The Evolution Compendium

Winning big!

"This artifact must belong to my Nus clan."

The Nus Wolf King spoke coldly, showing no restraint in his ambition this time. This was the Furnace of Life, a treasure even he, a Radiant Moon-level Wolf King, would fight for!

If it were some other sequence, it might have been acceptable, but this was a divine artifact that caused life forms to evolve!

Even the slightest enhancement to one's bloodline would bring terrifying attribute boosts!

"Heh."

Prince Morgan sneered, elegantly raising a cup of blood wine—drawn from a maiden—and taking a light sip.

Arguing with a barbarian would only lower my class. Your Albert is the Golden Child put forth by the Nus clan, but my Avril carries the Fairy Tale Secret Realm. Who's stronger or weaker is far from certain.

The representatives of the other forces just smiled without speaking, still confident in their own prodigies.

What if... they get lucky?

Looking at the Wooden Cocoon growing in the core of the Golden Tree, the crowd's eyes burned with fervor.

The life sequence—one of the highest sequences! Who wouldn't covet it!?

"What does the Princess think?" Innos changed the topic, offering a fawning smile to a cold and aloof Succubus Princess.

The Enchanting Demon Royal Court of the Abyss, in terms of heritage, is even older than the families of the Dark World! If I could forge a connection with them and do some small business with the Enchanting Demon Royal Court, achieving small daily goals would be easy!

"Oh."

Chen Xi stared at the screen for a while. She watched Chu Yi holding the Dragon Maiden's hand in an intimate posture, her own eyes cooling slightly. She then said coldly, "Of course, I'm using my eyes."

With that, the atmosphere froze instantly.

Innos, thick-skinned as he was, paid no mind to the mocking glances around him. He wiped his cold sweat and found a new topic, saying, "I remember the King of Black Robes had some contact with your sister, Princess."

Chen Xi took another glance at Chu Yi personally feeding the Dragon Maiden. Her beautiful eyes grew colder, making Innos's scalp tingle. It seemed the Princess was not in a good mood, which gave him a sudden fright.

Darn, I walked right into her line of fire!

Everyone listened intently, also wanting to know the King of Black Robes' origins; perhaps the ancient Enchanting Demon Royal Court had investigated.

The Succubus Princess remained silent for a long time, her unfriendly demeanor making everyone quell their curiosity.

「...」

A piece of bone ash bread was stuffed into the silly Dragon Maiden's mouth, but she whimpered a few times, "Not tasty... Chu Yi, I want that!"

She swallowed the bread, blinking her beautiful eyes like a girlfriend clinging to her boyfriend, her slender, pale fingers pointing towards the Golden Throne.

"Alright, we'll go over in a while and get you some, okay?" Chu Yi compromised, taking a step back.

He had to admit, though the Dragon Maiden was a bit silly, she took promises seriously. Because of the kindness of a single meal, she had been protecting him without leaving his side.

"Wait."

Chu Yi was startled. He glanced at German, who had gone up to fight, and seeing no one else around, looked at Mu Yun. "You mean, that's food?"

"Yeah." Mu Yun licked her lips. "I am the great Dragon Witch, descendant of the Jade Dragon. I wouldn't mistake it."

Chu Yi was puzzled. From the earlier battle, he had learned that Albert was unsealing the Furnace of Life.

But according to Mu Yun, it was food?

Could they be two different things?

"Great Dragon Maiden, please enlighten me. What kind of food is that?" Chu Yi asked.

"Syrup!" Mu Yun answered without hesitation. "Syrup filled with high-concentration life essence."

"Besides that, is there anything else?"

"Huh?" Mu Yun gave him a curious look. "Anything else? Maybe I didn't notice. Let's not talk about it. Chu Yi, let's go quickly! Worst case, I'll just share a bit more with you."

Could there be more within the Golden Tree?

"Follow me."

Anyway, with the fierce battle up ahead, I wouldn't be able to seize it even if I went. And if I did, I'd become everyone's target and be besieged. Besides, having gained insight into causality, I feel an unseen force drawing me somewhere.

"Huh?" Mu Yun was taken aback. After begging for so long, he was turning back instead?

"If you want the syrup, go snatch it," Chu Yi said simply and walked away.

"Despicable, bad Chu Yi!" Mu Yun stamped her jade foot, shattering the golden wood chips beneath her. Pouting, she still followed him without hesitation.

She puffed her cheeks out the entire way, huffing and puffing in anger.

FLICKER!

The golden sculpted candlestick flickered with flames, casting two shadows, one trailing the other.

"I have found the correct location of the Furnace of Life."

Chu Yi's words manifested reality. Using [Born from Nothing] and guided by an intuition from the unseen, he reached out and pressed against a wooden wall.

A localized law manifested, and the surrounding scene shattered, becoming bizarrely colorful.

In an instant, the two arrived in a world of withering gold. Countless thick vines spread like a web across the space. At their intertwined point was a Golden Heart, as large as a carriage.

"Whew!" Chu Yi breathed heavily, clearly exerting himself. This was the suppression from the Golden Laws!

Even Mu Yun's mind replayed their exploration: how she and Chu Yi had stumbled and bumbled their way here, reaching this peculiar place in no time.

However, the two had fallen in.

The Dragon Maiden's proud figure pressed against Chu Yi. Her shimmering dark green hair floated, and her dark golden dragon eyes stared at the handsome face so close to her, dazed for a long while.

"Ahem, Chu Yi, are you alright?" She felt her jade cheeks heat up. Nonchalantly, she got up and pulled Chu Yi along. She felt a bit bewildered by this first close physical encounter between a male and a female, and her heartbeat involuntarily sped up.

It's huge! Oh, I mean the Golden Heart.

Chu Yi had no time to mind the Dragon Maiden's overwhelming presence. A strand of Twilight Light refracted from his Clock Eye as he stared at the heart. He said, "This is the location of the Furnace of Life. Mu Yun, you will protect me, right?"

Hearing this, Mu Yun was shocked. She looked at the writhing Golden Heart. "You, you…"

How does he know? The question stuck in her throat.

She stammered, visibly shocked. Was what that previous group fought for a fake? How did Chu Yi discover this? But that didn't matter anymore.

She hesitated for a moment. If I seize this Furnace of Life, I'll win this game and receive the blessings of the gods, she mused.

Glancing at the unguarded young man, Mu Yun's dragon eyes narrowed. Her proud figure straightened with a chilly smile, as if she were a villain who had been hiding for a long time, now stepping out from behind the scenes. She said, "Chu Yi, you wouldn't want them to know about this place, right?"

As soon as her voice fell, Chu Yi tossed out a pile of bone ash bread and walked over to the Golden Heart.

The silly Dragon Maiden froze, shooting Chu Yi a dissatisfied look. He trusts me this much? I'm a calamity-bringing witch; any being that comes into contact with me meets misfortune! Hmph!

Mu Yun took a bite of bread, her eyes fixed on the young man, a slight warmth spreading in her heart.

Indeed, every coincidence was arranged well in advance. Chu Yi thought, glancing at Mu Yun. After the King of Black Robes went offline, I happened to meet a starving Dragon Maiden. Truly a gift of destiny. This not only solved the problem of being targeted by the Alien Races but also provided a trustworthy partner.

Chu Yi smiled.

He extended his Divine Hand. A stream of dazzling white light flowed, as magnificent in color as a nebula, covering the Golden Heart.

The Furnace of Life? This will serve as a perfect explanation for my sudden surge in strength.

CRUNCH! CRUNCH! CRUNCH...

The sound was like biological munching, like spring silkworms nibbling mulberry leaves. A layer of casing peeled away from the heart, revealing countless circuit-like imprints.

Instantly, a blazing golden light erupted, like a scorching sun rising, filling this entire space.

「...」

"This is just... a shadow!" Albert gazed at the furnace within the Wooden Cocoon; it was as illusory as a shadow, and his expression turned grim.

Inside the Wooden Cocoon, it was filled with a dense concentration of life essence, like a heap of honey-colored syrup, exuding a sweet, mellow fragrance.

This scene made the watching crowd stop fighting and exchange glances.

The Furnace of Life, contested for so long, turned out to be just a lingering shadow preserved here.

Or perhaps, this was a faint trace inadvertently left behind when the Golden Monarch used the furnace to cook syrup, an afterimage preserved along with the syrup itself.

The next moment, the entire King's Great Hall trembled.