Mythical Era: My Evolution into a Celestial Beast

At the edge of a bustling night market in Tiannan City, five friends–Chen Hu, Xia Youhui, Liu Feng, Bai Mu, and Li Meng–were enjoying a lively meal at a crowded roadside barbecue stall.

All five were tall and burly, with Chen Hu standing out as the biggest of them, towering like a small giant. He tore through a spicy grilled chicken leg in one bite, his mouth glistening with oil.

Just then, Li Meng raised a large mug of beer. "Little Hu, come on, let's drink one together!"

"You got it, Brother Li!" Chen Hu replied without hesitation, grabbing his own mug. After all, Li Meng was his brother-in-law, and he had to give him face.

Li Meng downed his beer in one go, then set the mug down with a satisfied expression. "Nothing beats ice-cold beer on a snowy night. If only Chen Chu were here, it'd be even livelier. By the way, Old Xia, what brought you all back so suddenly? Has the war with the Purgatory Demon Clan ended?"

"Nah, the war's nowhere near over." Xia Youhui finished the skewer of meat in his hand in two bites, wiped his mouth, and said, "We may have won big this time, but we're still far from complete victory. Word is the Purgatory Demon Clan still has many powerhouses in the rear. In a while, there may be an even more brutal battle ahead. It'd be larger in scale than the last one."

Suddenly, his voice turned excited. "You guys didn't make it to the frontlines, so you've got no idea how insane it was out there. The mountains were crawling with colossal beasts, and true demons equivalent to the Seventh or Eighth Realm numbered in the millions. The entire battlefield was lit up with the explosions of crystalline bombs. At times, it felt as if the entire world was trembling. The ground surged like a tsunami, and mountain peaks ten thousand meters high crumbled one after another.

"If you weren't careful, shockwaves from battles between kings and demon kings could sweep right over your head. All around you, the air was filled with thunderous explosions that rattled your brain, and when an orbital battleship fired its main cannon, it could wipe out an entire mountain range in an instant. Especially the Federation's orbital doomsday weapons. They were on a whole different level. Each shot could wipe out an entire continent, as if the planet's surface were being scrubbed clean."

Liu Feng immediately widened his eyes. "Damn, the frontlines were that insane? Then how the hell did someone like you survive?"

Xia Youhui instantly looked annoyed. "What's that supposed to mean, Old Liu? You looking down on a Seventh Realm powerhouse like me?"

Across the table, Bai Mu raised a middle finger. "Please. We all know you're in the Seventh Heavenly Realm. No need to keep reminding us. But Old Liu has a point. You just said the mountains were crawling with Seventh and Eighth Heavenly Realm true demons, millions of them. There must have been tens of thousands at the Ninth Realm too. And somehow you didn't get blown into pieces?"

Xia Youhui puffed out his chest smugly. "Of course! Unlike those backward demons, we humans live in a civilized society, remember? On the battlefield, most of our frontline fighting was handled by battle-patterned mech units, backed by heavy artillery and waves of missile fire. Because of that, the cultivators didn't suffer as many casualties as you might think. Plus, we had support this time. Legions from the Heavenly Feathered Race and the Alliance of Gods joined the war effort, and all the tougher enemy battalions were left to them to handle. And let's not forget, I'm a Federation genius. People like me usually get assigned safer missions. We don't go charging deep into enemy lines."

Hearing this, Li Meng let out a laugh. "So what you're saying is, you were just messing around on the sidelines."

Xia Youhui glared back, clearly offended. "What do you mean, messing around? I, Lord Xia, killed over a dozen true demons and hundreds of demonized aliens this time, thank you very much! And on top of that, I even stood my ground against a level 8 demonized colossal beast. It roared and raged and slammed into me with everything it had, but couldn't even break through my defenses!"

At that point, Xia Youhui once again wore that smug, punchable look. He looked so pleased with himself it made Liu Feng and the others visibly annoyed. Damn it. So what if this guy's cultivation was a bit higher than theirs and he'd stepped into the mythical world early? Big deal. If he really had the guts, he should try comparing himself to Chen Chu.

Just then, Chen Hu, who had devoured three full plates of barbecue in one go, asked curiously, "Brother Xia, are those demon kings and great demon kings really that strong? And what about demon gods? I heard my brother killed three of them in this war."

...Ahem.

Faced with that question, Xia Youhui cleared his throat. "Those demon kings and great demon kings are definitely terrifying. It's just that all the real powerhouse battles happen in the skies. Besides, the area around them was covered with the glow of law-based principles that stretched for dozens of kilometers. The demon kings themselves were shrouded in thick, sky-darkening demonic qi, so it was nearly impossible to see anything clearly. As for the demon gods and divine kings... those who commanded the principles stood high above the sky, tens of thousands of kilometers up. With a wave of their hand, they could tear open the void, and shake time and space itself. Battles at that level would unleash shockwaves powerful enough to wipe out everything within ten thousand kilometers. Even if you manage to catch a glimpse, you won't live to talk about it."

"Hahaha... So after all that explaining, turns out you didn't see anything at all, Old Xia!" Liu Feng and the others burst out laughing. This guy had been boasting about how glorious the frontlines were, but in reality, he was just a small fry tossed into the war zone.

However, as they laughed, a trace of frustration flickered across their faces. At least Xia Youhui had been on the frontlines. They hadn't qualified to step there at all.

Li Meng let out a sigh. "Man, when are we finally going to break through to the Seventh Heavenly Realm and step into the mythical world? I really want to witness the grandeur of a war between entire races."

Liu Feng sighed too. "Yeah, staying on the Blue Planet all day feels so pointless."

Chen Hu, meanwhile, tore into a whole roasted piglet in just two bites and nodded eagerly. "Same here! I can't wait to get to the frontlines and hack up some Purgatory demons. Gotta show 'em what I'm made of! If my brother chops down demon gods, I'll settle for great demon kings!"

Xia Youhui chuckled. "With your talent, Little Hu, give it another year of cultivation and you might actually take one down. By the way, where's your cultivation at now?"

Only then did he remember that Chen Chu had mentioned Chen Hu also taking part in the national tournament earlier.

Chen Hu scratched the back of his head, looking a little embarrassed. "Me? I've only cultivated to the peak of the Fifth Heavenly Realm. Haven't even broken through to the Sixth yet."

Oh, just the peak of the Fifth Realm...Xia Youhui immediately felt a wave of relief.

In the past, reaching the peak of the Fifth Heavenly Realm already placed someone among the top in southern East Xia. For third-year students, it was enough to be considered a top-tier genius.

However, times had changed. With the Federation pouring in resources and ancient body enhancement arts becoming widespread, many third-years had already broken into the Sixth Heavenly Realm.

A few top-tier talents, like Gabriella and Ji Wuji, had even broken past the Seventh Heavenly Realm. That group included Xia Youhui himself, along with Lin Xue and several others. As a result, reaching the peak of the Fifth Heavenly Realm only counted as mid-tier among those selected for the national tournament and wasn't considered particularly outstanding.

Xia Youhui suddenly realized something. "... Wait a second. Chen Hu, weren't you just at the Second Realm barely two months ago when I entered the mythical world? How the hell did you cultivate that fast?"

The beginning and peak stages of the Fifth Heavenly Realm were two completely different things. Just one more step, and Chen Hu would break into the Sixth Heavenly Realm. But he hadn't even been cultivating for a full three months yet! Even if he was the type of genius who reached the Second Heavenly Realm straight after Foundation Building, this speed was absurd.

Li Meng let out a long sigh and shook his head with a wry smile. "Old Xia, don't even ask. Little Hu's a freak. He's even faster than Chen Chu. I joke about it, but honestly, his cultivation speed and luck are just plain unfair. When he entered the Wujiang City selection tournament, he was only at the late stage of the Third Heavenly Realm. After the competition, he used the rewards to break through straight to the Fourth. That alone would've been impressive enough, but here's the thing. Before the provincial-level tournament, my sister said Little Hu went fishing at the river mouth. He didn't catch any high-tier mutated fish, but he ended up finding a top-level resource on the beach instead. It was a Dragon Pearl filled with pure Dragon Force. Using the essence of a mutated dragon beast, one whose weakest form was still level 7, he instantly advanced to the peak of the Fourth Realm.

"Combined with his Innate Tyrant Body and Gigantification ability, and his combat strength was nearly equal to someone in the Sixth Realm. The three of us couldn't beat him at all. He dominated the provincial tournament and took first place. Now, the first-place prize of the provincial-level tournament was a piece of Heavenly Radiance Soul Crystal, a top-level special resource that strengthens the soul. With that, his soul power surged. Then Chen Chu gave him even more resources. Within days, this guy broke into the Fifth Realm and pushed all the way to the middle stage. And if that wasn't already crazy, do you know what happened just two days ago?"

As the story reached this point, Li Meng, Liu Feng, and Bai Mu all wore the same look. Their eyes were filled with raw, burning envy.

Xia Youhui hesitated. "Don't tell me... a god-level resource fell out of the sky, and Little Hu jumped from the middle stage of the Fifth Realm straight to the peak?"

The three of them froze. "How'd you guess?"

"What the hell? It really did fall out of the sky?" Xia Youhui was stunned, staring wide-eyed at the beefy teenager who was still happily chewing on grilled meat.

Chen Hu looked a little sheepish. "It wasn't that dramatic. I was just having a barbecue with Yiyi and Meiling in their villa courtyard, when a spatial rift appeared in the sky. There were energy fluctuations and loud roars coming from the other side. It looked like two giant beasts were locked in battle. Then all of a sudden, a drop of golden blood shot out, about the size of a water tank. I wasn't sure if it was dangerous, so I asked Sister Ruoyi to examine it first. After she said it was safe, I absorbed and refined it."

Liu Feng quietly added from the side, "And just like that, his cultivation reached the peak of the Fifth Heavenly Realm. With his awakened Tyrant Body, the body enhancement art Chen Chu gave him, and his Gigantification ability, he can overpower any cultivator in the Sixth Realm, even if those cultivators are so-called geniuses capable of fighting above their realm."

At that moment, Bai Mu joined in to add another blow. "What's worse is that the national tournament doesn't officially begin for another three days. With so many participants, it's expected to last about a week. With that much time, given Little Hu's absurd luck, who knows what kind of natural treasure he might stumble on next? He might even break into the Sixth Heavenly Realm before that. And when that happens, even you might not be able to beat him, Old Xia."

"...What the hell." Xia Youhui was dumbfounded. He didn't feel like Chen Hu beating him was a possibility, he felt it was inevitable.

Damn it, why did it seem like all the fate and fortune of humanity's being funneled into the Chen family?He thought to himself enviously.It's already outrageous that Chen Chu reached the Ninth Heavenly Realm in just a year, stepped into the late stage of the heavenly king level within a few months, and crushed his opponents with overwhelming power. And now, Chen Hu is just as monstrous?

In terms of battle record, Chen Hu wasn't on par with Chen Chu yet, but his luck was ridiculous. Even when Chen Chu broke into the Eighth Heavenly Realm and entered the mythical world, natural treasures never fell from the sky for him.

However, Chen Hu had only been cultivating for a little over three months, and somehow, at every turn, he would find a natural treasure or be busy absorbing one. Now, with the official resources from the national tournament, along with a brother who stood at the very top of the Federation supporting him, things were only going to get better for him.

At that moment, even Xia Youhui couldn't hide his envy. He muttered with a hint of bitterness, "Damn it, Little Hu, be honest. Were you reincarnated as the main character in this story or something?"

Chen Hu scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "Brother Xia, you guys are exaggerating. I just... got lucky lately, that's all."

Even though everything that had happened recently sounded unreal, Chen Hu himself had remained grounded and didn't let that ridiculous streak of luck go to his head. After all, just a year ago, he could barely eat his fill every day. His brother had even gotten so thin from malnutrition that his waist had been skinnier than Chen Hu's arm.

While Xia Youhui and the others were drowning in jealousy and kept pouring drink after drink for Chen Hu, someone else in a different place was talking about him as well.