Deep underground, everything was silent.
Thick rock layers and permafrost isolated the disturbances and sounds of the outside world; time seemed to have lost its meaning here, as if frozen solid.
A massive body covered in deep black scales lay silent in the darkness and stillness.
His breathing was long and weak, his heartbeat so slow it was almost imperceptible; he was like a massive, lifeless rock, merging into the surrounding environment, indistinguishable from it.
However, the dangerous aura that grew increasingly intense as time passed silently spoke of his difference.
It was none other than Garros Ignis.
Nearly thirty years of time might be half a lifetime wasted for short-lived species.
But for a Dragon advancing toward its adult stage, for Garros, this period of silence was more like a deep tempering and accumulation.
At the beginning of the New Era year 318, in a certain moment.
Hum—!
It was not a physical sound, but rather an invisible vibration. Centered on that sleeping Dragon body, it penetrated the thick rock layers and permafrost, spreading outward like ripples in water.
On the surface, the fine ice and snow began to tremble slightly, and then moved on their own without wind.
It was as if something had awakened deep underground, disturbing the tranquility of this land.
Inside the underground cavern.
The thick dust and small attached rock fragments that had accumulated on the Dragon body over nearly thirty years turned into the finest powder at this moment and slid off silently.
Those Dragon eyes, closed for so long, suddenly opened.
He had awakened.
The Red-Iron Dragon slowly lifted his heavy head, his neck and spinal bones emitting a series of sounds like rocks rubbing against each other.
He did not make any large movements immediately, but quietly felt the surging, massive power rushing through his body at this moment.
It was a dual leap in both quality and quantity, as if every inch of muscle, every scale, and every drop of blood contained explosive energy.
At the same time.
The situation in The Borderlands, the scent of the wind and snow, the traces of his kin. Even some vague fluctuations from more distant regions slowly unfolded like a painting within his powerful perception.
"Hmm..." A low Dragon roar overflowed from the depths of his throat, echoing in the enclosed underground space, shaking the dome and causing stone dust to fall with a rustle.
"I don't know exactly how many years have passed, but the time of this slumber will certainly not be short."
After his consciousness gradually cleared, Garros judged in his heart.
The darkness could not obscure his keen perception.
He clearly felt his own growth and changes.
The Red-Iron Dragon's body length had reached an astonishing twenty-eight meters.
This was the body length that only a normal adult Red Dragon could possess, and it was not inferior to his Red Dragon father, Gorthax. Moreover, with his sturdy physique—tempered through countless trials, every muscle bulging with power—the visual impact was even stronger, completely surpassing Red Dragons of the same size.
His scales had become thicker, each one seemingly re-quenched, with edges shimmering with a cold, metallic luster.
The Dragon bone structure supporting this massive behemoth had also undergone some subtle adjustments and reinforcements, becoming more reasonable and resilient, sufficient to carry this body.
The Dragon might naturally radiating from his body was no longer as sharp, flamboyant, and piercing as it was during his youth.
His Dragon might had become like an abyss, bottomless, profound, and heavy, while containing a sense of oppression far exceeding what it had been before.
"My Life Level... As expected, this final rank is not so easy to break through."
"If level 21 is not directly equivalent to Legendary, but just a notch on the power scale, then I should be able to reach level 21. Unfortunately, that is not the case; in the end, it is still lacking a bit."
Garros carefully inspected his own Life Level.
—Level 20.
To be more precise, it was the Peak of level 20, the theoretical limit that a mortal being could reach.
If there were a visible experience bar, his current state would definitely not be just stepping over the threshold of level 20, but rather having completely filled this experience slot, with not a sliver of space left. Taking even the smallest step forward would be the Legendary realm that countless heroes dream of but find difficult to reach in their entire lives!
And this seemingly small step was also a chasm that blocked countless living beings.
Even for Dragons with long lifespans and powerful talents, wanting to break through from the Perfection of level 20 to Legendary was not an easy matter.
Either encounter a major opportunity sufficient to change the essence of life.
Or, rely on grinding effort, spend a long time accumulating, and then use the sleep of an age stage to break through the barrier in one go.
From level 20 to level 21.
For normal Dragons, this often requires hundreds of years, or even longer, to accumulate and wait.
"Back when I was level 17, I could break through a damaged Legendary realm; at level 18, I already had the ability to kill the level 20 Blue Dragon leader Perest. Now, I have reached the limit of level 20... Can I truly contend with those who have just entered the Legendary realm?"
In Garros's mind, this question involuntarily surfaced.
Between mortals and the Legendary, there exists a huge gap known as a chasm, but this gap is not absolutely impossible to cross.
The Dragon Heritage contains sporadic records of instances where level 20 Dragons defeated Legendary beings.
Although rare, they truly exist.
Garros was not a normal Dragon.
With his racial stats, his talent, and his strength far exceeding Dragons of the same level—these advantages accumulated one by one would inevitably narrow the gap with the Legendary.
But how much could it be narrowed? Could it truly smooth out that chasm? Garros himself could not be sure.
If not necessary, he naturally would not actively provoke a Legendary-level powerful enemy.
In essence, he preferred dealing with opponents he could crush at will with absolute power, but unfortunately, such opponents often could not bring much valuable harvest.
"It is a pity that Charles died; otherwise, I would have a suitable reference object."
Garros slightly shook his huge head, the figure of the Flower Knight flashing through his heart.
Although he bore the title of a knight, Charles's combat style was essentially more inclined toward that of a mysterious, unpredictable assassin.
His physique was relatively fragile; he relied on a calm mind and rational judgment, using incredibly flexible spatial skills to maneuver and fight against enemies.
Therefore, in a situation where he was affected by the Frenzied Flame, fell into madness, and lost his reason.
He was careless for a moment and was hit head-on by the Red Dragon Gorthax, who had activated his Wild State, and died on the spot.
The Fury brought by the Frenzied Flame could be said to be a natural counter to his combat style, which required calmness.
If Charles had not died, with his exceptional talent, he would surely have successfully stepped into the Legendary realm by now.
"Charles's Soul is stored in the Phylactery, but his consciousness is chaotic, making effective communication difficult."
Garros's thoughts turned: "However, after these years of nourishing, perhaps the situation has improved."
He decided that once Charles's Soul regained clarity, he would go and carefully investigate his condition.
The death of the physical body is not the true end; this human kin with extraordinary potential still possessed value that could not be underestimated, even if only his Soul remained.
Garros slowly exhaled a breath of scorching air.
He gathered his slightly scattered thoughts and focused on his current state.
Apart from his Life Level reaching the limit of mortals, he clearly felt that his blood had undergone significant changes.
He could feel the circulation of blood within his body with unprecedented clarity.
Scorching, vigorous.
Like lava surging in his blood vessels.
This was a feeling he would only have before when activating his Crimson Lotus State, but now, he could feel it in his normal state, yet it did not cause damage to his body, nor was it as violent and fierce as the Crimson Lotus State.
Just as he had expected and hoped before his slumber, his blood had indeed completed a certain adaptive evolution.
Moreover, it was not just his blood that had changed.
Garros keenly sensed that his scales and wings also transmitted a feeling completely different from before his slumber.
"This is not the place to examine myself; it is time to go out."
In the darkness, the Red-Iron Dragon slowly propped up his four limbs, his huge Dragon claws easily sinking into the hard ground. With his movements, the entire underground cave began to shake violently, and more cracks appeared on the rock walls.
It was time.
To return to his kingdom, inspect the changes during his slumber, and then unleash his brand-new strength into a wider world.
He lifted his Dragon head, looking toward the thick rock ceiling that had isolated him from the outside world for so long.
The next moment, the Red-Iron Dragon's strong hind limbs exerted force suddenly, his wings unfurling with a boom; although not fully extended, they were already filled with a powerful sense of strength.
Boom!
Accompanied by an earth-shattering loud noise.
In a certain area not far from Dragon Valley, the ground suddenly exploded.
Frozen soil, rocks, and ice were blasted away by an irresistible force.
A massive black-red figure, like a meteor rushing in reverse, tore through the earth, soaring straight into the clouds with peerless Dragon Qi, descending once more beneath the skies of The Borderlands.
The King of Molten Iron had returned.
Meanwhile, inside Dragon Valley.
Every dragon, whether resting in their nests or training in the practice grounds, felt the violent trembling of the earth beneath their feet at that exact moment, along with the intense Dragon Qi that surged and spread like a tsunami.
They were very familiar with this.
Without needing any command, the dragons let out excited roars, quickly beating their wings and ascending into the sky.
Their gazes all turned in unison toward the majestic dragon shadow dancing wantonly in the firmament.
Aside from the prime White Dragon Therese, Crimson-Silver Dragon Deborah, and Faerie Dragon Vera.
Those that were once Wyrmlings and Young Dragons had now all reached the juvenile stage.
Each of them was massive in size, with bulging muscles and shimmering scales, clearly more than a circle larger and stronger than ordinary Dragon of the same age.
"He's awake, he's awake! The great, invincible King of Molten Iron has awakened!"
Faerie Dragon Vera used a phantasm sound spell to announce the news to the entire Dragon Valley.
"Deborah, let's get closer and take a look! Garros has been asleep for so long this time; there must be some incredible changes!" Vera flapped her wings, flying around the Crimson Silver Dragon, her tone filled with curiosity and excitement. "Hehe, I need to hurry and update my 'King of Molten Iron Simulation Technique'! The stronger Garros gets, the more powerful I become!"
Compared to the impatient Faerie Dragon, the Crimson Silver Dragon was much more composed.
She looked up at that familiar, formidable figure in the high sky and shook her head gently.
"According to Garros's habits, the first thing he does after waking is usually to familiarize himself with and master his own changes."
She said: "Let's just wait here."
"In the meantime, let the dependents prepare the highest-grade food immediately. When he finishes adapting and comes down to eat, we will naturally be able to see exactly what kind of growth he has achieved."
Hearing this, the Faerie Dragon tilted her head in thought, then nodded.
"That makes sense. You're always so thoughtful, Deborah."
Suddenly, she laughed mischievously: "You two are both adults now; are you planning to do anything important next?" Her voice paused, and the Faerie Dragon snuck closer, whispering: "For the sake of our friendship, I must warn you in advance: Garros has specifically trained in a certain aspect, and the scene is quite terrifying."
What kind of gibberish is she spouting?!
The flustered Crimson Silver Dragon glared at the Faerie Dragon.
The Faerie Dragon immediately and tactfully covered her mouth with her wings, saying no more.
The dragons circled and soared in mid-air, letting out roars filled with awe and excitement to celebrate their leader's return, but they all tacitly agreed not to rashly approach the figure standing at the edge of the sky.
Meanwhile, high in the heavens.
Garros waved his wings wantonly.
With the violent churning and eruption of black-red energy, he performed various dazzling, inconceivable, and high-difficulty flight maneuvers in the air.
A sudden hover after a rapid climb, a sharp turn at nearly a right angle, an instantaneous sidestep like a phantom, and an unconventional inverted flight... all these movements were as smooth as flowing water, without the slightest hesitation or discomfort.
It was as if this body had been born for such extreme maneuvers.
And what was most striking, one might even say shocking, was the form of his wings; they had become extremely special, completely different from any known Dragon.
After a hearty, adrenaline-filled session of testing his physical limits with rapid flight, Garros slowly came to a halt.
He stood in the sky, breathing steadily, and began to stretch his enormous dragon wings.
Whoosh—!
As his mind stirred slightly, the vast, ocean-like Dragon Qi within his body surged into his wings like a bursting flood.
The next moment, the Red-Iron Dragon's already enormous wings began to expand against the wind, as if without limit! The wingspan extended crazily, eventually reaching a degree that left other dragons dumbfounded.
The length of just one wing fully extended far exceeded his total body length of twenty-eight meters!
The width and thickness were also inconceivable.
Beneath the wings, a low roar like an overloaded engine and the sound of energy burning rang out incessantly.
He turned his formidable head slightly, casting his gaze toward his own dragon wings.
What met his eyes first was a flowing, tangible red radiance.
His original fleshy wing membranes were gone.
In their place was an energy wing membrane composed entirely of highly compressed, solidified Red Dragon Qi!
This Dragon Qi membrane was not illusory but presented a translucent texture, like molten glazed glass, evenly inlaid and covered with tightly arranged, sharp-edged, dark red diamond-shaped scales.
When he extended his wings to the limit, tiny gaps would naturally open between these scales.
And at the very outer edge of the wings, extending along with them, were segments of hardened wing bones that could stretch out freely.
The edges of these wing bones remained sharp as knives, and their tips were as pointed as siege spears. Furthermore, as his Dragon Qi continued to pour in and vibrate, the edges of these wing bones vibrated at high speed, emitting a rapid humming sound and forming a blurred afterimage.
They were now not only sharp but also carried the tearing power formed by high-frequency vibration.
"My wing membranes have essentially become semi-Dragon Qi-fied?"
Even Garros himself felt a trace of surprise when faced with this unexpected evolutionary result.
With the shift of his will, that pair of enormous dragon wings that covered the sky began to rapidly contract and retract.
The extended wing bones met and interlocked precisely, segment by segment, and the dragon scales covering them tightened and retracted one by one. Finally, they returned to a seemingly normal wing form, pressed against the sides of his body, except that in the tiny gaps where the scales and bones connected, faint red energy patterns flickered like breathing.
Like a child with a brand-new toy.
Garros couldn't help but begin various attempts and explorations.
Then, he discovered with pleasant surprise that this pair of evolved new dragon wings possessed flexibility and controllability that far exceeded his expectations.
In addition to being able to stretch to over a hundred meters, forming a terrifying wingspan that almost blotted out the sky.
More importantly, because the wing membranes had achieved semi-Dragon Qi-fication, and thanks to those special attached scale-bone structures, this pair of wings could perform all sorts of inconceivable curls and folds, launching swift and tricky attacks from any unexpected, unconventional angle.
This brought the flexibility and melee threat level of his wings to an unprecedented Peak.
Of course, it was not perfect.
In the continuous testing, Garros also gradually noticed the drawbacks of these ferocious wings.
Whether using the wing-edge energy for instant propulsion and acceleration, performing large-scale extensions and folds, or even just maintaining a normal hovering posture, it would continuously consume the Dragon Qi within his body.
Before the evolution, there was only significant Dragon Qi consumption when using energy for explosive acceleration.
"However, for me, this might not count as a real drawback."
Garros thought to himself, lost in thought.
His Dragon Qi reserves were already deep, and after this slumber, they had undergone a qualitative leap, allowing him to support the continuous consumption of these ferocious wings in all states.
Or rather.
It was precisely because he possessed such a profound Dragon Qi foundation that his body had the opportunity to complete this evolution.
Moreover, thanks to his adaptation talent, his total Dragon Qi and recovery speed might actually be further stimulated and increased due to this continuous consumption and training!
If it were any other dragon, even if they were lucky enough to obtain similar wings, they would likely find the drawbacks outweighing the benefits due to Dragon Qi sustainability issues. They would exhaust themselves in less than three minutes, making them a huge burden, completely unusable in normal combat, and requiring constant attention to consumption.
However, there is no 'best,' only the 'most suitable.'
This pair of powerful but imperfect wings was a perfect match for Garros.