"Getting bigger and bigger!"
Noah admired the massive Golden Divine Tree before him, its trunk aligned with the length of his dragon form, flourishing alongside his growth.
Given its current size, Noah’s dragon form could easily nest within the increasingly thriving canopy.
However, compared to the immense roots spreading through the nebula, the Golden Tree’s growth paled in comparison.
Noah lowered his head, surveying the countless miles of the Golden Tree’s sprawling roots, where a tiny world scaled down dozens of times was visible, complete with mountains, rivers, cities, and villages, all distinctly seen.
Within this realm stood the Elidis Mountain Range, Elisium City, Ironforge, the Valley of Flames... all lands under Noah’s dominion, as well as his subjects.
To this day, countless living beings, either voluntarily or involuntarily, had their destinies influenced by him, providing nourishment for the Golden Tree’s growth.
The transformation alone had impacted hundreds of thousands of beings, this number only continuing to grow, all of them entwining their fates with his, reflected on the Golden Tree.
Reverence, worship, gratitude—these emotions could nourish the Purple Spirit Fruit, while production, construction, and population growth provided Noah with a continuous yield of Wisdom Fruits.
When dealing with monsters deemed evil by the Golden Dragon concept, all related hunts and slaughters could yield the Blood Origin Fruit.
Of course, factions and races opposing the Golden Dragon could fall into this category.
At this point, regardless of race and lineage, even humans or elves, their deaths would become strands of blood, forming the Blood Origin Fruit.
However, to reap such wondrous fruits, Noah also had to bear the associated burdens. The suffering and grievances of tens of thousands of transformed beings and more subjects would turn into Dark Fruits, dimming the Golden Tree.
Especially those transformed beings who died unjustly or wronged, their experiences at the moment of death would make Noah relive everything.
This compelled Noah to repeatedly urge the fairies to establish stricter and more comprehensive laws and regulations, and enforce them rigorously.
For, as powerful as Noah was, he could not pay attention to everyone, especially with the number of transformations spreading, and he was not an omniscient and omnipotent deity, unable to cater to everyone.
He could only establish a relatively complete, self-updating social order, striving to allow all transformed beings to pursue ideals, realize self-worth, and attain spiritual and material satisfaction within it.
This is why Noah spent a decade establishing the order he desired, far more comprehensive and meticulous than during Augustus’s rule.
Yet even so, the rapidity of Dark Fruits’ maturation was the fastest among all fruits at the Golden Tree Top.
Noah had to regularly enter the nebula to pick the fruits, and these were the most painful moments for the Golden Dragon.
However, each time the Golden Dragon tasted the pain, when he left and returned to reality, another group would experience the pain.
This is the corrective process of the Golden Dragon Order.
Any attempt to deceive him was futile, and Noah did not require fabricated fortuitous data, as the true bitter fruits were for him to swallow personally, with no substitute.
Hence, Noah could only tolerate his administrators to a limited extent.
Within one’s jurisdiction, without infringing on anyone’s interests, seeking some benefits for oneself could be seen as a skill. The Golden Dragon could turn a blind eye.
But if one used their authority to seize others’ or even rob the public’s interests, even lives, the Golden Dragon would have zero tolerance, as it would bring him immense pain.
While his will and focus could be honed from this, and the Dragon Soul could be tempered to some extent, there were certainly more comfortable methods of training.
If given a choice, Noah wouldn’t choose to torment himself, but unfortunately, he had no choice. Once he touched the Dark Fruits, they would cling to him, drilling into his body, making him experience firsthand the hardships and injustices from the bottom tier.
"Let me see how many scoundrels have wronged me this time!"
Noah’s gaze turned to the branches of the Golden Tree Top, the source of darkness that dulled the brilliant gemstone-like branches and trunk, as he extended his Dragon Claw, gently touching.
Deep and terrifying nightmares suddenly assailed the Golden Dragon.
"No, this is the inheritance left to me by my parents. On what grounds can she take half of it?"
"Because she is your wife and is carrying your child. According to the Golden Code, not only does she own half of your assets, but you must also fulfill your parental support responsibilities, paying twenty-eight Golden Dragon Coins as alimony each month!"
"Wife? She deceived my feelings; we’ve been married for less than three months, yet the child she carries is already six months old!"
The man’s cheeks adorned with fine dragon scales, was a Holy Dragon People envied by all, but now, his face was full of anger, loudly accusing in the courtroom,
"Moreover, I earn less than 40 Golden Dragon Coins a month, yet I must pay such a high alimony for a deceiving daughter, a bastard not mine. Why is that? And I am in debt; why aren’t the debts divided?"