Chen Ye

"Zhixing, when school starts next Monday, fancy a spar with me?"

After they made their way back to the Rain-Listening Garden, Liu Qifan turned to Ji Zhixing with a grin.

"As long as you let me use gene equipment."

Ji Zhixing chuckled.

"Sure!"

Liu Qifan agreed without hesitation.

He had fused with an Ironback Wolf gene.

Ji Zhixing had only fused with the Three-Inch Stone Monkey Gene. Even if Ji Zhixing used gene equipment, Liu Qifan didn't think he would lose to him.

There shouldn't be anyone home at this hour, right?

After parting with Liu Qifan at the entrance to the Rain-Listening Garden residential complex, Ji Zhixing headed home alone.

Ji Zhixing lived on the fifth floor of Building Three, which had no elevator.

He climbed the stairs floor by floor, then took out his key and opened the door.

Just as he expected, the apartment was quiet.

"Mom isn't off work yet, and Zhiyu won't finish school for a while." Ji Zhixing checked the time. It was only a little past two in the afternoon-still early indeed.

He went into the kitchen, found some leftovers, heated them up, and sat at the dining table to eat at a leisurely pace.

As he ate, he sank his awareness into his body.

Within the gray, hazy space of his gene furnace, the Black Longstaff floated silently, radiating a gentle glow.

Besides the staff, wisps of mist drifted slowly through the furnace space.

So this is gene source energy...

Ji Zhixing thought to himself.

He knew that after someone fused with a gene, gene source energy would emerge within their body.

This gene source energy was stored in the gene furnace and formed the basis for a gene cultivator's abilities.

From now on, I'll need gene source energy whenever I use gene abilities like Stone Skin and Gigantification.

I can also use it to enhance my body, boosting my strength, speed, and defense so I can unleash power far beyond an ordinary person's.

But...

Ji Zhixing glanced at the thin mist of source energy in his gene furnace and frowned slightly. The Three-Inch Stone Monkey Gene is just too weak. The enhancement I get is much weaker than what other first-order gene cultivators receive.

If we both use gene source energy to enhance ourselves, Liu Qifan's Ironback Wolf gene will give him at least thirty percent more of a boost to strength and speed than mine.

That's the difference between the genes themselves.

But that's all right.

Ji Zhixing quickly adjusted his outlook. Once I develop Stone Skin, Gigantification, and innate staff heart, and evolve the Three-Inch Stone Monkey Gene into the Pikeman Stone Monkey Gene, its order will rise, and everything will be different!

Let's try it.

After finishing his meal, Ji Zhixing focused his mind and tried drawing on the gene source energy in his gene furnace, letting it spread through every part of his body.

A warm sensation swept through him.

He could clearly feel his body grow stronger at that moment.

Strength surged within him. The tension in his muscles, the speed of his blood flow-he could sense it all with perfect clarity.

This feels great.

Ji Zhixing clenched his fists, feeling the strength coursing through his body.

"It's still early. I'll go downstairs and practice with the staff!"

He glanced at the clock on the wall. It wasn't even three yet, so he washed his dishes and headed downstairs.

The open space downstairs was small and usually served as a parking area for the residents.

There weren't many people around at the moment, just a few elderly men and women chatting in the shade of a nearby tree.

Ji Zhixing walked to the center of the open space. With a thought, the Black Longstaff appeared in his hand.

The instant he gripped it, that feeling of being one with the staff swept through him again.

"Let's begin."

Ji Zhixing took a deep breath, bringing the training methods for the Basic Staff Technique to mind.

The Basic Staff Technique consisted of twelve forms.

Chop, sweep, tap, lift, snap, deflect, intercept, bind, thrust, hook, block, and brace.

Each form had many variations, and their combinations could produce countless methods of attack and defense.

Ji Zhixing tightened his grip on the staff and began practicing.

Whoosh!

The staff rose high, then chopped down sharply, tracing a fierce arc through the air.

His movements were smooth and natural, without the slightest awkwardness.

Before long, he had performed all twelve staff forms once.

"What a rush!"

Ji Zhixing felt invigorated in both body and mind.

After I refined this staff, I formed a connection with the abilities inscribed inside it. As long as I hold it, I can use these moves proficiently.

It won't work with any other staff.

But that's all right.

Ji Zhixing's eyes shone. As long as I keep practicing, ten times, a hundred times, a thousand times...

I can make my body remember this feeling and build muscle memory.

Once I've practiced enough, I'll truly master the Basic Staff Technique, even if I throw the staff away.

Standing in the open space with the staff in hand, he practiced over and over.

With the staff in his hands, his body seemed guided by an invisible force. Every swing followed perfect form, with precisely the right application of force.

Through this practice, his grasp of the Basic Staff Technique grew increasingly proficient.

After practicing for a while, he chose to stop using the staff's built-in Basic Staff Technique ability and rely solely on his own memory.

But after just one run-through, he noticed all sorts of problems in the way he applied force.

Beneath the distant tree, the elderly men and women were still chatting.

Just then, a young man in his twenties approached from a distance. He wore simple sportswear and was tall, with an ugly face.

He walked into the shade and nodded to the elderly residents. Hearing the swish of a staff cutting through the air, he looked up.

Ji Zhixing was swinging his staff in the open space, his awkwardness apparent at a glance.

Probably a new student who's just fused with a gene, the ugly young man thought idly. He's certainly practicing hard.

He looked away and spoke to an elderly man beside him, paying little more attention.

The other elderly residents greeted him as he approached.

The Rain-Listening Garden had never had any notable figures before.

This ugly young man was named Chen Ye. Two years ago, he had fused with a fourth-order Morning Star Rank gene, earning him considerable fame throughout the Rain-Listening Garden.

In fact, there was hardly anyone who didn't know him.

If Chen Ye's grandfather hadn't been unwilling to leave the Rain-Listening Garden, he would have moved away long ago.

Still no good. I need more practice!

After trying to practice from memory without the Black Longstaff's assistance, Ji Zhixing immediately shook his head. He knew he still had a long way to go.

He activated the Black Longstaff's built-in Basic Staff Technique again to assist his practice.

The sun blazed overhead, and sweat soon soaked his clothes.

He remained oblivious, focused solely on swinging the staff in his hands.

Whoosh!

Out in the open space, Ji Zhixing kept practicing until he was utterly exhausted. Only then did he stop and lean on his staff to rest.

He knew that the Basic Staff Technique, an ability anyone could learn, was essentially a gene ability too.

It simply belonged to the category of universal gene abilities.

Universal gene abilities could be learned and mastered without fusing with a specific gene.

Besides the Basic Staff Technique, this world had many other universal gene abilities.

These included various saber and sword techniques.

He had heard of a gene beast called the Bloodblade Asura. After it was refined, there was a chance of obtaining saber-type gene equipment containing various saber techniques.

The Basic Staff Technique he practiced had originally come about in the same way.

"Keep going!"

Once he had rested, Ji Zhixing gave it some thought and began practicing from memory again.

Chop, sweep, tap, lift, snap, deflect...

Move by move, again and again.

Compared with before, his movements were clearly much smoother, flowing as naturally as water.

It was as though this staff technique had been designed for him from birth.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

The sound of the staff cutting through the air rang out continuously across the open space.

Beneath the tree, Chen Ye looked up again.

"Hm?"

This time, his gaze lingered.