Chapter 1067: Imperial Senate

At first, hearing that Lei En wanted to establish an Imperial Intelligence Bureau answerable only to the Emperor, the Holy Soul Wizards and the Empire's councilors were all startled.

Everyone was familiar with such intelligence agencies; the Empire once had one called the "Aurein's Hand".

This "hand" was stained with countless bloodshed, created numerous wrongful cases, and was notoriously infamous; from Imperial officials down to ordinary civilians, all harbored deep hatred for it. In the first year after the Supreme Council was founded, Aurein's Hand was disbanded.

Now the Emperor wants to rebuild one!

Although the name suggests it isn't the kind of agency that does the Emperor's dirty work, who can guarantee it won't degenerate later?

The first thought of the crowd was to oppose it; such an ungovernable department must not reappear!

But before anyone could speak, Lei En continued.

"Imperial Senate!"

"It wields immense power, surpassing the Imperial Council!"

Hearing Lei En's two descriptions, a sparkle lit the eyes of the Holy Soul Wizards, and the Empire's councilors grew excited, wondering if the Emperor was establishing another Supreme Council to share his authority.

Everyone's attention was drawn to the Senate, and no one cared about the Imperial Intelligence Bureau any longer.

Lei En, sensing the shift in everyone's thoughts, smiled to himself.

As expected, when personal interests are at stake, no one cares about anything else; he announced the Imperial Intelligence Bureau together with the creation of the Senate, so if they wish to join the Senate they must all agree to establish the three institutions, losing any ground to oppose.

The crowd exchanged glances, none willing to speak.

Finally, the aloof Anxiwodasi stood up and asked, "Lei En, could you explain the Imperial Senate in detail? Everyone is very interested."

Lei En had not consulted anyone beforehand, so Anxiwodasi was also unaware of the details.

In fact, since Lei En became Emperor, he has never seriously discussed matters with his teachers; all policies are considered and decided by him alone.

"Very well, Master."

Lei En smiled, "Ladies and gentlemen, you may think of the Imperial Senate as a higher‑level Imperial Council, possessing greater power, higher status, more glory and prestige," he paused, his expression turning solemn, "and, moreover, heavier responsibility!"

Everyone below listened attentively, their faces growing serious.

"Each Imperial Elder may at any time audience the Emperor and submit suggestions on any internal or external affairs of the Empire—that is the right of counsel."

"Imperial Elders hold supervisory, investigative, and impeachment authority over officials and councilors of all ranks—that is the right of oversight."

"When the Emperor requires, an Imperial Elder will receive formal commission to act as the Emperor's envoy, touring provincial cities within the Empire; to travel abroad representing the Emperor in diplomatic affairs; and even to lead Imperial troops in battle."

Each right Lei En enumerated made the listeners' eyes shine a little brighter.

The right of counsel, the right of oversight, the Emperor's envoy!

Combined, these three rights indeed grant Imperial Elders greater power than Imperial councilors, yet they still fall far short of the Supreme Council.

The Emperor may not adopt an Elder's suggestion;

they can supervise officials, but not the Emperor himself;

and serving as envoy is even less certain, as the Emperor can lend that authority temporarily and revoke it with a single word.

The Senate stands above the Imperial Council, while the Emperor stands above the Senate; the Empire remains the Emperor's empire, ruled by his sole dictatorship.

Thus the Holy Soul Wizards' reactions were muted; only a few dozen Imperial councilors truly yearned for the Senate.

However, Lei En's target is the Holy Soul Wizards.

Since the dissolution of the Supreme Council, how to deal with the Holy Soul Wizards has been his primary concern.

They possess great power; several of them even station themselves in Fu Kong Cheng, enjoying immense prestige among the common folk, and the Supreme Council's influence cannot be entirely erased for a time. Moreover, each is a genius capable of standing alone, their wisdom and creations profoundly shaping the Empire and even altering the entire Prime Material Plane.

Gathered together, a dozen‑plus Holy Soul Wizards could form a strategic force; of course it must not be wasted nor left unchecked.

It would be best to harness them for oneself!

Thus, Lei En conceived the establishment of the Imperial Senate.

The three rights above hold little appeal for Holy Soul Wizards; he had anticipated this, smiled, and calmly said, "Masters, I understand you have little interest in becoming Elders, so within the scope of what I can achieve, I will give the Elders the highest treatment."

"First,"

Lei En extended a single finger, "Each Imperial Elder will receive an annual salary of five hundred thousand Gold Shields."

As soon as the words fell, a few gasps rose from below.

Five hundred thousand Gold Shields a year!

Across the Empire, there are hardly any positions that pay such a high salary; regardless of rank, five hundred thousand Gold Shields is no small sum.

Many of the Imperial councilors present did not even possess five hundred thousand Gold Shields, so they were astonished.

And it's an annual salary, payable every year!

Suddenly, the less‑wealthy councilors' eyes reddened. Ouroin Master, Prophet Medif, and Howai Master—three who are habitually poor and recently incurred massive debt building Fu Kong Cheng—were instantly tempted.

At five hundred thousand Gold Shields a year, they could clear their debts in just a hundred years.

Even the relatively wealthy Holy Soul Wizards felt a pang of envy, especially Duke Silver Star, who was truly impoverished.

Anxiwodasi and KeLuonuoManSe were also quite moved; although they possess Fu Kong Cheng, cultivating sect Wizards there costs daily expenses, and a fixed income of five hundred thousand Gold Shields a year could alleviate a considerable amount of pressure.

Sabbath Dean also wished to increase revenue to ease BrewotzAcademy's financial strain.

Lei En offered only one condition, and most Holy Soul Wizards were swayed.

He couldn't help but exclaim again, "Money can make ghosts turn the mill!"

The power of cash is so useful!

"The salary of Imperial Elders is paid from the treasury, so you need not worry about unpaid wages; I will have the finance officer earmark this sum each year."

Lei En made a light joke and continued, "Secondly, anyone who joins the Imperial Senate will receive an 'Elder Seal Ring' as a symbol of status."

Hearing it was merely a status symbol, the Holy Soul Wizards were unimpressed.

Then they saw Lei En produce a magical ring, levitating before everyone; its magical aura was subtle, yet could not escape the keen eyes of the Holy Soul Wizards.

"Legend Grade magical item!"

KangJieladeGreatSage was startled.

All eyes fixed on the ring; it shone brilliantly as if forged of gold, its band smooth, the inner side engraved with countless fine runes, the face broad like a seal, bearing a conspicuous emblem of a war hammer crossed with a crescent moon—the Augustus family crest—and each of the four corners bore intricate double‑headed eagles. The entire ring was lavish and noble, unmistakably a masterpiece.

Legend Grade!

The Empire's senators stared straight ahead; many of them were seeing a Legend Grade magical item for the first time, and it was a relatively rare piece of jewelry among Legend Grade items.

Generally, magical items such as rings, badges, brooches and necklaces—jewelry—have higher value than armor weapons of the same grade.

Because jewelry is small in size, harder to craft, and scarce, yet one can wear multiple pieces.

Silver Star Title: Duke observed the Elder Seal Ring, feeling it was somewhat familiar.

Storm Queen felt the same, her eyes blazing, and she asked impatiently, "Your Majesty, what effect does the Elder Seal Ring carry?"

"It can accelerate casting, effective on Nine-ring Technique from level one to nine, but the boost diminishes; for a Nine-ring Technique it can accelerate by at most half a second."

Lei En spoke modestly, but the Holy Soul Wizards' eyes lit up.

Half‑second acceleration on a Nine-ring Technique—so useful!

Saint Rank casters have mastered many spells, but in battle—especially for Twenty‑to‑Thirty-level casters—only three or five Nine-ring Techniques can actually be employed; most spells remain below Nine-ring, not because they refuse, but because Nine-ring Techniques are too slow to cast.

Do not underestimate a brief half‑second; for some Holy Soul Wizards, that half‑second gap can make several Nine-ring Techniques fire instantly!

Lei En was, of course, well aware of this.

He smiled and continued, "The Elder Seal Ring includes a Thirty-level dimensional space of thirty cubic meters, and is enchanted with three spells: the Eight-ring 'Time Flashback', the Seven-ring 'Spell Nullification Barrier', and the Six-ring 'Mind Leap'."

"Time Flashback needs no further introduction; although it is only Eight-ring and can flash back at most four seconds, two seconds shorter than a Nine-ring, it fires instantly, with a cooldown of only one hour, making it crucial in battle."

"Mind Leap can be triggered three times per day."

"The Spell Nullification Barrier tops out at Seven-ring, but the Elder Seal Ring's barrier is constant, able to activate up to twelve times within half an hour."

At this point, Lei En's face showed a hint of pride.

The Spell Nullification Barrier is a well‑known protective spell; its power is less than that of an Anti-Magic Ray field, and its principle differs, but it is easier to master.

When this spell is cast on oneself, it can suppress spells one ring lower.

The Seven-ring Spell Nullification Barrier suppresses rings one through six; it is not a field, only activating when an enemy's spell hits the wearer, nullifying the spell. Moreover, the barrier has a limited number of triggers—each spell consumes one use.

Normally, the Seven-ring Spell Nullification Barrier can activate four times, but the Elder Seal Ring triples that trigger count!

Twelve spells are required to pierce the barrier.

Of course, it is useless against spells above Six-ring, but in many battles low‑ring spells can be deadly, especially for Naiser sect Wizards, who love using instantly‑cast low‑ring spells to showcase their superior casting wisdom.

As long as one wears the Elder Seal Ring, a Saint Rank powerhouse is almost impossible to be overturned by a low‑ring spell.

Non‑casting transcendent beings who wear it have greater confidence when facing casters.

The Empire's senators' eyes were filled with fervor.

In fact, even without other factors, the thirty‑cubic‑meter dimensional space made their eyes redden; a typical epic‑grade dimensional‑space ring is worth tens of thousands of Gold Shields but holds only one cubic meter, whereas the Elder Seal Ring's space is thirty times larger!

However, that was not the end.

Lei En added, "In addition, the Elder Seal Ring has a spell‑storage slot that can hold a Nine-ring Technique for instant swapping. Of course, storing spells below Nine-ring is also fine; it depends entirely on the Elders' preferences."

He pointed at the ring before him and said, "I have stored an Anti-Magic Ray in this ring."

As he spoke, the hovering Elder Seal Ring was activated.

A transparent ray burst forth instantly, flying over everyone's heads and striking the ground at the entrance of Rike Palace, leaving no trace; the ray vanished, yet all present saw it clearly, trembling with fear.

Sure enough, it was an Anti-Magic Ray—instant Nine-ring!

"Truly Legend Grade!"

KangJieladeGreatSage exclaimed in admiration, curiously asking, "Your Majesty, did you create the Elder Seal Ring?"

"Of course."

Lei En nodded; the Elder Seal Ring is actually a 'synthesis' product from the Pixel World workbench, modeled after Reslin's Crimson Seal Ring. After years of trial, they finally obtained a stable material formula and produced the first Legend Grade magical item.

For Holy Soul Wizards, accelerating casting is paramount.

Although the Elder Seal Ring's acceleration is only half that of the Crimson Seal Ring—just half a second—and it has two fewer enchanted spells, the added dimensional space, three spells, and one storage slot together make its value no less than the Crimson Seal Ring.

Among transcendent beings below Saint Rank, and among non‑casters, the Elder Seal Ring is perceived as even more valuable and attractive.

"The Elder Seal Ring is worth at least five million Gold Shields!"

Silver Star Title: Duke could not help but rise.

She finally recalled why the Elder Seal Ring looked so familiar—it was very similar to the Crimson Seal Ring she had traded to Lei En, a magical ring she had worn for centuries, forced to give up in helplessness.

If she could obtain an Elder Seal Ring, it would barely count as compensation.

Storm Queen was also covetous; with the Elder Seal Ring, her four Nine-ring Techniques could fire instantly, greatly boosting her power!

Other Holy Soul Wizards were also stirred.

Among the dozens of Empire senators present, most were legendary transcendent beings, including over a dozen legendary Wizards; each stared at the Elder Seal Ring, eyes flashing with longing, yet they knew their chances of obtaining it were extremely slim, feeling a huge disappointment.

"Your Majesty!"

Dean Margarita of the Elartusa Wizard Academy rose, her voluptuous, enchanting figure turning toward the Elder Seal Ring as she cooed, "The Elder Council must have many Elders, Your Majesty; could you provide each Elder with an Elder Seal Ring?"

"Of course, no problem."

Lei En raised his hand and waved; instantly, a row of radiant golden magical rings materialized, each identical, spreading before the crowd.

The brilliance of the Legend Grade magical items dazzled everyone's gaze.

A quick count revealed a full twenty‑five!

"These..." a legendary Wizard nearly leapt, trembling, "All are Elder Seal Rings, Legend Grade!"

The Holy Soul Wizards were also stunned by the grand gesture, their breaths catching.

Twenty‑five Legend Grade magical rings total roughly 125 million Gold Shields, more expensive than their Fu Kong Cheng! Even more astonishing was how Lei En managed to gather so many rare materials and mass‑produce Elder Seal Rings.

The Empire's senators stared at the magical rings, eyes unblinking, breathing growing heavier.

They realized one thing.

Only a dozen or so Holy Soul Wizards and Grand Mages were present, yet there were twenty‑five Elder Seal Rings, indicating that Your Majesty's Imperial Elder Council is not limited to Holy Soul Wizards; any Saint Rank powerhouse, even legendary transcendent beings, can join the Elder Council!

Now they have a chance to obtain an Elder Seal Ring!

The emperor's voice sounded again, echoing in the palace, buzzing in people's minds: "The number of seats in the Imperial Senate is fixed, a total of twenty-five, unrestricted by strength, origin, age, gender, or race; any imperial legislator has the chance to enter the Senate."

However, Imperial Elders are not life-term; each term lasts twenty years.

After the term ends, the Imperial Parliament conducts a vote to elect twenty new Elders for the next term.

The remaining five Elders are appointed by the emperor.

Those who serve five consecutive terms as Imperial Elders, perform outstandingly, and render great service to the Empire will have the chance to receive a Star Destroyer as an award, in recognition of the Elders' contributions!

Lei En slowly voiced his idea.

The palace was silent, yet the atmosphere became intensely fervent, as if it were about to ignite.

(End of chapter)