Chapter 501 Immortality, Regeneration, Evolution, 'True' Stare Destroys Satellite
The biting wind was like a knife, tearing through the snow that was flying everywhere.
Boom! Boom!
A deep, muffled roar came from the depths of the earth, causing the entire mountain to tremble violently. Snow cascaded down the steep slopes, creating a white mist in the wind.
The vibrations coming from inside were getting stronger and stronger.
Terrifying cracks spread rapidly upwards from the mountainside, their depths radiating a dark red light, as if lava were flowing within them.
Just then, the rumbling coming from inside the mountain paused briefly.
All was silent.
The wind and snow seemed to freeze at that moment, the pine forest in the distance stopped swaying, and even the howling wind weakened.
However, in the very next second...
collapse!!!
The entire mountain peak burst open from the inside out!
Rocks and permafrost scattered and flew everywhere, and the dust that rose into the sky mixed with snow instantly swallowed the outline of the mountain.
The shockwave from the explosion spread in a ring, sweeping away the surrounding snow and revealing the dark brown permafrost below. Countless stones of varying sizes were thrown into the air and then fell in all directions like a black rainstorm, hitting the ground with dull thuds and leaving craters of varying depths.
At the heart of this chaos and destruction, a majestic and imposing figure ruthlessly tore through the churning dust.
It shot straight up against the cascading rain of stones, and the moment its wings spread, it created a hurricane that swept away the surrounding dust and snow.
The jagged thorns tore through the wind and snow, and the black and red interwoven scales flowed with a cold, hard metallic luster in the dim light of the day. Every inch of the body was filled with a powerful and primal sense of strength.
Its wingspan exceeds 100 meters, and each flap of its wings creates a visible airburst wave in the air.
roar!!!
A deep, resonant dragon roar radiated down from the sky, its sound waves solid and rippled outwards in layers.
The swirling snowflakes were swept away and scattered, and the continuous mountain ranges echoed with a dull thud, as if trembling at the roar announcing the return of the snow.
The Red Emperor, the Undying Dragon, the Crimson Star of Calamity, the Lord of Aura.
Galos Ignas.
After more than fifty long years, the Red Iron Dragon King has officially awakened from his slumber, breaking free from the encasing rock and ice, and returning to the world in a completely new form.
“A brand new power is flowing through my body.”
Red Iron Dragon's eyes were slightly closed, its huge head tilted upwards, letting the cold wind and snow beat against its faceplate.
His wings and arms stretched out at the same time, standing upright in the sky, as if embracing this beautiful world covered in silver.
He could feel the trembling of every muscle in his body, the resonance of every bone, and the scorching dragon energy flowing beneath every scale.
In the distance, the roars of dragons gradually drifted in.
That was the response from the dragons that followed him, sensing their king's awakening.
The roars came from all directions, some high-pitched and sharp, others low and deep, intertwining to create a magnificent symphony. They were celebrating the king's return, expressing their respect and loyalty in the most ancient way.
However, apart from that, the dragons did not come to disturb them.
They knew that their king had just awakened from a long slumber and needed time to familiarize himself with the changes and adapt to his new state.
One minute later, Red Iron Dragon slowly opened his eyes.
His eyelids slowly lifted, revealing a brilliance as dazzling as stars within them.
In those dragon eyes, it seemed as if the Milky Way was spinning, nebulae were flowing, and countless points of light were flashing and flowing in the deep darkness.
The light lasted for several seconds, and although it gradually subsided, his dragon eyes still looked vast and deep, like the starry sky reflected in a deep pool, containing endless mysteries.
This is the true eye of Garus.
Piercing through obstacles, seeing through illusions, with super long-range vision, identifying traps, discerning weaknesses... the effects of these eyes are stronger and more diverse than the legendary artifact that guided its evolution.
It was no longer a tool that required energy to use, but had become a part of Galos's body, as natural as breathing.
It is a perfect fit for Galus himself, not an external thing.
This means that it has no usage restrictions, will not cause backlash, and will gradually grow stronger as it grows.
Garros turned his head, and the Eye of Truth swept across the surroundings.
His gaze pierced through the swirling snow curtain, clearly seeing a herd of snow deer running on the mountain ridge dozens of kilometers away.
He also saw burrowing insects hibernating deep in the permafrost, curled up in their burrows; ice crystal moss growing slowly in the cracks of the rock strata; ice crystal particles floating in the thin air above the clouds; and even the distant outer space.
The world became clearer to him than ever before.
Every detail is magnified and analyzed, and information floods into the mind like a tide, yet it is efficiently categorized and processed without causing any burden.
Immediately, Galus turned his attention to the changes within himself.
Compared to before he fell into a deep sleep, his body length has increased from about forty meters to forty-six meters.
This six-meter increase may not seem like much, but for a dragon, especially under the constraints of the material world's rules, every bit of growth in size means a significant increase in power.
If he were to use the form of a giant beast, his size would already exceed seventy meters.
This is an extremely rare behemoth in the material world.
In outer planes, such as the astral plane, the size of organisms can easily exceed a thousand meters, or even ten thousand meters.
The rules there are more lenient, there is almost no upper limit to the size of creatures, and any kind of strength can be exerted more easily.
However, in the material world, due to the limitations of its rules, once an organism reaches a certain size, it becomes extremely difficult to grow. This is the world's own balancing mechanism, preventing excessively large entities from damaging the structure of the material world.
Even the Primordial Red Dragon, in its normal state in the material world, is only about fifty meters long.
When certain special combat stances are activated, it is difficult to exceed 100 meters even in the material world.
"My colossal form... if I were in the outer plane, it might directly transform into a colossal beast of a thousand meters or ten thousand meters."
Galos thought to himself.
Legendary life forms are actually suppressed in the material world as well.
He knew that in the Astral Plane, the legendary dragons could display a truly colossal form, capable of crushing asteroids with a single claw.
But that is, after all, an outer dimension.
The rules of the material world are like a tight-fitting garment, suppressing and restricting the strong.
This is why some legendary or even more powerful immortal beings choose to go to outer planes instead of staying in the material world.
According to some legends who have visited outer dimensions.
Once you've experienced the thrill of unleashing your power in outer dimensions, it's hard to tolerate the invisible oppression of the material world anymore.
"I will experience the scenery of the outer planes sooner or later, but not now."
Galos composed himself and looked down at his own hands.
During this period of slumber, his evolution mainly focused on his eyes and claws; his appearance, apart from his body size, did not change much.
His scales were still a mix of black and red, and his thorns remained sharp and jagged.
Aside from the eyes, the main change is in the position of the hands.
First, there is a ring of silver markings around his wrist, which at first glance looks like he is wearing some kind of ornament, but in fact it is a natural pattern that has evolved from his scales.
Each of his hooked toes, especially the sharpest first claw joint, had transformed into a crystalline texture.
From the bottom up, it gradually changes from deep black to dark red, becoming almost transparent at the claw tips, yet gleaming with an indestructible, cold light.
When he stretched out his claws, a feeling arose that he could hold everything in his grasp.
The surrounding space will immediately freeze.
Like the Eye of Truth, Garus's claws also evolved into his own Claws of Annihilation.
He could feel the subtle touch from the tips of his claws; it was contact with the space itself.
After observing and examining his own hands for a moment, he turned to observe his own condition.
Having just awakened from a long slumber, the Red Iron Dragon's aura was strong, yet it also revealed a sense of weakness. This was a sign that its bodily functions had not fully recovered after a long period of stillness; the flow of dragon energy in its meridians was still somewhat sluggish, and its muscles needed time to readjust.
Even so, his life level still solidly reached level 25, ranking among the advanced legendary level.
High-ranking, Grand, Destiny...
These are small thresholds because when a legendary life reaches a certain level, its characteristics will change again based on its past experiences, fighting style, beliefs, and path, rather than simply accumulating power.
During this long slumber, Garros developed several new traits.
These characteristics are not bestowed out of thin air, but are the culmination of his past experiences, the crystallization of his countless battles, near-death experiences, struggles, and evolutions.
Time and again he was on the verge of death, but he survived because of the existence of the Dragon Jade.
This experience of repeatedly teetering on the edge of life and death has shaped an immortal life!
[Regardless of the injuries you sustain, whatever limitations you face, even if your body is torn to pieces, and even with skills that suppress resurrection, you can still revive at least once using Dragon Jade.]
Gaining this characteristic means that he has made up for another weakness.
Previously, although his Dragon Jade was powerful, it was not truly immortal.
Methods like beheading can still kill him, preventing him from triggering the Dragon Jade.
But now, Galos is different.
Even if the enemy cuts off his head, they will not be able to kill him in one go.
His resurrection, which began when he was on the verge of death, has become a means to revive even after true death, ensuring his inevitable return from the brink of death.
Moreover, spells or other effects that attempt to restrict his resurrection are unlikely to be effective on him.
"This characteristic, similar to the ability to live towards death, is based on the Dragon Jade."
“My true strength has always been the traits I have evolved, my evolutionary talents, not any particular domain or characteristic; those are merely embellishments.”
Galos thought to himself.
He has always been clear about why he is so powerful.
Domains and characteristics are important, but those are things that most legendary powerhouses can obtain.
His only true trump card is his innate talent for evolution.
"Of course, besides talent, my own hard work is also crucial."
He added another sentence in his mind.
Talent is just the starting point; his current achievements are the result of the combined effect of talent and hard work.
Immediately, Galus continued to sense his other characteristics.
He has suffered countless injuries of all kinds, but he always manages to recover.
This experience of constantly healing itself through pain culminates in rapid regeneration!
Your injuries can heal and regenerate at a visible speed by consuming dragon energy. You can choose whether to allow the regeneration.
In his early years, Garros underwent targeted training to improve his recovery speed, hoping to acquire regenerative traits.
For example, one could intentionally suffer harm to observe the healing process of the wound, or try to stimulate the wound with dragon energy to accelerate healing.
But perhaps because he went astray, although his body became stronger and stronger, and his toughness and ability to withstand blows continued to improve, in terms of recovery speed, apart from those anti-damage thorns, other parts of his body could never reach the level of regeneration in battle.
Now, he has acquired the regeneration class property.
This is a very rare characteristic for a dragon whose body is already tough and powerful.
Given the size of a dragon's body, regeneration is far more difficult than that of ordinary creatures. Therefore, the vast majority of dragons do not have regenerative abilities. They rely on their strong defense and vitality to withstand damage and rely on sleep to heal and recover.
This is also a good trait for Galos.
Although he can transform qi and blood and has the ability to continuously restore energy without end, these are all energy-related restorations, not physical regeneration.
When he suffers too many injuries, he can gain greater destructive power by remaining steadfast, but he will inevitably become more vulnerable.
The wound will not heal, and the broken bone will not be repaired.
However, the reason it is described as "good" rather than "very strong" is because its regeneration rate is limited.
Garros extended his claws, slashing heavily across the scales of his left arm, leaving a long, lacer-like gash.
Under his control, the muscles at the edge of the wound began to wriggle, and granulation tissue grew and intertwined at a visible speed, gradually closing the crack.
The entire process lasted about ten seconds, and the wound, including the scales, was completely healed.
However, the newly formed scales are slightly lighter in color.
"This speed... has limited use in intense legendary battles."
Galos assessed the situation.
Ten seconds is enough time for a lot to happen in a legendary battle.
Limb regeneration takes longer, and in the case of a fatal injury, the regeneration rate may not keep up with the rate of death.
But in any case, it's better than nothing.
Moreover, it can greatly shorten recovery time when not in combat.
"More importantly, this kind of regeneration may stimulate my talent, generate adaptive evolution, and then form super-fast regeneration. If I can reach the point where limbs can regenerate in the blink of an eye... that would be equivalent to the Dragon Jade being permanently attached to me."
Galos was thinking.
Rapid regeneration has great potential and remains to be developed.
And the last characteristic is also the one that Garoth values most.
Multiple battles, multiple adaptations and evolutions.
The experience of pushing one's limits on the brink of life and death forms the foundation for—eternal struggle and progress!
The battle never ends, and evolution has no limit.
[You can quickly adapt to various situations during intense battles, gaining temporary adaptive power, and after the battle ends, you will receive a small but permanent boost.]
This is the true meaning: what doesn't kill me makes me stronger.
Galos could sense the essence of this characteristic.
It's not just a passive effect; it's more like a description of a state of being.
His body remembered every battle, every injury, and every feeling of pushing his limits.
When faced with a similar situation again, the body will instinctively make optimized responses, temporarily strengthening muscle structure, energy flow, nerve responses, and so on, in order to better cope with the current situation.
After the battle, a small portion of these temporary adjustments will be solidified and become permanent improvements.
Of all Garros's traits, this one is among the most valuable.
It is directly linked to his evolutionary talent, and can be said to be a manifestation of that talent.
With this characteristic, every battle he fights will be a real step in his growth.
However, it requires intense battles, and the attributes gained in battle are temporary, with only a small portion of them permanently upgraded afterward, which is itself a major limitation.
If the battle isn't intense enough, the adaptation won't be triggered; if the enemy is too weak, an overwhelming battle won't have much effect; and the percentage of permanent upgrades isn't high either.
But no matter what, it doesn't change the fact that it's powerful.
Anything associated with evolution or permanence will not be weak.
"Most importantly, evolutionary traits and my evolutionary talent can stimulate each other, making each other stronger and stronger."
"Moreover, according to the heritage description, after a legendary life reaches the Grand rank and Destiny, in addition to gaining new traits, the original traits will be integrated or further enhanced."
Traits stimulate talents, talents generate new traits, and new traits may in turn give rise to new traits...
This is a positive cycle, like stepping on your right foot with your left, ascending step by step to the sky.
Galos had a strong premonition.
The predicament that makes it increasingly difficult to improve as one progresses, which is a problem for other creatures, may not exist for him.
Through the mutual enhancement of his traits and talents, his growth rate will remain extremely fast. Although it cannot compare to the rapid progress at lower levels, it will definitely far surpass that of his peers.
Unfortunately, it still falls short compared to those top-tier short-lived geniuses.
During his slumber, Garus still retained a sliver of subconsciousness, observing the changes in the world through the Dragon Throne, and thus became aware of Reinhard's existence.
Human bodies, though only a fraction of the lifespan of dragons, have reached a level that many dragons struggle to achieve even in their hundreds of years.
An eighteen-year-old legend... This is completely impossible for dragons.
However, Galus was not envious.
A life that is too young, without the test of time and experience, may not necessarily be a good thing if it has excessive talent.
Geniuses like Reinhardt are like shooting stars streaking across the night sky—brilliant but fleeting.
History is replete with examples of gifted but short-lived species that make rapid progress in their youth, only to fall from grace due to a lack of maturity and mistakes in crucial decisions.
As a dragon, its long lifespan is also an important asset.
Time not only accumulates strength, but also wisdom, experience, and understanding of the world.
Legends who are too young, no matter how talented they are, often lack comprehensive and profound characteristics, making it difficult for them to compete with dragons who have experienced many years in the same class.
"I now have a total of fifteen traits."
"The eight basic traits, such as speed, strength, physical and magical resistance, are similar to those of some other legendary dragons, but with different strengths and focuses. However, the other seven mechanical traits are all rare and powerful."
Galos was making plans in his mind.
A colossal form, endlessly regenerating, born from the brink of death, unyielding and indomitable, an immortal life, rapidly regenerating, forever fighting and advancing.
Each of these characteristics alone is enough to give a legendary powerhouse an advantage over others of the same level, and Galos has a total of seven!
However, compared to traits, Garus is actually more concerned about the traits he has evolved.
That is his own evolution, a more fundamental and essential change. Based on his traits, his domain, characteristics, and inherent skills can be better utilized.
So he looked up at the top of a mountain, focused his attention, and concentrated his gaze.
From top to bottom, the massive mountain appeared transparent in his eyes.
The texture of the rocks, the distribution of the mineral veins, and even the direction of the underground river... all the internal structures are clearly visible, just like looking at a transparent model. Moreover, this process is almost stress-free for him, as natural as an ordinary person taking a serious look at something.
Suddenly, I felt a burning sensation in my eyes.
"This is a side effect that only occurs after using the legendary item for a period of time. Could it be that the evolution failed?"
Galos paused for a moment, but then dismissed the idea.
His evolutionary outcomes sometimes surprised him and differed from his original intentions, but so far there has never been an example of negative evolution.
Each of his evolutions is positive, enhancing his own abilities.
Although the direction may be slightly off, it will never fail or be harmful to oneself.
"Perhaps... we should give it a try first?"
A thought popped into Galos's mind, then he continued to focus his gaze, letting the burning sensation fill his eyes.
My eyes felt increasingly hot, as if two flames were burning inside them.
His vision began to distort, and the world around him seemed to be filtered through a heatwave, but Galos did not look away. He stared intently at the mountain peak, focusing all his attention on his eyes.
Finally, at the moment when the heat reached its peak.
boom!
Without warning, an extremely surging burst of dragon energy erupted in the area where Garos's vision was focused.
It didn't fly in from outside, nor was it sprayed out of a mouth.
It appeared out of thin air, instantly enveloping the entire mountaintop, and then exploded violently.
The entire mountain was blasted to pieces. The shattered rocks were melted into magma by the high temperature before they could even fly away, and then cooled in the air into black, glassy fragments.
Galos blinked, a look of surprise in his eyes.
He turned his head to look elsewhere.
Boom boom boom!
Clusters of dragon energy and flames burst forth out of thin air, like fireworks blooming in a snowy weather.
"Am I now able to kill with just my eyes? That's interesting."
"Wait, it seems like we can do it this way too."
Red Iron Dragon's eyes gleamed as he focused his gaze on the interior of a mountain peak, rather than its surface.
He wanted to see where the explosion would occur if the focal point was inside the object.
boom!
The entire mountain suddenly trembled violently, and numerous cracks appeared on its surface, with rocks tumbling down. Inside, at the center of the mountain, a huge cavity was blasted open.
Boom! Boom!
Violent noises echoed continuously from the sky, the earth, and the mountains.
Galos was like a child who had received a new toy. He was very interested and tested the limits of this skill. He tried different focusing methods, different dragon energy output intensities, and different target distances and materials.
After a long while, the commotion subsided.
Red Iron Dragon has roughly figured out the situation regarding this skill.
In short, this is a sighting skill that transforms one's own dragon energy into explosive flames by focusing one's gaze and concentrating one's vision; it is one of the effects of his True Sight.
He can attack as soon as he sees it.
He can attack remotely from anywhere he can see, including the interior of objects he can see through his Eye of Truth.
Moreover, it does not cause elemental reactions or magical energy fluctuations. It can be said to be completely unexpected and can evade most perceptions. Unless the target has a prophetic skill or an extremely keen sense of danger, they will not be able to detect the danger the moment Garros's gaze focuses on them.
In terms of distance, it is theoretically infinite.
Wherever Garus can see, he can make dragon energy bloom out of thin air.
The range of this skill is the same as the field of vision of the Eye of Truth.
Galos can now clearly see the outlines of mountains hundreds of kilometers away, and if he spends some time focusing his gaze, he can even see into the distant space.
However, the farther the attack is from the target, the more dragon energy it consumes.
Dragon energy needs to be projected across space to reach the target location; the farther the distance, the more it is consumed.
He tried to focus his gaze, stare into space, and then witness it remotely.
As a result, even Galos's vast reserves of dragon energy were evaporated in an instant, rendering the attack ineffective.
Moreover, even at close range, its maximum power cannot compare to a single serious strike from Garus.
The biggest drawback is that, given Galus's understanding of the domain, it is highly unlikely that it can pass through the domain directly. However, if the target domain has gaps, cracks, or weak points, it is possible to attack its interior directly.
"In a direct confrontation, this skill can only be used to catch people off guard and cannot pose much danger to legendary beings who control the domain. We need to create an opening in the domain beforehand."
"However, the legendary realm will not always be open."
Opening a domain requires a continuous consumption of energy and spirit; no legendary powerhouse would keep their domain open all day long.
Most of the time, they only deploy their domains when in combat, on alert, or under special circumstances.
"If I know the target's location in advance, I can lock onto it from a very long distance and then attack it from a distance."
“As long as the target has not activated their domain, or the domain has not completely covered their entire body, there will always be times when they let their guard down, such as when they are resting, meditating, or engaging in certain unguarded activities.”
"Without the protection of a domain, fragile legendary characters like rangers, mages, and assassins, as long as they appear in my sight... will be severely crippled even if they don't die."
Galos smiled with satisfaction.
He has always lacked reliable means of long-range attack.
Now, long-range attack methods have arrived, and they are farther than we can imagine, making them almost impossible to defend against.
"If it continues to evolve, one day it may really develop to the point where it can shatter satellites in space with a single glance."
Garus wagged his tail, thinking happily.
He knew that was still a long way off, but not impossible. The traits he had evolved would grow as he grew, and the various effects of the Eye of Truth would gradually be optimized.
In the future, the exaggerated legends about him, the Red Emperor, will no longer be exaggerations, but reality.
(End of this chapter)
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