C6 Change Your Mind
Some people seem to be born with everything, while others work tirelessly for years and achieve very little.
Ding Yuhuan was one of the latter.
"Yang Huang! What have you done to me?" Ding Yuhuan awoke to discover something that nearly drove her to the brink of despair: her Super Ability had vanished!
No matter how hard she tried to summon the energy within her, she couldn't ignite the Super Ability that once coursed through her veins.
"I didn't do much—just replaced your brain," Yang Huang stated nonchalantly. He wasn't concerned about her lashing out; she simply didn't have the strength for it at the moment.
The experiment he conducted was akin to brain surgery, so he bluntly informed her of the fact.
"What... What did you say? You're telling me my brain has been replaced? Impossible! An Evolver's brain is linked to every part of the body, even tethered to the soul. If my brain has been changed, how could I possibly still be alive?" Ding Yuhuan was beside herself with emotion, her words tumbling out in a frenzy. Tears began to stream down her face.
Nobody knew the extent of her efforts to become an Evolver and rise to the top of the world. But now, all her achievements had been effortlessly stripped away by someone else!
"I'm short on time, so I'll tell you three things. First, if I was bold enough to swap your brain, rest assured I have the means to keep you alive. Second, about your Super Ability, I took the liberty of replacing that along with your brain. Lastly, you're out of options. Your only choice is to follow me," he said, sensing that keeping this woman around might prove beneficial in the future.
Ding Yuhuan didn't erupt in anger again. Instead, she lapsed into a thoughtful silence. She had always been exceptionally intelligent, even from a young age. She knew what was beneficial for her and which decisions to make in any given situation.
With this in mind, she pondered Yang Huang's words carefully. His status as an ordinary person no longer mattered to her. After all, anyone capable of effortlessly swapping an Evolver's brain was far from ordinary, even if they were a so-called average person.
"What can you offer me?" Ding Yuhuan asked, voicing the question that mattered most to her. Raised in an environment that taught her to prioritize tangible benefits, she approached every situation with a pragmatic mindset.
"Everything you want," Yang Huang said, his back turned to her. After speaking, he walked away. He believed that further words were superfluous; the truth would reveal itself in time.
Yang Huang was headed to the laboratory. Having resolved to win over Ding Yuhuan, he knew he had to offer her something of value.
The hour was early, and at this time, aside from the occasional Remnant Devil, the streets were mostly empty.
He crossed two streets and arrived at a familiar tree, slipping into the hole beneath it.
...
Amidst the clutter of the dump's laboratory, Yang Huang was busy mixing chemicals. A chaotic array of ingredients littered the table, along with test tubes filled with various liquids. Next to the experiment table sat a fist-sized, colorful apple.
"Silverleaf Grass, Hundred Divine Wood, Thousand Leaves Flower, and the powder of the Cloud Devouring Leaf, combined with the essence of a century-old Fire Spirit Ganoderma, can create a medicine capable of altering people's beliefs—a change that can reach the depths of the soul!" Yang Huang mused as he worked tirelessly, extracting and seamlessly blending the essences of various herbs.
The process of fusing the medicine was arduous, often requiring thousands of failed attempts before achieving success. Such an endeavor demanded unwavering patience and confidence from the experimenter.
"Success." After seven to eight hours, Yang Huang had concocted a small bottle of medicine radiating with a spectrum of light. He pricked his finger with a fine needle, letting a drop of blood fall into the concoction. Then, with a syringe, he carefully injected the precious medicine into the colorful apple.
As the medicine merged with the apple, it burst into a blinding glow that lasted nearly ten seconds before fading. Yang Huang placed the transformed Ancient Fruit onto a device for analysis, his gaze fixed on the large screen as he rapidly transcribed the data onto paper.
"This attempt not only altered certain internal structures of the Ancient Fruit, achieving the goal of influencing both mind and soul, but it also enhanced the quality of the Ancient Fruit by more than tenfold. I believe this Ancient Fruit is now among the finest in the world," Yang Huang reflected with a sense of satisfaction, pleased that the experiment had been a success.
"If I could mass-produce this medicine, I'd be able to create Evolvers who would obey my every command. Unfortunately, I don't have enough Ancient Fruit, nor do I have the energy to spare," Yang Huang said with a tinge of regret. After securing the Ancient Fruit, he gathered another set of materials, ready to concoct the next mixture.
Yang Huang left the lab only as dusk began to settle in. Truth be told, he relished his experiments, having plunged into a sort of delightful madness over them. If it were up to him, he'd spend the entire year within the confines of his well-equipped laboratory.
But reality called him back to a place entwined with the deceased.
No.8 Hidden Corpse Hall was a rather quiet section of the Corpses Processing Center, sparsely populated with bodies and managed by a sole individual. Given Yang Huang's status as a commoner, visitors were exceedingly rare.
Upon his return to the Hidden Corpse Hall, Yang Huang headed straight to his room. Ding Yuhuan was still there, lying on the bed, cradling her head and gazing vacantly at the ceiling.
"I have something important to discuss with you," Yang Huang stated as he perched himself on the Experiment Table, casting a glance at Ding Yuhuan.
Her pillow bore the stains of dried tears, the number of times she had cried that day unknown.
When she didn't look his way, Yang Huang let out a sigh, retrieved a colorful apple from his bag, and tossed it onto the bed.
Ding Yuhuan had been lying there listlessly, but at the sight of the colorful apple, she bolted upright, clutching the unusual fruit in her hands, her disbelief palpable.
She recognized the colorful apple immediately, having consumed one not long ago. It was an Ancient Fruit.
The Energy Fluctuation radiating from the Ancient Fruit was unmistakable, marking it as far from ordinary. Its quality surpassed that of the Ancient Fruit she had desperately consumed before by an immeasurable margin.
"You... You're giving me the Ancient Fruit?" Ding Yuhuan wondered if she was dreaming, even going so far as to pinch her rosy cheeks.
"What I need to tell you is this: First, as you can see, this is an Ancient Fruit of exceptional quality. Second, since you've previously consumed an Ancient Fruit, your body has been altered. Eating another could trigger a secondary transformation. I'm not certain of the exact effects, but I can assure you that it won't be fatal. Third, I've infused the Ancient Fruit with a special drug. Whoever eats it will fall under my control. The choice to eat it or not is yours," Yang Huang explained candidly, his straightforward manner a longstanding habit.
"I'll eat it," Ding Yuhuan replied without hesitation. Tears streamed down her face, and she sniffled and wiped her nose, yet her smile was incredibly sweet.
It was then that Yang Huang took the opportunity to really look at her.
Ding Yuhuan's physique was striking, sculpted from long-term training with not an ounce of excess fat. Her ample chest and rounded hips complemented her fair, delicate skin that seemed almost too fragile to touch.
Her face was shaped like a melon seed, with large, sparkling eyes that held a trace of fierceness. Her small, cute nose and seductive cherry lips, paired with her fiery red hair, made her resemble a flame goddess.
Ding Yuhuan consumed the Ancient Fruit with tears in her eyes, not leaving a single piece behind, even the core.
"There's something else I need to tell you. Your previous cultivation was aimless, almost backwards. From now on, you must follow my guidance in your training," Yang Huang said with a commanding tone. He knew that for Ding Yuhuan, his words were non-negotiable, akin to a royal decree.
Three years ago, he had acquired two scriptures within the Eight Trigrams. He had immediately begun cultivating the Grand Upper Essence Returning Divine One Qi. The other scripture had been neglected, not for lack of quality, but because its methods were too radical.
Now, he believed that scripture would be well-suited for Ding Yuhuan. He was carefully considering whether to pass it on to her for cultivation.
Yang Huang intended to keep the Grand Upper Essence Returning Divine One Qi to himself, never to be shared, as it was the cornerstone of his power.
"Yes, I'll do as you say," Ding Yuhuan agreed, her face flushed as she nodded obediently.
Yet, Yang Huang furrowed his brow, sensing something amiss with her, though he couldn't quite put his finger on it.
...
After leaving the room, Ding Yuhuan needed time to assimilate the Ancient Fruit she had just eaten. This process would once again set her on the Evolution Path, awakening a new Super Ability.
He arrived at the dimly lit hall on the first floor and sat down on the ground, foregoing the need for lights.
An Eight Trigrams had somehow materialized in his hand, now flickering with an alternating black and white glow.
"How could I not figure it out?" Yang Huang felt a mix of helplessness and alarm. He relished the sensation of having everything under his control and loathed the idea of anything or anyone eluding his grasp.
"Even though I haven't deciphered it, I've stumbled upon a piece of information. A significant event will unfold on Dragon Tiger Mountain in a couple of days, and it appears to involve a fortunate opportunity for me." With a mere thought, the Eight Trigrams transformed into a beam of light and vanished into his body.
"I feel compelled to make the journey. In the next two days, I must carve out a courtyard in my mind to fully awaken the Innate Qi." He was aware of the various realms in cultivation, like the one he was on the cusp of breaking through, known as Essence Refining Qi Transforming. The subsequent realm was Qi Refining Deification, and the ultimate realm was Spirit Refining Void Returning.
Essence Refining Qi Transforming, Qi Refining Deification, Spirit Refining Void Returning.
Collectively, these realms were referred to as the Three-flower Crown.
Specifically, the Three-flower Crown represented the initial stage of cultivation. Essence Refining Qi Transforming, Qi Refining Deification, and Spirit Refining Void Returning were the three sub-realms within the first major realm.
Ancient lore suggested that achieving the Three-flower Crown could lead to ascension, but Yang Huang understood that it was merely the initial step in the cultivator's journey.
"A martial artist who refines their internal energy to its utmost can also reach Essence Refining Qi Transforming, thereby transcending the confines of martial arts to embark on a path of limitless potential. Zhang Sanfeng from history serves as a prime example," Yang Huang reflected.
He was also cognizant of the current global strength level hierarchy, a system established long ago for those with awakened Super Abilities and now applicable to all Evolvers post-Earth's transformation.
Peak, Injury, Strength, Speed, and God.
These were the stages Evolvers could attain. Within each stage, there was no explicit delineation; some Evolvers at the same stage could be remarkably powerful, while others significantly weaker, with no universal metric for comparison.
These five realms are not to be confused with cultivation realms; they are more accurately described as strength levels.
To elaborate, the cultivation realms in Taoism adhere to the regulations set forth by the Heavenly Dao. Progress is marked by distinct and deliberate steps, and the disparity between each realm is substantial and not easily bridged. In contrast, the realms of Evolvers are distinct, serving as a comprehensive assessment of one's combat capabilities.
For instance, an Evolver at a base level, given the advantage of the right circumstances and support, could potentially defeat an Evolver from a superior level.
"A cultivator advances closer to the Heavenly Dao with each realm they break through, which is why there's a belief that one can achieve immortality," Yang Huang mused. "But the realms of an Evolver are too broad, serving merely as a gauge to measure the variance in strength among individuals." Confident in his path, Yang Huang believed that by persisting and excelling on this journey, he could even nurture the hope of attaining immortality.
