Background

Two days passed—not too long, but not too short either. During this time, no one disturbed them. Everyone focused on using the secret technique to absorb the essence of the ice marrow. When they grew hungry, they paused to absorb source energy to replenish their strength.

In this water prison, Tianlan Academy didn't provide any food. Fortunately, these individuals were on the verge of their first blood transformation. While they couldn't completely fast, they could use source energy to partially sustain their bodily needs.

"Hehe, Boss Li! I'm not trying to flatter Big Brother Qiao, but without relying on a gene chain, there isn't a single person in Tianlan Academy who can match Big Brother Qiao's strength at the same level," said a young man with a long, thin face and eyes as large as copper bells, giving him a horse-like appearance. Because of this, everyone nicknamed him "Little Horse."

"Oh, are you saying Big Brother Qiao was born with extraordinary strength?" Ye Fan asked, his face showing a hint of doubt. He had personally experienced Qiao Mingtian's terrifying power, but claiming he was invincible at the same level seemed exaggerated. Given time, Ye Fan's strength would surpass Qiao Mingtian's once his Dragon Elephant Gene Chain fully manifested.

"Hehe, of course," Little Horse said with a proud look on his face. He then whispered to Ye Fan, "Boss Li, you probably don't know this, but Big Brother Qiao doesn't have a single gene chain in his body—not even a standard one!"

Ye Fan was momentarily stunned, then couldn't help but gasp. He asked in disbelief, "Are you saying that Big Brother Qiao has never had a gene chain injected into him?"

"Exactly!" Little Horse nodded, looking a bit embarrassed. After confirming this fact, a flash of surprise appeared in Ye Fan's eyes.

It's well known that a normal person's strength is limited; an average adult can lift around 200 pounds. When a person completes their first blood transformation, their physical abilities undergo a significant qualitative leap, with strength reaching around 1,000 pounds.

Of course, this applies to most people. There are certain individuals with unique talents—people born with extraordinary abilities. From what Little Horse had said, Ye Fan was now sure that Qiao Mingtian was one of these individuals.

Born with superhuman strength!

These individuals are naturally stronger than their peers. Even if they don't train, they'll possess over 1,000 pounds of strength by adulthood. And if they do train, their strength will multiply exponentially.

Clearly, Qiao Mingtian was one of these people. Having completed just his first blood transformation, his strength had already reached over 10,000 pounds—ten times that of a typical blood transformer. It's easy to imagine that as his cultivation increased, his strength would explode even further. This kind of talent was akin to having a top-tier natural strength gene chain from birth.

"Hehe, that's truly impressive!" Ye Fan glanced at Qiao Mingtian, who was still cultivating, with a touch of envy. But then he remembered something: according to what he had heard, Qiao Mingtian's family was well-off. It shouldn't be difficult for them to buy a good standard gene chain, so why didn't he have any?

When Ye Fan voiced his confusion, Little Horse looked a bit embarrassed but finally explained, "Actually, Big Brother Qiao hasn't had an easy life. His father has other sons, and because Big Brother Qiao is exceptionally good-looking, he's been ostracized by his family..."

Upon hearing this, Ye Fan began to understand. Though it might seem strange, this kind of situation wasn't uncommon in large families, especially since humanity had mastered genetics. As lifespans increased, family bonds often grew weaker.

"I see," Ye Fan sighed softly, surprised to learn of Qiao Mingtian's difficult background.

"In fact, if it weren't for us, Big Brother Qiao's life might be better. Our families are poor, and the expenses at Tianlan Academy are high. If it weren't for Big Brother Qiao's support, we might have dropped out long ago."

As Ye Fan listened to Little Horse's heartfelt words, he was deeply moved. No wonder these brothers were so loyal to Qiao Mingtian—there was a touching story behind it all. Now it seemed that he had indeed made the right choice in befriending Qiao Mingtian.

After chatting for a while, the two grew closer, then returned to their cultivation. Over the next two days, they spent their time talking, cultivating, and absorbing the essence of the ice marrow, enjoying themselves so much that they almost forgot they were in a prison.

It wasn't until the heavy door of the prison cell creaked open that their unique gathering finally ended. As they left, feeling the changes in their bodies, many of them felt reluctant to go. Little Horse even asked the prison guard if he could stay a few more days. The other brothers looked just as hopeful.

This scene left the prison guard with a shiver down his spine, thinking he had encountered a group of lunatics. Ignoring their eager expressions, he quickly locked the cell door and rushed out of the water prison without looking back.

"Come on, are we really that scary?" Everyone laughed and cursed playfully, bursting into hearty laughter.

…

By the time Ye Fan returned to the Billy Gene Lab, it was already evening. As he walked back to his quarters, slightly tipsy and reeking of alcohol, everyone he passed gave him strange looks.

At first, Ye Fan didn't pay much attention to it. After parting ways with Qiao Mingtian, they had dragged him into a tavern, where they ate and drank to their heart's content. In his previous life, Ye Fan had been a heavy drinker, so in his good mood today, he naturally had a few more drinks than usual.

So, when he noticed the strange looks from others, Ye Fan didn't think much of it, assuming it was because of his recent stint in the water prison. But when he ran into Sean, who promptly pulled him into a room, Ye Fan started to feel that something was off.

"Ye Fan, are you really Professor Billy's illegitimate son?" Sean asked, staring at him with a face full of gossip.

What…?

Ye Fan's voice shot up by several octaves upon hearing this. Shaking his head, he felt his drunkenness quickly fading.

"You were taken away by the Golden Emissary, so you probably don't know. But this rumor has been spreading like wildfire in the lab, and it's even causing a stir across the entire Tianlan Star," Sean said, looking at Ye Fan with a peculiar expression.

"The guy named Bronk who framed you was reportedly fired on the spot by Butler Liu. Don't tell me you're not his son, or why else would he treat you so well?"

Ye Fan, now fully aware of the situation, was momentarily speechless. He hadn't expected Bronk's elaborate scheme to backfire so spectacularly. However, he was absolutely certain that the rumor about being Professor Billy's illegitimate son was false.

How could he, the mighty Thunder God of his previous life, possibly be an illegitimate child of Professor Billy? Just as he was about to deny it, another possibility crossed his mind.

Of course, the Thunder God of his past life couldn't be Professor Billy's son. But in this life, his current body was that of an orphan. If someone claimed he was Professor Billy's illegitimate child, it wasn't entirely out of the question.

As this thought struck Ye Fan, memories of the original owner of his current body suddenly surfaced in his mind. These memories had initially tried to integrate into Ye Fan's consciousness, but he had sealed them away, only skimming through them briefly.

Now, with a renewed interest, Ye Fan delved into these memories. What he discovered made his heart race with cold sweat. According to the original owner's memories, before he was old enough to remember clearly, he did have a mother.

His mother's surname was Li, and she was called Li Xinlan. The child took on her surname, and in his memories, his mother was very beautiful and gentle, though she never smiled. When the boy was three years old, his mother suddenly fell gravely ill.

Later, his mother passed away. On her deathbed, she revealed his true parentage. She told him that his father had abandoned them and even provided the address of his father's residence—right at Tianlan Academy.

After his mother's death, the boy, Ye Fan, was sent to the Han City Orphanage, where he spent a happy childhood. However, in his young heart, he never forgot his mother's words:

His father had abandoned them, and his father was at Tianlan Academy!

The young boy held a deep grudge, as children often do. After arriving at the orphanage, he spent most of his time studying and acquiring knowledge, all with the goal of one day entering Tianlan Academy. He wanted to find his father and ask him why he had abandoned him and his mother!