From the method of refining essence into qi to the Starlight Breathing Technique, Feng Lin found one thing after another slipping out of his control. This was no coincidence. It felt as if a ghost lurked within him, emerging from time to time to disrupt his thoughts. His mind grew chaotic, his temperament gradually leaning toward that of a monkey, assimilating until even his thinking became muddled. If this continued, Feng Lin felt he might even lose his self-identity, believing himself to be a stone monkey rather than a human!
This wasn't right!
Feng Lin jolted awake, unable to shake the feeling that something was off. He had merely awakened the stone monkey gene; there was no way he could actually become a monkey! Otherwise, awakening any gene would turn him into whatever it represented. In the myths and legends of ancient Earth, there were countless demons, gods, and monsters—Eastern spirits, demons, ghosts, and fiends; Western Medusas, dragons, hydras... The vast interstellar space was filled with diverse populations; if awakening any gene turned one into a monster, wouldn't everyone be a freak? That wasn't scientific, nor was it genetic! It defied logic!
Feng Lin recalled what he had overlooked before. It was more likely that after transforming into a stone monkey, he had assimilated with the monkey's instincts, losing some memories. Now, with the absorption of the sun and moon's essence and the development of his intellect, those memories were returning. Instead of blindly searching, Feng Lin calmed his mind to think. His thoughts grew clearer, piercing through illusions.
This had to do with the essence of mythical genes!
What were mythical genes? In Earth's ancient civilizations, beings revered as gods, demons, immortals, and buddhas were immensely powerful. They altered their life essence from macro to micro levels, leaving their extraordinary traits embedded within their genes. Thus, mythical genes passed down extraordinary traits, not mundane elements like appearance or race. It was like tall, dark-haired parents having tall, dark-haired children—similar but not identical. That was the principle!
Because mythical genes inherited extraordinary traits, even after awakening, a person remained one hundred percent human, never turning into a demon or monster. Similarly, Feng Lin wouldn't become a monkey just by awakening the stone monkey gene. Awakening a primitive gene couldn't cause something as bizarre as reincarnation! And it involved crossing space—that made no sense. According to the law of energy conservation, reincarnation across cosmic planes would require an immense amount of energy! Was evolving a gene worth all that? Feng Lin thought it was overkill.
Could it be...?
A flash of insight struck Feng Lin as he recalled a hidden record about mythical genes. Legend had it that even sacred beings, immortals, and buddhas had ranks. When a god or demon reached the pinnacle, becoming a supreme being among them, their very existence became an extraordinary trait, an embodiment of a certain power. Each supreme god or demon was unique and irreplaceable in the universe. Their body, soul, and memory were one, possessing the trait of immortality. Even if reduced to ashes, as long as a trace remained, given the right opportunity, they could revive.
This might be hard to grasp, but it was simple. For example, dragons were born divine. The path of the divine dragon could grant you a dragon's extraordinary traits, but dragons had levels. The progenitor of dragons, the first dragon, was unique—only one existed. And the dragon had nine sons; the progenitor's traits were inherited in every dragon species. If one traced back through genetic levels to ancient bloodlines, it might truly be possible... The extraordinary traits of these invincible beings among the sacred were passed down in mythical genes, and their memories might also be preserved. This was a special hypothesis in mythical theory, not yet fully proven, called the Mythical Immortality Hypothesis. The preservation of memories in genes partially confirmed this hypothesis.
Based on the experiences of countless interstellar cultivators, when someone awakened such a powerful gene, they could delve deep into it to obtain these immortal mythical memories and inherit the ancient gods' and demons' legacies. Hence, such genes were called inheritance genes. Inheritance genes were a category of genes, without rank or hierarchy. Their greatest trait was uniqueness. Most genes were universal, with similar abilities and attributes, allowing for different evolutionary paths. For instance, the giant gene could evolve into magma giants, frost giants, titan giants, and so on. But inheritance genes were different; they contained a unique mythical legacy. Once awakened, there was only one path to follow. Because the paths of those supreme gods and demons were singular, once embarked upon, there was no turning back.
Could this be my situation? Feng Lin's heart stirred. It was highly possible! Among mythical figures, Sun Wukong, who later wreaked havoc in heaven and stood equal to the heavens, was undoubtedly a supreme god or demon. There were many monkeys in the world, but only one Great Sage Equal to Heaven. The stone monkey gene definitely had the potential of an inheritance gene. And Sun Wukong's power was beyond imagination; the inheritance of genetic memory began at the primitive gene level. This meant the stone monkey gene had only one path: to become Sun Wukong! Could what he saw be Sun Wukong's memories left in the gene?
Feng Lin suddenly understood. He hadn't realized that Sun Wukong's abilities were so formidable that mere memories could form a lifelike illusion, pulling him into it—terrifying! That was why he had been so engrossed, unable to break free. What he was experiencing should be Sun Wukong's memories from when he was still a stone monkey. According to records, tracing genetic memories could grant an ancestor's abilities or mythical legacy. This cultivation method was called the Recall Method! Recalling ancient memories within genes to gain partial ancestral inheritance—that was the power of such inheritance genes!
By awakening the stone monkey's instincts, Feng Lin had learned to refine essence into qi and the Starlight Breathing Technique. Wasn't that a mythical inheritance? But since it was only the stone monkey gene, its level was too low, with limited memories, so he couldn't see much at once. Yet Feng Lin believed that by continuously using the Recall Method to seek his ancestor's memories, he could gain more benefits. But there was no rush; the memories hidden in the genes couldn't escape! Mythical memories were vast and couldn't be recalled all at once. What he needed to do now was stabilize his cultivation. The stone monkey gene had just been synthesized. He had to get familiar with it first. There would be plenty of opportunities to revisit the memory illusion later.
But how could he get out?
Feng Lin pondered for a while, his eyes gradually clearing. Since this was an illusion, it was clearly a mental fabrication, like a kind of hypnosis or dream. What he needed to do was wake himself up and stop indulging. With that thought, Feng Lin had an idea. He sat cross-legged on the ground, sinking his mind into a deep darkness, as calm as a still ancient well, gradually forgetting everything. His state of mind became like a tranquil lake, undisturbed. Wake up, wake up, wake up... A faint voice arose from the depths of his heart, a distant yet close call, sending gentle ripples across the lake of his mind. Breaking through the illusion, Feng Lin keenly sensed his surroundings shatter like a mirror. Thick fog rose at the edges of the world, blurring and becoming unreal, no longer able to mask reality. Feng Lin's consciousness grew clearer, as if emerging from a muddy swamp. Suddenly, his eyes brightened. The illusion shattered completely, and he stood in the room. Only a sticky, uncomfortable feeling remained on his body—the impurities expelled during gene evolution and body refinement. But Feng Lin had no time to clean up; his life attributes had undergone a earth-shattering change.
"Name: Feng Lin Life Force: 10.1 Primitive Gene: Stone Monkey Gene: 1 Basic Genes: Ape Gene: 10; Stone Fetus Gene: 10; Adrenaline Gene: 1 Gene Potential: 821%"