Chapter 54: Golden -

Chapter 54: Chapter 54: Golden Chapter

"No, I can’t rush this," Ji Zhixing thought. "I need to see if it’s safe first. If it’s not, I’ll pass. After all, a ten-thousand-yuan registration fee isn’t a small amount. More importantly, if I end up seriously injured, the loss will outweigh the gain."

He stepped into the mall.

The moment he entered, a wave of noise washed over him. Looking up, he saw that the first, second, and third floors of the mall were packed with people. The dense crowd was so tightly packed that not even a drop of water could trickle through.

In the center of the first floor stood an arena. Built from a special alloy, the octagonal ring was surrounded by a waist-high fence. Several high-powered spotlights hung above it, illuminating the arena as brightly as day.

"It’s starting! It’s starting!"

"Place your bets! I bet this challenger won’t last three minutes!"

The surrounding crowd shouted in excitement.

Ji Zhixing turned his gaze toward the arena. At this moment, two Genetic Cultivators were engaged in a fierce battle in the ring. One was a bald, burly man representing the mall. Standing nearly two meters tall, he was bare-chested, his muscles bulging like solid rock, exuding a fierce and intimidating aura. The other was a scrawny challenger dressed in a tight black suit. Wielding a short dagger, he moved like a phantom, constantly circling the burly man in search of an opening.

"He’s pretty fast," Ji Zhixing thought.

The challenger’s speed was indeed impressive; he could definitely be considered an elite among Tier One Cultivators. However, the bald, burly man was clearly more experienced. Holding a heavy alloy shield in one hand and a Wide-Backed Battle Saber in the other, he responded without any signs of panic. No matter what angle the challenger attacked from, he steadily blocked it with his shield and then used the momentum to counterattack with his saber, forcing the challenger to retreat and evade.

Ji Zhixing noticed a referee dressed in a black martial arts suit standing in the arena. The referee, who appeared to be around thirty years old, wore an indifferent expression, yet his gaze remained locked on the two combatants, ready to intervene at any moment. A billboard on the side of the arena displayed the referee’s introduction.

Glancing at it, Ji Zhixing was slightly surprised. "He’s actually a Tier Three Genetic Cultivator who graduated from Yu City University," he thought. With an expert of that caliber overseeing the match, safety was indeed guaranteed.

After the two fiercely battled for about two minutes, a sharp glint suddenly flashed in the burly man’s eyes.

"Now’s my chance!" he thought. Seizing the brief pause in the challenger’s stance after an attack, he violently smashed his alloy shield forward, pushing it out like an iron wall.

BANG!

The scrawny challenger had no time to dodge. Struck squarely in the chest by the shield, he was sent flying backward like a kite with a broken string. Before he could even crash onto the floor of the ring, the referee flickered into motion. Appearing behind the challenger, he caught him, dissipated the kinetic force off his body, and gently deposited him outside the arena.

"The challenger loses!" the referee announced loudly.

Below the arena, a female Cultivator dressed in a white robe walked over briskly. She reached out her hand, and a soft white light surged from her palm, enveloping the challenger’s body. In just a few breaths, the challenger’s pale face regained its rosy complexion.

"A healing-type genetic ability," Ji Zhixing judged inwardly, "and her mastery is quite profound."

Around him, people were murmuring in low voices. "That female Genetic Cultivator is also said to be a Tier Three Genetic Cultivator, one who specializes in healing."

"With an offensive Tier Three Cultivator overseeing the match as a referee, and a healing Tier Three Cultivator responsible for treatment..."

"I can give it a try!"

Seeing this, Ji Zhixing made up his mind. With this kind of setup, the safety level was quite high. Even if he sustained serious injuries, he would receive treatment in the shortest possible time, ensuring no lasting side effects.

"Let’s see if there’s any equipment suitable for me here," he thought. He didn’t continue watching the matches. Instead, he turned and headed for the stairs, arriving on the second floor of the mall.

This mall sold a vast array of items. At a glance, a dazzling variety of Genetic Equipment was on display. There were helmets, armors, shoes, bracers, rings, and pendants—everything one could possibly need. However, Ji Zhixing merely swept his gaze over them before walking directly toward the section selling combat suits.

He would soon advance to become a Tier Two Cultivator. He didn’t have much interest in Tier One Genetic Equipment, as those ordinary helmets and armors would offer limited boosts to his strength. His main purpose for coming here was to buy a combat suit that could adapt to him and allow him to transform without restraint.

"Ji Zhixing?"

Just then, a familiar voice suddenly called out to him.

He turned around and realized it was Zhou Yuan from his class. During their previous training expedition, this guy had made a bet with them and lost. But due to the unexpected emergence of the Otherworldly Secret Realm, he still hadn’t treated them to a meal as promised.

"It really is you!" Zhou Yuan walked over in pleasant surprise upon seeing him. "I heard you were back, but I didn’t expect to run into you so soon. Are you here to buy equipment too?"

"Yeah, I wanted to check out the combat suits in this mall," Ji Zhixing nodded.

"Combat suits?" Zhou Yuan shook his head, looking unimpressed. "Most combat suits are all flash and no substance. They just look good on the surface. Their defense power is average, and they’re ridiculously expensive. The cost-performance ratio is way too low.

"If you want to buy something, you’re better off getting battle armor. This one right here is pretty good."

He pointed to a set of battle armor on a display rack next to him.

Ji Zhixing looked over. It was a set of dark yellow battle armor with a fierce design. The chest plate was engraved with a roaring tiger motif, giving off an imposing and aggressive vibe. A label next to it indicated that this armor was named the Fierce Tiger Battle Armor.

According to the description, wearing this armor not only defended against enemy attacks but also allowed the user to trigger its innate tiger’s might. This ability could drastically increase the wearer’s strength for a short period. The only drawback was that every time the tiger’s might was drawn upon, the Fierce Tiger Battle Armor required at least an hour to recharge.

"How about it? Pretty good, right?" Zhou Yuan asked with a smile when he saw Ji Zhixing looking at it. "This is a Tier One, three-star battle armor. Its defense power is astonishing, and it even has a burst capability. It’s way better than those flashy combat suits."

"It is nice," Ji Zhixing nodded, but then changed the subject. "However, this armor only protects the upper body, not the whole body, and it can’t be worn all the time. It doesn’t meet my requirements."

"Doesn’t meet your requirements?" Zhou Yuan looked at him in surprise, his eyes filled with confusion.

Ji Zhixing nodded and didn’t hide the truth. "I’ve developed a gigantification genetic ability, so I need a combat suit that can adapt to my transformation."

"A gigantification ability?" Zhou Yuan’s eyes instantly widened, his face full of surprise, shock, and disbelief. "How is it possible to be this fast?

"According to what you said before, you only need to develop your Innate Staff Heart talent, a gigantification ability, and a stone skin ability to evolve your genes.

"Does that mean you’re only missing the stone skin genetic ability now?"

"I’ve developed the stone skin ability as well," Ji Zhixing said calmly.

"Holy shit!" Zhou Yuan’s jaw dropped, and he stared at him in disbelief. "Then you...?"

"My genes haven’t evolved yet, but it’ll be soon." Ji Zhixing nodded. "If nothing goes wrong, it should happen in the next few days."

"Badass!" Zhou Yuan took a deep breath to calm himself down. His gaze toward Ji Zhixing completely changed.

Previously, many people thought Ji Zhixing had made the wrong choice, and some even believed that he had only awakened a Tier One Genetic Acupoint and had been lying all along. But now... He could easily imagine how shocked their classmates at Yu City Third Middle School would be when they found out about this.

"Come on, I’ll take you to see a piece of equipment. It’ll definitely suit you!" Zhou Yuan suddenly grabbed Ji Zhixing’s arm and said excitedly.

"What is it?" Ji Zhixing asked.

"You’ll know when we get there." Zhou Yuan pulled him toward the deeper parts of the mall.

The two wove through the bustling crowd and soon arrived at the section selling special items. The merchandise here was somewhat bizarre, with most items displayed in glass cabinets. Zhou Yuan pointed at a brassard-like piece of equipment inside a glass cabinet. "This is the equipment I was talking about."

Ji Zhixing looked over. It was an octagonal, brassard-like piece of equipment about two to three centimeters in diameter. Its material looked like some sort of special metal. He read the description on the glass cabinet.

[Golden Chapter

Grade: Tier One

Quality: One Star

Function: After refining this Chapter and affixing it to the body, the user can turn their clothes into a golden state at any time. Once goldenized, the clothes will be able to expand or shrink along with the wearer. If the clothes are damaged, they can quickly recover by consuming genetic source energy.

(Note 1: The Golden Chapter only works on ordinary clothes; it does not take effect on worn equipment.)

(Note 2: The Golden Chapter is a special piece of equipment. After refinement, it takes up a minuscule amount of a Genetic Cultivator’s carrying capacity.)]

"This equipment?" Seeing this item, Ji Zhixing’s eyes immediately lit up.

Zhou Yuan was right. This equipment was indeed suitable for him; it could even serve him for a very long time.