The vast, boundless night sky hung low over the land like a thick, ink-colored velvet blanket.
Guided and protected by the dragons, the Molten Iron Legion had crossed the blurred border line and brazenly stepped onto the vast territory belonging to the lion prides.
On the other side.
The lion prides, composed of various fierce, hideous Vicious Beasts and monsters, did not establish strict guard towers like human armies within their vast territory.
However, this land was not undefended.
Countless lion beasts, agile as the wind and swift as lightning, were entrusted with a special mission.
Their task was not to hold a single position, but to act as mobile sentinels, patrolling the outer edges of the territory.
When the shadow of an incoming enemy approached, these sentinels would stretch their necks toward the sky and emit deafening roars that pierced the night, sending a warning signal of impending danger to the entire lion territory.
And so.
Amidst the vast wilderness and rolling hills that the lion prides considered their exclusive domain.
Roars filled with fear or high alert erupted one after another, spreading rapidly in ripples from near to far, continuous like surging waves, echoing endlessly under the silent night sky and breaking the stillness of the night.
Those lion pride members who were originally strolling leisurely or proudly patrolling their own territory.
When they caught sight of the Molten Iron Legion, which came like a mighty torrent shattering the night, their once arrogant and ferocious posture instantly collapsed.
They often only dared to stay at a relatively safe distance, instinctively baring their white, sharp fangs and squeezing out low hisses from the depths of their throats that were full of threats yet could not hide their fear.
However, they dared not actually approach the target at all.
Especially when they noticed the dragon shadows circling under the low-hanging night sky, the fear stemming from the depths of their Bloodline instantly overwhelmed their territorial consciousness and ferocity, and they dared not face the sharp edge of the dragon swarm.
The lion prides retreated subconsciously, one after another, and the low growls in their throats carried obvious signs of cowering.
At this moment, they no longer possessed the ferocity and rampant nature they had when they actively attacked the Molten Iron territory.
Following the firm and unyielding advance of the Molten Iron Legion, the lion prides could only retreat step by step, helplessly.
The incompetent lion prides watched helplessly as the Iron Hoof of the Molten Iron Tribe trampled their territory, but they could do nothing about it, only able to emit fierce-sounding yet cowardly low growls.
For every inch the Molten Iron Legion advanced, the lion prides were forced to retreat an inch.
Finally.
As time flowed by unhurriedly, the deep night was gradually replaced by a grayish halo.
However, the sun that could disperse the haze did not arrive as scheduled.
The sky still presented a dull, grayish tone that was unsettling.
Dense dark clouds gathered from all directions, pressing low on the horizon, and the humidity in the air rose significantly, carrying the scent of soil and withered grass, with the sticky feeling of an impending mountain rain.
A heavy rain was quietly brewing between heaven and earth, seeming ready to pour down at any moment.
Climate change, and The Borderlands which had almost become part of an ice field, also caused impacts on the Serel Wilderness, making this land, originally known for being dry and hot, experience more frequent and lasting rainy seasons than before.
Just then.
Under the dark and oppressive sky, in the distance, a rift valley that looked like a high mountain split in two by a god's giant axe began to loom on the horizon, revealing its general outline.
Echo Canyon, the lair and territory where the Lion King resided.
The goal of the Molten Iron Legion was clear, and it was moving steadily toward the rift valley, gradually approaching this natural strategic pass.
Not long after, the steep rock walls of the rift valley became clearer.
And before the rift valley, on that relatively open alluvial plain, the scene was chilling.
Countless, diverse, and fierce-looking lion beasts were lined up densely as if undergoing an inspection, ready for battle.
They were restlessly pawing at the ground, and their low roars merged into an oppressive ocean.
Facing a large-scale enemy army that had already arrived at the doorstep, the previous scattered harassment and guerrilla tactics lost all meaning.
Therefore, in order to counter the advancing Molten Iron Legion, the lion prides scattered throughout the territory were summoned by their leader and gathered in front of Echo Canyon, preparing to engage in a final decisive battle with the Molten Iron Legion here.
At this very moment.
The heavy panting of Vicious Beasts and the sharp low growls of monsters were tightly intertwined, like countless muffled thunders rolling, brewing, and spreading deep within the earth! Forming a continuous wave of sound pressure.
"Roar —!"
Suddenly, a huge roar, far more majestic and resonant than any previous one, exploded like a thunderclap on flat ground from the top of the highest cliff of Echo Canyon.
It contained an invisible yet powerful pressure, sweeping across the entire pride like mercury pouring onto the ground.
In an instant, the commotion, restlessness, and anxiety caused by the approaching strong enemy in the lion pride almost disappeared at the same time. The mental state of all the lion beasts stabilized and became murderous at a speed visible to the naked eye, and fierce light reignited in their eyes.
"Psionic energy?"
The pupils of Iron Dragon Sorog contracted slightly.
From that unique roar, he captured the power fluctuations he was very familiar with.
Psionic energy.
And, in terms of the degree of condensation, it seemed to exceed his own.
The Red-Iron Dragon's expression did not change much; he just lowered his eyes slightly, overlooking the source of the roar.
Under his gaze, a giant lion figure with an extremely oppressive aura slowly appeared on a giant eagle-beak rock at the highest point of the rift valley.
His gaze was like two streaks of tangible lightning, piercing sharply toward the dragon swarm in the sky.
His size was unimaginably huge, even a circle larger than an ordinary young Red Dragon, and his body emitted rich Demonic Energy and psionic energy reactions.
The mane on his neck was exceptionally thick and majestic, circling and erupting like an emperor's cloak.
But that was not real hair.
That was a circle of purple flames that were burning and leaping continuously. The purple flame mane fluttered and danced as if it had life, adding a lot of prestige to the giant lion.
He had wings on both sides of his back, and his body surface was not just simple fur; many scales that looked like amethysts could be vaguely seen embedded in key parts.
Starting from his forehead, all the way along the spine to the coccyx, there were thumb-sized purple crystals floating in the air a few inches away from his body, following his breathing and heartbeat, slowly rising and falling rhythmically as if they possessed life.
The most critical point was.
His gaze was deep, without obvious cruel or violent colors, but instead gave a feeling of a sentient creature, overflowing with shining psionic light.
At this moment, the biological characteristics of this [Amethyst Winged Lion King] were completely reflected in Garros's vision.
He twitched his nostrils slightly, and at the same time caught a trace of an unusual Dragonkin aura in the air.
"This Lion King is a hybrid descendant born from the mating of an Amethyst Dragon and some powerful Vicious Beast or monster."
Garros stared at the Lion King on the cliff, lost in thought.
He quickly searched his dragon heritage, but could not find any biological species records that perfectly corresponded to the Lion King before him, but if the significant features on him were taken out separately, corresponding biological descriptions could be found in the Legacy.
"Amethyst Dragonkin. Truly unexpected, I didn't expect to encounter a powerful Amethyst Dragon Bloodline descendant here."
Iron Dragon Sorog beside him also had a flash of surprise in his eyes: "Could it be that in the depths of the Serel Wilderness, there is still a real Amethyst Dragon hiding? I have never heard of this point."
Amethyst Dragon, the crown jewel among the Gem Dragon clan.
Chromatic Dragon, Metallic Dragon, Gem Dragon. These three major dragon species were often mentioned side by side by Mortals.
However, unlike the Chromatic Dragon and Metallic Dragon, which had many branches and were spread throughout the Material Plane, the number of Gem Dragons in the Material Plane was extremely scarce, and the vast majority resided in other strange planes.
All Gem Dragons were natural Psions, possessing powerful talents for manipulating spirit and psionic energy.
Amethyst Dragon, the recognized leader among Gem Dragons, the head of the Gem Dragons.
His status was roughly equivalent to the Red Dragon among Chromatic Dragons and the Gold Dragon among Metallic Dragons.
The iconic floating amethysts on the Lion King and his pure and powerful psionic energy fluctuations were highly consistent with the characteristics of the Amethyst Dragon recorded in the dragon heritage.
Seeing the specific image of the Lion King and feeling his aura, the dragons could confirm his Dragonkin identity.
"Garros, the possibility of absorbing this Dragonkin Lion King into our tribe is much higher than expected."
Solrog looked at the Red-Iron Dragon beside him and whispered his judgment.
Garros nodded slightly, holding the same thought in his heart.
Wild Dragonkin were a creature with quite contradictory inner thoughts.
On one hand, when they encountered a pure-blooded Dragon whose life level was weaker than their own.
In order to improve the concentration and purity of their own Dragonkin Bloodline, the greedy instinct stemming from the depths of their Bloodline would be strongly stimulated, prompting them to produce the terrible thought of killing the Dragon and devouring its flesh and blood essence.
On the other hand, when they faced a pure-blooded True Dragon whose life level surpassed their own and whose power was enough to crush them.
The deeply rooted instinct in the Dragonkin Bloodline to follow a stronger True Dragon would be activated again, producing an almost instinctive idea of 'returning to the ancestors', having a strong urge to seek protection and recognition.
"Halt!"
The dragon issued a concise and majestic command, and the steadily advancing Molten Iron Legion stopped in unison, separated by a distance, looking at the array formed by countless lion beasts in front from afar.
The murderous atmosphere instantly climbed to the peak.
A suffocating silence permeated between the two armies, with only the wind wailing.
The Red-Iron Dragon circled slowly in the sky, and the Amethyst Lion King was at the top of the rift valley.
The gazes of the two met in the air, and invisible auras collided fiercely between the two kings of the map, crushing each other.
"Giant lion with the Dragon Bloodline flowing in your body."
The Red-Iron Dragon's low voice was like rolling thunder, suppressing the wind, and spread across the battlefield: "Submit under my wings and pay the price of loyalty for your previous reckless provocation. In this way, I will grant forgiveness and bestow upon you the glory of surviving under the protection of dragon wings."
The Amethyst Winged Lion King heard this and took a step forward.
His giant claws covered in crystal scales stepped on a protruding sharp rock, holding his head high and staring at the Red-Iron Dragon circling in the sky.
He did not speak immediately, but let out a low lion roar containing psionic energy.
When this roar reached Garros's ears, the intention it contained was naturally understood.
"Dragon circling in the sky, offer your loyalty and submit under my claws and purple flames! Swear allegiance to the roar of the lion pride, and in this way, I will generously forgive your current offense and ignorance."
This was almost returning Garros's words just now, verbatim.
It was obvious that this Amethyst Winged Lion King did not think he was weaker than the few circling Dragons before him.
Compared to direct submission, the Bloodline mixed with the pride of the Dragon and the wildness of the Lion in his body was more eager to challenge the authority of the Dragon and prove who was the true king of this land.
Dragonkin certainly had the instinct of 'returning to the ancestors', but there was also the instinct to prove themselves through 'patricide'.
After receiving this provocative response from the Amethyst Lion King, Garros did not get angry because of being offended.
On the contrary, the corners of the Red-Iron Dragon's mouth curled slightly upward, pulling out a somewhat ferocious but also joyful smile.
A simple, bloodless surrender and allegiance?
That would be too boring, too cheap.
Facing a powerful, arrogant, and confident enemy, Garros preferred to conquer and crush him completely through the most direct and intense collision of scales and claws, through the clash of power and flesh, and then take him under his command.
The more arrogant, confident, and powerful the Lion King performed at this moment.
When he was eventually forced to lower his arrogant head and let out a whimper of submission, the pleasure and satisfaction of conquest that Garros could obtain from it would be like the most mellow wine, intense to the extreme.
— This was one of Garros's few hobbies.
"Very good, I will enjoy this unyielding posture of yours to the fullest!"
The Red-Iron Dragon overlooked the earth and said to the Amethyst Lion King.
As the words fell, he suddenly spread his huge wings and issued a command to attack that shook the clouds to the Molten Iron Legion waiting in battle formation below.