Level 11.
The first step for every lord who has survived the Rookie Trial.
At this level, lords finally break free from the weakness of being powerless. The primary reason lies in the newly unlocked [Heroic Power]—a privilege granted by the Lord System.
It allows the lord to choose one hero and bestow that hero's template upon themselves.
In other words, a lord can temporarily become as powerful as the chosen hero. The stronger the hero, the stronger the lord becomes!
Additionally, this template can be switched at any time.
Remembering the humiliations of the previous day, Lucian gritted his teeth and immediately chose "Lin Daiyu."
A surge of immense power coursed through his body.
It felt as though a furnace was roaring inside him, shaking his organs, flesh, and even his very bones.
In mere moments, Lucian adjusted to this overwhelming force.
Taking a deep breath, he felt like he could topple mountains and split the heavens.
"This is Daiyu's power?"
"More than a thousand points of physique…"
Lucian clenched his fists, utterly astonished.
The illusion of being able to destroy the Earth with a single punch filled his mind, though he knew it was just that—an illusion.
The massive leap in strength left him momentarily dazed.
Even the "Innate Qi" from Lin Daiyu's body had been perfectly replicated, and he now possessed her expertise in Eight Extremes Fist. His body even retained the muscle memory, allowing him to unleash her techniques with ease.
Lucian tested a few moves and marveled at the results.
The Heroic Power template doesn't diminish the original hero's strength, so he wasn't concerned about weakening Lin Daiyu.
But what truly thrilled him was the stamina!
With over a thousand points of physique, his endurance would now be unparalleled.
"Lin Daiyu, you're in for it now!"
Lucian smirked deviously, already plotting his revenge for her antics.
Just as he was reveling in his newfound strength, another prompt appeared in his mind.
"Please name your territory!"
Lucian paused to think.
Should he go for something bold and domineering?
Or something that matched his current situation?
"Sky Dominion? Nah, too overused."
"Realm of Nine Immortals? No, that's straight-up plagiarism."
"How about 'Harem City'? Too on the nose."
As someone prone to overthinking, Lucian found choosing a name surprisingly painful.
The names he considered either felt uninspired or didn't suit his territory's current state.
After much deliberation, he glanced at the "Taiyin Stele" in the distance and suddenly had a flash of inspiration.
"That's it—Lunar City!"
Satisfied for now, Lucian updated his territory's name to "Lunar City" on his Territory Panel.
With that done, he checked his remaining resources.
Void Crystals: 170,000+
Void Origin Stones: 150,000+
It was a staggering amount.
Most new lords who had just passed the trial barely managed to save up 10,000 resources, often exhausting everything to power up their territories for survival.
Lucian estimated that upgrading everything to Level 11 would be feasible, but reaching Level 12 would likely drain all his Void Origin Stones.
"Level 11 is fine for now. Once I've accumulated enough Void Origin Stones, I'll consider upgrading further."
With his territory now spanning 7 square kilometers (200 x 350), Lucian began rearranging its layout.
Expanded the walls to match the increased land area, costing a small amount of Void Crystals.
Upgraded the walls to Level 11.
Placed 40 defensive towers across the territory, strategically allocating 10 per quadrant for optimal control and output.
Upgraded all towers to Level 11.
Altogether, these improvements consumed nearly 100,000 Void Origin Stones.
Next, he upgraded the two barracks:
[Qin Imperial Warriors' Barracks]: Level 11 (Unit Cap: 150)
[Lunar Immortals' Palace]: Level 11 (Unit Cap: 150)
Each upgrade cost 5,000 Void Origin Stones.
From Level 11 onward, each level-up increased the troop cap by 50 units per barracks.
Lucian could now recruit 100 new soldiers.
Thankfully, recruitment costs remained unchanged despite the barracks upgrades.
Void Crystals Spent: 10,000
Soon, 100 brand-new soldiers emerged from the barracks.
The Qin Imperial Warriors exuded a cold, deadly aura.
The Lunar Immortal Disciples appeared ethereal and elegant.
Together, they created a scene straight out of a celestial paradise.
"The territory traits are amazing—every recruit is beautiful!"
Lucian grinned, thoroughly pleased.
Of course, as someone "pure of heart," he insisted this was purely an appreciation for aesthetics and not anything untoward.
Lucian then focused on improving the new recruits' strength.
100 soldiers at Level 10: Upgrading each to Level 11 cost 1,500 Void Origin Stones per soldier.
Total cost: 150,000 Void Origin Stones.
However, this didn't account for the cost of quality enhancements.
Lucian had to pause.
The sheer resource drain reminded him of the universal challenge faced by all lords—managing Void Origin Stones.
Unlike Void Crystals, Void Origin Stones couldn't be traded or purchased. They were bound to the lord and had limited acquisition methods.
While ordinary lords might not feel the pinch immediately, prodigies, saints, and scions of great powers often found themselves constrained by a lack of Void Origin Stones.
"I'll have to wait for more opportunities to replenish my reserves."
Lucian led his newly recruited soldiers to the Armory, now upgraded to Level 10.
Thanks to the barracks' quality upgrade, all weapons and armor crafted in the armory were now of Golden Legendary quality.
The sight of 100 soldiers clad in full Golden Legendary gear was awe-inspiring.
Though equipment traits didn't add raw stats, the bonus attributes from Golden Legendary gear made them significantly more powerful than soldiers with purple gear.
Lucian marveled at the transformation and couldn't help but grin.
"This is what it means to have a golden army."
Even the angels and elites in the Void wouldn't dare underestimate such a force.