Tears began to well up in the corners of Ding Huan's eyes, and he wiped the tears away.
In his previous life, he had wandered through the universe with her eyes, seen too many ugly things, yet he had also witnessed many beautiful ones.
This time, he absolutely would not allow that girl, both strange and painfully familiar to his bones, to be taken to the Genetic Fusion Laboratory by the Genetic Alliance.
If he couldn't find the girl, he would just go to the Genetic Alliance's branch in Luoh River City and wait.
He still had more than half a year, during which he must make himself stronger, or else there would be little change in his fate or the girl's.
After sitting alone for more than an hour, Ding Huan managed to slowly calm his emotions. He needed to make a plan for the future.
He emptied everything out of his bag. Aside from a few books, the only other item was a property deed. This was a property under his name, and Ding Huan was well aware that his housekeeper would later sell this property.
He had no opportunity or ability to get his house back, and upon learning this information, he was about to leave Earth. That was also the purpose of the Genetic Alliance's full efforts to save him and even perform an eye transplant surgery on him.
As for now, he didn't dare to claim the house back—popping up now was akin to seeking death.
He took a wallet out of his pocket, containing an ID card and a bank card, plus a few hundred yuan in cash.
With genetic mutations, the human population had plummeted. Although digital payments were still in use, paper currency was still favored. Who, always on the run, would dare to rely solely on the balance on their phone?
Lack of money wasn't an issue; he could refine various Genetic Potions.
When it came to the refinement of Genetic Potions and understanding of genetic fusion, who could surpass him?
Was not the most sought-after item now the Longevity Gene? The lifespan-extending genes on Earth only added thirty years at best, but he could refine a Genetic Potion that extended life by a full sixty years.
In other words, Earth's longevity genes didn't even have a grade; they were just the most common low-end genes. He could refine graded Longevity Gene Potions.
As for the methods of refinement, he had plenty...
While Ding Huan was considering the ways to refine the Longevity Gene, his mind suddenly filled with endless types of genes and methods for refining Genetic Potions.
This...
Although he had refined many Genetic Potions in his previous life, he did not have so many techniques and methods.
Ding Huan thought of the leather scroll he had swallowed before his death. That scroll was really strange; because he had swallowed it, his mind now held the information from the scroll. Such a bizarre occurrence was a first for him.
Right, Genetic Foundation Establishment. The information about Genetic Foundation Establishment was in the leather scroll he had obtained.
To grow stronger, he had to undergo Genetic Foundation Establishment.
Previously, Ding Huan did not know how to perform Genetic Foundation Establishment. He knew that even in the Changyi Continent, those who could do it were rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns.
Now he knew. To undergo Genetic Foundation Establishment, one needed a gene spiritual root. Those who could perform it were surely born with this special root.
An unexpected flood of knowledge about gene spiritual roots surfaced in Ding Huan's mind. He had a feeling that given the right materials, he could craft a Wood Attribute Genetic Spiritual Root Potion right now.
The techniques for refining gene spiritual root potions in his mind felt as if they were etched into his memory.
Not only that, but he also knew how to extract the various gene components for making a gene spiritual root from the required species, and the production methods were crystal clear.
So powerful, Ding Huan muttered to himself. The power he referred to was not the genetic information in the scroll, but the formidable creator of that leather scroll.
"...Maybe after many years, this planet will have gone through another cycle, and the gene spiritual roots will disappear just as the previous cycle's cultivation spiritual roots vanished. I think, I can't help much anymore, alas, let nature take its course..."
The sudden emergence of this sentence in his mind left Ding Huan stunned. Was the planet mentioned Earth?
But he did not get that scroll from Earth, did he? If it were Earth, does that mean Earth will go through another reset where all life returns to zero and then continues to the next evolutionary cycle?
Feeling a bit dizzy, Ding Huan went to the kitchen and doused his head with cold water.
Why should he think about these things? Are they important now? Not at all.
What is most important now is that he must quickly refine a gene spiritual root, then fuse it into himself and start the process of gene meditation cultivation as soon as possible to establish his genetic foundation.
Otherwise, he wouldn't even know how he might die.
In his last life, although he was sold by the scavenger, he at least had his life saved. Who knew if he could still survive this time around?
Just when Ding Huan thought about starting his genetic cultivation, a series of images, and a cultivation method he had never seen before emerged in his mind.
Luo Shijin? What an odd name.
In his last life, it was not easy to acquire the method for gene meditation cultivation, which seemed much inferior to this Luo Shijin, didn't it?
Ding Huan instinctively began to cultivate in the manner described, and just after a few breaths, he felt a faint warmth surge into his Bai Hui acupoint before spreading throughout his body.
Then the faint warmth disappeared without a trace. Clearly, his cultivation was useless at the moment.
But Ding Huan gripped his fists in excitement, the Luo Shijin was definitely a top-tier method of genetic cultivation. Although his attempt at cultivation was futile, and he merely felt a hint of warmth, this didn't mean the Luo Shijin was useless.
Because he didn't yet have a gene spiritual root, once he got one, this slight warmth during cultivation could very well transform into his own strength or abilities.
He must find the genetic herbs necessary for a gene spiritual root as soon as possible and refine the gene spiritual root he needed.
Coming to Yujiang University was truly the right decision, as Yujiang University was close to Qianluo Mountain, and within Qianluo Mountain, there must be the genetic herbs he needed.
If it wasn't for the fact that nightfall was approaching, Ding Huan couldn't sit still for even a minute; he would head to Qianluo Mountain right away.
Spanning over a thousand kilometers, Qianluo Mountain was one of the top ten mountain ranges in Hua Xia. Even before the era of genetic fusion, Qianluo Mountain was fraught with danger.
Now, Qianluo Mountain was even more perilous, with groups of life-threatening fierce beasts and various types of man-eating mutated plants.
Ding Huan made up his mind that even if it was extremely dangerous, he had to go to Qianluo Mountain tomorrow.
With his two hundred years of survival experience in the universe, what kind of peril had he not seen? As long as he was careful, he should be able to survive in Qianluo Mountain.
But he couldn't wait until tomorrow; the very next moment, Ding Huan overturned his own thought. Two hundred years of wandering life in the vast universe taught him that being hopeful without preparation was tantamount to courting death.
It was just like a gambler who, once successful on a fluke, would be certain to try again, ultimately dying because of such risk-taking.
He had, indeed, avoided the danger of being secretly plotted against by using certain means, and for the time being, no one had noticed his arrival at Yujiang University.
If the enemy's intent to kill him was firm and they wanted to find out that he came to Yujiang University, it wouldn't be difficult.
The sky was getting dark, and going to Qianluo Mountain at this time would definitely be very dangerous. The truth is, even in daylight, with his current strength, visiting Qianluo Mountain would mean a slim chance of survival; yet he must go.
Without going to Qianluo Mountain, he wouldn't be able to obtain a gene spiritual root, and without the gene spiritual root, he couldn't cultivate; without cultivation, how could he seek revenge? How could he survive?
Ordinary people indeed face certain death on Qianluo Mountain, but he was different – experienced and still holding onto that glimmer of hope.
Without further ado, Ding Huan placed some inconspicuous markers around his room, then left Yujiang University wearing a mask.
He had two things he must do immediately: first, buy some items for simple disguises, and second, purchase essentials for entering Qianluo Mountain.
...
Qianjiang Gate Restaurant, the best restaurant in Luoh River City, was packed with patrons every day.
The Qianjiang Gate Restaurant wasn't packed because the food was good—although the food there was indeed the best in Luoh River City.
Many people chose Qianjiang Gate Restaurant not only for the excellent food but also because it offered top-notch service and scarce fierce beast meat.
Mutated fierce beasts emerged due to environmental mutations on Earth, and their flesh brought great impact but also provided martial artists with a way to dramatically improve their cultivation.
Genetic fusion had become the mainstream of the era, yet matured genetic potions were astonishingly expensive and not everyone could afford to fuse them. As such, the vast majority still chose martial arts cultivation.
For those who practiced martial arts, consuming fierce beast meat held tremendous benefits, not only rapidly enhancing physical fitness but also significantly increasing their strength.
And, if one had genuine internal cultivation methods, fierce beast meat could drastically boost their inner qi.
Wang Youlan proposed to hold the graduation party at Qianjiang Gate precisely because they served fierce beast meat.
He planned to purchase a small amount of fierce beast meat and use this opportunity to tell everyone that if they wanted to regularly enjoy such a delicacy, they needed to strengthen themselves.
At this moment, in Room 610 of the Qianjiang Gate Restaurant, classmates from class 62(3) of the Mutant Species Department of Luoh River Shangwu University had already arrived one after another.
Wang Youlan was almost the last one to enter the room. Scanning the lively group, he smiled and said,
"We're all here, aren't we? If everyone's here, then let's get started. Today, you can all eat and drink to your heart's content, with all expenses on me.
"Mr. Wang, Ding Huan doesn't seem to have come," Jia Youjian mentioned softly.
In their class, it seemed that he alone paid attention to Ding Huan. It wasn't that he had an especially good relationship with Ding Huan, but because they were not only desk mates but also roommates.
"Ding Huan didn't come? Why not?" Wang Youlan frowned slightly, remembering that no one had asked for leave.
Luo Xinwei was also puzzled; Ding Huan should definitely come tonight, so why hadn't he? Wait, why was she so sure Ding Huan would definitely come tonight?
"Let's not wait for him, let's start the gathering now."
Wang Youlan merely allowed the thought to pass for a moment before discarding the concern about Ding Huan's absence. To him, whether Ding Huan came or not was almost irrelevant at this point.
(Please support with recommendation tickets, this is the update for today, good night, friends!)