Ennoblement and Land Grants

In truth, the moment this Grand Magus appeared, many realized they had been deceived.

This group consisted primarily of the Ennoblement Faction, who perhaps held the belief that they were rebelling to establish a new nation because they could not bear to see the kingdom decline and its people suffer.

But in reality, the appearance of this Grand Magus meant that they had become traitors for the sake of their own selfish interests.

Having shifted from self-proclaimed saviors to actual traitors, many wore grim expressions, especially the Level 9 experts who had only defected in recent years.

After all, the history of the Yulan Continent could easily be traced back over ten thousand years, which meant they were highly likely to be nailed to the pillar of shame in the history of the Anlan Kingdom.

Yet, things had reached this point; if they did not stay on the same boat now, these Level 9 experts might personally eliminate those who did not share their agenda, all for the sake of their own reputations or family honor.

As long as everyone was on the same boat, the exposure of the matter would not be good for anyone present, so there was still a chance to keep this secret buried.

Especially since being on the same boat meant that the subsequent benefits would be divided among everyone present.

"Duke Hill, I wonder how you intend to fulfill the promises you made."

A late-stage Level 9 expert spoke up first. This was a veteran powerhouse who had lived for over four hundred years; upon hearing the Golden Grand Duke's promise regarding Saint Realm techniques, he had chosen to betray his country without the slightest hesitation.

Because a Saint Realm technique not only offered a chance to advance further, but also represented the heritage of his family.

Most of the Level 9 experts present who sought Saint Realm techniques held similar thoughts. They were at least two hundred years old, with some nearing the end of their lifespans. To the ordinary people of the Yulan Continent, everyone here was a top-tier genius, but to those in this room, only the big shots who had truly stepped into the Saint Realm were considered real geniuses.

After years of being unable to make the slightest progress in strength, the prospect of becoming a Saint and gaining eternal life—only to see that insurmountable chasm blocking the way—was enough to drive a person mad over time.

"Rest assured, everyone. The previous promises are definitely valid; my arrival this time was specifically for all of you." Having said this, Hill Bolin's lips curled slightly.

As royalty of the Fenlai Kingdom, the Bolin Family had done this kind of thing more than once. After all, the territory of the Holy Alliance was only so large, and whether for the sake of family power or the faith of the Radiant Church, the Bolin Family needed to purge the forces within the Holy Alliance every so often.

This included those who held the title of a kingdom but lacked a Saint Realm powerhouse to anchor them, as well as those who relied on the Holy Alliance for stability but did not contemplate faith in the Radiant Church.

In short, as long as they met the criteria for purging set by the family, the Bolin Family would act in the shadows, and the Anlan Kingdom was no exception this time.

After all, although the territory of the Holy Alliance was vast, every time a Saint was promoted within the Radiant Church, a portion of the territory would be carved out as their own fiefdom. These Saint Realm powerhouses from the Radiant Church were the core members of the Holy Alliance. As for the powerhouses within the Holy Alliance who had luckily stepped into the Saint Realm, the Radiant Church would not openly oppose them, but it would not grant them any special treatment either.

Ultimately, the lifespan of a Saint Realm powerhouse was too long, and on the Yulan Continent, Saint Realm powerhouses rarely died. Most chose to leave the Material Plane; those who remained either believed their strength was too low to cross into the God Level, or they believed their strength was sufficient and hoped to achieve God Level status within the Material Plane.

Regardless of which, the Holy Alliance needed a single voice. This was the essence of why the Fenlai Kingdom would gradually purge other kingdoms. Only the Saint Realm powerhouses could know this essence, as it did not harm their interests, but it could not be made too clear to those below the Saint Realm. After all, the Holy Alliance was, at its core, a union formed by multiple kingdoms and duchies under the witness of the Radiant Church.

Since it was a union, it could not be a dictatorship like an Empire, and since the many kingdoms and duchies of the Holy Alliance were led by the Fenlai Kingdom, the Fenlai Kingdom naturally needed more allies close to it.

With the promise of this Level 9 Grand Magus from the Bolin Family, the many Level 9 experts did not have many doubts about whether the promise could be verified.

The facts proved this to be true; in just three days, Lin Taros and Colin Taros obtained what they wanted.

In the eyes of this Grand Magus from the Bolin Family, he converted the previously promised Saint Realm techniques into merit. The more one contributed, the higher the merit one could obtain, and only such people could receive Saint Realm techniques. As for the few Level 9 experts who were just trying to fish in troubled waters, they naturally had to settle for less.

Under the manipulation of this Grand Magus, a total of four late-stage Level 9 experts exchanged for Saint Realm techniques within three days. These four warriors chose techniques of four different attributes: wind, fire, thunder, and light, perhaps harboring the intention of sharing them with each other after learning them.

In fact, these four experts all had the same combat record: they had once killed powerhouses of the same level on the battlefield. Only such powerhouses who had truly risked their lives on the battlefield were worthy of possessing Saint Realm techniques.

Although some were dissatisfied with this method of exchanging merit for promises, believing that they simply hadn't had the opportunity to kill an opponent of the same level, a missed opportunity was a missed opportunity. Thus, the rest either exchanged for some useful treasures or for things that could benefit their families.

Karl's son and grandson only exchanged for the opportunity to be ennobled as a Marquis.

Ennoblement as a Marquis was like a title, yet not quite a title. A Level 7 warrior was enough to be granted the title of Baron, and a Level 8 could be granted the title of Viscount by the kingdom, possessing a decent fief. A Level 9 early-stage expert was a Count, and above that was a Duke.

However, the title of Marquis was aimed at the family.

When a Level 9 expert made a contribution to the kingdom, they were rewarded with the title of Marquis, making their family a Marquis Clan. This was a status one rank higher than ordinary nobility. Furthermore, the kingdom would remember their contribution, and this title was often hereditary. If they could develop further, they could establish a legitimate duchy.

The logic of princes and nobles was based on this.

Under Karl's instruction, the two combined their merits to exchange for the Taros Family to become a Marquis Clan. Only with this status could Karl establish his own commandery within the Holy Alliance.

With the land of a commandery, Karl could easily pull together a territory of tens of millions of people, which was also in preparation for what was to come.

After all, in the eyes of the world, even when Saint Realm powerhouses established kingdoms, it was often just for the sake of their families. Karl needed the territory to be his own support, rather than having it restrict him once his true intentions were seen through.