My Gene Evolves Infinitely - Chapter 24

TL: Fiend Star
Editor: Sakifcena

Lu Yuan’s vision darkened momentarily, his mind a fleeting blur.

When his senses cleared, Lu Yuan found himself back in the Ash Stone Forest, surrounded by towering stone columns—the same spot he’d left from.

Near a column close to him, three Ash Stone Beetles were contentedly gnawing at the rock.

His sudden appearance halted the beetles in their tracks. They slowly turned their heads towards Lu Yuan.
Eyes locked, the air hung still for a moment.

Then, with shrill squeaks, the three beetles charged at Lu Yuan.

Lu Yuan’s hand flickered, and a black long sword materialized. He too charged towards the beetles.

Although the [Iron Body] didn’t significantly enhance his speed, relative to beings of the same level, Lu Yuan’s pace was still notably faster than that of the beetles.

With agile steps, he weaved through the beetles, his sword slicing through their bodies, leaving trails of dark green blood.

The three beetles fell, lifeless.

Lu Yuan walked over and collected three Spirit Crystals from the ground, then carefully harvested three pieces of Grey Stone Armour, his face breaking into a smile.
“Nice, a good haul right after arriving.”

He absorbed the Spirit Crystals nonchalantly, glanced at the sun to get his bearings, and started heading towards the exit of the Ash Stone Forest.

With his current strength, he could easily hunt more formidable beasts than the Ash Stone Beetle, obtaining more Spirit Crystals and accelerating his progression.

Along the way, Lu Yuan dispatched every Ash Stone Beetle he encountered, regardless of their number—they stood no chance against him.

Soon, he entered a spacious clearing about a hundred meters across.

Just as he stepped into the clearing, he spotted a Black Mark Ash Stone Beetle and four regular beetles lined up on the right side, blissfully gnawing at the rocks.

Lu Yuan’s eyes lit up.

A Black Mark Ash Stone Beetle? He hadn’t expected to find one.

Previously, encountering a Black Mark Ash Stone Beetle would have meant a swift retreat. But now, feeling confident in his strength, he considered himself a match for the beetle.

It was a perfect opportunity to test his abilities.

Lu Yuan watched the distant beetle, lips pursed, eager to prove himself.

Just as he was about to step forward, a group of five Gnolls emerged from a nearby passage.

They paused when they saw Lu Yuan, then noticed the Black Mark Ash Stone Beetle at his side.

Their eyes gleamed with excitement.

“Lucky us, a Black Mark Ash Stone Beetle!” one exclaimed.

“Let’s kill it!”

“And deal with that human first to avoid interference. Barry, keep an eye out, if the Black Mark Ash Stone Beetle reacts, block it.”

“No problem,” another responded.

The group eyed Lu Yuan coldly, their expressions turning vicious.

Lu Yuan sighed inwardly. Why did it always have to be Gnolls?

As the five Gnolls drew their weapons and advanced slowly, Lu Yuan’s expression hardened, and he gripped his beetle claw long sword.

“Attack!!”

A female Gnoll at the back, wielding a longbow, drew and loosed an arrow, sounding the charge.

The arrow whistled through the air toward Lu Yuan.

He narrowed his eyes and lifted his sword.

Clang!

The arrow struck Lu Yuan’s sword and was deflected.

The Gnolls observed this and exchanged looks.

The leader, a towering two-meter-tall Gnoll with a massive axe, grinned, revealing his fangs, “Be careful, he’s a skilled fighter!”

“Got it!”

With a roar, the burly Gnoll charged at Lu Yuan like a tank, flanked by a longsword-wielding Gnoll and another armed with dual short swords, all rushing him simultaneously.

As the clash began, the distant Black Mark Ash Stone Beetle and its four companions were startled into action.

They turned their heads toward Lu Yuan and his group, and the Black Mark Ash Stone Beetle let out a shriek, charging at them.

Standing his ground was Barry, a burly Gnoll clad in Grey Stone Armour, wielding a half-person-tall metal shield and a long blade.

He saw the Black Mark Ash Stone Beetle, accompanied by four Ash Stone Beetles, rushing toward him and revealing a sinister grin.

“This won’t be easy for you,” he muttered under his breath, as patches of Grey Stone Armour appeared on his skin.

He was using [Stone Skin]!

He alone faced off against the Black Mark Ash Stone Beetle and its four companions.

As the Black Mark Ash Stone Beetle saw Barry charging, it roared angrily, activating its own [Stone Skin].

It lunged forward, claws aimed at Barry.

Barry raised his large shield to block the incoming claws.

Clang!

He was pushed back a few steps but quickly steadied himself.

He smirked, “You can’t break through my defence.”

Ignoring the roaring beetle, Barry swung his long blade at the other four beetles.

He managed to effortlessly hold off the Black Mark Ash Stone Beetle and its four allies.

…

Meanwhile, the muscular Gnoll had reached Lu Yuan, bellowing as he clenched his long battle axe and swung it down ferociously.

The axe glimmered with a faint white light—his Gene Battle Skill – [Heavy Hit]

The axe, infused with violent spiritual power, swooped down on Lu Yuan.

Lu Yuan’s pupils contracted, a serious expression on his face.

To think that in the Ash Stone Forest, he’d encounter not one, but two Gene Warriors with such extraordinary genetic abilities!

The ferocity of the axe strike raised the hairs on his neck, a dangerous aura enveloping him.

He gripped his heavy sword tightly, positioning it to block the axe.

Clang!

A tremendous force jolted through him.

His chest felt tight, and he stumbled back several steps, his hands tingling slightly.

As Lu Yuan was retreating, the two sword-wielding Gnolls at the sides of the muscular Gnoll surged forward, closing in on him.

The Gnoll on the left swung his long sword at Lu Yuan’s waist, while the one on the right thrust his two short swords—one at Lu Yuan’s eye, the other at his heart.

Their movements were fluid and tightly coordinated.

Lu Yuan sensed the imminent threat, his entire body surging with spiritual power.

His Battle Skill, [Iron Body], activated, coating his body in a dark sheen, with two black streaks appearing on his cheeks.

As his power surged, a fierce glint flashed in Lu Yuan’s eyes. He reached out with his left hand, grabbing the short sword aimed at his eye.

He let the other two blades come at him.

The three Gnolls sneered at the sight.

Clang clang clang!

The successive clanging sounds made the Gnolls’ sneers freeze on their faces.

Lu Yuan firmly caught the short sword with his left hand, while the other two blades merely slashed his clothes and stopped at his skin, unable to penetrate further.

The Gnolls wielding these weapons felt as though they had struck steel, their hands numbed by the rebounding force.

Their pupils dilated in shock.

“What?!”

“This defence?! Impossible!”

The leading muscular Gnoll widened his eyes and shouted,

“Mussy! Be careful!”

Mussy, who wielded the two short swords, sensed the danger too late. A flash of terror crossed his eyes as he tried to pull back.

But it was already too late. Lu Yuan, who had held back from using his Beetle Claw Sword against the long blade, seized the moment.

The Beetle Claw Sword transformed into a blade of light, slashing across Mussy’s neck. Blood gushed forth.

Mussy’s eyes widened in shock, then dimmed as he staggered and fell to the ground.

Apart from Barry, who was entangled with the Black Mark Ash Stone Beetle, the other three Gnolls’ eyes widened in disbelief as they watched Mussy collapse to the ground.

“Damn! He’s a dark horse pretending to be weak!”

Another sword-wielding Gnoll’s fur bristled in alarm. He quickly retreated to the side of the muscular Gnoll, eyeing Lu Yuan warily, as if expecting to be struck down next.

The muscular Gnoll grimaced at Lu Yuan, “Bastard! With your strength, what are you doing in a place like the Ash Stone Forest?!”

Lu Yuan rubbed his chest and waist where he had been struck.

The spots still ached from the attacks, but thanks to his [Iron Body], which was exceedingly tough, and the fact that these two Gnolls lacked refined battle skills, their attacks had only caused pain without inflicting any real damage.

He looked at the grimacing muscular Gnoll and smiled, “Aren’t you guys pretty strong yourselves? If you can stay here, why can’t I?”

The Gnolls were left speechless.

Lu Yuan massaged his neck and flashed a radiant smile, “Enough talk. Let me send you on your way to join your little friend.”