Chapter 83 – Xianghe Village

Chapter 83 – Xianghe Village

Cheng Yang had already consumed two bottles of Life Potions, keeping his health above 70%. In these final moments, the demonized beasts failed to unleash any powerful attacks. The black bear, though frenzied, was powerless to turn the tide.

As Cheng Yang charged toward the altar’s base, an ice sphere shot out, knocking the black bear off the platform. The massive creature roared furiously at Cheng Yang, then swung its enormous paw at his chest.

The bear’s sheer size was intimidating—it was the largest demonized beast Cheng Yang had encountered since his rebirth. Though in terms of length, it still fell short compared to the Blackwater Crocodile.

Cheng Yang’s attack speed had increased by nearly 10%. As the bear charged, another ice sphere struck its face, reducing its life force to a critical level. However, the bear managed to reach Cheng Yang, its massive paw slamming into his left shoulder and sending him flying.

Cheng Yang grimaced. *Being a mage has its drawbacks—strength is never our forte.* Unlike warriors, mages were at a disadvantage against physically powerful demonized beasts. Once a mage was knocked back, improper recovery could cost them a crucial attack opportunity.

Fortunately, Cheng Yang’s combat experience was vast. As he was sent airborne, he twisted his body mid-air and landed swiftly. But trouble arose—the ground was crowded, and his feet landed on the back of a steel-furred boar. The beast thrashed wildly, making it impossible for Cheng Yang to maintain his footing.

If Cheng Yang used Ice Spikes to clear the area, the black bear would catch up and knock him back again. Reluctantly, he pushed off the boar and searched for another landing spot.

Cheng Yang’s speed far surpassed the bear’s. As he darted away, the bear was just beginning its pursuit. The moment Cheng Yang landed, another ice sphere shot out, striking the bear’s chest.

The bear let out a deafening roar, its massive body collapsing like a toppled mountain. Two nearby demonized beasts were caught in the fall, sustaining serious injuries.

The moment the bear fell, the entire horde of demonized beasts froze momentarily. Cheng Yang seized the opportunity, leaping over four meters into the air and landing atop the altar.

Standing on the three-meter-high platform, Cheng Yang felt a wave of relief. The altar was now beyond the reach of early-stage Tier 1 demonized beasts. This altar was effectively his.

With a triumphant roar, Cheng Yang began a large-scale slaughter of the beasts below. Ice Spikes rained down, claiming one life after another. Occasionally, a mid-stage Tier 1 demonized beast would climb the altar, only to be swiftly dispatched by Cheng Yang’s ice spheres.

After more than ten minutes, Cheng Yang’s Mana Potions were depleted, but the clearing was finally free of demonized beasts. Watching the last beast fall, Cheng Yang exhaled deeply. This outpost was now his.

He jumped down from the altar, placed his hand on it, and murmured, “In the name of Cheng Yang, I claim this altar!”

As his words faded, a faint white light shot out from the stone and entered his body. Cheng Yang felt an inexplicable connection to the altar, as if it were now a part of him.

Simultaneously, four beams of light erupted from the ground, forming four virtual statues. Within moments, the statues solidified, resembling the four main profession statues in Luofeng Village, albeit smaller.

A voice echoed in Cheng Yang’s ear: “Congratulations on successfully claiming the Xianghe Village outpost. As the lord of Luofeng Village, please select one village as your central hub.”

“Friendly reminder: The central hub is the core of your territory. Once selected, it cannot be changed. If the central hub is breached and over 70% of subordinate outpost managers declare independence, the territory will dissolve, and your control over subordinate outposts will vanish.”

Cheng Yang had heard of central hubs in his previous life. Essentially, they were the administrative heart of a territory, akin to a provincial capital or a nation’s capital. However, given that his territory was still village-based, calling it a capital felt premature.

“Set Luofeng Village as the central hub,” Cheng Yang declared without hesitation. There was no reason not to choose Luofeng Village—it was the highest-level settlement and possessed unique territorial attributes that other outposts lacked.

The voice spoke again: “Central hub successfully set. Xianghe Village is now a subordinate outpost of Luofeng Village. Please appoint a village head and deputy within one hour, along with their respective permissions. Otherwise, the system will randomly assign these roles, granting them full administrative authority.”

Cheng Yang couldn’t help but grumble. *Thankfully, I came prepared. Choosing candidates within an hour would’ve been a headache.* He knew the system’s random assignments were irreversible—once set, the roles and permissions couldn’t be altered unless the appointed individuals died.

What benefits did claiming a subordinate outpost bring? Cheng Yang wasn’t entirely sure, but he knew one thing: the lord-exclusive ability, Divine Grace, though weakened, was retained in subordinate outposts.

Compared to Luofeng Village’s full Divine Grace ability, this version was three times weaker. Cheng Yang could have allowed someone else to claim Xianghe Village, granting them the full benefits of the lord-exclusive ability. But he chose not to. Call it selfishness or shortsightedness, but after surviving the apocalypse in his previous life, he refused to let anything slip beyond his control in this one.

Some might argue that he could have let Yu Kai or Liu Hao claim Xianghe Village, then reclaim it after the outpost leveled up a few times. But the gods weren’t foolish enough to leave such a loophole.

The rules governing lordship were both advantageous and restrictive. The greatest benefit was Divine Grace, which allowed lords to gain a minor tier of strength with each level their territory gained. Over time, this made the lord the most powerful individual in the territory.

However, this power came with a price. If a lord lost their territory, they would lose all benefits gained from their lordship, including the strength boosts from Divine Grace. The system would deduct these gains in reverse order, potentially causing a significant drop in power.

For example, if someone gained two Divine Grace boosts, reaching high-tier Apprentice level, then trained hard to reach peak Apprentice level, losing their lordship would drop them back to mid-tier Apprentice. The effort required to climb from mid-tier to high-tier was far less than that needed to reach peak-tier.

Thus, while lords enjoyed immense benefits, they also bore greater risks. It was a path of all or nothing.

Even as a subordinate outpost manager, the benefits of Divine Grace were reduced to one-third of the original effect. So, if Cheng Yang allowed someone else to claim Xianghe Village, he wouldn’t be doing them a favor—he’d be setting them up for a fall.

Subordinate outpost managers, however, faced fewer restrictions. As long as the outpost wasn’t completely destroyed, the benefits they gained would remain intact, regardless of transfers or external takeovers.

Having witnessed these rules in his previous life, Cheng Yang made his decision carefully. As for the village head and deputy of Xianghe Village, he had already chosen Liu Hao and Cai Chentian, a middle-aged man who was among the first refugees rescued from Huimin Town.

Cheng Yang had always felt indebted to Liu Hao, even though their bond was forged in a past life. In his heart, Liu Hao was a brother closer than Yu Kai or Niu Bing. Though he never voiced it, this sentiment influenced his decision.

After all, Luofeng Village would have more subordinate outposts in the future. The only difference was who would manage them first.

Liu Hao was the undeniable choice for village head, while Cai Chentian, a deputy captain in Liu Hao’s team, would serve as deputy.

PS: Seeking recommendations and collections. The second outpost is secured—is the pace too slow? Hehe…