Chapter 242
In short, after the news spread from the Sacred Core, no one questioned it anymore.
While the entire Alaya Race was ecstatic, Wen Jing was simultaneously preparing for war.
The two external Clone were frantically devouring things in the Ancient Wilderness, while the six consciousnesses within the Sacred Core were making full preparations for battle. The main force completed the last piece of the puzzle: the biological swarm warfare tactic, while also designing and evolving various attack methods.
She will not spare a single member of the Alaya Civilization who is unaware that their own civilization no longer exists.
Wen Jing, having grown by absorbing the flames Fire of Civilization Fire of Civilization, is happy to preserve them and usually does not exterminate them in civilization wars.
Even in the battle against the Boundary-Breaking Empire, although she killed many Changheng people in the process, she only captured the enemy's warship and then stopped fighting.
Her goal is to erase both the Mastermind Civilization and the Alaya Civilization.
In the past, the Forging Alliance had enslaved many nearby civilizations, but Wen Jing did not pursue the matter after they surrendered. The reason was simple: she did not belong to those enslaved civilizations.
Her hatred for the two Level 3 civilizations stemmed not only from her teacher and Heavenly Evolution personally, but also from her natural stance as a human being... or at least as a human being in the past.
Humanity has been domesticated for so many eras; there must be a price to pay.
At this moment, Wen Jing did not move the Alaya Race, completely treating them as one of the war resources— the Sacred Core controlled the backend of all Alaya planets, and could replace the original planetary will with her will at critical moments.
However, given the current confrontation between the Alaya Race and the Mastermind Civilization, Wen Jing will not need to exert strong control when war breaks out.
Time has passed, and half a month has passed since Weiluo Thrann was exceptionally admitted to the Icon Council.
Everyone believed that this name would become a shining memorial in the history of the empire, like other S-class Awakened, transcending worldly affairs and only appearing in momentous circumstances.
However...
Capital Star Military Department.
Marshal Lei'ang stood before the floor-to-ceiling window, staring at the message from the Icon Council, his brow furrowed, his knuckles turning white from the pressure.
"Marshal, you've been standing here for half an hour." The adjutant cautiously reminded him, "Has something serious happened?"
Lei'ang didn't turn around. He slammed his fist heavily on the window frame, unable to maintain his usual cheerful and carefree demeanor any longer.
"A major event, a matter of utmost importance!"
He forced out a sentence through gritted teeth.
Senate.
Elder Aiselun sat in an ancient sandalwood chair, a thick legal code spread out in front of him, his fingers lightly stroking the pages, his gaze drifting out the window.
"The Icon Council appoints them directly..."
His expression was calm, but his fingers were trembling incessantly.
I don't know if I was shocked or angry... maybe both.
Executive Council.
The gentle smile that Prime Minister Suolan always wore vanished. She remained silent for a long while before turning her chair to face the three aides who had rushed to her aid. She spoke slowly, enunciating each word clearly:
"Statue Councillor Weiluo Thrann will return in three days..."
"Return?" The three aides were all shocked upon hearing this.
Members of the Icon Council are generally detached from worldly affairs. Apart from occasionally issuing orders to decide important matters of the Empire, even the imperial nobility rarely see them. However, the Prime Minister's use of the word "return" indicates that the Prime Minister intends to become active on the imperial political stage.
As an icon senator? Doesn't that put him above the three main departments?
Just as their thoughts were wandering, Suolan's voice continued to ring out.
"At that time, the Military Department, the Senate, the Executive Council, and all blood-descended nobles must be present—"
"Swear allegiance to the new emperor."
*
Under what status should Wen Jing enter the Federation?
Before she entered the Sacred Core, there were many options, but now that she has possessed the Prophet and secretly overthrown the Alaya Civilization, the Imperial Emperor is the only best choice.
She entered the Federation to launch a surprise attack on the Mastermind.
However, if they infiltrate as assassins or disguise themselves as Awakened entering the Federation under other pretexts, once the fighting begins, the Federation Awakened, unaware of the reason, will only help the Mastermind.
In their eyes, the Mastermind is a ' Prophet ' and the guardian of human civilization, while Wen Jing is just an invader and enemy from the empire, whose words have no credibility.
Even if Wen Jing reveals her true identity, others will only assume she's there to take revenge on the Prophet.
The most opportune moment is to reveal the truth in a high-profile setting, in a way that catches the Mastermind off guard.
Even if the people of the Federation are still confused and don't believe it by then, they will at least be influenced and start to think about the truth of the matter, so that they don't become a hindrance to Wen Jing.
News of the coronation spread throughout the entire empire within three days.
The elites on the capital planet were in an uproar.
"Weiluo Thranth? Wasn't she already a member of the Icon Council? How could she be an emperor?"
Shh, don't talk nonsense...
"Of course, of course. What I mean is, the members of parliament already hold a transcendent position, so it's unexpected that they would return to secular life. This is truly a blessing for our imperial government!"
"The parliament's resolution naturally has its reasons. Now all we need to know is that this emperor's position is the most secure among all the emperors in the empire's history."
The meaning of this statement is self-evident. In the past, the emperors of the empires were subject to the Icon Council, which was like an "emperor emeritus." Now, this emperor is both an emperor and an emperor emeritus, and he himself represents the will of the Icon Council, so his position is naturally unshakeable.
Immediately afterwards, someone remembered the most famous intelligence about this new emperor.
"I heard that her beloved spouse, a descendant of the Virid Family, died shortly after she joined the Icon Council."
"What a cruel twist of fate! I guess her spouse thought she had transcended worldly concerns. If she had held on a little longer, she might have been able to return..."
The core elites on the capital planet knew a great deal of information, and their reactions were extremely complex.
In contrast, the average person's reaction is much simpler.
"A new emperor? The last emperor was so many years ago!"
"That's not the point. The key is that she comes from Frontier Star, failed the preliminary selection, but awakened an A-rank Wilderness Body during her formal awakening!"
For most ordinary people, whether an empire had an emperor or who the emperor was doesn't really matter. But this legendary story still moves countless people, especially young people, who repeatedly ponder these key words.
"A mute descendant... an A-rank Awakened... joins the Icon Council... is crowned Emperor..."
Meanwhile, in another star system far away, adjacent to the Imperial star system.
An urgent confidential report was also sent to the Federation Congress, the three major colleges, the Military Department, and the major financial groups and other economic and political cores.
"The empire has a new emperor? Who is he?"
"That's the genius who passed all the Empire's top trials, Weiluo Seran, an A-rank Awakened. It's said that her Wilderness Body is a star, and she fully awakened within a year, then entered the Icon Council."
"He's only just fully awakened, and he's already the emperor of the empire? How can he possibly convince the people?"
"The Imperial Icon Council is not our parliament; only S-rank Awakened can enter. Although we don't know exactly how many members are still alive, the fact that this new emperor was able to enter despite the exception... his strength is far beyond that of an ordinary A-rank!"
This momentous news caused quite a stir in the Federation.
The Standing Committee of Congress dared not delay and immediately passed it on to the Prophet.
A full day later, the executive officer finally informed the other key figures who had inquired about the matter, "The Military Department is strengthening border security during this period. As for the rest, let's wait and see."
"The Prophet has not issued any instructions."
*
Three days later, on Coronation Day.
Outside the Awakening Temple, dignitaries gathered in droves, with an even larger gathering than at the complete awakening ceremony held more than twenty days prior.
The marshal stood in the front row, wearing a crisp uniform with medals plastered all over his chest.
The Grand Elder and the Prime Minister stood on the left and right sides respectively, both dressed in magnificent and solemn formal attire.
Behind the three of them were key senior officials from the Military Department, the Senate, and the State Affairs Council.
Along the passageway between the Awakening Temple and the three giants, bloodline nobles dressed in white robes gathered, with representatives from the six major families all present.
Beyond them were hundreds of local nobles and officials who had come from the other three planets.
The outermost perimeter was even more crowded. The entire capital planet was deserted as low-level Awakened and ordinary people surrounded the Awakening Temple.
All eyes were fixed on the tightly closed temple doors.
At exactly six o'clock in the morning, the sky lit up with golden light, growing stronger as it approached from afar.
The magnificent and solemn Icon Council descended from the heavens once more.
The door slowly opened.
A familiar figure stepped out.
Chapter 242
More than half a month later, Weiluo Thran reappeared before the Empire.
But this time when they met again, everything was different.
She was still wearing the black robe she wore when she entered the Icon Council, without any adornment, nor did she need any. In the Empire, the status of an Icon Council member transcended everything.
Wen Jing's gaze swept over the crowd, and with a calm expression, he stepped out of the door and took his first step.
The three giants were the first to react, kneeling on one knee.
"Greetings, Your Majesty."
Behind them, countless nobles knelt down like a tidal wave.
"Greetings, Your Majesty!"
Waves of sound echoed throughout the entire temple square.
Some in the crowd, slow to react or secretly resentful, only felt a weight on their knees and then involuntarily knelt down like everyone else around them, their faces filled with horror and cold sweat pouring from their foreheads.