Brian Carter couldn't help but shout loudly, "None of my elders are monsters!"

　　Lily Smith hurriedly covered his mouth, warning, "Don't shout like a ghost in the street!"

　　Brian Carter quickly struggled free from Lily Smith's small hand. Although it was just a fleeting touch, the sensation was exceptionally clear. He only felt that this girl's small hand was extremely soft, with a sweet fragrance, and he actually found it quite pleasant. However, he still wasn't used to being so close to her, and his face flushed red in an instant.

　　Lily Smith noticed Brian Carter's blushing, let out a giggle, withdrew her hand, and sized Brian Carter up and down for a moment. Then, even more surprised than before, she exclaimed, "So it's not just ordinary genetic inheritance skipping a generation, you're actually a super skip-generation inheritance!"

　　A faint "black line" seemed to appear on Brian Carter's forehead. His face reddened as he said, "Skip your head! My whole family is normal, eight generations of ancestors have all been human."

　　Lily Smith sighed and said, "Since none of your elders have awakened, I guess I'll have to explain it to you."

　　Lily Smith raised a finger as if it were transparent and began to explain in a righteous tone, "There are two theories in the monster world and the human cultivation world. The monster world believes: since ancient times, monsters have lived together with humans and intermarried, so some humans carry monster genes. There is solid scientific data showing that at least a quarter of humans have monster genes. The human cultivation world believes: humans originated from ancient monster clans, and there are no pure-blooded humans at all—it's just that most humans' foreign genes are buried so deep that current magic and scientific methods can't detect them. There are indeed various cases supporting this view. In short, regardless of which theory, both believe that many ordinary humans have hidden monster genes, and under certain circumstances, these latent bloodlines can awaken, turning them into monsters!"

Chapter Five: The Origin of Monsters

　　Brian Carter's eyes were almost round as he shouted, "Lily Smith, have you been reading too many online novels? Now you're spouting such nonsense? Monster world and human cultivation world? Most humans have monster genes? Why not have an International Monster League and a Human Cultivator Council while you're at it?"

　　Lily Smith replied seriously, "There really is an International Monster League, but our Chinese Myriad Monsters Association doesn't recognize its status. In terms of scale, the Myriad Monsters Association is actually the largest monster organization in the world. As for a Human Cultivator Council, there isn't one, but Europe has a similar Dark Council. It's very small, its members aren't that strong, but they love to stir up trouble. They've been bullied by our Chinese great monsters for decades, but they never learn their lesson and keep coming back for more."

　　Brian Carter had a look of utter defeat, but he didn't completely disbelieve everything Lily Smith said. Last night's experience, along with the changes in his own body, made him half-skeptical, half-convinced. He questioned, "Let's not talk about where these two theories come from, even though they sound so serious. But shouldn't it be the other way around? Why do humans think they originated from ancient monsters, while monsters think humans have other ancestors?"

　　Lily Smith giggled and said, "Both theories are so old, who knows why! Anyway, nowadays they're just academic debates—no one really cares which is right. But everyone agrees on the result: human genetic makeup is mixed with monster blood, and ordinary people have a chance to awaken their bloodline and become monsters. You've already awakened your bloodline, you're living proof, so I don't need to prove it to you, right?"

　　If it weren't for the "changes" in his own body, Brian Carter would have seriously refuted this "nonsense." He was a firm believer in Darwin's theory of evolution and would never accept any other theory of human origin. But now, even if he wanted to argue, he lacked confidence.

　　Lily Smith patted Brian Carter's shoulder and said, "Although various studies and data show that at least a quarter of humans have monster genes, the vast majority of those people will never awaken their bloodline and will die of old age as humans. Out of every ten thousand people with monster genes, only about 3.5 can awaken. With over seven billion people in the world, there are only about six hundred thousand monsters. You don't have to worry about monsters being everywhere—we're still very rare."

　　Brian Carter felt something was off and retorted, "Aren't there also monsters born from monsters and monsters who become spirits through cultivation? How can there be so few monsters?"

　　Lily Smith giggled and said, "The era of monsters intermarrying with humans was so long ago that their genes have long been polluted by humans. Except for the so-called seven pure-blooded families, there are almost no pure-blood monsters left. Even if both parents are monsters, ninety-nine percent of their offspring are human. Those born as monsters number only a few dozen each year, not even worth counting."

　　Brian Carter once again had a "black line" on his forehead. He couldn't help but picture in his mind a scene of Ox-Head and Horse-Face having a grand wedding, holding a human baby, a happy family moment. He shivered involuntarily, then remembered something else and asked, "What about monsters who become spirits through cultivation?"