Chapter 439: Ch
Yet those who had felt it more deeply were not left entirely unchanged.
The shackles around their own foundations seemed to loosen ever so slightly, and for a fleeting instant, they glimpsed a path leading beyond the limits that had bound them for most of their lives...
Then the phenomenon settled.
BOOOOM!
A brilliant violet bolt of lightning descended from the dark clouds above and struck directly toward the central platform.
Dust and energy erupted outward the moment it landed.
When the storm of power finally subsided, a crown could be seen floating there.
It was surrounded by arcs of violet lightning carrying strange properties that caused the very fabric of space around it to tremble. Ancient runes glowed faintly upon its surface before fading once more, as if hiding their true nature from prying eyes.
The crown remained suspended in the air under the gaze of everyone present.
The elder calmly stepped forward.
Reaching out, he took hold of the crown and approached Kallus.
The hall remained completely silent.
Then, under the watchful gaze of countless dignitaries, rulers, and witnesses, he gently placed the crown upon Kallus’s head.
His voice echoed throughout the ceremonial hall.
"Under the witness of the Heavens..."
"Under the witness of the Earth..."
"And under the witness of the Great Beyond..."
The elder’s eyes shone with solemn authority as he proclaimed.
"Kallus Ignis Valerius..."
"First, of his blood I acknowledge him under the heavens as the First Imperial Emperor of the Celestial Void Empire."
Saying that, the elder stepped back and slammed his fist against his chest.
"I greet the Emperor!"
Following him, Ezra, Kael, Ryn, Throne, and the other higher-ups did the same. With their left hands clenched into fists against their chests and their right hands behind their backs, they shouted at the top of their lungs,
"We greet the Imperial Emperor!"
The moment those words fell, the crown atop Kallus’s head lit up once more with dazzling radiance. The brilliant light illuminated the ceremonial hall, then the skies of Celestial Prime, before spreading across the entire Celestial Star System.
Within moments, the whole Sol Region was covered in golden-white radiance. The light expanded even further, engulfing the former territories of the Minotaur Clan that had now been integrated into the Celestial Void Empire before finally coming to a halt.
As the golden-white radiance covered both sky and space, countless flakes of golden-white light drifted downward. Wherever they landed, they solidified, subtly changing the very spatial structure of the region. It was a phenomenon that few understood at the time, but in the future they would realize just how extraordinary it truly was.
Even the people touched by those flakes had their potential elevated to a new level without realizing it. Infants resting in their cribs underwent remarkable transformations of their own. The planets themselves were blessed by the golden-white radiance, increasing the likelihood of producing heavenly and earthly treasures for years to come.
Even the concentration of mana, which had already stabilized at nearly ten thousand times the density found in the outside galaxy, began to rise once again. The increase was slow for now, but it showed no signs of stopping.
Furthermore, other things were changing under the glow of this golden-white radiant phenomenon, things that could not yet be quantified or properly understood.
But if one had to describe it in simple terms, it would be this: the entire region previously known as the Holy Region had changed. Its ceiling had been raised by this phenomenon, making it fundamentally different and far more advantageous to those who lived within it compared to other holy lands.
Back within the ceremonial hall, many dignitaries stood frozen in place. Even great figures such as Valoria, Thorax, Matriarch T’Kala, and others felt their hearts tremble and their states of mind shaken by what they were witnessing.
Yet it was not because of the magnificence of the ceremony, nor even because of the phenomenon itself... or so they felt. Rather, it was because the moment the declaration had been made, they all sensed a subtle change around them. Though faint, every one of them had felt it.
What exactly had changed, however, and in what way, none of them knew.
But there was one thing they were absolutely certain of.
The destiny surrounding the Celestial Void Empire had changed. Previously, it had flowed around the empire like an uncontrolled stream leaking from a vast sea and an even vaster ocean. But now, that destiny had calmed and rejoined the great ocean from which it originated, becoming heavier, deeper, and infinitely more stable than before.
More stable, in fact, than the destiny surrounding their own empires and factions.
It was as if a flooding ocean had finally found its depth and calmed, pulling back the countless rivers and streams it had created when its previous boundaries could no longer contain it. Now that those limits had expanded, the ocean was once again gathering its strength.
It was as if a great tree had finally taken root in the earth.
It was as though a future that had once contained countless uncertainties had suddenly become far more stable and far stronger in the face of those uncertainties.
Many rulers present, or at least their forefathers, had once performed similar acts to stabilize the destiny and fortune of their states, kingdoms, and empires in order to ensure steady growth. Because of this, they immediately realized that the stabilized destiny of the Celestial Void Empire would not benefit it merely for a short period of time, but for ages to come.
A state without a ruler could still rise. A powerful faction could still expand.
But an empire with a recognized sovereign and a stabilized destiny and fortune was something entirely different.
Such an empire possessed continuity. It possessed the legitimacy of rule. And most importantly of all, it possessed a future.
Everyone, be it Thrax, T’Kala, Valoria, or even Arch Duke Elder Grove, could not help but look at Kallus for a few moments, each carrying thoughts known only to themselves.
Because they all understood something better than anyone else.
Today was not merely the foundation ceremony of another rising power. It marked the official birth of an Empire. A true Empire.
An Empire that possessed both the foundation and the power to rival Super Tier-3 States. No... not rival them. It had already surpassed them by a huge margin.
And because of that, they all knew one thing for certain.
This Empire was destined to leave its mark upon the galaxy, and perhaps even the universe itself, for a very long time to come.
Kallus played with Luna, who was excitedly running around him and across the platform, shouting and giggling with excitement as she declared that she was now the great princess of her brother’s Empire and much more.
Much to Kallus’s delight, his mother and father could only look at her speechlessly before laughing lightly at the little magician’s behavior.
Finally, having Fafnir keep watch over her, Kallus rose to his feet and walked toward the front of the platform. Dressed in his crisp red-and-white Imperial Commander uniform, he looked out over the vast sea of people before him.
Representatives of diverse races filled the ceremonial hall, though humans still made up the majority. There were imperial officials, dignitaries, allies, observers, and representatives from various Tier-One states and factions.
Kallus began to speak, his voice flawlessly amplified across the ceremonial hall and throughout the territories of his Empire, reaching countless people who were watching the ceremony.
"Today is a day of great celebration."
"A celebration of our rise and of the growth of our fleet into a legitimate Empire."
"A celebration of the people who made all of this possible."
"Now, with our territories unified, we must not stop here. We must continue moving forward together as one."
"Going forward, the Empire’s focus will expand both inward and outward at the same time. In the immediate future, the Empire will dedicate itself to allowing our history, culture, and infrastructure to develop at an even greater pace than they have over the past weeks and months."
He paused there for a moment before looking toward the foreign dignitaries. Knowing exactly what they wanted, he decided to throw out the bait.
"To the factions that have come here today to join in this celebration, first and foremost, I must thank all of you for the effort you made to attend."
As he spoke, he raised the wine glass that had somehow appeared in his hand.
"For your efforts, I hereby tell you this: the Celestial Void Empire believes in balance, as well as the natural process of competition, not in the suppression that others practice."
"For we do not fear the emergence of others, nor do we fear competition. Because of that, we are prepared to provide technical support, advanced engineering assistance, and even digital resources to factions that may require them."
"And yes, at a cost, obviously," he added with a faint smile. "But not one that will make you wish you had never accepted the offer."
