At this moment, deep within this ancient architectural complex, a grand and solemn mansion stands majestically.

The vermilion-painted gates are incredibly heavy, and above the lintel hangs a massive, ink-black plaque. Carved upon it with vigorous and archaic calligraphy is a large ancient character—"Song".

Deep within the mansion, in a tranquil courtyard surrounded by rare stones, exotic grasses, and ancient trees, a gracefully dressed noblewoman in a velvet robe walks slowly under the corridor.

Her face, well-maintained, betrays no precise age, only the calmness and majesty tempered by years.

However, the most striking aspect is neither her elegant attire nor her appearance, but the object adorning her head.

It is a transparent, streamlined glass dome covering the upper half of her head.

This is by no means ordinary glass; it resembles crystal but also some high-energy crystal polymer, emitting a faint, almost imperceptible golden glow.

The surface is as smooth as a water droplet, yet one can vaguely perceive extremely subtle golden threads, akin to neural networks, slowly flowing inside.

The glass dome holds a most esteemed title—the Celestial Crown.

It signifies the heavens being inverted upon one’s head and also implies being "Heavenly Blessed".

Moreover, the Celestial Crown is not merely a symbolic adornment, but a dazzling jewel at the pinnacle of Upper City’s technological advancements.

Within its "bling-bling" shell, countless advanced technologies are crystallized.

It is the perfect communicator, needing no physical gestures, connecting to the entire Upper City’s spiritual energy communication network through mere thought.

It is a holographic interface, where endless streams of data—real-time information, environmental analysis, target tracking, holographic maps, even others’ physiological data (with sufficient access rights)—can be overlaid or switched at will in the wearer’s vision.

The world in her eyes is transparent and analyzed.

It is a portable supercomputer, its built-in quantum chip connects to a super-brain terminal, capable of instantaneously processing massive amounts of information, aiding decision-making, and performing the most complex deductions and simulations.

It functions as an intelligent steward, linked to the Internet of Things hub of the mansion and beyond, controlling the environment, networks, robots, etc.

It is the ultimate armor, integrating an energy shield generator that can deploy in a fraction of a second when under attack, enough to withstand the force fields of heavy energy weapon bombardment.

Simultaneously, it possesses formidable spiritual protection, guarding against mental intrusion and interference.

It also serves as a mark of identity: the manufacture, activation, and wearing of each "Celestial Crown" must be approved by the highest authority in Upper City—the Elder Council.

It is the pass to access the Core City...

Any illegal possession or wearing of it would surely invoke the "Nine Clans Delight".

To put it this way, across all of Upper City’s three walls and four rings, including all natural humans, augmented humans, intelligent mechanizations, and new humans, there are roughly several tens of millions of people.

Among them, fewer than 1000 individuals are eligible to legally wear the "Celestial Crown".

And among this less than a thousand people, ninety percent are concentrated in the twenty noble families known as the "Divine Bloodline".

The Song Clan is indeed one of these twenty prestigious surnames.

Of course, not everyone in the Song Family is qualified for the "Celestial Crown". Those who obtain it are invariably key figures in the family.

They may have made significant contributions to the family, passed rigorous tests, distinguished themselves among their peers, or married into the family, brought in as part of a dowry supported by their maternal family.

The Song Clan ranks lower among the Divine Bloodline, having acquired only thirty-four "Celestial Crowns" in the past three hundred years.

And now, only twenty-two individuals in the clan wear this crown; the remaining twelve perished recently in the "Calamity of Heaven’s Fall".

Seven "Celestial Crowns" were retrieved with the bodies and are now returned to the Crown Pavilion, awaiting new "Heavenly Blessed".

The remaining five were thoroughly obliterated along with the remains.

According to the rules set by the Elder Council, once a "Celestial Crown" is bestowed, it allows private transfer as long as it is re-registered.

This acts as a privilege granted by Core City... enabling the Divine Bloodline to maintain their rule.

However, if a "Celestial Crown" is lost or destroyed, reissuance is not an option.

This reflects Core City’s... "weariness" toward the Divine Bloodline, a subtle hand prompting them to vie against each other.

At this moment, the Celestial Crown worn by this noblewoman is indeed a dowry from marriage, originating from her maternal Cao Family.

The Cao Clan is another one of the twenty Divine Bloodlines, ranking above the Song Clan, sitting in the middle echelon.

The noblewoman should be formally addressed as Song-Cao Clan, being the wife of Song Bangyan, master of the third house of the Song Family, originally named Cao Guanyin.

It is worth mentioning that twenty years ago, Song Bangyan was eligible to compete for the headship of the Song Family.

Yet due to the overwhelming power of his in-law Cao Clan, he invoked the suspicion of the previous head, ultimately losing to the current head, Song Bangwu.

But precisely due to his strong in-law ties, he retained his life post-defeat and was allowed to oversee the third house.

The power struggle and family secrets are so intricately woven that even three days and nights would not suffice to untangle them in detail.

Hence, suffice it to know that the noblewoman Song-Cao Clan is the matriarch of the third house of the Song Clan, and she has two sons.

Her elder son is named Song Kuangyi, gifted with exceptional talent, deeply valued and nurtured by Song Bangyan.