Chapter 719: Improved Secret Manual

"The Domain of Mana Manual" and "Spiral Rotation" were tomes swiftly penned by the Wrath of Thunder Marquis, both concise and spanning only a few pages.

Liszt first flipped through *The Domain of Mana Manual*. According to the Wrath of Thunder Marquis, there was no standardized tome for mana domains in the market—only internal, orally transmitted knowledge within various families, gradually refined through trial and error. His tome was the complete version after his own continuous exploration and supplementation.

Following the cultivation method described in the manual, the mana domain somewhat resembled the principle of dragonrider resonance—utilizing the resonance and entanglement of mana, then slightly guiding them to coalesce into a variegated yet potent force under one's control.

It was somewhat akin to a choir.

One person leads, and the others follow.

Of course, the details were far more intricate, especially when commanding the varied manas of an entire knight order, requiring highly complex operations. Moreover, the Domain Knight needed to be familiar with each knight's mana to facilitate timely guidance of the order’s resonance, entering the mana domain.

For Liszt, this *Domain of Mana Manual* held little necessity for cultivation.

It neither enhanced his strength—as the Dragon Aura far surpassed the mana domain—nor provided reference, as it was merely an imitation, abridged, weakened, and fragmented version of dragonrider resonance. Compared to the deep fusion of mind and body in dragonrider resonance, wielding a mana domain felt like playing house.

"While it doesn’t supplement my strength or offer new insights, the mana domain remains an invaluable cultivation manual for ordinary knights... The Marquis didn’t falsify anything—the cultivation content in this manual is correct."

With his current discernment, whether a manual was viable for cultivation could be deduced with minimal reasoning.

Next, he opened *Spiral Rotation*, a mana art straddling auxiliary and combat applications. It employed a special method to coil mana in spiraling currents through the body.

Not only did it intensify the aura’s concentration, but it also accelerated its release speed and enhanced its penetrative power.

"No wonder he could defeat the Marquis in one move. With the aid of *Spiral Rotation* and the boost from the mana domain, the Marquis’ casual strikes were formidable. Had he not encountered me, his strength might have truly achieved great feats—though meeting me was his inescapable doom."

...

Setting down both manuals, he stored them in a dedicated section of his void storage ring for books.

By now, he possessed a complete set of mana cultivation tomes, from the *Basic Mana* for squire knights to the *Inferno Surge*, *Thousand-Layer Surge*, and *Fire Dragon Spiral* for landed knights... as well as the archery essentials like *Multiple Arrows* and *Homing Arrow*.

Then came the advanced mana tomes for sky knights: *Tidal Surge Shatter*, *Meteorfall Shockwave*, *Skyrending Thunderclap*, and *Crimson Sunflare Surge*. The advanced tomes cultivated by the Wrath of Thunder Marquis, the Clearwater Sword Saint Yevich, Jia Xiya, and Fox were also acquired.

The collection was diverse, covering the five elemental categories of water, fire, earth, wind, and thunder.

Now, the *Domain of Mana Manual* had been added to complete the set.

From start to finish, he lacked no manuals for knight cultivation. Moreover, come dawn, the Grand Duke would exchange the *Dragon Knight Mana Manual* with him.

By then,

the knight cultivation system would be entirely under his grasp.

As for mana arts, he currently possessed only three: *Magic Eye*, *Mana Suppression*, and *Spiral Rotation*. Liszt intended to collect more in the future, enriching his repository and broadening his insights—perhaps even pioneering new mana arts.

"If the natives of this world can create various mana tomes and techniques, why can’t I? I possess the accumulated wisdom of another world!"

Though the two worlds—before and after his transmigration—differed fundamentally in many aspects, most principles could be cross-referenced.

His mindset was far more expansive than the natives’, but his time since arriving had been too short—less than three years. Nearly all of it had been spent on domain management and knight cultivation, leaving little room for extensive creation—or rather, his creative direction had always been skewed.

A dignified dragon knight had previously wasted time on magical theorizing and world history fabrication—a prime example of neglecting his proper duties.

He took out paper and a pen.

The white paper was now ready for public release, having already been previewed by the Grand Duke. Once imperial foundation support commenced, official business collaborations with Blue Sapphire would gradually unfold.

Now, with the paper spread flat on the table and a raven-quill pen dipped in ink, Liszt contemplated perfecting *Crimson Sunflare Surge*.

The daytime dragon hunt revealed many flaws in *Crimson Sunflare Surge*, for after all, it was merely an advanced battle qi manual. Many of its techniques were no longer appropriate for a Dragon Knight.

"How should I modify it?"

Ideas swirled in his mind, but none came together. Whether it was because the crystal lamps cast dim light tonight or the battle had drained too much of his energy, he gradually felt sleepiness clouding his mind, urging him to wash up and go to bed.

"Never mind, I can refine the manual tomorrow."

...

He settled into bed.

Liszt called up the mission interface.

"Mission: After winning the dragon hunt, your name will echo across the seas. Founding a new kingdom would be easy. However, considering the long-term development of the nation, resources are of utmost importance. Perhaps the Lightgreen Gem Dragon can provide them—it hides on one of your territory's islands. Reward: A Lightgreen Gem Dragon."

The task still remained unfinished, indicating the Lightgreen Gem Dragon hadn't been captured yet; he could sleep soundly.

While he could indeed rest peacefully until dawn, this night was completely sleepless for many others.

The Sapphire Duke set down his quill and flipped through the notebook made of thick paper. He was intrigued by this thin yet durable paper that resisted smudging.

"If the raw materials aren’t costly and the production process isn’t complicated, this 'white paper' might soon replace thick paper... Liszt, this young and audacious Dragon Knight, is truly mysterious... A young Fire Dragon, a peculiar Archmage, along with glass and white paper..."

The Duke rubbed his temples.

Silver strands already ran through his temples. At over fifty years old, a knight’s physique should still be at its peak, with several more years of prime ahead. Yet he could feel his body aging rapidly, like a ship taking on water.

Every voyage widened the leaks, until one day, it would sink forever beneath the waves.

"The Sapphire Dragon is severely wounded and unlikely to recover, and I am barely holding on myself... I hope Anthony can take over soon and keep the Sapphire Duchy running."

Closing the notebook,

the Duke gazed out the window at the mostly faded starlight, his face expressionless, though deep disappointment lingered in his eyes: "Why didn’t I find the Fire Dragon!"