Chapter 141: The New Earl Is Formidable

Chapter 141: The Remarkable New Count

The crowd watched the giant screen as the numbers rapidly climbed to one hundred thousand. A talent value of a full one hundred thousand—a result no one had anticipated.

"What? It actually reached a talent value of one hundred thousand? This... this is..." a young man stammered, utterly stunned.

"Too powerful! To think that someone with a talent value of one hundred thousand exists within our Grandmaster Council," another young man exclaimed in shock.

These were all awakened individuals within the Grandmaster Council; every one of them was a person of status and reputation in the outside world. Yet, at this moment, witnessing what Shen An had displayed, they were beyond astonished. It seemed there could be nothing more shocking than this. It was simply terrifying.

Several elders and counts of the Grandmaster Council had already anticipated this. The Grand Elder smiled and turned his gaze toward the Second Elder, asking, "Second Elder... was this result within your expectations?"

The Second Elder smiled slightly and replied, "Of course, it was all within my expectations. You had foreseen this as well, had you not, Grand Elder?"

"Indeed, I had," the Grand Elder nodded.

"Now, does everyone agree that Shen An is qualified to become a Count of the Grandmaster Council?" the Grand Elder asked the crowd below.

"I believe Shen An is fully qualified to be a Count of the Grandmaster Council. He is truly deserving of the title," an awakened individual declared, raising both hands in support.

"Absolutely! He possesses immense strength. I support his appointment," another added.

"Let him be a Count of the Grandmaster Council; he is truly worthy of it."

...

There was no longer a single voice of dissent. Shen An had become the focal point of everyone’s attention. He stood firmly in place, his expression calm, as if he did not regard the surrounding spectacle as anything of consequence.

"I, Shen An, am from this day forward the youngest Count of the Grandmaster Council!" Shen An declared to the crowd.

Hearing his voice, the crowd erupted into cheers.

"Count! Count! Count!"

Waves of sound echoed through the hall. Shen An was showered with endless applause. The Grand Elder fixed his gaze on Shen An and said, "Shen An, from now on, you are a Count of the Grandmaster Council. I know you will live up to this position."

"Thank you, Grand Elder," Shen An replied.

"Haha, this is all well-deserved."

A golden badge was then presented to Shen An. This was the Count’s badge; possessing it granted supreme status and confirmed his rank within the Grandmaster Council. Such an identity, if revealed to the outside world, would be the envy of many.

A smile curled the corners of Shen An's lips. He displayed the golden badge to the crowd and said, "This is my Count’s badge of the Grandmaster Council!"

"Count! Count! Count!" The chanting resumed, louder than before.

Only after a long while did the cheering finally subside. Shen An smiled and asked the Grand Elder, "Grand Elder, does this mean I am officially a Count of the Grandmaster Council from now on?"

"Indeed. From this day forth, you are the youngest Count in the history of our Grandmaster Council," the Grand Elder said, looking at Shen An with great satisfaction.

At that moment, a man in a silver robe emerged from the crowd. He exuded an air of cold arrogance and was considered a formidable expert among the younger generation of the Council. His gaze was icy; although Shen An had displayed astonishing talent, he remained unconvinced.

"Hmph. Since you are a new Count, you should demonstrate your strength to everyone. Let me, Zhou Leng, challenge you and test your mettle," Zhou Leng shouted coldly, before rushing toward Shen An.

Shen An’s lips curled slightly. He could see that this Zhou Leng was indeed a skilled fighter. "Not bad at all. A decent opponent," Shen An remarked calmly.

"You will soon regret fighting me. If you surrender now, you might avoid total humiliation. Once I truly unleash my moves, you won't have another chance," Zhou Leng warned.

"Is that so? I really don't have a chance? I don't think so. Very well, let me test your capabilities," Shen An replied.

"Since you wish to see my strength, I shall show you!" Zhou Leng roared, his body exploding with terrifying energy. His power was clearly at the early stage of the Third Grade. Many awakened individuals below cast looks of surprise; they were clearly astonished.

"What? Zhou Leng is actually challenging the new Count? Does he not realize that the Count is someone favored by the Grand Elder? By doing this so brazenly, he risks displeasing the Grand Elder!"

"Exactly. Zhou Leng intends to give the new Count a rude awakening. Heh, I wonder if the Count can withstand it. I hope he can."

"If the new Count loses to Zhou Leng, that would be quite a spectacle."

"Impossible. The new Count has a talent value of one hundred thousand; how could he lose so easily?"

Zhou Leng shifted his focus to Shen An and drew a pitch-black, sharp sword. The blade hummed with surging energy, clearly no ordinary weapon. He lunged with an icy thrust, the sound of the blade cutting through the air suggesting its speed was nearing the speed of sound. A strike this fast would easily kill anyone below the Third Grade.

Watching the incoming blade, Shen An frowned slightly.

"You have a sword, and so do I!" Shen An drew his own black iron sword and thrust it forward with thunderous momentum. The speed was at its peak.

Zhou Leng felt the blinding velocity of that strike. It was as if a flash of lightning had passed before his eyes; even he could not track it. *Such a fast sword... I can barely see it.*

*Squelch.*

Shen An’s blade struck Zhou Leng’s shoulder. Zhou Leng gasped in pain, his own sword dropping to the ground. The entire exchange was swift and decisive. The Third Grade, early-stage Zhou Leng had been defeated in a single strike.

"How is this possible? I am a Third Grade, early-stage awakened! How could you defeat me in one move?" Zhou Leng stared at Shen An in disbelief, as if looking at a terrifying monster.

"There is nothing impossible about it. It is simply that you are too weak," Shen An said coldly.

As a Third Grade, middle-stage awakened, he was indeed qualified to say such things.

"Enough! You are worthy of the favor shown by the elders and counts. Zhou Leng, as someone under a Count's jurisdiction, how dare you challenge a Count? Do you know your crime?"