Chapter 439 Provocation, Super Giant Crimson Lotus Form
The founding banquet celebration lasted for a total of nine days.
However, after the third night of revelry came to an end, the red iron dragon had disappeared from the noisy main banquet venue.
He entrusted all the tedious diplomatic and social obligations to Iron Dragon Sorog.
Galus's patience with the unpredictable and capricious monarch lasted only a few nights.
At first, he found it quite novel and interesting, but before long, his inner desire for power began to stir, and he grew tired of these insincere occasions.
Just as the Crimson Silver Dragon Deborah and the Fairy Dragon Vera had predicted.
Galos felt uncomfortable all over, as if countless ants were crawling under his scales, and he longed to feel exhaustion and pain.
Living with these feelings year after year, they became an indispensable part of Galus's daily life.
When he is conscious, he feels somewhat empty if he does not engage in high-intensity exercise for several consecutive days.
However, despite the absence of the Red Iron Dragon Emperor, the festive atmosphere of the banquet did not cool down.
The leaders and legion commanders of the various tribes in the Kingdom of Aura gathered in groups of three or five, laughing and talking loudly, enjoying the fine wine and delicacies. Among them, the Gluttonous Demon was the wildest, never stopping eating.
In his true form, the Iron Dragon Sorog sat calmly in his seat, conversing quietly with several important legion commanders.
His calm and aloof demeanor made him stand out among the many dragons.
Its majesty was almost second only to that of the departed Red Iron Dragon Emperor.
Just then.
Marquis Butler, with his standard warm smile on his face, strolled over.
“Your Excellency Regent Sorog,” Marquis Butler stopped at an appropriate distance, bowed slightly, and spoke with respect, “such a magnificent sight is truly breathtaking.”
"Your Excellency has truly made great contributions in assisting the great Emperor Ignas in ruling such a vast land and so many powerful people."
"I admire that very much."
Sorog slowly turned around, his eyes calm and unwavering as he looked at the other person.
He nodded at the enormous head, his voice devoid of any emotion, and replied indifferently, "You flatter me, Marquis."
"The king is like the blazing sun, and we are the stars."
"It is my duty to share the king's burdens and handle the affairs of the kingdom. It is my responsibility to do what is within my duties and there is no merit in it."
"You are too modest."
Marquis Butler chuckled, his gaze sweeping over the bustling scene around him, as if casually remarking, "Such a vast enterprise, with countless affairs of state and military matters intertwined, must be extremely demanding to govern, and by no means an easy task."
Then, he subtly changed the subject: "Emperor Ignas was a man of great talent and vision, with a far broader horizon in mind."
"The heavy burden of daily governance and maintaining the operation of the kingdom probably falls mostly on your shoulders."
He leaned closer and lowered his voice slightly: "Sometimes, a hands-on leader like Your Excellency, who shoulders heavy responsibilities, is more likely to deeply understand the hardships and difficulties involved, and is also better able to discern what kind of external cooperation and support can truly help alleviate the pressure of governance, making the kingdom's foundation more stable and enduring."
"Our Kingdom of Ripos has always appreciated and valued your pragmatic presence."
"We are always willing and ready to explore the possibility of closer and more mutually beneficial cooperation with the true pragmatists and leaders in the kingdom."
“Moreover,” he offered the most enticing condition, lowering his voice, “whatever benefits the Kingdom of Lorthern has promised your country before, we, Rebos, are willing to double them.”
These words, on the surface, were meant to express sympathy for Sorog's hard work and to compliment his abilities and importance.
In fact, every sentence contains a hidden meaning.
He emphasized Sorog's power and responsibility to "take charge," subtly implying the "neglect" that the emperor's detachment might bring, and offered a highly attractive incentive for cooperation.
Most importantly, it quietly shifted its cooperation partner from the Kingdom of Aura as a whole to Regent Sorog himself.
Sorog listened quietly, his face, covered in iron-gray scales, remained completely expressionless, not even his eyes changing in the slightest, as if the other party were only talking about today's weather.
He simply tapped the ground with one of his thick, sharp claws.
Then, Tie Long grinned, revealing an expression that resembled a smile.
“The Marquis is truly… considerate,” his voice was as steady as iron, devoid of any emotion, “However, the King and I share the same blood and the same will.”
"We are of one mind, building the present and future of the kingdom together."
"All affairs of the kingdom, whether large or small, operate according to established laws and procedures."
"As for the heavy burden..." Sorog paused, then said, "Being able to personally participate in governing such a magnificent kingdom and witness its growth and prosperity is a rare honor for me. How can I say it's a hardship?"
"I appreciate the goodwill extended by the Kingdom of Reibos."
"However, the future path and diplomatic strategy of the Kingdom of Aura will be jointly planned and decided by the King and us. There is no need for our friendly nations to worry too much. If the cooperation you mentioned is truly beneficial to the long-term development of the kingdom, as you say, the Marquis may submit detailed documents through formal diplomatic channels, and we will then discuss it according to procedure."
These words are logically clear, firmly committed, and watertight.
Iron Dragon deflected all of Marquis Butler's subtle provocations and inducements without leaving any room for exploitation.
How could the Emperor and Regent of the Kingdom of Aura, two evil dragons, possess such calm and meticulous minds? How could the trust and relationship between them be so strong?
Marquis Butler was speechless for a moment, feeling a sense of frustration.
As is well known, dragons are by nature ambitious, greedy, and suspicious.
After failing to secure cooperation from the Red Iron Dragon Emperor, he planned to win over this powerful regent and indirectly influence the Kingdom of Aura's diplomatic stance through the Iron Dragon to achieve cooperation. At the same time, he sowed the seeds of suspicion, creating a rift between Sorog and the Red Iron Dragon Emperor and planting the seeds for future internal strife.
But to his utter surprise, this iron dragon was so determined and so adept at handling the situation.
His attempts to probe and sow discord were all in vain.
A crack appeared in the perfect smile on Marquis Butler's face.
He chuckled twice to cover his embarrassment: "I was mistaken and overthinking things. Your Excellency the Regent is loyal to the country and has unwavering beliefs, which I truly admire."
"Then... I won't disturb you and your commanders' important discussion any longer."
Watching the human messenger turn away, Iron Dragon Sorog let out a silent, cold laugh.
He was well aware of where his current status and power came from, and he understood even more why the Kingdom of Aura existed and why it was powerful.
Those seemingly tempting provocations and promises could not shake or crack his heart in the slightest.
Even assuming he were to be tempted and develop inappropriate ambitions, even to the point of replacing Garos as the emperor of the Kingdom of Aura, what then? Would things be better than they are now?
Follow closely in his brother's footsteps and witness and participate in his legend.
In the future, the Kingdom of Aura may well go even further and become the Holy Aura Empire!
By then, wouldn't his status and glory as regent far surpass those of the mediocre ordinary kings on the continent?
Furthermore, the promises made by the other party at this moment are merely a temporary expedient.
If he really loses his mind and agrees to cooperate, alienating Lorthern, once Reboss achieves his goal, those promises of doubled benefits will probably become empty promises in the blink of an eye, with no possibility of being fulfilled.
"The Kingdom of Reibos is so eager to win them over in order to counterbalance their old rival, Lorthene."
“Once we really distance ourselves from Lortherne for this, their strategic objective will be achieved, and they won’t need to give us any more substantial benefits afterward.”
Iron Dragon Sorog saw things very clearly and understood everything perfectly.
Moreover, the Marquis Butler, though outwardly polite and earnest, always inadvertently revealed a hint of arrogance stemming from the nobility of an old, powerful nation in his words and actions. It wasn't intentional; it was simply difficult to conceal.
Clearly, deep down, they did not place the 'barbarian' kingdom, which had just risen from the wilderness, in an important position.
Their arrival was simply to compete with Lorthen for influence and engage in a great power rivalry.
If the Kingdom of Lorthern had not sent an envoy, the people of the Kingdom of Reipos would not have appeared on this land.
Soon after, Elena of the Kingdom of Lorthen gracefully walked through the crowd and stood before the Iron Dragon Sorog.
A gentle smile graced her face as she glanced in the direction Marquis Butler had gone.
She asked in a low voice, her words carrying a hidden meaning: "Your Excellency Regent, it seems that Marquis Butler of the Kingdom of Reipos holds you in particularly high regard, as you have been conversing for quite some time."
Sorog faced Elena without making a sound.
He used his mental abilities, and his voice resounded directly in the princess's mind.
"It's nothing more than some common diplomatic rhetoric and probing, trying to gauge the kingdom's direction and our attitude."
"Your Highness, rest assured, the Kingdom values the trust built on concrete actions between itself and Lorthen."
"This weight cannot be compared to a few empty promises."
"The foundation of cooperation lies first in mutual trust and understanding, and then in interests."
Upon hearing this, Princess Elena's doubts dissipated considerably, and her smile became even more genuine.
It is comforting to negotiate and communicate with beings who possess high intelligence and a long-term vision.
Those petty and despicable attempts to sow discord appear pale and laughable in the face of such a clear vision and perspective, and cannot have any substantial impact on it at all.
She responded in her heart in the same way, her tone solemn: "His Excellency the Regent is a man of great wisdom and righteousness."
"Rest assured, the four supports that my Kingdom of Lorthen promised will be fulfilled one by one with the fastest speed and the highest quality."
"Our cooperation is built on a solid foundation and will surely last."
On the other side, Marquis Butler, who had been rebuffed, was not completely discouraged and turned his attention to Samantha, the red dragon, who was drinking a barrel of strong liquor not far away.
But as soon as he looked at the red dragon, before he could even organize his thoughts and speak, Samantha seemed to sense something.
The red dragon abruptly turned its head, its eyes glaring, its vertical pupils flashing with ferocity. It spewed two strings of scorching sparks from its nostrils and growled menacingly, "Insignificant human, stay away from me! Your stench makes me nauseous!"
She bared her fangs and threatened, "If you dare to come any closer, I won't be able to resist burning you to ashes."
Marquis Butler's face paled, and he immediately fell silent. Without hesitation, he turned around and moved away from the red dragon, which exuded a dangerous and violent aura, even faster than when he came, his heart filled with helplessness.
The three most important core dragons of the Kingdom of Aura.
He failed to win over the emperor, the regent, and the governor-general; this mission can be considered a complete failure.
However, he didn't get carried away with the same passion as the Marquis of Marcus.
Diplomatic missions are just missions. If they fail, the worst that can happen upon returning home is some reprimand or cold treatment; it won't cost you your life.
However, if one recklessly causes trouble here and angers these powerful dragons, then the fate of Marquis Marcus serves as a cautionary tale.
"Samantha, you look quite imposing."
Iron Dragon Gorton squatted down next to Samantha and said with a hint of envy.
"certainly."
Red Dragon proudly raised its head, unusually refraining from arguing with Gordon.
But before long, the two started arguing and fighting, insisting on a duel after the banquet ended.
at the same time.
Behind the High Mountain Royal Court, somewhere in the Dragon Ridge Mountains.
Within an area naturally enclosed by several steep mountain peaks, there is a flat and wide open space.
The surface was not original rock or soil, but cast from metal that had been smelted at high temperatures, and was engraved with layers upon layers of reinforcing and protective runes that shimmered with a faint light.
This is a training ground specially built for Hong Tielong.
Apart from the occasional maintenance performed by its family members, there is no trace of any other living beings on ordinary days.
The quiet environment is perfect for high-intensity training that requires focus and concentration.
"Of my four legendary traits based on mechanics, three are not immediately apparent and their power is only revealed in actual combat."
"Then let's try out the form of the behemoth first."
Red Iron Dragon stood in the very center of the training field, thinking to himself.
Immediately afterwards, he took a deep breath, and dense golden arcs of electricity instantly appeared on his body, crackling loudly. At the same time, his already magnificent body began to expand and grow even larger at a speed visible to the naked eye!
High spirits!
A colossal beast!
A deep roar came from the Red Iron Dragon's throat.
Based on its previous high-energy state, this body should have reached its limit and stopped changing after expanding to a certain size.
However, this time the situation is completely different.
Red Iron Dragon's body seemed to have broken free of some invisible shackles, continuing to grow at an astonishing rate.
In the blink of an eye, he grew from a dragon body of thirty-five meters to a behemoth of forty meters! The life force emanating from his body also became more vigorous.
Moreover, the different parts of his body are not enlarged to the same proportion.
His claws, fangs, thorns, and other dangerous structures became more prominent, sharper, and gleamed with a cold light, making him look more imposing and dangerous than ever before.
The fierce aura and sense of oppression were almost overflowing.
Thump thump! Thump thump thump!
Like the deep, rumbling roar of a colossal engine, it thundered from within the Red Iron Dragon's chest.
He activated his Blood Explosion state again.
As he transformed and his power level increased, the characteristics of his Beast Form were also reactivated, creating a chain reaction.
With a few more deep, rumbling roars, the Red Iron Dragon began its second growth spurt, starting from its previous length of forty meters.
Muscles bulge, bones stretch!
In the blink of an eye, he transformed into a gigantic being nearly forty-five meters long.
With such a long body, coupled with his powerful and robust physique, and even more ferocious claws and teeth, etc.
His entire dragon looked extremely ferocious, like the most vicious of all dragons. An ordinary person would faint and be terrified at the mere sight of him.
However, this is not the end.
Ultimately, Garus awakened an even more advanced Crimson Lotus state.
Click! Click, click!
As his body continued to expand beyond its gigantic state, several rows of dark red thorns, resembling giant knight's lances, suddenly erupted up along his spine with a series of crisp sounds, like metal breaking and reforming.
These thorns pierced straight up to the sky, extending all the way to the end of his tail.
His fangs protruded even more sharply, exposed to the air like two rows of inverted scimitars; his claws became even sharper and more curved, their edges gleaming with a blinding cold light, like the Grim Reaper's scythe.
This body, reaching fifty meters in length, is a true behemoth.
Ordinary creatures are as insignificant as insects in his presence; even his breath can stir up a scorching gale.
Galos nodded in satisfaction.
"If I were to unleash my wild side to the absolute limit of madness, my size... might break the sixty-meter mark."
He weighed the options in his mind.
The colossal form brings more than just a visual change in size.
It also provides Garos with a huge increase in maximum health, as well as a comprehensive increase in all other basic attributes, especially in defense and strength, where the increase is very high.
Of course, the form of a behemoth also has its drawbacks.
Supporting and driving this colossal, abnormal posture requires many times more dragon energy and physical strength than usual, placing a tremendous burden on the body.
However, what kind of dragon is Garus?
This slight drawback is negligible for him.
Galos's energy bar is longer than the lifespan of ten legendary beings of the same level.
Moreover, as Garos began to slowly stretch out his behemoth body, although the dragon energy was rapidly dissipating, his legendary ability of endless regeneration also began to exert its power.
The endless replies replenished Galos's depleted dragon energy.
While it may not fully replenish his energy, it undoubtedly takes his stamina to a new level.
Even a dragon like Garus, who lacks a sense of security to the core, felt a rare sense of peace when he truly understood his current state.
"Unfortunately, since I awakened the dual domains and all twelve legendary traits, I haven't had a proper test in actual combat."
Hong Tielong shook his head slightly, feeling somewhat regretful about it.
If a powerful force cannot be unleashed in battle, it always feels like something is missing.
But it's not his style to make enemies for no reason.
Let nature take its course.
Hong Tielong calmed himself down and stopped thinking about it.
He began various training sessions in his Super Crimson Lotus state, striving to gradually adapt to this state and achieve perfect control.
While Red Iron Dragon was engrossed in training, two legendary figures, carrying the powerful weapon 'Ember Delight', silently arrived in the wilderness.
(End of this chapter)
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