Rowan stood in the center of the laboratory, watching Shuri as she worked with intense concentration. He finally spoke. "Shuri, judging from the current progress, how long do you estimate before you can fully restore the Wood Crystal?"
Shuri paused, pushing her glasses up the bridge of her nose. Her eyes reflected both exhaustion and conviction. "Boss, based on our current research and the updated protocols, I'm confident that I can perfectly reproduce the Wood Crystal in about half a month. The main task is fine-tuning the parameters after infusing cosmic energy. I need to ensure the toxins are completely neutralized while preserving every aspect of its energy properties."
Rowan nodded, a satisfied smile forming on his face. "Excellent. Your breakthroughs mean a tremendous contribution to the company. I'll make sure you're properly rewarded. For the next fifteen days, if you need anything, ask. The company will support you fully."
Shuri nodded firmly. "Thank you for trusting me. I'll do everything I can. Helen and I will monitor the readings closely these next few days. We might even finish ahead of schedule."
Rowan's heart stirred with excitement. He didn't expect Shuri to truly find a way to replicate the Wood Crystal. If she succeeded, and if the synthetic Wood Crystal performed the same as a natural one, then any Blood Vine he brought her in the future could also be reproduced artificially.
Even more astonishing was the production speed. One batch could mature in only seven days.
The yield was over eleven hundred crystals per cycle. If he expanded the company's production facilities, then within a few months, the output could reach tens of thousands.
Tens of thousands of Wood Crystals.
If he brought these into the Devouring World and distributed them among humanity there, countless planetary-level fighters could be born in a short time.
Human evolution would accelerate at unprecedented speed.
In the Devouring World, human evolution relied primarily on the soul. After being altered by Sitting Mountain Guest, their souls possessed incredible comprehension and innate talent. Rowan had seen this personally in Hong Thunder God and Luo Feng.
If Earth produced more planetary-level fighters, more people could step into the universe, unlocking the potential of their souls.
Over many eras, by the time the Original Universe approached its final decline, or the Realm Beasts awakened, humanity would have far more warriors capable of resisting catastrophe.
Rowan knew that according to the original storyline, Luo Feng would eventually save the entire Multiverse Sea. But he didn't want everything to rely on Luo Feng alone. Earth also had a responsibility. And he wanted to see what would happen if he disrupted the original course of events.
If vast numbers of planetary-level fighters emerged early, how would the future of Earth change?
The more he thought about it, the more exhilarated he felt.
If the Wood Crystal could truly be synthesized, then Blood Vine and other strength-enhancing fruits of various ranks could also be cultivated. With enough resources, raising large numbers of planetary, star-level, and even cosmic-level fighters would be as simple as willing it.
He felt excitement swelling inside him.
This was an opportunity he couldn't ignore.
But first, he needed to confirm whether Shuri could achieve a perfect replication of the Wood Crystal.
Rowan patted her shoulder. "Good work. You're all the pride of the company. Once this succeeds, you'll be credited with a major achievement." With that, he turned and walked out of the lab.
Even after leaving, a faint tremor of excitement still lingered in his chest.
He exhaled slowly, calming himself. Now he needed to head to the Atlantic to deal with Teng Snake.
He stepped onto the Void Shuttle, and with a deafening boom, shot into the distance, tearing through the air toward the Atlantic Ocean.
Across the Atlantic, the roaring wind swept the towering waves, each one rising like a small mountain.
A massive cargo ship struggled through the waters, its deck loaded with towering stacks of containers. The crew moved about, unaware of the danger lurking beneath them.
Without warning, the sea violently heaved, as if a colossal hand were stirring the depths.
A massive dark shape shot toward the ship from below.
A heartbeat later, countless murky green tentacles erupted from the ocean like monstrous vines. They writhed and coiled around the cargo ship in seconds, seizing the hull with terrifying force.
"Monster! There's a monster!" sailors screamed as they scattered in panic. The tentacles moved too fast. Several crew members were instantly trapped, dragged into the depths with chilling screams.
The ship lurched under the enormous force, threatening to capsize.
At that moment, Rowan streaked through the sky toward the commotion.
The violent winds howled against him as he descended.
What is this?
Rowan's expression sharpened the moment he sensed the presence beneath the water. That creature's strength was equal to a peak Warlord. Apprentice Ninth Rank.
But more puzzling was that it was a completely foreign type of creature. Earth shouldn't have monsters this powerful.
And the energy signature wasn't from Teng Snake. It was something else. Something strange. Rowan looked at the viscous, liquid-like sheen covering the tentacles and felt a jolt of realization.
This looks like… Venom.
The thought hit him like lightning.
His heart tightened. He summoned three of his flying blades. In a flash, they streaked downward like beams of light, slicing through every tentacle wrapped around the ship.
As the severed tentacles hit the deck, they continued writhing. Some even lunged toward the nearest sailors, trying to burrow into their bodies or slip into dark crevices.
Rowan's eyes turned cold. He let out a sharp snort, releasing a burst of psychic force that instantly crushed every severed tentacle into pulp.
Below, the creature shrieked in agony. Feeling Rowan's overwhelming power, it dove deep into the dark ocean.
The rescued sailors stared up at Rowan hovering above them, awe-stricken. Many fell to one knee, trembling with gratitude.
Rowan didn't spare them a glance. In a streak of light, he dove straight into the sea.
The icy water closed around him instantly, followed by immense pressure. To Rowan, it was laughably insignificant.
He locked onto the monster immediately.
Covered in thick, gray-yellow mucus, the serpentine creature fled through the depths with incredible speed, leaving murky trails behind it.
"Trying to run? Not a chance," Rowan muttered.
He kicked off the water like a springboard, shooting forward like a fired cannon.
As he descended deeper, the temperature plummeted. Light faded.
At twenty thousand meters below sea level, there was only endless darkness. Even Rowan's psychic perception was slightly hindered.
Interesting. The deeper the danger, the more likely the secret.
He sharpened his senses.
Suddenly, the darkness erupted with massive tentacles lunging toward him.
Rowan smirked. To him, they moved slower than snails.
He twisted his body gracefully, weaving through them like a dancer.
He grabbed one tentacle mid-strike and yanked.
A sharp snap echoed as it tore free.
But the viscous substance covering the tentacle suddenly surged up his arm, trying to invade his body.
"Hmph."
A burst of psychic force swept outward, forming an invisible shield that held the substance at bay. The ooze twitched violently before collapsing lifelessly.
A sudden surge of danger struck behind him.
Rowan spun around.
The creature had silently crept behind him, jaws gaping wide, lined with razor-sharp fangs dripping with foul stench.
"I'm not exactly edible. You'd probably get a stomachache."
His hand tightened. The Void Shuttle manifested.
Its three blades spun rapidly, glowing with deadly brilliance.
"Die."
He launched the weapon, the rotating blades ripping through the water faster than sight.
Three impacts.
The creature's body burst into a cloud of holes. Thick black blood erupted, staining the surrounding water.
But to Rowan's surprise, the creature's wounds began to regenerate at a speed visible to the naked eye. Muscles and scales reformed, sealing shut within seconds.
Impossible.
This was unlike anything he had fought before.
But as the wound briefly opened, Rowan spotted familiar markings.
His breath caught.
This is Teng Snake.
My Teng Snake from the Devouring World? How did it turn into this?
The thick mucus coating its body writhed subtly.
Realization hit him.
It's been taken over by a symbiote. Just like Venom.
This was dangerous.
If he didn't remove the parasite, Teng Snake would die. And if this thing reached land, the consequences would be catastrophic.
Rowan decided instantly.
He unleashed his psychic power, enveloping Teng Snake like a colossal invisible hand. Although the creature thrashed wildly, it was futile.
Rowan dragged it upward, shooting toward the surface.
Sunlight broke over them like a curtain of gold as they burst from the water.
Without stopping, Rowan sped toward a deserted island.
Landing heavily, he slammed Teng Snake onto the ground and used boulders reinforced by psychic force to immobilize its entire body, leaving only its head exposed.
"Let's see you struggle now."
Rowan's gaze hardened as he stared at the writhing mucus atop Teng Snake's head.
Teng Snake's eyes snapped open, flashing a blood-red hue. But instead of its usual ferocity, fear gleamed within.
Rowan laughed coldly.
"I knew it. You've been infected by a symbiote."
But one question remained.
How did a symbiote appear in the middle of the Atlantic?
According to the timeline, even if a symbiote had arrived on Earth, it should have landed in New York, not here.
Something was wrong.
Very wrong.