"Thank you, I’m not really interested, I’m just lazy, I’d rather go back and lie down."
Li Ming politely declines, thinking there’s nothing good about exploring here, the confidential places won’t let him in, it’s a waste of time.
Monika smiles, tactfully skipping the topic, and they chat casually.
Li Ming is quite curious about the process of tuning the Advanced Gene Seed.
Monika explains the array to him in detail.
Meanwhile, at the headquarters of the Empire’s military base in the Sea of Stars.
Today, the place is exceptionally solemn, with Empire warships filling the surroundings, broad silence.
In the central area, on a floating platform, stand a few figures, with lumps of flesh and blood bouncing in the starfield around them.
On the surface, bulging veins appear, twisting like worms, seeming alive, incessantly contracting, expanding, emanating a nauseating stench.
Between them, there are faint blood-red fissures, like some sort of pathways.
Ryan looks indifferent, with suspicion: "Are you sure those fissures can ignore space and receive those life energies?"
"Don’t worry, I’ve experimented many times." Levinbeck assures, "All one hundred and fifty-two selected planets are within a certain range, the necessary life material can be directly transferred."
"Then let’s start." Ryan says gravely.
"Phew..." Levinbeck is somewhat stirred and pained.
The alchemy materials on these one hundred and fifty-two life planets are simply insufficient to sustain Prince Ryan’s transformation; he himself contributed a significant portion, his years of accumulation.
If it weren’t for equating Azure Dragon with Forging Hammer, urgently needing to intimidate or defeat the opponent, he wouldn’t have gone all out.
"Some unforeseen issues might arise during the evolution process..." Levinbeck emphasizes, but Ryan impatiently interrupts: "I know, start already."
Seeing this, Levinbeck no longer speaks, his eyes briefly flash blood-red, and the blood-red fissures suspended around seem stimulated, rapidly extending thick flesh branches, connecting to Ryan, with a massive amount of alchemy material entering Ryan’s body.
Instantly, every cell of Ryan vibrates, pumping out a series of energy fluctuations, the extensive fluctuations directly trigger high-risk energy alerts across all present Imperial Fleet.
"Absorb those materials!" Levinbeck is already swiftly leaving under Ryan’s coercion.
Ryan furrows his brows, feeling discomfort, as every part resists the strange materials, clearly abnormal.
But Ryan anticipates this, forcefully suppressing his body’s instincts, allowing those cold, impure energy materials to erode his body.
Through the skin, through the flesh, merging with cells, provoking a stronger reaction, dazzling light erupts from the center as he manifests in Liberation Form, broad wings almost hiding the starfield.
"Jalan Incandescent Wings." Levinbeck recognizes it; this isn’t the Empire’s main Evolution Path, but an Advanced Gene Seed exchanged from the Federation.
Blood-red patterns spread along Ryan’s body, chilling, deep breath filling the starry sky, a frightening energy storm constantly expanding.
The disintegrating fleshy door gradually becomes unstable, the alchemy materials transported through quickly devoured.
These are merely appetizers.
The next moment, around them, densely packed lumps of flesh spew a massive amount of alchemy material, wildly pouring into Ryan.
The mid-level soldiers around quietly watch, vaguely guessing what their superior is committing is an interstellar felony.
If the prince succeeds, there might still be room for reconciliation.
"Hang in there!" Levinbeck clenches his fists, hoping more than anyone else for Ryan’s success.
But Ryan’s development potential is too low, only 29%, this violent transition, uncertain if he can withstand.
The energy storm in the field expands again, Ryan’s pure white wings now tainted mostly, becoming incredibly sinister, bizarre.
"Oh no!" Silently, Levinbeck’s face changes drastically, seeing small lumps growing on Ryan’s wings, bursting blood, protruding grotesque hands!
The subordinate beside Levinbeck turns pale, already clutching his throat.
"A mutation." Levinbeck’s heart grows heavy, unable to withstand, is his hypothesis wrong?
The limits of alchemy material reached here?
The mutations in the field continue, small lumps sprout on Ryan’s surface skin, eventually morphing to various forms of heads similar to Ryan, either crying or laughing.
"Original mutation..." Levinbeck’s heart nearly sinks to the bottom, it’s the strongest side effect of alchemy material.
Indeed, too hasty, Ryan can’t withstand such vigorous transition, alchemy material still needing replenishment.
Levinbeck is pained, almost without hope, only able to diligently watch the mutation process, hoping to gather some data.
The aura in the field weakens further, Ryan is nearly unrecognizable, transformed into a dreadful entity composed of countless heads, limbs, flesh cruelly twisted together.
All Empire soldiers watching this scene fall into unknown fear.
Until a certain moment!
Ryan’s previously low, dwindling aura ascends in an unimaginable manner, far exceeding before, reaching a new peak.