A Rival in Love

As the days passed, the work in Billy's core laboratory remained tedious and monotonous. Dealing with massive amounts of genetic data daily would wear down even someone like Ye Fan, who had lived two lives. However, having a beautiful woman by his side helped ease the frustration, as he could occasionally engage in light flirtation to lift his spirits.

Despite the dreary work, Ye Fan's secret plan to extract the exogenous gene remained unfulfilled. Professor Billy, desperate to stay alive, spent all his time in the lab, focusing on extracting the Xi Yan exogenous gene chain. Under such circumstances, Ye Fan had no opportunity to make any covert moves.

However, under the highest-tier treatment provided by Professor Billy, Ye Fan's strength grew at a terrifying pace. Especially after completing his first blood transformation, the terrifying potential of the "Five Techniques of Embryonic Breathing" began to manifest.

Now, outside of work hours, Ye Fan spent nearly all his time in the source energy training room. After the first blood transformation, his cells' ability to absorb and merge with source energy had reached a new level. Coupled with the "Five Techniques of Embryonic Breathing," his cultivation advanced rapidly, and at this pace, he could likely achieve a second blood transformation within six months.

Exhaling a deep breath, Ye Fan slowly stood up from his training session. Feeling the surging energy within his body, a satisfied smile crossed his face. Today was a rare day off, and after training for most of the day, he realized he was quite hungry.

The core cafeteria in Billy's lab offered excellent food, and with the highest-tier treatment, Ye Fan could order whatever he wanted, as long as it was available. After all, his treatment allowed unlimited use of the source energy training room and full access to the cafeteria.

Walking out of the training room, Ye Fan headed directly to the cafeteria. But before he had gone far, a tall, handsome young man suddenly stepped out and blocked his path. Ye Fan recognized the man and narrowed his eyes, a hint of mockery flashing within them.

The young man had golden hair, narrow eyes, and a handsome face that wore a sly, unkind smile. He stood in Ye Fan's way with his arms crossed, an expression of amusement on his face.

Ye Fan knew this man. His name was Bronc, a member of the core laboratory. Like Li Miaoyi, he was a work-study student from Tianlan Academy. Bronc's family background seemed average, as he hadn't even undergone his first blood transformation yet.

Ye Fan and Bronc had little interaction, so it wasn't hard for Ye Fan to guess why Bronc was blocking his way now. As a rising star in the core lab, Ye Fan had pinpointed several key issues, bringing the extraction of the Xi Yan gene chain close to completion. These accomplishments had earned him significant rewards from Professor Billy.

Such generous rewards naturally made many envious, and Bronc seemed to be one of them. However, since Bronc hadn't even reached his first blood transformation, Ye Fan had never paid him much attention. Now that this guy had chosen to confront him, Ye Fan couldn't help but smile coldly.

"Good dogs don't block the way. Move aside!" Ye Fan's expression darkened slightly, and a subtle yet commanding aura emanated from him. This aura wasn't something he consciously projected; it was a natural result of his past life experiences. While Ye Fan himself might not have noticed it, Bronc did, and his body trembled slightly as he felt an overwhelming, suffocating pressure.

Bronc's playful smile froze on his face, and a look of fear flickered in his brown eyes. He had done his homework and knew Ye Fan was just an orphan, but he hadn't expected him to exude such a terrifying presence.

However, having already committed to this confrontation, there was no turning back now. Steeling himself, Bronc activated the blood energy within his body to resist Ye Fan's overwhelming aura. In a cold voice, he said, "Someone wants to see you. If you know what's good for you, you'll come with me."

Ye Fan was slightly taken aback, realizing that Bronc was merely a messenger. As he hesitated, his intimidating aura dissipated somewhat. Bronc, feeling the pressure lift, breathed a long sigh of relief.

"Oh, so you're just a messenger. Who wants to see me?" Ye Fan asked, his mind racing. If Bronc had come to trouble him directly, Ye Fan could guess the reason. But if Bronc was only a messenger, Ye Fan had no idea why the person behind him wanted to meet.

Judging by Bronc's attitude, it was unlikely to be for anything good.

"You'll find out when you meet them. What's the matter? Afraid to go?" Bronc sneered, his tone clearly provocative.

"Hmph..." Ye Fan's eyes narrowed, a glint of killing intent flashing within them. Despite his young body, he did not possess the impulsive nature of youth. Especially after surviving a mysterious assassination attempt outside Tianlan Star, Ye Fan had become even more cautious.

Now, Bronc was trying to provoke him with such a low-level taunt, but Ye Fan wasn't going to fall for it. However, seeing this guy's arrogant demeanor, Ye Fan knew he wouldn't get the truth without showing him who was in charge. With that thought, Ye Fan activated the blood energy within his body and took a sudden step towards Bronc.

Having undergone his first blood transformation, Ye Fan's blood energy was far superior to that of an ordinary person. With no defense in place, Bronc was immediately affected. His entire body felt as if his blood was suddenly boiling out of control.

The powerful blood energy emanating from Ye Fan's body caused Bronc's own blood to surge, making it feel as though it was about to burst out of his veins. The terrifying sensation of impending death overwhelmed Bronc, pushing him to the brink of collapse.

"Who wants to see me, and why?" Ye Fan demanded, his voice exuding a commanding authority as he stared into Bronc's fear-stricken eyes.

At this point, Bronc's will to resist had already crumbled. Even before Ye Fan finished speaking, terror had consumed his mind.

"It's... it's Qiao Mingtian! He's a suitor of Li Miaoyi, and he's unhappy that you've been getting too close to her!" Bronc stammered, his face pale, voice trembling.

Ye Fan was momentarily stunned by the answer—it wasn't what he had expected. However, he quickly connected the dots and, with a menacing glint in his eyes, asked, "I don't even know who this Qiao Mingtian is. He's not one of Professor Billy's employees, is he? So how does he know I've been spending time with Li Miaoyi? It must have been you who told him, right?"

Bronc averted his gaze, unable to meet Ye Fan's eyes, confirming Ye Fan's suspicions. The truth was clear—Bronc was the one stirring up trouble.

Jealous of Ye Fan's success and afraid of retribution from Professor Billy, Bronc hadn't dared to confront Ye Fan directly. Instead, he used Ye Fan's relationship with Li Miaoyi to provoke Qiao Mingtian into causing trouble.

Understanding the situation, a wave of disgust washed over Ye Fan. His emotions flared, intensifying the blood energy within him. The pressure was so great that Bronc felt a sharp pain in his throat, and blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.

"Hmph, so it was you behind all this," Ye Fan sneered, gradually calming the blood energy within his body. Though Bronc's character left much to be desired, he was still a student at Tianlan Academy, so Ye Fan couldn't deal with him too harshly.

However, Ye Fan wasn't one to back down from a fight. In his past life, he had even dared to provoke the Skull Society, so he wasn't about to be intimidated by a mere student from Tianlan Academy. Understanding the situation, Ye Fan decided to dig a little deeper into Qiao Mingtian's background.

He discovered that Qiao Mingtian came from a relatively well-off family, though only in comparison to ordinary people. Like Bronc, Qiao Mingtian was also a student at Tianlan Academy and had completed his first blood transformation. However, he didn't have an exogenous gene chain, so he couldn't yet be considered a true gene warrior.

Bronc had managed to instigate Qiao Mingtian by exploiting his infatuation with Li Miaoyi, who seemed indifferent to Qiao Mingtian's advances.

After learning all this, Ye Fan couldn't help but chuckle, a strange smile appearing on his face. Lately, with no work on the production line, his income had dried up. Now that Qiao Mingtian had come to him, it would be a shame not to take advantage of the situation. Besides, having just completed his first blood transformation, Ye Fan was itching for a sparring partner, and now one had conveniently presented himself.