"The Yinhuang world already has a unified government."
Through his conversations with Heizhen, Muria gathered a wealth of information, and this was perhaps the most crucial detail. While the existence of the Nine Phoenix Dynasty was common knowledge to the people of this world, for a Titan like Muria, who aimed to become the supreme ruler of this world, this information was of utmost importance.
At the very least, it told Muria that the world he was assigned was the most challenging type for a Titan. What is the hardest world to conquer? One with a unified government. Such a government could mobilize all its resources to resist and attack him.
After some thought, Muria realized this made sense. After all, this was a world that had been ruled by two Titans before him, and it was likely unified under their reign. In other words, the foundation for unity had been laid countless millennia ago. Even after the Titans left, the native heroes of this world would inevitably strive to reunify it.
But for Muria, the third Titan aiming to reclaim control over this world, this unified government presented a significant challenge.
Since the second Titan left this world over ten thousand years ago, countless generations of inhabitants have passed. While they still retain legends about the Titans, and their customs, language, and culture are deeply influenced by them, no one truly remembers or recognizes the Titans anymore.
For example, the Nine Phoenix Dynasty, which currently rules the Yinhuang world, publicly claims that the Titans have perished and that they have inherited the Titans' legacy. They even claim that the Nine Phoenix God Axe they possess is proof of this.
Of course, Muria suspected that the Nine Phoenix God Axe in their possession was a counterfeit, likely based on the real divine axe he now held. It was probably just a tool to legitimize their rule.
But only Muria knew the truth. To the people of Yinhuang, the Nine Phoenix Dynasty's God Axe was considered genuine. Even if Muria were to reveal his true Titan form and brandish the real Nine Phoenix God Axe, he might win over some weak local followers. Still, he would inevitably face the full might of the unified Nine Phoenix Dynasty.
Muria didn't need to think too hard to predict how the rulers would react. They would go to great lengths to discredit him, label him an impostor, and claim that the axe he held was a fake. After all, they would never willingly acknowledge his identity.
It was a simple and logical conclusion: the ruling elite would never want another being above them who could command them at will.
To the giants of this world, the Titans were their gods, their sole faith. But to the Nine Phoenix Dynasty, the long-absent, presumed-dead Titans were valuable tools of their own power, worthy of being placed in temples and worshipped from afar. The rulers believed the Titans would never return after ten thousand years.
But now, with a Titan suddenly appearing, it was as if the revered, long-absent deity they used to consolidate power had stepped down from the altar. The rulers' only choice would be to deploy their armies to encircle and eliminate Muria.
"I knew it. Bowing down to me without resistance? Not a chance," Muria thought with a wry smile, realizing he would still need to use brute force to conquer this world. "This divine axe is only useful after I've subdued all the world's strongest forces. For now, it's practically useless."
In essence, the divine axe in his hand was akin to an imperial seal, a symbol of authority. But like an imperial seal, its power depended on who wielded it. In the hands of an emperor, it was a tool of governance. In anyone else's hands, it was just a piece of stone. Holding the seal didn't make one an emperor.
The only practical use for the divine axe now was that it had allowed Muria to enter this world. But now that he was here, that function was obsolete. Of course, Muria could use it as a weapon, and its power was steadily growing, making it increasingly formidable.
...
Three days later, under Heizhen's guidance, Muria explored the Yanlun Tribe, examining their collections of animal-skin books, touring their sacred sites, and traversing their hunting grounds. By the end of his exploration, he had gained a solid understanding of this world.
"Heizhen, thank you for guiding me these past few days," Muria said, a faint smile playing on his lips as he looked at the boy walking ahead of him. "Tell me, what do you want?"
"Sir, are you leaving?" Heizhen asked in a panic. The past few days had been the happiest since his father's death. Following Muria, even the tribe's high priests and elders had shown him great respect.
"Of course not. I haven't accomplished my goals yet, and I won't leave until I do," Muria replied with a smile. "Now, what is it you want?"
"Sir, I... I want an offering for my coming-of-age ceremony." Heizhen hesitated, feeling a bit embarrassed. After all, the questions he had answered for Muria were just basic knowledge. In his mind, they weren't worth much, and asking for an offering seemed like asking too much. But he quickly dismissed his doubts and steeled his resolve.
"That's all?" Muria raised an eyebrow. To him, the boy's request seemed far too modest.
Over the past few days, Muria had come to understand the power system of the Yinhuang world, which revolved around the paths of sacrifice and totems.
The Yinhuang people would battle and kill powerful beasts, then perform a special ritual to sacrifice the creature to some unknown entity or the world's will. Through this ritual, they would absorb part of the beast's power, which would manifest as totem marks on their bodies, making them stronger.
This was a primitive and crude cultivation system, and its origins could be traced back to Erathia. Even now, Erathia had similar systems in place. For instance, Muria was aware of a system known as the Engraved Swordmasters, where practitioners gained power by offering strong creatures as sacrifices.
There was also a system where powerful creatures were sealed within the practitioner's body, and their power could be forcibly drawn upon in times of need, resulting in a temporary but significant power boost. These systems were far more refined than the Totem Path of the Yinhuang world.
"The stronger, the better," Heizhen quickly added, noticing Muria's initial reaction. The boy's face lit up with excitement as he made his request.
"Sure!" Muria nodded. "Tell me, where is the strongest beast around your tribe?"
"In the east, there's a Feathered Serpent Dragon!"
"Hmm!" Muria nodded. He knew the boy wasn't referring to a dragon in the Erathia sense. In this world, "dragon" was a term used to describe a variety of powerful creatures. It was more of a title than a specific species.
"Wait here. I'll be right back." With a single step, Muria vanished from Heizhen's sight, disappearing in the blink of an eye. The boy's eyes filled with excitement as he realized he had encountered a legendary opportunity. If he could seize this chance, his rise to greatness was assured.
...
"If this world barely suppresses my power as a Titan, I should try summoning my subordinates. After all, it's hard to do everything alone!"
Having just promised the boy he'd retrieve a life-changing offering for him, Muria made his way through the wilderness. Everywhere he went, beasts cowered, and birds fled. Unlike the forgetful intelligent creatures of the world, these primal and ferocious beasts, driven by instinct, recognized the power within Muria and knew how to show proper submission.
Muria found the so-called Feathered Serpent Dragon but didn't attack it. Instead, he discovered a small elemental crystal mine in the creature's lair.
After briefly examining the quality of the crystals and finding them lacking, Muria decided against mining them. Instead, he took out his Doomsday Staff. The moment it appeared, the surrounding elements began to converge on the staff.
"Come forth, my followers!" Muria declared, using the elemental crystal mine as an anchor point and the Doomsday Staff as a lever to manipulate the world's rules, tearing through space and summoning his subordinates.
The energy within the Feathered Serpent Dragon's lair was rapidly depleted, and a temporal-spatial wormhole began to form at the top of Muria's staff.
A roar filled with savage ferocity echoed from the portal, and Muria's eyes gleamed with anticipation as a crimson, fearsome dragon clawed its way through the portal.
"I'm here, Muria!" Auston, the Red Dragon, roared in excitement as he emerged from the portal. Spotting the cowering Feathered Serpent Dragon nearby, he immediately pounced and pinned it beneath his claws.
"Stop! Don't kill it. I need the Feathered Serpent Dragon," Muria ordered.
"This thing's supposed to be a dragon?" Auston scoffed.
"The locals call it that," Muria replied, lowering his staff as the energy within the crystal mine was exhausted. The portal closed, and only Auston had made it through.
"It's just a winged snake! These primitives have the nerve to call this trash a dragon? Ridiculous!" Auston grumbled, his disdain for the creature evident.
_________________________
[Check out my Patreon for +200 additional chapters in all my fanfics! $5 for all!!]
[w w w . p a t r e o n .com / INNIT]
[+50 PowerStones = +1 Chapter] [+5 Reviews = +1 Chapter]