620 The Rising Dragon Division
The Ten-Year Glory Evaluation was a grand competition that was only held in the capital of the Great Ratholos Empire once every ten years. Talented warriors across the empire would travel to the capital to participate and try their luck.
The Ten-Year Glory Evaluation had two important purposes as to why it was hosted every ten years. The first was to determine the most talented warrior of that period, and the second was to uncover the lord who had cultivated the best and most talented warriors.
Of course, not every participating warrior in the event would be personally cultivated by the lord. But as long as the lord's territory was their ho, their lord would also share in their glory—if they achieved amazing results in the competition.
Essentially, the competition was held to review the developnt status of each lord's territory.
Naturally, the grand event ca with generous rewards that would benefit both the top-ranking warriors in the competition and the lord of the region they were affiliated with. Considering the event was sponsored by Emperor Varan and the Sea Emperor, it would be strange if the rewards weren't great.
Supposedly, the Rank 4 Body Reformation Pills had been part of the reward for the past several Ten-Year Glory Evaluations.
Nevertheless, Duke Zaahir was definitely not after these Rank 4 Body Reformation Pills. These priceless pills were only rewarded to the champions of the competition. The lords had a different kind of benefit.
For example, the opportunity to et Emperor Varan and ask him to implent a new law or change an existing one.
Although there was a chance the request could be rejected if it was too ridiculous, Vaan didn't doubt Duke Zaahir was pinning his hopes on this opportunity to save his domain. Duke Zaahir only needed to ask Emperor Varan to set a price limit for water sales to stop the greedy water suppliers from exploiting the western region's weakness.
Alas, that would only resolve the surface issue.
It wouldn't solve the political problem, which even Emperor Varan had turned a blind eye to.
However, what was the political problem?
Vaan could guess it was related to Duke Zaahir and Emperor Varan's other brothers, who were also dukes. Even though they ruled over parts of the prosperous eastern region, they must have felt threatened by Duke Zaahir, who practically controlled the entire western region alone.
Furthermore, this sense of threat was most likely borne when Duke Zaahir's farmland took shape.
The other dukes must have realized that once Duke Zaahir made the western region prosperous, he would have higher chances of earning first place in all future Ten-Year Glory Evaluations.
After all, the other dukes' territories in the eastern region were smaller compared to Duke Zaahir, who controlled the whole western region with his farmland. Moreover, most of the foreign visitors entered the empire from the western region. That gave Duke Zaahir the first opportunity to recruit any talented warrior that ca.
In other words, Duke Zaahir would have an incomparably larger talent pool to draw from if he could succeed in making the western region prosperous.
As such, how could the other dukes not try to suppress Duke Zaahir by ruining his farmland, the key to controlling the whole western region?
Vaan blinked as he saw through the heart of the matter.
"Alright, I agree," Vaan accepted Duke Zaahir's offers.
Vaan could have tried to push for a few more benefits, but he was aware Duke Zaahir had already given him the best offers. The person had shown enough sincerity by doing so. There was no need to hurt a potential long-term business partner for small gains.
"Great!" Duke Zaahir exclaid with delight and no longer felt burdened by the matter.
Shortly after, Duke Zaahir and Vaan refined the details of their agreent. Duke Zaahir agreed to give Vaan so of the benefits in advance. However, the Ten-Year Glory Evaluation was only one week away.
As such, in order to give Vaan enough ti to train on the Black Mountain with his three-day training pass, Duke Zaahir quickly arranged for Vaan to leave with his personal group of talented warriors on the sa day.
Duke Zaahir also wrote his recomndation letters and stamped them with his unique seal before handing them to Vaan. He also told him who to find and which letter to hand over.
After everything was settled, Duke Zaahir still had one important matter he needed to confirm with Vaan.
"By the way, Young Master Vanderlin. How old are you, exactly? Although you look young enough, they test people's bone age to determine their real age. This is to avoid cheating. So it will also be awkward if you didn't et the age requirent to participate in the Rising Dragon Division," Duke Zaahir ntioned.
The Ten-Year Glory Evaluation was divided into the Junior Dragon Division, Rising Dragon Division, and Senior Dragon Division. Only those under twenty could participate in the Junior Dragon Division. The Rising Dragon Division required those below the age of forty.
As for the Senior Dragon Division, only warriors between the forty and a hundred years of age could enter.
The Senior Dragon Division gave the best individual rewards, while the Rising Dragon Division had the best regional lord benefits.
Vaan thought for a mont before answering honestly, "Twenty."
"Twenty…" Duke Zaahir's body spasd.
Duke Zaahir was shocked, but not because Vaan's age t the bare minimum requirent to enter the Rising Dragon Division. He was shocked because Vaan was even younger than he imagined.
In Duke Zaahir's mind, Vaan had already consud the Rank4 Body Reformation Pill. Thus, his body cultivation must have already been elevated to the next stage.
'A twenty-year-old in the middle stages of Rank 4 Body Refining Realm… Oh my god!' Duke Zaahir was dismayed and wanted to scream.
The young man before him was barely an adult, yet he nearly stood on top of the world.
'The Evermore family… What the hell have they been doing all these years? Did they dig up the site of so ancient civilization and obtain a powerful inheritance or sothing? How did they produce such a monster?'
At that mont, Duke Zaahir felt certain Vaan ca from the Evermore family. Other than the most elusive of the five ancient families, who else could cultivate such a monster?
'This monster is going to shock the entire capital at the event,' Duke Zaahir firmly believed.
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