After everything had been settled, Su Xingyu returned to his cabin and took out the rewards the system had granted him for unifying the Black Soil Plains.
Aside from two blueprint scrolls and ten thousand points of World Origin, there were two other notable items: a pitch-black curtain and a golden treasure chest.
The blueprints were self-explanatory, and the World Origin—while still shrouded in mystery—was already known to be important. Though its only confirmed use so far was integrating blueprints into structures, the difficulty in acquiring it hinted at far greater potential in the future.
But what truly caught Su Xingyu's eye was the black curtain—a growth-type artifact.
[Dark Curtain]Category: Growth ToolLevel: 1Effect ① – Darkness: Envelops an area in shadow, increasing the concentration of dark elements by 200%
"The effect's decent, but the level's too low," Su Xingyu muttered, shaking his head.
With a flex of his fingers, a pitch-black longsword materialized in his palm.
This wasn't his first artifact. Aside from the Dark Curtain, he also possessed another growth tool—his companion artifact.
Excalibur Midnight.
[Polar Night]
Category: Growth
Tool Level: 1
Effects:
① – Break the Boundary: Shatter limits.
This mysterious weapon had been lying beside him when he first awakened. Yet Su Xingyu had never figured out how to wield it properly. Having spent most of his time in the God's Domain without any real combat, he had no idea what it was truly capable of.
Back then, divine sources were precious. He hadn't dared to waste any powering up items he didn't understand. Despite being labeled "divine weapons," neither of them compared favorably to epic-tier gear in sheer power—aside from the fact that they could withstand divine energy.
Just like modern players: they may carry the title of "God," but most didn't even have epic strength.
As for leveling these artifacts up, he had no clue how. For now, he simply kept them close and infused them with divine power to slowly nurture their growth.
After leaving his spiritual mark on the Dark Curtain and completing the master recognition ceremony, Su Xingyu tossed both artifacts into the Pool of Faith within the divine domain to let them soak and be baptized.
"I'll test them later."
With the artifacts out of the way, Su Xingyu turned to the final reward—the golden treasure chest.
It was a tier above the orange chest he'd received after conquering the Goblin Plane. Without a doubt, this was the most valuable reward he'd ever laid hands on.
"Should I pay my respects to the boss first?" he joked to himself.
Rubbing his hands together, he chuckled softly, barely able to contain his excitement. Even though there was no one around, his expression betrayed his anticipation.
"Oh, great system! Bless me today... let this be something amazing."
He reached out.
Open.
A brilliant golden light flared, illuminating the cabin in divine brilliance.
[System prompt: You have opened a golden treasure chest. Acquired: Rule Instrument - Power.]
"Rule Instrument? What the hell is that?"
Su Xingyu blinked in confusion. He'd never heard of such a thing. Curiosity piqued, he examined the item.
It was a crimson crystal, roughly the size of a football, glowing with an ominous pulse.
[Power]
Category: Growth Rule Instrument
Level: Tier 1 (Requires 1,000 World Origin to upgrade to Tier 2)
Effect: Believers have a 20% chance to increase their innate Strength attribute★
Su Xingyu gasped sharply.
"Holy—"
No wonder the system classified it as a rule-based item. This thing didn't just boost stats, it tampered with innate attributes.
That was game-changing.
Attributes were one thing. They could be raised through training and resources. Any ordinary person could become extraordinary given time, effort, and external support. But innate attributes? Those were locked in at birth. Talent. Aptitude. Potential.
Only miraculous encounters could alter that baseline. This was the kind of treasure that cultivators in immortal novels would kill for.
People with high talent surged ahead with minimal effort. Those with poor aptitude struggled endlessly, falling behind no matter how hard they worked. It was harsh, but it was reality.
Su Xingyu recalled Ye Zhan, the Night Tribe's most talented warrior. His innate attributes were two stars higher than most, and his cultivation journey had been smooth as silk. While others remained stuck at the bottleneck of Level 3, Ye Zhan was already eyeing Level 6.
That was the power of talent. Not just speed, but a much higher ceiling.
Take strength, for example. If someone's innate strength was capped at three stars, no matter how hard they trained, they'd never break past that limit.
And Level 3 to Level 4 was a crucial turning point.
Levels 1–3 were considered low-tier. Levels 4–6 were mid-tier. Anyone stuck at the third level without four-star strength and physique was going nowhere.
Most humans averaged around three stars across all attributes. That's why breakthroughs were rare.
Those with four stars could break through with enough effort.
Five-star talents? As long as they stayed consistent, breakthroughs were guaranteed.
Talent didn't care about fairness. It made all the difference.
So when Su Xingyu saw that this Rule Instrument could directly boost innate strength—even with just a 20% chance—he realized the true value of what he'd found.
This wasn't just treasure.
This was a cornerstone. A foundation-shaking artifact that could reshape the future of the entire Night Tribe.
It didn't even matter that it only affected strength. In most cases, strength and physique were intertwined. One couldn't exist without the other. A frail body couldn't handle raw power. Raise one, and the other often followed.
Even if it didn't directly enhance physique, the improvement in strength would spill over.
Shaking himself from the rush of thoughts, Su Xingyu checked his current World Origin balance.
World Origin: 23,200
So far, he'd only used this resource for barracks construction. If he'd spent it on anything else, he might have missed this opportunity.
"Thank goodness I didn't waste it," he muttered.
He'd discovered three main ways to earn World Origin: through system rewards, trades, and natural growth.
As his territory expanded, the daily passive income increased. But the majority still came from completing objectives and receiving system rewards.
Lifting the red crystal with both hands, Su Xingyu murmured the command.
"Upgrade."
[Power]
Level: Tier 2 (Requires 10,000 World Origin to upgrade to Tier 3)
Effect: Believers have a 40% chance to increase their innate Strength attribute★
"Upgrade again."
[Power]
Level: Tier 3 (Requires 100,000 World Origin to upgrade to Tier 4)
Effect: Believers have a 60% chance to increase their innate Strength attribute★
Su Xingyu's face lit up like a child seeing fireworks for the first time.
Take off!
This Rule Instrument wasn't just useful. It was monumental. It could define an era.
The Night Tribe's rise had only just begun—and now, it had the power to shatter the heavens.