Three days later, the Central Art Center, known as the "Capital of Heaven".
The place was already packed with people.
Thousands upon thousands of young and beautiful women from all over the kingdom gathered here.
Among them were ladies from prominent families, social elites who had achieved outstanding success in their respective fields, and new citizens like Meng Yao who had just joined the kingdom.
Each of them had been carefully dressed up, wearing the most beautiful clothes, with a smile on their face that was either confident, shy, or expectant.
They are the most beautiful and radiant flowers in this country.
And they all blossomed here for the same person.
Meng Yao, dressed in a simple white dress provided by the community, stood quietly in line.
Unlike others, she didn't wear elaborate makeup; she went out with a bare face.
But her natural beauty, and her eyes that became even clearer and more resilient after surviving the apocalypse, still made her stand out in the crowd.
The selection process was rigorous and efficient.
There were no judges and no audience.
Each girl simply walks into a separate, technologically advanced white room.
Inside the room, intelligent AI will guide them through a series of tests.
Genetic testing is used to ensure the purity and health of the royal bloodline.
Psychological evaluation is to exclude those with malicious intent or unstable mental state.
The talent show is meant to discover the unique strengths of each of them.
When it was Meng Yao's turn, her heart was pounding so hard it felt like it was going to jump out of her throat.
She took a deep breath and walked into the white room.
"Welcome, Ms. Meng Yao. Please follow the prompts to complete the test." A cold, emotionless AI voice sounded.
Following the instructions, Meng Yao placed her palm on a crystal panel. A beam of blue light swept across it, and her genetic map and various physical data were presented in a three-dimensional form in the air in front of her.
"Complete genetic sequence, no hereditary diseases. No history of sexual activity. Physical health index of 9.2, excellent. Mental strength threshold of 7.8, good."
The AI's voice provided an objective evaluation.
"Next, please begin your talent show. You have ten minutes."
In the center of the room, a huge, pure white canvas rose up, along with a set of photon paintbrushes that looked extremely advanced and could mix any color.
This is precisely Meng Yao's area of expertise.
Without the slightest hesitation, she picked up the paintbrush.
What is she going to draw?
Paint a magnificent landscape? Paint a beautiful portrait?
No.
At that moment, only one image was in her mind.
That was what she saw on that desperate afternoon in "Wind-Weeping Canyon".
It was a silver ship that descended from the sky, like a miracle.
He is a "heavenly soldier" clad in black armor, who purifies all evil.
It is a torn, gray-yellow sky above the ruins of despair. And, beyond that torn sky, a patch of azure firmament, a symbol of hope.
She closed her eyes and poured all her emotions, gratitude, and admiration into her pen.
The photon paintbrush in her hand began to dance smoothly across the canvas.
Light and shadow, color, lines...
Driven by her unparalleled talent and deep emotions, a visually stunning and soul-stirring painting gradually took shape.
What she painted was hell.
What she painted was also heaven.
What she paints is destruction.
What she paints is new life.
When she made the last stroke, ten minutes had passed—just right.
She looked up at her artwork, a relieved and satisfied smile spreading across her face.
Regardless of the outcome, she has left everything she most wanted to express here.
She has no regrets.
"Talent showcase over. Judging in progress..."
The voice of AI rang out once again.
"Title of the work: Divine Descent. Emotional richness rating: S+. Technique application rating: A+. Creative concept rating: S+."
Overall rating: S grade.
"Congratulations, Ms. Meng Yao. You have passed the preliminary selection. Please go to the 'Tranquil Garden' in the Imperial Palace in three days to participate in the second selection. At that time, you will be personally assessed by the ladies of the harem."
Stepping out of the room, Meng Yao was still somewhat dazed, as if she were in a dream.
She... passed?
She actually passed!
She was about to step into that legendary palace, which she had only seen in images.
She was about to see those legendary imperial concubines with her own eyes.
She was one step closer to that man.
The sunlight shone on her face, warm and comforting.
She looked up at the outline of the "Tongtian Pavilion" in the distance, her eyes filled with boundless anticipation for the future.
She knew that from this moment on, her life had completely turned a new page.
What she didn't know was...
In a study deep within the distant palace.
On the holographic screen in front of Lin Feng, a painting was quietly displayed.
The painting's title was—
The Descent of the Gods.
He looked at the painting, at the composition full of tension, the stark contrast between despair and hope, and the intense emotions contained within it, almost bursting off the paper.
A subtle, amused smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.
“Meng Yao…”
He softly uttered the name.
"That's interesting."
Three days have passed since the painting "Divine Descent" caused a minor stir in the preliminary selection.
For the past three days, Meng Yao felt as if she were living in a dream.
She was taken by a special hovercraft, the interior of which was larger than her entire hideout in "Wind-Weeping Canyon," to the "Tranquil Garden," a place located outside the palace specifically for receiving important guests and conducting major ceremonies.
The word "luxury" is no longer sufficient to describe this place.
Each building is an independent crystal artwork, suspended above an artificial lake shrouded in mist.
She was served by two beautiful and dignified maids.
Their words and actions are all the most rigorously trained, as precise as a programmed script, yet they carry just the right amount of comfortable gentleness.
They told Meng Yao that during her three days there, all she needed to do was rest, relax, and receive the highest level of physical care and etiquette instruction from the Royal Ceremonial Institute.
The so-called "body care" was far beyond Meng Yao's imagination.
She was immersed in a bath filled with a pale golden, milky liquid.
The warm liquid, as if it possessed life, seeped into every pore of her body, repairing the deepest, hidden wounds left by long-term malnutrition and radiation.
Her skin became more lustrous and smooth than the finest silk at a speed visible to the naked eye.
Her hair, which had become slightly dry due to the hardships of life, has regained its blackness, smoothness, and healthy shine.
So-called "etiquette instruction" is not a boring training.
A woman with an elegant demeanor, who was said to have been the chief etiquette officer of a royal family in the Blue Star era, simply played various etiquette norms for different occasions for her through holographic projection and let her experience them in a virtual reality environment.
AI will automatically correct every subtle, irregular movement she makes until she has deeply ingrained all etiquette into her very being, turning it into instinct.
Three days later, when Meng Yao stood in front of the mirror again, she could hardly recognize herself.
The girl in the mirror was wearing a long white dress woven from "moonlight silk" that shimmered with a faint silver light.
Her figure was graceful and elegant, her temperament refined and serene. Her face, unadorned, was breathtakingly beautiful.
Most importantly, her eyes no longer held the fear and unease of the past; instead, they held a serene confidence that came from within.
She has been transformed from a rough, unpolished jade into a dazzling gem.
All of this was simply to prepare for today's re-election.
The second round of selection will be held at the "Lanxing Pavilion," the most central part of "Jingxin Garden."
As Meng Yao, led by her maid, entered the grand hall, which was entirely made of transparent crystal and seemed to float in the starry sky, she saw dozens of girls like herself who had passed the preliminary selection.
Each one of them is beautiful in her own unique way and possesses an extraordinary temperament.
When they saw Meng Yao, a hint of amazement and wariness flashed in their eyes.
At the deepest part of the main hall, six magnificent chairs carved from "Lantian warm jade" are placed side by side.
Six stunningly beautiful women, each with their own unique charm, sat regally on the chairs.
They are the six most honored women in this empire besides Lin Feng—Su Wanqing, Qin Lan, Qian Xiaoxiao, Ruan Mengtian, Liu Yanxi, and Shen Jiaqi.
Meng Yao recognized them at a glance.
She watched countless videos and videos documenting the kingdom's history.
The one occupying the main seat was undoubtedly Su Wanqing. She was dressed in a dignified court dress, and her face bore a gentle yet authoritative smile. Her gaze swept over each girl present, as if scrutinizing them, yet also admiring them.
To her left was Qin Lan, dressed in military uniform, exuding a cool and heroic aura. Her eyes were the sharpest, as if they could see right through people's hearts.
To her right was Qian Xiaoxiao, a stunningly beautiful woman dressed in a fiery red dress.
She was idly playing with her wine-red nail polish, a faint, mocking smile playing on her lips.
Next to her was Ruan Mengtian, who looked innocent, sweet, and lovely; and Liu Yanxi, who had a gentle and elegant demeanor.
And Shen Jiaqi, sitting quietly, seemingly unconcerned about everything, simply admiring the scenery outside the palace.
This is the legendary imperial harem.
These are His Majesty's women.
Meng Yao's heart tightened again.
She could sense the immense pressure hidden behind those six seemingly casual gazes.
“Raise your heads, everyone.”
Su Wanqing's voice, gentle yet clear, rang out in the hall: "No need to be nervous. The fact that you are standing here shows that each of you is the most outstanding daughter of the kingdom. Today, I invited you here not to test you, but simply to chat with you and see what our future sisters will be like."
Her voice, with its convincing warmth, eased the tense atmosphere in the hall somewhat.
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