With his preparations complete, Zhang Lie began to brew Potion #2. Compared to Potion #1, the brewing process was at least tenfold more complicated.

First, the various ingredients had to be individually prepared.

The main ingredient, black coral, had to be nourished with genetic energy until it turned a golden yellow before its herbal properties could be extracted.

The bear's-heart grass had to be incinerated into ash, before being combined with the extract of the eye-of-night flower.

Preparing each ingredient was a lengthy, tedious, and time-consuming process, one that occupied much of Zhang Lie's time and attention.

When he grew hungry, he would consume some roasted bimu bear meat as he continued cultivating his genetic techniques. [1]

After ten days, as Zhang Lie ate his thirtieth meal of bear meat, he obtained yet another superior gene fragment, his seventh from the bear. 

At the same time, his genetic core, under the guidance of [Ninecarp Transformation] began to tremble. As the core trembled, it also seemed to compress, and Zhang Lie felt as though something were about to condense in his core.

His intuition was right: an S-shaped black strand suddenly emerged within the core. After it appeared, it wrapped around the nimble fish inside. The pale pink fish seemed to lose its vitality, allowing the black strand to cocoon it.

As Zhang Lie continued to eat and cultivate, the genetic energy that entered his body all seemed to transform into black strands. In a matter of moments, the fish was completely hidden from sight within a black, elongated cocoon.

Zhang Lie felt a curious straining sensation coming from his core, followed by a compression and evolution of his genetic energy. Under such unusual circumstances, he naturally stopped his work and began to focus completely on his genetic core.

It took him an entire day to process the evolution, but when it was all over, Zhang Lie's [Ninecarp Transformation] had entered its second form: the serpent. Out of the black cocoon had emerged a black serpent, which was now happily darting around his core.

At the same time, Zhang Lie's water-attuned genetic energy gained a second aspect, that of darkness. It was so dark that Zhang Lie felt as though it would leave an indelible stain on anything it touched.

The first form, the carp, was water-attuned and mitigated fire damage. The second form, the serpent, was dark-attuned and endowed his attacks with the power of decay and corrosion.

Zhang Lie's framework was now dual-attuned, and the metamorphosis had caused the framework to grow to medium-grade, improving his rate of recovery and of condensing genetic energy.

Zhang Lie was overjoyed by his growth.

He made a gripping motion with his right hand, and an orb of black, crystalline material flashed into existence. From afar, it looked like a crystal orb, but from close up, it seemed like a ball of mysterious, inky water, combining both the expanse of the ocean and a strong corrosive nature that could ruin all that it touched.

With his left hand, he grabbed a pipette and touched it against the orb. Black mist rose into the air, and the bulb of the pipette vanished from existence.

"With this power and Venombane, the Void Cup should be a fun experience," Zhang Lie murmured, marvelling at his newfound abilities.

However, he quickly returned to the task at hand: brewing Potion #2. After a few simple tests, Zhang Lie retracted his genetic energy and returned to the brewing process.

It took Zhang Lie a whole month to process the hundreds of ingredients needed for Potion #2, and then to begin the brewing process in earnest. The final result of his struggles was two test tubes, one black and one white.

At this critical juncture, Zhang Lie was very nervous—whether all his work within the last month would pay off depended on this very moment. If he were to fail, he would have to restart the arduous month-long process again.

He picked up both test tubes, trying his best to allay the trembles in his hands, and began to pour them into a third test tube, ensuring that the two liquids mixed evenly and rapidly with one another.

The combination of the black and white liquids produced a sizzling sound within the test tube, and golden wisps of smoke slowly drifted out of it.

Only when he saw these golden wisps did Zhang Lie relax, his face warping with excitement.

He had succeeded! He really had! A whole month of effort for the test tube in front of him… He completed Potion #2 on his very first try!

Zhang Lie's eyes gleamed as he stared at the concoction still smoking away on the countertop.

If he consumed this potion, and if he filled up his missing gene fragments to capacity, then he was sure he would dominate the entire Void Cup.

After waiting a few minutes for the mixture to settle, Zhang Lie picked up the sole mixture of Potion #2 in exstence and drained it in one gulp. Potion #1 had been exceedingly spicy, and Potion #2 seemed to be smooth and buttery. Before he could savor the taste of it, it had already slid down his throat, leaving only a refreshing scent of herbal fragrance behind.

The next moment, it was replaced by wave after wave of potent herbal strength.

Potion #1 made him feel as though he were inflicted with the technique endemic to blood ants: [Bloodbath]. 

Potion #2 made him feel as though he were being submerged in an ocean, his body battered and bruised by each wave that came his way, then reassembled and made whole again. Destruction and regeneration, regeneration and destruction, in an endless cycle.

Even with his high pain tolerance, Zhang Lie found himself rolling on the ground, moaning as the potion wracked his body. At the same time, with his body screaming in pain, Zhang Lie could clearly feel his cells bursting with vitality.

His pores widened and contracted, his muscles spasmed, his arteries and veins and capillaries were broken down and reinforced.

His body seemed to be reforging itself on a fundamental, genetic level.

Black, foul-smelling impurities stained his clothing, and he began to sweat as though he had just recovered from a debilitating sickness.

His impurities purged, Zhang Lie had gained a measure of resistance against the potent medicinal energy, and he immediately began to marshal it as he activated his [Ninecarp Transformation].

The medicinal energy, like cresting ocean waves, rushed into his genetic core. The black serpent within happily frolicked in the golden waves, and Zhang Lie felt the purity and density of his genetic energy reach a new threshold.

 [For consuming an unknown potion, your mutated gene capacity has been increased.]

1. I wouldn't eat something that's dying of old age, but that's why I won't become strong, I guess... ☜