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"What you said makes sense."
Zhang Lingxue pondered for a moment. She had indeed overlooked the influence of the night environment on the Dark Butterfly's evolution.
Considering that most of the Dark Butterfly's characteristics were night-related, a glimmer of joy appeared in her eyes.
Bringing Ye Bai here had clearly been the right decision.
Ye Bai had only glanced at the information before immediately identifying the problem, which gave Zhang Lingxue a burst of inspiration.
"Ye Bai, your insight is extremely helpful. Based on your perspective, the environment plays a crucial role in the evolution of the Variety Silkworm. This is a major breakthrough."
"It just so happens that I have one final piece of evolutionary material left. We can use it to test your theory."
Each pet beast requires specific evolutionary materials, which researchers typically determine through countless studies and experiments.
However, with Ye Bai's Eye of Insight, the necessary materials for evolution could be seen directly—like starting a race already halfway to the finish line.
Zhang Lingxue, reinvigorated, entered the silkworm habitat and selected the exact one Ye Bai had identified as capable of evolving into a Dark Butterfly.
"I've spent a fortune to test the attributes of these Variety Silkworms. Each one is precious to me."
"I personally hatched every single one of them."
"Even those that evolved into Gray Poison Moths were never discarded."
"Through my research, I extracted an active substance from the scales of the Gray Poison Moth that may help treat immune disorders."
"The study hasn't reached clinical trials yet, but once it does, Gray Moths—once feared—may become a source of life-saving medicine."
Zhang Lingxue spoke sincerely, her heart clearly devoted to the progress of humanity.
The silkworm in her arms squirmed affectionately—it was clear it depended on her.
"Xiao Shi, I'll need your cooperation for today's experiment."
That was this silkworm's name.
"Come on, let's evolve you into your new form."
Zhang Lingxue led Ye Bai into her core laboratory.
Ye Bai was stunned by the cutting-edge equipment—it was far more advanced than anything available in the school labs.
"All of this came from the Imperial Capital Research Institute."
"Also... I have something important to ask you."
Zhang Lingxue cleared her throat and said solemnly, "Ye Bai, are you willing to become my personal disciple?"
She was formally extending an invitation.
After long observation, she concluded Ye Bai was low-key, meticulous, and had the makings of a top-tier researcher. His photographic memory and extraordinary analytical skills only reinforced her judgment.
Ye Bai was taken aback. Was he already this impressive?
Did she really trust him that much?
Zhang Lingxue seemed to sense his surprise and explained:
"Ye Bai, I've been watching you since your first year of high school. You've always been calm under pressure—a key trait for researchers."
"From the information I gave you, you pinpointed that environmental factors significantly impact the Variety Silkworms' evolution. That shows sharp perception."
"Plus, your academic performance is consistently top of the class."
"You even risked your life to save Li Weiyang from a sniper, protecting an important talent for the Yanguo Alliance. That speaks volumes about your character."
"And most importantly, your background is clean. I don't come from a strong background either, so I need someone like that as my personal disciple."
Hearing this, Ye Bai extended his hand and said, "Teacher, please guide me from here on."
Zhang Lingxue smiled softly. She touched his hand lightly and then quickly let go.
She registered Ye Bai's information into the Yanguo Alliance system, and he verified it on the spot. Once confirmed, she let out a sigh of relief.
In the Yanguo Alliance, personal disciples must be officially registered, and all records are uploaded to the system.
"Don't worry, all information is confidential. When others check your profile, they'll only see that you've become a disciple—your mentor's identity will be hidden."
She pointed to a towering stack of manuals and said calmly:
"These are the operation manuals for all the lab equipment. My requirements aren't strict—you just need to master them within three days."
Ye Bai walked over and began flipping through the manuals rapidly.
Thousands of lines of technical text flowed through his mind like a waterfall—his brain quickly organizing and internalizing the information.
By the time he finished the final page, he had memorized the operations of every machine in the lab.
"How's it going? Think you can learn it all in three days?"
Ye Bai shook his head. "Teacher, I already learned it—took less than three days."
Zhang Lingxue was stunned, but Ye Bai smiled confidently. He had turned the tables.
"Alright, if you're going to be that bold, then your performance better match your words."
"Start by operating that grinder and pulverizer. I want this piece of iron ore ground down to the nanometer scale."
"Then extract the dark iron from it."
She pointed to a piece of black ore, the size of a fist, glossy and dark like obsidian.
This was Ghost Iron Ore—rich in dark elemental energy, a core material for evolving dark-type pet beasts.
However, it was extremely difficult to purify. Its hardness meant it needed high-precision grinding, and even then, separating ghost iron at the nano level was a major challenge.
But for Ye Bai, who had already memorized the procedures, it was no trouble at all.
He thoroughly checked the grinder's safety features, switched out the drill bit, and used the mechanical arm to hoist the heavy ore.
Though small in size, the Ghost Iron Ore was extremely dense—it weighed fifty kilograms.
Ye Bai marked the surface with a white pen where he would begin drilling, then secured the ore and activated the grinding device.
The impact drill punctured the ore along the marked lines. With a few precise thrusts, the ore cracked and split.
Zhang Lingxue watched as Ye Bai operated the machine skillfully, expertly grinding and purifying the ore.
In the end, he produced a perfectly processed piece of ghost iron, no larger than a thumb.