The Corruption Dragon God: Lust System Chapter 480 Lucios

The Bronze Dragon drifted with elegance, its jade-green gaze sweeping over the gathered throng.

With a wingspan exceeding one hundred and thirty meters, the creature remained motionless in the air, its massive shadow drowning the world below without even a single flap of its wings.

Atop its back, the rider’s golden armor shimmered, radiating a presence that surpassed even the formidable beast he commanded.

Only a tiny sliver of his pressure was unleashed, yet it was enough to force half of the aspirants to their knees.

A second surge of intent followed, and the thousands of hopefuls were instantly thinned out until barely a hundred remained standing.

The mighty expert paid little mind to those who had succumbed, simply dismissively waving his hand.

The unconscious bodies were swept away toward the broad boulevards, where healers moved quickly to provide medical attention.

"Very good." His voice rang out, sounding ancient yet noble and brimming with life.

He surveyed the survivors; roughly one hundred and thirty remained, though only fifty would ultimately be chosen.

Naturally, even among those fifty, not everyone was destined to become a dragon rider.

If even five individuals succeeded, the selection would be considered a monumental success.

After a moment of contemplation, the Elder carefully adjusted his aura, suppressing two more candidates and bringing the final count to one hundred and twenty-eight.

"I am Lucios Vaeldrinn Valerio, Patriarch of House Valerio. Most of you are surely familiar with my name." As the expert spoke, a wave of gasps rippled through the crowd.

Lucios was a legend in the capital, known as one of the pioneers who stood alongside the first ancestor of the draconic elves to establish the Grand Duchy of Vaeldrinn.

Behind only Khaedryss in her prime and the original founding dragon pair, he was likely the most potent and revered entity in the realm of the draconic elves. He was a master of the twelfth ring.

Qingyi recognized him immediately, specifically because of a single reality: Lucios was the main pillar ensuring the current Patriarch maintained his seat of power.

Qingyi understood that if this old man blocked his path, his current level of Cultivation would make it virtually impossible to seek vengeance for Elize's mother.

"Hm..." Qingyi rubbed his chin, lost in thought for a brief second before refocusing on the formidable expert.

"One hundred and twenty-eight remain. You shall engage in combat, and the fifty strongest shall be picked. I will personally select one to serve as my champion."

The whispers among the youths turned into a fervor, their faces lighting up with intense excitement.

"Hm... perhaps I should thin the herd to sixty-four..." Old Lucios mused while stroking his silver beard, causing the murmurs to vanish instantly. With a faint grin, he gestured, and the massive double doors of the arena swung open to admit the participants.

There were no grand stands for spectators or common seating; only the experts occupied the numerous thrones that bordered the stage.

The venue itself was a modest, unassuming concrete platform, spanning no more than a thousand square meters.

At least, that was how it appeared from the outside.

Stepping onto the stone surface, Qingyi sensed the immense strength of the spatial barriers reinforcing the area to contain the coming violence.

He realized in an instant that even with his strength, shattering these barriers would be no easy feat.

Old Lucios took his seat on the throne adjacent to the Patriarch’s, ignoring the stunned expressions of the other faction leaders and heads of Great Families.

"Let the first pair ascend." Lucios commanded, his hand movement causing two beams of light to strike two of the young warriors.

After a brief pause, they moved to the center, facing one another as they waited for the expert to signal the start.

The moment Lucios’ hand settled on the armrest of his throne, the two lunged forward with everything they had.

Contrary to the usual elven preference for etiquette, this trial was devoid of complex rules, rituals, or specific metrics. It was the exact opposite.

This was a raw display of dominance and martial might.

Ultimately, that was the essence of dragons.

From Khaedryss to the bronze beast circling above, nearly every dragon was a manifestation of ferocity, ruin, and pride, with their intellect being merely another tool in their arsenal.

This was perhaps the defining trait that separated the draconic elves from their distant kin.

The young men clashed with that same savagery, their blades colliding in the arena’s center with a thunderous boom.

Possessing power on par with a True Immortal, their collision sent shockwaves of destruction through their surroundings.

They recoiled briefly before charging again, their forms wreathed in blood-red auras and a peculiar, blazing mana.

Many onlookers were forced to retreat, shielding themselves with thin mana veils as the blistering heat licked at their faces.

Only Qingyi and a handful of others stood their ground, completely unfazed.

To be honest, the handsome youth was far more intrigued by the durability of the concrete than the fight itself.

It was rare for him to find a training ground that he wouldn't accidentally pulverize the moment he started.

The duel lacked any further highlights after that first impact. A flurry of blows dominated the stage until the younger combatant finally faltered.

His opponent’s blade slid down his guard toward the hilt, followed by a sudden burst of mana that disarmed him, taking several fingers in the process.

As the younger man slumped to the floor, groaning while clutching his gore-stained hand, the victor hoisted his sword high with a triumphant shout.

He had secured his win and, unlike his rival, remained entirely unscathed.

With a wide grin, he exited the platform and retreated to a corner to begin his recovery.

The injured loser was carried off, the blood was scrubbed from the stone, and Lucios rose once more.

Despite the ferocity of the bout, the Elder looked unimpressed, his eyes wandering over the youths until they stopped on two specific figures.

One was, surprisingly, a pureblood of his own lineage. He possessed flowing golden hair, the power of a tenth ring, and a composed, striking countenance.

A natural-born pureblood who held no ties to the Great Families.

The other youth piqued his interest even more. He was unmistakably human, yet he carried a scent that was definitely not human, along with a staggering amount of concealed power that startled the Elder.

He wondered how a human vessel could possibly contain such a massive reservoir of energy without detonating.