Life's Death

After waiting so long, Xu Zhi finally began integrating his first gene.

He skipped Gilgamesh's gene. He did not want that kind of Brute Force. Though powerful—far stronger than the witches' current strength—it was rather one-dimensional and not very practical.

Witchcraft was different. He had always looked forward to this strange spiritual power.

Especially the Evil Eye's unique charm ability, which would be extremely useful in modern society.

He clearly understood that the witches' current strength was far inferior to Gilgamesh's, but their potential for diverse future development far surpassed his.

The Insect Nest Sub-Brain transmitted a mechanical voice. "Integrate the Evil Eye Gene?"

"Yes!"

Xu Zhi took a deep breath, his expression solemn.

The Insect Nest Sub-Brain transmitted a mechanical voice. "Fusion in progress. Please prepare yourself!"

Without hesitation, Xu Zhi returned to his bed and immediately felt an agonizing, tearing pain.

That Sand Sculpture Player, Mount Akina Speed, might really have rendered a great service!

He had evolved an Evil Eye creature in the sandbox. The Evil Eye became the foundation of the extraordinary wizard civilization, and based on the Evil Eye Gene, the witches developed all sorts of witchcraft and spiritual meditation methods.

It could even become Circe, the witch who governed chaos and curses—a tentacled self-comforting aid with countless uses.

And now, Xu Zhi had integrated this Evil Eye Gene into himself as well.

Mount Akina Speed had indeed opened up a brand-new era of civilization. Xu Zhi was already considering crossing out one entry from the little notebook where he kept track of that Sand Sculpture Player's offenses against him.

It succeeded.

A full half hour later, Xu Zhi silently rose to his feet. His spiritual power had become extraordinarily strong, though also somewhat violent.

The gene chain was brought up:

1. Human Gene (Cancer Cell)
2. Evil Eye Gene
3. Empty
4. Empty
5. Empty

"Is this the Evil Eye's side effect? It makes people unable to resist dark emotions."

Xu Zhi silently steadied his mind, feeling a little troubled. Dark thoughts kept surfacing within him—killing, doing evil, wanting to indulge himself and vent.

He somewhat understood Circe's feelings now.

A fierce fire rose in his lower abdomen. It felt as though he would lose control at the sight of any female.

Then Xu Zhi calmed himself and began practicing the meditation method they had created.

Wizard's Elementary Meditation and Introduction.

He crossed his legs and sat quietly on the bed, breathing deeply as he entered a meditative state and tried to sense his spiritual power. Yet after fumbling around for quite a while and failing several times, he did not succeed even once.

He had no idea why he was failing and could only suffer in silence!

What was he supposed to do? Without a wizard to teach him, he could not learn it.

The other newborn witches, after surviving the witch ritual, were personally taught by the Three Witches. He could only grope his way forward alone. He did not dare enter the sandbox and ask the Three Witches either, leaving him helpless and bitterly amused.

"I can only learn by stealing."

After that, he gritted his teeth and studied for most of the day before he barely managed to find his way in.

After practicing, he discovered that the spiritual energy from three terrifying mass extinctions and the deaths of countless creatures had made his spiritual power terrifyingly immense. His foundation was simply too good. He felt as though he was advancing by leaps and bounds every day.

"At this rate, in less than three days, I'll probably reach the wizard apprentice rank they classified and be able to learn the simplest witchcraft."

As he silently sensed it, he finally breathed a sigh of relief, joy rising quietly in his heart. "Before long, I'll truly become a wizard—the first wizard in reality!"

In reality, ordinary human bodies could not practice cultivation.

After all, they lacked the corresponding genes. Only because Xu Zhi had integrated the specially evolved Evil Eye Gene could he embark on this path.

Now, the Sandbox World was like a White Mouse, exploring the path of extraordinary cultivation for this farmer tending crops in his orchard. Once they succeeded in blazing a trail, he only needed to follow along and cultivate.

How powerful he would become remained unknown, but his future was destined to be brilliant.

"There has never been a cultivation system or extraordinary power on Earth. Then, step by step, I shall deduce one here in the Orchard Courtyard." Xu Zhi smiled, appearing very calm.

He organized his thoughts and grand development plan. "Next, I need to take this opportunity to introduce some extraordinary species and thoroughly perfect the wizard civilization of the Sandbox World."

A single Big Eye Monster from the Sand Sculpture Player Mount Akina Speed had already produced so many surprises. What would happen when other extraordinary species appeared? He was greatly looking forward to it.

Early the next morning, at six o'clock, Xu Zhi took a look at the Great Sandbox. More than fifty years had passed inside again, and many events had erupted within the sandbox, leaving his expression somewhat strange and complicated.

Year 146 of the Babylon Kingdom.

The two Babylon Guardian Gods discovered traces of Circe's Evil Church deep within the Balchik Mountain Range. The entire nation mobilized and attacked Circe, attempting to eradicate her. After the great battle, both sides suffered severe losses.

Year 154 of the Babylon Kingdom.

Cassandra's ecstatic voice rang out from the Babylon King's Hall and drifted across mountains and rivers.

"So that's how it is! So that's how it is!! This is the wondrous reaction of fusion and equivalent exchange. This is truth! One substance pleases another, one substance restrains another, one substance rules another!"

Spring Witch Cassandra, who governed the medicines and refinement of mysticism, led the Babylon Court Wizards in finally researching many medicinal principles, giving rise to the initial prototype of alchemy.

She developed a "Compatible Witch Potion" that could greatly reduce the rejection between the Evil Eye Gene and humans, lowering the mortality rate and creating more witches. The Babylon Kingdom thus entered a complete explosion of witches, an era known to history as the Witch Golden Age.

Year 167 of the Babylon Kingdom.

The Second Witch heard news of Circe's whereabouts and went to hunt her down, but returned empty-handed.

That same year, the two witches began showing signs of aging, and both were shocked.

Year 171 of the Babylon Kingdom.

Cassandra, following the records in Genesis of the Ancient History, successfully recreated the Longevity Potion Gilgamesh had ordered developed, thus extending her lifespan.

Year 198 of the Babylon Kingdom.

The two great witches could no longer withstand the ravages of time. Having lived for two hundred and forty-three years, they were now on the verge of death.

The grand and magnificent Babylon King's Hall.

Upon the vast Flat Stone Plaza, pale golden sunlight streamed down. Two black carriages drawn by fierce, majestic Ala Giant Beasts came to a halt, and from them descended two stunning women holding ancient staffs. They remained young and beautiful, unchanged from their former days.

It was youth preserved through witchcraft, yet it could not spare them from the fate of death.

The grand and magnificent Flat Stone Plaza was a temple built by the Babylon Kingdom to commemorate the great God of Wisdom Hermes. Its statue depicted a magnificent, perfect faceless man, with a black Three-Eyed Raven perched upon his shoulder as it gazed into the distance.

Beside it stood ancient stone walls recording history.

The great Mercury, a god from the heavens, had taken the form of a strange black three-eyed crow and conversed with the people of the earth, bestowing upon the Babylonians three forms of wisdom: meditation, witchcraft, and alchemy. The God of Wisdom was later known as the threefold great Hermes, Thoth, God Mercury.

"Great God of Wisdom Mercury, we have come to see you again."

Before the temple, the two legendary witches who had opened an era were nearing death. Tears welled in their eyes as they stopped in their tracks.