Ascended species were not impossible to buy and sell.
Of course, that required the ascended civilization they belonged to being gone. Otherwise, it would draw that civilization's wrath 100% of the time.
But ascended civilizations did not exist forever, either.
Failure at a higher level of ascension, wars between ascended civilizations, cosmic disasters...
There were always all kinds of reasons why some unlucky fellows lost their civilizations.
These ascended species happened to be stuck in an awkward state—too high to be low, too low to be high.
In the "ascension circle," they were basically fallen aristocrats. They no longer had the status for it.
But asking them to evolve another civilization and ascend successfully was another matter. They lacked the perseverance, and might not even have the ability.
Under such circumstances, these ascended species would even take the initiative to contact certain cosmic black-market organizations, seeking to sell themselves—or, to put it another way, seeking employment.
Ascended civilizations of the same tier mostly looked down on them. After all, they had their own ascension genes; there was no need to engage in hybridization for no reason.
Meanwhile, civilizations at the peak of Tier Three that displayed enormous ascension potential were the promising stocks they favored.
As long as they followed those civilizations through a period of "hard times," once the civilization ascended successfully, they could trade up and become ascended species once more.
Tier Three civilizations were also usually quite willing to accept ascended species and acquire some precious ascension experience and technology.
So in theory, it was not a problem for the Legion civilization to accept several ascended species.
As long as they had the right channels, they would definitely find someone suitable.
But even beyond that, Gao Gong's requirements were somewhat higher.
A national-treasure-level Tier Four biologist had