Chapter 35. Genetic Shackles, Life Evolution, An Enemy Approaches? (2)

In a villa on the outskirts of Hu City, Lu Yuan sat cross-legged in the courtyard, eyes shut tightly. Though he made no visible movement, wave after wave of a powerful aura rippled from his body.

Within him, his heart pounded heavily, each thud so loud it could be heard from afar. Like the deep rumble of a colossal engine, it drew instinctive attention.

It had been some time since he had swallowed the pill refined within the Meridian Heavenmend Furnace.

By now, Lu Yuan had completely absorbed its energy. He could feel every cell within him brimming with vibrant vitality, as though they were on the verge of some grand transformation.

Yes, this is the feeling!

Lu Yuan knew clearly that he had reached the very peak of the Awakened Realm. The next step was to shatter the genetic shackles, unleash the latent potential hidden within his genes, and undergo yet another evolution.

Without a moment's hesitation, he focused his entire mind on guiding the power within his cells into an even deeper level of transformation.

Upon reaching the Awakened Realm, one gradually gained the ability to control their cells, to have them work in harmony with the body. And that was precisely what Lu Yuan was doing now.

With the pill's power as his catalyst, he aimed to smash through the genetic locks that bound him. But he knew the process was arduous, one that demanded immense patience.

Then, just as Lu Yuan began to exert his will—

Crack!

A sound like shattering chains echoed within him.

From the deepest recesses of his body, an even greater power surged forth. It coursed through his blood vessels, seeped into his internal organs, and spread to every pore in his skin. A wave of intoxicating comfort washed over him, like being completely submerged in the warm embrace of a divine hot spring.

At the same time, Lu Yuan felt his strength surge once more. This time, every aspect of his being seemed to have undergone a complete upgrade.

"This... Did I already shatter the genetic shackles and step into the Unfettered Realm?"

He opened his eyes, confusion plain on his face.

In his understanding, breaking the genetic shackles was supposed to be an arduous, near-impossible task. So why, when it came to him, did it feel so effortless?

He found it unbelievable.

Just as Lu Yuan was about to examine his condition more closely—

Crack!

Crack!

𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

Two more shattering sounds rang out in quick succession from within his body.

Yet another two genetic shackles had broken, each unleashing a fresh wave of power.

Counting the first, that made three genetic shackles shattered in total.

Lu Yuan was momentarily at a loss for words.

One had to understand that upon reaching the Unfettered Realm, breaking even a single genetic shackle demanded tremendous effort, unless aided by rare spiritual fruits or herbs. Yet it seemed that such limitations did not apply to him.

I get it. My foundation is too solid. The fusion of multiple divine artifacts has forged my physique to a terrifying degree. That must be why breaking these shackles is so easy.

Comprehension dawned, and joy spread across his face. More thoughts followed.

The human body possessed a total of one hundred and eight genetic shackles.

Typically, an Awakened needed only to shatter twelve to step into the next evolutionary stage.

But those with exceptional talent or ancient, powerful bloodlines would strive to break far more.

In his previous life, the highest record he had ever heard of was forty-nine shackles. It was a terrifyingly astounding feat that paved an incredibly smooth and far-reaching road for future evolution.

Now, Lu Yuan wondered, given his current foundation and physique, could he shatter all one hundred and eight?

What will happen if I break them all?

A spark of anticipation lit his gaze. He knew it wasn't just possible; he was confident the odds were in his favor.

"Let's see if I can keep going," Lu Yuan muttered to himself. He had already broken three in succession. If he could maintain this momentum, it would be nothing short of excellent news.

Unfortunately, to his disappointment, it seemed the pill's essence had been entirely spent. In the end, he couldn't break a single additional shackle. His progress halted where it was.

That was only natural. After all, breaking genetic shackles required both time and accumulation.

Still, Lu Yuan was more than satisfied with this result. He wasn't some greedy fool trying to swallow more than he could digest.

The path of evolution had to be taken one steady step at a time.

"That's about it."

Without another word, he stood and stretched slightly. At once, a heavy, oppressive aura erupted from his body.

He now stood taller than before, his muscles perfectly proportioned, every line of his frame sculpted to perfection.

On closer inspection, his skin shimmered faintly with motes of light, an ethereal glow that only appeared when one's physique had evolved to a certain level.

Lu Yuan could clearly sense the explosive power hidden within him. Even hot weapons could no longer pose a threat.

Turning toward the Meridian Heavenmend Furnace, he struck its outer wall a few times.

The furnace began to shrink rapidly, until it was no larger than a fingernail, making it light and convenient to carry.

Truly, an immortal sage's treasure was as practical as it was wondrous.

Now that I've used nearly every divine artifact, only one final treasure remains.

Lu Yuan picked up the last unused treasure—the Heavenquake Bow.

After the Global Awakening, the Heavenquake Bow had transformed as well. Its frame gleamed with gold and crimson, its two tips engraved with the sun and moon. The bowstring was a single strand of pitch-black, yet unknown, material. But the moment his fingers brushed against it, he could feel its unyielding toughness, impossible to break.

It was a replica forged by the ancients to emulate the legendary Sun-Shooting Bow of the great archer Hou Yi. Its might was so overwhelming that it was named Heavenquake.

Holding the bow, Lu Yuan considered the other divine artifacts on himself and estimated his current strength.

Heavenquake Bow, Primordial Qi Robe, Great Luo Sword Embryo, all those fused treasures, and the two divine arts... with all that, I'm basically armed to the teeth. If I go all out, there's almost no one in this world who can even injure me.

He was strong, and terrifyingly so.

As for why he made a conservative conclusion that almost no one could injure him, it was because nothing in this world was absolute.

Lu Yuan had a clear understanding of his own strength. Leaving aside other Awakened who had stepped onto the path of evolution, there was still the current level of technology, nuclear weapons, for instance. Their destructive power was far too great to ignore.

Moreover, this world was far from as simple as it appeared. Beneath the surface lay countless secrets.

Take, for example, the ancient legends of immortals.

Before the Global Awakening, few would have believed such tales. But now, it seemed certain that those so-called immortals were simply Awakened of extraordinary power. Whether such beings still walked the earth, Lu Yuan did not know. But caution never hurt.

Until he truly reached the realm of invincibility, being careful was essential.

He shook his head, setting the thought aside. With the foundation he had built, as long as he continued evolving, even the appearance of a true immortal would not instill fear in him.

"I wonder how long it's been outside... and what's changed...." Lu Yuan muttered to himself. His phone had long since died, leaving him unable to track the time.

All he knew was that it was now night. But from the faint chill in the air, it felt as though many days had passed.

Sure enough, once he charged the device and powered it on, the display told him it was already December.

In other words, using these divine artifacts had taken him more than three months...

Let's see what the situation outside is now.

Lu Yuan wasn't the least bothered about the time lost.

Just as he was about to browse the latest headlines and forums, his ears caught something unusual.

Footsteps. Human footsteps. Rapid and approaching fast. They were nearly at the villa grounds.

The five senses of an Awakened far surpassed those of ordinary men, and especially so for someone at Lu Yuan's level. Unless one used some special means to hide their presence, he could detect them from far away.

Clearly, these intruders lacked such skills.

"Well, well..." a playful smile tugged at Lu Yuan's lips. "I was just thinking that I lacked targets to test the Heavenquake Bow on. What a coincidence."

Abandoning his plan to check the outside world, he pushed off the ground in a single bound, leaping out of the villa hall.

Three months of secluded evolution. Its results were about to be revealed to the world for the very first time!