The Red Iron Dragon hung suspended amidst the wind and snow; as far as his eyes could see, blossoms of Dragon Qi flame bloomed out of thin air.
Snowflakes struck those hovering flames and vaporized instantly with a faint sizzling sound.
After continuing to test the Eye of Truth with great interest for several more minutes, Galos stopped ravaging his surroundings and instead lowered his head to carefully observe the subtle changes in his pair of hand-claws.
The contours of his claws were thicker and sharper than before his slumber.
The silver patterns on his wrists appeared to be shining brilliantly.
Zzzzt! Zzzzt!
Dense golden lightning burst forth from Galos's body.
He did not let them roam wildly, but instead concentrated his mind to constrain and guide this violent energy.
Under his control, the dazzling electrical light was mainly concentrated at his arms, snaking and climbing along the patterns of his arm armor, emitting a low hum.
Next, Galos raised his left claw and suddenly reached out, grabbing a bolt of lightning that was circling and jumping on his arm armor.
That lightning was originally formless and intangible energy, constantly twisting and changing, but the moment Galos's claw-tips touched it, it solidified.
It was as if time had stopped flowing in this small area.
That bolt of lightning, which had been jumping restlessly, suddenly became still, taking on a golden crystalline form with fine electrical sparks flowing over its surface, fixed in mid-air.
Galos slightly clenched his claw.
Crack!
With a sound like shattering glass, he actually snapped off a small section of the solidified lightning; a few sparks flew from the break before immediately extinguishing.
When he released his claw...
The snapped-off lightning remained in its solidified state for a few more seconds before suddenly dimming, turning into a few faint electrical arcs that dissipated into the cold air.
"My claws can directly solidify energy and grab it..."
Galos stared at his claws, realization dawning in his heart. "And the degree of control is far more refined than before."
Previously, when relying on Legendary items, he could also influence and tear apart energy, but that was more of a crude destruction; it was difficult to pinch a strand of energy so finely, let alone solidify it into a physical object to play with.
Now, having completed his evolution, his interference with energy had reached a whole new level.
"It seems I can use this to perform powerful long-range attacks."
The Red Iron Dragon mused thoughtfully.
Then, he raised both arms simultaneously, his claws slowly closing together.
Zzzzt! Zzzzt!
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Stirring golden lightning and black-Red Dragon Qi burst from his majestic body simultaneously, snaking along his arm armor and surging toward his clenched claws.
The energy converged, collided, and compressed between his claws.
Galos continued to pour in power; the muscles of his arms tightened slightly, and a blazing light leaked from the gaps between his scales.
Then, his claws began to slowly pull apart to the sides.
Following his movement, a highly condensed sphere of solid energy appeared between his claws.
Galos continued to inject his own energy into it.
The energy sphere began to expand, growing inch by inch; its light became more and more brilliant, and the dangerous aura it emitted grew increasingly intense.
Ten meters, twenty meters, thirty meters...
Finally, a super-giant energy sphere with a diameter of fifty meters, like a miniature sun, was steadily held aloft by the Red Iron Dragon's arms.
Its surface was dark red, while dazzling golden lightning constantly exploded within it.
Go!
Galos's vertical pupils locked onto a solitary peak below him, and he hurled the sphere directly downward.
The moment the energy sphere left the Dragon's claws, the stability of its surface rapidly faded.
It began to bulge and contract irregularly, revealing an extremely unstable and dangerous aura, trailing a golden-red tail of light as it fell.
The instant it contacted the top of the mountain.
First, there was a stagnation.
Time seemed to be stretched thin.
The energy sphere embedded itself into the mountain rock; it didn't explode immediately, but instead collapsed inward for a moment, sucking back all light and sound.
Then.
BOOM!!!!!
A loud noise beyond words to describe.
The energy sphere burst apart, expanding violently; accompanied by a visible shockwave spreading in a ring, it turned into an exquisitely brilliant sphere of light.
Endless light and heat, shining thunder and flame, bloomed and spread simultaneously.
The rocks of the mountain vaporized instantly upon contact with the sphere of light, while the rock layers further away were peeled off and thrown away layer by layer by the shockwave.
Billions of tons of dust and debris were kicked up and mixed with the flames; pushed by a rising wave of scorching air, they formed a massive dark-red mushroom cloud that shot straight into the sky!
The shockwave swept in all directions.
Clouds were annihilated, mountains shook, and the canopies of the distant forest were flattened in swathes; the aftershocks, carrying scorching thunder-flames, surged toward the distant Crimson Flame Royal City.
Galos, suspended above, bore the brunt of it, swallowed directly by the explosion he had created.
"Such a bad mood upon waking up, wanting to destroy your own royal city as soon as you've revived?"
Just as the explosion's aftershocks were about to reach the outermost buildings of the royal city, a slightly helpless mental whisper echoed faintly in Galos's mind.
Almost simultaneously, a layer of amethyst barrier appeared on the side of the royal city facing the explosion.
It steadily blocked the surging shockwave, isolating it outside.
Swoosh!
A dragon shadow broke through the flames and thick smoke that had yet to dissipate, escaping from the center of the destruction zone and hovering high in the sky once more.
It was Galos.
At this moment, he looked slightly disheveled; many fine cracks had appeared on the surface of his scales, especially on his chest, abdomen, and forelimbs. In some places, the dragon scales had even been blown off and shattered, revealing blurred flesh beneath that was wriggling and healing at a visible rate.
He had been injured by the explosion just now.
However, instead of being alarmed, Galos was delighted, a light of pleasant surprise bursting from his dragon pupils.
He hadn't expected the Claw of Extinguishing Law to be able to derive such an extraordinary strike.
Its power was mainly related to the charging time and his own energy reserves.
According to Galos's feeling just now, as long as he still had energy and as long as the strength of his claws could hold out, he could continuously strengthen its power, unleashing an attack far beyond his own limits.
Considering Galos's vast energy and high physical strength...
He could brew up a truly terrifying attack.
Although the wind-up wasn't short, it would be unstoppable against fixed targets.
If he had possessed this skill while facing Norton Pass during the War of the Two Auras, he wouldn't have needed to crash into it personally; he could have simply condensed a thunder-flame sphere and smashed it over.
Just one hit.
Everything would have vanished into nothingness in that extreme light and heat, and the war would have ended in another, simpler and more direct way.
Natural barriers, passes, barriers, impregnable cities...
In the future, these fortifications would become fragile and pathetic before him.
"Haha, I didn't expect the power of this move to be so strong."
Galos felt refreshed, his dragon wings spreading and churning the surrounding turbulent air that had yet to settle. "Besides, I knew with you here in the royal city, I could rest easy."
He responded to the Amethyst Dragon's teasing in his heart.
"I'm not here to guard the royal city for you, you..."
Ithalamas's mental whisper carried a hint of complaint, as if he wanted to say something more.
But Galos had already unhurriedly spoken: "I know, so to thank you for your help this time, a generous gift will be sent soon."
The other side fell silent.
Trying to corrupt me with treasure again? Dammit... I absolutely cannot refuse!
A few seconds later, Galos heard a response.
"...I am not a dragon who focuses on material things, but if you insist on thanking me, I can only reluctantly accept it, so as not to let this sincere intention go to waste."
The Amethyst Dragon said reservedly.
After a few simple exchanges with him, Galos focused his mind, turning his attention back to his newly acquired ability.
"That move just now should be given a specific name. For example, Thunder-Flame Destruction Sphere or something like that, it sounds very powerful... but it seems a bit... too flamboyant? Ovis might like that kind of style."
Galos shook his head, casting aside these unimportant thoughts.
He had always been quite casual in this regard, prioritizing practicality.
Besides the long-range attack mode of condensing a solid energy sphere and then throwing it, he felt that the Claw of Extinguishing Law should have other, more flexible ways of application.
For example... melee combat.
Galos extended his right arm, his thoughts moving slightly.
Stirring golden lightning shone again, frantically surging toward his right claw.
With the passage of time and Galos's manipulation, the lightning slowly took shape and extended between his claws.
Before long, a javelin nearly a hundred meters long, composed entirely of solid golden lightning, appeared in the Red Iron Dragon's claw.
The spear's body was slender, with dazzling electrical light flowing throughout; the spear tip was incredibly sharp, constantly bursting with small electrical sparks.
Despite being an energy construct, it felt heavy and solid when held in his claw.
Galos tried swinging this lightning spear.
The spear's body cut through the air, bringing with it a low sound of wind and thunder, leaving behind a golden electrical trail that did not dissipate for a long time.
"During melee combat, I can weaponize my own energy to increase my attack range and make up for gaps in my reach."
"In the middle of a fight, if the opportunity is right, I can throw it directly, transforming it into a powerful long-range attack."
"However, I'm not yet very skilled in energy shaping and cannot quickly condense it into a suitable form during battle; this point requires more practice and training."
Galos thought to himself.
These were all derivative skills based on the Claw of Extinguishing Law; they couldn't be called invincibly strong, but Galos's methods would become richer and more comprehensive because of them.
Shortly after, Galos focused his mind and stopped the testing.
He spread his wings, feeling the touch of wind and snow passing over his scales.
The growth brought by this slumber exceeded expectations.
The Eye of Truth, the Claw of Extinguishing Law, the three new traits... each of these was no small leap; by comparison, the increase in his Life Rank was secondary.
And now, it was time to return to the Royal Court.
He needed to understand more specifically the changes that had occurred in The Nations of Romania and even the entire world during these decades of slumber; he needed to plan his next path based on these changes; and of course, he also needed to properly replenish the energy consumed by his long slumber and the testing just now, filling his empty body.
Late at night, the wind and snow continued.
However, the Crimson Flame Royal City seemed to be in another world.
To celebrate the awakening of the Red Emperor, the entire country rejoiced.
The magnificent city built against the mountain was brightly lit at this moment, like a brilliant galaxy fallen into the mountains.
Massive bonfires were lit on the main streets and squares, and magical light spheres floated in mid-air, reflecting the falling snowflakes in a kaleidoscope of colors.
The music of celebration, the laughter of the subjects, and the aroma of wine and meat.
These mixed together to dispel the chill of the winter night.
The Royal Court, located on the heights, was also holding a feast.
In a certain massive hall, delicacies were already piled up like small mountains.
Golden-brown roasted beast ribs dripping with oil, whole rock sheep stewed with spices, deep-sea fish sashimi served on silver platters, mountains of bread and cheese, and exquisite fruits from all over...
The important Dragons, as well as the lords of the Aura Kingdom, were mostly gathered here, sharing the feast.
The Red Emperor was at the main seat.
Before him, besides those delicious foods, were also piles of special supplies: shining gems, refined black oil, magical precious metals, and so on.
Galos ate unhurriedly.
He bit off a large piece of roasted rib, crushing meat and bone together in his mouth before swallowing it down; he then used his claws to pick up several gems, tossing them into his mouth like snacks, crunching and swallowing them with a few snaps, occasionally taking a large gulp of refined black oil, the thick, spicy liquid sliding down his throat and bringing a scorching warm current.
His empty body was rapidly becoming strong and full, and the luster of his scales gradually brightened.
"Father, congratulations on waking from your slumber."
A low voice carrying a sense of power rang out.
The Red Dragon Galkro strode forward, crossing the hall and walking to the steps of Galos's throne.
From childhood to youth, this dragon who had inherited the Red Emperor's Bloodline had undergone immense growth.
Although his size was far from being able to compare with his Dragon Father, he could already be called a colossus.
His crimson scales were thick and layered, their edges glinting with the dull, cold light of forged metal, as if each one had been tempered a thousand times; the sharp spines on his body were denser and thicker, his muscles bulging all over with lines full of explosive power, and just by standing there, he emitted an aura that could not be ignored.
Galos paused his eating and stared at his eldest son.
On Galkro's broad shoulders, chest, abdomen, and some key parts of his limbs, Galos saw a few marks like natural tattoos.
Those were battle scars.
To possess battle scars in the youth stage, even if they were few and scattered, was enough to show that Galkro's experiences over these years had been anything but pampered.
In him, Galos vaguely saw a few shadows of his own younger self.
Furthermore, in the young Red Dragon, the previously flighty and impatient temperament seemed to have settled a lot; his gaze had become sharper and more focused, and his demeanor carried an extra measure of steadiness.
However, he held his head high, his eyes burning bright.
The wildness in his bones had clearly not dissipated.
But under the Red Emperor's calm gaze, Galkro did not continue to maintain his proud posture.
He first lowered his massive head, bending his neck to express his heartfelt respect and reverence to his Dragon Father; after staying that way for several seconds, he raised his head again, his gaze meeting Galos's.
"The name of the Red Emperor will once again awe the Romanian Plain, and I, the Red Emperor's eldest son, will not bring shame to your reputation."
"I will use my claws, teeth, and flames to open up broader territories for you and guard your kingdom."
Galos nodded slightly and said, "The opportunity for you to perform will come soon; I shall wait and see."