Stagnation

Zhang Xuezhou entered the Fifth Sequence as easily as eating and drinking; the changes occurred almost moments after the injection of blood serum and catalyst.

It took him three days to enter the Sixth Sequence.

To others, Zhang Xuezhou's entry into the Sixth Sequence was remarkably easy, even superhuman. However, Zhang Xuezhou had already sensed that the difficulty of the later stages of the sequence was constantly increasing, and that once the limit was reached, it would be difficult to advance further.

His understanding of power has reached a point where control over it has blossomed, much like how Ren Yisheng sought extracts from various ferocious beasts to replenish his body, thereby unleashing a variety of abilities.

Provided the conditions are met, it won't be difficult for him to develop a resistance layer within his body.

The definitions of the Seventh Sequence and the Divine Ability Realm are not the same. Under certain conditions, Zhang Xuezhou could even reach the Eighth Sequence, but that's all he can do within his capabilities.

Zhang Xuezhou simply cannot possess a domain like Badun, even with continuous stimulation from higher-level catalysts and beast extracts.

"You should think about the Seventh Sequence first!"

When Zhang Xuezhou sought advice from the Emperor, the Emperor pointed at Luo Burang, indicating that Zhang Xuezhou's weak genetic body needed a more powerful catalyst; otherwise, he would have to accumulate large doses of ferocious beast extracts, which would inevitably be very dangerous.

"What is your current genetic profile?" Luo Burang asked with interest.

Look at this!

Zhang Xuezhou handed over the printed gene map.

"It looks a bit like a bird, and also somewhat like a beast," Luo Burang said.

"Isn't this the genetic blueprint of the giant eagle?" Zhang Xuezhou asked doubtfully. "It's no different from the beast extracts that Zuo Lianguang and I used to enter the Seventh Sequence!"

"No, no, no, this genetic map only resembles a giant eagle, but it's not a giant eagle's gene. Look closely at these decoded parts; it's not the same as the giant eagle we've analyzed so far. It's more like a ground-dwelling beast!"

"You mean it's a bird of prey that runs on the ground?" Zhang Xuezhou asked.

"Judging from existing genetic theories, this is indeed a four-legged raptor," Luo Burang nodded.

"Where in this world do four-legged bird-like beasts come from?" Zhang Xuezhou asked in surprise.

The catalyst problem for entering the Seventh Sequence has not yet been solved, and the judgment of the giant eagle gene with weak pelican gene mutation in the body has also been wrong.

Zhang Xuezhou previously felt like he had won a big prize, as he could easily accumulate weight while sitting in North Rehe, but he never expected that his physical genes were only similar to those of Beirehe.

His genes are constantly changing, so it's clear that he can't evolve smoothly every time.

Zhang Xuezhou couldn't help but feel a little regretful that he hadn't used his luck to push forward the Gene Sequence.

"If you use the Giant Eagle Beast Extract to break through to the Seventh Sequence, it might be a bit difficult to develop a resistance layer in your lower body!"

Zhang Xuezhou repeatedly flipped through the gene map and made comparisons.

Hearing Luo Burang's deduction, how could he not know the situation?

This isn't just a bit difficult; if there's no match, there won't be a resistance layer. Otherwise, those Sequence Holder in the past wouldn't have spent their entire lives pursuing specific ferocious beasts.

However, if asked to find a four-legged bird that resembles a giant eagle, Zhang Xuezhou Zhang Xuezhou lacked the ability.

This isn't a question of whether he went to Qinmeng to hunt, but rather a question of birds lacking four legs in biological evolution.

Perhaps there were such primitive birds long ago, but four legs were not conducive to flight, and they were better suited to running, which goes against the direction of bird evolution. Perhaps they went extinct, or their legs degenerated and disappeared.

As for the natural world today, it has never been discovered by humans, let alone captured.

"Perhaps you could try combining extracts from two ferocious beasts," Luo Burang suggested. "But you might need the ability to control gene fusion!"

"My weak genes have an uncontrollable growth pattern; I've always grown naturally, without any ability to control its mutations!"

Zhang Xuezhou felt somewhat helpless. He could only be thankful that his strength was not determined by his Gene Sequence, even if this path was blocked, there were other paths of cultivation.

"Draw some blood from me, I want to play with this specimen using your blood!"

Luo Burang pointed to the 'stone specimen' placed to the side.

Only when placed near Zhang Xuezhou's body will this 'stone specimen' exude liquid juice or solid tissue like muscle.

Luo Burang was quite curious about this attraction and wanted to test the possible gene pairings produced by the corresponding components.

"Should I breed some four-legged chickens?" Zhang Manqian interjected. "Four-legged birds can't be produced in nature, but we can create some four-legged bionics ourselves; there won't be any problem with offspring!"

"Great idea!"

Zhang Xuezhou nodded.

But he didn't have high hopes. After all, even if a four-legged chicken could be bred, it couldn't become a strange beast, much less a ferocious beast for extraction.

Luo Burang repeatedly emphasized that he was just playing around with it, which clearly indicated that he was unsure whether he could produce any results.

"I told you before, if Sequence Holder can only be bound to a certain type of ferocious beast, then this kind of cultivation is meaningless." After observing for a moment, the Emperor advised, "You have already reached a dead end in your Gene Sequence. It would be best to use yourself as a reference to conduct more research, rather than constantly pushing yourself down a wrong path of cultivation!"

I'll try my best!

Zhang Xuezhou nodded.

Others would be terrified of being experimented on, but Zhang Xuezhou didn't have that fear.

Even if his Gene Sequence stagnates or his sequence strength declines, it won't affect Zhang Xuezhou much, since the Gene Sequence accounts for a very small proportion of his strength.

"The theoretical framework of the cultivation path based on Gene Sequence is very complete. It seems that all it takes is to continuously fill in the details to perfect the cultivation system. However, this kind of cultivation that relies on external forces has significant drawbacks," the Emperor said. "It's somewhat similar to the cultivation of half-demons. You should know that there is only one Leizhenzi in the world, and no one has become a second Leizhenzi in the past thousand years. Even passing on the legacy is very difficult!"

The Emperor sighed.

It's not just Leizhenzi's lineage that might be interrupted; many powerful deities in the Heavenly Court have experienced similar interruptions in their lineages.

The success of many cultivators in reaching the pinnacle is inseparable from the factors of the times. Few cultivators who imitate their predecessors can surpass them; each generation is worse than the last.

The lessons learned from thousands of years of history are that without change, we will inevitably be eliminated and become just another mediocre member of the endless cycle of self-cultivation.

"You can no longer use the old Golden Elixir method to cultivate, so why don't we try to find the correct path of cultivation together?" Zhang Xuezhou said.

"My genes are very stable, and I can follow the Gene Sequence without any problems. The sequence resources are also very convenient, so I won't do such things," the Emperor said, waving his hand.

"There are drawbacks to practicing Gene Sequence," Zhang Xuezhou cautioned.

"There are drawbacks, but this path makes my cultivation easier, and I don't need to leave any proper lineage for future generations to continue cultivating," the Emperor said. "If my body can withstand the continuous modifications, I should have no major problems entering the defined Ninth Sequence in two to three years, so I won't worry about that too much!"

Your response has saddened me!

Zhang Xuezhou sighed, feeling his little dream of copying the Emperor's work completely shattered.

The ability of a great cultivator to adapt to their environment and undergo further cultivation or adjustment is an advantage that ordinary people cannot match.

Even though Zhang Xuezhou could easily enter the Sixth Sequence by relying on his own understanding of power, given the physical conditions, Ning Que was in the same situation.

Just like college students learning elementary school courses, they can easily pass through the lower levels of cultivation until they approach their original strength.

If it weren't for physical factors, Zhang Xuezhou's situation would be no different from the Emperor's; he would inevitably reach the Eighth Sequence, thus achieving a power level close to his own perception.

"You can't make me suffer without experiencing it," the Emperor said with a wry smile. "Besides, I also have some ambitions and hope to explore the void and the giant tree as soon as possible, so that I may have the opportunity to communicate with your master's wife in the future, and even bring her soul here!"

The Emperor seemed rather impatient, clearly unable to discuss things slowly with Zhang Xuezhou.

He could only be thankful that he and the Emperor and Empress were already old and had long since lost their desires for men and women; otherwise, if he had continued like this for one, two, or three years, the child Donghua and the Emperor and Empress had would be old enough to run errands.