Chapter 287: An Unprecedented Evolution: The Origins of the Star-Devouring Worm

Although this LV5 planet-level ability doesn't quite suit his style, who would complain about having too many abilities?

Let alone one this powerful.

In an instant, several ways to develop this ability had already appeared in Baichuan's mind.

For instance, how to quietly Assimilate the abilities of those True Monarch Deities without their consent.

Previously, hindered by the large number of people, and not wanting to slaughter them without cause — which went against his principles — he hadn't obtained the abilities of those True Monarch Deities. But now, if he evolved the Assimilation ability, couldn't he use the Light Point to directly Assimilate their blood and power as a breeding ground, without those Deity True Monarchs' consent?

Don't forget that the bronze chain he now possesses had just undergone an upheaval, voraciously drawing in the origin power of all the True Monarch Deities, and it still hasn't been converted — it's still preserved in the form of high-energy blood.

If he used the Light Point as the main body, treating each one as a small Star-Devouring Worm parasitizing the extracted power of those True Monarch Deities, could it be directly Assimilated out?

If possible, perhaps in the future, developing it on a larger scale, he might even break free from the limitation of needing to undergo slumber for every evolution — that wouldn't be a dream either!

The more Baichuan thought about it, the higher the feasibility seemed, and his emotions gradually grew fervent.

After his reverie, Baichuan now had even more questions. For instance, could a Star-Devouring Worm with such a powerful ability truly be a creature native to this world?

Without a doubt, this was yet another mysterious creature on par with the Dragon Blood system!

Although this creature couldn't establish a complete supernatural system on its own, that was merely a difference in its own path — growing to planet-level was not a dream.

Does anyone in this world know of its existence?

Also, what was the true identity of that Divine Corpse? The Mingtu and the bizarre scene deep within were undoubtedly caused by that Yin Energy. Now that the suspicion of the Star-Devouring Worm being a Yin Energy Worm had been ruled out, the remaining possibility was the Divine Corpse.

Not to mention that the other party also possessed the special ability 【Yin Energy Manipulation】. Without a doubt, this was a power far stronger than abilities like Spirit Power Adaptation or Magic Adaptation, which could only possess that single special power.

This kind of ability didn't require any cultivation to accumulate energy — it could directly control Yin Energy, this special power, in the most direct way.

Think about it: the former requires cultivation and accumulation, but the latter doesn't need so many steps at all — merely thinking is enough to control this special energy.

If his earlier guess was truly correct, then on the Spirit Power side, there should exist an ability corresponding to Spirit Power Control, whose rank should be no lower than Yin Energy Manipulation.

And only a being that controls the source of Spirit Qi could possess this ability.

Therefore, from this, the Divine Corpse can basically be confirmed — the other party must be connected to the deepest secret of this world, and might even be the manager of half of this world's supernatural source!

This can be seen from the fact that the Star-Devouring Worm possesses two of the Divine Corpse's powerful abilities, yet is still in its larval state.

The other party must still possess Core abilities that haven't been successfully Assimilated, such as the true source of Yin Energy!

Of course, the above are all inferences Baichuan drew based on existing information; whether they are true or false remains unclear.

After a brainstorm for a while, Baichuan once again gathered his thoughts.

Now, it was time for evolution.

After evolution, he could also try out some of his earlier ideas for developing and utilizing his abilities.

Thinking this, Baichuan silently selected all four abilities from his Star-Devouring Worm Ability Panel, excluding the Reproduction ability, and then placed them into his own ability model one by one.

In an instant, Baichuan felt some subtle changes appear in the inner parts of his ability model.

Clearly, this batch of abilities modified only the internal aspects, with almost no impact on the external.

This suited him perfectly.

Satisfied, he nodded, and Baichuan pressed the confirm payment button.

In an instant, as the points vanished, a familiar deep-seated drowsiness surged over him like a tide.

The familiar viscous liquid once again spread out, slowly enveloping the increasingly massive True Dragon completely.

Evolution had begun.

……

Black, an incomparably deep black……

Accompanying the darkness was what seemed like an eternal void.

After an unknown span of Time, a damp, sticky sensation began to appear on his body.

"Ugh, so uncomfortable……"

In a daze, an uncomfortable feeling swept over his heart. Instinctively, 'he' began trying to crawl in order to escape this discomfort, wanting to leave this predicament.

It seemed 'his' idea worked — the next moment, 'he' felt as if 'he' had begun crawling.

After a laborious wriggle, 'he' saw a light — a dazzling purple light — and before 'he' could make out the situation, a grand firework display appeared!

In the endless darkness, an unimaginably massive sphere, under a brilliant purple light, transformed into a grand firework display.

A brilliant, romantic firework display!

Light beams shooting skyward, scorching lava spraying everywhere, continental fragments scattering in all directions.

And 'he', like a stone, was pushed by the shockwave from the firework display, flying toward the boundless, distant darkness.

At the last moment, 'he' turned 'his' head to look at the direction 'he' had crawled out from. There, a massive boulder riddled with holes was quietly flying toward a distant place different from 'his', and 'he' had burrowed out from one of those holes.

In that instant, an enlightenment, a sadness, arose within 'him' — it seemed 'he' had awakened and crawled out too early; 'he' had been abandoned……

……

The lack of nutrients gradually caused 'him' to feel a sense of weakness and powerlessness. Driven by instinct, 'he' began to fall into slumber.

After a slumber of unknown, immeasurable duration, with the deep darkness always around, accompanied by occasional blinding flashes of light, he finally caught a whiff of an enticing fragrance.

He began to slowly awaken from his slumber, and then he saw—

He saw a giant human figure radiating a hazy glow, with an equally strange chain constantly flying around its body.

The figure had appeared from nowhere, excitedly looking around. A joyful aura emanated from it — that was the other party's emotion!

The other party was feeling happy and excited because of the unfamiliar environment.

Instinctively, an enlightenment arose within him.

Then, he began to feel a desire from the deepest part of his body — to possess It! To attack It! To invade the other party's body! To parasitize within it! To draw nutrients! Then he could grow!

A desire as vast as the ocean continuously battered his consciousness.

Thus, he couldn't hold back!

Before even getting close, he restored himself from his stone-like state back to his original worm form.

The next moment, it lunged forward with the monstrous mouth that stretched from head to tail along its underside wide open.

"Boom!"

In an instant, that towering figure radiating brilliance reacted; sharp, thick chains shot out like living serpents, and in the blink of an eye blasted him—who was already starving, weak, and powerless—clean in two.

A searing pain crashed into his consciousness; he didn't understand what had happened.

But driven by instinct, he began trying to rein in his steadily ebbing life aura.

So he once again gradually transformed into a stone devoid of life aura, tumbling down among the surroundings.

The towering figure that had blasted him apart seemed, the next moment, to emanate a strange aura—curiosity.

Driven by that curiosity, the enormous radiant figure came to his side, picked him up, and examined him without pause.

He could feel it—the other party was curious, was investigating.

Under the sway of this strange emotion, the other party dispersed the peculiar energy membrane over its palm and began to stroke the stone he had become; at once, a strange, soft texture along with a wisp of an exotic fragrance rose within his consciousness.

In an instant, he sensed it—flesh and blood!

Living flesh and blood!

He could muster every ounce of strength within him for one final strike, ignoring the other's surface as he flung open his massive maw and burrowed into the other's flesh.

The sensation was abrupt, but he did it anyway, because he was dying…

A few breaths later, amid the enormous radiant figure's scream, he succeeded—he had burrowed into its body.

An endless stream of energy and the fragrance of flesh wrapped him completely; death came to a halt, he was recovering! He was growing! He had found his very own "hothouse"!

……

During the routine daily feeding and growth, having already passed through his initial frail form and on the verge of reaching adulthood, he suddenly felt at that moment a searing pain surge past the hothouse and assail him; the terrifying pain threaded through his body like filaments, shattering the body that had been preparing to molt, and his coming of age was interrupted.

He was in agony, his whole body somewhat unbalanced; he was under attack, and even the hothouse could not protect him.

The hothouse was even resisting him! It bluntly ignored his commands, withdrew its energy, and would rather die!

Than continue to provide nourishment and let him protect himself.

He was furious; if this continued, his metamorphosis would be broken.

So he burrowed out of the hothouse, and suddenly came upon a creature whose size was about as large as himself, but whose aura was complex and strange.

That creature emanated an aura that disgusted him and even struck a measure of fear into him, and it kept launching attack after attack, lashing him.

For a time, the once comfortable and obedient hothouse defied him, while an unknown great enemy ceaselessly attacked him.

In his desperation, he summoned his descendants to aid him, and he succeeded.

Under the agony of ten thousand insects gnawing his flesh, the hothouse submitted once more.

But not long after, that creature employed some unfathomable means and seized him…

In the end, amid a brilliance so dazzling it resembled the terrifying Burst of light he had encountered during those long, drifting epochs of the past.

That terrifying, dazzling brilliance plunged him in an instant into a vast white emptiness, stripping away all external perception, and for a moment called up before him the sight of his homeland's destruction…

That beautiful and lethal beam of light, the scarlet magma scattering in all directions…

And then he awoke.

Who was he?

Was he a Star-Devouring Worm?

No, he was Baichuan!

In the midst of a long slumber, within a small hill overgrown with endless flowers, grasses, and trees, a dragon-shaped creature, ethereal as though formless, regarded the small hill as nothing and raised its slender neck.

Beneath its flowing luxuriant mane, a dragon head, majestic without anger, slowly opened its deep, gentle dragon eyes.

At this moment, gazing at the birdsong and blossoms around him, the birds that from time to time took flight and passed through his slender neck, and comparing it all to that nightmare of a dream—everything was so beautiful.

Baichuan was for a moment somewhat dazed, like one waking from a great dream, unable to tell what was reality and what was dream.

After a long pause, his consciousness began to clear, and he realized—

He seemed to have had a dream—a long, strange, and bizarre great dream.

In the dream, he seemed to have become that Star-Devouring Worm, and witnessed the most momentous events of that worm's life.

What was going on—had his panel begun evolving along with him?

Becoming more powerful, beginning to allow him to glimpse a portion of the true master's memories within the evolution ability model?

Or was it mere coincidence?

After a long while, unable to sort it out, Baichuan shook his head and did not dwell on it too much.

In any case, the next time he evolved, whether the panel had evolved would be known; why fuss over it.

As for him now, it seemed he had gained yet another passive-like ability.

Looking at the forest birds that treated him as nothing and flew freely around him, and at the shed shell below that had shown not the slightest damage as it transformed into a small hill, Baichuan slowly reflected.

With a single shift of thought, the next moment he directly spun his dragon body and leapt up; and in the course of that spin, his dragon horns and Dragon Claw vanished, and the once beautiful dragon head began to regress, restoring the flat, spatula-shaped head of his former Yanjingwangshe.

Then, after fully breaking away from the hill-like shed shell, in midair the flat serpent head swelled upward, the hornless dragon head reappeared, and as the Dragon Claw reached out, a pair of Dragon Wings, like clouds drooping from the sky, suddenly unfurled, and after a few wild beats—

After he had fully descended to the ground and steadied himself, the Dragon Wings once again flowed into his body as though melting, a beautiful pair of coral dragon horns regrew, and he returned to his present true-dragon form.

Throughout the entire process, his own massive body underwent a full three transformations, without stirring even the slightest disturbance, as though he and this material world did not share the same Time.

And those three transformations clearly symbolized the three stages from his frail beginnings to his present true-dragon form—Yanjingwangshe, winged great dragon, and four-clawed, horned true dragon.

This was clearly the effect of the 【Assimilation】 ability—a body of myriad transformations, hovering between formless and corporeal.

Although it looked somewhat similar to 【Energy Form】, compared to Energy Form—which not only required Spirit power to activate but could only turn oneself formless—the present 【Assimilation】 could completely conceal his aura, as though he had turned invisible, while at the same time allowing him to freely alter his external structure—provided, of course, that he was especially familiar with every construction of that form.

And those three earlier transformations were precisely the three structures he was most familiar with; after all, each had been evolved step by step by him, etched as memories deep within his heart.

Come to think of it, this ability of arbitrary transformation seemed rather like the legendary Seventy-Two Transformations.

Could it be that the legendary Seventy-Two Transformations divine ability referred precisely to this?

Dragon Claw stroking his chin, Baichuan couldn't help letting his thoughts wander.

……

(End of Chapter)