Golden light surged skyward from Gem Peak.
Amidst the vast and somber night sky, it was as if a dazzling golden star had appeared, causing countless vassal creatures to look up in admiration and awe at the figure suspended high above.
Many Giant Crocturtles, puzzled, also raised their heads to gaze into the night sky.
With an impatient growl, the group of Giant Crocturtles remained oblivious to the gravity of the situation and continued their rampage.
Thud!
The Giant Crocturtle leader, having just come ashore, charged forward with a lowered head, sending the Yellow Crystal Earth Dragon flying hundreds of meters before striding meteorically towards it.
Suddenly, an overwhelming pressure descended without warning.
Having run only about a hundred meters, the Giant Crocturtle leader felt its body sink dramatically, its limbs shattering the ground beneath it. Its eighteen-meter diameter shell cracked the earth's surface, embedding itself into the ground.
Roar!
The Giant Crocturtle leader bellowed furiously, struggling to resist the crushing force from above.
It managed to right itself, but its movements were unavoidably slow and labored under the terrifying weight of over ten thousand tons. Even as a high-ranking lifeform, it couldn't ignore such a dreadful pressure.
Its neck stretched out, the Giant Crocturtle leader looked up into the sky.
In the vast night, the 'golden star' plummeted down, revealing its true form to the Giant Crocturtle leader's view.
Six majestic, crown-like dragon horns, a face of noble demeanor, scales shimmering like diamond, and a body length of ten meters from head to tail—this was a ferocious Golden True Dragon.
Scales rubbed fiercely against the air.
Golden flames rose, enveloping the True Dragon's scales.
Wrapped in golden fire, it descended like a golden meteor, its speed ever increasing.
A sense of lethal danger blossomed from within.
Under the heavy pressure, unable to move freely, the targeted Giant Crocturtle leader made a split-second decision, retracting its head and limbs into its shell without hesitation, sealing the shell's opening, leaving only its indestructible exterior exposed, without a single gap.
In just a breath's time.
Under the watchful eyes of many vassal creatures and Giant Crocturtles, the golden meteor fell, colliding with the even larger Giant Crocturtle leader.
At that moment, time seemed to slow.
The Golden True Dragon landed on the Giant Crocturtle leader's shell with all four limbs, and the once indestructible shell, capable of withstanding attacks from high-ranking creatures, began to cave in, with cracks spreading outwards—Bang! Blood-stained fragments flew in all directions, the earth mourned and trembled, the noise deafening, dust filled the air, and the ground collapsed into a terrifying pit, with cracks and ravines spreading everywhere. The powerful shockwave sent the surrounding vassal creatures and Giant Crocturtles flying.
Dust clouded the air.
The heads of countless creatures buzzed from the powerful shockwave, their senses blurred.
Barely managing to rise, they looked towards the landing point of the 'golden meteor.'
Whoosh!
A strong wind blew, dispersing the lingering dust.
In the center of the wide, ravaged collapse, a Golden Dragon emerged, its wingspan of over twenty meters proudly unfurled, casting large shadows on the ground.
Beneath Saga's feet, the Giant Crocturtle leader had been trampled into a mush of flesh and bone.
With a flap of his wings, Saga took to the air, stepping from the collapsed ground onto the ravaged earth, his dragon scales still gleaming, untainted by dust or blood, looking divine and majestic.
Another Giant Crocturtle leader let out a mournful cry.
The two leaders were mates, and the death of its partner sent the other into a frenzy.
Hiss. Its head and limbs retracted into its shell once more, then the mountainous shell began to spin rapidly, creating a fierce whirlwind as it charged towards the Golden True Dragon with overwhelming momentum.
Saga lifted his head slightly, his gaze narrowing.
The Giant Crocturtle leader's massive form was reflected in Saga's golden dragon eyes. His expression unchanged, his gaze as calm and clear as a tranquil lake after rain, without a ripple.
Opening his mouth, he inhaled.
Aiming at the oncoming Giant Crocturtle leader, he exhaled fiercely.
Whoosh!
An invisible, annihilating Dragon Breath escaped his mouth, leaving a visible Void Trail in the air, instantly piercing through the Giant Crocturtle leader. Its indestructible shell melted away as if exposed to fire and frost, including the body inside, torn asunder and killed on the spot.
After awakening, Saga descended like a deity, swiftly dealing with two high-ranking tier-seven creatures.
"Wow, so powerful."
"Could this year-long slumber have propelled our lord directly into the high ranks?"
The Demon Warlock's jaw dropped in astonishment.
Clutching its jaw to reattach it, it muttered internally: "Counting the time, our lord is now over six years old, just entering the Young Dragon stage. A high-ranking Young Dragon, terrifying indeed."
The Demon Warlock inhaled sharply.
This is a Young Dragon?
Whether in terms of size or the power and cunning displayed, Saga far exceeded the scope of a Young Dragon. Had it not witnessed it firsthand, the Demon Warlock would never believe that Saga had just entered the Young Dragon stage.
"Dragon Kind usually reach adulthood before entering the high ranks. A high-ranking Young Dragon. What unfathomable and terrifying potential."
"Compared to ordinary True Dragons, our lord is almost a different species, a stronger and more extraordinary one."
The Demon Warlock marveled in thought.
Meanwhile, the leaderless Giant Crocturtle group finally felt fear, the desire to retreat growing within them as they scattered back into the ocean, no longer eager for battle.
"Think you can come and go as you please?"
"Did you think this place was yours to leave?"
Saga rose into the air, his wings sweeping across the sky, unleashing a vast, tsunami-like electromagnetic Dragon Might. It was as if an invisible ring of pulsating energy radiated through the air.
One by one, the already demoralized Giant Crocturtles became listless, their limbs going limp, and were finished off by Saga's vassal creatures.
Only a few Giant Crocturtles near the sea managed to retreat back into the ocean, and Saga couldn't be bothered to pursue these ordinary sea beasts.
The majority of the common Giant Crocturtles were killed.
One tier-six Giant Crocturtle and three tier-five Giant Crocturtles, a total of four elite creatures, were captured.
"The Giant Crocturtles breed prolifically, their meat is delicious, and their shells can be crafted into sturdy armor. They can be bred, it's time to update the beasts in the pen."
After dealing with the sea beast Giant Crocturtles that attacked Moon Bay, Saga began to assess himself.
He could now be considered a big fellow, his size having jumped from nearly seven meters to ten, rivaling some adolescent dragons, with a wingspan twice his body length, capable of stirring gusts of wind, achieving the perfect proportions in True Dragon aesthetics.
At the same time, each golden scale became even more radiant and dazzling.
The diamond-like scales reflected a dreamlike luster with countless facets.
Normally, a Hatchling Dragon's scales are the brightest and most sparkling, then as time passes and the dragon grows, the scales gradually darken and lose their luster. But Saga was different; his scales remained brilliant, even more so than before.
His flashy scales were quite eye-catching.
However, with his Red Dragon bloodline, Saga's nature was bold and flamboyant, and the radiant, dazzling scales suited his aesthetic. He was quite pleased with them.
"Cackling, congratulations to our lord for stepping into the high ranks."
"To become a high-ranking creature during the Young Dragon stage, I believe this is unprecedented in Dragon Kind."
Addison hopped down from the Tremorboar skeleton's skull and crawled over, praising the Golden True Dragon before him.
Saga raised an eyebrow and said, "Addison, you're mistaken. I'm still some distance away from the high ranks."
Eh?
The soul fire flickered, and the Demon Warlock was taken aback.
"You haven't reached the high ranks?"
It stared blankly, speaking out.
Saga nodded calmly and explained:
"This slumber has allowed me to leap from tier four to the pinnacle of tier five."
Now, Saga's lifeform level had reached 11, just a step away from tier six.
The year-long slumber had not propelled Saga across two tiers but had elevated him from tier four to the pinnacle of tier five.
This advancement might seem modest.
However, Saga was not disappointed; he could feel his growth. His growth-focused slumber, under the control of his subconscious, did not blindly pursue tier advancement but rather emphasized solidifying his foundation. Otherwise, he could have reached tier six.
A skyscraper rises from the ground; a solid foundation is equally important.
Moreover, Saga's combat power could not be measured by tiers alone.
"Tier five pinnacle. Even a tier-six True Dragon shouldn't be able to so easily dispatch two high-ranking creatures."
The Demon Warlock inhaled sharply again.
This was even more shocking than Saga breaking through to the high ranks.
If they were both high-ranking, it would be natural for a dragon to defeat two high-ranking Giant Crocturtles, but at tier five, the pinnacle of tier five, this was somewhat inconceivable.
The Demon Warlock remembered its first direct confrontation with Saga during a stormy sea.
Facing a high-ranking creature for the first time, Saga was at a severe disadvantage. Although he nearly turned the tables with his formidable skills, the battle was perilous, like dancing on a knife's edge.
But how long had it been?
Now at tier five, Saga could directly and forcefully kill high-ranking Giant Crocturtles known for their defense.
There is a significant leap when a lifeform enters tier seven, moving from mid to high ranks. Even for dragons, crossing a major tier in battle is difficult.
"To cross tiers, no, to cross ranks and win in battle, one must be a monstrous genius, destined to stand at the pinnacle of the world."
The Demon Warlock was astounded.
At the same time, Saga was also assessing his current combat strength.
"I can easily crush two high-ranking Giant Crocturtles, but in some aspects, I'm probably still not as good as a high-ranking creature."
"My performance is due to the powerful skills I possess."
"Especially against large, heavy, defense-oriented lifeforms, I have an advantage. Their weight makes them severely affected by my gravitational field, and even the strongest defense is futile before me."
"However, no matter what, I indeed possess the combat power of the high ranks."
"Against creatures of the same tier, I can hardly imagine what could defeat me, let me taste failure. If facing ordinary high-ranking tier-seven creatures, I'm already unafraid of crossing tiers in battle, but if it's a tier-seven True Dragon of my own kind, it might be a bit dicey."
Saga judged his situation rigorously, neither arrogant nor modest.
Gurgle. A thunderous rumble from his stomach interrupted Saga's thoughts.
After a long slumber, hunger struck like a tsunami.
Since the high-ranking Giant Crocturtles were battered, Saga first chose the tier-six Giant Crocturtle, prying open its shell to feast heartily. The other vassal creatures, having fought for a long time and depleted much of their strength, also needed food and began to eat on the spot.
Under the night sky, a gluttonous banquet began.
Proofreader & Editor: Lotas