After Becoming an Evil Dragon, I Was Entangled by the Saintess - Chapter 13

In the Mangshui Forest, Yulxi temporarily resided in a newly excavated cave.

She cared little for the fate of Earl Unos.

Born as a Black Dragon, she remained, at her core, an outsider to this world.

Yet the moment the Dragon God Temple was completed, she sensed an invisible strengthening of her connection to the Fei’er Continent.

This was only natural; the temple stood on land blessed by the Dragon God’s protection. Benefiting the land and its people earned merit, though forcing worship upon the populace was unnecessary.

The Kobold Tribe’s familiars living in the Mangshui Forest were capable of building their own Dragon God Temple. However, their chosen location—deep within the mountains—was far from ideal. A temple without worshippers would slowly fall into ruin. Ideally, it should have been built in the bustling Royal Capital, but that was currently impossible. The Red Maple Territory was the next best option.

Yulxi was pleased with Ilti and her companions’ understanding. She briefly sensed their presence, but quickly noticed something amiss. As her connection to the Fei’er Continent strengthened, something seemed to have infiltrated her being. Frowning, Yulxi refused to tolerate this “unknown” presence within her. She meticulously examined her body until she finally discovered a glowing green orb radiating vital energy.

As Yulxi’s consciousness touched the orb of light, she immediately recognized its origin.

The Source of Life!

Yulxi’s eyelids twitched.

Every planet capable of sustaining life possesses a Source of Life, representing its vitality and hierarchical status. The Source of Life of Fei’er Continent, which she had encountered, was fragmented and roughly equivalent to the “Legendary” tier, meaning the planet could only support power at that level. Above it lay the “demigod” and “God-tier” planes. Combining this knowledge with the Great Dragon’s legacy, Yulxi realized that during the Divine War, Fei’er Continent had been a God-tier plane. It had been shattered by the gods, but as long as it hadn’t been completely destroyed, there remained a chance for restoration.

But wasn’t the Source of Life supposed to be the planet’s will, an independent entity? How could it have manifested within her? Yulxi was perplexed. As she delved deeper into her investigation, her face darkened. From fragmented, chaotic consciousness fragments, she learned that the Source of Life served as sustenance for some entity. This was a hot potato indeed!

The Source of Life also offered Yulxi a glimmer of hope. She quickly gleaned from the fragmented will that it could connect her to the faith network of the native Gods of the Fei’er Continent. After all, Fei’er Continent was the birthplace of the Gods, including the Sun God himself. But forging such a connection was no easy task. First, she needed to make a Saint of that God her Familiar, only then could she tap into their power to establish the link.

Faith in the Gods was categorized into Unbelievers, Shallow Believers, Devout Believers, Fanatic Believers, and Saints. In this era, even finding Devout Believers was a rare feat. Where could she possibly find a Saint? Even the Holy Maiden of the God of Light was an Unbeliever!

However, there was one faith network she could directly seize: the faith of the Great Dragons. But here lay the problem: during the twilight of the Dragon Era, a Divine War shattered the Fei’er Continent, and everyone knew that all the Dragon Gods had perished. The combined faith of the Great Dragons, Dragonkin, and scattered small tribes was now so diluted as to be almost nonexistent.

The benefits of the Source of Life were not immediately apparent. After careful consideration, Yulxi decided not to reject it. Her ultimate goal was to ascend to godhood, and the Source of Life was intrinsically linked to the power the continent could sustain. Only by nurturing the Source of Life to God-tier status could she unlock her full Divine Dragon form. If the Source of Life were devoured by some entity midway through its growth, she doubted she could even reach another God-tier plane. And even if she did, could she truly achieve her goal under the influence of divine forces? As for restoring the Source of Life, it likely depended on the God-tier stars.

Yulxi sighed softly and accepted the Source of Life’s refuge within her. The Source of Life had chosen her for a reason: as an outsider deity, she could better conceal its presence.

Upon fully accepting the Source of Life, a vast starry sea appeared in Yulxi’s consciousness. Within this cosmic expanse, only one crimson planet glowed. As her consciousness drew closer, she could faintly hear a weak heartbeat emanating from it. This star represented the Dragon God Faith. Yulxi could observe the state of her believers through this network at any time. However, she chose not to disturb them and withdrew her consciousness.

“Lord Yulshi,” Linger Ditter, chieftain of the Kobold Ditt Tribe, came to pay his respects.

Kobolds were a diminutive race, typically standing only three feet tall. Despite their name, they bore no resemblance to dogs. Their heads were more lizard-like, their bodies covered in scales, and their gleaming red eyes burned like embers. A pair of small horns sprouted from their heads, marking them as a type of Dragonkin.

However, after being baptized in Dragon Bl00d, the Kobolds of the Ditt Tribe had clearly diverged from their kin. Not only had their stature increased significantly, but their demeanor had also grown more imposing. Yet, outside of battle, their peculiar habit of wearing tattered rags remained unchanged.

If she had had a choice, the dim-witted Kobolds wouldn’t have been Yulxi’s ideal Familiars. But back then, the young Yulxi lacked the strength to contend with more brutal and violent creatures. Fortunately, her years of investment had paid off; the Kobolds weren’t as useless as she’d feared. At least in the Rotting Swamp, they had skillfully manipulated adventurers according to her instructions.

“The materials you ordered have been delivered to the tribe, but the frankincense is in short supply,” Linger said, bowing his head respectfully.

“It’s alright,” Yulxi replied. The Kobold Tribe had been gathering materials for her Spirit Incense in the Mangshui Forest and Sorann Valley for years. The mountains were rich in resources, but some rare ingredients were simply unattainable. Perhaps the Red Leaf Province seemed barren in comparison, but that no longer mattered. Yulxi had never intended to reclaim her divine status through incense alone.

Though she had seized control of the Red Maple Territory, Yulxi had no plans to relocate the Kobold Tribe to human settlements. She left most of the Spirit Incense with Linger, taking only a small portion back to Red Maple Territory. Before departing, she whispered, “Beware the Underdark.” With the Dragon God’s faith network, her perception of her own kind had sharpened. The legends weren’t mere tales; a Great Dragon truly lurked in the Underdark.

Yulxi stayed with the Kobold Tribe for nearly half a month. By the time she returned to Red Maple Territory, the entire territory was holding a funeral for the Old Lord. According to his will, his sole heir, Ilti, would inherit everything—though a formal report to the Emperor was required, the Royal Capital would never reject the succession of a noble with no criminal record. There was no need to wait for their reply; Ilti’s ascension as Lord of Red Maple Territory was already a foregone conclusion.

As for the appearance of the Legendary Dragon—

Those who hadn’t experienced it firsthand could never truly believe it.

They dismissed it as just another tale spun by wandering bards.

Yulxi had no interest in Unos’s life or death, refusing to hear another word about it.

She sat at one end of the long table, her brow furrowing slightly as she gazed at the three familiar faces before her.

Elf Flara’s close friendship with Ilti made her appointment as Ilti’s chief guard perfectly reasonable. But how had Veranse, with her obvious talent for deception, managed to become Ilti’s deputy? Why hadn’t she simply become a High Priest at the temple?

Veranse seemed oblivious to Yulxi’s astonishment, offering a faint smile. “Lord Yulxi, your temple lacks a priest.”

Yulxi regarded Veranse with a skeptical smile. “Are you volunteering yourself?”

“Why not?” Veranse showed no fear of Yulxi, clearing her throat. “I don’t require a salary. Enough to keep me fed and sheltered would suffice.”

Ilti shot Veranse a surprised glance.

Flara, on the other hand, looked intrigued. Why hadn’t she thought of that herself?

After a moment’s silence, Yulxi refused. “We don’t need a priest. With guards patrolling near the town hall, what could possibly go wrong?”