Chapter 226: Bestowing the Title of Divine General
"However, these exchanges are a bit too expensive. It takes ten thousand merit points to exchange for a chance to reverse one's fate, but the Wang family has accumulated less than ten thousand points even up until now!"
"You would need to destroy the Youdu-grade Death River ten times to accumulate ten thousand merit points."
"If it were a Yinsha-grade Death River, it would take a hundred times!"
Emperor Yu's eyes flickered. Although the exchanges were costly, there was no doubt that with the emergence of the Merit Treasure Vault, the Great Yu Dynasty would rise again in the next few hundred years.
With just a hundred merit points, ordinary people could obtain a Sword Heart or a Knife Heart and step into the ranks of geniuses.
Although a mere Sword Heart might not be comparable to the disciples of top forces, with a large number of them competing against each other, there would undoubtedly be a small number of top geniuses emerging.
And among those top geniuses, there might be one who could come close to that child prodigy.
Emperor Yu thought of Li Hao, and his eyes flickered as he wondered about the other's current situation. With the blood jade that could reverse one's fate, he would at least be able to escape death once.
"Once Zhen Dong accumulates ten thousand merit points, perhaps we will be able to see treasures worth one hundred thousand points."
"That Insect Two should definitely be able to see them now."
Emperor Yu had accumulated over a thousand merit points, which allowed him to see treasures worth around ten thousand points. However, most of the people on the merit list had only a few thousand points, so treasures worth less than ten thousand points would soon be collected by the Tianji Tower and listed.
But for treasures worth one hundred thousand points, they would have to wait for Wang Zhen Dong to break through the ten thousand merit threshold to find out.
He was quite eager to see what kind of treasures there were and if there was anything that would move him.
Moreover...
Previously, when the Death River invaded, no one took care of it, and they had to rely on the Wang family to command the warriors of the world to assist.
Depending on the small rewards given out and the warriors' own benevolent hearts.
But now, with such huge interests at stake, Emperor Yu almost didn't need to think to know that warriors from all over the world would definitely flock to the opportunity.
The previously ignored Death River would suddenly become a highly sought-after target.
This would even allow the Wang family to be freed from the Death River incident and return to their original position as the Divine General's Mansion.
Only the original staff of the Death River Office would be left to manage it, and new recruits would be hired.
After all, with many warriors going to solve the Death River, there would be fewer people dealing with demon slaying, and the Wang family's return could fill that gap, reducing the pressure on the states.
However, this would also require a re-division of military power, which would undoubtedly trigger unrest again.
Emperor Yu's thoughts turned, and he knew that a single Merit Treasure Vault would rewrite the current declining situation of the Great Yu Dynasty.
Overall, this was a great blessing, and he could almost foresee that within a few hundred years, all the Death Rivers within the borders would be swept away. The Great Yu Dynasty would be full of talented people, with an increase in the number of mid-tier geniuses and top-tier geniuses!
As Emperor Yu pondered, the civil and military officials in the court were also discussing the matter, shocked by the Merit Treasure Vault.
At the same time, they also thought of the various problems that would arise from this.
Where there was turmoil, there would be opportunities for gain.
"Congratulations to Your Majesty! The fortune of our Great Yu Dynasty will prosper once more!"
At this time, the quick-witted civil official had already taken the lead in offering his congratulations.
The others reacted and followed suit, loudly expressing their joy.
Emperor Yu's thoughts returned to the present, and he smiled, "Does anyone know who this Insect Two is?"
The civil and military officials looked at each other, all bewildered.
A civil official from the Wang family stepped forward. He was from a branch of the Wang family that had been born out of wedlock several hundred years ago, and he respectfully said, "Your Majesty, this person has a strange name, and it is likely just a code name. I see that he has 100,000 and one merit points, so it is highly likely that he passed through a Youdu-grade Death River in one go."
Someone next to him chimed in, "That's right! A Youdu-grade Death River has never been passed through by anyone in our Great Yu Dynasty for hundreds of years."
"The last time was when an ancestor of the Wang family passed through a Mingyu-grade Death River and received ten thousand merit points."
"If passing through a Mingyu-grade Death River is already so difficult, I wonder how much more challenging it would be to pass through a Youdu-grade Death River!"
"This person is probably not from the Wang family. Otherwise, they would definitely have signed their surname."
"They are probably not from another Divine General's Mansion either. Perhaps they are a wandering strongman."
The crowd speculated, their voices filled with curiosity and excitement.
People from the Divine General's Mansions usually signed their surnames out of respect for their ancestors and the honor of their lineage.
Emperor Yu's eyes narrowed in thought, and he thought of a figure, but for now, there was no news from that person, and he couldn't be sure.
"Issue an imperial decree and announce it to the world. Let this Insect Two come to the palace for an audience. If he has no evil deeds, I shall bestow upon him the title of Divine General and rank him as a first-class duke!" Emperor Yu declared with a majestic voice.
Hearing this, everyone's hearts shook. Bestowing the title of Divine General?
Since the founding of the Great Yu Dynasty, no one had been bestowed the title of Divine General except by the previous emperor.
Even this time, when the Li family saved Liangzhou, and the young General Li Hao saved Liangzhou with his own power, they had only discussed whether to grant him the title of third-class duke or second-class duke!
Yet now, this unknown Insect Two was directly granted the title of Divine General and given the rank of first-class duke!
This was the pinnacle of power for a subject, second only to the emperor!
His status would be comparable to that of the ancestors of the five great Divine General's Mansions!
More than ten years ago, Li Junye saved Cangzhou with his own power, but he was only granted the title of general and given the rank of first-class marquis.
This was because he had originally been a school captain and was not even a general, so according to the Great Yu Dynasty's reward system, the highest rank he could achieve was that of first-class marquis.
It was a huge leap! If the other party had originally been a major general, they would have been directly granted the title of duke!
And Li Tiangang, who had guarded Yanbei for more than ten years, had only recently been promoted from a second-class marquis to a third-class duke!
As for Li Hao, who had single-handedly blocked the many demon kings in Liangzhou, saved countless common people from the water and fire, and killed seven demon kings, he was a major general, so he was to be granted the title of second-class duke. There were still people arguing about this matter.
It could only be said that it was well-deserved!
Thus, as Emperor Yu's words fell, the hall resounded with another round of congratulatory voices, with no one objecting, except for a brief moment of silence.
"Hurry and find Insect Two, so he can receive his reward!"
Emperor Yu gave the order, instructing his subordinates to carry out his command.
...
...
The revelation of the Merit Treasure Vault, along with the imperial edict from the capital, once again shocked the world.
For a time, countless people were inquiring about the identity of Insect Two, wondering who this person was.
The topic was discussed everywhere, from teahouses to brothels, and even in the privacy of bedrooms.
In some warlords' residences, couples finished their intimate moments, but instead of savoring the afterglow, they speculated about the identity of Insect Two, wondering which powerful Four Establishments realm expert he might be.
The names of Sword Saints and Knife Saints, those powerful figures outside the imperial court, were bandied about.
For thousands of years, the Great Yu Divine Empire had not established any new Divine General Mansions. The five existing mansions were like five fingers, firmly controlling the ten states of the empire, and like five blazing suns, their prestige shone brightly over the people, with only the Wang family's star dimmed among them.
Now, countless people speculated that a sixth Divine General Mansion might be established.
The Wang Family.
At the very moment the Merit Treasure Vault was revealed, the Wang family shone with countless rays of golden light.
The entire Wang family was in an uproar.
"Insect Two?"
In a courtyard of the Wang family, a woman dressed in fine silks and satins was practicing her swordplay when her palm suddenly lit up with golden light from the golden paper. She paused, her eyes widening as she read the message.
A moment later, after scanning through the Merit Treasure Vault, the woman's face was filled with astonishment.
As a member of the Wang family, she naturally understood the significance of these developments.
The Great Yu Divine Empire was about to undergo a transformation, and the Wang family itself might also be in for a change!
She quickly checked the merit list and saw the strange name, immediately recalling that a year ago, this Insect Two was a Grand Master who had destroyed a Yinsha-grade Death River.
Now, he had actually passed through a Youdu-grade Death River?
Only by passing through a Youdu-grade Death River would one receive ten thousand merit points at once.
Obviously, this person was not a Grand Master, but a Four Establishments realm expert! Or perhaps even a Tai Ping Dao realm cultivator!
"Could it be that Buddhist master? No, the Buddhists are only pretending to be compassionate... So, it must be someone else."
The woman's eyes sparkled with curiosity, wondering who this Insect Two could be.
"Now that the Merit Treasure Vault has appeared, my Wang family no longer needs to make sacrifices. Moreover, with the information and control we have over the Death Rivers, we will surely become a place that countless people will want to visit..."
The woman was quick-witted, and her eyes sparkled as she considered the potential changes that would occur.
"That Insect Two... he is truly a benefactor of my Wang family."
...
...
Several days later, in the main hall of the Black and White Hall within the Tan Palace.
The imperial edict from the capital had spread throughout the land, reaching Qingzhou as well.
When the edict arrived, Song Yufeng was stunned.
He had also heard about the Merit Treasure Vault, and recently, many disciples of the Tan Palace had been discussing their plans to go and train in the Death Rivers.
However, passing through the Death Rivers was no easy task, and accumulating merit points was not simple either. One needed a hundred merit points to exchange for a Sword Heart, but to obtain a hundred points, one had to destroy a Yinsha-grade Death River!
Even Grand Masters might not be able to destroy a Yinsha-grade Death River unless they encountered a particularly weak one.
As for the lowest-level Regretful-grade Death Rivers, one would need to destroy them a hundred times to accumulate a hundred points!
To put it into perspective, it would be a challenge to even find a hundred Regretful-grade Death Rivers!
Therefore, a hundred merit points were not easily obtained.
Grand Masters or Three Unwithering experts who had the ability to destroy Yinsha-grade Death Rivers would have already entered the state of 'entering the heart' for a certain martial art. 'Entering the heart' meant a deep love and focus on that particular martial art, which was essential for breaking through to the Grand Master realm.
If one couldn't even speak of love and focus, how could they hope to enter the Grand Master realm and kick open the heavenly gate?
As for the other rewards, he had heard of the 'Extreme State of Penetration', but it was something completely unheard of.
However, the required merit points for those rewards were also high, and even with his abilities, he would need to exert a lot of effort.
After all, he wasn't confident that he could destroy a Youdu-grade Death River.
For a Four Establishments realm expert, entering a Youdu-grade Death River was extremely dangerous, and one would only receive a thousand merit points for destroying it.
And it would take ten attempts to exchange for a chance to reverse one's fate!
He wasn't even sure if he could enter a Youdu-grade Death River ten times and still make it out alive.
Unless he went to destroy lower-level Death Rivers or tried to pass through them.
But in that case, the lower-level Death Rivers might not be sufficient.
Moreover, finding them would be troublesome.
Song Yufeng could almost predict that soon, either the capital or the Wang family would announce corresponding measures regarding the Death Rivers.
In the future, entering the Death Rivers might require queuing or some other kind of restriction.
After all, when a Death River was destroyed, it would temporarily disappear, sometimes for decades or just over a decade.
Thus, the once-troublesome Death Rivers had now become precious resources for accumulating merit.
Passing through lower-level Death Rivers would yield the greatest benefits, but it was extremely difficult to do so, and it had nothing to do with one's cultivation level. It seemed to be related to some other factor.
Even Four Establishments realm experts might fail to pass through a Regretful-grade Death River if they didn't find the right approach.
Therefore, powerful individuals who wanted to accumulate merit points quickly would most likely choose to destroy the Death Rivers, as it was the fastest way to obtain merit points, even if the rewards were smaller.
However, this would be a waste, and if the land were to run out of Death Rivers, then the Merit Treasure Vault would become nothing more than an empty treasure mountain.
Nevertheless, in the long run, the problem of the Death Rivers would surely be solved.
Where once the Death River Office had struggled to find volunteers, now, driven by self-interest, what was once a losing proposition had become a profitable venture.
And while most of the items in the Merit Treasure Vault couldn't be exchanged for, it was still a boon, and it would undoubtedly have a significant impact on the overall strength of the Great Yu Divine Empire.
"That kid is going to be appointed as a Divine General..."
Song Yufeng thought of Li Hao. Others may not know, but he, along with the elders of the Tan Palace, including his granddaughter, were aware of the identity of Insect Two.
Previously, when the Fengshan Death River was cleared by Li Hao, it was also he who verified it. With a little investigation, they discovered that Insect Two was none other than Li Hao!
Ever since Li Hao left for Liangzhou, and with Song Qiomo also rushing over to assist, Song Yufeng had been paying close attention to the developments in Liangzhou. During this Liangzhou battle, Li Hao's fame had spread throughout the various states, even reaching back to Qingzhou.
In recent days, Li Hao, the peerless youth who had fought with his father a year ago, was the talk of the town in Qingzhou.
However, most of the discussions were full of praise, and even when someone brought up the past and accused him of being unfilial, others refuted it.
Whether or not he was filial was another matter, but saving the millions of people in Liangzhou showed great compassion.
This achievement was enough to be remembered for millennia. Statues of Li Hao had been erected in martial temples across the land, and even though he was still a youth, he already bore the shadow of a millennium-renowned general.
"That fellow is trapped in the Dragon City Death River. He must have cleared that Death River."
Song Yufeng thought to himself, feeling a sense of relief.
"This kid has participated in two Death Rivers and cleared them both. Does he have some special technique for clearing them?"
Song Yufeng wondered. The last time he had seen Li Hao was when he left the Divine General's Mansion.
That day, amidst the snowy skies, the young man had walked out of the magnificent and dazzling Divine General's Mansion alone.
Who would have thought that in less than two years, he would now be appointed as a Divine General?
What would the people of the Divine General's Mansion think if they knew that Insect Two was Li Hao?
Song Yufeng's eyes flickered, and he called together the various elders of the Black and White Hall, including his granddaughter.
When he saw the shock and excitement on their faces, he knew that they had also realized the truth.
They were witnessing the rise of a Divine General!
"Since you all know about this, I won't say more. Just make sure to keep your mouths shut and don't spread this news," Song Yufeng said.
Upon hearing this, Song Yu Yao's excited heart calmed down a little, and she asked, "Why?"
"There's no reason. That child will go and receive his reward himself; it's not our place to spread the news," Song Yufeng said calmly. "Don't do anything unnecessary. He's still in Liangzhou and in a dangerous situation. If those demons and monsters find out that he's Insect Two, they'll go crazy and attack with all their might to kill him!"
"Keeping his secret is helping him."
Hearing Song Yufeng's words, everyone understood the difficulty of Li Hao's situation.
The glory that would be bestowed upon him for millennia would also make him a thorn in the eyes of demons and monsters.
"Rest assured, the reward is here, and he won't be able to run away from it. Once that kid gets out of trouble, he'll definitely hear the imperial decree and come to receive it," Song Yufeng said with a light laugh. "Maybe it won't be long before we can attend his Divine General appointment ceremony. You've never seen a Divine General appointment ceremony before, have you? It's quite a spectacle..."
"Master, have you seen it?"
Shen Yunqing asked curiously.
"No, I haven't," Song Yufeng smiled. "But I've heard about it."
"..."
The crowd fell silent.
...
In a secret location outside Liangzhou, several birds flew back and forth, carrying messages.
"Imperial decree? Appointing a Divine General?"
In this dark and secret location, a group of sinister figures gathered, their bodies emanating a deep and terrifying demonic aura despite their restrained demeanor.
"Damn it, who is this Insect Two? If I find out, I'll tear him to shreds!"
"It's not necessarily a bad thing. This gathering was called by the Black Mountain Wasteland God," said a burly man with a thick chest and a sinister look on his face. "The opening of the Merit Treasure Vault is a good thing for us too. We can also benefit from it, but first, we must conquer the Great Yu Dynasty!
"In the next decade or so, the overall power of the Great Yu Divine Empire will definitely increase slightly due to the Merit Treasure Vault, and the longer it takes, the greater the increase. Once the Death Rivers no longer restrict them, the Wang family will also be free to act."
"The Black Mountain Wasteland God wants us to make our move now!"
Hearing his words, the others' eyes narrowed.
After preparing for hundreds of years, was it finally time to make their move?
"Damn it, the failure in Liangzhou disrupted our plans. Without Liangzhou as our base to tie down the Great Yu Divine Empire, and with our inability to destroy the Li family in Qingzhou, we will suffer even greater losses in the future!"
"At this point, we have no choice but to fight with all we've got."
"Fortunately, over the past few hundred years, we've been focusing our attacks on the Li family's stronghold, and we've worn them down quite a bit. It's time to erase that damned Li family from the face of this world!"
"Appointing a new Divine General? Humph, let's send the old Divine General to his grave first!"
The other figures with powerful auras spoke up, having waited for this moment for a long time.
For hundreds of years, they had been attacking the Li family's stronghold, worried that their true purpose would be discovered. They had also dispersed their forces to harass other families, resulting in significant losses for them as well.
The mutual hatred between them had intensified over the centuries of relentless slaughter.
"Let's raze the Li family in Qingzhou to the ground first. Since we failed in Liangzhou, we'll start with Qingzhou!"
"Should we wait for the Candlelight God to return?"
"The Dragon City Death River is surrounded from the outside, and I heard that the Yu Emperor has gone mad and released his ninth brother, the Sword Maniac. If he comes here to support the Candlelight God, we'll have a tough battle on our hands."