Chapter 877: The Blacksmith of Hometown

The corpse vanished, and the figure of the First Dragon Knight reappeared in the blacksmith's shop, still bound by the rainbow-hued chains. Liszt Flame continued to slash relentlessly, repeatedly bisecting the iron knight. Though each strike birthed a new First Dragon Knight, the apparition grew increasingly translucent.

After dozens of repetitions, the figure of the First Dragon Knight finally dissipated completely, leaving no trace behind.

At the same time, the psychic realm of the grey cast iron dragon began to collapse. In an instant, the blacksmith's shop, nature's forge, was utterly destroyed. Then, a pristine peak rose from the ground, and the fully grown grey cast iron dragon coiled atop its summit, inclining its head toward Liszt.

The next moment.

Liszt's senses swam, and suddenly he was astride the grey cast iron dragon. Its broad wings spread, mighty haunches propelled them, and it leaped high from the mountain peak.

Soaring through the skies of the psychic realm, higher and higher, it felt as though they rode the very firmament.

Abruptly.

Liszt opened his eyes to find himself back in the pitch-black night, the grey cast iron dragon still slumbering beneath him. Yet he understood now—a mental bond had formed between him and the dragon. The arcane properties of the Milon Mind Fruit had manifested vividly in the psychic duel.

Even the most obdurate wyrm must yield to the power of the mind.

"So, what exactly is the power of the Jade Dragon? And what is the power of the mind—dreams or the soul?" Liszt found himself grappling with this quandary.

Legends claimed the Jade Dragon represented dreams, but were dream power and soul power truly the same?

Or, if the Jade Dragon were to enter a dream, how would it do so? By dissolving into ethereal mist or constructing a new world?

It was inscrutable.

The Jade Dragon's hind leg, currently stored in the Emberkeep cellar, had yet to be thoroughly studied. The foundational nature of the Jade Dragon's power remained unknown.

"Brother, did you succeed?" Acheronides approached and asked.

"Yes. Disperse the waterspout. The grey cast iron dragon is now mine," Liszt replied with a self-satisfied smirk, recalling Leo, who was glowering at the new dragon. He silently negotiated terms in his mind—Leo was still young and easy to placate, but once grown, riding other dragons might provoke resistance.

Acheronides was delighted, circling the slumbering grey cast iron dragon with childlike wonder. Just that morning, they had been locked in mortal combat, yet by nightfall, they were family.

The feeling was profoundly surreal.

She then pointed to a nearby reef. "Brother, that man has woken up."

Piero Grey Iron had regained consciousness, his eyes fixed with a complex mix of emotions on the sleeping grey cast iron dragon and the proud Liszt Flame.

There was resentment, hatred, sorrow, and heartbreak—all intertwined.

He had awakened just before Liszt mounted the dragon's back. Though the night was dim, he could vaguely make out the events unfolding nearby. When Liszt rose from the dragon's spine with a smile, Piero's heart shattered—the grey cast iron dragon, passed down through the Grey Iron Duchy for over three centuries, was lost!

Thud!

Liszt leaped into the air and landed before Piero.

A crystal lamp illuminated the surroundings, casting light on Piero's ashen countenance.

"Your Highness Liszt, what have you done to my Grey King?" Piero masked his maelstrom of emotions, affecting cordiality as he clung to a final shred of hope.

But Liszt dashed it without remorse. "Grey King? You mean the grey cast iron dragon? I regret to inform you, Duke Piero, that from this moment onward, the grey cast iron dragon belongs to me, Liszt Flame. It no longer has any ties to the Grey Iron Duchy or the Grey Iron family. I trust you understand."

"No, no, no!" Piero gritted his teeth. "You cannot take the Grey King! The Kingdom of the Eagle will not stand idly by—this is an outright challenge to the kingdom's laws!"

"Duke Piero, enough posturing. You must recognize your current position. I stood triumphant in the dragon-slaying battle. Loyel is dead, and you are fortunate to be alive as my captive. Now, you should focus on negotiating your ransom."

"Captive?" Piero froze, only now comprehending his disgrace. Yet he refused to relent. "Fine, I will pay the ransom, but you must return the grey cast iron dragon... Your Highness Liszt, as a recently blooded dragonlord, you may not be aware of certain traditions. Poaching a bonded wyrm is a cardinal transgression in royal courts."

Liszt smiled, feeling that Piero was still not thinking straight: "Would it be more severe than the Great Dragon War? Or, in other words, would the three great kingdoms gather their Dragon Riders together and launch a third Great Dragon War against me?"

Piero's eyes gleamed stubbornly. "You did win the Great Dragon War, but your overwhelming performance will disrupt the balance among the kingdoms. Especially your Invisible Dragon—once it matures, all the Dragon Riders of every kingdom will be terrified... They won’t allow you to grow any stronger!"

"Indeed, the threat of the Invisible Dragon surpasses even that of the Fire Dragon."

Liszt agreed, but then his expression turned serious. "Precisely because of that, I must amass more dragons to strengthen my forces, so nobody dares to harbor any ill intentions toward me! In this era where knights rule the world, Duke Piero, you should understand well—weakness is the real crime!"

"Your thinking is madness!"

"Wrong. It’s wisdom." Liszt shot back, unwilling to debate the matter further. He firmly believed in the principle of "peace through strength"—the more dragons he possessed, the safer he would be, not the other way around. "Duke Piero, enough talk. You should focus on how much ransom you’re willing to pay."

...

Under the starlight, the Grey Cast Iron Dragon still lay in deep slumber. The power of the Milon Mind Fruit was formidable, rendering the massive creature weak and utterly helpless.

Fortunately, the Milon Mind Fruit used to be called the Jade Fruit in ancient times, a product of the Jade Dragon.

If Soulfruit Trees could grow naturally and bear Milon Mind Fruits, no rider could ever rest easy—who knew when their own dragon might be stolen?

"Brother, is it called Grey King?"

"Grey King was the name given to it by the Gray Iron Duchy. In the Fire Kingdom, it deserves a new name." Liszt pondered briefly. "Let’s call it Ornn..."

Ornn was a demigod from Freljord, master of forging and craftsmanship. He carved a grand workshop within the caverns beneath a volcano called the Hearth-Home, laboring there alone. He stirred boiling lava in crucibles, refined ores, and crafted unparalleled masterpieces.

This blacksmith from *League of Legends* fit right into the dragon's odd blacksmith persona in the mental world.

"Ornn..." Acheronides repeated, finding it quite fitting.

And so, this 370-year-old Grey Cast Iron Dragon at its peak was officially renamed Ornn in its slumber, becoming Liszt’s fourth dragon. (https://) *The Dragon is Slain* only reflects the opinions of Bai Yuhan. If any content is found to violate national laws, please delete it. https:// is committed to providing a healthy and green reading platform. Thank you!