Chapter 273

Such a luxurious setup has not been seen at any of the Radiance Banquet in the past decade.

Wen Jing smiled and nodded in response.

"Ding-dong..."

At that moment, the gentle sound of ceremonial bells rang out. Xu Yuan whispered his farewell to her and then walked to the viewing area where the bloodline nobles were located.

Directly in front of the seats, at the far end of the hall, was a high platform.

A huge crystal wall stands on the high platform, its surface crystal clear, and its interior flowing with patterns that resemble mist.

At the very center of the crystal wall is an imperial emblem nearly two meters in diameter, a star core pattern surrounded by ten arcs of light, representing the empire's star field.

The Radiance Banquet is not just a casual cocktail party; there is also a core ritual at the dinner.

Mark of Glory.

Every Awakened attends the Radiance Banquet for the first time is qualified to leave their own energy imprint on the crystal wall. The imprint will be permanently preserved and become part of the Imperial Awakened Register.

As is customary, the order in which the marks are left is determined by the overall strength of the Awakened in the ceremony.

The stronger one is, the lower their ranking, and the more likely their mark will remain at the top.

A gentle, mechanical voice reached everyone's ears. "Please, all quasi-nobles, leave your Mark of Glory."

The hall fell silent.

The first name was read out.

He was a D-level Awakened. He walked up to the platform, placed his hand on the sensing area at the edge of the crystal wall, and then a pale blue light emerged from his palm, condensing into a sharply defined mark on the crystal wall—a variant of his family crest.

The second, the third, the fourth...

Some resemble flames, some ice crystals, and some stars... Each time a mark appears, polite applause rings out around it.

The shape of the energy imprint is defined by the Awakened. Awakened of noble birth will generally leave an imprint related to their family, while those of ordinary birth will leave an imprint according to their own ideas. The shape is not the key to differentiation; the focus is on the uniqueness of each person's 'energy fingerprint'.

One after another, Awakened with a compatibility level of 20% have left their mark.

Only one person remained in the same spot.

The next person called by name was Awakened this month with a 60% compatibility rating.

The Radiance Banquet will only invite one Awakened to participate once. Some Awakened may choose not to participate when they feel that their potential is not yet apparent or that they do not have enough resources, and instead wait until the 60% Compatibility Trial.

This way, the chances of gaining recognition are greater, and the Mark of Glory will inevitably be placed later.

Unfortunately, such cleverness is useless in the face of absolute power.

It's not just the potential of being A-level; the weight of the Survival Trial Medal completely outweighs the difference in compatibility.

The five Awakened, summoned ahead of time, left their energy imprints with resentment and helplessness.

The last spot was left, and everyone knew who it belonged to.

A newcomer who has been awakened for just one month.

A newcomer of mute descent.

A... A-level newcomer.

Weiluo Thrann.

Wen Jing stepped onto the high platform, surrounded by complex gazes—envy, scrutiny, awe, and resentment...

On the high platform, the light from the crystal wall shone on her face, outlining her features with exceptional clarity. She stood before the crystal wall and looked up at the enormous imperial emblem.

She then raised her hand and pressed it on the sensor area.

Energy surged forth, and a wisp of black, carrying a faint halo, penetrated the misty crystal wall.

As the focus of attention, everyone's eyes were drawn to the crystal wall, Wen Jing would leave.

After all, sometimes such markings can represent an individual's inclinations, such as those Awakened who left variations of their family crests.

The black color spreads, condenses, and takes shape on the crystal walls.

Two smooth arcs intertwine, like the gravitational entanglement of two stars in the universe, or the infinite extension of time and space.

Finally, it transformed into a strange shape in the eyes of everyone present.

"∞"

These are mathematical symbols from Wen Jing's previous life, and they are naturally different from the mathematical symbols of this world. In the entire Star Palace, probably only Xu Yuan can understand their meaning.

However, even if you don't understand it, it doesn't stop people from supporting it.

After a moment of silence, thunderous applause erupted.

After the ceremony, it was free time.

The first to find Wen Jing were three important figures from the empire who had greeted her earlier at the banquet.

After all, these three are busy with their own affairs and won't stay at the banquet for long.

The Imperial Prime Minister, a woman of approachable and gentle demeanor, got straight to the point. "On behalf of the Imperial Executive Council, I congratulate you on passing the first-tier trial of the Star Remains Camp. Such an achievement is rare in the last decade. The Executive Council has always been paying attention to promising young people. If you are interested in participating in the governance of the Imperial Starfield, you are welcome to come to me at any time."

The implication is that the Executive Council's doors are open to you.

"The Senate is responsible for legislation, arbitration, and noble affairs. If you are interested in these areas, we may have the opportunity to work together in the future." The Grand Elder was an elderly man with white hair, whose appearance at his age was quite rare in the Federation.

This is because the other party is a second-generation Awakened, essentially a clone that has taken away some of the original Awakened's abilities, which is why they are not as resistant to the erosion of aging as normal Awakened.

Finally, there was the Imperial Marshal.

The other man's dark blue military uniform was covered with medals; his face was resolute, but he smiled like a hearty neighbor.

Uncle

"I won't beat around the bush. The Military Department needs talent like you. I've been following your performance in the Military Department Trial Camp. If you're willing, you can come to the Military Department after you've fully awakened. I'll give you an independent combat battalion."

Wen Jing maintained the same attitude towards all these attempts to win him over.

This indicates that the primary task at present is to improve compatibility, and the direction will be considered later. This approach avoids offending any party and leaves enough room for maneuver.

All three expressed their understanding and subsequently chose to leave early.

This scene drew envy from the other Awakened present.

Among this group of Awakened, apart from Wen Jing, no one else had the opportunity to speak privately with these three figures at the pinnacle of imperial power.

It's clear that their main purpose in coming here was to Wen Jing.

Although the empire was called an empire and had an emperor, for most of its history, it maintained a balance of power with a separation of powers, and there was no unified power structure among the three departments. The position of emperor was vacant for a long time.

This is what the people of the empire see on the surface.

However, when Wen Jing came into contact with these top figures of the empire, he unlocked a large amount of intelligence through Information Perception.

No one can be a riddle solver in her presence, because for her, seeing the riddle's surface is equivalent to knowing the answer.

On the surface, these three men's attempts to win over talent were driven by a desire to strengthen their own power, surpass the other two in influence, and ultimately seize the throne.

They've all climbed to this position, who wouldn't want to be emperor?

Unfortunately, they didn't know that becoming the emperor of an empire wasn't something that could be achieved simply by gaining power.

Even if they did become emperor, they would die suddenly very soon.

Because above the three branches of government, there exists the Icon Council.

The Icon Council refers to the holy icons that appeared in the Crystal Corridor before, and they are also representatives of the Empire's S-rank powerhouses.

Just like the ' Prophet's' transcendent status in the Federation, the Empire's S-class Awakened will automatically enter the Icon Council after they are fully awakened.

An empire may not necessarily have an emperor, but it always has a "retired emperor".

To most ordinary people in the empire, the Icon Council is seen as a kind of 'spiritual pillar' or 'memorial hall'. However, the few who actually reach the pinnacle of imperial power know that the Icon Council holds a transcendent and mysterious position, capable of deciding anything within the civilization with a single word, even the selection of the emperor.

The Alaya Race intentionally downplays the presence of S-class beings in human civilization, which is why the most powerful entities on the surface appear to be the State Affairs Council, the Military Department, and the Senate.

This downplaying of importance meant that, in the eyes of the Prime Minister and others, the Icon Council would not care who became emperor.

Little did they know, all the S-rank Awakened entered the Icon Council were actually already dead.

Instead, the Alaya Race created substitutes.

The reason why empires rarely have emperors is that they do not want human power to reach a high degree of centralization, in order to avoid rebellions.

After the three prominent figures left, although some people were inevitably disappointed, the overall atmosphere relaxed, and laughter gradually increased as glasses clinked.

At the same time, the truly 'big shots' unknown from a human perspective also make their appearance.

Wen Jing's gaze swept across the hall, seemingly searching for Xu Yuan's figure, but he couldn't find him anywhere.

So she started walking and began searching everywhere.

As soon as she moved, others followed suit.

He hadn't taken two steps when a figure seemed to have been bumped into, and a brightly colored cocktail in his hand was splashed straight at Wen Jing.

The next second, Wen Jing slightly turned her body, precisely avoiding all the wine, not a single drop got on her dress.

The person who hit the pedestrian suddenly raised their head, revealing a face as bright as the morning sun, and repeatedly apologized. "I'm sorry! Weiluo Willow, I..."

Those who witnessed this scene wore expressions that were subtly tinged with envy.

Although the physical abilities of bloodline nobles are not as good as those of Awakened humans, they are far superior to those of ordinary humans. How could they not even be able to walk steadily?

This scene was clearly a clever little trick to attract someone's attention.

Unexpectedly, Wen Jing was completely oblivious to this scene.

She said it was alright in a casual tone, then walked away without any intention of continuing the conversation.

"Oh no, she doesn't like my type as an agent..." The Level 6 researcher who bumped into her thought to himself, but outwardly looked disappointed as he watched her leave.