Genetic Origin Energy

"Wind Lifter?" Ji Yun thought it over. The name sounded familiar, but he couldn't remember where he'd heard it. Still, if Inspector Liu had recommended it, it was clearly no ordinary weapon.

Seeing Ji Yun lost in thought, Inspector Liu said, "That's enough for today. I doubt Chang Mountain has any better prospects than Ji Yun."

"That's all for today. Once you pass the Warrior Practical Examination, you'll receive a formal contract. Let me give you a rough idea now: the training contract will be worth at least a hundred million." Inspector Liu clapped his hands.

"Yun, you can head home. I'll catch up with your father and the others."

"My name is Liu Jian," Inspector Liu said calmly. Then he called his entourage over and prepared to leave the dojo.

Ji Shan followed Inspector Liu out of the training hall. With his hands clasped behind his back, he gave Ji Yun a discreet thumbs-up, clearly pleased with his performance.

"Wind Lifter." Ji Yun silently repeated the name of the spear Inspector Liu had recommended. Going by its name, Wind Lifter was likely a quick, agile weapon—the complete opposite of the Heavy Mountain Spear he'd been practicing with.

I've loved things associated with the wind ever since I was little. Maybe Wind Lifter and I are meant for each other. I should look it up when I get home.

Ji Yun smiled, then considered the deeper implications. Had Inspector Liu recommended Wind Lifter because he thought Ji Yun was suited to a short, light, fast spear? That made sense. The spear techniques he practiced focused on rapid, precise thrusts. He rarely used the broad, powerful moves his father favored. With that in mind, Ji Yun glanced at the weapon racks beside him. Dozens of spears stood on them.

This Gale Spear, meant for the students' practice, seemed to fit the kind of weapon he might need.

Ji Yun took the Gale Spear off the rack and gave it a few experimental swings. It felt all right. He spun it through a few flourishes, and it felt quite natural in his hands.

The Gale Spear was a fast weapon. Its shaft was only two-thirds as long as the Heavy Mountain Spear he'd used before, and it weighed about four-fifths as much. Ji Yun used it to practice a set of spear techniques he often trained with.

That night, Ji Shan returned to Panshan Residential District and saw Ji Yun still practicing with his spear. He grinned, thinking, That's my boy. He's already a little-known genius, and he's still working this hard. Just then, Ji Yun spotted him. He turned, feinted, then thrust at him.

"You little rascal, you dare thrust at your old man? You've got guts!" Ji Shan laughed and scolded him.

"I heard you and Wei Qing were making fun of me today. Is that true?"

As he spoke, Ji Shan sidestepped and grabbed the spearhead. As expected of a High-Level War General—he could disarm someone with his bare hands.

"Wouldn't dare," Ji Yun said with an awkward grin.

Lowering his spear, Ji Yun looked at his father and asked, "What do you think about Inspector Liu saying earlier that I'm suited to light, fast weapons?"

Ji Shan considered it for a moment. "I thought you'd follow my path and wield a spear with broad, powerful strikes, using strength to overcome every opponent. But it seems that style isn't right for you. I looked up Wind Lifter for you. It's the weapon used with Fierce Wind, a manual created by an Invincible War God."

"An Invincible War God?" Ji Yun exclaimed, startled.

There were quite a few War Gods around the world, but according to what his father had told him, there were only about three thousand. Ji Shan knew that much because, as a High-Level War General, he had access to information from the War God Palace. To be called an Invincible War God among thousands of War Gods, the man must have been extraordinary.

Seeing Ji Yun's shock, Ji Shan sighed with admiration. "The manual Fierce Wind, created by that Invincible War God, is famous. A while ago, sea beasts attacked the land around the former Tianjin region. Six high-level Lord Monsters from the ocean gathered hundreds of thousands of different kinds of beasts and sent them against the coastal bases. The defenses were under tremendous pressure. I answered the call and went to support the front lines, though the War Gods were the main force in the battle."

"That Invincible War God needed only two spear thrusts to kill the leading Lord Monster, a Sharp-Toothed Whale. It greatly eased the pressure on the army as they fought back the beast tide."

Killing sea monsters was harder than killing land monsters. Because of the water, human Martial Artists struggled to use their full strength underwater, while sea monsters were naturally suited to fighting there. Most Martial Artists lost twenty to thirty percent of their strength. The only exception was a special kind of fighter—the Psychic Master—who could fight at full strength.

"As far as I know, Fierce Wind is an SS-class offensive spear technique, second only to World Destroyer, created by Hong, the General Dojo Master of our Limit Dojo and the strongest fighter in the world."

A powerful manual second only to World Destroyer. A spark of excitement stirred in Ji Yun.

Ji Shan continued, "If you choose Fierce Wind, I can buy you the first five levels after you pass the Warrior Practical Examination. But you'll have to figure out how to practice it on your own. Fierce Wind emphasizes quick, light thrusts, which is very different from my fighting style. I've already taught you all the basic spear techniques I can. I can't help you much beyond that."

"If you want to learn the Thousand Heavy Mountains that I practice, I can guide you. At least the first two levels shouldn't be a problem, and they'll be enough to support you until you reach Mid-Level War General. Think it over carefully." Ji Shan looked at Ji Yun, waiting for him to choose.

"I've decided. I choose Fierce Wind." Ji Yun made up his mind almost immediately.

"Since you've made your decision, I won't say anything more."

"Yes, Father. I'll master it. If I'm going to train, I might as well train in the best. I have a feeling Fierce Wind will suit me perfectly. And deep down, I feel that Wind Lifter and I are meant for each other. I trust my instincts!"

Seeing that Ji Yun had made his choice, Ji Shan said, "In that case, the force-generation method I taught you before isn't quite right for you. If you keep practicing it, it might cause problems for you later. I'll teach you the Genetic Origin Energy cultivation method now. See if you can sense the energy over the next few days."

"You've already lost some time working on force generation. We can't afford to waste any more."

"Listen carefully. This is the Five Hearts Toward Heaven method."

"The Genetic Origin Energy cultivation method I'm teaching you includes some insights of my own, so it should be a little faster than the ordinary method."

Ji Yun listened and took the printed cultivation guide from his father. So that's how it works.

Ordinary people couldn't cultivate because their genes hadn't been sufficiently optimized. Generally, once their punching power reached 900 kilograms, their speed reached 25 meters per second, and their nerve reaction speed met the Quasi-Warrior standard, their genes were optimized enough to meet the requirements. Ninety percent of Quasi-Warriors could begin cultivating Genetic Origin Energy!

There was only one way to cultivate Genetic Origin Energy in the entire world.

But there were countless Guide Techniques. The speed at which they cultivated Genetic Origin Energy varied enormously, sometimes by dozens or even hundreds of times. Guide Techniques were the truly valuable part.

"Father," Ji Yun asked, puzzled, "why can a Guide Technique make Genetic Origin Energy cultivation faster?"

"Let me put it this way. Suppose you don't practice a Guide Technique and only use the Five-Heart-to-Heaven Cultivation Method. You might cultivate for five minutes in a day before all the cells in your body are saturated. They can't absorb any more."

"But if you practice a Guide Technique, your cells can hold much more. You might be able to cultivate for eight minutes, or even ten minutes, or an hour!" Ji Shan looked at Ji Yun. "Do you understand now?"

Ji Yun finally understood.

"A Guide Technique increases how much each cell can take in every day," Ji Yun repeated. The cells absorbed traces of energy from the universe and converted them into Genetic Origin Energy, much like people eating food. If a person could only eat three bowls of rice, practicing a Guide Technique was like enabling them to eat five or ten bowls a day.

Ji Shan smiled. "Without a Guide Technique, suppose your cells can absorb one unit of energy. Once you start practicing one, they might be able to absorb two units, three units, or even more. In other words, you might cultivate for one year and surpass someone who's cultivated for ten. That's the appeal of a Guide Technique."

"Most manuals come with a corresponding Guide Technique. The Thousand Heavy Mountains Guide Technique I practice is quite good. The one I have was modified by Hong, the General Dojo Master, and is just as good as the others." Ji Shan continued, "Of course, only Martial Artists from my Limit Dojo can ask the General Dojo Master to modify one for them."

"The Fierce Wind I'm going to practice has one too, right?"

"The General Dojo Master is naturally a member of the Limit Dojo. He's just been meditating in Kyoto Base City while trying to reach a level beyond War God."

"All right, go try it out. See if you can master it within the next few days!" Ji Shan said with a smile.

"Yes, Father."

Ji Yun immediately went upstairs and entered his bedroom.

Late at night, stars twinkled in the sky, and the moon cast a hazy glow over the earth, cloaking it in mystery.

Ji Yun sat on his bed with his legs crossed and his hands resting on his knees, palms up. His back was straight.

According to Father, there's only one Genetic Origin Energy cultivation method in the world—the Five-Heart-to-Heaven Cultivation Method. Most people who meet the physical requirements for Martial Artists can begin cultivating Genetic Origin Energy. Ji Yun took a deep breath. His father had said that the first attempt to sense it was the hardest!

To absorb traces of energy from the universe, he first had to sense it.

This energy could be found everywhere on Earth and even among the stars. But most people couldn't detect it at all.

Once he managed to sense it, absorbing it would be easy.

Talented people could sense it on their first day of cultivation. Less talented Martial Artists might spend a year or more just sensing Cosmic Energy. Ji Yun adjusted his breathing and held the Five Hearts Toward Heaven posture. The five hearts were the soles of both feet, the palms of both hands, and the Baihui Acupoint at the top of the head.

Ji Yun's breathing gradually grew steady as he calmed himself and quieted his mind.

Relax your body. Let the Five Hearts Toward Heaven posture come naturally. Quiet your mind until it's as still as a mirror-like lake. Ji Yun had excellent self-control. Gradually, he became completely still, and even his thoughts quieted.

The room was silent. His breathing was almost inaudible.

One minute, two minutes... thirty minutes, an hour...

"Hm?" Ji Yun suddenly opened his eyes. "Where is this so-called Cosmic Energy? Why can't I feel it? My mind should have been completely calm just now. Could it really be like Father said? Talented people can sense it in a day, while those with less talent might need a year or more?"

"I'll try again." Ji Yun closed his eyes and once more tried to sense the Cosmic Energy his father had said was everywhere around him.

Relax. Stillness.

Those were the two things the Five-Heart-to-Heaven Cultivation Method emphasized most.

"This still isn't right." Half an hour later, Ji Yun opened his eyes again.

Ji Yun had thought cultivating Genetic Origin Energy would be easy, but now he realized just how difficult the first step was: sensing it.

"I'll try one last time. If I don't succeed, I'll have to wait until tomorrow night. I hope I can do it." Ji Yun silently hoped for the best. He closed his eyes and once again calmed himself, trying to sense Cosmic Energy.

Time passed minute by minute. Ten minutes... thirty minutes... fifty minutes... an hour and twenty minutes...

"Why haven't I succeeded yet?"

In the near-meditative stillness of his mind, Ji Yun's thoughts began to slow.

Gradually...

"How comfortable."

In a state close to sleep, Ji Yun vaguely sensed wisps of energy slowly flowing into his body through the soles of his feet, the palms of his hands, and the Baihui Acupoint at the top of his head.

"That's Cosmic Energy!" Ji Yun suddenly realized what it was. His eyes flew open, and the sensation vanished completely.

Ji Yun hadn't expected to sense Cosmic Energy only after emptying his mind completely.

"I felt it! I felt it! That must have been Cosmic Energy." Ji Yun was thrilled. "Father said that once someone meets the Quasi-Warrior requirements, most people can cultivate Genetic Origin Energy. Even if they don't sense it, their bodies still absorb it unconsciously, though very slowly."

Ji Yun knew the sensation he'd just experienced must have come from his body absorbing Cosmic Energy on its own. But the rate at which the body did that was incredibly slow.

"That's what it felt like."

Ji Yun closed his eyes and immediately tried again. Gradually, his breathing steadied and his mind grew calm. He focused his awareness on the soles of his feet, the palms of his hands, and the Baihui Acupoint at the top of his head, trying to sense the wisps of energy he'd felt before.

In a haze, he seemed to sense the energy—or perhaps he didn't.

Gradually, the sensation became clearer.

That was it!

Extremely faint wisps of energy drifted toward him. Only when they neared the soles of his feet did a tiny amount seep inside, and the process was incredibly slow.

"This is Cosmic Energy." Ji Yun focused his awareness on the five hearts and naturally formed the thought of absorbing Cosmic Energy. At once, the energy flowing in through the soles of his feet, the palms of his hands, and the Baihui Acupoint began to increase—by nearly a hundred times.

At first, the Cosmic Energy had seeped into his body drop by drop, like water leaking through a crack in a pipe.

Now the crack had widened, and the water flowed into Ji Yun in a steady trickle.

"Ahhh!" A shudder that rose from deep within his bones ran through Ji Yun's entire body, making him tremble. Once inside him, the invisible, colorless Cosmic Energy was devoured by every cell in his body, starved for far too long. More and more poured in through the five channels.

Inside the cells,

As Cosmic Energy entered the cells, it was quickly absorbed by the mitochondria. They released a strange energy that was rapidly taken up throughout the cells. The cells immediately began undergoing a tremendous transformation. Their DNA blueprints changed slightly, and the cells began dividing in two.

Time passed minute by minute...

Ji Yun's body continued to change. His skin, muscles, bones, and every cell deep within him—even his genes—underwent subtle changes. This was the evolution of life, an optimization of his genetic makeup!

"According to the cultivation method, the human body has never consciously absorbed Cosmic Energy since birth, so it's always been in a state of hunger. The first time it absorbs Cosmic Energy, it takes in the most. It's also the time when its strength improves the fastest!" Ji Yun felt fundamental changes taking place throughout his body, from the inside out.

Cosmic Energy was boundless throughout the Earth and the universe. The tiny amount Ji Yun was absorbing now was negligible. His bones grew denser, the cells themselves shrank, and each cell divided into two. His muscle tissue began to optimize, and, as a result, his body weight kept increasing.

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