Shackles of Humanity

”You’re the goddamn woman! I’m a straight-up, real man,” Luo Kai snapped back, coming to his senses.

”Tsk tsk, you look even more like a girl when you’re angry. Haha!”

Luo Kai was helpless against the guy and plopped down on the ground in frustration.

The crisis had passed. Tuoba Ye’s eyes shone with excitement as he caressed the trunk of the Yao Yue Liu like a beloved woman. The body of this Complete Form Fierce Beast not only resembled Moyu, but its very texture had transformed.

They forced themselves to rally their strength and began hauling the branches of the Yao Yue Liu up the mountain cliff. By the time they reached the top, the sky was already pitch-black. They made three trips back and forth, not leaving even a single leaf behind. Every part of a Complete Form Fierce Beast was a priceless treasure.

Under the moonlight, the four of them sat by the mountain stream, exchanging tired smiles. They had truly had a narrow escape from death today. If the Yao Yue Liu hadn’t suddenly flown into a frenzy at the last moment, they would have all died there.

Not long after they finished moving everything, tremendous rumbles of colliding rock plates echoed from deep underground. The narrow mountain stream actually began to close up. The laws governing Heaven and Earth were truly astonishing. It was as if the Yao Yue Liu had been a thorn stuck in the earth, and once it was pulled out, the earth began to heal itself.

...

Xinyi Port was one of the largest ports in the eastern Dongyuan Upper Country. In the early years, the Human Race and the Sea Race signed an alliance treaty here, which led to the port being renamed ”Xinyi” to represent the two races’ eternal alliance and their joint resistance against their mortal enemy, the Fierce Beasts. However, as time went on, friction between the Human Race and the Sea Race constantly grew in the coastal regions, and that paper treaty had become as worthless as scrap.

Unlike the cities of the Xingma Kingdom, there was no pollution from industrialization here. The sunlight was exceptionally brilliant, and the azure sky was as clear as if it had been washed. Puffy airships circled endlessly in the sky, and the sea below was crowded with bustling giant ships.

Luo Kai was lounging on a beach chair, facing a white sandy beach and an azure sea. Groups of swimsuit-clad women were playing on the beach, and Tuoba Ye was right in the middle of them, an arm around a girl on each side, with bursts of cheerful laughter ringing out from time to time.

Sunlight, beautiful women, and the beach—all these wonderful things were right before his eyes. Unfortunately, he was in no mood to appreciate any of it. He was staring worriedly at his ”beautiful,” waist-length hair. He had tried cutting it, but it grew back completely by the next day. It wasn’t just his hair, either. His every move had become a little strange, as if he had grown much more elegant. His tastes had changed, too. He used to love strong liquor, but now he found mellow red wine to be quite nice as well. Beyond the physical, it seemed some imperceptible changes were also occurring on a conscious level.

’It seems every type of Energy changes a lifeform from its very core. The water currents made my temperament peaceful, the Evil Energy made me somewhat tyrannical, and now this Dark Energy is making me effeminate.’

Su Chengbo and Xi Jinghui were also lying on beach chairs beside him, looks of pure enjoyment on their faces. Behind them was a seaside villa, and the Yao Yue Liu was in its basement. The group of four had left Chongjun Island the very next day and rushed to Xinyi Port without a moment’s rest, because the Yao Yue Liu’s Active Energy was dissipating with every passing second.

Su Chengbo and the others hadn’t dared to bring it to Shangjing. The body of a Complete Form Fierce Beast was far too valuable. If word got out, it would undoubtedly attract the covetous attention of countless factions. It wasn’t that they were afraid, but the intricate web of relationships would be incredibly difficult to handle. Factions from within and without their clans, and even the Royal Family, would likely try to get a piece of the action.

Therefore, their only option was to come to this villa district in Xinyi Port, which belonged to the Tri-Eyed Race, and secretly extract the most important Genetic Potion first. Genes were extremely dangerous things. If not handled properly, they could very well cause genetic collapse or backlash. That was why humans couldn’t directly consume the blood of a Fierce Beast. It had to be filtered and screened first to isolate the gene fragments rich in Active Energy.

Luo Kai had gone to take a look once. They were using a very complex centrifuge to separate the Fierce Beast’s blood serum and then isolate the gene fragments. It was actually similar to the method the Dragon Shark Pirates used to create Blood Essence, except they used Blood Monkeys to remove the undesirable gene fragments, rather than a machine.

”Xiaokai, I found a few pretty girls. Come have some fun,” Tuoba Ye’s booming voice rang out next to his ear.

Luo Kai said impatiently, ”Not interested!”

Tuoba Ye walked up to him and gave him a lewd grin. ”Don’t tell me your... orientation has changed too!”

Luo Kai knew that if he kept talking, Tuoba Ye would tease him endlessly. The best solution was to keep his mouth shut.

Tuoba Ye slapped his own chest. ”You’re a real weirdo, you know that? What is it you actually like? Just say the word, and I’ll definitely make it happen for you.”

Luo Kai thought for a moment. An idea stirred within him. ’This is how my life should be, right?’ He stood up, looked out at the azure sea, and declared in a loud voice, ”Drink the strongest liquor, wield the sharpest blade, and slay the fiercest foes!”

As his words fell, the Severing Blade at his side began to hum in the wind. The surface of the sea began to churn with rolling waves, and dark clouds gathered, creating a scene of dramatic change.

Tuoba Ye was stunned for a moment. The other two were also startled, and they stared in amazement at the scene before them.

”Well said! That’s how a man should be!” Su Chengbo praised loudly, a strange light in his eyes.

Tuoba Ye also shouted, ”I can help you with the first one! There’s a place in Shangjing City called the Gale Wine Workshop that claims to have the strongest liquor in the world. When we get to Shangjing, drinks are on me!”

Xi Jinghui’s expression was also complicated. ’This young man can resonate with the frequencies of Heaven and Earth with just a few casual words. His comprehension of the Dao of Heaven and Earth has clearly reached an extremely profound level. How can such a monster exist in this world!’

「Three days later.」

The Genetic Potion was finally extracted. Unfortunately, it wasn’t a Top-Level Gene Potion, but two vials of High-Level Gene Potion. A Top-Level Gene Potion had a chance of awakening one of the Fierce Beast’s original Divine Techniques in the user. While a High-Level Gene Potion was also an incredibly rare and precious item, it was still a far cry from a Top-Level one.

The four of them sat around the two vials of Genetic Potion, which emitted a dream-like, faint blue glow. They could clearly feel the Active Energy within was almost tangible. Active Energy could not only strengthen one’s constitution but also drastically increase a lifeform’s chances of evolving in response to external changes. Even an ant that was lucky enough to take a sip might evolve into a Fierce Beast.

”Damn, so this is a High-Level Gene Potion. It’s too beautiful. Why am I drooling just from looking at it?” Tuoba Ye wiped the corner of his mouth.

The other three were the same. The dream-like, ethereal potion seemed to awaken the deepest genetic desires within their bodies.

Luo Kai also swallowed hard. He had assumed someone like Tuoba Ye would have grown up drinking Genetic Potions, but now it seemed none of them had ever had one. He asked in confusion, ”Have none of you ever had one?”

Tuoba Ye shook his head. ”I’ve drunk Low-Level Gene Potions like water, but I’ve never even seen a High-Level Gene Potion before!”

The person responsible for extracting the Genetic Potion was a master from the Shangjing Genetic Research Institute whom Su Chengbo had invited. He wore a white lab coat, deep-framed glasses, and a thick face mask. His name was Bai Yongchang, and he had been engaged in life-gene research for decades. He said with great regret, ”My apologies. The Yao Yue Liu lost too much of its essence, and we don’t have the proper preservation facilities here. If we had been able to take it to the Shangjing Genetic Research Institute and spend more time, we might have had a chance to refine a Top-Level Gene Potion!”

Su Chengbo stepped forward and patted his shoulder. ”Thank you, Old Bai.”

”You’re too kind, Mr. Su,” Bai Yongchang said hurriedly.

”Alright, Old Bai, you can head back to Shangjing. Remember, don’t let a word of this get out.”