The matter of the Shentao Empire’s Awakener Conference was completely out of Lin’s mother’s hands—Drew handled everything from start to finish.
After the preparations entered their final stage, Drew obtained Lin’s mother’s permission and came to report on the progress.
“On Viterra Star, there are a total of 103 Awakeners. Another 305 Awakeners are scattered across other planets and are currently making their way here. They should all be assembled in three days. Among these 405 Awakeners, there are no Queens or Deep Divers, but there are a few Deep Sea Lords—though they all reside in Hesperia.”
So, among the Awakeners, Lin’s mother—who lived in Poseidonis—held the highest status.
However, she was bound to run into a minor hiccup. The seven awakened Deep Sea Lords would likely demand that she prove her identity.
Lin’s mother remained impassive. “Oh, that’s nice. Perhaps among these seven, there are some who’ve spoken with me before through the infrasound conference network.”
Drew’s demeanor grew even more respectful.
The infrasound conference network was a network exclusive to the nobility; upper-class citizens didn’t have access to it.
Lin’s mother shifted the topic. “Only four hundred or so Awakeners? That’s less than a tenth of what we expected.”
Huh?
Drew was utterly confused.
Just how many Awakeners the Empire had originally prepared was known only to the Queen, the Deep Divers, and a few other key figures.
From what this Deep Sea Lord was saying, the Empire had actually prepared over four thousand!
But then why had most of the awakened ones turned out to be Swirl Warriors?
As if reading his confusion, Lin’s mother put on a perfectly serious face and began spouting nonsense with absolute conviction: “With greater power comes greater responsibility. To cross over tens of thousands of years—perhaps even several entire epochs of civilization—requires an enormous amount of energy. As nobles, it’s only natural that we bear this duty.”
Drew was deeply moved!
This was the kind of lord their Shentao Empire had! The respect and admiration they received—they truly deserved every bit of it.
After successfully farming a wave of prestige, Lin’s mother dismissed Drew.
Three days later, the Outlets Grand Hotel welcomed a massive wave of Shentao Empire Awakeners.
Among them was a tycoon who, with a wave of his hand, booked out the entire hotel. “You hotel staff must ensure that our conference proceeds without a hitch. No outsiders are allowed inside.”
“Understood.”
There weren’t any particularly untouchable big shots staying at the Outlets Hotel anyway.
Ever since the Zerg crisis first erupted, those powerful figures who could command the winds and rains had all fled long ago.
After compensating the guests, the original bookers were more than happy to check out.
“Who is it? They’re splurging like crazy.”
“They’re the prophets of the Neptune Cult. Word is they’re holding a very important meeting here.”
“Then let’s get out of here, fast.”
In the eyes of Federation citizens who didn’t follow the faith, the Neptune Cult was nothing but a bunch of fanatics—top to bottom, rigidly hierarchical to a terrifying degree.
Guests filed out one after another, while a dazzling array of hovercars lined up in front of the hotel.
Hundreds of prophets stood respectfully at the entrance, with the tycoon who’d bought out the entire hotel taking the very first spot.
The seven Deep Sea Lords walked right past them, utterly unbothered, and strode into the hotel under the prophets’ watchful gazes.
“I can say with 100% certainty that the Federation’s Chu Huaizhi is the Chosen One. The First Ring has already become his personal domain. We could easily take control of the Fifth Ring through the Neptune Cult and use that as leverage to negotiate with him.”
“I’m leaning more toward the Empire side. Their customs and culture are a better fit for us. With that Baishide guy around, the Human Empire isn’t being pushed back by the Zerg the way the Federation is.”
“So are you supporting the Traditionalists or the Reformists?”
One of the lords curled his lip in disgust. “What difference does it make to us? Whoever shows more sincerity—that’s who we’ll work with.”
Another lord, a short fellow with blue makeup, tried to mediate. “Alright, alright. We have that person with us.”
And that person’s decision would be the collective decision for all of them.
That said, what the seven lords were really thinking in their hearts—well, who could say?
Any lingering doubts about Lin’s mother’s identity evaporated the moment they laid eyes on her.
The poise, the bearing, the presence!
Yes! This was exactly it!
Lin’s mother unceremoniously took the seat of honor and stated matter-of-factly, “Time is tight. Our Shentao Empire has only awakened just over four hundred people—far below expectations. That puts us in a very passive position.”
The hall fell dead silent, everyone listening intently.
Lin’s mother continued: “Ordinary citizens don’t know this, but as lords, you should all be aware that this era has a Chosen One. If we want to survive, we must follow that Chosen One.”
The other lords nodded in agreement. That was right. This was insider knowledge known only to lords and above.
Lin’s mother spoke in a tone that brooked no argument: “I’ve already done my research. We choose Lin Xiaohe.”
What?!
A buzz of excited chatter broke out. Lin Xiaohe was fairly well-known in the Federation, but mostly for all the wrong reasons.
“Lin Xiaohe? Wasn’t she exiled to the Dark Zone? Why her?”
“Her individual combat ability isn’t bad—better than the average Seabed Lord—but she’s just one person!”
The Awakeners discussed among themselves, but none dared to voice outright dissent.
The Seabed Lords—who ranked only half a level below Lin’s mother—couldn’t help but speak up: “Why not Chu Huaizhi? His sphere of influence is much broader, and he has divine assistance—he’s got better odds.”
“What about the Human Empire’s Baishide? He’s the Zerg’s representative over there.”
Lin’s mother’s lips tightened, and her gaze grew heavy. “Are you questioning me?”
“We wouldn’t dare.” They said the words, but their faces were full of defiance.
Lin’s mother rose to her feet, looking down at them, and said with deep meaning: “Because this is the will of the Queen and the Deep Divers.”
Whenever stuck, just push it onto the Queen and the Deep Divers.
And sure enough, the Awakeners were hoodwinked. They were awestruck by the Queen and Deep Divers’ far-sightedness.
They’d even foreseen who the Chosen One would be!
Incredible!
Through a mix of bluster and deception, Lin’s mother successfully rallied the Shentao Empire’s Awakeners onto Lin Xiaohe’s ship.
After the meeting ended, Lin’s mother immediately contacted Lin Xiaohe and told her to send a ship to pick everyone up: “Besides the Awakeners, many cult followers are coming along too.”
Jiuzhou Star was more than large enough to accommodate them all.
Lin’s mother added: “We love the ocean. Jiuzhou Star’s geography is perfect for us.”
Ordinary humans could live on land, while the Awakeners could settle in the oceans—no interference between the two.
Lin Xiaohe gave her mom a huge mental thumbs-up. As expected of the novelist who could even fool the Deep Divers! Conning a few hundred people was a walk in the park for her.
Compared to Lin’s mother, the progress on Grandpa Lin and Grandma Lin’s end wasn’t going so smoothly.
“We’ve made contact with them, but aside from Ciwu, Nishan, and Mayan, most of them aren’t willing to come over. They trust Chu Huaizhi more.”
There were over two thousand Awakeners among the Wu Clan, and nearly all of them chose Chu Huaizhi. Only the Awakeners who were reincarnations of the Sacred Stele Guardians—around thirty or so—chose Lin Xiaohe, and that was purely out of respect for her connection to Mu.
Lin Xiaohe felt a heavy weight settle in her chest. Two of the six-party talks had already collapsed!
In the end, it all came down to her own lack of strength—she just wasn’t giving people enough hope for success.
