Captain Zhen moved through the stronghold’s lower levels, looking for the main thermal vent that fed heat to the eastern section. The corridors here were narrower, carved directly from the volcanic rock, with pipes of molten stone carrying superheated water throughout the structure.
"Here," Captain Zhen said to himself, pointing to a junction where three major thermal pipes converged. "If I rupture this central feed, it should create enough steam and chaos to cover Lin’s escape."
The main line was as thick as his torso, with pressure valves that glowed red-hot from the thermal energy flowing through them.
Captain Zhen positioned himself. He could hear the battle raging above them through the volcanic stone—roars of dragons, the crash of weapons, and the distinctive crackling sound of Lin’s ice magic.
"It’s now or never." Captain Zhen said.
He struck the pipes in 3 distinct spots. He sliced through the pressure valves, and imdiately superheated water erupted from the damaged pipes. The corridor filled with scalding steam as the thermal system began to fail catastrophically.
Above them, the effects were imdiate. Steam began pouring through vents and cracks in the eastern wall section, creating a thick white fog that obscured vision and made targeting difficult.
Lin seized the opportunity. With visibility reduced to re feet, she launched herself upward, her powerful wings carrying her above the confused mass of loyalist dragons. Her ice magic crystallized the steam around her, creating a protective barrier of frozen vapor.
But before she could escape the combat zone entirely, the stronghold’s main gates exploded inward. The massive volcanic stone doors, each weighing several tons, were blown apart by a concentrated blast of corrupted energy that left dark stains on everything it touched.
Through the shattered entrance ca Jiaolong himself.
His appearance had changed since Lin last saw him. His scales were now even darker than before and his muscles looked to be twice the size.
"Commander Yuehua," Jiaolong’s voice made the volcanic stone vibrate. "Your reports indicated the situation was well in hand."
Commander Yuehua landed before him, bowing deeply. "Lord Jiaolong, the princess has proven more resourceful than anticipated. Her power exceeds all the information we had on her."
"Indeed," Jiaolong said, his corrupted gaze finding Lin through the steam and chaos. "Princess Lin of the North Sea."
Lin hovered above the battlefield. Around her, both loyalist and rebel dragons had stopped fighting, their attention focused on Jiaolong’s arrival. The corruption radiating from him was palpable, making the air feel thick and oppressive.
"You’ve been manipulating both sides," Lin accused, ice forming around her claws. "Using the rebels to destabilize the South Sea while preparing your own agenda."
"Manipulation implies deception," Jiaolong replied, corruption swirling around his form like a living shadow. "I’ve been quite honest about my intentions. It’s simply that no one understood the scope of my vision."
One of the rebel commanders, General Huoyan, erged from the stronghold’s interior. Her armor was damaged from the fighting, and her expression showed her anger.
"You promised us independence," she said, her voice full of frustration. "You said you wanted to free the South Sea from the old hierarchies."
"I do," Jiaolong confird. "But freedom requires strength, and strength requires sacrifice. The rebels served their purpose—weakening Ao Qin’s forces, creating chaos that masked my true agenda."
He gestured toward Commander Yuehua and her loyalist companions. "Just as the loyalists served theirs—providing intelligence and coordination for my operations."
General Huoyan’s hand moved to her sword. "You used us. All of us."
"I used you all efficiently," Jiaolong corrected. "And now that efficiency is no longer required."
Without warning, corruption erupted from Jiaolong’s body in tendrils of dark energy. The nearest dragons, both rebel and loyalist, were caught in the blast. Where the corruption touched them, their scales began to change, taking on the sa oily iridescence as their master.
General Huoyan managed to dodge the initial wave, her sword igniting with fla as she prepared to attack. But one of the corrupted loyalists intercepted her, moving faster than expected. Their weapons t in a shower of sparks, but the corrupted dragon’s strength was overwhelming.
"You see," Jiaolong continued conversationally as chaos erupted around him, "loyalty based on politics or ideology is ultimately fragile. But loyalty based on corruption... that is absolute."
More tendrils of dark energy spread throughout the chamber, seeking new targets. Several rebel dragons tried to retreat but found their escape routes blocked by newly corrupted loyalists who moved in unison.
Lin realized the scope of Jiaolong’s betrayal. He hadn’t just used the rebels and loyalists—he was now converting them all into his corrupted servants. This wasn’t about political change any more. It was about creating an army of corrupted dragons under his absolute control.
She dove toward Jiaolong, ice forming spears around her as she attacked. Her frozen projectiles struck his corrupted hide but shattered harmlessly, the dark energy around him dissolving her magic on contact.
"Princess," Jiaolong said, easily avoiding her follow-up attacks, "your power is impressive, but you’re fighting forces you don’t understand."
His tail swept toward her with devastating force. Lin barely managed to create an ice barrier before the impact sent her crashing into the volcanic wall. Stone cracked around her as she struggled to recover, her ice magic flickering from the strain.
Below them, the battle had beco a nightmare. Corrupted dragons, showed no concern for their own safety as they overwheld rebels and loyalists alike. The corruption spread with each contact, turning forr enemies into identical servants.
Captain Zhen erged from the lower levels just as the corruption wave reached the thermal vent area. They could see the situation was deteriorating rapidly—Jiaolong was systematically converting every dragon in the stronghold.
Grim t up with Captain Zhen in a hallway that had a clear view of the battle.
"We need to get Lin out of there," Grim said, but even as he spoke, he could see their options narrowing. The exit routes were being blocked by corrupted dragons, and more corruption was spreading through the stronghold’s corridors.
"The gate," Captain Zhen realized.
Through the chaos, they could see Jiaolong moving toward the stronghold’s center, where the gate was housed. He wasn’t just betraying the rebels—he was using their stronghold as a stepping stone to his next target.
General Huoyan, still fighting desperately against corrupted enemies, managed to reach Lin’s position. "Princess! The gate chamber—if he reaches it, he can travel directly to any of the other sea realms!"
"We have to stop him," Lin declared, her ice magic flaring as she prepared for another attack.
But Jiaolong was already at the gate chamber’s entrance, corruption flowing around him like a living thing. "Too late, Princess. The West Sea awaits, and Ao Run’s key will complete my collection."
The transportation gate began to activate, energy swirling in patterns that would connect the South Sea stronghold directly to the West Sea realm. Jiaolong stepped toward the portal.
"Until we et again," he called out, then disappeared into the swirling energy.
The corrupted dragons imdiately began following their master through the portal, abandoning their victims to pursue Jiaolong’s next objective. Within monts, the stronghold was left with survivors on both sides, all of whom now understood they had been pawns in a much larger ga.
Lin landed heavily, her strength drained from the futile battle against Jiaolong’s corruption. Around her, rebels and loyalists alike stared at the now-quiet transportation gate, realizing that their entire conflict had been orchestrated to serve soone else’s agenda.
"The West Sea," she whispered, understanding dawning. "He’s going after Ao Run’s key next."
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