My Gene Evolves Infinitely

After Lu Yuan emerged from the alloy weapon store, he felt slightly dazed. In his Battle Mark Space, there was now a large sword, one and a half meters long, with a jet-black blade that flashed cold light—a model A1 black light alloy sword.

It was the most basic level of alloy equipment, costing Lu Yuan 3700 Yuan after some hard bargaining. Otherwise, it would have cost 3900 Yuan, 200 more!

Originally, Lu Yuan had thought about buying armour too, but looking at the 300 Yuan left in his pocket, he realized he had been overly optimistic about his budget. He had even considered moving to a better apartment, but now, that thought seemed impossible.

“What blinded me?” he thought to himself.

“Poverty.”

Leaving the mall, Lu Yuan didn’t dare look back. He had taken a taxi there, but with only 300 Yuan left, and needing to save for meals, he had to walk back. Fortunately, since absorbing the Spiritual Qi, Lu Yuan found his physical strength had significantly improved, and although the mall was over ten kilometres from the slum, he managed to jog back in just over half an hour.

The slum looked much more peaceful during the day. People hurried along the streets, many of them looking thin and worn. Trash was strewn along the roadside, with children picking through it for useful items to take home. A few youths with brightly dyed hair loitered nearby, hands in pockets, casually watching the passers-by.

Lu Yuan kept his head down and hurried back to his rented room. The quietness of the living room greeted him as he entered. His rented house was divided into four rooms—one for him, one for Sister Qinghe, and the others occupied by a middle-aged woman and a couple. These neighbours were usually out early in the day and rarely crossed paths with him. Sister Qinghe worked nights and was likely asleep at this time.

Lu Yuan quietly closed the door behind him and entered his room. Then, he opened his laptop and logged onto BattleNet to continue learning Military Style Boxing and Military Style Killing Sword from the videos. His room was cramped, but as he was just starting out and moving slowly, he managed to practice without hitting anything.

He practised until sunset, sweating profusely, then put away his black light alloy sword and sat down on the bed to rest. Hearing the door open and close, he knew Sister Qinghe had left for work.

Lu Yuan sighed. In his previous life, a woman as attractive as Li Qinghe would have been adored by many men. But here, it was barely enough for her to make ends meet.

After resting, Lu Yuan sat cross-legged and began absorbing Spiritual Qi again. His body warmed up, and the fatigue seemed to melt away. He discovered that practising the Spiritual Qi Guiding Technique while physically tired actually enhanced the effects, reinforcing the saying that physical exercises could boost Spiritual Qi absorption. The physical body, spirit, and Spiritual Qi enhanced each other in a cycle of mutual improvement.

The next morning, Lu Yuan decided to find a quiet place outside to practice his Body Technique. Just as he was leaving, the door opened, and Li Qinghe entered, holding a pan-fried bun.

“Lu Yuan, I bought extra,” she smiled.

“Thanks, Sister Qinghe,” Lu Yuan replied, accepting the bun.

“Are you practising boxing?” she asked.

“How did you know?” Lu Yuan was surprised.

“Your practice was quite loud yesterday; I could hear it from my room,” she explained with a laugh.

Lu Yuan chuckled, a bit embarrassed but glad for the care Li Qinghe showed. Even in the rough environment of the slums, small acts of kindness like hers made a big difference.

Although Lu Yuan knew his room wasn’t well soundproofed—he often heard the couple next door—he didn’t expect that his own boxing practice would also be overheard.

He nodded in response, “Yeah, I’m planning to go into the Land of Origin, so I need to practice some self-defence techniques first.”

“Oh,” Li Qinghe nodded with a slightly puzzled look in her eyes. She then offered, “I know a place that’s great for practising boxing.”

Lu Yuan looked at her curiously. “Really? Where is it?”

He had been planning to find a quiet spot to practice, and it was a surprise that Li Qinghe already knew of a place. Was this the protagonist’s luck working in his favour?

He thought to himself, ‘Indeed, the world is moving in my direction’.

“I’ve been around the slums for a while,” Li Qinghe explained, “I know someone who owns a martial arts gym where you can train. I’ll take you there later.”

“You’re taking me? Won’t it disturb your rest? You work nights, and it must be tiring,” Lu Yuan expressed his concern.

Li Qinghe casually pulled out a cigarette from her chest pocket, lit it, took a drag, and then laughed heartily, “It won’t take too long to show you the place.”

Lu Yuan nodded in agreement after seeing her relaxed demeanour.

After breakfast, Li Qinghe led Lu Yuan out. They both walked with their heads slightly lowered, steps hurried—the unspoken rule of less seeing, less hearing, and staying out of trouble that Li Qinghe had taught Lu Yuan. It was a necessity for survival in the slum area.

They navigated through streets filled with odd smells, turning several corners, until they arrived in front of a very dilapidated metal door. The door bore the sign “Great Ming Martial Arts Gym,” with neon lights flickering overhead, some of which seemed to be malfunctioning. Outside the gym, a few muscular men squatted smoking.

As the two approached, the men looked up. Recognizing Li Qinghe, their eyes lit up, and one of the men with a scar over his left eye even whistled disrespectfully.

Lu Yuan frowned at this, but Li Qinghe just smiled coquettishly at the men. The scar-faced man stood up and smirked, “Hey girl, looking for some fun? Came to find me?”

Li Qinghe chuckled lightly, “I’m here to see Brother Ming.”

Hearing this, the mood among the men changed abruptly; the once jovial scar-faced man froze, then quietly sat back down to smoke in silence.

Lu Yuan looked curiously at the silent men, unsure of the sudden shift.

“Come on in,” Li Qinghe beckoned, unfazed.

Following her through the gate, they entered a vast square filled with various equipment: metal posts, fitness gear, and even a boxing ring. Numerous people were energetically training—lifting weights, sparring, and practising various forms of martial arts. Lu Yuan watched a man with a mechanical arm striking a metal post so hard it deformed, impressed by the unexpected find in the slum.

Curious, he asked, “Sister Qinghe, who is Brother Ming? How do you know him?”

Li Qinghe raised an eyebrow, her smile tinged with mystery, “Little brother, are you sure you want to know? How much detail do you want?”

Lu Yuan grimaced, giving a dry chuckle, “…Maybe not.”

With a laugh, Li Qinghe led him deeper into the gym where a nearly two-meter-tall man with bulging muscles and brown hair was pounding a metal post with powerful blows, each punch leaving a deep indentation.

Bang, bang, bang, bang!

Each thud echoed, marking the intensity of the practice.