Third-rank Sovereign Grade Armaments, and the Spirit Technique Ruins

The Battle Disciple Emblem offered meaningful boosts to strength, speed, and agility — but nothing to Mental Power.

A brute's tool, through and through.

Not that it mattered. Lu Yuan's Mental Power was already well above average; that particular gap didn't need filling.

What the Emblem truly excelled at was its activation effect: a dramatic surge to strength, speed, and agility during combat. The exact magnitude scaled with one's own base power.

He dismissed all his current Gene Armaments and re-equipped the three new ones.

The difference registered immediately. His overall strength had climbed by another significant margin.

*And now for the real show.*

With barely contained anticipation, Lu Yuan activated the Evolution Cube. A deep blue radiance seeped out and slowly settled over the Crimson Storm Heavy Sword — the one currently orbiting his Gene Chain.

The result was immediate and dramatic. The amplification the sword provided to his strength swelled steadily, ultimately landing at nearly double its original value.

The Crimson Storm Heavy Sword had crossed the threshold from King Grade to Emperor Grade.

A Third-rank Emperor Grade Gene Armament.

Under ordinary circumstances, something like this simply couldn't exist. Unlike Gene Warriors who gradually accumulate genes through inscription, Feral Beasts were born with theirs. Any beast carrying Emperor Grade genes would be Fourth-rank at minimum. A Third-rank Feral Beast could never drop an Emperor Grade armament.

But under the Evolution Cube, the impossible had been made real.

More remarkable still: after the evolution, equipping the Crimson Storm Heavy Sword placed no greater burden on him than the King Grade version had. He wouldn't overload himself simply because his armament had been elevated beyond its original tier.

Outstanding news.

The one drawback was cost. Evolving the sword had consumed roughly one million Third-tier Spirit Crystals — approximately ten thousand Fifth-tier Spirit Crystals. Not a trivial sum.

Fortunately, most of the treasures he had consigned to auction had yet to move, and his Evolution Cube reserves held around 150 million Fifth-tier Spirit Crystals. Running dry wasn't a concern.

There was one other frustration: the moment an evolved armament left his Gene Chain's active boost, it would revert to its original form. Somewhat maddening.

*If it held its evolved state permanently, I could sell these things for a fortune.*

He shelved the thought and proceeded to evolve the Dark Harvester Armor and the Battle Disciple Emblem in the same fashion.

With all three armaments evolved to Emperor Grade, every one of his attributes had risen by nearly double.

*Let's see how far this goes.*

He decided to push further. If he could bring them all the way to Sovereign Grade, the boost should be even greater.

He focused his intent.

The deep blue luminescence surged back into the armaments, and evolution resumed.

Excitement flashed through him.

*Third-rank — and I'm equipping Sovereign Grade armaments. Three of them. What kind of absurdity is that?*

This evolution took considerably longer.

By the time the process completed, morning light was already leaking in from outside.

Each Emperor Grade armament, evolved to Sovereign Grade, had consumed a full hundred thousand Fifth-tier Spirit Crystals.

The effect, however, was stark.

Compared to Emperor Grade, Sovereign Grade armaments amplified his output by roughly four times over.

Lu Yuan had the distinct sense that the amplification from these three armaments alone now exceeded the combined amplification from every Transcendent Gene across his entire Gene Chain.

The sheer absurdity of it settled over him.

To put it in perspective: Transcendent Genes provided amplification that dwarfed standard genes at the same tier. And yet these armaments had surpassed them entirely. That spoke volumes about how overwhelming Sovereign Grade truly was.

*Right now, I'm probably stronger than any genius at the next major power stage — even one who's inscribed King Grade genes.*

Assuming, of course, that genius wasn't also equipping Sovereign Grade armaments. He decided not to entertain that possibility.

A thought tugged at him. *Could I push it one step further — to Saint Grade?*

If so, dealing with Bloodrage Fang would be trivial.

But the reckoning followed immediately. Sovereign Grade had already cost a hundred thousand Fifth-tier Spirit Crystals per piece. Saint Grade might easily demand a million — pricier than tempering a single King Grade gene. The number gave him pause.

He deliberated for a long moment, then set his jaw. *Do it.*

He focused his intent, willing the Evolution Cube to continue on all three armaments.

Nothing happened.

Lu Yuan blinked. *Can't evolve further?*

He turned it over in his mind. Was the cube itself capped at Sovereign Grade? Was there a two-tier limit per armament from its original quality? Or was it something else entirely?

He couldn't determine the cause, and the Evolution Cube offered no explanation.

His best guess was that it simply hadn't undergone enough metamorphosis to unlock the next stage.

Before its most recent metamorphosis, it hadn't been able to evolve Gene Armaments at all. Now that it could, there were apparently still limits. Another metamorphosis might unlock Saint Grade — or perhaps even Divine Grade.

That was speculation, of course. He couldn't know for certain.

In any case, reaching Sovereign Grade was already remarkable. A Third-rank warrior equipping Sovereign Grade armaments would probably generate more amplification than Fourth-rank King Grade armaments, he estimated.

Best of all, there was no additional load on his body. If there had been, he likely couldn't have equipped even one Sovereign Grade armament at his current level.

His gaze drifted to something else floating alongside his Gene Chain.

Black Bear No. 1.

*Might as well.*

He extended his intent. The Evolution Cube pulsed with blue light, enveloping the craft.

Evolution commenced.

When the glow faded, Black Bear No. 1 had been remade as a Third-rank combat shuttle.

Like the armaments, its exterior was unchanged — but everything underneath was different. Its top speed had surged to thirty times the speed of sound, and its defensive and offensive capabilities now matched roughly those of a Third-rank King Grade creature.

Evolving this Spiritual Item had cost even more than the armaments. The jump from Second-rank to Third-rank alone had consumed around 200,000 Fifth-tier Spirit Crystals.

He attempted a second evolution.

No response.

He shrugged it off. Thirty times the speed of sound already outpaced most King Grade warriors. And if escape ever became necessary, Space Teleportation was his first option. Black Bear No. 1 was just convenient transport.

Two days later.

A flash of white light burst from the Land of Origin, and Lu Yuan stepped out just outside the Training Hall in Tianrao City.

He was halfway to the entrance from pure habit when it hit him. *Right — I'm hunting Gnoll geniuses with Si Tingxue today.*

He pressed a palm to his forehead, drew out his Communication Crystal, and placed the call.

Si Tingxue's face appeared on the crystal's surface. Lu Yuan smiled.

"Where are we meeting up?"

"White Cloud City. At the entrance to the teleportation hall."

"Got it."

Without further questions, he nodded, summoned Black Bear No. 1, rode it to the teleportation hall, and transferred to White Cloud City.

Out of the hall, he found the entrance and waited.

A few minutes passed. Then he spotted them — Si Tingxue and Rebecca stepping out together.

Si Tingxue wore a long blue robe, an ice-crystal Staff in hand. Rebecca was likewise an Elemental Type warrior, clad in crimson robes, her Staff fashioned from what appeared to be red wood with a scarlet gemstone set near its tip.

Ice and fire, walking side by side. The contrast was impossible to miss.

Both women saw him at the same moment. Rebecca's face broke into a wide grin as she waved.

"A-Yuan!"

Si Tingxue gave a quiet nod.

Lu Yuan smiled. "So — where do we track down these Gnoll geniuses?"

Si Tingxue's chin lifted a fraction, a trace of pride in her voice.

"When you're willing to spend Spirit Crystals, locating someone in the Land of Origin isn't difficult. I've obtained intelligence: four Gnoll geniuses on the kill list are active beyond city limits today. Two of them are Fourth-rank — too risky for us to engage. The other two are Third-rank peak warriors who've inscribed Lord Grade genes. One is named Clara, the other is Zhou Er. Those are our targets."

Lu Yuan raised an eyebrow, genuinely impressed.

"I didn't realize you came so prepared."

The corner of Si Tingxue's mouth curved — just barely.

"Know your enemy and know yourself, and you will not be imperiled in a hundred battles."

Beside her, Rebecca's expression turned slightly pained.

"Little Xue spent a lot of Spirit Crystals on this intel, you know. Information brokers in the Land of Origin are absolutely printing money."

Lu Yuan blinked. *There are information brokers operating inside the Land of Origin?*

On reflection, it made sense. Wherever people gathered, information had value.

He smiled. "Where exactly are they?"

Si Tingxue's eyes sharpened briefly.

"Clara is on an ice plain roughly three thousand kilometers from Blood Bone City, hunting Feral Beasts. Zhou Er is inside a ruins site near White Cloud City."

"Ruins?"

Lu Yuan looked up in surprise.

"An open ruin. Whatever valuables it held were claimed by stronger warriors long ago. That said, luck might turn up something overlooked — it's mostly a matter of chance. The site itself isn't worth much."

Si Tingxue's explanation was even and matter-of-fact.

Lu Yuan nodded. "Let's start with the ruins, then."

"That was my thinking as well."

Si Tingxue gave a small nod in agreement.

"Convenient — I have a combat shuttle. We can fly straight there."

"Mm."

Lu Yuan focused his intent, and Black Bear No. 1 materialized at the roadside. In White Cloud City, combat shuttles and mounts of every description were common enough that it drew no particular attention.

Rebecca, though, eyed it with keen interest.

"I've seen footage of this! It's the shuttle you used back in the Aier Mechanical Ruins, right?"

Lu Yuan nodded with a smile. "The very one — though I've had some improvements made. Hop in."

All three boarded. Black Bear No. 1 shot forward as a streak of black light and vanished past the city gates.

Tens of thousands of kilometers from White Cloud City stood a mountain range.

The mountains were riddled with ruins. Gene Warriors came and went in a steady stream — some searching, some departing empty-handed.

Black Bear No. 1 swept across the sky and descended over the range.

Si Tingxue surveyed the terrain below, eyes narrowing.

"This is it. The ruins are here."

"What's the history of this place?" Lu Yuan asked, curious.

She considered for a moment.

"The remains of a sect that specialized in Spirit Technique cultivation. There are Spirit Techniques scattered throughout — apparently, a powerful warrior once recovered a Sovereign Grade one from inside."

Lu Yuan's eyes widened. "A Sovereign Grade Spirit Technique? That's extraordinary luck."

Spirit Techniques and Combat Techniques operated similarly — both channeled through Spirit Power — but differed in a key way. Combat Techniques came embedded in inscribed genes, effectively acquired at the moment of inscription. Spirit Techniques, by contrast, had to be sought out and mastered through one's own effort.

Spirit Techniques also couldn't provide the amplification bonus that came from inscribing Transcendent Genes. But like Body Techniques, they remained a potent tool for enhancing combat strength.

A Sovereign Grade Spirit Technique would carry roughly the same destructive potential as a Sovereign Grade Combat Technique. Possessing one was essentially like adding an extra Sovereign Grade technique to one's arsenal — minus the gene's amplification, but a meaningful edge in battle regardless.

*I could use one of those.*

Rebecca was equally animated, her eyes bright with anticipation.

"Do you think there's anything left? Maybe we'll get lucky!"

Lu Yuan nodded. "Maybe we will."

Si Tingxue regarded them both with mild exasperation.

"Don't get your hopes up. This ruin has stood for hundreds of thousands of years. Anything worth having was taken long ago. The few people who have ever actually found Spirit Techniques here can be counted on one hand — most leave empty-handed. Coming here is pure gambling."

A flicker of disdain crossed her eyes.

"A gambler's mentality. This Zhou Er doesn't appear to be particularly impressive."

Lu Yuan and Rebecca glanced at each other and smiled.

"Do we have Zhou Er's exact position?" Lu Yuan asked.

Si Tingxue shook her head. "Warriors in the ruins are constantly on the move. Even information brokers can't narrow it down further. We'll have to search on foot."

"Fair enough."

Lu Yuan guided Black Bear No. 1 to a hover above a cluster of ruins and set them down. All three dropped onto the broken ground.

He dismissed the shuttle and surveyed the landscape. Rubble stretched in every direction — collapsed eaves, shattered columns, crumbled stone as far as the eye could see.

"Looks like there was a major battle here," Rebecca said.

Si Tingxue nodded. "Almost certainly a sect annihilation."

In the distance, a handful of Kaman figures were picking through the wreckage. When they noticed Lu Yuan's group, they exchanged a glance and quietly withdrew.

The three of them spread out and began their search.

Centuries of growth had woven the ruins into the mountain itself — vines and creepers smothered every surface, ancient trees erupted upward through collapsed floors, and Feral Beasts had long claimed the shadowed hollows as their own. The beasts here were all Third-rank, making the site a reasonable hunting ground for Third-rank Gene Warriors.

No wonder Zhou Er had come here. Even if no Spirit Technique materialized, there were always Feral Beasts to hunt and Spirit Crystals to harvest.

For Lu Yuan and his companions, Third-rank Feral Beasts — barring King Grade specimens — posed no real threat. They moved quickly, sweeping through the ruins section by section.

About half a day in, the distant sounds of combat reached their ears.

The three exchanged a look and moved toward it.

What they found, in a ruined courtyard, was a powerfully built Gnoll warrior — yellow-furred and broad-shouldered — standing amid several dead Kaman bodies. The earth beneath was dark with blood. Three surviving Kaman warriors faced him, all Third-rank, though their composure was visibly fraying at the edges.

"Gnoll! That dimensional gate — we found it first! What do you think you're doing?!"

The yellow-furred Gnoll showed his teeth in a slow, vicious smile.

"What am I doing? Sending you to join your friends, obviously."

He blurred into motion — a streak of raw speed — and launched himself at the three.

A slaughter commenced.

Lu Yuan, Si Tingxue, and Rebecca looked at one another.

Quiet smiles spread across their faces.

*Found him.*

They had the photo from the kill list. That yellow-furred Gnoll was Zhou Er, without a doubt.