Stronger with Crimson Modifier

Chapter 210 - 207: Legacy of a Civilization

At this moment, the vast, circular hall was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Thousands of gazes converged.

Among these gazes were curiosity and scrutiny, but most of all, a deep-seated reverence.

Everyone who could be here was a council member of the Federation.

They were the elites who had clawed their way up from a population of tens of billions in the Xia Federation to stand at the very pinnacle of power.

They naturally knew of the power of Secret Martial Artists.

Some council members had even cultivated Secret Martial Arts themselves. However, having spent too much energy in other areas to reach their current positions, and with their advanced age causing their Qi and Blood to decline, most of them were stuck in the Qi Blood Realm. Only a select few had broken through to the Martial Arts Family level.

As for Refining God Venerables, they understood the power of that level better than anyone.

In the more than two hundred years since the Xia Federation’s founding, it had not been without its threats.

For example, decades ago, seven or eight small nations refused to submit to the Xia Federation’s rule. They banded together, developed nuclear weapons, and attempted to use these weapons of mass destruction to stand against the Federation.

However, the very night this news was released, a Refining God Venerable took action, forcibly wiping the nations containing those launch silos off the map.

And "wiping" was meant in the most literal sense. It was as if an invisible, giant hand had descended from the sky, smashing the buildings and the people living within them into the ground.

Even when some people realized what was happening and tried to detonate the nukes to take everyone down with them, it was strangely useless, as if some invisible interference was at play.

As for the technicians, they simply stood frozen in a stupor until they were turned into piles of pulp.

When the outcome of this event was revealed, it completely stunned the entire Earth Star. From that day on, no fool ever dared to challenge the will of the Xia Federation again.

...

Hu Qi’s expression remained impassive, ignoring the stares around him.

His gaze swept over the figures seated around him.

In the interim, he had gained a general understanding of the Federation’s entire structure and the appearances of the leaders of the Seven Upper-tier Schools.

Aside from Eirilson, who was only at the Martial Arts Family level and had been chosen to preside over matters, the other Speakers were all leaders of their respective Upper-tier Schools.

Among the seven, Hu Qi had already met three of them last time: Xuanqing, Shi Xiao, and Li Xianyu.

As for the remaining four, this was the first time he had seen them.

From left to right, the first was a tall, burly, and hairless man. He sat like an iron tower, and his body seemed to emit a powerful electrostatic field.

Next to him was a person completely shrouded in a grey robe. They wore a featureless black mask, and an earthy-yellow spider was embroidered on their robe, giving them a mysterious and strange air.

The third was a gaunt, elderly monk in a golden kasaya. He wore a string of red Buddha Beads around his neck, and his entire being exuded an air of ancientness and deathly stillness, as if he could pass into nirvana at any moment.

The last was a stunningly beautiful young matron in a purple dress. With her slender waist and full hips, she was like a ripe peach, exuding an astonishing charm.

’Lei Bao, Sect Leader of Thunder Gate; Thick Spider, Sect Leader of Earth God Hall; Wang Jing, Sect Leader of the Golden Buddha Temple; and Meng Ke, Sect Leader of Mengyu Pavilion.’

Information about each of them flashed through Hu Qi’s mind.

’Among the seven, aside from the inscrutable Xuanqing, only the old monk from the Golden Buddha Temple and the gray-robed person from Earth God Hall give me a sense of threat.’

’For that to happen, the two of them have to be at least in the Dharma Realm, and it’s even possible they’ve reached the Divine Image Realm.’

’As for Lei Bao and Meng Ke, although their strength is considerable, they seem rather ordinary in comparison.’

"First of all, it’s a pleasure to see you all. Furthermore, today we are joined by a new Speaker. Please give a warm welcome to Speaker Helinta of the Shexin Sect..."

Eirilson spoke in a deep voice, seeing that everyone had arrived.

As a member of the Martial Arts Family, his Qi and Blood were abundant and his voice was sonorous. Amplified by the microphone, it clearly reached the ears of everyone present.

As he spoke, his gaze fell on Hu Qi, and he led the applause.

As all eyes turned to him, Hu Qi’s expression remained unchanged. He simply nodded without saying anything.

Seeing this, Eirilson gained a rough understanding of Hu Qi’s personality. He immediately smiled and moved the topic along.

"Alright, the 137th Federal Council meeting will now officially begin..."

Hu Qi sat to the side, quietly listening.

At first, Eirilson spoke about important internal decisions the Xia Federation faced in the course of its development.

As the most powerful Overlord Level force on Earth Star, the Xia Federation’s actions could have enormous repercussions, in some ways influencing the entire course of human development on the planet’s surface.

These types of issues were generally decided by a vote among the many council members.

The mechanism used was: for general issues, a simple majority was needed to pass, meaning more than half the votes had to be in favor.

Important issues required a two-thirds majority to pass.

It was worth noting that the above rules only applied to the council members.

The several Speakers, on the other hand, possessed the right to veto these decisions with a single vote.

Of course, under normal circumstances, it was rare for a Speaker to proactively interfere.

After about half an hour of voting, just as Hu Qi was starting to get impatient...