Chapter 769 High IQ

Facing the vast grove of Crystal Cyathea trees on the island, Brad wiped the sweat from his forehead, feeling an unprecedented surge of motivation. As a crystal craftsman, he had come to know the great Lord Liszt the Flame through polishing telescope lenses.

However, the journey had not been smooth. After polishing the crystals in the castle’s warehouse, he was left working only with obsidian. Once the obsidian carvings were completed, he went a long time without work—though the Lord still paid his salary, he could earn no additional income.

Compared to his days in Coral City, his living conditions had declined.

But as the Lord became a Dragon Knight, his mindset swiftly changed. To be a craftsman under the banner of a Dragon Knight was an honor worth dying for.

Moreover, the current situation clearly wouldn’t starve him—it might even work him to death.

"Such marvelous trees, entirely made of crystal—pure, natural crystal—absolutely incredible. Even if I carved for decades, I’d never finish all the crystal in this Crystal Cyathea grove... It seems I should consider joining the artisans' guild at the Knight’s College to train more crystal craftsmen for the Lord."

When there was no work, craftsmanship was the guarantee of livelihood, and no one was willing to teach it recklessly.

Especially among independent craftsmen, who regarded their skills as family heirlooms, more precious than their own lives. The old Brad would never have considered entering the artisans' guild to pass on his techniques.

Yet now, faced with endless Crystal Cyathea, his awareness soared to a new level—as a crystal craftsman serving a Dragon Knight’s family, with no worries about livelihood, how could he cling to his skills like a common market craftsman?

Looking up, he saw an apprentice struggling to cut a branch.

He couldn’t help but walk over and say, "Qiaoliya, your cutting technique is wrong. You should pull the blade in reverse, relying on a side-to-side motion to work with the crystal’s unique resilience, not just sheer strength... Let me demonstrate once. Watch carefully."

"Ah, yes, Mr. Brad."

"Pay close attention. With so much crystal here to practice on, strive to become a qualified crystal craftsman as soon as possible."

"Yes, thank you for your instruction, Mr. Brad." Qiaoliya didn’t understand why Brad, who had once been so stingy with his skills, was suddenly so generous today, but he was sincerely grateful. "Qiaoliya will study hard and never disappoint Mr. Brad."

Brad’s expression turned solemn as he said devoutly, "No, Qiaoliya, you should thank the Lord! It is the Lord who has given us all the opportunity for a happy life!"

"Yes, thank the Lord! The Lord is the greatest of all! Qiaoliya used to dare only two meals a day, but now he eats three—sometimes even a late-night meal when working overtime!"

Such were the common folk.

Perhaps they didn’t understand grand philosophies, but whoever brought them a better life earned their gratitude.

...

The Lord, whom the commoners revered, was currently practicing hand motions.

Since the Crystal Cyathea grove wouldn’t be fully harvested anytime soon, the legendary beast likely wouldn’t be drawn out by the strands of destiny. Thus, he relaxed and focused on contemplating the third move of the *Fire Dragon Knight - Dragon Aura Manual*.

By organizing the inspirations in his mind and comparing the moves from the *Sapphire Dragon Knight - Dragon Aura Manual* and the *Pale Emerald Dragon Knight - Dragon Aura Manual*, he soon deduced the third major move of the Fire Dragon Knight—this move was akin to a cavalry charge.

As a man of great insight from a civilized era, his perspective surpassed the entire world and era. As long as he thought seriously, no challenge was beyond him.

Finally, the trajectory of the move was fully calculated, and a smirk played on his lips. "Good, it’s done. Since this is a charging move, when the *Dragon Aura* erupts, it can devour anything in its path... Let’s call it ‘Sun Devourer.’"

Following Dragon Slash, based on a cleaving principle, and Skyburn, based on a sweeping motion, Sun Devourer, founded on the principle of a charge, was officially born.

The Fire Drake Rio sensed his call.

It materialized from his being, transforming into a Fire Dragon with a 26-27 meter wingspan—after devouring the corpse of the second Flame Dragonbird, it had grown again, though without the supplement of a *Phoenix Feather*, its growth was less pronounced.

"Whoo!"

Leo let out a roar, causing all the workers on Heart Island to cower on the ground in terror.

Liszt leaped onto Leo's Dragon Tooth Platform, their minds synced as one, and soared straight into the blue sky and white clouds. Above the clouds, he attempted a charge and unleashed his new move, "Devour the Sun."

The dragon spear became an outlet for the Dragon Aura, which erupted in an explosive torrent during the charge, instantly evaporating all the mist within a hundred-meter radius. Accompanied by sonic booms, the shockwaves trembled across the sky, threatening to scatter the few remaining white clouds.

Meanwhile, the workers on Heart Island, who had just recovered from Leo's overwhelming presence, were startled again by the sudden thunderclap overhead, fumbling their tools in panic.

Only after a long silence did they regain their composure and resume work.

Moments later, Liszt returned with Leo from the distance. Upon landing, Leo transformed into a swirl of fire and re-entered Liszt's body, reforming the fiery dragon tattoo.

Liszt stood on a rock, enjoying the breeze for a while.

Then, with a few swift movements, he returned to the Flame (ship). The three little birds—Xiao Huang, Xiao Hong, and Xiao Zi—locked in their cage immediately chirped excitedly. Brimming with affection for Liszt, who carried Leo's aura, they greeted him like a parent.

However, their obedience during training was far worse than when Liszt had trained Hiddleston.

Still, the three birds displayed remarkable intelligence. Once, when locked in an unlatched cage, they effortlessly removed the bolt and wreaked havoc inside the Flame's cabin.

Though Liszt eventually beat them severely, their cleverness revealed great potential.

The smarter the species, the easier to tame—and once tamed, their cooperation far surpassed that of less intelligent creatures. Perhaps one day, he could form an order of Flame Dragonbird knights. A fiery magical barrage followed by a mana-fueled cavalry charge would be devastating.

Unlocking the cage, he let the three birds perch on the designated feeding stand and began feeding them pieces of monster meat—meat from short-tailed pit vipers. Though Mrs. Abi had cooked snake stew last night, the taste fell short of his expectations.

So, he fed it to the birds instead.

...

Three days passed, and the already small Crystal Cyathea forest was finally cleared by the workers' diligent efforts—every root and tendril dug up and taken away.

The serpentine smoke before Liszt's eyes then shifted.

"Mission complete. Reward: one super beast."