EX Gene

The mysterious notebook turned into a streak of light and suddenly appeared before his eyes.

Name: Zhou Zhe

Talent: Absolute Comprehension; Self-Configuration.

Skill: "Wind Element Body Tempering Technique" (4/4); Swift Wind Blade Technique (2/3)

Title: Blademaster—while wielding a blade, destructive power +50%

His destructive power had increased by a full fifty percent!

Casually swinging the longsword in his hand, Zhou Zhe felt that his understanding of blade techniques had grown even deeper.

However...

What were the prerequisites for obtaining a title?

With a thought, the relevant information flowed from the mysterious notebook into his mind.

Zhou Zhe immediately learned the triggering conditions for obtaining titles.

1. Specific events—for example, defeating every powerhouse on a planet while wielding a blade.

2. Slaughter—the stronger and more numerous the souls lost beneath the blade, the more the title's level and effects would gradually increase.

Naturally, besides Blademaster, there were titles such as Swordsman, Spear King, and Fist Emperor that could also be obtained.

"Looks like this notebook still holds many secrets. I'll need to dig them out bit by bit."

At that thought, Zhou Zhe discreetly glanced at Lin Ye not far away. Lin Ye seemed not to have noticed the notebook's existence at all.

"As expected, even transcendents can't detect its existence?"

"Even so, I should still try not to let the notebook appear before others too often in the future."

Clap! Clap! Clap!

Lin Ye applauded as he strode over, a gratified smile on his face. "You adapted even faster than I expected!"

"And if I'm not mistaken, your Wind Riding Blade Technique is only a hair's breadth away from completion now, right?"

Even standing to one side, Lin Ye could sense a sharp aura from Zhou Zhe—the formidable presence belonging to a Blademaster.

Lin Ye possessed that same aura, but it had been bestowed upon him by "that person," not cultivated through his own training. Compared to Zhou Zhe's, it seemed to lack the vital essence at its core.

"That's right."

Zhou Zhe nodded slightly. "It feels like there's only a layer of paper between us. To break the Wind Riding Blade Technique through to the third level, I need a real fight to the death."

Upon hearing this, the smile on Lin Ye's face grew even brighter.

He had always had a clear understanding of himself—he was merely an ordinary man with relatively good luck.

Born into a military family, he had been taught by his parents since childhood to serve his country with absolute loyalty and contribute to the nation once he grew up.

He had always loved the words of the Northern Song scholar Zhang Zai: "Establish the heart for Heaven and Earth, establish life for the common people, carry on the lost teachings of the sages, and bring peace to all ages to come."

Unfortunately, his own abilities were insufficient.

"With my kind of talent, even with the help of friends from other worlds, how long can I survive in the Cosmic Arena?"

Lin Ye often asked himself this question in his heart, and he had found the answer.

Death was not frightening. What was frightening was the unknown.

More frightening still was living without ever doing anything meaningful.

He was very fortunate to have met Zhou Zhe.

Patriotic, gifted, exceptionally diligent, steadfast in temperament, and grateful—if he could leave such an outstanding disciple behind for the country, then even if he died one day in the Cosmic Arena, he would be able to rest in peace, wouldn't he?

Perhaps, in history textbooks decades from now, the name Lin Ye would earn a mention because of his disciple Zhou Zhe...

"Sorry, I got distracted just now."

Lin Ye came back to himself. Looking at Zhou Zhe, who had been patiently waiting beside him, he felt even more satisfied. "Next comes the final stage of the trial!"

As he spoke, he clapped his hands.

Crack, crack...

Amid the sound of mechanical gears turning, the ground twenty meters away suddenly sank, revealing an underground passageway of steel.

"What's imprisoned inside is the Rare Beast Blood Scale from Sigma Star."

Lin Ye led the way. Before Zhou Zhe could ask, he leisurely said, "Cosmic Arena points can do anything. From lifespan to superpowers, everything can be exchanged for!"

"Even bringing someone who vanished in the river of history back from the dead is possible!"

"And the Rare Beast Blood Scale is the ultimate trial I prepared for you with my points!"

After walking roughly a hundred meters, an incomparably dense stench of blood rushed toward them.

The powerful pressure made Zhou Zhe's heartbeat abruptly quicken.

Dim orange light fell upon the Rare Beast Blood Scale in the distance, casting vast, terrifying shadows.

It stood roughly four and a half meters tall. Tough crimson scales glimmered with a ghostly sheen, scraps of flesh still clung between its foul-smelling fangs, and its silver eyes seemed utterly devoid of emotion.

A killing machine!

That was Zhou Zhe's first impression upon seeing the Rare Beast Blood Scale.

Lin Ye took several steps back and said, "I won't tell you its abilities or weaknesses. For a qualified Cosmic Gladiator, the ability to gather intelligence is extremely important."

"Start cultivating that ability from now on!"

"Blood Scale, attack!"

"Only one of you can leave alive."

At Lin Ye's words, the Rare Beast Blood Scale immediately moved.

Whoosh!

Blood Scale's figure suddenly vanished, leaving behind only a blackish-red afterimage.

The next instant, it appeared before Zhou Zhe and fiercely swung its massive claw.

Watching from the side, Lin Ye concentrated to the utmost at that moment, ready to step in and save him at any time.

Under normal circumstances, strength and speed always required trade-offs.

Large lifeforms would inevitably be lacking in agility and speed.

But Blood Scale had no such weakness!

Its enormous mass granted Blood Scale incomparably tyrannical strength, while its speed came from an extraordinary bloodline known as the EX Gene.

When exchanging for Blood Scale, Lin Ye had carefully read through its information.

Before Sigma Star entered its age of superpowers, Blood Scale often relied on its unrivaled speed, strength, and endurance to stir up bloody storms across the planet. Whether Horned Demons or Bull Horn Demons, they were nothing more than food in its jaws.

It was only after Sigma Star's technology advanced, when a geneticist extracted the miraculous EX Gene from Blood Scale's body and created EX Gene serum, then improved it generation after generation, allowing the entire race to undergo a fundamental transformation at the genetic level, that the Horned Demons seized dominance and rule over the planet.

The savage Blood Scale beasts that had once made people tremble at the mere mention of them thus became rare beasts.

"...Don't die!"

Lin Ye gritted his teeth and clenched his fists so tightly that his nails nearly pierced his palms. Yet he seemed to feel no pain at all, merely shouting, "Your opponent, Roxstar, is a Horned Demon genius from Sigma Star."

"His overall strength is even greater than Blood Scale's!"

Zhou Zhe heard him, but he only focused his attention on the rare beast before him and did not dwell on it.

"It's several times faster than I imagined!"

The instant Blood Scale pounced before him, Zhou Zhe's mind became crystal clear. Adrenaline surged through his body, and his thoughts grew more active than ever. Its strength isn't even worth considering. One slap from it could turn me into minced meat!

I have no advantage in either strength or speed. The only key to victory lies in technique!

Having narrowly evaded Blood Scale's first attack, its second offensive arrived in the blink of an eye!

Blood Scale's entire body came crashing down on him!

Like a flash flood and a collapsing tsunami, it carried an overwhelming, irresistible force!

"So fast!"

Zhou Zhe's pupils contracted slightly. Instinctively using a blocking technique from the Wind Riding Blade Technique, he slashed at Blood Scale's body, drawing a shower of sparks as he borrowed the force to pull away.

"This thing is way too outrageous!"

"Doesn't it even need time to recover between attacks?"

His tiger's mouth had been numbed by the impact. Zhou Zhe felt as though the blood and marrow in his entire right arm had nearly been shaken apart.

Even his teeth seemed to ache. Although he had used the Wind Riding Sword Technique to deflect part of the force, he still felt as though every bone in his body was trembling.

Rare Beast Blood Scale!

Strength, speed, endurance, defense—it seemed almost perfect, without any weakness whatsoever.

There seemed to be no hope of victory for him at all.

(New book group: 1098288033. Why is it called A Guang's Pirate Den? Is it because the first chapter said, "Set sail"?)