Ye Zhongming nodded decisively.
When he ascended using the entry pass, he wasnât certain whether his battle beastsâlike Yellow Ball, Yangos, and the othersâcould accompany him.
If they couldnât go up, his overall strength would undoubtedly decline. However, Ye Zhongming believed that items on his person should be permissible.
In that case⊠this little white mouse, which could easily slip into a pocket, had a high chance of being able to follow him to the sky. With it, many tasks would become far more convenient.
But Mo Ye quickly spotted an issue.
"It⊠has no demon crystal?"
Liu Zhenghong grinned smugly.
"Exactly. No magic crystal. Strictly speaking, itâs not a mutated lifeformâitâs a genetic life." She had the mouse flutter up and pointed at it. "Its uniqueness began at birth. The Rat Kingâs son probably sensed its peculiarity and sent it to Cloud Peak. After raising and studying it, I got an idea."
"First, I tried merging the genes of those special lifeforms you brought back with it. The results were shockingly goodâthey fused almost perfectly. This means conventional methods donât bind its evolution but can grow stronger like those special lifeforms."
"It also inherited their physical resilience. This little thing has high defense and strength. While it lost other abilities, it excels in these areas, making it a top-tier combatant for its level. In terms of power⊠right now, at twenty days old, itâs roughly equivalent to a six-star mutated lifeform."
Ye Zhongming listened in amazement. "Then what did you mean by âLife Brainâ earlier?"
Liu Zhenghong smirked mysteriously. "Sentience and emotions."
The two nine-star evolved were still puzzled.
"Think about itâwhy did the Death King Tree stand out among all those Roselle Cedar trees? Though the Life Brain was an accident, itâs also, in a way, the essence of a high-level lifeform."
"Before, how could the Death King Tree graft a womanâs face onto itself? Why did it possess such high intelligence and display complex emotions rare in mutated plants? All because of the Life Brainâit just didnât know how to utilize it properly."
Liu Zhenghong seemed to recall her time with the Death King Tree and smiled. "I studied it extensively and found itâs a bizarre organic gel. To preserve its activity, I tried many methodsâwell, never mind, you wouldnât understand. The point is, the mouse absorbed a trace of the Life Brain, gaining extreme intelligence and human-like emotions."
Mo Ye frowned, only half-comprehending. "But Yangos, Yellow Ball, Nine Treasures, even the Rat Kingâthey all have high intelligence and rich emotions. Arenât they practically human-like in that regard?"
Liu Zhenghong shook her head rapidly.
"Itâs different. Their intelligence and emotions developed gradually through evolution. Only at their current level do they have matching⊠minds."
"This mouse is different. Immediately after birth, when I fused it with the Life Brain, its intelligence and emotions reached their peak. All it needs now is experience and knowledge."
By now, Ye Zhongming and Mo Ye roughly understood.
The mouseâs evolution resembled that of demon monstersâa coveted process where natural growth enhances power, and energy absorption accelerates it. With high intelligence, it could optimize this process, reaching peak strength swiftly.
As for advanced emotions, they were a hallmark of top-tier lifeforms.
Creatures like Yangos and Yellow Ball undoubtedly belonged to this category (though Nine Treasures fell slightly short). Put simply, the evil dragon and big yellow dog were practically human in mindâjust not in appearance. Nine Treasures wasnât there yet.
"Does this mean⊠one day, this little guy might talk?" Ye Zhongming eyed the mouse.
"Of course, just like Yangos." Liu Zhenghong laughed. "Imagine that smug dragonâs face when it realizes a mouse is its intellectual equal!"
The trio chatted cheerfully as they exited, the mouse perched on Ye Zhongming, acting adorablyâmuch to Mo Yeâs envy.
"Next, Iâll show you two more creations. Oneâs for Zhongmingâs absence, the other for his trip to the sky. Weâll discuss those later."
They entered the largest lab capsuleâthe primary research hub for the Gene Life Labâs core projects.
Most researchers remained engrossed in their work, unaware that the King of Cloud Peak stood behind them. Only a few greeted him.
"Ya Ni and Ya Tian."
Liu Zhenghongâs tone lost all its earlier levity, now laced with sorrow, pity, and regret.
Ye Zhongming and Mo Ye, too, shed their nine-star demeanor, faces etched with shock.
"Big Brother, youâre here."
A girl riddled with tubes smiled brightly at Ye Zhongming, but her pallor and the pain in her eyes betrayed her suffering.
"Was⊠this worth it?"
Ye Zhongming grasped Ya Tianâs immobile hand, cold as polar ice.
"Yes."
She tried to move, to reciprocate, but discomfort twisted her features.
"Because her sister Ya Ni is just a Silver Corpse," Liu Zhenghong explained quietly. "As Ya Tianâs evolution advanced, her energy grew too potent for their bond. We thought their twin link and the Companion gear would balance it, but we were wrong." áčš
Mo Ye opened her mouth, but Liu Zhenghong squeezed her hand. "To us, the power gap might not matter. But Ya Tian refused to accept it."
A heavy silence fell over the group. Everyone knew the twinsâ storyâtheir bond, Ya Tianâs choiceâand none were surprised.
Liu Zhenghong took a deep breath, rallying.
"After Zhongming refused her request to become a Silver Corpse, she came to me. Iâm soft-heartedâI agreed to try. I know you were furious, Little Ye. Itâs the first time your expression scared me. But I had to help this stubborn girl."
"At first, I had no confidence. But now, with ample level nine specimens and the Life Brain, I devised an assimilation plan."
She inhaled deeplyâa rare display of gravity.
"Not to turn Ya Tian into a Silver Corpse, but⊠to make Ya Ni human!"