Life Gene Level: 1.1

Mirror Lake Residential District, standalone villa Number 136, bathroom.

A huge bathtub as tall as a person stood there, filled with black medicinal liquid that had long since gone cold. Chen Yuan stood naked in the tub with his eyes closed, only his chest rising and falling faintly.

Suddenly, Chen Yuan opened his eyes. He braced both hands on the edge of the tub and leaped out, lightly twisting his body. A series of crisp crackles immediately rang out from his joints, as if his muscles and bones had fully loosened.

"Today is the 21st, exactly thirty days. The Muscle-Tendon Changing and Marrow Cleansing Classic should have reached completion." Chen Yuan walked into the shower beside him, rinsed the medicinal liquid from his body, then dried himself with a towel as he walked out and opened the panel.

Name: Chen Yuan

Age: 19

Strength: 4183.65 (kg)

Realm: Advanced Warrior

Brain Domain Width: 19

Secret Arts:

Hibernation Method: Crystal Meditation: Cultivation-type secret art, rated B. Current progress: Proficient (11.23%)

Muscle-Tendon Changing and Marrow Cleansing Classic: Cultivation-type secret art, rated C. Current progress: Complete (Overall aptitude +30%, gene level +10%, Brain Domain Width +4)

Spirit Wind Sword Art: Combat-type secret art, rated C. Current progress: Overall beginner 95.43% (Swordsmanship 97.85%, movement technique 88.47%, Guiding Technique 99.99%)

Force Exertion Level: 1.3

Current optimizable item: Secret arts

Kill Points: 0

"Hm?" Chen Yuan suddenly fixed his gaze on the Brain Domain Width entry. "Brain Domain Width 19? Shouldn't it be 18?"

"Also, before today, my strength was only a little over 3,800 kilograms. Now it's directly risen to 4,183 kilograms?"

His gaze moved downward, and Chen Yuan saw the Muscle-Tendon Changing and Marrow Cleansing Classic. His eyes widened at once. "Gene level increased by 10%!"

Chen Yuan remembered that the introduction to the Muscle-Tendon Changing and Marrow Cleansing Classic had never mentioned this. After all, this was a life gene level. How could a mere C-rated secret art achieve something like that?

But the facts were right before his eyes, leaving Chen Yuan no choice but to believe.

"That's right. If my gene level increased by 10%, then my strength rising to 4,183 kilograms makes sense."

"But how did it do that? Just through this secret art?" Carrying this doubt, Chen Yuan questioned the panel.

The panel answered every question, and it quickly displayed the data from before and after the Muscle-Tendon Changing and Marrow Cleansing Classic reached completion.

The secret art "Muscle-Tendon Changing and Marrow Cleansing Classic" has reached completion. Overall aptitude +10%, Brain Domain Width +1.

Because the host reached completion within 30 days and achieved a "Perfect Transformation," the body's hidden potential was stimulated. The genes underwent a minor leap, gene level increased by 10%, and Brain Domain Width received an additional +1.

"So a Perfect Transformation can stimulate the body's hidden potential, which is what increased my gene level and Brain Domain Width." Chen Yuan was immensely relieved.

"Fortunately, the increase in Hibernation Method proficiency brought my Deep Sleep into its second stage, making my absorption of cosmic energy more efficient. That was why the proficiency of the Muscle-Tendon Changing and Marrow Cleansing Classic rose by more than 10% every day, allowing the secret art to finally reach completion within thirty days." Chen Yuan still felt lingering fear. "One more day, and I wouldn't have made it. I nearly missed out on such a precious improvement."

That was a life gene level. Even powerful experts capable of stirring the cosmos found it incomparably difficult to improve their life gene levels.

An increase in gene level was comprehensive. Not only had Chen Yuan gained a permanent 1.1-times boost to his strength, but his efficiency in absorbing cosmic energy, his comprehension when learning secret arts, and even his future efficiency in comprehending laws would all enjoy this 10% bonus.

"I really struck it big this time." Chen Yuan stared at those words on the panel, delight filling his heart. "Not to mention my Brain Domain Width increased by another point."

Then, a new entry appeared on the panel.

Life Gene Level: 1.1

Chen Yuan happily looked at those words for a while, then calmed down and began to think. "Since the Muscle-Tendon Changing and Marrow Cleansing Classic had such a hidden effect, why didn't it display it directly? I nearly missed this opportunity."

Chen Yuan asked the panel and received the answer that even it did not know.

The human body was simply too mysterious. The panel could only truthfully record the real-time changes in his body; it could not extrapolate every possible future change.

"Fine, then." Chen Yuan smacked his lips. "Now that the improvement to my aptitude is temporarily over, it's time to make preparations and head to the Wilderness Zone."

"After all, it's time to earn some Kill Points."

After changing clothes, he went to the villa's underground storage room.

The storage room was piled high with all sorts of miscellaneous items. The most conspicuous thing was a huge safe located at the deepest end of the room.

The safe was integrated into the entire wall and made wholly of Series 6 Alloy. No one below the rank of War God could damage it. Even a War God would have no other option besides forcibly dismantling it.

Chen Yuan took out a key and inserted it into the safe. After entering the three-part password, he pressed his finger against the fingerprint scanner.

Once the three steps were complete, the safe gave a beep. Chen Yuan was finally able to turn the key and open the door.

There were not many items in the safe, only a long sword and a combat suit.

The long sword was a Streamer Type 1 series, A6 Model, capable of supporting battles against Advanced Beast General-level monsters.

The combat suit was even more impressive: a Series D7 Combat Suit that even Elementary Overlord-level monsters could not easily tear apart!

However, compared to the long sword, the combat suit was not as complete. Only the combat vest and pants remained relatively intact. The other parts, such as the armguards and Battle Boots, had all been lost.

These two pieces of equipment were the inheritance his father, Chen Ji, had left him.

From his memories, Chen Yuan learned that when the original owner was thirteen, Chen Ji had led a team into the Wilderness Zone and encountered a small beast tide. Chen Ji chose to stay behind for the team, resisting the beast tide alone.

It was then that Chen Yuan had been entrusted to Qin Zhan's care.

When the beast tide ended and Qin Zhan risked his life to rush back, all he found was Chen Ji's broken body.

Qin Zhan brought Chen Ji back to Jinling City for burial, then returned Chen Ji's belongings—the long sword "Streamer" and the Series 7 Combat Suit—to Chen Yuan.

After that, the original owner placed both items in the safe and never took them out again. Even when he first went to the Wilderness Zone, he had used only an ordinary A2-Type Streamer Battle Sword.

From his memories, Chen Yuan learned that aside from fearing that the objects would remind him of his father, the original owner was also worried that the equipment was too good for him to handle.

But in Chen Yuan's view, the original owner had simply been overly sentimental. He would not let treasures gather dust. If they should be used, then he would use them.

After taking the two pieces of equipment from the safe, Chen Yuan left the basement without the slightest hesitation.

After all, Chen Yuan was completely unaffected by the original owner's emotions. Chen Ji's story was touching, but at most, he would sigh over it a few times. He would not miss his father like the original owner had.

At that moment, Chen Yuan had only one thing on his mind: entering the Wilderness Zone to train.

However, those two pieces of equipment alone were not enough for a trip to the Wilderness Zone. Chen Yuan ordered other equipment from Limit Home as well, including a tactical watch, backpack, Battle Boots, armguards, and more, along with some jerky and drinking water.

Chen Yuan did not bring much jerky, but he brought plenty of drinking water. To him, the Wilderness Zone was full of food everywhere, so there was no need to worry about eating. Going without water, on the other hand, was not an option.

He selected the items he needed, checked out, paid, chose "expedited delivery," and paid the expedited fee.

With a ding, the payment succeeded, which also meant Chen Yuan's meager savings had hit rock bottom.

Chen Yuan glanced at his balance. Good. Only four digits remained.

But money was powerful. Only an hour later, Chen Yuan received all the equipment. The service was remarkably efficient.

Fully equipped, with his backpack and long sword on his back, Chen Yuan left Mirror Lake Residential District.

Wilderness Zone, here I come!