"When should I take this B1 Gene Potion—now?" Li Yang asked in return.
The white-bearded old man immediately said, "No, no, no, of course not now. There are many things to pay attention to when taking a B1 Gene Potion. First of all, the stronger the recipient's body, the greater the chance of survival, and the more energy they will gain afterward."
Li Yang frowned slightly. He did not understand what the white-bearded old man meant.
Seeing this, the white-bearded old man explained in detail, "Those who successfully take a B1 Gene Potion gain differing amounts of physical energy. The lowest gain is only two or three thousand crystals, while the highest reaches six or seven thousand crystals. Those who gained the most physical energy had possessed the strongest bodies beforehand."
Suddenly, the white-bearded old man sighed. "What a pity. The death-row prisoners in the past were not particularly strong. Even the strongest among them only had thirty crystals!"
The white-bearded old man then smiled. "That is why I have arranged for these death-row prisoners to undergo training first—frantic training. They will take the B1 Gene Potion only after raising their physical strength. The second floor of my base is now specifically for their training. I let them train first. There are currently thirteen death-row prisoners training there, and the strongest among them has already reached over fifty crystals of physical energy. Although you already have more than seventy crystals, I still hope you will train for a while longer. The higher your physical energy, the better!"
Li Yang finally understood what the white-bearded old man meant.
"You want me to train for a while longer before taking the B1 Gene Potion, right?" A faint smile appeared at the corner of Li Yang's mouth.
The white-bearded old man nodded. "Yes. I very much want to know how much physical energy a master with over a hundred crystals of physical energy will gain if he successfully takes a B1 Gene Potion." As he spoke, his right hand casually pressed a button on his desk. Suddenly, the door opened, and a refined young research scholar walked in.
"Teacher, what is it?" The young man looked at his teacher with reverence. He knew very well that the Gene Potion had been developed almost entirely through his teacher's efforts; the others had merely assisted.
The white-bearded old man nodded. "Take him to the second floor and have him train first." He then turned his gaze toward Li Yang. "You will not try to escape, will you? Everyone here is a scholar with no strength to truss a chicken. If you go mad, there really are not many people who can handle you."
Li Yang smiled disdainfully. "I am not that foolish. This base is set up the same way as Star Net, my previous base. Entry and exit both rely on iris scans. Without you people, I would be unable to take even a single step in this base." Though he said this aloud, Li Yang sneered inwardly. You old bastard, in a place this secret, the masters guarding it are at least Level Four or Level Five. And you yourself are a fellow at the middle Golden Core stage, yet you claim to be too weak to truss a chicken? Hmph. Still, if I truly wanted to escape, there really would be nothing you could do. If Li Yang escaped, he would naturally rely on the Evasion Technique.
Li Yang left the white-bearded old man's office with the young man, but the telephone in the old man's office suddenly rang.
"Hello, General Wang? Li Yang? Hahaha, he is just a death-row prisoner. What are you so nervous about? Since I brought him here, you need not concern yourself with him. Do you not know about the privileges the state has granted me?" the white-bearded old man said impatiently into the phone.
General Wang was on the other end of the line. He knew what the white-bearded old man did with the death-row prisoners he took away, which only made him more uneasy.
"Old Dean, I called to remind you that Li Yang's temperament is no longer what it was. I am worried that if he succeeds in taking the Gene Potion, he may flee when he goes out to carry out missions. If Li Yang succeeds in taking the Gene Potion, his physical energy will certainly increase tremendously. On top of that, he has Internal Energy, so the power of his Little Li Flying Dagger will become even more terrifying. Even now, he can easily kill a Level Four Master. What about after Li Yang takes the B1 Gene Potion? I truly do not dare imagine what will happen if he slips free of control!" General Wang warned.
The white-bearded old man said confidently, "Relax. What methods do I have? Has even one of the death-row prisoners from the past escaped? Did they not all obediently carry out their missions?"
"Yes, I know. I am simply always a little uneasy. I am only reminding you, Old Dean. Since you are confident, I will not worry over shadows." General Wang then hung up helplessly. Though this old dean was extraordinarily accomplished in academics, his temper had always been unbearably arrogant. Perhaps that was the eccentricity of experts with exceptional achievements.
The white-bearded old man gently hung up the phone. Smiling confidently, he murmured, "A little brat who has not even reached the Innate Realm—would controlling him not be easy? Erasing his memories would be as easy as turning over one's hand. General Wang, how could a mortal like you understand the power of cultivators?"
The days passed one after another, and Li Yang continued training without pause.
In the largest training room on the second floor of Life Research Institute Base No. 2.
"...479, 480..." Li Yang was doing frog jumps under four times gravity, both hands held straight out while carrying an iron bar weighing fifty jin. Though it weighed only fifty jin, under four times gravity, it was terrifyingly heavy.
Fortunately, Li Yang's Internal Energy had reached the third level. His several hundred crystals of Internal Energy were far more formidable than before. True energy surged through his entire body, and as his Internal Energy circulated, he held on despite being drenched in sweat. Training this way killed two birds with one stone: it not only trained his muscles, but also allowed his Internal Energy to improve more quickly.
"2000!" Li Yang suddenly tossed the iron bar in his hands aside and casually walked to a corner of the training room.
Li Yang sat down on the spot with complete ease and indifference, leaning against the icy wall. The Internal Energy in his body, nearly exhausted, began circulating madly. The spiritual energy of heaven and earth continuously poured into Li Yang's body, yet Li Yang paid no attention to what was happening within him.
Several bottles of strong liquor sat in the corner—several bottles of high-proof Erguotou that he had often drunk back when he was in Dragon Fang. Li Yang had strongly demanded these from the people at the research institute. Fortunately, Erguotou was cheap, and the base had met his request.
Li Yang twisted open a bottle cap and fiercely poured the strong liquor into his mouth, letting its fiery heat fill his chest.
Xue, are you doing well over there? Li Yang's heavy, overwhelming longing for Xue left him unable to feel the liquor's burning heat. During these days, Li Yang did nothing but train, yet whenever he rested, he would almost instantly think of Xue—of Xue's meticulous care for him in the hospital, of Xue waiting bitterly for him without even knowing his real name.
Li Yang abruptly tilted back his head and poured the entire bottle of liquor into his mouth in one gulp.
"Training!" Only training could numb him. Li Yang fiercely drew in the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, instantly transforming it into true energy within his body. He casually picked up a massive boulder and began training desperately...
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