The following day, at dawn.

Threads of morning light cascaded down, fragmented into patches by the treetops and leaves, leaving only the warm embers of a fire that had burned through the night.

Shark-tigers lay scattered haphazardly across the beach.

A Hatchling Dragon, with a stone pot atop its head and its rear end basking in the morning sun, sprawled out and turned over in its sleep.

Thud!

The stone pot slid off, crashing onto the Hatchling Dragon’s claw.

Saga jolted awake, instinctively flexing his claw, and the black stone pot, previously filled with delicious fish soup, flew far away.

Thud!

The stone pot struck the head of a Blue Dragon.

Gulitia mumbled something, then flipped over, belly-up, with the stone pot hanging from her snout, yet she did not wake.

Gulitia slept soundly.

Ever since leaving the gathering place of the Blue Dragons, she had not enjoyed such a sweet and comfortable sleep.

Convinced that Saga was a legendary True Dragon, the Blue Dragon Gulitia felt very secure, believing her safety was fully assured. Thus, she ignored any harmless rustling of the wind and grass, continuing to sleep soundly.

“Tremorboar, truly delicious.”

Smacking her lips, the Blue Dragon nibbled on her damp claw and continued to sleep.

Saga withdrew his gaze, then spread his wings and burst into the sunlight, flying to the highest point of First Quarter Island, the summit of Gemstone Peak.

Wings folded.

Saga’s claws left trails on the rocky peak as he looked down, seeing vast forests undulating like green waves in the breeze. The maple and red leaf forests were especially beautiful, with countless leaves dancing in the wind, shimmering faintly in the sunlight. Lifting his head, he gazed out to the sea.

The vast expanse of the ocean stretched to the limits of Saga’s vision.

The azure waves, ceaselessly undulating, interwove with the sunlight, casting a glittering golden sheen. Occasionally, strange seabirds skimmed low over the water, diving to hunt fish before bursting back through the surface, and massive fish leaped from the water, engulfing the low-flying birds before plunging back into the depths.

Turning his head.

First Quarter Island, Waxing Crescent Island, Waning Crescent Island—all of Moon Bay came into view.

The expansive vista uplifted Saga’s spirits.

He took a deep breath of the fresh air tinged with a faint briny scent, then lowered his gaze back to Gemstone Peak.

This towering peak, like a sword thrust into First Quarter Island, continued deep into the earth for hundreds of meters, housing a small gemstone mine that nurtured over a hundred Magic Gems.

“All these Magic Gems will be mine.”

The thought of his wealth increasing significantly brought a surge of joy to Saga’s heart.

According to the legacy mentioned, using a high-quality Lionheart Gem stolen from the mouth of a Blue Dragon girl as the core, and complementing it with other Magic Gems arranged in a specific pattern, one could form a Gemstone Array. This array would attract Elemental Energy, enhancing the concentration of Elemental Energy in the vicinity.

Installing a Gemstone Array in the Dragon’s Nest, where dragons often reside in an environment rich in Elemental Energy, is very beneficial for the growth of dragonkind.

The pure energy emitted from the gems could also be absorbed slowly and steadily, nourishing the body and spirit. The specific benefits depended on the dominant attribute of the Magic Gems forming the Gemstone Array.

“Let my followers rest well for once, then they can start mining Magic Gems for me.”

Looking down at the shark-tigers sprawled on the ground, Saga thought.

Excavating tunnels, harvesting raw ore, separating the gems from the rock, and cleaning the dirt and debris from the gems all required manpower.

“Relying solely on these shark-tigers seems insufficient. The Lampfishmen and Slimes of Waning Crescent Island could also be utilized.”

Saga’s gaze stretched toward Waning Crescent Island.

His exceptional long-range vision allowed him to see some Lampfishmen and Slimes active on Waning Crescent Island.

Among them were some Earth Slimes, their bodies a muddy brown with a layer of black stone armor on their heads. Their semi-transparent, frost-like bodies could easily create a large hole by rubbing against the ground, and they devoured rocks at a rapid pace.

“These Lampfishmen have domesticated quite a few Earth Element Slimes, which would be quite suitable for mining.”

Saga mused silently, retracting his gaze.

Time passed quietly, and Saga reveled in the sensation of the wind buffeting his scales as he surveyed all from the peak, his spirit buoyant and expansive. This pleasant and broad state of mind caused his spiritual power to fluctuate and grow slightly.

Upon achieving a long-contemplated goal.

The emotional fluctuations that ensued could propel a Mind Warlock further along their path.

Conversely.

If one failed to achieve their goals, and their spirits were dampened or their minds suffered a setback, their spiritual power would not increase but decrease, and the strength of a Mind Warlock’s spirit would wane.

Unlike many Transcendent professions that can remain stagnant if not advancing, the path of a Mind Warlock is one of regression if not progression.

However, if one can press on with vigor, advancing rapidly and continuously achieving goals, cultivating a confident and indomitable spirit, the growth rate of a Mind Warlock is unimaginable to other paths.

Sigh.

Saga slowly exhaled a breath tinged with sparks.

Lifting his head, he gurgled and spat out a rolling ball of fierce flames, incinerating the bits of meat and bone stuck between his dragon teeth.

Bathed in the morning light, the Hatchling Dragon’s teeth gleamed brightly.

Saga shook his head in satisfaction.

Having indulged himself at last night’s feast, Saga had not meditated. He exercised his body for a while, then folded his wings and took a few steps at the edge of the cliff before diving straight down.

The air whistled past his body.

The ground zoomed into view at breakneck speed.

Just as the Golden Hatchling Dragon was about to crash into the ground, his wings suddenly unfurled, his rapidly falling body coming to an abrupt halt and swerving, skimming the ground at an ultra-low altitude. The pressure from his wings against the earth even caused a muffled boom, kicking up a wave of dust.

Quickly.

Saga folded his wings again a hundred meters away and came to a stop.

His gaze swept the surroundings, where the ground was marred with signs of trampling, tearing, and impact. Trees had collapsed in swathes, and debris was scattered everywhere, presenting a scene of devastation.

The Tremorboar had left many marks during its beating.

Shifting his gaze, Saga looked down at the ground not ten meters ahead.

The air there rippled visibly with heat waves due to the high temperature.

The ground was parched and cracked.

Leaves that fell with the wind spontaneously combusted mid-air.

Gurgle.

The surface of the lava pool in front of Saga bubbled continuously, as if much of the lava had been absorbed, leaving only a shallow layer.

A colossal figure emerged from within.

Fierce horns, scales tinged with rose gold amidst dark brown, clusters of crystals in shades of yellow and fiery red on various parts, and stout limbs half-submerged in lava.

These features collectively depicted the current appearance of the Yellow Crystal Earth Dragon.

“Rich scent of fire Elemental Energy.”

“Indeed, the Dragon Vein transformation has granted it traces of my own Red Dragon or Golden Dragon bloodline, allowing it to be reborn from fire, with greatly increased strength and potential.”

The dragonic aura on the Yellow Crystal Earth Dragon.

It was at least four times more intense than before.

Still not comparable to a True Dragon, but not to be underestimated.

Its life stage had not directly broken through to the sixth tier, but it had reached the pinnacle of the fifth tier, exuding an explosive yet stable aura, as if it could break through to the sixth tier at any moment.

At that moment, as if sensing Saga’s gaze.

The Yellow Crystal Earth Dragon opened its eyes.

Its pupils revealed a more vibrant color than before and blinked pleasingly at Saga, then the formidable beast lowered its head in submission and reverence to Saga.

“You seem to have grown much smarter.”

Saga’s powerful spirit allowed him to sense the intelligence of lifeforms. As a semi-Sapient Being, the Yellow Crystal Earth Dragon’s intelligence had far surpassed the average level of ordinary semi-Sapient Beings, which was merely average before the Dragon Vein transformation.

The Dragon Vein transformation indeed had the effect of awakening intelligence in lifeforms.

On Thorn Isle, the bipedal dragons that followed The Red Dragoness and underwent Dragon Vein transformation could all speak Dragon Tongue, communicating like normal Sapient Beings, something ordinary bipedal dragons could not do.

Spiritual power formed a chain of the mind, linking to the Yellow Crystal Earth Dragon.

Then, Saga’s whisper echoed in its mind.

“You will eventually develop sufficient wisdom, and even now, you are beginning to emerge from ignorance.”

“Your performance has earned you the opportunity for Dragon Vein transformation, and the tenacity to successfully endure it will also earn you the honor of being named by me.”

“Cordoba, remember, this is your name from now on.”

The Yellow Crystal Earth Dragon hummed softly, burying its head even deeper, almost burrowing into the lava.

It seemed that only in this way could it express its reverence and gratitude to Saga.

Meanwhile, as Saga watched the Yellow Crystal Earth Dragon bowing its head, an idea took root in his innermost thoughts.

“As a Mind Warlock, I can create or develop my own spiritual guards.”

“By infusing a part of my personality, a fragment, a prominent aspect, into a construct or a lifeform with rudimentary but naive intelligence through spiritual power, I can turn it into my spiritual guard.”

Saga pondered.

Spiritual guards are a unique class of servants and followers exclusive to Mind Warlocks, and the relationship between them is more than just that of servant and master.

Spiritual guards have their own thoughts, their own ways of acting, and exist as separate individuals.

Yet, spiritual guards are also an extension of the Mind Warlock’s personality, subject to the Mind Warlock’s remote control, able to share vision and senses, and the stronger the Mind Warlock, the stronger the spiritual guard.

In a sense, spiritual guards are also a part of the Mind Warlock, but their death does not affect the Mind Warlock. Conversely, if the Mind Warlock dies, all spiritual guards will be severely injured or even die on the spot.

If subjected to mental and spiritual attacks, spiritual guards can help the Mind Warlock share and resist the pressure.

The pain and stimuli experienced in battle can also be transferred to the spiritual guards.

When spiritual guards are sufficiently advanced, they can even directly transfer damage.

There can be up to five spiritual guards, which are replaceable. A low-tier Mind Warlock can develop one spiritual guard, a mid-tier two, a high-tier three, and upon reaching legendary status, five can be developed.

Since the spiritual feedback received from the Mind Warlock is limited, having too many spiritual guards would render them ordinary characters, losing their status as powerful followers of the Mind Warlock.

And that’s not even the main reason.

“Ruby Dragon God, Red Jade Dragon, Master of the Gemstone Dragons.”

“This Dragon God, worshiped by many Gemstone Dragons, has five spiritual guards in His divine realm that rival deities in power.”

The Ruby Dragon God’s spiritual guards are of high caliber and are considered His enfeoffed vassals, each possessing formidable strength. This is well-known among dragonkind, and many followers of the Ruby Dragon God have long aspired to become His sixth vassal, although the chances are so slim as to be nearly impossible.

“The legacy mentioned that there can be at most five spiritual guards, and it is best to use constructs or lifeforms with rudimentary and naive intelligence.”

For beings of the Dragon God’s caliber, if they so wished, they could certainly create more than five spiritual guards.

But taking the Ruby Dragon God as an example.

There was an incident that caused quite a stir among dragonkind, clearly recorded in the legacy and heard by many other Sapient Being races.

The Ruby Dragon God originally had a sixth spiritual guard.

His sixth spiritual guard was an Obsidian Dragon.

However, for unknown reasons and specific causes, the Ruby Dragon God destroyed His own spiritual guard and issued a divine decree, expelling the Obsidian Dragon race from the Gemstone Dragon clan.

The followers of the Ruby Dragon God have speculated and debated the motives behind His decision, but there has never been a conclusion.

Since then, the Ruby Dragon God has not developed any new spiritual guards.

“The legacy mentioned a conjecture recognized by many dragons, especially the Gemstone Dragons.””Too many psychic guards, or those who already possess advanced intelligence when they become psychic guards, are likely to betray the Mind Warlock.”

The psychic guards of the Ruby Dragon God are all excellent Gemstone Dragons chosen by Him, certainly not just possessing rudimentary, naive intelligence.

“Although I don’t understand the specific reasons, if it weren’t for the betrayal by His own psychic guards, the Ruby Dragon God probably wouldn’t have been thunderously furious, even going so far as to angrily expel the Obsidian Dragon clan from the Gemstone Dragon clan. This is a Dragon God of neutral nature, not a mother of Evil Dragons.”

Saga thought to himself.

Looking again at the Citrine Earth Dragon, Saga stepped forward, then extended his dragon claw, caressing the other’s huge, heat-emitting horn.

“Before understanding the specific reasons, it’s best to follow the reminders in the legacy.”

“It’s best to develop psychic guards by choosing creatures or constructs with rudimentary, naive intelligence.”

Psychic guards are almost the most useful type of guardians in all paths.

Saga wanted to have his own psychic guards, an indispensable retinue and guard for a Mind Warlock, an extension of the Mind Warlock’s limbs, with many in his retinue meeting the conditions to become psychic guards. Moreover, if he ever felt dissatisfied, he could always replace them.

“The legacy provides a very detailed description of psychic guards.”

The little Hatchling Dragon’s dragon face drooped slightly: “But hey, you’ve described it so detailed and comprehensively, can’t you also record down the mental ability to condense personality fragments and create psychic guards in the legacy?”

It’s the last day of the month, just two hundred votes shy of three thousand.