43 Global Evolution
It had been a long time since they had slept on a comfortable bed, and all three of them were completely exhausted. They didn't wake up until the following afternoon, just before dusk.
After getting up, Cong Xia prepared a meal, and once the four of them had eaten their fill, they finally decided to discuss some important matters.
Cong Xia glanced at Zhuang Yao, who had dark circles under his eyes, and asked, "Didn't you get any rest?"
Zhuang Yao shook his head and said, "I extracted some gecko meat from Abu's mouth and conducted research on their somatic cells. The evolution of these geckos is very different from other species. While other species desperately strive to become larger through individual evolution, these geckos focus on relentless reproduction. This evolutionary strategy is actually more terrifying."
Cong Xia sighed and said, "You're right. No matter how powerful an individual's evolution is, they are still just individuals. In fact, due to their size, they have caused great trouble for the survival and reproduction of their species. Species that cannot reproduce in large numbers will eventually perish, but it's different for those that can reproduce in large quantities, such as mice and geckos."
"I actually overlooked this evolutionary strategy, which shouldn't have happened," Zhuang Yao said, scratching his head in frustration.
"Perhaps it was the larger individuals that confused you, and you didn't notice their other evolutionary strategy," Cong Xia suggested.
Zhuang Yao shook his head. "No, I observed them for two weeks. It's impossible not to notice such a significant reproductive change. I can say for sure that when I placed the large bait in the sewer, their numbers were not as many as they are now."
"When did you place the bait?"
"Four days ago. They started moving after three days of smelling the scent, so I removed the bait. Then, two days ago, I placed it again, and they fell for it once more. I calculated their hunting time and then came to find you. I also set some traps, but unfortunately, I didn't kill any of them."
"Are you saying that their current population was not as large four days ago?"
"Absolutely not," Zhuang Yao furrowed his brow. "During the three days when I placed the bait, it happened to be the gap in my observation period. Could it be that within just three days, they multiplied their numbers by tenfold?"
Cong Xia shivered and said, "The gestation period of a normal gecko is fifteen days, but this group of geckos only took three days. Normally, it takes three months for a gecko to develop into an adult and become sexually mature in August. But their cycle is obviously much shorter. If this is indeed the case, it won't be long before the entire city of Guiyang becomes a gecko nest."
Zhuang Yao's face changed, and he rushed to the computer, his fingers tapping on the keyboard rapidly. The three of them watched the vivid 3D simulation of the geckos' reproductive speed on the screen. The geckos were represented by red dots. Starting from the cinema as the center, the red dots continued to overlap and spread, overlapping and spreading, until the entire screen was covered with a dense and chilling mass of red dots.
Cheng Tianbi stood up and asked in a deep voice, "How long?"
Zhuang Yao's voice trembled as he replied, "Fifteen days. After fifteen days, the number of these geckos will reach two hundred million."
Liu Fengyu muttered, "This is sickening. We should hurry and run."
Cong Xia paced back and forth, saying, "What about food? With so many geckos, what will they eat?"
"After devouring Guiyang City, they will expand outward," Zhuang Yao's brain raced at high speed. Suddenly, he slapped his thigh, jumped up, and ran into the room.
The three of them were all stunned.
After a while, laughter echoed from the room.
The three of them frowned and walked towards the room. Cong Xia asked, "What's wrong with you?"
"Their cells are deteriorating, hahaha! These damn geckos. The drawback of their rapid reproductive evolution is shortened lifespan. Adult geckos usually live between 5-10 years, but these geckos that have reproduced at an incredible rate will have cells that deteriorate rapidly. I estimate their lifespan won't exceed fifteen days."
Cheng Tianbi said solemnly, "But their reproductive speed is much faster than their death rate."
"But it can at least prove one thing: rise and fall is a natural law that all living and non-living things must go through." Zhuang Yao impatiently pushed the culture dish aside. "It seems like we really have to leave."
Liu Fengyu raised an eyebrow and said, "Weren't you planning to go to Beijing with us in the first place? Are you lying again?"
Zhuang Yao gave him a glare. "Did I say I'm not going anymore? It's just that now it seems we need to speed up our preparations."
"Preparations for what?"
"A lot. Just by looking at you, it's clear that none of you have any sense of planning, which is why we ended up in such a mess. I need to prepare the route, supplies, emergency measures, and even create some things. I can't get it all done in less than a week. And most importantly, I need to understand all of you."
Zhuang Yao looked up at the three adults who were much taller than him. Not only did he not show any signs of fear, but his tone even carried a commanding flavor.
Cong Xia smiled helplessly and said, "If you want to understand us, shouldn't you introduce yourself first? Didn't you say you could hide your energy fluctuations? Or was that a lie?"
Zhuang Yao made a disdainful sound. "Even if I tell you, you won't be able to do it."
"How do you know we can't do it if you don't tell us?"
Zhuang Yao rolled his eyes. "The reason you can't perceive my energy fluctuations is not because I'm hiding them, but because your perception is being deceived."
Cheng Tianbi frowned. "Is this the ability of a cerebral domain evolver?"
"That's right. Currently, my ability can only slightly deceive your brainwaves. In reality, you can sense my energy fluctuations, but you just don't realize it. If a stranger approaches me right now, they would be able to sense it before I deceive their brainwaves."
"After all this talk, why don't you demonstrate it?"
Zhuang Yao glared at Liu Fengyu before turning to Cong Xia and Cheng Tianbi. Their expressions subtly changed, and they could indeed feel the blue energy emanating from Zhuang Yao's body.
Cong Xia murmured, "Water energy."
Liu Fengyu said, "Huh? Why can't I feel it?"
"Because you've been blocked," Zhuang Yao mockingly looked at him.
"But I can still feel theirs," Liu Fengyu said.
"I only blocked the specific brainwave that senses me. If I were to completely block your perception, you would be useless—colorless, soundless, odorless, tasteless. When I evolve to that level one day, I'll make sure you experience what that feels like."
Liu Fengyu pressed down on his head and said angrily, "Before that happens, I'll strip you naked and throw you into a mouse hole."
Zhuang Yao opened his hand, his little face turning red. "Don't touch my head."
Cong Xia quickly pulled Liu Fengyu away and said, "It seems what Zhuang Yao said is true. We did feel the water energy, but it's troublesome that we can't replicate it."
Zhuang Yao said, "Since I can study the simulation device for energy fluctuations, I can definitely study a blocking device as well. I've thought about it before, and theoretically, it's not difficult. I just haven't put it into practice. I'll work on it in the coming days. Otherwise, the four of us being together with our energy fluctuations so obvious... Wait a minute." Zhuang Yao turned to look at Cong Xia. "Why don't you have energy fluctuations? What kind of evolution does your healing energy belong to?"
Cong Xia carefully chose his words. "This matter is quite complicated. We don't trust you yet, so I can't tell you about this part for now."
Zhuang Yao's eyes lit up, and he chuckled softly. "Secrets? Interesting. I love secrets the most. We will encounter many dangers on this journey, and if we want to safely reach Beijing, I need to maximize the combat capabilities of each of you. In this regard, you are all too weak, with little coordination between you and no understanding of weapon usage. Your fighting power is greatly discounted. So, I'll start by understanding each of you. Cong Xia, since you don't want to say, let me ask you a few questions so that I can conduct a strategic resource analysis. Honestly, you should be grateful to have encountered me."
Liu Fengyu rolled his eyes in a show of disdain.
Cheng Tianbi remained expressionless. "Speak if it's useful."
Cong Xia smiled faintly. "Go ahead and ask."
"Are you a mutant?"
"No, I'm not."
"I can't perceive your energy, but you do have energy, right?"
"Yes."
"This energy is different from ours, right? Although the ways in which mutant species mutate are diverse, all energy revolves around the five elements of gold, wood, water, fire, and earth. I haven't found any exceptions so far, except for you. When you healed Abu's wounds, you clearly used energy, but we couldn't sense it, and it also doesn't seem to belong to any of the five elemental energies. So, your energy is different from ours, right?"
"Correct, it's not the five elemental energy."
"It doesn't belong to the five elemental energy, but it can heal injuries caused by the five elemental energy. It must be closely related..." Zhuang Yao stroked his chin. "How did you obtain this energy? At least you can tell me that."
"Absorption. By absorbing the five elemental energy of deceased mutant species, it transforms into non-elemental energy within my body."
"Absorbing deceased species?" Zhuang Yao suddenly became excited. "So, as long as there are large numbers of deceased mutant species, you can absorb their energy freely? If your energy is abundant enough, you can completely heal Abu."
Cheng Tianbi coldly said, "Don't push your luck."
Zhuang Yao widened his eyes. "Abu is one of our most important companions on the way to Beijing. He's much more useful than you. Only when Abu is completely healed can we proceed on this journey."
Cong Xia nodded. "You're right. Not to mention other things, just the supplies we need to carry, only Abu can handle the weight. I have exhausted all the energy I absorbed on the road, and I need to absorb a large amount of energy to help Abu recover."
"This information is crucial. Now, our most urgent task is to prepare a large number of deceased mutant creatures for you."
"And it must be freshly dead. If they've been dead for too long, all the energy will be gone," Zhuang Yao clenched his fist, his gaze sharp as a cold star. "It seems that we will have to settle the score with that group of filthy geckos sooner or later."
Without Zhuang Yao needing to say it, the three of them immediately thought of the overwhelming gecko army. In last night's battle, they had killed at least a hundred geckos, but unfortunately, time was tight, and Cong Xia didn't have the chance to absorb the energy. It was a regret now. If they had absorbed that energy back then, he wouldn't have fainted from healing Abu yesterday.
Zhuang Yao asked, "Besides healing, does your energy have any other uses?"
"Actually, my energy doesn't just heal; it can achieve a certain purpose by strengthening or promoting cellular energy. For example, I can promote cell regeneration in Abu, enabling his wounds to heal quickly. I can also enhance vision by accelerating blood circulation and maintaining body temperature, strengthening the cells in the eyes. So, this ability..." Cong Xia suddenly couldn't continue speaking. Like the others present, he realized something.
Zhuang Yao's voice trembled with excitement, "So, not only can you strengthen your own cells, but you can also strengthen others!"
Cong Xia stared wide-eyed at his hand.
Everyone knew what this ability meant. He could not only enhance himself but also enhance all the fighters, significantly improving their abilities in combat. The significance of this within the team was unimaginable.
Cong Xia had never been as excited as he was now.
Cong Xia had always hoped to stand by Cheng Tianbi's side as a capable companion, to assist him rather than be a burden that constantly needed protection.
But now, only he had accumulated enough non-elemental energy. He could greatly enhance the team's strength. He wouldn't be a useless person anymore.
Zhuang Yao narrowed his eyes as he looked at Cong Xia. "Interesting. I unexpectedly stumbled upon a treasure."
Excited, Cong Xia couldn't sit still. He ran up to Cheng Tianbi and eagerly said, "Brother Bing, once I accumulate enough energy, I will enhance your entire body from head to toe whenever we encounter danger. That way, you'll definitely be invincible."
Cheng Tianbi glanced at him helplessly. "The most important thing is that you can protect yourself."
Zhuang Yao knocked on the table. "Fool, don't simplify things. You were exhausted just from healing a thirty-centimeter wound. I don't know how much energy you absorbed before, but obtaining energy is clearly not easy, and the consumption is enormous. If you can enhance a person completely with just a few words, you would be far more valuable than any Natural Manipulator or Brain Domain Evolver."
Cong Xia restrained his excited emotions. "I will definitely work hard to enhance my energy," he said, looking at Cheng Tianbi with sparkling eyes. "Brother Bing, just wait and see. I will become powerful."
Cheng Tianbi's lips twitched slightly, and he softly replied, "Okay."
Liu Fengyu whistled, "Not bad, Xiao Xia."
Cong Xia smiled and said, "Liu ge, don't worry. I will help you become powerful too."
Zhuang Yao snorted, "Forget it. If he gets any smellier, he'll suffocate himself."
Liu Fengyu slapped his head forcefully. "You brat, are you looking for trouble?"
Zhuang Yao rubbed his head and angrily retorted, "Dare to slap my head? You're the one looking for trouble!"
"Without that damn cat, let's see how arrogant you can be."
"When Abu recovers, I'll make him bite you to death!"
Cong Xia sighed and chuckled, "Stop arguing, Liu ge. He's only 11 years old..."
43 Global Evolution
It had been a long time since they had slept on a comfortable bed, and all three of them were completely exhausted. They didn't wake up until the following afternoon, just before dusk.
After getting up, Cong Xia prepared a meal, and once the four of them had eaten their fill, they finally decided to discuss some important matters.
Cong Xia glanced at Zhuang Yao, who had dark circles under his eyes, and asked, "Didn't you get any rest?"
Zhuang Yao shook his head and said, "I extracted some gecko meat from Abu's mouth and conducted research on their somatic cells. The evolution of these geckos is very different from other species. While other species desperately strive to become larger through individual evolution, these geckos focus on relentless reproduction. This evolutionary strategy is actually more terrifying."
Cong Xia sighed and said, "You're right. No matter how powerful an individual's evolution is, they are still just individuals. In fact, due to their size, they have caused great trouble for the survival and reproduction of their species. Species that cannot reproduce in large numbers will eventually perish, but it's different for those that can reproduce in large quantities, such as mice and geckos."
"I actually overlooked this evolutionary strategy, which shouldn't have happened," Zhuang Yao said, scratching his head in frustration.
"Perhaps it was the larger individuals that confused you, and you didn't notice their other evolutionary strategy," Cong Xia suggested.
Zhuang Yao shook his head. "No, I observed them for two weeks. It's impossible not to notice such a significant reproductive change. I can say for sure that when I placed the large bait in the sewer, their numbers were not as many as they are now."
"When did you place the bait?"
"Four days ago. They started moving after three days of smelling the scent, so I removed the bait. Then, two days ago, I placed it again, and they fell for it once more. I calculated their hunting time and then came to find you. I also set some traps, but unfortunately, I didn't kill any of them."
"Are you saying that their current population was not as large four days ago?"
"Absolutely not," Zhuang Yao furrowed his brow. "During the three days when I placed the bait, it happened to be the gap in my observation period. Could it be that within just three days, they multiplied their numbers by tenfold?"
Cong Xia shivered and said, "The gestation period of a normal gecko is fifteen days, but this group of geckos only took three days. Normally, it takes three months for a gecko to develop into an adult and become sexually mature in August. But their cycle is obviously much shorter. If this is indeed the case, it won't be long before the entire city of Guiyang becomes a gecko nest."
Zhuang Yao's face changed, and he rushed to the computer, his fingers tapping on the keyboard rapidly. The three of them watched the vivid 3D simulation of the geckos' reproductive speed on the screen. The geckos were represented by red dots. Starting from the cinema as the center, the red dots continued to overlap and spread, overlapping and spreading, until the entire screen was covered with a dense and chilling mass of red dots.
Cheng Tianbi stood up and asked in a deep voice, "How long?"
Zhuang Yao's voice trembled as he replied, "Fifteen days. After fifteen days, the number of these geckos will reach two hundred million."
Liu Fengyu muttered, "This is sickening. We should hurry and run."
Cong Xia paced back and forth, saying, "What about food? With so many geckos, what will they eat?"
"After devouring Guiyang City, they will expand outward," Zhuang Yao's brain raced at high speed. Suddenly, he slapped his thigh, jumped up, and ran into the room.
The three of them were all stunned.
After a while, laughter echoed from the room.
The three of them frowned and walked towards the room. Cong Xia asked, "What's wrong with you?"
"Their cells are deteriorating, hahaha! These damn geckos. The drawback of their rapid reproductive evolution is shortened lifespan. Adult geckos usually live between 5-10 years, but these geckos that have reproduced at an incredible rate will have cells that deteriorate rapidly. I estimate their lifespan won't exceed fifteen days."
Cheng Tianbi said solemnly, "But their reproductive speed is much faster than their death rate."
"But it can at least prove one thing: rise and fall is a natural law that all living and non-living things must go through." Zhuang Yao impatiently pushed the culture dish aside. "It seems like we really have to leave."
Liu Fengyu raised an eyebrow and said, "Weren't you planning to go to Beijing with us in the first place? Are you lying again?"
Zhuang Yao gave him a glare. "Did I say I'm not going anymore? It's just that now it seems we need to speed up our preparations."
"Preparations for what?"
"A lot. Just by looking at you, it's clear that none of you have any sense of planning, which is why we ended up in such a mess. I need to prepare the route, supplies, emergency measures, and even create some things. I can't get it all done in less than a week. And most importantly, I need to understand all of you."
Zhuang Yao looked up at the three adults who were much taller than him. Not only did he not show any signs of fear, but his tone even carried a commanding flavor.
Cong Xia smiled helplessly and said, "If you want to understand us, shouldn't you introduce yourself first? Didn't you say you could hide your energy fluctuations? Or was that a lie?"
Zhuang Yao made a disdainful sound. "Even if I tell you, you won't be able to do it."
"How do you know we can't do it if you don't tell us?"
Zhuang Yao rolled his eyes. "The reason you can't perceive my energy fluctuations is not because I'm hiding them, but because your perception is being deceived."
Cheng Tianbi frowned. "Is this the ability of a cerebral domain evolver?"
"That's right. Currently, my ability can only slightly deceive your brainwaves. In reality, you can sense my energy fluctuations, but you just don't realize it. If a stranger approaches me right now, they would be able to sense it before I deceive their brainwaves."
"After all this talk, why don't you demonstrate it?"
Zhuang Yao glared at Liu Fengyu before turning to Cong Xia and Cheng Tianbi. Their expressions subtly changed, and they could indeed feel the blue energy emanating from Zhuang Yao's body.
Cong Xia murmured, "Water energy."
Liu Fengyu said, "Huh? Why can't I feel it?"
"Because you've been blocked," Zhuang Yao mockingly looked at him.
"But I can still feel theirs," Liu Fengyu said.
"I only blocked the specific brainwave that senses me. If I were to completely block your perception, you would be useless—colorless, soundless, odorless, tasteless. When I evolve to that level one day, I'll make sure you experience what that feels like."
Liu Fengyu pressed down on his head and said angrily, "Before that happens, I'll strip you naked and throw you into a mouse hole."
Zhuang Yao opened his hand, his little face turning red. "Don't touch my head."
Cong Xia quickly pulled Liu Fengyu away and said, "It seems what Zhuang Yao said is true. We did feel the water energy, but it's troublesome that we can't replicate it."
Zhuang Yao said, "Since I can study the simulation device for energy fluctuations, I can definitely study a blocking device as well. I've thought about it before, and theoretically, it's not difficult. I just haven't put it into practice. I'll work on it in the coming days. Otherwise, the four of us being together with our energy fluctuations so obvious... Wait a minute." Zhuang Yao turned to look at Cong Xia. "Why don't you have energy fluctuations? What kind of evolution does your healing energy belong to?"
Cong Xia carefully chose his words. "This matter is quite complicated. We don't trust you yet, so I can't tell you about this part for now."
Zhuang Yao's eyes lit up, and he chuckled softly. "Secrets? Interesting. I love secrets the most. We will encounter many dangers on this journey, and if we want to safely reach Beijing, I need to maximize the combat capabilities of each of you. In this regard, you are all too weak, with little coordination between you and no understanding of weapon usage. Your fighting power is greatly discounted. So, I'll start by understanding each of you. Cong Xia, since you don't want to say, let me ask you a few questions so that I can conduct a strategic resource analysis. Honestly, you should be grateful to have encountered me."
Liu Fengyu rolled his eyes in a show of disdain.
Cheng Tianbi remained expressionless. "Speak if it's useful."
Cong Xia smiled faintly. "Go ahead and ask."
"Are you a mutant?"
"No, I'm not."
"I can't perceive your energy, but you do have energy, right?"
"Yes."
"This energy is different from ours, right? Although the ways in which mutant species mutate are diverse, all energy revolves around the five elements of gold, wood, water, fire, and earth. I haven't found any exceptions so far, except for you. When you healed Abu's wounds, you clearly used energy, but we couldn't sense it, and it also doesn't seem to belong to any of the five elemental energies. So, your energy is different from ours, right?"
"Correct, it's not the five elemental energy."
"It doesn't belong to the five elemental energy, but it can heal injuries caused by the five elemental energy. It must be closely related..." Zhuang Yao stroked his chin. "How did you obtain this energy? At least you can tell me that."
"Absorption. By absorbing the five elemental energy of deceased mutant species, it transforms into non-elemental energy within my body."
"Absorbing deceased species?" Zhuang Yao suddenly became excited. "So, as long as there are large numbers of deceased mutant species, you can absorb their energy freely? If your energy is abundant enough, you can completely heal Abu."
Cheng Tianbi coldly said, "Don't push your luck."
Zhuang Yao widened his eyes. "Abu is one of our most important companions on the way to Beijing. He's much more useful than you. Only when Abu is completely healed can we proceed on this journey."
Cong Xia nodded. "You're right. Not to mention other things, just the supplies we need to carry, only Abu can handle the weight. I have exhausted all the energy I absorbed on the road, and I need to absorb a large amount of energy to help Abu recover."
"This information is crucial. Now, our most urgent task is to prepare a large number of deceased mutant creatures for you."
"And it must be freshly dead. If they've been dead for too long, all the energy will be gone," Zhuang Yao clenched his fist, his gaze sharp as a cold star. "It seems that we will have to settle the score with that group of filthy geckos sooner or later."
Without Zhuang Yao needing to say it, the three of them immediately thought of the overwhelming gecko army. In last night's battle, they had killed at least a hundred geckos, but unfortunately, time was tight, and Cong Xia didn't have the chance to absorb the energy. It was a regret now. If they had absorbed that energy back then, he wouldn't have fainted from healing Abu yesterday.
Zhuang Yao asked, "Besides healing, does your energy have any other uses?"
"Actually, my energy doesn't just heal; it can achieve a certain purpose by strengthening or promoting cellular energy. For example, I can promote cell regeneration in Abu, enabling his wounds to heal quickly. I can also enhance vision by accelerating blood circulation and maintaining body temperature, strengthening the cells in the eyes. So, this ability..." Cong Xia suddenly couldn't continue speaking. Like the others present, he realized something.
Zhuang Yao's voice trembled with excitement, "So, not only can you strengthen your own cells, but you can also strengthen others!"
Cong Xia stared wide-eyed at his hand.
Everyone knew what this ability meant. He could not only enhance himself but also enhance all the fighters, significantly improving their abilities in combat. The significance of this within the team was unimaginable.
Cong Xia had never been as excited as he was now.
Cong Xia had always hoped to stand by Cheng Tianbi's side as a capable companion, to assist him rather than be a burden that constantly needed protection.
But now, only he had accumulated enough non-elemental energy. He could greatly enhance the team's strength. He wouldn't be a useless person anymore.
Zhuang Yao narrowed his eyes as he looked at Cong Xia. "Interesting. I unexpectedly stumbled upon a treasure."
Excited, Cong Xia couldn't sit still. He ran up to Cheng Tianbi and eagerly said, "Brother Bing, once I accumulate enough energy, I will enhance your entire body from head to toe whenever we encounter danger. That way, you'll definitely be invincible."
Cheng Tianbi glanced at him helplessly. "The most important thing is that you can protect yourself."
Zhuang Yao knocked on the table. "Fool, don't simplify things. You were exhausted just from healing a thirty-centimeter wound. I don't know how much energy you absorbed before, but obtaining energy is clearly not easy, and the consumption is enormous. If you can enhance a person completely with just a few words, you would be far more valuable than any Natural Manipulator or Brain Domain Evolver."
Cong Xia restrained his excited emotions. "I will definitely work hard to enhance my energy," he said, looking at Cheng Tianbi with sparkling eyes. "Brother Bing, just wait and see. I will become powerful."
Cheng Tianbi's lips twitched slightly, and he softly replied, "Okay."
Liu Fengyu whistled, "Not bad, Xiao Xia."
Cong Xia smiled and said, "Liu ge, don't worry. I will help you become powerful too."
Zhuang Yao snorted, "Forget it. If he gets any smellier, he'll suffocate himself."
Liu Fengyu slapped his head forcefully. "You brat, are you looking for trouble?"
Zhuang Yao rubbed his head and angrily retorted, "Dare to slap my head? You're the one looking for trouble!"
"Without that damn cat, let's see how arrogant you can be."
"When Abu recovers, I'll make him bite you to death!"
Cong Xia sighed and chuckled, "Stop arguing, Liu ge. He's only 11 years old..."
