27: Chapter 27 A-Rank Manifestation, Golden Crow Sun Wheel

Northwest Hunting Zone, the Great Grassland.

A group of Thunder-Horned Rhinos were resting by the river; they were extremely overbearing, having driven away all surrounding Yao Beasts upon arrival to monopolize the large river.

Some Thunder-Horned Rhino calves were frolicking nearby, sparring with their immature thunder horns.

A group of people concealed their presence and quietly approached.

"Young Master Lu, the situation seems a bit dire. There are at least five or six in the Divine Sea Realm, and the strongest is at the third level," Cheng Feng whispered.

"What is there to fear? Did I give you those Magical Artifacts for nothing? If you don't want to do it, return the artifacts to me and get lost," Lu Xuan snorted.

"Uh... it's not that we can't fight. After all, we have the advantage of Magical Artifacts and combat techniques. They can only fight by instinct, so their strength is much weaker," Cheng Feng said immediately.

Was he joking? The Magical Artifacts gifted by the Lu Family young master were things they couldn't afford even after saving for over a decade. How could they just give them up?

Even if the protection mission failed, having these Magical Artifacts in hand was already a huge profit!

"These two brothers of the Lu Family, although their 'brotherly love' is a facade and the atmosphere is tense, they both have a hobby of giving away Magical Artifacts..." Chen Xing thought to himself.

Thinking of this, he put on the Earth-element gloves Lu Wu had given him. The attributes matched, and he felt no discomfort.

"You want ten, right?" Lu Wu asked in a low voice.

"Ten. Any cultivation level is fine. Don't push yourselves; just do what you can. If you get hurt, withdraw and let me handle it," Chen Xing nodded.

Although he meant well, it piqued the competitive spirit of the two Lu brothers.

Lu Wu didn't need to say more, and while Lu Xuan remained silent, his gaze changed, and his clenched fists were enveloped in a layer of flame.

Who did he think he was looking down on?

"Little Brother Lu, you have the aerial advantage. Go and draw their attention first, and we'll launch a sneak attack from behind," Li Tan said.

"Alright," Lu Wu nodded.

"He's not the only one who can fly," Lu Xuan spoke up.

"Um... then I'll leave it to you two," Li Tan nodded, somewhat surprised.

"Whoosh!"

The silhouettes of giant birds appeared behind the Lu brothers simultaneously, lifting them into the air as they charged toward the rhino herd.

Notably, Lu Xuan's was not a Crimson Flame Mysterious Bird, but a more sacred mysterious bird with more magnificent wings.

"The ancestor of the Lu Family had the ability of the legendary Divine Beast, the Jinwu. However, there's an issue with the Bloodline of the descendants; only those at A-Rank or above are complete Jinwu, while those below B-Rank are just Firebirds," Xia Qinger explained.

"Jinwu? Such a Divine Beast actually exists!" Chen Xing was surprised.

One was a Crimson Flame Mysterious Bird, and the other was a Jinwu. Everyone finally understood why their statuses were so different despite being only one Rank apart.

"That's strange. Given his noble status, why would he come here alone? Isn't there anyone from the Lu Family protecting him?" Chen Xing asked.

"I don't know, but he isn't the most noble one in the Lu Family," Xia Qinger whispered.

"He isn't?" Chen Xing was astonished.

"I heard Lu Wu has a cousin whose ability Rank is A+. Her Bloodline is much purer than Lu Xuan's. Even though they both have the Jinwu ability, that sister is significantly stronger than him," Xia Qinger said.

"Lu Xuan is only the heir of a branch Family, but that sister is the Primary heir."

"A+? I thought it would be S-class," Chen Xing nodded.

"How is that possible? S-class hasn't appeared in years. Having one or two in a galaxy of countless people is Heaven-Defying luck. Most families have B+ or B-class Espers as heirs; having an A-Rank is already cause for great celebration," Xia Qinger shook her head.

"I see. I thought the Clan Chiefs of those great families had to be S-class to hold their positions," Chen Xing nodded.

"That's way too exaggerated. For normal people, B-Rank is usually the limit. A-Rank is as rare as phoenix feathers, and S-class is basically never discussed because it's pointless." Xia Qinger was speechless.

Chen Xing chuckled. It was mainly because he was an S-class himself and moved in different circles, so he had assumed S-classes were everywhere.

Come to think of it, there would probably only be one or two S-class Prodigies in the academies of each major system, and even that might be an overestimation.

"Boom!"

While they were talking, the Lu brothers had already flown high into the sky and launched a fire bombardment on the Thunder-Horned Rhinos below.

Lu Xuan's lethality, speed, and overall performance were superior to Lu Wu's, and his power was even more terrifying.

"Roar!"

The Jinwu opened its mouth and spat out intense flames that looked like liquid, spraying down and incinerating a large area of the grassland.

The slightly weaker sixth or seventh-stage Yao Beasts were in agony the moment they were touched, their skin charred black by the intense fire as they howled in pain.

This was the difference in Rank; the A-Rank Jinwu was simply stronger than Lu Wu's B-Rank mysterious bird.

"Hmph—!"

The powerhouses of the rhino herd were enraged. They roared, and the lightning shooting from their horns actually linked together.

These lightning bolts alternated and eventually formed a massive electric grid, blocking the encroachment of the flames.

"To think they have this kind of coordination; I underestimated the intelligence of Yao Beasts," Lu Wu said in surprise.

"Just a grid. Can it compare to my Divine Beast?" Lu Xuan said with a face full of disdain.

"Watch me!"

Now that the girl he loved was watching the battle nearby, his passion soared even higher, and he was desperate to show off.

Lu Xuan really wanted to say to Xia Qinger, "Look, see? I'm much more powerful than that guy. Why won't you even give me a glance?"

"Boom!"

The Jinwu spread its wings, looking like a sun hanging high in the sky, casting down ball after ball of intense fire.

This was the Lu Family's ancestral A-Rank Combat Technique—'Jinwu True Form', which could only be cultivated by descendants with the Jinwu ability.

As for the even higher S-Rank Combat Technique—'Jinwu Secret Manual', it was very special and had high requirements; first and foremost, one had to be an S-class Esper.

If not, one would need to use a special treasure to Cultivate it to avoid the backlash of the powerful Jinwu force.

Lu Xuan originally had a chance, but unfortunately, he lost to that cousin in his Family. Naturally, that special treasure went to her, and he would have to wait another year if he wanted to use it.

"Roar!"

This action undoubtedly enraged the Thunder-Horned Rhinos again, and several at the ninth-stage cultivation stepped forward to release lightning at him.

Lu Xuan dodged with a few shifts. As an A-Rank Esper, his capacity was enormous, and he showed no signs of fatigue even after unleashing a large-scale combat technique.

"Are you stupid? There are fifth-level Divine Sea Realm Yao Beasts down there. How can you break through this electric grid with your eighth-stage cultivation?" Lu Wu spoke up.

"Then I'll just add more heat!" Lu Xuan spread his arms.

"jinwu sun wheel, come!"

His Natal Treasure—the jinwu sun wheel—was a massive golden ring, engraved with patterns of the Jinwu and flames.

The jinwu sun wheel appeared and rested behind Lu Xuan. Their powers connected, forcibly boosting his cultivation to the First Heaven of the Divine Sea Realm!

"Boom!"

How astonishing! Lu Xuan had suddenly crossed a major Realm to reach the Divine Sea Realm, dealing massive damage to the electric grid.

The leader of the Thunder-Horned Rhino herd also sensed something was wrong and immediately sent two second-level Divine Sea Realm rhinos forward, ordering them to stop that Upright ape demon.

"Hahaha! Come on, come on! This little bit isn't even enough to fill the gaps between my teeth!" Lu Xuan laughed loudly, gripped his spear tightly, and charged in.