Defeating the World with the Power of One Dragon!

Chapter 446: The Amethyst Dragon's Secret Observation Method, Good Fortune Arrives

It had been a week since Iseramas settled into the Citadel of Crimson Flame.

During this time, most of the dragons within the core circle of the Aola Kingdom had become aware of the arrival of this elder kin.

Outside the dragon community, news of his existence had not spread. For the vast majority of the populace, he remained a hidden, unknown entity.

This legendary dragon, awakened from a long slumber, had shown a keen interest in the kingdom established by the red iron dragon.

He changed forms, sometimes transforming into a humanoid scholar of elegant demeanor, sometimes into other utterly inconspicuous creatures, leisurely strolling the streets and alleys of the Citadel of Crimson Flame, observing the daily operations of the royal capital.

Garoth imposed no restrictions on these activities of Iseramas, nor did he dispatch subordinates to track or monitor him.

He granted this legendary guest-kin ample freedom.

After all, if the other party truly intended to do something bad, his subordinates wouldn't be able to stop him anyway. It was better to be more magnanimous.

And at this moment, the Amethyst Dragon was not within the royal capital's area.

Garoth felt no concern.Iseramas was a bona fide old dragon, and one who had successfully navigated the stage of elder slumber.

The wisdom and temperament he had accumulated over his long years were sufficient to control the instincts within his dragon bloodline.

Furthermore, Garoth had dealt with the old gold dragon Ovis before.

Although that gold dragon's words and actions were usually somewhat flamboyant and exaggerated, the reliability and sense of responsibility he displayed at truly critical moments had left a favorable impression on Garoth.

This had some influence on Garoth.

Subconsciously, he felt that those dragons who had passed long years and entered old age and beyond were more trustworthy in terms of mental maturity and behavioral reliability than those young, hot-blooded dragons.

He speculated:

Iseramas's current absence from the royal capital might be because he had gone to find or observe his offspring descendant who had ended up here.

"Ennus, have you met your father yet?"

Garoth sent a mental message to the Amethyst Dragon Lion.

Also, he had already informed the other party of Iseramas's basic situation.

"Reporting to Your Majesty, not yet formally."

"He might... be hiding in the shadows, quietly observing my every move."

Ennus replied with a mix of nervousness and anticipation.

The Gemstone Dragon race was known for its neutrality. They generally disliked involving themselves in worldly disputes and preferred a life far from turmoil.

So the question arose.

In their long lives, how did they usually amuse themselves, or rather, what unique interests did they have?

The Dragon Legacy held the answer.

Most Gemstone Dragons possessed an instinctive "Observer" habit.

They were passionate about concealing themselves in some unknown corner, suppressing their presence, and then quietly watching the natural development of a single event or a series of events for extended periods.

It could be the love, hate, and conflicts between individual intelligent beings;

It could also be the grand, turbulent war games between national powers;

Or perhaps the legendary rise of a certain Hero;

...Different Gemstone Dragon individuals often had their own unique preferences regarding the objects of their observation.

"Your Majesty, please rest assured."

Ennus's voice pulled Garoth's thoughts back. "I will display my best state under his observation, strive to win his favor, awaken the paternal love in this old dragon's heart, and make him more willing to stay in the Aola Kingdom for a long time."

He said enthusiastically.

This was not only for the kingdom's benefit, to live up to the Emperor's expectations, but also for himself.

He had been stuck at level 20 for some time. Although he bore dragon bloodlines, he was, after all, not as naturally gifted as pure-blooded true dragons. Whether he could safely break through to the legendary realm remained unknown.

His cheap Dragon Father might be able to give him a hand.

Garoth was just about to speak a few words of praise as encouragement.

Right then, the phoenix Ankhia sent an urgent message.

Garoth was silent for a few seconds.

He acknowledged the situation. After replying to the phoenix's report, he turned back to the Amethyst Dragon Lion and said, "Your thoughts and determination are correct."

"However, Iseramas is currently not near your territory. You don't need to be overly tense; you can be more natural."

Ennus clearly froze for a moment upon hearing this.

Coming back to his senses, he said, "Even so, I cannot relax in the slightest. I must maintain my best state at all times."

"Who knows if my Dragon Father might suddenly appear from the shadows to observe at some unexpected moment?"

In his territory at the other end of the communication, the Amethyst Dragon Lion raised his majestic head, puffed out his strong chest, his gaze becoming profound and sharp, crafting an image of heroic brilliance.

He had once deliberately maintained silence to enhance his imposing presence, successfully playing the role of a deep, aloof character.

For the experienced Ennus, assuming a steady, dignified, and authoritative posture was practically effortless.

Some time later, the sun gradually rose higher.

The time quietly arrived at noon.

The sun blazed brightly, its dazzling, brilliant light pouring down from the sky, coating the Dragonback Mountains with a layer of blinding gold foil.

The red iron dragon emperor, currently undergoing high-intensity training in the back mountains of Dragonback, bathed in the blazing radiance.

The air around him rippled with heat waves due to the high temperature. The battle-hardened patterns covering his entire body seemed to faintly glow under the direct sunlight. His dragon scales were set off as indestructible, shimmering with a metallic luster.

At that moment, clear, melodious avian cries came from the distant sky, breaking the mountain silence.

Garoth paused his movements, lifted his dragon head, and looked toward the sound.

Within his field of vision, a total of four figures were approaching from afar.

Flying at the forefront was none other than the phoenix Ankhia, her entire body wreathed in undying flames, extraordinarily gorgeous.

Behind her, flanking left and right, followed two of her subordinate eagle-beast leaders. Their gazes were sharp, their postures alert. And firmly guarded right in the middle by these two eagle-beast leaders was a falcon that looked quite majestic, its feathers a deep purple.

Ankhia led this formation in a brief circling maneuver in the air.

Then, she gracefully folded her wings and landed on the open ground before the red iron dragon.

"My beautiful and mighty Emperor, your aura grows ever more vast, your form more majestic and grand."

Ankhia lowered her graceful neck, praising him from the heart.

Immediately, she turned her flame-wreathed head to look at that purple falcon, which had been particularly well-behaved since landing.

"This is the fellow. A few days ago, it secretly infiltrated the airspace under my jurisdiction, attempting to blend into the flocks under my command."

"Its disguise was quite exquisite, but ultimately, it couldn't escape my eyes."

"After I discovered it, it claimed to be acquainted with you. I couldn't verify the truth, so I had no choice but to bring it here for Your Majesty to personally decide."

The red iron dragon's gaze swept over the falcon, which kept its head down and appeared submissive.

His massive dragon head nodded slightly, saying, "Hmm, this is indeed a misunderstanding, Ankhia. You did well, showing high vigilance."

After this simple acknowledgment, he inquired of the phoenix, "However, I am a bit curious."

"How did you see through its disguise? It seems, on the surface, to have no obvious flaws."

Upon hearing this question, the purple falcon, which had remained silent, also subtly turned its head, eavesdropping.

Ankhia, upon hearing this, immediately puffed out her chest with pride.

"Its biggest flaw lies in its reaction!"

"It was its first time seeing me in person, seeing the peerlessly beautiful phoenix!"

"But, not only did it not faint from excitement upon witnessing my unparalleled beauty and radiance, it didn't even show a shred of the expected shock and infatuation!"

Her voice rose a few notches, stating with conviction, "Hah, how could that be possible?"

"Any avian creature seeing me for the first time, even a beast of low intelligence, would instinctively be captivated by me!"

"It being so calm was undoubtedly because it had ulterior motives, harboring sinister intentions!"

The purple falcon remained silent, but upon closer observation, one could sense a subtle shiver in its feathers.

It absolutely hadn't expected its disguise to be ultimately unraveled in this manner.

Hearing this reason, Garoth was also momentarily speechless.

A few seconds later, he spoke again, addressing the phoenix, "Hmm... your beauty is indeed matchless in the world."

"You did very well this time, keenly spotting the problem. You may withdraw for now. Leave this to me to handle."

Ankhia, having received the Emperor's personal praise, was overjoyed.

She spread her gorgeous flame-wreathed wings, then led her two eagle-beast leaders as they took flight, their figures soon merging into the vast blue sky and white clouds, disappearing from sight.

After the phoenix departed.

The red iron dragon slowly shifted his gaze fully onto the lone purple falcon left on the spot.

The falcon blinked its eyes, its face displaying an extremely human-like array of rich emotional changes.

First, a flicker of embarrassment passed through, but immediately after, that hint of embarrassment was replaced by an air of composure.

The next moment, a soft glow of Transformation magic shimmered from the falcon's body.

Its form began to twist and change, smoothly stretching and reshaping...

In the blink of an eye, the originally standing falcon vanished, replaced by the legendary Amethyst Dragon.

Iseramas shook his purple scales, as if shaking off the lingering sensation from his previous form.

He lifted his head, looking toward the red iron dragon before him. His eyes held not a trace of the embarrassment or annoyance one might expect from being captured.

As if the one escorted all the way here just now wasn't him.

Garoth watched this scene, breaking the silence first.

"My lords are dutiful and responsible. Even an unidentified 'falcon' will be solemnly delivered before me to ensure the security of the kingdom."

"I just wonder, does the scenery of my Aola Kingdom look particularly interesting from a bird's-eye view as well?"

He asked with a hint of teasing.

Hearing this, the Amethyst Dragon Iseramas showed no sign of embarrassment.

Following Garoth's lead, he candidly admitted to his previous actions.

As it turned out, he had previously transformed into a falcon and secretly infiltrated the airspace and bird flocks under the phoenix Ankhia's jurisdiction.

Relying on superb disguise skills and mental suggestion, within just two or three days, he had mingled with a group of eagle, falcon, hawk, and other avian ferocious beasts and magical beasts, perfectly blending into their group life.

However, Ankhia had noticed the falcon that was the Amethyst Dragon in disguise.

Although she hadn't seen through his true form, she had discerned he wasn't a normal falcon and thus ordered his capture.

Iseramas, being a newcomer, didn't want to cause too much commotion in his guest residence, leading to unnecessary misunderstandings.

He surrendered without resistance and indicated he knew the red iron dragon emperor, which led to him being escorted all the way before Garoth.

"Your kingdom's territory is vast and magnificent, with countless beautiful scenes worth admiring."

"Though only a few short days of observation, I have already appreciated many unique landscapes and gained much."

"As for transforming into a bird... well, that's just a personal hobby of mine."

At this point, his voice paused slightly, and he countered Garoth, "You should know that most of us Gemstone Dragons enjoy quietly observing the workings of the world, right?"

Garoth nodded, responding, "The Dragon Legacy mentions it briefly."

Iseramas immediately straightened his expression, his face becoming solemn and focused.

He said gravely, "Exactly so, and I am no exception."

"But, compared to many Gemstone Dragon kin who are merely content with watching the show from a distance, I have my own insights and pursuits regarding the act of observation."

"I particularly believe that true observation is not superficial gazing from afar, or coldly detached recording."

"To truly understand a species' social structure, to discern the essence and nuances of a way of life, the observer must be brave enough to shed their own form constraints and mental preconceptions, to truly and thoroughly integrate into them."

"The observer should become one of them, experiencing from a participant's perspective, not a bystander's."

"Ask yourself, merely looking down from high above, how can one know the subtle changes in airflow when a bird flaps its wings? How can one experience the focus and strategy when they hunt for prey? And how can one understand the rich information conveyed by their simple calls amongst themselves?"

"Only by immersing one's mind into their form, experiencing the world with their senses, can one capture those details hidden beneath the surface."

"This is the way of observation I envision."

As he spoke, his expression was earnest and serious, his tone cadenced, reasonable and well-founded.

If Garoth hadn't already known this guy had left a dragon-lion offspring in the Ser Wilderness, and that the practical scope of his "way of observation" was far broader than he described, he might have almost been convinced by this philosophical and practical discourse.

This old Amethyst Dragon's hobbies and interests clearly exceeded normal bounds.

"Do I possess some trait I haven't yet detected, specifically attracting the peculiar individuals among dragonkind?"

The red iron dragon sighed inwardly.

He had met and interacted with quite a few dragons by now.

But, up to this point, it seemed only the gold dragon Karus's words and actions felt relatively aligned with the traditional image of a gold dragon, which gave him some comfort.

As for the other dragons, more or less, they all carried some unexpected, peculiar characteristics.

For a moment, Garoth found it somewhat difficult to determine if this was actually his own problem.

Immediately, he gave up on pointless debate with an old dragon who had his own complete set of logic, and also found this old dragon rather interesting.

"So that's how it is. It was my subordinate lord who disturbed your covert observation then."

He went along with the other's words, teasingly saying.

Hearing this, Iseramas showed no embarrassment. Instead, he nodded with an air of seriousness.

"Indeed, I was just about to observe the interaction patterns between the avian patrol teams when your loyal subordinate invited me over."

"But this also proves, from another angle, the extraordinary nature of your subordinate lords. They could actually see through my disguise. You should know, even legendary beings might not necessarily discover me."

Saying this, he looked toward the red iron dragon.

The Amethyst Dragon invited, "When you need leisure and relaxation, perhaps you could try experiencing the joy of covertly observing the myriad things of the world with me."

"Believe me, it contains many unexpected pleasures."

Garoth declined politely, "Thank you for your kind offer, but I'm not interested in that."

The Amethyst Dragon Iseramas shook his head slightly.

He said, "Have you tried it? Without truly immersing yourself, how can you determine you're not interested?"

"Put aside your status, look at this world from another perspective, and perhaps you'll find joy in it."

The words did sound somewhat reasonable.

But Garoth still shook his head, having no intention of trying it for the time being.

He looked at the Amethyst Dragon, changing the subject, and asked, "Iseramas, is the Mind Sorcerer path your main cultivation?"

The Amethyst Dragon nodded gently, "Yes."

Garoth took a few steps back, facing the Amethyst Dragon directly, and said bluntly, "Do me a favor. Use a mental attack on me. I want to test my tolerance level against mental attacks. Don't hold back; treat me as an enemy and attack."

The Amethyst Dragon Iseramas showed a strange look in his eyes, sizing up Garoth.

In the years he had lived, he had witnessed all sorts of strange requests, but one actively asking others to use mental attacks on themselves was rarely encountered.

However, he quickly agreed readily, "No problem, it's just a small matter."

"Let's begin now."

As soon as the words fell, Iseramas's dragon eyes suddenly became profound, as if vortices were forming within them.

Immediately following, he opened with the signature skill of a Mind Sorcerer.

Psychic Shock!

Boom!

Without any warning, it was as if a bomb instantly detonated within the red iron dragon's mind.

However, apart from the frenzied flame flickering imperceptibly, the red iron dragon felt no negative effects.

Seeing Garoth's composed demeanor, the Amethyst Dragon was slightly taken aback. Then, the spiritual energy amethyst crystals on his body lit up one by one with even brighter radiance, as he got serious.

Mind Rending, Will Spear, Thought Stripping...

Various mental skills specializing in attacking, disrupting, and tormenting an opponent's psyche were casually conjured and unleashed by Iseramas, pouring toward the red iron dragon in a torrent.

These attacks were formless and shadowless, yet exceptionally perilous.

They were sufficient to destroy the morale of an army in an instant, or drive a mentally weak legendary being to madness and loss of reason.

But, under the Amethyst Dragon's dense, tide-like mental assault, the red iron dragon stood like a reef, remaining composed and unperturbed. However, with each mental attack endured, the bloodshot veins in his eyes grew more pronounced, and the frenzied flame burned more fiercely.

"My immunity to mental attacks probably has an upper limit."

"After reaching a certain degree, I might lose my rationality and directly enter a state of utter madness."

"Also, things directly created by a Mind Sorcerer using spiritual energy, like realistic illusions, spiritual crystal servants, and so on, would still affect me. What I mainly resist are those effects directly applied to me."

Garoth pondered thoughtfully.

His mental defense wasn't perfect, but regardless, he was practically a natural counter to Mind Sorcerers now, especially those who primarily studied attack-type skills, pursuing the assault of a target's mind.

On the other side, Iseramas's dragon face was almost unable to maintain its composure.

He hadn't used his trump cards, but that series of attacks just now wasn't perfunctory either. They were skills he had seriously constructed, enough to trouble or even harm a legendary being of the same level.

Yet, the red iron dragon opposite him, from start to finish, maintained an "alright," "felt a bit but not much" kind of effortless demeanor.

This was rather damaging to the confidence of a veteran Mind Sorcerer.

"Alright."

Just as Iseramas was considering whether to increase the intensity a bit more, Garoth suddenly called a stop. He lifted his head, gazing into the distance toward the direction of the Citadel of Crimson Flame.

Hearing this, Iseramas secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

He praised sincerely, "Has your mental defense finally reached its limit? Truly impressive."

"I didn't use my killing moves, but the attacks just now were by no means child's play. For you to resist until now far exceeded my expectations."

Garoth shook his head slightly.

"Limit? Probably still a bit short."

"Today's test was very fruitful. If we have time in the future, we can find opportunities to continue."

At this point, the red iron dragon's voice paused, his gaze turning sharp. "As for now, I have a guest who has arrived. I need to personally receive her. I've been waiting for her for quite some time."