Chapter 389 - 284: Appearance

Security inside the Grand Hall was noticeably more lax than in the rest of Jinling City, with only a few soldiers on site maintaining basic order.

If there was any place in the world that could be called the safest at this moment, it would undoubtedly be the Jinling Grand Hall.

Two of the Four Marshals, high-level military and political officials from the Six Nations, and elite masters from the Three Armies were all gathered here. The number of masters at the highest echelons alone exceeded ten. A lineup of such experts could conquer any nation in the world.

No one would be foolish enough to make a move under these circumstances. In fact, none of the high-ranking officials present were the least bit worried about security for the inauguration ceremony. Showing up here to cause trouble was no different from committing suicide.

Even if the resistance were to act during the ceremony, a direct assault on the Grand Hall was impossible. At most, they could stir up some riots and disturbances in the city, making some noise and causing a bit of chaos to discredit the ceremony and cast a shadow over this supposedly "popularly mandated" inauguration.

That was why they needed to impose martial law on the city.

No matter how powerful an individual was, they were still bound by the constraints of time and space. There would always be places beyond their reach.

However, what if those people actually succeeded? At most, it would only cause some insignificant trouble.

Like cockroaches and ants, they might cause the masters of the house some minor annoyance, but that was all.

That was the absolute limit of what those people could accomplish.

Once the next "Great Cleanup" began, there would be no place left for them to survive in this world.

Soon, the inauguration ceremony officially began.

CLICK!! CLICK!!

Amidst the flashing shutters of the media’s cameras, the key officials of the Divine Land’s Pseudo-United Government took to the stage.

The former Commanders of the Three Armies now stood in the most prominent positions.

And at the very center stood a woman dressed in the presidential uniform of the Pseudo-Government.

The former Military Commander of the Phoenix Army, Lin Quelan.

In the alliance of the Six Nations, the Neon Nation’s power was not dominant. Thus, the position of head of the Pseudo-Government naturally didn’t fall to the former Chengtian Army’s Military Commander, Jiang Feiyu. Instead, after a series of treacherous schemes, Lin Quelan successfully secured the support of the Saint Sha Empire and the USK, ultimately obtaining her current position.

In the future, she would be the nominal ruler of the Divine Land.

She had not only obtained the position and power she desired, but with the help of the two great powers, she had also successfully fused with a Holy Seed that matched her Martial Dao abilities, greatly enhancing her strength.

She could already faintly sense that a new realm was just before her eyes; she needed only to take one more small step to touch it.

’I’m more powerful than ever before,’ she thought. ’Even if Yuan Tianhao were still alive, I’m confident I could put him down.’

Within the Divine Land, her power and status were now second to none.

’As for relying on the Six Nations, living at their mercy?’

She felt no shame in it. In fact, she was long accustomed to it—attaching herself to the strong in order to become stronger.

’As long as I can grow stronger and achieve my goals, nothing else matters.’

This had always been her creed.

The Four Saints Sect had a long and storied history, and its fame was immense. Throughout the dynasties, it had always been a primary target of the Mie Wu campaigns.

The Cyan Dragon Sect had relied on its Secret Land, remaining secluded from the world. Thus, it had preserved its legacy and records most completely, escaping the devastation of the Mie Wu.

The other three sects, however, were not so fortunate. The White Tiger and Black Tortoise Sects were nearly wiped out during the Mie Wu, even losing their legacies. Before the recent great upheaval, their Sect Leaders could not even reach the Harmony Realm. Although they held some reputation in the civilian Martial Arts Realm, on the world stage, they were considered second-rate at best.

The Vermilion Bird Sect, however, was different. Not only was its legacy perfectly preserved, but it was even able to command an army in a time of chaos.

Was it because the Vermilion Bird Sect’s Secret Transmissions were stronger, or its disciples more talented?

No. It was because the Vermilion Bird Sect had chosen a more "correct" path.

Ever since the era of Mie Wu, every Sect Leader of the Vermilion Bird Sect has been a woman.

This was the fundamental reason for the Vermilion Bird Sect’s survival.

Lin Quelan was once the concubine of a Daqian prince and was greatly favored. The Vermilion Bird Sect acted as the prince’s henchmen, carrying out his will and, in turn, receiving his patronage to grow stronger.

Later, when the realm fell into chaos, the woman seized her opportunity. She publicly declared that while she and the Vermilion Bird Sect had been "feeding themselves to a vicious tiger," their hearts were always with the people. She claimed they had endured humiliation to survive and had been secretly plotting a great undertaking all along. Then, leading the Vermilion Bird Sect, she personally killed her husband, the prince, to launch her rebellion. With the Vermilion Bird Sect’s covert planning, she quickly seized control of most military forces in the southeastern region. Answering Yuan Tianhao’s call, she joined the other righteous armies in Shangjing, helped overthrow the Qian Dynasty in one fell swoop, and established herself as a powerful Warlord.

Attach to others, preserve oneself, accumulate power, and ultimately, usurp them.

This was her and the Vermilion Bird Sect’s usual way.

She didn’t mind being a dog. ’As long as the benefits are great enough to make me stronger,’ she believed, ’one day I will turn the tables and become the master.’

As for the common people, or the dignity of the Divine Land, such things were not within her consideration.

’The people are like straw dogs. When you need them, you dress them up and offer them in reverent sacrifice. When you’re done, you toss them aside. Hasn’t it been this way through all the dynasties?’

Meeting the gazes of the crowd, watching the incessant flash of the camera shutters, a faint smile graced Lin Quelan’s lips.

She was now over fifty years old, but her years of Martial Dao cultivation and her extremely high realm had locked in her youth. She looked as if she had just passed twenty. Her skin was firm and fair, translucent like fine jade under the lights, yet her eyes held a powerful, commanding presence.