Changing clothes for the emperor is a silent war, and also a supreme honor.

Standing in Lin Feng's dressing room were Anastasia, the former queen of the "Starlight Brocade" Duchy, and her daughter, Sophia.

After their country fell, they used their exceptional understanding of textiles and fashion to secure a seemingly respectable position, but in reality, one that was even more mentally demanding.

Today, Lin Feng will be handling some important military and political matters concerning the newly developed star field. Although he will not leave the Wanyan Divine Palace, he will meet with Imperial Marshal Qin Lan and a group of generals via holographic projection.

This means that his attire must reflect the majesty and power of an emperor, while also maintaining the comfort and ease of daily life.

"Your Majesty, the trajectory of the stars today foreshadows 'conquest' and 'judgment'." Queen Anastasia knelt on the ground, holding up a black robe made of abyssal dragon skin in her hands.

On the dragon skin, the star map of the Imperial Expeditionary Fleet was embroidered with gold thread finer than a hair.

However, her daughter Sofia, who was standing beside her, offered a different opinion.

“Mother, you have forgotten that His Majesty’s mood today is like the rising sun over Mount Tai, full of new life and joy.”

Sophia's voice was as melodious as a clear spring. She held up a completely different garment—a moon-white robe woven from the fibers of the heartwood of the Elven Tree of Life. The robe was devoid of any superfluous embellishments, yet it naturally radiated an emerald-like luster, exuding a life-giving aura that calmed the mind. "Your Majesty's supreme majesty needs no external display. It is this understated vitality that allows the marshals to feel, beyond their awe, the prosperity of the empire you bring, not merely endless conquest."

Sofia's words were undoubtedly a clever rebuttal to her mother.

A barely perceptible glint of anger flashed in Anastasia's eyes.

She never imagined that the daughter she had raised with her own hands would now become her biggest rival. Within this golden cage, the bond between mother and daughter became incredibly fragile in the face of vying for even the slightest bit of the emperor's attention.

A playful smile appeared on Lin Feng's lips. He enjoyed this kind of competition. It made him feel that he controlled not only their bodies, but also their souls, their intelligence, and all their survival instincts.

He didn't speak, he just extended his hand.

Sofia was overjoyed and was about to step forward.

Lin Feng's finger ultimately pointed to the moon-white robe. But he didn't let Sophia help him put it on. Instead, he said to Queen Anastasia, "Your eye is still sharp, but this robe does suit my mood better today. You help me change."

In one sentence, he affirmed both individuals while clearly distinguishing between primary and secondary roles. He praised Sofia's choice but bestowed the honor upon her mother.

This is the art of imperial manipulation, a means to keep them forever oscillating between hope and despair, to ensure they never dare to slacken their efforts, and to make them forever regard him as the supreme standard.

Sofia's face drained of color, while Anastasia, with a victor's smile, respectfully helped Lin Feng put on the long robe.

When her hand, which had once held the scepter, smoothed the last wrinkle on Lin Feng's clothes, her heart was filled with humiliation, but also with a morbid satisfaction.

Lin Feng's breakfast is not served at any table.

The location is a suspended garden called "Cloud Top" on the east side of Wanyan Palace. The garden extends directly outward from the palace wall and is suspended thousands of feet above the clouds.

Beneath your feet is a transparent crystal floor, from which you can see the churning sea of ​​clouds below and the exquisitely detailed cityscape of Chengtian City, like a sand table model.

When Lin Feng, dressed in a moon-white robe, walked barefoot into the Cloud Top Garden, dozens of "flower fairies" who had been waiting there immediately knelt down.

They are an extremely rare race, standing no more than half a foot tall, with transparent, dragonfly-like wings on their backs.

Their mission is to care for the exotic flowers and plants from thousands of different regions in this garden.

The main ingredient at breakfast is not food, but "dew".

In the center of the garden stands a circular platform carved from millennia-old ice jade. On the platform, arranged according to color, attribute, and effect, are hundreds of thumb-sized crystal cups, formed by the Daughter of Light.

Each cup contains a few drops of morning dew, freshly collected from a specific flower.

The morning dew is collected by the lark-like maidens from the planet Bailin. They possess the most skillful hands and the most acute sense of smell, enabling them to accurately distinguish which flower's morning dew contains the purest energy and tastes the sweetest at this moment.

"Your Majesty, the first 'Morning Dew' prepared for you today comes from the 'Ice Lotus'."

The one in charge of serving is Alicia, a former human saintess who has now been given the name "Light Slave".

She was still wearing her simple nun's habit, but her holy aura, in today's environment, became the most extreme forbidden temptation.

Lin Feng stripped her of all connection with the Holy Light, but preserved all her theological knowledge. Lin Feng commanded her to use her extensive knowledge to classify, sort, and explain these "morning dews."

This was undoubtedly an extreme form of spiritual destruction. She was forced to use the wisdom she once used to praise the gods to serve the emperor's most extravagant gluttonous desires.

Alicia held up an ice-blue crystal glass with both hands, her voice ethereal and devoid of emotion: "Ice Heart Snow Lotus, produced at the summit of the 'Sighing Glacier' in the far north, blooms only once every thousand years. Its dew is cold in nature and slightly bitter in taste, but it can clear the mind and concentrate the spirit, eliminating the most subtle distracting thoughts in the body, making it most suitable for drinking at the beginning of the day."

Lin Feng took the drink and downed it in one gulp. The cool and pure energy instantly spread from the tip of his tongue to his entire body, completely calming the slight ripple that had just been stirred by the small competition in the locker room.

“The second course, ‘Tears of the Fiery Dragon.’” Alicia then presented the second cup, which contained viscous, crimson dewdrops like lava. “This is the morning dew from the ‘Dragon Blood Flower,’ which grows parasitically in the crevices of the volcanic dragon’s scales. It is potent and pungent, capable of instantly stimulating the body’s vitality, igniting every cell.”

Lin Feng drank it again. In stark contrast to the previous icy coldness, a violent surge of heat instantly coursed through his body.

He could clearly feel that his body, stimulated by the alternating sensations of ice and fire, was reaching its most perfect state with extraordinary efficiency.

And so it went, one after another. There was the "Bewitching Mist" from the depths of the swamp, which could enhance mental power; there was the "Floating Wind Dandelion" from the floating island, which could make the body light; and there was the "Breath of the World Tree" from the ancient tree of life, which could heal all hidden injuries.

Every drop of dew represents a conquered region, a plundered treasure.

Alicia, who was in charge of explaining, felt her long-dead faith tormented once again with each explanation she gave. But she was already numb. All she could do was use her professional knowledge to serve this demon before her, in exchange for the survival of herself and her sisters in the monastery.

As Lin Feng savored the morning dew, a silent struggle was unfolding on the other side of the garden.

Kira, the cat-woman hunter, and Nagasha, the snake-woman queen, are each overseeing their respective tribes as they prepare "meals" for the emperor.

Before Kira stood a massive Saber-toothed Thunder Tiger, which had just been dragged out of the hunting park.

Her people were using the sharpest obsidian daggers, with a primal beauty, precision, and swiftness, to dissect the beast.

Their target is the tenderest little piece of muscle at the tip of the Saber-toothed Thunder Tiger's heart, known as the "Heart of the Warrior."

This piece of meat must be taken within three minutes of Lei Hu's death, washed with the purest Moon Well water, and then eaten raw to taste the wild lightning power it contains.

This is Kira's "way". She wants to prove to Lin Feng that even as slaves, the cat people still retain the honor and wildness of warriors.

What they offered was power, conquest, and the most primal life force in the universe.

On the other hand, Nagasha appeared elegant and composed.

Her people are using their supple snake tails to entwine a special fruit tree. As they chant enchanting songs, they use their body heat to ripen the fruit on the tree.

This is a strange fruit called "Dream Fruit," whose flavor changes depending on the taster's mood.

The Dream Fruit, ripened in this way by the Snake People, has an additional effect: it can cause extreme relaxation and even produce wonderful hallucinations.

What Nagasha offers is skill, pleasure, and a profound exploration of the spiritual world after civilization has reached its peak.

Strength and skill, wildness and civilization, form a stark contrast in this small garden.

After tasting the last drop of morning dew, Lin Feng's gaze swept over them.

He walked up to Kira first, picked up the "Heart of the Warrior" still warm from the beast, and put it directly into his mouth. The violent energy and the bloody deliciousness instantly exploded on his taste buds, making him let out a satisfied exclamation.

“Not bad. Today’s prey is stronger than yesterday’s,” he said to Kira.

Kira lowered her head and clenched her fists tightly. This simple compliment was the only reason she and hundreds of her people could survive.

Immediately afterwards, Lin Feng walked up to Nagasha and picked a Dream Fruit that the snake women had warmed with their body heat.

The fruit melted in his mouth, instantly transforming into a sweet juice. In his mind, he seemed to see the image of himself piloting a starship for the first time, soaring through the sea of ​​stars. That was the purest ambition and joy deep within his heart.

“Your singing is even more beautiful than yesterday,” Lin Feng said to Nagasha.

Nagasha smiled alluringly and replied in a voice powerful enough to make any man's bones melt: "To please Your Majesty is Nagasha's eternal pursuit."

Lin Feng didn't say anything more and turned to leave the garden.

But the two women behind him engaged in a silent battle of wits. Kira's eyes held undisguised contempt and fighting spirit; while Nagasha's eyes held a knowing mockery and pity.

They all understood that the Emperor liked and needed both. Their competition would never have a winner; it would only continue indefinitely. And this was exactly what Lin Feng wanted to see.