Chapter 12: Too Hard

Chapter 12: Chapter 12: Too Hard

"No," Chen Ye thought, his heart stirring. "This speed of improvement..." He had only glanced at Ji Zhixing casually before and hadn’t paid much attention.

But looking at him now, the staff technique Ji Zhixing displayed was clearly more skilled and natural than before. Furthermore, this time, Ji Zhixing obviously wasn’t using any Genetic Equipment for assistance. It felt as if someone who had just learned to walk without support could suddenly jog in the blink of an eye.

"What’s wrong, Chen Ye?" asked the old man beside him, who had been chatting with someone else but noticed his grandson’s unusual reaction.

"Grandpa, do you know who that kid is? What gene did he fuse with?" Chen Ye pointed at Ji Zhixing practicing with his staff in the distance.

The old man followed his gaze and narrowed his eyes to observe for a moment. "Oh, you mean that child. I’ve seen him a few times. He should be from Building 3. I heard he awakened a Tier-Two Gene Aperture. Why, is there a problem with him?"

Chen Ye shook his head. "No problem, it’s just that his speed of improvement is very fast. I’m guessing he might have a staff-related gene talent."

"A staff talent?" The old man was somewhat surprised.

Chen Ye nodded, his gaze still fixed on Ji Zhixing in the distance.

When it came to gene abilities, something like a staff talent was much more popular than ordinary ones. This was because a staff talent allowed a Genetic Cultivator to master various staff techniques, and each staff technique was practically equivalent to a gene ability.

"With a speed of improvement like this, I wonder what kind of Tier-Two gene he fused with," Chen Ye thought to himself.

At this moment, Ji Zhixing stopped cultivating in the distant clearing. He leaned on his long staff, panting slightly as beads of sweat rolled down his cheeks. After resting for a moment, he looked up and happened to see Chen Ye standing under the shade of a tree.

"That’s..." Ji Zhixing’s gaze focused.

He was all too familiar with that ugly face with its crooked mouth and slanted eyes, instantly recognizing the man. "Chen Ye," he murmured internally.

Hardly anyone in Tingyu Garden didn’t know Chen Ye, and Ji Zhixing was no exception. Having fused with a Tier-Four Morning Star gene, Chen Ye was considered an outstanding figure among the younger generation in the entire Yu City Base City.

Ji Zhixing’s eyes flickered. He checked the time, estimating that his mother was about to get off work. After a moment of thought, he strode toward the shade of the trees.

"Brother Chen, you’ve returned to Tingyu Garden," Ji Zhixing greeted with a smile.

Chen Ye watched him approach and nodded slightly. "You know me?"

"Brother Chen is an idol to me," Ji Zhixing chuckled. "Besides, there are probably very few people in Tingyu Garden who don’t know you."

"Haha." Chen Ye laughed and waved his hand. "What’s this about being an idol? We’re all neighbors, no need to be so polite." Curious, he then asked, "I saw that you were practicing your staff techniques pretty well just now, and you awakened a Tier-Two Gene Aperture. What gene did you fuse with?"

Sure enough, everyone would ask this question.

Ji Zhixing didn’t hide anything and said directly, "I did awaken a Tier-Two Gene Aperture, but I fused with a Tier-One gene, the Three-inch Stone Monkey gene."

"A Tier-One gene? Three-inch Stone Monkey?" Chen Ye was stunned. He hadn’t even heard of this gene before, but just from the name alone, he knew it was a very weak one. "Then your staff technique just now..." he trailed off, a little perplexed.

It was truly contradictory to practice a staff technique so fluidly and improve so rapidly after fusing with such a weak gene.

"I value gene compatibility more," Ji Zhixing explained. "My compatibility with the Three-inch Stone Monkey gene is very high, reaching seventy-two percent. Right after the fusion, I heard the voice of the gene.

"The reason I practice staff techniques is to develop the latent Innate Staff Heart talent of the Three-inch Stone Monkey.

"Besides, the fact that I cultivate my staff technique so quickly is also related to the Genetic Equipment the school lent me."

"You heard the voice of the gene right after fusion? That’s impressive!" Chen Ye gave a thumbs up. He didn’t necessarily agree with giving up a Tier-Two gene for a weak Tier-One gene just for compatibility, but he genuinely admired the dedication. Furthermore, judging from the speed of Ji Zhixing’s improvement during his staff practice, perhaps he really did have a chance of developing the Innate Staff Heart talent.

"Keep it up," Chen Ye encouraged. "Madness breeds success. Making a choice like this might just lead to even greater achievements in the future."

"Thanks, Brother Chen," Ji Zhixing smiled. "Though I only dared to try because I awakened dual Gene Apertures. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have had the courage."

"Dual Gene Apertures?" Chen Ye’s gaze grew a bit more serious.

They chatted casually on the topic for a while, and Chen Ye also asked about the current situation at the Third High School. As a graduate of the school himself, he still had a lot of affection for his alma mater.

As they were talking, Ji Zhixing caught sight of three familiar figures approaching from a distance out of the corner of his eye. It was his father, Ji Guodong, his mother, Zhang Yulan, and his sister, Ji Zhiyu. The three of them had actually come back together.

"They’re here!" Ji Zhixing thought, his heart stirring. The whole reason he had come over to greet Chen Ye was to wait for his parents to return and let them see him associating with someone of status.

He looked at Chen Ye and smiled. "Brother Chen, my parents are back. I’ll get going first."

Chen Ye nodded. "Go ahead. We might just run into each other again in a little while."

Ji Zhixing paused, not understanding what Chen Ye meant by that, but he didn’t dwell on it. Nodding, he went to meet his parents and sister.

"Zhixing!"

Zhang Yulan had seen her son talking to a young man from afar. When she got closer and realized it was actually Chen Ye, she was completely taken aback. "Zhixing, you know Chen Ye?" she couldn’t help but ask.

"I didn’t know him before," Ji Zhixing said. "I was practicing my staff technique just now, and he said my talent was pretty good, so we chatted for a bit."

"Your talent is pretty good?"

Joy immediately surfaced on Zhang Yulan and Ji Guodong’s faces. Chen Ye was a celebrity in Tingyu Garden, a genius who had fused with a Tier-Four Morning Star gene. If he said their son had good talent, then it had to be true!

"Zhixing, what gene did you fuse with?" Zhang Yulan asked, full of anticipation.

Ji Guodong remained silent beside her, simply listening intently. Ji Zhiyu also tilted her small face up to look at him.

Looking at the expectant eyes of his family, a complex wave of emotion surged in Ji Zhixing’s heart.

"Mom, I have to tell you something." Ji Zhixing took a deep breath. "The gene I fused with isn’t a Tier-Two gene. It’s a Tier-One gene."

The smile on Zhang Yulan’s face froze. "A Tier-One gene?" she murmured.

Ji Zhixing nodded and explained everything in detail—his reasons for choosing the Three-inch Stone Monkey gene, his plans for developing its abilities, and his intentions to evolve the gene.

After listening, Zhang Yulan stood entirely dumbfounded. She opened her mouth to speak but didn’t know what to say. Although she wasn’t a Genetic Cultivator, she knew that other people would always choose the highest-tier gene they could fuse with, yet her own son...

Beside her, Ji Guodong’s breathing grew heavy. Ji Zhiyu secretly peeked at her parents’ expressions before lowering her head, not daring to make a sound.

"Dad, Mom," Ji Zhixing explained again. "You don’t need to worry. I never told you this before, but I awakened dual Gene Apertures.

"Treat this fusion with the Three-inch Stone Monkey gene as an experiment.

"If it doesn’t work out, I’ll go fuse with a Tier-Two gene after some time passes."

"Dual Gene Apertures?" Zhang Yulan was slightly dazed.

"Yes," Ji Zhixing nodded. As he spoke, with a thought, he activated his second Gene Aperture.

A hazy halo of light instantly emerged at his Dantian, emitting a soft glow.

"In addition to that, because of my talent, the school specifically lent me a piece of Genetic Equipment to help me develop my gene abilities," Ji Zhixing continued.

With another thought, the black long staff instantly materialized from his body and appeared in his grasp. "So Dad, Mom, you can rest easy."

Looking at the empty Gene Aperture at Ji Zhixing’s Dantian and the long staff that suddenly appeared in his hand, Ji Guodong and Zhang Yulan finally regained some color in their faces.

Dual Gene Apertures? Valued by the school?

That meant there was still hope! Besides, Chen Ye had also said their son had talent. Maybe he really could evolve the Three-inch Stone Monkey gene.

"Alright, since you’ve chosen this path, then walk it to the end. It’s just that we probably won’t be able to help you much from now on," Ji Guodong said, patting Ji Zhixing on the shoulder.

"Dad, Mom!" A warm current welled up in Ji Zhixing’s heart as he nodded. "Rest assured, I won’t let you down, and I won’t make you wait too long."

"Chen Ye, you just said that kid’s talent is pretty good. Does he really have a chance of evolving his gene?" Chen Ye’s grandfather asked from a distance.

"There is a chance," Chen Ye replied with a smile, glancing at the surrounding elderly neighbors.

With so many people around, that was the only thing he could say. In theory, everyone had a chance to evolve their genes. In reality, although he thought highly of Ji Zhixing, he knew it was simply too difficult.