Chapter 454 – Quotas, Representatives from All Sectors

Mu Yuan had long known about the military parade during the Taixuan Celebration.

It was roughly when Tianyuan City defeated the Jackal Fang and officially established a stable foundation in the Ten Directions Island Region.

“The original six-month deadline is now only two months away. It’s indeed time for official announcements and invitations.Information in Tianyuan Territory was relatively closed off.

Just a few days ago, official associations from various regions successively released announcements: Taixuan would hold a genuine military parade celebration in early August this year, with nationwide festivities to commemorate the true establishment of the Taixuan Alliance. The alliance would select a group of lord representatives to participate in the parade ceremony and would extensively invite major forces from the Eternal World to observe.

Firstly, it could stabilize public sentiment, build confidence, and boost morale;

Secondly, it could display strength, deter troublemakers, and enhance international discourse power;

For the lord representatives, this was an exceptionally rare opportunity to showcase themselves before the entire Taixuan Alliance and the world.

Lords’ visibility was crucial!

There were countless miracle territories in the Eternal World. When major investors chose territories for funding or trade caravans selected partners, what would they prioritize? At the very least, they would choose territories they had heard of.

For young lords eager to progress, such opportunities were once in a lifetime.

…

“So you see, I really, really, really want this representative lord slot!”

Inside the public Secret Realm, Jiang Luoxing leaned on the table with both hands, passionate yet helpless. “And in our generation, only Liu Miumiu, Wang Erteng, and Tianyuan God have been directly selected as representatives.”

He wouldn’t even mention the Primordial Spirit, but Liu Miumiu and Wang Erteng…

Well, he couldn’t compete with them either.

Liu Miumiu was also a frequent visitor to the Secret Realm. Jiang Luoxing clearly knew this peer had already cultivated Fourth Order generals and possessed considerable combat prowess herself, already showing glimpses of the Cold Moon City Lord’s demeanor from years past.

Wang Erteng was reportedly even more impressive, already commanding several Fourth Order generals. Setting Tianyuan aside, this Lord Wang Ba was undoubtedly the undisputed top of their generation, and almost leading by a clear margin.

Jiang Luoxing drooped his head. “Brother Yuan, I really want to be a representative lord too! Walking up there would be so impressive!”

Not long ago, after receiving the invitation, Mu Yuan unsurprisingly received a ‘call’ from Jiang Luoxing, inviting him to the Secret Realm for a discussion (×) and to listen to Jiang’s complaints (√).

Regarding this matter, he actually knew more inside information than either of these two second-generation heirs.

He said, “The representative lords from our generation shouldn’t be limited to just three people. There will likely be further selections.”

Actually, it was two people.

What he represented had long transcended being just a trial lord from the 121st batch of Taixuan.

Moreover, the alliance didn’t select people by batch numbers – that would be meaningless. They mostly selected representatives from different life stages: infancy, youth, prime, and elderhood.

Their batch represented young lords. Looking six or seven batches upward, Tyrant Dragon, Wuji, and others were also considered young generation lords.

Their batch was also considered the most outstanding in years.

Not to mention Tyrant Dragon and Liu Miumiu, even excellent lords like Jiang Luoxing, Shen Lei, Feathered Serpent, and Frost Sky were gradually catching up with and surpassing the top lords from previous batches.”The first batch of representative list is out!”

A bespectacled young man tapped rapidly on a light screen.

His light screen device seemed to be connected to the official first-level association website, possessing the latest first-hand information.

He read aloud: “Nanshan Lord, Flowing Arrow Lord, Han Yue Lord, Evening Elephant Lord, Rock Lord.”.., White Shark Lord, Tianyuan Lord, …, Linglong Lord, Soaring Dragon Lord, …, Limitless Lord, Tyrant Dragon Lord, …, Lord Wang Ba, Wave Caller Lord, Lord Yuyue.”

“Who is this Lord Yuyue?”

“Yuyue isn’t from our batch. This one is probably the representative of the ‘youngest generation’ lords – those who just underwent their trials a few months ago.”

Theoretically, there were two more batches of newcomers after their batch.

However, due to the influence of Blue Star’s Fusion, one batch in the middle was interrupted.

The Yuyue batch was the newest, most rookie batch of lords.

“This batch is also the first group of lords to undergo trials after Blue Star’s Fusion, with slightly different rules from before,” said the young man tapping the light screen. “Don’t think this batch has few people – each one is quite impressive, especially this Lord Yuyue who took the top spot on the gold list. She’s also exceptionally powerful, also comes from an ordinary background, and now there’s already talk of ‘Little Tianyuan’.”

Mu Yuan touched the tip of his nose, feeling somewhat dazed that he had become a benchmark for future generations to measure against.

This feeling… wasn’t bad either.

The bespectacled young man continued, “Besides this, the association has also announced the latest news – they will indeed continue to select the second and third batches of representative lords.”

Jiang Luoxing: “!!!”

“There are really more spots?” His face lit up with joy but quickly fell. “How will this selection work? It couldn’t be through fighting, could it?”

But he always felt that no matter how the selection was conducted, he would likely be eliminated.

Just look at what kind of big shots these representatives on the list are – even Great Lords appear insignificant among them, let alone small fry like him.

Looking through the entire list, the only one he felt confident he could defeat was Lord Yuyue.

How could he possibly compete with his current capabilities?

Mu Yuan spoke up, “Don’t panic, the selection definitely won’t be decided by a fight. For a military parade, it’s all about military appearance and discipline. At the very least, a ragtag army definitely won’t pass selection, no matter how strong that ragtag army might be.”

“Based on my estimation, this selection will likely have some bias toward young lords as well. Work hard, young man.”

Liu Miumiu stated that she would lead her own Wave-Calling Spring Spirit Corps to participate in the celebration parade.

She had already begun preparations, which weren’t particularly difficult.

“After all, the only troops in my territory that can really be shown off are a few hundred Spring Spirits. Spring Spirits are at least quite special and rare, so they shouldn’t get lost in the sea of troops,” she said.

She wasn’t wrong about this.

The parade has certain requirements for the lords’ participating corps – simply put, they can’t be disorganized.

You can’t have a corps with six Goblin commanders, seven Gnoll chieftains, eight Lava Giants, and nine Earth Rock Dragons.

Such a corps might not be weak, but it has nothing to do with order and discipline, and looks like a ragtag army.

Participating corps need to have some organizational structure. They don’t need to be the same troop type, but at minimum, they need to be able to coordinate together.On this basis, each Lord could freely choose which troop types and legions to lead in the military parade. Essentially, every Lord hoped their legion would stand out and capture attention.

The vast majority of Lords’ participating troops were inevitably still human units.

Amidst a sea of humans, the appearance of water-blue, seemingly liquid-formed Spring Spirits couldn’t possibly go unnoticed.

Mu Yuan found himself conflicted.

Which legion should he bring to participate?

To be honest, every legion wanted to make an appearance, and most were suitable for it.

However.

“If we’re talking about uniqueness…”

The Skeleton Legion wasn’t particularly special in appearance.

They were completely encased in full-body armor, appearing at first glance not much different from ordinary elite human soldiers. Asking them to conduct military drills without their armor would be equivalent to humans running around naked.

The Treant Legion was even less appropriate.

Mu Yuan had no intention of displaying any epic-level divine wonders either.

“The Dragon Sword Masters are actually quite a good choice – they appear sufficiently robust and majestic, with the invisible draconic aura radiating from their eyes adding to their dignified and imposing presence.”

Of course, the mere fifty Dragon Sword Masters and Dragon Strength Swordsmen weren’t enough to form a complete legion.

But that wasn’t a problem.

He could simply select a batch of elite soldiers to supplement their ranks when the time came.

“However, the formation of the participating legion, manufacturing of standardized armor, rehearsals for the elite troops, and scheduling the trip to the Taixuan Capital… all these matters need to be resolved quickly. There’s still plenty of work ahead.”

……

“Ughhhh, more work piling up!”

That night.

In the core area of the territory, within the rare Advanced Housing structure, Isloria let out a groundhog-like scream, completely devoid of her usual demeanor as Tianyuan’s chief minister.

This was Ailin and Daisy’s residence, where Isloria occasionally dropped by to visit.

Ailin, who was organizing books, asked, “What’s wrong now? Did the Lord assign you more work tasks?”

Isloria replied, “Yes, he’s practically treating me like a beast of burden! I haven’t even finished the work from before, and now he’s dumping everything on me.”

“Didn’t the Lord promise you could form a civil official team? Are you still short-handed?”

“Short-handed? Of course I am! With the territory expanding, we need educated staff everywhere; the various mining areas require officials for statistics and coordination management; we need personnel to communicate with factions like the elves and giants; diplomatic staff for Stone Ridge City, Boulder City, and neighboring Great Domains; even the Great Warzone needs clerical assistance.”

“Every batch of new trainees we produce gets immediately absorbed by various departments and regions. How could I not be short-handed under these circumstances?”

Isloria rested her chin on a soft pillow, her head drooping and eyes half-closed as if all vitality had drained from her.

Ailin closed her book and walked over to the bedside, gently stroking Isloria’s head. “But you’re enjoying it, aren’t you? You’ve become the Lord’s right-hand woman now – you’ve achieved your original dream.”

“W-who says I’m enjoying it?”

Isloria glanced sideways. “You don’t understand – right now, I have nine Incarnations working simultaneously. And it’s already eleven at night!”

Working this late is no different from suicide!

“Well…” Ailin began to say something.

“But…”Isloria stared at the pillow before her, her expression not particularly troubled. “But what can we do when our territory is short-handed? I can only shoulder more responsibilities and work harder for our Lord.”

Ailin remarked, “You’re so capable, Lord will probably arrange an evolution baptism for you soon, right?”

Isloria feigned indifference: “I’m a civil official. What good would getting stronger do? I don’t go to battlefields or engage in combat.”

“But you still desire to become stronger—don’t deny it. Back then, you even went so far as to modify your own body for the sake of power. Unlike me, you possess both the talent and the will for combat.”

Ailin waved her hand and said, “After returning this time, I received a baptism and evolved to Epic Two-Star. I’ve even accumulated quite a bit of contribution for the next stage.”

Isloria turned to look at her.

Ailin hopped off the bed, crouching halfway with her palms pressed against the floor. An intangible, fierce aura began to emanate from her. She resembled a wolf bathed in moonlight—both ferocious and sacred.

Isloria exclaimed in surprise, “This is Sickle Moon’s ability.”

“Correct.”

The Moon Wolf aura around Ailin quickly dissipated as she stood up and pointed to her chest. “The Epic talent I awakened is called ‘Heart Source Unity.’ By sensing the energy flow of others, I can quickly learn and master their combat techniques. Combined with Memory’s Eye, there’s almost nothing I can’t learn.”

She demonstrated several more skills, truly a master of a hundred arts.

“However,” she added, “I can learn anything and master it, but how effectively I can wield a technique still depends on my own attributes.”

“I can imitate Sickle Moon’s combat style, but my physical prowess is nowhere near hers. What I replicate is merely a hollow form—it would fall apart in a real fight.”

In short, she had mastered hundreds of skills at a proficient level, but her base stats remained unchanged.

Moreover, her stats weren’t high—they were on the lower end among Epics.

After all, she was just a frail woman.

“But isn’t that perfectly suited for you?”

Isloria said.

Ailin was also a civil official.

And the two Epic abilities she awakened happened to be highly applicable in her field of work.

Lord granting Ailin the baptism was valuable and meaningful.

Unlike herself.

The abilities she awakened contributed little to her daily work.

She hadn’t managed to leverage much of the value from River of Stars, Starry Sky Eye, or Fate Star Weaving.

She didn’t engage in combat.

“Giving me an evolution was such a waste.”

…

The next day.

Tianyuan City South, Old District, inside the municipal building.

Isloria’s true form clocked in on time, taking over work content from her Incarnation.

She brewed herself a cup of coffee and began her work for the new day.

Soon,

“Lady Isloria, these are documents sent from the City Lord’s Mansion.”

A staff member delivered new tasks awaiting processing.

Isloria sighed softly.

A while later.

“Lady Isloria, Lord has sent new instructions regarding the construction of the New North District.”

Isloria rubbed her throbbing temples.

“Lady Isloria, …”

“Lady Isloria, …”

“Lady Isloria, …”

Outside the window, the sunlight grew increasingly bright, while the pile of documents on the desk continued to mount.Isloria clenched her fists, and the liquid in the coffee cup beside her gradually began to ripple.

Just then, a figure walked in.

She glanced over—ah, it was that wretched Lord!

“It can’t be another mission, can it?”

“Well, it’s not like there couldn’t be one… but today, there really isn’t any.”

Lord Mu had been working diligently too.

But after all, the capable bear more burdens. Isloria alone could replace dozens of Advanced officials—who could resist making use of her?

He cleared his throat. “Today, I have good news for you. In recognition of your contributions to the territory, the organization has decided to grant you the legendary baptism. You might even get two days off, depending on the situation.”

After he finished speaking, however, he noticed that Isloria didn’t seem particularly enthusiastic.

“Please give this opportunity to someone else.”

“Lu Liu, Sophia, or Uta, Sario, Xiliu—they all need combat prowess more than I do. They’re more suited for it.”

Mu Yuan gazed at the young woman before him.

“This is what you deserve, and you’re equally well-suited. Haven’t you been curious about the legend for a long time? Studying yourself will surely bring deeper understanding.”

“But…”

“Don’t deny your own desires.”

Ailin had said something similar before.

“Besides…” the Lord said, “who says your combat ability is useless? You were the one who dealt with the Faceless One last time. If Lu Liu had taken action, he wouldn’t have been able to subdue that Faceless One without causing collateral damage.”

“You just want to use me as a multi-purpose workhorse!”

She sighed heavily.

But in the end, a faint, pleased smile tugged at the corners of her lips.

Though she was being worked to the bone, though a mountain of tasks was sure to follow, and though the Lord would undoubtedly seize the chance to slack off—still, this feeling of being acknowledged and trusted…

It wasn’t so bad after all.

Golden sunlight streamed in, spilling across her face. Her smile was as radiant as the sunshine.

Alright, it was time to conduct some experiments on her own body!

(End of Chapter)