"Everyone, stop."
The Red-Iron Dragon's low voice and the Phoenix's cry rang out in the sky simultaneously, piercing through the roar of the wind and rain.
Upon receiving clear orders from the leaders of both sides,
the massive flock of birds—composed of countless hawk-like Vicious Beasts and monsters that had blanketed the battlefield like dark clouds—quickly dispersed in all directions, revealing several Young Adult Dragons and Young Dragons who had been besieged for a long time.
Many new cracks and scratches had been added to their scales.
Among them were several bleeding wounds of varying depths that were slowly healing, the scent of dragon blood mixing with the rainwater.
Overall, however, these were merely superficial injuries that posed no serious threat; they were far from being severely wounded.
The Dragons held their heads high, their Dragon Might erupting as their auras remained powerful and scorching, as if they had just finished a warm-up exercise rather than an intense battle.
On the other side, the number of birds had visibly decreased.
Many corpses with disheveled or charred feathers were scattered haphazardly in the muddy jungle below.
The sea of talons and wings had indeed briefly submerged the Dragons through sheer numerical advantage.
However, their individual attacks ultimately had limited power against dragon scales. In contrast, when they were hit head-on by the Dragons' area-of-effect counterattacks—such as Dragon Breath, claws, or tail swipes—they were often killed or crippled, falling to the ground with broken wings.
To be fair, this avian legion was not weak.
They were numerous, and their Ranks were not low.
If they could truly charge forward one after another, completely disregarding losses and never suffering a mental breakdown while fighting the Dragons to the bitter end,
with their vast numerical advantage combined with the elite individuals among them who possessed outstanding strength,
there was indeed a high probability they could have fought the Dragons to a mutual defeat, or even to the point of total annihilation for both sides.
However, unless they were creatures under complete enslavement and control, they would inevitably feel fear after large-scale casualties; it was difficult for them to reach such a level of commitment.
Garros hovered with a flap of his wings, looking at the Phoenix beside him, whose light had dimmed slightly.
He asked, "Do you have a name of your own?"
The Phoenix nodded slightly, elegantly preening her somewhat messy feathers.
Creatures with high intelligence like her generally possessed their own names, which was one of the key markers distinguishing intelligent beings from ordinary monsters.
"Angela Phoenix."
She replied, her voice still crisp, though it lacked some of its initial arrogance.
According to ancient legends, all Phoenixes originated from the same great ancestor—whose name was [Phoenix].
Therefore, later generations of Phoenixes used Phoenix as a common surname, passing it down through the ages.
In this regard, they were somewhat similar to the Dragon Clan.
However, the innate pride of Dragons usually surpassed that of Phoenixes.
When many powerful Dragons reached a Peak in their achievements that was sufficient to bring glory to their house, they would often choose to discard their previous inherited surname, leaving only their unique name as the origin of a new Bloodline for their descendants to remember and carry on.
For example, the [Ignas] branch to which Garros belonged derived its surname from a certain ancestral Dragon.
That was a powerful existence that had surpassed the Legendary level, a being that had stepped into the Domain of immortality.
As long as he didn't encounter an unexpected disaster or die in battle, he might still be alive today in some distant plane, or possibly in the Material Plane—though the probability was lower, as Ancient Dragons were subject to many restrictions in the Material Plane.
There were not many specific records regarding this ancestor Ignas in the dragon heritage; they were more like vague legends.
Among them, what impressed Garros the most was a message left personally by this ancestor:
[My name is Ignas. At the age of one hundred and twenty-three, in the Early Stage of my adulthood, I had already reached the Legendary Domain.]
Becoming a Legendary Dragon almost as soon as he reached adulthood.
This was enough to prove just how high ancestor Ignas's talent was.
The reason this message was particularly memorable to Garros was that within the Legacy, the area below this message had seemingly become a message board.
Subsequent generations of Ignas dragonkin, upon coming into contact with this part of the Legacy, would leave behind the deeds they considered most brilliant and noteworthy next to it.
[Alvarez, during my time as a Young Dragon (fifteen years old), defeated a Young Adult Gold Dragon above my level.]
[Clara, a magic Genius! While still a Wyrmling, I mastered and awakened all the Spell-like abilities that are usually only possible to grasp in the juvenile stage.]
[Ortiz, hmph, before the age of one hundred, I successfully kidnapped princesses from thirty-two different kingdoms! Current record holder.]
[...]
And so on, a wide variety of entries.
This information about the ancestor's achievement had seemingly become a stage for descendants to showcase themselves and even compete with one another.
In the future, when Garros had his own direct descendants, he could likewise leave his own Treasure Trove of knowledge within this dragon heritage.
Naturally, he could also leave a message here about the most noteworthy and glorious deeds of his life.
For instance: he could drink black oil that other Dragons found unpalatable like water; he dared to train his fatal weaknesses to the limit while other Dragons dared not; he could eat gemstones as snacks that other Dragons found difficult to consume.
Any achievement in a certain field that was unprecedented and would likely remain unsurpassed, he could write it down.
If one day his power became great enough to surpass the eponymous ancestor Ignas,
then he could also erase that name and turn his own name into the new surname for this dragon line, letting thousands of descendants remember his existence forever. This was a supreme honor within the Dragon Clan.
Back to the matter at hand.
Garros pulled back his wandering thoughts, flapped his massive dragon wings, and turned to fly toward another part of the battlefield.
The Phoenix Angia let out a cry and led the flock of birds to follow closely behind him, while the other Dragons also beat their wings to stay by their leader's side.
On the other side.
The pursuit and fierce battle between the Amethyst Dragon-Lion Ennus, the Holy Spirit Deer, and the Beholder had also come to an end.
The Beholder's wrinkled, spherical body had been torn apart, its mangled remains scattered across the ground. Viscous body fluids mixed with dust and mud; it was as dead as could be.
The scent of scorching holy energy remained on its remains, along with the marks of massive lion claws tearing and fangs biting, belonging to a great beast.
The most fatal blow, however, lay in the massive main eye that had been pierced through.
A spear of light, as solid as substance, was still firmly nailed into it. Although the light on the spear's shaft had gradually dimmed, it had not yet completely dissipated.
The Holy Spirit Deer was still alive, but its situation was not good.
The Amethyst Dragon-Lion Ennus was lowering its powerful body, pinning the Holy Spirit Deer firmly to the ground so it could not rise.
Its maw, filled with fangs, hovered over the Holy Spirit Deer's slender neck. The sharp tips had already pierced the snow-white fur and torn the flesh, and deer blood—emitting a soft white light in thin strands—was slowly seeping out.
There were still some Vicious Beasts and monsters loyal to the Holy Spirit Deer trying to rush over to the rescue.
But they were already being blocked layer by layer by the Molten Iron Legion, who had surrounded them like an iron barrel, and could barely look after themselves.
[Sweet little snack, feel fortunate.]
[If this were during the years when I reigned as king, you would have already become the most delicious dish on my table, and I would be savoring your warm and fresh flesh and blood.]
The Amethyst Dragon-Lion's low growl carried psionic fluctuations, transmitting directly into the Holy Spirit Deer's ears.
"Despicable lion! You only gained the upper hand by luck, taking advantage of me when I was exhausted after both the demon and I were wounded!"
"If we were both at our Peak and had a fair duel, I would definitely beat you until your teeth fell out and make you kneel and beg for mercy."
The Holy Spirit Deer struggled unwillingly.
But every time it exerted force, it caused the Dragon-Lion's claws and fangs to sink deeper, bringing waves of intense pain.
Suddenly, the Amethyst Dragon-Lion released its suppression of the Holy Spirit Deer, stepped back a few paces, sat down, and leisurely licked the deer blood staining its sharp claws.
The Holy Spirit Deer immediately wanted to struggle to its feet and flee.
But just as it stood up and before it could move away, a Dragon Might far deeper than that of the Dragon-Lion spread out like a physical substance, pressing heavily upon it and causing its movements to stall.
It looked up at the terrifying dragon shadow in the sky that blotted out the sun, a flash of terror and hesitation crossing its eyes.
After struggling for a moment, it ultimately chose to remain in place, merely pawing at the muddy ground with its hooves uneasily.
Garros lowered his massive head, his gaze sweeping over the mess of the battlefield.
[Leader.]
The Amethyst Dragon-Lion Ennus let out a low and respectful growl, transmitting the general meaning through psionics.
[I had beaten the Beholder to the point of heavy injury, intending to spare its life for you to handle and dispose of personally. However, this Holy Spirit Deer seized the opportunity and, striking before I could, dealt the demon the final blow and killed it.]
It briefly reported the situation.
Garros folded his wings and landed unhurriedly in front of the Holy Spirit Deer, the shadow cast by his massive body almost completely enveloping it.
"Now, there are only two paths before you."
He got straight to the point without any preamble, giving the Holy Spirit Deer two simple choices.
Submit, or die.
The Holy Spirit Deer remained silent for a few seconds, its massive, branch-like antlers drooping slightly.
It finally made its choice, its two front knees covered in white fur bending slightly as it slowly knelt into the mud, simultaneously lowering its head deeply.
"I... am willing to submit to you, powerful Lord of Dragons."
"Very well, stand up."
Garros's tone was flat as he signaled for the Holy Spirit Deer to stand.
The Holy Spirit Deer stood up, glanced at the Amethyst Dragon-Lion who was still sitting nearby and licking its claws with lingering satisfaction, and then looked firmly at the Red-Iron Dragon.
"Great King of Molten Iron, before I formally pledge my loyalty to you, could you please grant me one small request?"
It paused, lifted a hoof, and pointed unceremoniously at the Amethyst Dragon-Lion, continuing: "After my condition has fully recovered, I want to have a fair, one-on-one duel with this lion who took advantage of my weakness!"
"The loser must voluntarily bow and show respect to the victor, and their status shall be one Rank lower."
Garros turned his gaze toward the Amethyst Dragon-Lion.
From his perspective as an onlooker, the Amethyst Dragon-Lion Ennus clearly had the better chance of winning.
He possessed superior physical strength and was skilled at using psionics to aid in violent combat.
In contrast, the Holy Spirit Deer's various abilities were actually more geared toward healing, support, purification, and holy strikes; it did not specialize in direct combat, and it had no counter-effects against the Amethyst Dragon-Lion.
If placed in a legion battle, the strategic role the Holy Spirit Deer could play would surpass that of the Amethyst Dragon-Lion.
But in a one-on-one duel, the Amethyst Dragon-Lion's win rate was at least seventy percent.
However, this was just Garros's judgment based on rationality.
Clearly, the vexed and angry Holy Spirit Deer did not think so itself.
[Leader! I very much look forward to this duel!]
The Amethyst Dragon-Lion growled impatiently in agreement, while simultaneously grinning toward the Holy Spirit Deer, revealing its forest of white fangs.
[Naive little snack, your courage is commendable.]
[But it cannot change the fact that in my eyes, you are always just a delicious meal of prey.]
Hearing the other's continuous low growls, the Holy Spirit Deer wrinkled its nose in disgust.
It couldn't help but speak up: "Barbaric and vulgar lion."
"Do you possess great strength but cannot even manage to speak like an intelligent being, only capable of roaring like an ignorant beast?"
"Hmph, ignorant."
The Amethyst Dragon-Lion Ennus spoke clearly and unmistakably this time, refuting the Holy Spirit Deer's questioning and proving that it was not unable, just unwilling.
"Enough."
Garros's low voice rang out, cutting off the confrontation between the two.
He looked at the Holy Spirit Deer and asked, "Tell me your name."
"Lucy."
The Holy Spirit Deer replied.
"Lucy, and Angia."
Garros's gaze swept over the newly submitted Holy Spirit Deer and the Phoenix hovering in the sky with retracted flames, announcing in an unquestionable tone: "The two of you shall enjoy a status equal to that of the Dragon-Lion Ennus."
"You will serve as lords under my command, continuing to lead your original tribes and governing the territories you are familiar with."
"However, power and duty are reciprocal."
"You must satisfy all the prerequisite requirements I propose and pledge your loyalty to the Molten Iron Tribe."
"..."
He roughly repeated the conditions he had previously stated to Ennus.
This included relinquishing their titles of kings, accepting stationed troops, providing soldiers and resources, and responding to calls for mobilization.
Finally, he asked in a deep voice, "If there are any objections to these conditions, you may raise them to me now."
The Phoenix Angia cautiously waved her right fire-wing and said, "For the Molten Iron Legion stationed in my territory, I hope they are composed of creatures whose appearance is more aesthetically pleasing and better-looking."
"For example, some shiny and beautiful creatures, or at least not Ogres or Gnolls or something like that."
She had a pursuit for the visual appeal of her subordinates.
Garros's gaze instantly became sharp, and his Dragon Might condensed slightly.
I let you raise objections, and you actually dared to mention that?
"I can do that."
The Red-Iron Dragon suddenly grinned, revealing a kind smile.
"As long as you can survive under my hand for ten minutes without dying right now, I will grant you this small request."
Angia's feathers puffed up as she felt the danger contained behind that smile.
She quickly shook her head and pulled her head back: "No, no, no! I didn't say anything just now."
"Pretend I never mentioned it; everything will be according to your arrangements."
On the other side, the Holy Spirit Deer Lucy and the Amethyst Dragon-Lion Ennus both remained sensibly silent, without any further comments.
They were well aware that being allowed to retain their existing territories and autonomy was already a great boon; they should not harbor any more presumptuous thoughts.
Soon, the members of the Molten Iron Tribe moved with practiced skill, beginning to efficiently clean up the battlefield, collect spoils of war, and treat the wounded.
After the Beholder's death, the creatures it had psionically enslaved regained their clear consciousness one after another. However, most of them had suffered severe injuries or mental exhaustion from the previous frenzied combat; very few survived, and all were in an extremely weakened state.
Garros felt no pity whatsoever regarding the Beholder's final death.
Though both were creatures that controlled minds, the Beholder's nature leaned more toward evil enslavement and absolute control.
This was fundamentally different from the Amethyst Dragon-Lion using psionics as a combat aid.
The Beholder's existence itself was an extremely unstable source of danger. If kept in the tribe, no one could guarantee it wouldn't secretly and imperceptibly enslave and control other members.
That would be a massive hidden danger.
Moreover, in the mainstream world's view, demons from the lower planes or other worlds were usually considered even more dangerous and evil than Evil Dragons.
Keeping a Beholder would undoubtedly solidify the Molten Iron Tribe's identity as being in the evil alignment.
This would be very unfavorable for the tribe's future development.
Splash!
The heavy rain in the sky continued to pour down tirelessly, washing over the corpses and remains strewn across the battlefield and diluting the freely flowing blood, yet it was unable to completely wash away the thick color of blood for the time being.
The members of the Molten Iron Tribe were like busy worker ants in the rain, clearing the battlefield.
After explaining some important matters regarding subsequent integration, reporting, and defensive points to the two newly appointed lords, the Dragons and the lords bid each other farewell and returned to their respective territories.