The Palace of the Moonlit Nine Heavens, the power center of the empire, is more magnificent than ever before.
The ground is paved with a single piece of extraterrestrial "star diamond" that can emit its own light, making walking on it feel like strolling through the Milky Way.
Lin Feng's throne has also been replaced.
It was carved from the skull of a space dragon, with a powerful AI core, the most powerful AI ever captured from the Eagle Federation, embedded in its mouth. It could process 70 percent of the empire's government information.
But at this moment, Lin Feng's attention was not on those dry data.
His gaze fell on the three women kneeling below.
They were the finest treasures, carefully selected by the Ministry of the Interior from three million "federal spoils" at great expense.
Each one represents the pinnacle of female charm in the old-era "Eagle Federation".
The first woman was named Elena von Heinrich. She had long, platinum blonde hair, meticulously combed, and deep blue eyes, like a deep, icy lake.
She was born into an ancient, centuries-old wealthy family in "Stone City," and every gesture she made exuded an innate nobility and elegance. She was the embodiment of aristocracy from a bygone era.
The second woman was named Sofia Petrova. She had long, wavy, fiery red hair, snow-white skin, and a figure that was both powerful and beautiful, with the slender and toned physique typical of a ballerina.
She was once the principal dancer of the Royal Ballet of "Giant City" and was hailed as "a flame on ice and snow".
The third woman was named Camilla Rodriguez. She had a healthy tan and long, wavy, jet-black hair.
Her features were striking and sensual, her eyes brimming with the wild passion characteristic of Latin people. She was once the most sought-after commercial star on the Gold Coast, single-handedly building a vast fashion empire.
Lin Feng stepped down from the throne and slowly walked to them. Unlike the lower-ranking officers, he did not use brutal methods to assert his sovereignty. He enjoyed a higher level of conquest.
He walked up to Elena, reached out, and gently lifted her chin.
"They say your family, in the old days, could be traced back to bankers who managed the finances for the king?" Lin Feng's voice was calm, yet carried an undeniable air of authority.
"Yes...yes, Your Majesty." Elena tried to keep her voice steady, but her slightly trembling eyelashes betrayed her nervousness.
"Very good." Lin Feng released his hand. "Only a noble soul can give birth to equally noble offspring. From today onwards, you are my 'Blue-Blooded Consort.' Your duty is to instill in my princes an elegant legacy belonging to the nobility of the old era."
He didn't give her any chance to respond and turned to walk towards Sofia.
He admired her straight back, honed by years of ballet practice, and her swan-like neck.
"I have seen the recording of your dance. It is beautiful," Lin Feng said. "It is the ultimate harmony that the human body can achieve. My bloodline needs the influence of this kind of art. I hereby bestow upon you the title of 'Red Lotus Dancing Consort.' This palace will henceforth be your stage. You will dance only for me."
Sophia's body trembled almost imperceptibly.
The art she had pursued her whole life had now become a tool to please her conquerors. This was more humiliating than death itself.
Finally, Lin Feng stood before Camilla.
He looked at the indomitable flame in her eyes, and a playful smile appeared on his lips.
"A woman who built a business empire with desire and ambition."
Lin Feng said, "I like your eyes. I hereby bestow upon you the title of 'Black Gold Demon Consort'. I don't mind if you continue to use your business acumen; in fact, I can provide you with resources. Let me see how much waves a conquered queen can stir up in this palace."
After saying that, he turned and walked back to his throne.
For Lin Feng, these three women were more than just tools to satisfy his physical needs.
They were spoils of war, symbols, living monuments to his conquest of a civilization. He wanted to conquer their bodies, but even more so, to dismantle their wills, to make them submit to him from the very depths of their souls.
That night, the Nine Heavens Moon-Embracing Palace was brightly lit all night long.
The three newly appointed foreign concubines were bestowed with magnificent palace attire and countless treasures. They gained new identities and new names, but what they lost was their freedom, dignity, and their past as "human beings."
Lin Feng especially enjoyed having "deep conversations" with them on the giant bed carved from the spine of "Leviathan".
This is the extravagance of the kingdom, the power of the kingdom.
After a brief rest and recuperation, the empire's war machine once again felt the thirst for power.
The technology seized from the "Eagle Federation" enabled the Empire's technological level to leap forward once again. However, such a leap forward requires more resources and a larger, more highly skilled workforce.
Imperial citizens could not possibly engage in those arduous and dangerous mining and infrastructure work.
They are the noble "children of God," the ruling class.
Slavery became the only, and inevitable, choice for the development of the empire.
While the number of men in the "Eagle Federation" was large, they were being rapidly depleted under the Empire's intense exploitation. The Empire needed a new source of slaves.
Soon, the opportunity came knocking on their door.
After conducting in-depth analysis of the star map data of the "Eagle Federation," the Empire's "Sky Eye" system discovered several new civilization clusters on the other side of the continent, across a vast expanse of frigid ice plains and stormy oceans.
Qin Lan stood in front of Lin Feng once again.
Three new areas have appeared on the holographic map.
"Your Majesty, according to the latest intelligence, we have discovered three new ancient human civilizations that have been lost to time. We have named them 'The United Kingdom of North,' 'The Duchy of Valangia,' and 'The Celtic Free State.'"
Qin Lan pointed to the map and explained, "These three civilizations also have blond hair and blue eyes, but they are generally taller and stronger than the people of the 'Eagle Federation'."
"What is their level of technology?" Lin Feng asked with great interest.
“Very backward.” Qin Lan’s face showed a hint of contempt. “They have embarked on a different technological path. They are obsessed with primitive machinery and crude chemical fuel technology, and their social structure is closer to that of a medieval feudal kingdom. Their strongest fighting force consists of a cumbersome construct we call ‘steam mechs’ and some large-caliber ironclad warships that rely on gunpowder for propulsion. In the face of our fleet, they are… utterly vulnerable.”
“But they possess what we desperately need.” Qin Lan’s tone turned serious. “This region boasts the richest deposits of high-purity crystal ore and rare metal minerals on the entire planet. At the same time, their people, especially the men, are born with superhuman strength, making them excellent…mining material.”
“Very good.” A greedy flame burned in Lin Feng’s eyes. “Another bountiful granary waiting to be harvested.”
This time, Lin Feng didn't even bother using such a hypocritical excuse as "finding relatives."
The empire's propaganda machine directly defined these three newly discovered civilizations as "uncivilized barbarians" and "inferior branches that have polluted the pure blood of humanity."
The empire's reason for going to war became—"to carry out purification and bring the light of civilization to the barbaric lands."
The course of the war was even more devastating than the last one.
The Sixth and Seventh Combined Fleets, equipped with the Empire's newest "Punisher"-class Titan warships, wiped the "North United Kingdom's" proud ironclad fleet, along with their port, off the map with just a single salvo.
The Imperial Army, equipped with the "Ripper" electromagnetic rifle and the "Nightmare" power armor, appeared like gods descending to earth in the face of the "steam mechs" wielding giant axes and chainsaw swords.
One so-called "war" after another turned into a one-sided massacre.
Faced with an absolute technological gap, courage and brute force seem so laughable and powerless.
In less than a month, all three "barbarian" civilizations surrendered.
Next came an even more brutal and systematic plundering compared to the "Eagle Federation".
Lin Feng's order was simple and direct:
"First, all men, regardless of age, will be incorporated into the 'Labor Legion' and sent to the Empire's major mining areas to perform endless mining work until death. Their value is their labor power."
"Second, all women will be selected according to imperial standards. Those of grade A or above will be sent back to the empire as a high-quality supplement for 'bloodline fusion'. Those below grade A will remain in the local area as appendages of 'labor camps' to maintain the basic reproduction of slave laborers."
"Third, all resources—minerals, timber, and grain—will be taken over by the Empire. Their lands will become the Empire's new raw material supply base."
In the far north, at the "Jingyao" No. 1 mining area, the land is covered in ice and snow year-round, with temperatures dropping to minus fifty degrees Celsius.
Thousands of men from the "United Kingdom of North" and the "Duchy of Varangia" are wearing thin prison uniforms with energy-heating pads, digging in bottomless mines with the most primitive tools.
They were once proud descendants of the Vikings, strong warriors, and free citizens. Now, they are nothing more than numbered, breathing tools.
Imperial soldiers, clad in heavy, thermoelectric armor, patrolled high above like overseers. Any slave laborer who moved even slightly slower or showed any sign of resistance was mercilessly whipped with energy lashes, or even executed on the spot.
Each day, their only food was a piece of nutrient paste that barely sustained them and smelled fishy.
Countless people succumbed to the arduous labor, hunger, and bitter cold. Their bodies were thrown directly into the cracking furnace deep within the mine, becoming a tiny bit of energy to power the mining area.
Despair, like the cold wind here, pierces the marrow of every slave laborer.
However, Lin Feng, this devilish king, left them with a sliver of hope... or rather, an even more cruel one.
This system was named by the laws of the empire as the "Regulations on Returning Contributions from Labor Families".
On a fixed day each month, a list will be broadcast over the mine's public address system.
"Your daughter, Lina, has successfully conceived with Imperial citizen Lieutenant Li Xiang in the Imperial Class B allocation zone. She is pregnant. According to regulations, your labor grade is upgraded from 'inferior' to 'normal'. Your daily nutritional ration is increased by twenty percent. One hundred Imperial Dragon Dollars will be sent to your family in your homeland, the Kingdom of North."
"Your wife, Freya, has successfully given birth to a male heir rated 'Excellent' for Colonel Zhao Kang, the Imperial Legion Commander, in the Imperial S-level allocation zone. According to regulations, your labor grade is upgraded to 'Good'. You will be transferred from the mine to engage in relatively easy surface maintenance work. A thousand Imperial Dragon Dollars will be sent to your family back home, and you will be awarded the honorary title of 'Imperial Cooperative Family'."
"serial number……"
Every time the broadcast came on, the entire mining area would fall into a deathly silence.
The slave laborers whose numbers were called would show an extremely complex expression on their faces, a mixture of humiliation, pain, and a hint of genuine joy.
They knew that their daughters, wives, and sisters were being taken by conquerors in a distant empire.
But they also knew that this was the only way for them and their families to survive.
They traded their bodies for a bite of food for them, for their families and relatives back home, so that they could buy a piece of fur to keep warm or a dose of ointment to treat frostbite in this cold winter.
"Bloodline" has become the most expensive commodity.
This system is far more insidious than mere slaughter and enslavement. It undermines the will to resist of the conquered from within.
It makes men yearn for their women to bear children for their enemies. It makes the continuation of the family built on utter disgrace.
The men of the empire, on the other hand, threw themselves even more fervently into this "great cause" of "bloodline fusion." They were no longer merely seeking to satisfy their own desires; they also felt a sense of moral superiority, a sense of "salvation" and "charity."
They are using their "grace" to save those "savage" families struggling in the harsh land.
The empire's rule became more secure than ever before, thanks to this sophisticated system that bound desires, interests, and survival together.
Lin Feng sat on his throne carved from dragon bones, looking at the mines that were lit up on the map of the empire, and the transport routes that stretched from the empire’s homeland to those “wild lands”, filled with women.
A satisfied smile appeared on his face.
He not only conquered their land and enslaved their bodies, but also twisted their souls.
He made them willingly offer everything, including their bloodline and dignity, for the strength of the empire.
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