"It's almost time to announce the establishment of the empire!" Sitting on the throne, Muria reviewed the various statistics in his hands and let out a soft sigh.
He had planned to declare the founding of the empire once the total population of intelligent beings under his rule exceeded ten billion. As of now, the population of the Senaps Subcontinent had already surpassed five billion.
Muria believed that in just fifty years, with the right policies, the human population alone under his rule could easily reach the target of ten billion.
"I must lay the foundation of this empire completely before Aeolus takes my place!" Muria thought silently. He then turned around and asked his subordinates a question.
"What do you think are the remaining flaws or shortcomings in the institutions under my rule?"
"Master, I believe the judicial system still has a few imperfections!" As soon as Muria raised the question, Miles, the powerful Abyssal Hellfiend overseeing the darker side of the Senaps Subcontinent, stepped forward.
"Oh?" Muria smiled as he looked at his number one loyal follower. "What issues do you see?"
Since the code of laws was established, Miles had turned into a super nitpicker, always finding fault. Interestingly, he mostly nitpicked his own work, constantly pointing out issues with the laws he helped create.
After pointing out a flaw, he would explain it in detail to Muria, presenting examples and reasoning. Once Muria acknowledged the problem, Miles would return and ruthlessly deal with the demons responsible for drafting the flawed laws, often purging them without mercy.
"Master, I haven't found any new issues in the code itself for now, but I've discovered a potentially fatal flaw elsewhere. The essence of law is just words written on a medium. The reason a code of laws holds power is that people enforce its content. If there are no enforcers to uphold the law, then it ceases to have meaning."
"So, what are you trying to say? Where's the flaw?"
"Master, I believe the true enforcers of the law are the judges. But judges are selected from various races, and at the end of the day, they are still beings with physical needs. And where there are desires, there can never be absolute impartiality!"
"Miles, are you implying that you've discovered judges who have violated the law for personal gain, distorting justice?" As soon as Miles finished speaking, an ancient dragon stepped forward to question him.
"I haven't discovered anything of the sort—yet!" Miles responded with a smile.
"Then why bring it up?"
"I'm merely thinking ahead. As I said, judges are living beings, and living beings change. They have desires. While they may uphold fairness and justice now, that doesn't mean they will always do so in the future."
"Ridiculous!" Several metallic dragons stood up to rebuke Miles. These dragons had followed Muria and were assigned key positions in the judicial system, serving as some of the highest-ranking judges.
"Master, you see, even dragons are no exception. Once I threaten their interests, they immediately attack me. If one day I were to stand in court after violating the law, would these same judges deliberately increase my sentence?" Miles ignored the rebukes and calmly addressed Muria, knowing full well who his true master was and where his loyalties lay.
"So what do you propose to eliminate this future threat?" Muria cast a glance at the shouting dragons, and with just that one look, they fell silent, obediently falling back without another word.
"It's simple. Replace the judges. If the judges have no material needs and cannot be threatened or intimidated, they can maintain the basic fairness and impartiality necessary to carry out the law."
"So, you think judges should have no desires, no fear of threats to their lives. You're describing only one type of being that fits this description—Tower Spirits!" Muria said with a smile.
"Exactly, Your Highness! I believe only Tower Spirits, which are artificial lifeforms, are suitable to serve as judges." Miles answered firmly.
"Do you realize that even Tower Spirits, after existing for long enough, can develop emotions similar to those of living beings?"
"When that happens, we can simply replace them! Judges must be completely free of emotions and desires!"
"And do you know how many resources would be consumed to achieve what you're suggesting?"
"Your Highness, while the resource consumption would be immense, it would be absolutely worth it in the long run!" Miles bowed his head respectfully. "It's like how Hades uses divine power to resurrect mortals. In the short term, it seems wasteful, but in the long term, the benefits for Hades are immeasurable."
"Hmm, you make a good point. Draft a detailed implementation plan for me on this matter." Muria nodded.
"As you command!"
…
Ten days later, Muria was going through the "Impartial Judge" plan when a soft, melodic voice reached his ears.
"Lord Muria!"
"Cassio? What is it?"
"Your father, Lord Ansol, and your mother, Lady Atris, are preparing to venture into the void. Will you be seeing them off?"
"Of course!" Muria set down the plan he was reviewing and stood up.
…
A seven-colored rainbow beam tore through space, landing in the courtyard that Muria hadn't occupied for a long time in the Titan territories. Bathed in the multicolored light, Muria stepped out wearing a loose robe.
"Where are my parents?" Muria asked, looking at Cassio, who had just materialized beside him.
"Please be patient, young master. I need to perform another teleportation for you. Then you'll be able to see them."
"They're beyond the void!" Muria raised an eyebrow. As his power grew, Cassio's authority had also increased, allowing him to teleport Muria to any corner of the world.
"That's right!"
…
Beyond the barriers of the world of Erathia, a vast metallic continent floated. On this continent were gathered beings of great power—Seraphim, Titans, and even the rarely-seen Ancient Dragons of the material realm. Some wore smiles, while others bore solemn expressions, as though preparing for an imminent grand event.
At that moment, a rainbow-colored beam shot up from the material realm below and crashed onto the metallic continent. However, this imposing display drew little attention from the powerful beings gathered here, for they were all at the pinnacle of the material realm.
Two figures did turn their gaze toward the beam: a stunning blonde girl and a dignified Titan clad in battle armor.
"Father! Mother!" As Muria landed on the metallic continent and his vision cleared, he immediately saw his parents walking toward him.
"Looks like you're well-informed!" The Golden Dragon Queen raised an eyebrow as she saw her son arrive.
"You're about to head into the void, and you didn't even think to tell me?" Muria asked, somewhat displeased.
"What's the big deal? Once we succeed in transcending from Legendary to Epic, we'll tell you all about it!" The Golden Dragon Queen laughed it off, seeming unconcerned.
"Have the first batch of Legendary powerhouses who used the Heavenly Demon Secret Art already returned?" Muria asked, curious about the confidence his parents exuded.
"Two Titans, two Seraphim, and one Ancient Gold Dragon went. Of the five, only one Seraphim lost contact outside the void. The rest have all returned!" Ansol recounted the news, which had shaken the world. Five Legendary beings had used the Heavenly Demon Secret Art, and four had successfully transcended to Epic status. This success rate far exceeded that of the secret techniques held by the Seraphim and Titans.
"What happened to the missing Seraphim?" Muria asked, puzzled.
"We don't know. Anything could happen in the void, and you should already understand the risks involved with the Heavenly Demon Secret Art. While the success rate is high, there are still dangers."
"Even with the foundation of a Legendary peak powerhouse, they could still run into trouble? What terrible luck!" Muria clicked his tongue in disbelief. He had already grasped the principles of the Heavenly Demon Secret Art.
The technique itself was quite simple. No matter the world, every world instinctively seeks to ascend to a higher level. The ascension of a world is heavily dependent on the wisdom and civilization it nurtures. However, the road to nurturing a civilization capable of venturing into the void is fraught with endless trials and tribulations.
The Heavenly Demon Secret Art involves selecting a world whose civilization has encountered issues. The practitioner seals their power and reincarnates within that world, gaining a legitimate identity.
From there, the practitioner must use their Legendary foundation to become a leader of the civilization and resolve its hidden crises.
_________________________
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