Fallen Genius

On the 180th day of the fifth year, Jiang Xiaobai was using the Universal Growth Art on the spirit field in Tiger-Leopard Forest when she suddenly felt a pain in her belly. Little Flame carried Jiang Xiaobai back to the Yang Family Manor, and before long, the cries of a baby rang out from the Yang Family Estate.

The Yang Family had gained a new member. Its household prospered, Incense +100!

"Congratulations, Master Yang. It's a boy!"

Yang Shi took the child from the midwife's arms. The little fellow, who had been bawling loudly, abruptly stopped crying and stared at Yang Shi's face, a trace of closeness in his eyes.

"Ha ha ha~ My child recognizes his father."

"The ancestors have blessed us! My Yang Family has an heir!"

"Please grant the child a generational name, Ancestor!"

Holding the child, Yang Shi knelt before the ancestral tablets with a devout expression.

"I suppose I can name him."

Only Yang Shi remained in the Yang Family. To ensure that future descendants could distinguish which generation they belonged to, they naturally needed a generational naming order. This order would begin with this child.

"Since you recognize me as your ancestor, and this is a new family starting from scratch, then I shall establish a meaningful generational naming order."

After Yang Shi waited for a moment, twenty-four large golden characters appeared in the sky.

The first character was "Fu."

As Yang Shi looked at the floating character in the sky, he seemed to feel a blazing force!

The principles behind the operation of the entire family seemed condensed within that single character!

"What magnificent spirit our ancestor possesses!"

"Yang Shi shall make this character the family precept and have it passed down through my Yang Family for generations!"

The golden characters in the sky changed once more.

"From this day onward, these shall be the generational names of my Yang Family. The eldest sons shall have single-character given names."

"This child shall be called Yang Fu."

Yang Genshuo felt that this sort of name was much more pleasing than Yang Zihan, Yang Zihan, or Yang Zihan.

Most, most, most importantly, once the Yang Family had more descendants in the future, he would be able to tell from their names which generation each person belonged to and who was the eldest.

That was very necessary.

"Yang Fu, my son is called Yang Fu. Good! So good!"

Yang Shi had become a father for the first time and was so overjoyed that he did not know what to say.

"Brother Husband, let me see the child."

Jiang Xiaobai was a cultivator after all. Her body was nourished by spiritual energy, so she recovered very quickly and was already able to get out of bed and move around.

"Xiao Bai, the child looks very much like you. I hope he can become a cultivator like you as well."

"We'll know once he grows up and I test him."

Yang Genshuo's eyes lit up.

"I don't need to wait. I can see it now."

After he had named him, little Yang Fu's Character Card had become accessible. Yang Genshuo could now see a faint Spiritual Insight on the child's body and was already getting excited.

"You little brat, your aptitude had better be good! Your ancestor spent 200 Incense on you!"

Name: Yang Fu

Identity: Son of Yang Shi and Jiang Xiaobai.

Lifespan: 1/120

Spiritual Root: Five-Element Spiritual Root (Metal: 30, Wood: 30, Water: 30, Fire: 30, Earth: 30)

Realm: None

Comprehension: 50

Fortune: 20

Talents: Innate Wisdom Root (Heaven Grade), Genius's Fall (Earth Grade)

"Ah?"

"Ah!"

"Ah!?"

After reading little Yang Fu's Character Card, Yang Genshuo let out three exclamations in three different tones. It was not exaggerated in the slightest; his feelings were extraordinarily complicated right now.

The first "Ah?" was Yang Shi's disappointment upon seeing the Five-Element Spiritual Root attributes.

The second "Ah!" came from seeing the Heaven Grade talent. It felt as though the Yang Family was about to soar into the sky.

Innate Wisdom Root (Heaven Grade): All Spiritual Root attributes +10, comprehension +10.

At that moment, he looked again at the Five-Element Spiritual Root and discovered that the base attributes of all five spiritual roots were actually 30!

One had to know that Jiang Xiaobai's most outstanding Wood-Element Spiritual Root was only 23!

Yang Genshuo had seen a Qi Refining Realm cultivator with four spiritual roots among the Blackstone Sect disciples, yet not one of that person's individual spiritual roots had reached 30!

His Spiritual Root aptitude was second only to Bai Heyu's Triple Spiritual Root.

Spiritual Root aptitude determined one's cultivation speed and greatly affected the height one could reach in the future.

This child had powerful spiritual roots and extremely high comprehension. He would surely become someone great in the future!

Before Yang Genshuo could finish rejoicing, the second Earth Grade talent left him dumbfounded.

Genius's Fall (Earth Grade): Cultivation speed +99% before Foundation Establishment, cultivation speed -99% after Foundation Establishment.

"The good news is that Yang Fu will cultivate to the Foundation Establishment Realm at an extremely fast pace."

"The bad news is that Yang Fu may remain stuck in the Foundation Establishment Realm forever."

A single Character Card sent Yang Genshuo through twist after twist, his emotions rising and falling like stormy waves.

"What kind of situation is this?"

For a moment, Yang Genshuo could not tell whether this was a good thing or a bad thing.

But judging from the information currently available, aptitude sufficient to cultivate to Foundation Establishment would qualify as that of a high-level cultivator even in the Blackstone Sect.

The child would still need several years before he could cultivate. Yang Genshuo decided to observe him first and think about the future.

"Overall, those 200 Incense were still useful."

"I need to keep saving Incense."

Yang Genshuo accelerated time.

There was nothing much to do during this period, and the Yang Family developed steadily.

Yang Genshuo went to the courtyard to eat with Lin Yue, who had just finished cooking.

Ding-a-ling~

Seeing that Yang Genshuo actually had time to eat with her this time, Lin Yue happily shook the wind chime.

Yang Genshuo took out his phone and typed.

"Recently... have you felt anything unusual in your body?"

"Eating with Brother Shuo has improved my appetite, and the rice at home smells wonderful."

"Mm, then eat more."

"Where did you buy it? Lin Yue wants to buy some for Mother to eat."

"Uh, a friend gave it to me. When there's more next time, I'll have him bring extra."

"Lin Yue will transfer you money."

"I'll deduct it from your salary."

"Oh."

Yang Genshuo did not fuss over this small amount of spirit rice. Lin Yue's family circumstances were poor. Her mother had raised a deaf-mute child by herself, and it had not been easy for her either.

Besides, Yang Shi offered spirit rice as tribute every year. Even if Yang Genshuo stuffed himself to death, he would never finish it all.

Spirit rice transformed the body from the inside out, improving it as a whole.

Yang Genshuo could feel all his bodily functions gradually recovering, especially the damage caused over the years by staying up late, getting overheated, and drinking alcohol. It was slowly disappearing.

The most direct change was his sense of taste. After being ravaged for so many years by heavily salted food, greasy food, and alcohol, his taste buds could actually discern the unique flavor of every single leafy vegetable.

Lin Yue strictly prepared meals according to nutritional recipes. With only simple cooking, he could somehow eat several bowls of rice.

His body was gradually returning to youth and purity. The feeling was incredibly wondrous.

But unfortunately, Lin Yue's congenital illness still showed no signs of improvement. Yang Genshuo could only continue waiting.

After Lin Yue left, Yang Genshuo took out the Marrow Cleansing Pill Yang Shi had offered this year.

"This is a genuine immortal pill, a First-Grade Pill!"

It was a fine pill universally acknowledged in the Cultivation World, one that everyone needed to have on hand.

After Jiang Xiaobai had taken one, each of her five Spiritual Root attributes had risen by one point.

Yang Genshuo was certain that he had no Spiritual Root, but even a mortal could strengthen their body and gain five years of lifespan from consuming this!

After swallowing it, pill fragrance filled his belly.

A wave of heat rose from his dantian and swept through his entire body! It was as though a steam furnace had been installed inside him, continuously forcing toxins out of his body!

There were far, far more toxins in Yang Genshuo's body than in Yang Shi's or Jiang Xiaobai's.

Black filth seeped from every pore.

In only a moment, his entire body had become foul-smelling enough to reach the heavens.

The medicinal effect lasted a full hour before the transformation finally stopped.

He felt like a huge slab of fatty pork boiled in clear water, his whole body giving off a nauseating, pungent stench of raw meat.

And after his body had been blanched, the flesh had become firm, while a large amount of scum seeped out from the outside.

"Blech~ So disgusting!"

Yang Genshuo ran into the bathroom and scrubbed himself viciously.

Only after quite a while did he come out.

When Yang Genshuo saw himself in the mirror, he froze.

"Is this devastatingly handsome bastard me?"

In the mirror, his skin was incomparably smooth, as tender as a child's.

His body had also slimmed down by a whole circle, and his once round face had gained distinct angles.

After losing a large amount of fat, his muscles had emerged as well. He felt as though he had strength to spare without end!

"I've never been in such good condition!"

At this moment, he felt that even his eighteen-year-old self had been inferior to who he was now!

He weighed himself. One hundred and sixty-five pounds!

"Good heavens, one pill and I lost twenty pounds? If a certain New Year's comedy film director got two of these, making money would become even easier."

After dealing with that, Yang Genshuo checked on Yang Shi's side.

Nothing was happening there at the moment.

Other than practicing martial arts with Liu Wuhen, Yang Shi spent his days playing with little Yang Fu alongside Jiang Xiaobai. Life was utterly carefree.

If not for the occasional reports from informants about the Xiang Residence, Yang Genshuo might even have thought that Yang Shi had forgotten his hatred.

Watching time flow rapidly in the game, Yang Genshuo felt as though he had forgotten something.

Until Xu Mengqi's call came through.