Chapter 730: The Luxurious Cruise Ship

Cyatheas that grow into crystals are undoubtedly a very strange mutation, but it's unclear whether this mutation is beneficial or harmful. The reason is simple—it relies on the magic leaked by the Lightgreen Gem Dragon to mutate, meaning that the magic power which should have formed crystal ore veins underground is now directly manifested in the form of cyatheas.

Since both produce crystals, and neither is necessarily of higher quality, the Crystal Cyathea seems completely unnecessary.

"More testing is required. For now, we'll collect a batch of cyathea seeds and see if we can cultivate Crystal Cyatheas on our territory... They'll only be valuable if they can produce crystals without relying on a dragon's magic power. Otherwise, they're completely useless."

Liszt analyzed while gathering seeds.

Acheronides agreed, "Brother, a dragon's habitat should emit magic power daily. Since forming ore veins takes too long, perhaps Crystal Cyatheas can quickly convert a dragon's magic power into crystals."

"That's a great idea. When I start building a dragon lair in the future, I'll plant plenty of Crystal Cyatheas."

He lightly scraped the back of the crystalline leaves with a small knife, making the mature seeds of the Crystal Cyathea fall off naturally. They were then stored in a sealed leather pouch and placed into a spatial storage ring for long-term preservation. After collecting enough seeds, Liszt finally stopped.

For now, he didn't disturb the partially crystallized Crystal Cyatheas.

Instead, he called out to the Fire Drake Rio: "Rio, grab the Lightgreen Gem Dragon's tail and toss it into the sea."

"Rawr!"

Rio responded excitedly, swooping down and clamping onto the Lightgreen Gem Dragon's thick tail with its hind claws. Then, beating its wings, it gradually lifted the unconscious dragon's massive body. The entire process was strenuous, but Rio was clearly enjoying himself.

Rio weighed less than a hundred tons, while the Lightgreen Gem Dragon was several hundred tons—so struggling was no surprise.

However, once the Lightgreen Gem Dragon was lifted, Rio suddenly let out a deafening roar, twisted his body, and flung the dragon seaward like a discus thrower.

"Rawr!"

"Rawr!"

Manhandling another dragon like this had Rio practically giddy with excitement. With just a little more effort, he might even unleash his bloodline’s infection ability, able to infect dragonkind. Perhaps this would become an effective method to stimulate Rio’s power to influence other dragons in the future.

The Lightgreen Gem Dragon didn’t sink into the sea—mid-flight, Acheronides conjured countless waterspouts to cushion the colossal beast's fall.

Liszt leapt into the air and landed lightly on the Lightgreen Gem Dragon's back.

Acheronides followed, springing onto the dragon as well.

"Let's go to Dodo Island. We'll settle the Lightgreen Gem Dragon there," Liszt signaled, then waved at Rio, still circling above. "Come back!"

"Rawr!"

Rio dove straight into Liszt's chest.

With Acheronides controlling the water, their speed remained swift despite carrying a dragon, and she showed no sign of strain. The ocean was her domain—as a sea-dwelling Archmage, her abilities were unfathomable.

"Acheronides, since you have such skills, I think we should bring a large ship whenever we travel in the future. You can stand at the helm, controlling its movement without sails or sailors—just attendants to clean, prepare food, and manage supplies."

This was the concept of a luxury cruise ship.

With Acheronides' protection, not even storms could destroy it, and even encounters with draconic sea monsters would pose little threat.

The idea of the cruise ship immediately captivated Acheronides. "Brother, could we build a magic laboratory on board and assign a few magic apprentices to manage it?" Her mind remained fixated on magic and the pursuit of truth, hopelessly experiment-obsessed.

"Of course."

"Hehe, then my research will be much more convenient in the future."

"Don't just focus on research. You're still young, and so am I—we have plenty of time to share. Enjoying life is what truly matters." While advising Acheronides, Liszt called up the smoke-screen task display again to review the newly assigned mission.

"Mission: The thrilling Dragon-Slaying War and the difficult choices surrounding the Soulfruit Tree have exhausted you. Though your body remains strong, your spirit is already weary. Why not relax and enjoy the cheers befitting an eighteen-year-old Dragon Knight? Reward: One spirit bug."

"Hm."

"It's been a long time since I've seen such a familiar reward—a spirit bug... As my strength has grown, the rewards from the Smoke Mission have become increasingly generous, gradually shifting from spirits to dragons. I never expected to regress like this today, returning to a spirit bug."

He vaguely sensed that the rewards from the Smoke Mission were not only related to his surroundings but also tied to fate's power.

As he continued to progress, fate's power seemed to grow stronger, capable of manipulating stronger threads of destiny. The Fire Dragon and the Lightgreen Gem Dragon had both fallen under the calculations of fate's power. Even the occasional spirit bug rewards had begun to come in multiples rather than just one.

"Did I overuse that smoke when erasing the mental imprint of the First Dragon Knight, weakening fate's power?"

At that time, the divine dragon-tooth weapon formed from smoke had shown signs of cracking as it repeatedly struck down the mental imprints.

"So it's not that my spirit is weary, but that fate's power has weakened?" Liszt suddenly felt a bit tense.

The Smoke Mission was his greatest reliance. One could say that an ordinary Earth office worker with mediocre intelligence, talent, and drive had only grown into a once-in-an-era genius in this world thanks to the Smoke Mission. Without it, he might still have been a rural baron quietly developing Flower Town.

It was the Smoke Mission that had allowed him to rise step by step, becoming the new ruler of these sapphire waters.

"It seems I must use fate's power more cautiously in the next mental battle. After finally advancing the Smoke Mission to the point where it can target dragons, I can't afford to regress to the level of trapping spirit bugs." Liszt made this resolution, though he didn't dwell on it too much.

Familiarity breeds contempt—now he was a Dragon Knight, a powerhouse standing at the pinnacle of strength.

Even without the Smoke Mission, he could roam the legendary lands freely.

...

Liszt had not returned all night, yet Ironhoof City remained bustling. Though the battle had ended, noble fleets from all over, still unaware of the news, continued to converge on the city.

Upon seeing the slumbering Sapphire Dragon near Ironhoof City, all arriving nobles and knights heard in stunned silence the legendary account of the Dragon-Slaying War involving four Dragon Knights and one Archmage. The genius knight of the Tulip family had ascended to Dragon Knight and even had an Archmage sister.

"Viscount Liszt... no, Lord Liszt actually slew the Dragon Knight of the Kingdom of the Eagle?"

"Magnificent! A shame we couldn't witness it firsthand!"

"Are you fooling me? A Dragon-Slaying War with five peak powerhouses?"

"Incredible!"

No one wanted to believe such an epic Dragon-Slaying War had taken place, yet the knights stationed in Ironhoof City recounted the events with such certainty that the newcomers had no choice but to accept the truth. A legend was indeed born here. The Sapphire family might still rule the Sapphire Duchy, but a new order was coming to the sea.