Defeat the entire world with the power of one dragon!

Chapter 545 Giving Birth with Fierce Force, The Floating City Falls Again

The red iron dragon hung high in the sky, with billowing flames burning fiercely on its body.

It is hundreds of meters in diameter and shines like the blazing sun.

Shockwaves emanated from him, spreading in all directions and causing the clouds to churn.

The accumulated cloud wisps were torn into thin strands by the shock wave, and then completely dispersed in the next wave of impact.

As time passed, the aura of the Red Iron Dragon gradually solidified, while its color deepened, shifting from a fiery bright red to a dark red, revealing an increasingly dangerous and frenzied aura.

This feeling is like a volcano about to erupt being forcibly suppressed.

The internal pressure was constantly accumulating, and the magma roared deep inside, searching for an outlet, but it was always bound under the earth's crust. The oppressive feeling was getting stronger and stronger, and even the surrounding air became viscous.

One minute later.

boom!
The entire sky trembled violently, countless cumulus clouds were shattered, revealing a clear blue sky, and sunlight poured down without obstruction, shining on the massive body of the red iron dragon.

Under the blue sky, he was breathing heavily, his chest heaving violently.

"It still doesn't work."

Galos took several deep breaths, gradually calming and suppressing the surging dragon energy within his body.

He could feel the out-of-control energy surging wildly within his body. If his dragon body hadn't been strong enough, he probably would have suffered serious internal injuries.

To date, the development of the gaseous state has consistently ended in failure.

He has tried various methods.

Adjusting the flow path of the dragon energy, changing the release rhythm, and even attempting to forcibly intervene at the moment of eruption, all had no effect.

As for Dragon Jade, Garos has already taken the risk and tried it.

The energy released when the Dragon Jade shatters is also affected, becoming less gentle and unable to be directly absorbed as he wishes. The vast majority of that violent energy dissipates directly into the air, with only a very small portion being barely absorbed.

Moreover, it will cause him severe backlash, like countless knives churning inside his body.

Pain and injury were nothing to Garros; he was thoroughly enjoying himself.

This means that his body is enduring, adapting, and becoming stronger. For him, every backlash is a training exercise, a process of refining the relationship between his body and energy.

At the same time, he also roughly understood the reason.

"My energy is too vast, which is an advantage, but it also means that once it goes crazy, even I can hardly control it."

"This is not a problem that can be solved with just a few attempts."

He muttered to himself, a thoughtful glint in his eyes.

Many skills can be gradually mastered through repeated practice and experimentation.

For example, his skills such as Dragon Aura Shaping and Dragon Emperor Dimension are essentially developed based on the Claw of Annihilation, relying on experience and proficiency.

He practiced hundreds and thousands of times, repeating it again and again, until his body memorized every detail.

However, this explosive state is fundamentally different.

It's not a trick.

No matter how many times it is repeated, the result will not change.

Just like an ordinary human being, no matter how hard they try, they can never master the skill of flying like an eagle. That is a fundamental difference that cannot be made up for by practice.

"It's like teaching a fish to climb a tree. No matter how smart the fish is or how long it practices, it will never actually climb the tree unless it can change itself first."

Galos chuckled softly as he thought of the analogy.

"However, this is not a big problem for me."

Red Iron Dragon raised his head, showing no sign of discouragement. On the contrary, after realizing the root cause of his failed power-up, he relaxed considerably.

No matter how many other organisms replicate it, it won't work.

However, Galus was different.

He can change his nature through evolution in order to achieve the goal of mastering the burst state. This is not the first time Galos has done something like this, and he already has a familiar process for it.

All he needs to do is put in the effort.

Then his body will respond to his efforts.

This visible positive feedback is one of the key reasons why Garos can endure the tedium and immerse himself in training. With each evolution, he can clearly feel the changes in himself, and the increase in power is real.

"The only problem is that this level of evolution often requires a period of dormancy."

"Sleeping."

Galos remained silent.

He is now over 240 years old and is considered a prime-age dragon.

According to his prediction, barring any unforeseen circumstances, his slumber would likely begin around the age of three hundred. At that time, given his condition, the duration of his slumber might approach a hundred years, or even longer.

In addition, the dragon's dormancy period does not change linearly.

Before reaching adulthood, the age range and dormancy period of dragons gradually lengthen.

Young dragons sleep for only a few years, but in their prime, they sleep for decades.

However, from adulthood until the Primordial Dragon stage, the age range changes every two hundred years. For example, a dragon enters the Old Dragon stage at four hundred years old, the Extremely Old Dragon stage at six hundred years old, the Ancient Dragon stage at eight hundred years old, and the Upper Ancient Dragon stage at one thousand years old.
At the same time, the dormancy period will become stable and will not fluctuate too much.

The amount of time spent in a deep sleep during one's prime is roughly the same as the amount spent sleeping afterward.

Only after the twilight of the ancient era will the dragons' slumber become unstable again, lasting anywhere from a few decades to several hundred years.

Those who cannot endure it will silently pass away in their sleep, forever dead.

Those who can endure it can break through their limits time and time again until they achieve immortality.

"My slumber has always been longer than that of other dragons."

Galos recalled each of his past sleep spells: "The key is that I have never been able to evolve the trait that can shorten my sleep time. Well, it's probably because my evolution takes time to accumulate, it can't be done overnight."

"If each period of slumber takes a hundred years, it would be a huge waste of time."

Thinking of this, the image of Serol appeared in Red Iron Dragon's mind.

If this Green Queen can truly shorten the slumber time, or even bring it forward to some extent, as she says, her value to the dragons might even exceed that of an entire kingdom.

The problem now is that we can't be sure whether what she said is true or false.

Thinking of this, Galos had a flash of inspiration and immediately called upon his offspring through blood ties.

"Laria".

Galos said, "Gather information about the Green Queen, especially the dragons under her command. Focus on two things: their age and life level. The more detailed the better."

If the dragons of the Green Kingdom who followed Serol in their early years generally had life levels far exceeding the average of their current age.

That explains a lot.

"Yes, Father, I understand."

Laria responded.

Galos didn't say anything more, and after calming himself down, he continued with his own business.

He is mainly training himself to adapt to the burst state.

Although he couldn't fully master it, he could try to gradually get his body used to that violent state. Even if he could only endure it for one more second, it would be progress and would also be laying the groundwork for evolution.

During his rest breaks, he would eat things that had little nutritional value and energy, and take deep breaths to help him adapt to energy conversion.

And so, time gradually passed.

From late spring to winter, from the dissipation of the smoke of war on Middle-earth to the establishment of the four powers, a year has passed.

A lot happened this year.

The Kingdom of Aura did not become complacent after the victory, and during this period they mainly did three things.

The first thing is to send someone.

The northern quarter of the landmass of Middle-earth is several times larger than the entire Romanian plain.

It has fertile river valleys where crops can be grown; continuous mineral veins where metals can be mined; dense forests that can provide timber; and flat grasslands where livestock can graze.
They are all good things, but they all need people to develop, maintain, and manage them.

The Kingdom of Aura has a large population, but this is in comparison to a northern kingdom.

With only a quarter of the continent at its disposal, Aura's population was insufficient; those vast lands would remain wilderness if left undeveloped.

Then came the second thing.

Cutting the cake.

Galus ordered that the lands in the northern part of Central Earth be divided among the other kingdoms of the Romanian plain.

Theo, Rebos, Lorthern, Matna, and Kambrook—these were kingdoms that had signed the unification treaty and chosen to be vassals of Aura, and each received a considerable territory.

This is not free.

However, the cost is also simple.

Each country's annual output, whether it be minerals, timber, food, or anything else, is handed over to Aura, while the remaining 70% is kept for their own development.

On the very day King Theo received the news, he dispatched three large expeditions, with a large number of craftsmen and warriors, to march toward Middle-earth.

The other nations fared much the same way. They rushed to Middle-earth immediately to enjoy the fruits of victory.

If the nations were previously forced to submit to Aura due to power and strength, now...
The situation is different now.

They received tangible benefits.

For example, even at the height of Lor'then's glory, they never expected to gain territory in Middle-earth. Upon receiving the news, their king summoned his ministers overnight to discuss the matter, and the next day he sent people out.

In contrast, the previous conflicts between the states were like wild dogs fighting over food, fighting tooth and nail for a few pieces of wasteland.

Now, they have a wider world to explore.

Even if Aura gave them the opportunity to break free from their vassalage, they wouldn't accept it. Nowadays, all the Romanian countries want to cling to Aura's coattails, because they know very well that only by following Aura can they have a brighter future.

Throughout Romania, the Red Emperor is the most inviolable and great figure.

Lord Lorthorn?
That's all in the past.

This name, which once inspired awe throughout the Romanian plains, is now merely a footnote in history, occasionally mentioned only as the backdrop to the rise of the Kingdom of Aura.

The third thing is 'birth'.

The Kingdom of Aura has always maintained strict control over childbirth.

This has been a long-standing national policy and a necessary means to maintain social stability.

Races like kobolds and gnolls are incredibly prolific; monsters like ogres and trolls also reproduce rapidly when resources are plentiful.

If we're not careful, the kingdom's population will explode and exceed its capacity.

At that time, all sorts of problems will arise. Therefore, strict control is necessary.

Now, Aura has lifted birth restrictions.

It is foreseeable that before long, the population of Aura will increase exponentially, the long-suppressed desire to have children will be released all at once, new life will be born in an endless stream, and the entire kingdom will be full of vitality and life.

This was Galos's intention.

As territory expands, population must keep pace. Relying on immigrants from other kingdoms? Ultimately, that's just a stopgap measure. Only by increasing its own population can the land be truly stabilized.

"...Lothern's progress is the fastest among all the kingdoms, and they have already established three settlements in the Green River Valley; Reipos is a bit slower, as their allotted lands are infested with many powerful monsters, and they have already cleared out a round of them; the goblins of Matna are the most adept at choosing locations, and they have already begun mining and extracting black oil."

On the other side, Iron Dragon Sorog gave a general report on the current situation.

"Our people have already occupied all the key locations."

"The main passes, crossings, and resource points are all under our control."

Galos nodded slightly; these developments were all within expectations.

“However,” Sorog changed the subject slightly, “our army is now somewhat small.”

"They were scattered across a vast territory, resulting in a somewhat weak garrison at key locations."

"The number of Aura warriors needs to be increased several times over in order to truly control the current territory and develop resources and progress more efficiently."

Galos pondered for a moment and said, "These things can't be rushed. We can proceed step by step."

"Expanding the army takes time. First, ensure the defense of key locations, and then we can take our time with the rest."

Iron Dragon Sorog nodded, then added, "There's one more thing."

"explain."

"I'm considering whether it's time to move the capital again."

"Move the capital?"

Galos raised his head and looked at him.

“Yes.” Iron Dragon Sorog organized his thoughts and explained, “The kingdom’s center of gravity is now shifting to the Middle-earth. Although the location of the Crimson Emperor’s capital is not bad, it is too far to the north. If we move to the Middle-earth, it will be much easier to coordinate the overall situation.”

"Moreover, the Middle Kingdom has richer resources and greater development potential."

Galos looked thoughtful, then shook his head.

"We won't move, at least not now."

He raised his dragon claw and pointed upwards.

Holden's Floating City.

Those colossal creatures still hang in the sky above Middle-earth, silently watching over the land. One of them has fallen, but the rest remain firmly suspended, casting enormous shadows day after day.

"Who can guarantee they won't fall down?"

"The safety of Middle-earth is only superficial. Holden's floating cities are like giant bombs that could explode again at any time. The last crash brought about the Abyssal Rift and the invasion of demons."

"Heh, if a great demon or even a demon king were to descend, the Middle-earth would be the first to suffer."

"If we stay in Romania and keep a close eye on things, we'll actually have some time to prepare. We can then decide whether to fight or retreat depending on the situation. If we move the capital there, it will be too close, and if something happens, we won't even have time to evacuate."

Sorog nodded: "I understand, I wasn't thinking things through."

“You’re not wrong,” Galos said. “In the long run, relocating the capital is inevitable, but not now. We should wait until the problem of the floating city is resolved.”

After a brief conversation, Tie Long turned and left.

Immediately afterwards, Galos emerged from the inner palace and arrived at the highest point of the Dragon Court, which stood above the clouds.

When he has nothing to do, he often comes here to take a look.

Dragons like to be in high places, and Garus is no exception.

At this height and position, when he looks up and gazes into the distance, his vision can traverse thousands of mountains and rivers, taking in the vast territory and looking down upon the earth like a god.

As usual.

Red Iron Dragon slowly exhaled a scorching breath, raised its head, and gazed at the surging sea of ​​clouds.

Beneath the clouds, winter snowflakes danced, draping the earth in a silver coat. The mountains, forests, and rivers were all covered in white snow, shimmering with a crystalline light in the sunlight.

Above the clouds, the sun's rays poured down, gilding the floating clouds with layers of brilliant light, creating a dazzling and breathtaking spectacle.

It's like two different worlds.

After enjoying the beautiful scenery, Hong Tielong's heart and mind were broadened.

He took a deep breath, preparing to begin his workout for the day.

But at that moment, his gaze suddenly sharpened as he looked toward the direction of the Central Plains.

High in the sky, a floating city, without warning, began to lose control and plummet towards the earth.

It is located on the northern side of Middle-earth, closer than before.

Galos's Eye of Truth will also see more clearly.

He saw that countless buildings on the floating city were falling apart, with stones, wood, and metal fragments scattering everywhere. Purple energy streams were faintly visible, surrounding the entire giant city and forcing it to fall.

Galos recalled the last time the floating city fell.

He had also seen the presence of purple energy back then, but it wasn't as clear as it is now. At the time, he thought there was something wrong with the floating city itself, but now it seems that things are not so simple.

Only a few figures managed to escape the city and desperately flew away into the distance.

The vast majority of Holden people fell to the earth with it.

Boom!

The earth trembled, and even on the Lyon Plateau, Garros could feel a slight tremor. The sound was muffled and distant, like the earth groaning, or like the dying howl of some enormous creature.

"This location... it fell on my land."

He gazed into the distance and saw that where the floating city had fallen, besides the dust and flames, there was also a purple aura representing evil and chaos flowing through it.

Those auras emanated from the fallen ruins, spreading outwards like living things.

The vegetation withered, the land cracked, and the air became polluted.

This often means that abyssal rifts will be born as a result.

"Just like last time, the abyssal rift appeared as the floating city fell."

Galos raised his head and looked at the colossal cities suspended high in the sky, his gaze slightly somber.

This means that each floating city might create a large abyssal rift, and if one day more floating cities were to fall simultaneously...
It's hard to imagine how many demons will appear on the land of Atlantis.

That would be a catastrophe that sweeps across the entire world.

Hong Tielong's gaze sharpened, a thoughtful glint in his eyes.

When the abyss was wiped out last time, the one who left the biggest impression on the demons was undoubtedly Lord Aura. Moreover, these demons likely had spies in Atlanta.

Is it a coincidence that this floating city crashed in the northern part of Atlantis?

Or were they specifically targeting me?
"The material world is not so easy to invade, otherwise it would have already fallen, and the scale of this abyssal rift would not be so large."

"Hopefully it's just a minor problem."

He muttered to himself.

But deep down, Galos had a strong premonition that things were probably not so simple.

(End of this chapter)