"Put away your futile struggle."
Garros's deep voice echoed across the ground.
He had caught the scent of a Bloodline on her that was extremely similar to Alberto's. He had roughly guessed her background and identity, so he hadn't used heavy force, merely suppressing her.
"Naturally evil Red-Iron Dragon! Let me go!"
Nasha twisted her body vigorously, her long, golden-scaled tail slamming against the frozen earth beneath her, emitting dull, drum-like thuds. Yet, she could not shake the Crimson Iron Giant Dragon above her in the slightest; he felt heavier than a mountain.
Because of the Golden Dragon's sudden attack and current struggle, a few more bloodshot streaks appeared in the depths of Garros's eyes, and the Frenzied Flame became a little more active.
He slowly extended his huge, fierce head, leaning close to the Golden Dragon pinned to the ground.
His voice was low and dangerous as he said: "Female Dragon, acting like this is playing with fire. Are you trying to pique my interest? Heh, you are almost succeeding."
The aggressive, scorching breath, now mere inches away, washed over her.
Nasha's mind went blank for an instant, her muscles stiffened involuntarily, and for a moment, she forgot to continue struggling and resisting.
On the other side.
Alberto crawled out of the dust cloud he had been smashed into within the Dragon Valley, shaking his still-dazed head.
He flapped his wings and flew into the sky, immediately seeing his own Golden Dragon sister, clad in gold armor and looking heroic, as well as the Red-Iron Dragon who was forcefully and crudely pinning her to the ground.
However, he showed not the slightest bit of anxiety or anger.
Alberto first shook off the dust and broken scales from his body, tidied himself up, and then leisurely flapped his wings over.
His movements were unhurried, with no intention of rushing to her rescue.
Back in the days when Alberto hadn't yet grown up and his personality was most rebellious and unruly, he had often been disciplined for talking back to his parents and other blood relatives.
Come to think of it, the beatings he had received from Nasha were even more numerous than those from his parents combined.
Moreover, this dragon sister often hit harder than their parents.
Therefore, seeing his usually overbearing sister suffer such a big loss, and assuming she was not in mortal danger, a sense of schadenfreude bubbled up deep within Alberto's heart.
What goes around comes around.
So, you have a day like this too?
Alberto flew over leisurely and landed beside the two dragons grappling together, watching Nasha, who was pinned to the ground, with eyes full of mockery and teasing.
"Isn't this my dear sister Nasha? What's wrong? You came charging over looking majestic in the old guy's spare armor, only to end up being rubbed into the ground?"
"Hey, the ground is cold; lying there forever isn't good."
He paused intentionally and continued: "Oh, sorry, I forgot. It's not that you don't want to get up; it's that you can't get up at all."
With her body firmly suppressed, her dignity seemingly trampled upon, and added to that the mockery of her own younger brother, humiliation and anger erupted in Nasha's heart like a volcano.
She snapped back to reality and struggled even more violently.
The Golden Dragon roared at Alberto: "Alberto! Have you been brainwashed by this Evil Dragon with some evil Spell?! Hurry up and help me; let's deal with this Evil Dragon together."
Alberto shook his head.
"I am very clear-headed, Nasha, my stupid and reckless sister."
"The one who needs to wake up and recognize reality is you."
He tilted his head and explained: "Alright, stop fluffing your fur like a cat that's had its tail stepped on. This is completely a misunderstanding. Garros is not the kind of evil, atrocious dragon you imagine him to be. We were purely training and sparring in the sky just now."
"He is my ally, a partner I recognize."
Just then, the Blue Dragon Zoraia and the Red-Silver Dragon Deborah also flapped their wings and flew over, landing not far away.
The Red-Silver Dragon Deborah elegantly folded her wings, her scales, an interweaving of silver-white and honey-colored, shimmering with beautiful radiance against the snowy backdrop.
"Ms. Golden Dragon, I think there is indeed a significant misunderstanding here. Although Garros looks... quite intimidating on the outside, one could even say somewhat ferocious, he is not the kind of evil being you think he is."
She spoke, her voice melodious and carrying a soothing tone.
"One cannot judge a dragon's alignment based solely on its appearance, can one?"
The Blue Dragon Zoraia's voice was colder and more direct. Her sharp gaze swept over the suppressed Nasha, and she said bluntly: "If our leader truly intended to kill you, you would be a corpse by now, not having the opportunity to question and struggle here."
Listening to their back-and-forth, and feeling the powerful suppression on her body—which she couldn't break free from but which also didn't inflict further harm—the boiling anger and humiliation in Nasha's heart gradually subsided.
Reason began to prevail.
She forced herself to calm down and looked carefully at Alberto, who was to the side.
Although her brother looked disheveled, covered in crisscrossing wounds, with damaged dragon scales and dripping blood, appearing miserable, his eyes were as foolish as usual. Furthermore, while his injuries looked wretched, none of them affected his bones or vital organs. He really didn't look like someone who had been controlled or abused.
Could it really be as they said, that I misunderstood?
Garros noticed the Golden Dragon's struggle beneath him weakening, and the boiling hostility fading. He slowly released his claws and Dragon Qi arms that were pinning her neck and wings, stood up, and stepped back a few paces.
He stared quietly at the Golden Dragon, his gaze lingering on her armor.
With his keen perception, he judged that this female Golden Dragon had likely just entered adulthood, with a Life Level of around 17—one rank lower than him and one rank higher than Alberto.
Normally, when facing opponents of the same rank, even powerful dragons, Garros could often occupy an overwhelming advantage and win quite easily.
However, this Rank 17 Golden Dragon required his Bloodburst State to be completely suppressed.
Moreover, she seemed to still have room to spare; she wasn't fighting for her life and hadn't reached the point of exhaustion.
If this strength came entirely from herself, then Garros might feel a little excitement at encountering an opponent who could rival him in the Path of martial combat.
But clearly, her performance in contending with him just now relied heavily on that gorgeous and powerful armor.
If she were to remove this equipment, Garros was confident he could subdue her even more easily.
"A set of armor that allows a Rank 17 Golden Dragon to contend head-on with my Bloodburst State without being instantly defeated."
"An ordinary Rank 20 dragon probably couldn't take down someone as well-equipped as her in a short time. If it were a creature of another race facing her fully armed, the odds of winning probably wouldn't be high. This armor is truly an incredible treasure."
Garros thought to himself.
The Metallic Dragon Race, especially higher dragon species like Golden Dragons, generally enjoy generous gifts and careful protection from their elders; this is a fact known to almost every dragon.
However, Garros felt little envy in his heart regarding this.
After all, his own Red Dragon father was also unsparing, giving him his heart and lungs.
Had he bragged about it to the outside world? No!
At this moment, Nasha, panting heavily with her chest heaving violently, climbed up from the cold ground.
Her gaze swept across the towering, strong Red-Iron Dragon, the cold and beautiful Blue Dragon Zoraia, and the elegant Red-Silver Dragon Deborah, and finally, her gaze fixed like a nail onto her own younger brother—the Golden Dragon Alberto.
"Alberto, now, tell me, what on earth is going on? Why are you hanging out with such a group of dragons?"
She demanded in a deep voice.
"Well... that's a long story."
Alberto scratched his head with a claw, organized his thoughts, and then gave a simplified account of his main experiences after sneaking out of the Fubo Dragon Domain.
Starting from meeting the Red-Iron Dragon in The Borderlands.
Because their first fight was evenly matched and they discovered the Red-Iron Dragon wasn't a tyrannical or cruel dragon, they developed a sense of mutual appreciation, became allies, and fought side by side many times afterward, and so on.
There was a bit of embellishment in his words.
However, that wasn't the point; neither Golden Dragon Natasha nor Garros cared.
"The Borderlands, and the Northwest Region of the wilderness now controlled by Garros,"
Alberto looked around and said: "These places are thriving and becoming well-ordered under his governance."
"The Evil Dragons under his command have also sheathed their claws and fangs, not daring to run amok at will, and instead acting within the rules."
"You can verify this with just a little inquiry and observation. To tell the truth, maintaining such order is something many Metallic Dragons who pride themselves on justice find difficult to achieve."
"Nasha, if you knew Garros, you would know he is worth befriending."
Alberto concluded, his tone unusually serious.
After listening to her younger brother's lengthy explanation, the tense expression and wariness on Nasha's Face visibly softened significantly.
As her anger faded, it was replaced by contemplation.
"That fool Alberto has always been arrogant and haughty. To have him use words like 'evenly matched' and 'cherish each other,' to trust him so much, and to use so many words of praise... This Red-Iron Dragon seems truly extraordinary, not just an ordinary Evil Dragon."
Nasha re-evaluated him in her heart.
She carefully, and as unbiased as possible, sized up the Red-Iron Dragon standing imposingly before her, once again deeply shocked by his physique, which was so powerful it was almost unbelievable.
Wariness and dread rose in her heart.
But at the same time, an irrepressible and intense curiosity, like vines quietly sprouting, coiled and spread in the depths of her heart, growing ever stronger.
What kind of Evil Dragon could actually make more than one Metallic Dragon willingly vouch for him?
A moment later, the armor on her body detached piece by piece and was put away, signaling that she had reined in her hostility.
"I apologize to you for my previous reckless attack, King of Molten Iron."
Nasha calmed her anger and hostility, bowing her head slightly, displaying the grace and bearing proper to the Golden Dragon race: "It was I who acted rashly without understanding the situation, causing a misunderstanding."
Garros nodded slightly and said, "I accept your apology."
Righteous, slightly reckless, yet not stubborn, and brave enough to admit mistakes... He quickly sketched out the general outline of her personality in his heart.
"Nasha Aurelius, from the Fubo Dragon Domain, Alberto's blood kin."
The Golden Dragon stared at Garros and formally introduced herself.
"Standing before you is the great King of Molten Iron, Lord of The Borderlands, ruler of the Northwest Region of the wilderness, the dragon who enjoys many titles of renown such as Death Omen Star and Sky-Rending Wings—Garros Ignas!"
A voice with the melodic cadence of an aria rang out at just the right moment.
More accurately, it flowed from the mouth of the Faerie Dragon Vera.
She had approached at some point and was performing this rather ceremonial introduction on Garros's behalf.
"To think there is a Planar Dragon here?"
Nasha noticed the petite Faerie Dragon, and the surprise and curiosity in her heart could not help but deepen further.
A Planar Dragon—she didn't know if there was even a second one on the entire Planet Bernardo.
Just what kind of charm does this guy have?
She couldn't help but carefully examine the Red-Iron Dragon before her once again, her gaze sweeping over his strong and graceful muscle lines and those rugged, dangerous-looking bodily structures, feeling the contradictory aura of both danger and calmness about him.
In terms of appearance alone, he was truly impeccable.
At first glance, one could intuitively feel the power rushing toward them, as well as an awe-inspiring spirit that could not be ignored.
"Garros..."
The Golden Dragon repeated the name in a low voice, as if savoring the meaning behind it.
Subsequently, she raised her head, stretched her limbs which still felt a bit numb from being suppressed earlier, felt the lingering soreness, and said, "As a fellow Martial Dragon, I once seriously considered the Astral Ego Path."
"But considering its consumption of Dragon Qi is truly too immense and the combat style leans toward the extreme, I ultimately chose the more balanced and comprehensive Four Symbols Path."
"What I didn't expect was to meet a Martial Dragon here whose mastery of the Astral Ego Path is so powerful."
Visage of the Astral Self, Arms of the Astral Self... These skills not only have extremely high requirements for the quality of Dragon Qi, but their consumption is also astonishing; ordinary dragons find them difficult to maintain for long.
However, after the intense battle just now, there was not a hint of weakness or fatigue about Garros.
The previous consumption of Dragon Qi seemed to be merely a negligible loss to him.
In fact, that was indeed the case.
In the initial stages, the four-armed form did indeed place some burden on Garros.
But as he continued to grow and his physique became increasingly formidable, his total Dragon Qi had long since far exceeded that of dragons of the same level, and now it was enough to support him in using it as he pleased.
As for the Four Symbols Path, it was actually not weak at all.
It is balanced and comprehensive, with no obvious shortcomings, and when facing enemies of different types and situations, it can effectively target them with diverse elemental combinations.
It was just a pity that the one she encountered this time was Garros.
Garros's resistance system fundamentally had no true weaknesses. Perhaps some aspects were not relatively prominent, but that was only in comparison to his own already extremely high overall resistance; in reality, every single item was maintained at a quite high level.
Those flashy and complex elemental attacks, nine times out of ten, would struggle to produce any significant effect on him.
If a Four Symbols Dragon were to Face him, unless their Realm of strength could be a full major level higher, it would be extremely difficult to effectively suppress Garros.
"I am also seeing the combat style of a Four Symbols Martial Dragon for the first time."
Garros was not stingy with his praise and said frankly, "Your offensive is swift and fierce, and the skills you have mastered are rich and varied. That I could gain the upper hand is, to some extent, a bit of luck."
When dealing with Evil Dragons, one naturally has to show strength and dominance; but when facing a superior dragon race like the Golden Dragon, after having already proven one's own strength, it is wiser to show an open-minded and magnanimous demeanor at the right time.
Garros quietly applied the essentials from his [Dragon Taming Art: Golden Dragon Chapter].
Opposite him, Nasha knew full well that this was the Red-Iron Dragon giving her Face. Having personally experienced Garros's strength, she knew better than anyone the terrifying aspects of her opponent.
Powerful yet humble and polite, not bullying others by taking advantage of his position, unlike other Evil Dragons who were arrogant and rude...
The favorable impression Nasha had of the Red-Iron Dragon could not help but increase by a few points, and she felt his significant difference from ordinary Evil Dragons.
"Alberto was right; this Red-Iron Dragon truly cannot be measured by conventional logic."
Nasha mused to herself.
However, defeat is defeat; she would not seek any excuses to absolve herself.
"Your strength, speed, and defense are all far above mine. This cannot be explained by the word 'luck' alone."
Nasha's tone carried a sense of emotion: "To possess such strength while in the Adult stage... No wonder you could make a certain haughty fellow willingly follow behind you, to the point where he is reluctant to return to the Dragon Domain."
She felt the Red-Iron Dragon should still be very young, speculating that he was still in the Adult stage.
As soon as her voice fell, two voices sounded almost simultaneously to refute her.
The Red-Silver Dragon said, "Garros is still just a Young Adult Dragon; he just developed relatively quickly."
Alberto, on the other hand, reacted as if his tail had been stepped on: "Who followed behind?! Garros and I are in an equal alliance; we fight side by side and advance and retreat together, not as superior and subordinate!"
Nasha directly ignored her younger brother's protest, which lacked any confidence.
But that sentence from Deborah—Young Adult Dragon?
A stormy sea surged within Nasha's heart as she stared at the Red-Iron Dragon in astonishment.
She really had not expected the Red-Iron Dragon to be even younger than she had thought.
The most outstanding member of the younger generation in the Fubo Dragon Domain was a Brass Dragon with extraordinary talent and an exceptionally dense way of speaking.
He had already passed the slumber of the Young Adult stage and was approaching adulthood. His Life Level had reached 18, and he was highly regarded. At the same time, he studied multiple Spell-casting paths, his casting speed was extremely fast, he had never lost a battle at the same level, had won quite a few fights against higher-level opponents, and was even considered to have the potential of a Dragon King.
However, the Red-Iron Dragon was also at rank 18, and even younger.
Moreover, Nasha felt in her heart that if that Brass Dragon were to fight the Red-Iron Dragon before her to the death, the outcome would likely not be optimistic.
The previous contact was brief, but Nasha could conclude that the Red-Iron Dragon must have very rich combat experience. This was something the Metallic Dragons, who lived year-round in the Dragon Domain where the environment was peaceful and battles were mostly sparring and competition, could not compare to.
If he had been born in the Metallic Dragon Domain, he would probably also be considered to have the potential of a Dragon King.
"If Garros were to travel to the various major Dragon Domains, the arrogance of those young generation elites would probably be shattered quite a bit."
This thought could not help but emerge in Nasha's heart.