Gu Chen returned to his room, where he built a fire and set a large pot over the flames, tossing in the Obsidian Beetle’s claws and shell fragments. Without the proper tools or knowledge, he had to rely on the most primitive methods to process the creature’s remains and extract the Lingyuan essence within. Boiling down the shell of a Divine-Blood creature would take far more than an hour or two. Gu Chen put a lid on the pot, then took out the black crystal to examine it again. There were still no clues as to its nature. Just then, his eyes fell upon a cage in the corner of his room. Inside was a Jade-Scale Beast, about the size of a civet cat, and an idea sparked in his mind. Like the black beetles, this Jade-Scale Beast was an ordinary creature. Gu Chen had once hunted them frequently, bringing them back to cook and eat for the Lingyuan Points they provided. But they had eventually stopped increasing his count, and he’d forgotten all about this last one he’d caught. Surprisingly, it was still clinging to life. He pulled the near-dead Jade-Scale Beast from its cage. He hesitated for only a moment before offering the black crystal to the creature. To his astonishment, the dying beast, upon seeing the crystal, summoned a final reserve of strength. Its tongue shot out, curled around the crystal, and pulled it back into its mouth, swallowing it whole. “So there really is something magical about this crystal,” Gu Chen murmured, stunned. The Jade-Scale Beast was already looking more lively. As he held it by the neck, its four claws began to scratch at his arm and it twisted its head, trying to bite his hand. Gu Chen tossed the beast back into the cage and watched it carefully. The creature, which hadn't eaten in days, had completely recovered its vitality. It thrashed and clawed wildly inside the cage, just as it had the day he’d first caught it. He sat across from the cage, his gaze fixed on the creature’s movements. A theory was forming in his mind, and if he was right, he had stumbled upon something incredible—something far more exciting than a single Divine-Blood creature. But Gu Chen was afraid to hope, afraid he was wrong. All he could do was stare at the Jade-Scale Beast, waiting anxiously for the change he desperately wanted to see. He was so intently focused that he didn’t even realize he was starving until the rich aroma of bone broth drifted from the pot. A glance at the time told him nearly twenty-four hours had passed. He rose to check on the Obsidian Beetle shell and saw that its golden hue had been boiled away, leaching into the broth and turning it a shimmering gold. The scent was intoxicating, and the hungry young man’s mouth began to water. As he was about to ladle out a bowl of the soup, he heard the sharp shriek of tearing metal from the cage. He whipped around to see the Jade-Scale Beast had bitten clean through one of the iron bars and was now forcing its head through the opening. Its scales, once a light green, had deepened to a dark, lustrous jade. Its teeth had become needle-sharp, and the tips of its claws now resembled iron hooks. The beast was moments from escaping. A surge of triumphant excitement shot through Gu Chen. He drew the dagger from his waist, rushed to the cage, and plunged the blade deep into the Jade-Scale Beast’s soft underbelly. With a sharp twist, the creature’s struggles ceased. “Primitive creature Jade-Scale Beast killed. No Spirit Core gained. Eat the flesh of the primitive Jade-Scale Beast to gain zero to ten Lingyuan Points randomly.” The familiar, disembodied voice echoed in Gu Chen’s mind, leaving him frozen in place. “Primitive Jade-Scale Beast… A primitive creature… So the crystal really can make them evolve…” Overwhelmed with a disbelieving joy, Gu Chen didn’t know how to react. After a long moment, he used his dagger to slice open the beast’s stomach. There, nestled inside, was the crystal, gleaming like a pigeon’s egg. Heedless of the blood, he snatched it up and kissed it twice before carefully wiping it clean, cradling it in his hands as if it were the world’s greatest treasure. “This crystal was the reason the Obsidian Beetle became a Divine-Blood creature,” he whispered. “If I had let the Jade-Scale Beast continue to evolve, could it have become one, too?” He almost dared not entertain the thought; the implications were too staggering. His hands trembled as he held the crystal. He bit his tongue hard, and the sharp pain that followed assured him this was no dream. After savoring the thrill for a while longer, Gu Chen carefully put the crystal away. He then gobbled down the broth from the pot and was rewarded with another sacred Lingyuan point, bringing his total to eight. His crude methods hadn't been able to extract all the Lingyuan essence from the shell, but gaining even a single sacred Lingyuan point was a success. He then recalled that he had gained a Divine-Blood Spirit Core when he killed the golden Beetle. He quickly called up his status. Gu Chen: Not evolved. Life span: 200 years. Requirements for evolution: 100 Lingyuan Points. Genyuan Points gained: 79 Lingyuan Points; 8 sacred Lingyuan Points. Beast soul gained: Divine-Blood Obsidian Beetle. Type of Divine-Blood Ironscale Beetle’s Spirit Core: Armor. “I wonder what armor from a Divine-Blood Spirit Core looks like?” The thought had barely formed when a blur of gold erupted into existence before him, coalescing into the exact shape of the golden Obsidian Beetle. The phantom Beetle flew to his chest, where it dissolved into a stream of molten gold that flowed over his entire body. In the blink of an eye, every inch of him, down to his hair, was encased. The result was a suit of streamlined, golden armor that radiated power. It had the noble, imposing lines of gothic plate, yet it was imbued with a sleek, aerodynamic grace that suggested incredible speed—a true work of art. The armor made Gu Chen look slender and majestic, his frame thrumming with explosive potential. With its shining metallic luster and solid texture, it was reminiscent of the legendary Golden Battle Garment worn by the Golden Guardians. The only difference was that this Spirit Core armor covered him completely, head to toe, with only a few overlapping plates at the joints offering any kind of gap. Much like the Beetle itself, this was its only apparent weakness. Gu Chen moved, testing the feel of it. There was no weight, no clumsiness. Instead, he felt lighter, his body brimming with a newfound energy. “This is truly the armor of a Divine-Blood Spirit Core,” Gu Chen thought, ecstatic. “It’s far more magnificent than any of the primitive Spirit Core armors I’ve seen back at Gangjia Fortress.” He used to envy the people who wore those, never imagining that one day he would possess a suit like this.

Chapter 3: An Unexpected Experiment