13: Lord Ranking

On the high platform, the cyan-blue electric arcs gradually receded, and Bai Xiao's aura stabilized. At this moment, a series of system prompts rang out in Su Jin's mind.

“Detected that Lord Su Jin has successfully recruited a Hero unit, Lord's Core ability activated!”

“Lord's Power has been unlocked!”

Su Jin's whole body trembled, feeling as if some invisible shackles had been opened. A wonderful sense of energy emerged from deep within his body, rapidly spreading throughout.

What shocked him even more was that he could clearly feel that an unprecedented, mysterious, and close connection had been established between him and Bai Xiao on the high platform.

It was as if, if he wished, he could perceive Bai Xiao's state. At the same time, he vaguely sensed that he, too, seemed capable of wielding the same power as Bai Xiao, a power containing both destruction and rebirth!

Before he could fully comprehend this newfound power, the prompt sounded again, three times in a row, signaling the importance of the matter.

“System Announcement (Initial Land), Blue Star Alliance Lord recruits Hero unit, Lord Ranking Board has been activated!”

“System Announcement (Initial Land), Blue Star Alliance Lord recruits Hero unit, Lord Ranking Board has been activated!”

“System Announcement (Initial Land), Blue Star Alliance Lord recruits Hero unit, Lord Ranking Board has been activated!”

“Ranking Board?” Su Jin's thoughts stirred, and a virtual interface unfolded before his eyes.

The interface design was simple, with only one title—[Blue Star Alliance Lord Ranking Board (Initial Land)]—and beneath it, a single name hung lonely:

First Place: Bai Xiao ★ Infinite City

Other than that, there was no one else.

Opening the Lord System, the discussions inside were in full swing.

“What the hell?! A Hero unit?! I didn't see wrong, did I? Isn't that something you only get a chance to encounter after your territory advances to Tier 4 and you enter the Continent of Conquest?”

“Who is that 'Infinite City' at the top of the ranking board?! They must be cheating! This is definitely cheating! Where's the administrator? Where's the GM? Aren't they going to do something?!”

“The person upstairs must be an idiot, there's no administrator in this cursed place. But this 'Infinite City' is too fierce. I've just about finished my defenses and I'm still worried about tonight's monster siege.”

“'Infinite City'? Never heard of it. Is this some hidden ace of a major family? It's too ridiculous.......”

“Hero unit… so absurd. How can such a monstrous existence appear at this stage.......”

“Don't ask, just be envious. All I want to know now is how strong tonight's monster siege will be and if my two hundred-plus soldiers can hold out…”

“Holy crap! What's going on? Why did the ranking board suddenly unlock? This progress… are we not on the same timeline?”

The chat group was in an uproar, countless Lords were shocked by this sudden change, speculating about the origins and methods of this 'Infinite City'.

Su Jin casually glanced a few times, then closed the interface.

The unlocking of the Lord's Power meant that he himself now had the ability to intervene in battles, no longer just a Commander in the rear.

Although the specific application still required exploration, this was undoubtedly a qualitative leap.

This sudden “fame” had its pros and cons. However, in this world where strength reigns supreme, rather than being timid, it was better to show his sharp edge!

He believed that with the Sublimation talent and the potential of Infinite City, he would eventually stand at the peak of all races. The so-called troubles were merely insignificant pebbles on his path to the supreme throne.

After a brief moment of thought, Su Jin's gaze returned to the Sublimation Platform.

Bai Xiao had already risen, standing still at the side, the cyan-blue electric arcs and spiritual pressure around him even more solidified than before. The invisible oppressive aura he exuded made the soldiers below breathe with some difficulty.

His gaze swept over the three captains below, each with a different expression.

“Mu Yang, Stone Rock, Zhui Yun, step forward.”

Upon hearing this, the three immediately straightened their bodies, suppressed the agitation in their hearts, and slowly walked onto the high platform. They knelt on one knee before Su Jin, their movements perfectly synchronized.

The [∞] symbol on the back of Su Jin's hand lit up again. This time, the light divided into three beams, enveloping the three of them.

Boom—!

Their bodies simultaneously trembled violently, as if undergoing immense pressure and transformation.

Mu Yang's body was the first to manifest a thick, solid earthen-yellow energy halo. This energy flowed like a living thing, gradually condensing into a layer of crystal-clear, hard armor on his body's surface.

At the same time, the great halberd in his hand also underwent astonishing changes. Ancient runes flowed across the halberd's shaft, and the halberd's tip became incomparably sharp, emitting a chilling gleam that captivated the soul.

Stone Rock's body, in contrast, erupted with an orange-red light, as if scalding molten lava was surging and roaring through his veins.

On the surface of his heavy tower shield, intricate fire patterns rapidly spread and lit up. The edges of the shield glowed with a dazzling fiery red, and a roaring lava beast totem vaguely emerged in the center of the shield face, as if it could spew out flames capable of incinerating all things at any moment.

Zhui Yun's transformation was particularly unique. What surged from his body was pure, azure wind-elemental energy, like solid hurricanes swirling around him, making his robes flutter loudly.

The longbow on his back seemed to have gained life, greedily absorbing this pure wind energy. The bow's body became more slender and lighter, and fine electric arcs faintly leaped across the bowstring, emitting a low rumble of thunder.

The aura of the three also climbed steadily, breaking through to Tier 3 in the blink of an eye.

After the Sublimation was complete, the three captains almost simultaneously opened their eyes, which flickered with disbelieving joy.

“The Lord's grace, we shall engrave it in our hearts.” Mu Yang and the others knelt on one knee, their eyes filled with determination and gratitude.

Su Jin nodded with satisfaction, then looked at them: “Rise, and behold your new appearance.”

The three stood up as commanded, stretched their limbs, and felt the surging power within their bodies and their brand new equipment, while the soldiers below had already erupted in thunderous cheers and jubilation!

Su Jin secretly checked the attribute panels of the three:

“Mu Yang ★ Commander ★ Thousand-Blade Halberdier (Silver - Lower Rank)”

“Level: Tier 3”

“Skills: Sweep Across the Army, Armor-Piercing Halberd Technique, Halberd Blade Storm (High-speed rotating halberd forms a 3-meter radius death disc, continuously cutting surrounding enemies), Thousand-Joule Strike (Concentrates all strength at the halberd tip, delivering a devastating blow)”

“Description: A steel meat grinder on the battlefield, his halberd technique is grand and powerful, unmatched. With one swing of his halberd, a thousand armies are cleared; with one man defending, ten thousand cannot break through!”

“Stone Rock ★ Commander ★ Cinderflame Guardian (Silver - Lower Rank)”

“Level: Tier 3”

“Skills: Copper Wall Iron Wall, Shield Reverse Impact, Lava Shield (Shield surface ignites with lava flames, greatly enhancing defense and causing scorching damage to those who touch it), Resonance Shield Strike (After charging, releases a shockwave, dealing 50% of defense value as blunt damage to enemies within a 10-meter straight line)”

“Description: An unyielding bulwark walking on the battlefield, clad in fire crystal heavy armor, wielding a lava giant shield. He is the heavy hammer that tears through enemy formations, and even more, the Copper Wall Iron Wall that protects his comrades!”

“Zhui Yun ★ Commander ★ Wind Thunder Arrow Master (Silver - Lower Rank)”

“Level: Tier 3”

“Skills: Cloud Piercing Arrow, Rapid Fire, Eagle Eye Lock (Marks a single target; the next three arrows gain guaranteed hit, Armor-Piercing +30%, and increased critical hit chance), Thunder Arrow Rain (Fires an arrow imbued with wind and thunder power into a designated area; upon explosion, the arrow transforms into a dense Thunder Arrow Rain covering the target area)”

“Description: The darling of the wind, the messenger of thunder. When the longbow is drawn, wind and thunder gather; when the arrow leaves the string, ten thousand tons of thunder break through the sky!”