Please be my partner.

One side of the stone slab is engraved with patterns that look like various behaviors of a tribe, including hunting, sharing food, and worshipping totems. The tribe worships a huge stone pillar.

On the other side of the stone slab is a map, in which mountains, plains, rivers and lakes can be vaguely seen.

Mellen sensed the marks of time on the stone slab; it had clearly endured unimaginable ages.

A faint, ethereal worm slowly crawled across the stone slab. This was a legendary, extremely rare bookworm, a monster derived from the rules of the universe of myriad beasts.

Although they are called 'bookworms', they are not necessarily born from books. Any medium that records knowledge can give birth to this monster of a bookworm.

Bookworms themselves don't have much use, but if they are fed enough historical knowledge, they may transform from cocoons into butterflies, which can construct fictional histories through the information recorded in books and are the dream of all archaeologists.

Unfortunately, bookworms are already extremely rare, and each bookworm has its own affinity. Not all historical knowledge can serve as nourishment; only history that aligns with their affinity is suitable.

This led to the Book Butterfly becoming a legend within a legend.

The reason Mellen noticed the bookworm was because of Xiaoli's reminder. Xiaoli sensed a trace of history and time in the bookworm, a power similar to time but completely different.

If one could evolve a bookworm to a sufficiently high level, perhaps one could truly gain the ability to travel through time and enter past history. Of course, this would only allow one to return to the past, not to travel to the future.

It's important to understand that Xiao Li can only observe the past and future timelines through the dimension of time, and interfering with them would require an enormous price, let alone personally or even taking others with him through history.

Xiao Li stepped out of the illusion, circled the stone slab a few times, and then said, "Master, I want to study the bookworm here."

Mellen smiled and said, "Of course, is there anything else I can do?"

Xiao thought for a moment, then nodded and said, "There really is. If possible, I hope to help this bookworm evolve into a book butterfly. I want to observe its evolution process."

Murren looked at Rainbow Light beside him, who understood what Murren meant and said, "I'm sorry, Your Excellency Murren, this bookworm has been in the library for 132 years. The Academy tried to help it evolve and even started a lot of research projects, but in the end, they all failed."

Mellen frowned and said, "Even with the power of Star Ring Academy, they couldn't help the Bookworm evolve?"

Mellen sensed the difficulty involved, but he still said, "Would it be convenient for you to copy your research materials for me? Don't worry, my purpose is only to help the Bookworm evolve. Even if it evolves into a Book Butterfly, it will still belong to Star Ring Academy. I just need to borrow it for research."

That's what they say, but if Xiao Li still needs it after evolving into a Book Butterfly, Mellen won't just let it go. Of course, Mellen won't go back on his word. Whether it's a Bookworm or a Book Butterfly, it will always belong to Star Ring Academy.

As for the reason for not letting go, it's simply that the research isn't finished.

Rainbow Light fell silent, seemingly communicating with others, but it quickly replied, "Yes, Your Excellency Mellen, I will make a copy of the research data from back then for you."

Chapter 747 Hidden History

In the illusory space, three figures remained motionless, but the scenery around them kept changing.

These three people were none other than Dong Mingjie, the dean of Xinghuan Academy, and his two friends Luo Yu and Sun Zihao.

Dong Mingjie said, "Thank you very much, Lao Luo and Lao Sun. Only you two would be willing to help me under these circumstances."

Luo Yu said, "Stop talking nonsense! What's the current situation at Star Ring Academy? What's the exact strength of the intruder? What methods did they use? Tell us quickly!"

Sun Zihao laughed and said, "Old Luo, you're still so impatient. Don't rush, let Old Dong catch his breath first."

Luo Yu said with some dissatisfaction, "You old man, you're really a coward. Is this the time for jokes?"

Sun Zihao spread his hands, looking like a playful old man, and said, "Otherwise what?"

After exchanging a few words as was customary, Sun Zihao looked at Dong Mingjie, waiting for him to continue.

Dong Mingjie said, "Whether they are friend or foe is still unknown. Although the methods used by the people who invaded the academy this time were a bit domineering, according to Hong Guang's assessment and Zi Yue's contact with them, it seems that they do not have any hostility towards Xinghuan Academy and are just here to exchange information."

Luo Yu frowned and said, "No hostility? If there was no hostility, why would they force their way into Star Ring Academy? Their apparent friendliness might just be a way to lull you into a false sense of security; they might be plotting something behind your back!"

Dong Mingjie gave a wry smile and said, "That was my first thought when I received the news, but... a dragon soaring in the sky won't care about the thoughts of snakes and rats on the ground."

"Perhaps he did this simply for convenience."

Luo Yu and Sun Zihao's expressions changed slightly. The latter put away his playful smile and asked solemnly, "That person, is he very strong?"

Dong Mingjie nodded and said, "At least at the god level, or even possibly the legendary ancestral god level!"

"Ancestral God level?!" Luo Yu and Sun Zihao exclaimed in surprise.

"Gods have broken the innate shackles of their race, possessing eternal life and infinite power. Ancestral gods have even returned to their origin, tracing their life level back to the perfect stage at the beginning of heaven and earth."

"The Ancestral Gods represent the pinnacle of life's evolution, but in the distant past, it is said that there were beings who surpassed the Ancestral Gods; they were called... Supreme Gods!"

Luo Yu said solemnly, "After the ancient war that caused the collapse of the heavens, didn't those powerful Ancestral God-level races all go into seclusion? There are only a few known Ancestral God-level experts, so how could there be one more out of nowhere?!"

"Are you really sure it's at the Ancestral God level?!"

Dong Mingjie shook his head and said, "It's impossible to be sure. This probability is only 13% based on the abilities the other party has demonstrated and is calculated by Hongguang."

“13%?!” Sun Zihao said gravely, “That’s not a low probability!”

Dong Mingjie nodded and said, "That's right, so we can't gamble!"

"Based on the current situation, that person's behavior pattern seems to lean towards lawfulness, so I've decided to go see him. As for you..."

Dong Mingjie glanced at the two of them and said, "You two stay outside Xinghuan Academy and wait for my signal."

Luo Yu paused for a moment, then said, "Okay! But the three of us will activate our sensory connection so that the two of us can know what's going on with you in a timely manner."

Dong Mingjie did not refuse and replied, "Okay!"

After most of the day, Dong Mingjie returned to Xinghuan Academy alone. He did not go directly to see Mellen, but instead went to see the three vice deans who had been in contact with Mellen.

After a private discussion and a detailed analysis of the data obtained by Hongguang, Dong Mingjie went to the library.

Mellen turned to the last page of the book in his hand, and the vague images reflected around him disappeared. He looked in a certain direction and smiled, "It's finally here."

A moment later, Dong Mingjie arrived at the reading room where Mellen was and laughed heartily, "It's really impolite of me to have such a distinguished guest."

Mellen also politely said, "I should be the one apologizing. I was a bit too hasty, which caused the previous misunderstanding."

“Hey~” Dong Mingjie waved his hand and said, “Ignorance is no excuse, let’s call it even.”

"I heard from Ziyue and the others that His Excellency Mellen came here to exchange some intelligence?"

Mellen nodded and said, "I suppose they've already mentioned it to Dean Dong. Do you know anything about the Council of Beasts?"

"The Council of Beasts..." Dong Mingjie paused for a moment, then said, "I have indeed heard of this name. It is said to be a very powerful force in ancient times, but it disappeared after the Battle of the Sky Collapse."

"Just 'quite powerful'?" Murren muttered to himself.

From this statement, Mellen realized that the Dean of Star Ring Academy did not know about the Council of Beasts. He continued to ask, "What is the 'War of the Collapsed Sky'? I have read the history recorded in the library and have seen this term, but the descriptions are all vague."

Dong Mingjie said, "'The Battle of the Collapsed Sky' was a great war that swept across the entire universe of beasts at the end of the ancient era, which is at least seven or eight hundred thousand years ago."

"The exact reasons why this great battle occurred are still debated in archaeology, with no convincing explanation. Some even say that the 'battle of the collapsing sky' was not actually a great battle, but a natural disaster that affected all beasts in the universe."

"In short, after the 'Battle of the Collapsed Sky,' the Universe of Myriad Beasts fell into decline, and those legendary races all went into seclusion, sealing themselves in secret realms. The specific situation is unknown."

Mellen fell into deep thought. He had obtained a considerable amount of information from various channels, but this information was too fragmented to be pieced together and lacked some key main threads.

After a long pause, Mellen asked, "Thank you for your explanation, Dean Dong. I still have some questions about the ancient war of the collapsing sky. Do you know anyone who knows more about it?"

“This…” Dong Mingjie hesitated for a moment, then said, “I do have a few old friends at Baoshi Academy…”

Seeing that Mellen was somewhat puzzled, Dong Mingjie clapped his hands and explained, "The archaeology department of Baoshi Academy is renowned throughout the entire academy alliance. The professors in that department are not only highly skilled, but they also possess a great deal of esoteric knowledge."

"Archaeology? Secret knowledge?" asked Mellen.

Now, Murren thought not only of asking about the secrets of ancient times, but also of that bookworm who was "starving for food".

"Could Dean Dong possibly introduce me to someone?"

Dong Mingjie smiled wryly and said, "Your Excellency Mellen may not know this, but in the eyes of those old guys, the secrets of history are full of unknowns and dangers. There are countless tragedies caused by the excavation of hidden relics throughout history. Therefore, they have an unwritten agreement to protect ancient history and not to easily reveal it to the outside world."

"I heard from Hongguang that Lord Mellen wants to help the Bookworm evolve, right? Sigh! To be honest, I put in a lot of effort to evolve that little bug back then. I don't know how many times I went to Baoshi Academy. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that I begged and pleaded, but those old guys just wouldn't budge!"

Dong Mingjie's meaning was simple: even with his relationship with those archaeology professors, he couldn't possibly extract any useful ancient knowledge, let alone Mellen.

"Those archaeology professors are protecting ancient knowledge and preventing its dissemination? Why don't they go and excavate the ruins themselves?"

Dong Mingjie said in surprise, "They are archaeologists, how could they not excavate relics?"

Mellen said speechlessly, "Isn't this a double standard?"

Dong Mingjie laughed and said, "How can this be considered a double standard? Those old guys are experienced and powerful. Even if something unexpected happens in the excavated ruins, they can handle it. On the contrary, laymen don't know the ropes and are prone to making trouble. If they don't react in time, not only will the ruins themselves be damaged, but it may also cause more serious losses."

Mellen thought about it and realized it made sense. He skipped the topic and said, "Please introduce me to some professors, at least let me talk to them."

"This..." Dong Mingjie was still somewhat hesitant. Although his conversation with Mellen was quite pleasant, he couldn't be sure if it was Mellen's disguise, so he didn't dare to drag his old friends into the mess.

Upon seeing this, Mellen frowned and said, "If it's inconvenient, then forget it. I can go find it myself."

Dong Mingjie dared not let the old man act on his own, and hurriedly said, "No trouble at all! No trouble at all! Please wait a moment, Your Excellency Mellen, I will go and contact those old guys right away."

After Dong Mingjie left in a hurry, Mellen chuckled and continued to read the book next to him.

After this period of acquiring knowledge, Mellen has gained a deeper understanding of the extraordinary system of the Beast Universe itself.

Because of the unique rules of the Beast Universe, the monsters here can more easily increase their strength and are more likely to undergo evolution and mutation.

However, each monster has its power ceiling. Once it reaches that ceiling, it will stagnate. The only way to break free from this constraint is through evolutionary mutation.

However, evolutionary mutations are essentially disruptions and reorganizations of life, and almost all evolutionary mutations lead to a 'bad ending'. Even achieving a perfect outcome is rare, let alone taking a step towards perfection.

It can be said that all those highly evolved monster races are built upon the countless bones of their ancestors.

In this situation, humanity is in an awkward position. As the only race in the Beast Universe with a stable nature, humanity is essentially locked in by nature and cannot expand itself through continuous evolution and mutation like other monster races.

In ancient times, humans were at the very bottom of the food chain of the universe, 'meat farmers' who could be eaten at will even by harmless herbivorous monsters.

It wasn't until the ancient sages of humankind, through generations of effort and experimentation, developed the method of contracting with beasts, that humanity gradually began to step onto the stage of history.

It can be said that "what makes one successful is also what makes one unsuccessful." The inherent stability of humankind is both a constraint and an opportunity.

Soon, some monsters discovered that those monsters that had made contracts with humans could stabilize themselves by borrowing from the essence of humans during their evolution, greatly increasing the success rate of evolution and mutation. Humans would also receive a boost from the increased strength of the contracted monsters, and even awaken some special abilities.

Even so, in that era, the success rate of contracted monsters evolving was only one percent, or even one in a thousand, but that was still much higher than the one in ten million that came with unchecked growth.

Thus, the powerful monster race began to domesticate humans, using them to raise their own offspring.

For humanity, it was a humiliating period of history, but because it was useful, humanity was able to survive and even thrive under the protection of many powerful monster races!

After a long period of enslavement and struggle, humanity gained increasing power and a higher status, eventually reaching a point of equality with all other races.

Next came the establishment and rule of the Council of Beasts.

All of the above were deduced by Mellen from the information given by the dragon.

During the ancient Council of Beasts, humans and all races did not give up their research; on the contrary, they delved deeper and deeper, thus giving birth to new evolutionary chains and targeted breeding methods.

In fact, all the inherited artifacts of the Council of Beasts members, including the wolf-shaped pendant in Mellen's hand, are the ultimate products of this research.

Therefore, Mellen can use the wolf-shaped pendant to explore the dogs' next stage of evolution. In addition to some key essential main materials, other auxiliary materials, treasures, and even various additional conditions can be made up by the wolf essence transformed from the wolf-shaped pendant.

It can be said that the wolf-shaped pendant is a magical artifact specifically designed to assist beast tamers in their growth.

On the other side, Dong Mingjie walked out of the library with a heavy expression. He muttered to himself, "You've all seen it. Help me make a decision."

Outside of Star Ring Academy, due to their shared senses, Luo Yu and Sun Zihao witnessed the entire conversation between Dong Mingjie and Mellen, and naturally understood what he was asking.

Sun Zihao said, "Contact Lao Song and the others, explain the situation clearly, and they will understand."

Luo Yu also said, "That's right. It's not like we deliberately caused them trouble. It's just that trouble came knocking on our door. It's just unfortunate that you ran into it first. Didn't you hear what Mellen said? Even if you hadn't introduced him, he would have found Baoshi Academy sooner or later. Given Lao Song and the others' stubbornness, the situation might have been even worse. On the contrary, with us acting as a buffer, it might be better now."

Dong Mingjie sighed and said, "That's all we can do."

Dong Mingjie dialed Song Fei's number. A moment later, the call connected, and a projection of a sprightly old man with white beard and hair appeared. Upon seeing Dong Mingjie, he laughed loudly and said, "Young Dong, you haven't contacted me in so long. I thought you were dead!"

Dong Mingjie said with dissatisfaction, "Old Song, you're only a few years older than me. What right do you have to call me 'kid'? Besides, if anyone's going to die, it'll be you first. You archaeologists, who knows whether tomorrow or an accident will come first!"

Song Fei chuckled, unconcerned by these words. He had seen countless ancient curses, so why would he care about such harmless remarks? He asked, "Alright, don't I know you? Just tell me what you want. As long as it's not about hiding history, given our relationship, I'll definitely help."

Dong Mingjie sighed and said, "Your mouth is still as foul as ever. You've hit the nail on the head again this time."

Chapter 748 I think we can discuss this further.

"What?! You damned bastard, you just sold me out like that?!" Song Fei's furious voice came from the virtual image.

Dong Mingjie moved a little further away to avoid being sprayed with non-existent spittle. After Song Fei finished roaring, he said helplessly, "Old Song, wake up. Can you blame me for this? Their original goal was to find you. Even if they hadn't come to Xinghuan Academy, they would have come to your Baoshi Academy sooner or later."

"You should be grateful that I'm here to act as a buffer!"

"I'm so glad I met you!!" Song Fei said angrily, "I shouldn't have met you in the first place! It feels like every time you contact me, it's never for anything good!"

"Last time you asked me to explore that snow country ruins, it turned out that an ice elemental king was sleeping in those ruins, and I almost lost my old bones."

"The last time I went with you to the Fire Rong Empire, we were chased all the way back. My beard, which I'd been growing for years, was burned off!"

"And the time before that, you..."

Seeing Song Fei start bringing up old grievances, Dong Mingjie said irritably, "You dare say you didn't want to join in the fun?!"