Chapter 19: The Secret Chronicles of the Celestial Decree

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The path of evolution does not allow for taking all routes simultaneously. The three major evolutionary paths represent three vastly different directions, incompatible with one another.

In the Federation, some awakened players with superpowers have attempted to pursue all three paths at once. At first, nothing seemed wrong, but as their evolution progressed... the mildest outcome was becoming disabled; less fortunate ones were completely wiped out.

The worst cases transformed into monsters, slaughtered, their remains sold on the black market.

With these precedents, Cao Yu dared to choose this path not out of recklessness, but because the system gave him confidence.

Within the system’s marketplace, he found a cultivation manual of celestial grade titled "Imperial Immortal Secret Record."

Its description included this line:

"[Based on one’s own malevolent thoughts, fused with one’s superpower or bloodline, it can cultivate an external embodiment, allowing simultaneous advancement along the three major evolutionary paths.]"

Simply put, players who master the "Imperial Immortal Secret Record" can transform their superpowers and bloodline into an external avatar.

This avatar is essentially a spiritual lifeform, invisible to ordinary people. To use an analogy, it’s like having a hidden bodyguard at your side. When needed, you summon it for group battles; when not, you retract it back into your spirit. These are just side effects. The avatar’s primary function is independent evolution while sharing power with its original self.

The original self follows the path of the Immortal.

The avatars respectively follow the paths of the Superhuman and the Subhuman.

Because they share the same root and origin, the avatars’ strength can be shared with the original self, perfectly solving the incompatibility problem among the three evolutionary paths.

More importantly, although the "Imperial Immortal Secret Record" is a celestial-grade manual, its price is surprisingly low.

Only 2,000 achievement points.

Other celestial-grade manuals, Cao Yu noticed, were priced outrageously!

The reason for this low price is simple.

It’s written straightforwardly in the system’s evaluation:

[After long exploration and countless sacrifices of talented individuals, the giants of the Spiritual Realm finally created an immortal scripture capable of advancing along all three major paths simultaneously.

Undoubtedly, the emergence of the "Imperial Immortal Secret Record" is of great significance. However, its high requirements for cultivation aptitude doom it to failure.

It is impossible for a player to simultaneously possess superior cultivation aptitude, an extraordinary superpower, and strong genetic adaptability; this is a rule set by the Old Gods.]

[Evaluation: Celestial-grade waste, tasteless to consume, yet a pity to discard.]

What is the Spiritual Realm? Who are these Old Gods?

Cao Yu did not dwell on these questions for now; his focus was entirely on the manual’s price.

2,000 points... such a bargain.

He only needed to complete one more dungeon run to accumulate enough achievement points to buy it.

The only concern was...

"The minimum cultivation requirement for the Imperial Immortal Secret Record is a level seven aptitude. I’m not sure if mine is sufficient..."

Cao Yu was uncertain.

Fortunately, this afternoon, the Fourth Academy would conduct aptitude tests for graduates.

Among this graduating class, only six—including himself—had awakened superpowers.

The Fourth Academy was responsible for testing the rest and providing guidance on their evolutionary paths.

He could shamelessly join the testing.

If his aptitude was insufficient... then he would have no choice but to buy the manual from the system’s store.

...

Cao Yu quickly made his future plan.

He would first follow the Superhuman path.

Once he had enough achievement points to buy the manual, he would switch to the Immortal path, cultivating the "Seven-Kill Soldier Lord" as his external avatar to follow the Superhuman path.

As for the Subhuman path... the top-tier genetic bloodlines in the marketplace were all expensive; he would consider those when he was richer in points.

With the "Imperial Immortal Secret Record" as a foundation, no matter how many superpowers or bloodlines he acquired in the future, there would be no conflicts during evolution.

This was a broad and promising path.

Having made up his mind, Cao Yu summoned his player panel and began using 1,500 evolution points to evolve the "Seven-Kill Soldier Lord."

In the early stage of the Superhuman path, evolution progressed by spending evolution points to evolve the superpower.

The evolution of superpowers would drive the player’s spirit and body to evolve automatically.

At the E-level player stage, the spirit is enhanced.

At the D-level player stage, the body is enhanced.

During this process, the "miraculous essence" represented by the superpower gradually spreads from the depths of the player’s spirit, permeating from spirit to body, automatically strengthening and transforming the player, expanding the degree of miracle.

Indeed, the early phase of the Superhuman path is straightforward and crude—just smash the evolution points in if you have them.

This is also why players are eager to awaken superpowers.

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As evolution points were spent, Cao Yu sensed his spirit gradually becoming perceptible, no longer so intangible.

His spiritual power was growing bit by bit...

...

At 2:50 p.m.

Cao Yu arrived at the door of the assembly classroom and looked inside. Over forty students were already seated.

Chen Ran and Zhou Fan were among them.

The bald teacher still sat at the podium; despite nearly two days without sleep, his spirit was not flagging, nor did his face look tired.

Only his complexion was quite grim.

Cao Yu naturally sat beside Chen Ran and said, "You all arrived quite early."

"You’re the one who’s late," Chen Ran replied. "Today is the day for the cultivation aptitude test. Everyone’s really looking forward to it... Oh, you’re a superpower user? Then it’s no problem."

"No, I’m looking forward to the aptitude test too," Cao Yu said. "I’ll give it a try later."

"…Are you crazy!?" Chen Ran was astonished. "You don’t mean you want to pursue all three paths at once..."

"Stop." Cao Yu interrupted. "I’m just curious and want to test it."

"Alright, you scared me," Chen Ran patted her chest. "Make sure you explain clearly to the teacher later, so there’s no misunderstanding... Wait! Cao Yu, you seem different?"

She stared closely at his face and quickly noticed subtle changes.

"Your eyes have become bright, they look so spirited... Have you started on the Superhuman path?"

Bright eyes indicate a full and vigorous spirit. In ordinary people, this is barely noticeable, since their spiritual ceiling is limited, so even at full vigor, there’s no special effect.

Players are different; if they do not restrain their spirit, it’s easy to tell.

Chen Ran recalled that at the E-level player stage of the Superhuman path, the primary enhancement was spiritual power.

"You’re observant, Chen," Cao Yu smiled. "The early Superhuman path isn’t complicated. Just spend evolution points directly. So unlike you guys, I don’t have to wait."

He glanced at his player panel.

[Nickname: How Am I Different From That Cao Thief]

[ID: C09009233333]

[Item: Bone-Chilling Wind (E)]

[Level: E]

[Superpower: Seven-Kill Soldier Lord]

[Evolution Progress: 5%]

[Evolution Points: 0]

After spending all 1,500 evolution points, his evolution progress reached 5%, and his spiritual power was considerably enhanced.

Now, when using his superpower, he no longer suffered from severe exhaustion or pale complexion after just one or two uses.

He had effectively passed the novice player stage.

Regrettably, his "Seven-Kill Soldier Lord" had not yet unlocked new killing curses, still limited to the "Immortal Severing Curse" and the "Eternal Wound Curse."

Cao Yu was not anxious; it was only a matter of time.

The current killing curses were sufficient.

"Enough talking!"

Chen Ran seemed provoked by Cao Yu’s words, covering her ears.

"If you keep going, I’ll have no choice but to beat you to death! It’s terribly cruel!"

"Relax, Chen," Cao Yu laughed comfortingly. "Maybe your cultivation aptitude is very high?"

"Please don’t flatter me!" Chen Ran treated Cao Yu like a jinx.

The ten minutes of casual chatter passed quickly, and the graduates were assembled.

There were 53 originally, now reduced to 45.

Eight had perished forever in the dungeon.

Seeing this, Cao Yu sighed softly.

He wasn’t heartless; though he wasn’t close with the deceased, they were still classmates... He silently mourned them for three seconds.

The bald teacher also led a moment of silence.

Three minutes later.

The special affairs bureau’s employment intention forms and dungeon information reporting began.

Most students received dungeon ratings between "D" and "C."

Cao Yu and Chen Ran received "A+" and "A-" respectively, standing out like cranes among chickens, astonishing the entire classroom and even surprising the bald teacher.

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The Fourth Academy kept statistics for each graduating class’s dungeon results; the top three received Federation rewards.

First place received 2,000 evolution points.

Second place received 1,500 points.

Third place received 1,000 points.

If the rating was "A-" or above, an additional 1,000 points were awarded—a very generous bonus.

This was a way to channel resources toward outstanding students.

However, the reward was not issued by the Fourth Academy.

Once the graduates successfully joined the Federation Special Affairs Bureau, the bureau would directly issue the rewards.

Those who did not join... sorry, the Federation did not support outsiders.

Cao Yu took first place by a wide margin.

Chen Ran was second.

Third place went to a student named Lin Ye, who earned a "B" rating.

As for how the same rating was differentiated...

The evolution points in the dungeon reward had fractional values, indirectly representing the player’s dungeon score.

No one dared to falsify their results.

Because when claiming rewards, the Special Affairs Bureau would conduct professional lie detection tests to verify authenticity.

If caught cheating, the consequences would be severe.

"Congratulations, Cao Yu."

The bald teacher smiled at Cao Yu in congratulations.

Though the smile was slightly twisted, resembling a threat... Cao Yu, knowing the teacher’s character, did not misunderstand and responded diplomatically, "It’s all thanks to your teaching."

He was very pleased to receive 3,000 evolution points for free.

This was why he chose not to hide his dungeon results; there was no place to conceal his talents here.

Many students of humble origins looked on with excitement, feeling Cao Yu had brought honor to them.

If not for the somber mourning atmosphere for the classmates lost in the dungeon, they would have applauded and cheered for him.

Those noble students of considerable status looked at Cao Yu with extra scrutiny, many frowning with displeasure.

They had entered the dungeon with equipment and had a good chance of claiming the top three spots.

Yet Cao Yu scored an "A+." What was this, a contest for the top?

Free-riding 3,000 evolution points... their feelings were like watching a brother make money while they lost it!

The worst part was, Cao Yu wasn’t even their brother.

That was even more infuriating!

Many were filled with jealousy and hatred, arrogantly and shamelessly believing Cao Yu had stolen what belonged to them.

But no one spoke up.

First, the teacher was still in the classroom.

Second, they were more focused on another matter.

"Wang Cheng hasn’t returned? Is he dead?"

"Impossible! He brought a D-level item into the dungeon!"

"His assessment score was second highest in this class. Even without equipment, he shouldn’t have died in the dungeon..."

Wang Cheng’s death to them was like a minor earthquake.

Before the Federation’s founding, the Wang family was a local powerful clan in the Four Cities area, quickly expanding their influence with the Federation’s rise.

After the advent of the Evolution Game, they were among the first to seize opportunities.

Now, Wang Cheng’s uncle held a deputy bureau chief position at the Federation Special Affairs Bureau’s branch in the Four Cities.

With such a background, if Wang Cheng died by natural causes, it would be one thing; but if it was due to human error, that was a real earthquake.

Wang Cheng had entered the dungeon with a D-level item and was capable himself; barring intentional recklessness, it was unlikely for him to fail in a novice dungeon... Could it really be human error?

Many frowned, realizing this was no trivial matter and that they might be implicated.

Fortunately, the bald teacher maintained order, and Wang Cheng’s death was temporarily treated as an ordinary dungeon fatality and swept under the rug.

The bald teacher then took out a scroll painting and unfurled it before the students.

However, it was too far away to see clearly.

He said:

"According to seating order, from left to right, front to back, come to me one by one to view this meditation chart and test your aptitude."

"Those with aptitude will follow the Immortal player path."

"Those without aptitude, do not despair. The Federation has long developed many excellent genetic bloodline serums. The Subhuman player path is also a broad avenue to the heavens."