Leixar swiftly entered the expansive hall. Around the colossal red long table, six individuals were already seated.
“Oh, Tianqi Academy has arrived! Hey there, little sister, come, why don’t you sit beside me?” A man with long red hair, seeing me follow Leixar into the hall, addressed me with a rather flippant tone.
“Ah? That…” I felt a surge of awkwardness. I rarely knew how to handle such overtly enthusiastic people, as my interactions with others were already minimal. I had no idea how to decline such an unusually warm invitation.
Leixar glanced at him, then simply said to me, “Come.”
Relieved as if granted amnesty, I scurried to follow Leixar. At last, someone had intervened.
Leixar stopped at the first seat on the left, gesturing for Lavishly Karafar and the others to take the surrounding chairs. Then, turning her gaze to me, she slowly commanded, “Here. Sit.”
My face registered pure shock. ‘What did she mean? Sit *there*?’ I scanned my surroundings.
Indeed, the gazes of those already seated around us sharpened perceptibly.
“Just sit down when I tell you to,” Leixar murmured, her voice barely audible to anyone but me. “The meeting is about to begin.”
Reluctantly, I slowly settled into the seat that felt scorching hot beneath me.
The gazes of those around me pricked like needles, and though devoid of hostility, they made me, someone already ill-equipped for such scrutiny, profoundly uncomfortable.
A man with long, ink-black hair fixed his intense gaze on me. “Perhaps an introduction is in order for this new face,” he stated.
His stare was incredibly assertive. Yet, even at first glance, my estimation of him plummeted, not because of his gaze, but because he was *another* Ryan-level handsome man. A cold, aloof type, no less. I harbored a deep-seated resentment towards any man taller and better-looking than me.
Suddenly, I felt a pang of despair. Handsome men were practically everywhere, yet I…
Leixar moved to one end of the long table. “She is the candidate jointly recognized by the Fifth Divine Pillar, Mie; the Sixth Divine Pillar, Tian Yuehua; and the Seventh Divine Pillar, Aklys. She is Moe God, Ye Menghan.”
Their gazes instantly sharpened, while I felt utterly bewildered. ‘What was happening? I knew nothing!’ I glanced around helplessly, finding every eye fixed on me. Like an ostrich, I buried my head deep.
The black-haired youth spoke again. “Forgive my frankness, but I sense not a single trace of the demeanor befitting a superior in Miss Ye Menghan.”
Leixar didn’t even lift an eyelid. She sat down, crossing one leg over the other. “You’ll have to ask my teacher about that,” she said. “If she designates a successor, there’s nothing I can do.”
Her words stunned everyone present, their eyes reflecting utter disbelief. “I am not joking,” Leixar continued. “My teacher designated a successor six hundred million years ago. She said ‘Moe God, Menghan.’ These were Divine Pillar Aklys’s own words. Even if you don’t believe me, would Divine Pillar Aklys lie?”
Silence fell upon the room once more. Leixar was not one to joke, and Divine Pillar Aklys would certainly not joke about such a matter. Therefore, this Moe God…
The black-haired man pressed his lips together. “In that case, I reserve my judgment. I only hope that Miss Ye Menghan proves worthy of this position.”
Leixar nodded. “Given that, perhaps everyone should introduce themselves to Moe God.”
This time, the red-haired man who had spoken earlier was the first to rise. “I am Jelius Lin, representative of the Heidi Empire. My apologies for any offense I caused earlier.” As he spoke, he cast a look that… well, it simply made me profoundly uncomfortable.
Next to him, a girl with equally red hair rose. Her figure was… well, she had a slender waist, delicate legs, and thin arms, yet surprisingly, a full bust. She appeared remarkably tall and beautiful.
“Karan Lin, Heidi Empire representative.” Her words were simple, her voice incredibly gentle, yet startlingly cold.
A girl with flaxen, ear-length hair, who had remained silent until now, stood up. “Francine, Toss Federation representative. Welcome, Lord Moe God.” She finished with a sweet smile.
She was the quintessential girl-next-door type, and I found myself quite fond of her.
“Ganze. Toss Federation representative. Jin represents the Toss Federation in welcoming you to Keli City.” A refined man wearing gold-rimmed glasses rose and spoke.
It had to be said, gold-rimmed glasses truly were the hallmark of refined elegance; they made anyone look dashing. However, my animosity towards this type of handsome man wasn’t as strong, perhaps because their assertiveness wasn’t as overt.
A woman with long, straight black hair slowly stood. “Su Xin, Feathered City representative.”
Finally, the black-haired man who had been so confrontational earlier spoke, though he did not rise. “Shen Ming.”
“Now that introductions are complete, let us proceed directly to the main agenda,” Leixar declared from her seat at the head of the table.
“The reason I’ve called you all here is, I believe, already clear to everyone,” Leixar began. “You understand the current state of the Land of Disorder, and I am aware of your Winged Disciples’ attempts to gain a voice in the Divine Realm.” She picked up a pen from the table, idly turning it in her fingers.
The representatives were visibly stunned by Leixar’s words. “You… you knew?” the red-haired youth, Jelius, stammered.
“Approximately,” Leixar replied. “More accurately, the Tianqi Legacy is aware.”