The beautiful large bird that evolved from the Ugly Waterfowl bore some resemblance to a grey peacock.
The feathers draped over its body were primarily a deep grey, patterned with neat purple-gold circular markings. From a distance, it simply looked like a long-tailed, dark grey bird—not particularly eye-catching.
But when it spread its wings, those unusual feathers—set against that deep grey base—burst into dazzling brilliance under the sunlight. The purple-gold spots on the feathers refracted entirely different colors depending on the angle, like multicolored jewels shimmering in constant change.
This sudden bloom of splendor stood in stark contrast to its former ugliness.
Combined with the mental field generator, the overall effect was nothing short of breathtaking.
The wild Pet Beasts in the audience were completely captivated by its gorgeous appearance. One after another, they excitedly tossed out feathers, expressing their admiration for the beautiful bird.
For a time, feathers of all kinds rained down, drifting across the stage.
If this scene had occurred before its evolution, it would have undoubtedly left the Ugly Waterfowl stunned and deeply moved.
But now, the beautiful bird had already reconciled with its past. It no longer despised its own kind or felt inferior because of its "Ugliness" talent, nor did it feel pride because of its newfound beauty.
It already possessed magnificent plumage.
It no longer needed these "feathers of a hundred birds."
At that moment, the beautiful bird slightly lowered its head in gratitude. Then it leapt forward, flapping its wings, and landed at the front of the stage.
It folded away its radiant wings, reverting to the appearance of a deep grey bird, and quietly crouched among the Ugly Waterfowl.
Seeing this dark grey bird, the Ugly Waterfowl were once again flooded with feelings of inferiority. They became tense and instinctively scattered away.
However, the dark grey bird spread its wings, gently enclosing the surrounding Ugly Waterfowl, lowering its head and affectionately rubbing against them.
"Goo… goo…"
There was no need to feel inferior.
These were the feathers they had given it.
A calming force spread outward along with its goodwill.
Gradually, the Ugly Waterfowl recovered from their tension. They couldn't help but draw closer, instinctively wanting to approach this evolved "Ugly Waterfowl."
Seeing this scene, Jiang Xing smiled.
The successful evolution of the first Ugly Waterfowl would serve as the strongest proof, giving confidence to the others.
From this point onward, the probability of evolution among the Ugly Waterfowl would greatly increase—
A brand-new path had clearly opened before them.
Of course, the most important thing was…
The evolved beautiful bird was no longer affected by the Ugliness talent.
Even if it produced offspring, it would no longer abandon them like the Ugly Waterfowl of the past, but instead provide proper care.
The next generation of Ugly Waterfowl would no longer be dominated by "inferiority" and "timidity."
They would be like goslings born among swans—fully aware that they were merely at the "first stage" of evolution. They would learn from their parents and overcome difficulties more easily, unleashing their own potential.
At this moment, the innate curse had been completely severed.
The fate of the entire Ugly Waterfowl species had been changed!
'The Ugly Waterfowl species has only existed for a few decades since its birth as a Pet Beast.'
'Because of their nature, they struggle to reproduce, and their living conditions are harsh—their numbers have already become extremely scarce.'
'In a few more decades, or even just ten years, they might completely go extinct, becoming one of many "Extinct Pet Beasts," leaving behind only a few brief lines in the Pet Beast Compendium.'
'Now, they have changed their fate. They finally have the possibility to continue…'
…
The Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix Assembly continued.
The successful evolution of the first Ugly Waterfowl had a profound impact on the rest of the event.
Not only did the Ugly Waterfowl gain a clear evolutionary goal and greater confidence, becoming increasingly eager to evolve—
Even the wild Pet Beasts' perceptions began to shift.
Originally, they had only attended at Jiang Xing's invitation, participating in the evolution assembly out of respect for him, holding no expectations whatsoever for these "ugly creatures."
But now, they were astonished to discover—
After evolution, these ugly creatures could actually become this beautiful?
They were captivated by the evolved beautiful bird. Their impressions of the Ugly Waterfowl improved, and some even began to develop expectations, actively observing and trying to find the points of charm within these "ugly creatures"…
They wanted to know—how could those ugly creatures become so beautiful?
As the wild Pet Beasts' attitudes shifted, they no longer instinctively despised or rejected the Ugly Waterfowl.
The Ugly Waterfowls' "Seduction" move gradually began to take effect!
Some wild Pet Beasts were actually influenced by the move. They began to sense the "charm" of these Ugly Waterfowl, and as they watched them sway and twist, they tossed out the feathers in their hands!
Well… even if the Ugly Waterfowl were a bit ugly, when they moved like that, there really was a hint of allure.
It left the little critters completely transfixed.
Unfortunately…
While the mental field both amplified the effect of "Ugliness" and enhanced the power of the "Seduction" move, the moment the Ugly Waterfowl stepped onto the stage and directly faced the overwhelming mental pressure brought by "a hundred forms of ugliness," they had already exhausted all their strength.
It was as if they were releasing Seduction under crushing mental pressure. No matter how proficient they were with the move, it was incredibly difficult to execute, and they could only produce a faint effect.
Such an incomplete Seduction move was clearly unable to fully suppress the influence of the Ugliness talent.
Only a very small portion of wild Pet Beasts were successfully charmed by the Ugly Waterfowl, tossing out the feathers in their hands.
The vast majority of wild Pet Beasts were still affected by the talent. They still found these creatures too ugly and felt instinctive disgust.
As a result, most Ugly Waterfowl performed similarly to the first one.
They relied on the support of their own kind to overcome the power of their talent and evolve into those deep grey beautiful birds.
There were also some Ugly Waterfowl… who ultimately failed to overcome their inner demons.
One Ugly Waterfowl, after stepping onto the stage, was struck by the overwhelming force of its own Ugliness talent. Memories of the past surged forth, and it instantly lost all courage, left with nothing but the desire to flee. It turned around and jumped off the stage.
But just as it leapt away, before it could even find a puddle to hide in, it was picked up.
Jiang Xing held the Ugly Waterfowl in his arms. Feeling its trembling and fear, a trace of guilt rose in his heart.
The Ugly Waterfowl were not the same as the Golden-Patterned Koi.
When the Golden-Patterned Koi challenged the Dragon Gate, it was challenging and surpassing itself.
Even if it failed, it wouldn't suffer much harm. After resting, it would still have a chance to try again.
But the Ugly Waterfowl were confronting their inner demons—overcoming them to complete their evolution.
In this process, it would truly touch upon their trauma.
Even many police officers found it difficult to move on from the grief of losing their partners. Overcoming inner demons was never an easy task.
If they failed to overcome them, the wounds that had been torn open would only become even more raw and bloody.
Just like this Ugly Waterfowl in front of him.
If left unattended, today's events would become a new nightmare for it.
"I'm sorry… I made you relive those painful memories."
Jiang Xing gently stroked the Ugly Waterfowl, speaking in as soft a tone as possible—careful not to touch the most sensitive parts of its heart.
"I know overcoming the past isn't easy. Sometimes, running away is also a choice—"
"If it hurts too much, you can let go of these burdens…"
"No matter what, this place will accept you."
"This place will always be your home."
The Ugly Waterfowl trembled uncontrollably.
Its trembling was not because it had recalled the past, nor because it feared the hardships it once endured.
It was fear of the future.
Deep within, it was overwhelmed with anxiety, afraid that since it hadn't evolved like the others, it would be abandoned once again…
That it would lose the life it had now, and return to being that lowly Ugly Waterfowl living in the gutter.
It was precisely because it had experienced happiness that it feared loneliness even more.
But as Jiang Xing spoke, as his gentle touch continued, and with the soothing affinity radiating from his Beast Tamer attire—the Ugly Waterfowl gradually calmed down.
Its body stopped trembling. The fear and unease in its heart were replaced by the memories of its life in the research institute during this time.
Friendship represented the emotional bond between humans and Pet Beasts.
The Ugly Waterfowls' Friendship toward Jiang Xing had long since reached its maximum.
That meant they trusted him—far more than they trusted themselves.
At that moment—a white light burst forth!
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