Recruitment

A Level 9 Warrior's physical strength is comparable to the power of a Level 6 Warrior erupting with Battle Qi. This kind of power can be called extraordinary, which is why Karl considers Level 6 Warriors the pinnacle of mortals; from Level 7 onwards, one can be considered to possess extraordinary power.

However, only by stepping into the Saint Realm can one be considered truly sanctified.

Extraordinary, sanctified.

For a warrior to achieve the Saint Realm, they must comprehend the Momentum of Heaven and Earth. This is a power belonging to the heavens and the earth, and it is also a transformation from the inside out.

After Karl's own cultivation reached the pinnacle of a Level 9 Warrior, he discovered that to break through to the Saint Realm, one must master the power of elements; this is the bridge between the extraordinary and the sanctified.

In truth, those who can rely on their own cultivation to reach the level of a Level 9 Warrior are a group with extremely powerful talent, belonging to the very top of the pyramid. As for those with the talent of a Mage, if they were to practice Battle Qi, they would find it much easier to resonate with the heavens and the earth, thereby comprehending the Momentum of Heaven and Earth.

This is also the reason why it is difficult for a Mage to reach the realm of a Level 9 Grand Archmage, but once they do, they can achieve the Saint Realm given enough time.

Karl's own talent is limited. His ability to reach his current strength relies on the passive breakthroughs brought about by his automatic idle system. For example, when he was a Level 8 Warrior, after cultivating his Battle Qi to the peak of Level 8, he bought a low-level epiphany from the Mall. This allowed him to complete his training in Weightless as Feather. Relying on this ability, Karl's Battle Qi became purer, and he naturally broke through to become a Level 9 Warrior.

The tea had gone cold.

Karl gradually returned to his senses, taking one last look at the elemental attributes in the Mall that cost as much as a million points. Even though he was incredibly envious, he knew his current points were not enough.

Setting the tea aside, he glanced at his anxious-looking son and asked calmly, "What happened this time to make you so restless?"

Hearing this, Lin Taros, who had been sitting on pins and needles, quickly stood up.

"Father, Duke Slod has sent people here, wanting to conscript some soldiers from the town."

"Slod?"

A hint of contemplation flashed in Karl's eyes. He still had some impression of this man—a former comrade-in-arms and a genius with top-tier talent. He had joined the army at sixteen and taken only six or seven years to break through to a Level 6 Warrior, joining the kingdom's elite forces. In the decades that followed, he had fought his way through, rising step by step from a Baron to his current position as a Duke. This was the greatest reward the Anlan Kingdom had ever bestowed upon someone outside the royal bloodline.

As someone who could secure the title of Duke, Slod was naturally also a Level 9 Warrior.

"If he wants to conscript soldiers, just give him all the youths over sixteen who have reached the strength of a Level 1 Warrior."

Karl spoke with complete indifference. His Spark Town was a large township; the only thing higher was a city level. Such city-lord figures were usually held by Level 8 peak warriors, and for some strategic passes or major cities, only a Level 9 Warrior was qualified to serve as the lord.

Spark Town, as a large township, was located in a Yulan Continent where, despite the existence of official roads, bandits ran rampant. Very few people left their hometowns, and it was only after the autumn harvest each year that large-scale conscription would see a significant number of sixteen-year-olds join the army.

As such, Spark Town now had a population of over eight hundred thousand. Relying on the knowledge Karl brought from his past life on Blue Star, he had ensured the elderly were cared for and the young were nurtured. With over a hundred years of stable life, the population had naturally grown very rapidly.

It was only because medical care couldn't keep up that the population wasn't double that size.

"Father, if it were just ordinary troops, that would be one thing, but this time Duke Slod wants elites. He's demanding a minimum of Level 3 Warriors," Lin Taros said with a bitter expression.

A Level 3 Warrior was considered quite a talent in Spark Town. Usually, members of the Security Team were only at the Level 3 Warrior standard; these people were either veterans who had returned after ten years of service or talents with good potential who had been cultivated directly in the town.

"Elites? Tell him he can have at most three thousand elites. He shouldn't even think about getting one more."

Karl's expression remained unchanged as he spoke softly.

The Anlan Kingdom was already showing signs of decay. The four Saint Realm experts who had once carved out the territory had either fallen or left. Their descendants, the only Four Royal Clans in the history of the Anlan Kingdom, had seen their influence dwindle due to years of power struggles, leaving only the Anlan Royal Family.

As for the other three royal clans, they had either seen their bloodlines thin out over generations, leading to their withdrawal from the center of power in Anlan, or they had harbored ulterior motives and were wiped out by the army.

Without the suppression of the Saint Realm, the kingdom's upper echelons had long been eroded by power. Now, Duke Slod's desire to conscript elites might well be driven by the intention of a general in the field who no longer obeys the royal decree.

But none of this was a pressing matter to Karl. No matter how they fought for power, as long as they didn't drag the entire Spark Town into it, it didn't matter.

"Yes, Father!"

With his father's answer, the heavy stone in Lin Taros's heart finally fell, and his previously unsettled mind immediately calmed down.

Lin Taros, as Karl's eldest son, was already 239 years old this year. If he hadn't been lucky enough to break through to a Level 7 Warrior, significantly extending his lifespan, he would have died long ago. Even so, Lin knew very well that his lifespan was nearing its limit.

The Taros Family was officially established after his father's hundredth birthday, and he himself had only broken through to a Level 7 Warrior when he was nearly eighty. His disciples and his mother had long since passed away from old age. Over the years, many matters of the Taros Family had been managed by him.

After all, he was his father's eldest son and one of the few Level 7 Warriors in the territory. Relying on this status, he had a certain amount of say in many matters, especially since his father had handed over the power to him years ago.

Yet, even so, facing a Level 9 Duke, Lin Taros still dared not be the least bit careless. Anything that exceeded his control was always handed over to his father to lead.

A Level 9 Duke possessed the power to dominate a city, enough to shake an entire province. The only power capable of resisting such a Level 9 Duke was another powerhouse of the same level.

That was his father.

With his father's support, Lin Taros's spine stiffened. Facing the Duke's envoy, he refused the request for mass conscription without hesitation, allowing only three thousand elites to be taken at most.

The three thousand elites, most of whom were members of the Security Team, were veterans with rich experience. Under the leadership of the Duke's envoy, they left Spark Town in a grand procession.

Even though Duke Slod, far away in the province, was extremely dissatisfied, he would not easily offend a Level 9 Warrior.

The matter of conscription seemed to end there.

Spark Town seemed to have returned to its former tranquility.

Every morning, the people gathered in the Central Plaza, and afterwards, they worked at sunrise and rested at sunset.

And as Karl looked at the points in the Mall, the corners of his mouth curled up slightly.