The increasingly brilliant spring sunlight dispersed the thin mist, transforming into thousands of golden scales upon the walls and high towers of Crimson Flame Royal City.
The Red Iron Dragon was perched among the Peaks of the Dragon Ridge Mountains, his draconic form casting a massive shadow.
Not long ago, the Fairy Dragon had quietly bid her farewell.
Galos understood and respected the Fairy Dragon's choice, even appreciating her particular brand of cunning and pride. The faint, ephemeral trace of melancholy in his heart mostly dissipated the moment he returned to the Tempering Grounds and felt the hardness of the earth beneath him.
He did not have much time to immerse himself in the emotions of parting.
At dawn the next day, as the first rays of sunlight pierced the clouds, Galos had already begun a new round of rigorous tempering.
By now, the Red Iron Dragon had been here for three days and nights.
His draconic body was like a mountain, his breathing long and slow. Each exhale carried a flame-like Aura, instantly vaporizing the morning frost falling around him.
Within his open eyes, bloodshot veins crawled one after another.
The Frenzied Fire flickered violently, and with it, rage surged within his mind.
But Galos maintained his reason and calm.
The muscles at the dragon's neck tensed slightly, and his claws dug deep into the mountain rock; this was his habitual movement when resisting the Frenzied Fire.
He allowed the Frenzied Fire to burn and the rage to rise until his eyes turned completely blood-red. Only when his spirit was shaken by the fury and a crimson veil began to shroud his vision would he take a deep, massive breath of air.
The Frenzied Fire within Galos's body was forcibly suppressed by him, and the blood-red color in his eyes receded like a tide, restoring a measure of clarity.
Then, after waiting for his state to stabilize, he would release control once more, allowing the rage to accumulate again.
The cycle repeated over and over.
From sunrise to noon, from noon to dusk.
Only the heavy rise and fall of the dragon's breath echoed here. A few bold Rock Eagles had once circled in the distance, but after sensing the fluctuating pressure, they had flown away in terror.
And this was Galos's specialized tempering project for the week.
To increase his strength more efficiently, Galos never engaged in unplanned, random exercise.
He had established a rigorous periodic plan for himself.
For instance, the previous week focused on tempering his Domain; this week was primarily for controlling rage and raising the Rank of the Savage Path; and next week would center on training the Claw of Extinguishing Law.
Such specialized training could improve efficiency.
"The skill 'Defy Death in Fury' requires the Savage Path to reach Rank 14," Galos thought, silently feeling the flow of power within his body during a gap after another suppression of the Frenzied Fire. "And I am already at Rank 12."
Progress was faster than he had expected.
This was largely thanks to the existence of the Frenzied Fire.
Though dangerous, it was also an excellent catalyst for tempering rage.
Galos estimated that if he continued at this pace, his Savage Rank might even surpass his Star-Self Path.
He did not immerse himself in his thoughts for long.
After a brief rest, the Red Iron Dragon reopened his eyes, and the Frenzied Fire ignited in his pupils once more.
A new round of tempering began.
Time flowed amidst fury and flames.
As the sun gradually dipped westward, dyeing the clouds at the horizon with a hue of intertwined orange-red and violet, the temperature at the mountain Peak began to drop.
Suddenly.
"Skree—!!!"
A clear, resounding cry filled with endless vitality and searing pride seemed to tear through the sky, coming from the highest reaches of the firmament.
The sound pierced the clouds, crossed the mountains, and reached Galos's ears.
Within the royal city, countless residents also looked up toward the direction of the sound, noticing its presence.
Galos abruptly opened his eyes.
The blood-red color in his eyes had not yet fully receded, but the Frenzied Fire had been temporarily suppressed.
He looked up toward the southeastern horizon.
At first, it was just a small speck, almost imperceptible in the vast sky.
But soon, the speck enlarged rapidly, accompanied by an increasingly loud cry and a hot wind that made the air boil and vision distort.
It was a bird, yet no ordinary bird.
A slender, elegant neck and magnificent, long tail feathers; every single feather seemed forged from the purest liquid sunlight and molten gold, with a sacred and beautiful halo of flame flowing along the edges.
Her wings spread wide, blotting out the sun.
Each flap left a trail of brilliant sparks behind her, as if she were draped in the morning glow.
A splendid crest adorned her head, and her eyes were white-hot flames. As she looked around, a sense of holiness, pride, and nobility poured forth.
The Phoenix, Anqia.
To be precise, she was a Legendary Phoenix who had stepped into the Legendary Realm and completed a life sublimation.
She flew straight toward the palace and the Dragon Ridge Mountains. Her speed was so great that she pulled a gold-red light trail in the sky from the southeastern horizon directly to the royal city. Wherever she passed, clouds dispersed and water vapor steamed away, as if a god of fire were patrolling their own kingdom.
The citizens of Aura cried out in amazement.
Many put down their work and bowed, praying for good luck.
Due to her gorgeous and sacred appearance, the Phoenix was regarded as an auspicious sign in the Aura Kingdom, in addition to her status as a lord.
In the blink of an eye, Anqia had arrived above the Red Iron Dragon.
She did not land immediately but began to circle.
Her massive wings swept elegantly through the sky, the hot wind they created forming vortices that blew across Galos's scales.
Gradually, she slowed down, stretched her neck, and used her beak to preen her tail feathers, letting the sunlight and her own radiance intersect and refract to further highlight her dazzling magnificence.
Finally, she landed gracefully a hundred meters in front of the Red Iron Dragon.
Even with her wings folded, her magnificent figure remained eye-catching and brilliant.
The Phoenix's feathers reflected the warm light of the setting sun, and the halo of flame at the edge of each feather flickered like breathing.
Her standing posture was dignified and elegant, her long tail falling naturally and coiling into a beautiful curve.
Even with Galos's strong heart, he couldn't help but feel a touch of amazement.
He had to admit that Anqia was the most beautiful creature he had ever seen, without exception.
This beauty transcended the boundaries of race. Even a creature with zero interest in birds and no cross-species aesthetic sense could feel that unparalleled beauty from this Phoenix.
"My dear His Majesty Ignis."
"The most beautiful creature in the Aura Kingdom—no, on this planet—has come to greet you."
Anqia spoke, her tone full of pride.
After speaking, she tilted her head slightly, looking at the Red Iron Dragon with her white-hot eyes. Her long tail feathers swept elegantly across the ground, leaving a scorched trail.
Galos looked at her in silence.
The Phoenix's beauty had indeed reached a new Peak. Every inch of her feathers contained a gold-red glow, as if the favorite of fire had been manifested here.
Seeing that Galos did not respond, Anqia moved her claws with some dissatisfaction.
She took elegant steps, drawing closer to the Red Iron Dragon.
The difference in their sizes was fully revealed at this moment.
Even with her head held high and chest out, the crest on Anqia's head only reached the height of Galos's chest, and that was while the Red Iron Dragon was not even standing fully upright.
Yet she showed no fear. Instead, she raised her head, letting her gaze meet the Red Iron Dragon's downward look.
"Don't you think that the current me is ten million times more beautiful than the most dazzling gem in the kingdom's treasury, or the most brilliant clouds at dawn?"
She slightly unfolded one wing, allowing the flowing light upon it to be fully displayed before Galos's eyes.
The feathers on the inner side of the wing showed a gradient of gold-red, from a deep dark gold at the base to a bright orange-red at the tips, like a solidified sunset.
It was indeed beautiful.
Galos finally spoke.
He looked down at the Phoenix close at hand, his gaze lingering for a moment on her magnificent wings. Pensively, he said, "Hmm, after breaking through to Legendary, you have indeed become more beautiful. That is undeniable."
"However, what I am more interested in is that your fire of Nirvana should also have undergone some changes."
"I am quite curious about this. Perhaps we can study it some more."
Upon hearing this, the Phoenix's smile froze on her beak.
The Phoenix, who had been holding her head high and chest out just a moment ago, eager to show off her beauty to the whole world, instantly became like a punctured balloon, her entire being wilting.
Her magnificent crest drooped slightly, her tail feathers slumped behind her, and her eyes began to dodge his gaze.
It wasn't that she was overreacting.
Back when Anqia had first joined Galos's service.
Galos had once enthusiastically dragged her into a research project lasting two months, wanting to catch a glimpse of the mysteries of the Nirvana Divine Technique. It was only after multiple studies yielded nothing that he dropped the idea.
For the Phoenix, that was not a pleasant memory.
Under the Red Iron Dragon's calm yet extremely oppressive gaze, Anqia first took a timid half-step back.
But then, whether out of reverence for the Dragon Lord or some sort of 'all-or-nothing' courage, she suddenly snapped her neck up and moved a bit closer to Galos.
"Co—come then..."
She closed her eyes, wearing an expression of someone facing death with resignation.
"Just don't mess up my feathers. That is my only request."
She looked exactly like a warrior about to head to the execution ground.
Galos couldn't help but laugh, the dragon's laughter low like rolling thunder.
He shook his head and said, "Forget it, perhaps another day. I have other things to do."
He had indeed lost most of his interest in the fire of Nirvana.
Previous research had shown that this was a racial talent that was difficult to replicate, at least for him at the moment.
Rather than continuing to waste time on this, it was better to focus on developing his own abilities.
Besides, he had the dragon jade.
If he could continue to develop and evolve it, it might not be impossible to form a divine technique similar to Nirvana, allowing him to gain the ability to resurrect multiple times without the limitations and costs of Nirvana.
"Oh, I see!"
Anqia instantly regained her spirit.
Her eyes brightened again, and her crest stood straight up. "You can't bear to ruin my beauty, right? After all, such a perfect creation—even a great Evil Dragon like you would feel pity for it."
Galos: "..."
He stared at the Phoenix for two seconds and decided not to take that bait.
Arguing about aesthetics with a Phoenix who had just broken through to Legendary and was in a state of extreme narcissism was not a wise choice.
As for ruining her beauty...
The Phoenix was actually right; he didn't really want to at the moment. But if she kept talking, it might be a different story.
After a few seconds of silence, Galos changed the subject.
"You didn't come to the royal city just to show off your beauty, did you? If there is other business, speak of it first."
Anqia tilted her head.
"Business?" she said as if it were obvious. "Showing off my beauty and telling you the news of my Breakthrough to Legendary is the most important business. Is there anything more important than that?"
She paused, then added, "Oh, right, there is one strange thing I think I should tell you."
Galos asked, "What?"
"In my territory, several birds and beasts containing draconic Bloodlines have appeared recently."
Anqia's tone became a bit more serious.
"They are still young, likely just born. What puzzles me is that aside from Nasha occasionally visiting my territory, no other dragons live there long-term or visit frequently."
"Could it be that some wild dragon has snuck into our Aura Kingdom and... well, left offspring in my territory?"
Galos fell silent again.
This silence was even longer than the previous one.
The Red Iron Dragon's gaze moved away from Anqia and toward a cliff on the right.
It looked empty there, with only a few clumps of heat-resistant Rock Thorns swaying in the hot wind.
Then, he slowly turned his head back and spoke in a calm voice: "The dragon-vein beasts you mentioned—are their draconic features primarily purple? Or perhaps entirely purple?"
Anqia was stunned for a moment, then showed a look of admiration.
"So you already knew?"
She praised, her tail feathers sweeping the ground happily: "As expected of you, the all-knowing His Majesty Ignis."
"Yes, the base of those little fellows' feathers indeed has a purple luster, and their eyes are also the color of amethysts."
Galos nodded: "Take good care of those dragon-vein birds and beasts."
"Once they grow up, they will become the mainstay of our Aura Kingdom."
He paused and added: "As for their origins, there is no problem; you don't need to worry."
Anqia breathed a sigh of relief, her crest swaying slightly: "Then I am at ease. I will look after them; after all, they were born on my territory, so they are considered my subjects."
Next, she excitedly circled Galos, showing off her increasingly perfect figure and shimmering feathers after her promotion to Legendary from various angles. This lasted for a full hour before she finally uttered a satisfied cry, spread her giant wings, transformed into a streak of golden-red light, and returned to her territory.
By this time, the sun had completely set, and night shrouded the sky.
Galos stood still in place for a moment.
He slowly turned his head, his gaze once again cast toward the seemingly empty cliff on the right.
"You've been watching for so long; it's time to come out."
On the cliff, the air distorted slightly.
Like ripples on the water's surface, a long and massive figure gradually emerged from the Void Realm.
The Amethyst Dragon, Iselamas.
"Good evening, Galos." The Amethyst Dragon's voice was gentle and slightly magnetic, carrying the composure of an elder. "The moonlight is beautiful tonight, isn't it?"
The commotion made by the Phoenix as she streaked across the sky was not small; this Amethyst Dragon living near the royal city had naturally noticed it.
Perhaps out of curiosity, or perhaps out of a guilty conscience, he had used psionic energy to conceal his form and observed the entire process in secret from the side.
However, his arrival had not escaped Galos's eyes.
"Iselamas, congratulations."
Galos's voice was faint, showing no sign of emotion.
"Same... same to you."
The Amethyst Dragon folded his wings and landed in front of Galos, his tone a bit unnatural.
He avoided Galos's gaze, pretending to admire the surrounding night scenery as he said, "The weather is really nice today. Anyway, congratulations on adding a Legendary to your Ranks, and such a powerful creature as a Phoenix at that."
Galos stared at him, a playful expression appearing on his dragon face.
He was not swayed by the Amethyst Dragon's topic and continued, "Among humans, there is an adjective called 'hale and hearty in old age'."
"I think this term suits you very well right now."
The reproductive desire of the Dragon often begins to bud in adulthood and reaches its Peak during their prime.
Although they still possess the ability to produce offspring afterward, the success rate drops significantly compared to their prime, and the probability of reproduction decreases with age.
More importantly, the energy and interests of elderly dragons usually shift to other fields.
Knowledge, magic, territory management, or simply deep sleep.
Given Amethyst Dragon Iselamas's age, being able to leave behind offspring in such a short time truly deserves the evaluation of being 'hale and hearty in old age'.
The mountaintop fell into a brief silence.
The night wind blew, bringing the scent of the distant forest. A few nocturnal birds flew through the air, but after sensing the presence of two Legendary Dragons, they changed direction in a panic.
Iselamas's dragon face twitched slightly.
But he quickly regained his composure, even straightening his neck, a serious expression appearing on his dragon face.
"Producing offspring is not something to be ashamed of."
The Amethyst Dragon's voice became solemn. "On the contrary, this is a natural process of life's continuation, a noble act of Bloodline Legacy. As a member of the Dragon Clan, I have a responsibility to contribute to the prosperity of the tribe."
He paused to organize his words and then continued, "And I didn't just do it randomly."
"Those I mated with are all magical creatures with excellent magical talent. Their offspring will inherit the Dragon Clan Bloodline and magical talent, becoming a bridge connecting the Dragon Clan with other species."
"From this perspective, I am contributing to the species diversity of dragon-vein creatures."
"The emergence of every dragon-vein creature enhances the influence of our orthodox Dragon Clan in the entire ecosystem. They will become spreaders of Dragon Clan culture, an extension of Dragon Clan power, and may even form new sub-dragon branches in the distant future."
"I've spent quite a lot of time on this."
Galos listened quietly without interrupting.
It wasn't until Iselamas finished speaking that the Red Iron Dragon nodded slightly and spoke slowly, "In that case, I should thank you on behalf of our kin for your contribution."
"Your efforts are indeed expanding the influence of the Dragon Clan."
Iselamas flicked his tail and grinned.
"And I will gladly accept that thanks,"
he said.
Galos stared at him for two seconds and then looked away.
This old fellow's thick skin had indeed exceeded his expectations.
However, Galos didn't really care.
As long as Iselamas's behavior did not violate the kingdom's laws or cause negative impacts, he did not intend to interfere with this Amethyst Dragon's hobby.
After all, as Iselamas said, the increase in dragon-vein creatures is indeed beneficial to the Aura Kingdom in the long run.
"Since you're here, accompany me in some training for a while." Galos changed the subject, tapping the ground with his claws, producing a dull thumping sound. "Attack me with your psionic skills; I need to temper my resistance to mental interference."
When training the Savage State and raising the limit of rage, mental stimulation from the outside can often accelerate the process.
As a Psion, the Amethyst Dragon's skills were both powerful and precise, making him an excellent sparring partner.
"No, I have things to—"
Galos interrupted, "One gemstone."
Dog Emperor!
Iselamas cursed inwardly, then his dragon face broke into a smile as he said, "It's nothing, let's begin right now."
Time gradually passed as Galos carried out his planned training.
Autumn of the year 355 of the new calendar.
A piece of good news arrived along with the harvest of crops.
The Ranger General of the Aura Kingdom, Elvie, broke through to the Legendary Realm.
More importantly, Elvie had also awakened the "Below the Dragon Throne" trait.
Galos could clearly sense that an invisible connection had been established between himself and this Centaur general.
Through this connection, he could to some extent perceive what Elvie saw and heard. Provided she did not resist, he could observe the world through her eyes, convey his will through her mouth, and manipulate her body.
Along with the Gluttony Demon Kalu, who had long since awakened this trait, Galos now possessed two points of will extension.
This meant that even if he fell into a deep sleep, he could still perceive the changes and developments of the world through these two Dependents or, when necessary, convey important orders through their mouths.
Elvie's Breakthrough also proved an important fact.
Other Dragon Vein Dependents also had a chance to obtain the "Below the Dragon Throne" trait.
Moreover, this was not a special case exclusive to those under Galos.
Galos carefully searched the records in his Legacy knowledge regarding this trait and later made a discovery.
In the long history of the Dragon Clan, especially in the distant First Era, the most loyal and powerful Dragon Vein Dependents would occasionally awaken similar traits, though they had different names.
This was regarded as the manifestation of the bond between the Dragon Lord and his Dependents reaching its Peak, a natural extension of the Dragon Clan's authority.
The records mentioned that there were two key factors for Awakening this trait.
First, the dependent themselves must reach the Legendary Realm; second, the duration of time spent with the Dragon Lord and the depth of their bond.
Generally speaking, the longer a dependent has followed the Dragon Lord, the better their chance of Awakening this trait.
This discovery led Galos to re-examine the Dependents under his command.
The first one he thought of was the werewolf Russell.
This dependent was almost the earliest 'old minister' to follow Galos.
His talent was not top-tier among the many Dependents; at least compared to existences like Elvie and Kalu, there was a clear gap.
But Russell had an extremely stubborn and resilient will and was loyal to Galos to the core.
For this reason, Galos decided to grant the werewolf Russell more resources for cultivation.
Once he broke through to Legendary, there was a high probability he could become one of Galos's extended wills.
Aside from that, Galos also paid attention to some other potential Dependents, including those lords, but as of now, their chances were not great.
In the same year, the Romanian Plain became stable.
All nations entered a period of post-war recovery or development; peace had arrived.
Except for the Lain Kingdom.
This kingdom, which had harvested the most fruits of victory in the war, was now filled with the smoke of internal conflict.
The people in the annexed territories were unwilling to submit, and resistance armies spread everywhere like wildfire.
The original noble class was dissatisfied with the new king's centralization policy, and secret separatist activities never ceased.
Years of continuous warfare had exhausted the national treasury, taxes rose again and again, and the anger of the common people at the bottom had reached a breaking point.
The armies of the Lain Kingdom were exhausted from running around, suppressing peasant uprisings in the east today, battling noble rebels in the west tomorrow, and heading north to clear out border guerrillas the day after.
They won the war but lost the peace.
The king spent almost all his time suppressing various rebels, and the kingdom's rule was teetering.
Time continued to flow forward, like a river that never turns back.
Summer of the year 358 of the new calendar.
"I am already nearly a hundred and forty years old."
On the lookout tower of the Dragon Court, the Red Iron Dragon looked out at the horizon.
Recently, he often felt a subtle fatigue and sleepiness.
This was a sign that the hibernation period was approaching. Galos had anticipated this before, so he was not surprised.
He would officially enter hibernation in about three years.
Because he had added a Legendary Phoenix and a Legendary Centaur to his Ranks, and both Elvie and Kalu possessed the "Below the Dragon Throne" trait—none of whom were ordinary Legendaries—Galos had little worry for the Aura Kingdom after he fell asleep.
Even without him, the Aura Kingdom was not to be trifled with.
Moreover, if it truly came to a desperate situation, he could wake up from his hibernation.
"Once I fall asleep now, it will be for at least several decades."
"It's time to see those offspring in the Fubo Dragon Domain; they are already Young Dragons now."
Galos thought to himself.
If he fell asleep before seeing his offspring, by the time he woke up, they would be at least Youth Dragons, and they would inevitably be somewhat estranged.
Galos still had some expectations for his offspring.
"Deborah, bring the children to the kingdom. They are strong enough now; it's time for them to meet their father."
Galos contacted his mate far away in the Fubo Dragon Domain.
Deborah's smiling voice rang out: "Coincidentally, we are already on the way."
After a pause, she added somewhat helplessly, "These little brats have almost turned the Fubo Dragon Domain upside down. It's better for you, their father, to educate them. I ultimately lack some authority and can't quite manage them."
So fierce?
Galos was slightly taken aback, then a look of great interest appeared in his eyes.
"Very well, I await your arrival."