"Solrog."
"Based on the current intelligence, has there been a more precise determination regarding the specific species of that mysterious firebird leader occupying the Misty Maze Forest?"
The Red-Iron Dragon soared beneath the leaden rain clouds, engaging in a silent conversation through a stable mental link with the Iron Dragon Sorog, who was stationed far away in the Quenchfire Highlands.
"It cannot be fully determined at the moment."
Iron Dragon Sorog's response came: "None of the scouts we sent out have actually seen the target's true form with their own eyes."
"They only reported observing a massive avian silhouette composed of raging flames amidst the giant eagle colonies circling above the forest, suspected to be the leader of those birds."
"However, no materialized physical entity has been seen; it's as if it is a mass of living flame possessed of its own will."
Garros narrowed his eyes, a look of contemplation flashing through them.
He thought for a moment and asked, "Then, Solrog, with your experience and Legacy knowledge, what do you think this powerful creature—capable of commanding birds and suspected to be an elemental lifeform—could be?"
Powerful creatures capable of growing to the Legendary rank, or reaching the threshold of Legend, are actually limited in number within the vast records of the Dragon Clan's Legacy, setting aside those unclassifiable outliers born of special circumstances.
Furthermore, every known powerful race has unique and distinct characteristic identifiers.
Although he couldn't see its true face right now, it was possible to infer its specific racial category based on these concrete and prominent clues: elemental flames, a giant firebird form, the lack of a physical body, and the ability to command birds.
Once the species was determined...
Whether they chose to go to war and conquer it in the future or attempt to seek cooperation and alliance, the dragon swarm could make the corresponding mental preparations and deployments in advance.
On the other end.
Iron Dragon Sorog was lying prone on a massive metal observation platform at the edge of the Quenchfire Highlands.
He used his flexible dragon tail to pull over a barrel of honey and tilted his head back to gulp it down, his eyes narrowing in satisfaction at the extreme sweetness, while his steady thoughts resonated through the link.
"Synthesizing all the intelligence and characteristics... I highly suspect that it is very likely a... Phoenix."
Garros felt a hint of satisfaction in the Iron Dragon's spirit.
He asked, "Solrog, are you eating honey again?"
The Iron Dragon was silent for two seconds before responding, "No, we Dragonkin should drink the blood of enemies and strong spirits. Honey is something only a few dragons enjoy; I've already quit."
Garros shook his head slightly and didn't press further.
The world's impression of Iron Dragons was always cold and brutal; it was hard to imagine an Iron Dragon could be so fond of sweets, especially honey.
Garros returned to the main topic and responded, "Regarding the identity of the firebird leader, I have the same thoughts as you."
"I also believe it is very likely a Phoenix."
Phoenixes—these creatures have many other aliases.
Blazing Firebird, Nirvana Demon Bird, Eternal Bird... and the name most widely known and circulated among many biological races—Phoenix.
They are pure elemental lifeforms, usually lacking a physical body in the conventional sense, their forms composed entirely of highly condensed, almost tangible pure flames.
Their numbers are very scarce in the Material Plane; they are the undisputed kings of birds and beasts, possessing supernatural authority to command and dominate the vast majority of avian creatures.
They are born with extraordinary Legendary talents; as long as they don't perish prematurely, they are destined to become Legendary sooner or later.
And the most crucial point is:
The reason Phoenixes are given the name "Undying" is that, in the conventional sense, they are truly extremely difficult to actually kill.
Because of this, all Phoenixes are capable of eternal immortality.
"Furthermore, according to cross-verified intelligence from multiple sources, when that firebird engaged in a fierce battle with the Python King occupying the marshlands, a magnificent cloud of fire suddenly ignited over the Misty Marshlands, nearly veiling the entire sky."
Iron Dragon Sorog continued his analysis: "This scene was witnessed by many creatures."
"They also heard cries coming from deep within the fire clouds and saw the flames across the sky eventually converge to form a massive avian silhouette."
"This scene has an extremely high degree of consistency with the phenomenon of Nirvana described in the Legacy knowledge."
If the target really is a Phoenix, then that fierce battle with the Python King likely involved the use of Nirvana.
"Nirvana—the supernatural talent possessed by Phoenixes, their most core skill."
Garros's mind delved into the Legacy knowledge, searching for detailed records of this talent. He inevitably developed a great interest in it, one that could even be described as covetous.
"Whenever a Phoenix encounters a powerful enemy and is forced into a corner..."
"They will proactively set themselves on fire, performing a tragic self-immolation. At the cost of a brief death, they erupt with devastatingly violent flames to clear the threat."
"Subsequently, the Phoenix will undergo Nirvana and be reborn from the ashes, returning to the fight in a pristine and peak condition."
This is, without a doubt, a divine skill among divine skills.
Theoretically, although Phoenixes do not possess infinite lifespans, they can circumvent lifespan limits through the divine skill of Nirvana, thereby achieving another form of eternal life.
But.
Just as methods of pursuing eternal life like the Lich transformation ritual are often accompanied by massive flaws.
Unless one's own Life Level has reached true divine immortality, any form of "eternal life" inevitably requires paying a corresponding price.
The Phoenix's Nirvana also has its own non-negligible drawbacks.
The dragon heritage clearly records that a Phoenix's Nirvana usually has two modes.
First is the Instant Nirvana used during intense combat.
This method is typically used during fierce battles; it can be used multiple times within a short period, but there is a limit to the number of uses.
Even a Phoenix that has successfully stepped into the Legendary realm can usually only perform a maximum of three such Nirvanas in a single battle.
Second is the Rebirth Nirvana used at the end of a lifespan or in a desperate situation.
Whenever a Phoenix's natural lifespan is nearing its end, or when it still cannot win after multiple Instant Nirvanas and falls into complete despair, they will choose to undergo this final form of Nirvana.
In this state, the Phoenix's entire body will completely dissipate.
Its Soul, its memories, its knowledge... all the information that constitutes its existence will be transmitted to a safe location in an unstoppable manner, condensing into an Ember Egg containing new life force.
After a gestation period of varying length, a new Phoenix will be resurrected from the egg.
It will possess almost all the memories and knowledge of the previous Phoenix.
However, for the newborn Phoenix, it is more like reading a long experience of another creature from a bystander's perspective.
Its personality, its emotions, and its cognition will be reshaped and changed.
Although from the essence of the Soul and the continuity of memory it is still the same Phoenix, to an entity familiar with its previous form, it has almost become a completely different new consciousness.
"The so-called complete Rebirth Nirvana is less a Rebirth and more the birth of a new consciousness possessing all the memories of the past upon the corpse and ashes of the old days."
Garros thought to himself: "For the Phoenix individual that chose Rebirth Nirvana... this is also a form of death; its former self has already vanished."
"If it were me, I would certainly do everything possible to avoid being forced into this kind of Nirvana."
"However, this is inherently designed as a final life-saving measure for when there's no other choice; being able to use it means one was already at a dead end."
Besides that, the Phoenix's Nirvana has other drawbacks.
For example, even the limited Instant Nirvana is not truly perfect and lossless; each Nirvana inevitably results in the loss of a portion of memories and knowledge.
Furthermore, Nirvana is not a passively triggered life-saving skill.
It requires the Phoenix to use it actively. If there is an enemy powerful enough to prevent them from reacting at all, launching a surprise attack at a speed exceeding their perception and reaction for a fatal blow, then the Phoenix will face a true and total death because they didn't have time to activate Nirvana.
But no matter how many drawbacks and limitations exist, it cannot change the fact that Nirvana is a divine skill.
The mystery and power of the Phoenix race are all due to the existence of the Nirvana talent.
"If I had the chance to carefully and deeply study the body structure of a Phoenix, perhaps I could discover some secrets of Nirvana and have a chance to evolve a similar skill through my talent."
Garros felt that the Nirvana talent suited him very well and should be used by him.
The dragon jade could give him a second chance at battle, equivalent to a second life, without the risk of memory loss or personality change. It was an extremely excellent trump card for saving his life, but compared to the Phoenix's almost perverse Nirvana talent, it still paled in comparison.
Additionally, the power progression of the Eternal Death Path he planned to study concurrently was often closely related to near-death experiences and insights into death.
But even with the dragon jade as a safety net, he couldn't truly experience death; at most, he would be infinitely close to that state, which ultimately lacked a certain depth.
If he could die and return to life through Nirvana, the enhancement effect on the Eternal Death Path would likely reach an almost inconceivable level.
"The leader of the birds currently inhabiting the Misty Marshlands had better truly be a Phoenix."
Garros reined in his wandering thoughts and pulled his attention back to reality.
He through the mental link said to Iron Dragon Sorog, "Dispatch more elite scout units to lurk around the perimeter of the Misty Marshlands to obtain more definitive information about this new map king. Keep a close eye on it."
He was in no hurry to immediately attack the Misty Marshlands.
First, the Misty Marshlands were located in the northwest region near the center of the wilderness, relatively far from the Molten Iron Tribe's current core territory. Reaching it would require crossing the territories of other map kings, making a long-distance expedition risky.
Second, the Molten Iron Tribe's current number of aerial units was stretched thin.
The Wyvern Swarm was stationed at The Borderlands, and the number of Kora Giant Eagles was also relatively limited. Currently, they primarily handled reconnaissance and early warning tasks. Furthermore, if they faced a target with the talent to command birds and beasts, they might be turned against him.
If the opponent truly were a Phoenix, it would be an extremely difficult adversary.
A Phoenix's instantaneous explosive power and destructive force in a battle of the same rank are inferior to those of High Dragons, but in terms of survival capability, endurance, and resistance to being killed, they actually exceed High Dragons by several levels.
If it were determined to avoid battle and flee, with its elemental nature, flight speed, and command over the bird swarms, capturing it would be as difficult as climbing to the heavens.
To securely deal with this suspected Phoenix target, Garros needed a more meticulous strategy and a more suitable opportunity.
Moreover.
Besides the Nirvana talent that Garros coveted being worth investigating, if he could bring the massive colony of flying creatures under his command... by then, the Molten Iron Tribe would have its own elite legions and a new Manticore Legion on land; in the air, it would possess a vast army of raptors that could blot out the sun; and it would also have corresponding talents in logistics, forging, magic, and other fields.
One could say that at this stage, the Molten Iron Tribe lacked nothing.
This behemoth, growing strong amidst blood and fire, would truly possess the substantial capital to contend for hegemony over the entire Serel Wilderness.
After communicating with Solrog about the future strategic direction for a while longer, Garros ended the mental connection.
His body tore through the curtain of rain, and shortly after, he landed on a nearby clearing.
The surface here was riddled with countless massive depressions and craters, and the soil within and around these craters exhibited a glass-like crystalline texture, like a special landscape formed after sand and rock were melted by unimaginable high temperatures.
—All caused by Garros.
After landing, Garros directly activated his Frenzied State.
Crackle! Brilliant golden lightning erupted from between his scales, intertwining and surrounding him.
Then, the Red-Iron Dragon began his day-after-day training atop this torrential rain and scorched earth, every movement kicking up howling gales that made the ground tremble slightly.
And as time slowly passed.
When the thermal energy stored within the dragon jade was sufficient, Garros temporarily stopped his movements and took out a black oil crystal from his spatial item.
He tossed the crystal into his mouth and drank another barrel of high-concentration 98 black oil.
After completing all this, Garros took a deep breath of the scorching air and then directly activated his Crimson Lotus State.
Buzz—!
As seductive lines of fire intertwined and flashed across his scales, heatwaves surged around him, the air distorted, and countless raindrops were hissed into steam, as if the apocalypse had arrived.
His blood began to burn within his body, bringing waves of tearing, intense pain, but he seemed oblivious to it.
On the contrary, the Red-Iron Dragon's face even uncontrollably split into a grin, revealing a chilling, "perverted" smile that was a mix of pain and pleasure, before he began a new round of extreme-intensity training in his Crimson Lotus State.
Not long after.
When the scales on Garros's body cracked over a large area, riddled with countless charred and deep fissures with wisps of white smoke rising from the cracks, he finally slowly exhaled a scorching breath filled with sparks. The Red Lotus patterns on his body surface gradually dimmed and settled, finally extinguishing completely.
Rainwater poured over him, hissed into clouds of steam by the residual high temperature, continuing to sizzle.
"The new batch of investment from the Crystal Princess hasn't arrived yet; the black oil crystals I have in reserve are almost exhausted."
Garros, bathed in the wind and rain, thought to himself, "I need Tereshi to come over and bring me all the spare black oil crystals temporarily stored in The Borderlands warehouse."
This stuff could not only enhance the training effects but also temporarily make him stronger.
The wilderness was becoming increasingly dangerous; he had better prepare some black oil crystals for emergencies.
Thinking of this, he did not delay and immediately used a communication item to contact the White Dragon Tereshi, telling her to bring the black oil crystals as soon as possible.
White Dragon Tereshi agreed without hesitation and set off immediately with the black oil crystals.
But what she didn't know was that there was another matter she needed to handle.
"As it happens, Heriam, Cahill, and the others have made formal requests to me more than once, hoping I would approve their revenge operation against Tereshi to clear their past humiliation."
"They have made many contributions recently; I should take their requests seriously and grant approval."
The Red-Iron Dragon remembered something interesting.
He grinned widely, a somewhat wicked smile appearing on his dragon face.
White Dragon Tereshi had used the Niche Theory she had realized to severely oppress and provide frustration education to the several Young Dragons during their early growth stages. While effective, it inevitably sparked a rebellious spirit in the little dragons.
Nowadays.
The first batch of little dragons had grown strong enough to stand on their own, and a raging fire of revenge was suppressed in their hearts.
Garros was very curious about how White Dragon Tereshi would respond to the fierce counterattack from the victims who had now fledged.
Would she, as before, rely on the advantage of her age and Life Level to suppress the little dragons' counterattack and humiliate them even more intensely? Or would she use other methods to dissipate the malice of the increasingly powerful Young Dragons... Garros decided to see for himself.