Mo Zhi had been focused on shaking off the male protagonist, completely failing to foresee that the system would be so unreliable.
With a flash of white light, the person on the ground transformed into a dragon.
The system let out a wow, completely stunned by the host’s gorgeous prototype.
After a short while, the black dragon unconsciously coiled into a ring, tightly wrapping around the closed-eyed man like a precious treasure guarding its keep. Although it had woken up, its eyes lacked any clarity, veiled in chaos.
The room grew eerily quiet. The breath exhaled by the black dragon quickly took on color, filling the entire space with a hazy, pinkish hue. The system vaguely remembered the host mentioning that the special mating period was essentially the equivalent of an animal’s heat cycle, though it didn’t know the exact details.
A dragon in heat trapped in the same environment with any living creature was an extremely tricky situation. The only hope lay with the system, but as seconds ticked away, the pink mist suddenly vanished while the system remained completely motionless.
The next second, Mo Zhi regained his senses. He shifted back into his human form, looked around the room, and his face slowly turned pale.
The system felt a rare, unfeeling surprise at its host’s sudden change in expression, then scrambled to defend itself: New regulations state that systems aren’t allowed to use skills to interfere with mission worlds, and I’m so tiny I couldn’t possibly lift either of you. I was just planning to wait for the mission handlers to arrive so you’d automatically teleport back. Who knew it would end just like that?
Mo Zhi muttered to himself, It’s over…
The system looked between Jian Guichi and Mo Zhi, noting that both of them were fully dressed. It’s fine, it’s fine. Nothing improper actually happened between you two.
Mo Zhi closed his eyes and said heavily, My mating period is over! Seeing his agitation, the system assumed he regretted missing the optimal window to find a partner and comforted him by saying he could always find a wife later.
Mo Zhi raised his head and explained away the now-vanished pink mist: Dragon breath. During the mating period, the breath exhaled by a dragon is mostly pink. Any living creature surrounded by dragon breath for an extended period has a ninety-nine percent chance of conceiving.
The system: …
Mo Zhi closed his eyes: The mating period lasts for seven days. Once it is confirmed that a dragon seed has formed within the pregnant body, the mating period ends immediately.
The system: !!
The system’s soul trembled slightly.
Don’t your dragon clan propagate descendants through the usual methods?
The male protagonist’s cannon-fodder rival, the ultimate villain of the story, through a twist of fate, manages to get the Dragon-Overlord pregnant; what kind of absurd situation is this?
Mo Zhi looked like he was about to lose his mind: Let’s look on the bright side. It could be you who’s pregnant!
I’m not a living entity!
The system was losing its mind too: Maybe you’re the one who’s pregnant?
Get a grip!
Watching him shout and lose emotional control like a normal human being, the system couldn’t even bring itself to laugh because its host had plunged headfirst into another extreme.
Mo Zhi stared intently at the oblivious male protagonist, his expression cycling rapidly through surprise, helplessness, and anxiety, occasionally letting out a nervous laugh. He bore no resemblance to the cold, desireless monk-like figure of a moment ago.
The scene was absurd and bizarre to the extreme. Growing somewhat frightened, the system frantically flipped through the system mall interface, stuttering: I- let me think- is there any abortion medicine for men?
So why on earth can your dragon clan get men pregnant anyway?!
That single remark proved to be a spark on a powder keg. Mo Zhi’s expression twisted instantly as he swung a heavy palm, sending the white orb spinning three full turns in the air.
With a frosty expression, Mo Zhi declared: Anyone who dares touch him will die!
Dazed and bewildered, the system blinked. Hold on, what is your problem? Besides, it was only thinking about it; it hadn’t forced anything down anyone’s throat, so why resort to physical violence?
Having acted on impulse, Mo Zhi offered an apology for his overreaction: To our dragon clan, a pregnant vessel is more important than our lives. We will protect it unconditionally; it’s a dragon’s instinct. I hope you understand.
The system could not fathom this sudden, excessive protective urge.
You dragons are such a pain!
The dragon right in front of it was completely incapable of calm communication. Gritting its teeth, the system conceded, Fine, fine! No abortion! Just lower that broken sword a bit!
Only then did Mo Zhi notice his own hand was gripping a shattered blade. He sheepishly pulled it back, shot a suspicious glare at the hovering system, and then gently picked up the male protagonist to place him on the bed. He threw a few more distrustful glances back at the system, making it feel like a scheming, wicked mother-in-law trying to poison her daughter-in-law into a miscarriage.
With utter sincerity, Mo Zhi murmured, Pure instinct. I can’t control it. Apologies.
With a complex mix of emotions, the system was suddenly struck by a memory. The dragon clan had once suffered a massive cataclysm in which all pregnant mother dragons perished overnight. The psychological trauma of losing their mates evolved into a pathological obsession with cherishing them, deeply embedded within their bloodline inheritance. Ever since, dragons possessed an innate protective and devoted urge toward their pregnant partners.
Other fierce beasts inherited domineering and majestic bloodlines, but what on earth did you inherit? Watching Mo Zhi hold the male protagonist’s hand like a precious treasure in a state of emotional intoxication, the system simply couldn’t accept it.
While the system remained immersed in shock, Mo Zhi stared fixedly at Jian Guichi and muttered, He is glowing. The dragon heritage made him profoundly aware that the person before him was his destined partner, precious and unique.
Isolated dragons detached from their pack mostly died of depression. Though Mo Zhi had no death wish, he had increasingly lost any sense of joy in living. But now, he had a partner; his once-aimless dragon existence suddenly found a forward direction and purpose, truly bringing him back to life.
A dragon that had lost its pack had finally found a sense of belonging.
Overwhelmed with happiness, the dragon could not hold back, tenderly stroking his partner’s dark locks.
He is glowing!
The system couldn’t see any glow, but Mo Zhi’s eyes were shining brightly. Seeing his vibrant expression, the system resignedly said, The handover agent is almost here. We’ll talk about this when we get back.
Mo Zhi: Move it back.
With the pregnant vessel right here, how could he possibly go anywhere else?
Are you planning to stay?!
Gazing at Jian Guichi without answering, Mo Zhi let out a silly chuckle: Heh heh.
Using both reason and emotion, the system tried to persuade him: Forget it. He’s not going to be happy about having a baby.
Besides, how on earth is a man supposed to give birth?
I have no obsession with offspring. Whether he gives birth or not is entirely up to him, but Mo Zhi frowned, the dragon seed is soul-bound to the host body. It cannot be detached during pregnancy unless both perish.
In disbelief, the system exclaimed: If he doesn’t give birth, he dies? Are you dragons all mobsters?
With a helpless frown, Mo Zhi replied, I never wanted to passively entangle myself in this kind of intimate bond with someone, but things have reached this point… Or do you have a solution? Gently, he maneuvered the man onto the soft mattress.
You look like you’re enjoying taking care of him far too much, the system thought with a headache, realizing it naturally had no clue what to do. The bizarre turn of events dealt it a massive blow, especially given its host’s dramatic personality shift.
Suddenly, the main door was kicked open. The steward barged in aggressively followed by a group of senior generals, who wasted no time and immediately bound the hooligan with ropes.
Having heard rumors that Mo Zhi had dragged an unconscious Tian Ying into the room, they assumed Mo Zhi was about to commit an outrage and rushed in to stop him. Fortunately, Mo Zhi’s garments were intact, making it look like they had arrived just in time.
City Lord, you’ve lost your mind, the steward sighed heavily, barely concealing his gloating schadenfreude. The generals were far more concerned that their prize was about to slip away, and discussed breaking one of his legs to appease the Jian family, turning a major crisis into a minor one.
Suddenly, the bed curtains were pulled back as the man stepped down from the bed. What are you all doing here?
Only then did they realize that the person on the bed wasn’t Tian Ying at all. Clan Leader Jian, why are you here?
Hearing him calmly state that he had simply come to rest, the generals were baffled. Could it be a misunderstanding? Mo Zhi stood in complete silence. Even if something was obviously wrong, could their relationship really be friendly enough to casually borrow a bed?
The steward opened his mouth to nag further, but was elbowed sharply in the ribs by a general who warned him with a look. The truth didn’t matter as long as Clan Leader Jian wasn’t pressing charges; there was no need to make a scene. Clan Leader Jian, please step this way to the council hall. We still have some wedding arrangements to discuss with you.
The system was surprised that the male protagonist didn’t hold a grudge over his rival’s provocative antics, though helping its host defuse the crisis was already the utmost it could do.
It noticed its host looking quite gloomy ever since, likely dwelling on the chasm between himself and Jian Guichi; reverting to friends was a stretch, let alone growing closer; they had completely burned that bridge.
Jian Guichi walked right past the tightly bound Mo Zhi without a second glance. The others cared nothing for the City Lord to begin with and naturally ignored him, crowding around Jian Guichi as they left and abandoning the teenage boy tied up with no one to untie him.
The system sighed inwardly for its host: Jian Guichi remained the center of attention, while Mo Zhi was separated from him by an uncrossable gulf. Without their past brotherly bond, he didn’t even have an opening to approach him anymore.
The male protagonist hadn’t even asked why Mo Zhi had drugged him; he didn’t even want to speak to him, clearly furious.
The male protagonist had his own broad highway to success, complete with beautiful wives and concubines; his future had no need for a disgraced, incompetent brother with whom he shared an unpleasant past, much less an alien dragon.
Before any words of comfort could leave its mouth, the system heard the male dragon softly mutter: Say, he already has so many people in his backyard. One more wouldn’t hurt, right?
The system: …?
What on earth is he saying?!
Moments later, it found out just how far a dragon would go to get close to its mate.
Thump!
Everyone paused in their tracks, involuntarily turning toward the source of the noise. It turned out Mo Zhi had tried to stand up and knocked over a chair in a clumsy stumble.
He turned to get back on his feet, but his legs turned to jelly, unable to support his weight. When one of the generals stepped forward to help him, Mo Zhi recoiled frantically, as if terrified of anyone’s touch.
Soon, however, no one had the bandwidth to care about his bizarre behavior.
A wave of energy leaked from Mo Zhi’s body, flowing unimpeded into everyone’s spiritual sea. Their cultivation realms surged upward by a small margin at an unprecedented speed, a sensation so intoxicating it made them shiver.
The air froze.
Finally, someone asked with a trembling, disbelieving voice: …The Heavenly Abundant Physique? Are you a Heavenly Abundant Physique?!
The teenage boy shrank back violently.
The general’s tone softened significantly, mixed with wild ecstasy: When did you awaken this? Why didn’t you say anything?
The youth lowered his head.
A Heavenly Abundant Physique could strip anyone of their reason far more effectively than any cultivation cauldron. Who could have guessed that a good-for-nothing slacker had actually awakened such a world-wrecking physique?
Compared to the generals’ joy, the owner of the Heavenly Abundant Physique remained silent and tight-lipped. Not everyone desired this kind of constitution, nor had the courage to embrace the fortune and misfortune it brought.
In ancient times, offspring born from dragons and other species possessed formidable strength. But as the dragons vanished, each succeeding generation grew weaker until they were no more remarkable than ordinary mortals, or worse, they became empty vessels brimming with massive energy but lacking actual capability, which was known as the Heavenly Abundant Physique. While some used this constitution to trade for wealth, status, and power with many benefits, the drawbacks were far greater. They often met tragic ends, violently murdered by ambitious powerhouses fighting over them.
The person on the ground clearly felt the burning, tangible gazes fixed upon him, his body trembling slightly. He struggled to escape, longing to hide in a sanctuary free from all living souls, yet he couldn’t even manage to stand.
Unbelievable! The system stammered in shock. That pathetic, pitiful look was just too alluring. In the cutthroat cultivation world where everyone rolled up their sleeves to grind, who wouldn’t want that?
Since the generals didn’t know the exact time of his awakening, obviously very recent, he had failed to suppress the energy of his Heavenly Abundant Physique in time, exposing himself.
Hearing footsteps approach, he raised his head and saw several hands reaching out eagerly toward him.
His breath caught in his throat. His panicked gaze darted wildly before locking onto the tall figure standing outside the doorway.
As if he had found a glimmer of hope, his eyes lit up.
Big brother.
The voice was soft, yet laden with an unprecedented, desperate plea.
Jian Guichi’s fingers twitched.