Chapter 964: Time Race, Prodigies Everywhere

This God's Tower was arguably Xu Zhi's biggest investment.

"Let's see if it works out... After all, this is my first time creating such a high concentration of spiritual energy," Xu Zhi said calmly. "It's tens of thousands of times higher than even the sand table worlds with the highest spiritual energy concentration!"

How big was the God's Tower now? Considering it contained tens of thousands of years of accumulated wealth from the Tiel Empire, its energy density was unimaginable. In such a dense world, pixelated plants and animals would likely awaken naturally, with many undoubtedly becoming spirits or monsters.

Looking down now, the rivers were not clear; they shimmered with a pure white hue. Concentrated spiritual energy formed a mist within them, slowly evaporating and creating an ethereal, wispy aura. Mountains, rocks, and sand were all permeated by this energy, becoming incredibly solid and forming a unique, spirit-treasure-like material. The material density here was so high that even Heavenly Emperors, possessing immense combat power, would find their strength reduced to that of mere fourth or fifth-tier cultivators, capable only of breaking rocks, damaging roads, or destroying forests.

"Perhaps this is what a true high-dimensional world means in some sense? Even gods would struggle to unleash massive destructive power here. Destroying a city would be considered incredibly strong.... It's like descriptions in some stories where, after ascension, the world's dimension increases, and powerful individuals who could shatter cities and nations can barely break a few large rocks here."

Xu Zhi observed the players, who were evolving frantically in the Evolution Corridor, integrating with pixelated life forms, and embarking on their journey as Digimon. They were evolving rapidly, transforming into pixelated life forms. Within just one day, absorbing the mist-like spiritual energy, countless new Ashura Path members began to achieve continuous breakthroughs.

"Hahaha, my first-tier evolution is half-pixelated, and my second-tier evolution will be a fully pixelated creature! I'm going ahead!"

"I'm also at the second tier! Charge!"

"Come on, brothers, hurry!"

"To hell with it! Any species will do, even a weak one. Just evolve into a Digimon and rush to the finish line! The top one thousand rewards are mine!"

"The Ancient God must have put everything on the line, right? We can't hold back!"

Countless people roared. They sprinted forward, their destinies hanging in the balance.

Caroline smiled, watching those individuals, and shook her head. "This evolution race is a marathon... I hope to see some truly astonishing geniuses emerge... I had already anticipated that they might opt for the 'bad money drives out good' approach, rushing to the finish line to claim rewards. But they will soon discover that creatures evolved in such haste simply won't make it."

As expected, the first batch of Digimon to evolve began bleeding after only a few hundred meters, clearly unable to withstand the pressure. They had to stop and continue evolving their species. However, they were already at the second tier, their forms fixed twice, and much of their potential was already exhausted. Some smarter individuals behind them showed expressions of "I knew it."

"Hahaha, so what if those morons in front ran fast?"

"Yeah, we're all from the wizard community. We've all cultivated and practiced the first and second tiers thoroughly to earn meditation coins. But is high cultivation enough?"

"The energy here is abundant, so breakthroughs will definitely be fast. But the competition is about whose evolved form is more powerful!"

Yes. A weak species, even if it breaks through to the third tier, might not reach the finish line. Rushing through cultivation levels is useless; the competition is about evolution!

"The competition is definitely about endurance! Whose species can reach a special threshold to withstand the pressure, make it to the end of the corridor, and be compressed into a super tiny ant!"

Behind them, some laughed heartily and continued to evolve. However, among these tens of thousands of Ashura Path members, a few incredibly skilled players emerged, their progress remarkably fast. They quickly moved to the front, reaching only the first tier yet keeping pace with the second-tier Digimon. The scene instantly became chaotic.

"Holy cow! This is seriously ridiculous! They're already pixelated creatures after their very first form transformation, breaking through to the first tier?"

"Usually, people need to reach the second tier, undergoing two form changes, to become pixelated creatures, right?"

"I recognize that guy! Isn't he a big shot from the Buddhist sect in the Ashura Path, the one who blasts with a Gatling gun? How did he suddenly end up here with us?"

Someone immediately shrieked, "And this one! Isn't he the first sect leader of the Azure Cloud Sect from the Daoist school? How did he get mixed in with us!?"

After exchanging information, everyone was stunned. They realized it in an instant. These guys probably committed suicide earlier, used backdoors with the server management to kick out some original members, and then snuck into today's PvP fighting server, entering directly as "newbies" again... They were instantly overcome with rage.

"Damn it! These bastards are cheating!"

"What the hell! How did they sneak in among us newbies?"

Countless people shouted that it was unfair, that they weren't even on the same starting line.

At this moment, a strange-looking plant player beside them chuckled and said, "These big shots have 'reincarnated from the Impure World.' Even if all hundred-plus of them pass through... there are still over eight hundred spots left. What are you afraid of? Isn't that enough for us? Do you lack confidence? Besides, if someone truly possesses exceptional talent, even a newcomer can easily surpass these veterans in speed... like me."

Everyone turned to look, wondering who was so arrogant. Only then did they realize that the player speaking was already at the first tier and had already evolved into a Digimon... Then, taking giant strides forward, they walked several hundred meters, quickly surpassing the veteran Ashura Path players in this marathon race.

"Who is this person?"

"His first-tier Digimon can actually go further and longer than the first-tier Digimon of those big shots?"

Everyone glanced over, clearly understanding the implications: it meant his Digimon was more complete and had greater potential.

"Where did this guy come from?"

"Too bizarre."

"Wait, I know him! Isn't he a big shot from the Spore Evolution game next door? How did he end up here with us?"

As soon as this was said, everyone completely lost their composure. Even professional Spore Evolution players from the neighboring game had sensed the opportunity and rushed in to join the fun. It was even possible they had been lurking from the start, playing both games simultaneously. While that would be incredibly demanding, the level of dedication these individuals possessed was beyond what ordinary players could imagine.

At this, everyone couldn't help but shout, "Is there no law or order anymore? Even big shots from the other game have sneaked in!"

"That bastard is still pretending to be a newbie!"

Everyone was wailing and groaning in low voices. The Ancient God had clearly invested heavily, pouring out all his savings. It was evident that with the breakthrough to the Ninth-Tier era, preparations for the final battle were about to begin! A war against the Mother River Civilization!

...And so, under such benefits, all sorts of strange and powerful entities appeared. How were they supposed to compete? Even though many of them were talented, they were already no match for the top elites of the Ashura Path, whose very presence implied superior skill, let alone those from the Spore Evolution group. Moreover, not only were these individuals more talented, but they also had countless times more experience as super veteran players, and they were more diligent. How could anyone compete with them?

"Don't panic, there are still spots for us among the thousand..."

Countless people looked to the distance with determined expressions, albeit with difficulty. They began sitting cross-legged on the ground or gathering various materials, pixelated plants, and animals to evolve their species. This was the most important opportunity for change in their lives... Everyone understood this clearly; in the future, they would have to carve a bloody path here.

"Have they truly settled down?"

Caroline smiled, observing the Evolution Corridor where various creatures were sparsely distributed along the path. The first and second echelons had already created a significant distance, moving far ahead. By this time, a day and a half had passed, and even the most inexperienced players had started. Yet, one creature remained stationary. Still slowly researching.

Caroline frowned slightly. "Why is this creature still stuck at the starting line...?"

Xu Zhi also looked over, slightly surprised. Wasn't that Pan Yuxian? Pan Xiexian's cunning older sister. Didn't this person previously assist Governor Youshan from behind the scenes as an Ashura Path player in the Six Paths of Reincarnation? How did she end up here again?

"I wonder what this person is planning..." Xu Zhi, however, remained calm, thinking, "Ever since she helped her sister cheat her way into the world... there's been no news of her. Even when she entered the Ashura Path, she remained very calm, staying hidden in the background... Could she be utilizing the time flow of the Ashura Path to continue evolving and researching some kind of creature?"

One must remember, Pandora's Box — she was among the very first batch of players! Even Mengmei wasn't as old as her. She was a super big shot who, even in the era of the Wizard World, already had the ability to enter the myriad worlds. Her talent in this regard was definitely no weaker than that of the Alchemist Emperor or Mount Akina's Speed.

"But this person has always been elusive... why did she come here?" Xu Zhi frowned slightly. "Why isn't she pursuing enlightenment through Spore Evolution? Why come here to be an Ashura Path warrior and join this crowd?" Capable individuals would definitely enter the Spore Evolution sand table, and certainly through legitimate means.

Caroline also followed Xu Zhi's gaze, looking at the person. "She seems like a very interesting little one... She's adjusting the life structure of the Digimon race in an incredibly complex, subtly mixed way, transforming them into a unique kind of entire race... I've never seen this form before."

A "little one"? Xu Zhi simply smiled. The Demon Core race of the Lava Domain originated from system genes. And system genes were precisely the species Pan Yuxian evolved... meaning, without her, there would be no current Demon Core lineage. A very curious causal relationship...

But then again, was Pan Yuxian evolving a new species based on an entire race? Xu Zhi paid a little more attention.

Soon, the second day passed. The vanguard had already reached halfway. Pan Yuxian was still stationary at the starting line, but finally began her first form transformation. She gradually transformed into a Digimon, but this Digimon resembled a rectangular keyboard, made of countless pixel particles, with four black table legs, giving the impression of a piano.

"What the hell is this?" Seeing this, Xu Zhi recalled Pan Xiexian's Pandora's Box, which also had a similar rectangular shape... Could this person be creating an enhanced version of that species? Looking at this white porcelain piano, Xu Zhi distinctly felt it was not what it seemed. Its four piano legs looked like they could bolt at any moment.

By the third day, the vanguard had begun reaching the second tier of Digimon, undergoing their second form transformation to withstand even greater pressure. And it was then that Pan Yuxian slowly began to show signs of unusual activity. She completely transformed into a truly finely detailed piano, and a fleeting ripple of an unfamiliar law suddenly appeared around her, emanating faint, rhythmic pulses. Yet, it was this ripple, with a few faint reverberations, that made Caroline's eyes widen in disbelief. "This is a law that doesn't belong to this universe! This law feels strangely familiar... Could it be the previous... Genesis?!?"

Simultaneously, Xu Zhi heard the voice of his intelligent sub-brain:

"—Detection: A Zerg Hero has been born."