"Next up on the football channel, and first, a preview for the Little Thirteenth Changzhou versus Nanjing match—"
The content playing on the TV was the usual broadcast.
Ordinary people, unrelated to the hidden world, watched the news and headed to their workplaces with their usual mindset.
The anomalous lunar eclipse that occurred a few nights ago was still mentioned by experts on various regional TV stations in their "scientific explanations" and "debunkings," however, it was quickly replaced in popularity by more eye-catching entertainment gossip.
Deep within Fangshan, on the Eastern Continent. Lu Yinghua, acting as proxy for the Martial King Luo Hao, looked at the compiled external intelligence and was largely satisfied with the current outcome.
Most of the unrest and commotion had been quietly suppressed by their faction, once again confirming: even large-scale incidents, to a certain extent, could always have their impact controlled within acceptable limits, provided they were managed through official channels.
The real trouble lay in the United Kingdom, which served as the battlefield. Right now, the Godslayer Alexander Gascoigne and the Council of Sages must be tearing their hair out, right?
To merely pacify the populace with a celestial phenomenon like a "total lunar eclipse" for the world-shaking anomaly from Christmas Eve was far too feeble and pale.
"So, that Emperor of the Land of Wa has already slain the descended Earth Mother God," said the woman sitting with one leg crossed over the other in the thatched hut. She let out a disdainful chuckle.
"Those Emperors of the Southern Seas are nothing but trifles, not worth mentioning. They can't even protect their own countries without outsiders."
Her face was as refined as jade, her standing posture as graceful as a folded lotus bud, and her lustrous black hair, comparable to silk, was braided. She appeared to be around seventeen or eighteen. She wore a white female Hanfu. This was the serene figure of the maiden sitting in the thatched hut.
In terms of pure beauty, she might have been the greatest beauty in the human world.
But Lu Yinghua, at the moment he heard her voice, immediately flopped down to his knees on the ground, striking his head against the earth and crying out in joyful praise: "The name of the wise and brave Holy Matriarch shall endure as long as heaven and earth, never perishing through eternity. Your martial might is boundless, and your wisdom and benevolence shine across all lands. Your disciple, Lu Yinghua, wishes you an eternity of prosperity, Master!"
Luo Hao slightly furrowed her brows. "Flattery is not the conduct befitting a martial artist, Yinghua. If you were to dedicate all your energy to the martial arts, perhaps you would have long since attained the realm of Nirvana."
Lu Yinghua grumbled inwardly. As for his Master's words, he could only treat them as meaningless noise. If he truly praised her too slowly, he would only be struck by a 'Great Strength Vajra Palm' descending from the heavens, leaving him half-paralyzed.
Her surname was Luo, given name Liulian, courtesy name Hao.
She who reigned at the pinnacle of martial arts, the Supreme Matriarch of the Five Peaks Holy Cult, the Martial King of Jiangnan, Huaxia, and moreover, the sworn enemy of the Marquis Voban, Sasha Dejanstahl.
Within East Asia, at least thirty percent of capable individuals and eccentric adepts in Chinese martial arts and mysticism pledged allegiance to her, declared their loyalty, and obeyed her every command.
If one were to select the most tyrannical monarch in this world, most magicians would likely vote for Marquis Voban. However, only a select few knew that the Martial King Luo Hao's tyranny was no less, if not even greater, than Voban's.
Fortunately, she usually secluded herself deep in the mountains to cultivate the Heavenly Way (developing Authority), thus, unlike Marquis Voban, she did not cause turmoil among various nations.
As her thoughts drifted, Luo Hao's gaze seemed to pierce through the thatched hut and settled upon the distant Land of Wa in the East. "Speaking of which," her clear, cold voice resounded once more, "the time for that Horse-Keeper God from the Western Heavenly Palace, whose seal is loosening, is approaching again, isn't it?"
Lu Yinghua sensed the sharp aura emanating from his Master and quickly replied, "Master's discerning eyes are truly like torches! In just four months, it will be the time of turmoil for the Monkey God King."
The last time she fought against him was a century ago. Luo Hao shut her eyes. "Order it so. No matter what, that plague-bringing monkey cannot remain sealed on the Land of Wa any longer."
"As you command, Holy Matriarch!" Lu Yinghua bowed deeply and then quietly withdrew from the thatched hut. As he departed, this small thatched hut deep within Mount Lu returned to the tranquil silence of utter stillness.
"Happy New Year," Seiya greeted with a cupped-hand salute.
"Happy New Year, Seiya!"
With the new year, Seiya successively received New Year greetings, as per custom, from various factions within the country beneath his feet. At the same time, he also received external diplomatic missions' congratulations, including the Bronze Black Cross from Naples, the Council of Sages from London, England, the Royal Mining Guild, the Southern European Alliance, and the Western Five Peaks Holy Cult?
The Five Peaks Holy Cult. Information about this behemoth rapidly flashed through Seiya's mind: behind it stood none other than the Martial King of Huaxia, the Martial King Luo Hao.
Legend had it that she was born in the 60th year of the Qianlong Emperor's reign, and at her birth, strange phenomena appeared in the sky. She was then hailed as a Holy Maiden by a secret religious society at the time, which sought to overthrow the Qing dynasty and restore the Ming.
And she lived up to her name as the 'Heavenly Chosen,' astonishing the world with her unparalleled martial arts talent, unmatched through the ages.
However, on the day her God-power came to full fruition, she did not rise up as those old geezers had hoped, but instead turned around and slaughtered every single one of the Holy Cult's high-ranking members who had tried to manipulate her.
Subsequently, she used thunderous methods to consolidate the entire martial arts world, proclaiming herself the Five Peaks Holy Cult.
Although she was once denounced by the orthodox martial arts sects as the Five Peaks Demonic Cult, after she crushed every single so-called martial arts hero who dared to challenge her, the character 'Demonic' was naturally replaced by 'Holy'.
"Oho," Seiya said, looking at the brief description in the document, and couldn't help but whistle. "This experience… it's practically like the Unrivaled East taking over the world."
However, Seiya was certain that he had no prior connection with this colossal power far in the West. This sudden congratulatory gift felt strange, but he didn't pay it too much mind. After all, from now until mid-year, it should be a relatively peaceful period. Even if a Disobedient God descends, it would be the Battle Goddess Kali, who appears in India as Wet-Tears' Wheat, and he wouldn't snatch the old Wolf King's prey this time.
At this time, Stella was focused on the Western Continent's football league. She and the netizen she had just been arguing with had placed bets against each other. She bet on Changzhou, while the other party supported Nanjing. The discussions about One Piece's power levels wouldn't conclude anytime soon, but this match would yield a result very quickly.
"You absolutely have to win, Changzhou! Show that clueless jerk on the other side what's what!" Stella clenched her fist.
"You could totally use your Authority to influence this match," Seiya said without looking up.
"Then it would be like activating a game trainer or something, and I'd lose all the fun," Stella shrugged. "You, who are always undefeated, wouldn't understand at all."
"Well, I haven't always been undefeated, have I...?" Seiya then recalled a friend he had made, Verethragna, or more precisely, his adolescent incarnation. In those three contests, he had won two and lost one, but as long as he secured the final victory, that was all that mattered.
Actually, Stella had always been observing Seiya's condition, because she was well aware of the troubles she carried.
The white-armed Goddess Hera, and the Goddess of Retribution, Nemesis, who pursued her karmic consequences, would sooner or later find her whereabouts. By that time, she would still have to rely on this guy, Seiya, to fight against them, as well as the potentially appearing War Goddess Athena.
"Oh right, how's your Athena doing?" Stella finally asked the question she had been wanting to ask all along.
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