Greedy Mouth

Having made up his mind, Zhou Yao stopped dwelling on it.

He took the Golden Toad's Mouth from the wooden box and opened Yellow Wind Little Sage's panel.

A message popped up under the Talent section.

[Consume 200 Mythic Factors + the Mythic Material Golden Toad's Mouth to load a new talent?]

[Notice: The traits of the Mythic Material are related to the new talent, but they will be adjusted according to the avatar's compatibility. If the traits of the Mythic Material differ too greatly from those of the avatar, irreversible consequences may result.]

[Current adjustment value: 20% (fairly compatible)]

Zhou Yao froze for a moment, then delight appeared on his face.

For a Mythic Walker at the Scavenger rank, advancement was not as simple as finding any Mythic Trait at random.

Based on the first trait a Mythic Walker had assimilated, they needed to find compatible traits in order to gradually bring their own traits closer to perfection.

Xie An, the owner of Fortune Shop, had assimilated White Impermanence's tall hat, then attempted to accommodate a fortune-related Mythic Trait. The result was that the fortune Mythic Trait differed too greatly from his first trait, and the backlash had left him unable to advance for a long time.

Moreover, Mythic Traits of the same attribute were not necessarily compatible.

Take Pond Dragon King and Lake Dragon King. Though both were theoretically dragon-type traits, Pond Dragon King was merely a minor demon that gathered incense offerings, while Lake Dragon King was an orthodox deity appointed by the Dragon Palace, possessing the rank of a Dragon Lord. The two simply could not coexist.

It could be said that compatibility between Mythic Traits was an extremely complex system.

Precisely because Scavengers faced restrictions when assimilating mythic traits, the various factions had spent a long time researching and deducing, exhausting enormous manpower, material resources, and wealth before finally creating the Mythic System Diagram.

A complete Mythic System Diagram listed Mythic Traits that were compatible with one another. As long as a Mythic Walker found the corresponding traits, they could follow the Mythic System Diagram's guidance to perfect all five traits.

It was said that behind every Mythic System Diagram stood an existence preserved within mythology. The process of perfecting one's Mythic Traits according to the diagram was one of following in the footsteps of that mythic existence.

Without a Mythic System Diagram, even if one luckily assimilated five Mythic Traits, one might not necessarily achieve perfection.

Such Mythic Walkers could at most be called Scavenger Fifth Rank. Not only would they lose the qualifications to advance to the next rank, their strength would also fall far short of a Scavenger Perfection powerhouse.

"Since the panel can see the compatibility between Mythic Materials and can also adjust the avatar to a certain extent, there is no need to worry about the dangers of lacking a Mythology Diagram.

"This is an absolutely enormous advantage for me!"

With that thought, all hesitation vanished from Zhou Yao's heart.

[Load talent!]

In that instant, the number of Mythic Factors on the interface began to plummet. All 202 Mythic Factors were consumed at a visible speed, transforming into sparkling golden motes of light.

Those motes emerged from the void and gathered toward Yellow Wind Little Sage's body. At the same time, the Mythic Material, Golden Toad's Mouth, began to radiate a dazzling glow. It gradually became transparent and insubstantial, as though some force were breaking it down.

The essential power of the Mythic Factors intertwined and fused with that of the Golden Toad's Mouth, entering Yellow Wind Little Sage's body together. Every mote carried information and power from Lost Mythology, reshaping the essence of this avatar.

The advancement had officially begun!

The surrounding air began to ripple, and wisps of golden windblown sand emerged from the void, circling Yellow Wind Little Sage.

Zhou Yao knew this was the wind art stirred up during the advancement process, and also the manifestation of Inner Threefold Samadhi within the talent.

Wind and sand swirled around Yellow Wind Little Sage's transforming body, accelerating faster and faster. At first, it was only a gentle breeze brushing past, but then the wind abruptly intensified. The sand swiftly gathered and condensed into a golden dust tornado.

The tornado formed in the center of the living room, its diameter expanding continuously—from half a meter to one meter, then two.

Teacups slid across the table, curtains were sucked taut, and even the picture frames mounted on the walls began to shake. Objects caught in the tornado spun and danced through the storm, producing bursts of shattering noise.

Zhou Yao's expression changed sharply, and he sprang up from the sofa.

He had never imagined that merely assimilating a second Mythic Trait would cause such a tremendous disturbance.

Though it was currently confined within the room, if he allowed the spell fluctuations to spread outward, it would be no different from lighting a torch in the dead of night. The Yinshan Investigation Branch might very well come investigating.

Once he entered the Yinshan Investigation Branch's sights, he would lose the advantage of hiding in the shadows, bringing danger to a whole series of subsequent actions.

Zhou Yao's thoughts raced at high speed, and he even began considering whether to forcibly interrupt this advancement process.

But at that very moment, another change arose!

Within the gathering radiance, two gleaming white buck teeth suddenly appeared.

The huge mouth bearing those buck teeth opened to an absurd extent and swallowed the nearly formed dust tornado in a single bite.

The wind-and-sand tornado vanished in an instant, along with the miscellaneous objects caught within the dust.

The previously violent fluctuations of magical power immediately subsided, and everything was as if it had never happened.

The advancement was complete!

Zhou Yao looked toward the gradually fading golden radiance, within which Yellow Wind Little Sage's new appearance was revealed.

Yellow Wind Little Sage's body remained palm-sized, but its overall proportions had changed drastically. Its formerly slender body had become more compact and round, its curves no longer sleek and elegant but filled with an adorably plump air.

Most eye-catching of all were its two bulging cheeks, as if stuffed full of food. Two white buck teeth protruded from its slightly open mouth, adding a touch of comicality to that adorable face.

If Yellow Wind Little Sage had previously resembled a slender ferret-rat with thin limbs, then Yellow Wind Little Sage, having unlocked its second talent, now looked more like a round, lovable hamster.

But after what had just happened, Zhou Yao was certain that Yellow Wind Little Sage's transformation was absolutely not as harmless as its appearance suggested.

As his gaze focused, Yellow Wind Little Sage's panel appeared before Zhou Yao.

[Avatar: Yellow Wind Little Sage]

[Rank: Scavenger]

[Fate: Great Sage, Great Thief (Comprehension Progress 0.18%)]

[Talents: Inner Threefold Samadhi (False God Ember), Greedy Mouth (Spiritual Dust)]

[Spells: Flying Sand and Rolling Stones, Square-Inch Artifact Refinement Art]

Greedy Mouth: It could seek traces of fortune. Its mouth contained a pocket space capable of holding all things between heaven and earth. Yet Greedy Mouth coveted only treasures; living beings, miscellaneous items, and scrap could not enter it.

(The bloodline remnant of the Wealth God Golden Toad. Golden Toads were born able to swallow money and treasures, their bellies bottomless, yet this also brought them fatal disaster. Wealth was easy to obtain, but fortune was hard to seek!)