I, the Lord of the Fifth Throne, am the source of all things!

For this reason, they could marry off their daughters or use women to gain royal protection.

In order to temporarily prevent this from happening, Duanmu Lian directly sought out Tokisaki Kurumi.

She used her clone to transform into different types of beautiful women through a transformation technique, and entered the harem as a concubine to silence certain people and stop their underhanded tactics.

Whether it's Ryuu-Shi or Tokisaki Kurumi, they're just putting on a disguise, like role-playing.

"Stop being silly. The role you're playing today is that of a deity, not an empress."

Duanmu Lian glanced at Tokisaki Kurumi expressionlessly and gave her a stern reminder.

Today, in addition to demonstrating "imperial power," Kurumi Tokisaki also needs to demonstrate "divine power" and "miracles."

"A miracle... It's really heartbreaking to think that people are going to gamble away all the time they've painstakingly saved up."

Kurumi Tokisaki hung upside down from the ceiling, her hands supporting her chin, a pained and helpless expression on her exquisite and beautiful face.

The plan has been set: on the day of the founding of the nation, she will remain mysterious and aloof as a deity and will not need to show her face.

However, she needs to demonstrate the power that only a god should possess on this day.

Simply put, it is to grant the people of the empire a miracle.

"Once your life level is elevated to a certain point, you will no longer need to go to great lengths to collect time; time will automatically be used for your own benefit."

After tidying his clothes, Duanmu Lian stretched his body under Liu Zi's 'don't ruin your clothes' look, and then walked out of the palace with his empress.

Kurumi Tokisaki blinked her beautiful eyes, felt the power of faith that resonated with her, and knew that what Duanmu Lian said was true.

Once her power increases, she will no longer need to specifically absorb time to use; time will automatically be at her disposal.

The power of faith is the spiritual energy originating from the hearts of believers, and this energy has accumulated to a very high level.

However, besides those who worship Tokisaki Kurumi, there are also quite a few who worship Duanmu Lian.

He spread the power of "vitality," founded the Imperial Fist Temple to teach people martial arts and strengthen their bodies, and coupled with the astonishing power he displayed during his years of battles, many people in the populace revered him as the God of War.

Duanmu Lian didn't mind at all; on the contrary, she was quite happy about it.

In the East, faith has another name: incense and vows.

Essentially, it stems from the most fervent and unwavering ideas.

Although Duanmu Lian does not absorb this power, it does not mean that he will not make use of it.

Faith contains all sorts of thoughts—evil, good, wicked, desire, and so on. Using this power to temper one's soul is absolutely the best resource.

...........

What should an emperor do to win the love and respect of his people?

Duanmu Lian felt that in this era when civilization was just emerging, there was nothing complicated. Just make sure they had enough to eat, lived a better life, and gave them a unique sense of security.

He promised to give his people a better life, and within a few months he did.

He promised to protect his people from dangerous races and other ethnic groups, and he kept his word.

Since he said it, he could do it; that's why the people have such a good impression of this founding emperor.

However, neither the better life he provided for the people nor the power to protect himself were as respectable as his own formidable strength.

Wisdom or compassion, Duanmu Lian doesn't need to use these things to embellish herself.

He was able to rule over so many people not because of his wisdom and benevolence, but simply because he was stronger than everyone else.

Therefore, in addition to the impressions of benevolent governance, wisdom, and martial prowess, unparalleled power was also a common impression of this emperor among the people of the empire.

At that moment, when the emperor and empress, dressed in their finest attire, appeared before the eyes of the empire's people, a fervent emotion was ignited like wildfire.

Duanmu Lian Shi appropriately released an aura similar to Conqueror's Haki, giving him a tangible sense of majesty and extraordinary presence in the eyes of the people.

Here, tens of millions of people cheered wildly like a dark, surging tide, shouting in unison.

"The Emperor has arrived!!!"

"Emperor!"

"Emperor!"

"Emperor!"

"Fight for the Emperor! Die for the Empire!!!"

"Your Majesty! Please allow me to join the army!!!"

The people cheered and shouted, and the sound of such a huge number of people was like thunder. The frenzied atmosphere seemed to have completely spread.

Many men and women were unable to control their emotions, and even the soldiers maintaining order had red eyes and were shouting wildly.

These sounds combined created a deafening roar, like a landslide or a tsunami.

Many people wanted to fight for the emperor and were willing to die for the empire.

Besides respecting and worshipping emperors, many people hoped to gain favor through military achievements.

Those who gain "vitality" through military merit have formed a special and powerful privileged class.

This special status was entirely bestowed upon them by the emperor.

The power of vitality can also be passed on to future generations.

Although the culture and ideology within the empire teaches that all beings are equal under imperial power, the fact that others have things you don't, and that he is strong while you are weak, is itself a very obvious difference.

Even if people dared not say it outright due to the emperor's authority, it was clear to everyone that if they wanted to obtain better things, they had to serve the emperor and receive his favor.

The idea that an emperor can bring you a better life, that an emperor can give you supreme power, that an emperor is the chosen one of heaven, and other such crazy and fanatical beliefs are common knowledge among the people of the empire.

If it weren't for the taboo against losing composure in front of the Emperor and Empress, many people would have blushed, their hearts pounding, and some would have already reached orgasm and masturbated on the spot.

However, in order to control their out-of-control emotions, many people fainted from excitement, while others resorted to self-harm to regain their senses, hoping to catch a glimpse of the emperor and hear him speak.

A torrent of fanatical and frenzied emotions swept over Duanmu Lian like a tsunami.

He remained calm, his eyes showing no sign of emotion as he faced the onslaught of this emotional tsunami head-on.

The people's love, worship, and respect meant nothing to him; they were merely a necessary process to achieve his goals.

Moreover, even this feeling of being revered as an emperor had a profound sense of primacy within his soul.

"quiet!"

Raising his right hand, he casually uttered a single word, and that sense of awareness instantly swept across the entire empire, silencing the cheers that had been like a tsunami and thunder.

"......"

Everyone fell silent. In order to hear the emperor's words clearly, millions of people dared not even breathe heavily.

Duanmu Lian calmly gazed at them, looking down at them from her elevated position.

"The Empire is officially established today, and my people, you have also contributed to this achievement."

When Duanmu Lian opened her mouth, she made no attempt to be polite or say anything nice. She simply stated the facts of the past few years and the contributions of the people who were loyal to her.

"Years of war have brought the empire greater territory, more living space and resources, but tens of thousands of people have sacrificed themselves for the Emperor's wishes and the grand ambitions of the entire empire."

"This war, this sacrifice, has its meaning, but you must understand that whether it is war or sacrifice, the empire is not only striving to become stronger, but also so that you can live better lives."

Duanmu Lian's voice wasn't loud, but it was as if she were speaking directly to everyone, ensuring that tens of millions of people present could hear her clearly.

What he said resonated deeply with everyone.

War or sacrifice, it's all ultimately for a better life.

As the empire grows stronger, it must also improve the lives of its people.

The emperor rewards every kind of contribution.

Those who are willing to join the army and fight will gain power that will benefit their descendants, and the empire will provide care for their families.

Those who are willing to contribute to the empire can obtain power and status, and even divine blessings from the religion.

In the past, hard work and effort did not always guarantee a reward, but every citizen living in the empire knew that as long as you dared to fight, you would be rewarded.

In the empire, the people need not live in fear, for they have an invincible emperor and a powerful army.

There's no need to worry about being invaded, because it's their empire that's always invading others!

"In this empire ruled by this emperor, you need not fear or worry. The only thing you need to consider is to use your abilities and wisdom to strive for everything that can make your lives better within the empire."

"While everything within the empire may not be perfectly fair, it is certainly possible to ensure that the capable are given positions! As long as I, the Emperor, live, you will never lack such opportunities!"

"Your efforts will be rewarded by the Empire, and now that the Empire has been established, I, the Emperor, believe that your efforts should also be substantially rewarded!"

The intense self-confidence that erupted from Duanmu Lian transformed into a feeling that bombarded the hearts and minds of every citizen.

Just as they were about to shout wildly, a shocking and stunned scene unfolded.

A dazzling light burst forth in the sky, illuminating the entire world.

A slender, graceful figure, formed by the condensation of light and shadow, took shape in the sky and looked down upon the world and the people on the earth from above the clouds.

A giant halo spread across the sky, forming a huge golden clock.

This scene can be seen by the whole world. As long as you look up, you can see the clockwork filled with light and the blurry figure of the deity standing in the sky overlooking the whole world.

"------!"

At that moment, the world fell silent. Countless people were stunned by the profound shock that penetrated their very souls, completely losing their voices.

Their minds were blank; all they knew was to stare intently at the deity, their eyes wide open and unblinking.

The believers and members of the "Cult of God" immediately knelt down on one knee and offered their most fervent faith with utmost devotion.

"What is your wish?"

The soft, serene whisper carried a vast, divine power, as if countless female voices were merging together and spreading across the sky.

The voices were either young, mature, or childlike, making it impossible to discern their true age, yet they carried an undeniable authority.

"Let my people be happy! Blessed!"

With a roar, Duanmu Lian shouted these words, instantly waking all the people of the empire.

Upon hearing the emperor's wish, everyone's eyes revealed excitement and fervor.

The gods asked the emperor what his wishes were, and the emperor's wish was for them to be happy and joyful.