Flowers Bloom, Hundredfold Genes

Ten years passed in the blink of an eye.

On this day, the sky over Rock Star was no different from usual—the star rose as always, set as always, and cast its last rays of light across the lake as always.

But in the cultivation chamber, Qian Yu's eyes suddenly snapped open.

In that instant, it was as if all the light in the room was devoured by his pupils.

Within his eyes, there were no whites, no irises—only two flames burning silently.

Qian Yu's consciousness was now immersed in a profound and mysterious state.

He "saw" fire.

Not flames, not the glow of fire, but fire itself—one of the most fundamental laws that composed this universe, the eternal rule of combustion that had existed since the dawn of creation.

Countless intricate patterns surfaced in his mind—the trajectories of the Fire Origin Law, the birth and death of fire, its temperature, its propagation, its essence.

Over the past ten years, relying on the insight of the Primordial Dao Tree, he had pushed from the sixth level of the Flame Domain all the way to the ninth level's perfection, then crossed the threshold from domain to law, and finally, at this moment, touched the critical point of law recognition.

In the void, a vast will descended.

It was the original will of the primordial universe, the supreme existence woven from countless laws.

Before this will, Qian Yu's consciousness was as insignificant as a speck of dust.

The next moment, a beam of spiritual light fell, and a warmth bloomed at his brow.

A mysterious power descended from the void, branding a mark upon his forehead.

The mark took the shape of a flame, crimson shot through with gold, as if it were truly burning.

At the same time, he perceived the existence of the primordial universe's origin—an ocean where countless laws converged—and the flame mark at his brow was proof of the origin law's recognition of him.

From now on, his comprehension of the Fire Origin Law would be faster than before, and the power of any secret art he wielded through it would be stronger.

"So this is... law recognition."

Qian Yu murmured, opening his eyes.

In the cultivation chamber, the two flames in his pupils slowly died out, returning to normal.

He raised a hand to touch his brow; the skin beneath his fingertips was faintly warm, but it quickly returned to a normal temperature. The flame mark, however, was permanently etched there.

"Ten years."

Qian Yu let out a long breath, a rare hint of a smile tugging at his lips.

Ten years—from Cosmic Level, first stage, with a fifth-level Flame Domain while on the run, to Cosmic Level, third stage, with recognition of the Fire Origin Law.

This speed, across the entire universe, could only be called earth-shattering.

Those peerless geniuses who joined the Virtual Universe Company, with unlimited resources, master guidance, and accelerated cultivation pods, still took an average of several hundred years to go from Cosmic Level to gaining law recognition.

And he, a lone cultivator with no background, had done it in just ten years.

At that moment, his expression shifted slightly.

Within his inner space, atop the canopy of the Primordial Dao Tree, the flower bud that had been gestating for a full ten years was now quietly blooming.

Qian Yu's consciousness instantly sank into it.

The Primordial Dao Tree still stood silently, its ten-thousand-meter height far greater than ten years ago, its canopy even more lush.

And at the very top of the canopy, the flower bud was unfolding its petals one by one.

When the last layer of petals fully opened, the next moment, the petals scattered and drifted toward Qian Yu's consciousness form.

Qian Yu did not dodge. This was the fruit nurtured by the Primordial Dao Tree, a gift it was returning to its master.

The first petal merged into his consciousness.

Boom!!

Qian Yu's consciousness shook violently as a power he had never felt before surged into the depths of his soul, as if something was being reshaped, remade, elevated.

The second, third, fourth petals...

With each petal that merged, the transformation deepened.

When all dozens of petals had fully merged—

Boom!!!

In the outside world, Qian Yu's seated form erupted with an overwhelming aura.

That aura shot into the sky, instantly bursting out of the cultivation chamber, out of the estate, out of Rock City, and in the blink of an eye, it covered the entire planet of Rock Star!

On Rock Star, two billion living beings simultaneously felt a pressure bearing down on the depths of their souls.

It was an absolute suppression of life level—as if mortals gazed upon gods, as if ants gazed upon dragons.

In Rock City, countless pedestrians collapsed to the ground, their faces pale.

In the mines, countless workers lay prostrate, trembling uncontrollably.

In the lord's manor, Luo Kan was handling official business when his body suddenly went weak, nearly crushing him flat to the floor.

He lifted his head with difficulty, gazing toward the eastern part of the city, his eyes filled with shock.

"This... what kind of aura is this? Is this Cosmic Level?"

In all his years of life, he had never felt such pressure.

Even a Domain Lord-level expert he had once glimpsed from afar did not exude such suffocating oppression.

"That lord... what kind of existence is he?"

Inside the manor.

Qian Yu's consciousness had fully returned.

He opened his eyes, and two beams of light pierced through the void, as if they could bore through the entire training chamber.

He looked down at his hands.

These hands were exactly the same as ten minutes ago, with no change at all.

But he knew these hands were no longer the same as those ten minutes ago.

"Gene level..."

Qian Yu murmured to himself, feeling the surging, unimaginable power within his body.

100 times.

A full 100 times.

His original gene level was that of an ordinary human—1 times gene level, the natural baseline of the human race, and also the natural upper limit for most races in the universe.

Only special lifeforms, or powerful beings who had evolved through countless years of cultivation using various precious treasures, could break through this gene level.

And now, he had directly reached 100 times gene level.

This was a critical threshold under the rules of the original universe: for non-special lifeforms, before reaching the realm of Cosmic Lord, the maximum gene level was 100 times.

To go higher, one had to break through to Cosmic Lord or be a special lifeform.

Of course, Qian Yu also knew that Zuo Shan Ke's Nine Tribulations Secret Codex could break this limit under the rules of the original universe.

But that was limited to a single cultivator.

"The Primordial Dao Tree..."

Qian Yu was stunned.

Just ten years of gestation, just one flower, and it had raised his gene level by 100 times.

If such means were ever revealed, the entire universe would go mad.

Even if traded for a supreme treasure, countless powerful beings would be willing.

"But..."

Qian Yu quickly suppressed his excitement, his gaze returning to calm.

The space where the Primordial Dao Tree resided was an absolute secret, undetectable even by the original universe.

As long as he didn't speak of it, no one could discover his secret.

And the flame mark on his brow, along with the strength brought by the 100-times gene level, could all be explained as "fortune." The universe was vast, and geniuses who encountered opportunities were everywhere. As long as he didn't expose the Primordial Dao Tree, there wouldn't be major problems.

He clenched his fist.

The air in his palm was instantly crushed, producing a deafening explosion, even stirring a gale that sent the instruments in the training chamber tumbling.

And this was just a casual grip.

If he unleashed his full power...

Qian Yu silently estimated.

Cosmic Level, third stage, 100-times gene level, acknowledgment of the Fire Origin Law.

With these three combined, his true combat strength was definitely comparable to a Domain Lord!

"Very good."

A faint smile appeared at the corner of Qian Yu's mouth.

Ten years of seclusion, law acknowledgment, gene transformation, innate secret technique...

Wait.

Innate secret technique!