The ceremony of enthroning the heir was announced suddenly, but it was still grand and solemn, and all television programs in the empire were suspended.
Every channel was playing content related to the ceremony. It was very lively.
The hosts in front of the camera were very enthusiastic and excited, saying that this was the biggest ceremony in the Empire.
The warm atmosphere continues to build up, and the screen switches from time to time to the imperial streets beautifully decorated with flowers and balloons, where the people have tears in their eyes.
Everyone thanked the White Tower and the Queen in unison, and was happy that there would be someone to take over the empire.
A passerby who was interviewed burst into tears. The well-dressed gentleman wiped his tears in front of the camera, "The glory of the empire continues. I can't help crying when I think that we can still live happily under the protection of God. Thank you, White Tower."
The nobles were dressed in their best clothes, with their robes, jewels and earrings jingling as they waited in the auditorium. The sentries of the Royal Guard were standing guard on both sides in their military uniforms. Everyone was in high spirits and looked mighty and majestic.
The guides in the college wore white dresses and sang hymns under the leadership of the principal.
Throughout the empire, whether in the prosperous aristocratic districts, the impoverished shanty towns, or the bitter cold and hard sentry posts, everyone was watching this imperial ceremony in front of either luxurious or shabby screens.
The palace at the top of the White Tower is the private domain of Her Majesty the Queen. It is the most mysterious and majestic place in the empire and rarely appears in the public eye.
Today, the sacred temple finally unveiled a corner of its veil in front of the camera.
Under the gaze of millions of eyes, the towering dome, exquisite murals, and pure white jade pillars appeared before the people of the empire.
The vast hall was covered with a long scarlet carpet.
The dazzling red color extended all the way across the spotless white hall, until it reached the jade steps and reached the foot of the throne.
A young girl in a luxurious long dress was kneeling on the red carpet.
In front of the camera, a pair of pale hands reached down from the throne and placed the laurel wreath symbolizing heir on the girl's head.
At this point the ceremony was over and the bells rang.
The sun was shining brightly in the sky, and the cannons were blasting. It was a grand scene.
In the dilapidated fishing village, the villagers gathered in front of a black and white TV, watching the beautiful girl wearing a laurel wreath on the screen with great curiosity.
"What a beautiful sister! Will this sister be the new queen in the future?" a young child asked the old grandmother beside him.
"Maybe that's what it means, a beautiful princess." The elderly great-grandmother touched the girl's head.
They lived far from the White Tower. The Queen and the Heir were something so far away to these poor people that they were little more than legends.
The elderly grandmother squinted her eyes and thought for a while, remembering that in her vague memories of childhood, she had vaguely seen such a scene once.
The same long red carpet, white walls, old hands and beautiful heirs.
In today's empire, there are very few elderly people who can live to her age.
Most people's life span is still in their prime. I guess not many people still remember the ceremony that was almost the same as this one.
Even she could not remember the appearance of the heir. She only remembered that she was a very beautiful princess.
Who made Her Majesty the Queen wear a veil all year round and rarely appear in the public eye?
The only thing the elderly woman knew was that no matter who was on the throne, the lives of these common people would not change much.
The taxes to be paid are still heavy, and the burden of life is still suffocating.
The contaminated area is still spreading, and mutants appear in the wilderness at any time and anywhere, eating people whenever they want. Young children are dying.
There is no way out, no hope in sight, like being locked in a small cage. No matter how hard you struggle to survive, you are nothing more than a caged poultry waiting to be slaughtered.
The old lady sighed slightly in her heart.
However, his young great-granddaughter was very excited and jumping up and down.
"I think I've seen this sister before." She said confidently, "This sister and a sentinel brother came to our village and gave me a piece of candy."
Adults don't believe the children's nonsense, but their peers of the same age believe it without a doubt.
The girl went to look for her companions, and they all nodded.
"Yes, I remember her too. It was the first time in my life that I had such delicious snacks."
"She didn't look this good back then, but she is definitely the older sister."
"She also took Xiaomu to the military camp."
"What was her name? Now I remember, it seems to be Director Lin."
At the Dongbin sentry post at this moment, the sentries gathered around the screen. Xiaoniao and Xiaomu stared at Lin Yuan on TV in amazement.
"Xiao...Xiao Yuan, how could the Queen's successor be Xiao Yuan?"
"Oh my god, Rachel is in the imperial capital, and such a big thing happened? He didn't tell us a single word."
"Wow, Mom, Sister Lin Yuan is on TV!" Xiaoyuan shouted.
These days, Dad Shen Fei took Brother Dahu and some brothers and sisters and quietly left home, acting mysteriously, and no one knew what they were doing.
Leaving her and her mother to live in the military camp.
But it doesn't matter, she really likes living with her little bird sisters.
The little bird ended the long-distance communication, turned off the personal terminal and looked up.
"I've contacted Rachel, and he said he had no idea about this beforehand. He had even just returned from the contaminated area with Director Lin a few days ago. There was no sign of this happening at all."
"It always feels a little weird. Is there anything wrong?" The companions became uneasy.
Among the numerous outposts scattered around the empire like chess pieces?
Many people recognized Lin Yuan's face.
"I've seen this person before, he's the guide!" someone shouted loudly.
"She's a very powerful person. She has traveled through many contaminated areas alone. For a while, everyone was talking about her name."
"Yes, it was that guide. I almost died in the contaminated area once, and she saved me. She is a gentle yet powerful guide. I have seen her in person!"
"Look, you're so proud of yourself, a sentry was saved by Director Xiang, and you have the nerve to say it out loud."
"What's there to be embarrassed about? On the battlefield, I only admire the strong. I'm not like you, a jerk, who judges heroes by gender."
The two sentries had a disagreement and rolled up their sleeves to start a fight under the electronic screen playing a video on the street.
In the Guidance Academy, Nicole was pulled in front of the screen by many of her friends.
"Wow, it's Lin Yuan. It's really that Lin Yuan."
"Oh my god. Is it? Our classmate Lin Yuan?"
"That year, was it not? Was it? That there was another sentinel who rejected the marriage proposal that matched her?"
"Don't mention that idiot. The whole family should be hiding at home and crying together."
In the Royal Guards' sentry camp, countless warriors stood up.
"Isn't this Director Lin Xiang?"
"I fought in many arenas for her."
"I, I've been on a team with her before. I was saying how much Her Majesty the Queen thinks highly of our Director Lin Xiang."
Those who have teamed up with Lin Xiang are so proud. All the blood shed on the ring is worth it.
The eyes of the entire empire were focused on the screen, including the basement where the secret meeting was taking place.
In the dim secret room, the fluorescent light of the TV screen flickered on the faces of all the people participating in the secret meeting.
They have been preparing for many years and finally gathered here secretly just for this action.
It turned out to be a good opportunity.
The powerful emperor at the top of the tower seemed to be in poor health and had been in seclusion for a long time.
Someone else has uncovered the ugliest secret of the White Tower and made sufficient preparations for the war.
It was the moment when everyone was excited, morale was high, and everything was ready. All that was missing was the final firing of the starting gun.
At this suffocating moment, the empire suddenly came up with some kind of ceremony to certify the succession.
It happened quietly at first and no one got any information about it.
"Whatever the heirs are, I think we're all on track."
Someone broke the silence.
"We have been preparing for this for so long. This matter is just a matter of time. Morale is high at first, but it is low again. The mobilization here is not small, and there is no guarantee that the news will not be leaked after a long time."
"I think so too. Who cares about the heir? Anyone standing in that position is an enemy."
Many voices of agreement and approval were heard.
"She is not an enemy." A voice interrupted the increasingly noisy conversation.
Yes? The sentry standing next to Ji Xuan, wearing a black uniform and a black mask on his face, spoke.
The scene was silent for a moment.
Everyone knows who this person is—the hero lurking in the upper floors of the White Tower, who once risked his life alone to rescue his companions.
"Why, why? You know the heir?"
"Really? Do you know any inside information?"
"Why do you say she is not? An enemy."
Voices of inquiry arose one after another.
Ni Ji closed his eyes. His heart was actually more chaotic and confused than anyone else's.
Clearly, he had a date with Lin Yuan just a day or two ago.
At that time, she had just kissed herself, and under the dissipating fireworks, in front of a roadside dessert stand, she casually told that she would go to the White Pagoda.
"I go to the White Tower often, it's okay." She said this to herself.
Ni Ji didn't know why the situation suddenly developed like this.
At this moment, I think carefully about the kiss under the fireworks, the fingers pressing on my lips to stop him from speaking, those relaxed smiles and casual tones.
And it seems that everything has a deeper meaning.
Otherwise, how could she suddenly appear in the middle of the screen without saying a word?
Under the gaze of the public, he lowered his head and put on the laurel wreath that symbolizes the successor to the throne.
The sentry's heart was in a mess. He was burning with anxiety and wanted to leave here and run to the top of the White Tower to ask her what happened and what happened to her, and whether she needed his help.
But the voice coming from under the black mask was still as peaceful as before, but the tone was firm and contained unquestionable certainty.
"She won't be our enemy." Ni Ji repeated it again.
Everyone attending the meeting wore a mask to avoid revealing the faces of all the participants under mental torture if someone was arrested.
But in fact, there are still many people who know each other and can distinguish each other's true identity behind the mask.
"You...can't let your emotions get the better of you at this moment?" Objection voices arose from the crowd.
The person who was speaking obviously knew who Ni Ji was, and also knew that Ni Ji had once had private dealings with the heir to the throne as a special sentinel.
"I know you know the heir. But this is a matter of life and death for countless people."
"You can't make such a judgment based on your personal feelings. You have to know that this is the heir to the throne, the highest power of the empire. No one can resist that kind of temptation."
"You think of her as our partner. It is extremely irrational to be unguarded against her. It will kill our brothers and yourself."
"What if she is a terrible person with the same abilities as Her Majesty the Queen? We should adjust our plans."
There was a tone of comfort in his voice, yet also a hint of disappointment at Ni Ji's emotionality.
"Director Lin Xiang is not our enemy." Another voice sounded.
There was a small star on the man's mask, indicating that he was a soldier who came from another outpost to provide support. He represented the combat power of one outpost.
Ji Xuan glanced in that direction and knew that it was the sentry chief of the Dongbin outpost, Shen Fei.
A hero who has been stationed in the bitter cold of the border for many years. He brought with him a warrior with the spirit and breath of a tiger.
"Guide Lin Yuan will not be our enemy. She will only be our friend." The sentry took a step forward and extended his hand to signal, "I have the same attitude as the 'Avenger'."
"I agree too. Director Lin is our partner." Another masked sentry raised his hand.
It was a woman, very tall and well built, wearing a Royal Guards uniform. She said in a very confident tone,
"I guarantee with my head that she is not an enemy."
Her features are so obvious that many people recognize her. A warrior with the spirit of a panda, she has secretly joined the underground army for many years.
More people are coming forward.
The number of people was so large that one had to wonder what kind of charm this guide had that could make soldiers from different places, even those who had been lurking in the enemy camp for many years, vouch for her at such a moment.
"I think so, although I only met the guide once."
Finally, a female sentry with a long braided hair said this.
This is a companion that almost everyone knows. This sentinel now serves as the captain of the guard of the royal airship.
A large part of the weapons, supplies and personnel that were smuggled into the capital of the empire were secretly transported by airship with her assistance.
The young female captain came out with two other people.
"Back then, we were just sentinels at the lowest level. But the guide stood at the bow and protected me with his life."
"I can understand why so many people here believe in her. I would vote for her, too."
Finally, the leader of the meeting, Ji Xuan, extended his hand to everyone.
"The successor will be our partner. Based on this premise, the operation will proceed as planned."
On all sides of the round table, everyone stretched out their hands, clenched their fists, and touched each other.
A low promise echoed in the dim secret room.
"We are not? Poultry!"
"We don't want to live in this cage?!"
"To survive."
"So that no loved ones will die of hunger again."
"So that no more brothers' flesh and blood will be sacrificed."
"For the children to be able to step on land that truly belongs to humans."
"I would rather die."
"I'd rather die!"
"No victory, no return."
There were male and female voices, elderly and very young warriors, and even a childish voice.
In order not to starve, in order not to freeze to death in the cold winter, in order to live.
They are willing to sacrifice their blood and bones, and to have their bodies crushed into mud in the gunfire.
The voices were low and deep, interweaving together, floating under the empire and converging into a magnificent song.
…
In the White Tower, the Queen's pale hand left the laurel wreath above the forest garden.
"It is done, child. From now on, you are my heir."
Lin Yuan raised his head and looked at His Majesty the Emperor sitting on the throne.
The palace before me was more beautifully decorated than ever before, filled with pure white flowers and covered with bright red carpets.
But Lin Yuan only looked at the shell sitting on the throne.
She looked less human than ever before.
There was a foul smell in the air. The body that Lin Yuan once felt was gentle and beautiful now made Lin Yuan feel like she was about to melt.
It was like a dummy about to melt and deform on the throne, paralyzed and turned into a complete monster.
She looked shaky and ready to fall apart at any moment. It was terrifying.
But it seems that only Lin Yuan can perceive this feeling.
In the eyes of outsiders, she is still the beautiful, elegant queen in white who controls the entire empire.
The queen looked at the heir who slowly stood up in front of her.
This is indeed the heir he wanted, with his own bloodline, and at the same time, he has awakened the power of the ancient and pure Kraken.
With every meeting, the young child is getting stronger.
Such a vibrant life is simply enviable.
Powerful tentacles and nimble arms and legs. The huge power that gradually reveals the whole picture.
More vivid every day.
I like her very much.
Really want to? Make her belong to you immediately.
But soon, she will finally belong to me. In this white tower, nothing can escape from my hands.
The queen saw the spirit behind the young heir in front of her.
The young Kraken spread out its red tentacles and had grown so huge without anyone noticing.
We must hurry up and get this new body soon.
Between those wriggling tentacles, a pair of golden pupils turned out from the gaps and looked towards him.
At that moment, the heart of this powerful man who had survived for hundreds of years trembled, as if the eyes through the gap between the tentacles could see through him clearly.
Lin Yuan raised his head. In the hall decorated with red carpets of flowers, there was a very unpleasant stench, like the decayed smell of a dead body.
It was a breath coming from a spiritual body, probably some kind of strong obsession, a kind of desire, so foul that it even distorted the pale tower.
She penetrated the thick fog of obsession and gradually saw the huge spiritual body hidden behind the queen.
Just as the Queen could see her spirit body, she finally saw it too.
It turned out to be such a huge creature.
It extended from the bottom of the white skirt, adhered to the white throne, stretched across the dome of the entire palace, and penetrated into the tower made of piled bones.
On the high dome and white walls, there are countless painful faces, angry eyes, twisting arms, and various animal and plant organs that are barely stitched together.
It turned out that I had been in such a strange house.
I was too weak to see before. I also thought this place was beautiful and warm.
Afterwards, after getting rid of the interference of mental power, I felt something vaguely and couldn't really see clearly.
Now that the fog has been cleared, the vision has become clear for the first time.
It just feels creepy.
That is a monster that was born after forcibly devouring countless humans.
Digging deep into the White Pagoda, her roots and whiskers penetrated deeply into every brick of the White Pagoda.
Hold on tightly and control this tower which symbolizes the highest power of the empire.
He is no longer a human being.
But? It cannot merge with the human spirit body like real mutants?
Forced stitching and sewing, a ghost that is so ugly and disgusting.
Among those countless arms, Lin Yuan saw a pair of arms belonging to a human child.
The delicate fingers were stained with various colors of paint, probably a child who liked to draw. Not long ago, an innocent person died tragically and was devoured by this monster.
At this moment, the hand was tightly grasping the queen's neck.
The paint-stained fingers clenched tightly, carrying with them the hatred and tears of a previous life, and refused to let go.
The tentacles captured Ling's chaotic floating thoughts from the hall.
They swam back one after another to tell Lin Yuan the truth.
[That's it? Because of that child]
[This time she hit the wall]
[Thought he was just a little guide kept in a cage by her]
[But? That child was very strong and made her suffer a lot]
[So disgusting, this stitching monster. I feel like throwing up.]
When can we leave?
[I want to suck two mouthfuls of fish to get blood back]
"Come on, I'll take you to see the whole White Tower."
The queen on the throne stood up, smiled with her lips painted with lipstick on her decayed face, and stretched out her pale arms towards Lin Yuan.
She was a little confused and didn't know that Lin Yuan could see everything clearly.
Lin Yuan said nothing, and obediently took the hand that was stretched out to him, holding the bony hand stained with countless blood.
"Although you have lived in the White Tower since you were a child, I still want to personally take you to have a good look around. This is the hope of mankind, our Garden of Eden."
"It will all be yours from now on, I promise. You will be in control of everything here."
Her voice was very gentle, like that of an elder, sincerely leading her heir to look at the tower built by her own empire and her own hard work.
Tour this monument of bones that holds power over all of humanity.
Lin Yuan could even hear from her tone her genuine love and attachment to the white tower.
The Queen of the White Tower slowly walked down the long white jade stairs, leading her heir.
The royal guards and nobles standing guard at the bottom of the stairs saluted.
The commander of the guard and the minister of war came out, prostrating themselves on behalf of everyone, and gently kissed the gems on the tips of the Queen and Lin Yuan's shoes.
"Don't pay attention to them, they will just be your toys from now on."
The queen led Lin Yuan and casually dismissed a group of people who had been waiting for a long time in their best clothes, and walked towards other floors.
It was long after they had left that the nobles in their elaborate formal attire quietly raised their heads, opened their feather fans, and whispered to each other.
"It's so sudden. I was shocked. Why are you in such a hurry? I always thought the heir would be chosen from among the princesses."
"It's nothing, actually. His Majesty has been doting on this person for the past two years. He summons him from time to time and keeps him by his side to teach him personally." Her companion pursed his lips, "Don't you see those people over there are flatterers who have been fawning on him for a long time? I guess they must have expected this day."
Another clerk in charge of etiquette wiped the sweat from his forehead and explained to his close friend,
"Yes? It's in line with tradition. I've checked and found that the mother has pure royal blood. But? Her father..."
"What's wrong with Father?" Friends pricked up their ears.
"It's nothing, but I don't know where something went wrong. A lot of materials were lost, and I couldn't find much information about the father."
The official's tone was a little doubtful. He quickly realized that he had said something he shouldn't have said. He waved his hand and smiled.
"It doesn't matter. All that matters is that my mother has pure royal blood."
"The most important thing is that His Majesty values me, right? What an excellent heir, a blessing to the empire."
Friends in the small circle immediately echoed.
"Yes, yes. How excellent."
“Beautiful and elegant.”
"I heard that he has been to the front line himself. That's great."
"The blessing of the empire."
"Blessing from the White Tower."
"Your Majesty is wise."
The chattering in the upper floors of the White Tower could no longer be heard.
Lin Yuan followed Her Majesty the Queen into the planting layer of the White Tower.
"The seeds of all human agricultural products are preserved here, and all crops are carefully cultivated."
The queen's fingers stroked a small golden rice ear, and the corners of her mouth curled up slightly under the white veil, "Lin Yuan, look, how beautiful they are."
Passing the small patch of wheat ears, we arrived at the lush green area.
She personally picked two red tomatoes from the flower stand and handed one to Lin Yuan.
The fruit is plump, the skin is rosy, and it looks delicious.
The queen took a bite, and Lin Yuan also took a bite.
"How is it? Is it delicious?" There was even a hint of anticipation in the questioning voice.
"No, it's delicious." Lin Yuan looked at the bitten vegetables in his hand and answered truthfully, "No, it's not sweet, it doesn't have much taste. I've eaten it outside, and it tastes better when it's sweet and sour."
This is "Inside the White Pagoda", without sunlight, and is cultivated in a greenhouse.
The vegetation has never seen real sunlight.
The fruits and vegetables that looked beautiful tasted bland in my mouth. The tomatoes that the little bird picked for him tasted much worse than those at the sentry post.
The tomatoes picked from the fields were washed with cool well water, peeled a little, dipped in sugar, and bitten into.
Wow.
The delicious juice overflowed, sour and sweet, and the white sugar grains rolled around with a crackling sound.
My mouth is watering just thinking about it.
The queen in white, dressed in gorgeous clothes, looked at Lin Yuan, and Lin Yuan shrugged.
Just tell the truth.
She even conveyed the emotions of eating that truly delicious food to the bloody creature opposite her.
Land, sun, sweat and working people.
Really delicious fruit.
"One day in the future, we will plant the things here back into the earth."
The Queen's voice was a little vague when she spoke, and she used words like "should be like this", as if she was not quite sure in her heart when she said this.
At that moment, Lin Yuan sensed a fluctuation of mental power, which made her wonder if perhaps many, many years ago, this Majesty who ascended the throne at a young age really seemed to have thought as she said.
Wants to take back the land from humanity. Not just obsessed with rotting in a tower.
There was a little wind coming from the air transport system. This layer was very large and was planted with all kinds of plants from all over the world.
The crops are well protected, and species that have now disappeared on the ground are still found here.
They waited for a very long time in this small floor of the tower, hoping that one day they could return to the real earth and return to the real sunshine.
The queen raised her head, and through her white veil she looked over the golden ears of rice, the lush green gourds, the purple eggplants, and the golden pumpkins.
Seeing these in my eyes, I heard the land, sunshine, sweat and white sugar in Lin Yuan's spiritual power in my mind.
Her half-dispersed spirit was a little dazed at that moment.
It seems that a long, long time ago, when I was about the same age as the person in front of me, I also had such passionate feelings and such pure thoughts.
At that time, a young girl ascended the throne with blood on her body, expelling her cruel father and incompetent brother.
I was once ambitious and wanted to protect everything in my hands. One day, I would bring my people back to the human world and let the glory of the empire truly shine in the sky.
Really? When did it become like this?
Already forgotten.
That was just the immature and young thoughts from a long, long time ago.
The huge spiritual body that was about to fall shook for a moment. A golden solution flowed up and quickly filled the broken part, making up for the gap.
Although it was decayed, it was still huge, covering everything. The slightest touch of my thoughts soon disappeared without a trace.
The queen came to her senses and threw the juiced tomatoes in her hand into the mud without regret. She smiled and said to Lin Yuan,
"Come on, I'll show you the next floor."
Lin Yuan's eyes turned cold at that moment.
The liquid that fills the body is gold, shining with golden light. It is the golden tree and a part of Xunhua's body.
Because an accident occurred while devouring the child's spirit, this Majesty broke into his own home impatiently like a robber.
Took away her family, her gardener, her golden tree.
Use it to repair your body.
"You mean this?"
Her Majesty the Queen quickly noticed the fluctuations in Lin Yuan's mental power. She waved her hands and feet to show Lin Yuan the flowing golden solution in his mental body.
"You won't be angry about this, right? It's just a mutant." Her tone revealed a matter-of-fact indifference.
Really? I really don’t care.
In her heart, she gave the inheritance right of the supreme throne to Lin Yuan.
No one would go against the throne of the world's most supreme ruler just for a tree growing in a garden, a natural enemy of mankind, a deformed creature of a different species from himself.
Of course not, right?
Compared with this golden tree, what I sacrificed for this seat four hundred years ago is like heaven and earth.
It's just a mutant kept in a backyard.
Just like what many nobles in the empire did secretly, they raised these unique pets in the backyard for the sake of curiosity and to show off their unique taste.
"It's actually your fault." The queen was a little unhappy. "I asked you at the beginning whether you had brought anything back from the Golden Tree contaminated area. You actually hid it from me."
"Yes, please forgive me, Your Majesty." Lin Yuan answered her.
He is a sober and rational child.
I just don’t know why, at this moment, it seems like the passage is completely blocked.
It is no longer possible to detect any true emotions from this young Kraken.
The queen turned around and glanced at the heir behind her.
The White Pagoda is located on a staircase built with layers of bones.
Those golden pupils stared at her in the dim light.
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