Translator: Lordbluefire Editor: Lordbluefire
The boundless azure-blue ocean could be seen in all directions, and below it was the gigantic Mariana Trench. It was so deep that one couldn’t see the bottom at all. Darkness was everywhere like the gigantic maw of a monster wanting to devour everything.
A silver flying shuttle floated above the azure-blue sea water. After that, it continued down and dived deep within, gleamingly bright. It was extremely conspicuous resembling a silver-colored whale swimming in the ocean.
The Flowerfruit Mountain Flying Shuttle was an extremely rare and valuable flying shuttle. It was able to adapt to the vast majority of environments in the universe. How could a mere oceanic trench on Earth be a problem for it?
Feng Lin stood in the flying shuttle control cabin and stared at the gigantic trench. A look of contemplation appeared on his face.
This was the deepest oceanic trench on Earth, the Mariana Trench. It was one of the most intense environments on the planet.
Cultivation in the Interstellar Era could be classified into two categories. The first category was to strengthen the genes. The second one was to temper and refine one’s abilities.
Mythological Genes were something humans were innately born with. Strengthening the genes would allow one’s talent to achieve the greatest effect, giving rise to their full potential. As to the degree of power a cultivator could produce, that would have to depend on their efforts, practicing unceasingly. Cultivation was a path that had no end to it.
One must know that even for the gods and divine beings of the legends, they weren’t at the peak when they were born. Although they had supreme talent, they also worked hard and assiduously cultivated before they could ascend to the throne in the sky.
Back then when Sun Wukong was born, when he was weak, wasn’t he also bullied by those wolves, tigers, and leopards? He had to undertake a dangerous journey and travel vast distances before he managed to take Patriarch Subhuti of the Fangcun Mountain as his teacher and thereby learning various magical techniques as he slowly trained to grow stronger.
Hence, if Feng Lin wished to breakthrough as quickly as possible, he had to find those extremely vile and intense environments, practicing his cultivation there. By using the power of nature to temper and refine his body, he would be able to increase his cultivation speed.
He had already been to the third pole of the world, the Himalayas. Over there, icy mountains were everywhere, the cold wind was like sharp knives, and the air was extremely thin. That place was a forbidden land of death to ordinary humans. But to interstellar cultivators with powerful vitality, it wasn’t anything much. That environment wasn’t able to give Feng Lin any pressure.
As for the most intense environment on Earth, the first thing he thought of was this Mariana Trench. Under the high pressure of millions and millions of tonnes of sea water, a human body would be easily crushed flat. This was really a good place to cultivate.
The flying shuttle continued downward and reached the 5,000 meters depth. Feng Lin brought along a helmet-type water-breathing ventilator. He only wore a pair of shorts along with it and exited the flying shuttle.
At the next moment, his face flushed red as he drew deep breaths using the ventilator. He could feel immense pressure as heavy as mountains crushing him from all directions, which was squeezing out the air from his chest. His entire person was about to be flattened.
This heavy pressure from the external environment made it hard for him to breathe.
He did his best to compact his body, reducing the surface area to alleviate the pressure.
Feng Lin instinctively activated his Stone Monkey Gene. Only then did things get more bearable. He relaxed his compact stance and lifted his fists.
The powerful water resistance caused his movements to be severely impeded.
Bang bang bang!
He kept punching out in the water, causing immense vibrations and generating huge waves.
Feng Lin’s punches would be as fast as lightning if he was on land. But now, the speed of his punches felt like an old cow dragging along a heavy carriage. The speed was so slow that it was ridiculous.
However, he wasn’t shocked and was pleasantly surprised instead. He continued to attack, unleashing moves after moves, unleashing the entirety of energy within his body despite the fact that it felt like he was dragging along a heavy mountain.
Genetic potential +18%, +18%, +18%…
As expected, it was effective!
Feng Lin silently mused that talent was truly important, and putting in hard work and effort was also imperative.
This might be the innate essence of genetic potential. One had to cultivate very hard day after day, accumulating their gains and slowly transforming them into the foundation of their body before triggering a transformation.
After a day of assiduous cultivation, Feng Lin’s genetic potential increased by 270%.
Without genetic potions reinforcing him, such a cultivation speed was extremely shocking.
Under extreme environments, it could truly force out a human’s greatest potential.
Next, Feng Lin spent his days cultivating assiduously in such an environment. He gradually adapted to the immense pressure, and his movements grew smoother and more carefree. With every punch, giant circular ripples would be formed, blasting outward and generating huge waves that only dissipated after a long time.
At the 5000 meter mark, he had completely adapted to the pressure. It was time he went deeper.
The depth of the Mariana Trench was hard to calculate in the Ancient Earth Era. However, in the Interstellar Era, the technology was sufficient enough to measure it. It was about 26,812 meters deep.
A depth of 5,000 meters had barely scratched the surface.
Feng Lin peered down. The amount of light gradually dimmed; below him was pitch black and complete silent. It would surely cause fear in the hearts of the most stalwart.
For those with a deep-sea phobia, they would definitely be scared out of their wits.
Feng Lin shook his head. He calmed the unease in his heart and controlled the flying shuttle to go deeper. At the 8,000 meter mark, light no longer existed here. It was so dark that he couldn’t see his five fingers even when he placed his hand before his eyes.
The only source of light was from the flying shuttle, and it attracted several strange-shape fish. Their eyes had completely degenerated and their bodies were transparent, allowing Feng Lin to see their organs completely.
The moment Feng Lin left the shuttle, his back was bent like there was a 10,000-foot-mountain on it. He couldn’t straighten his back.
Under this immense pressure, the energy in his body was slowly mobilized at full force. The moment he relaxed, his entire person would be squeezed by the pressure into meat paste.
There were records of ancients training in the waters before, but the depth of the seas they had trained in were all very near to the surface. However, Feng Lin was too audacious. Even for the cultivators of his level, there was virtually no one who would choose such a depth to cultivate in.
Earlier, Feng Lin had consumed many genetic potions, and the nutrients were accumulated in his body. Now, all of them were being put to good use, replenishing everything that his body had consumed in order to survive in this environment. His cultivation speed was about three to four times faster than normal.
To Feng Lin who was an interstellar cultivator, such cultivation speed was truly terrifying.
The higher one’s cultivation was, the more difficult it would be to advance forward.
Feng Lin then continued cultivating at the 8,000 meter depth. When he was tired, he would return to the flying shuttle to take a break and move out again once he recovered. He severed all connection with the outside world; nothing out there could affect him as he focused completely on his cultivation.
His genetic potential naturally increased rapidly.
Another two days passed and Feng Lin obtained another free primeval genetic point. He decisively added it to the Spirit Gene.
His vitality stats naturally also increased.
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Name: Feng Lin
Vitality stat: 93.6
Primeval Genes: Stone Monkey Gene x10; Spirit Gene x3
Basic Genes: Monkey Gene x10; Stonebirth Gene x10; Adrenaline Gene x1; Mental Gene x9; Psychokinesis Gene x6; Spirituality Gene x8
Genetic Potential: 18%
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The Strengthening Tally of the Spirit Gene was enhanced to 3 points, and his vitality stats also broke past 93, reaching 93.6.
However, Feng Lin wasn’t satisfied yet. This speed was too slow.
After six days, he merely managed to strengthen his Spirit Gene by 1 point.
If this continued, when a month was up, Feng Lin would only be able to increase the Strengthening Tally of the Spirit Gene to 7 points. He would still be a distance away from breaking through to the elite cultivator realm.
This was far from his expectations!
At that time, if he participated in the second round of examination with this cultivation base, he would have no guarantees at all.
If he wished to increase his cultivation speed, he had no choice left. He had to enter deeper into the sea and endure greater pressure.
Feng Lin couldn’t help but glance at the depths of the Mariana Trench beneath him that resembled a gigantic bottomless black hole.
