After the Advanced Spirit Master Academy Elite Tournament preliminaries ended, Xue Ye stood on the high platform and declared passionately:
"All competitors from the teams that advanced are talents of our empire. The captains and vice-captains of each team shall be granted the title of Viscount, while the remaining members shall be granted the title of Baron. Upon graduation, you will be awarded fiefs."
"Ah, Viscounts? The empire's rewards for this Elite Tournament are actually this generous."
"Yeah, these students who advanced have really struck it rich. They've gained the title of Baron just like that. How enviable!"
The empire's noble ranks were Prince, Duke, Earl, Lord, Viscount, and Baron. Below Baron were commoners. The moment they heard that the competing students would receive the title of Baron, while captains and vice-captains would become Viscounts, everyone's eyes turned red with envy. If they were still academy students, they should have fought hard for the chance to participate and secure themselves a noble title!
"Isn't this inappropriate? There has never been a precedent of granting noble titles as rewards, and aren't these titles a little too high?" Salas, the Platinum Bishop of Spirit Hall in Heaven Dou City, asked after bowing to Xue Ye with a gloomy expression.
"Your Excellency Platinum Bishop, the granting of noble titles is an internal affair of the empire and has nothing to do with Spirit Hall. If Heaven Dou Empire produces the final champion team, every member of that team will be elevated by another rank. The academy will be bestowed with the Royal title and receive financial support from the empire," Xue Ye continued, not even sparing Salas a glance.
Everyone present was astonished. Above Viscount was Lord, which came with a fief the size of an entire county. Xue Ye was truly being