74: Chapter 74 Mutation and Evolution, Flying Kero

[Mutated Evolution - Flying Kelo: Atrophy the forelimbs and grow wing bones. Take three sets of Bat Wing Bones and grind them into powder. Use the Spirit Stripping Hand to strip away impurities, then use Gale Sand...]

A bizarre evolution path appeared in Li Yu's mind along with the light. As he opened his eyes, a strange glint flashed through them.

The Spirit Stripping Hand has such a wonderful use.

"Just now, a beam of light rushed into your body," Zhou Ya said.

Li Yu was slightly surprised. He thought his movements were well-hidden, blended within the golden light of the Spirit Probing Hand, and shouldn't have been seen by anyone.

He looked at Grandma Xia and Xia Xiaojie; both shook their heads, indicating they hadn't seen anything.

"How did you see it?" Li Yu asked instead of answering.

"I don't know, but I've been more sensitive to light since I was a child."

Zhou Ya paused, seemingly unwilling to say more. Perhaps she felt that being an assistant to Li Yu, who was younger than her, was already embarrassing enough, and saying more would make her lose face.

She shook her head and said, "Just consider it my talent."

Li Yu smiled slightly and didn't press further, simply following her lead, "Then that was my talent too."

After the small interlude, Li Yu took out a material list and began writing rapidly.

Grandma Xia and Xia Xiaojie didn't understand any of this and stood aside at a loss. Zhou Ya, however, felt something was wrong. After a moment, she realized—he hadn't checked the attributes!

"Don't you need to check the attributes?"

"Do I need to?"

"Of course you do!"

Zhou Ya began to doubt Li Yu's professionalism. She said somewhat excitedly, "Even though treatment isn't as delicate as evolution and carries less risk, you still have to be careful with medication for familiars of different attributes. If you use medicine recklessly without knowing the familiar's attributes, it can cause a physiological backlash and have the opposite effect!"

"Don't be nervous," Li Yu turned back and smiled. "You check it. We'll work simultaneously so we don't waste time."

Zhou Ya was slightly stunned.

Simultaneously?

Writing the materials before the inspection even started—is that even possible?

But on second thought, it seemed feasible. The purpose of the inspection was to check for incompatibilities and avoid conflicts between the medicine and attributes, but most healing medicines were largely the same, with only a few exceptions to watch out for.

It seemed Li Yu wanted to write the material list first and then adjust it once the attribute test was complete.

Having figured it out, Zhou Ya immediately got to work. She grabbed a machine and began testing the Kekeluo Rat's attributes, but she didn't know that Li Yu wasn't performing a treatment.

He didn't even know how to treat a Kekeluo Rat.

What he intended to do was evolution—to heal all the injuries through the process of evolution and even make it better!

It was a good thing Zhou Ya didn't know; otherwise, there's no telling how shocked she would be. She might have stopped Li Yu immediately and reported him to Supervisor Song for disregarding the creature's life.

"Only a good physical condition can withstand the tearing and restructuring of evolution."

This was common knowledge in the breeding world.

Although cases of successful evolution in poor condition did exist, if anyone claimed that a familiar could evolve while injured, severely wounded, near death, or even disabled...

...then they must be a lunatic and a disgrace to the entire Hall of Breeding.

Soon, Zhou Ya finished the test.

【Monster Name】: Kekeluo Rat

【Monster Quality】: Elite (C)

【Monster Level】: black iron Level 4

【Monster Attribute】: None

【Monster Talent】: Kero Cannon

【Monster Description】: A singular Coco spirit in squirrel form. It is a peace-loving monster; you could even live as its neighbor in the forest for a lifetime.

Seeing Zhou Ya looking at the attributes with a surprised expression, Li Yu asked, "Is there a problem?"

"I just thought of the legends about Coco."

"Legends?"

"Yes," Zhou Ya said. "I don't know which Breeder started it, but they said Coco is a large family that includes rats, cats, dogs, oxen... different forms have different characteristics. Unfortunately, except for the Kekeluo Rat, no one has ever seen any other form of Coco. So, the legend just faded away."

As expected of the "class representative" who organized Li Yu's exam materials, her knowledge was solid.

Li Yu secretly praised her, becoming even more satisfied with Zhou Ya as an assistant. Seeing her lost in thought, he smiled and said, "In my opinion, those legends are true."

"Huh?" Zhou Ya looked over in confusion.

Li Yu explained, "Coco is a unique species. The so-called cat, dog, or rat forms are just its outward appearance. It is essentially the same. Evolution doesn't change its racial attributes; it just uses absorbed energy to evolve its genes into something more grand."

"How do you know that?"

"In a little while, you'll know too."

Zhou Ya wanted to ask more, but Li Yu smiled, turned around, and placed the material list into the transmission port.

The hum of the machine transmission sounded, startling Xia Xiaojie.

"Scared?" Li Yu asked with a smile.

Xia Xiaojie opened his mouth, his eyes darting away as he muttered, "...Not scared."

"Good. But... it's okay to be afraid," Li Yu laughed. "Who doesn't have something they're afraid of? Being brave enough to admit you're afraid is courage, but being brave enough to face what you fear is even greater courage."

Xia Xiaojie's eyes widened. He repeated the words to himself, and it felt as though something he had been confused about in his mind had finally found an answer.

Children from orphanages have no background and no one to rely on. The few things they learn from a young age are: first, "endurance"; second, "yielding"; and third, "hardship."

Everything can be endured; if others want to fight, just yield; if you're willing to endure hardship, you'll have a better life later.

In his past life, Li Yu firmly believed this and suffered for over a decade, only to realize later...

It was all total bullshit!

The more you endure, the more insolent others become. The more you yield, the more they take advantage of you. The more hardship you take on, the more hardship awaits you.

Haven't you heard that saying?

The sea of suffering is boundless; turn back to the shore.

Hardship is never-ending. If you're tired, take a rest. If life is bitter, have some candy.

Perhaps because he saw the shadow of his past life in Xia Xiaojie, Li Yu instinctively wanted to change something about him.

While waiting for the materials to arrive, Li Yu sat in a chair and chatted with Xia Xiaojie about his "crooked logic." Grandma Xia listened with a kind face, while Zhou Ya didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

But after the conversation, Xia Xiaojie felt as if he were floating on clouds. Many of his confusions and pains found their answers in that moment.

"Then, then..." Xia Xiaojie choked up with excitement, his small hands clenched tightly. A flush of red appeared on his sallow face as he shouted, "How can I stop people from bullying me?"

Li Yu smiled. "A great man once said, 'Strike one blow to open the way, and a hundred blows will be avoided.' Do you know what that means?"

"No," Xia Xiaojie shook his head honestly.

"It's simple," Li Yu grinned and raised his fist. "Punch them! If you make them afraid of you, they won't dare mess with you! Of course... we don't bully the weak."

Just then, the materials arrived. Li Yu stood up, took Zhou Ya with him, and began processing the materials, leaving Xia Xiaojie and his grandmother there.

Xia Xiaojie thought for a long while and then looked at his grandmother somewhat blankly. "Grandma, what Uncle said is different from what you say."

Grandma Xia explained with a kind smile, "There are few truths in this world that are the same. Grandma doesn't know much and can't teach you much. It just so happens you've met a good uncle. If there's something you don't understand, ask him more. In the future... you must remember the principles your uncle taught you."

"Mm! Grandma, I think I understand what I should do!" A flicker of light appeared in Xia Xiaojie's eyes.