The wind from the snowfield comes from the north, carrying ice crystals and biting chill.
Red Iron Dragon spread its wide wings and streaked across the sky like a black-red meteor, but his flying speed was not fast, it could even be said to be slow.
The four-headed Hatchling Dragon follows closely behind.
In contrast to their father's huge body, their bodies look particularly petite.
"Father, it's so cold here."
Galkro raised his voice and shouted, his voice being torn in pieces by the wind.
This little red dragon is naturally disgusted and resistant to the bone-chilling ice environment.
Tiny ice crystals formed in the gaps between his scales, and the sparks emitted with each breath were much dimmer than usual.
And it's not just Galkro. Among the four children, except for little Silver Dragon Isanora who seemed quite happy because of his natural affinity for ice and snow, the other three all showed varying degrees of discomfort in the biting cold wind.
"A truly strong man is not afraid of going against the wind."
Garos's deep and deep voice penetrated the wind and snow and reached the ears of each Hatchling Dragon.
"Here, you will meet a large number of similar people, and you will also meet the dragon teacher who will guide you in the coming days."
Teacher?
The four little dragons were refreshed, with expectations in their eyes.
The one who can be recognized by their father and guide them must be the best among Evil Dragon, or at least the powerful Ancient Dragon, right?
They speculated in their hearts, and even began to imagine what kind of majestic appearance and majestic momentum the "teacher" must have.
After a period of flight, the outline of the building gradually appeared on the snow-covered land below.
It was an amazingly large college.
The dark gray wall casts a continuous and deep shadow on the snow, like a giant beast dormant on the ice sheet. Towering towers, a wide training ground, and many buildings of different shapes are scattered at random, with many dragon shadows moving among them.
Isanora blinked his silver eyes, his vertical pupils reflecting the heated scene on the training ground below.
She whispered to herself, "It seems... so noisy."
The red dragon Galkro flapped its wings excitedly and accelerated forward for a short distance. "Finally I can see the real Chromatic Dragon! Those Metal Dragon in the Dragon Realm are too well-behaved. They talk about order and honor all day long. They are boring."
Garos did not respond to the children's comments, but simply adjusted the flight angle slightly, folded the wings, and swooped down towards the broadest open space in the center of the academy.
When he landed, his heavy body shook the ground slightly, and the snow spread out in all directions, revealing the frozen hard ground below.
There was a brief pause in the originally lively scene on the training ground.
Whether they were fighting, practicing breathing, or doing strength training, the young dragons all stopped.
Pairs of dragon pupils of different colors stared at the landing figure.
When the young dragons saw their emperor, they quickly lowered their bodies, lowered their heads or necks, and expressed the highest respect in the Dragonkin way.
Garos slowly looked around.
Wherever he looked, the posture of young Dragonkin became more respectful.
"Continue with your business."
he said.
After hearing these words, the young dragons started to move again, but their movements became obviously harder and more focused.
The sound of impact, the roar of breath, and the low roar of muscle exertion sounded again, more intense than before. Each dragon seemed to be working hard to show its best in front of the emperor of the kingdom.
At the same time, their eyes could not help but wander around the four strangers Hatchling Dragon.
Especially when they saw that there was a Silver Dragon among them, many dragons showed expressions of surprise and curiosity. However, this kind of attention did not last long, and their discipline quickly brought their attention back to their own training.
The four-headed Hatchling Dragon looked at everything around them curiously.
They had never seen so many Chromatic Dragon gathered in one place.
Blue Dragon, red dragon, Green Dragon, Black Dragon, White Dragon... The scales of various colors are particularly vivid against the snow, especially Blue Dragon, which seems to have the largest number.
"Their bodies are very strong."
The little red dragon Laria couldn't help but comment in a low voice.
He noticed that these young dragons being trained generally had extremely developed physiques.
Not far away, a green Adolescent Blue Dragon was repeatedly hitting a special metal target with its muscular tail. Every time it flicked its tail, the muscles on its back and flanks undulated violently like waves; another red dragon of similar size was undergoing shoulder collision training. When he hit the thick stone wall, the bulging muscles on his shoulders almost stretched out his scales.
Laria even saw a few Blue Dragon whose body length was similar to his own.
The fullness of his muscles and the clarity of his lines actually surpassed his red dragon, which was famous for its strength.
And there are more than one Blue Dragon like this.
"... Looks so tired."
Little Silver Dragon Isanora shrank his neck subconsciously, feeling something was not good.
Next to him, Galkro's eyes lit up with excitement.
He likes this kind of picture full of raw power, the collision of muscles, roaring with all his strength, and the unabashed atmosphere of competition. This is more to his taste than Metal Dragon's training method.
"My dear father."
He turned his head and asked with a twinkle in his eye, "Can I also accept training here? Like them?"
"Of course." Garos replied, looking at his heirs one by one.
"Here you will learn how to become stronger, learn truly effective fighting techniques, and... how to survive in this world."
At this moment, a crystal white figure jumped lightly from a high observation platform on the side.
The movements were smooth and vigorous, making almost no sound when landing.
White Dragon Tressie landed in front of Garos, his slender and graceful neck lowered, forming a respectful gesture. "Your Majesty, welcome to the academy."
The voice is cool and steady.
Even when facing the emperor, she did not show excessive humility or excitement, but maintained a decent respect.
Garos nodded slightly. "Tressie, I brought the children here."
"The next arrangements will be as we said before. From now on, they will spend six days with you out of every seven days."
"Your will is obeyed, Your Majesty."
White Dragon turned to the four heads Hatchling Dragon and scanned them one by one with his eyes.
She had previously learned from the emperor that these heirs had extraordinary talents and each had their own unique characteristics.
Seeing it with my own eyes now, I can really feel their difference.
Not only the mixture of scale color and bloodline, but also the eyes, posture and even the faint temperament exuded are all very different from the ordinary Hatchling Dragon.
"I am honored to take on the responsibility of teaching."
The corners of Tressie's mouth raised slightly, forming a pleasant arc, "I promise that I will do my best to let them grow into outstanding Dragonkins that meet your expectations."
At this moment, Galkro took a step forward.
The little red dragon raised its head and looked directly at Dean White Dragon with its deep red eyes.
He looked at her, his eyes swept over her slender but muscular body, and then stopped at her head.
"Are you the dean here?"
Galkro's voice still has the unique childishness of Hatchling Dragon, but his tone reveals a condescending tone.
"One White Dragon?"
He said with some disdain.
Although the young dragons on the training ground are still continuing to train, many of them pricked up their ears and glanced secretly from the corner of their eyes, paying attention to this sudden confrontation.
Tressie first looked at Red Iron Dragon.
Garos didn't have much expression, he just nodded to her imperceptibly, his eyes calm, and motioned for her to handle it on her own.
White Dragon The look of joy on Dean's face became even stronger.
She turned her head and stared at the proud little red dragon in front of her.
"Yes, I am the manager of Tressie, Ignas Royal Dragon Academy."
"You are Galkro·Ignas, His Majesty's eldest son, right?"
"That's right!" Galkro puffed up his chest.
"Since you are my father's dragon, you should show me due respect. And," he paused and emphasized, "It's just White Dragon. You should understand your position."
Although the other three heads, Hatchling Dragon, did not speak directly, their eyes showed similar emotions.
White Dragon?
They thought that the person they were going to teach them would be at least the powerful Ancient Red Dragon, but unexpectedly it turned out to be a White Dragon, and it was obvious that it was not even Legendary Realm.
"I don't quite understand why White Dragon can serve as the trainer of young Dragonkin. This should be an important position."
The always steady little red dragon Laria expressed his dissatisfaction.
Little Iron Dragon Ophelia muttered, "Yeah, I thought it was at least the Legendary Realm dragon."
Silver Dragon Isanora said nothing, but there was no respect or recognition in his eyes.
On the other side, Garos is like a silent mountain, just watching quietly without any intention of intervening.
Tressie was silent for a moment.
Then, she took an extremely slow step forward.
This simple step instantly shortened the distance between her and Hatchling Dragons.
It was only at this moment that the Hatchling Dragons realized more clearly that although the size of this White Dragon was far from comparable to that of their majestic father, it was still as huge as a mountain in front of them Hatchling Dragons.
The shadow she cast was enough to completely cover the four of them.
An invisible sense of oppression followed.
"Your Highnesses, you are right."
White Dragon Tressie said, with even a little smile in his voice, "I am your Majesty's subordinate. I am loyal to your Majesty and manage this college for your Majesty."
She paused, her pupils contracted slightly, and the smile on her face quickly faded, replaced by a cold seriousness.
"But your Majesty is your Majesty, and you are you."
"This does not mean that I need to show you the respect you imagine for some Hatchling Dragon who are currently so weak and pitiful."
Galkro's scales opened slightly, and two hot breaths spurted out from the nostrils, turning into white smoke in the cold air
Being refuted so directly by a White Dragon who he considered to be of low status, strong anger surged up.
"How dare you..."
Before the little red dragon finished speaking, a sudden change occurred.
A gust of icy cold wind sprang up out of thin air without warning, instantly sucking in all four Hatchling Dragons.
That is not a natural wind, it contains magical power and is difficult to resist.
Galkro felt like the world was spinning for a while, his body was rolling and rotating completely uncontrollably, and everything in his field of vision became blurred blocks of color. He reluctantly turned his head and saw that his three blood relatives had also suffered the same fate, struggling and rolling in vain in the biting cold air, like leaves being played with by invisible hands.
No matter how hard the Hatchling Dragons flap their wings and twist their bodies, they can't break through.
This process lasted just a minute, but to Hatchling Dragon, it seemed like a long time.
The cold wind suddenly dispersed, and the four little dragons fell from a few meters above the ground like dumplings, plopping onto the hard frozen soil and snow.
The strongest Galkro struggled to stand up.
However, the severe dizziness and coldness made his limbs weak, his movements staggered, and he finally fell to the ground with a thud.
When the surrounding Chromatic Dragon students saw this scene, many of them grinned silently, revealing meaningful smiles.
However, no dragon directly made a mocking sound.
After a while, when the Hatchling Dragons recovered slightly from the intense dizziness and coldness and were able to refocus their sights and control their bodies, White Dragon Tressie slowly spoke again.
"Now, young Your Highnesses."
"Let's talk again about what respect is and what position is."
She said, "Respect, between Dragonkin, especially between Chromatic Dragon, is never something that can be easily obtained by relying on blood. It is won bit by bit by strength, by record, by what you can actually do."
"As for location,"
She lowered her head slightly and looked down at the trembling Hatchling Dragons at close range, "Your father is Aura Emperor, the Overlord of this land, but that doesn't mean you are the emperor, at least not now."
"In this academy, all dragons, no matter where they come from, have only one identity, students."
"And I am the dean, the general manager, the highest superior of all students here, and the one who formulates and enforces the rules."
"If you want to disobey me or even insult me, of course you can. The premise is that you have stronger power than me and don't care about my subsequent counterattack. Otherwise, your current behavior is just humiliating yourself."
She lowered her eyes and looked at the Hatchling Dragons, and concluded. "This is the first reality you learned in the academy."
One White Dragon is so powerful!
Galkro stood up and stared at Tressie with bared teeth, a deep roar rolling in his throat, but this time, he did not pounce on him regardless.
Although the other three heads Hatchling Dragon also felt aggrieved and dissatisfied, they did not show any obvious attack posture.
They seem to have more restraint on Dragonkin's arrogance stemming from their bloodline instincts than ordinary dragons. They are indeed the descendants of Garos.
Seeing this scene, White Dragon Tressie first felt a trace of surprise in his eyes, and then felt that this should be the case.
Ordinary Hatchling Dragon will have to go through at least three rounds of suppression before they can be more honest and calm, but these Hatchling Dragon are obviously more rational. Even the little red dragon Galkro, who looks the most irritable, has a rationality far beyond that of the normal Red Dragonet.
At the same time, the four little dragons unanimously turned their attention to their father.
Garos spoke slowly, "If you want to win respect in this college and get the position you think you deserve, you can only rely on yourself."
"I'm not going to provide you with any privileges, that will do you no good."
Well...Hatchling Dragons vaguely understood their father's intention of bringing them here.
This is not a comfortable nest, but a competitive place where they need to prove themselves.
"Angry? Unwilling?"
Tressie asked at the right time, "Do you think it is an unbearable shame to be suppressed and teased so easily by me, a White Dragon who is of low status in your eyes?"
Hatchling Dragons didn't answer.
However, their eyes, their tense bodies, and the slightly raised posture of their scales said everything.
"Very good." Tressie nodded, quite satisfied.
"Remember this feeling now, remember it firmly. Then, with this feeling, come to your first formal class in the academy."
She glanced at all the young dragons present, including the four new Hatchling Dragon, as well as those young dragons who had been training.
"All dragons, assemble!"
The order was brief, and the young dragons immediately stopped training and quickly gathered in front of the observation platform, forming a relatively neat queue.
Their movements were quick and orderly, and they were obviously used to such instructions.
Hatchling Dragon, the fourth leader, hesitated for a moment, and then, under the signal from Garos's eyes, he also walked to the front of the queue.
Tressie jumped up to the observation platform and looked down at the young dragons below.
Her body looked particularly tall and straight in the wind and snow, and her crystal white scales shone with a cool halo.
"You all saw what happened just now."
White Dragon Dean said, "These new students, these noble Highnesses, because of their innate blood, believe that they should automatically receive special respect that exceeds their strength, and then they learned a lesson."
Her eyes fell on Galkro, who cocked his neck and looked at her.
"Your Highness Galkro," Tressie named him, "You may be thinking now that if you are given enough time to grow, ten or several decades, you will definitely become extremely powerful and eventually defeat me and avenge your shame, right?"
Galkro snorted and did not deny it.
"You're right."
Tressie affirmed beyond his expectation.
"I have no doubt about this. With your bloodline and talent, in a hundred years, or maybe not even that long, you will become stronger and much more powerful than me. This is almost inevitable."
She changed the topic. "But, that is the future. It is something that has not happened yet."
"And now, at this moment, on this training ground, I am better than you."
"Based on this reality, I can suppress you and teach you repeatedly. Even if I am not the dean of this place, but a wild and malicious dragon, I can humiliate you for fun, or crush you to death like an ant."
"And you, at the moment, can only accept it and cannot make effective resistance."
Galkro's breathing became heavy, and tiny sparks shot out of his nostrils again, but this time, under the anger, he was more thinking about these words and forced to admit them.
He knew deep down in his heart that what this abominable White Dragon said was right.
No matter how great his potential is, no matter how outstanding his talent is, it cannot change the fact that he is just a Hatchling Dragon now.
Those hidden powers have not yet been converted into real strength by time.
Tressie raised one front paw and pointed at a green Adolescent Blue Dragon in the queue below.
"Leander, Exit."
An exceptionally muscular Blue Dragon walked out of the queue in response.
His scales are a deep blue-purple color, and the most striking thing is his unusually developed muscles.
The contours of the shoulders, chest muscles, and hind limbs are full and explosive, and their strength even dwarfs many red dragons of the same length.
He walked to the front of the queue and stood still with a calm posture.
"Leander is one of the top students in the academy," Tressie introduced to Hatchling Dragon. "His Lightning Breath is impeccable among his peers in terms of power, range and control accuracy, and his melee fighting skills are second to none."
Then, she pointed at the other boy in the queue, Green Dragon, who was obviously much smaller.
"Viser, Exit."
Green Dragon, with dark green scales and a much slender body, walked out cautiously.
White Dragon's eyes fell back on Blue Dragon Leander, and he slowly spoke, proposing a hypothetical situation.
"Now, imagine that you meet unexpectedly in the wild wilderness."
"There are no rules around, no companions, and no third parties that may interfere."
"Leander, as a superior, what would you do when faced with a young boy like Green Dragon like Viser? Think carefully and then answer."
Blue Dragon Leander did not answer immediately.
He pondered for a moment before speaking slowly.
"First, I will quickly assess the threat level Viser poses to me, as well as his intentions."
"If he shows obvious hostility, or attempts to compete for resources that I am guarding or favoring, and I determine through observation that he is weaker than me... then I will attack."
"The goal is either to completely dismantle his hostility and ability to resist, making him no longer a threat."
"Or, to avoid future troubles, kill him directly."
"But what if he chooses to run away immediately, or expresses a clear attitude of submission and avoidance?" Tressie asked.
"Then I'll make a decision based on the circumstances."
Blue Dragon Leander answered fluently, "If there is greater potential danger in the direction he is escaping to, or pursuit will cause me to fall into unfavorable terrain and consume too much money, I will choose to let him go and focus on my own goals. On the contrary, if the environment is favorable to me, I will pursue him to ensure that this uncertainty is eliminated, or at least seize the resources he may have."
He paused and continued, "If he shows obedience, I'd better find a way to overwhelm him and use him for my own purposes."
Tressie nodded, approving Leander's answer.
Then, she looked at Green Dragon Viser: "So, Viser, as a subordinate party, when you encounter a superior Blue Dragon like Leander alone in the wild, what strategy will you adopt? Again, think about it before answering."
Green Dragon Viser blinked and thought carefully for a few seconds before speaking cautiously.
"My first reaction would be to immediately assess his intentions and status."
"If he showed strong aggression from the beginning, such as directly roaring and launching an attack stance, I would not hesitate to run away immediately and escape as quickly as possible to areas with the most complex terrain, where I am most familiar with, or where it is hardest for him to take advantage of himself, such as the depths of dense forests and intricate underground caves."
"What if he doesn't attack immediately, but just watches me warily?"
Tressie asked.
"I will back away slowly."
"Avoid any movement that could be misinterpreted as provocation or preparation for an attack. Lower your body, retract your paws, avoid his direct gaze, and stay away from him."
Tressie asked again, "What if you can't escape? For example, the terrain is open, or he blocks your retreat."
The tip of Viser's tail swung slightly.
"Then, I will show the greatest degree of compliance before I am actually attacked."
He said, "Lower your head, expose the vital parts of your neck, fold your wings, put your belly close to the ground, and let out a low whimper to show submission. Try to make yourself appear weak, harmless, and not worth wasting energy to attack."
"If this doesn't work... I'll fight him tooth and nail."
"Very good." Tressie nodded and motioned the two dragons to return to their respective queues.
She faced all the young dragons again, her eyes especially staying on the newcomers Ignas Hatchling Dragon for a moment longer.
"This is the most important lesson I want to teach you, recognize your ecological niche and adopt appropriate strategies based on your position."
"As the superior in the balance of power, you naturally have the right to use your own advantages to suppress those below, obtain more resources, and ensure your own safety and development space. However, this suppression should be rational and have a clear purpose, not out of pure desire to bully or cruelty on a whim."
"Excessive oppression and meaningless oppression will only create unnecessary hatred and potential enemies."
"The weak opponent you humiliated and hurt out of boredom today is likely to grow into a deadly threat returning for revenge at some point in the future."
"Even if you are in a superior position, you must evaluate the possible consequences of your actions."
Hearing this, Hatchling Dragons were thoughtful.
"Just like just now, if I were not the dean of the college, shouldering the educational responsibilities entrusted by His Majesty, I would be a completely wild and unrestrained White Dragon."
"When facing an emperor's heir, I will not directly suppress him forcefully."
"Because that may lead to revenge when he grows up in the future, or more directly, offend his father and cause unbearable anger."
As she spoke, her conversation suddenly changed and her tone became dangerous.
"However, if your behavior really angers me, triggers my murderous intention as a dragon, and makes me feel that the trouble must be solved completely... then, in order to ensure that the root cause is eradicated without leaving any future troubles, I will use all means to completely destroy you, crush your bones and spread your ashes, so that you disappear completely from this world, without leaving even a trace of possibility of revenge."
Hatchling Dragon were silent, the anger or dissatisfaction in their eyes gradually being replaced by thoughts and fear.
Tressie continued, "As a low-ranking person, when facing a strong person who cannot compete with you, your first priority is to survive."
"For us Dragonkin, if we survive, we will have the opportunity to grow, become stronger, and improve our ecological niche step by step."
"This requires wisdom, restraint, and patience. It requires you to let go of your meaningless pride and self-esteem and focus on what is really important - survive and become stronger."
This ecological theory is actually contrary to the instinct of Hatchling Dragon people.
Dragonkin is naturally arrogant and cannot bear to be inferior to other creatures. Chromatic Dragon is like this, and Metal Dragon is actually similar. However, acting purely on instinct often leads to bad results.
At this moment, Red Iron Dragon Garos, who had been silently observing, slowly spread out his broad wings.
His majestic body slowly lifted off the ground and hovered high in the sky.
"Young dragons, today, four Hatchling Dragon are here. They will learn, train, and grow with you. They have my blood flowing in their bodies, and they are my biological children, Garos·Ignas."
Red Emperor said so.
Hearing this, little Iron Dragon Ophelia flicked his tail happily, with a trace of pride flashing in his eyes.
Hee, my father still can't let us go after all. No, he has to emphasize our noble origins and background in public... She thought happily in her heart.
However, Red Emperor's next words stunned her and all the other dragons.
"However, in this world, nothing can be taken for granted, including your respective bloodlines and identities."
"If you want to keep your position, you must defend it with ever-increasing strength, and if you want to win the respect of other dragons, you must prove it with victory after victory."
"Therefore, from now on, within the scope of this college, my four descendants will only be students."
"There is no essential difference between them and you."
"They will follow the same rules, receive the same training, and face the same challenges."
Red Emperor's words paused slightly, and then, he threw out more shocking content.
"On the contrary, I will grant you, all the young Dragonkins in this academy, a privilege."
"At the end of each school year," he said clearly, "Any one of you can launch a formal challenge to any of my four heirs."
"The challenge will be conducted under the supervision of the academy, and specific rules will be formulated by the academy to ensure basic fairness and safety."
"If you can defeat any of them in the challenge," the emperor's eyes became sharp, "No matter what tactics and means you use, as long as they comply with the rules, then you will gain my approval."
"Even if you don't win."
"As long as you show enough courage, wisdom, perseverance, or some eye-catching characteristics in the challenge, you will also have a chance to gain my recognition."
Having said this, Red Emperor's voice paused slightly, and then spoke again.
"Any Dragonkin who gets my approval will become my adopted son or daughter, Emperor's Children."
"I, Garos·Ignas, will regard you as my descendants and give you corresponding attention, guidance, and... focus on cultivation."
The moment the words fell, the entire training ground fell into dead silence.
The sound of wind and snow seemed to disappear at this moment.
The breathing of the young dragons became extremely heavy, and the air flow from their nostrils formed white pillars in the cold air.
Their eyes almost burned.
Becoming the adopted son and daughter of Emperor Ignas?
What this means, they know very well.
As a result, countless gazes, like red-hot iron needles, refocused on the four-headed Hatchling Dragon.
There is scrutiny, evaluation, eagerness to try, greed that sees the other person as prey, and even an unabashed desire as if a hungry wolf has seen a piece of delicious meat.
The sound of heavy breathing became denser and louder, like countless ferocious beasts suppressing the desire to attack that was about to explode.
Under the gaze of these eyes, the four Hatchling Dragon felt tremendous pressure that almost made their scales stand upright.
Red Iron Dragon stared at his four heirs, taking in their reactions at the moment.
He said, "In my kingdom, blood is just Qidian, not the end. The true value needs to be proven by strength, and the process of proving oneself will never be easy."
Galkro nodded heavily, his eyes igniting a brighter flame than ever before.
He growled, "Father! I promise you! Anyone who dares to challenge me will only be defeated by me! I will defeat every opponent! I will be your strongest descendant! Always!"
The other three heads, Hatchling Dragon, did not roar out their oaths and express their true feelings as directly as Galkro.
But their eyes also completely changed.
The previous laxity and the sense of superiority due to his background disappeared without a trace at this moment, replaced by a sense of urgency, focus and seriousness, and a surging fighting spirit.
When they come to this Dragon Academy, they are not just here to learn.
They also come to fight, to defend their status, to prove their worth, and to live up to their bloodline.
Red Iron Dragon turned to Tressie: "This rule will take effect from now on."
White Dragon lowered his head. "Yes, your great Majesty Ignas."
Immediately afterwards, Garos turned to look at the four-headed Hatchling Dragon, grinning.
"My descendants, welcome to the real world. It is cruel, but I believe you will gradually fall in love with it."