Upon hearing Jiang Chen's battle rating, the entire regional channel fell silent.
Of course, it was only for a moment.
Just as Jiang Chen had predicted, no one believed it!
"Did I hear wrong? Did he say his battle rating is A?"
"Bragging is one thing, but at least make it believable. If he said C or D, I might have believed it!"
"Exactly, it's been decades since an A rating appeared in the Dragon Nation!"
"Jiang Chen, would you dare to show us a screenshot as proof?"
An Chuxia: "Enough, can't Jiang Chen even joke around?"
The intervention of a big shot had its effect.
The comments section instantly quieted down.
An Chuxia's staunch defense of Jiang Chen made all the male lords green with envy.
Jiang Chen ignored the crowd's sarcasm; he was waiting for Ying Yinman's response.
Ying Yinman: "Jiang Chen, you're quite humorous!"
Jiang Chen felt a bit disappointed.
It seemed that even the big shot from the Ying Family of Immortal Qin was just another mundane person.
But if they didn't believe it, so be it. Jiang Chen couldn't be bothered to explain.
After all, his strength wouldn't remain hidden for long.
Suddenly.
An announcement rang out again.
[Announcement: Lord Ying Yinman of Novice Town 10086 is the second to upgrade to a Level 1 Lord's Manor, rewarded with a Fine Treasure Chest.]
[Announcement: Lord Ying Yinman of Novice Town 10086 is the second to upgrade to a Level 1 Lord's Manor, rewarded with 5 Prestige points.]
Jiang Chen was taken aback!
"The Ying Family still has some skills. If it weren't for my sudden rise, they'd definitely be in first place!"
An Chuxia: "Ahhh! I was just a step too late!"
[Announcement: Lord An Chuxia of Novice Town 10086 is the third to upgrade to a Level 1 Lord's Manor, rewarded with a Fine Treasure Chest.]
[Announcement: Lord An Chuxia of Novice Town 10086 is the third to upgrade to a Level 1 Lord's Manor, rewarded with 3 Prestige points.]
Wei Ming: "The yin prospers while the yang declines! Luckily, Brother Jiang Chen has given us men some face!"
Mu Qingshuang: "This batch of newcomers is too competitive!"
Unexpectedly.
The Heavenly Dao announcements didn't stop.
[Announcement: Due to the generally high hero strength in Town 10086 compared to other towns, the 'Hero Combat Power' ranking has been triggered.]
[Hero Combat Power Rank 1, the lord will be rewarded with an Exceptional Treasure Chest.]
[Hero Combat Power Ranks 2-10, the lord will be rewarded with a Rare Treasure Chest.]
[Hero Combat Power Ranks 11-100, the lord will be rewarded with a Fine Treasure Chest.]
[Settlement time: Tomorrow at 12:00.]
Jiang Chen was overjoyed.
The Heavenly Dao was becoming more generous; this time, it was actually a Purple Exceptional Treasure Chest.
To enhance an Exceptional Treasure Chest, he needed to consume 10,000 Spirit Stones. The Heavenly Dao was practically giving him money.
Although the evaluation was based on hero combat power, with the Empress's terrifying growth potential, this treasure chest was practically his.
Jiang Chen wasn't the only confident one.
Li Muze: "Haha, now this is more like it! The Hero Combat Power Ranking relies on real strength. Some guys who rely on dumb luck can take a break this time." Visit novelping(.)com for the full chapter.
Wei Ming: "Currently, our town has five people with Rare heroes, and counting the low-key big shots, there are probably no less than ten!"
Lin Mo: "Last time, the ranking had an unexpected outcome. How about I host the betting for this Hero Combat Power Ranking at the Exchange? We only bet on the top spot, and those who guess correctly will share the pool based on their bets. How about it?"
Wei Ming: "Brother Lin is so enthusiastic; could it be that you are determined to claim the top spot in the Hero Combat Power Ranking?"
Lin Mo: "Haha, Brother Wei, you're joking! Who knows, maybe another dark horse like Jiang Chen will appear this time? Perhaps Miss Ying Yinman from the Ying Family of Immortal Qin!"
Soon.
[Lord Lin Mo has opened a betting pool at the Exchange (click to view).]
The moment it opened, thousands of Spirit Stones poured into the pool.
Surprisingly, a significant portion was bet on Lin Mo.
It seemed Lin Mo's eagerness had tipped off many people.
And Jiang Chen, watching the ever-increasing bets on the pool, had eyes that sparkled with excitement.
In theory.
As long as he had enough Spirit Stones, Jiang Chen could enhance countless Legendary equipment, buildings, and units.
So, Spirit Stones were never enough.
"Bet away, it's all mine anyway!"
...
In a territory 200 kilometers from Jiang Chen.
Ying Yinman, tall and striking, though not as gentle as An Chuxia, exuded an aura of heroism. Her eyes sparkled like morning stars, and her noble presence was hard to ignore.
At this moment, a playful smile appeared on her face:
"Heh, this Lin Mo is quite the sly one, trying to make a fortune from this betting pool!"
"But if it weren't for me, with just a Purple Exceptional hero, the top spot on the Hero Combat Power Ranking would surely be his."
Then, she wrapped her arms around the Epic hero beside her and said:
"Sister Meng Tiane, your Qi-Gazing Art wouldn't be wrong, right? I always feel that Jiang Chen is quite mysterious too!"
Meng Tiane, originally from the Meng Family of Immortal Qin in the Third Heaven, though not as famous as her brother Meng Tian, was still one of the legendary Grand Lords of the Third Heaven, mastering both military and Yin-Yang arts.
Yet, this legendary lord, who had lived for thousands of years, had sacrificed herself using the secret arts of the Yin-Yang School to become a hero to protect Ying Yinman.
She even lowered her own quality to Epic to retain her memories after death.
If this were known, it would definitely make the headlines on the Lord Forum.
With Meng Tiane's Yin-Yang Arts, Ying Yinman had already grasped the background of the second-generation lords in Town 10086.
"Rest assured, Your Highness. With my Great Perfection Yin-Yang Qi-Gazing Art, I wouldn't be unable to see through a mere Tier 1 lord!"
Meng Tiane had calculated Jiang Chen multiple times and was very confident in her results:
"Unless Jiang Chen's hero quality is above mine. But Jiang Chen is just a commoner; could he possibly have an Epic or even Legendary hero?"
Ying Yinman was reassured:
"Indeed, impossible!"
Then she said happily:
"I didn't expect the Hero Combat Power Ranking to trigger so soon. With Sister Meng here, I'm determined to take the top spot this time!"
After all, the district had just opened, and Ying Yinman couldn't ignore an Exceptional Treasure Chest.
"Perhaps it's precisely because of my Epic hero's appearance that the rewards for this Hero Combat Power Ranking have been elevated to Exceptional. Your Highness deserves this treasure chest."
With thousands of years of lord experience, Meng Tiane naturally understood the importance of caution.
"Of course, if we could reach Tier 2 before the reward settlement and unlock my level cap, that would be even better!"
Ying Yinman nodded heavily:
"Sister, you're right! However, upgrading to Tier 2 requires Refined Iron. The Iron Eagle Elites have found several iron mines, but the Refined Iron Mine remains elusive. Gathering enough Refined Iron to upgrade to Tier 2 might take ages." Enjoying the story? Read on at g.com.
Meng Tiane reassured her: "Your Highness, don't worry! Even if we can't find a Refined Iron Mine, it doesn't matter. Even if there are other hidden Epic heroes, with my equipment, I can still firmly suppress them!"
...
Jiang Chen was toying with the blueprint for the Volley Arrow Tower.
This was an enhanced version of the Arrow Tower, and enhancing it cost Jiang Chen 1,000 Spirit Stones.
Dragon Nine suddenly landed in front of Jiang Chen, respectfully reporting:
"Lord, an iron mine has been discovered 2 kilometers west of the territory!"
"Iron mine?"
Hearing Dragon Nine's report, Jiang Chen was overjoyed and immediately ordered:
"Escort 10 farmers to the iron mine, establish a Smelter, and personally guard it for a while to ensure the iron mine is successfully exploited."
Dragon Nine dutifully replied, "As you command, Lord!"
Wood and stone were already being harvested in an orderly fashion.
And although Refined Iron was also a rare resource, its availability on the map was much less than stone and wood.
Fortunately, Jiang Chen was a cheat.
He didn't need a Refined Iron Mine.
With a regular iron mine, he could continuously obtain Refined Iron through enhancement.
With enough Refined Iron, he could not only upgrade to Tier 2 immediately but also construct the Mysterious Hut and Volley Arrow Tower.
This would greatly accelerate the development and security of his territory.
Soon.
"Establish the Smelter!"
Countdown: 00:19:59 - Complete immediately (costs 200 Spirit Stones).
"Complete immediately!"
[Smelter construction completed, you lost 200 Spirit Stones.]
The recent sale of the Soul-Reaper Bayonet for 2,000 Spirit Stones left Jiang Chen quite wealthy.
After instantly completing the Smelter.
The iron mine began to be exploited continuously.
Suddenly.
The Empress gracefully approached Jiang Chen.
Jiang Chen asked curiously, "Why aren't you training?"
The Empress dusted off her hands:
"I'm out of Spirit Stones! Could I have a few more?"
Jiang Chen: "..."
He used Low-Grade Spirit Stones, and one was enough for a day's training.
But the Empress consumed a Mid-Grade Spirit Stone in just an hour.
This talent was truly infuriating!
Of course, the faster the Empress trained, the happier Jiang Chen was.
Since he had enough Spirit Stones now, Jiang Chen enhanced a few more Mid-Grade Spirit Stones.
The Empress accepted the Spirit Stones with satisfaction, hesitated for a moment, and said:
"Lord, while I was training, I kept feeling that some unknown presence was trying to spy on me!"