The Red-Iron Dragon's wings beat slowly in the air, creating downward currents. He controlled his speed like a heavy dark-red cloud, gradually descending from the sky marked with traces of fierce battle to the bottom of Dragon Valley.
He took a deep breath and then slowly exhaled.
With this cycle of breathing and the passage of time, the burning patterns on his body that looked like blooming red lotuses began to fade and lighten. The heart-palpitating high temperatures and aura of destruction also receded, as he slowly withdrew from the highly taxing Crimson Lotus State.
As long as he wasn't in the middle of an intense battle,
Garros's control over the Crimson Lotus State was becoming increasingly proficient.
On the other side, the Silver Dragon Adrie also folded his wings and descended from mid-air, landing not far across from the Red-Iron Dragon.
At this moment, the injuries on both giant dragons were not light.
Due to the fierce combat just now, their auras ebbed and flowed like the tide.
However, by comparison, although the Silver Dragon Adrie tried his best to straighten his slender neck to maintain the composure and Face of a Metallic Dragon, his actual state looked much more bedraggled.
After all, he had just been smashed into the mountain. Besides the crisscrossing claw marks, ice shards, and charred imprints all over his body, a lot of dust and gravel were caught between his silver scales, a far cry from his usual meticulous image.
Whoosh—!
Finding the stains on his body somewhat unbearable, he chanted a short Spell in a low voice, summoning a fresh and gentle magical wind to blow around him.
Cleaning Spell!
The invisible magical wind acted like a servant; wherever it passed, the edges of the shattered scales, the dried dark-red bloodstains, the gray dust, and the sharp-edged gravel on the Silver Dragon's body were all gently swept up, peeled away, and then dissipated into the air.
In an instant, although his wounds remained and his state was lethargic, he at least restored his former elegant and noble foundation, now with a touch of battle-worn charm.
"Magic, at certain times, indeed provides many conveniences."
Garros noticed this scene, and a glimmer of contemplation flashed in his eyes.
The number of Spell-like abilities that Dragonkin naturally awaken as they grow is ultimately limited. To master more diverse and powerful Spells, one still needs to undergo systematic study and research like other intelligent beings.
In the past, Garros had never seriously considered dabbling in any magical path.
Because learning and mastering Spells required a great deal of effort and a long time, and the results were not nearly as direct or immediate as tempering the body and raising one's combat Rank.
For the Garros who was then anxious to gain self-preservation and develop power in the shortest time possible, magic was not a priority.
But now, his thoughts wavered slightly.
Before magic Rank reaches a certain qualitative turning point, its boost to direct combat power might indeed be limited, but in other aspects—such as long-distance tracking, efficient stealth, large-scale surveillance and perception... and even convenient little Spells for daily life like the Cleaning Spell—it could provide him with help and compensate for the shortcomings of a purely physical route.
Moreover, looking at the general growth patterns of Dragonkin, most giant dragons formally begin to encounter and systematically study magical knowledge during their Young Adult period. Starting now would be just the right timing.
"What a pity..." Garros sighed inwardly.
"The influence of the Frenzied Flame follows me like a shadow, constantly eroding my sanity and making it difficult for my mind to remain calm and focused for long."
"And without a calm and focused mind, trying to learn and master that delicate and complex magical knowledge will only result in half the effort for double the result. I might even lose my way due to irritability and suffer a backlash."
Analyzing his own condition, he thought: "It seems that magical studies will have to wait until I have completely adapted to and controlled the Frenzied Flame within my body before being put on the agenda."
On the other side.
Seeing the battle between the Red-Iron Dragon and the Silver Dragon settle and the atmosphere relax,
Serena and Deborah, mother and daughter, who had been watching from a distance, also stood up.
The Copper Dragon gracefully put away the soft mat spread on the ground, while Deborah couldn't wait to flap her wings and approach the two protagonists along with her mother.
"Is it over already? I haven't... I haven't completely seen who the final winner is."
Deborah almost blurted out the truth that she "hadn't seen enough," but fortunately she corrected herself in time. However, the excitement and lingering desire flashing in her bright dragon eyes betrayed her true thoughts.
The Copper Dragon Serena also wore a gentle and playful smile, her gaze drifting between the two scarred dragons before finally landing on her partner.
She asked softly, "Yes, dear, and Garros."
"In this wonderful sparring match of yours, who exactly was superior?"
Hearing this Soul-piercing question from his wife and daughter, the Silver Dragon Adrie's slender tail wagged unconsciously a few times, and a very rare expression appeared on his Face.
It was the look of someone wanting to speak but stopping, eventually turning into a slightly awkward and hesitant state.
Say directly that he won?
It would be too brazen for him to say that.
Frankly admit that he was slightly inferior?
Adrie felt he would lose Face.
As a dignified and experienced Mature Adult Silver Dragon, to be defeated by a Young Adult Dragon, and for the second time after that occasion many years ago... if this got out, it would likely become a laughingstock in the Raging Tide Dragon Domain for centuries.
Maybe... just vaguely say...
"A draw."
Just as the Silver Dragon was struggling inwardly and obsessing over his wording, the Red-Iron Dragon spoke up of his own accord, his tone full of emotion: "Your Excellency Adrie is indeed a powerful Mature Adult Silver Dragon, and certainly one of the best among the Silver Dragon Clan."
"Over these years, I thought I had grown a lot and that my strength had made great strides, but after today's battle, I realize there is always a higher mountain. I still couldn't truly win; I was too overconfident."
With a solemn expression, he continued: "And this was just a sparring match where we stopped at the point of contact. Your Excellency Adrie must have held back a lot."
"If it were a true life-and-death struggle, with a Mature Adult Dragon's rich experience and endless methods, I would probably be unable to get up by now."
"Thank you for your careful guidance, Your Excellency Adrie. It has made me more soberly aware of my true level, so I won't be as unrealistically arrogant and aggressive as before due to my growth in power."
Adrie turned his head slightly, sizing up the earnest Garros.
In his eyes now, the image of this young Red-Iron Dragon became more pleasing than ever before.
Powerful yet not at all arrogant, knowing how to be humble.
More importantly, he was so considerate, giving him, this elder, plenty of Face.
"This child... my previous attitude toward him seems to have been too cold and distant, and subconsciously, perhaps I also carried some inherent prejudice against Evil Dragons."
Adrie reflected inwardly, even feeling some guilt.
After a moment of silence, the Silver Dragon seemed to have made a decision.
He raised a front claw, and with a faint ripple of spatial energy, nine exquisitely shaped small bottles of various Materials appeared in his grasp.
They contained liquids or solids of different colors and textures, but all emitted a rich magical glow.
"According to our Metallic Dragon Race's tradition."
"As elders, we usually give some small gifts to promising young dragons at the appropriate time as a sign of encouragement and expectation."
Silver Dragon Adrie's voice was gentle as he said, "When we first met, circumstances were special, and I forgot this etiquette."
"Now, let me make it up to you."
"However, I don't have any excessively rare or precious treasures on me. These are potions I brewed myself; I hope you won't find them lacking."
He pointed to the small bottles in turn, introducing them: "This is the Saint Dragon Potion, which can quickly heal severe injuries in a crisis; this is the Wise Dragon Potion, which can significantly boost mental agility and focus for a short time; this is the Magic Dragon Potion, which can temporarily increase Spell power and mana recovery; this is the Blood Dragon Potion, which can stimulate Bloodline potential to enhance physical strength and recovery... in total, there are nine types of potions, with effects covering combat, recovery, support, and so on. They can all be used individually."
He paused, his tone becoming slightly more serious: "Furthermore, if you have enough courage to use these nine dragon potions simultaneously, their medicinal properties will stimulate each other, producing a marvelous reaction that will comprehensively enhance all your attributes for a short time, with extremely significant effects."
"But remember, doing so will be followed by a significant weakened period. This is a powerful side effect, so it must never be used as a regular method, let alone abused all at once."
Earlier, when the battle with Garros reached a fever pitch, Adrie had relied on the comprehensive boost from taking multiple potions simultaneously, combined with Alchemy and Ice Magic, to once turn the tide, forcing Garros to activate his Bloodburst State to cope.
Garros noticed that the set of potions the Silver Dragon brought out now was superior to the ones Deborah had, whether in terms of quality, the energy fluctuations they contained, or the completeness of the types.
"Thank you for your generous gift."
Garros's eyes lit up. Without any hypocritical refusal, he reached out his claw and took all nine bottles of potions from the Silver Dragon, stowing them away properly.
Then, he cheekily asked, "Do you have any more spare stock? I'm quite confident in my ability to withstand the side effects."
The Silver Dragon chuckled and shook his head, explaining patiently: "You are not a Potion Master; your understanding of medicinal properties and your body's tolerance are limited."
"Using this type of potion too frequently won't necessarily result in better overlapping effects; instead, it might cause certain bad influences due to the accumulation of medicinal effects."
"For example, it could lead to sluggish thinking, decreased reaction speed, impact your memory, and so on. The loss would outweigh the gain."
He looked at Garros and continued: "How about this: you use this set of nine dragon potions first and carefully experience the effects and your body's reactions."
"Once you've finished them, if you indeed need more, you can come and ask me again. At that time, I will adjust the formula and dosage according to your specific situation and prepare more suitable nine dragon potions for you."
After this battle, the Red-Iron Dragon's outstanding performance had caused Silver Dragon Adrie's perception of him to undergo a world-shaking change.
The more he looked, the more he found this young Red-Iron Dragon pleasing to the eye, his gaze filled with unabashed appreciation and satisfaction.
Garros was equally satisfied inwardly.
He knew clearly that if he had possessed such a comprehensive set of high-grade potions before his life-and-death battle with the Red Dragon Gorthax, the combat process would have been much easier, and he might have avoided the outcome of being heavily injured and falling into a deep sleep.
At this moment, in his eyes, Silver Dragon Adrie's image also became exceptionally pleasing and friendly.
Potion Master was already an extremely rare and precious profession.
Being able to gain the recognition and long-term investment of a highly skilled Mature Adult Silver Dragon Potion Master would surely bring infinite benefits in the future.
"I will keep your generous gift in my heart, but I will not take your precious potions for nothing."
Garros spoke in a serious tone.
"If I need supplements or custom orders in the future, please allow me to use equivalent gold coins, gems, rare Materials, or anything else you might be interested in to exchange or purchase them."
Hearing this, Silver Dragon Adrie nodded slightly, the look of appreciation in his eyes deepening.
He felt that Garros was not only exceptionally gifted but also knew when to advance or retreat and was well-versed in the way of propriety, not being a greedy sort.
In terms of restraining desires and clarifying boundaries, he even far surpassed many young Metallic Dragons who had grown up in Dragon Valley and received good educations.
He couldn't help but feel a hint of regret in his heart.
When he first heard about this unconventional Red-Iron Dragon from his daughter Deborah years ago, he should have come to investigate personally.
If he could have discovered his potential and Heart-Nature early on and adopted him as a godson to cultivate with all his effort, how good would that have been?
He had always held the ideal of guiding Evil Dragons toward goodness and proving the power of Acquired influence, and Garros, in his view, was inherently resilient and not evil, making him the most suitable subject.
What a pity, what a pity!
Back then, he always felt it was best to guide an Evil Dragon starting from the ignorant Wyrmling stage, and thus he missed the optimal timing.
Now, this young Red-Iron Dragon was already showing his brilliance.
Looking across the entire Raging Tide Dragon Domain, among the younger generation of Metallic Dragons, one probably couldn't find a single one who could rival him in strength and potential.
In other Dragon Domains, there were a few young dragons with widespread fame and exceptional talent, said to each have their own unique skills, but it was unknown how they would compare to Garros.
But in any case,
The idea of adopting him as a godson was something Adrie couldn't bring himself to say now.
The strength gap between the two was no longer like that of an elder and a Junior, but more like powerhouses of the same generation.
However, though he couldn't take him as a godson, there seemed to be another way now to establish a deeper and closer relationship with this promising Red-Iron Dragon.
Thinking of this, the Silver Dragon's gaze subconsciously flicked toward his daughter Deborah.
"Father!"
Deborah immediately caught her father's fleeting gaze.
She blinked her beautiful dragon eyes and said, "I asked you several times before for a complete set of nine dragon potions, but you always made excuses and were unwilling to give them to me."
She twisted her slender neck and pleaded, acting spoiled with a sweet voice: "I don't care, I want them now too."
"Just give me a set! Okay?"
However, hearing his daughter's spoiled behavior, Adrie's dragon Face, which had just been pleasant toward Garros, instantly stiffened, returning to its usual majesty and severity.
"Nonsense! What is your Life Level now? And what is Garros's Life Level?"
The Silver Dragon's tone was serious, carrying a note of admonishment: "Look at Garros, how hard he trains and constantly improves himself! Then look at yourself, and ask yourself, have you really given your all normally? Have you been slack? Have you worked hard?!"
He extended a claw, pointing at Garros and then at his daughter, continuing: "When your growth progress and level of effort truly satisfy me, that's when I'll consider giving you the nine dragon potions as a reward."
"Until then, learn more from Garros! See how he treats his training and growth! If you could have even half of his effort and focus, your current Life Level would have increased by at least one more level!"
Deborah was slightly stunned by her father's sudden comparison and criticism, her pretty dragon eyes going wide.
Eh?
No, this isn't right!
The script shouldn't be like this!
Why has she, the biological daughter, become the one being disliked instead?
The Silver Dragon father's 180-degree turn in attitude left her unable to react for a moment, standing there bewildered in the wind.
"Alas, my poor little Deborah, it seems you're about to fall out of favor."
Serena reached out her claw and gently patted her daughter's broad shoulder plates.
Out of understanding for her partner,
She probably guessed the Silver Dragon's current thoughts.
But she didn't plan to say much, because long before the Silver Dragon's attitude changed, she already appreciated the Red-Iron Dragon.