The moment the dragon's might collided, the mountains seemed to roar deafeningly.
Saritus moved.
This old dragon, who had once fought alongside Irridikon, was still remarkably fast despite his mountain-like physique.
His left wing pushed aside the airflow, and his right hind claw struck through the air. His movements were concise and sharp, unleashing his power almost perfectly.
No probing, no mercy.
He truly intended to tear apart this young dragon whose name he didn't even know yet.
However, Obsidian remained motionless.
Since his transmigration, he had never truly tested his limits.
He knew he was strong, but he didn't know how strong.
By feeling… this attack couldn't even break his defense.
"Bang—!!!"
The two giant dragons collided with a crash, and the shockwave exploded into a circle of snow.
Then—
Saritus stumbled back a step.
Obsidian remained motionless.
The old dragon's vertical pupils instantly constricted.
His right hind claw trembled slightly, and blood seeped from the gaps between his scales, clearly indicating internal injury.
Saritus felt as if his claw had struck a soft wall, and all his force had been swallowed.
No, all his power had been bounced back to him.
He looked at Obsidian in disbelief, a calmness and confidence beyond imagination flickering in those young dragon eyes.
"This… how is this possible?" Saritus muttered in a low voice, a trembling hint of disbelief in his tone.
As an ancient Proto-Dragon, he had experienced countless battles and had never encountered such a bizarre situation.
But it was not yet time to admit defeat.
Saritus gritted his teeth, his dragon tail sweeping horizontally like a war hammer, kicking up snow and rubble, intending to disrupt Obsidian.
Obsidian merely gently raised his front claw—
"Smack!"
Precisely, with a single claw, he caught the sweeping dragon tail!
Immediately after, his five digits tightened sharply!
"Crack."
The sound of scales shattering was clearly audible.
Saritus let out a muffled grunt. Before he could struggle free, Obsidian had already closed in, delivering a heavy headbutt to his large head!
"Boom!"
Saritus's vision went black, and his massive body fell backward, plowing a deep trench dozens of meters long in the thick snow, stopping precariously at the edge of the cliff.
He struggled to get up, but saw that Obsidian was already standing silently before him, his claw tip pressed against his throat.
"Do you want to continue?" Obsidian asked.
Saritus gasped, dragon blood dripping from his nostrils. He stared intently at Obsidian, then suddenly sneered: "You think… this is over?"
He suddenly opened his huge maw! A dazzling blue light ignited deep in his throat—that was the Proto-Dragon's innate Frost Breath.
Obsidian sighed softly.
"Stubborn."
He lightly slashed with his claw tip, and shadows, like living things, drilled into Saritus's mouth, forcibly extinguishing the breath that was about to erupt.
The old dragon began to convulse in pain, the ice-blue energy surging wildly within him, unable to find an outlet.
"Listen, old one." Obsidian leaned down, the golden light in his dragon eyes almost scorching through the other's soul, "I don't care if you believe in gods, and I don't care what you think of the Titans."
"But if you dare to obstruct my plans again—"
He pressed down with his claw tip, a wisp of shadow seeping into Saritus's scales.
"I will make you commit some… irreparable mistakes with your own hands."
When Obsidian withdrew his claw, Saritus was already sprawled on the ground, unable to move even a single toe.
Shadow Wing and Frost Fang huddled in the distance, too scared to make a sound.
"You are not Neltharion."
"You are not a Titan."
"You… are another trouble."
Saritus's voice was so low it was almost indistinguishable, yet each word was like weeping blood, carrying a hint of a curse.
His eyes had lost focus, but he still stared fixedly at Obsidian, a gaze mixed with despair, anger, and unwillingness.
Obsidian said without looking back, "Thank you. But, I am more than just trouble."
From a distant mountain peak, a low dragon roar echoed.
Amidst the wind and snow, more Proto-Dragons were descending upon this place.
They saw a different existence.
Not from the Titans, not burdened by commands, nor representing a tribe.
But a "god" whose power belonged to himself.
Obsidian raised his head, his voice low, yet clear enough for every Proto-Dragon to hear distinctly:
"I will come again."
"Whoever wants to believe me, come and listen to me."
"Whoever doesn't, it doesn't matter."
"I don't rely on you to uphold my godhood; I'm just here to tell you—it has already risen."
The wind and snow began to rage again, swirling up snowflakes across the sky, and the world became a vast expanse.
The Proto-Dragons either lowered their heads in thought or exchanged bewildered glances.
Obsidian's words were like a stone dropped into a calm lake, stirring up ripples.
Doubt, shock, contemplation… all sorts of complex emotions surged in their eyes. This sudden "god" forced them to re-examine the rules of this world and their own future.
Saritus remained sprawled in the snow trench, his eyes hollow and complex.
At this moment, he seemed to have lost all strength and hope.
Frost Fang huddled behind the rock, its body pressed tightly against the ground, its tail curled into its own wings.
It didn't understand what had happened, only that the black dragon who had once gently taught it to identify patterns had just erupted with a power capable of destroying the sky.
It was afraid.
Not due to a command, but the primal instinct of dragon survival screamed: Stay away from him! Do not approach!
On the other side, Shadow Wing gently leaped at the same moment.
It didn't roar or circle, but silently glided down from the high rock, passing through the lingering snow mist, and landed steadily beside Obsidian.
It lowered its head, standing quietly beside its deity.
In the end, Saritus did not die.
His heart still beat heavily and regularly in his chest, but his limbs felt as if filled with lead, too heavy to lift.
Worse, uncontrolled energy still surged wildly within him, clearly requiring a long time to recover.
The shadow that had invaded his body had not dissipated; instead, it clung like a maggot, leaving not a fatal wound, but a deep-seated humiliation.
He was an ancient one, a founding hero who, as an "Incarnated Dragon," resisted the tyranny of the Five-Colored Guardians, the "Iron Tail" Saritus who never retreated in the War of the Scaled Ones!
Now, he had been so effortlessly defeated and humiliated by a junior black dragon who had appeared out of nowhere…
Saritus didn't know how to respond, nor did he have the strength to respond.
He could only watch as Obsidian turned and left, watching the black dragon spread its magnificent wings and sweep over the mountaintop, watching the other carry the young Proto-Dragon flying into the distance.
He finally understood one thing.
This little one was not a madman, nor a clumsy imitator of Neltharion.
He was another option.
A massive trouble that forced all Proto-Dragons to re-examine themselves and make a new "choice."
Even worse—he appeared too late, and yet, at just the right time.
The Five-Colored Guardian Dragons were already fragmented due to Neltharion's betrayal, and no Guardian Dragon dared to show its face, fearing a sneak attack from their fallen brother, lest they suffer the same fate as the Blue Dragons.
And the Proto-Dragons… were already a disorganized mess. Their former leaders, who had the prestige and ability to unite them, were sealed, utterly powerless to organize effective resistance.
"...Trouble."
He painstakingly squeezed out the word.