The Red-Iron Dragon darted rapidly through the blizzard in the high sky, his figure flickering in and out of sight like a bolt of lightning tearing through the firmament.
With every tilt or extension of his dragon wings, the tangible, dark red Qi surged and erupted from behind them, propelling his movements to accelerate and change direction in an instant, making his flight path unpredictable and elusive.
The snowflakes evaporated the instant they touched that scorching Qi, leaving a fleeting trail of nothingness behind him.
And it was not just his movement technique.
His wings had now truly become lethal blades.
The edges were as sharp as knives, emitting a heart-stopping, shrill whistle as they tore through the air; the wingtips were sharp as spears, gleaming with a cold light, easily piercing through the thick and dense curtain of wind and snow.
Combined with his astonishing wingspan, which far exceeded that of his peers, his attack range was immense.
Coupled with the instantaneous speed boosts brought by the intermittent, explosive eruptions of Qi, his agility far surpassed any conventional flight method that relied on muscle power.
"There are simply too many Domains that need honing; I seem to have somewhat neglected the development of my own wings."
Garros reflected inwardly while moving at high speed.
Since his dragon wings underwent their first evolution, he had not continued to develop them much further.
Upon careful consideration, this was not a wise choice.
"My dragon wings should possess the potential for further evolution."
"For example, achieving a 360-degree omnidirectional twist and roll, allowing slashing and stabbing attacks to be launched from any inconceivable angle, and letting the speed-boosting Qi erupt and burn from any position on the wing surface."
"In comparison, my current method of application seems a bit monotonous and lacks variety."
The Red-Iron Dragon silently planned his future training direction in his heart, while calmly dealing with the Golden Dragon's persistent entanglement.
Alberto was like an incredibly stubborn golden meteor, continuously attempting to engage the Red-Iron Dragon in close-quarters combat, only to be ruthlessly swatted away time and time again by Garros's vastly superior strength, speed, and combat techniques.
This was a sparring match with the purpose of training.
However, with Garros's entire body being as sharp as a weapon, he had already left numerous wounds of varying depths on the Golden Dragon's magnificent scale armor.
Dragon blood continuously seeped out, sprinkling onto the snow below, blooming into spots of striking red plum blossoms.
Crack! Crack!
The crisp sounds of dragon scales unable to bear the load, cracking and shattering, rang out continuously, accompanied by the Golden Dragon's muffled groans and gasps.
At first glance, the scene was truly tragic.
Sacred Shield!
Taking advantage of the tiny gap as the Red-Iron Dragon's giant wings tore through the air again, slashing with a shrill whistle, Alberto focused his mind.
The light of the Sacred Oath runes flowed, instantly constructing a solid, thick, diamond-shaped giant shield shimmering with brilliant radiance in front of him, barely protecting his vital points.
However, Garros's reaction was unimaginably fast.
His right wing tilted inward imperceptibly, the Qi on the wing's edge surged violently, erupting with powerful thrust, causing his massive body to carve a sharp and swift arc in the air, nimbly bypassing the protective range of the Sacred Shield and appearing like a ghost on Alberto's undefended flank.
Immediately following this, utilizing the momentum of his forward charge and rotation, his dragon tail lashed out with a whistle that tore through the air!
Bang!
A powerful, heavy, and incredibly precise tail swipe slammed fiercely into the Golden Dragon's shoulder blade.
An irresistible force surged forth, causing Alberto to instantly lose his balance, spinning like a top struck by immense power, tumbling in the air in a sorry state for several turns before barely managing to stabilize his body.
Alberto shook his head vigorously to clear the dizziness, the intense pain causing him to grimace.
If it were any other dragon with a weaker will, facing such near-unilateral crushing, they might have already given up.
But Alberto truly possessed a resilient heart, and he was attempting to find the possibility of growth amidst the immense pressure brought by Garros.
The Golden Dragon took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the pain and discomfort in his body, and adjusted his slightly disordered flight posture.
He charged forward once again.
And then, unsurprisingly, the Golden Dragon once again became an involuntary aerial top, ruthlessly swatted and toyed with from all angles by the Red-Iron Dragon.
To an uninformed observer, this scene truly looked exactly like one-sided abuse.
And at this moment, this scene fell exactly into the eyes of Golden Dragon Natasha, who had just quietly arrived in the airspace of Dragon Valley.
Her golden eyes instantly narrowed, almost turning into two thin lines.
The first thing that flooded into her perception was the astonishing number of Evil Dragon Auras within the valley.
Although most were immature, a few were very powerful, especially the black-red giant dragon currently committing the violence; the sense of power made her heart shudder. Its physique and temperament clearly marked it as the leader of this place, and it was undoubtedly extremely powerful.
"A place occupied by a tightly structured, numerous group of Evil Dragons that should absolutely not be underestimated!"
Nasha instantly made a judgment in her heart.
At the same time, her gaze fell upon the golden figure in the high sky that was being continuously struck and appeared in a sorry state.
It was Alberto!
It was her foolish, rebellious, arrogant, yet blood-related younger brother.
At this moment, he was being wantonly struck and swatted away by that ferocious, imposing Red Iron Evil Dragon, looking completely unable to fight back, and even struggling immensely just to maintain basic stable flight.
Beyond the wariness of that Red-Iron Dragon leader.
A flame mixed with anger and heartache instantly surged into Nasha's heart.
Indeed! Alberto had been captured! And he was suffering cruel torture and abuse!
She confirmed the scene before her almost instantly.
That ferocious-looking, ruthless Red-Iron Dragon must undoubtedly be the lord of this Evil Dragon colony.
She could vividly imagine the terrible suffering and torture Alberto had endured after being captured due to his stubborn and unruly personality.
When they were in the Dragon Domain, she had often disciplined her younger brother for his penchant for speaking recklessly, but that was ultimately love and guidance within the Family.
How could she tolerate her own blood kin being bullied like this by an outside dragon, especially an evil Evil Dragon?!
Fortunately.
Before she left, Father Golden Dragon had given her a set of precious armor that he had once used.
It was a truly powerful piece of equipment, crafted by Dragon Clan Alchemists, with countless complex and powerful amplification magic arrays engraved inside the armor.
Although it was not of Legendary grade, it was definitely top-tier equipment below the Legendary rank.
If Nasha wore it, she would be able to easily suppress a powerful 19th-rank Evil Dragon, and could even contend with a 20th-rank giant dragon without falling behind.
Even if a 20th-rank giant dragon wore it, they would still gain significant amplification, basically being able to sweep through all creatures below the Legendary rank; if the wearer's own foundation was strong enough, it was not impossible to fight a normal Legendary existence to a standstill.
"Roar—!"
The dragon roar, containing rage and majesty, tore through the wind and snow, and the brilliant golden figure swooped down from the hidden clouds like an arrow released from a bow.
Click! Click! Click!
Amidst a series of rapid and crisp metallic ringing sounds, countless armor components, seemingly crafted from pure gold, appeared out of thin air.
They flew rapidly around Nasha's slender and graceful golden dragon body as if they had a life of their own.
During her dive and charge, these components precisely fitted onto her body at a dazzling speed, and in an instant, they combined into a gorgeous and practical detachable golden suit of armor.
The armor closely covered her chest, slender neck, strong limbs, broad dragon wings, and powerful long tail, with dense and complex magic runes engraved on the surface, now shimmering with dazzling golden radiance, making her appear powerful and majestic.
Clad in the brilliant golden armor, Nasha spread her wings in fury and lunged straight at the evil Red-Iron Dragon in the high sky!
"Stop! Lord of Evil Dragons! Release my brother immediately!"
Nasha's roar, filled with fury and majesty, like rolling thunder, instantly spread to every corner of Dragon Valley.
The sudden turn of events immediately caused a commotion among the dragon colony in the valley.
Tereshi, who was teaching the Young Dragons and Wyrmlings, looked up, quickly assessing the Golden Dragon's ecological niche; Red-Silver Dragon Deborah and Blue Dragon Zolaya, who were secretly competing, frowned slightly and looked up at the sky vigilantly; the group of Young Dragons were so scared they shrank their necks, but couldn't help but peek curiously.
Alberto in the high sky heard the familiar voice and froze abruptly; he turned his head and saw his sister rushing towards him, instantly turning pale with shock.
"Wait—"
He wanted to speak to explain.
However, because he was distracted for a moment, and because the Red-Iron Dragon's sharp claws were already close at hand and couldn't be pulled back, with a dull thud, his head was hit solidly, his head tilted immediately, and he plummeted toward the ground.
Witnessing her younger brother being cruelly knocked down with her own eyes, Nasha's fury grew even more intense.
Boom!
Dense golden Dragon Qi surged out like a volcanic eruption from the gaps in her golden armor and beneath her scales, quickly wrapping around her limbs, wings, and powerful tail, causing the Aura around her to rise once more.
Wind Spirit Assault!
With a flap of her wings, the Dragon Qi swirled like a gale, her speed surged, and she closed in on the Red-Iron Dragon.
Thunderous Claw! Winter Claw!
Nasha moved with incredible swiftness, attacking with both hands simultaneously, raising her claws covered in golden gauntlets.
On her left claw, blinding golden currents leaped and coalesced like countless tiny thunder snakes, crackling with electrical noise; on her right claw, bone-chilling cold erupted, freezing the surrounding air into ice crystals.
Two strikes, with different attributes but equally fierce, slashed across towards the head and chest of the Red-Iron Dragon.
Sensing the menacing and powerful Aura of the Golden Dragon before him, Garros narrowed his eyes slightly, a flash of seriousness crossing his expression.
He let out a low roar, and his already massive body expanded another circle as if inflated, fully activating his Frenzied State.
Muscles bulged, and his scales stood on end.
The Red-Iron Dragon flapped his wings, meeting the Golden Dragon Natasha's offensive from below, and launched a fierce counter-charge.
Rip!
His body performed a masterful sidestep in mid-air, and his massive, sharp wing-spears, relying on their extended reach, struck first, aiming directly at Golden Dragon Natasha's chest and abdomen!
Cloud-Climbing Flash!
Just a moment before the sharp wing-spear could touch her golden armor, Nasha's body suddenly became illusory, as if turning into formless cloud vapor, dispersing instantly and narrowly dodging this dangerous strike at the very last second.
The next instant, as if teleporting, she appeared in the airspace behind the Red-Iron Dragon's blind spot.
"This Evil Dragon King must be extremely skilled at close-quarters combat."
"I must maintain a safe distance and use my advantages to engage in hit-and-run tactics."
Nasha made a rational decision in a split second.
She swiped both claws through the air towards the Red-Iron Dragon's back.
Swish! Swish!
Huge claw marks, composed of highly condensed cold air and leaping lightning, tore through the air, seemingly traversing space, and struck the Red-Iron Dragon's spine solidly.
In an instant, blinding lightning leaped and exploded across his dark red scales like a spiderweb.
Bone-chilling ice spread rapidly at a visible speed, attempting to freeze him.
The Red-Iron Dragon's originally fluid and swift movements were visibly severely affected, becoming sluggish and stiff.
In the heat of the intense battle, the passage of time seemed to slow down.
Centering herself around the Red-Iron Dragon, Nasha kept what she deemed a safe distance, no longer approaching easily, and instead began continuously launching fierce, long-range elemental attacks.
Flames, rocks, lightning, ice, water...
Various colorful elemental energies were skillfully unleashed with every swipe of her claws, flap of her wings, or even flick of her tail, pouring continuously onto the Red-Iron Dragon's position and engulfing him completely.
Her attacks were fierce and coherent, her movements swift, and the transition between different skills was almost seamless and fluid.
Without a doubt, Golden Dragon Natasha was a highly skilled Martial Dragon.
But unlike Garros, she was a more balanced and comprehensive Four-Element Dragon, mastering various attributes and both long-range and close-combat elemental skills. She was particularly adept at controlling the rhythm of battle at mid-to-close range through unpredictable elemental combinations, with each attack carrying distinct elemental properties and effects.
Grasp of the North Wind!
Seeing an opening, she clenched her dragon claw through the air at the area where energy was churning.
Hum—!
The surrounding blizzard seemed to respond to an invisible summons, instantly roaring and coalescing into a huge, translucent Wind Claw, tightly gripping the body of the Red-Iron Dragon just as it emerged from the energy bombardment.
12th Rank Dragon Qi Rotation!
Claw Strike Mastery! Four-Element Burst Claw!
Golden Dragon Natasha let out a low dragon roar, pushing the battle to its climax.
The surging Dragon Qi within her body, like a burst dam, gathered violently towards her right claw.
In the process of flowing out, this Dragon Qi naturally differentiated and evolved into the four most basic elemental energies: Earth, Water, Wind, and Fire! They intertwined, mixed, and compressed, emitting a very dangerous Aura.
"End it! Evil Dragon! Take this!"
All the runes on Nasha's golden armor lit up at this moment, as if she were cloaked in a layer of golden flames; her Aura climbed to its peak, imposing and unstoppable.
She hesitated no longer, flapping her dragon wings rapidly, and approached the Red-Iron Dragon, who was temporarily bound by the Wind Claw, preparing to use the Four-Element Burst Claw to end this battle once and for all.
Just then.
She saw that the Evil Dragon did not show the slightest panic or fear; instead, he grinned with his fang-filled maw, revealing a chilling smile.
"I have seen enough of your fancy dance."
Hum! Hum—!
Two thick streams of black-red Dragon Qi surged and burned from behind his shoulder blades, and in the blink of an eye, they condensed into two massive, muscular arms made of Dragon Qi.
Thump-thump! Thump-thump-thump—!
A heartbeat sound, like a war drum being struck, emanated from the Red-Iron Dragon's chest, shaking the surrounding air.
Amidst this sound, his body expanded another circle! His muscles bulged like mountains, filled with explosive power.
At the same time.
Garros thrust his arms outward violently.
The giant Wind Claw that bound him was forcibly burst by his pure strength, torn into pieces, and turned into turbulent currents scattering in all directions.
11th Rank Dragon Qi Rotation!
Claw Strike Mastery! Excited Burst Claw!
Excited lightning, mixed with the vigorous Dragon Qi of the Bloodburst State, gathered towards Garros's right claw like a hundred rivers returning to the sea.
The next moment.
Garros's sharp claw had already broken through the scattering gales, meeting Golden Dragon Natasha's Four-Element Burst Claw head-on.
Boom—!!!
They collided without any frills.
The deafening roar of the explosion seemed to make the entire sky tremble.
A visible shockwave spread out in a ring, pushing away the vast expanse of flying snow and clouds, almost forming a vacuum zone.
Nasha felt an indescribable, violent tremor in her right arm.
A surging force swept through her entire body.
She did not doubt for a second that if it weren't for the armor gifted by her father offsetting the vast majority of the damage, she would likely have had her dragon scales shattered, muscles torn, and even her arm bones broken into several pieces by now!
Even so.
The powerful impact still caused her entire right arm to throb with intense pain, rendering it almost numb for a short time.
"Is this really an 18th Rank Evil Dragon?"
For a moment, Nasha doubted whether the detection array built into her armor had malfunctioned, misjudging the Life Level of the Red Iron Evil Dragon.
A strong sense of crisis, like a bucket of ice water poured over her head, instantly snapped her to her senses.
She flapped her dragon wings, wanting to pull away.
But it was too late.
The Red-Iron Dragon's left claw was as fast as lightning, grabbing Nasha's slender neck, while the two Dragon Qi arms also erupted simultaneously, pinning the roots of her struggling dragon wings.
"What?!"
Nasha's heart shook violently.
Meanwhile, relying on his advantage in strength, Garros clamped down tightly on Golden Dragon Natasha, bringing her down with him in a rapid descent from high altitude.
The moment they approached a patch of hard frozen ground on the outskirts of Dragon Valley, he performed a swift and violent flip.
Boom!
The earth let out a groan under the unbearable weight.
The thick snow was instantly blown away by the shockwave of the impact, revealing the layer of frozen soil beneath.
By now, Golden Dragon Natasha, clad in glorious armor, had been pinned firmly into the collapsed crater.
A front claw throttled her throat, and the two giant Dragon Qi arms locked her wings in a near-wrestling hold.
"Oh no, am I going to become an Evil Dragon's captive too?"
Having failed to rescue her dragon brother and getting herself captured as well, images of herself being humiliated by the Evil Dragon flashed through Nasha's mind.
She struggled fiercely.
However, scorching and heavy breaths hit her face, and the Red-Iron Dragon's massive body, like a heavy mountain, completely suppressed all her struggles and resistance.