The beastmen of the Black Jiao Tribe all raised their heads in unison, gazing toward that pitch-black figure.
Yunyang and Fuyuan looked over as well.
Although they could not make out the figure’s appearance, Yunyang had a strong intuition.
She murmured, “A-Ye.”
As if he had heard her voice, the enormous body suddenly charged over. Under the astonished gazes of all the Black Jiao beastmen, it wrapped Yunyang and Fuyuan up and swam toward the shore at top speed.
“Saintess, is that… a dragon?”
The Black Jiao beastmen looked questioningly at Xie Wenna.
Though they had seen it for only a few moments, they had clearly made out the black figure’s distinctive pair of dragon horns, as well as its five claws, which were entirely different from those of the Jiao Tribe.
“It’s a dragon. One of our people has successfully transformed into one.” Xie Wenna could finally give them a definite answer.
She could barely contain her excitement.
That ancestor who had transformed into a dragon had said that their homeland lay in another star region, very, very far away.
However, some kind of barrier stretched between the two star regions. The ancestor had exhausted every possible means but had still been unable to break through it.
That invisible barrier was like a door that allowed entry but not escape, trapping them and all the other tribes in this star region and preventing them from returning home.
Before the ancestor’s death, he had said that only a member of the tribe who successfully transformed into a dragon could possibly lead them back to their homeland.
Pei Wenye had transformed in only half a month—faster even than their ancestor. Perhaps he was the one their ancestor had spoken of.
Xie Wenna turned to the chief and ordered, “Prepare everything. I’m going to the mainland.”
“Yes, Saintess.”
For the Saintess to go ashore, she had to be escorted by the tribe’s finest warriors.
Since all the tribe’s beastmen had gathered here, the Black Jiao chief immediately began selecting the escort.
Meanwhile, Yunyang sat atop the black dragon and reached out to pinch its dark horns. “A-Ye, you succeeded, didn’t you?”
If it were not Pei Wenye, why would this black dragon have come straight for her and Fuyuan the moment it appeared?
The black dragon did not speak. He merely gave a very slight nod.
He moved incredibly fast, and before long, he had delivered Yunyang and Fuyuan to the shore.
Once Fuyuan came out of the water, he transformed into human form. The black dragon rudely tossed him aside, then lifted his head and rubbed it against Yunyang’s palm. The next moment, he transformed into human form as well.
Yunyang’s eyes widened.
Pei Wenye was still the Pei Wenye she knew after transforming into a dragon. However, there was not a single uninjured patch of skin on him. His tattered clothes had been stuck to his wounds for who knew how long, cemented in place by dried blood.
The other seven husbands had remained on the shore the entire time. They had hurried over as soon as Pei Wenye brought Yunyang and Fuyuan ashore.
Now, seeing Pei Wenye’s terrible condition, Xuan Yu silently took out a specialized healing injection. After some difficulty, he found an uninjured spot on Pei Wenye’s arm and injected it.
Pei Wenye gave Xuan Yu a grateful look. Then he wiped his palm clean on his bloodstained clothes before carefully placing it against Yunyang’s cheek.
“Mistress, look. I succeeded.”
“Don’t worry. These injuries will heal soon.”
The Federation’s specialized healing agents were naturally highly effective, but that could not erase the pain Pei Wenye had endured before.
Yunyang drew a deep breath and asked nothing. She simply had the other husbands carry Pei Wenye back to the habitat cabin.
Four of the husbands carried Pei Wenye, while the other four escorted Yunyang. Before long, they returned to the habitat cabin.
Only after everyone else on the shore had left did Nuo Xiao emerge from behind the rocks.
He took a long, deep look at the habitat cabin before spreading his wings and returning to his own aircraft.
Pei Wenye’s injuries were simply too severe. Even with the specialized healing agent, it took him a full two days to recover.
During that time, Xie Wenna visited once with the beastmen of the Black Jiao Tribe. She told Yunyang about a clue left behind by their ancestor—a clue concerning the direction of the Federation.
Yunyang was extremely grateful that Xie Wenna was willing to provide them with the information. She also promised Xie Wenna that if there was any way to return to the Federation, she would definitely bring the Black Jiao Tribe with them.
That was exactly what Xie Wenna wanted to hear.
She left behind several relics belonging to the Black Jiao Tribe’s dragon-transformed ancestor, then returned to the seabed with the tribe’s beastmen.
Yunyang could not tell what use those relics might have. Once Pei Wenye awoke, she simply handed them all over to him.
Pei Wenye examined them one by one and ultimately selected only a single item.
A mother crystal of spatial crystal.
This mother crystal was larger than all the pieces Yunyang had found in Lin Ruibo’s spatial ring combined. Pei Wenye called Cang Zhuonian over to help, and after considerable effort, they finally smashed it open.
Pei Wenye picked up the spatial crystal and looked at Yunyang. “Mistress, I need some time to absorb this spatial crystal.”
Yunyang blinked.
Only those with spatial abilities could absorb spatial crystals. Since Pei Wenye said he needed to absorb it, that meant…
After transforming into a dragon, he had awakened spatial abilities as well!
Yunyang hurriedly nodded. “Go ahead, go ahead.”
Pei Wenye took the spatial crystal and returned to his room.
His injuries had completely healed, and he had also awakened spatial abilities. Yunyang’s heart, which had been hanging in suspense all this time, finally relaxed.
She sat on the sofa and grabbed Leon, who was nearest to her.
“Leon, I want salt-and-pepper pork ribs.”
She had been so worried about Pei Wenye over the past few days that she had barely been able to eat. The little weight she had finally managed to gain was rapidly disappearing again.
Her husbands were all terribly worried about her.
Now that she had taken the initiative to order food, Leonardo immediately nodded. As soon as Yunyang released his hand, he took out his insulated spatial ring and dashed toward the kitchen.
Xuan Yu and Chen Yueli followed him in.
With so many people in the household, no one husband was ever expected to handle all the cooking alone.
The husbands had their own arrangements, and Yunyang never interfered. All she needed to do was sit back and wait for the delicious food.
Once lunch was ready, Pei Wenye still had not come out of his room.
Yunyang had the others set aside a portion of every dish and put it in a clean bowl for Pei Wenye. Then she picked up her chopsticks and began to eat.
It had been several days since she had enjoyed a meal so much.
Now that the matter she had been worried about had been resolved perfectly, Yunyang finally remembered something.
She bit the tip of her chopsticks and, after a long pause, looked at the other husbands uncertainly. “Did you… send any food to Nuo Xiao?”
All eight husbands froze.
“Mistress, doesn’t he have any food?”
Yunyang was speechless.
“When we left the Snow Owl Tribe, Nuo Xiao put all the food and water into A-Ye’s spatial ring.”
Spatial rings could preserve the freshness of their contents. Pei Wenye had been the one to suggest that in the first place.
But Pei Wenye had gone to the Dragon Abyss half a month ago, and Yunyang had not thought of it either.
Nuo Xiao was a flying beastman, and it was not exactly convenient for him to go into the sea in search of food. In other words…
Nuo Xiao might not have eaten much for half a month.
Even if he was an SSS-rank ability user with a powerful body, he probably could not withstand that.
After all, Yunyang and Pei Wenye had only been trapped in a wormhole for a week, and they had nearly passed out from hunger and thirst.
Yunyang could not sit still any longer. “Let’s go check on him.”
She did not want to accidentally cause the death of a beastman—especially not Nuo Xiao, who had always taken such good care of her and Pei Wenye.
