Qin Tian's meditation was undisturbed by the chaos his achievement had caused across the world. He felt a surge of energy and enlightenment as he reached Qi Gathering X, but now it was time to take stock of his rewards. His eyes fluttered open, revealing a glint of excitement and curiosity.
He marveled at the 100,000 reputation points he had received. "With these points, I can buy multiple Mythical quality buildings from the reputation shop once I leave the Novice Trial. This will give me a huge advantage," he thought to himself, a smile spreading across his face.
Next, Qin Tian considered the 100 million spirit coins. Though a significant amount, Qin Tian was almost unbothered. "I know some rich second-generation geniuses can get more through their families," he thought.
"Some families possess items that can bypass the Novice Trial's restrictions, allowing their offspring to rank higher and gain better rewards. They can give more than a hundred million spirit coins, or even possibly a billion, depending on the financial strength of the family. I heard they can even provide Legendary or Epic buildings and Hero Recruitment Tokens."
Qin Tian felt a pang of jealousy towards these 'young masters'. "They can do nothing and still become strong because of their family," he mused. "Unlike us normal lords who have no family to rely on and must get stronger step by step."
With a hundred million spirit coins, he can buy resources he needs to upgrade his buildings, buy equipment for his troops, and become stronger.
His excitement truly peaked when he noticed the Legendary item in his rewards. "Due to my talent [Immortal], this Legendary item will transform into a higher quality."
A notification appeared in front of him:
[Ding! You have received the following:]
[100,000 reputation points]
[100 million spirit coins]
[Hero Recruitment Token (Legendary)]
[It has been automatically placed in your warehouse]
"A hero recruitment token actually came out?! I'm so lucky!" Qin Tian exclaimed.
Heroes were the lifelines of Lords. They could manage territories, lead armies, and provide strategic advantages that were indispensable. Realizing the potential of his reward, Qin Tian quickly accessed his warehouse, a boundless space akin to a Storage Ring.
Within the warehouse, he saw the Hero Recruitment Token and a bundle of spirit coins. He focused on the token, feeling a surge of energy as he retrieved it.
[Ding! Hero Recruitment Token is evolved by talent [Immortal] and becomes Immortal Recruitment Token (Demigod)]
Qin Tian's eyes widened with excitement. "A Demigod Hero Recruitment Token? This is incredible!"
As Qin Tian absorbed the information, he started to piece together the hierarchy of ranks beyond Mythical. "So, after Mythical comes Demigod, then Divine, and finally Taboo," he mused, a sense of clarity washing over him.
His thoughts were interrupted by a series of questions. "What kind of hero will I summon with this token? Will they possess powers and abilities far beyond my current troops?"
Qin Tian's mind raced with possibilities. "A Demigod-level hero could turn the tide of any battle and greatly enhance my territory's growth. I hope I get good RNG."
Qin Tian took a deep breath, feeling his heart race with nervous anticipation. In his mind, a huge golden roulette formed, its surface glistening with an ethereal light. The roulette was divided into various sections, each representing different types of heroes. Flashing silhouettes appeared within these sections: there were Immortals that held a whisk, generals who looked bloody, enchanting fox girls, and various strange and mythical animals, each exuding a unique aura.
The roulette began to spin, its motion accompanied by a soft, melodious chime. Qin Tian watched intently as the silhouettes blurred together, creating a mesmerizing display of colors and forms. His hands clenched into fists, his palms growing sweaty with anxiety.
"Please, let it be a powerful hero," he whispered to himself, his eyes never leaving the roulette.
'If I were to receive a hero who specializes in weird things such as cooking, I'm actually cooked' Qin Tian thought to himself.
The roulette spun, slowing down until it pointed at a red section exuding an ominous and bloody aura. A burst of murderous intent suddenly came down, pressuring Qin Tian. Though, he gritted his teeth and waited for the results.
[Ding! Congratulations, you got the Hero Bai Qi (Demigod)]
"Bai Qi!" Feeling the murderous intent slowly disappearing, Qin Tian couldn't believe it and exclaimed, his heart racing. "I actually got Bai Qi!"
Bai Qi, also known as the God of Slaughter, was a general of the Qin state during the Warring States period of ancient Huaxia. His military career was marked by unparalleled ruthlessness and effectiveness, earning him the fearsome title of "God of Slaughter."
Bai Qi served as the commander of the Qin army for more than 30 years. He was responsible for the deaths of over one million people and seized more than 73 cities from the other six hostile states. Remarkably, no record has been found to show that he suffered a single defeat throughout his military career. Bai Qi's relentless campaigns were instrumental in the rise of Qin as a military hegemon and the weakening of its rival states, thus enabling Qin's eventual conquest of them.
Qin Tian was filled with a mix of awe and excitement. "With Bai Qi by my side, there is no place that I can conquer, the flag of the Immortal Realm will be planted all over the place," he thought. "His strategic mind and combat prowess will be invaluable in the upcoming battles."
The air around Qin Tian thickened, and a swirling vortex of blood-red energy materialized before him. The atmosphere became charged with an oppressive aura, causing the nearby soldiers to shudder and awaken from their meditative states.
In an instant, the vortex exploded outward, and from within it emerged a figure clad in silvery white armor, glowing with a malevolent aura. His eyes were sharp, and his presence exuded the essence of a malevolent immortal. In his hand, he held a blood-red spear that seemed to glisten with the blood of his enemies.
[Ding! Congratulations, you have summoned the Hero Bai Qi (Demigod)]
Bai Qi's arrival was marked by a spread of bloody aura that seemed to taint the very air around him. The oppressive energy radiating from him caused the nearby soldiers to instinctively step back, their faces pale with fear and awe.
Qin Tian looked silently at this symbol of brutality. Even though people treated him as a sign of brutality, that doesn't take away his feats as a general, being undefeated. It was also a pity that he met with such a bad end, where the King of the Qin State at that time stripped him of all titles because the Prime Minister at that time feared that since Bai Qi was too strong, he may lead it to attack them instead.
Qin Tian will let him shine on the battlefield. He will once again become the God of Slaugter, and he will pave the way for the Immortal Realm, with mountains of corpses beneath his feet.
Bai Qi's fierce gaze softened as he looked at Qin Tian. He took a step forward and knelt on one knee, lowering his head in a gesture of deep respect. "My Lord,"
Qin Tian felt a surge of pride and excitement. "Rise, Bai Qi," he said, his voice steady despite the awe he felt. "Your presence here is a great honor."
Qin Tian eagerly opened Bai Qi's attribute panel, his eyes scanning over the details with keen interest.
[Bai Qi (Demigod Hero)]
[Level: Qi Refining I]
[Charm:81]
[Luck: 43]
[Strength: 94]
[Agility: 89]
[Physique: 92]
[Spirit: 61]
[Skills:]
[Iron Will (Passive Legion Skill): Soldiers under the command of Bai Qi will never yield to the enemy, and will fight until their last breath)]
[Forged By Blood (Passive Legion Skill): Soldiers who are following Bai Qi will receive a 250% experience boost rate]
[Bloody Battle (Active Legion Skill): When activated, the soldiers enter a state of madness for 15 minutes, and all their attributes are strengthened by 300%. After the soldiers exit the state of madness, they enter a state of weakness for 30 minutes. Cooldown of a day]
Qin Tian's eyes widened in amazement as he reviewed Bai Qi's attributes. "These stats are incredible," he thought, marveling at the near-perfect combination of strength, agility, and physique. "With such powerful skills, Bai Qi and his troops will be an unstoppable meat grinder on the battlefield."
"There will be a beast siege an hour later. For now, cultivate and get stronger." Bai Qi stood up and nodded silently before drinking water from the Spirit Well and joining the ranks of the soldiers.
Qin Tian considered his own next steps. "I've got an hour left; I must get stronger in the meantime. Anyways, I have the ability to teleport my soldiers and Bai Qi immediately to their positions when the beast siege arrives. I'll let them cultivate here for a while."
Soon, an hour passed, and the beast siege loomed. Qin Tian checked his personal attributes:
[Name: Qin Tian]
[Race: Primordial Human]
[Level: Foundation Building II]
[Territory: Immortal Realm]
[Talents: Immortal (Taboo), Music Immortal (Divine)]
[Spirit Coins: 100,000,300]
[Area: 29 kilometers]
[Villagers: 0]
[Heroes: Bai Qi (Demigod)]
[Charm: 47]
[Luck: 53]
[Strength: 59]
[Agility: 53]
[Physique: 54]
[Spirit: 51]
After an hour passed, it was only barely enough to get him to Foundation Establishment II, which was equivalent to Level 12. The soldiers reached Qi Gathering VIII, while Bai Qi was slightly behind, at Qi Gathering VII.
[Ding! The Novice Trial event, Beast Siege, is now starting]
[Detected that you have a special Lord Crystal, a Taboo-level talent, and a Divine-level Talent]
[Calculating…]
[Your territory will be facing 15 waves of beasts]
[Good luck, Lord]
As the robotic voice of the Heavenly Dao System faded, the ground began to tremble. A low rumbling sound grew louder, signaling the approach of the beast waves.
These effects woke Bai Qi and the soldiers, who stood at attention, ready for battle.
Qin Tian quickly devised his strategy. He placed six soldiers at the north and northeast, with three soldiers protecting the Spirit Well and the Spirit Farm, respectively. The remaining four were stationed at the Heavenly Soldier Camp.
Qin Tian decided to stay with the six soldiers guarding the Spirit Well and Spirit Farm, while Bai Qi would hold the line with the four at the Heavenly Soldier Camp. He only needed to defend his three buildings, since the others were either invulnerable, or flying.
Qin Tian teleported Bai Qi and the four Heavenly Soldiers at the Heavenly Soldier Camp. Anyways, Bai Qi was worth at least 5 Heavenly Soldiers, he can manage pretty well.
Since the farmland and the well was near each other, it was easy to defend them both. At this moment, Qin Tian suddenly felt regret putting the Heavenly Soldier Camp in the opposite direction. He could've put the three buildings together so they can defend it easily, and move it after the Novice Trial ended.
Anyways, he was not like the other Lords who needed to put buildings in the four directions of the Lord's Heart so that they would first attract the attention of the enemies, and the Lord's Heart would not get breached.
But it was too late for regrets, as Qin Tian saw dots appearing and approaching them closer than closer.
"The beast wave, it's coming!"