"Theory of Talent"

Talent was truly a wondrous thing. The same task seemed difficult to those without talent, yet simple to those who possessed it.

Lin Shen suspected that he was exceptionally untalented. He had studied very hard, yet no matter what he did, he could not learn what Wei Wufu taught him.

The movements were clearly all the same, yet Lin Shen simply could not sense the kind of power flowing within his body that Wei Wufu had described.

"Don't rush. Simple. Learn." Wei Wufu tried to teach him what to do over and over again.

Lin Shen truly wanted to tell Wei Wufu that he really was not in a rush. He simply could not learn it.

"Old Wei, I know where I stand. Let's stop here for today. This sort of thing can't be rushed. You'll have to work harder and teach me slowly, while I learn slowly. We have plenty of days ahead of us." Lin Shen received word that Qi Shuheng and Wang Tianer had returned to the base, so he temporarily stopped practicing.

He had been learning from morning until now, a full seven or eight hours. Lin Shen had memorized the movements and theories after studying them for half the day, but for some reason, he simply could not put them into practice.

Blackbird Base was only so large, and there was little that could be kept hidden. Lin Shen had someone make a few inquiries and learned that only seven people from the Qi and Wang families had returned. Including Bai Shenfei, there were only eight in all. Their losses could only be called catastrophic.

However, he heard that when they returned, they had hauled back several cartloads of things, covered up tightly. No one knew what was inside.

Lin Shen guessed that after escaping Giant Mountain, they had gone elsewhere and obtained something. He just did not know what they had gotten.

Not long afterward, Bai Shenfei came to call. Lin Shen had someone bring her to the reception hall.

"Senior Sister Bai, this trip must have yielded quite a harvest, right?" Lin Shen said as he poured tea for Bai Shenfei.

Bai Shenfei stared at Lin Shen, as though she wanted to read something from his expression.

"There was no harvest. We nearly died there instead." Bai Shenfei said blandly, "I heard you returned with Wei Wufu?"

Lin Shen nodded. "After I escaped, I hid myself. I was somewhat worried about your safety, so I never left. After waiting three days, only Wei Wufu came out. He said that after entering that mountain cave, he got separated from all of you and did not know what had happened to you, Senior Sister. We waited another half day, but you still did not come out. I thought..."

Bai Shenfei stared into Lin Shen's eyes, seemingly judging whether he was telling the truth. Only after a while did she say, "We did run into some trouble. If not for the help of an expert, there really might have been serious trouble."

"An expert? What expert? Is there someone in Blackbird Base stronger than you, Senior Sister?" Lin Shen asked with feigned surprise.

"Naturally, far stronger than me." Unable to discern anything from Lin Shen's expression, Bai Shenfei pondered before asking, "I heard your second brother disappeared after entering Gourd Mountain many years ago?"

"Are you saying the expert who helped you was my second brother?" Lin Shen asked back, his face full of delight.

Bai Shenfei said blandly, "I did not see that person's appearance. It is merely a guess. Qi Shuheng and Wang Tianer guessed that person was your fourth brother, but I do not think so. Your fourth brother is not that strong."

Lin Shen revealed a disappointed expression. "My second brother has been missing for years. We all thought he had already met with disaster. If it truly was him, that would be wonderful."

"By the way, how were your gains?" Lin Shen asked again.

"The gains of the Qi and Wang families did not even make up for their losses. On top of that, they suspect that expert was your third brother or fourth brother. They likely will not dare harbor any designs on your Lin Family so rashly in the future."

After a pause, Bai Shenfei continued, "This matter is settled. I will return to Seahorn Base today. Are you willing to return to Seahorn Base with me? I can introduce you to the training camp I belong to, the very training camp Senior Brother Lin once attended."

Lin Shen truly hesitated. It was not that he wanted to join some training camp. Rather, once Bai Shenfei left, he did not know whether he would have another chance to see her. He also did not know whether he would have another opportunity to get the Fire Seed on her.

After pondering for a long while, Lin Shen suddenly looked up at Bai Shenfei and asked, "Senior Sister Bai, do you have a boyfriend now?"

Bai Shenfei was slightly taken aback. "Why are you asking that?"

"If you do not, what do you think of me?" Lin Shen thought that if he could win Bai Shenfei over, he could obtain the Fire Seed and solve the problem of the Lin Family bloodline's continuation.

"You want to be my boyfriend?" Bai Shenfei sized Lin Shen up with some surprise.

"Who would not want such a beautiful girlfriend?" Although Lin Shen could not see her expression, her tone seemed to hold the faintest sliver of possibility. That truly surprised him.

Although Lin Shen could not see what Bai Shenfei looked like, merely from the way others looked at her, he knew her appearance could not be lacking. If Bai Shenfei could truly become his girlfriend, he would not be getting the short end of the stick.

"Unfortunately, I do not like younger men." Bai Shenfei stood up. "Since you do not want to go, I will not force you."

Bai Shenfei thought Lin Shen did not want to accompany her to Seahorn Base, so he had found such an excuse to reject her tactfully.

Lin Shen sighed helplessly. He knew that since he had spoken so abruptly, how could Bai Shenfei possibly consider him? If it were him, he would not consider himself either.

After seeing Bai Shenfei to the main gate, Lin Shen was about to turn back when Bai Shenfei turned around and suddenly said to him, "If you truly want to be my boyfriend, it is not entirely impossible."

"Senior Sister, name your conditions." Lin Shen said after a moment's thought.

Bai Shenfei took out something and tossed it to Lin Shen. "If you can learn this, come find me at Seahorn Base. Then I can consider giving you a chance."

With that, Bai Shenfei turned and left without waiting for Lin Shen to say anything else.

"Senior Sister, I'll take your words seriously." Lin Shen caught the item and discovered it was a diary. Opening it, he saw that it was filled with handwritten text.

"Do." Bai Shenfei's voice drifted over from afar. She had already vanished from sight.

"This is a Gene Mutation Technique?" Lin Shen examined it carefully and found the contents somewhat familiar. It should be some kind of Gene Mutation Technique, but because it contained only the text and no title, he did not know what this Gene Mutation Technique was called.

When he flipped to the end, there was only the Gene Mutation portion, with no later content.

"She suddenly gave me a Gene Mutation Technique. What exactly is Bai Shenfei trying to do?" For a time, Lin Shen could not fathom what Bai Shenfei meant.

After returning inside, Lin Shen studied it carefully several more times. This Gene Mutation Technique was even more complicated than the one Wei Wufu had taught him. It should not be some ordinary item like the five great classic Gene Mutation Techniques.

"This Gene Mutation Technique looks quite advanced. If I can learn it, I can solve my Gene Mutation Technique problem, gain a beautiful and powerful girlfriend to continue the Incense Offering, and obtain the Fire Seed as well. Killing three birds with one stone." The more Lin Shen thought about it, the more his heart burned.

However, he also knew that even if he truly learned this Gene Mutation Technique, Bai Shenfei might not actually become his girlfriend.

He could not understand what Bai Shenfei truly meant.

After Bai Shenfei left the Lin Family, she looked from afar at the Lin Family's main gate at the end of the street and murmured to herself, "How could 'Theory of Talent' be so easily mastered? Countless heaven-defying geniuses have failed to master it. Otherwise, I would not have remained trapped at the Gene Mutation Level, unable to break through for so long. What kind of defiant talent would it take to master 'Theory of Talent' and become the key that opens the door of my destiny?"