a wife, and you're still queuing here? Aren't you afraid your cat will fight you tonight? Besides, the decree issued by the True Dragon explicitly states that only single people can apply. If you dare to deceive those adults, you're probably looking for death!"
In the crowd, a tall, strong man pushed past those in front and mocked a farmer next to him.
The farmer, called Old Datun, immediately straightened his face and muttered in a low voice, "Hmph, I've already broken up with that vulgar woman who likes to fight. I'm going to apply to bring back a beautiful elf to infuriate that vulgar woman."
But the tall, strong man paid no heed. He raised his hands high and shouted loudly to the Kobold Soldiers who were trying to maintain order nearby, "I report, I denounce! This person, Old Datun, he originally had a wife, and he wants to cheat!"
"Damn it," Old Datun's old face flushed. He was about to squeeze out of the crowd and go queue in another direction, but the Kobold Soldiers were already barking angrily, "Catch him! How dare he deceive the decree, deceive the wise Kobold! Quickly, seize him!"
So the unlucky Old Datun was dragged out of the crowd by the angry Kobold Soldiers, his hands and feet tied with ropes, awaiting the judgment of the relevant officials.
Not only did Old Datun not get an elf, but he also lost his original wife. More importantly, according to the gradually improving territory laws, he would also lose his hard-won free life.
Only the tall, strong man excitedly clenched his fist. There was one less competitor, and his chances of bringing back an elf beauty increased by a tiny bit.
The tall, strong man followed the flow of people forward, queuing for most of the day. The officials handling the matters had also changed shifts. He was hungry and thirsty, but he dared not leave the line to find something to eat or drink.
He annoyedly patted his head and mumbled, "Damn it, you're such an idiot. Why didn't you bring some food and drink beforehand?"
But looking at the gradually approaching line, there were only a few people in front of him, and the faces of the human officials handling the matters were already in sight, so he still patiently endured.
He pricked up his ears, listening to the officials' questions and the answers of the people in front in the noisy environment, hoping to gain some experience for himself.
"Hand over your identity plate," the official handling the matters was already numbly going through the process. With such a huge workload, even with three shifts of people working in rotation, these officials' faces showed no vitality, appearing lifeless.
An Orc adventurer handed over his identity plate, carefully fawning with a smile.
"What? You've only been here for two days, haven't acquired a house or property, have no fixed income or residence? Then what are you doing joining in the fun? You can't prove you can support yourself and your wife. Go, go, go!" The official impatiently waved his hand, shooing away the Orc adventurer.
"Next."
Another Barbarian warrior stepped forward and handed over his identity plate.
The official's face brightened upon seeing it, and he said kindly, "Oh, a soldier from the Barbarianbattle group! You've been with the battle group and experienced combat, so you're a meritorious soldier. You should go over there; that's the soldier's aisle. You just need to register and you'll be directly assigned; no need to queue here for review."
The Barbarian warrior scratched his head, smiled, took back his identity plate, and pulled his companion behind him toward the building the official pointed to.
He muttered in a low voice, "It must be Chief Gibb. He likes women with big butts and thick legs, so he didn't tell us about this. When we go back, we'll complain to the True Dragon and expose his ugly face."
Another Barbarian warrior responded in a low voice, "Chief Gibb seems to have received a reward from the Dragon clan. He specifically asked for a Centaur female warrior as his wife. For this, he didn't drink any less with Chiron, the Centaur legion leader."
Listening to the Barbarian's words, the tall, strong man felt a sincere envy. Centaur female warriors were fierce, but they looked good, and in his eyes, they had a unique kind of sensual beauty. It was just that he didn't have the guts to approach these Centaur female warriors.
It was said that to win the favor of Centaur female warriors, one had to conquer them in a one-on-one duel. Although the tall, strong man was strong enough, he was just an ordinary farmer, and he didn't have the ability to subdue those fierce female warriors.
"What a pity. My future children must be sent to the Dragon clan Academy to learn skills, so that they can do whatever they want in the future, unlike me, who still has to choose targets."
Various jumbled thoughts flashed through the tall, strong man's mind, and then he stood before the official's desk, proactively handing over his identity plate.
"Wotefa? What a strange name?" The official secretly complained in his heart, looking at the small seal on the identity plate, which proved that this was a long-term resident, and then began to inquire.
"Wotefa, right? How many people in your family? Do you have an original spouse? Do you have a residence? Do you have land? Can you read?" The official began to inquire methodically.
"Sir, it's just me in my family. I came with my neighbors. I don't have a wife yet, but I do have a house. As for farmland, because I've only been here for a little over a year, I've only cultivated four mu of land. It's no problem to support myself and a wife. It's just that reading is too difficult; I don't know many characters."
The tall, strong man scratched his bird's nest-like hair, answering a little shyly.
"Not bad, you seem like a diligent good child," the official's face showed satisfaction. He heavily stamped a document with the seal in his hand, then handed it to the tall, strong man.
"Currently, you've passed the preliminary review. Looking at your conditions, if you haven't lied, the subsequent reviews will likely pass as well. Since you're illiterate, I have a few matters to explain to you," the official's face became serious.
The tall, strong man quickly nodded, pricking up his ears to listen.
"The wife you bring back needs to give her consent. Of course, they usually agree, after all, they don't want to remain slaves forever,"
The official paused, then continued, "As long as you two are married under the witness of the bells in the Golden City, your wife will be entered into your family registration book. Before leaving the family, she can be considered a free person and possess all the rights of a free person."
"But if, due to some factors, your future wife escapes your family, she will be re-regarded as a slave. If you personally let her go or acquiesced, you will also be regarded as a slave, and all rights belonging to free citizens will be revoked."
"So, remember to keep a close eye on your wife. If there's a defection, notify the territory's constable as soon as possible, and it's best to apprehend her quickly, understand?" The official's face was solemn, but full of implications.
The tall, strong man nodded. As if swearing allegiance to the True Dragon under the True Dragon's banner, he stood at attention, solemn, and loudly replied, "I understand! For the True Dragon, for the territory, I will definitely apprehend my wife as soon as possible!"
At this moment, Bay Stream City, after many personnel replenishments, the pioneering corps had expanded from its original three thousand-plus people to over six thousand.
Thanks to the Golden River that flowed through the forest, convenient and fast small boats always brought the necessary supplies for these pioneering corps on time. Under such abundant conditions, the construction of Bay Stream City had already taken initial shape.
Under the planning of Alina, rows of neat and orderly houses were situated around the plains below the mountains, adjacent to the Golden River.
But in the past few days, the small boats flowing downstream brought not only supplies but also exciting good news. This good news made the bachelors of the pioneering corps incredibly energetic these days, and the speed of cultivating land and fertile fields increased significantly.
Although these members of the pioneering corps were still serfs, their contributions to the Dragon Clan Territory had already led them to be regarded as free citizens, thus possessing the rights of free citizens.
Now, the grain harvested from the land cultivated in Bay Stream City was already self-sufficient and could also supply a large portion to the Dragon Clan Territory as a reserve, which was also the benefit of the temporary military management system.
Considering this, it was also equivalent to the True Dragon's advance reward to the people of these pioneering corps, and it could also boost the morale of the pioneering corps, making them work harder for the True Dragon.
If you want the horse to run, you have to feed it well!
The little girl Nora and some companions skillfully gathered the sheep and herds on the hillside. The whip in her hand cracked, driving the herds, which even as night fell still clung to the fertile grass on the mountain, back into the animal pens at the foot of the mountain.
Nora, like her companions, had seen her once pale and thin cheeks become full and rosy day by day. The most obvious advantage in the Dragon Clan Territory was that they were always fed.
Although this condition seemed so simple, most common people in the world found it difficult to achieve.
Moreover, because True Dragon dependents always loved meat, the people of these pioneering corps often ate meat, and although it wasn't every day, this life was already happy enough for these people.
The little girl Nora had almost forgotten her life in the wilderness, forgotten her unfortunate parents, forgotten her impoverished village, and forgotten every dangerous day.
She now had her grandmother's companionship, a group of friends to play and herd with, a stable and peaceful life, and the care of many kind elders. She felt that life had never been so good.
Especially thanks to Nora's patience and care, her flock of sheep had given birth to their first young this year, and according to regulations, she had already received a little lamb as a reward.
At this moment, Nora was holding the tiny bleating lamb in her arms, driving the flock. After driving all the sheep into the animal pens, Nora also returned her little lamb to its mother, allowing it to grow strong on its mother's milk.
Then Nora bid farewell to her companions one by one and skipped back to her home.
A simple but not crude wooden house appeared in Nora's sight. Although this wooden house was inconspicuous among the row of houses, Nora immediately saw the light shining from her home.
This was a wooden house that Uncle Farn, the village chief, had helped build, and Village Chief Uncle Farn lived next door to Nora.
Nora skipped to the outside of Village Chief Farn's house, stood on tiptoe, and tapped on Farn's window, knock, knock, knock.
The village chief's voice came from inside, "The door is open, little Nora. Can you change your bad habit? You know, when a single man is alone at home, there are many inconvenient times."
"Hehe, Uncle Farn, don't always say such things that are bad for children," Nora jumped into the house and saw Village Chief Farn kneeling in front of another window, praying with his eyes closed, softly chanting words of prayer.
During this time, Nora and her grandmother had received much care from Village Chief Farn. She had already come to regard this village chief uncle, with whom she was already familiar, as a true family member, and therefore felt no reservations.
"Oh, Uncle Farn, you're praying again? Are you praying to those mighty, beautiful True Dragon? Let me listen!"
The little girl Nora plopped down next to Farn, smiling as she looked at the serious-faced village chief uncle.
"I am praying to the deity I worship. The deity brings us light, brings hope, and also brings a good life. Although the deity's church made mistakes, that does not mean it was the deity's original intention."
Farn explained with a serious face. Although he had been expelled from the church, he still believed in his former deity, so he maintained the habit of praying.
"But we didn't see your deity lend a hand when we were in trouble, Uncle Farn. When we were captured, no deity displayed a miracle,"
The little girl Nora said innocently, "But now, what gives us a good life is the True Dragon! It's Alina, it's the True Dragon that rules the Golden Land, and it's the beautiful and mighty Kalonwho gives it to us!"
"In my opinion, these True Dragons are the deities who bring us goodness, hope, and light, Uncle Farn. Listen to me, change your prayer target to the Dragon clan!"
Little Nora patted her unremarkable chest and said with conviction.
Village Chief Farn was stunned for a moment. After a long time, he finally got up.
"Where are you going, Uncle Farn? It's so late. Come and try the mushroom soup Grandma made." Nora invited.
"Hey, I'm going to bring you an auntie, to experience the reward of the Dragon clan who brought us goodness," Farn stroked Nora's head and chuckled softly, "Work hard, Nora. Maybe next year, I'll bring you a little brother."
Nora widened her already large eyes and asked blankly, "But what does that have to do with me working hard?!"