Chapter 162: The Count-King

Chapter 162: The King of Earls

"I wonder what kind of item the higher-ups have sent down?" Shen An asked.

The Black Warrior kept him in suspense for a moment before saying, "The superiors sent me to deliver the badge of the King of Earls. You truly possess the qualifications to hold this badge of the King of Earls."

The Black Warrior produced a remarkably exquisite badge. Crafted entirely from diamonds, it was immensely precious, inlaid with a full one hundred and eight diamonds, each carrying a heavy price tag.

"Are these the items the superiors sent me?" Shen An felt a wave of pleasant surprise; he had not expected such a rare and valuable treasure to be dispatched from above.

"Accept this gift from the superiors, young Earl," said the Black Warrior.

"Very well, I gladly accept it. The badge of the King of Earls must be a tier higher than the ordinary Earl's badge, right?" Shen An asked, looking at the Black Warrior.

The Black Warrior smiled and replied, "Once you wear the badge of the King of Earls, your status will be second only to the Grand Elders, and you will even rank above all other Earls."

This statement caused a wave of shock among the onlookers.

"The badge of the King of Earls? No way. Even promotions don't happen this fast, do they? Straight to the King of Earls—how are those people who spent decades grinding to become ordinary Earls supposed to go on living?"

"Listen to yourself, as if any of us could ever hope to become an Earl in the first place. An Earl is not something dime-a-dozen; those who achieve it are extraordinary individuals, and among them, the King of Earls exists on an entirely different plane."

"The King of Earls... that is a level I can only look up to for the rest of my life, something far beyond human reach. Count Shen An is truly extraordinary."

"This is our Count Shen An, always creating miracles for us time and time again."

Shen An looked down at the badge with satisfaction. Entirely forged from diamonds, the badge of the King of Earls gleamed with dazzling brilliance.

*I never imagined it would shine so brightly,* Shen An thought to himself as he fastened the badge of the King of Earls to his lapel.

"Now that I have delivered the badge of the King of Earls to you, it is time for me to take my leave," the Black Warrior said.

Shen An nodded and watched the Black Warrior depart.

"Lord Shen An is truly formidable. Should we address him as the King of Earls now?" asked a young Awakened.

"Indeed, the former Count Shen An has now become the King of Earls."

"His strength is second only to the Grand Elders, and furthermore, Lord Shen An is so young. He is truly a role model for our generation."

Several Grand Elders stepped forward and addressed Shen An, "Congratulations, Count Shen An. You have successfully passed the test set by the Black Warrior."

"Grand Elder, you should address him as the King of Earls now," corrected another.

The surrounding Earls felt a profound sense of envy. How long had it been since Shen An entered the Grandmaster Council? Yet he had easily ascended from an ordinary Earl to the rank of King of Earls. Had this happened in the past, absolutely no one would have believed it.

"It is too astonishing! This is the mighty Count Shen An in our eyes—even the Black Warrior sent by the superiors was no match for him."

"Doesn't Lord Shen An's rate of promotion seem a bit too fast? At this rate, won't he be taking a seat among the Grand Elders very soon?"

"Look at us Earls—which of us isn't in our fifties or sixties? There is simply no way we can compare to Count Shen An."

The Earls looked at Shen An with boundless envy. They had spent decades of grueling effort to attain their current status, yet look at Shen An—he had only just joined the Grandmaster Council and had already reached the pinnacle rank of the King of Earls.

At that moment, the Grand Elder received a short message.

"The Ten Martial Arts Halls are about to launch a joint tournament, and we cordially request the young King of the Grandmaster Council to grace the event with his presence and guidance." It was a message sent by the Alliance of the Ten Martial Arts Halls.

If a single martial arts hall could not compare to the Grandmaster Council, then the Alliance of the Ten Martial Arts Halls was a different matter entirely, possessing enough collective might to rival the Grandmaster Council.

The Grand Elder handed the message to the Shen An. Shen An smiled faintly. "Since the Martial Arts Alliance has invited me, I shall make a trip there."

"Ha-ha, the King of Earls speaks wisely," the Grand Elder said approvingly. He held high hopes for Shen An, believing that the young man would surely reap immense benefits from this joint martial arts confrontation.

"Then we shall trouble the King of Earls."

"The Alliance of the Ten Martial Arts Halls invited our King of Earls to attend? That alliance is by no means weaker than our Grandmaster Council, and their combined forces even surpass us. Who would have thought they would invite the King of Earls?"

"As expected of the King of Earls, even the Alliance of the Ten Martial Arts Halls has extended an invitation to him."

"With the King of Earls participating in this joint event, he will definitely bring great prestige to our Grandmaster Council."

Three days later, Shen An arrived at the headquarters of the Alliance of the Ten Martial Arts Halls. Today, the ten halls were holding a three-day martial arts tournament hosted at the Shinobi Martial Arts Hall.

Given Shen An's age, the most likely possibility would have been for him to participate as a contestant. However, rather than entering as a competitor, he had arrived to serve as an official judge.

As Shen An walked into the Shinobi Martial Arts Hall, he immediately drew widespread attention. The dazzling badge of the King of Earls was by no means an ordinary ornament.

"Such a brilliant artifact is definitely not something an ordinary person can wear. That diamond-encrusted badge... could it be... could it be the badge of the King of Earls? Such a young King of Earls? This is unbelievable," exclaimed a martial arts disciple.

The disciples of the Ten Martial Arts Halls were deeply shocked. These ten halls all ranked among the top powers in Silver City.

Ordinarily, few things could easily capture their attention, but right now, Shen An's identity as the King of Earls created an absolute sensation.

"Such a young King of Earls? Am I seeing things? Did the Grandmaster Council show me a fake King of Earls?"

"Indeed, the Grandmaster Council has presented us with a fake King of Earls. He's so young—he should be a contestant in the tournament, not some powerful King of Earls!"

"I've heard of him. He seems to be the King of Earls, Shen An, who joined the Grandmaster Council not long ago. I just never expected him to ascend to the rank of King of Earls in such a short time."

"What nonsense are you spouting? The Grandmaster Council hasn't produced a King of Earls in over a decade! How on earth did he pop up? I suspect he's just falsely borrowing the title of the King of Earls!"

The crowd was thunderstruck.

The corners of Shen An's mouth curled into a smile. As his gaze swept forward, he saw all ten Grandmasters of the martial arts halls coming out to greet him in succession. No other figure had ever received such an enthusiastic and grand reception from all ten Grandmasters at once.

Shen An could truly be considered an extraordinarily unique exception.

"As expected of the King of Earls, he commands absolute prestige! A full ten Grandmasters came out to welcome him."

"It seems that in the presence of the King of Earls, those ten Grandmasters have suddenly been reduced to insignificance."

"This is the King of Earls for you. His status is truly noble."