"What? He's still alive?"
In a secluded mansion in the northern noble district of the city, a furious shout echoed through the hall.
"He's a useless trash with no awakened abilities, and yet he managed to return alive from outside the city?"
Inside the mansion, Chu Jie was shouting at his servants. Upon hearing that Chu Xun had left the city, he had been elated for quite a while. He believed that Chu Xun had fled out of fear of him. With his weakness and lack of abilities, Chu Xun would surely be torn to pieces by any random zombie or wild creature outside the city.
To make sure of this, Chu Jie had sent a message to Chu Qing, who was in seclusion, and received praise from him. However, now he was being told that Chu Xun not only hadn't died but had returned to the city. How could he remain calm in the face of such news?
As his anger built up, a murderous glint flashed in Chu Jie's eyes. He glared at the servant kneeling before him, his voice cold as ice. "I remember you told me that Chu Xun was dead for sure?"
"Master, I saw him leave the city with my own eyes," the servant, Jie San, said, his voice trembling in fear. Seeing the anger and murderous intent in Chu Jie's eyes, he immediately began to kowtow and explain. "Master, I know, I must have been wrong. He probably didn't leave the city far and returned soon after. Otherwise, with his strength, it's impossible for him to survive outside!"
"Wasn't I the one who told you to watch him?" Chu Jie's eyes grew colder as he looked down at Jie San, who was desperately trying to explain himself. With a swift motion, he raised his foot and crushed Jie San's head into the floor. His voice was frigid as he said, "Jie San, you've let me down."
"No, Master!" Jie San screamed in agony as he felt the weight crushing his head. He tried to struggle, but the pressure on his skull felt like an enormous mountain, making it impossible for him to move.
**Crack!**
The next moment, Chu Jie's foot, which was still pressing down on Jie San's skull, began to turn to stone, and with a powerful stamp, Jie San's head exploded, like a watermelon being run over by a car. Brain matter and fresh blood shot out in all directions, staining Chu Jie's foot and the ground beneath him.
The sight of Jie San's gruesome death made the other servants tremble in fear, but none dared to make a sound, lest they become the next targets of Chu Jie's wrath.
The only one who remained unmoved was a man cloaked in black robes, standing silently in the corner as though the entire scene had nothing to do with him.
"Waste!" After killing Jie San, Chu Jie's fury slightly subsided. He turned his cold gaze to the black-robed man standing nearby. "Gui Ren, I don't want to see that trash again. Kill him for me!"
"Master, he is a member of the Chu family!" Gui Ren hesitated slightly upon hearing Chu Jie's command. "Killing one of our own goes against the family rules."
"It doesn't matter. He's just a useless fool with no backing or abilities. As long as you make it clean, the Law Enforcement Bureau won't bother with it. After all, they still need my father's funding," Chu Jie said casually, waving his hand dismissively. He then pulled a small box from his pocket and tossed it to the black-robed man. "Here are twenty standard energy crystals. All yours if you take care of him."
"Heh, with money, I can even kill my own son!" Gui Ren smirked, pocketing the metal box and then turning to leave. "I'll take care of it, Master."
"Chu Xun, I don't believe you'll survive this time," Chu Jie muttered, his gaze cold as he watched Gui Ren's retreating figure. He spat, cursing under his breath. "Damn it! If it weren't for worrying about disappointing Big Brother, I wouldn't waste money on this at all!"
Thinking about the twenty energy crystals he'd spent, Chu Jie's anger flared up once again. He then turned to the remaining servants and snapped, "What are you looking at? Get to cleaning!"
"Yes, Master!" The servants immediately shuddered and rushed to begin their tasks.
"Damn it, this isn't enough, I need to blow off some steam." With a final glance at the servants, Chu Jie shook his head in frustration and left the mansion, heading eastward.
---
Meanwhile, Chu Xun had no idea that a deadly plot was being hatched against him. He was at home, testing his abilities.
The results of his test left him extremely satisfied. The alien insect genes had proven to be the most perfect fusion, and though the process of merging the genes had been agonizing, the rewards had been far beyond his expectations.
First of all, his physical strength had greatly increased. He had already tested this by clenching his fist as hard as he could, and his fingers and palms showed no signs of discomfort. This meant his body, both bones and skin, had been significantly reinforced.
He even tried using a small fruit knife, gently drawing the blade across his skin, only to feel a slight sting. His skin didn't break at all. This level of resistance wasn't as strong as the exoskeleton of an alien creature, but it still exceeded his expectations, making him pleasantly surprised.
In addition to the enhanced physical strength, his regenerative ability had become astonishing. Not long after leaving the medical facility, a scratch on his palm from a nail had fully healed, leaving no trace behind. However, during the healing process, he had felt a surge of hunger, indicating that the recovery wasn't free; it consumed his internal energy, much like the alien creature's natural need for nourishment.
Next, his speed and strength had also been boosted. While these aspects weren't directly enhanced, his body's increased toughness allowed him to better channel the strength from his ant genes. Previously, when attacking or running, he would instinctively hold back to avoid harming his own body. Now, with the improved structure from the alien genes, he could unleash his full strength without fear of injury. This had led to a considerable improvement in both speed and power.
Despite all this, Chu Xun didn't realize that his remarkable physical transformation was largely due to a special potion called *Dragon's Blessing*, which had been injected into his body. While the alien genes were certainly powerful, it was this potion that had elevated his body to a level capable of withstanding the ant genes' strength.
With his body's condition now clear, Chu Xun felt confident. "With my current strength, I should be able to deal with any mutant dogs I encounter outside the city." He grinned as he tested his sharp claws, easily slicing through the steel fruit knife as if it were butter.
"Nice, these claws are sharp enough to rival the second-tier alloy dagger I lost outside the city," he said with satisfaction. He was thrilled at the newfound power his body held, and the versatility of his claws.
Afterward, he retracted his claws, which slid back under his fingernails like a cat's claws, a feature that made them both practical and convenient.
"Alright, now that I understand my physical condition, time to focus on you," he muttered, flipping his hand over to reveal a purple card.
"Alien creature, summon!" He took a deep breath, throwing the card into the air. The purple card glowed brilliantly, and in its light, the alien creature began to form.
"Hiss!"
Soon, the alien creature materialized and, like an excited puppy, jumped to Chu Xun's side and crouched down.
"Damn it, why did you shrink again?" Chu Xun was taken aback as he looked at the tiny alien, which had shrunk to only about 60 centimeters in size. He couldn't help but curse.
The alien's injuries had healed, but its size had decreased dramatically. Chu Xun couldn't help but feel a little worried. Would such a small alien be able to contribute much to a fight?
"Hiss!" The alien seemed to understand Chu Xun's frustration and hung its head low, a sad expression crossing its face.
"Hey, don't be so down. If we have enough food, you'll grow again," Chu Xun tried to reassure it. He thought the creature had shrunk because he had extracted its genes, which had affected its size.
However, he was still troubled by the alien's enormous appetite. As an orphan, he could barely afford to feed himself, let alone this creature. His only option was to venture outside the city to hunt, but that was impossible right now since the city had been locked down due to the upcoming student examination.
That meant the alien would be unable to help him until after the exam. But that was still a long way off.
"Right, the student exam!" Chu Xun suddenly remembered. In just a few days, the exam would begin, and though his abilities had grown tremendously thanks to the ant and alien genes, he wasn't confident he could take the top spot in the exam. After all, his greatest obstacle was Chu Qing, one of the strongest competitors.
And if he failed to win the exam, the system would carry out its brutal punishment.
Having died once already, Chu Xun understood the value of life and time more than anyone else. He wouldn't waste the next ten days. He had to grow stronger. But how? The answer was clear.
The only way to get stronger in such a short time… was to go to