Chapter 51: Breaking Five Genetic Shackles in Succession—Ending Killing with Killing

Awakened ones possessed extraordinary power and exceptional physique, making them far superior to ordinary people. Those with greater strength could even withstand bullets without injury. Yet that was the limit. Wang Tao, being a bearer of the Immortal Gene, knew much more; ordinary grenades and bullets were ineffective, but what about heavy thermal weaponry?

There had already been experimental tests—no matter how powerful his eldest brother or others with exceptional bloodlines were, they found it difficult to withstand such weapons. This was precisely why, despite the increasing number of awakened ones, they still obeyed certain powerful organizations and the government. Given sufficient firepower, powerful heavy weapons could easily wipe out large numbers of the awakened under specific circumstances. Even now, with beasts running rampant, it was the military and similar forces holding them at bay. The destructive power wrought by that sword earlier was something heavy weaponry could also achieve.

Of course, no one, no matter how foolish, would stand motionless under attack. Thus, what Wang Tao needed to do was to set up an ambush in advance, catching Lu Yuan off guard. He had no way to contend directly with that sword, but with proper preparation, the chances of killing the opponent would increase dramatically. If all else failed, he could always escape by helicopter.

He neither headed to the Lishan Imperial Mausoleum nor chose to leave, precisely to use these few days to make his arrangements.

“All right, if there's nothing else, you may go back for now. But this matter must not be mentioned to my elder brother,” Wang Tao said to the old man beside him. “You may be my brother’s man, but you are also of the Wang family.”

If he could get his hands on that sword, his standing in the family would rise considerably. Therefore, this matter must remain secret, at least for now.

“How can you say that, Second Young Master? If you aren’t going, naturally I will not leave either,” the old man replied with a smile, though inwardly he was shocked. He had not expected the Second Madam to go all out for her son, even going so far as to deploy heavy weapons. She must have spoken to the family head already. Under such circumstances, it was best for him to remain uninvolved, for this was a struggle between the main and secondary branches of the family. He was merely an outsider. Offending the wrong people over this could have unimaginable consequences for his company’s internal resources in the future. More importantly, the old man harbored a faint notion of supporting the second young master as well. After all, if the sword truly fell into his hands, the gap between the two family branches would narrow—he could hedge his bets on both sides. In the end, the master of the Immortal Gene would emerge from one of these two.

With these thoughts, the old man added, “If Second Young Master needs help, I will act.”

“Oh?” Now it was Wang Tao’s turn to be mildly surprised. This old man was no ordinary figure, a master even among the Immortal Gene, at the seventh tier of the Primordial Realm. With his own sixth-tier strength and the addition of heavy weapons, the chances of killing Lu Yuan and seizing the divine sword were greatly improved.

“Very good. I understand your intentions. If we succeed, the rewards will be plentiful for you,” Wang Tao finally agreed to let the old man stay. He then issued several commands via his phone.

It wasn’t long before squads of fully equipped operatives appeared, armed to the teeth with firearms and powerful explosives, all concealed in hidden positions. The black muzzles of their weapons were aimed at the entrance of the imperial mausoleum; the calibers were large, and some carried advanced bombs. Above, helicopters circled at a distance, snipers aboard. Others wielded grenade launchers and machine guns, all lying in wait in the distant forests—a small-scale military force.

Most crucially, these heavy-weapon operatives were themselves awakened ones, the elite squad of the Immortal Gene. Everything was in place, awaiting only the target to appear before they attacked en masse.

There was no denying it—the Second Madam had indeed spared no expense to support her son. Even the Immortal Gene rarely mobilized such force, and care had to be taken to avoid detection by the authorities and the Shendan Academy. If discovered, it would be difficult to explain.

“Come out, Lu Yuan. I can hardly wait any longer,” Wang Tao murmured, a cruel smile on his lips as he watched the mausoleum gates.

On the other side, the Beidou Biotech group, represented by the Ice Fairy, was about to depart.

“Is Mr. Lu still inside?” the Ice Fairy asked as she finished her final tasks. Of the five great sovereigns, only she remained. She had intended to wait for Lu Yuan—a true talent, someone Beidou Biotech wished to recruit.

“No, he hasn't come out yet,” replied her aide, adding, “Headquarters is urging you to return.”

“So urgent?” the Ice Fairy was surprised. “Did something happen while I was inside these past few days?”

“Yes,” the aide replied. “Beast tides have been breaking out all over. Two days ago, Shuntian City was attacked, led by a giant serpent that had evolved into a flood dragon. It was immensely powerful; they had to use missiles to drive it off temporarily. The same is happening in Shu, the Snow Lands, and elsewhere. All major powers are working with the Shendan Academy to send more people into the super cities. Headquarters predicts that Chang’an may face the same situation soon; there have been unusual readings from the Qinling Mountains.”

He recounted the recent major events, chief among them being the beast assaults on the cities. The situation was dire—humanity’s great enemy, the exotic beasts, was growing restless.

“I see. There’s no more time to delay,” the Ice Fairy sighed, troubled. Beidou Biotech and the Shendan Academy were close allies, united in their goals to stabilize the domestic situation, though few were aware of this. She knew a great war between humanity and the beasts was inevitable, and she had to grow stronger.

The five great sovereigns were now at the ninth tier of the Primordial Realm, on the verge of awakening. The Northern Emperor and Southern Sovereign had left quickly to complete their evolution as soon as possible. The Ice Fairy understood she must keep pace with them to maintain the balance of power.

“All right, let’s go. But leave someone behind. If possible, get closer to Mr. Lu. Tell him Beidou Biotech is genuine in seeking collaboration and can help him resolve certain unnecessary troubles,” she instructed, placing great value on Lu Yuan.

Her aide nodded, promising to make it happen. With that, the Ice Fairy also departed by helicopter, heading to Chang’an. The next time she appeared, she would be at the Awakening Realm.

Outside the Lishan Imperial Mausoleum, most people had already left; fewer than a hundred remained, hoping for further changes in the tomb and to seize any opportunity.

Meanwhile, within the mausoleum’s Ancestral Dragon Hall, Lu Yuan sat cross-legged before the imperial throne. Powerful currents of energy surged from within him, his breath turning essence into dragons that he then inhaled. After three days of absorbing the energy from the Nine-Leaf Golden Charm, the Ancestral Dragon Breathing Technique finally bore fruit.

At that moment, a pitch-black portal appeared behind him, like a black hole in space, emitting a powerful suction that devoured energy from the outside world. More importantly, as the energy merged in, a shadow sat quietly within the black hole. Its features were unclear, but its form was identical to Lu Yuan.

This was the domain created by cultivating the Ancestral Dragon Breathing Technique and absorbing vast energy—a cave-heaven.

“At last, I’ve succeeded,” Lu Yuan could sense the power of his cave-heaven. Within it resided a true god, effectively doubling his combat strength. Unfortunately, though the Nine-Leaf Golden Charm was a divine artifact, the Ancestral Dragon Breathing Technique was too powerful—one cave-heaven was its limit for now.

Nevertheless, Lu Yuan was not disappointed. He had now mastered the breathing technique; possessing hundreds of thousands of cave-heavens was only a matter of time. Now, he needed to do something else—break the shackles of his genes!

Having practiced the breathing technique and consumed the Nine-Leaf Golden Charm, his accumulation was more than sufficient. Without hesitation, Lu Yuan channeled his immense power into every corner of his body.

Crack!

In an instant, the fifth shackle shattered with ease. But this was only the beginning. He continued—what was the point of opening just one shackle after all this time?

Buzzing filled the air as the Tower of Vitality appeared, his internal organs quaking in unison. Lu Yuan’s skin glowed, a sign of another leap in the level of his life.

Crack! Crack! Crack!

Three more gene shackles broke in quick succession. He felt an indescribable comfort in every cell of his being. At that moment, focusing deeply, he could observe his own body—bones, blood, even cells—as if seeing lines on his palm. His bones were resilient as divine metal, his blood coursed like molten lava.

Most remarkable were his cells. Thanks to the complete Dao De Jing, which allowed him to contemplate the universe and gaze upon the stars, his cells now shone with radiant light, each one bright as a star. A power surged forth from within them.

Seizing the moment, Lu Yuan sent another shockwave of power through his body.

Crack!

Another shackle broke—he had now shattered nine gene shackles. The further one progressed, the harder it became to break shackles, yet he had done so effortlessly in less than ten minutes.

He had anticipated this; his foundation was immensely strong, having fused with many divine objects—no ordinary person could compare. He was certain that, though he possessed neither special nor powerful bloodlines, his talent and potential now eclipsed all others in the world.

“Nine gene shackles broken. Three more, and I’ll reach the next evolutionary stage. But even that’s not enough for me,” Lu Yuan mused. Extraordinary geniuses could break many shackles, but he aimed for the utmost limit, to pave a smoother path ahead.

“That should do,” he thought, sensing that any further attempt would not yield results. He stopped; the cave-heaven and the Tower of Vitality disappeared. His powerful aura was concealed by his innate energy shroud, so no one could detect it.

But that was only one of his abilities.

He rose and gazed at the empty Ancestral Dragon Hall. This was the final chamber of the Lishan Imperial Mausoleum, the resting place of the Ancestral Dragon himself, yet there was no coffin to be found. It had been the same in his previous life. He did not know the reason.

“Could it be that the Ancestral Dragon was never buried here?” Suddenly, a strange thought flashed through Lu Yuan’s mind. But then what of the historical records? Shaking his head, he dismissed it—such mysteries could wait for another day.

Leaving the hall, he saw the thousands of spectral soldiers before him. He ordered them to continue lying in wait, then, with no regrets, set out for the exit.

The Lishan Imperial Mausoleum opened once a year, each time for five days. Though he could have stayed longer, there was no need—the best treasures were already his. Leaving early was a gesture of respect.

“A shame that, despite gaining such immense power, I have nowhere to use it for now,” he thought. “No matter. Once I leave, I’ll rest briefly, then move on to the next phase.”

As Lu Yuan walked through the mausoleum’s passage, he pondered. The Lishan Imperial Mausoleum was only one of his goals in coming to Chang’an. Now that he had accomplished his task, it was time for the next step: the nearby Qinling Mountains, home to many precious things, some of which were crucial.

With the global upheaval, the Qinling Mountains, as one of the famous ranges, were as important as Mount Tai or Longhu Mountain. Even with the expanded geography, their proximity to Chang’an matched that of the old era. Previously, Lu Yuan thought this was all random, but after cultivating the Ancestral Dragon Breathing Technique, he realized there were connections between famous mountains, rivers, and ancient cities—difficult to explain, perhaps linked to the dragon veins. After all, Chang’an, as a millennium-old capital, was anything but ordinary.

Soon, Lu Yuan finally walked out of the mausoleum. Few people remained outside; most had already left. He paid them no mind and continued forward.

Just then, a faint sense of danger pricked his awareness. At his current level of evolution, unless the enemy was nearly his equal or possessed some special ability, he could sense any threat.

“Lu Yuan, I’ve finally been waiting for you,” a voice called. Sure enough, Wang Tao approached from afar. As an awakened one, he crossed dozens of meters in a single stride, accompanied by the old man.

“You know me?” Lu Yuan asked, puzzled. He had never met this man before.

“That’s not important,” Wang Tao replied with a shake of his head. “The sword in your hand was obtained from the meteorite at Wuzhou Farm, correct? Now, I’m giving you a chance: hand it over. I don’t want to use force.”

He crossed his arms, tone confident. “I won’t say it again. You have no time to consider.”

At his words, red laser dots targeted Lu Yuan—forehead, temples, heart, and other vital points—all locked in. Clearly, these red dots came from heavy sniper rifles capable of piercing steel plates. In the distant sky, five helicopters circled, each bristling with weapons and ample firepower.

Lu Yuan could also sense awakened ones hidden among the distant trees—at least fifty by rough estimate. This was a formidable force, one only a great power could muster.

“So, you’re with the Immortal Gene,” Lu Yuan chuckled. He understood now. He had just been lamenting the lack of an opportunity to test his new strength, and here someone had come to serve as a target.

Honestly, these people were fools, but it was understandable—greed blinded them. Who could ignore the dazzling display of the Great Luo Sword Embryo?

“This is the second young master of the Immortal Gene, brother of the Southern Sovereign, one of the five great sovereigns,” the old man said, having decided to back him fully.

The distant onlookers, seeing this, panicked. Knowing that heavy weapons were trained on the area, they hastily retreated far away, not wishing to provoke such a powerful force.

“I had almost forgotten about you people,” Lu Yuan said. “But now, blood must be shed.”

He took a step forward, his gaze turning calm. This was the third time the Immortal Gene had troubled him. Since that was the case, there could be no more mercy.

Only slaughter can end slaughter!

Eight thousand words in two chapters.

I’ll strive to update more tomorrow to make everyone happy!

(End of chapter)