Dawn was breaking, but the night had not yet fully retreated over the Yar Continent, in the Emerald Gorge.

The chieftain of the Stone Giant tribe, with his hard and towering body, lay prostrate beneath the Golden Dragon. The resistance and defiance that had once marked his face had vanished completely. With the humility of a servant, he spoke:

“My lord, your will is the direction of my heart.”

“Please give your orders at will, so that your servant may have the honor of serving you.”

In the middle of the night, after being brainwashed by a group of Mind Warlocks, the Stone Giant chieftain had completely lost his free will and had become a servant of the dragon.

“I still preferred your unruly demeanor from before.”

Saga said indifferently.

“As you wish.”

Upon hearing Saga’s words, the Stone Giant chieftain’s humble expression changed in an instant, and his stony face once again took on a stubborn and defiant look, as if the lines of his rocky visage were filled with resentment and anger.

“Though I must obey you, a tenacious Stone Giant will never truly submit!”

The Stone Giant chieftain declared resolutely, his tone rebellious.

Saga nodded and said, “Good, keep it up.”

“Hmph.” The Stone Giant chieftain snorted coldly, kneeling on the ground with an unyielding posture, obediently maintaining it.

Meanwhile, the other ordinary Stone Giants, whose minds had not yet been enslaved, looked at their chieftain’s state, each one’s heart ashen, their faces showing despair and numbness.

“Now for these ordinary Stone Giants.”

Saga turned his head, his gaze sweeping over the groups of Stone Giants pinned to the ground, utterly unable to move.

The will of the Stone Giant chieftain was still quite firm. To completely brainwash and enslave him was not simple; the previous time had been spent focusing on the chieftain, and the other Stone Giants had not yet been dealt with.

Immediately.

The Gemstone Dragons, being Mind Warlocks, began the brainwashing and enslavement of the ordinary Stone Giants.

Not long after.

Dawn broke, and the sun began to rise.

The light of day brushed over the intersection of the Dragonfall Mountains and the Dusk Mountains, casting a faint orange glow over every blade of grass, rock, and river in the Emerald Gorge, creating a breathtakingly beautiful scene.

By the edge of the Dragonfall Mountains, in the Stone Giant tribe.

Every Stone Giant in this entire clan, who had not perished in the previous attacks, now had their wills controlled by psychic means. Their minds were devoid of any hatred for dragons, instead seeing the True Dragons before them as their sovereigns, to whom they looked up with utmost reverence.

Hovering in mid-air.

Tixil the Amethyst Dragon blinked her eyes, lively and elegant, and said, “Toying with the will of Sapient Beings using psychic abilities is an act that is not recognized.”

“Although we Gemstone Dragons possess this power, we seldom use it on Sapient Beings.”

“However, this feeling is not bad.”

Charlotte smacked her lips.

“Tixil, you’re learning bad habits.”

While she said this, Charlotte also quite enjoyed the feeling of having her former mortal enemies now turned into her fawning servants.

“One must use any means necessary against enemies.”

“Pity and kindness are not meant for enemies.”

“These dull Stone People are lucky to serve us instead of being crushed into gravel.”

Saga spoke lightly.

Nodding, Tixil’s tail swished happily as she said, “With these slaves, it will be much easier to turn the Emerald Gorge into the Gemstone Dragon nation I envision.”

Just by looking at the large buildings in the Stone Giant tribe, one could tell that these creatures had impressive construction skills.

Each Stone Giant possessed the ability to harness Elemental Energy of the earth.

For them, building basic infrastructure was a piece of cake.

Saga looked up at the azure sky, then withdrew his gaze and said:

“Since we’ve decided to take over the entire Emerald Gorge, let’s deal with the other powers in the Emerald Gorge besides the Stone Giant tribe.”

After a pause, Saga continued:

“You stay here and further solidify the psychic control over the Stone Giant tribe.”

“Leave the Wind Demons and the multi-headed Serpent Lizards to me. The battle with the Stone Giants was too brief; I have not yet had my fill of fun.”

Tixil the Amethyst Dragon and Charlotte the Gemstone Dragon exchanged glances, both sensing their partner’s decisive and confident nature, and couldn’t help but feel a stir in their hearts.

“Alright, as you wish.”

The two Little Dragonesses said, their gazes shifting.

Just ten minutes later.

In the territory of the Wind Demons, which was also along the Dragonfall Mountains and separated by several hills from the Stone Giant tribe, a series of wolf howls rose and fell, echoing through the heavens, then gradually subsided.

The Wind Demon leader, about twelve meters long, with a lithe body and a coat of blue fur with swirling winds, lay prostrate on the ground.

The Golden Dragon stood against the light, its shadow completely enveloping the Wind Demon leader.

The surrounding pack of Wind Demons formed a circle, baring their teeth, but they dared not approach due to their leader being under the dragon’s claw, caught in a dilemma.

Under the attack of several high-ranking Wind Demons and even more ordinary ones, Saga effortlessly breached their territory and directly subdued their leader.

Had it not been for the goal of subjugation rather than slaughter, the area would have been a river of blood by now.

The overwhelming Dragon Might surged forth.

The Wind Demon leader let out a low whine, then flipped over to expose its white-furred belly, a look of appeasement on its wolf face, choosing to submit.

“Woo-woo!”

The Wind Demon leader slowly moved, carefully rubbing against the arm of the Golden Dragon.

Watching the Wind Demons subdued by Dragon Might, Saga reached out with a dragon claw and scratched the leader’s head. The Wind Demon leader squinted its eyes, showing a look of compliance and comfort.

The inherently ferocious demon wolf now behaved like a pet before the dragon.

Another ten or so minutes later.

Splash!

In the middle of the river that meandered through the Emerald Gorge, the water surface seemed to boil, rippling and then bulging, breaking apart with countless sparkling droplets. The Golden Dragon emerged, clutching a giant multi-headed Serpent Lizard, and threw it onto the riverbank.

Several multi-headed Serpent Lizards with snake-like heads half-emerged from the water, staring at the Golden Dragon that had descended before their leader.

They wanted to assist their leader.

But the terror of Dragon Might made them stiff, unable to approach, hiding in the water to cheer on their leader.

Compared to the Wind Demons, these multi-headed Serpent Lizards were even more cowardly.

As for their leader, it put up a good fight in front of Saga for several seconds. After all resistance was suppressed, all eight heads bowed to Saga, showing a timid posture of submission.

Strength does not equate to wisdom.

Unlike the Stone Giants, who are Sapient Beings.

The Wind Demons and multi-headed Serpent Lizards, being semi-Sapient creatures, easily chose to submit instinctively under the profound suppression of Dragon Might from the apex predator, with hardly any need for brainwashing or enslavement.

“Now that’s more like it. A mere gorge, how could it be shared with other species.”

The Golden Dragon, with majestic horns, exuded the demeanor of a sovereign, causing the surrounding multi-headed Serpent Lizards to tremble in fear, bowing their heads even lower.

In less than half an hour in total.

Saga alone, single-handedly, took down both the Wind Demons and the multi-headed Serpent Lizards.

With that, the four powers that once existed in the Emerald Gorge – the Gemstone Dragons, the Stone Giants, the Wind Demons, and the multi-headed Serpent Lizards – were now reduced to one.

Since arriving in the Emerald Gorge, aside from the time spent mingling with Tixil and Charlotte, Saga had only made his presence known for a single day.

Yet, in this brief day, he had changed the landscape of the Emerald Gorge, turning it into a territory belonging solely to dragons.

He called over the Gemstone Dragons to tidy up the aftermath.

Afterward, at the enthusiastic request of Tixil and Charlotte, Saga returned to the Dragon’s Nest with them.

The few dragons had just opened the door to a new world, relishing the taste and full of energy, tirelessly enjoying themselves.

Saga, who was usually very disciplined, found himself in a bit of a dilemma during this period.

In his mind, it seemed as if there were two little dragons, one with an angelic halo and the other with demonic horns.

The angelic little dragon spoke righteously:

“Saga, don’t let desire pierce through your will! It’s time to emerge from the land of tenderness, to discipline yourself, to train, to become stronger!”

The demonic little dragon whispered in Saga’s heart, even more righteously:

“Desire itself is also a manifestation of your will.”

“To go against your own will is to be at war with yourself.”

The angelic and demonic little dragons argued endlessly.

Amidst their debate, and entwined with Tixil and Charlotte, time gradually passed until the deep night fell.

Whoosh!

A howling wind transformed into a vast, ethereal roar filled with reluctance above the Dragonfall Mountains, flashing by like a sudden thunderclap, also reaching Saga’s ears in the Dragon’s Nest within the Emerald Gorge.

Startled.

Saga pushed away Charlotte, who was lying on top of him, and then with a solemn expression, gazed in the direction of the Dragonfall Mountains.

“That wind just now, it felt a bit off.”

“Did you all hear it?”

Tixil and Charlotte also came to their senses and nodded: “We heard it.”

Leaning against Saga, Tixil’s beautifully armored face showed a contemplative expression and said, “When I first came to the Emerald Gorge, I heard about the existence of an ancient dragon soul in the Dragonfall Mountains.”

“Later, I occasionally heard wind sounds similar to dragon roars, like the one just now.”

Saga looked in the direction of the Dragonfall Mountains, his eyes slightly narrowed, and asked:

“Does the ancient dragon soul truly exist in the Dragonfall Mountains?”

Ancient dragons are a rare age group that only a few dragons can reach, almost at the demigod level.

“Probably.”

Charlotte nodded and said, “Such dragon roars that can shake us are not ordinary. The legends here are very likely true.”

After a pause, Charlotte tilted her head and said:

“However, Tixil and I have explored the Dragonfall Mountains before and found no trace of any ancient dragon soul.”

Tixil also said, “Apart from occasionally hearing dragon-like roars echoing, there are no other anomalies here, although the recent roars seem to have become more frequent.”

“I see.”

Saga stroked his chin, his thoughts racing, and then said to Tixil and Charlotte:

“I’ll take a look; maybe I can discover something.”

After leaving the Dragon’s Nest, the Golden Dragon swiftly arrived above the Dragonfall Mountains. From high in the sky, he looked down, his gaze inch by inch sweeping over the rolling mountains.

At the same time.

His wings spread, his eyes slightly closed, and then invisible electromagnetic pulses radiated out, sweeping across a vast range of the mountainous area in an instant, bringing back a wealth of information to Saga’s body and mind.

Rocks, flowers, ancient trees, rivers.

Poisonous insects, magical beasts, ghosts, night owls.

Within the range of the electromagnetic pulse perception, Saga saw everything clearly, and he was also moving, bringing more mountainous areas into his range of perception.

Moments later, the Golden Dragon slowly opened his eyes, looking down at the profound mountains below and shaking his head slightly.

“I haven’t found anything related to the dragon soul. Is it really just a peculiar wind sound?”

“Impossible. No matter how peculiar, a wind sound shouldn’t make me feel palpitations.”

“It was too sudden, and the sound vanished in a flash. If I had been prepared, I might have been able to detect the source at the moment the dragon roar appeared.”

Saga’s interest in the ancient dragon soul was not a whim.

Mainly because, if he could come into contact with the ancient dragon soul and gain its recognition, he could receive the legacy of the dragon soul, which would be greatly beneficial.

Of course, there were also dangers.

The dragon soul is not a True Dragon, and over the long years, it may have deteriorated, becoming dangerous and mad.

But in comparison, if he could gain the recognition of the dragon soul, the benefits would outweigh the risks.

“This ancient dragon is said to have died during the Dragonfall War, a very long time ago.”

“Even if it was a demigod in life, it can’t possibly retain much power now. At most, it would be a mere legend, or it might not even reach the legendary level. I’m not afraid even if it has malice.”

Saga silently assessed.

“Wait for the next dragon roar to sound, and detect it immediately.”

He thought so.

Meanwhile.

Tixil the Amethyst Dragon and Charlotte the Gemstone Dragon also flapped their wings and flew over, coming to Saga’s side.

“Did you find anything?” they asked curiously.

Although they had not discovered anything themselves before, they knew that Saga was always different. Perhaps he would have a special discovery.

Saga shook his head, his expression calm, and said:

“Nothing for now, but when the next dragon roar sounds, I should be able to catch some clues.”

He had great faith in his perceptive abilities.

Looking at the two Little Dragonesses, Saga asked:

“How often does the dragon roar here?”

“About once a month,” Tixil thought for a moment and replied.

After getting the answer, Saga nodded and said, “I understand. Next time the dragon roar sounds, I want to know what’s going on with this ancient dragon soul.”

Disturbed by the dragon roar, Saga was no longer in the mood for pleasure-seeking.

Also feeling that he had been lazy recently, he found a particularly majestic and tall mountain peak and began to discipline himself at the summit, training his physique in ways unimaginable to ordinary dragons.

Tixil and Charlotte did not return to the Dragon’s Nest to rest either.

They were not lazy by nature and had not neglected their study of power. However, they had also become lazy during the time since Saga’s arrival. So, while Saga was disciplining himself, they also began their own discipline nearby. Tixil strengthened her psychic powers through meditation, while Charlotte explored her Outsider bloodline abilities in a manner similar to Saga.

The following days were quite fulfilling.

Training the physique, exchanging insights on psychic abilities with Tixil the Amethyst Dragon, communicating with Charlotte to explore the ways of their bloodline abilities, and at the same time, engaging in deep physical and mental exchanges with both, time slowly passed.

Until one day, after a session of physical and mental exchange.

Seemingly remembering something, Charlotte, with her tail perked up, excitedly said:

“The beauty contest held by the Temple of the Goddess of Beauty is about to start. Saga, Tixil, come with me.”

“Giggle, I’m going to win the crown!”

Saga remembered the beauty contest mentioned by the Temple of the Goddess of Beauty; Tixil had told him about it before. He was somewhat interested but didn’t pay much attention to it, and after arriving in the Emerald Gorge, he had almost forgotten about it.

But Charlotte cared a lot, always keeping it in mind.

Under Charlotte’s expectant gaze, the Golden Dragon first exchanged a glance with Tixil, then nodded and said, “Alright, Tixil and I will accompany you.”

“Yay!” Charlotte clenched her claws, shouting excitedly.

“However, I won’t be satisfied with just being a spectator when the time comes.”

The Golden Dragon said with a smile.

“Eh?”

Charlotte’s head appeared with a question mark, puzzled: “What do you mean?”

Tixil smiled lightly and said:

“Charlotte, I’ve already talked to Saga about this before, and he will also participate.”

“I think you might not be able to win against Saga in the beauty contest.”

Hearing this, Charlotte’s dragon face became serious, and she said to the Golden Dragon:

“Saga, my partner, I admit you excel in all aspects, including appearance and physique, but my beauty will not lose to you!”

Proudly lifting her head, Charlotte said:

“After the contest is over, you will understand that no creature can match the beauty of Charlotte. The crown will definitely be mine.”

Tixil’s tail swayed and said:

“Well, let’s wait for the people from the Temple of the Goddess of Beauty to judge.”

Saga asked:

“I only know about the contest, but where exactly is the Temple of the Goddess of Beauty located?”

Charlotte lifted her head, looking beyond the Dragon’s Nest into the sky, opened her dragon maw, and said:

“In the Sky City of the Skyrealm Empire.”