It seemed to be a form of adaptive evolution guided by his preconceived desires.
Thus, when he had previously wished to retain some of his human intellect, it had been preserved.
When he felt an ancient snake's appearance didn't match his aesthetic tastes, his scales grew increasingly smooth and lustrous.
When he thought a snake ought to possess formidable constriction strength, his constriction power steadily increased.
When he believed that the larger he grew, the more powerful he would be, his body size continuously expanded.
Everything had changed in direct accordance with his thoughts.
He simply hadn't realized it at first—not until over two months ago, when the sudden notion of wanting a status panel had crossed his mind.
Once he had accumulated enough energy, the conditions required to form the panel were met, and that just happened to be today.
That was why his mental focus and physical strength had vanished in an instant; it had all been consumed to synthesize the panel.
The panel indicated that his desires for arms and teeth remained incomplete, which meant they required energy.
Right now, he possessed zero energy, rendering him unable to complete any modification or evolution.
Meanwhile, all his past energy had been slowly funneled without his knowledge into three areas: expanding his body size, increasing his constriction power, and refining his aesthetic appeal.
Because no specific end limit had been set, those three attributes had been continuously growing.
That was the true meaning behind the entire status panel.
“So I had a cheat all along, and I've been using it this whole time without even realizing it just because there was no panel?”
Haoyuan froze for a moment as the whole sequence of events finally became clear.
Wild ecstasy erupted in his heart.
“Th-this kind of cheat literally does whatever I want!”
“Is there anything I can't have?!”
“Whatever I desire, I become! Hahaha!”
“The heavens will not let me, the ancient snake Haoyuan, perish! Without me, the universe through all eternity would be like a long, dark night!”
“Wait, no. I don't necessarily have to remain an ancient snake,” Haoyuan suddenly calmed down.
“If evolution can proceed in whatever direction I choose, can't I just evolve into a human?”
The more Haoyuan thought about it, the more plausible it seemed.
Status Panel.
Evolution Path: Human (Incomplete)
Energy: 0
Haoyuan stared at the panel for a moment and decided to adjust the details to his liking.
Evolution Path: Human (0/1,008,611)
Over a million?
Haoyuan was stunned.
He had celebrated too early. He had completely overlooked that evolution required energy, and evolving into a completely new species would undoubtedly demand a colossal amount of it.
Besides, living in the age of dinosaurs, wouldn't turning into a human just make him a slightly larger snack? What would be the point?
That idea was definitely out.
In that case, he had to choose an evolutionary path that favored him in his current situation.
One that would also allow him to become vastly more powerful in the future.
After regaining his composure, Haoyuan suddenly thought of a future evolutionary path.
It was the path of serpentine evolution that nearly everyone on Planet Aquablue in his past life could easily imagine.
A dragon.
A creature that had never been proven to exist in reality, widely considered a mythical species, an ancient totem, and a symbol of imperial sovereignty.
Because its morphology was closest to that of a snake, the energy required for this transformation would surely be far more manageable.
Moreover, when he thought carefully about it, the image of a dragon truly matched the raw combat power and terrifying intimidation he yearned for.
A dragon possessed a formidable set of teeth.
Its skull was massive and radiated sheer brute strength; a single bite would surely inflict devastating damage.
Furthermore, a dragon possessed foreclaws capable of pinning down prey.
Its body structure was also perfectly suited for constriction, meaning none of the energy he had poured into increasing his constriction strength would go to waste...
As for hind claws, he had no idea what purpose they would serve yet.
They might have just been an invention of ancient mythmakers, so without knowing their practical utility, it was better not to squander energy recklessly.
Thus, his evolutionary path became crystal clear.
As long as he had dragon claws, a dragon head, and a massive body, he should easily have the power to contend with dinosaurs.
Haoyuan didn't know much about biology, so given his current limitations as a snake, he could only settle for wanting a set of vicious teeth and sharp claws.
In that case, he would first evolve into a flood dragon.
He could see how things went later; if hind claws proved useful, he could evolve them then.
He wondered if, at the pinnacle of his evolution, he could truly ride the clouds and summon wind and rain.
If he could achieve that, wouldn't he be...
Haoyuan visualized the scene, and a profound thrill shook his soul.
That would be utterly magnificent!
Resplendent heavenly majesty! An awe too grand to behold!
“If I can become a mythical creature, why bother being human? I'm casting aside my humanity!”
Haoyuan was thrilled, his heart brimming with hope for the future.
“Still, I have to focus on the immediate present. I can't let this cheat get to my head.”
“If I manage to get myself killed even with a cheat, that would be beyond pathetic!”
“Only the one who survives till the end gets the last laugh!”
Haoyuan quickly reined in his excitement.
He gave his cheat a name: Thought Evolution.
Then, taking his current circumstances into account, he halted the energy flow toward scale aesthetics. He was already handsome enough as it was.
Constriction power and body size still needed to increase, but for now, he could still lay low in this dinosaur nest, so his size couldn't get any larger. He would maintain his current size until his claws grew out.
Yes, Haoyuan decided to prioritize growing claws first. Specifically, five-clawed limbs. They would be practical for gripping while packing serious lethal power.
There was no rush to enhance his teeth's tearing damage just yet.
Based on his memories as a human, one of the key advantages humans had over other animals was the ability to grasp objects.
This dexterous capability could restrain numerous beasts and enable the use and creation of tools—a veritable dimensional strike against ordinary creatures on Planet Aquablue.
In that case, he would concentrate his power on growing five-clawed forelimbs first before altering the shape of his skull.
Massive energy intake required consuming sufficient life. Becoming bigger was an absolute necessity.
But he couldn't grow too large right away. Expanding his size would expose him to the eyes of apex predators, plunging him into far more volatile and perilous situations.
For now, he could only stockpile energy over time. Once the conditions were right, he would balloon in size and unleash full slaughter mode!
Having made up his mind, Haoyuan felt his body gradually recover a bit of energy, provided by the undigested baby dinosaur in his belly.
Earlier, he had thought it had been digested instantaneously, but that had merely been an illusion caused by overwhelming hunger.
“In that case...”
Haoyuan lifted his head, gazing at the dinosaur eggs in the burrow and the newly hatched dinosaur young from just moments ago. A crimson glint flashed across his eyes. Opening his bloody maw wide, he lunged forward.
“Energy, energy... I need more energy!”
Feeling power surging through his entire frame, he entered a state of gluttonous slaughter.
Yet after sweeping through his feast like a tempest, he had barely managed to stomach a single hatchling and two dinosaur eggs. Haoyuan was instantly dumbfounded.
What was the point of evolving forelimbs and foreclaws right now in a state like this? He should first increase his energy conversion and absorption efficiency!
Squeeze out every shred of energy and put every bit to critical use!
Without hesitation, he paused the growth of his foreclaws and prioritized funneling his energy into strengthening his stomach.
“Having an iron stomach is the most important thing of all!”
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