From within the Imperial City, a court official arrived, his face as white as paper, his cheeks rouged.
His sharp voice rang out, piercing through the roar of the lightning tribulation on Qilin Mountain.
The sky was gloomy, and with every flash of lightning, the smiling faces of the Li family members could be seen flickering in the darkness.
"By decree of His Majesty,
A commendation for the Li family of Azure Cloud Region, for the father and son Li Chang'an and Li Xingchen!
For claiming the lands of Spirit Province overseas in the name of the Imperial Dynasty, Li Chang'an is hereby granted the title of Viscount.
He is also granted the official post of Third-Rank official post: Admiral of the High Seas, with command over ten thousand naval troops, an annual salary of ten thousand low-grade spirit stones, thirty Rank-8 spirit herbs, and spirit minerals..."
"Li Xingchen is granted the title 'Young General of the Sea,' equivalent to a Fourth-Rank official post. He shall have the right to travel any of the world's seas!"
As the voice faded, two tokens floated up into the air, gleaming with golden light, and landed in the hands of Li Chang'an and Li Xingchen.
The Spirit Qi of Heaven and Earth entered Li Chang'an's body.
Though it was only the Spirit Qi of an Early-stage Nascent Soul and a Mid-stage Golden Core, it was still better than nothing.
Li Wei's panel also changed.
This was the first time the Human Emperor had formally granted a member of the Li family an official post and a noble title!
These official posts and noble titles were the very foundation upon which the human race could rise from weakness to pacify a region.
The Heavenly Dao bestowed a cultivation base empowerment and also granted a technique!
[Your descendant, Li Chang'an, has received the Human Emperor's commendation and been granted a Third-Rank official post: Admiral of the High Seas.
He has received a Heavenly Dao-bestowed technique, the Profound-rank Official Dao Technique 'Naval Assault'.
He can summon a hundred naval soldiers to slay the enemy. The stronger the user's cultivation, the stronger the naval soldiers.
This Technique can also be used to bless the naval troops under one's command. Within the seas, the technique's might is increased.]
[Your descendant, Li Xingchen, has been granted a Fourth-Rank official post: Young General of the Inner Seas.
He has received a Heavenly Dao-bestowed technique, the Profound-rank Official Dao Technique—'Sea Dragon-Horse Technique.'
He can summon a Dragon-Horse; upon entering the seas, it is like walking on flat ground. He can also summon the Dragon-Horse to act as armored protection.]
The father and son, Li Chang'an and Li Xingchen, never imagined that upon returning from overseas, they would somehow, in a complete daze, become officials.
But they had also seen the great world. After all, back in Spirit Province, they too had commanded vast armies and had even brought back a thousand geniuses from Spirit Province.
Now, with the Heavenly Dao bestowing its technique and the official tokens in their hands, they merely gave them a passing glance and let them fall casually into their palms.
This made the faces of the people from Eternal Sun Prefecture change once again.
With even two of the Li family's juniors receiving official posts, it seemed there would truly be no day for them to turn their fortunes around.
Lin Jiu and Min Youguo also paid it no mind.
These three were nominal positions; the Imperial Dynasty had countless such posts, and they truly amounted to nothing.
But when the eunuch's voice rang out once more, a shadow of gloom flashed across both their expressions.
"Li Dalong of the Li family, for his merit in negotiating peace with the Wu Clan and recovering the lost border cities for our Azure Dynasty."
"When Tian Xing brought disaster to the common people, Li Dalong led the scions of the Li family to fight the enemy, heedless of his own death, and eradicated this scourge from the world."
"His Majesty has heard of the Li family's many years of resisting the Wu Clan, of how their children and grandchildren have shed blood for Azure Cloud.
This is loyalty and righteousness, the very mark of Pillars of the State and Nation!"
"Li Dalong is hereby granted the title of Earl, equivalent to a Second-Rank official post.
By the recommendation of Eternal Sun Prefecture's Lord, Shang Mi, during a time of crisis, and by His Majesty's great grace, Li Dalong is enfeoffed as—"
"The Lord of Eternal Sun Prefecture!"
BOOM!
As the decree was issued, thunder roared, and Li Dalong, held aloft by the Old Tree's roots, was bathed in a yellow-gold radiance!
The Heavenly Dao bestowed its technique. A mass of Spirit Qi equivalent to the power of an Early-stage Divinity Transformation cultivator appeared around his body; as long as Li Dalong accepted it, he could break through to the Mid-stage of Divinity Transformation.
Within Eternal Sun Prefecture, a seal materialized out of thin air, radiating the aura of a mid-grade Dharma Treasure.
Carved upon the seal were two coiled serpents, their tongues flicking.
To be the Region Prince or the lord of a prefecture, both come with treasures bestowed by the Imperial Dynasty.
However, a Region Prince receives a spirit artifact, while the Lord of a Prefecture can receive a low-grade Dharma Treasure.
Such imperially bestowed treasures will also dissipate should the official post be lost.
But this seal of Li Dalong's was different!
"A hereditary title, and a mid-grade Dharma Treasure?!!"
After a moment of astonishment, the many cultivators of Eternal Sun Prefecture had faces like dead ash.
Throughout the entire Azure Dynasty, most noble titles were ordinary.
A hereditary title meant that the aristocratic house would not perish, that the title would not be severed. Such a special honor was rare.
Possessing a title did not necessarily make one a true noble of the Azure Dynasty, but a hereditary Earl certainly was, because every succeeding generation could inherit the Early-stage Divinity Transformation cultivation base that came with the title!
Back then, when Shang Mi became the Prefecture Lord, no one in their Eternal Sun Prefecture was afraid.
That was because Shang Mi stood alone and weak, with no fiefdom or factional power of his own.
The Li family...
They dared to oppress the many factions of the Eternal Sun Prefecture in broad daylight. Now, with a hereditary earldom, how could the other factions possibly have a good outcome?
Min Youguo and Lin Jiu were silent for a long, long time.
From their expressions, one could not discern anything unusual, but no one knew just how complex their feelings were.
The rewards bestowed by the Human Emperor's decree this time had exceeded even their own expectations.
With Li Dalong becoming the Prefecture Lord and a hereditary Earl, what reason did they have left to move against the Li family?!!
"What a Li family!"
Lin Jiu smiled faintly, all the killing intent in his heart gone.
Who could the Li family possibly be guarding against? It was none other than him and Min Youguo.
Unlike Lin Jiu, Li Dalong was frowning, gazing at the Twin Serpent Seal, lost in thought.
Min Youguo, however, began to laugh loudly.
"Hahaha! Good! His Majesty truly has a discerning eye!
For these past hundreds of years, the Li family has resisted the Wu Clan, producing generation after generation of talent.
Now, they have once again eradicated a great scourge for our Imperial Dynasty.
With such meritorious service, they are truly worthy of this title of Lord of Eternal Sun Prefecture!"
"Li Dalong, what are you standing there in a daze for? Hurry up and receive the decree!"
His words seemed to support the Li family, to be backing them up, as if, nearly two hundred years ago, he had never ceded Azure Cloud to the Wu Clan, and had never rebuked Li Kuangren in the Imperial court.
---
1/2