Ryan Highlands, Red Emperors Royal City.Garros stood at the edge of a high platform, gazing far off in the direction of the Central Continent.Intense, brilliant sunlight poured down, shining upon the Great Dragon's crimson iron scales. As light and shadow shifted, it further accentuated his grand and majestic silhouette."In this era of turbulent winds and surging clouds, who will stand out?"This question circled in his mind, yet there was no answer.Garros had seen too many rises and falls; he himself had crawled out from a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood. Yet the higher he stood and the further he saw, the more he could feel the silent turbulence permeating the cracks of the era, and the more he could feel his own limitations.For now, the situation on the continent of Atlan seemed to have stabilized.The Floating City of the Holden Empire still shielded the sky, and the surface nations had carved up the fertile lands of the Central Continent. Because resources were sufficiently abundant, the various powers maintained a balance. Under normal circumstances, this balance might last for hundreds of years.However, everyone standing at the heights knew clearly that this was merely a facade.Beneath the seemingly calm surface of the water were surging, powerful undercurrents.Although the Abyssal Rift was temporarily suppressed, the danger had never truly vanished. The giant cities of the Holden Empire hung overhead, and no one knew what was brewing within those behemoths. The disaster of the Frenzied Flame on the continent of Orotara was still spreading. Among the surface nations, disputes over borders, resources, and historical grievances were inevitable.No one knew when or where the next crisis would erupt."However, regardless of what happens, I at least have a path of retreat to take."Garros thought silently to himself.This thought caused the tense muscles beneath his scales to relax slightly.Choosing to develop the Feywild back then was not only for the special resources contained within that plane, but even more so to have a path of retreat should he encounter an irresistible world-class crisis.Of course, this was only a layer of insurance, a final choice.Unless absolutely necessary, Garros was unwilling to abandon his foundation on Planet Bernardo.This was related to his growth speed and environment.Especially after acquiring territory on the Central Continent.Its degree of richness was fully sufficient for Garros's needs for a long time to come.Setting aside various unexpected circumstances, it would at least allow him to keep a growth rate far exceeding that of normal Dragon while ascending all the way to the Destiny level.As for the Immortality above that—That would certainly require much more.A quarter of the continent could hardly satisfy the consumption of that level; perhaps he would need to integrate the resources of all of Atlan, or even extend his claws toward other continents.However, that was a matter for the future; there was no need to consider too much for now.One must eat one's meal bite by bite and walk one's path step by step; one cannot be impatient.Garros had already understood this principle when he was still a Young Dragon.Whoosh! Whoosh!Two sounds of breaking air interrupted his thoughts.Dragon shadows pierced straight through the clouds, circling briefly at high altitude to adjust their posture before descending onto the broad platform in front of the Red Iron Dragon."Father, good day."The black dragon lowered her head and prostrated her body in a submissive posture, her voice kept very soft.The Red Iron Dragon nodded slightly and said calmly, "Saria, rise. There is no need for such formality between us, father and daughter, in private."Hearing this, the black dragon changed from her low prostration to a normal standing position.But she still looked somewhat nervous, her front claws lightly scratching the ground and the tip of her tail curling slightly.She was not like the other Children of the Emperor, who were mostly in a relaxed state when facing their Dragon Father in private. After all, wherever intelligent beings gathered, it was difficult to have complete equality.Even among the specially-statused Children of the Emperor, subtle hierarchies existed.For instance, adopted sons and daughters like Saria were a tier lower in status than the Emperor's biological Bloodline.This was naturally formed, rather than a regulation by Garros.The descendants born directly from his Bloodline generally had higher growth potential and were very powerful themselves, so their status was naturally higher than that of Adopted children. And within the biological Bloodline, the four children of the first brood were the leaders.Among these four, Galkro and Laria held the highest prestige.The former went without saying; he always charged at the very front in every battle, leading by example. His scales, covered in battle-scarred markings, were his medals. The other Children of the Emperor were thoroughly convinced by him and would never belittle his bravery. The latter was a Dragon Lord, quite powerful himself, and also commanded a significant number of retainers, governing his territory in an orderly fashion.Among the other Children of the Emperor who were not yet adults, the Red-Gold Dragon Gabriel was currently receiving the most attention.It was foreseeable that as the number of Children of the Emperor increased, and even as the generations of Bloodline dragon descendants grew, only the most outstanding or special dragon descendants would be able to stand out and gain the Red Emperor's attention.Resources are limited, and so is attention; this is a screening process that no group can avoid.At the same time.The Red Dragon Galkro, who had come with the black dragon, wore an impatient expression.He increased his force upon landing, causing the platform to tremble slightly, then strode forward, his scales rubbing together with a clanging sound.He was not nervous like the black dragon. He stepped forward a few more paces, almost leaning into Garros's face, before grinning to reveal a mouth full of sharp teeth and saying in a gruff voice, "Haha, my dear father, I have a piece of good news! Do you want to hear it?"Garros glanced at this eldest son."No."He said succinctly."Since you want to know, then I'll tell you."Galkro pretended not to have heard the 'no'.He puffed out his chest, wearing a proud expression, and said in a booming voice, "Father, you're going to be a grandfather!"The voice paused for a moment, and he raised a front claw, pointing at the black dragon beside him who had her head lowered."Haha, Saria is pregnant with my child. Your Bloodline is about to welcome its second generation!"For a moment, there was only the sound of the wind on the platform.Garros slowly turned his head, moving his gaze from his eldest son's triumphant face to land on Saria.Could the second generation of descendants continue to inherit his talent?Garros was lost in thought.This concerned one of his future development routes and was very important.The black dragon was already nervous, and now under Garros's gaze, her whole body tensed up.She pressed her head even lower, the scales on her neck bristling slightly before slowly smoothing down. Her tail swayed left and right behind her, making a soft rustling sound as it swept across the ground."When did this happen?"The Red Iron Dragon asked."Just a month ago!"Galkro answered first.He had clearly been holding it in for a long time, and once the floodgates opened, he couldn't stop: "After the war in the Central Continent ended, I was wondering why she had become so lazy, always lying in the nest sleeping, yet her appetite was growing."The Red Dragon spoke with great animation, gesturing with his front claws: "I asked Saria if she had caught some major illness. She glared at me and said you're the one who's sick, your whole family is sick—oh, I don't mean you, Father, I mean that's how she was scolding me then—anyway, that's what it meant!"He scratched his head and added, "Later, the more I thought about it, the more I felt something wasn't right...""...""Galkro."The Red Iron Dragon interrupted his eldest son's non-stop chatter and said, "I was asking her."Galkro sheepishly shut his mouth, but the corners of his lips were still curled up, clearly in an excellent mood.He was thinking that when his child was born, he would educate them just as his father had educated him. If this descendant could be a bit more rebellious, it would be even better; he could really show off his skills then.The Red Iron Dragon's gaze fell back onto Saria.His tone softened slightly as he asked, "How do you feel now?"Saria raised her eyes, met her father's gaze, and then quickly lowered them again.She said in a low voice, "I'm fine. Although I feel tired more easily than before and my appetite has increased, it's very mild and doesn't have much of an impact."Garros listened quietly and then asked, "Can you still fight?"This question made both Saria and Galkro freeze for a moment."I can!"Saria was silent for a moment, then said firmly, "My claws and teeth are still sharp. As long as Father gives the order, I can still go to the front and kill enemies, no matter what the enemy is."Garros stared at her for a second.Then, he reached out a massive clawed hand and gently patted the black dragon's lowered head."Good."He said, "If you can fight, it means there's no big problem."Withdrawing his claw, he continued, "However, I will not send you to charge and fight. During the period you are nurturing the descendant, all of your original tasks will be handled by Galkro."He turned to the Red Dragon: "Saria's tasks are now your responsibility. Do you have any objections?"Hearing this, the Red Dragon Galkro slapped his breastplate, producing a dull clanging sound.He straightened his body and spoke in a booming voice, "Of course not, leave it to me!""In the war for the Central Continent, I didn't get to kill to my heart's content. This is perfect; I can vent my fire on the demons from the Abyssal Rifts within our borders. Those pieces of trash have been getting restless again lately. I'll handle them personally!"His tone was full of impatience.The Red Iron Dragon's gaze swept over his eldest son's body and landed on several purple patterns that still existed on his breastplate.Those patterns were like living things, slowly snaking through the gaps between the scales, their color so deep it was nearly black.Seeing this, Garros slightly furrowed the scales between his brows."It's been this long, and you still have abyssal aura remaining on you?"Galkro raised a front claw and felt the patterns on his body.He said nonchalantly, "These things? They grew because I ate too much demon flesh on the battlefield; it's not abyssal aura residue."This sounded even more abnormal.Garros narrowed his eyes as pieces of Legacy knowledge surfaced in his mind.Instances of eating too many demons leading to 'Abyssal Markings' appearing on the body were recorded in the Legacy.That usually occurred in dragons who had fought against the Abyss for long periods; they fed on demons during intense battles, transforming their enemies' power into their own nourishment, but in the process, certain Abyssal traits would subtly seep into their bodies.However, the Legacy contained no specific details as to whether this was ultimately good or bad.It only mentioned that feeding on demons had a slim probability of causing Abyssal Markings to grow on the body, but there was no further information regarding the consequences."They are called Abyssal Markings. There are corresponding records in the Legacy; you should already know this,"Garros said.The Red Dragon nodded heavily.He wasn't worried in the slightest; instead, he grinned, revealing a smile. "The fact that such an extremely low-probability event happened to me only proves my strength and the excellence of your Bloodline, Father.""Not just anyone can eat the flesh and blood of those demons, but I did it!""I didn't just digest them; I made them a part of me!"Clearly, Galkro didn't care much about the potential risks.In fact, he viewed the Abyssal Markings as a mark of glory similar to battle-scarred markings, feeling very proud of them.He turned sideways to show his father the several lines on his flank; they began at the position of Galkro's heart and spread down along his muscles.Under the Dragon father's gaze, Galkro pondered for a moment before continuing, "They make me look more formidable.""And I feel that these markings aren't just decorative—I'm considering whether I should eat more demons. This might increase the number of Abyssal Markings on my body. If they could cover my entire body, it would surely be breathtaking."He turned his head to look at his father with a serious gaze. "I want more Abyssal Markings, Father. What do you think?"Although Galkro appeared boisterous on the surface, he was well aware of the dangers of the Abyss.This thing was most likely a double-edged sword that could bring power but also unpredictable mutations, so he sought Garros's opinion.The Red Iron Dragon gave him a deep look."You have long been an adult; I will not interfere too much in your choices. Besides, you've already made your decision, haven't you?"Galkro was slightly stunned, then his lips curled up into a genuine smile."Father, you still know me best."His expression turned serious, and his voice deepened. "I have a feeling that they will make me stronger.""They will certainly come with some lure or corruption from the Abyss; that is an inevitable price, and I am aware of it.""But hmph, how can the pursuit of power ever be smooth sailing?""On your journey, Father, you also hacked through thorns and faced countless dangers—being hunted by legends, besieged by the strong, and struggling on the edge of life and death. As your most excellent scion, I will never stop because I fear danger!"In Galkro's heart, he had always taken pride in his status as the eldest son.He was the first to hatch and the first son of the Emperor.But at the same time, he knew very well that in the Aula Kingdom, strength was revered above age.The Dragon born later each had stronger talents than the last.To maintain his strength and live up to his status as the eldest son, Galkro put in far more grueling effort than his other kin.However, while his Bloodline talent was excellent, it wasn't exactly top-tier.For example, that Red-Gold Dragon Gabriel was clearly growing faster than Galkro had at the same age, and his nature was quite overbearing, which made Galkro feel threatened.As time passed, his father might have even more excellent descendants born.The Bloodline would only grow stronger and stronger.Only by seizing every opportunity and becoming stronger at any cost could he stand out among the many sons of the Emperor and always remain at the front line, making his father proud.This was the most persistent thought in the depths of Galkro's heart.He would not allow himself to be surpassed by his other brothers and sisters.Garros gazed at his eldest son.He knew the obsession in his heart.That unwillingness, that anxiety, and that burning ambition—he saw them all.But Garros didn't actually care much whether his scions were powerful or not.Because no matter what, he would always be at the very front.He was the Emperor, the one who created all of this. His gaze was already cast toward much further places; the growth of his scions was more like a finishing touch to him rather than a necessity.However, he did not try to persuade his eldest son otherwise.Garros himself had some obsessions that were hard to dispel.For instance, he actually lacked a sense of security.As long as he hadn't reached the absolute peak, and as long as there were still beings above him who could decide his fate, Garros would always feel a sense of unease in the depths of his heart.It followed him like a shadow and had never truly dissipated.His pursuit of power was largely driven by this 'unease.'These kinds of thoughts weren't something that could vanish with a few words.Moreover, its existence wasn't necessarily a bad thing.Obsession could become a motivation, driving a being to break through their limits; it all depended on how it was utilized—how one stayed clear-headed while pursuing power and made the right choices when faced with temptation."Follow your own heart, my eldest son."The Red Iron Dragon spoke slowly, "But remember, do not chase power blindly.""Power is a tool, not the goal.""If you lose yourself for the sake of power, then the power you gain will eventually backfire."He paused, a sharp light flashing in his eyes. "Otherwise, Gorsas will be your cautionary tale."Galkro lowered his head slightly and said solemnly, "As you know, my temperament might not be as calm as the fourth's, but I am by no means a foolish or reckless dragon.""I will cautiously test the power of those markings and record every change.""If the danger outweighs the gain, or if I feel my sanity being eroded beyond control, I will stop without hesitation.""What I want is power I can control, not to be controlled by power."The Red Iron Dragon nodded slightly."Fine, you may leave."Both dragons bowed in salute simultaneously, then turned and took flight, heading toward the lower levels of the Dragon Court.Garros stood alone, watching the two figures gradually recede into the distance."Keep an eye on Galkro's condition. If there is any abnormality, report to me immediately."The Red Iron Dragon's voice echoed in Saria's heart.Since he had taken up the Psion pathway, although his Rank wasn't high yet, using mental communication like this had become very convenient.On the other side.The Black Dragon's movements paused for a split second, but she quickly returned to normal and continued gliding downward."I will, Father. Please rest assured."1She responded silently in her heart.The wind passed through the clouds, brushing over the Red Iron Dragon's scales as the sunlight began to slant westward.He stood alone at the summit of the Dragon Court, watching the twilight gradually blooming on the horizon."Times change—without realizing it, my Bloodline is about to welcome its second generation."Garros whispered in his heart.He suddenly felt that the lifespan of the Dragon didn't seem all that long.The days of struggling in the wilds were still vivid in his mind, yet in the blink of an eye, he was already standing at the peak of the Northlands.Beneath him was the Royal City, before him was his territory, and behind him were countless vassals and subjects looking up to him... He had several companions and many scions, and now even grandchildren were on the way.Time passed so quickly."A thousand years... is too short."The Red Iron Dragon whispered slowly.For many mortals or even legendary lives, a thousand years was an unimaginably long time.But for Garros, who aimed to reach the absolute summit and explore the end of evolution, what did this bit of time matter?Previously, his small goal was to live for a thousand years; that was the vague longing of a Young Dragon for a distant future.But after he saw a broader world, this goal had unknowingly changed.A thousand years? That was only a starting point.What he wanted was to continuously climb upward over a thousand, ten thousand, or even longer years until he stood at the peak of all existence, feeling completely secure and letting his heart truly find peace.The twilight deepened, and the silhouettes of the distant mountains began to blur.At the same time.Amidst the flowing clouds, in the Holden Empire.Whispers were quietly rising in the shadows of the grand architecture."I truly didn't expect that Red Iron Dragon, who uses Aura as his name, could display the Might of Destiny and directly seal the Abyssal Rift at the critical moment.""The strength of this dragon has exceeded expectations; we must pay more attention to it.""Our King's descent will have to be delayed. That rift was originally a vital link in the plan, but now it no longer exists.""Be patient. The whispers of the Supreme Will have already echoed in the Holden central command, and the number of Awakened Ones like us is increasing.""Among the high-level officials of the Holden Empire, some have already begun listening to the call of the Abyss.""Heh, this Material Plane Empire will fall to the Abyss sooner or later, and then, the entire world will belong to us.""Act with caution. Holden's resistance is still very stubborn...""The communication gradually fell silent.The grand city still hung in the sky, like a miracle from myth.The lights on the towers lit up one by one, and magical radiance flowed between the buildings, appearing orderly and prosperous. But beneath that radiance, no one knew how many shadows were slowly and steadily spreading.