Xia Qingyue failed to conceal the shock on her face.
At this point, a question surfaced naturally in her mind.
Could Grey still be considered human?
The information currents that rejected ordinary humans had accepted him. They had allowed him to establish a Cognitive Anchor. They had even permitted him to construct a server within the Information Layer itself.
Xia Qingyue had personally witnessed Grey’s effortless control over technology. Because of that, she accepted his words without hesitation. Grey possessed many questionable habits, yet he never exaggerated or fabricated his own abilities.
He noticed her reaction imdiately.
Grey spread his hands helplessly and spoke. "Since you’re with now, Senior Xia, you might as well prepare yourself. Things like this will beco routine."
His comprehension defied the heavens. At this point, he had no choice but to embrace it.
Hearing him, Xia Qingyue snapped out of her thoughts and shot him a sharp glare.
"You’ve grown more arrogant," she said with a snort. "Always rember this, Grey. Greater existences exist beyond you. Keep that truth in mind."
"Of course." Grey shook his head lightly. "I was joking earlier. Don’t take it seriously."
He understood that reality well.
The universe stretched far beyond imagination. Beings with terrifying talent and comprehension existed everywhere within it.
That awareness mattered.
Even the people around him already stood far outside the ordinary.
The starry sky would only magnify that truth.
Sooner or later, he would encounter rivals of equal caliber. When that happened, the stakes would rise sharply, and competition would reach absurd levels.
Grey welcod that future.
Only then would his path face true testing.
Xia Qingyue let out a tired sigh and waved her hand dismissively.
"Alright. Enough. I don’t want to talk about this anymore. If you have other secrets, keep them to yourself."
Her voice carried genuine fatigue.
She had lived for far too long to react like a shocked young girl. At this stage, knowing less brought more peace.
She already knew Grey held far greater secrets.
For example, the complete transformation of his race into that of a dragon.
Xia Qingyue coughed lightly and shifted the topic.
"You said you wanted a regeneration technique, right?"
"Yep." Grey nodded imdiately. "And while I was away, I also thought of sothing else."
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"Senior Xia, do you have a three star variation of the Earthly Disintegration spell?"
"A three star variation of Earthly Disintegration?" Xia Qingyue repeated.
She raised her hand and swiftly flipped through several rune clusters suspended nearby.
"I do have one," she said after a mont.
"It’s called Earth Anchoring Collapse. A peak three star technique reinforced by the rule of gravity."
She lowered her hand and looked at Grey.
"That’s the only variation I possess."
Her lips curved slightly.
"So, do you want it?"
"Of course." Grey smiled and accepted without hesitation.
Seeing his response, Xia Qingyue nodded.
Multicolored light burst from her hands.
The library around them shifted rapidly. In the next mont, two runes flashed out from the towering shelves and shot toward Xia Qingyue.
They materialized in front of her.
One rune carried a dull gray hue.
The other glowed with vibrant green light.
"I also selected a regeneration technique for you," Xia Qingyue said as she picked up the green rune.
She examined it briefly, then flicked it toward Grey.
Grey caught it effortlessly with telekinesis.
"That rune contains Verdant Pulse Recovery," Xia Qingyue explained with a faint smile. "It’s a special three star technique that draws upon the rule of life to regenerate the body at high speed."
Her expression turned thoughtful.
"The energy consumption is heavy. Techniques connected to profound laws demand far more energy. The deeper and more mysterious the law, the greater the cost to activate it."
She continued calmly.
"Verdant Pulse Recovery stands among the strongest variants of its type. Higher star versions exist. Four star, five star, and beyond. Those versions can restore even powerful rankers."
She paused briefly.
"There is an advantage. Once you comprehend the law of life to minor succession, the energy requirent drops significantly. At major comprehension, it drops further. Full mastery changes everything."
Her gaze grew distant.
"At that stage, injuries lose their aning. A fully mastered life law grants an existence approaching immortality. At least, that is what the ancient records claim."
"Oh." Grey nodded and accepted the rune.
Then Xia Qingyue lifted the gray rune and sent it toward him as well.
"This one contains Earth Anchoring Collapse," she said. "Its energy consumption scales with your input. Half of your total energy output matches your current power level. Using most of your energy pushes its destructive force one full level higher."
She added one final detail.
"Comprehension of the law of gravity to minor succession allows you to reach that higher level using only half the energy."
"I’ll rember that." Grey nodded with a smile.
As the two runes settled into his possession, a new thought surfaced in his mind.
How long would it take to comprehend these two techniques?
Grey continued receiving constant feedback from his infernals. From their reports, the situation was clear.
The southern region’s federal bound provinces and cities had already fallen under his hands.
Only a handful of deserted cities and the High Order mbers remained. Their numbers were significant, and eliminating them would take ti. High Order strongholds were being uncovered one after another, each discovery adding to the list of remaining targets.
This was not sothing that could be resolved within a single day.
Since that was the case, Grey made a decision.
He would remain inside the secret realm and focus entirely on comprehension. By the ti his infernals finished sweeping through the southern region, he would erge far stronger than before.
When that mont arrived, he would announce his rulership over the southern region.
Weeks or even months could pass.
Grey felt no concern over that.
For an evolver, such lengths of ti carried little weight. Especially for soone at the second rank, whose lifespan easily stretched beyond a thousand years. Waiting a few months felt insignificant.
With his resolve settled, hesitation disappeared.
He would enter a short seclusion.
Before doing so, Grey contacted Lia, Alissa, Valeria, and Werner, informing them of his plans and giving brief instructions.
Once everything was arranged, Xia Qingyue spoke.
"I’m returning to Evan," she said. "He’s still undergoing transformation."
"Alright." Grey nodded with a smile.
A portal to the outside world ford beside them.
"Go ahead," he said. "Once I’m done with seclusion, you can move into the secret realm, Senior."
Xia Qingyue nodded, said a few parting words, and stepped through the portal.
After she left, the secret realm quieted.
Grey turned inward.
He entered seclusion.
He would not step out until he fully comprehended both techniques and advanced further along his path.
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