World-Ending Demon Emperor
Chapter 1140 - 511: Humiliation, military merit list published!_3

Chapter 1140: 511: Humiliation, military merit list published!_3

...

The Ankara Tribe’s army was now less than a day’s march away from the Wild Horse Tribe’s heartland.

Duolong, Chief of the Wild Horse Tribe, painfully submitted the letter of surrender, along with ceding the entire Falling Horse Mountain Range, before retreating back to the tribe with his defeated forces.

This marked the ultimate victory of the Chimera Tribe in this grand battle, with their territory expanded by nearly one-third and their hunting grounds extended by the same proportion.

In the Barbaric Wilderness, territory and hunting grounds were everything.

Meanwhile, the Wild Horse Tribe was plunged into a life-threatening crisis. Not only did they lose a third of their territory, but half of their forces as well. They now faced an even greater showdown ahead.

What would fate hold? Life or death remained uncertain.

As for the Chimera Tribe, they were swept up in a triumphant celebration.

Victory in this great battle had been stunning, with losses far smaller than anyone had anticipated.

Chief Constantine had led 8,000 soldiers into battle, yet fewer than 1,000 had been lost, a remarkable achievement considering the monstrous gains.

So when the letter of surrender from the Wild Horse Tribe finally arrived, the entire Chimera army camp erupted into a sea of jubilation.

Bonfires blazed endlessly into the night.

And now, the most critical moment was about to begin.

The announcement of the battlefield merit rankings.

Every great battle ended the same way: the rankings were immediately revealed, with merit points based on the number of heads claimed in combat.

In the Barbaric Wilderness, battlefield merit was the very currency of life—houses, women, wealth, food, and power all stemmed from it.

This time, however, the merit rankings carried an even greater suspense.

Chief Constantine had made a bold promise: whoever earned the highest merit would be given his daughter’s hand in marriage.

Now everyone was curious—who would win this ultimate prize?

Would it be Du Yan? Yanggu? Or Qiuju?

As for the brothers of the Foreign Tribe Army, the suspense centered around the rivalry between Lanling and Du Yan.

Before the battle, they had made a wager.

If Lanling claimed more heads, Du Yan would kneel before Suo Mo and admit his fault.

If Du Yan outscored Lanling, however, Lanling would have to kneel before Nini’an and apologize, while also staying far away from Dina.

Initially, the brothers of the Foreign Tribe Army had little hope for Lanling, knowing all too well how formidable Du Yan was. But during the battle, they personally witnessed Lanling’s devastating archery, his skill mowing down enemies like a scythe through wheat. More than that, he alone had stemmed the tide when the defensive line threatened to collapse.

At the very least, for this contest, the brothers of the Foreign Tribe Army hoped Lanling would prevail.

For Du Yan, kneeling to Suo Mo was no dishonor. But for Lanling to kneel before Nini’an would be an unbearable humiliation.

...

The merit rankings had yet to be announced, but Du Yan, Yanggu, and Qiuju stood beneath the largest bonfire.

The three men were fraught with anxiety, though they made every effort to look calm and composed.

Du Yan, for his part, felt deeply unsettled and puzzled as to why Constantine had summoned Lanling first. Perhaps the chief had discovered some hidden talent in him.

Even so, Du Yan felt the rankings were a foregone conclusion—he was undeniably first, with no surprises in store.

Especially considering that, at the last critical moment, he had decisively slain the Wild Horse Tribe’s young chieftain, adding fifty more heads to his tally.

Yanggu and Qiuju, however, harbored some unease.

They suspected their own merit scores might fall short of Du Yan’s. Still, to them, Du Yan was merely an "outsider dog," and they believed the chief might tweak the scores slightly in their favor, making their totals comparable to his.

Regardless, all eyes were anxiously fixed on the upcoming announcement of the merit rankings.

Du Yan, above all, felt an overwhelming sense of suffocation the closer the moment approached.

Endless anticipation. Endless excitement.

He fantasized about the moment his name was read aloud as the top scorer, basking in the glory under the rapturous gaze of the tribe.

He imagined claiming the chief’s daughter, Nini’an—the flower of the tribe—as his bride, while savoring the envy of all the other men.

If it all came true, it would be the happiest moment of his life.

As for his wager with Lanling, it was merely a trivial footnote. Besides, he would marry Nini’an, and Dina—she was his as well. Lanling had best vanish as far as possible.

At last, amid the collective anticipation, Chief Constantine emerged, holding an enormous parchment scroll. He strode up to the bonfire, unrolling it slowly.

"Victory in battle! Time to reveal the merits!"

"Long live! Long live! Long live!"

The warriors of the Chimera Tribe roared in unison.

The most pivotal, exhilarating moment had arrived.

Du Yan breathed heavily, trembling with excitement and anticipation.

Then, Chief Constantine shouted, "First place in the merit rankings—Lanling!"

At those words, it was as though a bolt of lightning had struck from the clear blue sky!

Like a meteor crashing violently into the lake.

Du Yan felt as if thunder had split his mind apart. His vision turned black, and his entire body went ice cold.

...

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