103: The might of the king

Anatolis never imagined that after promising his brother to protect his descendants for over a hundred years without issue, the Derrick Family would nearly be wiped out just because he left for two months.

"Is your name Reyn?"

Anatolis looked at the young man before him. The dense aura of the blood of the wild wolf on him made Anatolis clearly perceive that the person in front of him was a direct descendant of his brother Derrick.

"Yes, senior. My name is Reyn, Reyn Derrick, the current Lord of Red River Territory."

Reyn stood respectfully before Anatolis. Facing this old fellow who was one or two hundred years older than him, Reyn was extremely cautious.

"Fortunately, you are still here. Otherwise, I really wouldn't know how to explain it to Brother Derrick when I go to the Underworld one day."

Anatolis looked at Reyn, his gaze becoming increasingly gentle.

"A few months ago, people from the Dragon Worship Cult were active nearby. They wanted to recruit me to serve their master. I was unwilling to submit and become a dragon's lackey, so I sealed off Magic Wolf Peak and led those Dragon Worship Cult members in circles in the forest."

"Not long ago, for some reason, the Dragon Worship Cult people suddenly disappeared and stopped chasing me, so I returned to Magic Wolf Peak."

"I didn't expect that such a thing would happen after only being away for a few months. Your father probably came here to seek help from me at that time, but he just couldn't find me."

Reyn didn't expect his family to have such a trump card. Unfortunately, at the critical moment, his cheap old man had bad luck and couldn't use it.

"Perhaps this is the arrangement of fate. Senior Anatolis, you don't need to blame yourself."

"Senior, is that Dragon Worship Cult so powerful? Even with your strength, you're not their match? Do they really serve dragons?"

Reyn asked several questions in a row, and Anatolis patiently explained them to him one by one.

"The Dragon Worship Cult is a force personally established by the Red Dragon Queen Olivia, and it only takes orders from her."

"Their leader, Roderick, received a personal blessing from the Red Dragon Queen and is a powerful Legendary Dragonblood Sorcerer."

"As for that Red Dragon Queen, her strength is even more unfathomable. She is likely a powerhouse of the Third Stage of the Legendary Realm."

"I only have the strength of Gold Peak. I've been stuck at this level for decades and have yet to break through to the Legendary Realm."

"With my current strength, I'm too far behind compared to the Dragon Worship Cult; I simply can't compete with them."

"Furthermore, besides the Dragon Worship Cult, the Red Dragon Queen has quite a number of dragon followers under her command, including several Legendary dragons."

"The strength of Dragon Peak under the Red Dragon Queen's control can be called the strongest in the Black Mountain Range. Most of the magical beasts and intelligent races in the Black Mountain Range are under her control."

"Perhaps only the Legendary Secluded Valley and Fairy Forest are qualified to compete with Dragon Peak, but I've stayed in the Black Mountain Range for nearly two hundred years and have never seen a powerhouse from the Secluded Valley or Fairy Forest appear. I've only heard some rumors about them."

Under Anatolis's narration, Reyn gained a clear understanding of the mysterious Black Mountain Range.

It turned out that there were three powerful forces in the Black Mountain Range: Dragon Peak ruled by the Red Dragon Queen, and the mysterious Secluded Valley and Fairy Forest.

Dragon Peak has always been active, with powerful dragons often moving about in the depths of the Black Mountain Range, while the Secluded Valley and Fairy Forest have not appeared for hundreds of years, leaving only some legends.

"Senior, there are quite a few dragons in the depths of the Black Mountain Range. Why haven't any dragons been seen in the Northern Border?"

Reyn was quite curious. With such a powerful force in the Black Mountain Range, it was unusual that they hadn't made a move on the Northern Border and instead stayed tucked away in the depths of the Black Mountain Range.

"No matter how strong that Red Dragon Queen is, she is not a true ruler. Otherwise, she would have dominated the entire Black Mountain Range long ago and led her followers to pillage everywhere. Moreover, if she were truly a Dragon King-level existence, the number of dragons in Dragon Peak wouldn't be so small."

"But that Golden King of the Kingdom of Asriel is a genuine ruler. If the Red Dragon Queen dared to enter the kingdom's territory to pillage, the Golden King would certainly take action."

"Furthermore, when the Grand Duke of the Raging Bear, whom Brother Derrick followed back then, was expanding his territory, he had a direct conflict with the Dragon Worship Cult."

"That Ancient Magic Bear of the Raging Bear Family actually tore apart a Legendary dragon-blood warrior with its hands and killed a Gold Rank dragon, which directly provoked Dragon Peak to send powerhouses to try and kill the Grand Duke of the Raging Bear."

"What was the result?"

"The Golden King personally stepped in. First, he killed that Legendary dragon that crossed the border, and then he took a turn around the border of the Northern Border. After that, those dragons on Dragon Peak never made another move, and even that Red Dragon Queen showed no reaction."

As a personal witness to the expansion war of the blood of the raging bear, Anatolis was extremely familiar with that period of history.

"The Golden King's strength is actually that great?"

"Of course. Every one of those who can be called a ruler has terrifying strength. Otherwise, how could they be the king of a race?"

"Then why can't the kingdom eliminate these dragons and occupy the Black Mountain Range?"

Anatolis thought for a moment, supporting his head with one claw.

"It's probably because of those ancient ruins near Dragon Peak. I once went deep into the mountain range and wandered around Dragon Peak for a while. The terrain and environment there are very strange, with barriers and Magic Arrays that outsiders simply cannot enter."

"I've heard that whether it's Dragon Peak, the Secluded Valley, or the Fairy Forest, they all occupy some ancient ruins. In their territory, their strength is greatly enhanced, while outsiders are suppressed."

"Once, a powerhouse of the orcs from the Wasteland of Chaos came to Dragon Peak to challenge the Red Dragon Queen. I watched the battle from a distance. That orc powerhouse's strength was extremely formidable; even standing several mountaintops away, I was hit by the aftershocks of their battle."

"But even with such a formidable opponent, he eventually died within Dragon Peak, and his head became the Red Dragon Queen's trophy."

"So, the Golden King likely wouldn't risk going to Dragon Peak to fight the Red Dragon Queen, and the Red Dragon Queen doesn't have the strength to head south and challenge the Golden King."

"For these past few hundred years, dragons and humans have lived in peace. With the protection of the Golden King, the Legendaries in the Black Mountain Range dare not act recklessly!"

Only today did Reyn learn that the Golden King in the Golden City actually possessed such prestige that, even from thousands of miles away, he could keep the powerful foreign races at the borders from daring to move.

"I should reassess the strength and influence of the Golden Royal Family."

Reyn had already thought the Golden Royal Family was very strong before, but now he saw that his vision was still too narrow.

However, the most important thing right now was Anatolis, his ancestor's brother-in-arms. If he could bring him back to the Red River Territory, Reyn would have a powerful safeguard.

A powerful combatant who had been stuck at Gold-rank Peak for many years—among the remaining families in the entire Rage Bear Territory, besides the Raging Bear Family, the strongest would only be at this level.

With this big shot overseeing things, Reyn would be able to sleep peacefully in the future.

And if Anatolis were to break through to the Legendary Realm one day, Reyn's backing would be truly solid.

"Senior, living in this isolated forest is quite inconvenient, and there are frequent disturbances from the Dragon Worship Cult nearby. Why not come back to the Red River Territory with me? I will support you with the territory's resources, and you will also have ample time to cultivate and break through to the Legendary Realm."

Anatolis didn't answer Reyn but instead gestured for Reyn to look at the strange object behind him.

"The reason I settled here is because of it. It's thanks to it that I was able to break through to Gold-rank Peak, so I won't leave this place."

Reyn looked at this strange object that was both like a plant and an animal and asked curiously:

"Senior, what kind of treasure is this? It actually has such powerful effects."

"This is the stone life flower!"