The Human King's Conferment, Destined by Heaven

"Long live the Emperor! Long, long live the Emperor!"

"Long live the Emperor! Long, long live the Emperor!"

After the celestial phenomenon vanished and the giant dragon entered Ye Chen's body and the jade seal, the countless people of the world pledged their allegiance and prostrated themselves on the ground.

Standing atop the altar, Ye Chen looked down at the countless people bowing before him, their voices shaking the heavens. His expression remained solemn and unreadable, but ripples stirred in his heart.

"Rise!"

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

After steadying himself, Ye Chen looked down from the altar and spoke in a voice that echoed in everyone's ears like the might of heaven.

"Now that the world is at peace and the people are united, the entire realm should celebrate. I shall reward and appoint you all."

As his words fell, Ye Chen looked down and said gravely, "Where is Li Mingfeng?"

"Your subordinate is here!"

At Ye Chen's call, a man stepped out from among the civil and military officials below the altar.

"I appoint Li Mingfeng as Celestial Pivot Great General, to guard the empire's Celestial Pivot Continent..."

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

Hearing Ye Chen's words, Li Mingfeng put on a solemn expression and immediately bowed in a grand salute.

Since the unification of the world, Ye Chen had renamed Blue Star's seven continents after the stars of the Big Dipper, signifying that the Big Dipper would protect the Yanhuang Empire.

"Where is Xiao Feng?"

"Your subordinate is here!"

"I appoint you Celestial Jade Great General, to guard the empire's Celestial Jade Continent..."

"Where is Qin Yu?"

"Your subordinate is here!"

"I appoint you Celestial Pivot Great General, to guard the empire's Celestial Pivot Continent..."

As Ye Chen announced the titles of one general after another, the guardians of all seven continents were soon appointed.

Guarding a continent was the highest honor, but it also carried the heaviest burden.

These seven positions were far too important and conspicuous. Countless people would watch their every move, and even the smallest incident could be blown out of proportion.

Afterward, Ye Chen continued to reward and appoint the other generals and meritorious officials.

As time passed, the names of the officials and generals Ye Chen appointed turned into streaks of violet light that gathered in the sky, eventually forming a list made entirely of energy.

The list seemed almost tangible, clearly recording each appointed position and name.

Seeing the list, Ye Chen was suddenly struck by inspiration. He took out the Human King Seal and pressed it firmly against the list in midair.

"By the Human King's Conferment, the mandate of Heaven is fulfilled!"

As the Human King Seal stamped the list, it split in two. One part merged into the seal, while the other dissolved into streams of energy that returned to the officials below.

Feeling the energy within them, the officials sensed—through an intangible connection—that they had formed a bond with the Human King Seal.

As the symbol of the Yanhuang Empire's authority and the vessel in which the nation's fortune gathered, the Human King Seal had gained a Spirit of National Fortune through Xuanyuan's blessing.

With the Human King Seal Spirit's acknowledgment, each appointed official received the protection of a portion of the Yanhuang Empire's national fortune.

The higher their rank, the stronger the protection they received. At critical moments, they could even petition the Human King Seal Spirit. If it responded, they would be able to draw upon a portion of the strength of the people under their jurisdiction.

This was the blessing Xuanyuan had bestowed upon Ye Chen. The blessing had split into two great powers: the Human Emperor Trait and the Human King Seal Spirit. Together, they would unite the entire empire as one.

After completing the appointments with the seal, Ye Chen waved his hand and recalled the Human King Seal.

Seeing this, the master of ceremonies below immediately announced the end of the sacrifice and the start of the festivities.

After saying a few words, Ye Chen left with the civil and military officials.

"Farewell, Your Majesty!"

As Ye Chen and the ministers departed, the city grew lively.

In no time, the streets inside and outside the city rang with laughter and celebration. Drums and gongs thundered, and the whole place was bustling.

On the other side.

After returning to the Imperial Palace, Ye Chen produced the Human King Seal with a flip of his hand.

Looking at the seal in his hand, he saw that Xuanyuan's blessing had completely changed its material. Golden patterns now adorned the seal's dark surface.

The dragon head carved atop it looked more lifelike than ever, with a hint of spirit—as if it were alive.

The next moment, Ye Chen felt his consciousness pulled inside the seal.

Within the Human King Seal was a natural space. A golden dragon coiled in the air, shining like a great sun.

Ye Chen beckoned, and the golden dragon swooped down. As it neared him, its enormous form rapidly shrank until it was swimming around him.

Looking at the cheerful Little Golden Dragon, Ye Chen could feel the bond between them, as though they had always been one.

At the same time, he understood the Human King Seal's function.

As the saying went: "All beneath heaven belongs to the king. All who dwell within its bounds are the king's subjects."

The Human King Seal had only one function: suppression.

Its defining trait was its immense weight. As a Vessel of State, it bore the weight of an entire nation.

Of course, it could unleash its greatest power only within the territory of the Yanhuang Empire.

That was because the Human King Seal was the embodiment of the Yanhuang Empire itself; all its power came from the empire.

Outside the borders of the Yanhuang Empire, the seal could draw upon far less power. Even so, that was more than enough.

After all, Ye Chen had no need to use it in battle. Its symbolic importance far outweighed its practical use.

After the grand celebration ended, the world gradually entered a period of peaceful development.

At the same time, as the Yanhuang Empire's social system gradually spread throughout the country, a massive infrastructure boom resumed in full force. The entire world entered an era of large-scale construction.

Across Huaxia, countless people watched as their cities changed by the day: skyscrapers rapidly rose, railways connected the major cities, and smooth concrete roads stretched between them.

Seeing all this, the older generation kept saying they couldn't get used to it. Development was simply too fast.

Sometimes, they would wake up to find that the familiar streets and houses around them had become utterly strange.

Although these world-shaking changes greatly affected their lives, their discomfort lasted only a little while.

Once they grew accustomed to their new surroundings, though, the older generation would be the first to object if anyone tried to return them to their former way of life.

After all, who would want to return to a world full of inconveniences after experiencing a life of comfort and convenience, with plenty to eat and wear and countless forms of entertainment?

As the global economy soared, people's lives improved, and technology advanced by leaps and bounds.

Using the technology he had obtained from Dukao, and with Ye Chen having made the cultivation of scientific talent a priority after founding the nation, the empire made rapid progress.

The technical materials obtained from Dukao had to be adapted for Blue Star before they could be used. But with countless researchers working around the clock, they gradually mastered one technology after another.

Once adapted to local conditions, those technologies were put into production.