171: Egg

Shen Mingyuan dove down with the speed of a meteor, yet his control over his power was exquisitely precise.

At the very last moment before colliding with that chaotic mass of flesh, the massive wings on his back abruptly spread to their limit. Powerful air currents billowed in reverse, combined with exquisite posture adjustments, transforming the lethal impact force into a heavy yet relatively controlled "landing."

He landed heavily on the Dragon's ever-changing torso. The sensation underfoot was bizarre and indescribable: one moment it was slippery, squirming flesh; the next, rough, cracked bark-like texture; the next, he might step on a hard chitinous carapace. Even small vines or insect limbs would protrude from crevices, attempting to entangle his ankles.

The Dragon let out an even more chaotic and agonized roar from this sudden contact and weight. Its torso thrashed violently. One area suddenly erupted in a cloud of yellow-green spore smoke, while another splattered corrosive insect bodily fluid.

Shen Mingyuan had no time to concern himself with these. His goal was clear. He extended his left arm forward. The crimson-red gem on his wrist now blazed with intense light, no longer just electric currents but pulsing as if it had a life of its own.

He aimed at a relatively stable "wound" that was caught in a tug-of-war between woodification and flesh, and without hesitation, thrust his left hand and entire forearm deep into it!

The sensation was even more bizarre. He felt as if he had simultaneously plunged into warm flesh and blood, damp rotting wood, sticky insect nests, and some kind of tough fascia.

The moment the gem and armband made contact with these chaotic tissues, the crimson-red light, as if finding a conductor, suddenly spread out from the contact point, forming a fine web of light that instantly seeped deep into the Dragon's body!

[Consciousness Space]

[Blueprint Injection Program Initiated!]

In the real world, the Dragon's entire body convulsed with unprecedented intensity from this invasion into the deepest part of its life! It let out an ultimate scream of agony that surpassed all previous pain, mixed with countless life frequencies!

Around the insertion point, flesh, wood, and carapace proliferated at an even more frenzied pace, attempting to engulf or push out this foreign object. Spores, acid, and even sharp bone spikes erupted from all directions toward Shen Mingyuan!

Shen Mingyuan gritted his teeth. His entire left arm was wracked with excruciating pain and pressure from being torn, corroded, and impacted by chaotic energy flows from countless directions. The dark purple light in his visor flickered urgently. The transformation, amidst overwhelming Chaos and rejection, at the most dangerous peak, was forcibly initiated.

However, the blueprint guidance's priority seemed to inadvertently "activate" or "favor" some relatively stubborn foundational element within the Dragon's body. With the forceful intervention of the red energy flow, those wildly emerging animal and insect characteristics, as if encountering a natural predator, began to retreat at a visible pace.

Lion's mane-like hair rapidly dried up and fell off, revealing the woodified skin beneath. Attempts to form beast claws stiffened mid-process, then were enveloped and decomposed by wildly growing fibrous roots. Carapace plates lost their luster one after another, with emerald green or charred black sprouts and mycelium emerging from the cracks... Plant-based gene expression, in this externally forced intervention of reorganization, gained an overwhelming upper hand!

Centered on Shen Mingyuan's insertion point, the Dragon's body was transforming into some kind of "plant" form at an unprecedented speed! Rough bark texture rapidly spread and thickened, replacing the original scales and skin.

Thick bundles of woody fibers proliferated from within, reshaping the skeletal structure. Leaves, vines, and even twisted burls uncontrollably sprouted from various parts of the torso.

Its agonized roars gradually changed into low, mournful sounds like wind through forest gaps and the crackling of snapping woody fibers.

Right at the moment when this plantification wave was most turbulent, during the fierce clash between the red energy flow and the woodifying tissues—Shen Mingyuan's inserted left hand, amidst the chaotic woody fibers and flowing energy, suddenly touched an extremely peculiar, smooth, and dense object.

He wanted to extract it. His left hand clenched, attempting to grab it, but the resistance was immense. Shen Mingyuan's eyes flashed fiercely. His right hand extended the Arm Blade, and he slashed fiercely around the wound, forcibly cutting through the entangled fibers with several strikes! His right arm muscles bulged, and with a powerful pull from his left hand—

"Plop!"

An object was forcibly yanked out by him!

It was an egg. Entirely milky white, about the size of a human head, with a smooth surface. It felt heavy and warm to the touch, with several translucent, umbilical cord-like tubes attached to one end, connected deep within the Dragon's body.

Shen Mingyuan knelt on one knee on the gradually woodifying "tree trunk," left hand gripping this giant egg, right hand's Arm Blade dripping with sap. He immediately looked up warily at the Dragon's torso—preparing to counter any final backlash that might erupt from "egg extraction."

However, nothing happened.

That massive, solidifying tree-like torso had long ceased all struggle and convulsions. The previous agonized roars and moans mixed with countless life frequencies had, at some unnoticed moment, completely subsided.

Only the rustling of mountain wind through newly grown leaves and the faint crackling of plant tissues slowly growing and solidifying remained.

It was quiet... like a true ancient tree sapling, just born yet seemingly having grown for centuries. All activity, all consciousness, seemed to have completed a thorough "settling" at some undetected moment.

Shen Mingyuan's dark purple visor light flickered slightly. He stared at the warm egg in his hand, which seemed to concentrate all the previous Chaos and pain, then looked at the silent "tree shell" beneath his feet, his mind filled with doubt and suspicion.

In the distance, Lu Jianchuan and Captain Mountain Leopard, who had seen Shen Mingyuan "dig" a glowing white sphere from the monster's body through binoculars, and witnessed the monster subsequently become completely still and plantified, were utterly stunned.

Then, Shen Mingyuan's right arm's dark Arm Blade once again traced a precise cold gleam, cleanly severing the several translucent "umbilical cords" connected to the end of the white giant egg.

A small amount of clear sap seeped from the severed ends, then sealed themselves. The egg trembled slightly in his hand, as if alive, yet remained warm and calm.

He firmly clamped this peculiar egg under his left arm, retracted the Arm Blade on his right arm, remained vigilant, and slowly stood up from the main trunk of this massive, silent "tree."

Only now did he truly have the leisure to carefully examine the final creation born from a brutal battle and bizarre transformation.

This was a... "tree" difficult to accurately describe in words.

The trunk was thick and gnarled, vaguely showing the original winding contours and muscle-like textures of the Dragon's body, but now completely covered in deep brown, cracked bark.

Where the head should have been, several huge, forked branches twisted toward the sky, resembling antlers, or perhaps withered claws.

Massive roots deeply penetrated the churned earth, even enveloping some scattered remnants of experimental equipment.

The leaves were not lush and green but displayed a deep, interwoven color of ink-green and dark red, slowly swaying in the wind.

Overall, it appeared serene, ancient, even carrying a grotesque sense of solemnity, completely unlinkable to the agonized, writhing monster of moments before.

"Tsk," Shen Mingyuan let out an ambiguous, light scoff through the voice modulator, with a touch of dark humor, "This appearance... might become a tourist attraction someday. 'Dragonified Ancient Tree,' legend says it's what a fallen Dragon transforms into... could probably sell quite a few tickets."

He shook his head, dismissing this impractical thought. This place was under GUPA's jurisdiction. How this tree would ultimately be handled was still unknown.

His gaze was then drawn to some faint, shimmering lights among the branches. At the ends of some newly grown twigs, fruits had actually formed.

The fruits were not large, about the size of a child's fist, with an overall strange, semi-transparent texture, like the finest glass or amber.

The skin was extremely thin, clearly revealing the plump, slightly swaying juice inside. Under sunlight filtering through the leaf gaps, the juice shimmered with a gorgeous, gold-green blended luster, looking exceptionally enticing yet filled with an unfamiliarity belonging to no known fruit.

"A new variety of 'Dragon Saliva Fruit'?" Shen Mingyuan muttered to himself, but had no intention of trying it. Who knew what kind of "surprise" ingredients these fruits, catalyzed by that chaotic genetic material and evo factor, and formed under such bizarre conditions, might contain.

Shen Mingyuan finally took one last look around this eerily serene "Dragon Tree" and those crystalline strange fruits, and delayed no further. He adjusted his posture, cradling the warm white giant egg securely in his arms against his chest, careful to avoid squeezing it.

Flight required initial speed, especially with extra weight. His gaze quickly scanned the main trunk of the massive "tree" beneath his feet—its surface was rough, texture gnarled. Though not as flat as the ground, it was sufficient for the enhanced balance and grip of the armor.

He took a deep breath, fully spreading the huge feathered wings on his back, slightly adjusting the angle for optimal lift.

"Well then... go!"

With a low shout, holding the egg, he began sprinting on the thick trunk!

After a few steps, his speed was already sufficient. At the end of an outward protruding branch on the trunk, he leaped with all his might!

Both wings simultaneously beat down with full force, stirring up powerful air currents. The downward momentum was instantly negated, turning into forward and upward gliding. Success!

Shen Mingyuan adjusted his egg-holding posture for more stable flight, then continued flapping his wings, beginning to climb.

Shen Mingyuan, holding the warm white giant egg, flew toward the abandoned unfinished building at the city's edge. As the target neared, the landing problem became real—The Forger's reminder echoed in his mind: the landing posture might be somewhat awkward.

He circled above the unfinished building's rooftop, beginning to slow and descend. The altitude gradually lowered, the ground approaching.

"Only this way..." Shen Mingyuan's thoughts raced. He held the egg even tighter against his chest with both arms.

The huge wings on his back, composed of countless dense biological feathers, no longer maintained a gliding posture. Instead, they abruptly curled forward and toward both sides of his body, like a pair of tough, elastic giant cushions, semi-wrapping himself and the egg in his arms.

The next moment, he and the egg in his arms, like a heavily wrapped package, "slammed" onto the concrete ground of the rooftop in this somewhat comical posture!

"Thud! Rumble—!"

Upon landing, the massive impact force made it impossible for him to maintain balance. The curled wings scraped violently against the ground, emitting a dull grating sound.

He curled his body, firmly protecting the egg at the core, and rolled forward several times with the momentum, stirring up a cloud of dust, before finally completely dissipating the impact force and coming to a stop.

The process was indeed devoid of any elegance, even somewhat unsightly.

As the dust settled slightly, Shen Mingyuan loosened his arms, first looking down to check the egg in his arms—the milky-white eggshell remained smooth, warm, and intact.

He sighed in relief, then unhurriedly stood up. The wings on his back "swished" open, easily shaking off the dust. Those feathers shimmering with "iridescent black" remained neat and dense, showing astonishing defensive power and resilience.

He walked to the center of the rooftop, carefully set the egg down. The egg's luster remained conspicuous in the dim environment. Time was pressing.

He pressed the gem on his left wrist. The armor and wings instantly retracted and were reabsorbed.

Right at the moment when the armor was completely removed, reverting to Shen Mingyuan's original form—

An intense feeling of emptiness-like weakness and dizziness, like an invisible sledgehammer, slammed into him!

His vision went dark, ears ringing, legs weakening almost to the point of kneeling.

It wasn't just muscle fatigue but an energy depletion alarm from the cellular level, accompanied by bone-gnawing sharp hunger, causing his stomach to cramp.

"Ugh...!"

He gasped rapidly a few times, relying on strong willpower to resist this wave of intense physiological reaction.

His left hand trembling, he fished out a tube of azure-blue energy supplement given by Zhou Zihui from his backpack, bit open the sealed cap with his teeth, and drank the cold liquid inside in one gulp.

The cold fluid slid down his throat. The gentle warmth and energy replenishment feeling quickly spread. Though it couldn't immediately offset all consumption, it at least suppressed the devouring weakness and dizziness to a tolerable, actionable level.

Then he quickly took off his already torn and soiled shirt, carefully wrapped the egg in it, tied a knot to make a carrying pouch.

Picking up the pouch, he quickly went downstairs along the original route, returning to the car in the shadows. After a wary glance around, he placed the pouch under the passenger seat, slightly concealed it with a floor mat, then sat in the driver's seat and started the car.