Pillar of Yita

Pasha gazed at the purple-hued starry sky; beneath it stretched a vast, endless land, silver-white as far as the eye could see. Moonlight cast a cool, silver glow upon the Sand Sea, lending this ancient desert its name.

Beneath the western sky lay that city—Idus, as the Istania People had long called it. After traversing the expansive Silver Sand Desert, merchants first laid eyes on Idus’s red walls—like a beacon in the Sand Sea.

’Red Sand Cliff’ thus got its name, representing the meaning of Idus in the Istania language.

But that was a hundred years ago; today, the city had long turned into ruins under the assault of wind and sand, its walls crumbled, gradually turning to sand. Shortly after eight, the ruins lit up with bursts of light, clearly visible toward the cliff.

Pasha saw points of starlight flying in from the west—the Istania People’s eyesight was generally exceptional—the starlight grew bigger, eventually transforming into strands of golden light, which settled into the hands of that gentle, young Lord Captain.

”How is it?” he heard the chubby warrior carrying a shield ask the other.

”Inside, layers of defense are set up, and some places are guarded by magic guided conductors of exceptional skill, even my Clockwork Fairy cannot easily enter. The Blood Shark Sky Pirates are more numerous than we imagined, but I haven’t seen the Dragonfire Guild people yet, nor am I certain if the Dragon Worship Sect members are inside,” Fang Hong turned his head, answering Luo Hao and Reed who accompanied him: ”But those people didn’t deceive us; the Blood Shark Sky Pirates are indeed excavating something in the city, the lights seen are their forced labor digging away through the night. However, those places are heavily guarded; I can only observe from a distance...”

”What’s the situation at the central square?”

Fang Hong shook his head: ”The direction of the central square is too far; my Clockwork Fairy can’t fly over, and there’s no light there, just darkness.”

”Then what do you think might be there, Ade?” The Big Cat said suddenly: ”Nikopolas?”

Fang Hong thought for a moment and nodded; that’s indeed what he thought. If a change were to appear at Idus after the Fanric incident half a month ago, prompting the Blood Shark Sky Pirates to lockdown information, then the only possibility seems to be the wounded Nikopolas.

”Not long after Fanric’s incident, there were changes there; perhaps the timing matches,” the Big Cat smacked his lips: ”But truth is often hidden beneath the surface, Ade.”

”Mr. Reed, what does that mean?”

”On the surface, Dragon Worship Sect and Nikopolas’s worshipers indeed, but was that the scene you observed at Dolifen, is it quite so, Ade?”

Fang Hong was involuntarily taken aback.

”Sir Diket mentioned something to me,” Reed continued: ”When you saw Nikopolas for the first time on that square in the Phantom Realm, Dragon Worshipers commanded it with the Ring of Golden Flame.”

”But that Ring of Golden Flame was fake.”

”Yes, fake, so Nikopolas flew into a rage and killed them. This is nothing like the relationship between the worshiper and the worshiped, Ade.” The Big Cat squinted eyes.

”But that may also be because Nikopolas has a part of Lady Misu’s soul, at Dolifen Fantasy’s end...”

”But that is still Nikopolas; if she harbors suspicion towards Dragon Worshipers, why would she seek them out while seriously injured?”

Fang Hong was silent for a moment. He indeed felt the discord between Dragon Worshipers and Nikopolas.

Dragon Worshipers conspire everywhere to restore the dark giant dragon’s former potent strength, yet Nikopolas seemingly despises its followers.

It neither actively contacts its followers nor cooperates with them. Dragon Worshipers surely know that wounded Nikopolas has been lurking in Traveler’s Swamp, but even before it never appeared before its followers.

Even after Dragon Worshipers plotted at Traveler’s Rest, the first thing Nikopolas did after reclaiming the Dragon Horn’s power was to embark on a furious reprisal against nearby humanity:

Burning Charter City to the ground—

Though it made everyone uneasy, it also alerted most of Colin Ishurian’s keen-minded individuals: the Dragon’s Witch has returned.

Fang Hong carefully inquired about the details of Charter City’s siege from Red Leaf. As for Charter City’s destruction, its direct result was only one—rousing Colin Ishurian swiftly, causing the human and dwarf armies to gather in the north.

Moreover, Elpaxin Artisan Association located Mazak, along with another Dragon Slayer Heir. Today, gone are the times of the Giant War when a dark dragon could oppress the entire human world.

Among the five Dragon Slaying Holy Swords, though Moya no longer exists, at least three of them and their heirs are still alive.

Including Galathea, who once wounded it.

Not to mention the Chosen now. Red Leaf and others were selected by the military to join that combat. The military promised each participating guild a place in the Second World, sufficient incentive to draw most guilds to join.

Moreover, against the dark giant dragon, the military has every reason to personally intervene.

In the face of these gathered forces, Dragon Worship Sect’s visible strength is negligible. Furthermore, this incident even compelled the Prime Minister’s faction to temporarily relieve pressure on the Southern Region, hence the Southern Region finds itself in a temporary state of peace.