Chapter 825: Bestowing Lordship
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
The space before Mu Chen shook. Then, like a ripple in a body of water, a petite figure slowly appeared. As Mu Chen saw this figure appearing, his tense body relaxed completely.
It was Mandela, who had manifested before Mu Chen. Her tiny face was cold, and her big golden eyes looked at the charging raging lion with indifference. She then extended her slender hand, before patting the lion softly.
Bam!
With a light pat, the raging tiger that even Grade Five Sovereigns would find troublesome shattered like a piece of fragile glass! However, Mandela's face was devoid of any expression.
As she formed a cup with her hand, the light spots gathered in her palm, transforming into a spiritual energy ball of light. The ferocious spiritual energy was as gentle as a sheep in her hands.
She played around a bit with the spiritual energy lump of light, then swiftly looked up. She looked at the pale Qiu Taiying cooly, then calmly asked, "Seal of the Sky Lion? Why do you possess such an item, which is exclusive to the Xuan Tian Hall?"
The commotion surrounding the plaza had instantly quieted down, as countless pairs of suspicious eyes locked onto Qiu Taiying. Since Xuan Tian Hall was considered an enemy of the Daluo Territory, how could one not doubt Qiu Taiying, when such an item, which was exclusive to the Xuan Tian Hall, was found in his possession?
Qiu Taiying looked at Mandela's expressionless visage, his body trembling involuntarily, his face as white as chalk. He painfully regretted using the Seal of the Sky Lion. He had not expected Mu Chen to anger him to such an extent, where he would lose his sanity!
"Lord Dominator, this Seal of Sky Lion was looted from a powerful Xuan Tian member, during a mission to kill him." Qiu Taiying lied through his teeth.
"Is that right?" Mandela looked at Qiu Taiying with her big golden eyes. Feeling her knowing stare, the latter could feel his whole body grow cold.
"To activate a seal like this, it would require a special activation technique. Even within Xuan Tian Hall, only a handful of elders possess such a technique. From your words just now, I assume that you have killed an elder of the Xuan Tian Hall?"
Mandela's usually sweet and childish voice was now emanating fierce coldness into the air. "Would you mind telling me, which elder of the Xuan Tian Hall did you take down? Also, why would you hide such a meritorious feat? If you truly did kill a Xuan Tian elder, I will bestow upon you a lordship, despite your loss today."
Qiu Taiying trembled and broke into a cold sweat, almost wetting through his whole garment. He could feel the stare coming from Mandela's golden eyes. Her gaze alone filled his heart with an overwhelming terror.
At this crucial moment, even the heavens and the earth were quiet. All eyes were on Qiu Taiying, and the resulting pressure had made his sanity crumble in an instant.
"HARGHHHH!"
When Qiu Taiying could no longer take the pressure, he gave out an uncontrollable roar. His inner spiritual energy exploded forth violently, as he transformed into a stream of light, escaping the boundaries of Daluotian as fast as lightning.
Mandela looked at the escaping Qiu Taiying coldly. With a gentle wave of her hand, the entire surrounding space was frozen, causing Qiu Taiying's body to freeze as well. He was like a fly trapped in amber, unable to move a muscle...
Mandela then flicked her finger, sending Qiu Taiying flying onto the Platform for Bestowing Lordship, hi entire body now embedded in the ground. The spiritual energy within him had been completely shattered by Mandela, rendering him immobile.
"Take him away. It seems like quite a number of Xuan Tian spies have infiltrated the Daluo Territory. I expect he will know some of them."
As Mandela spoke with a calm demeanor, an enforcement team emerged instantly, hoisting the beaten Qiu Taiying up and swiftly carrying him away.
The countless powerful people watched as Qiu Taiying was being brought away. Then, they turned their gazes towards Mandela, whose face was ice cold. No one dared utter a single word, as they could sense the anger raging within Mandela's heart.
Mandela looked at all the powerful individuals from above, her calm voice resonating in each and every ear, "The Battle of The Great Hunt is at hand, I believe you all understand what this implies. Even we, the Daluo Territory, the strongest force in the North Territory, might be divided and devoured in The Great Hunt. And, should the Daluo Territory ever cease to exist, you will all lose your positions and protection."
The hearts of the countless powerful individuals sank. In the fiercely competitive North Territory, it was so much more dangerous to cultivate one's power alone, without the protection of a powerful force.
"Therefore, to keep yourself protected, and to not become a prey that can be simply hunted down, show your loyalty to the people of the Daluo Territory! Then, I shall not treat you with any ill intention."
"Yes, Lord Dominator!" the powerful individuals replied in unison, their voices filled with respect, fear, and veneration. They knew that the reason they were able to stand firmly within the the North Territory and obtain resources for their cultivation, was thanks to the protection of the Earthly Sovereign Mandela.
Mu Chen observed this whole process quietly. His heart was also shaken by the power that super entities like Earthly Sovereigns possessed. Only these extremely powerful entities could protect an entire territory.
Mandela turned her golden eyes toward Mu Chen, then said, "As the Ceremony of Bestowing Lordship has been concluded, I announce that, from this day onward, Mu Chen shall be the 10th Lord of the Daluo Territory."
Countless envious eyes instantly focused on Mu Chen. To become a lord of the Daluo Territory at his young age was no regular feat!
The lords nodded and sighed, while Lord Blood Hawk observed Mu Chen with jealousy and regret. He obviously had not expected Mu Chen's growth to be so rapid. If he had known, he would have been more careful to not have irked Mu Chen. After all, provoking a foe with such potential was an extremely foolish thing to do!
"As the 10th Lord, you will have the right to build your own force." Mandela looked at Mu Chen.
Generally, if one becomes a lord, they gain access to abundant resources from the Daluo Territory. With these resources, Mu Chen could build a force on par with the other Nine Lords. But, of course, time was required to develop such a force.
All eyes were on Mu Chen, especially those from Nine Nether Palace. They stared straight at Mu Chen, their eyes filled with worry and reluctance.
As Mu Chen builds his own force, he will have to leave Nine Nether Palace. He will also have to relinquish his position as the commander of Nine Nether Palace. No matter how good the relationship between his future force and Nine Nether Palace is, it will never be the same as being a part of the family.
After all, Mu Chen had only been in the Daluo Territory for a year, which all of Nine Nether Palace knew all too well. Hence, without Mu Chen having gone through life-and-death battles again and again, his position at Nine Nether Palace would not be exalted as rapidly.
"Hehe, you're awesome, Mu Chen! You've become a lord so soon!" Tang Rou was a naive girl, so she was laughing gently, feeling happy for Mu Chen.
Upon hearing this, Tang Bing could only roll her eyes at her scatterbrained younger sister. Her reaction was to cross her arms, as she was slightly puffed with anger.
She did not take a single look at the rather smug Mu Chen. She knew that losing Mu Chen was a great blow to Nine Nether Palace. But, she also understood that she couldn't blame Mu Chen, as the position of a lord is vastly superior to that of a commander.
Surprisingly, Nine Nether was the calmest of all. She did not worry, but looked at Mu Chen with a smile.
She had a deep relationship with Mu Chen, as the linking of their blood made it almost as if they shared a single body. As such, she did not mind if Mu Chen were to build his own force.
In the sky, Mu Chen was slightly stunned by Mandela's official proclamation. He quickly turned towards the people of Nine Nether Palace.
Looking at their gazes, he spoke with a smile. "I shall not build my own force, and I will stay in Nine Nether Palace. This should not affect the resources that I can access, right?"
He understood how complicated it would be to build a force after a year in Nine Nether Palace. If he put his effort in that direction, it would definitely affect his cultivation. So, it was obvious that he would not be so foolish as to ruin his own future for a force.
What's more, he was free to use any power within the Nine Nether Palace. Nine Nether would not stop him from doing whatever he pleased. So, he clearly did not have to leave.
Mu Chen decided with a clear reasoning, but many powerful individuals were shocked after hearing this. This was the first time that they had seen a person decline the opportunity to build a force. After all, having one's own force meant possession of a personal army!
The people of Nine Nether Palace were stupefied as well, but they broke into cheers after a short while. The whole of Nine Nether Palace looked at Mu Chen with eagerness and excitement. They had not expected Mu Chen to give up his chance to create his own force, choosing instead to stay with Nine Nether Palace!
Tang Bing could not help but stare at Mu Chen in shock, her lips twitching slightly. "What an idiot."
Despite her words, she could not hide the joy in her eyes. At least this fella seems to have a good conscience, not making her efforts in collecting sovereign spiritual liquid droplets to help his cultivation come to naught!
Nine Nether lips also curled into a smile. This answer did not seem to surprise her. Still, her gaze toward Mu Chen seemed to have softened.
In the sky, Mandela looked at Mu Chen with a surprised expression. She then exclaimed with laughter, "Do what you want. Since you have given up your right to build a force, those resources shall be added to the share of Nine Nether Palace. So, of course, you will have the right to use them as you please."
Mu Chen nodded, swiftly moving closer to Mandela in order to speak to her in a whisper. "Compared to all those things, I am more concerned about my reward for this mission… hehe."
At the end of his sentence, Mu Chen smiled sheepishly, then rubbed his fingers in front of Mandela. The thing he desired most at that moment was, naturally, the Ten Divine Beast Blood Essence that he required for his cultivation of the Dragon-Phoenix Scripture.
Looking at the salivating Mu Chen, Mandela did not know whether to laugh or cry, so she simply rolled her eyes.
"Don't worry, you'll have your fair share."