The Evolution Compendium

Chen Heng's expression softened. "What Junior said is true," he stated. "We're trapped in the mine right now; we must unite to deal with that creature."

Zhang Wei glanced at Chu Yi in surprise. Who is this person, to make Chen Heng speak so agreeably?

It wasn't until Zhao Yan quietly explained that Zhang Wei's pupils contracted. He hadn't expected Chu Yi to have such a significant background. No wonder Chen Heng showed him deference!

At this moment, the mine trembled once again. Shadows cast by the lighting equipment twisted wildly on the cave walls, grotesque and horrifying.

"It's coming!"

Zhang Wei was the first to react, shouting, "This creature can merge into the darkness, including shadows! It possesses powerful corrosive abilities."

Everyone was shocked at first but quickly moved to summon their Pet Beasts to attack the twisted shadow.

Instantly, Seed Machine Gun, Flying Leaf Swift Blade, Vine Whip, and Dandelion Bomb were unleashed in succession. The Copper Coin wrapped around Chen Heng exploded fiercely, releasing clusters of golden light. Each ray, as long as three inches, shot out like a barrage of arrows, instantly riddling the cave wall with holes and sending debris flying everywhere.

"Success!" Zhao Yan's beautiful face had just shown a relieved expression.

But Chen Heng's expression immediately changed. His eyes turned red as countless shadows floated around, and unbeknownst to him, they had entwined him. Darkness obscured his vision. Countless indescribable visions rushed into his mind—bizarre, terrifying, maddening...

Spectral delusions assaulted his brain. He saw a gigantic Divine Altar with corpses scattered everywhere and countless ancient Runes spreading across it. His eyes bled. Bloody letters wriggled, formed entirely from countless worms—the kind that arose from decomposed bodies! And at the center of the Divine Altar, countless chains descended, imprisoning a monster... a massive hand, pitch-black like ink, struggling to break free from the Abyss's cage...

A single, overwhelming thought, or perhaps a psychic demand from the entity, seared into his mind: Food! It needs an abundance of food... one living offering after another...

BOOM— In the next moment, a Divine radiance enveloped him. A warm, purifying force dispelled the illusion, pulling him back to reality.

"HUFF!" The suffocating feeling of being submerged in the deep sea vanished. Chen Heng felt as if he had been salvaged from the ocean, drenched in cold sweat, his face flushed, gasping for air. He hadn't felt this close to death in a long time. He had also forgotten the previous illusions, as if he had been drugged. His memory was fragmented.

"Senior, are you alright?" Chu Yi walked over. Numerous vine branches unfurled from his back like an Angel's wings, radiating a hazy glow. The rustling darkness hissed and sizzled under the light, the sound of Scorch filling the air.

A Light-type skill, Lighting Technique! Chu Yi recognized. The 1-star Feast Item he had fed Lulina included a Divine-type component, causing Lulina's Light-type skills to inflict Divine damage.

"Junior, you saved my life." Chen Heng breathed heavily, forcing a slight smile. "We shouldn't stay here long. We need to get out quickly."

Chu Yi nodded.

The shadows that had entwined Chen Heng just now seemed more like they were dragging him into another dimension, Chu Yi mused. Its power level is probably War General-level, but it can blend into the darkness, initiating attacks anytime and anywhere. In this airtight mine, it's practically like a fish in water.

A chill ran down everyone's spines, and they began to retreat immediately. But strangely, the mine underwent some mysterious changes. Soon, they circled back to their original spot, seemingly trapped by an illusion that made them walk in circles.

Meanwhile, the Thousand-Handed Monster relentlessly pursued them, its strange, frenzied screams resonating in their ears. Often at these moments, Chu Yi would feed Lulina a Spirit Core, allowing her to release Light-type skills to dispel the encroaching corruption. The four of them each took their roles: Chen Heng was responsible for the main offense, Zhang Wei and Zhao Yan provided support, and Chu Yi acted as the healer.

Before long, deep in the mine, a chilling aura swept through. It carried a thick stench of decay, like the smell of thousands of rotting corpses, making everyone shudder.

"C-Can we really survive this?" Zhang Wei stammered, his eyes bloodshot, his face a mask of despair. Spiritual energy deficiency made his face pale. First, Ye Qing had been killed, forcing them into a panicked flight. Then came the prolonged chase. His stamina was nearly exhausted; he was truly too tired.

"Hold on, Zhang Wei! We'll get out of here alive!" Zhao Yan was also sweating profusely. Combined with the enclosed mine where the air hardly circulated, she was starting to smell of sweat. Her confidence in their survival was wavering too. But seeing that handsome junior—so calm, confident, and gentle—seemed to possess a unique charm that affected her, giving her a glimmer of hope.

Zhang Wei also noticed this. He couldn't help but clench his fists, a bitter smile touching the corner of his mouth, yet he said nothing. In a dangerous environment, a girl's heart becomes more sensitive, easily sparking romantic feelings, he thought ruefully. But what could he do? He was merely a mediocre Beast Tamer, still in debt from the campus loan at the Beast Taming Academy.

DONG— The mine began to tremble violently, causing alarm. The ground beneath their feet suddenly felt soft... an indescribable sensation. It was just like stepping on a piece of living flesh...

"AAH!" Zhao Yan shrieked, jumping up, her face drained of color. She had stepped on a section of... thick intestine.

The expressions of the others weren't any better. What on earth was happening in this mine? It must be hiding some world-shaking secret.

SWISH... SWISH... The cave walls began to seep blood. Large chunks of stone crumbled and fell, revealing crimson flesh beneath. The lurid, red light reflected the terrified expressions on their faces...

"What is this thing? A forbidden entity? One of the Evil Gods?" Chen Heng screamed, his mind on the verge of collapse.

Chu Yi also realized something. A scene from his prophecy unfolded before him, and a hint of a smile curled at the corners of his mouth. Found you! he thought. He deliberately walked forward.

The next moment, the fleshy mush wriggled. Without the cover of darkness, the shadows receded, revealing countless twisted intestines that shot out and bound Chu Yi.

"Junior!" Chen Heng was shocked. Without Chu Yi's healing, their team will be plunged into a Desperate Realm!

Before Chen Heng could attempt a rescue, countless worms and intestines descended. The flesh wall gaped open, revealing a maw filled with fangs, and swallowed Chu Yi whole.

CRUNCH! Blood splattered. The sickening, teeth-grating chewing sound plunged everyone into despair, threatening to drive them completely insane...

「In the Outer Void」

A vast expanse of nothingness. Only the ruins of an ancient Divine Hall stood amidst the emptiness. The ruins were piled high with countless bones, from which gushed bright red blood. Looking closely, one could see that the "blood" was composed entirely of scarlet worms, grotesquely writhing and transforming into twisting Runes upon the ground. These Runes formed circle after circle, enclosing the gigantic entity at the center.

It was a pool of blood where countless devoured corpses bobbed and sank. A gigantic hand, massive as a mountain, towered high within this pool, barely restrained by countless rusted chains.

At this moment, a cloud of blood mist emerged within the Divine Hall. Light and shadow intertwined, forming a silhouette.

The Authority of Flesh and Blood... to shape flesh! Chu Yi thought, as his form solidified from the blood mist.

The next moment, all kinds of whispers echoed in his ears, as if thousands were praying devoutly to a supreme deity. Sharp, mingled, roaring, screaming, hoarse...

Chu Yi glanced at the colossal dark hand. It seemed to hold the authority of life and death, and a sense of awe spontaneously arose within him. But the next second, Chu Yi's pupils blazed with a fervent Frenzy.

The core material for the Divine Hand's next stage of evolution! The Hand of the Titan Race!

Without a word, he initiated an extraction.

[You are extracting high-dimensional material.]

A line of shattered text appeared before him.

[Current progress: 1%...]

As if sensing an ant's gaze, the entire Divine Hall ruins began to seethe. The vast and towering Bone Mountain stirred, and countless crimson-red eyes opened upon it.

"Sealed servitors, oblivious to having invited a wolf into your den, what's with the act?" Chu Yi sneered. A wicked smile touched his lips. A ring of dazzling white light encircled his Divine Hand. His left eye flickered, revealing an ancient Doomsday Clock. Accompanied by a splash of fresh blood, an entire human skin peeled off him, transforming into an exquisite Soul-Calling Banner.

At the same time, before the colossal hand—which Chu Yi already considered his prize—could react, the massive, grotesque, and bizarre Flower of Desire, resembling a bloom of fleshy tumors, descended from above, slamming into its face. Its branches, formed from severed limbs sprouting infant-like tumors, immediately entwined the colossal hand.

I choose you! Chu Yi declared inwardly. "Flower of Desire, bite it!"