"What? An expert suspected of being in the God Realm appeared and killed three Devil Race Quasi-Gods?"
After reading the message from Hong San, Lin Changqing was utterly astonished.
"Your Majesty, is it true?"
Shi Feifei pressed on, "Did a God Realm expert really step in?"
"Yes!"
Lin Changqing nodded, while the guilt in his heart deepened.
As the ruler of a kingdom, he had abandoned his own people and fled on the eve of battle. It was a disgrace beyond compare!
Even if he had done it to preserve his strength and avoid a needless sacrifice, even if he had plenty of legitimate reasons, fleeing was still fleeing!
"That's wonderful, wonderful!"
Su Ying was overjoyed and immensely relieved. "We don't have to flee anymore. Let's hurry back to the palace!"
"Yes, yes, let's get back!"
Shi Feifei chimed in, "A God Realm expert stepped in to help us. We can't afford to neglect her!"
"Let's go!"
Though Lin Changqing was deeply ashamed, he had to return to the royal city at once.
He was eager to meet the God Realm expert, offer her a warm welcome, and thank her for intervening!
Before long,
Lin Changqing and the others had returned to the Chishui Royal Palace, and many members of the Chishui Royal Clan who had fled early also returned one after another.
They brought Hong San back to the palace and questioned him closely.
"Your Majesty, this old servant doesn't know where the expert suspected of being in the God Realm went either!"
Pale as wax, Hong San replied helplessly, "All this old servant knows is that she should be a woman. She casually killed the three Devil Race Quasi-Gods with a few sword strikes and could stand still and withstand their attacks head-on."
"I heard people say she looked a great deal like our ancestor Mu Wanqing. What do you think?"
Lin Changqing continued questioning him.
"She did look remarkably like her!"
Hong San answered, "The battle robe she wore was very much like Ancestor Mu's Iridescent Battle Robe, and the longsword she carried also looked a great deal like Ancestor Mu's Moon Rainbow Sword! But she wasn't there for long and hardly used any divine abilities. She never brought out the Heavenly Heart Zither or used the Eight Sounds of the Profound Zither, so this old servant can't say for certain whether she was Ancestor Mu!"
"It's highly unlikely she was Ancestor Mu!"
Lin Changqing had already regained his composure. "Ancestor Mu's Moon Rainbow Sword was destroyed before she became a god. As for the Illusory Rainbow Divine Robe, after she became a god, the Phoenix Demon God tore it apart with its claws, leaving it in tatters..."
Mu Wanqing had passed away countless years ago. She couldn't possibly reappear in the world!
Ordinary people were ignorant and believed that the goddess from tonight was Mu Wanqing reborn. Lin Changqing and Hong San were different: with their higher cultivation and extensive knowledge, they would not be so naive.
"Your Majesty, this old servant thinks that expert was most likely sent by the Great Xia Empire!"
Hong San reasoned, "The Great Xia Empire is highly capable at gathering intelligence. It should have learned of the Devil Race's scheme and turned it against them, deliberately issuing us an Imperial Devil-Resisting Decree to draw our Quasi-God experts away and make the Devil Race Quasi-Gods walk straight into the net!"
"Mm, that's not impossible."
Lin Changqing nodded.
For countless years, the Great Xia Imperial Clan had been responsible for coordinating the various forces in the great struggle against demons and devils.
The Great Xia Imperial Clan not only had God Realm experts of its own, but whenever racial war was involved, nearly all human God Realm experts were willing to accept its command to keep the human race from being oppressed and slaughtered.
"Alas! What a pity!"
Su Ying sighed. "I've never seen a God Realm expert's splendor for myself!"
She had thought she would have a chance to see it tonight, but the expert had declined to show herself.
"I've seen a God Realm expert before, but never a female one!"
Shi Feifei chimed in.
She too found it a great pity. If she had known this would happen, she would never have fled with the ruler.
To all women, women who became gods were figures of admiration and a source of pride!
"You may all leave!"
Lin Changqing waved his hand.
Shi Feifei and Su Ying took their leave.
Hong San was about to leave as well, but Lin Changqing called out and asked him to stay.
"Chief Steward Hong, how is your divine body?"
"My divine body... alas, it has already collapsed!"
Hong San sighed bitterly. "This old servant fears he is not much stronger than Your Majesty now, and before long, his cultivation will fall even further! Of course, this old servant has no regrets. It was an honor to fight to the death for the Chishui Kingdom and the Divine Firmament Human Race!"
"And your lifespan?"
Lin Changqing asked with concern.
"Ten years at most, three to five at least!"
Hong San replied.
Lin Changqing pondered for a moment, then said, "In that case, from now on, Chief Steward Hong, lay down the burden of managing the palace and enjoy your remaining years in peace!"
"Thank you, Your Majesty!"
Hong San hurriedly tried to kneel and kowtow in thanks, but the ruler caught him.
The ruler had removed him from office. It looked like killing the donkey once the grinding was done, but in truth, he genuinely had Hong San's interests at heart.
Without sufficient strength, a mere old eunuch could never hold on to the position of chief steward.
Even if the ruler had said nothing, Hong San would have offered his own resignation.
"First, find a suitable successor. When Consort Liu gives birth, you can take charge of teaching the child!"
"This old servant obeys!"
Only then did Hong San withdraw.
News that the Devil-Sealing Well in Chishui Royal City had been attacked by three Devil Race Quasi-Gods soon spread.
Among the common people, everyone said that the ancestral god Mu Wanqing had returned to the mortal world. Cultivated experts did not believe this claim.
The Moon Rainbow Sword and Iridescent Battle Robe could both be imitated. They only needed to bear a passing resemblance, since no one alive today had ever seen those two divine treasures of Mu Wanqing's!
In any case, this was a great victory for the entire human race!
The human race was greatly heartened, and the Devil Race army attacking the Lingxi Kingdom also withdrew and suspended hostilities.
Having lost three Quasi-Gods at once, the Devil Race was naturally reeling!
Deep within the Weeping Blood Mountain Range.
Heavenly Devil City.
The Devil God Palace!
The current Devil Master and numerous Devil Race experts were gathered in a great hall.
They were discussing important matters when a guard entered to report that the Demon God Ao Qin had arrived.
Ao Qin was not only a Demon God, a true God Realm expert, but also a member of the Dragon Race.
Across the entire Divine Firmament Continent, Ao Qin stood among the very strongest, and his status was by no means lower than that of the Devil Race's Devil Master!
"Brother Tuoba, I trust you've been well!"
The guard had barely finished his announcement when the Demon God Ao Qin, with a dragon's head and a human body, strode into the council hall.
Ao Qin spoke in the Devil Race's language.
The experts of the Divine Firmament Continent were, in fact, all fluent in the languages of the various races.
"Brother Ao, what brings you to Heavenly Devil City today?"
Devil Master Tuoba Kui rose to his feet. His figure, over three meters tall, was exceptionally imposing, and his pair of devil horns resembled little nine-story pagodas!
"Brother Tuoba, you make it sound as though we're strangers!"
Ao Qin spoke as he walked. "Though the demon and devil races have never formed an alliance and even have the occasional minor scuffle, relations between our races have always been fairly good. You and I can be considered friends who appreciate each other's merits. Isn't it perfectly normal for me to visit a friend's territory?"
"Friends? Haha!"
Tuoba Kui could not help bursting into laughter.
The other Devil Race experts in the hall joined in.
It was as though they had heard a ridiculous joke!
"Come, come, Brother Ao, please sit!"
Tuoba Kui casually pointed to an empty seat, then continued, "If Brother Ao has come as a guest, you're welcome here. But if you've come to laugh at us, then we won't be receiving you!"
The Devil Race had just suffered a major defeat, losing three Quasi-God experts. For Ao Qin to come at a time like this, he clearly had something to say.