Chapter 60: Genetic Evolution, Staff Soldier Stone Monkey

Chapter 60: Chapter 60: Genetic Evolution, Staff Soldier Stone Monkey

"Yulan, this is your son, isn’t it?"

Zhang Yulan stood in the supermarket, watching the video on her phone of Ji Zhixing fighting someone, along with her colleagues. Her expression shifted rapidly.

In the footage, that familiar figure leaped and rolled around the arena, the afterimages of his staff moving like a dragon. When she saw her son’s body suddenly expand to 2.7 meters and sweep three Defenders away with a single strike of his staff, Zhang Yulan involuntarily held her breath.

She had never imagined that her son would possess such strength, displaying such a domineering side under the watchful eyes of the public. Scrolling down to the comments section beneath the video, she read them one by one.

"Is this really a Cultivator who fused with a Tier One gene? This combat power is absolutely absurd!"

"Three Tier One Two-Star Staff Techniques, plus a gigantification ability—this setup is stronger than many Cultivators who fused with Tier Two genes. Some who fused with trash Tier Two genes would probably blush seeing this video."

"His name is Ji Zhixing. He’s from our Yu City Third Middle School. He fused with the Three-inch Stone Monkey gene."

"Yu City Third Middle School? Since when did the Third Middle School produce such a figure? And what the hell is the Three-inch Stone Monkey gene? You’re kidding, right? If that’s the Three-inch Stone Monkey gene, I’ll eat my phone right now!"

As she read through the comments, almost everyone was praising Ji Zhixing’s strength, saying his staff techniques were fierce and his talent was astounding. Others pointed out that with such power, it didn’t look like he had fused with a Tier One gene at all.

"Yulan, is your son really on the verge of evolving his gene?" Sister Li leaned in from the side, her face full of envy and her eyes filled with awe. "If it really evolves, your family is going to strike it rich."

Zhang Yulan gripped her phone, her fingertips turning slightly pale. Previously, when Ji Zhixing chose to fuse with the Three-inch Stone Monkey gene, many of her colleagues in the supermarket had looked at her differently. After all, Zhang Yulan used to constantly talk about her son, boasting that he had awakened a Tier Two gene aperture, that he was a genius, and that he was destined for greatness in the future. But in the end, Ji Zhixing only fused with a Tier One gene—and the weak Three-inch Stone Monkey gene at that. For a time, this had made Zhang Yulan the laughingstock of the supermarket.

She had never expected that in just over a month, the situation would reverse itself. Even if Ji Zhixing’s gene couldn’t evolve now, their family’s circumstances were bound to change; they were no longer comparable to ordinary people.

"I’m not too sure myself." Zhang Yulan shook her head, her voice a bit distant, but her gaze never left the majestic figure on the screen.

Sometimes, just like everyone else, she would toss and turn in the dead of night, wondering if Ji Zhixing was really lying, if it was all just a made-up excuse. But watching the footage in the video, seeing that figure slaughtering his way across the arena and taking on four opponents at once, and hearing the audience’s gasps of amazement whenever he swept his staff, an indescribable surge of emotion welled up in her heart.

At this moment, she knew that her son definitely hadn’t lied! Her son’s gene would definitely evolve!

"What are you doing? Gathering around like this during working hours—what does this look like?"

The proprietress of the supermarket walked over in her high heels. She glanced at the two of them with a slight frown, a hint of displeasure in her tone.

The two women’s expressions changed, and they hurriedly put their phones away. Zhang Yulan flusteredly shoved hers into her pocket.

Sister Li reacted quickly, smiling cheerfully to smooth things over. "Boss, we were just looking at Yulan’s son. He fought in the arena matches at Radiant Mall and scored a ten-win streak. He’s gone viral! That video is spreading like wildfire right now."

"Is that so?" The proprietress looked surprised and turned to Zhang Yulan. "What video? Let me see."

Left with no choice, Zhang Yulan pulled out her phone and brought up the video.

"Incredible!" the proprietress exclaimed, her face filled with awe after watching the video. She sighed repeatedly. "This staff technique, this aura—simply outstanding! Yulan, you’ve raised a good son."

She returned the phone to Zhang Yulan, her attitude completely different from before, and patted her warmly on the shoulder. "Yulan, you can get off work early today. Don’t worry about sorting these vegetables. Your son must be exhausted after a battle like that. Go home and take care of him."

"Would... would that be okay? There’s still so much work to do in the store," Zhang Yulan said hesitantly.

"No buts! I’m giving you time off! You’ll still get your full pay, and your perfect attendance bonus won’t be affected!" the proprietress decided boldly with a wave of her hand.

Zhang Yulan nodded, her eyes growing a little hot. Seeing the envious gazes of everyone around her, she felt a spring in her step as she walked away.

Meanwhile.

Ji Zhixing had just returned to his room and sat down when a ray of golden light burst from the gene aperture at his Dantian.

BOOM!

His body jolted. He froze in place, feeling as though he had been struck by an electric current. Within his gene aperture, the Three-inch Stone Monkey seemed to have finally finished its gestation. Following a hum that sounded like a massive, resonant bell, the phantom of the Three-inch Stone Monkey violently twisted, expanded, and reshaped itself. Then, it dramatically transformed into a stone monkey holding the phantom of a long staff.

This stone monkey was unfathomably larger than before. Its fur was like steel needles, exuding a dark gray metallic luster. It wielded a thick stone staff engraved with archaic patterns, looking majestic and imposing, with an aura as steady as a mountain.

Its eyes were completely different from those of the Three-inch Stone Monkey. The Three-inch Stone Monkey’s eyes had been lively and alert, carrying a hint of childishness. But this newly born monkey possessed a calm, domineering gaze. Battle intent seemed to surge within its pupils. It looked like a veteran warrior who had survived countless battles, exuding a chilling, murderous aura that warned strangers to keep their distance.

"The transformation is complete." An uncontrollable wave of excitement surged in Ji Zhixing’s heart. "It’s finally complete! It’s been over a month since I fused with the Three-inch Stone Monkey gene, and now I’ve finally made it evolve!"

He took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down, though his hands couldn’t stop trembling slightly. He had waited far too long for this moment.

"First, let’s see the abilities of the Staff Soldier Stone Monkey gene," he thought. He closed his eyes, sinking his consciousness into his body to listen to the information echoing from the depths of his gene.

It was crystal clear. To Ji Zhixing, it was a profoundly mystical sensation—as if the gene’s evolutionary transformation had automatically branded this information directly into his consciousness.

A moment later, he opened his eyes, a sharp glint flashing in them like a bolt of lightning. "My Innate Staff Heart ability has transformed. It upgraded from the previous Two-Star quality to Three-Star quality," he realized.

He silently felt the nascent power coursing through his body. "Now, I’ll be able to practice Three-Star Staff Techniques very quickly. Once I master a Three-Star Staff Technique, I can even unleash power that rivals a Four-Star Staff Technique. And then there’s the Stone Skin ability."

He raised his hand and willed it. A layer of grayish-white keratin surfaced from beneath his skin. Compared to before, this keratin layer was thicker and denser. Its color had deepened from light gray to dark gray. Draped over his body, it looked like a suit of rock armor.

"The Stone Skin ability has also transformed from Two-Star to Three-Star." He knocked on his arm, producing a dull THUD THUD sound that was much deeper than before. "My Defense Power has at least doubled. The gigantification ability hasn’t changed, but my Stone Heart ability has similarly evolved from One-Star to Two-Star."

The Stone Heart ability was a passive skill that stabilized the mind and resisted mental interference. Having upgraded to Two-Star, he felt his thoughts become even clearer. All distracting thoughts in his mind seemed to have been swept away, bringing him into a tranquil state akin to a still pond reflecting a clear sky.

Ji Zhixing was thrilled as he verified these abilities one by one. "I now possess three Three-Star gene abilities and one Two-Star gene ability. My strength has jumped up another notch compared to before."

He clenched his fists, feeling the surging power within him. That overwhelming sense of fullness made him want to tilt his head back and roar. He quickly calmed down, however, looking out the window with a profound gaze.

"Most importantly, I can now figure out a way to break through and become a Tier Two Genetic Cultivator as soon as possible.

"Once I break through, the Staff Soldier Stone Monkey gene might even bring me new abilities.

"Besides that, starting now, I can also attempt to develop new abilities to evolve the Staff Soldier Stone Monkey gene into the Tier Three Ten-foot Stone Monkey gene!"

Ji Zhixing’s eyes burned with intense anticipation.

According to what he had heard, a true Ten-foot Stone Monkey didn’t even need to transform; its base height was already taller than his current gigantified form. Moreover, its body was as hard as rock, boasting extreme Defense Power. Once he evolved the Staff Soldier Stone Monkey gene into the Ten-foot Stone Monkey gene, his strength would undoubtedly skyrocket again. By then, he would be able to rank among the top even in Yu City University.

"If I want to evolve the Staff Soldier Stone Monkey into the Ten-foot Stone Monkey, I need to continue developing the gigantification ability so it transforms into super gigantification. I also need the Stone Heart ability to transform into the Unmoving Stone Heart ability, reaching a state where my mind is as solid as a boulder, impervious to external demons. Furthermore, I have to develop three more abilities: Stone Bones, Stone Sinews, and Stone Muscles. I must merge these three with the Stone Skin ability to form the Boulder Physique ability."

Ji Zhixing took a deep breath. Developing each new ability would require vast amounts of resources and time. He knew this step would be difficult, but compared to before, his starting point was already infinitely higher.

First of all, he now had over a million gene coins on hand. Just by using these gene coins, he should be able to develop the Boulder Physique ability first. Moreover, he would soon enter Yu City University. Once there, obtaining resources would become much easier.

"I’ll wait a little longer. Tomorrow, I’ll go to Yu City University to recommend myself for admission. Everything else can wait." He made his decision, his eyes resolute. "Once I successfully secure a spot, I’ll need to consider fusing with a second gene.

"I must utilize the advantage of having dual gene apertures as soon as possible."

As he was deep in thought, his phone suddenly rang, interrupting his musings. He picked it up and saw the words "Teacher He" displayed on the screen.

"Teacher He," he answered hastily, his tone respectful.

The caller was his homeroom teacher, He Yanbing. She was arguably the teacher who had treated him best during his time at Yu City Third Middle School.

"Zhixing!" He Yanbing’s voice came through the receiver. "I saw the video Zhou Yuan posted. Did you really develop a gigantification ability?" she asked expectantly. "Doesn’t this mean your gene will be able to evolve soon?"