Han Ye felt a surge of energy explode inside him, and every cell in his body began to evolve.
Moments later, a massive black tiger stood where he had been.
After evolving, Han Ye was nearly two meters long and weighed over seven hundred jin.
A pair of sharp fangs jutted from his jaws, much like a saber-toothed tiger's.
His tiger eyes were soul-stirring and filled with majesty.
Race: Saber-Toothed Black Tiger
Rank: E ☆☆☆
Evolution Points: 1
Evolution Points needed for next evolution: 1,000
Talents: Hunting, Unyielding, Blood Locking, Tiger Roar (new)
comprehensive combat power: 304
New Talent – Tiger Roar: a sonic attack that makes beasts tremble and mountains bow!
'At last, an actual offensive skill,' Han Ye muttered.
His first three Talents were mostly support; real attacks had relied on his Physical Body.
Now, with Tiger Roar, he could damage foes without brawling.
After a successful evolution, Han Ye believed he was the strongest creature on this hill.
Sleeping in his cave at night felt safer than ever.
But the moment he lay down, he sensed a powerful presence nearby!
He crept forward and peered through a gap in the thicket blocking the entrance.
Tonight the sky was overcast and Moonlight dim; he could only make out a vague silhouette.
The creature was huge—larger than an adult brown bear!
He immediately used the System's appraisal.
Race: Giant Civet
Rank: E ☆☆
Talents: Patterned Claw—immense attack power; Spirit Seeker—keen nose, sharp sense for Spiritual objects
comprehensive combat power: 145
'Damn, even a civet's gotten this scary,' Han Ye clicked his tongue.
'Still, taking it down shouldn't be a problem for me.'
'But it's not from my hill—what's it doing here?'
Curious, he slipped out of the cave and followed the Giant Civet.
The civet was cautious, stopping every few steps to scan its surroundings.
After ten minutes it halted in front of a thicket.
It glanced around again, beady reddish eyes darting craftily.
Certain it was safe, it began to dig.
Under its claws the bushes might as well have been paper, cleared away in moments.
Then it scooped earth and unearthed a potato-like tuber.
Just as it was about to gulp it down, a jolt of dread shot through it.
An animal's instinct for danger screamed; it flipped and slashed.
Bang!
Han Ye slammed the civet flying, snapping the tree behind it.
Squeak!
With an angry cry the civet flashed above Han Ye.
Its claws now glowed faintly green—its Patterned Claw Talent.
┗|｀O′|┛ Roar~~
Han Ye's Tiger Roar shook the whole mountain; every creature trembled.
Even beasts on neighboring hills scrambled to hide.
The Giant Civet, caught point-blank, was killed outright by the roar.
Ding! Host has slain an E ☆☆ creature; +24 Evolution Points!
Han Ye had fed on blood prey earlier, so he wasn't hungry.
Yet the potato-like object caught his eye.
It seemed enchantingly delicious, even to a carnivorous tiger.
He inhaled, and the morsel shot into his maw.
Tiny for his size, it slid down his throat in an instant.
A gentle warmth spread from his belly throughout his body.
Pleasure flooded him; when he came to, he had grown again!
His length broke past two meters; his weight topped a thousand jin.
He checked his status panel.
Rank stayed E ☆☆☆.
No new Talents, but combat power rose by 20 to 324.
'Must be a spirit fruit—something that triggers evolution.'
'Mediocre effect, though; maybe it was just low-grade,' he mused.
Now larger, he no longer felt full; hunger returned.
The civet carcass made the perfect midnight snack... Meanwhile, on the next ridge.
On a cliff, a snow-white tiger of noble bearing snapped open her eyes.
Her gaze was intelligent, unlike any ordinary beast.
'What a fearsome Tiger Roar.'
'In the early days of Spiritual Qi revival, strength like that will reach at least S-Rank if he survives.'
'Still, we're both of the Tiger Clan—that's good.'
'Once I'm ready, I'll go tame that fellow on the opposite hill!' Leng Qingqiu thought.
'Reborn, and I end up a white tiger...'
'But a tiger is a thousand, ten thousand times better than being human!'
Memories of her past life flooded her with rage.
She, Leng Qingqiu, had always stood at the forefront of evolution.
By the Late Stage of the Spiritual Qi era, her power had surpassed even SSS-Rank Beast Kings.
She led the Human Race to reclaim every territory seized by beasts.
For decades humanity flourished while beast numbers plummeted.
For her feats she was hailed as the Empress, bathed in endless glory.
Yet she had underestimated human nature.
Possessing terrifying might—practically a Dominator over life and death—
some feared her power and conspired to destroy her.
By then the beasts were no match for humanity.
So to most people she had become expendable.
Many wanted her dead.
As the saying goes, hidden arrows are hardest to dodge; in the end, the peerless Empress was poisoned.
Before dying, she fought with all her strength and slew most of the plotters.
But the way people looked at her—like she was a monster—cut her to the bone.
Yet back when the Human Race had been driven to the brink of extinction, they had worshipped her as a god.
She had fought her whole life for humanity, only to die in misery.
That past life threw her into depression after her Rebirth.
Time, however, heals all wounds—and she was no longer human.
Her new body reshaped her state of mind.
Now she had let go; in this era, self-preservation is the Righteous Path.
Live for herself—nothing more.
The lives of others were not her concern; she need not grieve for the world.
'Once I Cultivate the first level of the Moonlight Breathing Method, I'll reach D-Rank.'
'First thing when I leave these mountains: subdue that fellow next door.'
'It's no good being alone—he can gather spirit fruits and speed up my growth.'
With that thought, Leng Qingqiu closed her eyes again.
Though Moonlight was dim, a silvery radiance cloaked her body, as though a bright moon had descended upon the cliff.
She was Cultivating the Moonlight Breathing Method...