Super Gene Ⅱ: Evolution

Lin Shen was well aware that he couldn't defeat Ximen Swordsman with skill alone.

To beat Ximen Swordsman, there were only two paths to take, one was to overpower him with absolute speed and strength, rendering his Skill of Borrowing and Transforming Force useless.

That was a path Lin Shen could take, but it required using the Super Base Form and all his Base Mutation Talents to crush Ximen Swordsman with an overwhelming advantage.

Lin Shen did not want to take that path, firstly because it exposed too much, and secondly, under such circumstances, it would inevitably lead to a fight to the death with no way to hold back.

Although Ximen Swordsman was not exactly a friend to Lin Shen, during the battle with the Wan Family, for whatever reason, Ximen Swordsman had lent his assistance.

Therefore, Lin Shen was not willing to truly fight Ximen Swordsman to the death, and killing Ximen Swordsman offered no benefit to Lin Shen.

Since he was unwilling to kill Ximen Swordsman, that left only one path.

He would have to find the weakness in Ximen Swordsman's Skill of Borrowing and Transforming Force, rendering him unable to borrow or transform force, and naturally, he would be able to defeat him.

This would be purely a technical level confrontation. In fact, up to now, the speed and strength both men had shown were still within the normal range for Ascenders.

Lin Shen did not know what Ximen Swordsman was thinking, but he himself had no intention of fighting with Ximen Swordsman to the death.

Thus, Lin Shen had not even used his Super Base Form, guessing that Ximen Swordsman also had reserves, not fighting with all his might in desperation.

Standing in place, hoping to break Ximen Swordsman's Skill of Borrowing and Transforming Force, was clearly unrealistic.

Fortunately, during the fight, Lin Shen felt a certain part gradually soften, not as uncomfortable as before, which should mean that the effects of the melon seeds were waning.

Lin Shen could now use Surfing Fist and Demon Heart Finger without any worries; he finally didn't have to stand in place and defend passively.

Combining Surfing Fist with Demon Heart Finger, blending strength with softness, reality with illusion, Lin Shen had taken these two skills to their limits.

Yet, he still couldn't harm Ximen Swordsman in the slightest. Ximen Swordsman's body seemed lighter than a feather; every single fluctuation of force could push his body away, causing every one of Lin Shen's attacks to fail.

"Lin Shen was forced to move, but sadly, it remains futile," Tian Xin's expression also turned solemn.

This was no longer just a personal vendetta between him and Lin Shen; it was tied to the interests of Tian Xun, so he still hoped that Lin Shen could win the duel.

But Lin Shen's situation was not good; he couldn't touch Ximen Swordsman, who was like a wandering soul in the air, and his frantic attacks were just a waste of energy.

Chi 118 looked towards An 117 and exclaimed, "Where did you find such a person? His Skill of Borrowing and Transforming Force is already quite refined. The Evolution Skill and Base Mutation Talent he cultivates must be related to this technique; otherwise, he would not have reached such a level."

An 117 smiled and said, "Although Ximen Swordsman comes from a minor clan, his talent and ability are indeed exceptional. It's not just a matter of Evolution Skill and Base Mutation Talent—his understanding of and sensitivity to force is at least on par with those at the Nirvana Level, if not superior. That's the only way he could do what he has done, true talent.

Unless he is overwhelmed by speed and strength, even with an unparalleled divine weapon in hand, it would still be difficult to injure him in the slightest."

It was apparent that An 117 held a profound admiration for Ximen Swordsman.

Their battle continued, and no matter how earth-shattering Lin Shen's fist power was, resembling massive waves and tsunamis, it only managed to make Ximen Swordsman float along with the flow, never truly injuring him.

After much thought, Lin Shen realized that there was only one way to defeat Ximen Swordsman, which was to leave him with no strength to borrow.

The Surfing Fist was ineffective; it was a skill of immense momentum itself, and the greater the momentum, the harder it was to touch Ximen Swordsman.

Although the force of Demon Heart Finger was already minimal, even the slightest amount of force would push Ximen Swordsman's body away, making it impossible to touch him.

With a shift in thought, Lin Shen immediately abandoned the Surfing Fist and faced Ximen Swordsman solely with the Demon Heart Finger.

Demon Heart Finger was a skill Lin Shen had learned from watching images transmitted by Red Heart A, integrated with the vibrating stabbing technique taught by Wei Wufu.

Although the illusions created by the Demon Heart Finger were feints, a certain amount of strength was still required to generate the finger skill illusions.

It was precisely this bit of force that caused Lin Shen's fingers to never hit Ximen Swordsman, instead, allowing Ximen Swordsman to take advantage of the opening and forcing Lin Shen to retreat time and again to avoid Ximen Swordsman's seemingly weak and powerless attacks.

Lin Shen was well aware that Ximen Swordsman's attacks, while looking as gentle as a dance with no strength, were only deceiving; if one were to take a hit from his punches or palms, it probably wouldn't be pleasant.

Lin Shen tried his best to contain his power, but achieving extreme inward control of force was far from an easy task.

After giving up the Surfing Fist, Lin Shen's situation became even more difficult.

Chi 118, observing Lin Shen's passive stance, said, "Lin Shen's concept isn't wrong, aiming to contain his power to the limit so that Ximen Swordsman can't borrow it. However, controlling force is a highly advanced technique, not to mention at Ascension Level, even masters at Nirvana Level who specialize in controlling force would find it difficult to achieve an undetectable state of such skill.

It's even less possible for him to reach that level so quickly."n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

"What is this undetectable state you speak of?" Chi Xiong, who was beside Chi 118, inquired.

"Any movement creates fluctuation. Even if one's force is contained to the extreme, not leaking outward, movement itself requires the disruption of matter and cannot avoid generating fluctuation. If we compare space to water, anything moving in water will inevitably cause the water to flow. So, no matter how much Lin Shen contains his force, he can't touch Ximen Swordsman who floats along the waves.

The undetectable state isn't about literally preventing space from generating fluctuation; it's about controlling the direction of the fluctuation. Even if there's noise, if it's not in the right direction, it's hard to detect. And if there's color, if it's not in the correct position, it won't be seen."

"Reaching that state, techniques of borrowing and transforming force naturally become ineffective. Unfortunately, those who can train to an undetectable state are often already adept at the Skill of Borrowing and Transforming Force. Ximen Swordsman can achieve the undetectable state, but Lin Shen simply cannot," Seraph explained.

"Apart from not reaching that undetectable state, is there no other way to break through this Skill of Borrowing and Transforming Force?" Chi Xiong asked again.

Having witnessed Ximen Swordsman's skill, he realized how formidable the Skill of Borrowing and Transforming Force was. He was not confident in cracking such an enigmatic technique and wished to know if there were any other solutions, to be better prepared for future encounters.

"Aside from mastering control of force to achieve the undetectable state, absolute speed and strength can also break through the Skill of Borrowing and Transforming Force. However, in combat against an opponent of the same realm, it's evidently difficult to achieve absolute dominion. If one really encounters such a person, the best way is to not become enemies with him, to avoid suffering.

If, unfortunately, one becomes an enemy, then one should find a narrow space. Transforming force requires space and distance – one might be able to limit their mobility and perhaps then there could be a chance of defeating them. Beyond that, there are no other methods," said Chi 118.

"Given the vast openness of Chessboard Island, it seems Lin Shen is bound to lose," Chi Ba said with a touch of schadenfreude.