Chapter 258 : Eye of Malevolence and the Lord Tournament
Chapter 258: Eye of Malevolence and the Lord Tournament
At this moment.
In New Wan City.
“The Clan Head has returned!”
Every member of the Deng Clan was overjoyed as they hurried forward to welcome him.
Ever since his father had been recruited by the Lord to participate in the Lord War, Deng Yao had not spent a single day without worry and fear, terrified that something might happen to his father.
The clan had already suffered grievous losses.
If their final pillar were to fall as well,
then the Deng Clan would most likely be erased completely.
Fortunately, the territory had emerged victorious from the Lord War.
Meanwhile, the new head of the Deng Clan of New Wan had already become a Colonel of the Second Battalion of the Black Tiger Guards.
It was said that the Ten Black Tiger Colonels held extraordinary status. They were figures who could be mentioned alongside the Eight Original Azure Dragon Guards and the Five Legion Commanders, which brought a measure of comfort to the members of the Deng Clan.
“Father, you...”
Deng Yao immediately sensed that his father's aura had become far stronger.
That meant his strength had increased tremendously in just over ten days!
Moreover, Deng Hong's equipment had been completely upgraded. Every piece was an excellent Tier-Three item, all at least Green quality, and each had undergone several levels of enhancement.
The natives of the Abyss Three Kingdoms Plane possessed no such advanced forging techniques. To them, these pieces of equipment were undoubtedly masterpieces of exceptional quality and power. Any single one of them could serve as a treasured heirloom of the clan.
What had happened?
What exactly had occurred?
“I have repeatedly received the Lord's divine blessings!” Deng Hong clasped his hands toward the direction of Luoshui and bowed. “Ever since I pledged myself to the Lord, I have encountered one miracle after another. Both my cultivation and my strength have improved.”
Improved?
It was more accurate to say they had skyrocketed!
Deng Hong had originally been Level 21, barely at Tier Three.
His combat strength had only been around the level of a fourth-rate Commander.
Now, after spending several days training in the Training Tower, combined with the military rewards earned through several battles, he had gained an enormous amount of Essence and had directly surged to Level 26!
What did that mean?
Under normal cultivation speed,
with Deng Hong's aptitude, such progress would have taken at least fifteen years!
Unlike the Calamity Army,
these Starsea followers were completely blank slates. Their growth panels were very poor. They could only improve their attributes through cultivating skills, consuming miraculous pills, or equipping better gear while gradually accumulating their foundation. Simply increasing their level provided only limited growth in strength.
Deng Hong was not a native blessed with immense Fate.
Even so, he was still a once-in-ten-thousand genius.
He possessed a Green-quality aptitude talent, Overlord Template, along with two fairly decent White-quality aptitude talents.
With such aptitude, an increase of five levels brought a substantial improvement in strength.
Deng Hong had also cultivated multiple territory skills, replaced his equipment, and enhanced his weapons. Although he still could not compare to Zhang Xiu of the past, he was undoubtedly much stronger than the previous Clan Head.
He had probably already reached the level of a second-rate or third-rate Commander.
His clansmen were completely stunned. No matter how they thought about it, they simply could not understand how their Clan Head and the people he had taken with him had become so much stronger in only ten short days.
Deng Yao sighed emotionally. “The Lord actually possesses such methods? No wonder even the Founder of Extreme Yin submitted to him!”
“You must never question the Lord!”
Deng Hong spoke sternly. “From this day forward, everyone in the Deng Clan must devote themselves wholeheartedly to serving the Lord. Whoever dares show the slightest disrespect toward him will answer to me!”
Deng Yao hurriedly replied, “Yes!”
Deng Hong continued, “Remember this well. Our Deng Clan originally bore the stain of guilt. Yet the Lord overlooked our past and bestowed upon us an unimaginably great opportunity and blessing. We can only repay him with absolute loyalty unto death. None of you are allowed to harbor even the slightest disloyal thought!”
Before leaving,
although Deng Hong had outwardly submitted to the Lord,
deep down, he had been driven more by helplessness and submission.
Now not only had his strength advanced by leaps and bounds, but it was almost as though he had been brainwashed...
What exactly had happened during these past few days?
Deng Hong had taken the opportunity to return home this time
because he hoped to organize the manpower of the clan for the territory's use.
Naturally, he did not conceal anything that had happened over the past several days. He gathered all the important members of the clan together and recounted everything he had seen and experienced within the territory to every member of the Deng Clan.
The miracles and blessings of the territory
left everyone breathing rapidly, overwhelmed with awe from the depths of their souls.
There was a Skill Tower capable of allowing people to instantly comprehend skills and cultivate them to Great Perfection at incredible speed!
There was an Enlightenment Tower that allowed people to comprehend profound truths, achieve breakthroughs, create cultivation arts, and establish entire schools of cultivation.
There was even a Training Tower where one day of cultivation equaled a hundred days of bitter training outside, allowing anyone to increase their cultivation with ease.
...
Every single one of them drove people mad with excitement.
Luoshui City was nothing less than a paradise on earth—a divine kingdom!
Deng Hong said, “What I've told you is only the tip of the iceberg regarding the Main City. The territory possesses far too many miraculous buildings and facilities. On top of that, it contains countless incredible abilities.”
“Our great Lord possesses strength that surpasses even Dian Wei. He is wise, brilliant, heroic, and unfathomable. Furthermore, he has never been stingy in rewarding those who render meritorious service!”
Everyone present began breathing heavily once again!
Stronger than Dian Wei?
Was that really possible?
New Wan and Old Wan had struggled against each other on this land for over a century!
Most of these people had grown up under the overwhelming pressure imposed by Dian Wei. To the people of New Wan, those two words represented disaster and terror itself.
Now there had appeared someone even stronger than Dian Wei—and someone capable of restraining him.
Most importantly,
this person was their own leader.
He even possessed the ability to completely purify Dian Wei.
If all of this was true, it was enough to inspire anyone with overwhelming excitement.
It was no wonder Deng Hong had achieved such tremendous growth in such a short time.
It also explained why he now revered and respected the Lord so deeply.
Deng Yao excitedly said, “If that's the case, then joining the Territory Guard truly is an extraordinary opportunity! Why don't we have every member of the Deng Clan join the Territory Army?”
“Hmph. Do you think I don't want that?”
Deng Hong snorted. “The army isn't somewhere you can simply join whenever you please. Only the most outstanding and fortunate individuals are selected!”
Everyone fell speechless.
Back when the Lord had ordered conscription,
every member of the clan had mourned as though their parents had died and had desperately resisted.
The new Clan Head had personally answered the call in order to preserve more of the younger generation for the clan.
At the time, many had secretly felt fortunate.
Now that they had missed such a tremendous opportunity, every one of them regretted it so much their intestines had practically turned green.
Deng Yao asked, “Then what should we do?”
Deng Hong replied, “Although the Territory Guard currently has no plans to expand, as the territory continues to develop and expand, it will certainly require more manpower in the future. The younger members of the Deng Clan must prepare themselves in advance and strengthen their own abilities!”
“I will personally select a group of promising young people and bring them to the Main City. Using the Contribution Points earned by the clan, I'll exchange them for cultivation resources so they can rapidly improve their strength.”
“As for everyone else, you must all find ways to earn Contribution Points!”
Using teleportation required Contribution Points.
Using the Communication Stone required Contribution Points.
Even adding friends for private communication required Contribution Points...
In addition, the territory's forging, alchemy, dining services, and the use of its various buildings all required Contribution Points.
Contribution Points!
Contribution Points!
Contribution Points!
This was the most important resource within the territory!
It was harder than any currency or hard asset!
Deng Hong had specifically returned in hopes of mobilizing every member of the clan to contribute to the territory and earn as many Contribution Points as possible.
Deng Yao asked, “How should we earn contributions? Please instruct us, Father!”
Deng Hong answered, “There are many ways to contribute to the territory. You can directly submit resources, earn them through battle, or provide services within the territory for the major factions and conduct business.”
After a pause, he continued,
“We can cooperate with the various territorial factions, including the Calamity Legion.”
“The Legion Commander of the Undying Dragon Soul Legion, Raise a Cup to the Moon, has already spoken with me. He intends to recruit several skill instructors from New Wan. Not only will he cover all the costs of the instruction process, but he'll also provide a large amount of Contribution Points as compensation.”
What was a skill instructor?
Naturally, they were native NPCs responsible for teaching martial arts.
The territory currently possessed a large number of skills.
Most players had yet to learn the vast majority of them.
Without Skill Stones or Skill Books, the only option was to request instruction from NPCs.
The Deng Clan possessed many unique hereditary skills.
The Calamity Army was extremely interested in them, and various groups had offered generous rewards in hopes of inviting experts from the Deng Clan to teach those skills.
Deng Hong had already made his decision.
He would send Deng Yao to serve as an instructor for the Undying Dragon Soul Legion.
He would teach the Calamity Army several of the Deng Clan's hereditary skills as well as their archery techniques.
Although members of the Calamity Army could later pass those skills on to other players after learning them, newly mastered skills—even when cultivated to maximum proficiency—still had a relatively low success rate during skill transmission.
The territory possessed only a limited number of Skill Towers.
Likewise, the Skill Transmission Rooms and daily transmission attempts were limited, and priority was only given to rare skills with higher success rates.
Relying on these hereditary skills,
the Deng Clan could earn a considerable amount of Contribution Points from the players.
“Father, but these are our family's secret techniques. According to our clan rules, they shouldn't be casually passed on...”
“You foolish child! Why are you so shortsighted!”
Deng Hong shouted angrily, “If the Deng Clan's techniques can contribute to the territory, then that is the Deng Clan's blessing! From this day forward, the Deng Clan shall no longer hoard its own treasures!”
An elderly elder nodded.
“The Clan Head is correct. With a mysterious existence like the Skill Tower, there is no longer any meaning in hoarding our knowledge. On the contrary, we should follow the trend. Others can learn the Deng Clan's techniques, and the Deng Clan can in turn learn the techniques of countless other schools.”
The reason Deng Hong sent his son
was because the Undying Dragon Soul Legion had promised a huge amount of Contribution Points.
Not only would that more than offset the cost,
it would also bring in a substantial profit.
Although skill transmission consumed some of one's cultivation,
having a large reserve of Contribution Points meant they could simply apply for access to the Training Tower at any time.
One day of cultivation inside the tower
was equal to a hundred days of hard cultivation outside.
Such a small cost was hardly worth worrying about.
Teaching skills was only one form of cooperation with the Calamity Legion.
The various legions and player factions were also recruiting combat escorts.
The Deng Clan could dispatch some of its elite younger members to serve as bodyguards for lower-level Calamity Army players, assisting them with leveling.
Not only would this accelerate the players' growth,
it would also earn Contribution Points during the process.
Furthermore, during the territory's construction,
the various legion shops,
logistics departments,
Alchemy Workshops,
Forging Workshops,
the Abyss Canteen,
and every other facility
all required a large workforce.
Although the wages were relatively low,
the entry requirements were equally low.
“I only have one purpose in returning this time.”
“That is to devote the entire resources of our clan and mobilize every man, woman, old person, and child into serving the territory!”
“Those with strength and ability should become instructors, bodyguards, or other combat personnel.”
“Those blessed with talent and intelligence can join the logistics and administrative departments of the legions or the territory.”
“Even if someone possesses no special skills at all, it doesn't matter.”
“The territory is currently in a period of rapid development. Whether serving as scribes recording documents, laborers carrying bricks, or waiters serving dishes and washing plates, as long as our clansmen are willing to humble themselves and work, there will definitely be opportunities to earn Contribution Points!”
“As long as we have enough Contribution Points!”
“The Deng Clan will rise again!”
“We'll even be able to buy houses in the Main City—or even purchase shops and establish businesses!”
“...”
Under Deng Hong's vivid description,
the glorious revival of the Deng Clan seemed right before their eyes!
No—
far beyond merely restoring their former glory.
As long as they could enjoy the territory's resources,
the Deng Clan would undoubtedly become even stronger than it had ever been!
This was a once-in-a-thousand-years opportunity!
The entire clan would work!
Seize the initiative!
The time was now!
Just as everyone was filled with excitement over this bright future—
【Ding! Because your territory has won the Lord War, you have received a blessing from the Lord and awakened a brand-new talent: Eye of Malevolence!】
As it turned out,
Hang Yu had just used the Talent Stone.
The moment the Talent Stone was absorbed by the territory,
every player, follower, and citizen throughout the entire territory received a notification from Xiao Ba.
Unlike skills,
Talents were innate abilities.
They required no cultivation.
One acquired them immediately.
“What happened?”
The people of New Wan City were caught completely off guard.
At the very moment they saw the notification,
they could clearly feel astonishing changes occurring within their bodies.
“This is...”
Deng Hong felt every inch of flesh and blood throughout his body surging with entirely new power.
Most of that power converged at the center of his forehead,
as though a completely new organ had appeared there—one containing tremendous energy.
Had they opened their personal status panels at that moment,
they would have discovered that the Talent section had changed.
A brand-new ability had appeared.
【Eye of Malevolence】, Territory Talent, Green Quality. For every level gained, the user additionally received Strength +1, Agility +1, Spirit +2, Will +3, and the accompanying skill "Malevolent Eye Awakening."
“This is...”
“This is power bestowed by the territory!”
“This is power granted by the Lord!”
“...”
Something similar
had actually happened before.
When they had pledged allegiance to the territory,
the Human Territory had already fought a war against the Dragon-Lizard Territory.
During that conflict,
it had obtained a Talent Stone containing Self-Healing.
However,
Self-Healing was merely the lowest-tier White Talent.
Its effects only slightly increased maximum health and significantly accelerated wound recovery.
Although it had also been mysterious,
its impact had been nowhere near as obvious as this one.
Self-Healing was the weakest Talent possessed by the Dragon-Lizard race.
Even among White Talents,
it was considered mediocre.
Eye of Malevolence, however, was entirely different.
It was the signature Talent of the Malevolent Corpse Fiend race and the greatest distinction separating them from ordinary Corpse Fiends.
Even among Green Talents,
it was considered exceptionally outstanding.
After feeling this brand-new power,
Deng Hong, Deng Yao, and the others were utterly shocked.
What shocked them even more was—
it wasn't just them.
Throughout the entire territory and all of New Wan City,
from Tier-Three powerhouses
down to merchants, peddlers, farmers, women, and children,
every single person had awakened this ability.
Such a transformation
could no longer be explained by any existing understanding.
It was nothing short of a divine miracle!
“Thank you, Lord!”
“Thank you, Lord!”
“Long live the Lord!”
After experiencing shock, astonishment, ecstasy, and fanatical devotion,
the people of New Wan City spontaneously knelt toward Luoshui City and repeatedly kowtowed in gratitude.
The Lord's prestige had risen to an entirely new height.
...
Luoshui Main City.
Inside the Lord's Hall.
After using the Talent Stone,
Hang Yu himself also acquired this Territory Talent.
The Talent provided remarkably strong attribute enhancements.
The highest-level members of the Calamity Legion were currently Level 25.
At that level,
each player immediately gained an additional 25 Strength,
25 Agility,
50 Spirit,
and 75 Will.
What kind of concept was that?
Even an ordinary Green Skill cultivated to maximum level
generally increased no more than 30 attribute points,
with most providing around 20 to 25 points,
while some offered as little as 15.
These Level 25 players had effectively gained the equivalent of six or seven Green Skills cultivated to maximum level,
or at least the attribute bonuses of one additional Tier-Three Blue-quality piece of equipment.
The increase in combat strength was extremely obvious!
Especially regarding Spirit and Will.
Unlike the temporary bonuses provided by equipment,
the attribute increases granted by Talents were permanent,
so long as one did not betray the territory.
Hang Yu believed that over the coming period,
many Warrior and Ranger players would begin cultivating Spirit- and Will-type skills as well.
Naturally,
Warlocks and Monks could also learn numerous Strength- and Agility-based skills,
allowing the Calamity Army to become far more versatile.
Although Eye of Malevolence provided respectable attribute bonuses,
that alone was not enough to justify its Green quality.
Strictly speaking,
its enhancement to growth aptitude
represented only half—
or perhaps even less—
of its true value.
Its greatest worth lay in the Talent Skill that accompanied it:
Malevolent Eye Awakening!
Hang Yu immediately tested it.
The moment he activated the skill,
he felt a slight itch between his eyebrows.
A vertical eye with a crimson pupil slowly opened there.
In that instant,
Hang Yu discovered he had gained an entirely new field of vision.
It was completely different from ordinary eyesight.
There were no colors.
No differences in brightness.
Only black, white, and gray outlines remained.
Moreover,
this field of vision possessed a full 360-degree perspective.
It could spread outward like a bat's echolocation,
or concentrate itself like X-rays,
allowing it to penetrate certain obstacles,
such as walls.
Although it possessed no blind spots and could see through objects,
its viewing distance appeared to have a limit.
An ordinary human's naked eye,
under unobstructed conditions,
had a maximum viewing distance of roughly five kilometers.
As a peak Tier-Three Overlord with overwhelmingly high attributes,
Hang Yu could easily observe objects ten to twenty times farther away than an ordinary person's visual limit whenever conditions allowed.
Yet the maximum radius his new eye could "see"
was still no greater than five kilometers.
“Interesting!”
Hang Yu immediately thought of a term—
Divine Sense!
The vision produced by this eye was virtually identical to the Divine Sense often described in cultivation novels.
Not only could it perceive things invisible to the naked eye,
it also possessed no blind spots and could penetrate obstacles.
However,
the range of one's Divine Sense depended upon one's total attributes,
with Spirit and Will having the greatest influence.
Even someone as powerful as Hang Yu
could only scan a radius of five kilometers.
If a Tier-Three Calamity Army player used it,
its range would probably extend only several dozen meters.
Hang Yu then examined the skill's detailed description.
【Malevolent Eye Awakening】, Talent Skill. Upon activation, Mana +1000 instantly. After activation, consumes 50 Mana per second. Perception +200. Spirit-type spell power +100. Allows the user to release psychic force for reconnaissance, illusion dispelling, or manipulating objects.
“What an excellent ability!”
Hang Yu was extremely satisfied with the Talent Stone he had acquired this time.
Although the Starsea Human race began with a very low foundation,
things such as aptitude and Talents were not permanently fixed.
A race's destiny
was not impossible to change.
The conditions were simply extraordinarily demanding.
Lord Wars
were the best method of achieving this.
That was also one of the reasons
the Will of the Stars arranged for Starsea Lords to slaughter one another.
To put it bluntly,
it was a process of raising poisonous insects in a jar.
Only through such ruthless selection
could the strongest Lords be forged.
A race as weak and low in potential as humanity
could still continuously seize the superior Talents of other races,
provided it kept winning Lord Wars.
The Human Territory now possessed two Territory Talents:
Self-Healing
and
Eye of Malevolence!
The humans under Hang Yu's command
were no longer ordinary Starsea Humans.
This was only the beginning.
Hang Yu intended to seize and collect even more Talents.
Although these Talents would not fundamentally alter humanity's race,
they would gradually transform what had once been a weak and insignificant people
into a race whose aptitude and potential rivaled even the Upper Races.
He intended to create
the strongest Starsea Human race in history!
One that would make all the Myriad Races of the Stars tremble!
Just then,
【Ding! Please check your Abyssal Post Station. A mail package from Sacred Cang City in the Land of the Stars has arrived!】
Hang Yu suddenly received a notification from the Will of the Stars and could not help being momentarily stunned.
The Abyssal Post Station was one of the territory's most basic facilities.
Its primary function was receiving material deliveries from the Land of the Stars.
Since Hang Yu had never conducted any business in Sacred Cang City,
the station had remained unused.
So why had a package suddenly arrived?
It was most likely related to the Lord Tournament!
Hang Yu immediately retrieved the package.
Inside were two items.
One token.
One letter.
【Tournament Entry Token】, Special Item... Description: The entry token for the Sacred Azure Rising Star Lord Tournament. Hold this token on the Day of the Stars' Return to be directly transported to the tournament venue.
Just as expected.
The token served as the tournament admission pass.
As for the accompanying letter,
it explained the tournament rules.
The competition itself was not particularly complicated.
It generally consisted of two stages.
The first stage:
Qualification Verification.
The second stage:
Championship Ranking.
This return to the Land of the Stars
was solely to secure qualification.
The process involved gathering every participating Lord together,
eliminating those who failed to meet the requirements,
and allowing only the remaining Lords to proceed to the official competition.
The tournament itself was equally straightforward.
Simply put,
after qualifying,
each territory would receive a time-limited Challenge Instance.
Final rankings would be determined by each participant's performance and score within that instance.
Hang Yu attached great importance to this event.
First,
participating in such tournaments offered generous rewards and resources,
while his territory was currently in desperate need of massive resource replenishment.
Whether expanding infrastructure
or increasing military strength,
every undertaking demanded enormous quantities of resources.
The shortage remained severe.
Hang Yu hoped to make a fortune through this event!
Secondly,
the tournament would increase his prestige and status within the Land of the Stars.
Every ambitious Lord competed for such opportunities,
because they greatly benefited future territorial development.
Finally,
it would also add a new instance dungeon to the territory,
creating another gameplay feature.
Since all of it amounted to free resources,
there was no reason not to take them!
“It's time to issue new quests for the players!”
After giving the matter careful thought,
Hang Yu created two new quests.
The first quest,
naturally,
concerned the Lord Tournament event.
During this Day of the Stars' Return,
one hundred individuals could be transported back to the Land of the Stars.
Hang Yu himself would certainly be returning.
He also planned to bring Jia Xu, Wen Ping, Zhou Cang, and Zhang Zhongjing.
As for everyone else?
Logically,
the strongest lineup should be assembled.
That would mean bringing back the Azure Dragon Guards.
However,
after thinking it over,
this return was merely for a simple qualification round.
As long as they qualified,
there was no need to attract excessive attention.
Hang Yu decided not to bring the Azure Dragon Guards.
Instead,
they would remain in the territory to continue cultivating and guarding the homeland.
This time,
he would bring the ten Black Tiger Colonels.
As for the remaining eighty-five slots,
Hang Yu planned to fill every one of them with members of the Calamity Legion.
The players had visited the Land of the Stars once before.
Although that glimpse had been brief,
its impact had never faded.
Both players and Cloud Players had long been eagerly awaiting another Hidden Map event.
Now that such a lively and exciting activity had appeared,
players would undoubtedly compete fiercely for the opportunity.
Although the Calamity Army was considerably weaker than the Azure Dragon Guards,
selecting the top eighty-five players would still produce an extremely respectable force—
at the very least,
they would not embarrass Hang Yu before the other Lords.
The second quest
concerned the Wan City Region.
Although the tournament was important,
territorial expansion could not be delayed.
Now that the greatest hidden threat—the Corpse Lich Territory—had been completely eliminated,
Hang Yu shifted the territory's strategic focus back to the Wan City Region.
Following the battle against the Corpse Lich Territory,
the Calamity Legion had expanded dramatically.
Both its strength and numbers were now sufficient to challenge the Abyssal forces of Wan City.
In that case,
the development of the Wan region could no longer wait!
The Calamity Army's next mission
would be to subdue every city and town within the polluted zone outside Old Wan City,
laying the foundation for completely conquering the entire region.