The Star River Era! The Dimensional Freedom Demon

An hour later.

Ji Chen finally managed to skillfully apply the Life and Death Seal Technique to each of the D City dignitaries amidst their uneasy expressions.

Although the Life and Death Seal Technique was a low-level secret technique he came up with in two minutes and its effect was mediocre, it was more than enough to deal with the ordinary people in front of him.

"Alright, you don't need to waste your time in front of me anymore. Go do what you need to do, go home, go find your mothers. Doing your own thing well is the greatest loyalty you can show me."

Now that this trip has brought together a significant portion of D City's powerful figures, and with the mayor and the head of the guard in hand, D City's status has naturally risen from being a toy that Ji Chen could casually play with to becoming my city.

You still need to protect your own property.

Ji Chen waved his hand, dispersing the crowd and leaving only the vice mayor in charge of the science and technology positions.

"Take me to the largest biological laboratory in D City."

The deputy mayor was an unassuming 50-year-old man. Upon receiving the order, he silently drove off.

. . . . . .

The Lu Biotechnology Park.

Here, Ji Chen saw various biological cultivation rooms and also saw the differences between these organisms and their original appearance.

"Sir, these animals have recently become unusually aggressive, causing many experimental projects to stall and become difficult to carry out. If you would like to observe them up close..."

As Ji Chen was personally led by the vice mayor, he naturally received the highest level of treatment upon arrival, with his supervisor and director personally welcoming him.

"It's alright, we can talk about the observations later. First, tell me about your recent research findings."

The department head was an old man with gray hair. While serving as the department head here, he was also the dean of the biology department at his original university.

Of course, Ji Chen knew the department head's resume, but he didn't know Ji Chen's identity.

The department head took off his glasses and said with a worried expression:

"Changes began on the 10th..."

"In terms of gene mutation rate, the mutation rate of organisms in all major classes and orders is at least a hundred times faster. Generally speaking, the mutation rate of invertebrates is much greater than that of vertebrates. Among vertebrates, fish mutate the fastest and mammals mutate the slowest."

"But even among mammals, there's a difference of dozens of times between the fastest and the slowest..."

At this point, fear suddenly welled up in the department head's eyes.

"This speed far surpasses even the Cambrian explosion, it's as if biological evolution has suddenly been accelerated. But humans... thankfully we have modern technology, so the situation should be able to stabilize."

. . . . . .

"I have a few friends who work in hospitals. They say that most elderly people like me have already fallen ill. Maybe one day I will be left behind by this suddenly accelerated pace of evolution."

Soon, the department head, having recounted all the information he knew, walked out of the science park somewhat disheartened.

Ji Chen finished organizing the information and didn't try to stop him.

He called a few researchers who were still working there and asked them to capture some small creatures so he could study them himself.

He was busy until the next morning before leaving amidst the horrified gazes of the laboratory staff.

Because, in just one night, the already abnormal breeding animals became even more abnormal. They witnessed the shallow-water fish in the same breeding room grow sharp teeth overnight and then eat two of their former breeds alive.

Fish in shallow water have teeth.

This is not an isolated case.

There are also chickens with abnormally developed wings; they can fly around the breeding room with a single leap. If it weren't for the ceiling, they probably would have flown away.

The spider's silk suddenly becomes venomous; its prey, upon slight contact, becomes powerless and helpless, at the mercy of its prey.

Even the most obtuse person would understand all of this.

The world is about to change!

Keep in mind, it's still October, and the mosquitoes haven't completely disappeared. If even one or two mutants appear among these densely populated, seemingly invincible mosquitoes, the situation could very well...

Just thinking about it makes these researchers feel uneasy and their scalps tingle.

Fortunately, Ji Chen, this formidable figure, gave them hope.

No matter what kind of mutant it is, or a wild tiger, lion, or chimpanzee, in front of this powerful figure whom even the leaders of the research institute had to flatter, they are all like toys, to be played with and dissected at will.

So, are there mutants among humans, and is Mengren one of them?

This kind of thinking also gave rise to other thoughts, and they hoped that one day they would have a stroke of luck and undergo a positive mutation to become as strong as Ji Chen.

. . . . . .

Ji Chen felt a little heavy-hearted, and he truly felt that his human form might not be able to hold up this era.

This is only the first day of the official mutation, and ordinary creatures are already showing signs of becoming powerful. In a few more days, he really doesn't know what the world will be like.

He felt it necessary to create a non-humanoid apostle and infiltrate it into other creatures.

"One relies on human society and uses thousands of years of technological accumulation to analyze the laws of evolution, while the other infiltrates non-human groups, personally integrates into them, and experiences the true pulse of life's evolution."

Ji Chen thought about it more and more and felt that this plan was feasible.

This human and beast, one intelligent and one in harmony, perhaps represent the two sides of civilization and savagery.

If handled properly, when the time is right, they might be able to join forces to orchestrate a "final showdown between the old and new forces" and jointly determine the future direction of this world.

Therefore, whichever side receives a higher degree of interference from the Heavenly Demons, he will truly devote himself to that side. In this way, conquering this realm will be a piece of cake.

However, before that, Ji Chen needs to determine which creature is more suitable for his development.

He needs to accumulate more knowledge.

Upon returning to the outside world, Ji Chen immediately ordered people to prepare a sufficient amount of food.

He felt that his own mutation was about to begin, and that enough food could catalyze the process.

. . . . . .

Just as Ji Chen was hiding in the laboratory studying biological evolution and mutation, the outside world had already undergone earth-shattering changes.

A large number of people with poor physical fitness and in a sub-healthy state suddenly lose consciousness and die.

Needless to say, the elderly, the weak, the sick, and the disabled all died that night, with eight or nine out of ten dying.

But human death is not the end; the latent microbial consciousness emerges from the old body and is reborn, only dormant.

On this day, every household wore mourning clothes, wailing filled the city, panic spread, and doomsday theories began to circulate.

Even knowing that this was indeed the apocalypse, Ji Chen, in order to maintain stability and preserve the use of resources, still ordered the publicity department to release debunking broadcasts and videos.

"According to the latest announcement from the Health Bureau: the novel virus strain has undergone multiple mutations globally and is highly contagious. A joint investigation has been initiated..."

"...The medical community is accelerating its research into related vaccines, and clinical trials have already begun. The first vaccine production plant has started construction. We urge the public to pay close attention to authoritative information released on official websites and rely on that information for accuracy. We also urge the public to remain calm, respond rationally, and refrain from creating, believing, or spreading rumors."

"...The work must continue, and relevant government departments may allocate food supplies as appropriate."