Chapter 209 : Ultra-Luxurious Rewards! The Territory Gains Another Fierce General!
Chapter 209: Ultra-Luxurious Rewards! The Territory Gains Another Fierce General!
Done.
The significance of this occupation was tremendous!
Even Hang Yu felt unprecedented excitement!
He immediately opened the details of the New Wan City region, which mainly included revenue statistics and population information. After all, these were the most direct benefits and advantages to the territory.
The New Wan City region consisted of seven major cities.
They were: the main city New Wan, and the six major cities Lixian, Rang County, Zhixian, Guanjun County, Nieyang County, and Xie County.
The entire New Wan City region currently had a total population of approximately 360,000 to 370,000. New Wan City alone contained nearly 100,000 people, while the other six cities and twenty-four villages combined had fewer than 300,000.
Because living conditions were relatively harsh.
They faced the Ultimate Darkness Disaster every one or two months.
Several severe mass-casualty events had also occurred throughout history.
Precisely because of this, the average life expectancy in the New Wan region was less than forty years. This was only because a group of Tier-3 cultivators capable of living over a hundred years had raised the average age.
The current median age of residents was only twenty years old.
Furthermore, the male population was only sixty percent of the female population.
Because most people did not live to old age.
The proportion of elderly people was extremely low.
From these statistics alone, it was clear that although the Six-Direction Fate Grand Formation protected the region, New Wan had limited resources and had to fight the Abyss year-round. Internal conflicts, armed clashes, and various unnatural deaths were also common. The living environment was extremely harsh and brutal.
As for military strength.
The New Wan City region maintained more than thirty thousand standing troops, nearly one-tenth of the population. In addition, there were eighty thousand able-bodied men who, besides farming and laboring, had to train regularly and participate in rotating military drills. In critical moments, they could immediately become reservists.
If these people could be absorbed and integrated!
The territory’s military strength would directly rise to an entirely new level!
This place did not have a large population, nor did it possess extensive cultivable land. In order to support such a massive army, the ordinary people of the entire New Wan region lived very difficult lives.
For most people.
Going hungry was normal.
However, that was now a thing of the past.
Once Hang Yu became the master of this place.
The locals would no longer need to worry about food or daily necessities.
As for the impact of occupying New Wan on the territory and on Hang Yu himself?
The impact was enormous.
It could be described as a world-shaking transformation, even the greatest breakthrough since the beginning of his Lord career.
First.
Although not every village would produce a Blessing Point.
The entire New Wan region contained sixteen Blessing Points.
Hang Yu’s Lord Talent, Pioneer’s Heart, had already reached Level 4. Every Blessing Point increased all attributes by 4%, meaning sixteen Blessing Points provided a massive 64% increase!
One had to remember.
Before this.
Even including Xinye.
Hang Yu had only controlled twenty-four Blessing Points in total!
Now, the number of Blessing Points under his control instantly rose to forty!
This granted Hang Yu’s four basic attributes a tremendous 160% enhancement!
Of course, this enhancement was calculated based on his innate physique before equipment, pills, cultivation, or any acquired factors.
Even so, the increase was no small amount.
Hang Yu activated his Human Emperor Physique.
At Tier 3, every level gained increased all four attributes by as much as forty points.
The enhancement provided by these sixteen Blessing Points was equivalent to:
Strength +768
Agility +768
Spirit +768
Willpower +768
His strength improved.
Immediately and visibly!
Furthermore, Pioneer’s Heart was not Hang Yu’s only Lord Talent.
His King’s Soul also enhanced his power.
This talent was influenced by population size. The larger the population, the stronger its effects. Not only did it increase maximum health, but the power of the King’s Might it could condense also received a substantial boost.
All these effects together.
Effectively increased his combat power.
If Zhang Xiu could previously barely exchange ten or twenty rounds with Hang Yu.
Now Hang Yu could defeat him within three to five rounds.
Even among beings of the same Overlord level, there existed a tremendous gap in strength. The current Hang Yu already possessed the comprehensive power of a first-rate Overlord.
The impact of controlling New Wan City on the territory itself was also enormous.
The first benefit was increased financial income.
Such a large territory and population.
Would generate a fixed income of 15,000 Magic Crystals every month.
For most Lords, this was no small sum, especially since it was passive income earned effortlessly.
As long as the territory remained intact.
This income would never stop.
For many territories, this risk-free income was extremely important and could even be considered the cornerstone of development.
Of course, Hang Yu already had his own industries, and the Scourge Army’s productivity was extremely high. He did not value this passive income all that much.
What truly excited Hang Yu was the fact that whenever a Lord occupied a new region and gained new territory and population, the construction limits of Star Buildings increased. Some buildings that previously could not be built could even become available.
After fully absorbing New Wan and integrating its population.
The maximum number of Abyss Barracks would increase by 60!
Abyss Cafeterias +6!
Forging Workshops +6!
Alchemy Workshops +6!
Skill Towers +3!
“...”
These numbers.
Were unquestionably astonishing!
It meant the territory was about to enter an explosive phase of development!
What did an additional sixty Abyss Barracks mean?
Hang Yu currently only possessed twenty barracks.
If all sixty were built, the population would effectively quadruple!
Furthermore, six additional cafeterias, forging facilities, and alchemy facilities could be constructed.
At present, the territory only had three of each.
If all these production facilities were built and upgraded to Tier 3, Hang Yu could employ thirty additional chefs below Tier 3, thirty additional blacksmiths below Tier 3, and thirty additional alchemists below Tier 3.
The entire territory’s productivity would experience explosive growth!
Of course.
Achieving all of this would not be easy.
Take population expansion as an example.
If sixty new Abyss Barracks were constructed and upgraded to the same Tier-2 level as those currently in the territory, this would allow twelve thousand new population slots.
The calculations were simple.
Tier-1 Barracks construction cost: 500 Magic Crystals + 2,000 Tier-1 materials.
Tier-1 to Tier-2 Barracks upgrade cost: 1,200 Magic Crystals + 2,400 Tier-2 Material Essences.
The construction cost of sixty Tier-2 Barracks alone would require 102,000 Magic Crystals!
And that did not even include recruitment expenses!
Twelve thousand new units.
Each costing 20 Magic Crystals to summon.
Summoning them all would require a staggering 240,000 Magic Crystals.
A total of 350,000 Magic Crystals!
Material costs were separate!
Hang Yu checked the territory’s available Magic Crystals and material reserves.
Currently available:
Abyss Magic Crystals: 181,000
Tier-1 Materials: 271,000
Tier-1 Material Essence: 186,000
Tier-2 Materials: 69,000
Tier-2 Material Essence: 143,000
The 2,000 attribute pills listed on the market were nearly sold out.
These pills averaged 65 Magic Crystals each, generating roughly 130,000 Magic Crystals total.
After market fees, approximately 117,000 Magic Crystals would remain.
Even so.
The total barely reached 300,000 Magic Crystals.
There was still a funding gap.
Recently, there had been the Xinye Campaign, the Day of Ultimate Darkness Campaign, and the Luoshui Defense Campaign.
Although countless enemies had been eliminated, individual targets generally dropped very few Magic Crystals unless they were Commander-level units.
These humanoid enemies produced abundant Essence Points but were economically inferior to conventional monsters.
Of course.
These 300,000 Magic Crystals did not represent all the territory’s assets.
Hang Yu knew players still possessed some Magic Stones they had not handed over.
If carried personally, these items would drop completely upon death.
Within the territory, however, they could function as a form of currency.
Although the territory had already issued official currency, converting Contribution Points into coins—or vice versa—incurred fees. This “seigniorage tax” was not insignificant.
More importantly, to prevent some players from becoming nothing more than gold-farming studios while neglecting personal growth and development, Hang Yu restricted the daily amount of circulating currency each player could exchange.
The higher the level.
The larger the exchange limit.
As a result, unsold Contribution Points.
Would naturally be spent on personal improvement.
This effectively encouraged players to level up.
However, it also created a shortage of currency liquidity.
To solve this issue, players increased barter trading while retaining portions of Magic Stone Fragments as substitute currency.
After a rough investigation.
The total value of Magic Stones circulating among players was only about thirty to forty thousand Magic Crystals.
Although it was possible to collect them.
The significance was limited.
This amount could not fill the territory’s funding shortfall.
After all.
Besides recruiting troops.
Hang Yu still needed to invest heavily in expanding production, hiring new personnel, constructing additional facilities, and upgrading all existing infrastructure.
These matters.
Could wait for later.
He would carefully plan them after returning.
The most urgent task now was stabilizing the situation.
He needed to secure the loyalty and submission of New Wan’s population.
Zhang Xiu was dead.
Using the war as an opportunity, Hang Yu had conveniently eliminated and suppressed many powerful factions.
This would greatly help him seize control of the situation.
Yet fully digesting this territory would not be easy.
After all, New Wan was unlike any territory he had previously acquired.
For a hundred years, it had existed like a small, isolated kingdom.
Its internal complexity far exceeded that of villages or small towns.
Fortunately, both Hang Yu and the race of his territory were human.
This race and identity provided great convenience when taking over the land.
At the very least, it prevented instinctive rejection and resistance.
According to Hang Yu’s plan.
He intended to suppress and dismantle other military and family factions while supporting the Extreme Yin Sect and the Wen Clan of Wan City.
Both forces possessed tremendous influence and prestige throughout the New Wan region.
As long as Jia Xu and Wen Pin took the lead in pledging loyalty to the territory, all other problems would naturally be resolved.
Hang Yu had already ordered Wen Pin to be summoned.
Within a few minutes, Wen Dai would likely bring him here.
During that process, he would undoubtedly recount everything he had seen and heard in Luoshui City, along with the entire course of the campaign.
As long as Wen Pin was not a fool.
There was no way he would choose to oppose Hang Yu.
As for Jia Xu?
He had no reason to obstruct Hang Yu either.
By sending members of the Extreme Yin Sect to welcome him and not preventing him from obtaining the Fate Divine Stone, Jia Xu had already expressed his position.
Jia Xu’s condition was extremely poor.
At this point, he could barely protect himself.
Only Hang Yu had a chance of saving him.
Hang Yu believed that if he could solve Jia Xu’s problem, not only Jia Xu himself, but the entire Extreme Yin Sect would fully integrate into the territory.
Jia Xu’s value was immense.
The Extreme Yin Sect was also highly useful.
“Time is precious!”
“I might as well open the chest first!”
Hang Yu did not want to waste time waiting.
After activating the New Wan regional core Fate Divine Stone, he had obtained a large blue-quality treasure chest.
A treasure chest of this level.
Had never appeared before.
【You opened “Fate Treasure Chest (Blue)”: Abyss Magic Crystals +150,000, Blessing Sand +1000, Spirit Forging Crystals +800, Life Crystals +500, Zhang Xiu Soul Stones +50, “Skill Stone: Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix Spear” +1, “Blueprint: Blood Spear Demon Soldier Camp” +1, “Blueprint: Spirit Gathering Cultivation Tower” +1!】
As expected of a blue-quality Fate Treasure Chest!
The rewards were even richer than expected!
Just the Magic Crystals alone totaled 150,000.
This greatly eased the financial pressure ahead and allowed Hang Yu to recruit new troops more comfortably.
Additionally, the chest contained one thousand Blessing Sand, eight hundred Spirit Forging Crystals, five hundred Life Crystals, and fifty Soul Stones.
All of them were extremely precious production materials.
【Blessing Sand】, Tier-3 Material, Blue Lower Grade… Description: Can be used when enhancing equipment of Tier 3 or below and Blue quality or below, significantly increasing enhancement success rates.
This item was incredibly useful!
The higher the equipment tier and quality, the greater the material consumption required for enhancement.
As enhancement levels increased, the bonuses became larger.
At the same time, success rates steadily declined.
A Level-10 Tier-1 piece of equipment and a Level-10 Tier-3 piece of equipment.
Or a Level-10 White-quality item and a Level-10 Blue-quality item.
Even if both were enhanced to +10, the bonuses and costs differed as drastically as heaven and earth.
All of Hang Yu’s equipment was Tier-3 Blue quality.
Each enhancement required astronomical resources beyond the imagination of ordinary players.
Even as a Lord, he found the cost burdensome.
Because of this.
Of the seven pieces in his set, six had only reached Enhancement Level 6.
Even the Huangtian Demonic Dragon Spear had only reached Level 7.
Although every successful enhancement would provide massive gains.
Even Hang Yu did not dare attempt them casually.
The cost of failure was too great.
Blessing Sand increased enhancement success rates.
It could prevent enormous sunk costs!
Whether used by Hang Yu himself or others in the territory, its value was extremely high.
【Spirit Forging Crystal】, Tier-3 Material, Blue Quality. Has a high probability of upgrading Tier-2 equipment of Blue quality or below into Tier-3 equipment, and a small probability of upgrading Tier-3 equipment of Blue quality or below into Tier-4 equipment.
Forging Essence Stone.
Forging Essence Crystal.
Spirit Forging Crystal.
These three materials were essentially the same type of item, differing only in tier and quality.
Forging Essence Stone upgraded Tier-1 equipment to Tier 2.
Forging Essence Crystal upgraded Tier-2 equipment to Tier 3.
Spirit Forging Crystal could also upgrade Tier-2 equipment but carried a tiny chance of creating Tier-4 equipment.
It was another precious and highly demanded material.
As for the remaining two items.
Life Crystals and Zhang Xiu Soul Stones.
Both were high-quality materials.
Life Crystals could slightly improve equipment quality.
Their main effect was granting equipment increased maximum health.
They belonged to the gemstone category.
As for Zhang Xiu Soul Stones?
They were also gemstone materials.
Exceptionally rare and precious ones.
All gemstone materials could improve equipment quality.
Soul Stones not only had a high chance of helping equipment break through quality limits, but also a greater chance of granting entirely new equipment skills or improving existing equipment skills.
Hang Yu had previously obtained a small number of Guan Yu Soul Stones from Wolong Mountain.
He used them while forging the Huangtian Demonic Dragon Set.
That was the direct reason the set’s quality broke through from Green to Blue.
In other words.
The materials above alone.
Were worth at least several hundred thousand Magic Crystals!
Yet even they paled compared to the remaining rewards.
For example.
This treasure chest.
Contained only one skill stone.
Yet the value of this single skill stone.
Was likely greater than ten or twenty green skill stones combined!
【Skill Stone: Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix Spear】, Blue Quality Cultivation Art… Learning Requirements: Total Attributes above 3500, Agility above 1200, and consumption of 3,000,000 Abyss Essence.
This was Zhang Xiu’s Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix Spear!
It was a complete cultivation art.
Containing several advanced blue skills.
Each blue skill could be divided into multiple green sub-skills.
Each green sub-skill could potentially be broken down even further.
In other words!
Learning this spear art.
Was equivalent to mastering ten to twenty skills at once.
And instantly obtaining all the attribute enhancements those skills provided!
How powerful was that?
The value of this skill stone was obvious!
However, despite its value, it had a tremendous flaw.
Its learning requirements were absurdly high!
A total attribute score of 3500!
Only the absolute strongest Tier-3 Commanders—or those already approaching Overlord level—could achieve that.
Not to mention.
Agility alone had to exceed 1200!
Even Zhou Cang, with his advanced Commander template and Abyss Physique, would struggle to qualify.
As for players learning it?
That was pure fantasy.
Furthermore.
The learning cost was three million Essence.
Even supreme techniques like the Three Blades of the Martial Saint only required one hundred thousand!
Unless Hang Yu directly used the territory’s stored Essence to forcefully infuse the skill.
No one could learn it through normal cultivation.
No personal experience bar could store three million points.
Did that mean.
Almost nobody besides Hang Yu could learn it?
Of course not.
The requirements were not rigid.
These requirements applied only to learning the entire cultivation art from scratch.
If one first practiced the individual techniques within Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix Spear, mastering them one by one and gradually climbing the skill tree, the final requirements would become lower and lower.
If every technique were fully mastered.
Then mastering the complete cultivation art would happen naturally.
Its requirements would become no different from other blue skills.
The problem was.
How difficult was that process?
Even talented natives would require at least thirty years of hard training.
Of course, exceptions existed.
Someone like Zhang Xiu, a spear genius, mastered it in under ten years.
Someone like Zhao Yun, whose talent panel was absurdly overpowered, would probably achieve mastery in only a few months.
The Star Citizens had the assistance of Skill Towers and Dao Comprehension Towers.
This process could naturally be shortened greatly.
Though it would consume massive resources.
As long as sufficient resources were invested, success was possible.
Hang Yu disliked such trouble.
Besides, after Zhang Xiu’s death.
The complete set of techniques might not even be available.
Slowly climbing the skill tree one skill at a time consumed too much time.
Rather than doing that.
It was better to directly master the complete cultivation art!
With his attributes.
He more than qualified.
Three million Essence?
That really was not much.
Once Hang Yu mastered Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix Spear.
Not only would his attributes increase dramatically, but possessing two completely different cultivation arts would greatly improve his overall combat power.
Furthermore.
He could also create skill books from the individual spear techniques within Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix Spear.
These books could be distributed through quests.
Then players could learn the spear arts even without the skill stone.
Perhaps one day.
A player would collect every technique.
And ultimately master the true Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix Spear!
The final two items.
Were two top-tier blueprints.
【Blueprint: Blood Spear Demon Soldier Camp】, Tier-3 Building… Construction Cost: 80,000 Magic Crystals + 8,000 Tier-3 Material Essence.
【Blueprint: Spirit Gathering Cultivation Tower】, Tier-3 Rare Building… Construction Cost: 120,000 Magic Crystals + 20,000 Tier-3 Material Essence.
The former was a military camp-type building.
Once constructed.
The territory could simultaneously summon up to one thousand Blood Spear Demon Soldiers.
These Blood Spear Demon Soldiers were spirit-type troops.
They could not be trained.
Could not level up.
Could not grow.
Yet every one of them possessed the extremely high level of 30.
Their combat power was comparable to top-tier elites of the same level.
Another one of these camp-type buildings.
Hang Yu had already obtained several similar blueprints before.
This one was undoubtedly more valuable.
One thousand elite Level-30 combatants.
And they could be resummoned after death.
For most lower and middle races, and even some higher races, such a building was highly attractive.
Training a Level-30 elite soldier required enormous time.
If one died, the process had to begin again from zero.
How difficult was that?
If a territory possessed a summoning camp like this.
It effectively gained a permanent force of one thousand combatants.
Though they could not grow.
Their value remained enormous.
Even if they died, they could be summoned again after the cooldown period.
For most human Lords.
This blueprint was priceless.
Yet Hang Yu had never liked spirit-summoned soldiers that could not be cultivated or upgraded.
So he had always shown little interest in such camp buildings.
Of course.
He could not speak in absolutes.
What Hang Yu disliked were spirit-type summoning camps.
According to what he knew, among Star Lords there existed recruitment camps and items capable of directly recruiting physical high-level soldiers with predetermined templates.
These soldiers were born with levels, equipment, and skills.
Moreover, they could continue growing afterward.
However, such blueprints and items were incredibly rare.
Hang Yu had no intention of using this blueprint himself.
He planned to sell or trade it later for something equally rare and valuable but more useful to his territory.
Then Hang Yu’s gaze fell upon the second blueprint.
An uncontrollable look of delight appeared on his face.
Compared to the Blood Spear Demon Soldier Camp.
This Spirit Gathering Cultivation Tower blueprint was the true treasure.
Because it was a cultivation-type building blueprint.
Once constructed.
Everyone in the territory would gain access to a place with one hundred times cultivation speed!
The appearance of this building.
Would not only save Hang Yu enormous amounts of Essence expenditure.
It would also become one of the territory’s greatest competitive advantages!
Hang Yu believed very few natives could resist the temptation of cultivating inside the Spirit Gathering Cultivation Tower.
It would make recruiting famous ministers and generals from the Three Kingdoms era far easier.
This building would produce profound long-term benefits for the territory.
Its potential value was more than ten times greater than the Blood Spear Demon Soldier Camp!
The New Wan treasure chest was unbelievably luxurious!
As expected of a treasure born from the fate of an entire region!
Hang Yu was extremely satisfied with the rewards obtained from the chest.
At this moment, an Azure Dragon Guard entered.
“Lord Hang Yu, Wen Dai has brought Wen Pin to seek an audience.”
Hang Yu nodded slightly.
“Let them enter.”
A few minutes later.
Father and son, Wen Pin and Wen Dai, walked in.
Wen Pin had only recently been released from confinement.
He wore no armor.
His broad, powerful frame combined with pale hair and beard made him resemble a white-maned lion.
Facing the Lord before him.
Wen Pin could clearly feel that the Lord’s aura was now as deep as an ocean and as vast as an abyss.
It inspired a feeling akin to gazing up at a towering mountain.
Only a short time had passed.
Yet the Star Lord seemed to have become stronger again!
No, not seemed.
He had definitely become stronger.
And not by a small amount.
The difference was practically that of two different people!
Hang Yu smiled.
“Good. Seeing that the old general is safe and sound puts my mind at ease.”
Wen Pin had already learned everything from Wen Dai.
Although he had expected Zhang Xiu to have fallen into a trap.
He had never imagined events would unfold like this.
Nor had he expected.
That Hang Yu would take New Wan City in a single campaign.
At this moment, he stood inside the Extreme Yin Temple.
The members of the Extreme Yin Sect were all serving Hang Yu obediently.
They had even presented the Fate Divine Stone without resistance.
This could only mean one thing.
Even Jia Xu had acknowledged Hang Yu.
Wen Pin smiled bitterly.
“Zhang Xiu refused advice and acted arrogantly. Ending up like this was entirely his own fault…”
Hang Yu directly asked:
“Wen Pin, this Lord thirsts for talent. Are you willing to join the territory and serve under me from this day forward?”
No unnecessary words.
No pointless conversation.
Straight to the point.
There was no second choice.
Nor would there ever be one.
“New Wan City cannot remain without a master. Lord Hang Yu is a peerless hero blessed with extraordinary wisdom and ambition. Your arrival as ruler of New Wan is a blessing for all the people!”
Without hesitation, Wen Pin dropped to one knee.
“Wen Pin is merely a surrendered soldier. By all rights, I should have met the same fate as Han Ji and Deng Zhi. Receiving Lord Hang Yu’s mercy fills me with gratitude. From this day onward, I am willing to serve Lord Hang Yu and die ten thousand deaths without regret!”
Strictly speaking.
The relationship between Wen Pin and Zhang Xiu had never been purely that of lord and subordinate.
Nor had there ever been the kind of loyalty that existed between a ruler and his minister.
Wen Pin had already fulfilled his responsibilities.
Now Zhang Xiu had been defeated and killed entirely due to his own actions.
Whether for his personal future.
Or for the future of his family.
Wen Pin had no reason to continue opposing Hang Yu.
“Good! Very good! Excellent!”
Hang Yu was extremely pleased.
“After Zhou Cang, my territory has gained another fierce general!”