"These mid-grade nutrient solutions are earned from big brother's part-time job, and there will be more to drink later. Once you're full, go back to sleep!" Feng Lin exerted considerable effort to shoo his younger brother and sister back to their rooms to sleep obediently.
One bottle of mid-grade nutrient solution was enough to sustain a normal person for three days. The two little ones, having suffered from long-term malnutrition and been hungry for so long, had downed an entire bottle. Now they were dizzy and staggering as they walked, yet they still wanted more! Weren't they afraid of bursting themselves?
Feng Lin wouldn't be so reckless. After finally coaxing them to sleep, he collapsed onto his bed and fell into a deep slumber himself. He was utterly, exhaustingly tired.
The trip to the virtual martial arts tower had involved over twenty intense battles in a row. Even though he had free gene points to quickly recover his physical strength, mental fatigue couldn't be replenished. He slept like the dead, dreamless and undisturbed.
When he woke again, it was already broad daylight, nearly noon. His parents had left; even on weekends, they had to work overtime at the Feng family factory. Feng Lin's resolve grew even stronger. He refused to accept a fate of being controlled and unfree!
After a quick wash, Feng Lin noticed his younger siblings were still asleep. Clearly, the bottle of mid-grade nutrient solution they'd consumed last night had left them with excess nutrition, requiring energy to digest. He smiled and turned to walk out the door.
Without a word, he slipped out of the Feng Corporation building and headed to a secluded park nearby. The trees were lush, and a gentle breeze brought fresh air, lifting his spirits. There were no classes today. Feng Lin planned to use this time to digest everything he'd gained recently.
Cultivators awakened their genes and mastered themselves. He keenly sensed that the nutrient solution he'd drunk earlier still lingered in his body, not fully utilized, so he began to cultivate.
Gene Breathing Technique! This was the only gene technique he was proficient in. Through a specific breathing rhythm, it drove the circulation of blood and energy throughout his body, stimulating vitality and refining his genes.
A cool breeze brushed his face. Feng Lin sat cross-legged on the ground, seemingly merging with his surroundings, achieving a state of harmony between man and nature. Inhale... exhale... inhale... exhale... His breathing synchronized with the wind, their rhythms unified. His chest rose and fell as his powerful lungs drew in fresh air, activating every red blood cell in his body. Though his body appeared still, it churned like a volcano, ready to erupt at any moment.
Feng Lin's skin flushed a faint red from the inside out, and waves of scorching heat radiated from him. This was a sign that his body had reached peak activity. Just as his body hit its optimal state, Feng Lin suddenly leaped up, like an old machine instantly revved to maximum power.
Bang! Bang! Bang! His fists struck like drumbeats, a dense, rhythmic sound. Standing in place, Feng Lin began to practice boxing. First, Hung Gar—every punch landed with fierce, unyielding force. Then, Bagua Palm—his steps were light and agile, his body weaving through the eight trigrams, shifting left and right with no discernible pattern...
In civil arts, Taiji pacifies the world; in martial arts, Baji settles heaven and earth. He then practiced Taiji and Baji, these two ancient martial arts—one soft, one hard; one still, one dynamic—embodying the true essence of martial arts. Feng Lin ran through all the ancient martial arts he'd learned from the virtual martial arts tower.
Finishing that set, he changed his fist technique. With a shake of his body, his entire aura shifted, taking on an imposing, unshakable presence like a towering mountain. Feng Lin clenched his fists and raised them before his chest, resembling a human vajra.
Vajra Demon-Subduing Fist! The profound martial arts principles of ancient techniques lacked gene theory and couldn't activate gene abilities, often making them weaker. This Vajra Demon-Subduing Fist was the only gene martial art Feng Lin knew, and it would be his primary combat method going forward. He had to master it to perfection.
Vajra Dragon Claw! Great Strength Vajra Hand! Vajra Indestructibility! ... Feng Lin executed each move, activating his stone embryo gene to transform into a stone man, his fists heavy and powerful. Although the stone embryo gene wasn't a perfect match for the vajra gene of the Vajra Demon-Subduing Fist, their attributes were similar, and the power was still impressive. The air rumbled dully, and visible waves of force rippled wherever his fist energy struck.
After completing the set, Feng Lin noticed a change in his gene potential. Gene potential +22%. Twenty-two percent! Feng Lin was startled. Why so much? This was just an ordinary training session; such a large increase in gene potential was completely unexpected. Previously, the most he'd gained from a single session was around 10%. Even during intense battles in the virtual martial arts tower, after the initial surge, the gains gradually decreased, rarely exceeding 20% in one go.
There had to be a reason! Feng Lin didn't believe this was a coincidence; behind every coincidence lay necessity. Reflecting on recent changes, the only difference was that over the past two days, he'd consumed a bottle of Green God-3 high-grade nutrient solution and a bottle of mid-grade nutrient solution mixed with life potion. The ample nutrition had replenished his body's deficits. That was likely the only change.
Yes, that must be it! Feng Lin's thoughts suddenly cleared. Recalling the analysis from the virtual martial arts tower's optical brain, he grasped another layer of the mystery behind gene potential. Why did training increase gene potential? Human cultivation was also a process of self-transformation, making one's physiological structure more scientific and rational, evolving toward perfection—manifested as gene potential! But this change required a foundation: nutrients. Nutrients weren't gene potential, but through training, they could be converted into it. That was the connection between the two.
So directly consuming nutrient solutions didn't increase gene potential, but with training, more nutrients meant more converted gene potential. Perhaps this was the most fundamental secret of gene potential. Previously, Feng Lin lacked nutrition and could only drain his vitality, so after the initial burst of potential, the gains dwindled to nearly nothing. Now, with nutrition replenished, his potential surged.
Understanding this relationship, Feng Lin trained with even more motivation. Gene potential +18%, +14%, +10%, +6%, +2%. As he expected, as he continued training, his gene potential kept rising, but the increments steadily decreased until, no matter how hard he tried, it stopped moving. Clearly, at this point, the nutrients in his body were depleted again.
Feng Lin's gene potential had now reached a staggering 178%, earning him another free gene point. But he didn't plan to strengthen his genes further. With the stone monkey gene and ape monkey gene combined, he'd already enhanced them by 18 points, yet his vitality was only 1.9. The genes' potential hadn't been fully realized; adding more points would be like forcing growth. He wouldn't make that mistake again.
Now that he had ample nutrient solutions and life potions, he intended to build a solid foundation, fully unlocking his gene potential before considering further enhancements. There was no denying that cultivation was an expensive pursuit. One bottle of high-grade and one bottle of mid-grade nutrient solution could sustain an ordinary person for two weeks, but Feng Lin had consumed them in a single day. Now, he was about to drink the even more precious life potion.
Feng Lin didn't begrudge the cost. Life evolution came first; everything else was secondary. He carefully取出 a bottle of life potion. The liquid shimmered with an amber glow, crystal clear and captivating. Feng Lin tilted his head back and downed it in one gulp. The next moment, a monumental change erupted within him.