The gray sky hung low, and the clouds were so thick that they looked like they were about to fall.
Red Iron Dragon is entrenched on the surface, its huge body undulating like a Mountain Range taking a nap here.
He made no other movements, his eyes were slightly closed, as if he was taking a rest.
At the same time, with him as the center, a figure kept flashing in the air.
The speed was so fast that every time it flashed, it dragged out a string of afterimages, as if there were more than a dozen figures shuttling around the dragon at the same time.
There is no pattern to their movement.
Sometimes it charges forward from the front, with the two swords staggering and slashing at the dragon's chest; sometimes it suddenly disappears and appears behind the dragon the next second, with the sword blade slashing across its back; sometimes it flashes several times in a row and attacks from different angles, making it impossible to tell where the next sword will land.
End Arc, will also light up accordingly.
The dragon never opened its eyes, nor did it make any counterattack or defensive movements.
He just stood there quietly, letting those sword marks appear on his body one after another.
After a while, Garos slowly opened his eyes.
The criss-crossing sword marks on his body were shocking. The deepest one extended from the shoulder blade to the waist and abdomen, almost splitting half of his body. However, the edges of those wounds had begun to heal.
The muscles are squirming on their own, rejoining the broken tissues.
New scales grow from the edges, changing from soft to hard, from thin to thick, and the color gradually changes from tender red to deep metallic color.
All injuries are recovering at a speed visible to the naked eye.
"Okay, let's stop here."
Garos said.
Reinhart's figure stopped in mid-air, and the two swords spun twice in his hands before being put away.
His breathing was a little hurried, and his chest was rising and falling faster than usual, but his overall condition was still intact, far from the level of fatigue. His clothes were blown tightly to his body by the wind, revealing his lean and strong outline.
Reinhart stood opposite the dragon and bowed slightly.
"Your Majesty, how do you feel?"
he asked.
The mountain-like dragon slowly stood up. He lowered his head and looked at the sword marks on his body. His eyes moved from the deepest cut on his shoulder blade to his waist and abdomen, then looked at the shallower marks on his arms and chest, and then showed a satisfied smile.
Even though he didn't fight back at all and only relied on his body to resist, Reinhart's attack was still very painful.
The tearing sensation caused by End Arc cutting through the scales is both a stimulation and a kind of enjoyment for Garos.
This human has fast attack speed, high damage, and excellent field mechanics.
The only disadvantage is that the human body itself is relatively fragile and cannot withstand several heavy blows, but this shortcoming is completely acceptable in the face of the advantage of "high damage".
For Garos, the high damage is enough to satisfy him.
At his current level, his physical strength is even beyond the imagination of most Legendary Realm creatures. Many attacks on his body are not painful at all, and naturally it is difficult to stimulate the body's adaptation and evolution.
He needs strength that can really hurt him.
The appearance of Reinhart greatly alleviated his worries in this regard.
Afra is okay, her magic is even more effective than Reinhart in some aspects, but in terms of damage alone, she is still much worse than Reinhart.
"As my body grows, there are fewer and fewer attacks that can really harm me.
"Reinhart, continue to maintain your edge."
He paused and his tone became more serious. "It's not just about keeping it, you have to make it stronger. Otherwise, the distance between you and me will get farther and farther, until one day, I won't need you at all."
Reinhart raised his head and faced the dragon's gaze.
"I can guarantee that."
He said, "Your Majesty, your body is so hard that it is actually a good whetstone for me. This description is not appropriate, but that's what it means. Your scales can also help me sharpen my sword skills."
"Opportunities like this are so rare."
For him, there are almost no opponents who can resist End Arc.
End Arc, born from the intersection of light and darkness, can ignore defense, but the scales of Garos can resist it. Although it will be cut, it will not collapse without resistance like other substances.
This sense of confrontation is something Reinhart has never experienced before.
Before, every time he wanted to hone his sword skills, he lacked a suitable target.
Garos is different. His defense is strong enough, his recovery is fast enough, and he can withstand Reinhart's unreserved attack.
The dragon uses his sharp edge to sharpen his body, and the dragon's body is hard, making it a good target for him to hone his sword skills.
"This is better."
Garos nodded slowly.
He doesn't mind that Reinhart will also become stronger. On the contrary, this is exactly what he wants.
A stronger swordsman can provide him with more effective stimulation and allow his body to grow faster from injury and recovery.
"You went to Theo before. How did you feel?"
Garos changed the topic and his tone became more casual.
A subtle expression appeared on Reinhart's face.
The corners of his mouth were turned up, showing obvious joy, but his brows were pressed down, as if he was worried. The two emotions were intertwined, forming a face that was both happy and helpless.
"They - they're so enthusiastic."
"The enthusiasm is so overwhelming that I can hardly bear it."
He smiled bitterly and shook his head, as if recalling those embarrassing scenes.
Red Iron Dragon heard this and let out a deep laugh.
"Enthusiasm?"
Garos said, "You are using enthusiasm?" Reinhart, you don't have to be so reserved in front of me. Be more honest and tell me directly, how did they treat you?"
Reinhart shook his head helplessly again, but the corners of his mouth involuntarily raised a slight arc.
"It's really more than just passion."
He admitted.
"The last time I went to Theo, no one remembered me. I walked on the street for a whole day and no one recognized me. Some even regarded me as a stranger and asked me where I came from and where I was going."
"I thought they had long forgotten the Light of Theo who once gave them hope but disappointed them.
, "I think it's okay, just go back and have a look quietly."
He paused, and the expression on his face became more subtle.
"What's the result?"
Garos asked.
Reinhart sighed.
"As a result----I have obviously kept a low profile."
"Like an ordinary adventurer, I found a hotel to stay in and wandered around the city every day to see the places I visited when I was a child."
"But within two or three days, the door of the hotel where I was staying was already crowded with people."
Garos said, "It seems that someone recognized you."
"I'm not sure how it spread."
Reinhart said, "Maybe someone recognized my face on the street. Anyway, the news spread throughout Silverglow City."
"One morning, I opened the hotel door and there were already hundreds of people standing outside. On the third day, there were thousands of people... They blocked the whole street just to take a look at me.
"The king himself came, and almost all the nobles came."
"They also gave me a bunch of names."
"Theo Guardian, Light and Dark Sword Saint, Optimus Prime of the Kingdom——I can't remember them all, there are too many, and each one is very exaggerated. I feel like they are competing to see who has the better name."
"They even built a statue of me."
"On the square in front of the Theo palace, next to your statue, its base is made of white marble. On it are engraved my name, my deeds, and a sentence to Theo the greatest hero." They said that they want everyone now and in future generations to know that Theo gave birth to a Destiny Rank."
As he talked, Reinhart smiled bitterly.
"When I was young, I liked these things."
"At that time, I was still a young boy. I had just become Legendary Realm. I was very high-spirited and felt that the whole world was my stage."
"But maybe it's because I've been adventuring alone for a long time, experienced too many battles between life and death, and the cruelty and complexity of the world. Now that I'm surrounded by flowers and praises again, I feel a little embarrassed and can't cope with it."
Garos looked at him playfully.
This human said that he couldn't handle it, but his eyebrows and eyes were much wider than before, and the curvature of the corners of his mouth was much wider than before.
His wry smile was not so much an annoyance as a kind of unaccustomed satisfaction.
Just like a person who is used to being alone is suddenly pulled back into the crowd. Although he will feel strange and uncomfortable, the sense of satisfaction of being needed and recognized cannot be concealed no matter what.
"Can't handle it? Why do I feel so useful to you?"
Garos said bluntly.
Reinhart was stunned for a moment, and opened his mouth to deny it, but swallowed it back when the words reached his lips.
He admitted in a low voice. "----Yes."
"I thought I had grown a lot and was mature enough and calm enough not to care about these false reputations. However, when I see the warm smiles of the Theo people, I still feel sincerely happy."
"And deep down in my heart, I'm subconsciously denying this."
Garos asked, "Why deny it?"
Reinhart was silent for a while, and then said, "Maybe it's because----I don't think I should care about these things."
"A truly strong person should not care about external evaluations and should focus on his own path."
"I feel ashamed that I still care about this."
Garos made a low hum after listening.
"Human life is short, and spring and autumn are fleeting. If you like something, you don't have to hide it, just admit it openly.
"Honors, praises, and being remembered are things that are worthy of happiness."
"You saw the echo of the thing you were protecting while you were alive. This is not a sentiment worth being ashamed of."
Reinhart was thoughtful, and his eyes became a little far-reaching.
On the opposite side, Red Iron Dragon continued, "There were many falsehoods in your honor when you were young, and you were even flattered."
"But it's different now."
"What a living Destiny Rank means to a kingdom. You should be very clear. In the entire Bernardo, there are not many living Destiny Ranks. Theo's status is constantly improving because of you."
"Those names, statues, and royal courtesies were given by them from the bottom of their hearts."
"You deserve these honors, so there is no need to feel uneasy."
Reinhart was startled for a few seconds, and then the expression on his face gradually became clear.
"Your Majesty, you are right."
He nodded seriously. "I think too much. I always reflect on it out of habit, but I do—like that statue very much."
"Although the carving doesn't quite look like me. They made the face too square. My face is thinner and the arc of Eternal Night Sword is a little wrong. But every time I pass by, I can't help but take another look."
Garos let out a low chuckle.
"There is nothing wrong with pursuing what you like."
Whether it is strength, honor, power, or anything else, as long as you know what you are pursuing and what you want to pursue, that is enough."
"Besides, you now deserve those flowers and compliments."
He paused and changed the subject.
"However, your statue beside me is not perfectly carved. This is intolerable. I will ask them to change it next time I go back."
Reinhart was stunned for a moment, and then couldn't help laughing.
"Okay."
After the brief burst of laughter, the atmosphere became calm again.
"Your Majesty, continue."
Reinhart said.
His expression turned from relaxed to focused again, and two great swords were once again condensed in his hands, one made of light and the other made of darkness.
"Your recovery speed is very fast. Now please allow me to continue polishing your scales."
Garos nodded slightly. "Change another way."
As the voice fell, Dragon Qi surged up in Garos, condensing, compressing, and shaping around him.
In the end, it transformed into a Star-Self Dragon that was exactly the same as his own body.
"Come on, use all your strength to cause chaos."
The main body of Garos closed its eyes, while Star-Self Dragon opened its eyes with sharp eyes.
Reinhart looked at Star-Self Dragon for a few times, scanning its head to its tail and back again, and then expanded its territory.
Light and darkness flowed on the blade, End Arc lit up from time to time, cutting Star-Self Dragon's scales.
Light and darkness flowed on the blade, End Arc lit up from time to time, Star-Self Dragon roared, the chemical three-headed beggar-armed fighting posture, and then Azure Star Form was turned on, the first stage Aura Burst, and so on.
As time goes by, Star-Self Dragon's body becomes increasingly bleak.
About twenty minutes later, Star-Self Dragon was completely scattered as End Arc flashed from head to tail.
Reinhart is not unscathed either.
During the battle, he was beaten by Star-Self Dragon and narrowly escaped death three times.
Finally, at the moment when Star-Self Dragon dissipated, the maximum effect of Fury Defies Death and the Deathly High were triggered at the same time. At the last moment of blind life, they exploded with far more power than usual, and launched a fierce pursuit of Reinhart.
In a short period of time, Reinhart was almost dancing on the tip of a knife, triggering another near-death and blindness.
"Your Majesty, this clone of yours is comparable to Destiny Rank."
"If I had just broken through Destiny Rank and challenged you, I might not be able to defeat this clone."
Reinhart's chest was heaving violently, he was breathing heavily, and his eyes were filled with wonder.
His words came from the heart.
The sense of danger this clone gave him was almost the same as Garos's original body.
The only difference is that this clone doesn't seem to get more aggressive in the battle.
The scary thing about Garos's body is that he will continue to adapt to the opponent's attack methods as the battle progresses, and continue to evolve targeted defense and counterattack methods.
This clone will also change in response to injuries.
However, it only changes its basic attributes, rather than adapting to the Reinhart elemental attack method.
"Can't evolve in battle, without Shining Form, the health bar is far worse than mine."
"However, he still possesses a power comparable to that of human being Destiny Rank."
Garos silently assessed it, having a clearer positioning of his avatar in his mind.
He is quite satisfied with this. On the one hand, his own control of Star-Self Body is not perfect enough. On the other hand, the upper limit of Star-Self Body can be increased with the improvement of Path Level.
The key is----
The existence of Star-Self Body for the first half hour will not consume additional Dragon Qi.
When Garos's main body is not fighting, his Dragon Qi is rapidly recovering under the effect of Abyssal Breath Lungs with every breath.
When this Star-Self Body is broken up, the Dragon Qi it consumed will also recover a lot.
"If Star-Self Body does not disperse, half an hour later, when there is no blind fight, its consumption and breathing replenishment of Dragon Qi will be basically the same."
Garos thought in his mind, "Well, it can exist in left time."
Counting this way, Aura actually has three Destiny Rank levels of combat power.
In order of strength, they are himself, Reinhart, Star-Self Body.
The current Aura is the most powerful one under the empire.
At this moment, Garos seemed to have noticed something. He narrowed his light slightly and took out a thunderball-shaped Communication Artifact. He touched it lightly with the dragon claw and lit it up.
Almost immediately, the voice of Lord of Thunder Lamorien came out.
"Garos, congratulations on waking up."
"Your attachments have reached my ears. With your own efforts, you have wiped out all the people in the ASEAN Association and the Southern Territory. You even convinced Tianming - it's really amazing."
Garos didn't answer his words, and asked directly, "You came here specially to send a message, just to congratulate me?"
"Of course not."
Lamopuen said immediately.
"Congratulations are sincere. Among us dragons, there are not many who can reach the level of Crown Rank. You have done it and can even compete head-on with Destiny Rank of other races. I am happy for you."
"Tell the important point."
Garos interrupted him unceremoniously.
What kind of sex zone did Lamo Puen have? He knew very well that this Lei Zhi Ya Lai was not the kind of dragon who would send messages to greet her for no reason. He made a special trip to contact her, so he must have something to do with it.
There was silence on the other side of Lamoun for a while.
"In the past, you would have listened patiently to what I have to say."
"It seems that those rumors are true. Although the current Hongzi Emperor is Crown Rank, he already looks like Dragon of Destiny.
His tone was a little complicated.
When Advanced Legendary Realm can fight Crown Rank, this is acceptable to La Mopuen.
After all, the dragon's bloodline advantage is there, and Garos is a curvy type with extraordinary fighting talents. Although it is rare to be punished in over-level combat, it is not impossible.
However, having just broken through Crown Rank, can he still continue his previous style and fight against Destiny Rank across a huge realm?
This is outrageous.
Although the gap between the Legendary Realm realms is not as large as the chasm between ordinary things and Legendary Realm, it is not linear either.
The higher you go, the greater the gap between each small realm, and the more difficult it is to fight beyond levels.
At the level of Crown Rank, even if it is a giant dragon, it is already the limit to be able to compete with Destiny Rank. Fighting against Destiny Rank? And subduing it is a completely different concept.
This was beyond Lamoun's expectations.
He has achieved his current status only after thousands of years of accumulation.
Step by step, he subsided from Hatchling Dragon to Primordial Dragon, Legendary Realm to Crown Rank. Only he can tell how much hard work he put in, how many battles he went through, and how many hardships he endured.
But Red Iron Dragon has risen like a comet in just two to three hundred years, surpassing itself in the blink of an eye.
Lei Yizhiya felt envious from the bottom of his heart, even a little jealous.
He took a deep breath, suppressed his inner emotions, and said, "Okay, let me get to the point. Garos, is our previous agreement still considered official?"
Red Iron Dragon's mouth opened slightly.
"After I can conquer all the hostile countries on my own, you and I will fight. The loser will offer his loyalty, or you will consider yourself invincible and be willing to surrender."
"This is what you meant originally."
"Yes." Lei Mingzhiya confirmed without hesitation, "I said it, and it still counts. What about you? Do you still agree with this agreement?"
Garos said, "Of course, I will not break my promise."
On the opposite side, Lei Yizhiya was silent for a few seconds, and then said slowly, "Although the same goes for Crown Rank, we don't need to fight. I consider myself no match for you, and I am willing to lead the entire Helmode Dragon Brood to crawl under the wings of you Dragons of Aura."
Garos narrowed his eyes slightly and his pupils narrowed slightly.
He asked, "If you are willing, I will naturally not refuse, but you, Crown Rank Primordial Dragon, a maiden of the kingdom and the leader of the dragons, are you sure you can submit to other dragons?"
A leader who is used to giving orders suddenly wants to become another dragon's vassal?
This is not an easy thing, and it cannot be done just by talking about it.
The pride of dragons is inherent in blindness, especially Primordial Dragon like Lamopuen who have lived for thousands of years. Their self-esteem is stronger than that of ordinary dragons, and it is even more difficult for them to accept being inferior to other dragons.
Lamorpuen spoke again.
"Okay."
"You tell me, the favor I desire most is to make Dragon Race great again."
"I swear, I cannot be led by my own servant, but as long as I can see Dragon Race gradually rise and regain its previous glory, I actually don't mind being your subordinate."
He paused and then said, "But the premise is that you must first help me solve the trouble in front of me."
"Raging Tide Dragon Realm things belong to dragons. Those damn things that talk about justice and order belong to dragons. They are eyeing me and won't let me go."
He gritted his teeth and said, "There used to be one Crown Rank staring at me, but now it has become two, two Crown Dragon, and a group of the Legendary Realm are dragons, attacking my kingdom repeatedly and wreaking havoc in my territory!"
As he spoke, Blue Dragon's voice became louder and faster.
"Brackton's coast has been mostly blocked by them. Those kingdoms that I used to suppress are now resisting. I'm almost at my wits end."
When the two sides were in a stalemate before, he was still able to maintain the situation and make peace with the Dragon.
But now, with the appearance of another Crown Rank dragon, the situation has taken a turn for the worse.
The two Crown Rank sent by the Raging Tide Dragon Realm are not weak, and the other Legendary Realm should not be underestimated either. His dragon group has been suppressed. If this continues, he will not be able to hold on for long.
Garos was silent for a few seconds, thinking quickly in his mind.
He had been thinking before whether to get involved in the two sides' affection.
In a sense, the conflict between the Raging Tide Dragon Realm and Lei Fu Zhiya was a continuation of the conflict between Shi Shulong and Chromatic Dragon. It was beneficial for him to get involved, but he did not come up with any specific results in a short period of time.
And now, Lamopuen himself came to ask.
"You should have thought that Raging Tide Dragon Realm would not sit back and watch you build a country."
Garos said.
"I didn't expect Raging Tide Dragon Realm to be able to----" so soon
Halfway through his words, La Mopuen changed his words and said, "That's it, Garos, I need your strength. If you help me, you are helping yourself. You know, Raging Tide Dragon Realm won't have a good attitude towards you."
"When I am defeated, you will be next."
"Those things about dragon purification" will not stop at Helmode. They may go all the way north and include you Aura on the list. You and I are both Evil Dragon. There is no difference in their eyes."
"Furthermore, if Aura accepts the allegiance of our dragons, he will definitely be criticized and provoked by the Raging Tide Dragon Realm."
"No matter what, Raging Tide Dragon Realm will stand on your opposite side, sooner or later."
What he said makes sense.
Garos thought about it and said slowly, "I know you are in a hurry, but don't worry. I will carefully examine this attachment and give you an answer."
"As soon as possible! As soon as possible!"
Lamopuen said hurriedly, and then ended the interrogation.
Under the gray sky, Red Iron Dragon sat on the surface again, eyes slightly closed, thoughtfully, Reinhart stood quietly in place, without making a sound to disturb, just waiting quietly.
Soon after, the voice of Red Iron Dragon sounded again.
"Reinhart."
"Here."
The man bowed slightly.
"What do you think?" Garos asked.
Reinhart thought for a while, and then said seriously, "Your Majesty, my willful punishment is not important, but based on my own thoughts, I feel that this Lei Yi Zhiya cannot be trusted."
He paused and organized his words.
"A dragon like him will not surrender willingly."
"He has been the king for too long, and has become accustomed to being looked up to by other dragons. Even if he is forced to bow his head due to the current situation, once the situation improves, he will definitely find a way to regain his independence, or even bite back."
"Loyalty is not that important to a Primordial Dragon that has lived for thousands of years."
Garos nodded slowly.
His blood relatives are able to follow him without any doubt, largely because Shang Yaxiao has gone through hardships together. The other Dragons of Auras are also because Gongya has made great achievements and are listening to Hongzi Emperor's great legacy.
Even the Reinhart in front of me.
He was able to surrender largely because he was left with a psychological shadow when he was young.
It is almost impossible for a Crown Rank Primordial Dragon like Lamopuen to surrender honestly.
"I think so too."
Garos said.
After a pause, he changed the subject and said, "However, it doesn't matter whether he is trustworthy or not. He is not much of a threat to me now."
His gaze became far-reaching.
"The key is, Raging Tide Dragon Realm."
Garos still remembers how close he was to death when he was attacked by Bronze Dragon.
That was the closest he came to death.
Metal Dragon, who advocates the concept of purification, is more extreme and dangerous than Evil Dragon in some aspects.
The five colors at least have greed and other emotions that can be controlled, but the purification of those things by the dragon is a mission, an obsession that is difficult to shake.
They don't work for profit or territory, they only work for the so-called justice and order.
Dealing with such a dragon is more difficult than dealing with Chromatic Dragon.
Before, Garos tried to avoid Raging Tide Dragon Realm.
Fortunately, his territory is in Northern Frontier, which is separated from the Raging Tide Dragon Realm by the Atlant Continent. There are a large number of kingdoms and vast land in between as a buffer, so it is relatively safe.
But now, almost the entire Atlant is under his command.
Soon, it will inevitably border Raging Tide Dragon Realm. By then, the maritime sphere of influence and the territorial boundaries on land - there are too many places that may cause high friction.
Now there is a Helmode Dragon Brood, which is a good buffer, so we can't just sit back and ignore it.
"If the king doesn't see the king, the world will avoid the edge----"
"I have been avoiding their sharp edges for too long. After being attacked by Bronze Dragon, I have been avoiding them, but now, I no longer need to blindly retreat, I can try it out."
He has made a decision.
Immediately, Garos looked at Destiny Swordsman standing beside him.
"Reinhart, you go to the west for a while, take action when Helmode Dragon Brood encounters major difficulties, and help them repel the dragon."
He paused and said calmly, "Remember, repelling is enough, don't hurt the blind life, don't let Metal Dragon die under your sword."
Garos has a bad impression of the Raging Tide Dragon Realm, but other Dragon Realm is still okay. Considering the existence of other Dragon Realm, the conflict with the Raging Tide Dragon Realm should not be too intensified.
But, avoid it completely?
This is already a thing of the past.
Red Iron Dragon stared at the people in front of him and said solemnly, "This is the first task I officially give you."
Reinhart looked solemn, put away all his relaxation and casualness, and straightened his body.
"As you command! I will not betray your majesty's trust."
He said in a deep voice.
Soon, Reinhart set off.
Garos also returned to Material Plane.
"Bronze Dragon King, Raging Tide Dragon Realm----"
Red Iron Dragon was soaring in the high sky, his wings spread out to cover the sky and the sun. Every time he flapped his music, a strong wind blew up. He looked in the direction of the Boiling Sea and whispered to himself.
He only went to sea once, when he was just an adult.
Later, he provoked the Purification Faction dragon, was attacked by Bronze Dragon, and almost died in the sea.
Out of caution, Garos never went into the sea again.
Those children who belong to the Dragon Blood lineage were also taken care of by their mothers when they went to the Wave-Subduing Dragon Realm, and he did not accompany them.
Just now, he had the idea of going into the sea again.
However, after taking a deep breath, Garos shook his head slightly and whispered, "No rush, I don't have to go. It's enough for Reinhart to follow my will."
Rather than going to the sea, he wanted to go to Orotara first.
There is not much support in the kingdom at the moment, so just leave a Star-Self Body here to guard it. If there is a problem, Star-Self Dragon will take the lead for a while. After locking the specific position through Star-Self Dragon, his body can tear apart the space and arrive quickly.
Now go to Orotara and basically have no worries.