Super Gene Ⅱ: Evolution

Dao's blade swooped down beside Lin Shen, startling his soul to near escape.

Only then did he realize, Dao had merely waved his hand casually, demonstrating the blade technique without actually exerting force or aiming at him.

"Just a demonstration, and not even directed at me, already possessed such divine majesty; I can't begin to imagine how terrifying it would be if the Peerless Blade Guest were to execute that move," Lin Shen marveled in his heart.

"Dao, you said you don't know The Three Reverences Sword Skill, so what's the deal with that blade move?" Lin Shen pressed, gazing intently at Dao.

"It was just a feeling inspired by that projection. I'm not within a ten-thousandth of that blade guest's skill," Dao said dismissively, tossing his blade aside as if it had lost its charm, sighing, "I heard that blade guest has a descendant who survived.

After the Ancient Dynasty fell apart, he extended the Mysterious Clan's existence for three thousand years using something called the True Extreme Slaying Evil Divine Light, a Power of Nirvana. I suspect that part of that True Extreme Slaying Evil Divine Light may originate from the legacy of The Three Reverences Blade Technique.

Sadly, that person also vanished into the river of history, and the True Extreme Slaying Evil Divine Light failed to be passed down. Otherwise, taking a look might provide some inspiration, greatly benefiting my sword-crafting."

"True Extreme Slaying Evil Divine Light!" Lin Shen gasped softly, thinking to himself, "Could it be such a coincidence? Manager An mentioned the Reincarnation Ashes I received were condensed from True Extreme Slaying Evil Divine Light, didn't he?"

As Lin Shen hesitated whether to show the Reincarnation Ashes to Dao, Dao had already risen to his feet, urging Lin Shen to continue forging materials.

"Isn't The Three Reverences Sword Skill supposed to consist of three moves? Why did you only execute one blade move just now? What about the other two?" Lin Shen asked while swinging the hammer, in tune with Dao's blacksmithing.

"The Three Reverences is only a concept, not literally three blade moves," Dao explained, "Focus on forging, don't get distracted."

Lin Shen had no choice but to swallow the words he had on the tip of his tongue and concentrate on helping Dao forge the materials.

The work Lin Shen had done in over twenty years combined didn't amount to as much as what he had done in the few days with Dao.

"I'm just someone who wanted to level up by paying, and here I am toiling away—this is practically killing me!" Lin Shen somewhat regretted showing off his extraordinary stamina.

If he had held back earlier, perhaps he wouldn't have been squeezed dry by Dao to this extent.

However, at that time, Lin Shen wasn't sure whether Dao would kill him or not, naturally, he needed to appear more useful; it's just that fate works in strange ways.

The thing you least want to do may very well be the thing you end up having to do in the end.

Luckily, Lin Shen's efforts of the last few days weren't wasted. Constantly forging at a high intensity strengthened his digestion capability, allowing him to quickly convert the Mutated Ascension Liquid into Base Mutation. His Base Mutation rate had risen to sixty-three over these days.

If it hadn't been for such relentless labor allowing his body to make the conversion naturally, achieving even half of that would have been good.

Dao ruined one blade after another, never satisfied.

Lin Shen felt that if Dao kept going like this, even a few hundred years more wouldn't yield the blade he envisioned.

"Dao, I think, perhaps you could try infusing your own understanding of blade intent into the sword you're crafting," Lin Shen tentatively communicated.

He felt Dao might have idolized that blade guest too much. From his own perspective, Dao's grasp of the blade's essence already astounded him as something Celestial.

Lin Shen had never met that peerless blade guest from the Mysterious Clan nor seen his Blade Technique, but he could genuinely sense Dao's understanding of the blade.

Sometimes, Lin Shen would entertain the thought that often, it might be more poignant not to see but to hear a scene.

Before visiting a place, you would hear about how beautiful and wonderful it is, and imagine it as the most beautiful and perfect scene in your heart.

But if you really went there, you might be greatly disappointed, for the real scenery might not live up to the imagination in your mind.

Lin Shen felt that Dao might have idealized that blade guest and The Three Reverences Sword Skill too much, to the point where he might not even realize that his own understanding of the blade technique could be very close, or even superior to that of the blade guest.

For years, Dao had been forging the Ten Directions Ghost God Slaying Blade with the imagined ideal of that blade guest, which might have been a mistake.

Humans' pursuit of perfection is endless; how could one possibly create a blade as flawless as one imagines?

"No, no, no, my understanding of The Three Reverences Sword Skill is far from that of the peerless blade guest. Using my understanding of blade technique to forge a blade would be an utter mismatch for The Three Reverences Sword Skill," Dao shook his head firmly, completely disregarding Lin Shen's suggestion.

"Dao, how about we make a deal?" Lin Shen put down the hammer and stopped helping Dao with the blacksmithing.

"If you want to leave, I can remove the Base Mutation from your body, and we need not speak further," Dao said with a cold face.

"That's not what I mean," Lin Shen stretched lazily and said, "I've helped you with the forge for so many days; you making me a sword wouldn't be too much to ask, right?"

"Just pick one of the swords over there that you find handy and take it with you," Dao said.

"With your word, the hard work of these days is not in vain," Lin Shen smiled and suddenly said in earnest: "However, I don't want those swords; I'd like to ask you to make a custom sword for me."

"I don't have the time; before I forge the Ten Directions Ghost God Slaying Blade, I have no intention of making any other sword," Dao refused bluntly.

"What if I told you I would trade the True Extreme Slaying Evil Divine Light for you to custom-make me a sword?" Lin Shen looked straight at Dao, speaking each word slowly and deliberately.

"What kind of joke is that? You, a human, practicing Evolution Theory, where would you get the True Extreme Slaying Evil Divine Light?" Dao snorted coldly. "If you won't help, then just grab a sword and get lost. I'll remove the Base Mutation from your body; don't waste my time here."

Just as Dao finished speaking and was going to grab the hammer to forge the materials himself, his gaze swept over Lin Shen, and suddenly his pupils dilated, fixating on a purple glowing bead in Lin Shen's hand.

"Take a look at this," Lin Shen casually tossed the Reincarnation Ashes to Dao.

After spending so many days together, plus Dao's just now display, Lin Shen decided to take a gamble.

He wanted a sword that Dao would forge especially for him, not one of the Ten Directions Ghost God Slaying Blades, be it defective or authentic; he didn't want them.

"This... this is really the Reincarnation Ashes... formed from the True Extreme Slaying Evil Divine Light..." Dao observed closely for a while, both shocked and delighted, almost incredulous.

"With your ability, you should be able to activate it, right? Give it a try and you'll know," Lin Shen said with a smile.

Without any hesitation, Dao clasped the Reincarnation Ashes with his fingers and pressed them against his forehead.

The Reincarnation Ashes seemed to be activated by some power, its inner radiance growing stronger and stronger, turning the entire cave a dark purple hue.

In that dark purple glow, Lin Shen felt a strange power affecting his thoughts, making him feel as though he had become a beam of light.