Chapter 420: All Eyes On Him, the Red-Iron Wyrm Shows Its Might

The Tranquil Sea, Everbright Dragon Domain.

The first time this scene unfolded before Garoth’s eyes, even with his hardened temperament, he felt waves of emotion stir within him.

This vast sea lived up to its name, the water flowing with an almost supernatural calm.

As far as the eye could see there was no ripple, not a whisper of wind or wave.

Viewed from high above, the whole sea at first glance looked like an enormous, mirror-smooth pane of blue glass, clearly reflecting the slowly shifting, unfathomable auroras that streaked across the sky.

Those were the domain auroras.

They were a grand spectacle woven from highly condensed elemental energies across the firmament.

They were not only beautiful but functional, capable of effectively blocking the surveillance and prying eyes of the Star-Eye.

At the center of the sea stood a magnificent island that defied adequate description, towering and solemn.

Around this imposing main island, scattered like stars in homage, were hundreds of smaller isles of various sizes and shapes, together forming the arrangement of the Everbright Dragon Domain.

Moreover, the islands’ shapes were wildly diverse and often looked unnatural.

Some were carpeted with lush primeval forests, teeming with life; some rose as jagged, cliff-like crags; some had surfaces like uncut crystal clusters, refracting uncanny colors beneath the auroras; others appeared to be forged entirely from pure metal, radiating a cold, solid sheen.

“Any dragon who reaches the Legendary realm can build an island that belongs entirely to them,” Deborah explained at Garoth’s side, giving him a timely introduction.

“What you see on each subsidiary isle represents the presence of a Legendary dragon, and the central main island is the core where all dragons gather to live and communicate. It’s also the direct territory of the great Twenty-Four-Winged Gold Dragon King.”

“When my father finishes his slumber and formally ascends to Legendary, he’ll be able to construct an island of his own in our Raging Tides Domain as well.”

As head of the Five Great Dragon Domains, the Everbright Domain was also the first metallic dragon domain ever established.

Later domains generally took it as a model.

Centered on the Dragon Lord’s main island, the Legendary dragons’ subsidiary isles stood guard like sentinels.

“I’ve heard the old ones mention it—the creation of these isles isn’t arbitrary,” Gold Dragon Alberto added, his tone carrying a rare seriousness and reverence. “Each isle is actually a node in an enormous energy network.”

“If a truly powerful external threat invades, all the isles can link up to form a super-massive composite defensive formation.”

“The Dragon King sits at the core; combined with the formation’s power, it’s said to be capable of resisting Immortals.”

Immortals: a realm above Legendary, sometimes called demigods.

On planet Bernardo, such Immortal demigods only sat in the courts of empires.

The dragons collectively had dozens—no, hundreds—of Legendaries comparable to any empire, but they lacked a confirmed Immortal. The Gold Dragon King, who had the best chance, had failed.

Theoretically, an Immortal demigod’s lifespan is endless.

Absent catastrophic calamity, they do not die of age.

Compared with the duchies and kingdoms that rise and fall through history, empires are like a perpetual blazing sun, always shining over the land.

So long as they avoid fatal decisions, they endure, looking down on the world’s changes.

Gold Dragon Nasha watched the majestic main island in the distance and sighed with mixed feelings.

“If the Gold Dragon King could have broken through to Immortal, our kind could truly stand toe-to-toe with those empires.”

“Then Dragon Kings wouldn’t have to remain as permanent guardians of their domains. It’s a pity the Gold Dragon King’s attempt failed.”

At her words, the metallic dragons present, including Alberto and Deborah, all had their expressions grow heavier.

Though the domain elders had never leaked confirmed information, most metallic dragons quietly assumed one fact:

The Gold Dragon King’s attempt at Immortality had failed.

Garoth did not share much of that weight.

Immortality was too distant a concern for him; it wasn’t something he should be thinking about now.

The Red-Iron dragon’s gaze swept over the hundreds of Legendary isles as he silently assessed the Everbright Domain’s deep reserves of strength.

Each isle corresponded to a Legendary dragon... that meant the Everbright Domain had at least a hundred Legendaries.

The other four domains would likely be slightly weaker, but together the Five Great Dragon Domains probably numbered far more than three hundred Legendaries.

He wondered how many Legendary evil dragons were scattered throughout the world.

As Garoth’s thoughts turned, two streaks of golden light cut across the sky like meteors, coming from the main island and landing precisely before Garoth’s group.

Both newcomers were Gold Dragons.

One was a Legendary Gold Dragon Garoth had seen once before, Ovis.

The other was also a Legendary Gold Dragon, female, whose aura bore a resemblance to Alberto and Nasha.

“Astrid, the mother of Alberto and Nasha.”

The unfamiliar Legendary Gold Dragon fixed her gaze on Garoth like lightning and introduced herself succinctly.

“You’re Garoth? I’ve heard a fair bit about you recently.”

“Ovis vouched for you and even staked a lot on you,” Astrid said. As she spoke, a gleaming, tangible golden dragon qi flared up around her and then immediately faded.

“I hear you walk the Battle Dragon path, and unusually, the Star Path branch. Good—sometime we should trade combat experiences.”

Before Garoth could respond, she abruptly pivoted and glanced at Ovis, speaking crisply.

“I’m here on rare business and I’m going to find that Perceulina fellow for a fight.”

“If you have anything important, tell me. Don’t bring me trivial matters.”

With that, Astrid’s wings flashed and she became a swift golden streak, racing toward a distant subsidiary isle and leaving rippling energy waves in her wake.

She arrived and left in a hurry, decisive to the extreme.

“My mom focuses on the Sanda branch of the Battle path. Her fighting style and personality are... very wild,” Nasha muttered to Garoth with a wry grin as her mother departed. “I don’t really like doing ‘combat exchanges’ with her. When she fights she doesn’t know how to hold back.”

Garoth fell briefly silent at that.

If even the belligerent Nasha kept her distance, Astrid’s style was likely beyond mere “wildness.”

Perhaps Nasha’s aggressive streak originated from that, and then some.

Around them, other dragons continued to soar through the sky.

Some sharp-eyed dragons noticed Garoth, but most glanced briefly then looked away, showing no surprise or curiosity at this unfamiliar face.

No wonder—the Sash of All Beings Recognizing My Gold was still in effect.

Under its influence the metallic dragons instinctively perceived Garoth as kin.

In the Everbright Domain, a sanctuary for metallic dragons, it was no surprise at all to see the many varieties of metal dragons.

No dragon was astonished by his arrival.

Garoth turned his gaze to Legendary Gold Dragon Ovis and asked, “Have you decided on the final challenger?”

Ovis stroked the graceful whiskers beneath his jaw and chuckled. “It’s been decided.”

“The Everbright Domain’s Gold Dragon, Karus Vellaperion, has won the right to be the final challenger. Once he makes minor adjustments and returns to peak form, he’ll be your final opponent.”

At that moment, the faerie dragon Vira crept over mischievously.

She lowered her voice and asked with a sly expression, “Does Karus have any weaknesses? His main profession? Talents? Signature moves? Can you reveal a tiny bit?”

Seeing the small, colorful faerie dragon, Ovis’s eyes gleamed with surprise.

A Dimensional Dragon? Those were rare even on this planet.

But the old Gold Dragon had seen much. He quickly regained his composure and grinned at Vira, deliberately drawing out his tone. “Weaknesses...? Of course they exist.”

When the faerie dragon’s face lit up, he suddenly changed tone. “But there’s no need to tell you.”

Vira’s big eyes spun and she kept glancing at Ovis’s flowing whiskers, her small claws twitching as if she wanted to tug them. She rolled her eyes and pouted. “So stingy!”

Ovis immediately adopted a stern face, puffing at his whiskers. “Hey, little thing, that’s not a nice thing to say. I’m displeased.”

He paused, then grew somewhat serious and explained, “Karus is the challenger for this match.”

“And all information about Garoth has been strictly sealed. To this day, the vast majority of dragons know almost nothing about this ‘mysterious dragon.’ If I revealed Karus’s details now, it wouldn’t be fair.”

“A fight with such an information imbalance would mean that even if Garoth wins, there’d be no honor.”

Frankly, Garoth only cared about the final victory; how he won mattered less to him. He said nothing further, simply nodding lightly at Ovis, then spoke in a low voice: “I look forward to Karus’s challenge.”

The old Gold Dragon let out a hearty laugh and patted the Red-Iron dragon’s broad shoulder with a claw.

“Good! That’s the spirit I want!”

“Rest assured, Karus will be a mere stepping-stone for you; he is not yet on the level of a Legendary.”

“I’ve prepared a place for you to rest. Adjust yourself and prepare; then wait calmly for the challenge.”

“As for the Everbright Domain, if you’re curious after the match, have Nasha and Alberto show you around to see the sights of our metallic domain.”

Garoth nodded slightly.

Then Ovis personally guided him to the quarters prepared for rest and final preparation.

Deborah, Nasha, Alberto, and the faerie dragon Vira did not disturb him; instead, they eagerly began to tour the magnificent Everbright Domain.

Time passed peacefully, and five days later the date of the highly anticipated final match arrived.

Considering the destructive power of dragons, especially the strong ones, the arena was not a conventional man-made stage.

It lay above the Tranquil Sea—a circular expanse of ocean deliberately designated by the domain elders as a vast arena.

The surface of the water today looked particularly calm and deep, like a gigantic sapphire set between sky and earth, serving as a natural coliseum. The auroras above were more resplendent than usual, colors flowing continuously as if adding brilliance to this grand dragon event.

The actual audience stood in the sky above the arena.

Countless dragons had already gathered, either circling elegantly or hovering silently above the sea.

They arranged themselves roughly according to their domains and clans, forming different viewing formations.

The borders of these formations were not rigid; they still intermingled.

Young hatchlings were brought along by elders, chattering excitedly and casting curious looks about. Even some usually reclusive Legendary dragons appeared in higher airspace or perched above cloud peaks, watching with attentive gazes.

Dragon wings shaded the sky, and their might filled the air like an ocean.

A multitude of powerful auras interwove and collided, producing an invisible oppression that quickened the pulse.

Not even Legendary beings dared make rude moves here.

Before the match officially began, all dragons’ eyeballs brimmed with eager expectation, fixed on the calm sea stage below, waiting for the Everbright Gold Dragon and the mysterious dragon still shrouded in fog to appear.

At this moment, the heavily watched “mysterious dragon” was quietly mixed among the crowd of dragons above, cloaked in an unusual golden sash, not drawing attention.

“Hey, I’m from the Flowing Waters Domain. You look unfamiliar—what domain are you from?”

A mature, robust Brass Dragon noticed the gold-sashed, kin-feeling dragon beside him and started a conversation.

Garoth answered calmly, “Vophal Domain.”

The Brass Dragon nodded and eagerly asked, “Who do you think will win today? Karus, or the mysterious dragon who hasn’t even shown his face?”

Garoth shook his head slightly. “The match hasn’t started. Both sides’ strengths are unknown; it would be rash to judge.”

This measured reply didn’t stop the loquacious Brass Dragon.

“I personally think Karus has the edge.”

He analyzed with confidence. “Karus carries the bloodline of the Gold Dragon King. He’s probably around one hundred and fifty years old, and his life level has already reached the pinnacle of level 20!”

“A single prime-phase slumber and he’ll surely step steadily into Legendary.”

“I also heard that a few years back, when he went hunting in the deep-sea regions, he was ambushed by three level-20 sea-beast fiends. Guess what? He killed all three and only sustained light injuries!”

Before Garoth could comment, a Silver Dragon beside them couldn’t contain himself and interjected with a different opinion.

“No, no, I think the mysterious dragon may actually have a higher chance.”

The Silver Dragon adopted a mysterious tone and lowered his voice. “I have internal news—know a bit about that mysterious dragon’s origins.”

Garoth’s eyes narrowed ever so slightly toward the Silver Dragon.

Several other watching dragons nearby pricked up their ears, very curious.

The Silver Dragon, having drawn attention, lowered his voice to nearly a whisper:

“I heard that the mysterious visitor is actually the Gold Dragon King’s illegitimate son! In terms of generations, he could even be from Karus’s grandfather’s grandfather’s era!”

“And he perfectly inherited the Gold Dragon King’s extraordinary talent when young. He’s been under the strictest secret training in a hidden place these years and only recently emerged to stun all dragons.”

When did I become the Gold Dragon King’s illegitimate son?

Garoth listened to the absurd rumor and was speechless, unsure how to respond.

“Nonsense! That’s wrong!” a nearby Brass Dragon snapped, unable to hold back.

“That one is clearly the illegitimate son of the Vophal Domain’s Silver Dragon Lord, not the Gold Dragon King! The version I heard is that he’s the private offspring of the Silver Dragon King and some—um—some evil dragon, so his identity’s sensitive and he’s been kept hidden.”

“Now that he can’t be hidden, they had to reveal him.”

Garoth fell silent again.

“Hiss... maybe he’s actually the illegitimate son of both the Gold Dragon King and the Silver Dragon King?” the Brass Dragon muttered.

“What are you saying! Both of those great Dragon Kings are males! Are you serious?” the Silver and Brass Dragons turned to glare at the loose-tongued Brass Dragon.

“Well... it’s not completely impossible—the Dragon King’s transformation arts...” the Brass Dragon trailed off and sensibly clammed up.

The Silver and Brass Dragons resumed a hushed argument about whose private son the mysterious dragon might be, each convinced their version was right.

Unable to reach a consensus, they all turned to the Vophal kin who had made them feel inexplicably close—Garoth.

“So what do you think? Whose illegitimate son is the mysterious dragon?” they pressed.

Faced with their inquiring, expectant eyes, Garoth felt the question absurd and tiresome.

He shook his head slightly. “Probably... unrelated to any Dragon King.”

The Silver and Brass Dragons looked puzzled and pressed, “You sound certain. Where’d you hear that? If it’s not those two, could it be the Bronze Dragon King or another Dragon King’s secret child?”

Why did every dragon’s thought leap to Dragon Kings and secret offspring?

Garoth gave a wry, silent smile, shook his head, and stopped entertaining the pointless speculation. He re-centered his attention on the arena below, calming his breath and readying his state.

The match time was near.

At that moment, a massive dragon nearly forty meters in length descended from the high clouds with overwhelming presence, and hovered over the exact center of the arena sea.

It was a well-proportioned, powerful Legendary Brass Dragon.

He was the event’s announcer.

He scanned the sky of dragons with solemnity, cleared his throat, and spoke in an impassioned voice amplified by artful magics so it carried across the entire viewing area.

“Esteemed kin! Heirs of an ancient and glorious bloodline! Dragons favored by order and radiance!”

His words were not mere shouting but amplified through precise sound magics, cutting clearly through the clamor of the gathered dragons.

“Welcome! A warm welcome to this place where honor and power converge, the most sacred heart of the Tranquil Sea!”

“Today we gather not just to witness an ordinary contest! Today we shall together record the birth of a luminous moment!”

He majestically pointed his massive claw at the sapphire-like sea below.

“Upon this azure stage, blessed by Dragon King will, we will witness the most special and watched duel in the history of the Five Great Dragon Domains’ elite tournament!”

The Legendary Brass Dragon spread his broad wings in a dramatic gesture full of fanfare. His voice rose in excitement.

“First, the challenger who, after fierce and brutal selection through many rounds, stands proudly before us.”

“From the Everbright Domain, flowing with the blood of the great Gold Dragon King, known as ‘Dawn’s Wing’—Karus Vellaperion!”

At his triumphant introduction, a golden streak like a rising sun shot from afar like a blade tearing the sky, circled with power and hung over the arena to reveal a majestic golden dragon body below.

It was Gold Dragon Karus.

His composure was calm, his presence unapologetically regal.

That quiet confidence ignited thunderous cheers of support from countless kin.

The Legendary Brass Dragon waited for the roar to subside, then suddenly shifted tone.

“And facing him is the opponent for whom competition rules were even changed—who did not need to fight through preliminary slaughter but was placed directly into the final—the dragon shrouded in fog—Garoth Ignas!”

For most metallic dragons, the name “Garoth Ignas” was heard for the first time.

There were no lengthy glory lists or elaborate titles, only that name and the special, rule-bending unknown it represented. Curiosity and heated debate erupted instantly among the audience.

Countless eyes focused like searchlights on the arena.

At the same time, Garoth drew a slow breath.

He stopped hiding, spread his great wings, cut through the air, and flew toward the arena’s center.

“So that’s him?!” the dragons who had been chatting near Garoth exclaimed in astonishment.

None of them had realized the mythic-sounding mysterious dragon had been quietly among them, even discussing lineage.

The Copper Dragon relaxed and then showed keen excitement. “So he’s a Brass Dragon! He must be the Brass Dragon King’s illegitimate son! Excellent—I want him to win and show our Brass Dragon clan’s might.”

The Silver Dragon flicked his tail in displeasure. “What kind of look is that? He’s clearly a Silver Dragon! He must be the Silver Dragon King’s illegitimate son!”

Because of the Sash of All Beings Recognizing My Gold, Garoth had presented to each metallic dragon an appearance similar to their own, inciting the debate.

Under countless mingled eyes of curiosity, scrutiny, expectation, and doubt, Garoth flew to the arena center, directly opposite Karus.

At that moment he extended his claw and removed the golden sash that had draped his body.

In that instant, the formerly thunderous sky full of dragon cries fell silent as if muffled by a global silence spell, so quiet it was terrifying.

Every metallic dragon—noble Golds, elegant Silvers, steady Bronzes, lively Coppers, and loquacious Brass—held their gaze frozen on the arena’s center.

What did they see?

Black-and-red scaled armor streaked together, as if tempered through fire and blood.

A body far more robust, rugged, and explosively powerful than dragons of the same rank.

Wings that, when fully spread, bore red energy patterns along their edges and had structural differences unlike any metallic dragon.

Most crucially and incontrovertibly—the dragon might: a raw, primeval predatory ferocity and threatening pressure unique to only the evil dragons.

Is that a Red Dragon?!

No, it didn’t feel entirely like one!

The special color and the iron-hard quality of the scales clearly carried the distinctive traits of Iron Dragons.

This was a Red-Iron dragon!

A hybrid born from the fusion of the leader of the Five-Colored Dragons and the leader of the Iron Hybrid Dragons, a mixed-blood stamped from birth with an evil brand—the Red-Iron Dragon!

After a brief stunned silence, the sky erupted like an exploding cauldron, an uproar of disbelief sweeping across the crowd.

The Legendary dragons perched above the clouds mostly kept composed faces—many had already known something. One bronze dragon with horns like sharpened spears narrowed its vertical pupils, its dragon might restrained but dangerous, then slowly calmed.

The younger metallic generation reacted far more vehemently.

“An evil dragon?! How could an evil dragon appear here?”

“Why did the best selected youths of the Five Great Domains only get to challenge an evil dragon in the final?!”

The Five Great Domains’ competitions never formally barred other dragons from participating, but none had expected—or accepted—that the mysterious finalist, chosen with special rules, would actually be an evil dragon.

He had enjoyed such special treatment that many metallic dragons brimmed with resentment and anger.

Why should our elites suffer rounds of brutal slaughter to advance, while an evil dragon watches coldly and ascends to the final with transcendent privilege?

“Silence!”

The Legendary Brass Dragon’s voice rang again, infused with dragon might, quelling the noisy dissent and accusation.

“Garoth Ignas is a guest personally invited by Elder Ovis of Vophal Domain! His right to contest the final and the rule changes were jointly approved by the Legendary elders of the Five Great Domains!”

“Any dragon who objects may file an appeal to the elders’ council after the match in accordance with domain law!”

“But now, in this place, the match itself is the only focus!”

He paused so the declaration could sink in, then his voice rose in a peak of excitement.

“Will the ‘Dawn’s Wing’ who defends tradition and honor succeed, proving the metallic dragon domain’s dignity unassailable? Or will the dragon forged of red and iron conquer the metals and silence all doubt and scorn?”

“The rules are simple and fair! Until one side completely loses the ability to fight, or voluntarily surrenders!”

“Victory will be decided by strength and will!”

The Legendary Brass Dragon swung his claw like thunder.

“Now—I announce—the final match—officially begins!!!”

In an instant, countless eyes carrying complicated emotions—expectation, scrutiny, hostility, curiosity—focused like palpable forces on the two protagonists at the sea center.

In that suffocating atmosphere dense with hostility and doubt, the Red-Iron dragon slowly lifted his heavy-scaled head.

He showed no fear or anger but grinned.

He relished the stares and craved the enmity.

It made him feel... as if he were back in the wilderness.

The Red-Iron dragon’s gaze settled on Karus. In a low, potent voice that echoed across sea and sky he said:

“Come, challenger.”

“Let me see how much weight this new star of the Everbright Domain truly has.”

Across from him, Karus’s last doubts and shock melted into pure battle intent.

By now the match had become more than a contest of win or loss.

It concerned the honor and dignity of the metallic dragons. Karus represented not just himself but the face of the Everbright Domain, the pride of the metallic dragons.

He would not allow himself to lose to an evil dragon.

Without extra words, Karus let out a clear, powerful roar, flapped his wings hard, and launched the attack toward Garoth.

He did not charge straight; instead he displayed superb aerial technique, darting and weaving in unpredictable arcs that brought him closer in spite of the twists.

Each wingbeat seemed to gather potential energy, strengthening the aura that radiated from his body.

This was one of the Hundred Battle Dragon’s signature skills: the Sky-Slicing Dragon Dance.

The path was winding but fast.

In the blink of an eye, Karus closed in on the stationary Red-Iron dragon, his aura peaking.

He thrust out his right foreclaw armored in gold; at the tip thick, condensed magical energy coalesced into a palpable, compressed force that ripped the air and whistled.

A Rending Strike!

Karus’s gaze was solemn; this blow condensed his present spirit.

But just as his claw was about to land—

Thud! Thud! Thud!

A heavy, drum-like heartbeat thundered from the Red-Iron dragon’s chest.

Beneath his black-and-red heavy scales the muscle bulged like coiled serpents; arcs of fiery gold electricity leaped and cracked. The Red-Iron dragon, from a calm baseline, erupted like a slumbering volcano, his might skyrocketing to terrifying levels.

His wings streaked with red energy patterns unfurled fully, blazing brightly.

Rend!

Karus’s strike hit—only to smash through a fading afterimage.

The real Red-Iron dragon had become a crimson streak tearing across the sky.

Almost instantly he appeared at Karus’s side and rear with unfathomable speed, movement too quick for many watching dragons to follow.

“What?!”

Karus felt his heart plummet.

His opponent’s burst speed exceeded any estimate he had made.

In the nick of time the Gold Dragon showed his battlefield skill, twisting his body and bringing up a thick forearm to meet the Red-Iron dragon’s incoming claw.

Clang!!!

Like two metallic mountains colliding, a deafening clash of gold and iron resounded, shockwaves rippling outward.

On impact Karus felt an overwhelming force transmit along his arm bones.

He dared not slacken and immediately activated his innate Siphon talent.

In an instant, Karus’s body seemed to become a miniature black hole.

At the contact point with the Red-Iron dragon, some of the golden lightning and surging dragon qi leapt and was unknowably drawn, ripped from the other’s control, and funneled into Karus.

The energy he siphoned bolstered his aura and strength.

Even so, he still struggled to withstand the savage pressure of the Red-Iron dragon’s raw power.

Crack!

A bone-chilling fracture sounded.

Many hard golden scales on Karus’s guarding arm shattered. Dragon blood sprayed from the cracks.

His entire body lost balance and was hurled backward like a projectile, gouging a long white streak across the sea with foaming spray.

“Hail Garoth’s might!”

From the stands Deborah and her group shouted encouragements loudly—an oddity among the metallic viewers and immediately attracting attention from nearby dragons.

Garoth’s expression remained composed.

He barely flicked his wings and dove after Karus with astonishing speed.

Boom!

A towering spray of water erupted, scattering glistening droplets.

Underwater Karus barely steadied himself and gasped, feeling the violent currents press against him.

The Red-Iron dragon had chased him into the sea.

In this underwater battlefield the Red-Iron dragon’s assaults grew wilder and more unpredictable.

His limbs, agile strong tail, and even his massive wings became lethal weapons that could strike from any angle.

Relentless attacks enveloped Karus like the pervasive sea water.

Crack!

Dull collisions and the sounds of scales shattering echoed underwater.

Golden scales kept breaking, blood staining the water scarlet.

Karus writhed in pain beneath the pressure.

He forced himself to stay calm and pushed his Hundred Battle Dragon skills to the limit.

Around the combat zone the sea naturally formed a vast, dark-current whirlpool.

Block, dodge, seize an opening—Karus’s combat mastery was indeed subtle: sometimes as steady as a rock, sometimes as nimble as rushing water. Golden sparks danced across his body and he occasionally scarred the Red-Iron dragon’s armor.

But what unsettled Karus was this:

The scorching blood spilling from the Red-Iron dragon’s wounds did not disperse in the sea; instead it ignited into roaring flames that burned underwater, and the Red-Iron dragon’s aura never waned.

“He is stronger than imagined... but with my Siphon talent, victory isn’t necessarily impossible,” Karus gritted his teeth and continued siphoning the Red-Iron dragon’s escaping dragon qi and stamina between passive defense and difficult counterattacks to replenish his own drains.

If he could endure the initial ferocious assault phase, as the fight lengthened his talent might take effect and shift the balance; perhaps he could slowly turn the tide and prevail.

Boom!

After another fierce, no-frills collision, energy exploded underwater forming a brief vacuum bubble.

A murderous light flickered in Karus’s dragon pupils.

He gathered the energy he had siphoned and stored, compressing it into his right foreclaw. Instantly his right claw was shrouded in blinding gold light like a massive energy gauntlet, threaded faintly with the Red-Iron dragon’s black-red hue.

Cataclysmic Strike!

The Red-Iron dragon did not dodge. His muscles bulged and dragon qi condensed onto his forelimb as he slammed it forward.

Bang!!

At the collision a muffled, wooden-crash-like sound mixed with the grinding of shattering scales. A rim of white shockwave burst outward, temporarily creating a vacuum underwater.

Karus’s whole body shook violently. Scales on his striking arm peeled and cracked, golden blood gushed like a spring into the sea.

He cried out in pain.

Battle instincts forced him to bear the agony; he swung his left wing like a massive golden sideblade, using the rotation of his body to try to slice across the Red-Iron dragon’s neck.

But the Red-Iron dragon reacted with almost supernatural speed.

Rather than retreat, he advanced, easily avoiding the wing slash and closing the gap.

Then his heavy, thickly plated head slammed forward like a battering ram, forehead striking Karus’s slightly open jaw.

Crack!

The sickening snap of the broken lower jaw echoed.

Karus’s head tossed back, vision going black at the edges, stars flashing as he lost balance.

He reflexively lashed his tail at the Red-Iron dragon, but the opponent’s more agile tail beat him to it, whipping the midsection of Karus’s tail like a steel whip.

Smack!

Another muffled crack; scales and flesh flew.

Karus’s tail strike was stopped mid-motion, leaving a gruesome dent of blood and ragged flesh.

“Why? He’s in a burst state yet shows no weakness.”

“And the energy I siphoned was real—vast and condensed.”

Karus’s mind swam with confusion.

He had no answer, but realized his prior plan to win by attrition using his talent had been naive.

“I can’t keep taking hits! I must gamble everything!”

A look of determination crossed his eyes as he prepared to use his last, all-or-nothing technique reserved for life-or-death.

Karus stopped prioritizing defense and finesse and poured all his will and power into amplifying his Siphon to its utmost—even beyond his safety limits.

—!

Centered on Karus, a giant whirlpool nearly a hundred meters in diameter abruptly formed in the sea, emitting a terrifying sucking force.

But even as the vortex appeared, the Red-Iron dragon with speed far surpassing before slipped out of its core range and avoided being captured.

Siphon—Return to the Abyss!

This time the Siphon devoured more than living energy.

Surrounding seawater surged into the vortex and vaporized on contact, becoming raw, massive water-element energy that was consumed.

Karus strained his wings to the limit.

Ignoring the rupturing wounds all over him, he lifted the enormous golden vortex and soared through the sea surface into the sky.

In the heavens, elemental magics were forcefully torn aside and absorbed. Even the ambient light warped and dimmed as if all matter and energy were being plundered by the voracious gold vortex.

Karus cried out a mix of pain and triumph.

After devouring massive energy his body began to swell unnaturally; the gold on his scales became blinding and unstable, energy streams like uncontrolled thunder snakes writhed across his body—a miniature sun about to explode.

His breath surged crazily, almost brushing Legendary thresholds.

But this power exceeded his capacity.

Karl’s eyes bulged red with bloodshot veins, his body showed large porcelain-like cracks, the sounds of shattering were continuous.

Anyone could see this state would not last and would exact terrible damage.

“Red-Iron! Come on! Our fight is only just beginning!”

Karus suppressed the agony and near-collapse, opened his maw, and began to condense a blinding, impossible-to-look-at brilliance in his mouth.

But across from him the Red-Iron dragon showed no panic at such an awe-inspiring posture—only a grin.

In the next moment the Red-Iron dragon’s black-red scales turned crimson, glowing like a heated branding iron.

Between the scales seams of molten-looking flame ignited, braided and intertwined, forming lotuslike patterns of flame across his hulking torso.

He opened his tooth-filled maw and clenched a ball of compressed, near-solid, destructive dark-red fire.

Under the strained, almost suffocating gaze of countless dragons—

In the air above the sea the Gold Dragon and the Red-Iron Dragon both released their breaths.

Brilliant golden flame.

Blood-red Destruction Breath.

They met like two torrents tearing through the sky.

“How can this be?!”

Karus’s pupils shrank.

He found his fortified golden breath losing ground!

The blood-red Destruction Breath pushed back the golden flame with brazen force and shoved toward him.

In the crisis, Karus acted decisively.

He abandoned the losing breath-to-breath clash and dodged aside.

Even so—

Despite the dodge, the outer edge of the Destruction Breath grazed his right wing base and part of his body.

Even with a natural resistance to fire and some of the breath’s strength siphoned away, Karus felt a stinging burn; scales at his right wing edge charred and curled, the underlying tissue blurred and seared.

When he steadied himself and looked, the Red-Iron dragon was gone.

“Above!”

A primal sense of danger spurred him to look up.

The Red-Iron dragon hung directly above him now, plummeting like a falling meteor.

That vast shadow and the crushing pressure nearly suffocated Karus.

“No. I won’t lose! I’m not at my limit yet.”

The Gold Dragon roared, spread his wings, and again overtaxed his Siphon.

The air warped.

Another slightly smaller but equally blinding golden vortex surfaced, devouring matter and energy and enclosing the diving Red-Iron dragon in its maw.

At that same time the Red-Iron dragon’s surging aura changed—

Twelve-level Dragon Qi Rotation!

Star-Body Manifestation!

A titanic dragon qi like kindled flame burst from him, highly condensed and woven into a hefty armor of energy that braced his body.

The Star-Body armor’s surface rubbed fiercely against the siphon vortex and thinned under the friction but successfully resisted the siphon’s direct pull, leaving Garoth ungrasped by its maw.

Karus roared as his bloodied body lunged at the Red-Iron dragon, lifting his talons for a last desperate strike.

But the Red-Iron dragon’s blows were faster and fiercer.

His claw struck first, pounding into Karus.

Boom!

The armor of concentrated energy around Karus shattered in an instant and burst into countless errant golden motes.

The Red-Iron dragon’s claw, unrelenting, punched through the scattering energy and landed on Karus’s chest.

Thud!

Karus’s vast body convulsed and could no longer support itself.

The vortex flickered like a dying candle and then dissipated.

“What the... I really was just a challenger... not even close to the same level...”

Karus’s eyes dimmed rapidly, a trace of unwillingness on his face turning into resignation.

Before his consciousness darkened, he clearly felt that the Red-Iron dragon had always remained effortless, never forced to use his full strength even as Karus had exhausted his own reserves.

That gap was not small.

Karus’s body fell like a kite with a cut string, crashing toward the sea.

Thundering!

A great splash broke the sea’s calm.

The Red-Iron dragon slowly sheathed his claws. His roaring dragon qi faded, he exited Crimson Lotus Form. Under the dispersing golden light his scales looked all the more formidable and dignified.

He hovered aloft.

His opponent, Gold Dragon Karus, floated unconscious on the rippling sea surface.

Countless eyes filled with shock, complexity, awe, and lingering incredulity fixed on the Red-Iron dragon’s imposing figure.

The arena and surrounding air fell silent again.

All the earlier doubt and resentment vanished in that instant.

Every metallic dragon, young and old, finally understood why the Legendary elders had altered decades-long rules for this evil dragon—not special treatment, but necessity.

This Red-Iron dragon... was absurdly strong.

Handing him the championship seemed hardly an exaggeration.

ps: Burned out—please give a monthly vote