Chapter 220 – Representatives and Quotas

“Now, this old man shall announce the combat achievements from this drill.”

Mount Luofu Master stroked his beard with one hand while light particles gathered in his other palm, a long scroll materializing inch by inch from top to bottom.

The Mountain Master’s gaze swept across the assembly, pausing briefly before he began reading:

“Lord Feathered Serpent, combat achievement: 50 points.”

Fifty points weren’t even enough to claim the bounty for subjugating a Tier 1 monster tribe.

Yet this result couldn’t be considered poor.

After all, lords who failed to defend their fortresses would lose substantial achievement points. Even those who held out until the Middle Stage would still face significant deductions. In other words, any positive achievement count meant victory.

Wu Qingyun, Yellow Dragon Lord, and others revealed faint smiles.

They had initially anticipated many newly-appointed lords would end up with negative scores.

It appeared this cohort truly lived up to being the most outstanding in history.

Having them undergo early tempering had been the correct move.

Lord Feathered Serpent felt reasonably satisfied with his positive score, though his smile lasted mere seconds.

“Lord Baihe, combat achievement: 150 points.”

“Lord Luo Xing, combat achievement: 250 points.”

So he was actually the lowest ranked?

But human emotions often diverge sharply. Jiang Luoxing, who had initially felt only modest relief, watched his rival Feathered Serpent’s deflated expression and felt his mood skyrocket. Were the circumstances different, he might have burst into roaring laughter.

The achievements of Lord Great Sun, Lord Frost Sky, and other lords were announced one after another.

Most lords had already gauged their performance accurately, showing little change in expression.

Only Lord Divine Thunder clenched his fist subtly upon hearing his own name while Tianyuan’s remained conspicuously absent.

“Between Tianyuan and me… there truly is still a gap.”

…

“Lord Juniu, combat achievement: 14,400 points.”

“Lord Guanmu, combat achievement: 15,900 points.”

Some lesser-known lords also achieved remarkably high scores.

Some had accumulated profound foundations, using this platform to astonish everyone instantly.

Others employed brilliant tactics, unleashing 150% or even 200% of their troops’ potential. Conversely, lords who misapplied strategies wore utterly defeated expressions.

This minority particularly disappointed the proctors.

After all,

“Tactical errors during military drills only cost you points. But strategic miscalculations in real battles will cost you countless troops—or even your own life.”

“If they fail to reflect critically and instead blame misfortune… their future…”

The Dragon Court Competition wasn’t mere arena combat—it demanded tactical and strategic mastery from every lord.

…

“Lord Wuji, combat achievement: 33,900 points.”

“Lord Youshan, combat achievement: 36,600 points.”

“Lord Kongming, combat achievement: 36,800 points.”

“Lord Tianyuan…” Mount Luofu Master paused briefly, “…combat achievement: 36,825 points.”

Veteran lords focused their attention on powerhouses like Wuji and Kongming, but a select few among the newly-appointed lords had grown visibly unsettled halfway through the announcements.

Why hadn’t Tianyuan’s name been called?

As name after name was recited, their expressions shifted increasingly toward stunned disbelief, no longer concealable.

Until this very moment.

Tianyuan… What Tianyuan?!This is no ordinary lord!

Even though they were all newcomers undergoing the trials at the same time, even though they all came from similar backgrounds and possessed comparable talents, and even though they were all human—how could the gap be so unimaginably vast?

The Divine Thunder Lord slumped in despair.

Unreachable. No matter how he thought about it, it seemed impossible to catch up!

Liu Miumiu was surprised for a moment before calming down. She had always heard her elder sister say that Tianyuan’s natural talent and brilliance were no less than her own, so such a performance was reasonable, right?

The number one Tianyuan enthusiast, Lord Wang Ba Wang Erteng, exclaimed in astonishment, “My cultivation is still insufficient! Whether in terms of trust in Tianyuan or the pursuit of power.”

Indeed, he didn’t really believe he could catch up to Tianyuan unless Tianyuan one day fell into a slump and ceased his relentless progress—but that would no longer be the Primordial Spirit.

But just because he couldn’t catch up, should he give up?

No!

He, Lord Wang Ba, would never resign himself to being a mere bystander. He was a man determined to climb step by step onto the path of a Great Lord, and even the path of kingship.

His entire life might be inferior to others, but it would never be inferior to the person he was yesterday.

He hoped that one day, he would hear his father proudly tell others, “My son Wang Erteng possesses the potential of Tianyuan!”

This was the goal he would pursue for the rest of his life.

Lord Wang Ba clenched his fists, his spirit burning with renewed vigor.

Compared to the newly appointed lords who seemed to be hallucinating and wore dazed expressions, the veteran lords—especially those who had fought to the end and reached the gates of Monster City—were not particularly surprised.

…Or so they pretended!

At the very least, they were somewhat mentally prepared, feeling that Tianyuan securing a spot was within expectations.

“You newcomers know nothing of Tianyuan’s power.”

“He is a man recognized by three epic beings.”

“He is so mysterious, yet carries a fatal allure that makes it hard not to want to explore further.”

A female lord with an aura of a mature beauty gazed at the slightly youthful-faced Tianyuan Lord—under the guise of Dolai—her eyes gleaming with a wolf-like light.

But it wasn’t just the female lords; even the male lords…

Given the chance, they must engage in a fierce exchange with Tianyuan!

The Tyrant Dragon Lord thought to himself. He was the least surprised among them. Wasn’t it only natural for a man pursuing the Dragon’s Mark to achieve the highest combat record?

“Speaking of which, the third epic under Tianyuan’s command—that cloaked figure whose face remains unclear—is likely a dragon-type being as well.”

“After all, that surging Nether River resembles a Nether Dragon.”

This speculation was utterly reasonable.

…

The final slots were confirmed: Tianyuan, Kongming, Youshan, Wuji, Shen Mao, and Tyrant Dragon would represent Taixuan in the competition against other major nations.

Among them, Tyrant Dragon’s combat record barely scraped the cutoff line, exceeding the other two strong competitors by only a hundred or two points.

But then again, many were also surprised that Tianyuan Lord’s combat record slightly surpassed even Kongming and Youshan’s.

“Tianyuan took a risky move early on by dispersing his forces across multiple locations, but this precisely demonstrates his strategic vision.”

“In contrast, Youshan belongs to the type who couldn’t fully utilize his strength, though this isn’t entirely his fault. At this stage, freely commanding an epic being is indeed somewhat challenging. Rather… it’s Tianyuan’s ability to command epics at will that is truly astonishing.”

“Hmm, Tianyuan… he truly has the bearing of a king.”The representatives for Taixuan have been selected. However, although many players know that the selection battles have concluded, exactly which six Lords emerged victorious… remains a secret.

The Lords participating in the military exercises have all signed confidentiality agreements.

This is naturally to ensure that intelligence does not leak.

Holding back one more piece of intelligence, one more trump card, could potentially reverse the outcome of a battle at a critical moment.

However, for renowned Lords like Shen Mao, Tyrant Dragon, and Wuji, their battle records are illustrious, and much of their intelligence is impossible to conceal.

Thus, Tianyuan is not merely a viable force but also a surprise contingent.

The intelligence war has already begun silently.

On social platforms like the Taixuan Forum and various chat groups, many casual players are heatedly discussing. In the White River Soaring Dragon group, novice Lords like Liver Emperor and Tan Moumou are also eagerly debating.

“Which big shots do you think will represent our Taixuan in the competition?”

“Limitless Lord, Kongming City Lord, and then Shen Mao, Tyrant Dragon, right?”

“That’s only four; who are the other two?”

“Probably Behemoth Lord and Demon Ox Lord. Their battle records are also quite impressive. Rumor has it that Behemoth Lord possesses two invincible Mountain Giants capable of shattering city walls dozens of meters high with a single punch.”

“@Mu Yuan_A Yuan, what do you think?”

With my eyes, obviously.

Mu Yuan was currently looking at the list in his hand—the reward list.

After the battles concluded, the big shots dispersed, while he and the other five representatives received detailed information related to the Dragon Court Competition, along with a resource allocation quota.

Representing their nation in the competition is indeed about winning glory for the country, but resource rewards are also essential.

It is said that obtaining this quota reward can allow rising star Lords to advance several years ahead of schedule, achieving a significant leap in power directly.

At the time, the Taixuan staff responsible for briefing them stated:

“Actually, the countries participating in the Dragon Court Competition are not limited to the Seven Great Nations. There are at least several dozen small and medium-sized kingdoms as well. For instance, on Blue Star, besides the Starshine Federation and our Xuan Nation, some other countries and factions are also eligible to participate. However…”

“Only the Seven Great Nations can secure recruitment slots.”

Firstly, the recruitment qualifications for the Dragon Court Land are not solely determined by the competition but are more a result of power struggles among the major nations behind the scenes.

The Seven Great Nations each have six Lords and six team slots.

The remaining smaller nations have only three, two, or even just one representative slot.

“However, aside from having fewer participating Lords, small and medium-sized kingdoms also enjoy fairness in the competition. If they can make it to the end, they can still compete for the precious recruitment slots.”

“And among them, it is not unheard of for there to be rising star Lords who are even more outstanding and talented than the representatives of the Seven Great Nations. After all, the base of small and medium-sized kingdoms is vast, and it is common for prodigies to emerge.”

“But no matter how prodigious they are, representatives from small and medium-sized nations rarely make it to the end. The reason lies here—the foundation of a nation.”

“You have likely already heard about special treasure lands like the Pure Soul Source Pool and Legacy Sites. These will all be made available to you. The generals and troops of each of you will undergo a qualitative improvement. In other words, the strength you will wield during the Dragon Court Competition will far exceed your current capabilities. This is also why representatives from small and medium-sized nations find it difficult to compete with us.”

“However… among the Seven Great Nations, Eternal Star and Divine Wood possess foundations far surpassing our Taixuan. This is why we often find ourselves at a disadvantage.””The Pure Soul Source Pool and other Treasure Lands require time for scheduling and allocation from above. Everyone can make preparations in advance and adjust their conditions. How much benefit you gain from these Treasure Lands entirely depends on yourselves.”

“In addition to the Treasure Lands, there is also a batch of valuable resources available for selection. Please consider carefully to maximize the enhancement of your strength before the Dragon Court Competition arrives.”

Mu Yuan looked at the list in his hand.

It was filled entirely with rare items that required Contribution Points for exchange, and all of them were things that could quickly boost combat power.

Such as Excellent-grade equipment, Hero Arena medals, and so on.

First update…

(End of chapter)