Super Gene Hunting Ground

Xuanming Country in the northwest has a mountain named Divine Mountain.

Divine Mountain has an altitude of 7443.8 meters, over 4000 meters above sea level, perennially covered in snow. Within the snow, there lies a unique plant called Divine Mountain Snow Lotus, which is said to cure all diseases and prolong life.

At about 4000 meters, there is a Turquoise Pool covering several hundred acres.

Near the Turquoise Pool, hidden from view, lies an ancient Ancient Martial Cultivation Sect, the Shenming Mountain Sect.

Because this place is at the boundary of the snow line and only has a five-month thaw per year, coupled with thin air and harsh living conditions, ordinary people can't reach here. Compared to the Shaolin Temple, Wudang, and Emei Sect, Shenming Mountain Sect is relatively unknown to the world.

Shenming Mountain Sect is divided into the Southern Sect and the Northern Sect, located on two mountains about ten kilometers apart.

The Southern Sect primarily consists of female cultivators, while the Northern Sect comprises male cultivators. Both sects share the same origin, referring to each other as senior brothers and sisters. They also have regular opportunities for cultivators to spar and exchange skills each month and year.

Throughout their thousand-year history, the Northern and Southern sects had not lacked handsome men and beautiful women forming couples, dominating the Jianghu with delight.

Shenming Mountain Sect is renowned for its swordsmanship, with the seventy-two unpredictable techniques of Divine Mountain Sword Skill and the fierce Killing Aura. Coupled with the sect's unique Qinggong "Divine Mountain Snow", Shenming Mountain Sect has been celebrated in the Martial Arts World for centuries.

Although located in a remote area, Divine Mountain did not escape the apocalyptic calamity. One morning, all the older generation had perished under mysterious circumstances.

Originally, the population of Shenming Mountain Sect was not flourishing; the entire Southern Sect had about a hundred people. After the apocalyptic calamity, only about thirty young disciples led by Lan Xin remained.

The Northern Sect, however, had a surplus of fifty young disciples.

Near the Turquoise Pool, there is a Genetic Store located approximately five kilometers away from both the Northern and Southern Sects, almost a midpoint between the two mountains.

The apocalyptic calamity nearly destroyed Shenming Mountain Sect but also brought new vitality to this Ancient Martial Cultivation Sect.

When Lan Xin and others discovered their bodies undergoing Genetic Evolution, the Ancient Martial Cultivation within Shenming Mountain Sect began to change qualitatively. Previously, the Sword Qi of Divine Mountain Sword Skill was only legendary, but when Lan Xin and others evolved to Primordial Gene Primary Level, they managed to generate Sword Qi while using Divine Mountain Sword Skill.

This was unimaginable, something even their long-dead forefathers could not achieve.

With the ability to generate Sword Qi, how many times might the offensive power of Divine Mountain Sword Skill have increased?

Furthermore, the Qinggong "Divine Mountain Snow" of Shenming Mountain Sect, which previously merely enabled high leaps and bounds. Cultivators proficient in this could jump several meters high and long.

But after their Genetic Evolution, Lan Xin and others were astonished to find that Qinggong could genuinely allow flight, gracefully and effortlessly, like the snowflakes of Divine Mountain.

Despite not being guarded by the orange light of the Genetic Store, Lan Xin and others relied on their Ancient Martial Cultivation to comfortably live and rest within the former boundaries of their sect. However, they always had to be alert against attacks from Mutated Creatures and designate night watches.

Located in a cold and high region, Divine Mountain didn't have many Mutant Monsters, primarily comprising two special types of mutated animals, the Snow Leopard and the Snow Wolf, both fierce monsters, albeit not in particularly large numbers.

To obtain more Genetic Fragments, Lan Xin and others would go down Divine Mountain to hunt various mutated animals at the foot of the mountain.

Initially, using the advantage of their Ancient Martial Arts, they could hunt enough Genetic Fragments. But as their Evolution Level rose, especially after reaching Primordial Gene Primary Level, the hunted Genetic Fragments were far from meeting the requirements for their Genetic Evolution.

Besides, with Shenming Mountain Sect's limited numbers, they couldn't amass Genetic Fragments like Gu Beifeng of Wentian City or Du Tianxing of Magic City, who had hundreds of thousands of followers gathering Genetic Fragments for the use of a select few.

This is why when Yang Xiao met Lan Xin and others in the desert, they were only at the Primordial Gene Advanced Realm.

Shaolin, Wudang, Emei, and so on are all in the same situation.

...

Lan Xin had returned from the desert more than ten days ago.

When she went back to the desert, she did not encounter Yang Xiao. Shortly after hunting in the desert, she was instructed to leave. She bid farewell to Monk Ben Yin, Zhang Hai, Zhi Ruo, and others, and they all returned to their sects.

Lan Xin now faced a troubling matter.

"Sister, what do you think about the matter Brother Mo Yan mentioned?"

Her junior sister, Xiao Lan, handed a cup of tea to Lan Xin, and the two sat in a pavilion in the courtyard to chat.

The apocalyptic harsh winter did not greatly impact their lives, as they had already grown accustomed to living amidst year-long snow.

"I haven't decided yet."

Lan Xin took the teacup from her junior sister Xiao Lan and took a sip.

"Actually, Brother Mo Yan's words are not wrong. Our Shenming Mountain Sect is currently low in numbers. If the northern and southern sects merge, our strength will naturally increase significantly. This way, whether it be Shaolin, Wudang, Kongtong, or Emei, none would dare to underestimate us."

Lan Xin sighed and said:

"I am not unaware that merging the two sects is a good thing, but I always worry that Mo Yan is using this apocalypse as an excuse to forcibly merge the two sects with other ulterior motives."

"Are you referring to the secret cultivation techniques of the Shenming Mountain's Three Swords?"

"You also know that the Shenming Mountain Sect is divided into the northern and southern sects, with male and female disciples practicing separately, to prevent personal feelings between men and women from affecting their daily cultivation,

In the sky, there are 72 swords; the northern sect has only learned 69 swords. The last three swords' cultivation secrets are only passed down to the southern sect to prevent the brothers of the northern sect from using martial force to bully our junior sisters of the southern sect. This is the ancestral instruction passed down through generations, even if a junior sister from the southern sect marries a brother from the northern sect, she cannot pass it to her husband,

But now, should I break the ancestral teachings just because of the apocalypse? How can I face my deceased master?"

"But, sister, I heard that Brother Mo Yan has already evolved to the Enhanced Gene Primary Level, and his Sword Qi has reached four meters, how can we stand against him? If we refuse, would he turn hostile?"

Junior sister Xiao Lan voiced her concerns but then self-denied saying:

"No, Brother Mo Yan has always harbored feelings for you and has expressed his love multiple times. If you two come together, and the northern and southern sects merge, perhaps our Shenming Mountain Sect could elevate its position in the Martial Arts World?

Didn't you see Kongtong Sect's Xie Lei, with his arrogance due to reaching the Enhanced Gene Primary Realm, acting like he wants us all to kneel at his feet and call him the Martial Arts Alliance Hierarch?"

Lan Xin sighed and said:

"How could I not know that the situation has changed now, merging the northern and southern sects is indeed beneficial for the entire Shenming Mountain Sect, but, Xiao Lan, have you ever thought that if Brother Mo Yan turns out to be like Xie Lei, wouldn't our merger merely boost Brother Mo Yan's ambitions? Whether he likes me or not is his affair; I am not going to like him."

Xiao Lan was stunned and said:

"Sister, could it be that you have taken a liking to Young Master Yang?"

(Today there are only three posts; the fourth is very difficult.)