Chapter Seventy-Four: Losing Weight

The black dragon ultimately chose its teeth.

There was simply no other way. The skeletal structure within a dragon’s body was vast and complex, and such a small amount of gold would barely strengthen anything at all. Worse yet, it could easily result in bone overgrowth or malformed development. As for the dragon scales...

Being a black dragon, Huang Ze knew that if he used gold to reinforce his scales, it would inevitably alter the hue of his entire body. Not only would it make him look garishly flamboyant, it would also be an ostentatious display of wealth—hardly in line with his ideals of what it meant to be a dragon.

The black dragon had always believed that every true dragon should possess qualities of restraint, prudence, and steady accumulation—quietly amassing wealth without drawing undue attention.

He even found himself suddenly seized by a strange impulse: “If I ever become a great leader among the dragons, I must impose strict discipline, ensure rigorous standards, and focus on the cultivation of spiritual civilization among my kin, truly improving the social atmosphere of our race...”

Lost in such musings, the black dragon infused a single fang with gold.

“Even humans enjoy gold teeth—surely it’s only reasonable for a dragon like me to have a few golden fangs!”

He wasn’t sure if other dragons engaged in such practices, but the black dragon rather liked the result.

He tested the new golden fang, and quickly found that its hardness, sharpness, and even its ability to conduct magical energy were all significantly enhanced.

Clearly, the gold and the dragon’s fang had undergone a remarkable reaction—more mystical than chemical, for no ordinary chemistry could account for such wonders!

The only regret was the limited quantity of gold. There simply wasn’t enough to fully reinforce that one fang.

By his own conservative estimate, he would need at least another fifty kilograms of gold to push that fang to its utmost potential.

“So... if I want to turn all my teeth into golden dragon fangs, I’ll need at least a dozen tons of gold...”

“A dozen tons of gold... actually, that’s not so much.”

The black dragon did the math. With his current salary and various allowances, he could easily save up that amount in just a few years.

What’s more, he had so many lucrative business ideas in his mind that, if he really applied himself, earning ten tons of gold a month would hardly be a dream!

In that case, reinforcing his teeth would be nothing—he could reinforce his bones, his flesh, his scales... he could even contemplate turning his entire body into gold.

With the resources of the entire Xia Nation behind him, the black dragon’s confidence was unshakable.

Yet, as a cultured and rational dragon of the new era, he did not allow himself to become arrogant or blinded by the power that gold could bestow.

On the contrary, he grew even more vigilant. A strong intuition warned him: if he allowed his body to absorb gold too quickly or in excessive amounts, it could pose hidden dangers and bring about consequences he would deeply regret.

So, tempting as gold was, the black dragon resolved not to let his body take in too much—at least for now.

...

He did not wait for Xiao Min to fully regain consciousness, nor for dawn to break. Once he saw that the situation was stable, the black dragon took advantage of the night and flew toward the phoenix’s nest.

He hadn’t seen that foolish bird in half a month and wondered if it had run off. This time, he had brought a pile of children’s books and teaching materials, determined to enlighten the phoenix, teach it to read, and help it speak.

Of course, that was merely a personal amusement for the black dragon, not the main reason for his trip.

Officially, he was traveling abroad to experience the hardships of the common people, let his worldview be shaken, and thus develop a progressive and revolutionary consciousness, paving the way for his eventual naturalization as a citizen of Xia.

In reality, things were much simpler. The black dragon’s main task was to lose weight and disappear from public view for a month or two.

After such an absence, he would reappear in the public eye—lost, dejected, and a good ten tons lighter.

The dramatic contrast, coupled with proper official guidance and narrative, would surely provoke deep reflection and sympathy from the people.

In this way, the black dragon’s determined decision to join Xia and embrace the revolutionary cause would seem natural and moving, rather than abrupt.

In fact, the incident with the Sun God and Xiao Min had already provided a strong foundation of public opinion for the black dragon’s naturalization.

After all, the authorities of Xia had long been exposing the reactionary nature of these native deities. This time, the Sun God had, over some well-known books and knowledge, brazenly invoked divine punishment and nearly killed a citizen of Xia...

It was lawless, merciless, and utterly unreasonable—a clear exposure of their reactionary essence, which deeply outraged and disgusted the public.

In contrast, the black dragon’s actions had been exemplary. Not only did he rescue his caretaker friend in time, but he also confronted the Sun God to seek justice!

Such loyalty and righteousness naturally earned respect and affection. If he eventually became a citizen of Xia, he would be embraced and recognized by all.

The plan was proceeding well; the only one dissatisfied was the black dragon himself.

He needed to lose at least ten tons in the next two months!

Ten tons lost—and that was the minimum.

The producers actually suggested that the more he lost, the better; ideally, he would shed thirty or forty tons at once, then show up in Xia as a gaunt, desperate dragon seeking help...

That was how to maximize the program’s effect!

“Forty tons in two months... you people are unbelievable!” the black dragon couldn’t help but complain. With his current abilities, if he really set his mind to it, such rapid weight loss was not impossible.

After all, he could now consciously control and reshape his body. With sufficient willpower, burning off a ton or two of fat per day would be a breeze!

Two months, three or four dozen tons—even in just half a month, if he gritted his teeth, he could manage it...

“Wait, but I don’t seem to have any fat in my body...”

Suddenly, the black dragon realized: as a powerful supernatural being, his body didn’t require low-energy substances like fat for energy storage.

His heart clearly held a more advanced, perfect form of energy!

In other words, not only did he not have forty tons of fat, he might not even have forty tons of muscle in his entire body!

The black dragon found a place to land and began to study his own body in detail, and discovered that most of his weight was concentrated in his bones, blood, and scales.

In fact, the Academy of Sciences of Xia had always found the mass of dragons to be scientifically baffling.

Take the black dragon, for example: its body length exceeded thirty-five meters, with a maximum torso diameter of over four meters, giving it a total volume of more than three hundred cubic meters...

With such volume, even if its density matched that of water, it would weigh three hundred tons!

Yet, at present, the black dragon weighed only one hundred and eighty tons. Even accounting for the many hollow spaces inside, which might lower the overall density...

But one must remember, as a supernatural creature, the density of the black dragon’s blood, bones, and scales far exceeded those of ordinary beings!

Under normal circumstances, the black dragon’s weight should be at least six or seven hundred tons!