Xu Zhi was momentarily stunned.
An insectoid hero?
Shouldn't they only emerge among hundreds of billions of spore evolutions scattered on massive planets? How could one possibly appear so soon within his tiny sandbox?
Had he just hit the lottery—winning against astronomically impossible odds?
Xu Zhi felt his pulse quicken.
Insectoid heroes were legendary among evolutionary possibilities—mutations unique in the long history of insectoid evolution, the pinnacle of biological existence.
However, the hive mind explained, "The exact situation is unclear. It resembles an insectoid hero, yet remains significantly different."
Previously, the insectoid civilization followed a path of pure technology. Their insectoid heroes were technology-based—biological beings who evolved extremely powerful brains capable of computational power rivaling entire planets. Each one could control vast fleets of starships single-handedly, modifying their own genome at will, evolving into terrifying biomechanical weapons.
But Xu Zhi's civilization was fundamentally different.
He chose a path of supernatural evolution instead of technological. Naturally, this took far longer to yield results. Had he chosen the path of technology, evolved super-intelligent brains, and rapidly developed tech, he could have already conquered Earth and reached outer space within mere weeks, rather than slowly idling as he did now.
Xu Zhi shook his head. "The technological route may be fast initially, but its long-term potential is inferior to the path of supernatural evolution."
The previous insectoid queen had already proved this point. She'd failed, regretting that path, realizing too late that it had been a grave evolutionary mistake.
As the new insectoid emperor, Xu Zhi was determined to lead his species along the correct path—the supernatural path. He would create a vibrant civilization of boundless supernatural potential.
The hive mind elaborated, "The organism currently before you has survived extreme heat—a condition deadly to normal creatures. On the verge of death, it triggered latent evolutionary potential, becoming the first supernatural being capable of surviving flames. This unique evolution is unprecedented in the database. However, it remains far weaker than a traditional insectoid hero, as it cannot alter its own genome. Therefore, it should be categorized as a pseudo-insectoid hero."
Xu Zhi was intrigued.
This player had actually survived the oven!
"This thing couldn't even be killed by my oven?" Xu Zhi smiled with excitement. True insectoid heroes were exceedingly rare—having even a pseudo version appear was already an incredible surprise.
If drawing cards from a gacha game, true insectoid heroes would undoubtedly be "SSS" grade—limitless in potential due to self-adjustable genomes. This pseudo-hero before him would at least qualify as an "S" grade—still leagues above ordinary organisms despite its genetic immutability.
"A pleasant surprise," Xu Zhi mused aloud.
After previously punishing those players—especially AutumnMountainSpeed—for their audacious rebellion, Xu Zhi no longer felt like fooling around with them. The larger sandbox world required his full attention; he was eager to test the abilities of his new species.
An announcement suddenly appeared in-game:
"Urgent maintenance commencing. Server shutting down in three seconds!"
Inside the oven, Chen Wenshan—AutumnMountainSpeed—was marveling that he had somehow survived. Before he could even examine himself further, everything turned black. The entire sandbox immediately went offline.
"What, again?"
Countless players groaned in frustration, loudly complaining. Who ever heard of a major system maintenance during the very first day of a beta test?
Xu Zhi paid them no attention, calmly slipping on oven mitts. Opening the oven, he saw a beautiful fiery bird nestled quietly at the center of his lunchbox.
With the player's consciousness forcibly logged out, this evolved creature was naturally claimed by Xu Zhi himself—a shameless but practical theft of evolution.
"Wait, this looks exactly like a phoenix from legend!" Xu Zhi was astonished. He quickly accessed the hive mind's database for detailed genetic characteristics:
Species Traits:
Fire Manipulation
Toxic Flames
Fire Immunity
Nirvana Rebirth (pseudo-immortality)
(Note: Genome unalterable; unique life form.)
It lacked a truly unlimited potential, since its genetic chain couldn't be adjusted. Xu Zhi was not surprised by this; instead, he focused keenly on "Nirvana Rebirth."
"Rebirth through fire… Does this imply immortality?" Xu Zhi was shocked. "Even the previous insectoid queen couldn't attain true immortality. Has this creature actually done it?"
Upon closer inspection, however, he realized it wasn't true immortality. Rather, it was a unique form of continued life:
Each time the creature was on the brink of death, it would revert into an egg, from which its offspring would hatch—effectively inheriting its predecessor's body. It wasn't true immortality but a continuous lineage passing down the same body through generations.
"One body for all descendants," Xu Zhi marveled, thoroughly amazed at this lifeform's ingenious evolutionary strategy. "It's unfortunate this powerful, unique being cannot be mass-produced."
Insectoid heroes were always unique, solitary existences.
"I certainly didn't expect heating my lunch in an oven to produce a phoenix," Xu Zhi laughed. "Looks like things are about to get quite interesting in the wizard civilization."
Holding the fiery phoenix in one hand, about the size of a beetle, Xu Zhi admired its beauty. Its vivid plumage was stunning—he simply couldn't stop marveling at its magnificence.
It was truly spectacular, a breathtaking supernatural creature born entirely out of an oven's intense heat environment.
After carefully studying the phoenix for about ten minutes, Xu Zhi finally set it down. Next, he turned his attention to the original species that had given rise to the phoenix—the toxic chicken, the "Death-delivering Chicken." Several of these fire-red, poison-feathered birds still lay roasted in the lunchbox.
Although he now possessed the unique phoenix, testing the original species' toxicity was still essential.
Using chopsticks, he picked up a small chicken and took a cautious bite.
"Delicious!"
Flavor exploded across his taste buds, tender and juicy beyond belief.
In order to bait Xu Zhi into eating them, AutumnMountainSpeed had intentionally evolved his species to taste heavenly—much like the poisonous yet delicious pufferfish. It was irresistibly delectable despite its deadly toxin.
Xu Zhi couldn't help devouring several more rapidly. "This species is too tasty! After Chen Xi leaves, I might just cook for myself every day, feasting on these tasty birds... By the way, hive mind, what's the result of the toxin analysis?"
The hive mind responded immediately: "Extremely potent. Even supernatural beings consuming it would instantly perish."
"They would actually die?" Xu Zhi's eyes lit up with excitement. The harvest had exceeded all expectations—such wonderful surprises today!
Indeed, the tastiest delicacies were often the deadliest.
He felt like he had suddenly struck gold: a new supernatural bird species, incredibly delicious yet deadly toxic, plus a pseudo-insectoid hero—a phoenix.
This fiery phoenix represented his very first high-level insectoid subordinate.
It was a step toward transcendence. Although only a pseudo-hero, Xu Zhi was thrilled with this result. Neither Gilgamesh nor the Three Witches had reached this height of biological transcendence—bound by limited lifespans, they died mortal deaths. Yet this newborn phoenix had already surpassed that limitation.
Previously, he worried his facade as the Wisdom God Hermes would eventually be exposed. But now, he had another genuine supernatural being—his second god of fire already available.
"It's time to introduce this new species into the main sandbox: the phoenix and its poison-chicken companions."
Xu Zhi carefully moved to the edge of the main sandbox world.
Usually, introducing new species discreetly was difficult. Entering the sandbox as a giant risked panic and exposure. The last time he introduced the Evil Eye was immediately after the Great Flood, secretly reshaping the marshlands with no one noticing.
But currently, sneaking into the Babylonian world undetected was almost impossible.
"But this species can fly. I don't need to enter directly—I can simply throw them in from above without fearing they'll die on impact."
Xu Zhi grasped the phoenix and several poisonous chickens, gently tossing them toward the main sandbox. "Phoenix, as my first true subordinate, awaken your intelligence quickly. A glorious destiny awaits you."
Fluttering gracefully, the birds descended from the sky, landing softly within lush forests.
Screech—!!
With a loud phoenix cry, flames erupted from its wings, scorching vast regions instantly. Within seconds (which represented several days in the sandbox), the dense forest rapidly withered, trees turned to ash, and lush greenery became a desolate desert.
Yet among millions of dead trees, one great tree survived. By luck and evolutionary pressure, it became resistant to fire. Drawn to its resilience, the phoenix chose this immense tree as its nesting home, watering it daily with its magical blood.
From this day forward, this uniquely resilient tree became known as the first Wutong Tree—the phoenix's immortal resting place.