Chapter 00029: Second Level Gene Cultivator
# Second-Level Gene Cultivator
Chapter 29
Novel: After the Myth
Chapter 29: Second-Level Gene Cultivator
After the Gene Alliance's investigation went underground, the Puhai Martial Arts Square returned to its usual hustle and bustle.
As candidates and their companions from all over the world arrived, not only was the Puhai Martial Arts Square packed, but the entire city of Puhai was also overflowing with people.
Ding Huan, however, hadn't left his room for three days.
When he was hungry, he simply ate some dry rations.
He felt that he was on the verge of breaking through to become a second-level gene cultivator.
Under the continuous circulation of the Luo Shi Jing, his entire body seemed to have expanded.
Inside Ding Huan's body, streams of energy were constantly searching for a new breakthrough point.
Feeling as if his body was about to explode, Ding Huan had no choice but to frantically circulate the Luo Shi Jing.
At this moment, he realized just how dangerous this cultivation technique was.
The predecessor who created the Luo Shi Jing must not have practiced it himself; he had merely deduced it based on experience.
"Boom!" A sudden explosion sounded outside.
The energy that had been building up inside Ding Huan finally found an outlet and instantly spread throughout his body.
The feeling of his body being on the verge of explosion vanished in an instant, replaced by a powerful surge of strength.
Ding Huan could clearly feel the changes in his body.
Had he really broken through to become a second-level gene cultivator?
Ding Huan let out a long breath, feeling the lightness of his body and the heightened sensitivity of his senses.
He knew he had truly broken through to the second level.
However, he realized that the Luo Shi Jing had serious flaws.
If he didn't modify it, attempting to reach the third or even fourth level of gene cultivation might literally cause his body to explode.
He had once reached the fourth level of gene cultivation in his previous life.
Although advancing was difficult, it was never this life-threatening.
By the way, the explosion outside had helped him break through.
Why did it sound like a rocket launcher?
Even though he was upstairs, Ding Huan could hear the commotion in the distance.
He quickly took a shower and rushed out of the hotel.
"What happened?" Ding Huan asked the front desk.
The receptionist, still shaken, quickly explained, "A genetically mutated beast charged into the Puhai Martial Arts Square and snatched a candidate..."
A mutated beast dared to come to a place like Puhai? And it took a candidate?
Ding Huan hurried outside, where the streets were packed with people.
He quickly made his way to the Martial Arts Square, where everyone was talking about the incident.
"Why would a night owl appear during the day? And it took a student?"
"Who knows? I heard that student was from Europe, with a gene fusion rate of over 90%. He had already fused with a powerful alien gene. If not for this, he would definitely have gotten into one of the top ten academies on Blue Star."
Ding Huan quickly asked, "Was the student eaten?"
"No, he was taken."
"Didn't anyone try to save him?" Ding Huan was puzzled.
He had clearly heard the sound of a rocket launcher.
"Of course, there were strong cultivators who intervened. This is the Puhai Martial Arts Square, after all. Senior Yan Xia was the first to rush out. He leaped several meters into the air, trying to grab the night owl, but another night owl attacked him at that moment..."
Ding Huan knew of Yan Xia, a martial arts expert who had consumed a mutated Qingtian Flower.
He was likely at least an Earth-level expert by now.
Having just broken through to the second level of gene cultivation, Ding Huan knew he was no match for Yan Xia.
He wondered how long he could last against him.
It wasn't that gene cultivators were inherently weaker than martial artists, but Ding Huan lacked powerful skills.
In his previous life, even though he had reached the fourth level of gene cultivation, he was always strapped for cash, spending most of his money on the Fifth Star.
He had no funds left to buy gene skills.
Besides, with his previous body, even if he had bought gene skills, integrating them wouldn't have been easy.
"What happened after that?" Ding Huan wanted to know if Yan Xia had managed to save the student.
The person shook his head, "No, the night owl that attacked Senior Yan was very strong. The moment Senior Yan dodged, the other night owl flew away with the student. After Senior Yan landed, someone fired a rocket launcher, hitting the night owl's wing. Even so, the night owl still escaped. Look, there are feathers over there."
Ding Huan looked and saw soldiers cordoning off an area on the outskirts of the square.
Ding Huan knew this was just the beginning.
In his previous life, by the time he left Earth, the beasts had become increasingly ferocious.
Not only that, he had heard of several beast tides.
Back then, he was struggling to survive himself, so these events didn't concern him much.
But now, even an owl dared to attack the crowded Puhai Martial Arts Square in broad daylight.
What about the wilderness?
Thinking back to the time when the high-speed train he was on was ambushed by a pack of beasts, Ding Huan felt an even greater urgency to improve his strength.
He had been cultivating in the hotel for two months and had finally broken through from the first level to the second level of gene cultivation.
But it wasn't enough.
He wondered if Geng Qianxing and the others had arrived yet.
With that thought, Ding Huan returned to the hotel and called Geng Qianxing from the front desk.
"Ding Huan, where are you? We couldn't find you. We're at the Tinghuan Grand Hotel," Geng Qianxing's anxious voice came through.
It made sense.
With only a few days left before the Blue Star Top Ten Academies' entrance exams, Geng Qianxing and the others would naturally be here.
Ding Huan wasn't surprised that they were staying at the Tinghuan Grand Hotel.
The parents of these students had poured all their efforts into preparing their children for the exams, and accommodations had been booked long ago.
Ding Huan arrived at the Tinghuan Grand Hotel and saw Geng Qianxing from a distance.
"Teacher Ding..."
As soon as Ding Huan entered the hotel, Fang Chong, Li Wanran, and Lü Zi greeted him with excitement.
"Not bad, you've all made great progress," Ding Huan could tell at a glance that the three of them had improved significantly over the past three months.
"Teacher Ding, thank you. Without you, we wouldn't be where we are today," Li Wanran said emotionally, her voice trembling slightly.
She was moved by the thought of her fate changing.
She had never imagined she would have the ability to apply to the Blue Star Top Ten Academies.
Ding Huan had changed her life.
In reality, Ding Huan had only taught them twice, totaling less than a day.
But in that short time, she believed she had gained more than others might in ten years.
"Yes, Teacher Ding, without you, I wouldn't be where I am today either," Fang Chong was equally excited.
He knew how much he had improved.
"Hmm?" Ding Huan's gaze fell on Lü Zi, and he let out a surprised sound.
Lü Zi had actually broken through to become a true first-level gene cultivator in just three months.
Ding Huan hadn't noticed this before.
He himself had only just broken through to the second level.
Lü Zi's talent was impressive.
"Teacher, you noticed," Lü Zi said shyly, unable to hide his excitement.
Ding Huan immediately realized that Lü Zi hadn't told Geng Qianxing or the others about his breakthrough.
He patted Lü Zi on the shoulder, "Keep it up and do your best in the exam."
He felt that Lü Zi was somewhat secretive.
Even if he didn't tell his classmates, he should have at least informed Geng Qianxing, who was his mentor.
If Ding Huan hadn't noticed, would Lü Zi have told him on his own?
"Yes, Teacher Ding, don't worry. I'll do my best," Lü Zi clenched his fists.
Ding Huan nodded and was about to say something when Geng Qianxing spoke up, "Ding Huan, let's take the students to the Puhai Martial Arts Square for a walk. It'll help them relax before the exam. By the way, you must have heard about the night owl that attacked earlier and took a student, right?"
"I just found out. Let's go to the Martial Arts Square first. We can talk about the rest later," Ding Huan decided to take them to familiarize themselves with the venue.
The gang leader Quan was also staying at this hotel, but Ding Huan knew he couldn't deal with him now.
Not only was it difficult to find Quan, but killing him would also affect Geng Qianxing and the others.
...
The Blue Star Top Ten Academies only admitted a total of 500 students.
While 500 might seem like a lot, each academy only admitted 50 students.
This wasn't just for China but for the entire world.
In other words, you had to be among the top 500 globally to have a chance of getting into one of these academies.
How many students took the entrance exams each year? Let's just say that even the Puhai Martial Arts Square, which could hold six million people, was packed during the exam period.
How big was the Puhai Martial Arts Square? It covered nearly 2.5 million square meters.
At the outskirts of the square, ten massive billboards had been erected, each displaying the name and introduction of one of the Blue Star Top Ten Academies.
"Teacher Ding, if I can get into the Great Han Yi Academy, I'll be satisfied," Li Wanran pointed to the last billboard and sighed.
Out of the Blue Star Top Ten Academies, China had four: the top-ranked True Universe Academy, the fourth-ranked Guardian Academy, the eighth-ranked Martial Vein Mountain Academy, and the tenth-ranked Great Han Yi Academy.
This was largely due to China's thriving martial arts culture.
For martial arts to flourish, it had to be rooted in China.
"Don't worry, you'll definitely get in," Ding Huan smiled.
Although Li Wanran hadn't reached the first level of gene cultivation, she should still have a good chance of getting into the Great Han Yi Academy.
"Ding Huan, I think with your abilities, getting a teaching position at one of the Blue Star Top Ten Academies would be a piece of cake. You know, if you join one of these academies, the cultivation resources... wow," Geng Qianxing whispered to Ding Huan, his tone filled with admiration.
After bringing the students to the Martial Arts Square, Ding Huan felt a bit uneasy.
Hearing Geng Qianxing's words, he suddenly broke out in a cold sweat and realized why he felt that way.
(That's all for today's update.
Goodnight, everyone!)
(End of Chapter)