Merfolk

Because the biological pods Lu Zhiyu had previously manufactured were so effective, he returned to Earth to order another batch. They finally arrived four days later, and after retrieving them, Lu Zhiyu finished assembling them all.

Lu Zhiyu's laboratory underwent a massive transformation once again. With rows of biological pods, various medical instruments, biological template diagrams, and numbered genetic specimens in freezing chambers, it truly began to resemble an alien laboratory.

Lu Zhiyu kept the mythical body of Sakun in a small biological pod, forbidding the Ant-Men from approaching. Although it had lost consciousness and was left with only bodily instincts—unable to even twitch—the thing remained incredibly dangerous. However, in another large biological pod, there was another beautiful creature.

This was the result of Lu Zhiyu's experiments over the past few days. Inside the large biological pod was a beautiful woman with sky-blue hair reaching down to her waist, while below her waist was a slender, two-meter-long fish tail.

She possessed the features of a goddess; her delicate facial features carried a pure and moving quality. Her long eyelashes fluttered slightly, as if she might wake at any moment. This was a Merfolk. Below her cheeks were two blue lines that looked like tattoos—those were gills that allowed them to live underwater!

"As expected, as long as one does not resist the primal consciousness in their will, an assimilation effect will occur!"

Sakun was the type to cast a wide net; he had no idea how many marine creatures' bodies his Deified Cells had exploded along the way before he finally created the current Children of the Sea God. Only after repeated attempts did Lu Zhiyu confirm his hypothesis.

Using a human template combined with fish genes and fused with the Blood of Sakun, the first mythical creature descendant he created could, in a sense, be considered a divine offspring. Although Lu Zhiyu felt that being a descendant of Sakun was a bit "low" and not exactly high-end or sophisticated, to ordinary people, Sakun was an undeniable mythical creature, a god-like existence!

Regardless, it was a true transcendent life form—the first, or rather, it should be the first transcendent intelligent life form to be born.

Lu Zhiyu circled the Merfolk, critiquing her and nodding at the perfect form he had sculpted for his life template: "I really do have a bit of an artistic streak. With them, this world finally has a bit of a magical flavor. Just banging swords together in melee combat is not grand at all!"

Just then, the Merfolk soaking in the nutrient solution of the biological pod suddenly opened her eyes and looked at Lu Zhiyu, giving him a huge fright: "What's going on? Wasn't an anesthetic injected? No, she just fused with the Blood of Sakun; the anesthetic definitely wouldn't work on her!"

The newly awakened Merfolk, covered in tubes, opened her lively eyes and looked curiously at the outside. Like a newborn, she observed the world outside, as well as Lu Zhiyu.

"Ying ying!" She chirped like an infant inside the biological pod, pressing her hands against the glass wall, her large eyes staring at Lu Zhiyu outside, making him feel completely uncomfortable!

Lu Zhiyu locked eyes with her, which left him at a loss. This was the first time he had stood outside a biological pod and stared at an intelligent creature like this; it felt incredibly awkward!

Lu Zhiyu immediately activated his dream control ability. With a gentle wave of his hand, he watched as the Merfolk slowly closed her eyes and drifted back into dreamland. Afterward, Lu Zhiyu manufactured a dozen more Merfolk. Only after consuming about half of Sakun's Deified Cells did he stop.

From embryo to full growth, the Merfolk developed entirely within the biological pods. As long as Lu Zhiyu provided enough nutrient solution, he could supply the nourishment they needed to grow from infancy to maturity.

Especially after injecting the Blood of Sakun, Lu Zhiyu activated his dream control ability to guide their instinctual consciousness not to resist. The power of the Deified Cells could rapidly accelerate their growth from infancy to maturity within a few days!

The laboratory was suddenly filled with over a dozen Merfolk, all with their eyes closed, hooked up to tubes, and floating in the cold biological pods. The entire laboratory was filled with an evil aura, and Lu Zhiyu, wearing a white lab coat, looked just like a legendary doctor conducting wicked experiments!

Lu Zhiyu found his own association amusing: "I feel like I should count as a protagonist, at the very least!"

Lu Zhiyu walked up to each Merfolk to check their physical condition, health status, and the fusion progress of the Deified Cells, looking for any signs of rejection or backlash.

"Number 2 is in good health, Deified Cell fusion rate is 42 percent, ability is, hmm, it should be fire control!"

"..."

"Number 5 is in good health, Deified Cell fusion rate is 37 percent, ability should be charm sound waves!"

Although the Merfolk Lu Zhiyu created inherited Sakun's abilities, they did not inherit them completely. It mainly depended on which part of the abilities they inherited or awakened when fusing with the Blood of Sakun.

Some could control fire, some could control ice, some could control the ocean and water, and others might possess Sakun's mental abilities, combined with the Merfolk race's stunning beauty and singing voice to form a charm skill!

Among them, Number 1 had the highest Deified Cell fusion rate, reaching 70 percent. The Blood of Sakun ability she mastered was the most powerful, and she had mastered almost all of Sakun's abilities. She possessed all the temperature-related powers, though her range of influence could not compare to Sakun's.

Sakun could evaporate hundreds of meters of seawater with a wave of his hand or freeze it solid, while she could only influence twenty or thirty meters at most after training and cultivation.

After observing the physical data and Deified Cell fusion status of these Merfolk, Lu Zhiyu released them onto the Water Vortex Continent, into the inland saltwater lake connected to the ocean.

This was the territory Lu Zhiyu had allocated for this intelligent race. From this moment on, the Water Vortex Continent belonged to the Merfolk race, the first transcendent intelligent creatures born in Maria World!

After Lu Zhiyu lifted the consciousness blockade, the Merfolk immediately opened their eyes and swam out from the bottom of the water. One by one, they surfaced and looked out over the water; this was their first time seeing Maria World.

Above the clear sky were fluffy white clouds, a vast and boundless lake, and dense forests in the distance. Sea birds flew across the sky from time to time. Like a group of newborns, they examined the outside world, filled with curiosity about everything.

Only Number 1 looked around in confusion. This world was different from what she had seen before. Where had that strange guy who was watching her from outside that strange box gone?

However, she immediately cast this thought to the back of her mind. By comparison, the outside world held a greater attraction for them—the colorful, vibrant Maria World, the fresh air, and the vast expanse of water.

They frolicked in the water like a group of sprites, rolling and leaping beneath the surface, following the lake as they swam toward the distance. The entire tribe moved forward together toward the horizon!