Chapter 707: My Name

This chapter is an additional update sponsored by the alliance leader "Mo-Se Tianya," with one update for now and the remaining four to be completed later.

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"That sneaky old fox!"

The phrase burst into Liszt's mind as an uncouth exclamation.

Duke Sapphire was truly a deeply concealed old fox. Liszt had long speculated whether he was a Bronze Dragon Knight or the Lord of the Dragon Domain, ultimately concluding it was the latter.

Yet in the very moment of battle, he mounted his sapphire dragon and became a true Dragon Knight.

"This is a trap!" Liszt felt unsettled. He had once been overconfident, believing that simply riding a dragon would allow him to overpower the duke.

Now, he realized how naive he had been, unaware of how cutthroat the world could be: "He must have planned this entrapment ever since the dragon-slaying incident. Otherwise, he wouldn't have maintained the pretense of being the Lord of the Dragon Domain. Knowing the ambitions of the Kingdom of the Eagle, he naturally took precautions."

Though his reasoning might seem like Monday morning quarterbacking, it wasn’t too late—at least he still had the chance to play both sides and come out on top. After all, the Sapphire Dragon Knight and the Bronze Dragon Knight were bound to engage in a fierce battle.

Boom!

The earth-attribute Dragon Aura clashed with the ice-attribute Dragon Aura as the bronze dragon and the sapphire dragon smashed into each other. Their massive bodies collided head-on with a dull thud. The bronze dragon’s lance clashed against the greatsword wreathed in blue flames, sending sparks and lightning flying.

Rocks and hailstones conjured by the Dragon Aura rained down wildly, turning the sea below into a churning maelstrom.

The crown prince had no choice but to order the fleet to retreat, while forces from the Kingdom of the Eagle began steering their ships toward another part of the sea, still intent on reaching shore.

Boom!

The bronze dragon and the sapphire dragon clashed violently, while Alonso and Andrew unleashed battle skills in rapid succession. In an instant, the sky was split between a heavy, earthy yellow and a frigid blue-white. Rocks flew, hailstones pelted, and the battlefield shifted from east to west without pause.

The battle hung in perfect balance.

The Tulip family’s fleet also quietly withdrew, though they lingered at the rear, keeping a close eye on the aerial battle. Marquis Lee William, protected by his own Dragon Knights and Archmages, remained unafraid. Watching this rare battle between dragons unfold, he sighed repeatedly, "I never imagined the duke was also a Dragon Knight."

"Neither did I. He fooled us all."

"Perhaps it was unavoidable. The weight of ruling a duchy is no lighter than the burdens carried by any ordinary knight." Lee William seemed to understand the duke’s actions, though his allegiance no longer lay with him. "Liszt, we must rethink our strategy."

"I know." Liszt’s expression was grave.

He wasn’t particularly worried—no matter what, with Acheronides by his side, he would stand fearless against any Dragon Knight. However, the duke’s true identity changed the game completely, potentially ruining his chance to profit from the conflict. A single Dragon Knight was more than enough to protect a duchy.

If Alonso’s odds of defeating the duke were previously nine to one, now they were no better than sixty-forty.

With the battle evenly matched, the two might not escalate to a fight to the death. At most, they would exchange blows before finding a way to back down, each returning to their own side.

Yet, the battle escalated in an instant.

The bronze dragon bit down on the sapphire dragon’s neck, and the sapphire dragon retaliated by sinking its fangs into the bronze dragon’s wing. Dragon blood sprayed forth in great gouts, raining down onto the sea in crimson torrents.

Alonso hammered blow after blow with his bronze lance at the duke, who parried with his greatsword wreathed in blue flames, roaring, "Alonso! We are both Dragon Knights—there’s no benefit in dragging this out. Why not cease now? If the Dragon Knights of Iron Ridge return, you will perish here!"

"Enough talk!"

Alonso ignored him, stabbing furiously. "Though you deceived me once, old fox, and I didn’t expect you to succeed in riding a dragon, do you think I’m some greenhorn? Today marks the fall of the Sapphire Duchy—nothing can stop it. That's a promise!"

The bronze lance pulsed with raw earthy power, each swing like a mountain crashing down.

KA-BOOM!

KABOOM!

The Duke fought back with all his might, snarling, "Have you lost your mind?!"

"Just carrying out the plan to destroy the Sapphire!"

"You lunatic!"

CRASH!

BOOM!

The battle had reached a fever pitch. The two dragons lurched midair, their blood splattering everywhere, yet neither showed any sign of retreating.

Liszt’s pupils swirled like galaxies, his Magic Eye locked onto the movements of the two men and their dragons. He could clearly see that neither Alonso nor the Duke was using mere advanced combat aura manuals or techniques—they were unleashing attacks fueled by Dragon Aura.

This was the kind of Dragon Aura manual he longed to create.

Raw, ferocious, and devastating when combined with Dragon Aura—clearly superior to ordinary mana in both power and style.

Just then, Acheronides said, “Brother, I want to collect some dragon blood.”

Liszt nodded. “Be careful.” It wasn’t dangerous for Acheronides to gather dragon blood at sea, and every drop was priceless—every drop counted. On land, spilled blood could seep into the earth and form ores, but in the ocean, they’d be lost forever.

He’d never risk using Leo’s blood for experiments—besides, Leo’s blood would instantly ignite into flames. So the bronze dragon’s and sapphire dragon’s blood were the best materials available.

Acheronides locked onto the skyward battle and dove swiftly into the sea.

Liszt kept observing the Dragon Knights’ fighting styles. As a greenhorn Dragon Knight with no backing, he had to figure everything out on his own. Now, with two “mentors” giving a live demonstration, offering invaluable experience, he didn’t want to miss a single move.

ROAR!

ROAR!

The dragons’ cries shook the skies and sea, echoing over the stormy waves. The fleet had all but fled from the battlefield—or rather, distanced itself far away. The two Dragon Knights seemed to deliberately avoid the ships, trying not to cause collateral damage. With the intensity of this battle, even stray blows could crush vessels and kill ordinary knights.

The winter sun dipped westward.

Before long, afternoon arrived. These two Dragon Knights, powered by incredible stamina, had battled nonstop for ninety minutes. Both dragons were shredded with gashes, drenched in blood, yet neither side had gained ground. The riders on their Dragon Tooth Platforms also began to falter, their strikes growing wild and uncoordinated.

The Duke roared again: “Alonso, are you really ready to die here with me?!”

“You’re wrong!”

Alonso suddenly burst into laughter. “You actually thought I was fighting you head-on? Old schemer, you’ve been guarding against the Eagle Kingdom at every turn—did you think I wouldn’t anticipate that? If you could disguise yourself as a Dragon Domain lord while being a Dragon Knight, why couldn’t I fake a solo invasion of the Sapphire?”

“What?!” The Duke went rigid, as if struck by lightning. “You mean… you brought another Dragon Knight with you?”

As shock rippled through him,

a distant figure barreled toward them from the clouds, speeding straight at the locked combatants. As it neared, it revealed itself—another dragon.

A jade-green dragon, slightly smaller than the sapphire one.

On its Dragon Tooth Platform sat a knight gleaming in silver plate armor, brandishing a silver dragon lance—five meters of death.

At the sight of this new arrival, the Duke clenched his teeth and bellowed, “Jade Emerald Dragon Knight, Ka Erluo Violet! Clever move!”

“Marquis Alonso, I’ve arrived. My lance hungers—time to spill dragon blood!”

The Pale Emerald Dragon Knight, Carlo Violet, swiftly entered the fray with lightning speed, launching a deadly strike at the Sapphire Dragon.

"Roar!"

The Sapphire Dragon let out a pained cry.

The Duke, who was already struggling against Alonso alone, was now utterly crushed facing two opponents simultaneously. His attempt to flee proved futile—his earlier exertion had drained him too much to evade the newly arrived Pale Emerald Dragon Knight. He could only desperately parry the lethal attacks from both dragon riders.

The sky ran crimson with dragon blood.

The Sapphire Dragon was on the verge of grievous defeat, facing imminent slaughter.

The battle seized the hearts of all distant onlookers. The knights of the Kingdom of the Eagle cheered wildly, while those of the Sapphire Duchy plunged into despair.

Yet Liszt, standing on the bow deck of the *Tulip*,

felt his blood boiling, his limbs and bones seemingly set ablaze.

"The tide turns in the blink of an eye. I thought the Duke was doomed, creating the perfect opportunity for me to take his place. Yet I never expected he was setting an ambush, having secretly tamed a dragon beforehand. And now, the Kingdom of the Eagle has sent two Dragon Knights, hellbent on crushing the Sapphire Duchy."

He lifted his head, his eyes burning with fury: "The Smoke Mission compels me to choose my stance. This is the moment—the world shall know that a new Dragon Knight has risen upon these seas!"

"It is I—the Fire Dragon Knight, Liszt Tulip!"

His tricolored cloak—red-faced, black-backed, with golden edging—snapped violently in the wind, and the Frostbite Dragon Slayer Sword vibrated eagerly in his grasp.

"Roooar!"

A thunderous draconic roar echoed in his mind.

Rio, his magic-bound fire drake, burst forth from his body in an instant, erupting into a fireball midair. From the flames emerged a magnificent fire dragon with a twenty-meter wingspan. As the fire dimmed, its gleaming red-and-black scales were revealed to the stunned gazes of all present.

Unfazed by the wide-eyed stares from nearby ships, Liszt leapt forward and mounted Rio in one fluid motion, instantly activating Dragon Rider mode.

The world sharpened around him, glowing with clarity.

"Roooar!"

Rio roared even more powerfully than before, barreling headlong into the chaotic melee where the three Dragon Knights clashed!