Level 7 titled professionals were already the most powerful beings in the Abyss. Even His Majesty Kundra, the founding emperor of the Shenglong Dynasty hailed as the "strongest in Abyss history," had only reached the rank of High-Tier Titled God of War. Though he was the mightiest among all titled War Gods of his era, he never broke through the seventh rank to ascend to the eighth.
Yet this inheritance of martial spirit combat energy clearly outlined cultivation methods for the eighth rank.
However, beyond the eighth rank, the text dissolved into a sea of flames, utterly illegible.
Gaia breathed a sigh of relief: it was merely a title, devoid of substance.
This relief lasted but a moment, for he discovered the magic ring could still turn. Rotating it further revealed, beneath the flames marking the eighth-tier beginner stage, a line of fiery text: Eighth-Tier Intermediate. Following that were eighth-tier advanced, ninth-tier beginner, ninth-tier intermediate... all the way to twelfth-tier advanced!
Gaiya stared dumbfounded at the swirling flames on the azure light screen. This completely surpassed his comprehension. Clearly, it wasn't empty—his current power was insufficient to reveal the full contents.
Yet the Abyss of Chaos only harbored seventh-tier practitioners. This legacy contained nearly twice the knowledge common within the Abyss!
The Dragon Clan had built the Dragon Dynasty's millennia-long foundation upon the Dragon Emperor's Crimson Flame Body; the Holy Grail Scriptures had kept the Tathagata Academy standing for ten thousand years; the Dark Church and the Lord of the Underworld Society had become the two most powerful sects within the Abyss of Chaos, thanks largely to their ancient Dark Scriptures and the Scriptures of the Nether Lake. Legend even held that the appearance of the sole scattered seventh-tier inheritance, the Apocalyptic Prophecy Book, signaled the emergence of a true rebel against the Dragon Dynasty—for beyond seventh-tier inheritances, no force could challenge the might of the Dragon Clan's Dragon Emperor Crimson Flame Physique!
The importance of these inheritances was thus evident.
Gaia stared blankly at that Twelfth-Tier Inheritance for ten minutes. After ten minutes, he began his cultivation almost frantically.
He knew how fortunate he was in this life—having endured a previous existence where even drinking cold water felt like a luxury, Gaia understood all too well how rare such a golden opportunity was. He didn't want to waste another minute and immediately began his cultivation.
Gaia's cultivation of the Martial Spirit Battle Qi progressed surprisingly smoothly. After all, his body already contained over nine thousand units of Martial Spirit Battle Qi. The moment he began circulating it, a torrent of battle qi surged forth like a flood.
Not only that, but the eight dormant clusters of Battle Qi within him were also being subtly melted away. From the very start of his cultivation, eight threads of Battle Qi naturally surged forth from his body. Though minuscule, they gathered together, circulated through his body once, and gradually solidified and grew stronger.
Cultivating fighting energy required selecting an organ within the body to serve as its vessel. After consideration, Gaia chose his heart.
...
"Haaah!" Gaia roared, flipping his wrists. Pale golden fighting energy flared along the blade of his long sword as he swung it toward Anderson across the field. Old Anderson swung his greatsword to meet the attack. Clang! Clang! In the blink of an eye, their blades clashed dozens of times. Gaia spun back, retreating, his hands dancing as the long sword traced circles in the air. The pale golden fighting energy pulsed like dancing sparks of light, forming arcs of gold that surrounded the youth, who now radiated an imposing presence.
He withdrew his sword, hands pressed to his waist, catching his breath to realign the fighting energy within. Once it coalesced anew, he charged forward once more.
"Shhhhh—" A thrust unleashed a golden rainbow. Old Anderson parried with a flick of his blade, and the two clashed again.
Clang! Clang! Clang! After a dozen more collisions, Gaia suddenly let out a piercing cry. Battle energy surged from his sword, colliding with Old Anderson's greatsword with a loud clang. With a sharp crack, Old Anderson's greatsword was cleaved in two!
Old Anderson stared dumbfounded at the broken blade in his hand. Gaia had strictly restrained himself, wielding only the fighting energy level of a low-tier Bronze Warrior. His greatsword was three fingers wider than Gaia's longsword, his fighting energy more potent, his strength superior—yet his weapon had shattered.
The astonishment in Old Anderson's eyes quickly gave way to delight: " Young Master, this Battle Qi truly is formidable! It inflicts immense damage not only on flesh but also on weapons. Though you wield only the level of a Bronze Warrior, its power surpasses even Silver-grade Battle Qi. Young Master, you've finally broken through!"
Old Anderson was overcome with emotion. No one understood better than he what Gaia had endured these past fourteen years.
Gaia drew a breath, withdrawing his fighting spirit back into his body. Just as he was about to speak, Roy burst in: "My Lord, Magistrate Strong has arrived!"
Though he had only reached the level of a low-tier Bronze Warrior, for a child like Gaia—who had been declared a废人 countless times—this was an utterly exhilarating development. Moreover, the speed of his advancement was likely unmatched even by the most gifted youths in the Abyss.
Alas, the fourteen-year-old Lord had no time for celebration, as he must immediately return to overseeing the domain's development.
Magistrate Strong returned bearing good news: "My Lord, preparations are complete. The stonemasons have begun work, and I've paid them sufficiently. The adventurer supply station is under construction, though you must personally oversee the procurement. Additionally, there are two matters requiring your attention."
Gaia sat in his seat with the air of a true lord, nodding slightly as he raised his left hand. "What matters? Speak."
Mayor Strong reported truthfully: "First, Your Lordship, you require a capable merchant to oversee your supply station." Gaia nodded.
"...Second, you must personally visit the nearest Adventurers' Guild branch. If you intend to establish an Adventurers' Guild office rather than a tavern, their cooperation is essential."
Gaia stroked his chin and inquired, "Where is the nearest Adventurers' Guild branch?"
"In Meiningen to the south—the fourth largest city in the Martinique Province." Magistrate Strong offered his advice faithfully: "If you decide to go, I suggest procuring supplies for the adventurers' station while you're there and establishing good relations with those suppliers..."
Gaia waved his hand. "I understand."
...
A sign was erected at Greenland's town entrance, announcing the latest decree from the Greenland Lord: Adventurers entering or leaving Greenland need not pay the city tax. However, should Greenland come under attack, they must assist in defending the town.
Though the news had spread, still few adventurers were willing to venture into the Frozen Wastes from here. Just as Gaia had anticipated, Greenland's inherent disadvantages could not be overcome by a mere tax exemption.
The young lord, clad in a newly purchased cotton coat, inspected the construction site with his hands behind his back. The stonemasons of this world were rudimentary at best. Witnessing their primitive methods of shaping stone, Gaia abandoned any impulse to implement his own ideas.
Perhaps due to the remote location and lack of skilled craftsmen, Gaia felt these masons were doing well just to get the houses built at all.
Though their craftsmanship was lacking, the houses they were constructing were quite large. Gaia had already drawn up blueprints for them; since the land belonged to him anyway, he saw no need to skimp. Beyond the adventurer supply station and guild offices, several additional buildings were being constructed simultaneously. Gaia understood cost-saving principles well—building all these structures at once was far more economical than constructing them individually. At the very least, the stonemasons would likely reduce their fees somewhat, appreciating the volume of work.
Gaia felt no urgency about Greenland's current state. At fourteen, he possessed ample time to gradually develop his domain. With the vampire clan's extended lifespans and his "father" Sean being the clan's foremost expert, Gaia's present situation perfectly echoed a maxim from his previous life: Revenge is a dish best served cold.
...
After the main structures of the Adventurer Supply Depot and the Adventurer Guild Office were largely completed, Gaia entrusted the affairs of his domain to Old Anderson. He himself departed Greenland with Magistrate Strong and the young Roy, heading for Main City. His journey had two purposes: procuring necessary supplies and applying for the official charter for the Adventurer Office.
For a lord to personally pay homage at a branch office of a professional guild was hardly a matter of prestige. Though Greenland was but a barren town, centuries-old ingrained habits within the Abyss remained hard to shake, and most lords clung stubbornly to their status.
Gaia possessed the memories of his past life, along with its stubborn persistence.
He saw nothing shameful in a lord paying homage to a low-ranking guild branch leader to request approval documents. In fact, influenced by his past life's ideology, he deeply believed everything he gained was earned through his own efforts. Thus, when all arrangements were finalized and it was time for him to personally apply for the documents, Magistrate Strong feared Gaia might lose face. Yet the youth had already prepared an oxcart and sent for Magistrate Strong to accompany him to Main City.
The journey passed in silence. Though Gaia's Greenland had adopted a stance of rivalry toward Modo Town, Modo's lord clearly did not believe that run-down neighbor Greenland could truly cause him any trouble. It was much like when the Monkey King once made a fuss in the mortal realm, and the Celestial Court initially paid him no mind whatsoever.
Gaia came from Dragon's Fury City, the most magnificent city within the Abyss. Thus, facing Main City's merely decent urban architecture, Gaia felt little awe. Only upon comparing it to his own Greenland town did he deeply realize how long his journey still lay ahead.
Greenland was merely a small town, while Main City was already a "Viscount City."
Strong faithfully fulfilled his duties as a guide, explaining local conditions to Gaia along the way, anxious that Gaia might get shortchanged during purchases. Yet Gaia's behavior astonished him. First, he calmly explored the entire market. After completing the essential process of comparing prices at multiple vendors, Gaia selected several different shops to purchase the items most consumed during adventuring: basic weapons, leather armor, arrows, dried rations, low-grade magic crystals, and other goods. Moreover, Gaia's bargaining skills left Strong, a man in his forties, utterly speechless.
Gaia employed every tactic at his disposal—from leveraging trade routes to promising long-term partnerships—to drive nearly every item's price down to rock bottom.
Strong even mused that if His Lordship would deign to work as a salesman at the adventurers' supply station, the place would surely rake in a fortune.
In his previous life, Gaia hadn't been lazy or lacking in skills. What he'd truly lacked was the most indispensable element: luck. Thus, he failed repeatedly, only to rise again and fail once more. Each blow and lesson was a painful experience, yet it also left Gaia with a wealth of experience.