Evolution Begins with Elemental Domination

Once Xiaoye unleashed its new Clone Skill, two Phantom Clones split off from its body.

Not only did the duration increase to four minutes, but thanks to the stat boost from Xiaoye’s evolution, the Phantom Clones that inherited 65% of its Basic Attributes were also significantly stronger than before.

Xiaoye was long accustomed to the appearance of its ”other selves.”

They were like marionettes; a single thought was all it took for Xiaoye to command them as easily as its own limbs.

At that moment, with Su Chen’s permission, the two Netherworld War Dog clones charged forward alongside Xiaoye. Its keener sense of smell picked up a concentrated scent drifting from upwind.

After rounding a low hill, they found, just as expected, two burly wild boars devouring a Fire Fox.

The ensuing battle was straightforward and unceremonious.

Upon spotting them, one of the boars, its hide as tough as rock, refused to back down. Its body erupted in an earthy-brown glow as it charged straight at them like a tank.

But just as the boar began to pick up speed, Xiaoye had already closed the distance in silence and executed a perfect kill.

A single Soul-Splitting Claw shredded the boar’s earthy-brown protective layer like paper. The mud armor covering its body shattered, and the undiminished force of the Shadow Claws pierced straight through its spine, resulting in an instant kill.

The other boar, a large sow, couldn’t escape in time. The two Netherworld War Dog clones took turns savaging it, pinning it to the ground in about ten seconds before their combined efforts tore through its neck.

From that single, brief encounter, Su Chen harvested three Earth Element essences and one Fire Element essence.

And this was only the beginning.

Xiaoye’s nose was exceptionally sharp. It located a fox in a hidden den, and the two clones forcibly dragged it out.

Lightning coursed over the fox’s body, its fur crackling with electric arcs. As sparks flew, the two pain-immune Netherworld War Dog clones silently latched onto its throat and the nape of its neck, tearing it to death.

Of course, they couldn’t enter every den. Some entrances were so narrow that not even their heads could squeeze through.

For these situations, Su Chen had a simple solution. He took a red brick from his bag, infused it with the power of Flame Burst, and hurled it into the den.

The flames erupted within the confined space, the explosion even more dramatic than a landmine. It instantly launched huge clods of dirt high into the air. As the ground trembled violently, the surrounding ancient trees shed a frantic flurry of leaves.

When the smoke and dust settled, two lightning foxes inside the den—one large and one small—were both dead.

’Foxes can dig their own dens, but they prefer to take over the burrows of other animals.’

Su Chen recalled some facts about fox behavior, though he knew they might not apply perfectly here.

’One thing’s for sure,’ he thought. ’Clearing out dens in trees dozens of meters high is a pain, but blasting these ground burrows is incredibly effective.’

「Ten minutes later.」

Su Chen treated his last solid red brick, now glowing and on the verge of melting, like a giant firecracker. He tossed it into a narrow burrow, and as the power of Flame Burst fully unleashed, the ground heaved upward and a geyser of dirt erupted into the sky.

The once-intact den was now an open crater. Inside was a gory mess; an entire nest of colonial creatures had been killed, their bodies mangled beyond recognition.

’Probably some kind of rodent?’

His curiosity piqued, Su Chen spotted the distinct incisors of a rodent among a pile of charred cinders.

Judging from the skull fragment, it was indeed a rodent’s head.

It was hard to tell the exact species, but they were definitely different from the carrion-eating Mutant Giant Rats he had encountered the previous night.

This one ”firecracker” alone yielded three Wood Element essences, as well as one Water Element essence and one Light Element essence.

’Now I can finally upgrade the Water Mirror Rune.’

HUMMM!

As he clenched his fist, the devouring vortex in his palm instantly absorbed the small orb of light, which surged into the depths of his consciousness. The Water Mirror Rune flared, sending out wide, watery ripples.

[Water Mirror Refraction] successfully advanced from Lv. 1 → Lv. 2!

Enhanced Traits: Barrier Range, Reflection Strength.

...

[Water Mirror Refraction] (Lv. 2): Generate a Water Mirror Screen that envelops the entire body to reflect incoming attack damage.

Upgrade Requirement: Water Mirror Rune (0/2).

’The core mechanics haven’t changed, but it’s definitely more useful now.’

Su Chen raised his right hand, and a mirrored barrier shimmering with faint, watery light materialized before him.

At his mental command, the Water Mirror abruptly expanded around him, forming an elliptical, watery cocoon that provided 360-degree, gapless protection, deflecting as much incoming damage as possible.

Although its duration was shorter than his Wind Element shroud, its defensive power was far superior. Plus, if used skillfully, its reflection ability could be a real nightmare for his opponents.

After a brief experiment, he absorbed the water and light essences from the ground. Combined with the Water Element essence he already had stored in a small vial, the upgrade requirement was now halfway met.

As for the three Wood Element essences in the crater, he fed them to his Jingzhe Rune.

Once all that was taken care of, Su Chen led Xiaoye onward.

Judging by their trajectory, their route through the dense forest consistently ran parallel to Xiangyang Road.

The path was not an easy one.

The terrain climbed steadily, the slope growing steeper and steeper.

Pits left behind by burrowing monsters were hidden beneath a thin layer of fallen leaves, and one careless step could send a person plummeting into a trap.

Furthermore, it wasn’t just the animals he had to watch out for; the plants were equally dangerous.

Just a hundred meters ahead, beside a towering, gnarled ancient tree, hundreds of thick vines dangled from high above. A large, leopard-like beast that had recently passed by was ensnared in their grip.

These thorn-covered Strangling Vines had hooked deep into the creature’s flesh; the more it struggled, the deeper the barbs dug in.

Perhaps because the vines released a neurotoxin, the Earth-attribute beast—which moments ago had been unleashing constant waves of cracking earth—was now limp and paralyzed, unable to even let out a low growl.

’An Earth Splitting Skill?’

An idea sparked in Su Chen’s mind. The earlier commotion had been significant; spiderweb-like cracks had spread across the ground for more than twenty meters, but the beast had been hoisted into the air by the Strangling Vines before it could unleash the skill’s full power.

’A decent terrain-altering Rune,’ he mused.

’With that kind of power, it has to be at least a Lv. 2 Rune.’

’This Earth-type beast is larger than others of its kind. It might even drop some Spiritual Dust Sand.’

Su Chen wasn’t about to pass up such a golden opportunity.

With that in mind, he first activated his wind shield, then drew a Small Straight Knife from his tactical belt.

When he was twenty meters away, the Strangling Vines still showed no sign of having sensed him.

Seeing this, Su Chen didn’t delay. Flames flared in his palm as he instantly imbued the blade with the power of Flame Burst. The Flying Knife transformed into a crimson wheel of fire, soaring in a high arc to strike the tangled mass of Strangling Vines wrapped around the beast.

As the flames exploded, the entwined, thorny vines were instantly carbonized and disintegrated. The bound beast was also torn apart in the blast, reduced to a shower of mangled remains.

Just as a portion of Spiritual Dust Sand fell from the ashes, Xiaoye—who had been lying in wait, completely hidden—sprang into action.

It snatched the prize in its jaws without a sound. The nearby dangling Strangling Vines, sensing the disturbance, suddenly lashed out like a nest of startled pythons. Dozens of vines whipped madly toward it, but Xiaoye easily escaped using its Shadow Shifting ability.

Seeing his chance, Su Chen didn’t get greedy for the Earth Element Rune that might have also dropped. He activated his Shadow Jumping Skill, and his figure vanished from the spot.