Chapter 618: Chapter 385: Evolution Ritual (Part 2)
Han Ning switched back to the food delivery app, casually ordered a few stir-fried dishes, then put his phone down and went to take a shower.
About fifteen minutes later, after he had showered and returned to the living room, he picked up his phone again.
He saw a series of new chat messages on his screen.
PeanutForYourThoughts: "Today I gathered my courage and went to a cafeteria I’d never been to before. I wasn’t familiar with the layout, so I fell a few times."
"But luckily, lots of kind students helped me out, so this little adventure was a complete success! [Victory]"
"Passersby could only help me with the trouble of getting around."
"But... Bald Uncle, you were the first person to truly reach my heart, to understand my dream and encourage me to chase it... I don’t want you to leave me. Please..."
’Chasing a dream...’
Han Ning frowned, searching through his predecessor’s memories.
’Voice acting... becoming a voice actor for ACG productions, that’s her dream?’
In his predecessor’s memories, there were only a few words of encouragement. He didn’t expect this girl to remember them so clearly.
’Also, it seems she’s blind.’
Han Ning sighed softly. "I’m really not him. Just think of me as his friend. The original owner of the account had something come up and won’t be back for a while."
PeanutForYourThoughts: "Oh? What happened to him?"
less spicy, no sugar: "He’s fine."
PeanutForYourThoughts: "Okay then... if he comes back, you have to let me know."
less spicy, no sugar: "If he comes back, you won’t need me to tell you, will you?"
...
The chat came to an abrupt end. Han Ning put down his phone and quietly waited for midnight to arrive.
「A few hours later.」
In a secluded coffee shop near Blue Bay Bar.
Li Changxi, completely shrouded in shadow with only a pair of bloodshot eyes visible, placed a heavy wooden box on the table.
"This is everything I could gather. Of the 42 materials you mentioned, I’ve collected 36. The remaining few are officially controlled resources, so they’re very difficult for me to get."
Hearing this, Han Ning opened the wooden box and counted.
The materials needed for Egg Pancake’s evolution were all there.
What were missing were a few rare materials needed for the Little Fatty Silkworm of the Dark Type.
However, collecting 36 types in a single day was already beyond his expectations.
He was inwardly satisfied but kept his expression calm. "Give me three more days."
"Three days... I... I can’t hold on much longer," Li Changxi said, gritting his teeth.
’He understood this meant the man had agreed to go to the ruins with him.’
"Lean your head over here."
"You’re going to...?" Li Changxi was stunned, but he obediently extended his head toward Han Ning.
Han Ning reached out and tapped the spot between Li Changxi’s eyebrows, his Spiritual Power probing inward.
A tenacious strand of Spiritual Power from the Four Symbols Meditation Technique delved deep into Li Changxi’s mind.
In an instant, it was as if the voices of hundreds or thousands of people murmuring incessantly sounded in Han Ning’s ears.
’This is... a Curse. It feels a bit like the Curse the Alataku People inflicted on Hom.’
Han Ning had some experience with this. He transformed his Spiritual Power into a sharp blade and attempted to slice away all the maddening whispers.
SWISH!
It was as if a sharp sword slashed through a void.
Li Changxi’s face instantly turned deathly pale.
"COUGH, COUGH! COUGH, COUGH!"
He suddenly began to cough violently, two streams of blood trickling from his nostrils, a frightening sight.
Despite this, his expression was one of extreme excitement.
After a few ragged coughs, his eyes widened, and he rubbed his own cheeks in disbelief.
"I... I can’t hear those maddening, hateful whispers anymore."
"This is only a temporary suppression... I can’t find the root cause, but it should give you a few days of relief. That should be fine, right?"
Han Ning withdrew his finger, his tone flat.
"Shihua was right. You really are our savior... Thank you for saving my life, Your Excellency. I’ll defer to your arrangements for everything."
This small display of power from Han Ning was enough to earn Li Changxi’s complete and utter admiration.
He then took a blood-soaked python head from another bag and handed it to Han Ning. "Please accept this item. I hope it can be of help to you."
"Mm, let’s leave it at that for now. You go back and rest for two days. I’ll notify you when it’s time to leave." Han Ning didn’t refuse and accepted it decisively.
"Yes, I’ll await your arrangements."
...
「Late at night.」
Han Ning thought for a moment, then sent another message to Xie Mingke: "You there? [Smile]"
Soon, a reply came back: "I’m working hard to gather the materials you mentioned. So far, I’ve collected this much..."
Before Han Ning could ask, Xie Mingke proactively sent over a chart.
Han Ning scanned it and found that Xie Mingke had gathered 16 types of materials, 5 of which Li Changxi hadn’t collected.
With this, the total number of materials came to 41 out of 42.
The only thing missing was a potent hallucinogenic plant called Mind Confusing Grass.
"Thanks. Do you have any leads on the Mind Confusing Grass?"
Han Ning hadn’t been holding out much hope.
But Xie Mingke quickly replied: "I do."
"Inside the Plant Research Institute at Ludao University, there are a dozen or so Mind Confusing Grass plants being cultivated for experiments. But the lab’s security is top-notch; I can’t get my hands on them."
"Ludao University... aren’t you a teacher at Ludao University?"
"Mr. Han, I’m not a botany professor. I’m a literature teacher. [Smile]"
"Also, I should inform you that Teacher Xu Lin in the lab is my direct superior in the Foreign Affairs Team. He is a Tier Eight Extraordinary Being, and his Extraordinary sequence is Plant Scholar."
"Heh, your university is truly teeming with talent. In that case, I’ll have to trouble you, Teacher Xie. Get me the lab’s opening and closing schedule. I’m not even asking for the internal layout. This request... is simple enough, right?"
"You... you want to steal it?"
"’Steal’ is such an ugly word. Let’s say ’borrow.’ I’ll return an item of equal value when I have the chance."
Xie Mingke was still trying to dissuade him. "I advise you to give up on this idea... Teacher Xu’s strength is nothing to scoff at."
"You don’t need to worry about that. Just get me the schedule as soon as possible."
"If you don’t say anything, I’ll take that as a yes."
In front of her screen, Xie Mingke’s delicate expression changed several times.
Finally, she let out a quiet sigh and muttered to herself in a barely audible voice, "I’m getting in deeper and deeper."
...
In the spartan bathroom, Han Ning stood before a bucket filled with ice. He gazed at the pale blue liquid in a plastic bottle on his palm, a long-absent look of joy appearing on his face.
This was a bloodline purification potion called Cold Mist Potion, which could help Egg Pancake evolve into a higher form.
Egg Pancake’s bloodline purification, or evolution, needed to take place in an environment close to 0°C.
The refrigerator was too small, so he had made a quick trip to a convenience store, bought out all their ice, purchased a large tub, and dumped all the ice inside.
"Here we go, here we go. Egg Pancake, tonight you’re going to get bigger and stronger."
"Are you ready?"
"HISS!"
Egg Pancake proactively jumped into the ice bucket. ’Come on, I can’t wait any longer!’
"Open your mouth."
"HISS!!"
Egg Pancake obediently did as it was told and opened its mouth.
Han Ning unscrewed the cap and poured the small measure of liquid into its mouth.
A cold mist glinted in its mouth, then vanished.
WHOOSH!
In that instant, a faint dragon’s roar seemed to echo through the air.
Egg Pancake’s originally pure white scales rapidly began to turn aqua blue.
At the same time, the Water Element gathered, the room’s temperature dropped, and its body began to grow at a rapid pace.
The cold water in the ice bucket began to freeze over.
The originally clear ice gradually turned a pale blue.
A miniature phantom of an Ancient Dragon suddenly materialized above Egg Pancake’s serpentine body.
This Spiritual Power from an Ancient Dragon of the Purple Crystal World seemed to be mysteriously bestowing a unique, magical ability upon the pet snake’s body.
A small, round bump slowly bulged from Egg Pancake’s head.
Four similar bumps also appeared on its abdomen.
Along the midline of its back, a row of azure spikes, like a mane, sprouted.
’This is... influenced by the Ancient Dragon Bloodline, it’s turning into a Flood Dragon?’