Chapter 16: Choice

Chapter 16: Chapter 16: Choice

Ji Zhixing followed He Yanbing out of the training ground, making their way toward the office building.

"We’re not going to the office anymore. Give me that rod of yours," He Yanbing suddenly said when they arrived at the building’s entrance.

Ji Zhixing was slightly taken aback but nodded anyway. With a mere thought, the black long rod instantly materialized from within his body and appeared in his hand.

He handed the rod to He Yanbing.

"Wait here," He Yanbing said, taking the rod and glancing at it. "I’m making a trip to the principal’s office."

With that, she left with the long rod, leaving Ji Zhixing alone.

"Is Teacher He..." Ji Zhixing wondered as he watched her walk away, his heart skipping a beat. "Is she going to apply for better equipment for me?"

"Although there are legacies of Tier One Two-Star Staff Techniques on the internet, they are far too difficult to learn. If I could get a piece of Genetic Equipment that comes with a Tier One Two-Star Staff Technique, it would be a massive help.

"It only took me three days to master the basic staff technique. The chances of this application being approved should be quite high."

Ji Zhixing took a deep breath, suppressing the anticipation welling up inside him.

His genetic furnace was different from others. Once he refined Genetic Equipment, he could control it perfectly. It would be of great assistance in cultivating the universal abilities inherently attached to the equipment.

Meanwhile, in the principal’s office.

Zhou Chenghong was reviewing documents. Hearing the knock on the door, he said, "Come in," without even looking up.

He Yanbing pushed the door open and walked in.

"Principal." She stepped up to the desk.

Zhou Chenghong raised his head. Seeing it was her, he set down his pen. "Teacher He, is there something you need?"

"It’s about Ji Zhixing," He Yanbing said.

"Ji Zhixing?" Zhou Chenghong frowned slightly. "Him again?"

He Yanbing nodded. "I was guiding the students’ training today and had them demonstrate the genetic abilities they’ve mastered over the past three days. Ji Zhixing showed off his staff technique."

"Oh?" Zhou Chenghong’s interest was somewhat piqued. "How is his progress?"

"In just three days, starting from absolute zero, he has completely mastered the basic staff technique," He Yanbing reported.

A flash of surprise crossed Zhou Chenghong’s eyes. "Three days? Are you serious?"

"Yes." She nodded firmly. "I wasn’t the only one who saw it. A dozen other teachers on the training ground and all the students in Class Two witnessed it as well."

Zhou Chenghong fell silent for a moment before speaking slowly. "In that case, this Ji Zhixing truly does have a good talent for staff techniques."

"He does, Principal," He Yanbing said, seizing the opportunity. "When he previously claimed he could hear the voice of the genes and wanted to develop the Innate Staff Heart talent, I had my doubts too.

"But seeing him master the basic staff technique in just three days proves he genuinely possesses potential in this area.

"If we can provide him with more resource support, he might actually be able to evolve his Three-inch Stone Monkey gene."

Listening to her words, Zhou Chenghong shook his head.

"Teacher He, I know what you’re getting at," he said. "According to you, that Ji Zhixing indeed has a talent for staff techniques.

"But you know how difficult genetic evolution is. This alone isn’t enough to prove he can successfully evolve his gene."

He paused, looking her in the eye. "Most importantly, he doesn’t have that much time left."

He Yanbing was momentarily taken aback and fell silent.

She knew exactly what Zhou Chenghong meant.

Ji Zhixing was going to graduate from high school in just one month.

Within this single month, he needed to accomplish three things: develop the Stone Skin ability, develop the Gigantification ability, and develop the Innate Staff Heart ability.

Only then would he have a chance to evolve the Three-inch Stone Monkey gene into the Staff Soldier Stone Monkey gene.

Only by doing so would he be qualified to pursue further studies at a Genetic University.

One month to develop three abilities and achieve genetic evolution.

The difficulty of such a feat was steeper than scaling the heavens.

"The school’s resources can be utilized," Zhou Chenghong continued. "However, they can only be invested in students who actually have a shot at entering a Genetic University.

"That way, once those students enter university, our Third High School will receive resource rewards from the Department of Education.

"The path Ji Zhixing has chosen is far too difficult. It’s impossible for him to enter a Genetic University in a month’s time.

"Under these circumstances, any resources the school invests in cultivating him would essentially be a total loss.

"You have to understand that our school’s resources are limited. Allocating resources to him means reducing the investment in others, which is unfair to the rest of the student body."

He Yanbing felt helpless.

Zhou Chenghong’s words sounded highly principled, but she knew the truth. The Department of Education allocated a massive amount of resources every year, yet only a fraction of them were actually spent on the students.

The vast majority of those resources simply vanished into thin air.

"Principal," He Yanbing said, taking a deep breath. "If other resources are out of the question, surely I can apply for a piece of Genetic Equipment with a Tier One Two-Star Staff Technique for him?"

Zhou Chenghong pondered for a moment before nodding. "That’s not a problem. He is a student of our school, after all, and he does have talent. If we can provide some support, we absolutely should.

"However, make it clear to him: he can use the equipment, but he must return it to the school before graduation."

Relief washed over He Yanbing. "Thank you, Principal!"

Zhou Chenghong waved his hand dismissively. "Go on."

Shortly after.

He Yanbing left the principal’s office and walked briskly back to the front of the office building, where she found Ji Zhixing.

"Teacher," Ji Zhixing called out, hurrying over to meet her.

"Follow me," she said without further elaboration, turning on her heel.

Ji Zhixing blinked in surprise. "Where are we going, Teacher?"

"To the equipment armory. I’m swapping out a piece of equipment for you."

Ji Zhixing’s heart skipped a beat. "Teacher, thank you so much," he expressed his gratitude immediately.

He Yanbing simply nodded, offering no extra words.

Soon enough, the two arrived at the equipment armory.

It was the same three-story building, guarded by the same teacher on duty.

"Teacher Tian," He Yanbing said as she walked in, giving the man a nod.

"Teacher He," Teacher Tian replied with a smile, glancing at Ji Zhixing beside her.

"I’ve brought Ji Zhixing to select a piece of Tier One Two-Star Genetic Equipment." He Yanbing handed over the black long rod. "I’ve already cleared this with the principal. Also, please take this black long rod and register it as returned."

"Sure, no problem." Teacher Tian took the rod, inspected it briefly, and after logging it into the system, guided the two into the storeroom.

The interior of the equipment armory was more spacious than one might expect. Rows of metal racks were neatly arranged, displaying a wide variety of Genetic Equipment.

There were sabers, swords, spears, shields, helmets, armor sets, bracers, boots, and necklaces.

A small tag was affixed next to each item, detailing its name, tier, quality, and abilities.

Teacher Tian led them to a specific rack and came to a halt.

"Our school’s resources are limited. There are only three pieces of equipment that come with a Two-Star Staff Technique." He pointed at the three long rods resting before them. "They’re all right here."

Ji Zhixing looked up at the display.

The three long rods lay side by side on the rack, each boasting a distinct design.

The first long rod was pitch-black and perfectly straight. Its surface featured a dense pattern of intricate lines, and faint dark red spots resembling dried bloodstains could be seen on it.

The tag labeled it as the Breaking Army Rod, which inherently came with the First Rank Two-Star Breaking Army Stick Technique.

The second long rod was a pale blue. Its body was slender, adorned with patterns reminiscent of rippling water, giving it a soft and gentle appearance.

The tag labeled it as the Tide Listening Rod, inherently carrying the Tier One Two-Star Tingchao Staff Technique.

The third long rod was earthy yellow. Thick and heavy, it looked remarkably solid and sturdy, exuding an aura of utter indestructibility.

The tag labeled it as the Bedrock Rod, inherently featuring a Tier One Two-Star Bedrock Staff Technique.

"These three long rods each carry a different staff technique," Teacher Tian explained. "The Breaking Army Staff Technique focuses on offense. It is fierce, domineering, and relentless.

"The Tingchao Staff Technique is accompanied by the sound of ocean tides with every strike, which can disrupt an opponent’s state of mind.

"The Bedrock Staff Technique, on the other hand, emphasizes defense. It uses defense as a form of offense and is as solid as a boulder."

He turned to Ji Zhixing. "Take your pick."

Ji Zhixing stepped forward, examining the three long rods closely.

"Three staff techniques..." he thought to himself. "Which one should I choose?"

He reached out and gently stroked each of the three rods, sensing their unique auras.

"My goal isn’t to learn the most powerful staff technique, but to develop the Innate Staff Heart talent as quickly as possible.

"Therefore, I don’t need the strongest staff technique—just the easiest one to practice."

He looked up at Teacher Tian. "Teacher, I’d like to ask: out of these three staff techniques, which one is the easiest to practice?"

Teacher Tian paused for a moment before understanding his intent.

"The easiest to practice?" He pondered the question. "The Breaking Army Staff Technique and the Bedrock Staff Technique are practically identical in difficulty. They’re both standard techniques, so you just need to practice them methodically step by step.

"The Tingchao Staff Technique is the hardest to master because it requires harmonizing with the rhythm of the tides, which demands a higher level of innate talent.

"If your only goal is to grasp a staff technique as fast as possible, pick either Breaking Army or Bedrock."

Ji Zhixing nodded, returning his gaze to the two rods in question.

The Breaking Army Staff Technique focused on offense; it was fierce and domineering.

The Bedrock Staff Technique prioritized defense; it was as solid as a boulder.

"In the evolutionary path of the Three-inch Stone Monkey, after becoming a Staff Soldier Stone Monkey, continuous evolutions can eventually lead to the Fighting Divine Monkey.

"And just hearing the name ’Fighting Divine Monkey’ makes it obvious that it leans heavily toward combat and offense.

"If I intend to walk down this path, an offensive staff technique will definitely suit me best."

Ji Zhixing’s gaze landed squarely on the Breaking Army Rod.