Evolution Itself Is a Kind of Enjoyment

After Worldmind spent several days connecting Nova Energy to the warship, Zhan Liu ordered everyone to regroup, activated the spatial jump, and set sail for Sovereign.

He had never forgotten how Sovereign’s drones had attacked him for no reason, forcing him to fly through the void for two days. If he didn’t go there and teach them a lesson, he wouldn’t be able to get it out of his head.

The situation had reached this point because of many contributing factors. It was the result of multiple causes.

It was all because those drone pilots had gotten trigger-happy. If they hadn’t fired at Zhan Liu’s spaceship, none of what happened afterward would have occurred.

Actually, the two sides had merely passed each other at the time. The window had been extremely brief, and the drones had only had time to launch a casual attack before moving on. But as luck would have it, that shot hit the engine and caused Zhan Liu’s spaceship to lose power.

If the attackers hadn’t been drones, Zhan Liu would have killed the pilots on the spot and let off steam. He wouldn’t have gone all the way to Sovereign just to kill them.

But looking at it the other way, if those fighters hadn’t been drones and had instead been piloted by real people, their pilots might not have recklessly provoked the "wild monster" by the roadside. They would probably have been much more cautious.

Multiple causes had led to the current outcome. Sovereign was doomed.

After the spaceship set sail, with Zhan Liu’s approval, Worldmind took control of the warship’s main computer. Then it began promoting itself throughout the warship and recruiting new candidates for the Nova Corps.

Some people treated the opportunity as worthless, while others couldn’t obtain it even by begging.

Things that Zhan Liu and Valkyrie didn’t care for were highly coveted by others.

Although they could use spatial jumps, the journey to Sovereign was still a long one, and the spaceship would be traveling for quite some time. During those endless days, everyone was idle anyway, so improving their strength would certainly be beneficial. Thus, visitors constantly came to the great hall where Worldmind’s server was located.

"I’m sorry, Miss Nebula, but you don’t meet the Nova Corps’ selection criteria." Worldmind’s cold voice echoed through the spacious great hall.

"Why not?" Nebula flew into a rage. "Valkyrie can do it, so why can’t I?"

Valkyrie had been the first person to become a Nova Corps warrior, and she had started as a Centurion Director, a rank even higher than Centurion. In fact, if she was willing to take responsibility for rebuilding Xandar, she could have become its new queen.

When Valkyrie received the energy infusion, she hadn’t avoided the others. She had completed the process in the great hall under everyone’s watchful eyes. After becoming a Nova warrior, Valkyrie had gotten itchy for a fight and wanted to spar with the other experts.

Nebula and Gamora had joined forces against Valkyrie, but the current Valkyrie’s strength had skyrocketed. With only a small test of her abilities, she had easily defeated them both.

Of course, Zhan Liu still didn’t care about that level of strength. What he cared about instead was that after becoming a Nova warrior, Valkyrie could use the Nova Corps battle suit to move freely through the cosmos. If the spaceship broke down again next time, he wouldn’t have to carry it while flying.

It was also because Valkyrie had inspired her that Nebula had come to Worldmind without hesitation, hoping to obtain this power as well.

Nebula was serious about pursuing strength.

She was certain that as long as she obtained Nova Energy, she could easily defeat her sister Gamora and completely break the curse of always being suppressed by her.

But no matter how carefully she had calculated, she had never expected Worldmind to reject her.

"Miss Nebula, Nova Energy demands not only physical fitness from a warrior but also the right state of mind. If someone whose temperament is unsuitable forces themselves to use Nova Energy, it can lead to disastrous consequences. Unfortunately, I don’t believe your temperament is capable of accepting Nova Energy."

"What?" Nebula trembled with rage. She paced around several times and panted for a long while before resolutely saying, "If you give me Nova Energy, I can promise to help you rebuild Xandar."

"I am the most suitable candidate. Half my body is mechanical, so receiving your data will be no problem!"

However, her little scheme could not fool Worldmind at all. He remained completely unmoved.

"Xandar’s reconstruction will naturally be handled by a suitable candidate. That person simply isn’t you."

Nebula left angrily without achieving her goal. As she was leaving the floor, she encountered Gamora, who had come for the same purpose, at the corner.

"Hmph, Gamora, you betrayed Thanos. He won’t let you off!"

"You did too, Nebula."

Nebula had barely thrown out her threat before Gamora sent it right back at her. Nebula’s expression shifted repeatedly, and the frustration in her heart grew even worse. Although she herself didn’t believe that she had betrayed Thanos, outsiders certainly thought so, and even Thanos himself probably saw it that way.

"Looks like you didn’t obtain Nova Energy either. Are that mechanical being’s requirements really so high?"

Gamora’s concerned words sounded especially grating to Nebula.

"Stop pretending to care!"

"You’d better worry about yourself!"

"Don’t think no one knows what you’ve been doing behind the scenes with that pretty boy!"

"If you anger Zhan Liu, no one will be able to save you!"

Nebula stormed away, leaving Gamora feeling depressed as well.

Gamora and Nebula had been very close when they were young, but under Thanos’s training, they had grown increasingly distant, and resentment had quietly taken root between them. There was only one way to solve the problem completely: kill Thanos!

But Thanos was far too powerful, and the hope of killing him was incredibly slim. Now that Gamora had finally found someone who might be able to threaten Thanos—Zhan Liu—she naturally wouldn’t let the opportunity pass.

For that reason, she was willing to do anything, even betray the companions of the Guardians of the Galaxy.

Although she had only joined the Guardians of the Galaxy a few days ago, she had hit it off with Quill and the others at once and formed a deep bond with them. Thus, she couldn’t simply stand by and watch them fall into danger.

Over the past few days, Quill and the others had secretly made quite a few moves. If the warship hadn’t been full of people harboring ulterior motives, this unreliable group of former companions would have been exposed long ago.

Gamora sighed and put Nebula’s matter aside. She would improve her own strength first. Thanos could appear at any time, and the stronger she was now, the greater her chances of dealing with him in the future.

"Congratulations, Miss Gamora. You will become a Centurion of the Nova Corps."

"Why not Centurion Director? I don’t think my strength is inferior to that Valkyrie’s." Gamora moved her body, becoming familiar with the unfamiliar energy.

"Centurion Director isn’t a position limited to the strongest. Moreover, there can only be one Centurion Director in a Nova Corps. You came too late, Miss Gamora."

"Why did you reject Nebula? Her strength isn’t inferior either."

"Her temperament is incompatible with Nova Energy. If she rashly became a Nova warrior, the consequences would be unpredictable."

"Temperament?"

"Correct. In fact, on this warship, only a handful of people can pass the Nova Corps’ assessment. Most are unqualified."

Gamora lowered her head and thought for a moment. She recalled the Nova Corps’ small numbers and confirmed that Worldmind was telling the truth rather than deliberately excluding Nebula.

"I’m sorry. I was just concerned about my sister. Please forgive me."

"It’s understandable. If Miss Nebula could care about her sister as much as you care about her, she would also meet my selection criteria."

Gamora gave a bitter laugh, shook her head, and took her leave. Obtaining Nova Energy was easy, but mastering it would require extensive training. Since there was no fighting at the moment, she needed to spend more time on it.

Unlike Valkyrie, who spent all day drunk, Gamora felt a far greater sense of urgency than ordinary people. The existence of Thanos was like a mountain pressing heavily on her heart, making it hard for her to breathe even for a moment.

As for Valkyrie’s enemy, Hela, the God of Death, Odin had already suppressed her. Valkyrie also craved power, but she wasn’t desperate for it.

For a drunk cat, what in this world could be more important than drinking?

"Haha… See that? You’ve become a notorious criminal throughout the universe, one of Thanos’s followers…"

Valkyrie held a liquor bottle to her mouth with one hand and drank while wrapping the other around Zhan Liu, laughing until her eyes narrowed.

Not far ahead of them, a huge holographic projection screen was broadcasting the universe’s news.

Because of quantum communications, the battle on Xandar had practically been broadcast live.

As the headquarters of the Nova Corps, the guardian of the Andromeda Constellation, the destruction of Xandar was a massive event throughout the universe. The media of various planets had been repeatedly broadcasting the final battle from that day.

While marveling at Queen Adora’s power, people were even more terrified of Zhan Liu, who had easily defeated her.

Because information about Zhan Liu himself was scarce, all the personal information about him repeatedly broadcast by the major media came from Sovereign’s wanted notice. Everything else was basically the result of the media’s wild speculation and embellishment.

Moreover, because Nebula and Gamora were present, many people classified Zhan Liu as one of Thanos’s faction. They believed he was the Black Order’s new general, meaning the Black Order of five was about to become the Black Order of six.

This claim was also widely endorsed by most media outlets. The only two parties capable of refuting it had no interest in paying attention to those nonsensical reports. But without a doubt, although Zhan Liu and Thanos would never trade barbs in front of the media, a battle between them was inevitable.

Zhan Liu had abducted Thanos’s two daughters, including the one he cherished most. This was something Thanos would never tolerate. And if Zhan Liu wanted to dispel the misunderstanding that he was one of Thanos’s followers, what could be more convincing than killing Thanos?

Nebula and Gamora were both happy to see the situation develop this way.

Nebula needed to lure Thanos over to rescue her, while Gamora hoped to draw Thanos out of his lair and make him clash with Zhan Liu, giving her a chance to kill him.

Both of them were gambling. One was betting on Thanos to win, while the other was betting on Zhan Liu.

Zhan Liu didn’t care about their little schemes at all. Instead of wasting time on that, he might as well study the Power Stone.

"Shoo, shoo, don’t come bother me here." Zhan Liu pushed Valkyrie away in disgust. "You reek of alcohol. Go get drunk somewhere else."

"What use is studying that lousy stone all day? You’re already this strong. Even Odin probably couldn’t beat you. Enjoying yourself is what really matters!" Valkyrie staggered and sat down on the floor, mumbling.

"Foolish!" Zhan Liu glanced at her disdainfully. "Strength is always relative. This universe is so vast. Without reaching the Multiversal Level, what right does anyone have to call themselves strong?"

"Continually climbing upward on the biological chain and constantly elevating one’s level of life is itself a form of enjoyment."

"What enjoyment in this world could be more thrilling than watching yourself climb higher and higher on the biological chain?"

"Money, power, glory, and reputation… Could any of them really bring more happiness than taking other people’s lives, souls, dignity, and even destinies into your hands and manipulating them as you please?"

"Pieces have the happiness of being pieces, but once you’ve been a player, you will never willingly fall back into becoming a piece!"

"Being a supreme predator at the top of the food chain is itself a form of enjoyment."

"Absolute freedom, no restraints, no natural enemies, no fear of harm, and an endless lifespan…"

"None of these things come from nowhere. They require bit-by-bit accumulation in ordinary times. Otherwise, when the opportunity arrives and you discover that you aren’t prepared, it will be too late for regret."

Holding the liquor bottle, Valkyrie recalled the battle in which the Valkyries had been annihilated. The liquor pouring into her mouth suddenly lost all its flavor. She flung the bottle away, staggered to her feet, and walked outside.

Zhan Liu didn’t continue nagging her. It was enough to make his point. Whether Valkyrie would regain her fighting spirit afterward was none of his concern. If she could come to a realization, he wouldn’t mind gaining another alien disciple while he was at it.

The cells in his body continued to be destroyed and reborn by the Power Stone. After so many days of repeated cycles, a subtle change had gradually emerged in his cells.

This change hadn’t come from the Power Stone but from the Spatial Sky Eye between his brows, which had once been strengthened by the power of the Space Stone. Ever since it had appeared, the Sky Eye had been completely useless except when it had played a minor role against the magical barrier of the Sanctum Sanctorum and Loki’s illusion magic.

Even Zhan Liu didn’t think the thing was useful. But after the spatial power in his wounds and the Power Stone had stimulated it in succession, the spatial power contained within his Sky Eye gradually began merging into his genes.

Changes to a person’s genes affected more than the individual themselves. Even their descendants would be affected. Zhan Liu’s genes had already changed many times during his pursuit of evolution, so he didn’t mind changing them once more.

Although he didn’t know whether this change was good or bad, its entanglement and fusion with the power of the Space Stone seemed promising. Thus, Zhan Liu not only failed to stop the change but instead pushed the fusion of the two even harder.

In any case, he could freely alter his genes now. He only needed to remember the genetic map from before the change. If the result didn’t meet his needs, he could simply change it back.

While Zhan Liu was gradually evolving, Quill was undergoing his own evolution aboard the warship.

"Whew… This feeling of power is truly intoxicating!"

As Nova Energy infused him, the Celestial Race bloodline within Quill was activated as well. His recessive paternal bloodline, which had originated from his father, had initially awakened after being washed by the Power Stone. Now, after obtaining limitless Nova Energy from Worldmind, he had accidentally and completely activated the portion of his bloodline inherited from Ego.

Ego’s true body was a planet that could strengthen itself by absorbing the life force of various living planets. As his son, Quill could absorb an almost infinite amount of Nova Energy.

"How astonishing!" Worldmind manifested a projected body and stared obsessively at Quill, who was continuously absorbing Nova Energy.

"I never expected you to possess such an ancient and powerful bloodline. You and Nova Energy are simply a perfect match!"

"Quill, you are the one the Nova Force has been waiting for all these billions of years!"

"You are more suited to Nova Energy than Zhan Liu. You will become the one and only Nova Emperor!"

After Worldmind finished speaking, he hesitated for a moment before charging directly into Quill’s body and burrowing into his brain without Quill’s consent.

Quill was startled and was just about to speak when he suddenly felt an enormous amount of knowledge rushing into his brain like a flood.

Quill didn’t know what technology Worldmind had used. Although he had received a massive amount of knowledge, he hadn’t felt the slightest bit of pain. At the same time, however, he didn’t feel that his own knowledge or intelligence had increased at all. He still had to search whenever he wanted to look up information.

"What did you do?" Quill demanded, shocked and furious.

"You were chosen by the Nova Force. All Nova Energy has now been anchored to you." Worldmind explained calmly.

"You can use all of the Nova Energy now, rather than the tiny Centurion-level amount I infused into you before."

"Your current normal combat power has already far surpassed Queen Adora’s overloaded combat power during the final battle that day."

"On this warship, aside from Zhan Liu, you are now the most powerful life-form."

Quill was half convinced. He extended a hand and drew upon the Nova Energy he had just obtained. A massive force responded instantly, pouring into his body from another dimension. A huge pillar of light erupted from his hand and blasted through the warship’s ceiling, punching a large hole in it.

Quill jumped in fright and hurriedly withdrew the energy. But it was already too late. The energy had pierced through more than a dozen layers of plating and had nearly blasted straight through the entire warship.

The warship’s alarms rang out at once, and everyone fell into chaos.

Quill cautiously poked his head out and looked upward through the hole, which was more than ten meters in diameter. Everywhere he looked, all matter had been vaporized. At the edges of the decks, large amounts of molten metal dripped downward like beads of water.

Quite a few bold people were leaning over the edges of the various levels with weapons in their arms, investigating below. When several of them met Quill’s eyes, they opened fire without a word. The others followed suit and began attacking as well.

Quill instinctively ducked his head, hiding outside everyone’s line of sight. But immediately afterward, heavy weapons such as grenades and rocket launchers began raining down from above.

Quill made a flying leap to the back of a server, lay there with his butt sticking up and both hands over his head, and trembled as he muttered:

"Uh… I’ve caused trouble. What do I do?"

"There aren’t any cameras on this level, right?"

"I’ll deny everything. How about you help me provide false testimony?"

Worldmind sighed inside Quill’s mind and explained to this host, who had no awareness whatsoever of being a powerful warrior:

"Your body has already been strengthened by Nova Energy. It can completely withstand the damage from these conventional weapons."

"Besides, everyone on this warship is scum. Their deaths won’t violate Xandar’s laws, although the law is of little use here anyway."

"Other than the supreme ruler of this warship, the Earthly War God Zhan Liu, everyone here could attack you together and still wouldn’t be able to defeat you. Why are you worried about being punished?"

"You only need to explain the situation to Zhan Liu and make it clear that it was a misunderstanding. I’ll testify for you. I doubt he will make things difficult for you."

Quill froze. "Really?"

He first took out a knife and slashed his own arm. To his delight, the sharp blade couldn’t break through his skin at all. He then took out an energy gun and fired a shot at his calf. After discovering that he was unharmed, he cautiously extended his hand and felt the force of the grenades and grenades exploding against his arm.

After confirming that he really was immune to conventional weapon damage, Quill finally stood up with confidence. He swaggered back to where he had been standing and raised his middle finger at the Kree warriors and Ravagers who continued attacking from above.

"You bunch of trash!"

"Didn’t you eat?"

"Are you playing with firecrackers using these pea shooters? Bring out something bigger!"

"Haha…"

Quill proudly taunted the ordinary warriors above, drawing a constant stream of curses from them. But those people were all experienced veterans, and they soon realized that their attacks could no longer hurt Quill at all.

Combined with the location of the level below, it was easy to determine that Quill had received Nova Energy and become a Nova warrior.

Many Ravagers who had known Quill for a long time were astonished to discover that Quill had become this powerful.

They attributed this complete transformation to Nova Energy and grew even more eager to become Nova warriors.

Quill didn’t remain smug for long. Suddenly, a figure flashed above, and someone dove straight down from the highest level, aiming a kick directly at his head.

Although Quill had now become a top-tier powerhouse, his combat awareness was still far too poor. Faced with the sudden attack, he was able to react, but he had no awareness of counterattacking. His body instinctively lunged to the side, and he awkwardly rolled away like a lazy donkey.

The people above, who had been angrily cursing Quill, saw him go from being mighty moments ago to looking so pathetic now. They all burst into laughter, and mocking remarks and whistles rained down one after another.

Quill had always been shameless, so he simply pretended not to hear the jeers. After climbing to his feet, he focused all his attention on Valkyrie, who was attacking him.