Because of the powerful evolution of his wings, the Red-Iron Dragon felt his emotions stirring.
He flew freely beneath the firmament, his wings cutting through the biting cold wind as he attempted various high-difficulty flight maneuvers.
He would rapidly ascend, then dive and circle, his brand-new dragon wings shimmering with a crimson light. As he streaked by at high speed, they sometimes looked like clouds hanging from the sky, and other times like a long cape swaying behind him.
After a dozen minutes of soaring to his heart's content.
The Red-Iron Dragon gradually reined in his movements, hovering steadily in mid-air, gaining a clearer understanding of his wings.
The changes to his dragon wings were earth-shattering. Although he could use them quite smoothly now, he was far from reaching the point of doing as he pleased, and he hadn't developed them to their limit. However, he was certain that with his training methods, it wouldn't be long before he completely mastered and fully controlled this pair of wings.
Subsequently, Garros cast his gaze toward the dragon scales covering his entire body.
What came into view was a dense layer of scale armor with a deep black base, shimmering with the hard, cold luster of obsidian.
Upon the scales, crisscrossing Battle-Scarred Markings, resembling both branching lightning and the age rings of ancient trees, were etched deeply. Interspersed among them were even more crimson markings, like flowing magma, far more numerous than before.
Just a single glance was enough to feel a fierce, savage aura mixed with solemnity and majesty rushing toward him.
"The structure of my previous Frostburn Scales has vanished, and the scale armor has changed from a double-layered composite to a seamless single layer."
"More precisely, this newly born single-layer dragon scale has already fused and surpassed all the functions of the old Frostburn Scales, so that slightly redundant structure has been eliminated."
He understood in his heart.
Thanks to his Adaptive Evolution talent, his body structure was never fixed or unchanging.
Those body structures that gradually became outdated and no longer optimal as his strength grew would naturally be eliminated, or rather, restructured and transformed, eventually being molded into a form more suited to his current state.
Compared to the reshaped dragon wings, the scale armor's evolution seemed less earth-shattering.
The main change was the simplification of the layers, losing that layer of protective camouflage and completely revealing Garros's true, even more fierce and mighty form.
As for the effects regarding defense and functionality, they had received an all-around enhancement.
Not to mention the already ridiculously high elemental resistances and physical defense.
Just now, when he was streaking at high speed and rubbing violently against the air.
Garros had already discovered that those crimson markings on his scale armor all lit up, greedily absorbing and storing the heat energy generated by the friction, and continuously transporting it to his internal energy core, the Dragon Core.
Moreover, this brand-new single-layer scale armor was not at all as fragile or brittle as the Frostburn Scales.
This meant that he could continuously absorb and store heat energy, and no longer had to be like in the past, where once the Frostburn Scales were damaged, he couldn't continue to store energy, causing him to have to be frugal when using Breath of Destruction or activating the Crimson Lotus State.
"From now on, there is no need to worry about a lack of heat energy."
"My Breath of Destruction, as well as the energy-consuming Crimson Lotus State, can now be used more freely."
This bodily optimization made Garros feel a slight joy.
Ever since he realized the killer move of the Crimson Lotus State, he hadn't dared to easily use the powerful Breath of Destruction for fear of consuming heat energy, which would prevent him from activating the power of the Crimson Lotus State at critical moments.
Now, this restriction no longer existed.
However, when it came to his second life, the Crimson Lotus State was still difficult to activate.
The root cause was that after the Dragon Core was used, it entered a period of cooldown or dormancy, making it unable to store energy during that time.
Moreover, the so-called heat energy was essentially a type of energy deeply transformed by the Dragon Core, its external appearance just happened to be similar to heat energy.
In addition, the evolution of the scale armor also brought a small 'inconvenience'.
It completely revealed those Battle-Scarred Markings on Garros's body that symbolized countless battles and glory, exposing his true, unadorned nature, making him look too fierce and powerful, and losing the possibility of using a camouflage layer to deceive and feign weakness to paralyze enemies as he had in the past.
Before, other dragons seeing him might only have thought his physique was special and he was not to be trifled with, but they wouldn't have been particularly awestruck.
But now, if they saw him, they would definitely try to stay as far away as possible and keep their distance.
The density of the Battle-Scarred Markings all over his body was even comparable to some Ancient Dragons.
This appearance destined him to be in the spotlight, making it difficult to hide.
"Regarding the evolution of the scale armor and dragon wings, these are roughly the effects."
"Perhaps there are still some other hidden effects, waiting to be felt and developed more meticulously in the future."
With this thought, Garros turned his focus of perception to the endlessly surging dragon blood within his body.
This was the most important part of his evolution this time.
Other than being able to clearly feel that it had become unprecedentedly hot and vigorous, like a rushing river of magma, Garros was still completely unclear about what specific and powerful new effects this dragon blood had brought.
Also, to what extent his adaptation to the Frenzied Flame had reached, also needed further testing.
"Let's conduct a detailed inspection later; the urgent priority is to replenish the massive consumption from the period of deep sleep."
After his thoughts gradually calmed down, a strong sense of hunger surged in like a tide, making Garros feel as if he could swallow an entire mountain range.
This body was far from recovered to its peak state, and it urgently needed a large supply of food.
Garros no longer hesitated, suddenly retracting his giant wings, tearing through layers of wind and snow, and diving rapidly toward Dragon Valley.
Whoosh—!
At the moment of imminent impact with the ground, he suddenly spread his wings, causing the descent to come to an abrupt halt, and his massive dragon body landed steadily in the valley, not even stirring up much dust.
The subordinates, who had long since received orders from the Crimson Silver Dragon, immediately sprang into action.
They moved in an endless stream, continuously offering mountain-like piles of various meats, the black oil that Garros preferred, gems shimmering with alluring luster, precious metals containing magic, and other resources before their King of Molten Iron.
Garros immediately began to feast like a whirlwind sweeping away clouds.
Time passed slowly, and massive amounts of food were swallowed into his stomach. Even when the things he had eaten were almost equal to his own body weight, Garros still didn't feel the slightest bloating, and even the desire to excrete waste was minimal.
Obviously, his stomach and its related digestive System had also gained a certain degree of adaptive enhancement.
After several more hours, the speed at which Garros ate finally gradually slowed down.
The parts of his body that were originally slightly shriveled and not full enough due to his deep sleep had now become plump and strong again, the luster of his scale armor became even more deep and restrained, and the overall life aura he exuded was vigorous and full, reaching a new peak.
At this moment, several dragons that had been quietly watching from not far away slowly gathered around.
"Garros, your appearance has become even more mighty and extraordinary than before."
The White Dragon Therese spoke first, her tone filled with admiration.
"Your scale armor has become single-layered? However, it does look more pleasing to the eye and is also sturdier."
The Crimson Silver Dragon said, carefully examining his dragon scale armor that resembled obsidian and bore dark red patterns.
"Look at your dragon wings! There are so many complex patterns on them, red ones, it looks like the structural change is very large! Let me touch them!"
The Fairy Dragon Vera curiously leaned closer, attempting to touch Garros's wings with her claws.
"..."
The White Dragon Therese, the Crimson-Silver Dragon Deborah, and the Fairy Dragon Vera, the three dragons surrounded the Red-Iron Dragon Garros, commenting while carefully tracing every obvious change on his body with their eyes.
They had long known of Garros's uniqueness.
Therefore, regarding the brand-new form he displayed after waking up this time, they were not as shocked as they had been the first time they saw it; it was more of a natural appreciation.
Not long after, they unanimously agreed that the current Garros had a more domineering aura than in the past.
That dragon body, full of explosive power, was like a perfect combination of strength and beauty.
Whether hanging high in the sky or standing on the earth, wherever Garros was, he would almost instantly become the undisputed focus, attracting all eyes around him.
Meanwhile, Garros was also observing these few companions.
The White Dragon Therese's physique had grown significantly stronger, and her size had increased remarkably.
Although she still couldn't be compared to a Red Dragon of the same age, she had definitely already surpassed an ordinary Blue Dragon, and the cold air lingering around her was more condensed and pure, and her magical attainments had also improved.
The Fairy Dragon Vera was as always, her petite body making it difficult for people to see any obvious changes.
Perhaps there were some, but the limitations of her mini size made any subtle enhancements appear not so noticeable.
The biggest change, however, belonged to the Crimson-Silver Dragon Deborah.
After entering full adulthood, her body became more slender and well-proportioned, her back lines flowing smoothly, and her overall curves exuded a harmonious beauty where elegance and strength coexisted; silver and honey-colored scales were arranged orderly on her, interweaving into a dazzlingly beautiful luster.
The elegance and magnificence of a Silver Dragon and the vitality and agility of a Copper Dragon achieved a perfect Fusion within her.
In terms of beauty alone, the Crimson Silver Dragon could be considered second to none among the female dragons that Garros knew.
Having been somewhat suppressed by his long slumber, Garros gazed at her with burning eyes, his stare so intense it seemed capable of igniting the air, causing the Crimson Silver Dragon to feel the fine scales on her cheeks begin to heat up slightly.
She turned her head slightly, avoiding the direct gaze of the Red-Iron Dragon.
Seeing this, Garros smiled and then shifted his gaze, asking instead, "Did the tribe encounter any major dangers or tricky troubles while I was sleeping? Is there anything that requires me to step in and solve immediately?"
The dragons looked at each other and shook their heads.
"In the years you were asleep, there were indeed some disturbances, but they were all eventually resolved."
"Golden Dragon Natasha, Alberto after he woke up, and several other lords were enough to handle the vast majority of crises."
"Overall, the tribe's development in recent years has been quite stable."
They gave a rough report of the situation.
Garros thought to himself, if he had happened to wake up from his slumber at the tribe's most critical moment, and then descended like a king with an invincible posture, annihilating the powerful enemy in one fell swoop under the gaze of everyone, that would undoubtedly bring a great sense of inner satisfaction.
However, the probability of such a dramatic coincidence was truly too low.
He had slept for quite a long time; if a crisis were to break out neither too early nor too late, but exactly at the moment he woke up, and it was a desperate situation that only he could solve, it would be too coincidental, making him suspect whether there was some conspiracy hidden behind it.
"How long did I sleep this time?"
Garros asked another question.
Crimson-Silver Dragon Deborah pondered for a moment and answered accurately, "According to the continent's common New Era, it is now the year 318 of the New Era. Your sleep this time lasted for a total of twenty-nine years."
This was about nine years longer than the typical sleep cycle of a Young Adult Dragon.
Garros was not surprised by this; every one of his slumbers seemed longer than his peers.
Because during this period, he was not just simply raising his Life Level, but also undergoing Adaptive Evolution, so it was normal to spend more time.
"Calculating it this way, I am now ninety-eight years old, and I am still two years away from officially becoming an adult dragon."
Garros pondered inwardly.
Stuck at this delicate age node, could he be considered at the ultimate Perfected of the Young Adult Dragon stage? Or perhaps a so-called half-step adult dragon?
He teased himself humorously in his heart.
After exchanging a few more words about recent events, Garros said, "Later, you can tell me in detail about the important events worth noting that happened while I was asleep."
"Now I need to focus my mind first and thoroughly understand all the changes that have occurred inside my body."
The dragons nodded in understanding upon hearing this, then slowly dispersed, leaving enough spacious and quiet room for Garros to explore himself.
Before leaving, the Crimson Silver Dragon looked at him deeply a few more times, her eyes flickering with waves like a deep autumn pool.
Her long, graceful dragon tail swayed gently and unconsciously, as if she were considering something, but in the end, she did not say it out loud, only felt her cheeks heat up again, and then quickly walked away.
Garros arrived at his exclusive area and began to focus on studying his own transformation.
First, he noticed that the Frenzied Flame inside his body had become much more silent, no longer as active as it was before his slumber, and would not constantly nurture his anger.
However, Garros had a clear intuition.
As long as his mind was fully focused, he could still actively make it active again.
He did not attempt it immediately.
Before that, he wanted to first clarify the changes in his own blood.
Whoosh!
He took a deep breath, his muscles instantly tightened and bulged, and he entered the Frenzied State directly, causing the flow rate of the Dragon blood in his body to accelerate suddenly.
As the blood circulation accelerated, Garros clearly felt that his blood was becoming increasingly scorching, as if it would ignite directly in the next second. That feeling was similar to the precursor of activating the Crimson Lotus State, but there was a fundamental difference.
The blood was infinitely close to the critical point of burning, but it was always missing that final step, unable to truly ignite.
He further elevated from the Frenzied State to the Bloodburst State, but the situation remained the same.
His blood was in a subtle state of being about to burn but not yet, ready to go. This feeling of hanging in the balance, neither here nor there, brought a physiological sense of stagnation and irritability.
The previously silent Frenzied Flame quietly regained its activity, causing a few bloodshot streaks to appear in the depths of Garros's eyes.
However, unlike the past, although the irritability still existed, he seemed to possess a detached "third-person perspective" at the same time. His mindset remained calm and clear, and he did not lose his sanity because of this physiological discomfort and the influence of the Frenzied Flame.
Under this state, the Frenzied Flame that had just become active quickly returned to silence.
Garros pondered for a moment, then raised one of his dragon claws covered with hard scales.
Accompanied by a teeth-gritting, ear-piercing sound like metal being forcibly torn, he used his sharp claws to slice open the scales on his arm inch by inch, until he cut the flesh underneath.
The scalding Dragon blood immediately gushed out from the wound.
However, the moment the blood left his body and was exposed to the air, a strange change occurred.
These Dragon blood did not drip down like ordinary liquid, nor did they flow along the patterns of the dragon scales, but instantly, they ignited with a roar! They turned into clusters of restless, scorching energy flames with a dark red, almost black color, swirling and attaching to his sliced arm armor, rising fiercely.
In essence, this was a kind of thick Dragon Qi.
"My blood... after leaving my body, it directly transformed into Dragon Qi? And in such a condensed flame form?"
Looking down at the black-red flames burning quietly on his arm armor, Garros couldn't help but be slightly stunned.
The next moment, he quickly regained his senses, countless thoughts flashed through his mind instantly, and his mind became extremely active.
Afterwards, after several repeated attempts and verifications, Garros confirmed this fact.
Once his blood left his body, it would not only not be wasted in vain, but would instantly undergo a qualitative change, burning and transforming into high-concentration Dragon Qi, appearing in the form of energy flames.
What made him even more excited was.
When he tried to absorb these external Dragon Qi back into his body, they returned without any obstruction, and quickly re-solidified and transformed back into the flowing, scalding Dragon blood, merging into the blood circulation in his body.
The whole process formed a cycle.
Blood transforms into Dragon Qi, and Dragon Qi can reverse back into blood.
Endless and cyclical.
The loss was negligible.
"Blood can transform into Dragon Qi, and Dragon Qi can transform back into blood."
"This is like a conversion between blood and mana?"
"I think I am, really a bit invincible."
"No, not 'think'... As long as a Legendary is not present, I, Garros, am invincible! Even against an ordinary Legendary, I might not be without the power to fight!"
"Now, who can defeat me? Who can truly kill me?!"
Brilliance burst from the Red-Iron Dragon's eyes; an unprecedented confidence and passion filled his heart, and his mindset inevitably inflated a bit.
This only lasted for a moment.
"Steady, must keep a steady mindset, absolutely cannot get carried away!"
After a deep breath, his strong willpower allowed him to stabilize his emotional fluctuations again.
However, in all honesty, Garros really couldn't imagine who, below the Legendary Realm, could truly threaten or defeat him at this moment.
Even himself, it wouldn't work.
If he were to face an identical self, he would not be confident in defeating it.
Speed, strength, attack—these powerful attributes of his were all a tier lower compared to his current survival skills.