13: Entering the realm of martial arts

It was noon in July, the scorching sun blazing like fire, yet the intense sunlight still couldn't penetrate the densely packed houses, which resembled the Kowloon Walled City.

Qiao Yu casually found a fast-food restaurant for a quick meal before heading straight home.

The 1st of every month was the Quasi-Warrior Assessment. With 30 days left until the next assessment, Qiao Yu technically didn't need to rush the Genetic Optimization.

But with such a blatant treasure sitting right there—one that would turn him into a Warrior upon use—what person could withstand such a temptation?

Qiao Yu sat on the sofa and mentally summoned the System Panel.

[host: Qiao Yu (Advanced Trainee, Psycher Master Unawakened)]

[Current Primary fungal swarm Count: 200 ml (100 ml/day)]

[Current flesh and blood mycelium Count: 23,000 ml]

[B-Grade Genetic Potion fungal swarm: 100 ml (One-time use)]

Ignoring the other data, the B-Grade Genetic Potion fungal swarm currently held a status in Qiao Yu's eyes no less important than Su Daji in the eyes of King Zhou, or Xu Xin in the eyes of Luo Feng.

"System, use the B-Grade Genetic Potion fungal swarm!"

Qiao Yu excitedly issued the command to the System using his mind.

[Ding! B-Grade Genetic Potion fungal swarm: 100 ml (One-time use) has been consumed. Genetic Optimization is about to begin for the host!]

As soon as the System's voice echoed in Qiao Yu's mind, an unknown spatial location on his body began to stir restlessly.

Qiao Yu began to enter an ethereal and profound sense of illusion.

The last time he experienced this feeling was when he ate Jianshouqing before transmigration.

Although it was high noon, Qiao Yu felt his surroundings darkening. The walls and furnishings of the entire room began to shift from solid to illusory and blurred, until darkness consumed his entire field of vision.

Qiao Yu felt as if he were suspended in Cosmic Space filled only with darkness, and the surrounding clamor gradually faded with the changing scenery until he sank into absolute silence, without the slightest sound.

At this moment, Qiao Yu's Five Senses were completely shut down; the only thing remaining was the perception of the outside world by the cells within his body.

Qiao Yu did not panic. Since this was his first time entering such a profound state and he had no experience, he could only try to meditate cross-legged, following the methods used by the Martial Arts Experts in the novels of his previous life.

He closed his eyes, palms and soles facing upward, and focused all his attention on perceiving.

After Qiao Yu assumed the meditation posture, the cells throughout his body subconsciously began to vibrate faintly, seemingly searching for elements in this space that resonated with their own frequency.

As the speed of the cellular vibration accelerated, tiny particles, like specks of dust, began to appear in the world that was originally pitch-black.

One, two, four, eight... The Cosmic Energy, initially sparse, was growing exponentially.

Tiny, glowing particles dotted the space, filling the pitch-black void.

Finally, the cells in Qiao Yu's body stopped trembling, and each cell began actively drawing in the Cosmic Energy to gather and flow into them.

"Ugh ah~~" A tingling, shivering sensation originating from deep within his bones made Qiao Yu's body tremble, and his entire skin and pores were covered in an itchy, painful sensation, as if ants were crawling or mosquitoes were biting him.

The scattered glowing particles drilled into the pores across his body. Once this invisible, colorless Cosmic Energy entered Qiao Yu's body, it was immediately devoured by his ravenous cells.

After the Cosmic Energy entered the cells, it attached to the surface of the Mitochondria. As the Mitochondria rapidly absorbed it, a strange energy began to feed back out from within them.

This strange energy was then re-absorbed by various parts of the cell, and the entire cell itself immediately began to undergo Earth-shattering changes.

Upon receiving this Cosmic Energy, the fungal swarm Cells inside his body continuously divided, each extending gene-sized Hyphae to reorganize the Gene Chains that had been deconstructed.

Only now had Qiao Yu truly merged with the fungal swarm inside him, achieving the Optimization of Life Genes.

Time passed minute by minute, and Qiao Yu never emerged from his state of deep immersion.

The sun gradually slanted westward until it disappeared below the horizon.

Meanwhile, Luo Feng, having experienced the fight in the Detention Center that evening, had fallen unconscious again.

Luo Hongguo had also called Qiao Yu for dinner, but the call went unanswered. Knocking on Qiao Yu's door yielded no response. After opening the door with a key, he found Qiao Yu sitting cross-legged in meditation.

Guessing that Qiao Yu was undergoing some kind of Meditation Cultivation, he decided not to disturb him and left... It was the morning of July 3rd.

After a night of Genetic Energy Cultivation, Qiao Yu finally emerged from that psychedelic sensation.

Because his previous strength had not reached the Quasi-Warrior level, his internal cells were slightly slow in converting the Cosmic Energy, ensuring he wouldn't harm himself.

His first Genetic Energy cultivation session took him a full day and a night.

Qiao Yu was in a wonderful mood. Starting today, he, Qiao Yu, had officially stepped into the Warrior Realm!

It was merely a small expenditure of time, but the reward was a ceiling that ordinary people couldn't reach even after several years or more than a decade.

The Warrior is the ceiling for ordinary people, but merely a stepping stone in the eyes of the Strong.

Not to mention the strong beings in the cosmos, even just on Earth, there were countless Warriors who could instantly kill Qiao Yu.

"Ha ji mi yo nan bei lü dou~ a xi ha ya ku nai long~"

A telephone ringtone pulled Qiao Yu out of his thoughts.

"Hello! Luo Feng? You're out? Mm! Good! Good! I'll wait for you at your house!"

Hanging up the phone, Qiao Yu immediately stood up from the sofa. The sticky feeling all over his body made him rush to the bathroom for a shower right away.

After quickly washing up, Qiao Yu hurried to the Luo Family's house, where the family was preparing a welcome meal for Luo Feng.

Soon, Luo Feng arrived home, and Qiao Yu and the Luo family happily ate breakfast together.

"A-Yu, although this might sound a bit mean, I truly didn't expect you to break through the realm, and to be an Advanced Trainee! This is simply incredible!"

Just a few days ago, Qiao Yu was a Junior Trainee, and in the blink of an eye, he's an Advanced Trainee?

Luo Feng had three question marks floating above his forehead, and his gaze towards Qiao Yu was filled with astonishment.

'If I told you I've already broken through to the Warrior level, wouldn't you suspect I was a Monster in disguise?'

Qiao Yu thought this silently to himself. He didn't explain what Lucky Encounter he had, and Luo Feng also tacitly chose not to ask.

Everyone has their own secrets; some secrets are not even disclosed to family members.

"A-Yu, although asking this might be a bit offensive, are you really A-Yu?"

Luo Feng glanced at Qiao Yu with a hint of suspicion, but asked in a tone that was slightly joking.

However, Qiao Yu wasn't nervous. He had repeatedly rehearsed these scenarios internally before transmigrating and meeting the Luo Family Members.

"Luo Feng, I know my changes have been significant recently. Once I knew I could continue Cultivation and even become a Warrior, I gained confidence! I believe you can understand..."

Hearing Qiao Yu's heartfelt explanation, Luo Feng's internal suspicion was mostly dispelled.

That's right, when a person gains hope and confidence for the future, no change in personality is too extreme... At Tiandu Garden Residential Area in Yian District, inside Zhang Haobai's home.

"Dad, I'm in trouble!"

Zhang Haobai looked pale and miserable as he faced his father, Zhang Zelong.

"In trouble? Zhang Haobai! Can you ever settle down for a day?"

"The day before yesterday, you blacked out drunk. The Bodyguard brought you back from outside in the middle of the night, and the doctor said you were suffering from excessive indulgence, your body hollowed out!"

"You just got out of the Police Station during the day, and by night you were having fun at the KTV!"

"If that was all, fine, but you drank the Genetic Potion your Uncle bought for you at a huge price while you were in a drunken frenzy, didn't you? Now look, tens of millions wasted!"

"And today you tell me you're in trouble again! You..."

Zhang Zelong gasped roughly, veins bulging on his forehead. The Septwolves Belt, unused for many years, seemed to tremble as if about to be unsealed.

"Dad! I really forgot what happened that night. I only remember pulling strings to have someone hassle that Luo Feng in the Detention Center, but I didn't realize he was already a Quasi-Warrior!"

"And I truly didn't know anything about the Genetic Potion!"

Zhang Haobai was shaking like a sieve. Although Zhang Zelong was just an ordinary person, the Bloodline Suppression still caused his psychological pressure to skyrocket...