In the Northwest Region of the Serel Wilderness, in a vast clearing surrounded by sparse shrubs.
Iron Dragon Sorog stood quietly as raindrops instantly shattered upon hitting him, while Red Dragon Samantha's vibrant scales shimmered with a flame-like luster.
Beside them were Blue Dragon Heriam, Red Dragon Cahill, Green Dragon Ludwig, and Black Dragon Serafina.
The four Young Dragons had also gathered here.
Besides them, the Amethyst Dragon-Lion, the Holy Spirit Deer, and the Phoenix, three powerful lords, were also here, awaiting the arrival of the King of Molten Iron together.
In the intervals of waiting, they were also communicating with each other in low voices.
"Lucy, you seem exceptionally fragrant today. Have you absorbed the essence of some kind of plant?"
The Amethyst Dragon-Lion Ennus leaned closer to the Holy Spirit Deer, his nostrils twitching slightly as he asked with a hint of an ingratiating tone and a chuckle.
"Hey, that lion over there whose appearance can barely be considered passable, why did you suddenly start speaking? Don't you usually love to put on an aloof and unapproachable posture?"
The Phoenix Angia interjected unceremoniously while preening her dazzling plumage.
"In front of those ordinary vassal subordinates, it's necessary to maintain the required majesty and aloofness."
Ennus shook his mane and said matter-of-factly, "But we are peers and lords, partners fighting side by side. There's no need to put on airs all the time."
He paused, raised his head, and added, "Of course, the Dragon Lord likes my aloof look. If the Dragon Lord arrives, you will see a silent, aloof me brimming with the powerful aura of a lord. That is the true demeanor a Dragon-Lion Lord should have."
As he spoke, he unconsciously moved a little closer toward the Holy Spirit Deer.
"Annoying lion, stay away from me."
The Holy Spirit Deer Lucy stamped her hooves and said with displeasure, "Don't forget, there is still an unfinished duel between us!"
A troubled look appeared on the Amethyst Dragon-Lion's face.
"A duel... Sigh, I really can't bear to hurt you."
He said sincerely, "However, out of the most basic respect for a powerful opponent, if we really have to duel, I must bring out all my strength without holding anything back."
"This really makes me feel conflicted. Why don't you give up this idea?"
In the previous tragic battle to encircle and suppress the Mad King Gorthax, the Lord of Flowers Charles unfortunately fell, and his Soul was sealed within a phylactery. Apart from Charles, the most severely injured was none other than the Amethyst Dragon-Lion Ennus.
At that time, he had almost stepped half a foot into the realm of death.
The Holy Spirit Deer Lucy had expended her vital blood and paid the price of almost collapsing from exhaustion just to forcefully pull him back from the gates of hell, and then slowly healed him.
After this battle, all the Amethyst Dragon-Lion's hostility toward the Holy Spirit Deer had long vanished, turning into intense gratitude and a deeper sense of affection, and he desperately wanted to turn hostility into friendship with her.
"Stop boasting."
The Holy Spirit Deer impatiently pawed the ground with her front hooves, making a muffled sound. "If we duel, I will use this pair of hooves to smash your newly-healed head to pieces again."
The Amethyst Dragon-Lion tilted his head, pondered for a few seconds, and said, "You are very determined. I can agree to duel you."
"However, if you lose, all our previous grievances will be wiped clean. How about that?"
Looking at the sincerity in the Amethyst Dragon-Lion's eyes, the Holy Spirit Deer's expression softened slightly.
She nodded and said, "Alright."
Hearing this, the Amethyst Dragon-Lion was overjoyed and immediately said, "Haha, with your words, I can rest easy!"
"At that time, I guarantee I will go all out, give you the utmost respect, and show no mercy until you admit defeat or beg for mercy."
In an instant, the expression on the Holy Spirit Deer's face that had just softened slightly froze over again at a speed visible to the naked eye.
Meanwhile.
The Blue Dragon Heriam looked at the many powerful creatures gathered around and asked the Iron Dragon Sorog, "Lord Sorog, why did the leader summon all of us to gather here so urgently?"
Hearing this, the Iron Dragon Sorog's gaze slowly swept across the four Young Dragons.
"For you."
Under the gaze of eyes instantly focused on him, he continued, "Or rather, for The Dragon Flight you once defected from—the Dominic Dragon Flight."
"Not long ago, this Dragon Flight dispatched an envoy to The Borderlands to see our King."
He took about a minute to inform all the creatures present about the general process of the Blue Dragon Zolaya's visit and the breakdown of negotiations.
After listening, the three lord-level powerhouses didn't show much ripple on their faces.
For them, the breakdown of negotiations meant a high probability of war. Thus, preparing for battle, meeting the enemy, or launching a preemptive strike was simply the norm of survival in the wilderness.
However, the moods of the four Young Dragons could not be as calm as the lords.
"The Dominic Dragon Flight! Damn it! How dare they show up, and even harbor delusions of executing us?!"
The Red Dragon Cahill was the first who couldn't suppress her anger, letting out a low roar, with her dragon pupils burning with flames of rage.
"Traitors? They call us traitors?! Haha, what a monstrous joke!"
"In that Dragon Flight, they ordered us around like slaves, treating us like low-level vassals that could be discarded at will! Did they really expect to get our loyalty?!"
Compared to their life in the Ignas Dragon Flight, their days in the Dominic Dragon Flight could only be described as too unbearable to look back upon.
Deep down in their hearts, they had long regarded themselves as true members of the Ignas Dragon Flight.
As for the Dominic Dragon Flight, it was merely a native Dragon Flight filled with oppression and pain that should have been abandoned long ago.
The Blue Dragon Heriam's tail swung, his scale gaps crackling with sizzling sounds as tiny electric arcs leaped across them, his emotions surging.
He said in a deep voice, "The great King of Molten Iron is willing to go to war with the Dominic Dragon Flight for our sake. No matter what happens, I will swear to follow him to the death."
The King of Molten Iron was not present at the moment and could not hear his statement.
But he still couldn't help voicing his inner loyalty and excitement.
To be honest, no matter how much contribution they made to the tribe, given their current stage as merely Young Dragons, in the eyes of any rational Dragon Flight leader, they could not be considered indispensable cores.
If it were other Dragon Flights, faced with the conditions offered by the Dominic Dragon Flight, they might choose to hand them over in exchange for solid gold or gems to pacify the matter.
Once upon a time, deep in Heriam's heart, there hadn't been a lack of thoughts about leaving after the agreement expired to develop on his own.
After all, commanding a Dragon Flight of one's own and becoming a Dragon Lord was a dream carved deep into the Souls of most Blue Dragons, and in the Ignas Dragon Flight, this was clearly impossible to achieve.
But at this moment, his thoughts had completely changed.
Commanding some weak Dragonkin and being the lord of a nameless, struggling small Dragon Flight, how could that compare to following under the battle banner of the Ignas Dragon Flight, following behind the King of Molten Iron Garros, to seize more victories and win greater glory?
"Swear to follow the great King of Molten Iron to the death!"
The other three Young Dragons—Cahill, Ludwig, and Serafina—also looked solemn and solemnly stated in unison.
The Red Dragon Samantha snorted two clusters of scorching sparks from her nostrils and said fiercely, "Listen well, you little brats are willing to follow the Ignas Dragon Flight wholeheartedly. That is the wisest choice you've made in your lives, and it is your honor!"
Her tone shifted as she continued, "However, anyone can say nice words."
"Want to repay The Dragon Flight's protection? Then prove it with actual actions!"
Listening to the conversation between the dragons, the three powerful lords nearby also looked thoughtful, and their sense of belonging and trust towards the Ignas Dragon Flight invisibly increased a bit more.
In any case, a Dragon Flight that would not easily give up its internal members and was willing to bear risks for them was definitely more worthy of following than a Dragon Flight that casually sent away its internal members in exchange for wealth.
Shortly afterwards.
The dark clouds in the sky were aggressively torn apart by a swift stream of light.
A burning meteor dragging a long dark-red tail flame appeared in the vision of all dragons and giant beasts at an extremely fast speed.
The King of Molten Iron flapped his massive wings, the surging tail flames behind him acting like a red carpet paved for a king.
His speed was unimaginably fast. His figure went from a tiny black dot in the distant sky to extremely clear in just a few breaths, appearing overhead at close range with a suffocating sense of oppression.
The Red-Iron Dragon folded his wings, slowed his dive, and landed steadily on the ground, stirring up a ring of fine dust.
His Physique was even more massive and robust than before, and the aura of life radiating from his body had also increased significantly with the rise in his Life Level. The moment he landed, he instantly became the most dazzling existence, attracting all gazes.
"Strong, powerful, majestic... Wow, I haven't seen you for a while, and you have an even greater aesthetic of strength."
Phoenix Angia's eyes flashed with a look of appreciation as she sincerely praised.
——Although compared to the flawless me, you are still slightly lacking in charm.
She added quietly in her heart.
Garros gently nodded toward the Phoenix and calmly accepted the praise.
Afterwards, his gaze swept over the gathered subordinates around him, and without any superfluous pleasantries, he cut straight to the point: "Solrog has already informed you of the purpose for gathering you here."
"Our negotiations with the Dominic Dragon Flight have broken down, and war is inevitable."
He paused, his tone resolute: "The Molten Iron Tribe and the Ignas Dragon Flight are about to dispatch troops to the Central Region!"
On the way here, Iron Dragon Solrog had already used the Bloodline Connection to recount everything that happened here in detail to him, including the stances of several Young Dragons.
Garros did not elaborate further and turned his gaze to the Iron Dragon.
He said: "Solrog, report the intelligence we have gathered regarding the Dominic Dragon Flight here once more, and then talk about your strategic mindset."
This intelligence mainly came from the disclosures of Blue Dragon Zolaya, and also incorporated the Ignas Dragon Flight's own exploration results of the Central Region.
There might be slight errors, but the general framework and key information would not differ by much.
Iron Dragon Solrog nodded slightly and took a step forward.
"The Dominic Dragon Flight is led by the prime-age Blue Dragon, the 'Heart of Thunder' Perest."
"According to existing intelligence, excluding those juvenile stage and younger Young Dragons, the total number of Dragons in this Dragon Flight is thirty-five."
He said methodically: "Among them, there are a total of two prime-age Blue Dragons: the Heart of Thunder Perest, the leader of The Dragon Flight, with a Life Level of 20; and his direct descendant, Blue Dragon Zolaya, with a Life Level of 17."
"There are a total of eight Adult Dragons, with Life Levels distributed between 12 and 15, among which Blue Dragons with Life Levels around 14 account for half."
"There are a total of ten Young Adult Dragons, with most of their Life Levels below 12, between 10 and 12."
"There are a total of fifteen Young Dragons, and their Life Levels are basically below 10."
Solrog summarized: "Overall, this is a mature Dragon Flight of a considerable scale that has operated for hundreds of years. Its advantage lies in having a complete and considerable number of Dragon echelons across different age groups."
Speaking of this, his tone shifted as he cast his gaze toward his own side.
"However, compared to our Ignas Dragon Flight, they are somewhat lacking in individual quality and cutting-edge ecology."
Garros, Young Adult Red-Iron Dragon, Life Level 18.
Red Dragon Samantha, Young Adult Red Dragon, Life Level 15.
Iron Dragon Solrog, Young Adult Iron Dragon, Life Level 15.
Heriam, Cahill, Ludwig, and Serafina—although they are Young Dragons, their Life Levels generally exceed those of the same age, even approaching the level of ordinary Young Adult Dragons.
The Dragons of the Ignas Dragon Flight are generally stronger than Dragons of the same age.
"In terms of vassals and allies."
Solrog continued: "The Vassal Legions of the Dominic Dragon Flight, regardless of quality or scale, are far from comparable to our Molten Iron Tribe."
"Under their command, they lack vassal chieftains who are sufficiently powerful and able to stand on their own."
He seemed to feel that his previous statement was not precise enough, so he paused slightly and changed to a more accurate description: "More specifically, the huge number of Young Dragons inside their Dragon Flight, along with those younger Dragonkin members, have replaced the roles usually played by powerful vassals."
"Young Dragons are, to a certain extent, their 'vassal chieftains'."
Comparing based on the superficial data, the advantage of the Dominic Dragon Flight lies in the number of middle-to-upper-tier Dragons, especially having a powerful leader with a Life Level reaching 20.
Meanwhile, the advantage of the Ignas Dragon Flight lies in the higher average quality of individual Dragons, possessing three powerful lords whose strength far exceeds ordinary Adult Dragons, as well as numerous vassal chieftains with respectable strength.
Under the command of several lords, they likewise command powerful beast legions.
"It is foreseeable that in the frontal clash of the ground battlefield, relying on the advantages of the lord legions and tribal vassals, we will be in an absolute upper hand," Solrog analyzed. "However, the opponent has a large number of Dragons, and Blue Dragons are innately endowed with extraordinary flight capabilities. In the vast sky, they still hold a considerable advantage."
"Don't forget me and my bird-beast legion!"
Phoenix Angia proudly raised her slender neck, flames surging around her body: "We are all noble and beautiful flying creatures."
Iron Dragon Solrog turned his gaze to the Phoenix.
"Lord Angia, your bird-beast legion is indeed a powerful aerial force—there is no doubt about that. However, compared to a complete Dragon Flight dominated by Blue Dragons and proficient in aerial combat, it is still somewhat inferior."
To this, even the proud Phoenix found it difficult to refute.
Compared to Dragons, ordinary hawk and bird Vicious Beasts and monsters fell far too short.
In the eyes of Iron Dragon Solrog, psionic light flickered slightly as he continued his analysis.
"Dragons have extremely high mobility and flexibility, and can quickly support any area in the battlefield where a crisis arises."
"As representatives of storms and lightning, Blue Dragons Rank in the first tier for flight speed among Chromatic Dragons. This is an innate racial advantage of theirs."
Under normal circumstances, among Chromatic Dragons of the same Life Level, almost no Dragon could surpass Blue Dragons in sheer speed.
This conclusion would not change even if the comparison scope was expanded to include Metallic Dragons and Gem Dragons.
"Considering numerous factors, upon going to war with the Dominic Dragon Flight, my preliminary strategic conception is——"
Solrog said in a deep voice: "——We should assemble a massive and cohesive powerful legion, choose a clear offensive route, conduct a frontal Breakthrough, and force the opponent to engage in a decisive battle with us, trying our best not to give them the opportunity to use their speed and mobility advantages to split the battlefield and conduct guerrilla harassment."
Hearing this, Blue Dragon Heriam immediately nodded in agreement.
Based on his own life experiences within the Dominic Dragon Flight, he added: "Lord Solrog's judgment is extremely accurate."
"In past expansions and conflicts, the Dominic Dragon Flight has been extremely adept at utilizing the mobility of Blue Dragons to split the battlefield, and then concentrating advantages to launch rapid local attacks. We should avoid falling into that passive situation."
Time quietly passed amidst the discussions.
The Dragons and lords revolved around the core ideas proposed by Iron Dragon Solrog, further refining the offensive routes, force deployments, coordination of various legions, and contingency plans for possible unexpected situations.
Throughout the entire process, the King of Molten Iron stood silently to the side.
He was like a sculpture, just listening quietly without interrupting or expressing any opinions.
Garros was well aware of his current state. Due to the influence of the Frenzied Flame, overly complex strategic thinking might provoke unnecessary irritability and lead to wrong judgments.
Simply put, he handed over the strategic planning work to his reliable blood-related brother.
Solrog had always been very good at these things.
After some time, the Dragons and lords present reached a unanimous consensus in the discussion, which was approved by the King of Molten Iron.
"Everyone, prepare to welcome war."
Finally, the Red-Iron Dragon parted his massive jaws, revealing the sharp dragon fangs inside, his gaze slowly sweeping over every face.
"I want to see——the enemy's blood flowing like rivers, endlessly! I want to see——the territory of the Dominic Dragon Flight burning fiercely under our Dragon Breath and fury!"