155: Chen Zhaojing was caught in the crossfire

Pillar of Leaders, the core residential area of the Chen Clan.

Rather than residences, these were more like independent planets crafted according to personal preferences.

There were classical courtyards floating on mountain peaks, high-tech fortresses hidden deep within planetary cores, and miniature landscapes of various famous attractions.

Among all the residences, two were the most "lively."

One was the "Bai Xi Palace" belonging to the Family's number one contributor and "Super Seeder," Chen Zhaojing.

The other was "Yuanhai Mountain Villa," belonging to the leader of the younger generation, the great-grandson Chen Yuanhai.

Bai Xi Palace, Main Hall... Chen Zhaojing, the nominal eldest grandson of the Federation and the Family's actual model for procreation, was slumped on a giant lounge chair made of "Ten-thousand-year Soul-Soothing Wood."

Once, he was a high-spirited young talent and a firm executor of his grandfather Chen Jun's plans.

Now, he was already a powerhouse at the Stellar Level Peak! This was entirely thanks to his grandfather Chen Jun remembering his contributions and, with a wave of his hand, allocating the source marrow offered by the Dragonborn Empire to him like candy.

He had been forcibly boosted from the War God Peak to the Stellar Level Peak!

His strength had increased, but not a hint of joy could be seen on Chen Zhaojing's face; there was only a sense of being hollowed out, exhausted, and weary of life... His eyes were vacant as he watched the simulated movement of stars on the dome, feeling as if those stars had turned into the faces of wailing infants giggling at him, their laughter sounding like demonic music in his ears.

He had only enjoyed a few "quiet" years of good life before the activation of Chen Jun's [Multifortune] effect—

The "Nightmare of Happiness" had returned!!!

"Husband~" A flirtatious call, full of charm and lingering sentiment, came from the inner hall.

Chen Zhaojing shuddered all over, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, nearly leaping off the lounge chair!

A woman dressed in a thin gauze dress, with a graceful figure and an exquisite face, walked out slowly, holding a soup bowl emitting a misty Spiritual Qi and a dense medicinal fragrance.

This was his... eighth wife today. The core advantage that allowed her to defeat competitors and become one of his wives was her special Physique—she was extremely easy to impregnate!

"Husband, you've worked hard~" The woman held the soup bowl to Chen Zhaojing's lips, her eyes full of flirtatious intent.

"This is the 'Ten-Ingredient Grand Tonic Dragon-Tiger Soup' I brewed myself. It uses eighty-one types of Saint Medicine and has been personally enhanced with Life Law Technology by Dean Mo Heng. It is most effective for nourishing Origin Qi and strengthening the foundation and Yang energy~"

Chen Zhaojing looked at the bowl of soup, which was almost overflowing with Spiritual Qi, and his mouth twitched.

He had drunk no less than a hundred bowls of this stuff in the past few days!

He felt as if Spiritual Qi was oozing from his entire body, and dragon-shaped phantoms were about to spray out of his nostrils!

"Madam... I... I really can't drink anymore..." Chen Zhaojing waved his hand feebly, feeling as if his very words carried the scent of medicine.

"Husband~" The woman refused to give in, her body softening as she almost melted into his arms, her breath like orchids:

"You are the backbone of us sisters~ If you wear yourself out, what will we do? Besides, Sister Liu and Sister Wang's 'ovulation periods' have arrived this month; they are all waiting for you, Husband... to spread the rain and dew evenly~"

As she spoke, she extended her slender fingers and drew circles on Chen Zhaojing's firm chest, her tone carrying a hint of resentment and a strong suggestion:

"I heard that last month, on the day of Sister Zhang's ovulation, Husband only worked hard... um... ninety-seven times before she got pregnant! Now she's being treated like a Bodhisattva by her parental Family, enjoying Innate nourishment and Reverse-Feed every day. Her cultivation is advancing by leaps and bounds, and she's about to Breakthrough to the Planetary Level!"

Chen Zhaojing: "???!!!"

Only ninety-seven times?!

He felt a phantom pain in his kidneys!

Ever since the news spread that the Family's newborns were all of the Innate Martial Body and that pregnant women could Breakthrough via Innate nourishment and Reverse-Feed, his wives had gone completely mad!

Although everyone had been proactive before, since his grandfather told him to shift his focus to education, there was still some degree of mutual consent and pacing.

Now?

They had directly entered a "planned economy" mode!

Led by Cui Hua, the "Big Sister," they established the "Zhaojing Fertility Management Committee"... Based on factors such as each wife's physiological cycle, Aptitude potential, and parental Family contribution, they scientifically scheduled shifts, precisely calculated ovulation periods, and formulated a detailed "Favor Timetable"!

Striving not to waste a single egg!

Not to miss a single opportunity!

Before, he could sleep with whoever he wanted; now... the timetable arranged who he slept with, and he had to complete the designated "task" at the designated time and place!

Furthermore, to increase the probability of success, the wives spared no effort!

All sorts of ancestral, interstellarly sourced, and Academy of Sciences-exclusive fertility formulas and nourishing Saint Medicines were stuffed into his mouth as if they cost nothing.

Their dressing was even more flamboyant, ranging from pure Fairies to seductive succubi... from classical elegance to future-tech styles... there was nothing he couldn't imagine, and nothing they didn't dare to wear!!!

Several wives had even privately commissioned Dean Mo Heng to customize a "Precise Ovulation Monitoring and Atmosphere Creation System." Once the time arrived... the lighting, music, and fragrance of the entire bedchamber would automatically switch to "Optimal Conception Mode," and a gentle prompt would whisper in his ear via Mental Energy: "Husband, the optimal period for conception has arrived. Please keep it up~"

Keep it up?!

Keep it up my foot!

He felt like he had returned to his eighteen-year-old self—those days as a strictly programmed, overloaded... seeding machine!

No!

It was even more terrifying than before!

The cultivation of the Stellar Level Peak brought not only strength but also... a longer lifespan and a lower natural fertility rate!

When he was at the War God Peak, he could make nearly a hundred wives pregnant in a year if he worked hard.

Now that he was at the Stellar Level Peak, he would thank the heavens if he could successfully impregnate a few wives in a year of hard work!

Every night, under the "eagerly expectant" gazes of his wives, he forcibly used the abnormal control of a Stellar Level Peak over his body to frantically adjust his physical state, especially his kidneys... For the sake of efficiency, he felt he had become—

A super humanoid seeding machine!

Each time he planted a seed, he needed to plant several more within a minute!

Moreover, under the reproductive isolation of the Stellar Level Peak, the vast majority of these seeds would never sprout!

As for the experience?

What was that? Having to complete the job several times a minute, where would he get any sense of experience?

He truly just wanted to focus on popularizing the Family's core values and didn't want to step onto the field personally anymore... but the wives' expectations had been pulled to infinite heights due to the two super buffs of "Guaranteed Innate Martial Body" and "Innate Nourishment Reverse-Feed"!

Previously, when they had a child, there were plenty of rewards from his grandfather, so the wives were happy, but they wouldn't be as crazy as they were now!!!

Now?

As long as they conceived, it was a guaranteed Innate Martial Body! The mother would also receive huge benefits!

This was equivalent to a super shortcut with zero risk, high returns, bringing honor to the ancestors, and improving one's own strength!

Which wife wouldn't be envious?!

Which parental Family wouldn't push desperately?!

Consequently, all the pressure was concentrated on Chen Zhaojing alone!

He felt that although he looked glamorous and formidable on the outside, he had actually become a "Kidney-Deficient Young Master" on the inside... "Cough... let me... rest... just for one day... I want to drink tea leisurely for a day like Grandpa..." Chen Zhaojing practically begged, his voice carrying a sob.

Seeing this, the woman's beautiful eyes instantly filled with a layer of mist, and she looked ready to cry:

"Husband~ Have you grown tired of me? I know my Aptitude is dull, and I'm not as good at serving people as Sister Liu and the others... but my heart for Husband can be witnessed by heaven and earth! My parental Family, to ensure this opportunity's success, even contributed one-tenth of the Family's assets to the Federation Academy of Sciences' treasury..."

As soon as Chen Zhaojing heard "contributed," his head hurt even more.

Now, to get on his... "fertility timetable," not only did one need to look at Aptitude and cycles, but one also had to compete with parental Family strength!

Competition! Just pure, hard competition!

He felt he had become the most expensive... auction item in the entire Federation?

Sold to the highest bidder?

Just then—

"Report—!"

An inner chamberlain rushed in, stumbling with panic on his face: "Your Highness Zhao Jing! This is bad! Madam Liu, Madam Wang, Madam Li... and seventeen other madams from the 'Fertility Management Committee' are bringing the sisters... to... to bring you the 'Shift Schedule' and 'Nutritional Supplements'! They've already reached the palace gates!"

Upon hearing this, Chen Zhaojing's face turned pale instantly, as if he had heard the end of the Universe!

He sprang up from the lounge chair, disregarding his image, and grabbed the chamberlain's hand, speaking rapidly: "Quick! Tell them that I... I suddenly had an epiphany and must enter seclusion! Yes! Seclusion to break through to the Star Arm Level! I won't see anyone!"

The chamberlain had a long face: "Your Highness... that excuse... you used it last month... The madams said that even if you're breaking through to the Star Arm Level, it won't hinder... uh... procreating offspring, and they said it's 'combining work and rest'..."

Chen Zhaojing: "..."

Hearing the chirping voices and the familiar fragrant wind—a mix of various top-tier spices and Spirit Medicine scents—getting closer outside the hall, he felt a chill run from his tailbone straight to the top of his head!

His Stellar Level Peak cultivation actually made his legs feel weak at this moment!

"Quick! Activate the 'Ten Thousand Dragons Homage Defense Array'! Say... say I'm Cultivating an ancestral secret technique and cannot be disturbed! Any energy leakage will harm the innocent!" Chen Zhaojing, in his desperation, gave orders haphazardly.

The chamberlain's face turned green: "Your Highness Zhao Jing... the 'Ten Thousand Dragons Homage' array is for resisting external enemies... using it to block the madams... this... isn't appropriate, right? Besides, the madams hold the highest authority tokens from the 'Fertility Committee'; theoretically, they can pass through any Forbidden Ground in Bai Xi Palace..."

Chen Zhaojing's vision went dark, and he almost fainted.

In this critical moment, a flash of inspiration hit him, and he grabbed onto the last straw:

"Right! Yuan Hai! My son! Doesn't he claim to be a 'Saint of Love' and has married eight hundred wives? He must have a way to handle this kind of scene! Quick! Send a message to Yuan Hai, tell him that his father has urgent matters regarding Family procreation and life philosophy to discuss with him! Tell him to come quickly to res... come quickly for a meeting!"

"Yes! Your Highness!" The chamberlain, as if granted a great amnesty, scrambled off to send the communication.

Chen Zhaojing then vanished in a flash, hiding in the deepest part of the bedchamber, in the "Quiet Cultivation Secret Chamber" said to be able to block the Divine Sense of a Stellar Level Peak, shivering as he awaited his son's rescue... Meanwhile, at Yuanhai Mountain Villa.

The "liveliness" here, compared to Bai Xi Palace, was even more intense.

If Bai Xi Palace was a "planned and organized" hunt, then Yuanhai Mountain Villa was a never-ending, chaotic, and fanatical carnival!

Chen Yuanhai, as a leader of the great-grandson generation, inherited the handsome looks of his father Chen Zhaojing, with an added touch of a playboy's cynical flair.

His cultivation was stuck at the War God Peak and hadn't been forcibly raised by Chen Jun with source marrow—after all, top-tier resources had to prioritize the "number one contributor" and those with truly top-tier Aptitude. The most important reason, however, was that once strength went up, the natural fertility rate became too low.

However, being only at the War God Peak didn't affect his "achievements" in the field of love.

With a handsome face, a sweet tongue, and the halo of being "Ancestor Chen's great-grandson," he successfully branded himself as a "Saint of Love" who passed through flowers without a single leaf sticking to him, attracting countless admirers.

He declared: "Love must be broad! My heart is large enough to house thousands of people! ...No! My heart is as vast as the starry sky, enough to accommodate every brilliant star!"

Consequently, the number of his wives easily surpassed the eight hundred mark and was still increasing... Yuanhai Mountain Villa had expanded continuously because of this and was now comparable to a large city, housing his eight hundred-plus wives of various styles.

At this moment, in the luxurious bedchamber on the top floor of the "Star-Plucking Tower," the core area of Yuanhai Mountain Villa.

Chen Yuanhai was wearing a flashy bright purple starry sky robe, his hair combed meticulously, as he practiced deep gazes in front of a mirror.

"Oh, my dear Shasha, your eyes are as enchanting as the nebulae of the Liuli System... Hmm, this one's not bad. I'll use it on the Seventh Wife tonight; maybe I can escape a disaster."

He nodded with satisfaction and picked up a glass of "Dreamy Bubbly Wine," imagining he could escape his "busy" yet "fulfilling" nightlife tonight.

However, just as he opened the door—

"Husband!!!"

A sound wave like a tsunami instantly submerged him!

On the circular terrace outside the bedchamber, a dense, endless crowd of his wives stood there!

All shapes and sizes, all sorts of beauties, in various distinctive costumes competing for attention; the air was filled with the scents of hundreds of different perfumes, so thick they almost solidified!

They held up fluorescent signs and holographic projections with various texts written on them:

"Yuan Hai! Look at me! My ovulation period is tonight!"

"Lord Husband! My parental Family just contributed the assets of a small resource planet! Please favor me!"

"Brother Hai~ I've learned a new mating dance from the Wuling Mingwen; shall I dance it for you?"

"Your Highness Yuan Hai! I... I secretly used the Academy of Sciences' latest 'Super Ovulation Injection'! The effect lasts for three days! Don't miss the chance!"

...The playboy flair on Chen Yuanhai's face froze instantly, and the wine glass in his hand fell to the ground with a "clatter," spilling the Dreamy Bubbly Wine everywhere...