Start with a photographic memory and build a memory palace

Chapter 260 Curse: Genetic Blow.

……

"You are from the Central Plains!"

Li Qing took a deep breath, trying to calm the turmoil in her heart. Although her voice trembled slightly, she still tried her best to maintain her composure and spoke slowly.

Wu Wen's lips curled up slightly, revealing a meaningful smile:

"You can tell I'm from the Central Plains, so it seems you have some knowledge of the situation there."

Upon hearing this, Li Qing slightly relaxed her tense brows, let out a long sigh, and said:
"The mountains are high and the roads are long, you have come all this way, you must have a clear purpose... I, perhaps, can help you!"

"No need."

Wu Wenyan responded succinctly, while slowly raising his hand, the movement gentle yet carrying an irresistible force, and gently placing it on Li Qing's head.

Instantly, Li Qing's pupils contracted sharply, his face filled with terror. He spoke hastily, his voice shrill with fear:
“You killed a high-ranking Buddhist master, this place can no longer tolerate you! Keep me here, I…”

However, before he could finish speaking, his eyes suddenly became empty and unfocused, as if his soul had been instantly ripped out, leaving only an empty shell.

In no time.

Wu Wen calmly withdrew his hand, his movements clean and swift, as if nothing had happened.

"Indeed, they are the remnants of the Jiuli people."

Wu Wen muttered to himself, a thoughtful glint in his eyes.

"Moreover, this so-called 'black magic' is essentially witchcraft."

Wu Wen closed his eyes, immersing himself in the information he had just obtained from Li Qing's memories, carefully digesting it.

Just as he guessed, Li Qing was a descendant of the ancient Ailao people who migrated south to this land.

The ancient Ailao people were a mysterious and unique branch of the Jiuli tribe.

They have passed down an ancient and evil form of witchcraft for generations: curses.

This kind of magic was too insidious and was considered taboo by the people of the Kingdom of Dharani, who called it "black magic".

When Wu Wen delved deeper into the inheritance of "curse" witchcraft in Li Qing's memory.

He was surprised to find that...

This seemingly mysterious "curse" technique is actually a sophisticated application of genetic engineering.

By subtly modifying the target's DNA sequence or epigenetic markers, it's like implanting malicious code into the source code of life, subjecting the target to a targeted curse.

The specific operating procedures are extremely complex and bizarre.

First, biological samples of the target must be collected, such as hair, blood, and saliva. These seemingly ordinary substances contain the code to the target's life.

After extracting the DNA, they then use the Gu, a genetically modified and strange plant, that they cultivate symbiotically within their own bodies.

They are like messengers given an evil mission, precisely editing DNA and implanting cursed gene fragments.

Subsequently.

Specific genes can be activated or silenced using advanced biotechnologies such as RNA interference or methylation modification.

Like turning on a switch to control life, it causes the target to exhibit various abnormal physiological or mental symptoms.

In mild cases, it can lead to rapid aging, as if time is passing by at an accelerated pace; in severe cases, it can cause hallucinations and plunge one into endless pain and fear; in even more serious cases, organs may gradually fail, and life may be like a candle flickering in the wind, teetering on the brink of collapse.

And advanced genetic curses.

Its terrifying nature is self-evident.

It can even be passed down through generations, leaving the target's offspring with the cursed mark, as if branded with a mark of shame by fate, which is a genetic disease.

This means that a family may live in pain and despair for generations because of this evil curse.

"To strike so precisely and viciously at the genetic level, this curse is truly terrifying!"

After gaining a deeper understanding of this curse and witchcraft, Wu Wen couldn't help but feel a chill run down his spine and sighed in disbelief.

This type of attack, which originates from the most fundamental level of a living organism, far surpasses the scope of ordinary methods of killing.

It is not merely a means to easily kill individual targets, but a terrifying force capable of directly annihilating an entire race and plunging them into an abyss of darkness forever.

The "curse" technique mastered by Li Qing.

In Wu Wen's view, it undoubtedly falls under the category of genetic techniques.

However, in Li Qing's methods of manipulating and casting curses, there is no explanation of the microscopic concept of "genes".

The ancient Ailao people were like bewildered explorers, groping in the dark through day after day of observation and countless summaries, thus mastering this mysterious and terrifying curse technique.

This is similar to Mendel, the father of genetics.

Without any understanding of the modern scientific concept of genes, he directly summarized the laws of genetics simply through meticulous observation and repeated summarization of pea hybridization experiments.

Without a foundation, a tall building was erected directly from the ground.

This is also one of the important reasons why Wu Wen was moved.

Interior scene.

Wu Wen conducted a deduction and analysis of the curse techniques he had acquired.

This only involves gene expression and hereditary phenomena.

Take the results.

Reasons for the deduction.

Wu Wen combined his understanding of genes with his logical thinking ability and used powerful computing power to deduce the results.

He quickly arrived at the theoretical basis for these curse techniques.

Curse: Deprivation of the Five Senses

Principle: Silencing of visual/auditory nerve receptor genes leads to blindness and deafness. Although examinations show that the nerves are intact, gene expression is suppressed.

Curse: Aging.

Principle: The inhibition of the telomerase gene causes rapid aging within weeks, resulting in symptoms such as skin wrinkles and organ degeneration.

Curse: Increased Pain.

Principle: Overexpression of pain receptor genes causes people to experience severe pain or even phantom pain in response to minor stimuli such as wind or touch.

Curse: Mental breakdown.

Principle: Methylation of the serotonin transporter gene causes a person to fall into a state of severe depression or mania, with emotions completely out of control, similar to a "genetic version of mania".

Curse: Bloodline severed.

Principle: Mutations in germ cell genes (such as sperm/eggs) can lead to infertility or ensure that offspring carry a fatal genetic disease: blood curse.

Curse: Flesh and blood mutation.

Principle: Mutation of the fibroblast growth factor gene triggers skin hyperplasia and keratinization, forming scales or exoskeleton, while pain nerves are compressed, leading to persistent and severe pain.

Curse: Memory alteration.

Principle: Changes in epigenetic markers in the hippocampus can lead to the deletion of memory fragments or the implantation of false memories, such as making a person believe that they have killed a loved one when in fact they did not.

Curse: Blood Curse Plague.

Principle: A mutation occurs in mitochondrial DNA (maternally inherited) and is transmitted from mother to child, causing all descendants in the family to carry the mutation. This can lead to symptoms such as sudden death or schizophrenia in offspring at the age of sixteen.

……

The key to Li Qing's curse technique.

The problem lies in the "Gu" that he cultivated within his body.

This is a rare plant cultivated using special methods.

This type of Gu possesses the ability of "horizontal gene transfer".

Horizontal gene transfer refers to the direct transfer of genes between different species, rather than following the traditional method of inheritance to offspring.

Through this unique mechanism, the Gu can acquire genes from other organisms.

This is why the Gu can obtain the genes of the person about to be cursed.

after that.

The Gu will release spores.

These spores parasitize the cursed person, assimilating and infecting them, ultimately casting the curse.

……

(End of this chapter)