Chapter 39: Refusing the Crown: The Dawn of the Three Kings Era

Melo Heavenly Court, Supreme Council Chamber.

The scent of war and gunpowder no longer lingered here; it was replaced by a heavy, almost solid solemnity.

Two hundred years ago, the raging torrents of the Angry Sea devoured the foundations of the Heavenly Palace Order, fundamentally altering the destiny of the angelic civilization.

One hundred years ago, alongside Hua Ye's perhaps reluctant abdication proclamation in the Edict of Self-Accusation, the curtain rose on the "Grand Trials of Justice," dragging the sins and filth of the Heavenly Palace era into the harsh light to be reckoned with before the eyes of billions of angels.

Now, the lingering echoes of the trial bell had finally dissipated, leaving behind a galaxy in urgent need of reshaping and a civilization standing at the crossroads of power and responsibility.

In the center of the council chamber, a massive holographic star map spun in silence, charting the vast territories that now entirely fell under Melo's banner.

The starlight illuminated the faces of the three queens, outlining the subtle currents of energy between them.

Kesha sat upright in the primary seat, her long golden hair cascading with a cold brilliance that mirrored the star map.

Her posture was straight, her expression calm, yet deep within those profound blue eyes settled an inescapable exhaustion and a far deeper contemplation.

After countless years of warfare and the trials that followed peace, she had used her peerless prestige and iron fist to thrust female angels from the ranks of the oppressed to the pinnacle of civilization.

In this lifetime, she had accomplished only two greatest deeds.

The first was the annihilation of Hua Ye, the King of Heaven and oppressor of their kind, along with his wicked Heavenly Palace clique, placing all power into the hands of female angels so they could master their own destinies from this day forward.

The second was driving the most powerful angel of their civilization, the greatest accomplice to the Heavenly Palace Order, the undefeated He Feng, to the ends of the universe, banishing him from this realm.

She was the undisputed Supreme Commander, the only entity in the hearts of billions of female angels at this moment worthy of bearing the crown of the "Queen of Angels."

She needed only to slightly lower her head, and the crown symbolizing supreme authority would naturally rest upon her golden hair.

Liang Bing sat to Kesha's right, fires not yet fully subsided burning in her brown eyes. In the Battle of the Angry Sea, she had been the vanguard; in the Grand Trials, she had employed thunderous methods to dispose of countless "scum of heaven."

The sharp aura of battlefield slaughter still clung to her, alongside an almost blind reverence for her elder sister. "Kesha," her voice broke the silence, carrying a trace of urgency, "all our sisters outside are waiting! Waiting for their 'Queen of Angels' to be crowned!"

"The trials are over, the shadows of the heavenly scum have been driven away, the universe is crystal clear. This is precisely the time for us to pool our strength and forge an eternal golden age!"

"What are you still waiting for?"

"Aside from you, who else is fit to sit upon that throne?"

Her gaze swept across the star map, as if she could already foresee the brilliantly radiant future of the angelic civilization under Kesha's rule.

He Xi sat to Kesha's left, her silver hair appearing as though stardust had congealed within it.

Her eyelids were lowered slightly, her slender fingers unconsciously tracing an ancient metal ring—one of the lingering relics left behind by He Zhangliang.

Her silence formed a sharp contrast to Liang Bing's passion. The starlight cast faint shadows across her delicate profile, making it impossible to discern the churning emotions deep within her eyes.

Was it the lingering pain brought by her brother He Feng's escape into the unknown universe?

Was it anxiety over the yet-unhealed scars of war?

Or was it speculation regarding Kesha's abnormal silence at this moment?

No one knew.

She merely existed quietly, like a piece of secret silver absorbing all light.

Kesha's gaze slowly swept across the two sisters who had fought shoulder to shoulder and shared life and death, finally fixing upon the radiant star at the center of the map representing Melo Heavenly Court.

She spoke, her voice not loud, yet it clearly penetrated every corner of the council chamber, carrying a strange weight that instantly suppressed the residual excitement in Liang Bing's words.

"Fit?" The corners of Kesha's lips curved into an extremely faint, almost imperceptible arc—not one of self-satisfaction, but rather a bitter self-derision.

"Liang Bing, tell me, what is the standard of fitness? Military merit? Power? Or... that unquestionable authority built upon power which we only just overthrew with our own hands?"

Liang Bing startled, clearly not expecting Kesha to retort in such a manner. "Sister, this is different! We represent justice!"

"We overthrew tyranny! You are the leader who led us toward victory and freedom!"

She attempted to emphasize the righteousness of Kesha's actions.

"Justice... leader..." Kesha softly repeated the two terms, her gaze seeming to pierce through the star map to behold that black figure who had led the remnant forces and defiantly charged at her on the battlefield of the Angry Sea.

"Indeed, we overthrew Hua Ye's Heavenly Palace Order because it was oppressive, corrupt, and reduced female angels to playthings and vassals."

"We established a new order because it pursued peace, freedom, and the protection of vulnerable lives."

"This is good; this is our conviction, the meaning for which we shed our blood in battle."

Her voice paused, and when it resumed, it carried an unprecedented heaviness: "However, Liang Bing, He Xi, have you ever considered whether Hua Ye... was he truly from the beginning an image of a pure tyrant when he ascended the throne?"

This question fell like a cold stone into a calm lake. Liang Bing furrowed her brow tightly, and He Xi's fingers stopped tracing the ring.

Kesha did not wait for an answer; her gaze grew distant, as if tracing back along a history blurred by warfare and hatred.

"When the previous Angel King, Hua Que, passed away and Hua Ye first ascended the throne, the angelic civilization was fractured among contending lords, each ruling their own domains. The civilizational map was shattered, and internal friction was ceaseless."

"At that time, Hua Ye also strove with fierce ambition and displayed extraordinary boldness."

"It was he who launched the 'War of Great Unification,' knitting the scattered sand of the angelic civilization back together and planting the banner of the Angel King in every corner of our realm."

"At that time, did he lack achievements? Was he not viewed by a portion of angels as hope?"

Silence filled the council chamber. Liang Bing wished to refute, but was momentarily left speechless.

A complex gleam flashed through He Xi's silver eyes, seemingly recalling those deliberately forgotten fragments from the dawn of the "Heavenly Palace Order" that were not quite so dark.

"What do the peak of power and the absolute concentration of authority bring?"

Kesha's voice suddenly turned chillingly cold, like quenched ice. "It corrodes the human heart, blinds the eyes, intoxicates one with the illusion of controlling everything, and ultimately... leads back down Hua Ye's path!"

"Extravagance, debauchery, cruelty, and stubborn self-opinion!"

"Viewing others as mere blades of grass, treating rules as playthings!"

"Because he is the rule, he is the order!"

"No one can counterbalance him, no one dares to question him!"

"This is the poison of absolute power!"

Kesha's gaze was sharp as a blade, sweeping across Liang Bing and He Xi. "I, Kesha, standing here today, am adorned with supreme merit and matchless prestige."

"If I were to be crowned Queen of Angels, how would you, and every archangel and high angel present here, treat me?"

"Would it be like He Feng and the others treated Hua Ye, falling silent in terror even when witnessing his senile cruelty simply because 'the King's decree cannot be disobeyed'?"

"Or would it be like Kesha in the Hofmann territory of old, casting aside all dignity for the sake of a loved one's life, kneeling at the feet of absolute power, weeping and begging, only to be met in the end with a cold refusal and eternal hatred?"

Liang Bing's complexion paled slightly, recalling that desperate and humiliating scene between Kesha and He Feng before Duke Hofmann was hauled away.

He Xi closed her eyes, her long eyelashes gently trembling.

"I am no sage." Kesha's voice lowered, carrying an honest exhaustion and self-analysis. "I have selfishness, I will make mistakes, and I have my limitations and blind spots."

"In the Battle of the Angry Sea, I was eager to capture Hua Ye and end this war of opposition that had spanned thousands of years, sparing no effort to deploy heavy forces to besiege the Heavenly Palace... yet in doing so, I left He Feng, that man, a thread of survival, allowing him to lead the remnants of the elite Second Legion in a breakout!"

"Two hundred years have passed, and he has vanished without a trace, carrying away the core fire and secrets of the angelic civilization, fleeing deep into the unknown universe!"

"This was a massive strategic error, a huge hidden danger born from my misjudgment and failure to fully account for He Feng as a variable!"

"If I alone hold absolute power, who can guarantee that similar or even more severe errors will not occur again?"

"When the source of error is power itself, who can come to correct it?"

She spread her hands, palms upward, as if displaying some invisible weight.

"Look at this star map, look at our newly unified, scar-ridden civilization."

It was far too vast, far too complex.

"Can a single model, a single will, truly adapt to the needs of all star domains and all angels?"

"Hua Ye's failure lay not merely in his depravity, but further in his attempt to forcibly impose a rigid, oppressive order upon all angels, ignoring differences and strangling vitality."

Kesha's gaze grew resolute and brilliant—a light that transcended personal lust for power. "Therefore, I refuse to be crowned king."

"I am unwilling, and unable, to allow the angelic civilization to repeat the tragedies of the Heavenly Palace Order."

"We cannot simply replace an old 'king' with a new 'king'; we must shatter this cycle!"

She stood up and walked over to the massive star map. Her slender fingers, brimming with infinite power, swept across the map like a pen wielding destiny.

"We shall divide the angelic civilization into three!"

"What?!"

Liang Bing abruptly stood up, her chair scraping harshly against the floor, her face written with shock and utter disbelief.

"Kesha! Have you lost your mind? We have just unified! We have just won victory! You are now going to slice the fruits of victory apart with your own hands?! Why?!"

He Xi also finally raised her head, her silver eyes filled with astonishment and profound confusion.

Division? At a time when unity had been bought at such a horrific price? Kesha's proposal exceeded all her expectations.

"For the future! For true longevity!" Kesha's voice was ironclad and unquestionable. "Liang Bing, He Xi, listen well. From this day forth, the angelic civilization shall enter the 'Era of Three Kings'!"

Her finger pointed to three vast star domains on the map, each endowed with distinct resources.

"First Star Domain: The Tianren Star Domain."

"Wielded by myself, Kesha."

She pointed to a region centered around Melo Heavenly Court, containing a massive array of core industrial star districts, strategic strongpoints, and mature colonies.

"I shall continue to explore and refine the core connotations of the 'New Order,' focusing on civilizational integration, legal improvement, the consolidation of military might, and the maintenance of order across the known universe. This place shall be the heart and shield of the angelic civilization."

Her finger shifted, pointing to another star domain rich in rare mineral deposits and nascent, vibrant colonial systems, though it also harbored greater instability and unexplored wild territories.

"Second Star Domain: The Tianqi Star Domain."

"Wielded by Liang Bing."

Kesha looked toward her younger sister, her eyes carrying expectation and trust. "Liang Bing, your tactical genius is peerless; you possess the pioneer's sharpness and the courage to break conventions."

"Your Tianqi Star Domain shall be the vanguard of the angelic civilization in exploring the unknown, pioneering frontiers, and experimenting with new thoughts and technologies!"

"You may boldly experiment with 'freedom' and 'evolution' as you understand them, but you must steadfastly uphold our common baseline: the overthrow of the Heavenly Palace and the pursuit of the light!"

The shock on Liang Bing's face gradually gave way to a complex expression mixed with excitement, ambition, and immense pressure.

Ruling a domain of her own? Possessing complete autonomy? Realizing the blueprint within her heart?

The temptation was vast enough to accelerate her heartbeat, nearly overwhelming her apprehension regarding division.

Finally, Kesha's finger landed upon a star domain dotted with numerous ancient research stations, vast databases, precise computational centers, and planets with unique environments suited for high-precision experimentation.

"Third Star Domain: The Tianji Star Domain."

"Wielded by He Xi."

Kesha's gaze turned to He Xi, laden with understanding and solace. "He Xi, your wisdom is the most precious treasure of the angelic civilization."

"Your Tianji Star Domain shall be the supreme hall of angelic technology, a sacred ground where knowledge gathers and wisdom shines."

"You shall possess the most abundant resources and the freest academic environment, focusing on technological breakthroughs, the optimization of super genes, the development of stellar computers akin to those of the River of Gods civilization, and... the exploration of the ultimate mysteries of the universe."

"The burden upon your shoulders is to ensure that the angelic civilization forever stands at the very forefront of technology."

Kesha surveyed them both, her tone turning unprecedentedly solemn: "The Three Kings stand equal, owing no allegiance to one another!"

"Within the star domain you govern, you hold supreme decision-making power, free to govern, develop, and explore according to the methods you deem most appropriate."

"You may establish your own rules and cultivate your own philosophies without needing to petition the other kings, and the other kings hold no right to interfere! This is a principle; this is the baseline!"

She paused, her voice low and brimming with power: "However, remember! What we divide is the governance model, not our bloodline and our shared foundation! We remain angels!"

"When facing a massive crisis threatening the entire angelic civilization—whether it be unknown formidable foes from the deep cosmos, or... that hidden danger who fled with the embers of the Heavenly Palace (He Feng)—the Three Kings must set aside differences and unite against the external threat!"

"Melo Heavenly Court shall exist as the spiritual symbol and supreme coordination institution of the Era of Three Kings, handling core affairs involving the entire civilization, such as highest-level diplomacy, the foundational laws concerning all angels, and early warning and coordinated defense against shared threats. Beyond these, non-interference!"