“Get up.” Rong Xiu placed a piece down and turned around to glance at him. “Have you brought the items?”

Yan Qing stood up and hurriedly said, “Yes. According to your instructions, I prepared an extra portion.”

As he spoke, he presented a Cosmic Ring with both hands. “Don’t worry. The materials used were the ones you picked earlier.”

Rong Xiu lifted his long fingers, and the Cosmic Ring flew into his hand. After looking into it and briefly checking, he then nodded slightly. When she comes out of Fengmin Mountain, she can wear these clothes. But… 

“Yan Qing, you’re a day later than expected. Were you delayed by something?” Rong Xiu put away the ring and asked lightly.

Yan Qing held in his breath to focus and cupped his fists. “Your Highness, I discovered that there are strange movements at Fairy Water Mound, so I specifically sent people there to investigate. I was late because I was waiting for their news to come back.”

Faint light flashed across Rong Xiu’s phoenix-like eyes. “Start talking.”

Yan Qing paused for a moment, looked at Rong Xiu. and said every word carefully, “I discovered that Fairy Water Mound’s Jiang Hetian seems to be contacting a person from outside the God Residence Realm quite frequently.”

“Outside the God Residence Realm?” Rong Xiu raised his brows.

“Yes. According to my investigations, that person from outside the God Residence Realm seems to be…” Yan Qing hesitated for a moment and continued, “It seems to be Taiyu Dynasty’s Dantai Chen!”

Dantai Chen? Rong Xiu had heard of this name before.

He paused for a moment and suddenly laughed nonchalantly. “So it’s him.”

Even though he was laughing, his tone was cold and thin.

Yan Qing recalled Dantai Chen. Back then, Jun Jiuqing had set up a scheme that gathered a few dynasties, including the Tianling Dynasty, at Beiming. Among those people was Dantai Chen as well.

And at that time, a grudge appeared between him and Chu Liuyue. According to some of the clues he investigated, his precious daughter, Dantai Ruoli, also died in Chu Liuyue’s hands at that time.

Even though he had no evidence to prove this, Dantai Chen had great enmity toward Chu Liuyue, so he insisted on this from the start.

It wasn’t a day or two that he wanted to take revenge.

“I don’t know how he managed to contact Fairy Water Mound. During this one month, they keep exchanging messages frequently. Perhaps they’re discussing something.” Yan Qing knitted his brows slightly. Murderous intent surfaced on his harsh appearance that was like an ice mountain. “Your Highness, do you want me to—”

He made a ‘kill’ gesture.

There wasn’t much to consider about a mere Taiyu Dynasty emperor. He could just directly kill him!

Rong Xiu raised his palm and raised his brows slightly, looking rather interested. “No hurry. I want to see exactly what Fairy Water Mound is planning.”

Actually, upon deeper thought, it isn’t strange that Dantai Chen can find Fairy Water Mound. Back when I announced Chu Liuyue’s identity in the Sky-Cloud Empire, I used the name ‘Shangguan Yue.’ As long as one wants to investigate, it isn’t hard to find out that she is from the Tianling Dynasty. 

One doesn’t have to think to know what Dantai Chen wants, and he clearly has impure intentions in regards to getting close to Fairy Water Mound. When these two parties come together…

“Dantai Chen wants to kill the Princess Consort. The people from Fairy Water Mound definitely know this, yet they still talk to him so closely. Their intentions…”

Yan Qing knitted his brows, and his expression was solemn. The Jiang family is indeed crazy! Do they really intend on doing something to the Princess Consort?! They have to know that the Princess Consort is now their superior and that they are her subordinates! Such behavior is acting against their superiors! It is akin to reason! 

However, Rong Xiu didn’t seem to be enraged. A light curve flashed across his lips in a seemingly smiling manner. “Even without Dantai Chen, there will still be other people.”

During the previous few years, Fairy Water Mound had always been the only biggest one out of the 28 divisions. Additionally, with the clan leader being biased toward them, it caused Fairy Water Mound to repeatedly forget their identity and want to be on par with the Sky-Cloud Empire.

Originally, everything was planned well. But now, the position of princess consort—which they had planned a long time for—had landed in someone else’s hand. They had no more chances of going up the ranks, so they were naturally furious.

It could be possible that they resorted to desperate measures.

Hearing Rong Xiu say this, Yan Qing couldn’t help but ask, “Your Highness, what do you plan on doing then? When I came out, Jiang Zhiyuan had already gone up Wan Zhong Mountain.”

Yan Qing didn’t know why 36 Respected Elder Ming allowed Jiang Zhiyuan to enter the Sky-Cloud Empire, but he believed there had to be a special reason. And that reason probably gave Jiang Zhiyuan the confidence and courage to run to the Sky-Cloud Empire for shelter at such times.

“Just let her stay there.” Rong Xiu squeezed a chess piece from the chess bottle, touched it for a while in his hands, slightly smiled, and said, “The clan leader is about to come out of seclusion. If he can see her at first instance, he will definitely be elated.”

Yan Qing was shocked and immediately looked up to see Rong Xiu’s calm expression. “You’re saying…”

But wasn’t the clan leader… 

Piak! 

The chess piece landed on the chessboard with a crisp sound.

“Send people to watch Jiang Zhiyuan. Also, before I go back, nobody else is allowed to go to Wan Zhong Mountain.” As he spoke, Rong Xiu waved his wrist.

A thin piece of paper flew to Yan Qing. He immediately held it with both hands.

That piece of paper was white without any words, but there was an extremely faint golden ray of light that covered it with a strong suppression that stunned others!

“If anyone dares to go against me, take my written edict and stop them no matter who they are! Kill them if you need to!”

Yan Qing’s heart skipped a beat. “Yes!”

…

Yan Qing quickly came out of Jiuheng Peak.

He didn’t continue staying in the academy and directly flew back to the barrier. After talking to the elder in charge, he rapidly left.

The entire process was swift and smooth, without any delays.

The crowd only thought that he came to Rong Xiu to report about some issues in the Sky-Cloud Empire, so they didn’t take it to heart. After a few people talked about it in private, they forgot about this issue.

…

Fengmin Mountain.

Within the pagoda, Chu Liuyue sat quietly cross-legged. After merging that holy force, her aura became much stronger.

As time trickled past, she got increasingly closer to that invisible barrier. She vaguely felt that she just had to lift her leg to step into a higher stage!

Within her dantian, that water droplet was as calm as before.

Force kept gathering from the surroundings like tidal waves that wrapped around her. It was as if it were waiting for an opportune time to completely overcome it!

The seal on that black pyramid was also flushed time and time again by the force, gradually loosening.

Faint rays of light seeped out from within, and that extremely familiar feeling kept intensifying. It seemed as if something would break out from within at any moment!

On the top floor, Elder Meng had sat back down on his seat.

At one moment, he suddenly opened his eyes and focused on the door in front of him. For some reason, he faintly felt that this door seemed to have strange movements.

He stood up, walked to the door, stretched out his hand, and placed it against the door.

It was slightly cold to the touch. Other than this, it was calm and peaceful.

I must’ve been overthinking… Elder Meng retracted his thoughts, shook his head, and walked back, not wanting to think further.