Chapter 48: Revealing the Stone Skin Ability

Chapter 48: Chapter 48: Revealing the Stone Skin Ability

Early the next morning, Ji Zhixing woke up early as usual. The sky outside the window was still gray. He lay in bed listening to the birds chirping for a while before rolling out of bed.

"Morning, Mom." Ji Zhixing walked into the kitchen.

Zhang Yulan looked back at him. Her eyes were still a little red, but she wore a smile. "Why didn’t you sleep a little longer? You definitely didn’t sleep well outside these past few days."

"I’m used to it." Ji Zhixing smiled and helped his mother set the table.

After breakfast, Ji Zhixing greeted his parents and headed out.

He first went to the convenience store at the neighborhood entrance to buy a few bags of fruit, along with two cartons of cigarettes and two bottles of liquor. The cigarettes and liquor were for Sun Dajun, and the fruit was for He Yanbing.

Once he finished his purchases, he stored them in the Genetic Furnace and made his way to Yu City Third Middle School.

The security guard took one look at him, recognized who he was, and let him pass without stopping him.

The campus was very quiet. The first and second-year students were still in class, while the seniors of the Genetic Cultivation Class had already graduated and left the school.

He crossed the sports field, entered the teachers’ office building, and found Sun Dajun’s office on the second floor.

The door was open. Sun Dajun was sitting at his desk, reading something, and looked up at the sound of knocking.

"Teacher Sun," Ji Zhixing stood at the door, holding the cigarettes and liquor.

"Ji Zhixing!" Sun Dajun stood up and strode over. He looked him up and down before reaching out to pat him on the shoulder. "Good kid, it’s great that you’re alright!"

"Teacher Sun, I’ve made you worry these past few days." Ji Zhixing placed the cigarettes and liquor on the desk. "It’s just a small token of my appreciation. Please don’t decline."

Sun Dajun glanced at the items on the desk and his face hardened. "What is this? You should have just come. Why did you bring things?"

"I’ve already graduated, so this doesn’t count as bribing a teacher. It’s just a little gesture from a student," Ji Zhixing said with a smile.

Sun Dajun waved his hand, about to decline again. Ji Zhixing retrieved the Yellow Stone Rod from the Genetic Furnace and offered it with both hands. "Teacher Sun, I’m returning the rod to you. If it weren’t for your Yellow Stone Rod, who knows how long it would have taken me to learn the Boulder Staff Technique."

"That’s mostly due to your talent for staff techniques." Sun Dajun took the Yellow Stone Rod and pulled Ji Zhixing down to sit. "Come, tell me what exactly happened to you over these past eighteen days."

Ji Zhixing smiled and gave a brief summary, omitting the finer details. After listening for a while, Sun Dajun sighed emotionally. "As long as you made it back alive, that’s all that matters."

After chatting for a bit longer, Ji Zhixing said his goodbyes and headed toward He Yanbing’s office.

He Yanbing’s office was on the third floor of the academic building. The door was open, and she was sitting at her desk, grading some papers.

"Teacher He," Ji Zhixing called out, knocking on the door frame.

"Ji Zhixing?" Seeing him, He Yanbing immediately stood up, walked around her desk, and looked him up and down, her eyes full of pleasant surprise. "What brings you here?"

"I came to visit you, Teacher." Ji Zhixing placed the fruit on her desk. "I’m sorry for making you worry these past few days."

He Yanbing looked at the fruit on the desk, then back at him. She suddenly felt that this child was quite different from before.

The old Ji Zhixing always carried a bit of adolescent impulsiveness. But the young man standing before her now had a calm gaze and composed demeanor. It was as if he had been through something that caused him to mature all at once.

"Come, have a seat." She pointed to a chair and sat down as well. Much like Sun Dajun had done, she asked how he had spent the last few days.

"Zhixing," He Yanbing said after finishing her questions, looking at him intently. "Zhao Gang from Class Four returned earlier and said you ran into Gu Zheng from Yu City Middle School in the Otherworldly Secret Realm?"

"Zhao Gang came back?"

Ji Zhixing’s eyes lit up. He immediately knew what He Yanbing was getting at and nodded. "We did run into Gu Zheng. But don’t worry, Teacher, I know what to do."

He Yanbing remained silent for a moment before nodding. "As long as you can let it go. What are your plans for the future?"

Ji Zhixing pondered for a moment before replying, "Although I was trapped in the underground water cave this time, it was a blessing in disguise. I managed to awaken the Stone Skin genetic ability.

"Next, I plan to awaken the Gigantification genetic ability as soon as possible, allowing my Three-inch Stone Monkey gene to evolve into the Staff Soldier Stone Monkey gene."

"What did you say?" He Yanbing’s head jerked up. "You’ve already awakened the Stone Skin genetic ability?"

Ji Zhixing nodded.

He extended his hand. With a thought, he mobilized his genetic source power to surge toward his arm. A grayish-white, keratinous layer surfaced from beneath his skin, rapidly covering his entire arm. It was as rough and hard as solid rock.

He Yanbing shot to her feet.

"How many stars is the quality of this ability?"

She stared at the grayish-white layer on Ji Zhixing’s arm, stepping forward out of curiosity to press her fingers against it. It was rock-hard, and she could feel its rough texture against her fingertips.

"It’s two-star." Ji Zhixing retracted the Stone Skin, and his arm returned to normal.

"A two-star ability... Stone Skin," she murmured. When she looked up at Ji Zhixing, her eyes were practically shining with brilliance.

At first, she too had thought that Ji Zhixing was either lying or spouting wild fantasies when he claimed he could evolve his gene. But now, the Stone Skin ability had been awakened. The Breaking Army Staff Technique had been mastered, and the Innate Staff Heart ability had been awakened.

Out of the three abilities required, he had already achieved two.

"Zhixing." He Yanbing looked at him, her eyes suddenly brightening as if an idea had just struck her. "I don’t know if you’re aware, but aside from the normal recruitment from major high schools, there is another way to get into Yu City University.

Ji Zhixing was taken aback. "There’s another way to enter Yu City University?"

"Yes," He Yanbing nodded. "The other method is through self-recommendation.

"This path is specifically opened for Cultivators like you who can evolve their genes.

"Yu City University stipulates that as long as someone can evolve their gene to the second tier before the age of twenty, they can enter the university through self-recommendation.

"However, because achieving this is incredibly difficult—perhaps not even one person in the entire Yu City Base City manages it over several years—most people don’t know about it."

"There’s actually such a method?" Ji Zhixing’s eyes suddenly lit up.

He originally thought that since he had missed Yu City University’s recruitment, he was destined never to attend. He hadn’t expected there to be the path of self-recommendation.

"This method would have normally been very difficult for me as well," he thought to himself. "After all, obtaining enough Gigantification genetic potion is truly not easy.

"But now, I have such a massive piece of Red Iron Ore on hand. If I sell it for money, I might just be able to awaken the Gigantification ability and evolve the Three-inch Stone Monkey gene."

He stood up and said solemnly to He Yanbing, "Teacher He, thank you for telling me this."

He Yanbing waved her hand and smiled. "I’m only passing on the information. You still have to walk the path yourself. Whether you can achieve it or not will depend entirely on you."

Ji Zhixing nodded. He chatted with He Yanbing for a few more minutes before saying his goodbyes and leaving.

Walking out of the school gates, he stood by the roadside and looked back at the high school where he had spent the last two-plus years, taking a deep breath.

"Ji Zhixing." Suddenly, before he could leave, a voice called out to stop him.

"Teacher Sun?" Ji Zhixing turned around and was surprised to see that the person who had called out to him was Sun Dajun.

"Here." Sun Dajun walked over, took out a pale blue rod, and handed it to him. "This is the school’s Tide Listening Rod. I borrowed it for you.

"Since you’ve mastered the Breaking Army Staff Technique and the Boulder Staff Technique, you can try practicing the Tingchao Staff Technique next.

"Hold onto this rod for now. Just return it once you’ve mastered the technique."

"This..." Ji Zhixing was momentarily stunned.

He quickly snapped out of it and didn’t refuse. He accepted the Tide Listening Rod and expressed his gratitude, "Teacher Sun, thank you so much. I was just worrying about not having a staff technique to practice next."

"It’s nothing," Sun Dajun waved it off. "It’s just a pity that you can’t get into Yu City University. Otherwise, never mind Two-Star Staff Techniques, they even have Three-Star Staff Techniques and Four-Star Staff Techniques there."

"There will be a chance," Ji Zhixing smiled. "I just heard from Teacher He that there’s a path of self-recommendation for Yu City University. I plan to give it a try."

"Self-recommendation?" Sun Dajun was briefly taken aback. "You’re eighteen this year. Evolving your gene within two years won’t be easy, but if you have confidence, there’s no harm in trying."

Ji Zhixing smiled. He exchanged a few more words with Sun Dajun before finally saying his goodbyes and leaving.

"Driver, to Nanshan Avenue."

After bidding farewell to Sun Dajun, Ji Zhixing hailed a taxi. The car started and wove through street after street, eventually pulling up alongside a bustling avenue.