Chapter 193 - 164: Tier 8 Legend, Agreed, Beiyuan Genius Training Camp

Chapter 193: Chapter 164: Tier 8 Legend, Agreed, Beiyuan Genius Training Camp

He wore a gray robe, looking no different from an ordinary old man, yet his eyes were as deep as the sea, seemingly capable of seeing through everything. This elder was Xiao Mingyue’s great-grandfather, the Eighth-rank Legendary Gene Practitioner, Xiao Wannian.

"Great-grandfather." Xiao Mingyue walked up to the old man and called out respectfully.

Xiao Wannian opened his eyes. His gaze landed on Xiao Mingyue and immediately focused, his expression shifting rapidly. "Ming Yue, who did you choose?"

Xiao Mingyue froze, not expecting her great-grandfather to see through her at a glance. She took a deep breath, suppressing the apprehension in her heart, and said, "Great-grandfather, don’t worry. The person I chose is definitely the best."

"It’s over!" Hearing Xiao Mingyue’s words and seeing her feign composure, Xiao Wannian sighed inwardly. He had lived for so many years—what kind of person hadn’t he seen? Xiao Mingyue’s demeanor was clearly masking a guilty conscience. He instantly knew that, regardless of anything else, the person she had chosen was definitely far inferior in talent to his ideal candidate.

"Your mother didn’t listen to me back then. Why aren’t you listening to me either?" Xiao Wannian sighed heavily, his eyes filled with helplessness as he looked at her. "Tell me. What level of genes did the person you chose integrate? Are they Blazing Sun Level Genes?"

He still clung to a sliver of hope. Xiao Mingyue had always had high standards since she was a child, so she shouldn’t have chosen someone too terrible.

Hearing this, Xiao Mingyue fell silent for a moment.

"Could they be Bright Moon Level?" Xiao Wannian’s heart shuddered, his hands unconsciously tightening their grip on the armrests of his chair.

Xiao Mingyue still did not speak.

Xiao Wannian stared at her, his eyes widening. "Could they be Morning Star Level?"

Xiao Mingyue looked up at him, mustering her courage as she said, "He initially integrated Tier One genes."

As her words fell, the courtyard plunged into dead silence. Xiao Wannian’s expression froze. He opened his mouth but couldn’t speak for a long time. Tier One genes? His, Xiao Wannian’s, great-granddaughter, a genius who had integrated the Celestial Phoenix genes, chose someone who had integrated Tier One genes?

"Great-grandfather, don’t get upset just yet," Xiao Mingyue said hurriedly. "He awakened a dual-core Genetic Acupoint. Besides, integrating the Tier One genes was two months ago.

"In these past two months, he has evolved both of his integrated Tier One genes into Tier Three genes. It shouldn’t be long before he can evolve one of them to the Tier Four Morning Star Level."

Hearing this, a bit of color finally returned to Xiao Wannian’s eyes. He looked at Xiao Mingyue, sighed, and closed his eyes.

"Being able to continuously evolve genes within two months is indeed impressive. But you are gambling. If you lose this bet, it’s for a lifetime."

Going from Tier One to Tier Three in two months was an astonishing speed indeed. However, every step of genetic evolution was a massive hurdle. Evolving twice in a row didn’t mean one could keep evolving indefinitely. In particular, advancing from Tier Three to Tier Four, and from Tier Six to Tier Seven, were massive bottlenecks.

"Great-grandfather, I have no regrets," Xiao Mingyue said with a firm tone.

"No regrets... another one with no regrets." Xiao Wannian shook his head and opened his eyes to look at her, his gaze extremely complex. "You really are just like your mother."

Back then, Xiao Mingyue’s mother had also ignored his objections and chosen someone whose talent he deemed mediocre. Now, she and that man were lost together in a Secret Realm, with no news from them for over a decade.

"Forget it. I promised to let you choose for yourself. No matter who you choose, I won’t stop you."

"Thank you, Great-grandfather!" Xiao Mingyue’s eyes instantly lit up. Xiao Wannian was the stabilizing pillar of the Xiao family. As long as he agreed to something, no one else could object.

"Alright, take a walk with me and tell me about him." Xiao Wannian stood up.

"Okay." Xiao Mingyue immediately stepped forward to support her great-grandfather’s arm. As they walked, she recounted everything about Ji Zhixing.

She started from Ji Zhixing choosing the Three-inch Stone Monkey genes at Yu City Third Middle School, to him recommending himself to enter Yu City University, all the way to securing first place on the leaderboard in the Blood Beast Secret Realm. She explained it in great detail, remembering every single event with crystal clarity. As Xiao Wannian listened, the expression on his face gradually shifted from initial helplessness to surprise, and finally to thoughtful contemplation.

"He’s already developed the five-star quality Size Manipulation ability?" he muttered in his heart. "This little guy is quite interesting."

"Alright," Xiao Wannian said after Xiao Mingyue finished her story. "You just got back from Yu City. Go get a good rest for now."

"Yes." Xiao Mingyue nodded, then respectfully took her leave.

After Xiao Mingyue left, Xiao Wannian sat on a chair in the courtyard, remaining silent for a moment. Then, he used his Divine Sense to send a voice transmission, summoning several important figures of the Xiao family.

A moment later, several figures hurried into the courtyard. There were middle-aged men and elders, each exuding a powerful aura. They were all core members of the Xiao family, and everyone present was a Sixth Rank Blazing Sun Level Gene Cultivator.

"Ancestor," the men greeted respectfully upon seeing Xiao Wannian.

"Mm," Xiao Wannian nodded, then said, "Ming Yue just returned, and she has made her choice. From now on, none of you are to meddle in her affairs. Do not interfere."

"Ming Yue made a choice?" Hearing this, a middle-aged man’s eyes lit up, and he quickly asked, "Ancestor, may I ask which family’s scion Ming Yue has chosen? Or which outstanding young talent?"

He calculated in his mind that, given Xiao Mingyue’s status and talent, the person she chose had to be a genius who had integrated at least Tier Seven Glory Level genes.

Xiao Wannian glanced at him and said, "He isn’t a scion of any major family. The person she chose is named Ji Zhixing. He awakened a dual Genetic Acupoint, but currently, the genes integrated into both points are merely Tier Three." He briefly went over Ji Zhixing’s information.

"He only integrated Tier Three genes?" Hearing this, the expressions of the men Xiao Wannian had summoned all changed.

"Ancestor, isn’t Ming Yue’s choice a bit too poor? Although this Ji Zhixing can make his genes evolve several times in a row, it doesn’t mean he can keep evolving them forever, right?"

"Exactly. Ming Yue is your great-granddaughter and has integrated the Celestial Phoenix genes. How could she choose a person like that?"

"Ancestor, shouldn’t you reconsider?"

The men spoke one after another, their faces filled with indignation.

Xiao Wannian glanced at them and said in a deep voice, "I told you, none of you are to interfere in this matter. I called you here merely to inform you."

"Ancestor, but—" someone tried to argue.

"I’m not dead yet!" Xiao Wannian’s voice suddenly turned icy.

The men immediately fell silent, not daring to say another word.

"Our Xiao family has no need for political marriages," Xiao Wannian said slowly. "If you are worried that the Xiao family will lose its backing after I die, then we especially cannot rely on political marriages.

"If you offend Ming Yue, do you really think she will look after you after I’m gone?"

He paused, his tone growing even colder. "Back when I was trapped in the Secret Realm with my fate unknown, you tried to force Xiao Yuan into a political marriage, and as a result, you drove him out of the Xiao family.

"How many times has he returned to the Xiao family over these years? Do you want to repeat the same disastrous mistake?"

Hearing this, the men’s expressions stiffened, and they all lowered their heads.

Back then, Xiao Yuan had only integrated Tier Five Bright Moon Level genes, which was considered decent within the Xiao family, but not top-tier. It just so happened that a talented woman from another family had taken a liking to him, so they tried to arrange a political marriage for him. As a result, Xiao Yuan refused and, in a fit of rage, ran away from home.

But to everyone’s surprise, after leaving the Xiao family, Xiao Yuan stumbled upon some unknown fortune and miraculously advanced to become a Tier Seven Glory Level Gene Cultivator. He then went to the Yu City Base City to serve as the Guardian Envoy. Over the years, he had only returned once, right after Xiao Wannian escaped from the Secret Realm. He hadn’t come back a single time since.

"Alright, you may all leave," Xiao Wannian waved his hand. "Also, isn’t the current term of the Beiyuan Genius Training Camp about to begin? Arrange a special invitation quota for him."

"Yes." The men could only helplessly agree and take their leave.

The courtyard returned to silence.

Xiao Wannian sat on a stone bench, gazing up at the sky as he muttered to himself, "From Tier One to Tier Three in two months...

"I hope you won’t disappoint Ming Yue."

He closed his eyes, leaning back against his chair.