Galos slowly stretched his magnificent Dragon body.
He had just completed a round of high-intensity training; every muscle covered in black-red scales bulged and rippled like tempered steel, emanating waves of heat from his body.
However, his eyes still shone brightly, showing no sign of fatigue.
Beside the Red Iron Dragon, the Copper-Silver Dragon Deborah, who was forced to train with him, was a different sight entirely.
Her long, beautiful Dragon tail was spasming slightly, and her chest heaved violently, gasping for breath like a broken bellows, collapsing to the ground. She didn't even have the will to lift a single claw, seemingly wanting only to merge with the earth.
According to Galos's past habits, he would have continued his personal training for a much longer time.
But this time, he uncharacteristically stopped.
The Red Iron Dragon quietly coiled in place, slowly closing his eyes and gradually adjusting his breathing to a deep and steady rhythm, his aura gradually becoming introverted and calm.
He was preparing for the upcoming challenge in the Metal Dragon Domain.
Thinking that under a distant and unfamiliar sky, many excellent young Metallic Dragons were currently fighting for a chance to face him... this feeling, while not making Galos feel overwhelmed, did make him feel it was necessary to give the challenger who would emerge victorious and stand before him the respect he deserved.
And his way of showing respect to challengers had always been direct and simple.
—To go all out.
Several hours quietly passed in silence.
The Copper-Silver Dragon Deborah, beside him, finally recovered some strength, struggling to prop herself up from the ground.
Galos remained silently coiled, his breathing steady and calm without a ripple. His entire being exuded a powerful aura of completeness and readiness, as if a volcano about to erupt was contained within him.
Deborah caught her breath, gazing at Galos's majestic profile.
She knew very well that it wouldn't be long before the Red Iron Dragon would set off for the Metal Dragon Domain.
He was going to face his Metallic Dragon peers, who were born with a silver spoon in their mouths, highly regarded and anticipated, and to accept the challenge from the strongest among them.
He might even be scrutinized and observed by some ancient and powerful Metallic Dragons.
"Galos..."
She spoke softly, her voice still retaining a hint of hoarseness and fatigue from the training, "Are you completely ready? I mean, to go to the Dragon Domain and face the challenges there."
Galos slowly opened his eyes, turning his gaze to her: "Why do you ask?"
Deborah hesitated, organizing her words, then said: "The Dragon Domain... is completely different from the Wilderness and the Borderlands."
"In the Wilderness and the Borderlands, we follow the most primitive and simple law: strength is truth, and the strong rule. But in the Dragon Domain, especially in the Eternal Radiance Dragon Realm with its strict hierarchy and numerous rules, strength is not the only measure of everything."
"As a Metallic Dragon, I know this all too well... Many Metallic Dragons are born with a deep-seated sense of superiority. I worry that they will look down on you because of your Five-Colored Dragon origin and Iron Dragon bloodline, or even deliberately make things difficult for you in various ways."
"Although Elder Ovis is very optimistic about you, the elders of other Dragon Domains, and those arrogant, high-minded young giant Dragons, may not all be convinced. Moreover, you are going there as the 'challenged,' already standing at the center of attention."
She paused, lowering her voice even further.
"Even the moderate, inclusive giant Dragons, deep down, would probably find it hard to accept that an existence with Evil Dragon bloodline would, with such a strong posture, seize the championship position that rightfully belongs to the Metallic Dragons."
"And those extremist Purification Faction giant Dragons, their reaction will only be more intense, possibly even hostile."
Deborah recalled what her parents occasionally mentioned about the conflicts and disputes within the Dragon Domain, and a hint of worry involuntarily appeared on her face.
She wasn't worried about Galos's strength, only that he might get entangled in unnecessary trouble due to prejudice or rules.
Galos heard her concern and let out a low, magnetic laugh from his throat.
"Deborah, what do you think I relied on to get to where I am today, to establish the Molten Iron Tribe, and to rule the entire Serre Wilderness?"
Without waiting for Deborah to answer, he provided the answer himself: "It's strength."
"The purest, most direct strength."
"In the dog-eat-dog Wilderness, strength made me the undisputed King."
"In the rule-bound Dragon Domain, I believe powerful strength will also earn me the respect I deserve, even if that respect is mixed with jealousy, fear, or unwillingness."
He looked into Deborah's eyes, his tone softening slightly.
"Don't worry, I understand your concerns, and I know what the main purpose of this trip is."
"Winning the bet for Ovis, acquiring the championship prize, and the opportunity to enter the Ancient Tide, everything else is secondary. I know how to maintain proper discretion."
"Moreover, I won't stay in the Dragon Domain for too long; I will return immediately after achieving my goal."
The Red Iron Dragon's voice was steady, carrying a reassuring sense of conviction.
The worry in the Copper-Silver Dragon's eyes dissolved and faded with his words.
"I want to go with you! I want to cheer you on personally!"
Deborah's tone rose, with a hint of excitement, "I want to see with my own eyes how you thoroughly beat down the strongest guy among the young generation of Metallic Dragons! That scene must be absolutely wonderful!"
She lightly flicked her long Dragon tail, her mood shifting from previous worry to anticipation and excitement.
Moreover, she seemed to have completely forgotten that she herself was a member of the Metallic Dragons.
Recalling earlier times, the Copper-Silver Dragon's initial goal in approaching Galos was driven by a Metallic Dragon's sense of mission, attempting to guide and change this Red Iron Dragon who had taken a different path.
However, as time passed, in their day-to-day interactions, the roles of influencer and influenced had quietly reversed long ago.
Now, her heart was completely occupied by the Red Iron Dragon, and she stood firmly on the Red Iron Dragon's side.
"Me too! Me too! I want to go too!"
A cheerful and joyous voice abruptly interjected.
The Fairy Dragon Vera emerged from some corner, fluttering excitedly in circles around Galos and Deborah, finally landing on the Copper-Silver Dragon's shoulder.
Deborah tilted her head slightly, looking at the tiny creature on her shoulder, and asked: "What are you going for?"
"We're not going for fun."
The Fairy Dragon immediately puffed out her tiny chest, adopting a righteous stance: "Of course, it's like you, to cheer for our King of Molten Iron, to boost his presence, and also, if anyone dares to badmouth Galos behind his back, I'll sneakily stuff stinky flowers up their nostrils when they're not looking, to teach them a lesson."
After speaking, she blinked her eyes, looking expectantly at the Red Iron Dragon.
"Hmm, if you want to go, you can. Just stick with me when we're there."
Galos nodded lightly, agreeing.
In fact, Iron Dragon Sorog and Red Dragon Samantha had both previously expressed a desire to accompany Galos to the Dragon Domain to see for themselves.
Especially Samantha.
She showed great interest in the idea of'stepping on the faces of those arrogant Metallic Dragons' in the Dragon Domain.
However, after consideration, Galos did not intend to bring them along.
His purpose for this trip was not to stir up conflict.
Sorog's temperament was relatively steady and he could exercise restraint, but if Samantha went, with her fiery personality and hostility towards Metallic Dragons, she would inevitably cause trouble in that environment, adding unnecessary variables.
As for the Fairy Dragon Vera, she was a rare Planar Dragon, with a special identity.
The Fairy Dragon's personality seemed mischievous, but it was difficult for other giant Dragons to feel a direct threat from her, so taking her along wouldn't be a big deal.
The Fairy Dragon, having received permission, let out a cheer and hopped excitedly on Deborah's shoulder.
Soon after, Galos closed his Dragon eyes again, shutting out external distractions, and his mind once more became serene, continuing to focus on adjusting his own state.
The wind and snow in the Borderlands still howled tirelessly.
Meanwhile, on the other side, far from the Serre Wilderness.
Sea of Tranquility, Eternal Radiance Dragon Realm.
The joint athletic competition of the Five Great Metal Dragon Domains was in full swing, and the atmosphere was extremely fervent.
As time passed, with round after round of fierce selection and elimination, while Galos was recuperating to meet the challenge, five young giant Dragons, from different Dragon Domains and hailed as favorites to win, also emerged under intense scrutiny.
Gold Dragon Karlus from the Eternal Radiance Dragon Realm.
Brass Dragon Zafili from the Fubo Dragon Domain.
Gold Dragon Gilbert from the Raging Waves Dragon Domain.
Gold Dragon Balder from the Flowing Water Dragon Domain.
Silver Dragon Besyara from the Daylight Dragon Domain... Among the five favorites, three were Gold Dragons.
This once again confirmed the undisputed strength and exceptional talent of the Gold Dragon clan among the Metallic Dragons.
Their exalted status within the Dragon race was not merely due to the legendary favor of the Dragon God, but also earned through the glorious battle achievements of generations of Gold Dragons.
Soon, these five giant Dragons, representing the highest level of the young generation of their respective Dragon Domains, would engage in an even fiercer competition for that sole challenger qualification.
And that mysterious giant Dragon, who had always hovered over the entire competition, shrouded in layers of mist.
He continued to attract the curiosity, anticipation, and skepticism of countless Metallic Dragons.
At the same time.
The "mysterious giant Dragon" at the center of the Dragon Domain's public opinion vortex stood unmoving amidst the swirling wind and snow.
His Dragon eyes, at some point, had become filled with fine bloodshot lines.
An indescribable aura of frenzy permeated from him.
Any living creature within the range of this aura, whether hidden snow creatures or occasional passing birds, seemed to be infected by some mental influence, becoming restless and anxious, their eyes gradually tinged with madness and violence.
Even a winter wolf, whose mind was affected, charged at the Red Iron Dragon with blood-red eyes, fearless of death.
Just as its four paws sprinted, and it was less than a hundred meters from the Red Iron Dragon.
Whoosh... With an exceptionally long and deep breath, the hideous bloodshot lines in Galos's eyes receded rapidly like a tide, returning to clarity.
At the same time, the furious aura affecting the surrounding creatures also dissipated into nothingness, as if it had never appeared.
The winter wolf suddenly sobered up. When it looked again at the colossal Dragon shadow so close, the madness in its eyes was instantly replaced by boundless terror and fear.
It let out a whimper, immediately dug its claws into the ground, braking desperately, plowing several long furrows in the snow-covered surface, then fled in disgrace towards the distance with its tail between its legs, without looking back.
Galos was in a good mood and paid no attention to the fleeing winter wolf.
"With the Frenzied Fire as a catalyst, I can ignite my fury at will, at any moment. The Savage Path's level-up speed is quite impressive."
He thought with pleasure.
Over the past few years, his cultivation on the Savage Path had made significant progress, and his level had already risen to 6.
In addition to the Rage he initially mastered, he had successfully comprehended and mastered a core skill of this path.
—Selfless Frenzy.
It's also worth mentioning that the skills Frenzy and Rage also exist in some other paths and are not exclusive to Wild Dragons.
But under normal circumstances, once the Frenzy skill is activated, the user not only gains significant boosts to various attributes but also enters a special state: immune to charm or panic, and simultaneously, they will not feel anger, becoming a pure and efficient fighting machine.
However, this Frenzy state is inherently contradictory to Rage, which requires strong emotional drive, and will directly cause the latter to be unable to maintain and exit.
But the uniqueness and power of the Wild Dragon Path lie precisely in this.
Wild Dragons can perfectly maintain and enter the Rage state while activating Frenzy. Moreover, the two powerful state skills not only do not conflict with each other but can even stack, forming a powerful effect where one plus one is greater than two, thereby activating the Wild State.
This is also the origin of the path's name, "Wild."
Later powerful skills, such as Deterrent Stance and Fearless Fury, which can only be mastered at higher levels, can also only exert their full effects on the solid foundation of the Wild State.
After a period of research on the Wild State.
The Red Iron Dragon's wings suddenly vibrated, stirring up the snow and airflow below, and he turned back towards the Dragon Valley.
And as his figure arrived above the Dragon Valley, slowly descending, he saw that in addition to Deborah, who had transformed into human form, there was a familiar figure in the valley.
It was a woman with an agile physique.
She wore light armor adorned with intricate golden patterns, her hair tied back in a neat golden ponytail, her skin as fair as snow, and her figure tall and well-proportioned, especially her long legs, straight and slender, firmly stepping into a pair of finely crafted combat boots.
Overall, she looked clean, sharp, and full of heroic spirit, possessing a dashing demeanor.