Chapter 416: Wisdom
However, time was not on their side, generously granting these gathered spirit beasts a chance to transform from a group of wild beasts into a civilized race.
Facing Bai Mo's unparalleled power, a group of mutated creatures who consistently prioritized their own lives above all else, along with the Alliance of Ten Thousand Beasts they led, were ultimately integrated into the Land of White, becoming another significant force under the mantle of the Destiny System.
However, even without Bai Mo, humanity, as the overlords of Earth, would absolutely not tolerate the rise of another alien faction.
As the only intelligent species once, humans had never regarded any other species on Earth as equals. All of them were merely biological resources to be exploited at will...
"Intelligent Life Evaluation Test? As long as one passes the test, any race can become a member of the Land of White?"
"The first mission issued by the System is for us to organize all mutated animals on the entire planet for testing, to select all beings possessing sufficient intelligence..."
Shortly after Bai Mo disappeared into the dense forest, dozens of top-tier mutated creatures, implanted with the Destiny System, all received information from the System without exception, along with the same mission.
They were required to complete the first classification of all mutated creatures under their jurisdiction within two months, to thoroughly delineate the boundary between intelligent life and non-intelligent life.
The former would be required to link with the System and then possess equal rights, while the latter would be confined and raised within the Four Great Mystical Realms, becoming free-range livestock, used as resources to support the operation of the Land of White.
"Finally, we don't have to pretend to be mere beasts without sentience anymore."
"But the price is too heavy... our subspace stronghold 'Lingxu' must be contributed, to merge with the Land of White's shadow, the Nine Netherworlds."
"What's a mere stronghold compared to life itself?"
After being extraordinarily leniently assimilated by the Land of White, some mutated creatures even felt a sense of relief.
For a long time, to lull humanity into a false sense of security, they had to feign being low-intelligence beasts most of the time. For mutated creatures who considered themselves intelligent races, this was undoubtedly an ordeal, a difficulty comparable to a normal person pretending to be a fool.
Conversely, they considered this cruel mission from the System to be perfectly reasonable.
There had always been a clear distinction between the two, and even within the Alliance of Ten Thousand Beasts, no one had ever truly accepted beings without sentience or the ability to communicate as their own kind.
"All intelligent life will be integrated into the System, possessing almost identical rights... What exactly are you thinking?" The White Tiger unconsciously drew circles on the ground with its claws—a small habit it only had when deep in thought.
"The strong are inherently meant to lord over the weak. Why should there be equality? But for now, you are the strongest, so whatever you say is right. Someday..."
It didn't find an answer, eventually giving up on thinking, and instead began browsing the System's numerous functions.
...
"We're here, this is the place." Yue Die, who had been pulling Min Tianci along in a relentless hurry, suddenly stopped at an unremarkable spot.
"Is there anything special here?" Taking a few breaths, he cautiously scanned their surroundings, feeling that it seemed no different from the forest they had passed through earlier.
"We just need to wait here." After she stopped using her ability, a hint of emotion subtly entered Yue Die's words.
"After that meteor fell just now, the forest's commotion suddenly ceased. What's going on...?"
Ever since the inexplicable disturbance in the Secret Realm Forest began, Min Tianci had felt something was deeply wrong, a sense that he was about to lose something.
He instinctively grabbed Yue Die's cold hand, as if she would vanish forever the moment he let go.
"No, this vicinity is unnervingly quiet!"
He hadn't noticed the problem during their hasty march moments ago, but now, as he stood still and thought carefully, Min Tianci realized that not only were there no mutated creatures around, but even the activity of ordinary snakes, insects, rats, and ants had ceased!
"Over there, it's coming." Yue Die released her tightly grasped right hand, gently patted Min Tianci's shoulder, and then pointed behind him.
He turned around with extreme speed, gazing in the direction his back had just faced.
"..." No matter how much Min Tianci strained his eyesight, his eyes bulging almost comically, he still couldn't see what was approaching him, hidden by the layers of dense forest.
Yet, he also had a feeling that Yue Die's words were no exaggeration; something was indeed amiss in that direction.
"Are you looking for me for something?" Without any warning, a white shadow abruptly appeared before Min Tianci.
"Ah!!!" Compared to ferocious mutated creatures, he was more afraid of ghosts, which represented the unknown, so he screamed loudly, startled by the silently appearing white shadow.
Years of bloodshed and chaos in the forest had made Min Tianci able to unhesitatingly pick up a knife and hack at any living thing, but he clearly hadn't become immune to things like ghosts, which would make most humans' hair stand on end.
"You... finally... came." Upon seeing the white shadow's appearance, Yue Die's eyes instantly lost their luster, and it was almost as if she had exhausted all her strength just to utter these five words with great difficulty.
These words, delivered almost word by word, sounded exceptionally cold, and to Min Tianci, they sounded strikingly similar to the sage mode she entered when activating her abilities.
Before her words had even faded, a streak of light shot forth from Yue Die's index finger, striking the seemingly ethereal white shadow with pinpoint accuracy, and then she completely collapsed into unconsciousness.
"What's wrong with you?! Answer me, Xiao Die! Speak to me!"
Things happened too fast; Min Tianci couldn't react at all.
The girl beside him, after greeting a figure that he couldn't tell was an old friend or a ghost, softly collapsed into his arms, and no matter how hard he shook her, there was no sign of her waking up.
As Min Tianci's most important spiritual pillar for the past two years, Yue Die's unconsciousness was undoubtedly a massive blow to him, immediately making his eyes red with anxiety.
In such a dangerous forest, lacking medicine and with mutated creatures lurking everywhere, falling unconscious was essentially a suspended death sentence.
"Is that you?" After reading the information within the streak of light, a face gradually emerged from the white shadow....
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