Under the low, leaden sky where wind and snow howled, the Silver Dragon Adrie and the Copper Dragon Serena circled several times above Dragon Valley before finally folding their wide wings gracefully and slowly landing on the edge of the training grounds at the valley floor.
"Father, Mother."
Deborah walked forward with light steps to greet them, touching her parents' faceplates one after the other.
This form of greeting through touch symbolized intimacy in Dragonkin society.
"Your Excellency Adrie, Your Excellency Serena, good evening."
Garros took a deep breath of the freezing air, suppressing the irritability constantly churning within him due to the Frenzied Flame, and nodded slightly in greeting.
His voice was deeper and raspier than usual, as if molten lava were stuck in his throat.
The Silver Dragon Adrie's eyes were fully focused on the young Red-Iron Dragon before him; the close-up scrutiny caused waves of shock to rise in his heart.
Having gone through a period of deep sleep and a Breakthrough in Life Level...
Garros at this moment, from his majestic dragon head to his powerful dragon tail, had exceeded twenty-three meters in length.
Though still slightly shorter than the Silver Dragon, his inconceivable muscle mass and formidable, ferocious bodily structure made the overall visual impact completely surpass Adrie's.
Thick, hard scales; dangerous wings; a dragon tail like a spear blade.
Every part of his body bristled with sharp edges, striking fear into any Dragon Heart.
If any other Metallic Dragon, unaware of the situation, saw Garros for the first time, they would likely judge him to be an utterly evil dragon based on his fierce and violent appearance.
They would either think he was so terrifying he could not be allowed to live and call for his death,
Or think this dragon looked so ferocious he was not to be trifled with, and call their friends to then call for his death.
The Silver Dragon's sharp gaze finally fixed on Garros's Face.
"This brat... besides his size, he feels like he's changed in other ways too."
The Silver Dragon's gaze finally landed on Garros's eyes, sensing something else was different, but he couldn't tell exactly what it was in such a short time since he hadn't spent much time with Garros; it was just a faint feeling.
At the same time.
The Silver Dragon also noticed the bloodshot veins densely packed in Garros's eyes, winding around his pupils like a spiderweb.
Judging by common sense, this was usually a sign of excessive mental exhaustion and a lack of sufficient sleep, meaning his competitive state would inevitably be greatly compromised.
"Good, this way I can be more composed in the upcoming spar."
The Silver Dragon's heart stirred slightly, while his Face maintained its unchanging, elegant expression.
He was in no hurry to throw out the idea of a spar he had been brewing for a long time; instead, he turned his gaze toward his precious daughter.
"Deborah, when do you plan to set out for Red Maple Valley? Are you planning to stay in Dragon Valley until your coming-of-age ceremony?"
"Don't forget, this isn't your lair after all; it's not your home."
The Silver Dragon said with a stern Face.
"Oh, since Garros has already woken up safely, I was planning to go back and visit you in a few days."
The Red-Silver Dragon replied with a giggle, then changed the subject: "However, Burning Steel Fortress will always keep the most comfortable room for me—it's spacious, bright, and has an excellent view."
"Garros promised me personally that as long as I'm willing, he can keep hosting me forever."
Listening to Deborah's laughter, which sounded as pleasant as wind chimes, the Silver Dragon fell silent for three whole seconds. The surrounding air suddenly condensed due to his emotions, and the temperature plummeted.
"Is that so?"
He turned to the Red-Iron Dragon and asked coldly.
"Yes. If Your Excellency Adrie does not mind the simplicity of this place, you are also welcome to stay here often."
Garros met the Silver Dragon's scrutinizing gaze calmly.
He then politely looked toward the elegantly poised Copper Dragon and added, "The same goes for Lady Serena. My territory is wide enough to accommodate more distinguished guests."
His voice was exceptionally low, and he spoke with slight gasps.
With the Silver Dragon's usual sharpness and calm, he should have noticed these abnormal signs long ago, but he was currently a bit angry, and his focus was elsewhere.
"Owning such a magnificent and grand fortress... my dear, never mind our precious daughter."
The Copper Dragon Serena lightly swayed her slender tail and said, "Even I can't help but want to stay here for a while and experience some different scenery."
Crack, crack.
With the Silver Dragon as the center, the water molecules in the air instantly condensed into fine ice crystals and snowflakes. The temperature dropped below freezing, and even exhaled breath condensed into white mist in the air.
Hearing the continuous remarks from his daughter and partner, Adrie felt a strong urge surging within him to give this Young Adult Red-Iron Dragon a harsh lesson to vent the frustration churning in his chest.
However, his reserve and Face as an elder prevented him from proposing a spar so bluntly.
"I need to find a way to say it that is both dignified and effective."
The Silver Dragon glanced at the Red-Iron Dragon from the corner of his eye, rapidly calculating various phrasings in his mind.
At the same time, the rapidly dropping temperature made Garros feel increasingly uncomfortable and irritable.
Although he had quite a respectable resistance to cold, the Red-Iron Dragon Bloodline instinctively loathed such freezing environments.
More importantly, Dragon Valley was his territory, a kingdom he had put his heart and soul into building.
The Silver Dragon had come as a guest, so he naturally upheld the way of hospitality, but the other party's flagrant use of his power to arbitrarily change the environment made Garros feel his authority was being directly provoked.
A few more bloodshot veins silently appeared in his eyes, like burning flames spreading through his pupils.
"The continuous rise in anger is indeed starting to erode my rational judgment."
Garros suddenly snapped to alertness, noticing the abnormal fluctuations in his own emotions.
He was incredibly irritable, his claws were itching, and he longed to tear something apart to vent this nameless fire. After his gaze drifted over the snowy ground for a moment, it finally locked firmly onto the Silver Dragon Adrie's slender body.
"Deborah's father seems intent on giving me another show of dominance."
Garros thought to himself, "But I can just use him to vent my long-accumulated fury."
The Silver Dragon Adrie and the Red Dragon Gorthax were both Mature Adult Dragons, and their Life Levels were nearly identical.
While Adrie might not be a match for the frenzied Gorthax, he was definitely an experienced and powerful opponent, sufficient to withstand his venting.
Just then, the Silver Dragon also happened to turn his gaze back, and the two lines of sight met in the air.
The moment their eyes met, the icy expression on Adrie's Face quietly melted away, replaced by a smile that could be described as warm. In a persuasive tone, he spoke: "Within the Raging Tide Dragon Domain, many underage Metallic Dragons are raised under the Domain's protection, and among them, there is no lack of those with pure Bloodlines and extraordinary talent—the best of their peers."
"However."
He changed the subject, his gaze showing sincere admiration: "Compared to you, Garros, this generation of young Metallic Dragons in the Raging Tide Dragon Domain falls quite short in both spirit and strength."
"Your growth rate and degree of transformation over these years are truly surprising and inspire heartfelt wonder in me."
He intended to use this friendly conversation to proceed step-by-step, cleverly guiding this young and impetuous Red-Iron Dragon into his trap.
"Your Excellency Adrie, you are absolutely right. I also feel that my strength has improved by leaps and bounds during this time."
The Red-Iron Dragon suddenly spoke, his tone blunt and sharp like an unsheathed sword: "If I may be so bold, I'm afraid a Mature Adult Dragon like yourself is no longer a match for the current me. I sincerely hope to spar with you to verify this thought."
He added, "Please rest assured, considering your combat experience might be relatively lacking, I will hold back appropriately. I will certainly exercise restraint so as not to make things too embarrassing for you."
Influenced by the continuous erosion of the Frenzied Flame, Garros's words had become sharp-edged, full of aggression and hostility.
Opposite him, hearing this nearly treasonous speech from the Red-Iron Dragon, the Silver Dragon's eyes widened bit by bit, and his elegant long neck unconsciously craned forward slightly.
Wait, why did these arrogant lines sound so familiar?
This was clearly the argument he had prepared to goad the other party!
Was I having auditory hallucinations because of my anger?
For a moment, the Silver Dragon even doubted his own hearing.
By the time he snapped out of it, the warm smile on his Face had completely vanished, replaced by an ice-cold sternness. His voice was frigid: "Garros, failing to recognize the true gap in strength is an extremely foolish and dangerous thing."
"You want to spar with me? Good, very good."
"I will let you experience for yourself the insurmountable gap between a Young Adult Dragon and a Mature Adult Dragon!"
He slowly backed up a few steps, his wide silver wings unfolding gracefully as he assumed a flawless combat stance.
The Silver Dragon said in a deep voice, "You are no longer the Young Dragon you once were, Garros. This time, I will no longer hold anything back; I will use my true Spell-like abilities and pathway skills."
He concurrently practiced three great transcendent pathways.
A Mage specializing in ice Spells, a Potion Master skilled in concocting various elixirs, and an Alchemist adept at creating items.
Among them, ice elemental Spells were his foundation and primary focus, while the other two auxiliary professions had also reached impressive heights after over a century of dedicated study.
Garros also backed up simultaneously, his tail, thick as a steel whip, flicking impatiently and plowing deep furrows into the snow-covered ground.
A tense atmosphere instantly permeated the entire training ground, like the dead silence before a storm, ready to ignite at a touch.
"Dear / Father, how about we just forget it? Let's value peace."
Serena and Deborah, mother and daughter, spoke almost in unison, their voices filled with concern.
However, while speaking, they exchanged a knowing and sly glance. While mouthing insincere words of discouragement, they both backed away to a safe distance in perfect sync, leaving enough space for the two dragons about to clash.
Most dragons had hot, combative blood flowing in their very bones.
Deep down, neither mother nor daughter minded acting as excited spectators to enjoy this rare internal dragon duel.
"Here, I specifically brought some of your favorite Glazed Berries from the Dragon Domain. We can taste them while we watch."
Serena took out a huge, soft cushion from a spatial item and spread it on the ground, then produced a pile of crystal-clear berries emitting an enticing sweet fragrance as if by magic.
"Mother really knows me best and loves me most."
Deborah giggled and used her flexible tail to pick up a plump berry, proceeding to lie down gracefully on the cushion with her mother. She turned her excited gaze toward the two parties facing off in the center of the field, looking forward to the show starting.
Just as Serena and her daughter on the cushion had gently bitten through the thin, crisp skin of the Glazed Berries, before the sweet and cool juice could even fully melt on their tongues...
The two majestic dragon auras facing off in the distance violently collided.
Hum—!
A heart-palpitating wave swept in all directions.
The Silver Dragon Adrie spread his wings elegantly and calmly, and an invisible winter cold wave instantly used his body as the core, spreading rapidly outward like ripples.
The ground froze into a thick layer of ice at a speed visible to the naked eye, countless sharp ice spikes erupted from the earth, and the moisture in the air was continuously frozen, making fine and dense cracking sounds.
He made a grasping motion with his dragon claw, his movements elegant.
One by one, ice spikes emitting extreme cold with edges as sharp as knives quickly condensed into shape around him, hovering in the air, their points aimed directly at the Red-Iron Dragon.
The extreme low temperature contained within these ice spikes...
Even a Mature Adult White Dragon, known for its cold resistance, would inevitably suffer frostbite if hit directly.
"Let me witness with my own eyes exactly how much you have grown to dare speak such arrogant words."
The Silver Dragon said coldly.
His response was a low, manic dragon roar.
The Red-Iron Dragon moved.
AI Model: gemini-3.1-flash-lite
No probing feints, no tactical maneuvers—only the most direct, violent, and brutal frontal charge.
Zzzzt—!
Accompanied by a piercing, high-pitched crackle of electricity, the Red-Iron Dragon's already exaggerated muscle fibers bulged and swelled further, like countless writhing golden snakes coiled around him. Scorching steam erupted from the gaps between his scales, forming a churning wave of white mist in the frozen environment.
Every heavy step of his massive claws brutally shattered the ice, leaving behind footprints with charred edges that continuously melted.
His speed exceeded the limits of the naked eye, brutally tearing through the frozen air and creating a series of dull, thunderous sonic booms as he dove straight toward the elegant Silver Dragon like a burning meteorite.
"A brute's way of fighting."
Adrie scoffed inwardly.
Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish!
With an elegant wave of his silver-scaled foreclaw, like an orchestra conductor, sharp ice shards imbued with bone-chilling cold instantly shot out like soldiers obeying a command, sealing off every possible path of advance and evasion for Garros.
The ice shards traveled so fast they outpaced sound.
By the time they approached Garros's majestic form, the shrill, air-tearing whistle only then belatedly reached the ears of any onlookers.
Since dodging was difficult, Garros simply chose not to.
His pair of giant wings snapped shut in front of him like two indestructible shields, protecting his head, neck, chest, and abdomen. Simultaneously, his massive yet agile body executed a precise side-turn during the high-speed charge, meeting the incoming storm of ice shards head-on with his hardest, most heavily armored shoulder and back regions.
The next instant.
A deafening crash and the crisp sound of ice crystals violently shattering erupted simultaneously.
The extreme cold energy instantly gnawed at him like a maggot in the bone.
A thick, continuously growing layer of ice crusted over the surface of Garros's protecting wings at a speed visible to the naked eye.
The scales on his shoulders and back, which took the brunt of the impact, sparked wildly as they were struck by the magic-infused ice shards, leaving countless white impact marks and fine, spiderweb-like cracks. Pale, bone-white frost spread from the points of impact, attempting to freeze that scorching body.
Such power, such a barrage of ice shards.
If it had been an ordinary Young Adult Dragon, or even some weaker lower-tier Mature Adult Dragon, they would likely have been frozen into an ice sculpture or collapsed, severely injured and unable to fight, by now.
But not only did Garros not falter, a wilder, deeper roar erupted from his throat.
He snapped his wings open, shattering the coating of ice into a sky full of frozen dust.
His charge only faltered for a split second before accelerating again amidst the flying ice shards; his giant claws, wreathed in Dragon Qi and golden lightning, swiped viciously at the Silver Dragon's head.
"What?! Such high ice resistance?"
Adrie's pupils constricted into vertical slits, like two thin lines. For the first time, his composed demeanor wavered.
Although he had anticipated that Garros would be able to withstand this fierce barrage of Spells, he had not expected the impact on his opponent to be so negligible—almost non-existent.
Clearly, this Red-Iron Dragon possessed incredible ice resistance, completely shattering the conventional rules of elemental suppression.
Unlike other fire-type dragons that were countered by ice magic, he was able to significantly mitigate or even completely ignore the slowing and frostbite effects of ice-type skills.
Faced with the Red-Iron Dragon's straightforward charge—devoid of any trickery and relying purely on strength and speed.
Adrie, the Silver Dragon who always fought elegantly through ranged suppression, was forced to abandon his calm spellcasting.
His broad wings beat rapidly, whipping up a biting icy gale as he leaped backward, attempting to create distance.
Simultaneously, his foreclaws shimmered with light, and he rapidly chanted a concise and efficient defensive incantation in the dragon language.
In an instant, a thick, crystalline ice barrier, its surface flowing with countless magical runes, materialized out of thin air!
He pressed his foreclaws firmly against the back of the translucent ice wall, like a seasoned shield-bearing warrior, holding this [Wall of Extreme Ice] firmly before him as a defense.
Boom!
The next moment, Garros's sharp claws slammed solidly into the smooth, thick Wall of Extreme Ice.
Immediately, the Wall of Extreme Ice, harder than tempered steel, let out a sound of unbearable strain.
Spiderweb-like cracks spread and expanded wildly from the point of impact across the entire shield Face, and the magical runes flowing on the ice wall flickered violently, collapsing one by one.
Ice shards mingled with scorching crimson Dragon Qi, scattering and flying through the air like fireworks, illuminating the two confronting draconic shadows.
The power contained in Garros's claws traveled through the shattered ice wall, numbing Adrie's arms and causing his strong forelimbs to emit a faint buzzing sound.
His body slid backward uncontrollably, plowing two deep furrows into the thick ice covering the ground, with the ice crystals emitting a screeching, shattering sound beneath his claws.
"What terrifying strength! This is absolutely not a level that a Young Adult Dragon should possess."
Alarm bells rang in Adrie's mind, and for the first time, a look of gravity appeared in his dragon eyes.
The Silver Dragon clan was indeed not known for pure strength.
That was usually in comparison to the violent Red Dragons.
But in reality, as a powerhouse among the Metallic Dragons, a Silver Dragon's strength was absolutely not to be underestimated.
Yet even so, he still could not contend head-on with the young Red-Iron Dragon before him, being forced back by a single blow.
This pure suppression of strength made him realize that Garros's power had far exceeded conventional understanding.
Garros pressed his advantage, pursuing the victory.
He took a violent step forward, his heavy claws crushing the remnants of the ice wall into powder with a deafening blast, his massive body following like a shadow as he pursued the Silver Dragon, who was flying toward the sky to reorganize.
Sharp claws tore through the air, dragon wings beat out violent currents, and his giant tail swept horizontally like a steel whip.
The Red-Iron Dragon's entire body had turned into a lethal weapon.
His attacks were devoid of any trickery; each strike was simple and direct, yet contained a devastating, overwhelming power—it was the pure charm of raw stats.
Adrie was forced into a highly unfavorable quagmire of close-quarters combat.
His proud ice-type Spells required sufficient space and time to chant, but Garros's storm-like, continuous attacks gave him no chance to breathe.
The Silver Dragon could only rely on his superb combat skills and instant-cast ice shields, ice armor, and ice spikes to maneuver and defend, twisting and turning within the confined space.
Slaaash—!
Garros's tail, sharp as a giant blade, narrowly grazed the Silver Dragon's elegant flank, tearing through the freshly solidified ice armor, sparking a series of dazzling flashes, and leaving a deep, bleeding wound on the silver scales.
Bang!
Adrie seized the fleeting opportunity, his ice-covered claws slamming viciously into Garros's chest.
Bone-chilling frost energy spread rapidly, but this strike, which was enough to severely injure an ordinary dragon, only earned an even more excited low growl from his opponent, followed by an even faster and more violent counterattack.
The solid ice was constantly shattered and refrozen, and the air was filled with the white mist of evaporating ice shards and a pungent, scorched smell.
The Silver Dragon's footwork remained elegant and swift.
Under his control, the ice crystals were like living creatures, sometimes forming shields of various shapes to block heavy blows, and sometimes solidifying into sharp ice spikes to launch surprise attacks.
However, none of this could truly force Garros back.
This Red-Iron Dragon seemed to know not what pain or injury was; no matter what kind of attack he received, he would only respond with an even more frenzied onslaught.
With every passing second, a new bloodstain appeared on the Silver Dragon's flawless body.
Garros's Frostburn Scales also gradually shattered and peeled away, revealing the deeper, black-red, true scales underneath, which were densely covered in terrifying, dense battle-scarred patterns.
Adrie had long known that Garros had battle-scarred patterns.
But witnessing those dense markings that almost covered his entire body up close, he still felt disbelief.
They had increased so much; it was hard to imagine how many battles the Red-Iron Dragon had gone through to form these textures.
Bang!
Seizing the moment Adrie was slightly distracted by shock, Garros's giant claw slammed down toward the Silver Dragon's head!
This strike shattered three layers of thick ice shields that had been instantly activated, finally landing solidly on the side of Adrie's Face.
The Silver Dragon's slender body was sent flying dozens of meters away by this swipe, broken silver scales mixed with boiling dragon blood splashing through the air and scattering spots of crimson across the snowy ground.
"No. This cannot go on!"
Adrie shook his slightly dizzy head, unable to help but bare his teeth.
Feeling the stinging pain from his Face, he finally realized that he had to bring out his true skills; otherwise, he would likely capsize in the gutter during this friendly spar.
Hummm—!
Just as the Red-Iron Dragon roared and charged again, complex and mysterious runic light suddenly lit up on the Silver Dragon's body.
These runes, inscribed on specific scales, connected and combined with each other, unexpectedly forming a dense array pattern that covered more than half of his body in an instant.
Unlike Samantha, who used Alchemy to craft augmented heavy armor for herself.
The Silver Dragon Adrie took a different approach. Using the skills of an Alchemist, he had refined a portion of his own dragon scales into triggerable, one-time-use, powerful Spell items, with effects comparable to magic scrolls, or even more concealed and swift.
Crack! Crack! Crack!
As one gleaming dragon scale after another shattered, the powerful Spells sealed within them were simultaneously triggered, turning into torrents of lethal ice that swept toward the charging Garros!
Frost rays tore through the sky, carrying absolute cold; icy touches coiled like ghosts, attempting to freeze his blood; Frost Novas erupted with a boom, kicking up a violent ice storm in the air.
Various powerful ice-type Spells hit Garros's majestic body in rapid succession, each containing extreme cold, forming a dangerous ice-type Spell Domain in the high sky.
And the wind and snow environment of The Borderlands, which never ceased all year round, now became an aid to the Silver Dragon, further enhancing the power of these ice-type Spells.
Under the Silver Dragon's unreserved, violent outburst.
Even with Garros's physique and ice resistance, he was beaten back continuously for a moment, and his charge came to an abrupt halt.
Thick ice crystals condensed on his body, slowing his movements.
However, the Silver Dragon's fierce counterattack was far from over.
He spread his broad wings to their full extent, and while widening the distance from Garros, he opened his mouth to swallow several pre-prepared potions.
Immediately after, his silver-scaled claws crossed rapidly in front of his chest, tracing complex trajectories, while he chanted a complicated ancient incantation, every syllable resonant and clear.
At the same time.
The cold throughout Dragon Valley seemed to have received a monarch's command, frantically converging toward Garros's location; even the snowflakes drifting in the sky changed their trajectories, surging toward him like iron filings attracted by a magnet.
A massive, ice-blue magic circle unfolded and took shape beneath Garros at an astonishing speed.
Complex runes flowed within it, giving off a feeling of extreme danger.
Eternal Frozen Coffin!
Adrie let out a low and majestic dragon roar, and dozens of rune-inscribed dragon scales on his body shattered simultaneously, injecting all the stored Demonic Energy into the Spell.
When the last syllable fell from his lips, this composite Spell was finally constructed.
Rumble—!
With Garros as the center, terrifying cold air surged and churned like a physical entity, and countless ice crystals condensed in the air.
The next instant, a massive, semi-transparent phantom of an ice coffin, inscribed with countless freezing runes, appeared out of thin air, directly sealing the Red-Iron Dragon's massive body within.
Furthermore, this ice coffin was solidifying from an ethereal state at a speed visible to the naked eye, becoming increasingly dense and heavy!
This was one of Adrie's trump cards.
It wasn't a single Spell, but a composite magic formed by his full effort: centered on a high-level ice Spell he chanted himself, powered by a large number of auxiliary Spells stored in alchemical dragon scales, and supplemented by precious potions swallowed to temporarily boost mana control and Spell intensity.
Once it fully solidified...
Any Mature Adult Dragon of the same Rank would be sealed within and suffer heavy injuries.
Vastly different from the reckless fighting style of Red Dragons like Gorthax, who relied entirely on instinct and brute force, the battle wisdom of a magic-type dragon was displayed to its fullest at this moment.
The three supernatural pathways Adrie practiced were not isolated from one another.
They cooperated ingeniously, producing a qualitative change where the whole was greater than the sum of its parts.
The chill emanating from the ice coffin made Serena and Deborah, who were watching from a distance, unable to stop themselves from shivering.
"It's been a long time since I've seen your father use this move."
Serena marveled softly, saying, "Garros's strength has certainly far exceeded his expectations, making it impossible for him to maintain his composure; he must go all out."
Deborah didn't reply immediately, nervously crushing a crystal-clear Glazed Berries in her claw, completely unaware of the sweet juice flowing through her fingers.
But when she remembered that Garros could even defeat that crazy Gorthax, her tensed heartstrings relaxed slightly.
Inside the gradually solidifying ice coffin.
Garros felt an unprecedented bone-chilling cold, as if even his thoughts were being frozen. The heavy pressure from all sides grew stronger, and his scales groaned one by one under the unbearable burden, fine cracks gradually appearing as if they would shatter completely at any moment.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Garros condensed arms constructed from Dragon Qi and smashed wildly against the inner walls of the ice coffin. However, the ice coffin was exceptionally tough; not only did it not break, but it continued to shrink and squeeze under the continuous infusion of external Demonic Energy, making his movement space smaller and the pressure intensify rapidly.
"As expected of a Mature Adult Silver Dragon, truly powerful."
"During our first sparring session, he was completely holding back; that's the only reason I was lucky enough to wound him."
This intense and satisfying battle allowed the accumulated anger within Garros's body to be vented significantly, making his mind clearer.
His evaluation of the Silver Dragon rose in his heart.
"Garros, admit defeat."
Adrie's cold voice came through the ice coffin: "To force me to use this move, your strength is already no inferior to most Mature Adult Dragons."
"It's just that compared to me, you're still a bit lacking."
Responding to him was a series of dull sounds that grew louder and more rapid.
Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump!
Like the beating of war drums, like the explosion of thunder, like a super-giant engine running at full power.
The powerful beats of a heart echoed from the right side of the Red-Iron Dragon's chest, resonating within the ice coffin and even reaching the outside.
Garros let out a long-suppressed low roar and unhesitatingly activated his Bloodburst State.
His entire aura surged again like a volcanic eruption, and scorching heat burst forth from his body.
He stretched his compressed wings and limbs, his muscles bulging as he slowly but firmly pushed his body open.
On the phantom of the ice coffin that had been solidifying, countless dense cracks suddenly appeared, and the sound of cracking and shattering rang out continuously.
At the same time.
The giant arms constructed of Dragon Qi overlapped with the Red-Iron Dragon's own arms, and his strength exploded instantly.
Boom—!
With a deafening explosion, the solid ice crystal barrier was forcibly pierced and shattered by the dragon claws! A huge hole appeared in the ice coffin.
Boom boom boom boom boom—!
Like a Vicious Beast breaking free from its cage, Garros, in just a few breaths, completely shattered the Permafrost Ice Coffin that bound and oppressed him in the most savage and direct way, turning it into crystal ice shards flying through the air.
The moment these ice shards touched Garros's surroundings, they vaporized and vanished like snowflakes meeting a blazing sun.
The remains of the Permafrost Ice Coffin vanished into nothingness around the Red-Iron Dragon.
His massive body tore through the cold mist, carrying a Dragon Might even more majestic than before, charging again toward Adrie in mid-air like a burning meteor.
After entering the Bloodburst State, the Red-Iron Dragon's speed was incredibly fast.
Adrie had no time to pull away to a safe distance before that crimson figure had already closed in within a dangerous range.
"Roar—!!!"
Garros let out a sky-shaking dragon roar. His giant claws, overlaid with the Arms of the Astral Self and entwined with violent golden lightning and boiling black-Red Dragon Qi, smashed down ruthlessly toward Adrie's head!
Layers of ice barriers condensed, only to be shattered in an instant.
Adrie's Face was tense, having completely lost the elegance and composure he had at the start of the battle.
His broad wings flapped frantically as he retreated backward in haste.
His dragon claws moved at top speed, weaving and tracing to construct Spells in front of him; a large number of alchemical dragon scales on his body shattered under the stress, pouring out a final flood of ice-blue magic; pre-prepared potions took effect rapidly within his body, boosting his attributes in all aspects; and the protective incantations of ice Spells rolled rapidly from his throat.
Ice Magic: Frost-Crystal Mirror Realm!
At the critical moment, the Silver Dragon Adrie finally constructed one of his powerful Spells, with shining and complex magic arrays appearing around him.
A wall of prisms, composed of countless high-speed rotating hexagonal ice crystals reflecting magnificent cold light, instantly took shape.
It stood across the path of Garros's destructive giant claw, seemingly indestructible.
Moreover, this time it wasn't just pure defense.
Each of those magically enhanced ice crystals contained composite magical effects that could freeze energy, refract physical and magical attacks, and reflect damage. It was Adrie's ultimate defensive Spell.
The next moment.
Boom-crack—!!!
The molten iron-like giant claw smashed heavily into the shimmering prism wall.
Time seemed to freeze at this moment.
Following that was a terrifying cracking sound that made the entire Dragon Valley tremble.
That seemingly indestructible Spell, under Garros's giant claw, was like kaleidoscope glass hit by a heavy hammer; starting from the point of impact, countless spiderweb-like cracks spread and exploded frantically.
The Frost-Crystal Mirror Realm, along with several layers of instant-cast ice shields Adrie had hurriedly stacked, burst apart like a dream bubble under Garros's claw, turning into ice crystal powder that flew everywhere, stripped of all magical luster.
Power! Absolute power!
It pierced through technique, crushed composite magic, and shattered the Silver Dragon's defense.
"Ugh—!"
Adrie felt as if he had been struck by a massive blow. The irresistible impact force passed through the completely shattered defensive layers and slammed solidly into his dragon arms and chest.
Beautiful silver scales twisted, deformed, and shattered instantly.
Blood sprayed wildly from his mouth, nose, and the gaps between the scales on his claws and arms.
The Silver Dragon felt as if he had been hit head-on by a burning metal mountain, and his proud, sturdy dragon body let out a groan of being overwhelmed.
His dragon body was like a kite with a broken string, smashed ruthlessly backward into the jagged rock wall by this irresistible giant force.
Boom—!!!!
The rock wall vibrated violently, and large chunks of mountain stone mixed with year-round accumulated snow collapsed and rolled down, making a thunderous noise.
Adrie was embedded deep within the solid rock. The kicked-up gravel and dust filled the air, completely submerging his figure. Only the radial, shocking giant indentation on the rock wall and the dragon blood slowly flowing down the stone spoke of the terror of this strike.
"Did I use too much force?"
After delivering this strike so heartily in his Bloodburst State, the boiling anger within the Red-Iron Dragon's body was consumed significantly, and his reason returned further.
Looking at the collapsed rock wall, he felt in hindsight that he might have been a bit too heavy-handed.
Bang—!
Just then, a Silver Dragon shadow shot out from among the broken mountain rocks, bringing with it countless stones.
Adrie panted heavily, his chest heaving violently. His silver scales were covered in dust and his own blood, and multiple wounds were still gurgling blood.
But in his dragon eyes, the high Battle Intent did not fade in the slightest; instead, it blazed like it had been ignited.
"Garros! Haha... Hahaha! It's been a long, long time since I've taken such an injury!"
The Silver Dragon roared to the sky: "Come! Continue!"
"Next, I will hold nothing back and let you truly appreciate just how powerful a Mature Adult Silver Dragon is!"
Buzz, buzz, buzz—!
All the remaining, unused alchemical dragon scales on his body lit up simultaneously with a blinding light, like stars blooming in the night sky.
One potion after another of different colors floated before him.
Clearly, Adrie was prepared to swallow them all in one go for the final showdown.
But, just as his dragon maw opened, ready to consume those potions.
His gaze suddenly froze, and all his movements stiffened.
Opposite him, Garros stood quietly amidst the flying snow.
However, at this moment, the scales on his body had suddenly all transformed into a scorching branded-red color. Lines of blazing, shining fire interlaced across his body, forming an incredibly vivid and enchanting pattern of blooming red lotuses.
His aura surged, and the wind and snow in the air vaporized instantly as they drew near.
"Do you still wish to continue, Your Excellency Adrie?"
Garros slowly raised his head and looked at the Silver Dragon.
Silver Dragon Adrie did not speak.
He just silently, with slightly stiff movements, put away all the potions floating in front of him.
The light on the alchemical dragon scales that had lit up on his body also began to dim and extinguish rapidly.
An elegant and composed smile reappeared on his Face, as if the Silver Dragon with the surging Battle Intent just now wasn't him.
*Cough cough.*
The Silver Dragon coughed softly, flicked his tail to shake off the dust and ice shards from his body, and said in a calm tone, "After all, it's just a friendly spar; it's enough to stop here."
"If we keep fighting, we might both suffer heavy injuries that won't heal quickly, and that would be quite unworthy."
He looked deeply at the Red-Iron Dragon and said, "Garros, your strength has already far exceeded my boldest expectations. Good, really very good."
"If you keep up this momentum, in a few more years, I suspect I'll be no match for you at all."
After a few seconds of silence, Garros slowly nodded under the Silver Dragon's expectant gaze, accepting this explanation.
"Yes, Your Excellency Adrie, your strength also exceeded my expectations."
"I look forward to our next battle."
Garros said with a smile.
His anger had been vented quite a bit, and his aggression and invasiveness had weakened; he didn't mind giving the Silver Dragon a way to save Face.
Opposite him, the Silver Dragon breathed a sigh of relief and felt that the Red-Iron Dragon was much more pleasant to look at.
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