Lord: Stripped of My Inheritance from the Start

Lurans opened his eyes, and the original cloudiness in his gaze gave way to a bit of its former luster.

However, his expression was a mixture of confusion and solemnity.

“Although my flesh, meridians, and bones are free of the Soul-Devouring Surge’s strange energy, there is still a mass of dark energy inside my Sea of Qi.”

He frowned. “I can sense this energy’s presence, but I can barely control it.”

’How could this still be happening?’

Ronin looked at Elron worriedly. “There aren’t any side effects, are there?”

Elron shook his head.

’The Witch Soul Power in Lurans’s body must be of a relatively high grade, but even so, I recall successfully dispelling it more than once before. A situation like this has never happened.’

“I’ll try one more time.”

Elron immediately cast Evil Purification again, concentrating the brilliant pillar of light on Lurans’s abdomen, the location of his Sea of Qi.

But no matter how hard Elron tried, the mass of Dark Energy within the Sea of Qi persisted, showing no signs of dissipating.

Lurans hesitated for a moment, then couldn’t resist reaching out with his own Fighting Qi to touch the energy.

In the past, doing so would have brought excruciating pain, so he was apprehensive now.

VMMMM—

As the dark energy and Fighting Qi made contact, the energy flared up, like a lit candle suddenly plunged into a tank of pure oxygen.

The dark energy instantly expanded, as if it had devoured and absorbed the wisp of Fighting Qi it had just touched.

The familiar pain never came. The now-larger mass of dark energy simply nestled quietly within his Sea of Qi.

And at that moment, Lurans was astonished to find that he could now control this energy.

“Please, stop, Lord Magic Master.”

Lurans stopped Elron from making a third attempt.

“I don’t think this Dark Energy can be removed, but it no longer seems to be harming me. In fact, I can control it.”

Steeling himself, the old man fed it another large gulp of his Fighting Qi, causing the dark energy to expand once more.

As he manipulated it, the energy manifested over his palm, forming a sharp blade along the edge of his hand.

“Is this like having an extra Attribute?”

Ronin was amazed.

’Lurans’s Attributes are Flame and Thunderbolt. What is this? Has he gained the Dark Attribute? But a person’s Attributes are supposed to be immutable!’

“This energy…”

Elron stepped forward to examine it. “It seems similar to Witch Soul Power, but it doesn’t feel as oppressive, and it lacks any corrosive properties.”

“Does that mean he can’t replicate the move he used against Ossen Count?”

That day, Lurans had used the Witch Soul Power to completely cripple Ossen.

’Now that my grandfather can use this energy at will, if it’s still as potent as before, doesn’t that mean he can cripple whomever he pleases?’

After some testing, the three of them confirmed that this was indeed the case.

If the Witch Soul Power previously inside Lurans was a rabid dog, then the transformed version was now as docile as a lamb.

“Let’s just call it a gift from the Seven Gods for having to put up with me for so long.”

Lurans comforted himself with that thought and stopped worrying about the extra power in his body, deciding to treat it as simply having gained a new Attribute.

He swung his legs over the side of the bed and stood up.

Although the weakness from being afflicted for so long had not yet faded, his mind and body felt incredibly light.

As he channeled his Fighting Qi, surging Thunderbolt and Flame intertwined, covering his body and condensing into an almost corporeal armor.

The powerful aura and pressure that washed over them made Ronin’s heart pound in his chest.

’My grandfather is no ordinary Meteor Knight,’ Ronin thought. ’At the very least, his presence is far stronger than mine.’

“Ha!”

Feeling the exhilarating freedom of channeling his Fighting Qi at will, Lurans couldn’t help but laugh aloud.

After so many years of suffering, the bitterness had finally turned to sweet relief.

Ronin couldn’t help but ask, “Grandfather, what level would you say your Power is at right now?”

In his mind, his grandfather’s power should have regressed after so many years of suffering.

“Before I was afflicted, I had already been at the Meteor Level for many years. I suppose you could say my power was at its peak.”

Lurans sounded wistful. The concept of ’power level’ had scarcely crossed his mind over the past several years.

“Although I was suppressed all these years by what you call Witch Soul Power, it and I were in a constant state of conflict. While I never had the chance to break through the ’Body Wheel’ in my heart, my Sea of Qi and my meridians were strengthened through repeated cycles of destruction and reconstruction.”

If Fighting Qi were rainwater, Lurans’s body was now like parched earth.

He could now hold a great deal of rain.

With more rainwater accumulated, his Sea of Qi and meridians were bound to become even stronger once they recovered.

He suddenly clenched his fist. The Fighting Qi Armor on his body dissipated, and a wind stirred within the room.

“Once my body fully recovers, my power should advance even further.”

The old man’s former imperious gaze was gradually returning. “At that point, advancing to Silver Moon Knight should not be difficult for me.”

A joyous expression appeared on Ronin’s face.

’Wushan Territory will have a Silver Moon Knight, and with Melonika at the Meteor Level, that’s some serious power, even without counting anyone from Wubei Territory.’

’If you include me, Ridder, and Elron, then Wushan Territory will have five powerhouses at the stage of Breaking the Limit of Chonglun. A Wushan Territory this powerful would surely give our neighbors some sleepless nights!’

“My boy, I owe my life to you!”

Lurans turned, his voice filled with gratitude and affection. “It is the Wushan Clan’s honor to have such an outstanding heir as you!”

Ronin laughed. “It’s not my doing. Elron is the one who helped you escape your predicament.”

Elron gave a slight bow. He wanted to say it was all thanks to a gift from Ronin, but he held his tongue, realizing it might expose the secret of Ronin’s ability to enhance their power.

Lurans chuckled. He could actually tell that Ronin was the source of it all.

He had inquired before; Elron had gone from an Intermediate Mage to the Advanced Level, and now to a Magic Master. He didn’t believe for a moment that Elron had simply been hiding his true power.

Lurans suspected the man’s rapid increase in power had to be related to Ronin.

“You are the Lord of Wubei Territory, and they are your followers. The credit naturally falls to you.”

It’s the same with military achievements.

A Great Lord rewards a Minor Lord with land and money according to their achievements, and the Minor Lord in turn rewards his followers as he sees fit.

“Tell me, Ronin, my boy, what can I give you to express my thanks?”

But upon hearing this, Ronin just shook his head slightly.

He had helped Lurans simply to repay the kindness and care his grandfather had shown him in the past; he never intended to ask for anything more.

“We’re family. Seeing you healthy again is the greatest reward I could ask for.”

Lurans was very pleased. He walked over and clapped Ronin on the shoulder.

“Good boy!”

He mused for a moment. “I hear you’re building a port in Wubei Territory. That must require a great deal of labor and money. I’ll give you those, then.”

“It’s a pity the Noble Title of Marquis isn’t something I can just give away, otherwise, I’d give it directly to you.”

Having experienced such great ups and downs in life, he had come to see the Noble Title as less important.

Giving it to a deserving descendant would not be a bad thing at all.

But the laws of the Kingdom stipulate that a person cannot pass on their Noble Title to a descendant until after their death.

Ronin’s eyes curved into a smile. “Grandfather, how many men and how much money are you planning to give me?”

“Haha, didn’t you just say you didn’t need anything?”

Ronin spread his hands. “I never said that.”

Men and money were strategic resources. Since his grandfather had brought it up, he wasn’t going to be polite.

“As for the men, I’ll have someone draw up a plan. As for the money, how much do you need?”

Ronin asked tentatively, “How about… a Hundred Thousand Gold Coins?”

A Hundred Thousand Gold Coins was the amount required for the “Prosperous Fortune” achievement.

If Lurans could provide that much money to help him complete the achievement, he would gain 8,000 Energy Essence in one fell swoop.

With that, not only could he raise Macken to the Meteor Level, but he could even help Ridder advance directly to the Silver Moon rank.

’A Marquis’ Domain with two Silver Moon Knights… This was truly the beginning of their rise to power.’

Hearing this, Lurans’s mustache twitched as he chuckled and chided, “You little rascal. You knew I had a Hundred Thousand Gold Coins, didn’t you?”