Evolution Begins With A Big Tree

Chapter 977, The God-Devouring Rat

Translator:  Ashish

Translation Checker: Silavin

After a brief tour of the Celestial Realm, Yu Zi Yu found himself quite satisfied.

The Celestial Realm had developed even better than he had anticipated.

Most importantly, it was now brimming with powerful individuals. Many of them were unfamiliar to Yu Zi Yu, likely having risen to prominence within the last decade.

Ten years—neither long nor short—was sufficient for a new generation of strong powerhouses to emerge.

Among them, one figure stood out—A small creature quietly following behind Metal Devourer. It happened to be at Peak of Tier-4, Half-Step Demigod.

“And who might that be?” Yu Zi Yu’s curiosity was piqued as he inquired with a trace of surprise.

“Master, this is a recent rising star from the Rat Clan, a peerless prodigy known as the ‘God-Devourer.’ His full title is God-Devouring Rat. He possesses the ability to devour everything to enhance himself. Moreover, he has apprenticed under Metal Devourer.”

A cold and serene voice echoed through the void, coming from the depths of the Celestial Realm. It was none other than the Immortal Sweet Osmanthus Tree speaking, the formidable Guardian of the Celestial Realm.

If one were to look carefully, not far from Yu Zi Yu, a portion of the ground glimmered, as a jade-like tree, shimmering like icy crystals emerged, towering skyward.

This was Sweet Osmanthus, a terrifying presence that safeguarded the Celestial Realm. Currently, she was at the peak of the Harmonization Realm, just a hair breadth away from Tier-6.

As for Metal Devourer mentioned by Osmanthus, it was a rare creature that had been captured during a trade between the Demon Court and the Titan Clan years ago.

Over the past decade, he had finally submitted and was now an Honorary Guest of the Demon Court.

“God-Devouring Rat…” murmuring to himself, Yu Zi Yu cast a deep, scrutinizing gaze at the peculiar little Black Rat in the distance, whose body was shimmering faintly with an eerie glow.

Race: God-Devouring Rat
Rank: Tier-4—Peak Half-Step Demigod

Innate Talent: God-Devouring — ‘The devourer of Heaven and Earth, I’m God Devourer.’ This talent allows it to consume mythical Godheads to enhance its physical strength. In the absence of Godheads, it can devour the Innate Talents and Principles of its enemies to grow stronger.

Unique Abilities:

Shadow Escape — Moves so swiftly that it leaves behind only a faint black shadow, which, upon closer inspection, reveals itself as merely an afterimage.

Extraction — It’s capable of devouring various Artifacts and extracting their essence to gain their powers or attributes.

Shadow Clones —  The God-Devouring Rat can split into nine shadow clones, each capable of launching simultaneous attacks.

Darkness Ball — It gathers an immense amount of Dark Energy into a black sphere, then exhales a single breath that can instantly consume half a continent.

Divine Ability: Godslayer (Dormant) —  A fearsome and unique ability, natural nemesis of Divine Spirits. The God-Devouring Rat is one of the few creatures capable of hunting Gods.

[What a terrifyingly gifted little creature! No wonder it managed to ascend to the Demigod Realm so quickly. And then there’s also the Divine Ability—Godslayer. It seems this creature is destined to be the nemesis of Divine Spirits.

Indeed, all things in creation have their counters. Even the most indomitable Gods have their nemesis.

Of course, this little one’s identity must remain concealed. The Divine Race is no trivial foe. If they were to learn of a God-Devouring Rat residing within the Demon Court, they might not immediately declare war, but they would certainly apply pressure, demanding its surrender. That would undoubtedly lead to complications.

Fortunately, there’s no need to worry for now. The God-Devouring Rat’s Divine Ability—Godslayer—has yet to awaken.

If my guess is correct, awakening Godslayer would likely require the act of killing a God.]

Speaking of Gods, the Demon Court had three residing Deities: the God of Orcs, the God of Dreams, both born of Elysia, and the third—a Moon Goddess—none other than Osmanthus. She was conferred the title of Moon Goddess by Yu Zi Yu himself through the power of the Heavenly Dao, granting her the authority of the Moon.

At this thought, Yu Zi Yu cast a playful glance at Osmanthus nearby.

[She likely had not realized that the little God-Devouring Rat poses a natural suppression to her powers. If she did, her tone of voice would hardly remain so calm.]

However, as another thought crossed his mind, Yu Zi Yu suddenly asked, “What is this little one’s relationship with Shadie?”

The Shadow Rat—Shadie, trained by Leng Feng, was the King of the Rat Clan and one of the earliest founding members of the Demon Court.

“Master, this little one is the only child of Shadie,” Osmanthus responded with a light chuckle.

Truly, one generation replaces the next.

In the blink of an eye, those of the same era as her now had children of their own.

And not only that, but their offspring were already growing into powerhouses in their own right.

Still, when it came to the prolific Rat Clan, such a rapid generational turnover was no surprise. After all, the Rat Clan’s reproduction rate far outstripped that of other species, belonging to an entirely different level.

Interestingly, the higher one’s Hierarchy of Life was, the lower their chances of producing offspring.

This explained why the Demigod Shadie only had this one descendant.

“I see…” Momentarily stunned, Yu Zi Yu was rendered speechless. He really had not expected for the God-Devouring Rat to be Shadie’s only child.

But after giving it a thought, Yu Zi Yu found it acceptable. After all, their abilities bore a 70–80% resemblance, almost as if carved from the same mold.

“Truly, like Father, like Son…” Yu Zi Yu’s figure gradually dissipated into the air.

At the same time, his voice echoed softly in Osmanthus’s ear, “In a few days, arrange for this little one to meet me alone. Also, compile a list of the most brilliant talents from recent years in the Demon Court—I’d like to take a look at them.”

“Understood, Master…” replied Osmanthus, her lips curving into a smile.

[Master hasn’t changed a bit, still caring deeply about nurturing talents.] With a faint sense of gratitude, she thought to herself. [With such a Master, no genius will ever be buried or overlooked.]

…

Meanwhile, atop a distant mountain peak…

“Master, my Father and Uncle Leng often talk about the Divine Tree. They say he is incredibly powerful. Do you know just how powerful he is?” A young and somewhat innocent voice echoed in the air, tinged with longing.

“Well…” Metal Devourer, deep in thought, showed a nostalgic expression. “The Divine Tree… I only caught glimpses of him a few times. But yes, he is incredibly powerful—far beyond imagination.”

Saying this, Metal Devourer suddenly smiled and added, “I’ve heard that the Divine Tree has returned. You might be able to meet him in a few days.”

“Really?”

“Of course! The Divine Tree loves nurturing talents. His Grace will surely come to see all of you…”