Laying a Foundation Stone for the Tower of Pet Beast Studies

Conjectures required speculation, but experiments required data even more.

Therefore, Jiang Xing used a projector to display documents, clearly presenting on the screen the data he had recorded while raising his school of Golden-Veined Koi and during the Dragon Gate Assembly.

That rigorous, elegant data became the strongest support for his speech.

"At the beginning, I was merely exploring the evolutionary forms of Golden-Veined Koi and uncovering the potential of this Pet Beast."

"However, as the experiment neared its end, I discovered a problem while compiling the statistics."

"Every Golden-Veined Koi involved in my recorded data had a docile personality... Clearly, that was not rigorous enough."

"As everyone knows, thoughts influence a Pet Beast's evolutionary direction, while personality is a key factor in determining thought. Therefore, I decided to extend the experimental process, seek out Golden-Veined Koi with other personalities, and supplement the data..."

As Jiang Xing played the PPT, he explained his experimental process and train of thought.

System Bro's little trick had been altered into, "I happened to overhear a mother and child chatting about the story of Carp Leaping Over the Dragon Gate..." and drawing inspiration from it.

Rather than arousing suspicion, this won the approval of many scholars.

The imagined scientific epiphany involved rigorous deduction, tireless thought, secluded Cultivation, and a sudden flash of inspiration...

Real scientific epiphanies involved an apple hitting one's head, cutting pizza, soaking in a bathtub, and watching a spinning plate...

What appeared to be absurd coincidences were actually moments of enlightenment, when accumulated knowledge and thought reached a certain point and inspiration burst forth.

Using this experiment and his encounter with the Fish King,

Jiang Xing soon introduced the attempt at Carp Leaping Over the Dragon Gate, Dr. Xu's guidance, his consideration of the Personality Conjecture, and the refinement of the related experiments...

There was no divine favor, no spoiler-guided line of thought—

Accompanied by rigorous experimental data, everyone seemed to follow his reasoning step by step, steadily completing [the Rainbow Dragon Cub Evolution Experiment] and [the Proof of the Personality Conjecture].

Finally, before irrefutable data, they reached a conclusion.

Namely—

A Brave personality was a necessary condition for Golden-Veined Koi to transform into dragons, rather than merely an influencing factor.

This proved that the Personality Conjecture was valid.

"Thought determines a Pet Beast's evolutionary direction, and personality is inseparably linked to thought."

"Whether thought determines personality or personality determines thought, this experiment has proven that personality is likewise an important condition for Pet Beast evolution!"

"By confirming this, not only can we include personality as an important factor when designing evolution plans, we can also say—"

"The Rainbow Dragon Cub is absolutely not the only one. In the future, there will certainly be many more Pet Beast evolutionary forms conditioned by personality, waiting for us to discover them!"

As they watched the young man speaking eloquently onstage,

the Breeders who did not follow the research route and instead specialized in cultivation could not help feeling stirred. It felt as though they were taking part in history.

Li Lingyin clenched her little fists, her excited face flushed red.

During her teacher's experiment, she had helped record data, feed Pet Beasts, and participate to the fullest.

Now, listening to her teacher's speech, a sense of pride rose naturally within her.

After all, even her father had never participated in a scientific research project like this!!

Well, in truth, Old Li had never participated in any research topic. His primary contribution to Dr. Xu's branch was providing inexpensive Pet Beasts to juniors from poor families, helping them save money...

That was why he had been so delighted when he learned that his daughter had become an assistant at the research institute.

Compared to those outsiders who did not really understand but had simply come to join the excitement,

the Pet Beast Scholars from the various research institutes were the ones truly shaken.

They could practically hear the wheels of history rolling forward—

Just moments ago,

the skyscraper of Pet Beast Studies had received a new foundation stone, personally laid by this young man!

Among them, Dr. Al was the most wistful and gratified.

The Personality Conjecture was one he had proposed in his youth. It had originally possessed sound reasoning and some obvious evidence, and he had thought it would quickly gain recognition and become another theory in Pet Beast Studies...

However, the Pet Beast used as evidence was later proven not to require personality as a factor. Pet Beasts of any personality could complete the evolution, making it impossible to determine the role personality played in it. The evidence was not rigorous enough, and so the theory had been set aside...

It had remained shelved for decades—

There were simply too many evolution theories in the Pet Beast field: [Heart Selection Theory], [Environment Theory], [Interference Theory], [Move Theory], [Combination Theory], [Item Theory], [Heredity Theory]...

Every theory could give rise to countless conjectures and become an important condition for Pet Beast evolution.

When the situation was unclear, most researchers would not stubbornly focus on a single conjecture...

After all, cultivation required funding. Not every scholar could casually apply for funding for all their research topics; at the very least, they needed national recognition.

Dr. Al was the same. He was advancing quite a few Pet Beast research topics at once, and with limited energy, he could not devote too much time to one conjecture.

As a result, the Personality Conjecture had been shelved for too long, even faintly becoming a source of distress for Dr. Al.

Now, that source of distress had finally been erased.

"What a pity he's Old Xu's student. Otherwise, I could have taken in a final disciple."

Just as Dr. Al was sighing to himself,

Jiang Xing finished proving the Personality Conjecture and turned off the projector, yet he did not step down. Instead, he continued speaking.

"I feel deeply honored to have completed Dr. Al's Personality Conjecture."

"However, just as my teacher once said, completing a major research topic as a researcher cannot erase my curiosity."

"I could not help but wonder—"

"Why can personality become an evolutionary condition? What elements does it contain?"

"Besides personality, could [Emotion], which is likewise closely tied to thought yet intangible and elusive, also be an undiscovered evolutionary condition?"

"Beyond the many known theories such as Heart Selection, environment, and items, might there be other mysterious elements that we have yet to discover?"

"Could the [Quasi-God Species], or even [Mythical Species], regarded as the endpoint of evolution, still undergo a 'Super Evolution' that transcends their limits?"

"The more I consider these questions, the more keenly I feel the shallowness of my own knowledge."

"I will continue working hard. I hope that one day, I can find the answers to these questions alongside everyone here."

"That concludes my speech. Thank you, everyone."

After saying that, Jiang Xing walked down from the podium.

The lecture hall fell completely silent, without a single sound.

Everyone was immersed in his speech, involuntarily considering the questions he had raised.

Only when Dr. Al stood up and began clapping did they react.

As one scholar after another rose to their feet, the sparse applause gradually grew louder, echoing through the entire lecture hall like a torrential downpour!

At that moment, the Evolution Assembly came to a complete close, and there was no longer the slightest suspense over who would receive the Best Achievement Award.

Indeed, it was not Jiang Xing who had the honor of receiving an award from the Magic City Evolution Assembly...

Rather, the assembly itself became incomparably honored by the release of Jiang Xing's achievement!