Chapter Seven: Upheaval

“What else... what do you think those deities are?”
“Are they omniscient and omnipotent creators, the holiest and wisest shepherds, incarnations of rules, the masters of all things?”
“Are they not?”
Huang Ze asked in confusion.
In a fantasy world, isn’t it natural for deities to hold supreme status? But from Lieutenant Colonel Liu Weihan’s tone, he clearly didn’t agree. Where did his confidence come from?
“Of course not!”
Liu Weihan replied firmly, “Opposing feudalism and superstition has always been our nation’s policy. We will never recognize the divine authority of those native gods.”
“From a biological standpoint, they are essentially organisms—neither exalted nor sacred. They merely appear too complex and mysterious for us to fully comprehend at present.”
“But organisms are just organisms. No matter how powerful they are, they can never be the gods of our people!”
Good heavens!
Huang Ze was genuinely shocked. Such remarks, in a world where true gods exist, would be considered outright blasphemy!
Defining deities through biology—this approach essentially denies their authority and sanctity, fundamentally questioning and undermining the very foundation of their divine rule!
Wasn’t he afraid of angering the gods, and being struck by thunder or punished on the spot?
“Surprised, aren’t you?”
Liu Weihan smiled. “In time, you’ll gradually learn just how outrageous these so-called deities truly are!”
“You’d never imagine that, though they are called gods, in reality they are the greatest exploiters and oppressors in this world, destined to be class enemies of our nation.”
“Unfortunately, we haven’t had direct contact with any deities so far; otherwise, we could have captured them for dissection and research…”
“Emmmm…”
Huang Ze’s thoughts were muddled; he wasn’t sure if Liu Weihan was boasting, or if his country truly possessed the confidence and secret weapons capable of confronting deities… He didn’t dare ask.
But if they really could slay a deity and dissect its body for research, the prospect was oddly thrilling and exciting…
…
“Mr. Huang, would you mind if we extract some blood and tissue fluid from your body for scientific research?”
Liu Weihan led several researchers in white protective suits to Huang Ze and made the request.
The experts from the National Academy wouldn’t arrive for some time, but the Beilong River Military District had its own research institutes, so assembling a temporary team was not difficult.

“I don’t mind, not at all.”
Huang Ze agreed readily. “It’s just giving blood, right? Go ahead—given my size, I could probably spare thirty or fifty liters at once without any trouble.”
“Actually, even if you want to dissect me, I don’t mind. My vitality and regenerative abilities are strong; just don’t forget to stitch me up afterwards.”
This wasn’t mere politeness; it was exactly what Huang Ze thought.
In fact, Huang Ze’s curiosity about his own body rivaled that of the researchers.
After all, it was his own body. He naturally hoped to learn more: was his massive frame overweight, did he have obesity; did he have high blood pressure or other issues, were his organs functioning properly, did he have any hidden injuries or ailments, and so on.
Without scientific examination, Huang Ze himself could hardly sense these things. This opportunity for research meant he could gain a comprehensive understanding of his own body.
“Dragons probably don’t have the concept of regular health check-ups.”
Huang Ze couldn’t help but imagine, “If I opened a dragon hospital in the future, specializing in dragon check-ups and medical care, would it do good business?”
…
“Mr. Huang, could you please open your mouth?”
The researchers circled Huang Ze several times, unable to find a suitable spot. Embarrassed, they said, “Your scales are too dense and tough—not only needles but even impact drills would have difficulty extracting blood.”
“So we have to shift our focus to your oral cavity, hoping to collect blood from there.”
…
Huang Ze didn’t respond verbally, but opened his mouth wide in demonstration.
As an adult black dragon, his head was enormous; the maximum distance between upper and lower jaws was nearly two meters, and his mouth itself stretched over three meters—one could almost run inside it.
His teeth were extremely sharp, numbering over four hundred, though generally somewhat yellowed. There was little help for it, as dragons lacked nimble hands and had never brushed their teeth.
“Mr. Huang, you’ll need to pay more attention to your oral health in the future.”
Though the protective suits blocked the dragon’s halitosis, seeing the grimy dragon teeth compelled a researcher with a touch of OCD to advise.
“Are you looking for trouble?”
Another researcher was alarmed, immediately smacking him on the back of the head. “We’re about to enter Mr. Huang’s mouth, and you dare say that? If he closes his mouth, we’re all done for!”
“Sorry! Sorry! That was careless of me!”
The researcher broke out in a cold sweat, hurriedly apologizing.
“It’s actually fine.”

“I don’t speak with my tongue, but by compressing air from my abdominal cavity,” Huang Ze explained.
“That’s still dangerous,” the earlier researcher insisted. “Once we’re inside the dragon’s mouth, our lives depend entirely on you, Mr. Huang. If we distract you and you absentmindedly close your mouth, our deaths would be too unjust.”
“You’re right.”
Huang Ze agreed, “I won’t speak, and I promise not to lose focus. Please work quickly.”
“For safety, though, I suggest you use a few hydraulic jacks to prop open my mouth. That way, you can rest assured, and I’ll feel more at ease.”
…
…
“Be careful—the black dragon’s saliva is highly corrosive. Don’t let it touch you by accident.”
The lead researcher, surnamed Ma, understood dragons well and warned his team, “The black dragon’s blood is the same—highly corrosive, and also strongly radioactive. Take every safety precaution during extraction.”
Ma first led the team to collect some black dragon saliva, then announced,
“Mr. Huang, we now need to create an incision on your tongue to collect blood. It may hurt a bit; please bear with it.”
“Mm.”
Huang Ze grunted in acknowledgement.
With his approval, Ma used a sharp instrument to work at the dragon’s tongue for quite some time, finally managing to create a small incision—only a few millimeters deep, with little blood and rapid self-healing.
“No wonder the black dragon is famed for its defensive prowess—even in this environment, even on the soft tongue, it’s so tough.”
Ma was sweating profusely, unable to suppress his admiration.
He knew that such powerful native creatures as dragons were severely weakened within the nation’s territory—perhaps only a tenth of their full strength!
One could imagine how formidable it would be in a world rich with magical elements!
After considerable effort, they managed to collect two large bottles of black dragon blood, totaling about four liters. They felt a bit guilty, but Mr. Huang enthusiastically encouraged them to take more.
“Maybe next time, definitely next time,” Ma said regretfully. He would have liked to, but all their needles had been destroyed by the corrosive dragon blood—willing but unable.