I’ve never heard of them. That’s somewhat normal. But! For species like Mountain Dark Bud, Shentian Yongmei, and Dancing Vine Orchid—names that clearly indicate plant-based origins—why don’t I, a Demonic Plant, recognize them? That’s highly illogical.
An Shihua racked her brain but couldn’t understand. The more she thought, the more puzzled and curious she grew.
As the saying goes, curiosity killed the cat. All living beings possess a certain degree of curiosity and a thirst for knowledge. In the end, unable to suppress her inner curiosity, An Shihua took the initiative to join the trio’s intense discussion.
She asked in a cool, detached voice, "What are you three discussing? Are you talking about the Evolution Strongmen from various countries?"
Upon hearing An Shihua’s voice, the trio, who were deeply engrossed in their conversation, finally realized that the only female contestant to make it to the final four had returned. They immediately fell silent and resumed their previously solemn expressions, pretending not to have heard her and quickly changing the topic. For instance, they discussed which Evolution University to apply to after the college entrance exams, where to go for fun during the summer vacation, and what hobbies they usually had, all in an attempt to cover up their awkwardness.
This behavior from the trio immediately made An Shihua, who was standing nearby, feel excluded. She grew even more aloof. It was likely that, unless absolutely necessary, she would no longer take the initiative to interact with people in the future, as the experience had left an emotional scar.
Although he was a ’steel-straight man,’ Su Yan, who was actually quite adept at reading people, noticed this. He immediately struck up a conversation with An Shihua to save her from further embarrassment.
"Speaking of which," Su Yan began, turning to An Shihua, "I’ve noticed that after entering the knockout rounds, it seems almost everyone has their own Creature skills. Student Shi Hua, do you have Creature skills too?"
Whether one possessed Creature skills wasn’t considered private information; the specifics of what a Creature skill could do, however, were. So, upon hearing his question, An Shihua simply nodded, affirming that she did indeed have Creature skills.
"What about Student Changxiao and Student Shuyu? You both have them too, right?" After easing An Shihua’s awkwardness, Su Yan turned to the two lecherous guys beside him.
"Of course, we do! If we didn’t even have Creature skills, how could we be called Sons of Fortune?" Lü Shuyu replied, as if stating the obvious.
"Shuyu is right, so I also have Creature skills," Li Changxiao nodded in agreement.
After speaking, he continued, "What about you, Su Yan? I don’t think I’ve ever seen you use any Creature skills."
Hearing this, Su Yan couldn’t help but feel a twinge of bitterness. He sighed and said, "You might not believe this, but I don’t have any Creature skills."
"You don’t?" Lü Shuyu exclaimed in surprise. A Son of Fortune who made it to the final four without Creature skills? How is that possible?
Li Changxiao, equally incredulous, said with a suspicious look, "I suspect you’re messing with me, damn it! If you don’t even have Creature skills, how on Earth did you make it into the final four?"
Su Yan helplessly spread his hands. "I was born with immense strength; one strong person can overcome ten skilled ones."
Hearing this, Li Changxiao and Lü Shuyu merely exchanged a pair of cold chuckles and said nothing.
I’ll be damned if I believe you, they both thought. This ’steel-straight man’ is a cunning one.
Su Yan knew they didn’t believe him but had no intention of explaining. Instead, he changed the subject. "Speaking of which, when did your Creature skills develop?"
Lü Shuyu replied, "Develop? I don’t know. Mine were inherited from my parents."
Li Changxiao echoed, "Mine were inherited too."
Hearing this, Su Yan turned his gaze to An Shihua, who hadn’t spoken yet. "Student Shi Hua, what about you?"
"I was born with mine," An Shihua replied, her voice as cool and detached as ever.
Su Yan’s composure faltered slightly upon hearing this. With a look of envy, he said, "You guys are too much! So you’re all second-generation inheritors, huh?"
Li Changxiao responded dismissively, "What’s so outrageous about it? Nine out of ten evolutionary prodigies rely on inheritance. The last one is nurtured with Exotic Flower Fruits. What else did you expect?
"Relying solely on your own effort to reach the pinnacle of living beings? When would that ever happen? This isn’t the ancient Barbarous Era anymore. Without so-called ’fated encounters’ or opportunities, don’t dream of some sudden stroke of incredible luck, like stumbling upon Exotic Flower Fruits in the wild and soaring to the peak of your life. The evolutionary landscape across nations has long been solidified. It’s simply unrealistic for Ordinary people to hope to carve out a share and achieve a meteoric rise, like a fish leaping over the Dragon Gate. To escape the lower echelons of living beings requires the efforts of many generations, climbing step by step, one after another. Only after significant accumulation might a family produce an evolutionary prodigy capable of changing its destiny."
Su Yan found this quite reasonable and responded, "Fair point, indeed." Then he asked, "But are there any Sons of Fortune who developed Creature skills later in life and then soared to prominence?"
"There are," Li Changxiao affirmed. He continued, "However, according to statistics compiled since the beginning of the 21st century, out of nearly eight billion people on Earth, only nine individuals fit that description."
Su Yan sounded surprised. "Only nine people? That few?"
"Yes, that few." Li Changxiao nodded and continued, "Developing Creature skills later in life is already incredibly difficult. To then develop an extraordinary Creature skill is even harder. Simply put, the probability is even lower than accidentally discovering Exotic Flower Fruits growing in your own home."