Improvement of Genes and Comprehension

Over the next month, Gulanxiu hunted Cosmic-level Chaos Beasts with a frenzy, and nearly every day, hundreds of Chaos True Spirits were absorbed by that withered seed.

As the seed gradually swelled, Gulanxiu could also discern its type from its appearance.

It was a cyan-colored seed resembling a lotus seed, with streaks of spiritual light flowing across its surface and a vigorous life force rippling around it, giving it an extraordinarily mysterious look.

Although it had yet to bring any effect to Gulanxiu, judging by the seed's form, he felt it was almost there...

On a vast, desolate grassland, Gulanxiu was locked in a frenzied battle with a lion covered in scales and bearing a pair of wings on its back.

The lion kept roaring repeatedly, yet for some reason, no other Chaos Beasts came to watch the commotion.

Gulanxiu cursed his bad luck inwardly. To run into a Domain Lord Chaos Beast in a Cosmic-level Chaos Beast zone—what rotten luck could match this?

To nurture geniuses, the Chaos Beasts within Chaos City were divided into three zones, and the Cosmic-level zone only housed Cosmic-level Chaos Beasts.

But there were always exceptions. In the constant slaughter among Cosmic-level Chaos Beasts, some lucky ones would break their limits and advance to the Domain Lord level.

Generally speaking, Chaos City would conduct patrols every so often, relocating any Chaos Beast that had broken through to its corresponding level zone.

Thus, encountering a higher-level Chaos Beast in the Cosmic-level zone was rare.

Who would have thought Gulanxiu would run into one today?

Earlier that day, Gulanxiu had been hunting Chaos Beasts as usual. After wiping out a pride of lions using the ship's Laser Cannon, he had just stepped out to absorb the Chaos True Spirits when, unexpectedly, this Domain Lord-level lion leaped out and attacked him wildly.

Fortunately, the lion was too proud to think of ambushing him; otherwise, if it had caught him off guard, Gulanxiu might not have escaped unscathed.

Even so, Gulanxiu felt immense pressure. After all, there was a gap in their levels, and this lion was no slouch in using laws. For a short time, the two were evenly matched.

But Gulanxiu dared not keep fighting this lion indefinitely. This was Chaos Beast territory, and if reinforcements arrived, he wouldn't be able to handle it.

The only problem was that the lion's combat power matched Gulanxiu's, and once the fight started, he had no chance to get back into the ship. He had to find a way to drive the lion off or kill it.

With that thought, Gulanxiu swung his giant axe even more wildly, carving axe marks that twisted space toward the lion.

The lion roared in response, constantly blocking Gulanxiu's axe with its claws, golden light spreading across them.

After a moment, a glimmer of joy flashed in Gulanxiu's eyes, because he sensed that his Cosmic Level 8 cultivation was showing signs of loosening.

He had been stuck at Cosmic Level 8 for a few years now. Since arriving in Chaos City, he hadn't deliberately trained, but the abundant cosmic energy here had steadily boosted his cultivation through passive absorption alone. Now, he was just one step away from Cosmic Level 9.

In truth, if not for his low bloodline rank, which created bottlenecks at every minor stage after Star Level, Gulanxiu would have broken through long ago.

Now, at this critical moment, to see signs of a breakthrough—how could that not excite him!

Even a single minor rank increase would roughly double his base energy. In a life-or-death battle, even a ten percent edge could decide the outcome. Now that Gulanxiu and this lion were evenly matched, once he advanced, handling this lion would be a piece of cake!

With that in mind, Gulanxiu's axe swings grew smoother and smoother, each strike carrying immense force, momentarily suppressing the lion so it couldn't lift its head.

The aura around Gulanxiu grew stronger and stronger, and the lion sensed the danger. It turned to flee.

If this had been at the start of the fight, Gulanxiu might have let it go. After all, this lion, which had just broken through to Domain Lord, was a tough nut to crack.

But now, with his momentum at its peak and on the verge of a breakthrough, he naturally wouldn't let it escape.

Gulanxiu raised his giant axe high, and the fierce aura radiating from him instantly condensed onto the axe blade, locking firmly onto the lion.

Fear and shock flashed in the lion's eyes, and it whimpered as it lay down on the ground. This gesture, among animals, signified submission. This overlord-level Chaos Beast, which had broken through to Domain Lord in the Cosmic-level zone, was yielding in the face of a life-or-death crisis.

Yet its submission didn't cause Gulanxiu a moment's hesitation. To him, the only use for Chaos Beasts was to turn into Chaos True Spirits for the lotus seed to absorb.

With a low shout, "Break for me!!!" Gulanxiu swung his giant axe downward with all his might!

The moment the axe descended, Gulanxiu heard a crack, and the energy within him instantly doubled, carrying an overwhelming aura as it struck the lion below.

A thunderous boom echoed, and the once-arrogant lion vanished from the spot, leaving behind only a Chaos True Spirit far more condensed than any the lotus seed had absorbed before.

Gulanxiu rushed forward and grabbed the Domain Lord-level Chaos True Spirit. Before it could fully sink into his body, he flew back into the ship and piloted it away from the area.

He had no choice. The commotion had been too loud, and the ship's energy was running low. This place was no longer safe. He'd better return to the city first to replenish energy.

Inside the ship, as the Domain Lord-level Chaos True Spirit merged into the lotus seed, the seed blazed with cyan light, and a sense of completeness surged through Gulanxiu's heart.

The lotus seed in his sea of consciousness spun rapidly, releasing wisps of cyan mist that spread through his mind. Gulanxiu felt as if his soul had been cleansed, instantly becoming much clearer.

The laws that had once seemed as elusive as Kyōka Suigetsu during cultivation now lay vividly before his eyes.

It was like watching a video at 480p resolution suddenly upgrading to 720p. And faintly, Gulanxiu even felt his thinking speed had increased significantly.

But that wasn't all. After the cyan energy filled his sea of consciousness, it broke past its limits and flowed into his physical body.

A warm current coursed through Gulanxiu's entire body, making his cells tougher and more resilient.

"So comfortable!!" Gulanxiu sighed with a look of bliss. With that, he slowly closed his eyes. His expression was like that of a man who had just satisfied his desires and entered a sage-like state, feeling utterly languid.

Three days later, the cyan energy that had been reshaping Gulanxiu finally depleted. He slowly opened his eyes, feeling the changes in his body, and couldn't help but smile.

"My base strength has increased fivefold! And I'm still at Cosmic Level 9! That means I have five times the genes of an ordinary lifeform!" Gulanxiu thought to himself.

"And that cyan energy also boosted my comprehension. Now my speed at understanding laws is several times what it was. If that's the case, then maybe I can really give this path to power a try!"