Chapter 120: A World-Shaking Event

This is a gene-awakened individual.

Different gene states, and higher-potential gene limits.

Even the most ordinary human genes, once developed, can reach several times the strength before awakening.

Not to mention…

Those who have undergone multiple high-energy gene optimizations will become even more terrifying after gene awakening!

"But…"

Chen Guang scanned Lin Qing and said: "Your gene limit is so high, fully developing it to the extreme will be difficult, and the energy consumption will be enormous."

Lin Qing nodded slightly and said: "I remember the Gene Cultivation Method is free, right?"

"I have it right here."

As he spoke, Chen Guang tapped her fingertip, and a sheet of consciousness-projection paper appeared out of thin air, floating gently before Lin Qing's eyes.

Lin Qing glanced at it carefully and immediately learned the Gene Cultivation Method on it.

There was no help for it—it was too simple.

"The simplest form of absorption," Lin Qing nodded slightly.

"It's not that simple."

Chen Guang said: "The more gene optimizations you've undergone, the more complex the energy you must absorb; you must find the right ratios and balance points among different energy levels yourself, or you'll struggle to reach your limit."

Lin Qing nodded, understanding her meaning.

The more ordinary the gene, the simpler the energy needed to unlock its potential, and the quicker you can reach the gene's limit.

But after undergoing so many gene optimizations, the energy he absorbed was extremely complex, making it far harder to find the right ratios and balance points.

This requires self-exploration.

If the Gene Cultivation Method isn't perfected through exploration, you won't reach the gene limit.

But Lin Qing didn't care.

"I'll cultivate for a while; after twenty-five days, once the Supermatter debt is cleared, the Gene Cultivation Method can be advanced directly to its limit."

Lin Qing thought to himself, "At that time, my strength will be ten times what it is now!"

Before gene awakening, his strength was already at the Two-Star Elite Patrol level—and among the top of that tier.

Now, although his physical attributes haven't improved yet, entering the right gene state will still grant a significant boost in strength.

If this strength increases tenfold…

"It'll definitely reach the Three-Star Elite Patrol level, and likely among the stronger ones in that tier."

Lin Qing made his own judgment.

Below Patrol Masters, even if someone is stronger than him, they're probably a genius from the Urban Circle.

Like someone who's also optimized several fourth-energy-level genes—their physical upper limit is certainly no worse than his; if they've reached gene recombination, they're definitely stronger.

And if they've additionally trained in Primitive-Level combat arts, it becomes even more terrifying.

Thinking this over…

"Even among Three-Star Elite Patrols, the strength differences are huge," Lin Qing murmured.

"Don't be fooled by the title 'Three-Star.'"

Chen Guang shook her head slightly and said: "At Patrol Headquarters, any gene-awakened individual who has trained their basic combat method to instinct level and enhanced fourth-energy-level gene abilities qualifies as a Three-Star Elite Patrol—that's the strength you'll reach once you fully develop your limit."

"Or even if you're just at gene recombination level, you're automatically a Three-Star Elite Patrol, no matter how ordinary."

"Moreover, those at gene recombination level can effortlessly withstand fourth-energy-level energy; with enough time and cost, they can complete fourth-energy-level gene optimization."

She looked at Lin Qing: "If such a person also masters Primitive-Level combat arts, they become true beings just below Patrol Masters—and qualify for the Starry Divine Office."

"So, the gap between the lower and upper limits of Three-Star Elite Patrols is truly enormous," Lin Qing remarked.

"The gap is indeed vast."

Chen Guang nodded slightly: "Patrol Masters are also at gene recombination level, but those who meet the Divine Office initiation conditions are the absolute elite among them, wielding Divine Office power—far stronger than ordinary gene recombination individuals."

Lin Qing understood.

He couldn't help recalling when, in Lin'an City, two Patrol Masters had fought the professor from the Primitive Research Institute—just one exchange reduced an entire hotel tower to rubble.

The power at that level was terrifying.

"Actually, you're not far from gene recombination level."

Chen Guang scanned Lin Qing and said: "The three barriers to gene recombination—energy, body, will. For energy, you can already absorb several fourth-energy-level energies, which is sufficient. For body, as long as you reach your limit and surpass ordinary humans by a hundredfold, you'll have absolute certainty. But I don't know how your will is?"

"Will?"

Lin Qing said uncertainly: "It should be okay."

His will had always been a strength, but he wasn't sure if it met the requirement.

"Will is ethereal and hard to measure," Chen Guang said. "Patrol Headquarters has a place to test will—you can try it later."

Lin Qing nodded slightly and said: "So gene recombination doesn't seem that hard."

"For you, it's not hard."

Chen Guang said: "Your accumulation before gene awakening far exceeds others. Normal Elite Patrols barely reach forty to fifty times ordinary human physical attributes and struggle to endure fourth-energy-level energy baptism. And then there's the will barrier—few have any hope of breaking through."

Lin Qing now understood.

"I'll just wait twenty-five days."

He took a deep breath and didn't rush to try the Gene Cultivation Method; instead, he sank his consciousness into the Star-Transmission Tower within his body.

He planned to try again to push open that massive stone door.

After a long while.

Lin Qing opened his eyes and shook his head slightly: "Still not enough."

Although this attempt, under pure physical gene state, had pushed the two massive stone doors open a bit further, he was still far from fully opening them.

"The physical body's potential is still vast; with a bit more progress, it will be enough."

Lin Qing immediately closed his eyes and began attempting the Genetic Cultivation Method.

After the Gene Awakening, Lin Qing could feel his tremendous progress every day; his physical fitness in all aspects was improving at a shocking speed.

Moreover, the genes could automatically adjust to the state most suitable for cultivating combat techniques.

Just on the very day of the Gene Awakening, he had already mastered the combat technique, Endless Sky Blaze.

Lin Qing could not help but sigh in amazement.

Is this the enhancement of talent after gene adjustment?

Talent is inherently a comprehensive combination of many aspects.

Even if one is not good at a certain aspect, the ancestral genes within the bloodline, or even the genes of extraterrestrial life forms absorbed, will always have something one is good at.

This is also the strength of the Gene Awakened.

Unfortunately, Lin Qing currently has no spare pre-allocated slots; the next slot is reserved for the Genetic Cultivation Method, so Endless Sky Blaze and Starfall Six Movements can only wait a bit longer.

Fortunately, there is no rush right now.

Lin Qing was immersed every day in the feeling of rapid progress, not eager to leave the training branch; if he could cultivate all the way to the Genetic Recombination level in one go, that would be best of all.

Unfortunately, peaceful days are always short.

Or rather... peace does not exist on Earth to begin with; some people just happen to live in peaceful regions and eras.

September 1, 2121; on this day, an earth-shattering incident occurred that would shake the security of the entire Patrol Realm, even the whole world!

Latitude 18.5° North, Longitude -83° West.

This is the Cayman Trench.

In the dark and profound depths of the sea, there seemed to be not a shred of light. A massive nuclear submarine, like a ferocious beast roaring in the seawater, sped through the terrifyingly high-pressure seabed, piercing through the cold and silent seawater.

Under the glow of the nuclear submarine's searchlights, the intelligent detection system suddenly spotted a figure ahead.

It was a figure hovering in the deep sea, entirely shrouded in a black robe.

The nuclear submarine shifted slightly to the side, intending to bypass this figure.

However—

That black-robed figure suddenly turned its head slightly and looked over.

Beneath the concealment of the black robe, there were suddenly revealed a pair of scarlet, blood-red eyes, yet cold beyond measure!

"Boom!"

Even in the seabed, a booming sound seemed to still ring out; the massive nuclear submarine suddenly disintegrated entirely, shattering into a large amount of wreckage that slowly sank, along with the humans inside who were shattered as well.

The light dimmed, and the deep sea was now filled with a vast amount of drifting fresh blood.

Unfortunately, even sharks cannot dive to such depths of the seabed world.

"This is freedom."

!.

This was clearly the seabed, yet the voice of that black-robed figure echoed out; even the elite Patrol members who had not yet completely died heard it clearly.

Immediately, the black-robed figure withdrew its gaze and looked again at that massive underwater prison.

"What a huge cage..."

Five minutes later.

The massive underwater prison situated on the seabed began to slowly disintegrate; a vast amount of seawater, as if the sky had collapsed and the earth had sunk, rushed madly into the prison.

But even as endless cold seawater poured in, it could not drown out the cheers and wild laughter coming from within the prison.

"Hahaha... I am free!"

"I can go out!"

"Hahaha, what is happening? The shackles automatically released?"

"Who is it? Saved us?"

"Hahaha! I am finally free!"

One could see figures emitting terrifying auras suddenly rushing out of the prison as if mad; the near-crazed joy and excitement in those voices, and that terrifying speed, were enough to make one's heart tremble.

Those figures rushed into the seawater without hesitation, but the water pressure of the deep sea seemed to hold no meaning for them; they immediately fled towards the seas in all directions!

"Hahaha..."

At this moment, a voice faintly filled with a smile resounded throughout the seabed: "Enjoy your freedom, little ones."

【Current Order Level decreased by 3.9 levels】

【Current Order Level decreased by 3.4 levels】

【Current Order Level decreased by 3.2 levels】

【Current Order Level decreased by...】

On the morning of September 2, when Lin Qing woke from sleep, the first thing he saw upon lifting his eyelids was these pitch-black prompts.

"Hmm?"

Lin Qing could hardly believe his eyes. "What's going on?"

He could not help but check the current Order Level; it had already dropped from 28.6 levels to 4.1 levels.

In a single night, it dropped more than 24 levels?

Moreover, the warning was black, indicating that immense danger and chaos had entered his circle of life overnight.

"Where did this danger come from?"

Lin Qing looked at these lines of danger levels reaching over 3.0 and couldn't help but feel a chill.

The Order Level was rising exponentially; increasing by one level meant the danger increased by nearly dozens of times.

A one-star Patrol Elite posed a threat of only around 1.6, while those reaching above level 3 were likely three-star Elite Patrols.

"Chenguang."

Lin Qing couldn't help but speak up: "Is there anything special happening today?"

A stream of light flew out, transforming into a three-nothing loli in a white dress like an angel.

Chenguang looked at Lin Qing and said, "Something special? Let me check."

Soon, her brows moved slightly, and she said, "There really is a major incident."

"A major incident?" Lin Qing looked at her.

"It's the Broken Stele Prison."

Chenguang turned to look at him. "Late last night, the Broken Stele Prison was breached. All the stationed Patrols were killed, including two three-star Elite Patrols on the fifth floor of the prison, and all the prisoners inside have escaped."

"What?" Lin Qing couldn't help but be stunned.

The Broken Stele Prison was actually breached?

That was the Broken Stele Prison built by the Wisdom Star Group, specifically used to imprison criminals among extraterrestrial stowaways, and now they had all escaped?

Even...

Even two three-star Elite Patrols were killed!

This was enough to shake the entire Patrol Realm!

"Something major has happened."

Lin Qing took a deep breath.

At this moment, he understood why the Order Level had dropped so much.

That day, the Patrol Headquarters issued a notice.

Effective immediately, the entire Patrol Headquarters enters the highest state of alert!

At the same time, whether new Patrols, Elite Patrols, or even Patrol Commissioners, all must participate in global patrol work.

Even new Patrols at the headquarters, who possess at least the strength of local Patrol Chiefs, can still fulfill sufficient patrol duties given the urgent need for manpower at this time.

"Lin Qing, come to my place."

That morning, Tang Wanqiu, this Patrol Commissioner, notified Lin Qing.

Arriving at the core area of the headquarters, Lin Qing saw Tang Wanqiu again in that private manor.

"Director, what major incident has actually occurred?"

Lin Qing couldn't help but ask.

Although Chenguang could also find out about this, the detailed situation was in the confidential vault of the Patrol Headquarters, guarded by an intelligent life form under the supervision of the Patrol Headquarters' regulatory department; even if Chenguang remained undetected, she could not investigate it.

"What is your current strength?" Tang Wanqiu sized up Lin Qing.

"I have already undergone genetic awakening." Lin Qing told the truth.

"Oh?" Tang Wanqiu's eyes lit up; she sized him up and said, "Perfect, then you will serve as the supreme commander for the Jiangnan region within the country."

"Me?" Lin Qing was slightly stunned.

"I'll tell you the truth."

Tang Wanqiu said in a heavy voice: "The Broken Stele Prison was breached. Over seven hundred extraterrestrial stowaway prisoners escaped from it, and even the signal trackers implanted in their bodies were destroyed. Now, these prisoners have probably scattered and gone into hiding all over the world."

Lin Qing frowned.

He knew where some of those prisoners were at this moment.

"The headquarters has twelve Patrol Commissioners, but only two are from our own country."

Tang Wanqiu said: "I am responsible for the southern region, and the other is responsible for the northern region. We are currently worried about a lack of manpower. Your current strength should be quite close to that of a three-star Elite Patrol, and it won't be long before you become a true three-star Elite Patrol. Having you serve as the supreme commander for the Jiangnan region couldn't be better."

Lin Qing frowned slightly and said, "What about the metropolitan area? Are we not going to do anything about it?"

(End of this chapter)