~"I see everyone is here."
-"Yes, we are fully ready to beat you."-Nobu spoke while approaching me with her Generals.-"The bet still stands?"
~"If you are able to overrun the city before the ten-year mark, I will fully authorize your plan, and whoever was commanding battle that day will be granted one wish. If you are unsuccessful, all of you will assist me with my project."
-"Been waiting for that. Despite you being the person to whom I dedicated my all, I won't go easy on you."
~"I wasn't expecting anything else, Feixiao. This will be our first confrontation since you fully controlled your Moon Rage."
-"Indeed, living with those Oni was helpful, so thanks for sending them my way."
~"Don't mind it."
-"I hope you won't call Marshal to help you."
~"No, she taught me but will not assist me during the trial, so you can feel free to slack off, Jing Yuan."
-"Heh, you wish. I have to regain some lost points in our matches."
~"625-651, still in your favor, if I remember correctly. We haven't played chess in some time, so don't forget to come when you have some free time."
-"Why would I waste my slim advantage like that? Do I have to remind you of your 20 or so winning streak? I have to find another game once again."
-"Boys, behave yourself."-Makoto smiled at our antics.
~"Right, Ei, how is your new body? I heard that you finally ditched the shogun puppet and got yourself a true living body from Ruan Mei."
-"Yes, my sister advised me to do so."
~"This is a good occasion to get used to it. Just don't forget that you can no longer test your dishes on yourself. Seriously, ask Makoto before you even enter the kitchen."
-"..."
-"I'll make sure she is never near the stove without supervision."
-"What about your team?"-Nobu asked, looking around for more arrivals.
~"They are already in the Sect dealing with some matters. Only Acheron is waiting for me, but you know her."
-"Right, she is not someone that enjoys talking with anyone other than you. So we will be going first. Is there anything you wish to add?"
~"Good luck."
Nobu waved before they all entered Simulated Realm.
I meanwhile returned to my office, where Acheron was seated on the sofa, waiting for me.
~"You sure you want to come with me? You won't be able to actively take part in the trial."
-"I do."
~"Then let's go."
I teleported us two to the Sect.
Appearing in the Sect hall, I walked to Shen Meng, who was talking with Tyrande and Riveria.
~"Sorry for being late."
-"Worry not. Our presence is needed only sometime later. Not to mention who would dare to complain about Empyrean, let alone True Divinity."-Meng smiled under her veil.-"Hao Yu is dealing with the guests. After all, his status is the lowest of all the main organizers."
~"So what's the plan for today?"
-"We will go out to our seats. I'll give some opening speech, after which you take charge for the trial."
~"Then nothing changed. Tyrande, did anyone try to do something to Elves?"
-"Aside from some advances that were shot down mercilessly, nothing major happened, Your Majesty. Most people are just curious about us, but the knowledge that there is Empyrean behind us makes sure they keep that curiosity to themselves."
~"That's good. If anything happens, inform me directly."
-"Yes."
-"Yue."
~"What the matter, Riveria?"
-"I heard from Loki that she spoke about her plan with you."
~"She did."
-"Then once again, please take care of me."
~"I will."
-"I received a message from Hao Yu that every major force had already arrived, so we can start."
~"Sure, Riveria, can you gather Otto, Kallen, and Baiheng? I'll need you all before the trial can start."
-"I'll look for them."
~"Acheron, can you follow Riveria for a while?"
Acheron nodded and moved to stand behind Riveria silently.
~"And what about you, Tyrande? In the end, do you want to join the trial?"
-"Yes, please allow me to follow you, Your Majesty."
~"You want to be one of the participants?"
-"This... will it be possible to be field command for Your Majesty?"
~"I don't mind, but I'll have to restrict your power."
-"I understand."
~"Then also join Riveria for now."~After I finished giving directions, I turned to Meng.~"I leave myself in your hands then."
Meng walked to my side and took my left arm before the two of us walked out of the hall.
As this was the first time I officially appeared as Spirit Emperor, I wore ornate clothes that Elune and Winter had prepared for me some time ago. They were not much different in appearance from what I wore before as Emperor of Hold, but the quality and the details gave it a different feeling overall.
Previously, I would wear modernized Hanfu, popular among the people of Xianzhou Alliance and especially Vidyadhara. Now, the Daopan part of the Hanfu turned into a true light armor, made in a style similar to the armors of Priestesses of the Moon, but modified to be male armor.
It was black with sparse silver accents, made from reinforced cloth specially prepared by two Celestials. The only parts of the armor that were reinforced with plates were gauntlets, boots, and the upper-left part of the chest plate, together with the left arm. The plates were silver with golden depictions of leaves and branches on the chestplate and left arm.
This was joined by white Pifeng decorated with golden depictions of trees caped over the armor. It was held by a belt, on which my Kindred mask was hung. The upper part of Pifeng was asymmetrical, as it didn't cover the left side of my armor that was plated, only my right side, and had long and wide sleeve. To create some symmetry, a special sleeve-like attachment was also present on the left side.
The lower part was more symmetrical. It covered my legs, almost like a skirt, but had two cuts made from the belt down in front of my legs, so it looked like a long coat with cloth in front.
Additionally, I was wearing my [Crown] with Al'maiesh behind my back. I also held [Oath of Silence] in my right hand. I was no longer fully hiding my aura, so the whole world responded to my presence, and everyone could feel that I was there, but thanks to me still wearing the Veil, no one was able to locate me, making it seem that I was omnipresent in the Sect.
While the armor was made by Elune and Winter, the concept for my overall look was created jointly by my family. Ningguang was the one who proposed making me an official Royal Armor after seeing Artoria and her armor, so she asked Griseo to create some ideas, and she, the lovely girl she is, went around asking all the people close to me for their opinions.
In my opinion, it was a beautiful piece of art, and while I was not a fan of wearing overly decorated clothes, Griseo composed everything in a way that wasn't gaudy but also, as Eden would say, showed grandeur with elegance.
With Meng, who held my left hand, and Soaring Feather on my right, I walked on the platform overlooking the arena. Behind us, Ling, Nian, Dusk, and Ch'en showed off their now half-step Empyrean Cultivation, acting as guards.
Innumerable eyes were looking at us, guests from tribunes, contestants standing in the arena, and even those who watched transmissions from other places in the world, but no one dared to speak. We joined Hao Yu, who was on the balcony of the viewing platform, and there, Meng let go of my arm and stepped forward.
-"I welcome you all to Divine Realm First Martial Meeting. Here, no matter your origin or bloodline, only your strength will matter. I wish that everyone present here will not only show their best but also glimpse a way forward."
After saying that, she walked back, and the three of us sat down in our seats. Hao Yu remained on the balcony to speak some more words, giving a brief overview of the Martial Meeting and explaining some things to the audience and contestants.
As he was speaking, I looked over the people standing in the arena. Most of them weren't worth even this sentence, but among them, some gems were hidden. I noticed a few acquaintances, Lin Xiaoge and her brother, his partners, and some other people I've seen when rescuing Elysia back then. A few members of the Sect were also present.
Some unknown people also attracted my attention, some for their rare talents, some for their strength and age, but what surprised me the most was the number of people from outside of the Divine Realm present. Spiritas, Soul Race, Spirit Race, Demons, and many other smaller clans and bloodlines.
~"I believe that there is a need to change the name of this Martial Meeting, as only around 70% of contestants come from Divine Realm."
-"I also noticed that. While most of them come due to Soaring Feather, some associated with either of our forces also decided to appear."
-"I think that if we use Hold as the organizer of the next such event, we can even bring in other Cultivation worlds."
~"We can think about that later, as there will be a long time before the next such gathering."
-"Right, we decided that all under twenty-five thousand years can participate, so for the next such gathering, thousands of years will have to pass."
-"What is thousands of years for us?"
~"Soaring Feather, don't forget that Hold exists only for around three years."
-"Heh, yet you were able to gain eons to your chronological age during those three years."
~"I'm ageless due to my nature of not being bound to the time axis. I can't age."
-"Technicalities."
-"Now it's your turn, Yue."-Meng spoke as she was the only one here, even partly listening to Hao Yu.
Rising up, I walked onto the balcony. As the previous shock from our entrance had somewhat subsided, I could perceive many hush talks, discussing me among the people present. Many were curious about my origins, especially as knowledge of me being overlord of a world outside of 33 Heavens was well known because of the war with Good Fortune Saint Emperor.
Some speculate that I was some Divine Beast due to my tails, and some questioned my power because, technically, I didn't possess Cultivation, as my whole power was sublimated during my ascension to Aeonhood.
~"Silence."~I infused my words with power, and quickly all murmurs were silenced.~"First Trial will take only a month for the spectators, but the contestants will spend ten years to complete it. All of you will enter a false reality, where while you will be able to cultivate and gain other benefits that will reflect in reality, you won't die when killed."
This announcement surprised most people present, as there was no known way to achieve that in this world. It was either real or false.
~"You all will enter the role of soldiers, and your job is simple. Defend the city, no matter the cost. Each of you will gain points by furthering that goal, and the final ranking will be based on those points."
I looked over the crowd, mentally noting those who noticed the hidden meaning in my words.
~"Word of caution, know your place."
After saying that, I struck the ground with the [Oath of Silence], activation formation beneath the arena, and soon all contestants disappeared. At the same time, giant screens showing the situation in the Simulated Realm appeared in the air. Those present could also trace individual contestants with individual screens provided to spectators. On the now-empty arena, a replica of the city was also shown, allowing everyone to have an outlook on the situation on the ground.
As everyone's attention was on the projections, I returned to my seat and moved most of my attention to my avatar in Simulated Realm.
My avatar there stood on the stage and looked at the field full of soldiers before me. One-third of those standing before me were contestants, while the rest were simulated NPCs.
Everyone here now wore generic armor, and the colorful clothes from the arena before now became uniform metallic silver with brown leather. All contestants had the same starting point, but what they would achieve depended solely on them.
-"Salute the Supreme Commander!"-Shouted one of the commanders standing close to me.
All simulated NPC followed the order, but not even half of the contestants did so.
-"Preposterous!"
~"No need."~He was about to shout more orders, but I interrupted him.~"No matter how long they spend in the training camp, one becomes a soldier only on the battlefield. Until their first combat, they are to be considered civilians."
-"Yes, Sir!"
~"I'll leave them in your hands."
-"Thank you for your trust, Sir."
Leaving my spot, I moved to the top of the wall, from where I was able to see the whole military compound. Moments later, Acheron, Baiheng, and Tyrande joined me here.
-"What now, Senior?"
~"For the next week or two, those guys will adapt to the environment. After that, everything will start. Tyrande, I hope you can act as the general responsible for this side of the wall. Try to find rough diamonds and give them appropriate roles."
-"Yes."
~"Acheron, you will follow me as my guard, but I'll make you into executioner when needed. Baiheng, I want you to make some trouble."
-"Oh?"
~"Mix into those guys and find ones who want to take over the power, make it so that in the next two months there is mutiny or even rebellion."
-"Won't that reduce the number of soldiers with whom we can defend against Domination and the Herrschers?"
~"Most of them will act individually, seeking personal profit and glory, not acting as a unit. No matter how well I counter Nobu's and other's plans, if my army doesn't follow them, we will lose."
-"I see, you want to establish authority. Sure, you can count on me, but reward me later."
Looking at the first actions of the contestants, I began to formulate ideas on how to respond to the first waves that would start after the grace period.
~"Order someone to count all violations they committed."
-"I'll pass that on to some other officer."-Tyrnade acknowledged my order.
~"Remind them not to act unless they commit capital crime. After they become true soldiers, I'll place those who deserve it in punishment units."
After making my first plans, I moved to the central city, where Riveria, Otto, and Kallen were waiting for me.
The next two weeks will be quiet for me, but the chaos caused by contestants who hadn't taken my advice to hearth provide us with ample entertainment. Otto also decided to start acting, finding some fun people to play with, while Riveria decided to remain hidden until those guys gained access to civilian areas.
Aside from some outrageous individuals who tried to rape NPCs, they were quickly executed using special methods that made sure some permanent mental trauma was left as a reminder, those two weeks passed quietly. Today was the end of the grace period, so I mobilized units responsible for defending the outer wall, the recruts included. From now on, the true trial will start.