Gene Source Stones

"That's easy." Ji Zhixing smiled. "The five of us can play rock-paper-scissors. Whoever wins gets to refine it first."

"Sounds good!" Their eyes lit up, and everyone agreed.

Rock, paper, scissors!

After several rounds, Zhang Haocheng raised his hand with a grin. "Haha, I won!"

Xie Jia came second, Ji Zhixing third, Luo Yongguang fourth, and Liu Qifan last.

"Huh?" Liu Qifan looked crestfallen. "Why am I so unlucky?"

Ji Zhixing felt a little helpless too and shook his head.

Of all of them, he was the most eager to test his Gene Furnace's capabilities.

Zhang Haocheng eagerly stepped forward and crouched beside the Black-Coated Slender Hound's corpse.

He took a deep breath and activated his Gene Furnace. The Black-Coated Slender Hound blurred, then vanished.

Although the Gene Furnace was located inside a cultivator's body, its interior was spacious enough to hold not just a Black-Coated Slender Hound, but even an elephant.

If a Gene Cultivator broke through to the second order, the Gene Furnace's interior could grow even larger.

"Hurry up!"

The others watched Zhang Haocheng, waiting for the result.

The seconds ticked by. After about three or four minutes, Zhang Haocheng opened his eyes. The excitement on his face faded, replaced by disappointment.

He held out his hand, and a thumb-sized crystal materialized in his palm. It was transparent throughout and gave off a faint glow.

"Nothing to see. Bad luck." Zhang Haocheng shook his head with a wry smile. "Just the one guaranteed Gene Source Stone."

The others looked at the crystal.

Gene Source Stones were the universal currency of this world.

After Gene Cultivators refined a Gene Beast's corpse, even if they were unlucky and failed to produce Gene Equipment or a gene potion, they would still receive Gene Source Stones like this.

Given the size of this Gene Source Stone, Zhang Haocheng could put it back into his Gene Furnace and refine it into ten Gene Coins in moments if he wanted.

Both Gene Source Stones and Gene Coins could be used to slowly restore gene source force.

Ten Gene Coins... Ji Zhixing thought silently. A bottle of Stone Skin Gene Potion costs ten thousand. That means a thousand Gene Source Stones like this. A bottle of Gigantification Gene Potion costs a hundred thousand, so that would take ten thousand stones.

There's still a long road ahead.

He asked Zhang Haocheng for the Gene Source Stone and examined it, filled with emotion.

"Here."

Ji Zhixing returned the Gene Source Stone to Zhang Haocheng.

Zhang Haocheng put away the Gene Source Stone. "Let's go. We'll keep looking."

The five regrouped and continued cautiously making their way deeper into Stone Lake Town.

Before they had gone far, they heard sounds of fighting coming from all over town.

"Looks like the other teams have run into Gene Beasts too."

They exchanged glances and quickened their pace.

Suddenly, the sounds of a fierce fight came from ahead.

Their gazes shifted, and they saw Zhou Yuan's team surrounding an enormous wild boar. Its body was pitch-black, and two tusks curved upward. From its appearance, it seemed to be a Gene Beast, the Mighty Boar King.

With a long saber in hand, Zhou Yuan moved nimbly around the boar, aiming every slash at a vital spot.

The others used their own abilities, working seamlessly together.

Soon, the Mighty Boar King crashed to the ground.

Zhou Yuan put away his saber, then turned and spotted Ji Zhixing's group. He immediately waved smugly. "Hey! What do you think? Pretty good teamwork, right?"

"Just so-so. We've already killed a Gene Beast," Zhang Haocheng shot back immediately.

The two groups exchanged a few words before going their separate ways.

Stone Lake Town was fairly large, but the number of Gene Beasts occupying it was limited.

Once they cleared out the Gene Beasts in town, they would have to use it as a base and hunt outside Stone Lake Town.

This training expedition outside the city would not end in a single day.

According to the school's plan, they would stay here for five days before returning.

After they walked a little farther, an extremely faint rustling suddenly came from behind a broken wall ahead.

They immediately stopped and looked over warily.

A small Gene Beast was crouched in the shadows behind the wall.

It was a cat.

A black cat with a single eye in the middle of its forehead.

"A One-Eyed Mutant Cat," Zhao Qing's voice came from behind them. "Very fast, and very alert."

No sooner had she spoken than the One-Eyed Mutant Cat seemed to sense danger. It abruptly turned and disappeared into the ruins in a few bounds, moving astonishingly fast.

Liu Qifan chased it for a couple of steps before stopping. "It's so fast!" he said in frustration.

Ji Zhixing shook his head. "We can't catch it. Forget it."

"That's how One-Eyed Mutant Cats are," Zhao Qing said as she walked over. "They're highly alert. The slightest rustle of wind or grass will send them running."

"And they're so fast that even cultivators with ordinary speed-type gene abilities have trouble catching them."

There was nothing they could do but keep searching.

This time, it did not take long to find a new target.

Their new target was an enormous mountain chicken.

Standing upright, it was a full meter and a half tall. Grayish-brown feathers covered its body, gleaming like metal in the sunlight.

Its legs were thick and powerful, its claws sharp.

"An Iron-Feather Mountain Chicken!"

Ji Zhixing's eyes lit up. "This kind of Gene Beast has wings, but it can't fly."

"Its wings are weapons. Its feathers are as hard as iron, and its wingbeats pack a serious punch. It isn't particularly fast, but it's strong."

"Let's all attack together. A slow Gene Beast like this is just a target for us!" Zhang Haocheng chuckled.

Everyone nodded and immediately moved to surround it.

"Cluck, cluck!" Startled, the Iron-Feather Mountain Chicken immediately bristled and spread its wings, charging with them like blades toward Liu Qifan, who was running the fastest.

Just then, Xie Jia made her move.

She swept both hands through the air as gene source force surged. An illusory emerald-green vine extended outward, instantly wrapping around the Iron-Feather Mountain Chicken's legs.

"Cluck, cluck!"

The Iron-Feather Mountain Chicken struggled desperately, beating its wings wildly. But although the illusory vines looked fragile, they were exceptionally tough. They held its legs in a death grip, preventing it from moving.

"Nice!" Delighted, Liu Qifan immediately stopped and swung a backhand slash at the Iron-Feather Mountain Chicken's neck.

The Iron-Feather Mountain Chicken spread its wings and struck fiercely at Liu Qifan.

Bang!

Saber met wing. The long saber nearly flew out of Liu Qifan's hand, and the impact forced him back several steps.

What incredible strength! Liu Qifan was startled.

But just then, Ji Zhixing arrived.

Gripping his staff in both hands, he poured all his strength into it. At the same time, gene source energy surged and flowed into the strike.

Shatter Space Form!

With an unstoppable momentum, the long staff slammed viciously into the Iron-Feather Mountain Chicken's back.

Bang!

With a dull thud, the Iron-Feather Mountain Chicken's body sank sharply. The feathers on its back caved inward, and a mass of them burst into the air.

"Cluck!" The Iron-Feather Mountain Chicken let out a shrill cry of pain.

Zhang Haocheng's spear thrust in from the other side, piercing its abdomen with a wet puncture.

Luo Yongguang also charged forward, raised his Great Shield, and slammed it hard into the Iron-Feather Mountain Chicken, knocking it wildly off balance.

The Iron-Feather Mountain Chicken struggled desperately and flailed its wings, but with its legs bound by vines, it could not move at all.

Its resistance grew weaker and weaker, and blood gushed from its wounds.

Liu Qifan steadied himself, charged forward again, and slashed at its neck.

This strike sliced straight through the Iron-Feather Mountain Chicken's throat.

Blood spurted out. The Iron-Feather Mountain Chicken struggled a few more times before finally collapsing.

"Whew..." Liu Qifan panted. "That Iron-Feather Mountain Chicken was seriously strong. It nearly knocked my saber out of my hand."

Ji Zhixing nodded too and looked at Xie Jia. "Xie Jia's Vine Entanglement is really good. Once she pins an opponent down, we can pretty much kill it at our leisure."

"Cluck, cluck, cluck!"

Just then, a series of urgent cries came from nearby.

They whipped their heads around and saw three Iron-Feather Mountain Chickens suddenly charge out of the woods ahead.

The one in the lead was especially large, standing a full two meters tall.

A vivid crimson comb crowned its head, bright and striking. It was clearly an Iron-Feather Mountain Chicken King.

The other two were just like the Iron-Feather Mountain Chicken they had killed.

When the three Iron-Feather Mountain Chickens saw the fallen chicken, they immediately let out furious cries and charged madly toward the group.