The next day, Wen Ke's girlfriend and her mother arrived at the group. She was a delicate girl, radiating the rustic charm of mountain folk, with an ethereal grace.
"Brother Tian, why're we on this island? To see dinosaurs? And why wait till night?" Wen Li, cozy with me in less than a day, unleashed her nickname—and a barrage of questions. My name's got "Tian," but heaven help me—this girl's curiosity was a plague. I shot Wen Ke a pleading look, but the guy, smitten, ignored me, ogling dinosaurs frolicking by the shore with his girlfriend.
"Dean, like the daughter-in-law?" I asked vaguely. Thinking I meant Wen Ke's girl, whom she'd warmed to that morning, she nodded. "Of course."
"Perfect." That hooked Wen Ke's attention. "What's perfect?" You walked into this, pal. "Here's the deal: where we're going, women outnumber men, so the law mandates every guy takes at least two wives. I was worried you'd object, but since the dean's cool with the 'daughter-in-law,' we're set. You're one lucky guy, Wen Ke. I'll handle it—two, ten, or eight wives, no problem. See those dinosaurs? Stamina's covered." Let's see you ditch me for love now.
Wen Ke's face paled, glancing at his girlfriend, stammering, "My love for you could move the sun and moon—I only want you!"
"Brother Tian, what? Share a husband? No way!" Wen Li panicked. "Chill, you're not marrying yet. You could stay single. No nuns there, but for you, I'd build a nunnery," I teased.
"You're awful, always picking on me!" She lunged to pinch me again. I dodged behind Wen Ke. "So, thought about that beauty?"
Panicking at his girlfriend's darkening expression, Wen Ke blurted, "I only love Shaoshao, no one else!" Noticing my grin and Wen Li charging, he knew he'd been played. "Boss, Brother Tian, I messed up, okay? Stop messing with me!"
"Depends on your performance." Devil, Wen Ke cursed inwardly, then blocked Wen Li. "Sis, you into Brother Feitian? I'll talk to Mom—get you engaged."
"Dare mock me? Shaoshao, help me pound this jerk!" Shaoshao joined Wen Li, pummeling Wen Ke. He swore revenge, glaring at my "demonic" smile. The dean and Shaoshao's mom watched our chaos, hearts warmed.
Night fell, tourists cleared out, and waves lapped the reefs. Dinosaurs splashed in the water. "Whatever you see, don't freak out," I warned, prepping them.
Signaling, waves churned as a small island rose from the sea, halting a meter above. Despite my heads-up, the five gaped. Lights flared, revealing a sleek, dragon-shaped warship. "So gorgeous!" Wen Li squealed, entranced.
"Let's go." A driverless hovercar rolled out, snapping them from their daze. We boarded, and the car zipped into the warship's side door. "Sit anywhere—half an hour tops," I said, leading them to the central chamber. This fully robotic warship, on my command, soared into the cosmos.
Wen Ke, stunned since spotting the ship, knew this wasn't Earth tech—pure sci-fi. "Brother Tian, are you an alien? Kidnapping us for dissection?" Wen Li clutched her chest, feigning a damsel's fear. Dizzy. Like mother, like daughter—wild imaginations. As if I'm a lecherous extraterrestrial!
All five stared, demanding answers. "Don't look at me like that—I'll blush. I'm not what you think," I dodged. This tale's too long for half an hour.
"No way, explain why you're abducting us!" Heaven, pity me! My kindness, mistaken for trafficking women and handsome youths? Am I that low?
"Let's save it for later—we're almost there. Not enough time," I pleaded. "You're dodging again!" Heaven, third time's the charm! I never tricked her once, yet she says "again"? "Ease up on Feitian. He'll explain when we arrive," the dean intervened, shooting me a look: You're explaining later. Fine, but small talk's not my forte. I nodded furiously. "Trust me, I'll spill. If I don't, toss me into space." As if space could stop me. I kept that to myself.
Wen Li backed off at her mom's word, pouting reluctantly, glaring from across the seat, cheeks puffed. Wen Ke, the science nerd, poked around, thrilled. "Regulation 10: Do not touch controls or buttons outside your station," a robotic soldier barked, startling him. I roared with laughter.
Wen Ke sulked to the table, joining Wen Li's stare-down. A little scrutiny? I'm used to billions' gazes—no sweat. "Try this—divine realm star's green fruit wine, perfect for non-drinkers," I said, pouring Wen Ke a fragrant, emerald glass.
"Divine realm star?" Wen Li's curiosity nearly killed her, but we'd agreed—no answers till arrival. Grumbling, she grabbed a bottle, chugging. Her face flushed, she slammed the table, pointing. "You tricked me again!" Then, hiccuping, she passed out drunk.
"I forgot to mention: green fruit wine's got a kick. No hangover, great for health—the more, the merrier. But it knocks you out long. Most sip; she downed a bottle. She'll wake tomorrow," I explained. Everyone sighed—her fault for chugging mid-sentence. A lesson learned.
My heart ached. This wine's a rare gem—even the palace has little. Green fruit grows only in the divine realm, low-yield. We award half-pound bottles to top monthly moral citizens or contributors, and pound bottles to legion commanders bimonthly. Priceless. Good thing I carry mine, or Along's crew would've guzzled it under "visiting boss" pretenses.
Sunlight streamed through the warship's window, the craft vibrating softly. "We're here," I announced, standing. "What's here?" Wen Li wobbled up, Shaoshao steadying her. This girl's a wine god—still conscious?
The warship docked at the palace's cosmic port, lined with silver-armored Palace Guards wielding laser rifles. Beyond, the Guard Legion secured the royal city and Flying Dragon Star. The Palace Guard, 30,000 strong, protected only the palace, 10,000 in Demon God gear, led by Demon God General-tier captains—elite, averaging Tier 3 upper strength. Oura and Oumei led the Palace Guard; Lisi, the Guard Legion.
As the hatch lowered, I led the five out. A crisp salute rang, boots clacking in unison. I returned a military salute.
"Long live our emperor, ten thousand years, forever!"
"At ease. Attention." The five behind me gawked. Wen Li, sobering, stared at the cosmic port's vastness, endless warships (100 Guard Legion behemoths), then spun, pointing, mouth agape. "You're an emperor?!"
"What, don't I look the part?" I teased.
"You're reviving feudalism!" I nearly spat blood. Feudalism in today's cosmic civilization? I'm an emperor, sure, but not like ancient ones—no arbitrary killing. Explaining now? She wouldn't get it.
My wives arrived. "Hello, wives!" I bellowed. "Hubby's working hard!" "Serving my wives!" I shot back. It's true—this Earth trip was for them. Seeing nearly 100 beauties (plus their secretaries) approach, cheering, Wen Li paled, pointing. "All your wives?"
"Nine out of ten, yeah," I admitted honestly.
"See? Deny it—this isn't feudalism? You've got a harem like ancient emperors! And these soldiers—in a cosmic age, wearing stuffy armor to prop your majesty? You're torturing them!" Her roar, laced with disappointment, stunned everyone.
The port fell silent. My wives eyed her curiously. Wen Ke tugged her, but she shook him off. When she finished, we burst into laughter—gut-busting, side-splitting hilarity. My stomach ached. My wives squatted, etiquette forgotten. Guards' armors rattled with their chuckles. Someone mistook our high-tech Dragon Armor for ancient, airless plate? It's ultra-breathable, filtering air and doubling energy for faster cultivation. Not laughing was impossible. Later, mortified, Wen Li demanded her own set.
Her outburst, now a joke, earned her glares. "Brother, we saw you on the screen—so dashing!" Mimi's clingy voice cut through. Four spicy girls strutted up. "Brother Tian, our look's fire, right? We're the Spice Girls! MUSIC!" Mimi, Xiao E, Xiao Lan, and her sister rocked sunglasses, tight leather, short shorts, and thigh-high boots—pure flash. My world's flipped in two days. Even prim Xiao Lan went wild.
Xiao Lan's sister, still developing, led the dance awkwardly. Xue'er shot me a helpless smile. "Brother Tian, how's our groove?" Mimi cooed. I could only bitter-laugh. "Your runt's too green—throws off the vibe," I said, pointing at Xiao Yun.
"Told ya, Xiao Yun's too small," Mimi sighed. "Don't blame me!" Xiao Yun snapped, glaring. "Brother-in-law's a bully!"
Heh, discord sown—Spice Girls done. My subtle sabotage worked, but I owed Xiao Yun. "Fine, Xiao Yun, big gift in a few days, deal?" Her tears, brimming, retreated. "You better keep your word."
"Feitian, too many wives weighing you down? Hurts imperial dignity, so you mandate multiple wives for all men? Forcing your woes on others?" Wen Ke's wild take nearly killed me—more laughter, and I'd croak.
Grinning, I asked, "That what you think?"
"Definitely," he doubled down. "Cool, I'll reward you with a dozen." "Feitian, my body can't handle that! You're killing me!" His pained look was gold. Think you can spar with me on my turf, kid?
(Narrator's Note: "This kid's getting cocky—needs a leash." Feitian: "Big bro, fancy seeing you! How 'bout a break? This emperor gig ain't human." Sly grin. Narrator, thinking: Ruthless, using billions of citizens to guilt me.)
"Dean, you're here! Awesome!" Xiao Yan grabbed the dean's hand, thrilled. As an orphanage kid, she cherished the motherly dean.
"Xiao Yan, what're you doing here?" the dean asked, shocked, clutching her.
"I'm Feitian's wife—where else would I be?" Xiao Yan feigned innocence. That act hooked me back then. One slip, eternal regret.
"Dean, you won't say I kidnapped a teen, right? Truth is, my charm's too much. From the moment Xiao Yan saw me at the orphanage, I left an indelible mark. After leaving, she hunted me down, and on a stormy night, we reunited," I said, mock-mournful. Everyone paused, then roared with laughter.
"Feitian, you're done! I'll get the sisters to fix you. Xue'er, scold him!" Wen Li rallied allies. Nope—I dashed to Xue'er, pulled her close, and kissed her, crowd be damned.
"Tian, people are watching—so embarrassing," Xue'er murmured, pushing me gently.
"So romantic!" Wen Li swooned. "Alright, let's move—standing here's poor hosting," I said to the group.
"You said I was the prettiest, yet your wives outshine me. Liar! No wonder you've got so many—you can't eye me!" Dizzy. Wen Li's brain was overdrive. She edged away, as if I'd pounce and wed her.
"I didn't lie—on Earth, you were tops. This is Flying Dragon Star," I defended weakly.
"Excuses!" This girl's a headache—steer clear, far as possible.
"Oh, this sister's gorgeous! What's that cute horn on your head? So chic!" Wen Li, spotting a new world, zeroed in on Meilina and her two maids' forehead horns, grabbing Meilina's hand. Poor Meilina, stumped, blushed. I shot her an apologetic look.
"It's not a trinket—it's natural to our clan," Meilina said, red-faced. Horns are sensitive, private for demons; touching a demon woman's horn signals intent to marry. Rejection means death or killing the toucher. Post-migration, demons softened this, less extreme.
"Really?" Wen Li gaped, shocked.
"Easy, sister. This is the dragon's homeland—home to humans, dragons, gods, demons, foxes, and more. This sister's a demon clan princess," Xiao Yan explained, taking Wen Li's hand. "We'll tour the eight planets—gorgeous! You can ride armaments, fight dinosaurs, tons of fun."
"What's an armament? You ride it?" Wen Li mixed Earth with here. "Like this," Xiao Yan said, projecting a light beam. Wen Li, the dean, and crew froze, watching a pink, sleek armament rise from the ground—custom-made by Cohen. Seeing my Dragon Armor and armaments, they went wild. I figured, with plenty, we equipped them and all brigadier-plus generals. Army morale soared, eager for merits to hit general.
"That's an armament. Cool, huh?" Xiao Yan's voice echoed from the slick machine. Wen Li snapped out of shock, eyeing the pink armament. Another one's getting claimed.
We headed to the palace's guest hall. "Xiao Yan, no tasks for the dean's group yet. Tour them across the planets, then assign work," I told her. "Xue'er, help them build their foundation for cultivation."
"Got it," Xiao Yan huffed, annoyed I cut into her chat with Wen Li.
"Feitian, Meng Jiang's team found loads of thousand- and ten-thousand-year ginseng and He Shou Wu on Divine Realm Star. Unsure of age, they didn't pick, just guarded. Go check," Xue'er said, electrifying me. Ten-thousand-year herbs? Jackpot.
"Haha, awesome! Keep the dean's group company—I'm off!" I bolted.
"Sister, where's Brother Tian going?" Mimi asked Xue'er, curious.
Patting her head, Xue'er teased, "Your brother's off to play alchemist—turning Taoist, heh."
On Divine Realm Star, the warship barely docked before I sprinted out. Meng Jiang, pre-notified, waited. "Let's go—show me the ginseng and He Shou Wu!" I grabbed him, cutting off whatever he planned to say.
"Oh, Meng Jiang, hit the factory. Build this," I tossed him a blueprint. "An ancient pill furnace?" he asked, puzzled, but sent it to his deputy. He drove me in a hovercar to the herb site.
From above, a lush forest sprawled, its beauty perfect for nurturing treasures. Up close? Mind-blowing. These ginseng and He Shou Wu were ancient—mythical demon-ancestor tier. Ever seen thigh-thick ginseng? Basin-sized He Shou Wu? Their spiritual aura was intense. I harvested the biggest, leaving smaller or ultra-old ones.
Still, I gathered over 10,000 pounds each. On Earth, I'd be filthy rich. I'd planned a few pills for my wives, but this haul was insane. The other herbs from Earth fell short now. Since ginseng grew here, the rest should too. A search confirmed it.
"Meng Jiang, this planet's a gem. If gods knew alchemy, they'd be unstoppable. Declare it an imperial restricted zone—no logging, no farming. Keep it pristine. This is our empire's backbone—our strength'll leap forward," I said, envisioning a medicinal base, transplanting Earth herbs as needed.
The pill furnace arrived—1.6 meters tall, 2 meters wide, lidded, tripod-style, with a power switch and midsection mesh. My three years of Nanyue alchemy inspired this modern marvel.
I nibbled a ginseng chunk, checking internally. Potent—too much for weak bodies; it'd kill them. Lucky, we had manpower. Soldiers cleaned the herbs in a day. Refining was cautious—my first big batch. I mixed herbs by ratio, adding a yellow Life Source fruit from my spatial ring. One fruit with these herbs could yield a trillion thumb-sized pills, ideal for boosting Tier 3 to 4.
The herbs were shy of a trillion pills, so soldiers harvested more. Picture this: a vast field, warriors rolling tiny pills. With medicine advanced, pills were obsolete—only broken limbs needed care; minor ills were rare. No pharma industry meant hand-rolling. I apologized to the weary soldiers—they'd be the first to reap these divine pills' rewards.
After a day and night, 500,000 troops finished. I loaded a million pills into the furnace. Three hours later, a beep signaled power-off. When the heat faded, we hoisted the lid—fragrance flooded the room. I tested a pill—no effect. Failed? No, the scent screamed success; we weren't crafting immortal elixirs.
Dumbass. A drop in the ocean does nothing. I summoned three Tier 3 soldiers—upper, mid, lower. "It might hurt, but bear it—no danger. Survive, and you'll jump a tier. I've got your back."
"Majesty, we fear no death, let alone pills!" they roared.
"Good soldiers." Tests showed lower tiers felt more pain, but within tolerance. Each rose one sub-tier: upper to Tier 4 upper, mid to mid, lower to lower. One pill maxed at Tier 3 upper energy needs.
The trio, thrilled, tested their new strength outside. I swallowed one pill, sensing energy flow internally, then two, three—gauging its limit. My wives, mostly Tier 4 upper, wouldn't benefit much. I named these "Flying Dragon Divine Pills." Using non-fruit herbs and stone milk, I crafted a million thumb-sized "Body-Strengthening Pills" for physique and meridian enhancement.
After a week, all pills were done. I had Meng Jiang take a Body-Strengthening Pill and 2 milligrams of yellow Life Source fruit extract via dropper—more would've wrecked him. After grueling pain, he jumped from Tier 5 upper to near Tier 6 upper. With the dosage nailed, I mixed varying fruit extract with Body-Strengthening Pills.
Rushing back to Flying Dragon Star, I bet Xue'er missed me. In the palace, I gathered my wives and legion commanders (Meng Jiang, already dosed, skipped). I gave specially treated Body-Strengthening Pills to head and deputy commanders, then distributed Flying Dragon Divine Pills by dosage for their troops, insisting they supervise for anomalies.
For my 90 wives, I was extra careful. Kabo, the strongest at Tier 6 mid, took hers, hitting Tier 8 mid. Xue'er, Tier 6 lower, reached Tier 8 lower. Meilina, Tier 7 upper, soared higher. Weaker wives, bolstered by the pills, neared the next tier. My prior experience with Xue'er helped—weakest hit Tier 7 lower. Now, they could rock their crystal Dragon Armor without feeling unworthy. Good thing I'd had Cohen craft Tier 9 sets.
They swapped into crystal armor, giddy. Their future cultivation was on them—I couldn't push more; they couldn't handle it. Hmph, all happy, no thanks for the hero?
"Feitian, thank you," Kabo and Xue'er cooed. See? First wives rock—three loves in one. Pure bliss.
Word reached elders vacationing on Black Dragon Star's coast. They griped I didn't respect or cherish them, storming back. Only a few pills remained, just enough to split. The Demon King strong-armed me: "I gave you my daughter, no dowry, and you're stingy?" Clutching his pills, he bounced off, leaving me tearless. What a father-in-law.
The God King, ever gentlemanly, approached. "No long speech—my eldest daughter's yours, my youngest is two. I'm setting your engagement. You've seen her—already a charmer. She'll be a knockout. This investment's a sure win."
Dizzy. What a crew. "Stop, stop—take the last pill!" His sly grin screamed I'd been had. The politer, the sneakier. Another lesson learned.
Reader's Corner: Yo, readers, Feitian's divine pills just juiced up the empire! Will his wives' new power shake the cosmos? Can Wen Li handle Flying Dragon Star's wild ride? Drop your cosmic predictions in the comments—let's crank this dragon epic!