The Evolution Compendium

In contrast, Zhao Yan lightly covered her small mouth, her apricot-shaped eyes shining. Such a rapid Cultivation speed—it was the first time she had ever encountered it. She herself was merely a Red Copper Rank Six Beast Tamer, having contracted three mediocre Pet Beasts: a Dandelion Ball, a Peach Blossom Seed, and a White Radish Warrior. Apart from her pretty face, she was otherwise unremarkable.

No one would doubt Chu Yi was lying. Since he trained Pet Beasts, he would inevitably battle wild Pet Beasts eventually, making it impossible to hide his true strength.

"It was just a stroke of luck. I contracted a Red Fox, and it happened to undergo Mutated Evolution," Chu Yi casually dropped this bombshell, stunning Chen Heng and Zhao Yan once more. Their pupils constricted, and they were left momentarily speechless.

Mutated Evolution! they thought. Whenever a Pet Beast undergoes mutation, it's an incredible stroke of luck—an opportunity rarer than winning the lottery! This not only benefits the Pet Beast but is also a tremendous boon for its Master. If one combines Mutated Evolution with Super Talent, it truly is possible to achieve such a drastic increase in strength in a short time!

Chen Heng fell silent, not wanting to continue the conversation. He was afraid this junior, Chu Yi, might reveal even more shocking information—it was too demoralizing, he thought.

At this moment, a violent fluctuation erupted from within his Beast Taming Space. A strand of his spiritual connection was forcibly severed by an irresistible power. The sudden backlash struck Chen Heng before he could react; his face turned pale as if he'd been hit by a Thunder Strike, and he collapsed.

The Unicorn Spider was killed! He looked aghast. Those two naive fools couldn't possibly have this kind of power! The emotions transmitted by the Unicorn Spider in its final moments were chaotic, a deep-seated terror washing over him. This is bad! The mine's strange tales... they're real!

"Senior Chen, are you alright?" Witnessing this, Chu Yi extended a vine from which dewdrops that nourished the spirit sprinkled down. It was the special skill, [Celestial Dew]. Along the way, he had also prepared some one-star banquet snacks for Lulina, allowing her to comprehend several powerful skills. This particular special skill, for example, was a fusion of Water and Wood elements and was considered top-tier among low-rank skills.

"Thank you." Chen Heng's complexion eased, and some color returned to his face. Though astonished by the Wood-element Pet Beast's terrifying healing ability, he knew there were unknown dangers in the mine and said gravely, "There's no time to explain! Junior Chu, Junior Sister Zhao, we're in trouble! Let's get out of the mine first."

As he spoke, his Golden Leopard shook its body. Numerous Copper Coins rattled and floated out, forming a suit of armor over Chen Heng.

Seeing her senior act as if facing a formidable enemy, Zhao Yan realized the gravity of the situation. Worried about her companions' safety, she hurriedly asked, "But Ye Qing and Zhang Wei are still deeper inside!"

"There's no time!" Chen Heng said coldly, then turned to Chu Yi, his tone softening slightly. "Junior Chu, come with me. Stay close behind! There's an unknown monster in this mine—perhaps more than one. My intuition tells me it's not a Pet Beast!"

What? Not a Pet Beast? Zhao Yan's apricot-shaped eyes widened as she clutched her Dandelion Ball tightly. Something that could make a Silver-rank Beast Tamer flee without a fight... it must be terrifying.

In the next moment, the mine trembled slightly, and countless rock fragments rained down. The shifting shadows seemed to come alive, and malevolent gazes pierced through the rustling darkness, eyeing them like prey.

"Go!" Chen Heng shouted and plunged into the darkness first. Chu Yi followed closely, a barely perceptible smile playing on his lips.

The mine certainly holds secrets, Chu Yi thought. But the entity is hidden too well. Even with a host of Deceit Beasts, I couldn't flush it out. It feels more like another dimension, similar to the Eternal Night Realm.

Seeing the two flee, Zhao Yan composed herself, quickly activating some Pet Beast Skills to enhance her speed and followed them. If I go back to find Ye Qing and Zhang Wei, I'll most likely be a lamb walking into a tiger's den, sacrificing myself for nothing. It's better to get out of the mine first and call for reinforcements.

「 」

「Outside.」

Above the mine, the sky turned dark and gloomy. Countless roiling dark clouds converged overhead, and fierce lightning tore through them, unleashing a torrential downpour. The rain fell in dense sheets, battering the mountainside, washing away countless fragments of rock, mud, and stones. It exposed heaps of dried bones—stark white and jagged—scattered everywhere.

However, the entire dilapidated mine seemed to have been warped and twisted by the Ancient Void God Power, contorting bizarrely. Different sections of the mountain folded over one another, as if someone had cut up a drawing and then carelessly folded and pieced it together, creating a grotesque scene.

「 」

「In the dim mine.」

Chen Heng, who reeked of Copper Coins, glanced at the familiar cave wall. A broken mining cart still lay in the corner. His expression was grim. The route can't be wrong, but I still can't get out. There's something seriously wrong with this mine; a sense of unease permeates everything. My mind is a mess, filled with chaotic thoughts.

A rustling whisper grew clearer by his ear, a few syllables vaguely discernible.

"Interesting," Chu Yi murmured, his eyes narrowing. I'm not afraid of these strange phenomena, he thought. But since this entity stays hidden and won't show itself, it probably isn't very strong. Otherwise, if it truly possessed overwhelming power, it would have jumped out and killed us all by now.

Moreover, because he could perceive the threads of causality, he had a premonition that this eerie encounter was key to the next stage of his Divine Hand's evolution. I've tried before; Divinity can't replace the core materials needed for a Deceit Beast's evolution. Otherwise, I would have evolved the Divine Hand long ago. Or rather, the core material is exceptionally special, perhaps even surpassing Divinity itself.

Zhao Yan, looking uneasy, stole another glance at the young man. This junior seems so confident, she thought. Even trapped in this predicament, he's so calm and composed. That faint smile on his lips, combined with his handsome features... It made Zhao Yan, a pure-hearted senior who had just graduated, blush. Somehow, I always feel an irresistible charm emanating from him. Perhaps it's just the primal instinct to admire the strong—a reverence for power.

"Yan Er!" A joyful cry snapped the three of them back to their senses.

Zhang Wei emerged from the shadows. His steps were unsteady, and his clothes were stained with blood. Upon seeing the girl he adored, he rushed forward as if injected with adrenaline. But halfway there, he stumbled and fell hard, cutting a sorry figure.

"Zhang Wei?" Zhao Yan was startled at first, then her face lit up with joy. "You're alive! That's wonderful! But... Ye Qing? Where's Ye Qing?" She quickly helped Zhang Wei up. Her Dandelion Ball hopped a few times, and a sprinkle of snowy fluff drifted onto Zhang Wei, mending his wounds. It was the Wood-element skill, [Healing Wind].

At the mention of Ye Qing, the light in Zhang Wei's eyes instantly dimmed. He fell silent, his face contorted in pain as he pounded the ground with his fist. "It was that monster... a monster covered in arms! The Unicorn Spider... it was eaten by it! The monster was chasing us... it was too fast! Ye Qing and I split up..."

Evidently, that Thousand-Handed Monster had gone after Ye Qing.

He clenched his fists, his breathing ragged. "I... I don't know what happened to Ye Qing," he choked out, his voice filled with anguish. "I only saw his Pet Beast, the Flying Mantis, get torn to shreds by that monster..."

As he spoke, his face filled with self-reproach, and tears streamed down his cheeks. "Ye Qing told me to run... I... I was so scared... I abandoned him..."

The tragic death of his childhood friend, coupled with his own cowardice, made him wish he could go back and kill the version of himself from that moment. But at that moment, all I could think about was protecting Zhao Yan. Ye Qing might be lost, but Yan Er had to be safe!

"Ye Qing... is dead?" Zhao Yan whispered, her voice trembling. She had grown up in the Beast Taming Academy and, while she had heard news of Beast Tamers perishing, the death of a childhood friend was deeply disorienting. She couldn't accept the reality that someone she had grown up with would suddenly be erased from her life forever.

"He's dead. It's tragic, and we're all sad," Chen Heng said, his voice laced with impatience. "But we must honor the wishes of the departed by living on."

Damn it, so what if one loser died? My Unicorn Spider was a War General-rank Pet Beast, and it died outright! Nobody's crying for my spider! Chen Heng was extremely irritable, but with Chu Yi present, he forced himself to maintain his "reliable senior" persona.

Hearing this, Zhang Wei shot to his feet, glaring daggers at Chen Heng. "If it weren't for your disgusting advances on Yan Er that forced us to separate, Ye Qing wouldn't have died!" he snarled.

"What are you talking about? I don't understand a thing," Chen Heng retorted coolly. A sharp golden light glinted on the Copper Coins adorning him, like a nocked arrow ready to be loosed.

The blatant, brutal threat immediately silenced Zhang Wei. His face turned ugly, but he didn't dare utter another word.

Chen Heng snorted coldly and said no more. Instead, he moved to stand beside Chu Yi, a hint of sycophancy in his demeanor. This junior is dangerous, Chen Heng thought, noticing that Chu Yi had remained perfectly calm throughout the entire ordeal. His intuition screamed it.

"Everyone, please don't be angry," Chu Yi said with a calm smile, stepping forward. "We're all from the same academy. We should work together to overcome this crisis."

Aren't these people the perfect bait? Angler Chu Yi, at your service!