Minquan County. The fissure lake.

"Shen Cong, you've grown stronger." The milu lay soaking in the lake, gazing at Shen Cong with a distant look. It could feel quite clearly that the Activity waves coming off him gave away the fact that he was getting stronger.

"The method you gave me was right, sure enough."

"Then you should keep your promise too."

"Keeping our agreement is exactly why I came. The new government has reorganized the Chinese Empire now. I want to have another proper talk with you."

"About what?"

"Species."

"We humans have made a systematic analysis of the Earth's transformation," Shen Cong said. "Going by how animals, plants and humans are evolving, we've divided the life of the future into eight higher intelligent species—Primal Beasts, Fierce Beast Heroes, Titan Giants, Super-Powered Warriors, Tree Vajras, Armored Beasts, Colossi and Mechanists."

He left the milu a while to take that in, then went on. "I belong to the Mechanists. You'll be a Primal Beast. Our enemies are the Firestarter Spirits, and disasters we don't know about yet... Humanity plans to unite every higher intelligent creature, so I mean to invite you to join the new government. You'd be the leader of the Primal Beasts. How about it?"

The milu thought it over, its great head letting out a stream of bubbles.

It was a long time before it answered. "Are you the leader of the Mechanists?"

"The Mechanists have no leader. I'm only the strongest Mechanist, the strongest human, maybe the strongest evolved individual on land."

"Are there other Primal Beasts?"

"My two battle pets. They're my companions, and in time they'll evolve into Primal Beasts too." As he spoke, Shen Cong called over the four-legged dragon and Yellow Great-Immortal, who were playing some way off.

The four-legged dragon looked at the milu, felt that powerful particle-grade pressure, and put its scales up, baring its teeth in a posture of open challenge.

It had been with Shen Cong long enough that it wasn't afraid of anything huge, particle-grade or not.

Yellow Great-Immortal watched the milu warily, seeming to weigh up…