"A single drop of Mandala Liquid only raised him to the first level of Earth Rank? This guy's talent is utter garbage!" The people behind the scenes were so furious they could have burst a blood vessel.
A single drop of Mandala Liquid could drain their organization's entire treasury, yet all it did was help their target break through to the first level of Earth Rank before stopping.
One drop was the minimum dose. If it could be used bit by bit, the Cosmic Rules wouldn't allow it...
Normally, a person would at least reach Flying Star Rank, with the remaining energy settling in their body and slowly helping them advance to Sky Rank (Universe Rank) later on.
With sufficient talent, reaching Domain Lord Rank would be normal. Their foundations would just be unstable, leaving them unable to break through to Demigod Rank (World Rank) for the rest of their lives.
"Maybe that kid really does have something strange about him. Besides, someone with a lower rank will be easier for us to control..." The people in the organization consoled one another...
"So this is Earth Rank?"
Yuan did his best to adjust to his explosive increase in power while sensing the orb of light in his Consciousness Sea!
He had finally discovered the true secret behind Earth Rank's power. That orb wasn't merely the core of his Spiritual Force.
It was more like a "Micro-Planet." It rotated on its axis and had its own magnetic field and gravity. This Micro-Planet even let Yuan go without breathing.
He could also control the magnetic field and gravity around his body according to his will, counteracting some of Dongyuan Planet's pull and allowing him to jump higher!
By giving himself a burst of forward momentum, he could dash ahead at great speed!
However, the "Micro-Planet" had limited magnetic and gravitational strength, so even Earth Rank powerhouses had limits to how high they could jump and how fast they could run.
"No wonder they say going from Apprentice Rank to Earth Rank is a leap in life. Only an Earth Rank warrior with their own 'Micro-Planet' can truly be considered an Isis Race member of Dongyuan Planet!" Yuan marveled.
Tuowei walked into the training room. "That's right. Anyone at Earth Rank can have their own 'Micro-Planet.' It may still be very weak now, but as it grows, it'll naturally provide its owner with greater help."
Tuowei looked at Yuan, whose aura was more than ten times stronger and who looked full of vigor. "Congratulations. I've already arranged for someone to register the Scavenger Team's information for you. Just wait a little longer, and you'll be able to leave the city openly."
"Thank you. I wouldn't have had this opportunity without you!" Yuan said sincerely.
Tuowei waved a hand. "It was just a simple transaction. I never expected that one-in-ten-thousand chance to land on you!"
But he thought to himself, You've got the wrong person to thank. You should be thanking the people above me who have 'ulterior motives' toward you!
Yuan knew that whoever possessed the Spirit Condensation Method was no ordinary person. While they waited, he seized the chance to ask about some of the questions he had after breaking through.
"Mr. Tuowei, during my breakthrough, I felt as though the rays of light in my consciousness had gained a speed and weight I could actually sense. But I couldn't truly affect them. What's going on?"
Tuowei looked at the bright, cheerful boy before him as if he were a younger relative. He couldn't help feeling fond of him, and explained, "That's actually the rudiments of a Conception."
"You're a Spirit Reader who entered Earth Rank through the light attribute, one of the eight basic attributes, so your Conception will naturally have something to do with light."
"Based on what you just said, if you can affect light, it should be an ability on the Illusion path among Spirit Readers."
"As for the exact ability, you can explore that slowly once your Genetic Warrior cultivation reaches Earth Rank," Tuowei said with a smile. Inwardly, he added gloomily, If you're still alive by then.
"So it's related to my warrior cultivation, too?" Yuan asked, puzzled. The cultivation knowledge he'd learned before had all been very basic. Reaching Earth Rank was all that mattered.
"I nearly forgot—you've never received proper warrior training!" Tuowei shook his head with a quiet laugh. "Whether you're a Spirit Reader or a Genetic Warrior, you're still a 'warrior' at heart!"
"Whether you keep raising your cultivation rank, from Earth Rank to Flying Star Rank and then Sky Rank (Universe Rank), or comprehend a Conception and cultivate a domain, it all comes down to the attributes of your Genetic Origin Energy as a warrior."
Seeing Yuan silently ponder the explanation, with only a vague understanding, Tuowei teased him. "I could explain the details to you for an hour or two for free, and then you'd understand. If you don't mind, that is."
"No, no! Thanks, but no thanks!" Yuan shook his head like a rattle drum. "I'll spend some more time adjusting to my strength. Mr. Tuowei, could you check on the Scavenger Team papers for me?"
"Hahaha, sure!" Tuowei laughed and left.
Yuan stood alone in the training room and used a few instruments to do some simple tests of his strength.
"My Spiritual Force has condensed into a 'Micro-Crystalline Planet,' packed incredibly tightly together. It's made my consciousness much stronger, too."
Yuan was delighted. It was like how a weak body made a person's consciousness weak, leaving them liable to faint at any moment, while a strong body also brought a clear mind and sharp eyes!
And after his Spiritual Force, which had originally existed in the form of mist, condensed into a "Micro-Planet," Yuan's consciousness had indeed grown much stronger.
But such opportunities were exceedingly rare: the leap in life from the ninth level of Apprentice Rank to Earth Rank, from the ninth level of Earth Rank to Flying Star Rank, and from Flying Star Rank to Sky Rank (Universe Rank).
"My strength has multiplied dozens of times. An ordinary punch can hit with more than three thousand tons of force now. I should be able to snap a relatively brittle A-Grade Metal like Mysterious Iron with one punch!"
"Speed is hard to test. Maybe I can try it out in the wilderness?"
Just as Yuan was feeling pleased with himself, the mysterious Purple Crystal in his mind—which hadn't even made its presence felt while the "Micro-Planet" was forming, and had dutifully stayed there for eighteen years—finally stirred enough for Yuan to notice.
A lazy, rather irritating voice suddenly rang out in his mind. "Congratulations. You finally made it to Earth Rank."
"What was that?! You're the Purple Crystal? You're conscious? You can talk? Why have you been in my Consciousness Sea?..." Shock and fear wiped away Yuan's joy at breaking through. He fired question after question at it in his Consciousness Sea.
"Hey, hey, don't get worked up!" The irritating voice slowly cut him off. "You're asking so many questions at once. How am I supposed to answer?"
Suppressing the urge to call someone over to examine his head, Yuan roared in his Consciousness Sea, "Then talk!"
The voice didn't even come from the purple crystal. It rang out all around his Consciousness Sea, while the Purple Crystal itself merely emitted waves of strange fluctuations.
"Don't worry about what I am for now. I'll just ask you this: do you want to save your dad? If you do, you'll have to follow my lead from here on!"
For the first time in his life, Yuan hated something so much without even knowing what it was. He said furiously in his Consciousness Sea, "Why? Did those two Light-Deriving Snakes enter my Yisi Kingdom because of you?"
"Clever, clever, clever boy." The voice sounded as if it had just woken up. "Heh, and that's not all."
"You managed to evade the patrols and make it here, you successfully broke through, and you just happened to meet someone who could help you leave the city—all because a powerhouse had their eye on me and made a move!"
"What do you want in return for saving my father? I advise you not to make a reckless move. I'm sure the powerhouses in my tribe would be very interested in your existence."
"A puny Earth Rank ant, and you've got quite the nerve! Aside from your Spiritual Force, which tastes pretty good, there's nothing else of yours I want. I just find your head comfortable to stay in, and don't feel like moving!"
"..."
"Hahaha!" Yuan laughed in fury. "Fine, you don't want anything? Get out of my head, or I'm going straight to the Tribal Council. I doubt they'd mind helping out a junior!"
Yuan started to get up, and the voice hurriedly said, "All right, all right! I give up. You're young, but you've got quite a temper!"
"I won't hurt you. After all, I'm living in your head, and the people coming after me are coming after you, too. Besides, even if I could leave for now—which I can't—you still wouldn't be able to escape!"
Yuan's anger eased a little. He'd always been well-behaved, and no one had ever spoken harshly to him. After suddenly encountering such a bizarre situation, he'd lost his temper.
"Then tell me what to do now. I advise you not to cause trouble!"
"This plan is for our benefit, so you have to leave the city! But once you're outside the city gates, don't go to the mine. If you head straight there, those two Light-Deriving Snakes, and even the powerhouses behind them, will come straight for you."
"I'm sure you'd care about the innocent miners in the mine, even if you didn't care about your father underground and your mother, who's still at the scene!"
Yuan thought that, strange as it sounded, there was some truth to it. If the Light-Deriving Snakes didn't leave, he could always change course and head to the mine later. "Fine. If I shouldn't go to the mine, where should I go?"
"Anywhere, of course. If you don't go to the mine, the people behind this, including the Light-Deriving Snakes, will chase after you anyway. After all, I—or rather, we—were their target from the beginning!"
"Don't worry. I've absorbed some power now, enough for us to escape the pursuit. It's so much easier talking to someone smart—not like your deadbeat old man..."
Yuan: "..."
Tuowei came in and interrupted their conversation in the Consciousness Sea. Yuan had to hold back his questions for now and follow Tuowei to a large courtyard. A row of mechs stood prominently inside.
A group of people were sorting out their equipment in front of the mechs. This Scavenger Team is pretty powerful! Yuan assessed them silently.
The mechs themselves were nothing special, since Dongyuan Planet had no shortage of technology, metal, or ordinary energy sources to power machinery.
But in the Tuka Tribe, where every inch of land was worth a fortune, owning such a large plot of land that wasn't used for housing required considerable financial backing.
The Stone family lived in a villa because Autumn was a mid-to-senior-level mine manager. Even then, ownership of the villa still belonged to the mine and the Tuka Tribe's Council of Elders...
Tuowei spoke softly to Yuan. "The Scavenger Team's captain is Jona Guila. She's a Flying Star Rank powerhouse with a bit of a temper. I've already explained your situation to her. Be careful on the way! I hope everything goes smoothly for you!"
Tuowei gave Yuan a meaningful look before leaving.
Yuan could tell Tuowei had sincerely been wishing him well. His resentment toward Tuowei eased a little, and he said the phrase he'd been forced to make into a catchphrase: "I appreciate it..."
Before you continue