Having passed the Prospective Warrior Assessment, Rowan saw genuine admiration in Instructor Wutong's eyes.

This young man wasn't just exceptionally gifted — he was calm and composed beyond his years. A rare gem indeed.

"I finally made it!"

Rowan could barely contain his excitement.

Becoming a Prospective Warrior meant one crucial thing: access to the Genetic Energy Cultivation Method.

This was what he had been waiting for all along.

"Rowan," Norris approached him with a smile, "The real combat test will be held on October 1st. That morning, meet us at the Limit Training Hall. You and the other Prospective Warriors will be led by an instructor beyond the borders of the base city to hunt monsters. Once you pass that test, you'll become a true Warrior."

Rowan nodded.

Soon after, the other two candidates completed their neural reflex tests — neither passed.

That meant Rowan was the only one to succeed in today's assessment.

"Rowan, come with me," Wutong said after the tests concluded.

He led Rowan into a spacious training hall outside the main assessment area.

An elderly man with graying hair stepped forward and handed Rowan a document. It was an official Application for the Warrior Combat Test.

Rowan signed his name without hesitation.

"From now until the combat test on October 1st, you'll have a full month to prepare," Wutong said. "But before that, there's something important you need to learn."

Rowan's heart skipped. It's happening.

As expected, Wutong pressed a button resembling a car key, and a massive digital screen slid out from the training hall wall.

A title slowly appeared on the display:

"Genetic Energy Cultivation Method"

Wutong began to explain:

"Back during the Great Cataclysm, when humans were infected with the RR virus, their bodies produced antibodies that triggered natural genetic optimization. Once your genes reach a certain threshold, your body can begin absorbing the faint energy that permeates the universe, infusing it into every cell. That process transforms everything — your bones, cells, blood, organs, skin — evolving you into something far beyond ordinary human limits."

He continued, his voice calm but steady with conviction.

"Once evolved, your bones could become dozens, even hundreds of times stronger than diamond. Your organs could allow you to hold your breath underwater for over half an hour — maybe longer."

"And it all begins with absorbing this energy from the universe and fusing it with your cellular structure. This is what we call... Genetic Energy."

Wutong pointed to the display. "What you're looking at is the one and only method on Earth to cultivate Genetic Energy:

The Five-Point Skyward Meditation Technique."

Rowan's eyes gleamed as he studied the text.

So that's how it works...

Rowan quickly grasped the logic.

Ordinary people couldn't cultivate Genetic Energy. Their genes simply weren't optimized enough. Typically, only when someone reached 900 kilograms of punching force, 25 meters per second running speed, and passed the neural reflex threshold — the same standards for Prospective Warriors — did they qualify.

Without reaching that benchmark, you couldn't even sense the universe's energy, let alone absorb it.

Wutong personally explained the critical techniques and cautions for training in Genetic Energy. It was nearly noon before Rowan was finally dismissed.

Leaving the Moonlight District, Rowan didn't even stop for lunch. He rushed back to his apartment in Yian District by subway.

The moment he stepped inside, he dropped to the living room floor and crossed his legs.

He was eager — for two very good reasons.

First, during a warrior's initial attempt to absorb Genetic Energy, the body enters a state of "craving." It hungrily devours the energy, resulting in a massive boost in physical attributes.

Second, that very first absorption also determines whether someone possesses the rare talent of a Psychic Initiate. If they do, the talent will naturally awaken during this process.

Rowan hoped for both: a powerful surge in strength and confirmation of a latent psychic ability.

He took a deep breath and assumed the proper position: seated cross-legged, soles upward, palms facing the sky on his knees, spine perfectly straight — just as Wutong had instructed.

Then he began to focus.

The first time sensing the universe's energy is always the hardest.

Without sensing it, absorption is impossible. And without absorption, training doesn't even begin.

Some gifted trainees could sense it within a day. Others with weaker talent might take months or even longer.

In the original timeline, Luo Feng managed to sense the energy after four or five hours.

Rowan didn't think he was on Luo Feng's level. He had already mentally prepared himself for failure.

If he could sense anything within a week, he'd consider that a success.

Eyes shut, he cleared his mind and calmly reached out with his awareness.

One minute passed...

Then two...

Then ten...

Half an hour slipped by.

At first, Rowan had focused intensely. But slowly, he let go — easing into the stillness of meditation.

Still, he felt nothing.

But he wasn't anxious.

Seven years of relentless training had forged in him a deep-rooted patience.

Rowan continued to quiet his thoughts, sinking deeper into the calm.

Then something shifted.

He sensed something strange.

He could "see" — or rather feel — a few faint wisps of misty substance drifting toward him, like fog, slowly entering through his palms, soles, and the top of his head.

At first, he thought it was just heat from his body, like steam.

But then it hit him.

He hadn't even opened his eyes. How could he see steam?

His heartbeat quickened.

Could this be the energy of the universe?

The thought filled him with awe and disbelief.

To test it, he tried focusing his awareness on the centers of his palms, soles, and head — the five "gates" — and actively drawing the mist inward.

It worked.

The mist sped up.

Not just faster — dozens of times faster.

If at first the energy had been a slow drip through a leaky pipe, now it flowed like a small stream rushing into him.

A sudden shiver passed through his body — an involuntary tremor, deep and primal.

The invisible, intangible energy poured into him, and his long-starved cells devoured it like a feast. The five channels — palms, feet, and crown — drank it in greedily.

Inside his cells, the energy reached the mitochondria first — the cell's power generators.

There, it was instantly converted into a new, strange kind of energy that rippled through every corner of the cell. The transformation began.

The DNA itself subtly shifted.

The cells began to divide — one into two.

Second by second, minute by minute...

Rowan's entire body began to change.

From his skin and muscles to his bones and organs — and deep within, at the genetic level — his entire being was evolving.

It felt like a rebirth.

A transformation had begun.

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