At the same time.
The entire Regional Channel was abuzz with discussion.
"Damn, a Blue Rare? Why is the reward for this new zone so high, a whole level above previous years!"
"If someone gets a Rare Hero Token, wouldn't they strike it rich?"
"Is that all you aspire to? If I had a Rare Hero, the position of Town Mayor would be mine!"
"Dream on with just one Rare Hero; you think you can become a mayor?"
"I'd be content just making it into the top 100 and getting a Common Treasure Chest!"
Even the geniuses couldn't sit still.
Mu Qingshuang: "Blue Rare, huh? The highest quality I've brought is just Blue Rare units..."
An Chuxia: "In this world of fierce competition, everyone relies on their own skills!"
Lin Mo: "Haha, it seems An is quite confident!"
Ying Yinman: "There are so many geniuses in Jiangnan Province, I feel a lot of pressure."
An Chuxia: "Though the rewards are tempting, everyone should be cautious. After all, this isn't a game; people can die."
Li Muze: "Chuxia is right!"
Ying Yinman: "Jiangnan Province not only has many geniuses but also many simps..."
Li Muze: "..."
"Haha..."
Watching Li Muze get roasted, Jiang Chen couldn't help but chuckle.
"This Ying Yinman is interesting, worth getting to know!"
Li Muze was one of An Chuxia's suitors and had given Jiang Chen trouble several years ago.
Jiang Chen was just an ordinary guy, not some gentleman.
Naturally, he was happy to see Li Muze take a hit.
And looking at the current situation.
These second-generation lords were all eager to get their hands on that Rare Treasure Chest.
"However..."
A thoughtful expression appeared in Jiang Chen's eyes.
"Why does the name Ying Yinman seem familiar?"
But no matter how hard he thought, he couldn't recall where he had seen it.
"Maybe she's a genius from Longzhou Province, and I saw her at the National Lord Simulation Contest!"
Suddenly.
A red announcement flashed across the Regional Channel.
[Announcement: Lord Wang Jianming was killed by a Quarry Fiend.]
"Wang Jianming?"
Jiang Chen immediately opened the Regional Chat Channel and scrolled to the bottom of the Lord list.
Sure enough, one avatar had turned black and white.
A tall, resolute-looking male face flashed in Jiang Chen's mind, and he sighed.
"This isn't a game, and you're not the protagonist!"
Wang Jianming was Jiang Chen's classmate.
Also from a humble background.
Also became a lord through campus loans.
Yet, he didn't expect to fall within half an hour of entering the Battlefield of Myriad Races.
Of course, the good news was that he no longer had to repay the loan.
After a moment of silence, messages started flooding the Regional Channel.
"Oh my god! Someone's fallen already; An Goddess was right!"
"The Battlefield of Myriad Races is too dangerous; I want to go home!"
"Sigh! He must have been too eager for quick success! It's all the Heavenly Dao rewards' fault!"
An Chuxia: "Everyone, please be careful. Although we are competitors now, we'll all be lords of the same town in the future, so there's no need to risk your lives."
An Chuxia's two reminders, her beauty, kindness, and good family background, instantly won her a large number of supporters.
It seemed someone thought the topic was too heavy and deliberately changed the subject.
"Let's guess who will be the first to upgrade to Tier 1?"
Jiang Chen glanced at the countdown:
00:00:58
Less than a minute left.
Everyone immediately started a heated discussion, lightening the oppressive mood brought by the lord's death.
"Sharing some insider info, the An Family has acquired three Rare Troop Tokens in the past month..."
"Damn, as expected of the An Family! Three squads of Rare units! More than enough to guard a dozen resource points!"
"The Lin Family of Shenhe is also a renowned Lord Family in Shenhe, their resources won't be lacking."
"Don't forget Goddess Mu Qingshuang, she's a military representative!"
"The mysterious big shot from the Ying Family disagrees!"
The overlooked Li Muze suddenly said: "Reporting progress to my brothers, I've just taken a Common Stone Mine, instantly built a Quarry, and am mining with all my might!"
His words carried an unmistakable pride.
"Li Muze is awesome!"
"Upgrading to Tier 1 isn't just about combat power; it's also about who finds resources first, that's luck!"
"I think, with this Heavenly Dao reward, it has to be Li Muze, this advantage is just too big!"
Li Muze: "Haha, you're too kind!"
Lin Mo suddenly said:
"If anyone's interested, I'll set up a betting pool at the Exchange, betting on who will be the first to upgrade to Tier 1."
This wasn't anything new.
For similar Heavenly Dao rankings, many people would place small bets for fun.
Most lords expressed interest.
Except for Jiang Chen...
He looked at the countdown, regretting:
"If I placed a bet, my odds would skyrocket!"
Countdown: 00:00:03.
"If I had known someone was setting up a pool, I would have waited."
A few seconds quickly passed.
A golden announcement suddenly flashed across the Regional Channel.
[Announcement: Lord Jiang Chen of Novice Town 10086 is the first to upgrade to Level 1 Lord's Manor, rewarded with one Rare Treasure Chest.]
[Announcement: Lord Jiang Chen of Novice Town 10086 is the first to upgrade to Level 1 Lord's Manor, rewarded with 10 Prestige points.]
At the same time.
A golden beam of light appeared out of thin air above Jiang Chen's territory.
Enveloping a Blue Rare Treasure Chest, it landed in Jiang Chen's hands.
[Hint: You have upgraded to Level 1 Lord's Manor, unlocking buildings: Smelter, Blacksmith, Tavern, and increasing territory size to 4,000 square meters.]
Rumble—
The moment the Lord's Manor upgrade was completed, the Fog of War instantly receded by dozens of meters.
The Regional Channel fell into a dead silence.
After a full ten seconds, it erupted.
"???"
"???"
"?..."
After countless question marks.
"Are you crazy! It's already Tier 1!"
"Considering the time to find a mining area, attack it, and gather resources, upgrading to Tier 1 should take hours! Did the Heavenly Dao glitch?"
"Nonsense! It's not a game; how could the Heavenly Dao glitch?"
"Construction time can be instant. That means this Jiang Chen collected all the materials in less than half an hour!"
"Who knows this Jiang Chen?"
"Damn, could it be from the Jiang Family in the provincial capital? If he brought a Purple Exceptional or higher Lord's Heart, hero, units, and farmers, plus a bit of luck, it's not impossible."
Li Muze suddenly shouted: "Jiang Chen!! It's really Jiang Chen? This guy is in our Novice Town too? What the fuck, what bad luck!"
"Li Muze knows Jiang Chen?"
"Judging by Li Muze's wary tone, this Jiang Chen must be formidable!"
Li Muze yelled: "Bullshit formidable!! He's just a commoner with a White Common Lord's Heart and an F-grade entertainment talent [Green Mountains and Clear Waters], what's so formidable about that?"