Besides, there was another thing worth mentioning.
Life.
More specifically—lifespan.
A normal willow tree only lived for a few decades, yet Yu Zi Yu had already lived for a hundred years.
A normal red fox lived at most 10 to 15 years, yet this Red Fox had already reached 30.
"Tsk, tsk… this is real evolution. Not only does it make us stronger, it also increases our lifespan by leaps and bounds."
After thinking it over carefully, Yu Zi Yu summarized his thoughts in earnest.
…
As the moon climbed the sky, its bright, gentle light spread across the land, creating a calm and tranquil night. Under the pale glow, Yu Zi Yu's branches cast mottled shadows on the ground, like torn black ribbons swaying in the breeze.
At this moment, a fox the size of a calf lay beneath the willow tree. Every now and then, it let out a sharp cry, as if afraid the world might forget it existed.
"You little brat."A branch swished lightly through the air, tapping the Red Fox. Yu Zi Yu felt helpless.
This fox was too mischievous—screaming loudly at random, climbing up his trunk, and chasing after the brood of fledglings in the tree.
Fortunately, it was smart enough to understand that Yu Zi Yu was raising these eight young Peregrine Falcons, and they could not be eaten.
Chirp… chirp… chirp!Suddenly, a flurry of bird cries echoed from the branches above.
Looking up, Yu Zi Yu saw the small Peregrine Falcons poking their heads out of the nest, glaring vigilantly at the Red Fox below. One of them chirped toward Yu Zi Yu repeatedly, as if complaining.
"Alright, alright, I hear you."Smiling, Yu Zi Yu gently flicked the Red Fox again.
The fox wasn't just disturbing him—it was scaring the fledglings too.
Just then, an idea struck Yu Zi Yu.
If I use my essence to nourish these Peregrine Falcons… won't they evolve like the Red Fox?
As for losing a bit of essence, it barely affected him. Only half a day had passed, and the branch he had broken earlier had already recovered most of its vitality. Its leaves even looked greener.
"This must be one of my innate abilities—just like the red fox's beautiful eyes."
With this realization, Yu Zi Yu focused on the status screen he had opened earlier.
As expected, a new entry appeared under Unique Abilities:
Life Essence – A spiritual elixir produced within the body. It can accelerate the evolution of other species and has healing and restorative effects.Caution: Excessive use will weaken your foundation.
Seeing this, Yu Zi Yu smiled.
This was the benefit of having a system.
As long as he was aware of something, the system would provide more details. If he wasn't, it remained hidden—like subjective perception: always there, just unseen.
Perhaps the status screen contained much more, but for now, he could only view what he was ready to see.
…
"Life Essence."
Just the name was enough to show its importance. And accelerating the evolution of other species…
There was nothing complicated about it.
No wonder the Red Fox couldn't resist coming to me.Thinking this, Yu Zi Yu broke off another branch.
Kacha.A crisp snap echoed, and green liquid seeped from the cut.
"Ka… ka…"Eyes lighting up, the Red Fox sprang to its feet, staring intently at the dripping green liquid.
"This isn't for you."Yu Zi Yu stroked the fox with another branch, calming it before sending the broken branch toward the nest above.
Although there were eight Peregrine Falcons, they were only fledglings.
One drop should be enough… right?
Yu Zi Yu hesitated. He had to consider the cost.
In the end, using Life Essence weakened his foundation. He wasn't willing to give too much.
…
Chirp… chirp… chirp!Seeing the glowing green drop about to fall, the fledglings became excited. One puffed up its feathers, unable to hide its desire.
"Tsk, tsk… it really is irresistible to animals."Yu Zi Yu sighed, suddenly troubled.
This was bad news.
Just because no one had seen pigs climb trees didn't mean pigs couldn't run. And the Philosopher's Stone was the best example. His Life Essence was essentially a Philosopher's Stone.
Worse still—beyond the surrounding animals, there were Humans.
If it can accelerate animal evolution, then it should work on Humans too… in that case… haa…Yu Zi Yu felt a chill of dread.
He needed to speed up his cultivation. He needed enough strength to protect himself before Humans discovered him.
Otherwise, he would surely end up like a fish on a chopping board.
As for peaceful coexistence with Humans… Yu Zi Yu hadn't even bothered considering it. Hope should not depend on others.
The only way they could live in peace was if both sides had equal power. Right now, in front of Human high-tech weapons, neither he nor most mutated beasts and plants could resist.