He hadn’t gone back on his word. He only made one request.

He wanted to become Lu Xia’s main husband in the most perfect state, because she deserved the best.

"Graces, even if you weren’t perfect, you could still be my main husband. I’ve never thought you were any less than anyone else."

Graces leaned in and kissed Lu Xia’s cheek. "I know, Xiaxia. You’re always on my side. But I’m the one who wants to stand before you in my best possible state, so don’t hesitate."

As soon as he finished speaking, Graces grasped Lu Xia’s wrist and pushed the fluid from the syringe into his body.

It would take some time for the drug to take effect. Graces stroked Lu Xia’s head, his eyes full of tenderness. "Go outside, Xiaxia. Don’t stay in here."

He didn’t know what this concoction would bring, and he didn’t want Lu Xia to suffer any harm—not even harm caused by him.

Lu Xia didn’t refuse. Mimicking Graces’s earlier gesture, she kissed the corner of his lips. "I’ll be right next door. I’ll be watching you the whole time. Don’t be afraid, Graces. I’m always here."

"Okay." After seeing Lu Xia out, Graces stood in the vast observation room. He felt the blood beneath his skin begin to burn, as if his entire body had been cast into a furnace.

Black scales spread across his exposed skin. Graces suddenly arched his back and dropped to one knee, as if an immense weight was pressing down on him, forcing him to the ground. Sweat streamed down his temples.

Lu Xia watched all of this from the next room through the glass. Seeing the values on the monitors climbing steadily, she knew the drug was taking effect. Graces was already transforming. The process might be excruciatingly painful, but it was a necessary step.

The only thing she could do was cheer him on. "Graces, are you okay? You’re transforming now. It’s going to hurt a lot, but you have to hold on. Don’t give up, okay!"

Graces couldn’t respond to Lu Xia. The tearing sensation in his back was so painful he could barely breathe, but he knew he couldn’t pass out.

With sheer force of will, he controlled his breathing, letting the tearing sensation on his back expand. It felt like something was bursting forth from that spot, growing violently.

Finally, his clothes tore apart as two large, jet-black wings emerged. They grew rapidly and then, with a sudden WHOOSH, unfurled. Watching from behind the glass, Lu Xia held her breath the moment the wings appeared.

If asked to describe the feeling, Lu Xia could probably only use one word: awe.

The jet-black wings had no soft feathers. Instead, the skeletal frame was covered in scales that emanated a cold, dark luster. Each perfectly formed, uniformly sized scale gleamed like a fine jewel. The entire sight unfolded before her like a miracle.

Lu Xia knew this was a crucial part of Graces’s complete beastification. As the bearer of the Western Giant Dragon gene, how could he not have a pair of wings like these?

However, the evolution wasn’t over, and neither was Graces’s agony.

His hands, pressed to the floor for support, had unknowingly transformed into dragon claws, and a pair of elegant horns had sprouted from his forehead.

Lu Xia didn’t dare disturb him, silently watching everything. The monitors began to let out an ear-piercing shriek as all of Graces’s stats soared, even exceeding the maximum values the instruments could capture.

"Graces, hold on just a little longer! You’re doing so well. Your wings are beautiful, I love them! Keep going, I’m right here!"

Lu Xia’s voice came again, giving the exhausted Graces a renewed surge of strength. ’I can’t collapse. I can’t let her worry. And I definitely can’t disappoint her. I can do this. I absolutely can!’

Graces remained half-kneeling on the floor, his wings still unfurled behind him. The pain made his entire body tremble. Lu Xia watched him, unable to share his suffering. Simply watching from the sidelines was its own form of torment.

Finally, a tail sprouted from the base of Graces’s spine. The next second, he vanished from the spot.

Lu Xia’s heart skipped a beat. The air instantly fell silent. She didn’t dare to blink, afraid she would miss something.

Just as she was silently observing, the vanished figure reappeared. A Western Giant Dragon had abruptly materialized before her eyes.

A pair of red eyes met hers through the glass. The dragon, hovering in mid-air, was silent yet brimming with oppressive power. Its jet-black scales carried a deadly chill.

Lu Xia met that red-eyed gaze without fear. Instead, she was happy for Graces. Her eyes couldn’t help but well up, but she smiled as she spoke. "Graces, congratulations on becoming the Empire’s first male Beastman with 100% gene fusion. I’m so proud of you."

As Lu Xia’s voice faded, the black dragon slowly descended before her and, at a speed visible to the naked eye, transformed back into his human form.

Graces’s original clothes had been shredded during the transformation. Now, he could only use his scales to cover the vital areas, but he didn’t look disheveled at all. Instead, he possessed a kind of wild beauty.

Lu Xia smiled. "Graces, there’s a bathroom back there. Go take a shower, I’ll get you some clothes."

Graces didn’t hesitate and turned to head for the bathroom. He really did need a good shower right now.

Lu Xia not only prepared clothes for him but also three Nutrition Pills.

The transformation just now had been a success, but it must have consumed a massive amount of energy.

It was already very late, so going out to find food was unrealistic. Times like these were when Nutrition Pills came in handy.

By the time Graces had cleaned himself up, gotten dressed, and consumed the three Nutrition Pills, he was standing before Lu Xia once more.

Lu Xia looked at him with a smile, then realized with surprise, "Graces, did you get taller?"

The man, who had already been over 180 centimeters tall, seemed even taller now.

A hint of confusion appeared in Graces’s eyes. He himself hadn’t noticed much of a difference.

Lu Xia pulled him along. "Let’s go measure your basic stats. We can also draw some blood and check your gene fusion degree."

Seeing her eagerness, Graces, though he felt Lu Xia ought to rest, didn’t want to spoil her mood. He followed her to the next room, where Lu Xia personally measured his height and weight.

He had indeed grown taller—by 5 centimeters. He was now 193 centimeters tall.

Not only that, but Lu Xia also discovered that Graces’s originally black pupils now held a faint reddish tint if you looked closely. That was a color that only appeared during his full beastification, and for it to be present in his human form was enough to prove that the Beastification Gene in Graces’s body had been fully awakened.

The blood test results also showed that Graces’s gene fusion degree had reached 100%. He had become the Empire’s first-ever male Beastman with perfect gene fusion.

Lu Xia reached out and hugged Graces. "Congratulations, Graces. You’ve worked hard."

Graces hugged her back and smiled. "It wasn’t hard at all, Xiaxia. Having you by my side, encouraging me, was what gave me the courage to persevere. Thank you, Xiaxia. And I love you."