An accident occurred in the third minute after the mental transmission channel was established.
The source core deep in the Abyss had been depleted for years, and upon coming into contact with high-purity mental energy, it began to devour it wildly. The transmission channel overloaded, and the receiver emitted a piercing screech.
Three mental anchors in the distant home planet flashed red simultaneously.
In the conference room of the Cloudstream Group, Tinia turned pale, cold sweat dripping down. He gritted his teeth and said nothing, continuing to sustain his mental energy output.
In the imperial study, Chiron’s hand holding the document trembled, his eyes bloodshot.
On the frontline command ship, Baal let out a low grunt, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, but he kept staring at the screen, refusing to withdraw his mental energy.
“Cut it off!” Jiang Lijin shouted, her voice echoing through the underground forbidden zone.
Standing at the center of the receiver, Jiang Lijin’s face was pale. To prevent the mental seas of those three from being damaged, she forcibly reversed the direction of the purification domain, channeling all the backlash of wild energy into her own body.
“Host! You’ve lost your mind!” Xiao Yi’s electronic voice cracked as its mechanical claws slammed against the control panel, trying to forcibly terminate the program.
It was too late.
The core component of the receiver burst from overload, and the shockwave sent Jiang Lijin flying. She didn’t make a sound as she fell.
Tianque moved at lightning speed, catching Jiang Lijin in his arms.
Her body was burning up, and traces of chaotic energy could be seen under her skin.
“Jiang Lijin!” Tianque called out, his voice cracking.
Tianyan also rushed over, his face full of worry. “Take her to the rest room!”
Tianque carried her, racing all the way to the rest room door. He kicked the door open and gently laid the person in his arms down.
Jiang Lijin lay on the bed, half-conscious, breathing rapidly, her skin flushed red.
Xiao Yi paced by the bed, the emoji on its screen turning into a massive exclamation mark. “Physical cooling won’t work! Even the medical pod can’t suppress it! She’s overloaded with energy right now, and her mental sea is about to burst! If we don’t find a way to channel it, she’ll explode!”
Tianyan asked, “What’s the solution?”
Xiao Yi paused, then directly connected to the main brain, its screen flashing streams of data. “Found it! The main brain records indicate that the Host is the origin of Blue Star, and both of you also have Blue Star bloodlines. Mental energy from the same origin can perform deep channeling, draining the wild energy from her body and forming a closed loop.”
Tianque lifted his eyes to Xiao Yi, bloodshot. “In plain language.”
Xiao Yi spread its mechanical claws, and a huge heart popped up on the screen. “You have to get up close and personal. And it has to be the same origin, meaning both of you. Given her condition right now, one person alone can’t handle it—you’ll need to do it together.”
The room fell silent for a moment.
Only the sound of Jiang Lijin’s heavy breathing filled the air.
Tianyan glanced at Xiao Yi. “Didn’t expect a bot like you to be this wild.”
“This is no time for jokes!” Xiao Yi hopped in frustration.
“Get out.” Tianyan didn’t waste words, shoving Xiao Yi out the door and locking it behind him.
Tianque, without hesitation, went straight to the bed and pulled off his top.
His body ran cold. He lifted the blanket and climbed in, pulling the feverish Jiang Lijin into his arms.
His cool skin pressed against her burning body, prompting her to murmur and burrow deeper into Tianque’s embrace.
Tianque tightened his arms, holding her closer.
Tianyan stood to the side, his gaze dark.
“Brother,” Tianque looked up at Tianyan, his voice hoarse. “Who goes first?”
Tianyan chuckled, unbuttoning his shirt. “At a time like this, does the order matter?”
Tianque didn’t argue. He lowered his head, nuzzled Jiang Lijin’s neck, and bit her earlobe.
Dazed, Jiang Lijin felt a fire raging inside her body.
Foreign energy rammed around with no way out. Just as she was about to break, two familiar streams of cool aura drew near.
She reached out and grabbed blindly, catching Tianyan’s wrist.
Tianyan countered by gripping her fingers and pinning her hand to the pillow. He leaned down, his nose brushing hers, their breaths mingling.
“Boss, remember, you made the first move,” Tianyan’s voice dropped low. He tilted his head, kissing down Jiang Lijin’s neck—then lower. “Our lives, the black market’s intelligence network, and even our souls were always yours. Now our bodies are joining the deal as well.”
Tianque cupped Jiang Lijin’s chin, tilting her head to kiss her lips. The kiss was urgent and fierce, almost forcing her mouth open.
Jiang Lijin gasped for breath, a whimper escaping her throat.
Dragon beastmen were built differently from ordinary humans, and once awakened, they were far harder to control. Yet they still suppressed their instincts, careful not to hurt her.
The room’s temperature rose.
Lost in passion, Tianyan and Tianque unconsciously revealed their dragon traits. Scales glinted in the dim light, and their unusual anatomy hit Jiang Lijin like a shockwave.
Letting go of her restraint, Jiang Lijin stopped suppressing the wildness within, surrendering to the flow as she accepted the two streams of same-origin energy.
As their bodies intertwined, the three formed a closed loop of mental energy. The wild energy was tamed and guided, nourishing Jiang Lijin’s parched mental sea.
Tianyan and Tianque trapped Jiang Lijin between them, sweat soaking the sheets, mingled low gasps and sobs filling the air.
The next morning, the simulated light in the ecological bedroom turned on as scheduled.
Jiang Lijin woke amid a dull ache. She shifted, only to find herself wedged in the middle.
Tianyan on the left, Tianque on the right—both had her caged in their arms, their hands draped over her waist as they slept soundly.
Memories of the night flooded back, and heat rose to Jiang Lijin’s face. She tried to move the hands off her waist, but a sharp ache shot through her entire body the moment she stirred.
Tianque woke up. His eyes opened, still hazy as he leaned in to kiss Jiang Lijin’s shoulder. “Good morning, my wife.”
His voice was rough with sleep.
Tianyan stirred as well. Without opening his eyes, he pulled Jiang Lijin closer into his arms, resting his chin on top of her head with a soft laugh. “Boss, satisfied with last night? Can we ask for a raise?”
“Shut up.” Jiang Lijin kicked him despite the soreness.
But she quickly noticed a change in her body.
The once-wild energy had subsided, and her mental sea felt even fuller than before. Was this the power of same-origin channeling?
“Enough, time to get up.” Jiang Lijin pushed the two men aside, grabbed a nearby bathrobe, and wrapped it around herself.
Just then, a bang came from the door.
“Host! Open the door, Host!” Xiao Yi’s electronic voice cracked, an alarm blaring down the hallway. “Something huge has happened!”
Frowning, Jiang Lijin walked to the door and pressed the unlock button.
The door had barely cracked open when Xiao Yi slid in, its screen flashing red.
“The frontline defenses just got shredded by the insect swarm!” Xiao Yi blurted out. “Commander Baal’s starship was ambushed—now it’s completely out of contact!”
Jiang Lijin froze for a moment, her face darkening.
