Chapter 9

Qin Hong, who was the closest, arrived first. As soon as he saw Xi Yuan, without saying a word, he immediately punched him in the face. Xi Yuan knelt on the ground, not resisting. Even though his face was turned aside from the punch, spitting out a mouthful of blood, his eyes remained fixed on the Male Master lying in bed. Some time had passed, and the green light enveloping the Male Master had spread further. It had originally been confined to the bed, but now it had expanded beyond the bed.

As soon as Qin Hong arrived, a large group of people in white coats rang the doorbell outside. Seeing Xi Yuan kneeling motionless, he glanced at his younger brother with concern and, with a stern expression, went to open the door to grant them access, hoping that these top-tier medical experts would be able to help Qin Fei.

“What’s the situation now? You should be his family member, right? Quickly tell us what you know,” asked an older male who appeared to be in charge as soon as they entered.

“Since I discovered the Male Master’s condition, it’s been 25 minutes and 38 seconds. The plant has continuously emitted green light to the Male Master. At first, the green light only covered the bed, but now it’s expanding outward. Over time, it will gradually extend further. So far, the Male Master’s condition doesn’t appear to have changed, but the Male Master suddenly entered the fourth stage of transformation without any prior warning,” Xi Yuan explained. Seeing the Male Master’s expression still visible was the only thing keeping him from losing his composure.

The doctor furrowed his brows. Normally, the zerg race would sense the coming of a transformation in advance, giving them a chance to inform their family members so they wouldn’t worry. Sudden transformations like this usually indicate some sort of accident, and with that mysterious plant involved, he examined it carefully. Despite his efforts, he couldn’t find any information on it. He had no idea what it was.

“What is this plant? Do you have any information on it?”

Xi Yuan swallowed, his face still expressionless, though his eyes reddened slightly, and a sorrowful aura enveloped him. “I discovered it while on a patrol in space. It seemed to be an advanced magical plant, so I brought it back for the Male Master to play with. The Male Master liked it and placed it by his bedside. I’ve looked up information on it, but so far, it’s an unknown species. The stone it’s rooted in is similar to the legendary Moonstone. When placed outside at night to absorb moonlight and then brought indoors, it emits a glow.”

The doctor closed his eyes with a solemn expression. As a water-based esper, his abilities were known for their excellent healing properties. He cautiously extended a trace of his mental power, probing the green light. He immediately felt resistance. If he forced his way through, he feared he might disrupt the male’s evolution. If interrupted, the male’s transformation could have disastrous consequences—mildly, their abilities might regress, or worse, they could die.

Xi Yuan, who had been watching the doctor with hopeful eyes, now realized that the doctor too was powerless in this situation. He let his hands fall to his sides and clenched his fists tightly.

After some thought, the doctor went outside to contact others. Qin Hong followed him out, and the hope returned to his face.

“Doctor, is it true that Master Mu Ying has returned? Is he willing to come over?”

The doctor nodded. “I just received the news. He returned today, and after I briefed him on the situation here, he agreed to come over and take a look.”

Hearing this, Xi Yuan, who had been looking downcast, brightened up slightly. Mu Ying was a Level 9 wood esper, one of the best doctors in the zerg race. He had recently been away on another planet treating patients, with no fixed return date, so Xi Yuan hadn’t expected him to be back so soon.

An hour passed, and the group watched as the green light grew stronger. By this time, the light had already spread to cover half of the bedroom, and the figure in the center was becoming increasingly difficult to make out. This caused a great deal of concern among the group, as they could no longer feel Qin Fei’s presence, making it impossible to assess his condition.

Another half hour passed, and at last, a tall male zerg arrived, surrounded by a group of females.

Mu Ying, a treasure-level zerg and a Level 9 male, was accompanied by a number of Level 9 female zergs, all of whom admired him and hoped to become his mate. If they were able to bear his offspring, there was a high chance it would be a Level 9! Every time he traveled, there were dozens of females with him, including his queen and his female attendants, as well as specialized guards to protect him.

Seeing such a grand entourage, Xi Yuan became even more hopeful. Mu Ying himself was a legend among the zerg race. The males of the zerg race were already protected by numerous females, let alone the high-ranking males, who typically didn’t have strong ambitions. The lives of most zerg males were centered around eating, drinking, and entertainment. However, Mu Ying had always been an anomaly in this context. When war broke out in the Empire, he went to the frontlines to treat soldiers, rather than enjoying a comfortable life in the peaceful Empire. He was fearless, diligently using his abilities to heal the wounded soldiers. Because his esper abilities were at a high level, he saved countless critically injured female soldiers, including several generals with distinguished military records. Moreover, this wasn’t a one-time impulse. Since coming of age, he had continuously served in this way.

He was an idol to countless zergs, both male and female. Especially among the males, Mu Ying had sparked a positive, ambitious trend, inspiring many males to develop a sense of career ambition. As a result, many males achieved success, earned recognition, and improved the overall image of zerg males.

Although he was no longer young and his appearance had matured with age, there was a certain charm and calmness in his face that made him seem approachable and reassuring.

He asked about the situation, then extended his mental energy to sense the surroundings. The doctor beside him silently marveled. “As expected of a Level 9 male,” he thought. “Even as a Level 8 male myself, I can’t perceive his mental energy at all. If we were on the battlefield, his enemies would never even know he was there.”

“Don’t worry,” Mu Ying said with a smile, “Although I can’t sense his exact condition, the plant gives me a good impression. It doesn’t have any evil energy, it is helping him with his transformation. Also…” He smiled faintly. “It has absorbed a bit of my mental energy. It needs to replenish its energy. If you have any wood-type beast crystals or ores, give them to it to absorb!”

A female zerg who had been closely following him suddenly changed his expression. “Master, your mental energy…”

“Don’t worry, I’m fine,” Mu Ying reassured them. “I didn’t release much, I’ll recover after a while.” He waved his hand.

Xi Yuan flapped his wings and disappeared in a flash, only to reappear in the bedroom the next moment, holding a box full of crystals, and looked toward Mu Ying.

Mu Ying nodded. The crystals in the box floated up and moved towards the seedling on the bed. When they got within a few inches of it, they couldn’t get any closer, as if blocked by an invisible force. Then, the crystals were inexplicably drawn toward the roots of the seedling. In the next moment, the green light intensified.

Mu Ying couldn’t help but feel both amused and helpless. The mental energy he had sent was “consumed” by the plant, but upon sensing the vigorous life force, he felt a little relieved.