Chapter 83: Joyous RiverVige


    Cheng Yang had already used half of his Health Recovery Potions, but he managed to keep his Health above 70%.


    Even if it wanted to, the bear-likemander wasnt able to attack Cheng Yang from where it was.


    Fortunately, Cheng Yang helped it off the Territory Altar with an Icicle st. Once he did, themander roared angrily and swiped its ws over Cheng Yangs chest.


    Themander was the most intimidating monster Cheng Yang had fought since returning to the past. Its height was overwhelming. Of course, in terms of length, it lost to the Imperator Sarcosucus.


    Cheng Yangs attack speed had doubled recently, so by the time the monster reached him, Cheng Yangunched another icicle into its face. This attack caused its Health to enter a dangerous low.


    Even so, themander continued charging. Its colossal paw mmed into Cheng Yang, throwing him into the air and very nearly ripping his arm clean off.


    Facing a situation like this made Cheng Yang struggle. He almost regretted bing a Mage. He could barely contest with a Warriors a level below him in strength, so how could he deal with this monsters strength?


    Mages needed a certain degree of mobility to attack which Warriors and monsters could easily disrupt. If they werent careful, they would end up like a Warrior without a shield: a punching bag.


    Fortunately, Cheng Yang had a lot ofbat experience. After a moment of disorienting flight, he twirled in the air andnded his feet.


    Now there was a small problem. He didnt have any gaps in which tond. So his feet squarely hit the back of a Steel-Haired Bp. So, once the Bp realized, it shook Cheng Yang off bnce.


    If Cheng Yang tried to clear out the surrounding monsters with Petal Blizzard at this time, themander would be able to catch up. His only option was to jump further into the horde and quickly kill themander.


    Cheng Yang was faster than themander and escaped before it caught up. At the moment hended on another monster, Cheng Yang cast Icicle st and pierced themanders chest.


    The bear-like monster howled, and itsrge body copsed like a pir of gold and jade. The falling corpse trapped two hapless monsters, and although they survived, their injuries werent shallow.


    When theirmander died, the entire horde came to a temporary standstill.


    How could Cheng Yang miss such a great opportunity? He straightened up and made a record jump onto the top of the Territory Altar.


    As he looked down at the frothing monsters, Cheng Yang calmed down. Now that he was up here, only a handful of monsters would even be able to reach him.


    Basically, that meant the territory was as good as his. Filled with a renewed vigor, Cheng Yang began to ughter the rest of the horde.


    One by one, icy flowers bloomed, watered by the blood of monsters. Although a few High-Grade monsters tried to climb the Altar, Cheng Yang only needed to take a small break to cast Icicle st to solve the problem.


    Ten minutester, thest of Cheng Yangs potions were drank, covering the clearing in an eerie silence.


    Watching thest monster draw its final breath, Cheng Yang took a deep one of his own. This territory was now his.


    Jumping down from the Territory Altar, Cheng Yang ced his hand on the base and whispered: In the name of Cheng Yang! I im this Territory Altar!


    When he said this, a faint white orb shot out of the Territory Altar and immersed itself into Cheng Yangs body. It created a connection between Cheng Yang and the territory that ran deeper than even his blood.


    At the same time, four beams of light burst out from the ground, forming a set of statues. In less than a minute, they were fully developed. They looked identical to the ones in Phoenix Vige except that they were a little smaller.


    Congrattions on sessfully capturing Joyous River Vige. Since you are already the Lord of Phoenix Vige, please select one of them to be the Central Vige. The gods messenger whispered into Cheng Yangs soul. Warning: The Central Vige is the core of your empire, and all other viges are subsidiaries. Once you select a Central Vige, you cannot change your decision. If the Central Vige is captured or seventy percent of your subsidiary viges dere independence, your empire will be dissolved, and your lordship over subsidiary stations will be removed.


    Cheng Yang had heard of Central Viges before. Basically, they were the executive head of a group of territories. Equivalent to the capital of an old-world country. For now, however, it was hard to think of Phoenix Vige as a city worthy of that title.


    Set Phoenix Vige as the Central Vige. Cheng Yang made his decision without hesitation. He didnt have a reason not to. After all, Phoenix Vige was a higher level than Joyous River Vige and granted its soldiers an Innate Ability. Something that not every territory did.


    The Central Vige has been set. Joyous River Vige will be a subsidiary of Phoenix Vige. Please appoint a Governor and Vice Governor within the hour and set up their permissions. If no one is selected within the allotted time, the closest citizens of Phoenix Vige will automatically be appointed and given full administrative rights.


    Cheng Yang swore. Fortunately, he was prepared for something like this. Otherwise, this automatic appointment feature would have caused him quite a headache.


    In Cheng Yangs past life, several Lord had been screwed over by this feature since the two Governor positions couldnt be changed. The Lord wouldnt even be able to change the permissions they had. The only way to change anything would be to murder the Governor and Vice-Governor.


    What were the benefits of being a Governor? Cheng Yang wasnt sure, but he knew that they were able to use an ability usually exclusive to Lords: Divine Grace. Although it was a slightly different and weaker ability, it still did the same thing.<hr>


    <span>Divine BlessingEvery time the territory levels up three times, the Governor and Vice-Governor will be leveled up.<hr>


    Compared to Divine Grace, the Divine Blessing was far inferior. If Cheng Yang had let one of his generals be an independent Lord, hed be able to nurture a powerful ally. However, Cheng Yang had no intention of doing so. Call him selfish or reckless, but it was something he couldnt allow.


    In his past life, he hadnt been able to control a single aspect of how he lived. In this life, he wouldnt allow any blindspots to exist. Even if that meant controlling the people around him.


    Some people might think it would be smarter to make one of his generals an independent Lord until the Vige reached the High-Grade level. Then, once the general was High-Grade as well, transfer the territory to himself. However, how could the gods have left such a massive loophole? If they did, the title of god wouldnt be very fitting.


    The advantages that came with being a Lord had severe restrictions. Although in terms of personal strength, the Divine Grace ability would ensure that a Lord was the strongest person in their territory, that power was conditional.


    This was because, when a Lord loses their territory, they also lose every benefit they ever received from the territory. The most obvious one was any levels gained using Divine Grace.


    It was a cruel rule that could directly send a dethroned Lord into the pits of hell. For example, lets say there is a Lord that used Divine Grace twice, then leveled up to High-Grade and finally Pinnacle-Grade on their own. If that Lord lost their territory, the gods rules would directly demote them to the Standard-Grade Apprentice level with an empty experience bar.


    It was better to be a Lord, but it wasnt all benefits. Being a Lord tied you to yournd and every risk associated with it.


    Thus, it was useless for Cheng Yang to try and take the territoryter since the Lord would lose everything.


    The Governor and Vice-Governor positions, on the other hand, were unrted to the actual owner of the territory. Even if another Lord took control of Joyous River vige in the future, the Governor and Vice-Governor positions would remain the same. The only way to lose your power in one of those positions was to have your Territory Altar destroyed by monsters.


    These rules had been proven to be correct in his past life, so Cheng Yangs decision was a prudent one.


    Cheng Yang had also decided who would be the Governor of his first subsidiary vige a long time ago.


    For months Cheng Yang had to live with the guilt of ruining his friends life. Although his past life was ephemeral, Cheng Yang couldnt just forget what Liu Hau had done for him. Although Yu Kai and Lau Hui were also his friends, Liu Hau was a true brother.


    Of course, Cheng Yang wouldnt say that to them. Joyous Vige was just the first subsidiary vige of many he nned to conquer, so his other friends would be Governors as well soon enough.


    Since Liu Hau was going to be the Governor, it was only natural that the Vice-Governor would be Liu Haus second inmand Chen Chao.