Chapter 14: I Can Demonstrate Staff Techniques

Chapter 14: Chapter 14: I Can Demonstrate Staff Techniques

"How about that?" Liu Qifan wiggled his wolf claws smugly. "Awesome, right?"

Ji Zhixing nodded. "Pretty awesome."

"That was way too half-hearted." Liu Qifan rolled his eyes. "Once we get to school, we have to spar. I’m definitely going to show you what I’m capable of!"

"What about you?" Liu Qifan retracted his claws and asked curiously. "How’s your staff technique coming along? I heard you’ve been practicing in the neighborhood every day lately."

"It’s alright," Ji Zhixing said.

"Just ’alright’ again?" Liu Qifan rolled his eyes. "Can’t you say a bit more?"

Ji Zhixing smiled but didn’t say anything. He was afraid of dealing a blow to Liu Qifan’s ego.

He thought to himself with a sigh, "But once we get to school, I still need to show off my basic staff technique. The black staff the school lent me isn’t of much use to me anymore. I need to show them my value and see if I can borrow a better piece of Genetic Equipment."

Having mastered the basic staff technique, he could perform it just as well with an ordinary wooden stick, though it lacked that feeling of being one with the weapon that the black staff provided.

The two chatted along the way and soon arrived at school.

Yu City Third Middle School, Class Five of the senior year. Over thirty students were gathered in the classroom, waiting for their teacher to arrive.

Ji Zhixing and Liu Qifan took their seats. Looking up, he saw Huang Yu standing not far away, chatting and laughing with a few classmates with a confident smile on his face. This guy had fused with the Tier Two Lightning Leopard gene.

On the other side, Yu Zhirou sat quietly in her seat, her long hair cascading down her shoulders, looking serene and detached. She had ultimately chosen to fuse with the Tier Two Great Wind Bird gene.

Everyone else had fused with Tier One genes. There were fierce tiger genes, giant strength turtle genes, black eagle genes... a wide variety of them.

"Let’s just wait. When Teacher He gets here, she’ll probably take us to the training ground," Liu Qifan whispered.

Ji Zhixing nodded without speaking.

Before long, He Yanbing walked into the classroom. She had changed into a black martial arts suit. Her gaze swept over the crowd. "Follow me."

With that, she turned and walked out. The students quickly followed her to the training ground.

The training ground was massive, paved with specially made floor tiles and surrounded by various pieces of training equipment. Over a dozen other teachers were already waiting there.

He Yanbing had the students line up in a row before speaking. "Starting today, the school will put you through half a month of practical combat training.

"You have already fused with your genes and gained genetic abilities. But having abilities and knowing how to use them are two different things.

"Over this half-month, the school will teach you how to fight, how to utilize your strengths, and how to cooperate with your teammates."

She paused, her gaze sweeping across the students. "In half a month, the school will organize a trip out of the city for you to hunt genetic beasts."

As soon as she said this, the crowd immediately broke into a flurry of discussion.

"Hunting outside the city?"

"Is it finally happening?"

"I don’t think I’m mentally prepared yet..."

Some were excited, their eyes shining brightly, while others showed fear, their faces turning pale.

He Yanbing pressed her hands down, gesturing for everyone to quiet down.

"I know some of you are scared," she said. "But you must remember, becoming a Genetic Cultivator means you are destined to deal with genetic beasts.

"The sooner you face them, the sooner you adapt.

"Besides..." She looked at the crowd, her tone softening a bit. "You only have one month left in high school anyway."

The crowd fell silent. It was true—just one month. Those of them who had fused with Tier One genes would graduate from high school in a month, going their separate ways from then on.

There were only two exceptions. Everyone looked at the two figures standing at the front of the crowd: Huang Yu and Yu Zhirou.

Both of them had fused with Tier Two genes and could enter the genetic university at the Yu City Base for further studies. In the future, the two of them would no longer belong to the same world as their classmates who had fused with Tier One genes.

At this thought, quite a few gazes drifted toward Ji Zhixing.

"What a pity. Ji Zhixing could have originally gone with those two, but he chose to fuse with a Tier One gene."

"Chose a Tier One gene?" another whispered back. "I think he probably just awakened a Tier One Genetic Acupoint. A double Tier One Genetic Acupoint, at that. Otherwise, unless he’s an idiot, why would he choose to fuse with a Tier One gene?"

Faint whispers rippled through the surroundings.

Ji Zhixing heard them but was completely unfazed. It didn’t matter if these people guessed the truth. His biggest hurdle had been getting past his parents. Now that that was over with, all he had to do was work hard to evolve his gene.

He Yanbing clapped her hands, drawing everyone’s attention back. "Alright, starting now, when I call your name, come up one by one and demonstrate the genetic abilities you’ve mastered over the past three days. Let me see if you’ve been slacking off."

She took out a booklet, ready to take notes. "First up, Huang Yu."

Huang Yu stepped forward and stood firm. He took a deep breath and abruptly channeled his genetic source energy.

SWOOSH!

In the next moment, his figure flashed, and he appeared seven or eight meters away. He thrust out a hand that morphed into the shape of a leopard’s claw, sparking with purple electricity as he slashed at the empty air.

"Tier Two Lightning Leopard gene," Huang Yu said in a deep voice. "I have already mastered three abilities: Leopard Speed, Leopard Claw, and Purple Lightning."

"Such incredible speed!"

Liu Qifan’s expression changed slightly upon seeing Huang Yu’s display. His Wolf Sprint was also a speed-type genetic ability, but it was completely incomparable to Huang Yu’s Leopard Speed.

He Yanbing nodded and jotted it down in her booklet. "Not bad. Keep up the good work."

Huang Yu retracted his abilities and stepped to the side.

"Second, Yu Zhirou."

Yu Zhirou stepped forward. She gently closed her eyes. A moment later, she raised her hand and waved it, sending a Wind Blade slashing forward and leaving ripples in the air.

Then, she tapped the tip of her toes and her figure leapt several meters forward, landing lightly. It was a complete contrast to Huang Yu’s fierce and sharp movements.

"Tier Two Great Wind Bird gene," Yu Zhirou said softly. "I’ve currently only mastered two abilities: Wind Blade and Light Body. I’m not yet proficient with the other ability, Wind’s Embrace."

He Yanbing’s eyes lit up. "Very good. The Great Wind Bird gene is an avian-type gene. Once you advance to Tier Two in the future, you might even gain the ability to fly."

Fusing with a Tier Two gene only gave Huang Yu and Yu Zhirou the potential to advance to Tier Two; they still needed to cultivate to become Tier Two Genetic Cultivators. But even so, they were countless times stronger than the others. If the rest of the students couldn’t evolve their genes, they would be stuck at Tier One for the rest of their lives.

"Next, Lu Yue!"

He Yanbing called another person forward.

Hearing this, many people glanced at Ji Zhixing. In the past, Ji Zhixing would have definitely been in the top three.

Ji Zhixing paid no mind to this and waited silently.

Next, the classmates stepped forward one by one. Liu Qifan also went up to demonstrate his abilities. Eventually, out of the entire class, Ji Zhixing was the only one who hadn’t gone up yet.

"Ji Zhixing." He Yanbing looked at him. "You fused with the Three-inch Stone Monkey gene. According to you, its only genetic ability is Stone Heart. Since Stone Heart is a passive genetic ability and hard to demonstrate, I won’t call you up."

Hearing this, the surrounding students were slightly stunned. Their gazes landed on Ji Zhixing, some filled with pity, others with schadenfreude.

Ji Zhixing thought, a sudden realization hitting him, "Not calling me up? That won’t do! If I don’t show off my talent, how am I going to get more investment from the school?"

"Teacher, I can demonstrate my staff technique!"