Chapter 240: Forgive Me for Asking—Are You Impotent?
Shen Mo nodded, stepping past the two guards and striding boldly into the valley.
The valley was unusually spacious. Everywhere, bamboo, pine, and cedar trees lay scattered in disarray. Leaves and stones were strewn haphazardly across the ground, creating a scene of utter chaos.
At the valley's center was a deep, dark pit. Peering into it, Shen Mo could see nothing but an abyss of darkness, its depths unknowable. He was surprised. Where was the old Flame Dragon? Should he call out?
The thought had barely crossed his mind when a massive figure emerged from the pit.
In an instant, it almost blotted out the sky, casting the entire valley into shadow. Shen Mo looked up, locking eyes with two colossal vertical pupils.
Below them was a broad, prominent snout, from which hot, heavy breaths emanated like raging gusts of wind, threatening to blow Shen Mo away.
Beneath the snout was a cavernous mouth lined with rows of sharp dragon teeth. However, the dragon's teeth were noticeably yellow, with bits of meat stuck between them—an unhealthy sight.
It could use a good cleaning.
"Young brat, this isn't a place for the likes of you. Get lost," the old Flame Dragon snarled, its yellow teeth flashing as it spoke.
Shen Mo smiled. "Protector, I have a token. The Sect Leader sent me here to see if I can assist you in reproducing."
The old Flame Dragon froze for a moment before erupting in anger. "Over the past hundred years, eight elders have come here! All of them were utterly useless! And now you, a young pup, think you can do something? Get lost! Before I decide to eat you, get out of my sight!"
Shen Mo observed the Flame Dragon's life panel, his expression turning increasingly peculiar.
"Still here? I don't care who you are—I'll eat you if I feel like it!" the old Flame Dragon growled impatiently, baring its teeth.
Shen Mo cleared his throat. "Protector, forgive my bluntness, but... are you impotent?"
The old Flame Dragon was rendered speechless. In that instant, it felt an overwhelming sense of embarrassment, as though its dragon scales had been stripped away, its dragon tendons exposed for all to see.
"Brat, nonsense! I'm not impotent!" it roared, its tone laced with both anger and denial.
Shen Mo gave a faint, knowing smile. The old Flame Dragon's life panel floated before his eyes.
[Stage: Sixth-Tier Peak]
[Fate Attributes: Egg-Laying Beast, Innate Speed, Sparse Offspring, Flame Dragon Bloodline, Great Demon Fragment]
Shen Mo examined the fate attributes in detail.
[Egg-Laying Beast: White-grade Fate Attribute. You are not viviparous but oviparous, like most egg-laying beasts.]
[Innate Speed: Blue-grade Fate Attribute. Your speed far surpasses that of other beasts at the same tier.]
[Sparse Offspring: White-grade Fate Attribute. You have been impotent since youth, though you are highly interested in females. In your entire life, you have only ever sired one offspring.]
[Flame Dragon Bloodline: Orange-grade Fate Attribute. Your affinity for fire-elemental energy far exceeds that of ordinary beasts. You can absorb fire-elemental energy from the heavens and earth with exceptional speed and even bathe in magma without harm.]
[Great Demon Fragment: Orange-grade Fate Attribute. You are the reincarnated fragment of a Sixth-Tier Peak Great Demon. A strand of the Great Demon's soul resides within you. However, the Great Demon has ten fragments in total, and these fragments are destined to compete for dominance. Although you are the fastest cultivator among the fragments, you have not awakened memories of your past life.]
Shen Mo continued reading further.
[Destiny: Forever bound to the Sixth-Tier Peak. Ultimately, you will be devoured by the third fragment of Ao Huang.]
[Upcoming Event 1: Five days from now, your frustration from not having a mate will reach a breaking point. In a fit of rage, your roars will inadvertently kill the two stewards guarding the valley entrance. Overcome with guilt, your cultivation will begin to decline.]
[Upcoming Event 2: Half a month from now, Ye Yan will bring a Heavy Water Python for you to mate with. While the mating will succeed, it will not produce offspring. This failure will further enrage you, but it will also deepen your trust in Ye Yan.]
[Upcoming Event 3: One month from now, after receiving Demon Emperor's Blood from two new stewards, you will decide to leave the Jade Cauldron Sect and join the Ten Thousand Demon Nation.]
Shen Mo's gaze lingered on the panel for a moment before looking up at the old Flame Dragon, whose mood had already soured.
"Protector Ao Yan, your face doesn't lie. Would you like me to help you address this... predicament?"
Shen Mo asked, a glint of amusement in his eyes.
The old Flame Dragon snarled but remained silent, its previous bluster replaced by visible unease.
Shen Mo was slightly surprised.
He hadn't expected that this old Flame Dragon was also one of the Great Demon's fragments.
In his mind, the image of Ao Wu suddenly surfaced.
Back when he left Xuanjiang Prefecture, he had considered bringing Ao Wu with him.
After all, he had fed Ao Wu for a long time, and they had developed a bond.
Ao Wu had been reluctant to part with him but ultimately stayed behind, as if some unseen force was calling and driving it forward.
"You brat, get out, get out, get out!"
The old Flame Dragon was now thoroughly enraged.
He hated nothing more than someone doubting his capabilities.
The roar snapped Shen Mo out of his thoughts.
Shen Mo chuckled lightly. "Before I came here, I thought the Protector might have some physical or psychological issues. But now, I see that's not the case."
"The truth is, Protector Ao Yan, you will only ever have one offspring in your life, the Flame Dragon egg you sired long ago."
The old Flame Dragon glared at him viciously. "Are you cursing me?"
"Impossible! I will reproduce again—I can still…"
Shen Mo smiled faintly. "Protector, you were born with a defect but still possess an intense interest in females. Am I right?"
The old Flame Dragon froze, then shouted in anger and disbelief, "How do you know that?"
Shen Mo replied calmly, "You're disabled in that way. How can you expect to reproduce?"
He finally understood the truth. The Jade Cauldron Sect had always claimed that the Flame Dragon's lack of offspring was due to the inability of snake and python demonesses to endure the dragon's overwhelming force.
In reality, this was merely an excuse to save face for the Flame Dragon.
Hearing Shen Mo's words, the old Flame Dragon's vertical pupils glowed with a chilling light, as if ready to devour Shen Mo in the next moment.
Yet, Shen Mo stood his ground, unfazed, and didn't move a muscle.
He knew the old Flame Dragon's temperament well.
Though outwardly fierce and constantly threatening to eat people, it had never actually eaten anyone.
Even in its destined fate, when its uncontrollable fury accidentally killed the two guards at the valley entrance, it was overcome with guilt, leading to a decline in its cultivation level.
Such a creature was unlikely to harm him.
As expected, seeing Shen Mo remain unmoved, the old Flame Dragon's ferocity waned.
"You're just like Li Zhendao, Ye Yan, and my old master—all the same type of person."
"I bare my fangs and claws, and none of you even flinch."
"But you're braver and bolder than Li Zhendao and Ye Yan."
The Flame Dragon dropped its massive head onto the ground, its eyelids drooping as its Sixth-Tier Peak aura dissipated entirely.
Now, it no longer looked like a majestic dragon but rather a pitiful, sick creature stranded on a shallow beach.
Shen Mo, seeing this, sat cross-legged casually.
"Protector, there's no need to feel so defeated. Perhaps that lost Flame Dragon egg of yours might return someday."
Hearing this, the old Flame Dragon became even more dejected.
"Impossible… It's been hundreds of years. If it could be found, it would have been found long ago. Why wait until now?"
A deep look of sorrow filled his face. "I am already a dragon without offspring… no, a dragon without heirs."
Shen Mo smiled. "What if I told you I have a way to bring it back?"
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