A month had passed since the grand finale and the crowning of the champion.

Deep within the Dragon City of the ocean depths, in the Divine Golden Dragon Palace, Yekaterina lay coiled on her ruby bed, casting an annoyed glance at the little Golden Dragon before her, who strutted with an insufferable air of arrogance.

“Yekaterina, my head feels heavy, as if something’s pressing down on it. Can you take a look for me?”

“Oh, it turns out to be the pure gold crown I won in the competition, symbolizing the glory of the champion and certifying my status!”

Saga leaned closer to Yekaterina, allowing her a clearer view, while speaking in an obnoxiously smug tone.

Scenes like this had become all too common lately.

For instance.

“My dragon horns itch, why could that be? Oh, it’s because I’m wearing the crown of the champion, and I’m still not quite used to it.”

“Why would a dragon have horns but no crown? Do you want to try wearing mine?”

Yekaterina had a crown of her own.

However, the crown she received as the Hatchling Dragon champion was inferior in material, effect, and aesthetic appeal compared to the one Saga flaunted. Knowing that wearing her own would only invite further mockery from Saga, and disliking accessories in general, she had chosen not to wear it.

With a frown, The Little Dragoness bared her teeth at Saga and huffed:

“It’s been almost a month since the competition ended. Stop flaunting your champion title to me.”

Saga raised an eyebrow and said:

“Speaking of the competition, look what I got from it.”

Yekaterina swiftly covered her ears with her claws, adopting an ‘I’m not listening’ pose.

However.

Saga’s voice resonated directly in her heart, tirelessly boasting about his championship, much to his delight.

“My detestable little brother, haven’t you had enough?”

“Your incessant chatter is starting to remind me of a garrulous Brass Dragon! It’s incredibly annoying. Shut your mouth, or else let’s go outside and have another fight!”

Yekaterina opened her eyes, lowered her claws, and spoke angrily.

After infuriating his dragon sister, the little Golden Dragon grinned and said nonchalantly:

“I remember a certain haughty Little Dragoness once boldly claimed, ‘Victory crowns the king, defeat eats the dust.’ The losers of this Hatchling Dragon competition should bow to the victor with respect.”

In the face of Yekaterina’s momentarily stunned expression.

Saga smacked his lips and said:

“That’s right, don’t just stand there gawking, I’m talking about you.”

“You haven’t forgotten your own words, have you?”

Yekaterina’s voice softened considerably, trying to wriggle out of it with a low murmur: “When did I say—”

Saga tapped his claw and casually said:

“My proud and powerful dragon sister, the majestic Mother Dragon, a Hatchling Dragon champion, surely you’re not planning to evade your defeat, like those prideless, honorless White Scales, refusing to acknowledge your own words?”

Hearing Saga’s words, Yekaterina flew into a rage.

“How dare you compare me, Yekaterina, with the disgrace of dragonkind!”

“Hmph, just a bit of respect, right? I can do that!”

Upon hearing this, Saga nodded almost imperceptibly, a satisfied expression on his face. Yekaterina’s reaction was exactly as he had anticipated, he had her figured out.

My ‘sister-taming’ technique is as effective as ever, Saga thought with amusement.

“Then come.”

“Show me your respect.”

Saga said to Yekaterina.

Facing the little Golden Dragon, Yekaterina fell silent for a moment, then with a look of shame, she tried to keep her face expressionless while her head slowly lowered. Her neck moved stiffly, as if its gears were rusted, or as though she was under the influence of a strange spell that slowed the passage of time.

Until her head was bowed lower than Saga’s shoulder height.

In dragon culture, this was a sign of respect, a voluntary lowering of one’s status to acknowledge the other’s strength.

Immediately, Yekaterina’s neck sprang up like a spring.

“I’m foolish—”

“Hmm? Do you understand the meaning of respect now?”

“My powerful little brother, when the next youth competition starts, I will redeem myself! Hmph, I don’t have time to play with you, I need to use every second to grow stronger!”

Yekaterina flapped her wings and no longer paid attention to Saga.

She left the chamber in a huff, heading to the coral training grounds to exercise her body and strengthen her combat skills.

Shortly after, Saga returned to his own chamber, as usual, soaking himself in a pool of lava, his expression gradually becoming serene.

“I’m still not strong enough.”

“The battles with Hyperion and Yekaterina were actually close calls.”

Saga mused silently.

“Still, they are the brightest Hatchling Dragon stars of the Dragon City, and though the victories were narrow, defeating them to claim the championship is still a matter of pride.”

“The semi-finals and finals. The fierce battles against equally matched opponents were truly exhilarating.”

Saga reflected.

Although it was a competition, knowing that the elders in Dragon City had the power to bring them back even from death, they all fought without holding back, the intensity of the battles was no different from life-and-death struggles.

In a situation where life and death were not a concern.

Casting aside all distractions, fighting with single-minded focus and ferocity, Saga found the memory of the blood-boiling battles so thrilling that he longed to experience them again. In the outside world, without life-or-death grudges or significant benefits driving them, it was hard to encounter such fiercely contested battles. Most likely, they would just test each other out and then retreat after reaching a certain point.

Unfortunately, he had no idea when the next youth competition would start.

The scheduling of such competitions was not fixed and did not follow a strict timetable.

But no matter when it started, based on Saga’s age, he would not be eligible to participate for another eight or nine years at the earliest.

Saga stretched out his claw and took off the pure gold crown that fit perfectly on his head, nestled between his three pairs of dragon horns, and then looked down, quietly observing it.

This was a crown forged entirely of pure gold, without any impurities.

It wasn’t particularly exquisite, but it carried a texture and sense of power that greatly appealed to dragon aesthetics. Its surface was etched with majestic dragon patterns, rough to the touch like sandpaper.

Upon closer inspection.

One could see that the dragon patterns on the crown were composed of countless tiny magical runes, imbued with the power of magic.

Pure gold was a top-grade magical metal, a thousand times more precious than ordinary gold, and many high-quality magical artifacts were made with pure gold.

This crown, crafted from pure gold, was naturally more than just a decoration.

Saga closed his eyes slightly, his psychic energy enveloping the pure gold crown, quietly sensing the magic within.

【Magic Barrier, Lava Shield, Golden Rampart, Spell Reflection, Spell Nullification Barrier, Powerful Healing Spell, Powerful Restoration Spell.】

The pure gold crown contained nearly a hundred spells, ranging from the first to the seventh circle, mainly covering enhancement, protection, and recovery effects, but also included a few offensive and transformational spells.

This was almost the total number of spells a typical seventh-circle Caster would use.

More importantly, this was a magical equipment, not a Caster.

In normal times, the pure gold crown would absorb stray magic power and store it, and the limit of magic power it could store was only slightly more than that of a normal seventh-order Caster.

Moreover, using the spells it contained required only a certain amount of mental guidance and target locking, with no need for incantations, preparation, or consumption.

Such equipment was somewhat useful to legendary beings and considered a top-tier item for any creature below that level.

“This crown is worth a fortune, a real treasure.”

“If I could have used it in the competition, winning would have been a breeze.”

Given the resources of Dragon City, the prize for the champion could not be anything less than excellent.

After examining the pure gold crown for a while, Saga smiled with satisfaction and then put the crown back on his head.

When filled with magic power, the pure gold crown would nourish the wearer’s body with the excess magic power it couldn’t store. It was beneficial to wear it when idle, aiding in growth and development.

Then, Saga left the palace.

Ten minutes later.

Splash!

With a cascade of crystal-clear golden droplets, Saga burst forth from the sea, creating ripples and waves.

Leaving the depths of the ocean, Saga looked around, gazing at the vast expanse of the sea and the sky, blue as a sapphire. The gentle sea breeze caressed his body, bringing a sense of comfort.

After circling in midair.

Saga flew towards Metal Dragon Island.

He planned to go to the hunting grounds and catch some prey for himself. While in Dragon City, Saga could simply tell the water spirit maids what he wanted to eat, but such ease of feeding had made him occasionally long for the thrill of the hunt.

At the same time, he wanted to familiarize himself with the recently acquired pure gold crown through hunting.

Using equipment also required a certain level of proficiency.

Entering the hunting grounds often frequented by Hatchling Dragons, Saga headed straight for the area inhabited by high-ranking creatures.

This time, before he entered the high-ranking creature area, no guardian dragons warned Saga of the danger ahead.

Having defeated one opponent after another under the watchful eyes of many, emerging victorious and becoming the champion, Saga had recently become a prominent figure in Dragon City, hailed as the strongest Hatchling Dragon in its history and seen as the future of Dragon City.

One minute later.

Boom!

A golden dragon arm surged, completely grasping the small-bodied Six-Headed Serpent Leopard within its claws.

Saga, over ten meters long, pressed the Six-Headed Serpent Leopard to the ground, dragging it along and leaving a deep trench, then flung it into the air.

Buzz!

The pure gold crown shone brightly, with dragon patterns flickering.

Space Rending Spell!

In an instant, the space around the Serpent Leopard cracked like a shattered mirror, the fissures only lasting a brief moment before being erased by the powerful restorative force of space.

However, the cracks on the Six-Headed Serpent Leopard’s body did not disappear.

Hiss. Its body fell apart, blood and flesh raining down like a shower, splattering on the ground and forming a grotesque blood flower.

In just one minute.

A high-ranking creature was slain by Saga, who had surpassed his own rank.

After a series of intense battles in the competition, Saga had gained much and had grown stronger than when he first arrived in Dragon City, easily killing ordinary seventh-rank creatures.

Looking down at the bloodied ground, Saga shook his head, losing interest in eating.

With a flap of his wings, he moved on to another high-ranking creature’s territory.

Another minute passed.

Boom!

A ten-meter-long, incredibly thick golden dragon arm descended from the sky, smashing a high-ranking Earth Elemental Tiger into dust.

Immediately, Saga swung his gigantic, disproportionately large dragon arm, easily sweeping and crushing the surrounding jagged rocks, then showed a satisfied expression.

This was caused by the localized magnification spell provided by the pure gold crown.

Looking at the high-ranking Earth Elemental Tiger, now reduced to gravel under his mighty fist, Saga shook his head slightly and muttered to himself:

“The creatures in this hunting ground are a bit too fragile.”

Just as he finished speaking, Dragon Tongue reached Saga’s ears.

“You can go to the hunting grounds often visited by young dragons; the prey in this hunting ground won’t provide you with any training effect.”

The guardian dragon of the Hatchling Dragon hunting ground was getting restless.

Judging by the speed at which Saga was hunting high-ranking creatures, if it continued, he might clear out all the high-ranking creatures in the Hatchling Dragon hunting ground in less than a day, and they would have to capture more.

“That’s true, the prey here is meant for ordinary Hatchling Dragons.”

Saga pondered:

“However, even the young dragons’ hunting ground probably won’t satisfy me. Ah, sometimes being too strong, to the point of standing apart from your peers, can be a bit troublesome.”

The guardian dragon: …

The guardian dragon chose to remain silent.

Then, Saga spread his wings, basking in the sunlight as he soared into the sky, preparing to leave the Hatchling Dragon hunting ground and head directly to the young dragons’ hunting ground.

However, before he left the Hatchling Dragon hunting ground.

He happened to encounter the little Silver Dragon, Ilyag.

To Saga’s surprise, the little Silver Dragon was still with the Amethyst Dragon, Tishel.

The two dragons seemed to know each other and appeared to be on good terms.

Saga folded his wings and descended to the ground at the little Silver Dragon’s call.

Rustle rustle rustle. The dense canopy rustled against dragon scales, swaying, and the serene patches of sunlight that filtered through the leaves were distorted and replaced by dragon shadows.

“Saga brother, hello.”

The little Silver Dragon, who was actually a few years older than Saga, smiled sweetly and said cheerily.

“Your crown looks very nice, it suits you…”

“Also, congratulations on winning the championship, you’re amazing, I never imagined you could become the champion at the start.”

She blinked, her eyes filled with admiration.

“Not bad, just a bit of luck.”

Saga’s tail flicked slightly as he spoke modestly.

The little Silver Dragon’s gaze shifted, and she said with a grin:

“My mother once told me that luck is a modest word for the strong, Saga brother, you’re already a true powerhouse.”

“You have to look out for me from now on, I cheered for you very hard during the competition.”

The little Silver Dragon put on a face as if she had also ‘fought’ hard.

“Sure thing, just pay me some protection money.”

Saga laughed heartily.

“Wow, you’re actually asking me for protection money, Saga brother, you’re so mean.”

The little Silver Dragon stuck her tongue out at Saga, then hugged the Amethyst Dragon beside her and said, “Tishel sister, I have you to look out for me, I can’t afford the protection money.”

The Amethyst Dragon smiled slightly, ruffled the little Silver Dragon’s head, and then said:

“I could also charge some protection money, you know.”

“Crack.” The little Silver Dragon made a strange noise, then clutched her chest with a pained expression, saying, “Did you two hear that? That was the sound of my heart breaking.”

Slap!

The Amethyst Dragon’s tail struck the little Silver Dragon’s head, her eyes rolling as she gave her a look and said:

“You have exceptional talent; if you put in more effort and weren’t so lazy, you could have a chance to become a favorite to win the championship.”

The little Silver Dragon weakly said:

“But I like to play, training and cultivating are too boring.”

Then, her tone brightened, and she said cheerfully, “It’s fine as long as you guys are strong, I know you, and we’re friends. My friends are strong, which means I’m strong too.”

A more self-reliant Saga said to the little Silver Dragon:

“But your own strength is most important. No matter how strong we are, we might not be able to help you when you’re in danger.”

The little Silver Dragon shook her head, insisting:

“Saga brother is right, but I don’t plan to leave Dragon City; I’ll just stay here, it’s safe. I want to live here until I’m old, then continue to enjoy my retirement!”

Saga and Tishel exchanged glances, somewhat bemused.

“…That’s also a good way to think.”

Most dragons are unwilling to stay in one place for too long, but that doesn’t mean all dragons feel the same way; the little Silver Dragon, Ilyag, was content to stay in Dragon City forever.

“When I become a young dragon, I plan to leave Dragon City.”

The Amethyst Dragon, Tishel, said.

Saga’s gaze shifted, looking at the Amethyst Dragon, “I remember you’re already fourteen years old.”

“Yes, I plan to leave Dragon City next year. It’s nice here, and the dragon elders around me treat me well, but this place ultimately belongs to the Metal Dragons. As a Gemstone Dragon, I sometimes feel a bit out of place.”

The Amethyst Dragon said with a smile.

“What do you plan to do after leaving Dragon City?”

Saga asked.

“I haven’t decided yet.”

After a pause, the Amethyst Dragon’s eyes shone with a different light, saying:

“Once I’m strong enough, I might try to create a Gemstone Dragon City, as grand and filled with powerful dragons as Metal Dragon City.”

Dragon City was an empire-level force.

Creating a Gemstone Dragon City to rival Dragon City was no easy feat.

It was an ambitious goal.

“I didn’t expect you to have such an aspiration, I wish you success.”

Saga said with a smile.

The little Silver Dragon interjected, “When Tishel sister’s Gemstone Dragon City is built, can I go there to retire?”

The Amethyst Dragon smiled slightly and said:

“Of course, my ideal Gemstone Dragon City will also welcome other like-minded dragons, just as Metal Dragon City is home to Gemstone Dragons like me.”

Saga could sense the Amethyst Dragon’s hopeful dreams for the future.

Her goal was not just talk; she was very determined, Saga thought silently.

A Mind Warlock’s convictions and the goals they set for themselves are generally unwavering.

This is also a means for Mind Warlocks to grow stronger.

In some of the knowledge theories from Saga’s previous life, there was a concept called — setting a grand vow.

Setting a goal, fulfilling the wish, satisfying the heart, and surging psychic energy. The Amethyst Dragon had set a grand goal for herself even in her youth.

If one day she could achieve her wish.

When the Gemstone Dragon City reached a level that satisfied her heart, she would undergo a transformation, a leap in growth.

“And what about me? I’m also a Mind Warlock.”

“While achieving some minor goals, I can also set a grand vision that requires long-term effort and struggle.”

“Such a vision cannot be set lightly; it must align with one’s true inner desires, and there must be a chance of achieving it. It can’t be set too high or too far, or it will become a constraint instead.”

Saga fell into deep thought, his body emitting a faint psychic glow that gradually brightened.

The Amethyst Dragon noticed Saga’s unusual state and then quietly pulled the curious little Silver Dragon aside, watching silently.

Moments later.

The psychic glow converged in Saga’s eyes, shining brightly.

Saga searched his heart and set a suitable vision for himself — to stand at the pinnacle of the planet he was on, to become a world emperor above all creatures.

To some ordinary beings.

This would seem like an arrogant and delusional idea.

But to Saga, who was aware of the infinite multiverse.

Saiga Planet, vast as it was, was still just an insignificant drop in the ocean of the universe, not even a pond.

If he couldn ‘t even stand at the peak of this ‘drop,’ how could he hope to witness the magnificent vistas of the infinite multiverse?

“It seems you’ve also set a grand psychic goal for yourself.”

“May I know what it is?” the Amethyst Dragon asked curiously.

As it was no secret, Saga openly shared his vision with the Amethyst Dragon.

After hearing Saga’s response, the Amethyst Dragon’s eyes widened in amazement:

“That’s even harder to achieve than my goal.”

Her gaze lingered on Saga, and the Amethyst Dragon’s expression of astonishment quickly faded as she said:

“But if it’s you, it somehow seems normal.”

While Saga was chatting with the Amethyst Dragon and the little Silver Dragon, a familiar scent suddenly wafted over.

Turning his head.

Through the gaps between the branches, a shadow gleamed with dark metallic luster appeared in Saga’s field of vision.

The Iron Dragon, Lexand, roared into view, flapping its wings, the pressure of the wind causing the surrounding leaves to spin and dust to billow, before landing near where Saga and the other dragons were.

Taking a deep breath.

The Iron Dragon, Lexand, raised its head, gazing intently at Saga.

Saga raised an eyebrow and smiled:

“Congratulations, it seems you’ve overcome your psychological shadow.”

Facing Saga, the Iron Dragon’s voice rang out like clashing metal, saying solemnly:

“I will restore the glory of the Metal Dragons and not wallow in a momentary defeat.”

After a pause, it continued with gravity:

“Saga Alzhus, you’ve left a deep impression on me, and I will regard you as a rival to surpass.”

Baring its sharp, gleaming fangs, it declared, “Any moment of laxity on your part will be an opportunity for me to surpass you. Remember, I, Lexand, will always be in pursuit of you!”

Hmm. Chasing the shadows of other dragons equates to admitting one’s own weakness; it’s not a grand declaration, but coming from an Iron Dragon, it was particularly resonant and spirited.

Hearing the Iron Dragon’s words, a mysterious smile slowly spread across Saga’s golden visage.

The Iron Dragon furrowed its brows, asking, “I’m serious, are you mocking my resolve?”

Saga’s gaze was as calm as a lake after the rain, and he whispered:

“No, I acknowledge your determination, I can feel your unwavering will.”

“Your resolve is commendable, but.”

Saga lifted his chin slightly, his voice calm and certain, leaving no room for doubt:

“.the harsh reality before you is that your first battle with me was the only chance you ever had to defeat me.”

ps: The previous chapter has been slightly modified, adding a declaration for Saga at the end.