37: Chapter 37 The White Light of Evolution

When all the materials were processed and returned to Li Yu as a unified whole, he mixed them to form a potion shimmering with golden light.

Only six minutes had passed.

No wonder those Breeders always have several assistants following them.

More people really does mean more speed.

Li Yu looked at the circle of Breeders around him; they were all quite old, some even had white eyebrows, but their speed in processing materials was no joke—even faster than his own.

He turned back to look at the Golden Horned Small Dragon.

The Golden Horned Small Dragon remained motionless, appearing as if it were dead, with only the extremely faint rise and fall of its belly proving it was still alive.

Fortunately, there was still time.

Once the materials were prepared, more than half of the evolution was complete; all that remained was the final timing.

He pushed the Golden Horned Small Dragon into the incubation pod, poured the potion into it, closed the pod door again, and stepped before the control console.

And then...

A minute passed without any further action.

"Young man, is there a problem?" Professor Li asked.

"Yeah, hurry up and start, we're still waiting to see the breeding results," one Breeder shouted.

Li Yu smiled and said, "The time hasn't come yet. Wait a bit longer."

As soon as he said this, several Breeders and assistants looked at each other, faces full of confusion.

Not the time?

Wait a bit longer?

If they waited any longer, the Golden Horned Small Dragon would stop breathing. Were they supposed to breed a corpse then?

Though confused, seeing that Professor Li didn't object, the crowd didn't say anything more. It was just a little time; they could afford to wait.

Of course, there were also those who couldn't afford to wait.

Outside the breeding room.

Seeing that Li Yu had no further movement after locking the Golden Horned Small Dragon in the incubation pod, everyone was puzzled.

"What is that guy doing?"

"The materials are all ready. Shouldn't he hurry up and treat the injuries next?"

"Poor Golden Horned Small Dragon, it's lost so much blood and encountered such a cold-hearted Breeder."

"..."

A group of girls gathered together, chattering away.

Zhang Lan snorted coldly and said, "In my opinion, he's scared. He's just an Intern who knows nothing but acts like he's amazing. Now that the breeding has started, he's realized he can't handle it. He's stuck between a rock and a hard place, so he's planning to stall for time until the little dragon dies in there."

Wang Mengting's heart trembled, and a flash of panic crossed her face. "No, his attitude is very calm. It doesn't look like he can't do it."

Zhang Lan continued, "Attitude can be faked. Think about it—once the little dragon dies, it wasn't his breeding that killed it, so it's not his failure. Those useless, trash Breeders love using this tactic. I've seen it many times."

The thread of the contract in Wang Mengting's mind had become very thin, as if a gust of wind could snap it. This feeling caused a surge of intense unease within her.

Coupled with Zhang Lan's words, she lost her resolve and looked toward her father for help.

"Dad..."

"Don't be nervous. This young man dared to step forward, and his demeanor has been composed until now. It doesn't look like he's at his wit's end. We must have faith in him."

Wang Jianguo stroked Wang Mengting's head and glanced sideways at Zhang Lan, his tone carrying a hint of distance and warning. "Miss Zhang, our Mengting is already very sad. Please stop frightening her; it's not good to scare her like this."

Zhang Lan's expression changed upon hearing this, and she hurriedly put on a fawning smile, saying, "Right, right, I understand. Don't worry, Uncle Wang."

"Mhm."

Wang Jianguo said nothing more.

Zhang Lan breathed a small sigh of relief, but the unease in her heart didn't completely vanish.

Previously, as one of Wang Mengting's best friends, the Wang family had a good impression of her over the years. They would call her by name or sometimes a nickname, but this 'Miss Zhang' suddenly treated her like an outsider.

Could he have guessed what happened before?

Zhang Lan's heart skipped a beat, but she quickly shook her head.

No, it shouldn't be.

It must be because Wang Mengting suffered too much of a shock today, and he's just saying that out of concern for his daughter.

Zhang Lan looked at the figure in front of the control console in the breeding room, a trace of resentment flashing in her eyes.

If not for this guy, why would she be under suspicion?

The oppressive silence, like the calm before a storm, lasted for only five minutes.

The sixth minute began.

A worsening reaction appeared on the Golden Horned Small Dragon's body.

At first, its breathing suddenly became rapid, accompanied by heavy gasping; its belly expanded and contracted as if it had run a hundred kilometers.

The monitoring equipment emitted a sharp 'beep-beep' sound, piercing the eerie silence.

"What's going on?!" a Breeder cried out in alarm.

"Not good! The heart rate is soaring, and vitality is draining rapidly. The previous methods have all failed!" another Breeder shouted solemnly.

Others crowded around the machine to check.

"Young man, we can't stall any longer. I don't know when the timing you want is, but if we wait any longer, the Golden Horned Small Dragon will lose its life," Professor Li urged with a grave expression.

The others all looked at Li Yu, but he shook his head and said, "The time hasn't come yet."

"The time hasn't come yet?! Does it f*cking have to die before the time comes?!" an impatient Breeder shouted.

But Li Yu ignored him, his eyes still fixed on the situation inside the incubation pod. His hand rested on the red lever, but he didn't move it.

The solemn expressions of the Breeders and the rapid alarms of the machines caused a wave of panic in the hallway.

The girls all glared at Supervisor Song.

A look of excitement appeared on Zhang Lan's face, as if she could already see the image of Li Yu's breeding failure resulting in death.

Doll Girl supported Wang Mengting, constantly comforting the shivering girl while occasionally glancing toward the incubation pod, the worry on her face growing more intense.

Could it be that the previous breeding was just a fluke?

Was Li Yu's breeding this time really as Zhang Lan said—that he had no confidence and thus didn't dare to proceed?

Outside the group, Supervisor Song, facing countless gazes that seemed ready to kill, was sweating profusely with anxiety. However, he didn't dare to make a move, silently praying to every god of beast-taming and breeding in his heart.

Li Yu!

Brother Li!

Father Li!

Please be reliable...

...

Another minute passed.

The Golden Horned Small Dragon's breathing weakened rapidly, and a brief cessation of breathing occurred. Its body temperature rose sharply, blood scabs dissolved, and more deep-red blood seeped from its scales and facial features as its entire body convulsed violently.

"Spiritual energy attacking the heart... it's hopeless."

Professor Li shook his head with a heavy expression, gave Li Yu a disappointed look, and said, "Although I don't know what you were waiting for, clearly, the opportunity you were waiting for didn't arrive. Good luck to you."

After speaking, Professor Li turned and walked out of the breeding room. Seeing this, the other Breeders and assistants shook their heads and followed him.

Their heavy, disappointed reactions caused Wang Mengting's and Supervisor Song's hearts to sink.

Click—

The door to the breeding room opened.

“Pro... Professor Li...” Wang Mengting called out with a trembling voice.

Supervisor Song wiped away sweat and pressed, "What happened? Why aren't you continuing the breeding?"

The two of them already had an inkling of the answer in their hearts.

Professor Li said, "The Golden Horned Small Dragon has spiritual energy attacking its heart, and its last bit of blood has run dry. It... is beyond saving."

Boom!

Wang Mengting's legs gave way, and she nearly fainted; Doll Girl was quick to support her.

Supervisor Song's face turned ashen as he murmured, "It's over, this time... I'm unemployed."

The others fell silent, except for Zhang Lan; on her deliberately solemn face, a pair of gleeful and excited eyes were fully exposed, which Director Wang took note of.

Suddenly.

A glimmer of light lit up inside the breeding room.

"Everyone, look! Inside the incubation pod!" someone shouted.

Everyone turned their heads to look and were stunned. In their constricted pupils, a brilliant white light of evolution was reflected.