Conquest had become the norm for empires.
The war ended faster than anyone had anticipated.
For the empire, this simply meant a few more provinces on its territory that needed "purification" and "integration." But for Lin Feng, it meant his "ranch" had expanded several times over.
Tens of millions of new "labor slaves" injected new power into the empire's massive machine, while the carefully selected "imperial reserve citizens"—young women from Kansai, Kyushu, and Shikoku—were temporarily placed in "bride schools" in various places, awaiting their unknown fate.
However, Lin Feng's agitation did not improve in the slightest.
Inside the Nine Heavens Moon-Embracing Palace, he looked at the latest bloodline analysis report presented by the Imperial Academy of Sciences, his brows furrowed.
The report's conclusions are no different from those of a year ago, and are even more certain.
His level of existence has evolved to an unbelievable height.
His genes, like a burning star, are filled with domineering and unparalleled energy. Any mortal bloodline that attempts to unite with this star will have its inherent masculine power instantly overwhelmed and annihilated. Only the most resilient and purest female genes can barely bear his power and give birth to offspring.
This explains why he only has a daughter.
"Liu An." Lin Feng's voice rang out in the hall.
Wearing the uniform of the head steward, he emerged from the darkness and knelt on one knee.
"Your subject is present."
"Convey my decree."
“Restart the ‘Heavenly Grace Election.’ No, change the name.” A playful glint flashed in Lin Feng’s eyes: “Let’s call it— ‘The Arrival of Ten Thousand Phoenixes’!”
"This election will cover the entire empire. All unmarried women aged sixteen to twenty-two who are of good character, appearance, and physical and mental health, whether they are loyal subjects of our kingdom or new citizens of Higashizu, Kansai, Kyushu, or Shikoku, are eligible to participate in the election."
“Tell them that this is not a simple selection. This is a sacred ceremony that will determine the future bloodline of the empire. Every selected person will no longer be just an imperial concubine, but a candidate for the ‘Holy Mother’ who may become the next generation’s Mother of Gods.”
"Go." Lin Feng waved his hand. "Use every means to make this grand ceremony the most magnificent and glorious memory since the founding of the empire. I want every citizen of the empire to feel the greatest honor in offering their daughter to me."
"Your subject obeys the decree!" Liu An kowtowed heavily, his eyes shining with a light more fervent than ever before.
He understood that His Majesty was serious this time.
An imperial edict entitled "All Phoenixes Pay Homage" swept across the vast Star Empire like a golden storm.
This propaganda campaign is more inflammatory and sacred than ever before.
The empire's propaganda machine published Lin Feng's bloodline report in a way that was easy to understand yet highly sensational.
"Our god, our emperor, Lin Feng! His bloodline is a miracle of the universe! His power is so great that mortal bloodlines cannot produce a male successor who can stand shoulder to shoulder with him!"
"This is not a crisis! This is glory! This proves that our King is the one and only true God!"
"And now, God has bestowed grace upon all His people! He needs to find the 'Holy Mother' who can carry His divine bloodline from among His most loyal, excellent, and diverse people!"
"This is no longer just the glory of your family! This is the opportunity for your bloodline to merge with the bloodline of the gods and become a part of an eternal legend!"
"Girls! Daughters of the Empire! Whether you come from the bustling capital or the remote countryside; whether your ancestors were the first warriors to follow His Majesty or newly born citizens who have just received His Majesty's grace! You all have the same opportunity!"
"Go! Go before your king! Show your beauty, your wisdom, your loyalty! For the future of the empire! For becoming the Mother of God!"
"All emperors come to pay homage, sharing in the Emperor's grace!"
The fervor was ignited instantly.
If the previous "Heavenly Grace Election" still carried a trace of the old-fashioned talent show, then this "All Phoenixes Pay Homage" has completely evolved into a religious pilgrimage involving the entire population.
In every corner of the empire, countless stories are unfolding.
In the former territory of the empire, those meritorious families who had followed Lin Feng for generations almost immediately registered all their eligible daughters, both legitimate and illegitimate.
For them, this was not only an honor, but also a political opportunism that deeply bound their families to the royal bloodline. Among them, the Murong family, one of the four great families of the empire, was the most active.
Murong Yan, the eldest daughter of the Murong family, is eighteen years old and has been raised to be an imperial concubine since childhood.
She was proficient in all the arts, including music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, and possessed a stunningly beautiful face and a proud and aloof temperament.
On the very day the decree was issued, Murong Bo, the head of the Murong family and the imperial marshal, personally brought his daughter to the palace to express the family's utmost loyalty to Lin Feng.
"Yan'er's ability to continue His Majesty's divine bloodline is the glory of my Murong family for ten thousand generations."
In the newly conquered Kansai, Shikoku, and Kyushu regions, this edict brought about even more complex social upheavals.
Fear and opportunity, humiliation and longing, intertwined in the hearts of every "new citizen".
Kyushu, Fukuoka. One of the former leaders of the resistance, the head of the Sakurai family, looked at the flattened mountain ruins, then at his sixteen-year-old daughter, Sakurai Ayako, his eyes filled with endless struggle.
Ayako Sakurai is renowned as the most beautiful woman in Kyushu. Her beauty carries a cool and resilient quality, like that of a mountain cherry blossom.
“Father,” Ayako said softly, her voice without a tremor, “the family has no way out. Let me go.”
There was no fanaticism in her eyes, only a kind of almost resolute clarity.
She was going to the heart of the empire to see for herself what kind of being the man known as "God" truly was.
In more remote rural areas, the reactions are even more pronounced.
Countless girls from impoverished families see this election as their only chance to change their fate.
They may not have illustrious family backgrounds or profound knowledge, but they possess the purest vitality and aspirations for the future.
Su Qinghe, an ordinary girl from the mountains of Shikoku, is one of them. She has eyes as clear as mountain springs and natural, unadorned beauty.
As the village chief, holding the empire's brochure, passionately recounted the supreme glory of "becoming a saint," she merely watched in bewilderment, her thoughts lingering on the possibility that being chosen might allow her frail and sickly mother to live a better life.
And so, fueled by fervor, ambition, hatred, and hope… hundreds of millions of women in the empire answered the call of the gods. A massive talent search, spanning the entire empire, officially began.
The selection process for the "Ten Thousand Phoenixes Paying Homage" was so grand in scale, so complex in procedure, and so extravagant in cost that it would leave any emperor in history speechless.
This is not a simple beauty pageant, but a comprehensive selection process that considers genes, physique, spirit, and bloodline potential.
The preliminary selections were conducted simultaneously in every administrative province and even every city of the empire.
The Imperial Academy of Sciences urgently mobilized millions of portable life sensors. All registered women had to pass through a screening archway known as the "Gate of Grace."
This door will instantly scan their genetic sequence, life energy fluctuations, and physical health index.
Only women who reach the "excellent" level can pass the preliminary selection. This single stage eliminates more than 90% of the participants. The dreams of hundreds of millions of people vanish with the cold "beep" of the machine.
Even so, the number of women who passed the preliminary selection still exceeded 30 million.
The women who passed the initial selection were taken by luxurious airships arranged by the empire to the capitals of their respective provinces for a month-long intensive "purification" and "cultivation".
They lived in the temporary yet still extremely luxurious "Crescent Palace." Every day, they were nourished with the finest nutrient solutions, bathed in rare spices, and learned the imperial court etiquette and "theology"—that is, everything about Lin Feng personally.
The core of this month is the trial at the "Jade Dew Abyss." A huge artificial lake has been dug in each capital city, with diluted trace energy factors from Lin Feng's bloodline dissolved in the lake water. All candidates must soak in the lake for three hours every day.
This energy is both nourishing and a test for mortals. Those with weaker constitutions and wills may faint or even suffer damage to their genetic chains due to their inability to withstand this domineering energy, thus being eliminated. Women who can adapt to and absorb this energy will have their bodies become purer, their skin will radiate a faint glow, and their vitality will be enhanced.
In this trial of the "Jade Dew Abyss," Murong Yan was in her element. She was even able to actively guide the energy to circulate within her body, making her aura increasingly extraordinary.
Ayako Sakurai endured the agonizing torment, regarding the invading energy as an enemy and suppressing it relentlessly with her willpower. In doing so, she developed a mental resilience far beyond that of ordinary people.
Su Qinghe, on the other hand, was like a sponge, innocently and purely absorbing everything. Her body merged with this energy in the most natural and harmonious way, giving her an ethereal and pure aura.
The second round of selections concluded, leaving only 100,000 out of 30 million candidates. These 100,000 women, regardless of their backgrounds, had now undergone a complete transformation, becoming "celestial maidens" in the eyes of mortals.
One hundred thousand "celestial maidens" boarded the "Golden Cloud Ship," a specially made vessel of the empire, constructed entirely of white and gold and resembling a giant swan, embarking on their final journey to the heart of the empire—the capital city of Chengtian.
The Jin Yun warship finally docked at Cheng En Square, a square built specifically for this election and large enough to hold a million people. The square's surface was paved with a single, massive piece of white jade, smooth as a mirror, reflecting the sky and clouds.
Lin Feng, however, had been waiting for a long time on his throne.
When 100,000 candidates stepped onto the jade pavement of Chengen Square, the real extravagance and debauchery had only just begun.
Their destination was not the Nine Heavens Moon-Embracing Palace itself, but a massive and unbelievable harem complex built specifically for them on one side of it—the "Ten Thousand Phoenix Palace".
The "Wanhuang Palace" is less a palace and more an independent eco-city.
It consists of 9,999 courtyards of varying sizes, each with a unique style, mimicking different landscapes within the empire's territory.
Some courtyards resemble the water towns of Jiangnan, with small bridges, flowing water, pavilions, and towers, and are shrouded in a light drizzle all year round.
Some courtyards are located in the snowy plains of the north, with birch forests standing tall, ice sculptures and jade carvings, and where snow-white foxes are kept.
Some courtyards are desert oases, golden palaces, azure lakes, and dancers in veils dancing under the moon.
Some courtyards even simulate bizarre alien landscapes, with floating glowing crystals and singing plants.
These 100,000 women were assigned to different courtyards based on their place of origin, personality, and performance in the re-selection.
One hundred people shared a small courtyard, served by dozens of rigorously trained maids and eunuchs.
Their diet consisted of ingredients flown in by air, the rarest in the entire empire.
Their clothes are woven from a mixture of optical fiber and silkworm silk using intelligent textile machines. They are as light and thin as mist and can automatically regulate temperature.
Their entertainment consisted of the empire's top artists, musicians, and poets, who were always on standby to perform for them and relieve their boredom.
Murong Yan was assigned to the "Ziwei Enclosure," the most central area. The courtyard here is in the standard imperial style, grand and magnificent, exuding elegance.
She was very satisfied with this, seeing it as a reflection of her status. She diligently practiced every day, bringing herself to peak condition, waiting for that moment to arrive.
Ayako Sakurai was assigned to "Sakura-en," a garden modeled after old Japan, which features a dry landscape garden, hot springs, and paper sliding doors.
The empire's "goodwill" seemed particularly ironic at this moment.
Looking at the young women around her, who came from her hometown and had become completely immersed in a life of luxury, forgetting their national and personal grievances, she felt increasingly cold inside.
Su Qinghe moved into a Jiangnan-style courtyard called "Tingyuxuan". She had never seen such an exquisite residence, nor had she ever eaten such delicious food.
For the first few days, she was like a frightened fawn, feeling both curious and uneasy about everything.
But gradually, she began to enjoy it.
After being "raised" in the Wanhuang Palace for three months, the final selection began.
Lin Feng did not use any traditional talent show methods. He believed that ordinary talent performances were meaningless in selecting a "saint".
He wanted to personally inspect his "soil" in the most direct and sacred way.
The final location was chosen to be the main hall.
This grand hall can accommodate tens of thousands of people. The dome is a simulated starry sky, and underfoot is a transparent floor that flows with energy, from which one can see the churning sea of clouds below.
On the throne, Lin Feng, dressed in a black and gold dragon-patterned robe, leaned back lazily. His eyes were calm and undisturbed, yet they seemed to pierce through time and space, seeing through the essence of every life.
One hundred thousand women entered the main hall in batches of one hundred.
There was no music, no master of ceremonies, only deathly silence. The girls walked slowly past the throne in neat rows.
They were told not to look directly at the king. They could only keep their heads down and feel his gaze, as real as a physical object, sweep over them inch by inch.
Lin Feng's gaze was the final judgment.
His eyes contained a terrifying life force.
As his gaze swept across, he could clearly "see" the genetic map within each woman's body, and "feel" the purity and resilience of their bloodlines, as well as their compatibility with his own.
One group of women after another walked by.
In his perception, the genes of the vast majority of people are like a pile of loose sand, extremely fragile.
His gaze merely swept over them, yet they felt a chill run down their spines and retreated, their faces pale.
These people will be labeled as "mortals" and left in the Palace of Ten Thousand Phoenixes as ordinary concubines, never having the chance to inherit the bloodline of the gods.
When it was Murong Yan's turn to join the queue, she suppressed her excitement and straightened her back.
When Lin Feng's gaze fell upon her, she felt as if a sun was rising in her spiritual world.
The energy within her was instantly ignited, resonating faintly with that gaze. She felt a warm current flow through her entire body, as if she were about to be elevated.
On the throne, for the first time, a barely perceptible smile appeared on Lin Feng's lips.
“Not bad,” he thought to himself, “Noble bloodline, strong will, and high energy affinity. It’s a fertile field.”
With a gentle lift of his hand, a golden light shot from his fingertip and entered Murong Yan's brow.
Murong Yan was jolted, feeling an unprecedented surge of information and pure energy flood her mind, before being gently carried out of the main hall by a force.
Upon seeing this, Wei Zheng, the chief eunuch outside the hall, immediately announced loudly: "Ziwei Yuan, Murong Yan, by the blessing of the Divine Lord, is promoted to candidate for 'Holy Mother' and enters the 'Jade Light Pool' for bathing!"
Everyone cast envious and jealous glances their way.
Next was Ayako Sakurai. When Lin Feng's gaze swept over her, he let out a soft "hmm".
He sensed an extremely cold icy plain. The girl's blood was filled with the "impurities" of the conquered—fear and submission—but beneath these impurities lay a tenacious will as unyielding as millennia-old ice.
Her genes were resisting his exploration, though this resistance was as weak as a mantis trying to stop a chariot, it was real.
“Interesting.” A hint of amusement flashed in Lin Feng’s eyes. “The soil is full of wildness. Although it is barren, if it can be tamed, it may bloom with different kinds of flowers.”
He also bestowed a golden light upon her. This golden light was even more domineering than the one given to Murong Yan, carrying a hint of punishment and subjugation.
Ayako Sakurai groaned, a trickle of blood spilling from the corner of her mouth, but the coldness in her eyes remained undiminished.
"Sakurai Ayako of Sakura Garden, blessed by the God, has been promoted to candidate for 'Holy Mother' and is to be bathed in the 'Jade Light Pool'!"
Finally, it was Su Qinghe's turn. She was so nervous that her palms were sweaty, and she kept her head down like a lamb to the slaughter.
When Lin Feng's gaze fell on her, for the first time, he truly sat up slightly.
This girl's genes lacked Murong Yan's nobility and Sakurai Ko's resilience; in fact, they could be described as "ordinary."
But it is precisely this ordinariness and purity that makes her like the cleanest blank sheet of paper, the most fertile primordial divine realm that has not yet been sown with any seeds!
Her bloodline showed no rejection whatsoever to his domineering and unparalleled "divine blood," but rather the most perfect and gentle acceptance and embrace.
"The Divine Realm... I see." Lin Feng murmured to himself.
He doesn't need to seek out soil that is already strong; that would create conflict.
What he needs is this kind of "soil" that is the purest, most resilient, and most inclusive.
He stood up and, for the first time, stepped down from that high throne.
Amidst tens of thousands of astonished gazes, he walked step by step to Su Qinghe. He reached out and gently lifted her chin.
Su Qinghe was forced to raise her head and saw that godlike face that she had only seen in promotional pictures.
Those golden eyes, containing the entire starry sky, instantly captivated her.
"What is your name?" His voice rang out in the hall for the first time, carrying a strange magic.
"Your subject...your subject daughter...Su...Su Qinghe..." she stammered in response.
“Su Qinghe,” Lin Feng smiled, a smile that made the starry dome of the entire hall shine brightly, “Very good. From today onwards, you will be the leader of all phoenixes.”
A golden beam of light, more dazzling than ever before and almost tangible, descended from the sky and enveloped Su Qinghe.
Her body slowly floated up, and her simple clothes instantly turned to ashes, revealing a magnificent palace dress woven from light and adorned with stars.
Liu An mustered all his strength and let out a roaring cry:
"Tingyuxuan, Su Qinghe! By the boundless grace of the gods, she is hereby conferred the title of 'Noble Consort Xihuang'! And is made the head of all phoenixes!"
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