Chapter 4: Dragon's Roar, Phoenix's Song, Imperator's Aura

At the center of the Su Family villa's grand hall, a meticulously crafted professional Awakening Instrument stood ready, humming softly as it preheated.

"Ke Lu, should I go first or you?" Su Rou asked, her face a mix of excitement and anxiety, her fingers curling nervously.

"What's wrong? This doesn't sound like the fearless Miss Su I know," Ke Lu teased gently.

Su Rou lowered her head, her voice barely audible. "You're already S-Rank... If I'm too weak, will we still be in the same world?"

Ke Lu's heart jolted.

The question was starkly realistic, sharp as a blade. Even in her previous life, in a relatively peaceful world, friendships often drifted apart due to widening social gaps.

But in this High Martial World, where power reigned supreme, such disparities often meant the weak became targets.

She took a deep breath and gripped Su Rou's shoulders firmly.

"There's no telling what my next Spirit Source will be like yet,"

"Besides, no matter the outcome, running away won't solve anything. Go ahead. Let me see the true brilliance of Miss Su."

"I understand," Su Rou said, her eyes sharpening as if infused with courage. She resolutely pressed her palm against the sensor panel.

Buzz—!

In an instant, brilliant light erupted.

Gentle ribbons of color streamed from Su Rou's hand, and a seven-hued rainbow arced from her body, stretching toward the heavens.

Another celestial phenomenon—at least an S-Rank Talent.

Father Su reacted swiftly. With a sweeping gesture, he unleashed an overwhelmingly powerful Spirit Power barrier that instantly enveloped the entire Su Family estate. The barrier perfectly concealed the awe-inspiring spectacle, preventing it from alerting the outside world.

"Truly... beautiful," Ke Lu murmured, gazing at the dreamlike rainbow glow with genuine awe. Her gaze then shifted to the instrument's screen.

The display read: Healer Class, S-Rank Talent.

Father Su had never imagined his daughter possessed such extraordinary Talent. He himself only had a B-Rank Talent, and it was through countless trials, relentless effort, and rare opportunities that he had barely managed to reach the Martial Grandmaster realm. His daughter's Talent far surpassed his own, implying limitless potential for future achievements!

"Hahaha! Excellent! Just like my daughter!" Father Su threw his arms wide, laughing heartily. "Come, give your dad a hug!"

But Su Rou abruptly turned and threw her arms around Ke Lu, jumping with joy. "Did you see that? Did you see how amazing I am? From now on, we can adventure together forever!"

Father Su's outstretched arms froze in mid-air, creating an awkward moment.

Ke Lu suppressed a smile and cleared her throat lightly. "Alright, Miss Su, it's my turn now."

Ke Lu stepped forward and placed her hand on the Awakening Instrument.

"They say awakening happens only once in a lifetime, but I've awakened twice now. Does that count as breaking a record?"

Ke Lu chuckled self-deprecatingly as she felt the power surging from her inner Spirit Source.

So warm...

So domineering...

Ke Lu felt the Spirit Power flow, coursing through her entire body.

The sensation was a hundred, a thousand times more blissful than soaking in the finest hot springs of the most luxurious villas in her previous life.

This was a sensation she had never experienced during her first awakening.

Could this be the unique characteristic of an SSSS-Rank Talent? Ke Lu wondered.

Little did she know, the world outside had already been turned upside down.

At that very moment...

Above the Su Family estate, dragon roars and phoenix cries echoed through the heavens!

Two colossal phantom figures, one golden and the other iridescent, tore through the clouds. Dragon scales shimmered brilliantly, phoenix feathers radiated vibrant hues, and a colossal wind surged outward.

"Reinforce the barrier!" Hysilens shouted, simultaneously channeling Spirit Power with Father Su. Two streams of even greater Spirit Power surged into the barrier, barely suppressing the terrifying phenomenon that threatened to break free from its restraints.

On the ground,

"Wind, such a fierce wind!" Everyone except Father Su and Hysilens had to cling to fixed objects to avoid being blown away. Even so, they swayed precariously.

Father Su gazed at the dragon and phoenix in the clouds, then threw back his head and roared with laughter. "Hahaha! The aura of an Imperator! The aura of an Imperator!"

Standing beside him, Hysilens' mind flashed with complex memories. She murmured, "Truly worthy of the name Imperator."

Seemingly displeased by their confinement, the dragon and phoenix in the clouds abruptly merged into a single primordial divine beast—a creature with a dragon's head, phoenix wings, and scales and feathers shimmering in seven colors. It threw back its head and let out a deafening roar.

Only Martial Grandmasters could faintly sense the piercing shriek that penetrated the barrier, and even they felt a chilling dread.

At the Ke Family estate,

Ke Zhan had been restless and uneasy for days.

First, Ke Lu awakened her S-Rank Talent. Then, Ke Yang was rescued by a mysterious figure—whose identity Ke Zhan knew all too well, yet remained powerless against.

Killing the two children silently and without a trace would have been child's play. That had been his original plan.

Ke Zhan craved power above all else. He had even changed his surname to secure his position as Clan Leader of the Ke Family.

Ke Lu and Ke Yang had always resented him after he married his "white moonlight" (first love). Yet Ke Zhan intended to bequeath the entire family estate to her and their son, Ke Jie. Thus, he had initially planned to dispose of the two children without anyone noticing.

However, after inheriting the Clan Leader's position, he learned a crucial piece of information: the Ke Family in A City was merely the tip of the iceberg of his former wife's clan's influence.

More importantly, the children's names were recorded in the family register, which meant their Soul Lamps burned in the ancestral hall. If anything happened to them and their lamps extinguished, the main branch of the clan might investigate, potentially causing trouble.

This was why he had refrained from completely eliminating the siblings until now.

It wasn't until Ke Lu awakened her S-Rank Talent that he sensed his position threatened and finally acted, crippling her.

At that very moment, while he was cultivating, he heard an unusual sound.

The subtle sound stirred an unsettling unease in him, as if something had slipped beyond his control once more.

His gaze instantly locked onto the Su Family's direction as the source of the disturbance. After a moment's deliberation, he decided to personally investigate.

After all, caution ensures survival—the most vital lesson Ke Zhan had learned throughout his life.

At the Su Family estate,

The dragon-phoenix hybrid divine beast seemed satisfied with its declaration to the world. It swooped down and plunged into Ke Lu's body.

A dragon-phoenix mark materialized on Ke Lu's back, quickly vanishing beneath her skin.

Only then did the others manage to focus on the instrument's readings:

Support Class, SSS-Rank.

[ Looks like my SSSS-Rank Talent exceeds the testing limit, so it can't display it properly, ] Ke Lu thought.

She turned to see the others staring at her in shock.

"What's wrong?"

Ke Yang stammered, "Sis, this... this is too outrageous!"

"Outrageous doesn't even begin to cover it!" Su Rou snapped, immediately pulling out her phone to search. "An SSS-Rank frequency is less than one in a hundred million!"

Su Rou scrutinized Ke Lu from head to toe, suddenly experiencing the bizarre sensation that the childhood playmate who used to play in mud with her was actually a long-lost heiress of a wealthy family.

"Ke Lu, are you some kind of chosen one from a novel?"

Hysilens added, "Miss Ke Lu, I formally invite you to join our Divine Radiance Knight Order. What do you say?"

Without hesitation, Ke Lu replied, "I accept."

I have to join the Knight Order anyway. Why else would the System have arranged for Hysilens to be there?

So far, the System hasn't shown any malicious intent. The rewards have been genuine, and Ke Lu saw no reason to distrust it without cause.

Ke Lu asked Hysilens, "What are the requirements for joining the Knight Order?"

"Thank you for your trust," Hysilens said with a slight smile. "Before formal admission, you must pass a period of evaluation and demonstrate a certain level of strength."

"Before that," she elegantly extended her hand, "would I have the honor of joining you and your companions on your upcoming adventure and training?"

"Of course," Ke Lu nodded, grasping her hand. "It would be our pleasure."

At that moment, Father Su's expression suddenly froze. He whipped his head up to stare at the sky, his voice booming like thunder:

"Ke Zhan, retreat!"