Chapter 3277: Evolution Shumi read through the talisman again, her focus on the name once again. Provenance Duality: Division ’How can this technique exist?’ she wondered with no small amount of shock. It wasn’t the fact that a technique to alter Origins existed that surprised her, but rather it was this particular technique. Because as far as she was aware, Provenance Duality techniques did not have any techniques that went by the name of Division. They only had three techniques, two of which were said to be lost to demons, probably existing either with the beasts or with the humans. "How did you come to obtain this technique?" Shumi asked, wanting to learn some more. She looked at Alex through the veil, focusing on either his nose or his eyebrows. It was difficult to look at him anywhere else and not be lost in his looks. "I sort of made it," Alex explained. "It’s a mixture of two other techniques that I took the good parts from and made my own. It took a lot of work to do so." Shumi’s mouth hung open when she heard his explanation. "You... you made this technique?" "Using two existing techniques," Alex said as he walked along, following Whisker as he moved to a different location. "Can you tell me the names of the two techniques?" she asked. Alex answered without much thought. "Provenance Duality: Replication and Provenance Duality: Transformation." Shumi hid her surprise to the best of her ability. She held back her emotions, and thankfully her veil helped hide any micro expressions she may have let loose. Alex had definitely not noticed anything, at least. Four birds came down from the sky at that time. "Do you want me to leave you some?" Alex asked. Shumi nodded. "If you don’t mind, let me handle all four." Alex raised an eyebrow, but didn’t say anything. He gestured for her to do as she wished and stepped back. Shumi raised her palm to the side and flipped it upright. The Divine grade sword, Frostmist, appeared in her hand with its silver handle and blue blade. Pure Yin Qi flowed into the blade as she activated the technique that lay within the sword. Drowsing Flower: Glacial Thorns The blue illusory flower petals turned into sharp blades that moved with the sword as Shumi struck it up into the birds flying in the sky. With a single strike, she took down two birds at once, while the other two flew past them, moving down toward the ground where Whisker was. Shumi moved at the same time. Falling Snow Steps Snow fell from the sky at that moment, the entire world around her going cold and sluggish. Every step she made left a footprint made of snow as she approached the two birds instantly. She turned toward the bird closest to her, her eyes suddenly growing white as snow. Snow Gaze The fire bird suddenly froze all over, ice covering it entirely. The ice melted from the heat on its body, but by that point the bird was already dead. Snow Gaze carried not just the power to freeze whatever she looked at, but also a spiritual attack behind it that killed the bird. At the same time, her sword moved toward the final bird as she used another technique instantly. Coiling Yin Snakes Two tiny snakes made of alternating blue and black patterns appeared from around her arms, slithering down her fist and onto her sword, before jumping toward their target. As they reached the bird, their size grew at an exceptional speed, to the point that when they reached the bird, they were already just as large. The two snakes coiled around the bird instantly, turning into regular yin ice that was rock solid. The bird fell onto the ground, struggling to melt the ice. Shumi filled her sword with Yin energy and stabbed it through the bird’s forehead. The yin energy destroyed the bird almost immediately. Shumi let out the breath she had been holding, feeling much better than she had before. The tumultuous thoughts in her mind from before were mostly gone, so she could now think things through with a much better mindset. Alex nodded and continued following Whisker, who had yet to find any tunnel or entryway underground. Shumi thought back to the talisman she had received earlier and wanted to ask Alex more about it. But she was worried that in doing so, she would reveal her secret. And she had sworn an oath to not do that. ’Provenance Duality: Division,’ she thought, growing very curious. Was there a way perhaps for her own technique to fit into this and use them together? ’It should work, right?’ she thought. ’After all, my technique is the same as well.’ The technique she was made to learn from the moment she reached the Immortal Origin realm was the last of the three Provenance Duality techniques, the one Alex didn’t have. The one he didn’t even know existed. Provenance Duality: Evolution It was a technique that allowed someone to learn a Creation and use it normally. However, at the same time, one was also able to access a Creation that was a better version of it by expending more spiritual energy. This was what her elders had been hoping she could use to turn the root into more than just wood and an actual tree. If she could make this technique work in conjunction with the Division technique, then not only could she do that with the Yin root, but also something else entirely. She couldn’t even imagine how incredible that would be. Shumi felt a tinge of guilt at not giving back something to Alex, but she had sworn an oath for the technique as well. So she could only hope to help him in other matters. She made a mental note to pay him back for this in any way she could. More hours passed soon enough, nights and days lost to the two as they circled around the mountain, fighting birds while Whisker traveled through the ground with absolutely no result. When they reached right back where they had started again, they were stumped.