Watching Mo Qing gradually recover before him, Elder Mu grumbled under his breath, but the work of his hands didn’t cease for a moment. He continued to use his immense Primordial Power to repair Mo Qing’s injured body.

"Thankfully, this young lass’s body is intact. She just had a large hole pierced through her, otherwise I really wouldn’t have been able to save her. Still, at this rate, it will take about a week for her to fully awaken. That’s not the problem. The problem is that the Xuanling Empire is probably in some danger." Elder Mu looked into the distance and said helplessly, "The good days won’t last long. But after holding back for so long, the Xuanling Empire doesn’t need to endure it anymore. We’ll use this conflict to show everyone that the Xuanling Empire is no pushover. If anyone wants to take a shot at us, I’ll make them learn the price of doing so!"

While Elder Mu was treating Mo Qing, Mu Chen was also being cared for with the utmost attention. However, in his weakened state, Mu Chen was utterly exhausted. Moreover, he had taken too many hits after entering his Demonization state. Although he hadn’t felt any pain at the time, his body revealed numerous severe injuries once the Demonization subsided. Without Primordial Power to heal himself, Mu Bingling, Qing Lei, and Little Tiger had no choice but to take turns using their own Primordial Power to help heal some of his external wounds.

"I wonder when Brother Mu Chen will wake up." Little Tiger’s expression was sorrowful. "And Sister Mo Qing... where did her body go?"

Qing Lei patted Little Tiger on the shoulder. "Don’t say that. It’s a good thing Shuangshuang and Bingling went to get water, or they’d be heartbroken to hear you. For some reason, I have a feeling Mo Qing isn’t dead. I feel like she’s alive and well, we just don’t know where she is right now."

Little Tiger looked up at Qing Lei with a glimmer of hope. "Brother Qing Lei, really? Is Sister Mo Qing really still alive?"

Qing Lei smiled. "Mhm, I believe she’s alive. How else would you explain her disappearance?"

Little Tiger nodded. "That’s true." With that, his gaze shifted back to Mu Chen, and he fell into a brief daze.

「Seven days passed in a flash.」 During that time, Mu Chen remained unconscious. Aside from his faint breathing, it was as if he had no awareness at all. However, thanks to the meticulous care of Mu Bingling, Ye Shuangshuang, Little Tiger, and Qing Lei, Mu Chen recovered a fair amount in those seven days. At the very least, the wounds on his body had completely disappeared.

What Mu Chen and the others didn’t know was that during their seven days of peace, the sole surviving National Guardian Elder from the Celestial Eagle Empire, the Zhou Family’s Fourth Son, had traveled day and night. He rode various transportation Magical Beasts without sleep or rest, racing back to the Celestial Eagle Empire... 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

「In the study of the Celestial Eagle Emperor.」 A middle-aged man was seated at a large desk. He was exceptionally burly; just from his seated posture, one could tell he was over two and a half meters tall. A loose, yellow Dragon Robe revealed his identity. His classic square face was expressionless, his features sharp and defined. A sharp glint would flash through his piercing eyes from time to time. He was currently holding a scroll. Suddenly, a trace of longing appeared in his eyes as he sighed. ’I wonder how Long’Er is doing in that Lower-class Empire. It’s already autumn. I hope that boy is getting used to it there. But I’ve already sent the four Elders from the Zhou Family to protect him, so I imagine the four of them won’t let him suffer.’

From his words and attire, it was clear this man was none other than He Long’s father, the supreme ruler of the Celestial Eagle Empire, He Yunfeng!

"Emperor! Emperor!"

The moment He Yunfeng’s voice faded, a frantic cry came from outside the door. He Yunfeng frowned. "Come in!"

Hearing He Yunfeng’s summons, a maid quickly walked in from outside. He Yunfeng shot her a glance. "What is it? Didn’t I tell you to send people away unless it was something of extreme importance?"

The maid’s face was pale with panic. "Emperor, it’s Elder Zhouhai, who went to the Xuanling Empire to protect the Crown Prince. He has returned and says he has urgent business to report. He’s waiting outside now. I already told him that Your Majesty does not wish to see anyone, but he insisted that it was a matter of great importance and that he must see you. I couldn’t dissuade him, so I had no choice but to report to you."

He Yunfeng was taken aback. ’Elder Zhouhai? Could that boy He Long have caused trouble in the Xuanling Empire? But even if he did, there’s no reason to rush back so anxiously. It seems something is indeed amiss.’ "Go, call him in."

As if granted amnesty, the maid hastily bowed and left the study. A moment later, a thin, travel-worn man walked in. The instant he entered the study, he fell to his knees with a THUD before He Yunfeng. His voice was hoarse. "Emperor, I have been incompetent! I have come to ask for punishment!"

He Yunfeng hadn’t even had a chance to ask what happened before being met with these words. His heart lurched, and he had a growing premonition that something terrible had occurred. "Elder Zhouhai, what are you doing? Tell me clearly what happened. Don’t rush."

Zhouhai lifted his head, his bloodshot eyes filled with hatred as he looked at He Yunfeng. "Emperor! The Crown Prince... he... he..."

Zhouhai stammered, unable to get the words out. He knew that He Long was He Yunfeng’s only son in forty years. The Emperor had doted on him, spoiling him rotten since he was a child and granting his every whim. To tell He Yunfeng that He Long was dead now... wasn’t that just asking for the Emperor to fly into a rage?

He Yunfeng’s heart skipped a beat at his hesitation. His face darkened instantly as he growled, "Elder Zhouhai, what happened to Long’Er? There’s no one else here. Just say it. Did he kill someone in the Xuanling Empire again? Or did he rape some female teacher?"

Zhouhai was silent for a long moment before he finally seemed to make up his mind. "Emperor, a life was indeed lost. But... this time, the one who died was not someone else. It was the Crown Prince!"

The sentence seemed to have been bottled up in Zhouhai’s heart for a long, long time, and when it finally burst out, it was like a roar. He Yunfeng was completely stunned. He leaned down, looking at Zhouhai uncertainly, and whispered, "What did you say? We did not hear you clearly. Say it again."

Hearing this, tears streamed down Zhouhai’s cheeks. He said hoarsely, "Emperor... the Crown Prince is dead! My eldest brother is dead, my second brother is dead, and my third brother is dead too... They all died in the Xuanling Empire! The one who killed them was someone from the Xuanling Empire! Emperor! I was incompetent! Please, execute me! I failed to protect the Crown Prince! I deserve to die! I deserve to die!"

With that, Zhouhai slammed his head heavily against the floor, splattering blood. Even so, as if oblivious to the pain, he continued to kowtow repeatedly.

He Yunfeng’s eyes suddenly bulged. A torrent of Evil Qi erupted from his body as three dazzlingly silver Martial Rings shot out from under his feet. WHOOSH! WHOOSH! WHOOSH! A Martial Venerable! A Three-Ring Martial Venerable! This was the power that allowed He Yunfeng to rule the Celestial Eagle Empire; his Martial Artist Realm was even higher than that of the number one National Guardian Elder!

He Yunfeng’s chest heaved violently, and the bulging veins on his neck stood out. His blood-red eyes were locked on Zhouhai. His fists were clenched so tightly that ripples of silver Primordial Power rapidly distorted the space around him. But three times he clenched his fists, and three times he relaxed them. Finally, he dispersed his Primordial Power and slumped back into his chair, defeated. He spoke each word with chilling precision, "Zhou. Hai. I. Want. A. Full. Explanation. Now! What. Exactly. Happened?! If you dare to leave out a single detail, I will show you what it means to be unable to live and unable to die!"

Zhouhai had been pinned down, unable to move under He Yunfeng’s oppressive aura. Now that the pressure was gone, he was drenched as if he’d been caught in a downpour. He trembled and said, "Emperor, I know my crime!"

He Yunfeng gave a cold sneer, rubbing his throbbing temples. His voice trembled with rage. "Know your crime? What crime? I want you to tell me everything that happened! Stop feeding me this useless nonsense! Now! Immediately!"

Zhouhai scrambled to his feet, his face covered in blood. "It all started a month ago. At that time, my three brothers and I were following the Emperor’s command to travel to the Xuanling Empire and protect the Crown Prince. We rode at top speed the entire way, fearing the Crown Prince might suffer the slightest grievance. But when we four brothers arrived at the Xuanling Empire, the very first thing we saw was the Crown Prince using the Thunder Dragon Spear and displaying his strongest Combat Skill, Thunder Dragon’s Descent!"

He Yunfeng froze, astonished. "What? Long’Er used the Thunder Dragon Spear in that kind of Low-class Empire? And he even unleashed Thunder Dragon’s Descent?"

Zhouhai nodded grimly. "There’s no mistake. And standing opposite the Crown Prince was another young man. This youth had blue hair and a tall, straight posture. Although he was thin, the Primordial Power within his body was not the least bit inferior to the Crown Prince’s. He was only at the Martial Artist Realm of a Five-Ring Martial Spirit, but at that moment, he had forced the Crown Prince to use the Thunder Dragon Spear."

"That wasn’t even the main point. The main point is that after using Thunder Dragon’s Descent, the Crown Prince was... was still defeated by that young man, and he suffered grievous injuries!" A look of recollection flashed in Zhouhai’s bloodshot eyes.

"Used Thunder Dragon’s Descent? And lost to a Five-Ring Martial Spirit? Zhouhai, are you joking with me? This isn’t funny in the slightest!" He Yunfeng sneered, his expression as dark as it could possibly be. In his mind, this had to be a lie fabricated by Zhouhai.

Zhouhai hurriedly replied, "No! How could I joke with the Emperor? And even if I were to joke, I would never joke about the Crown Prince’s life! That young man truly is only at the Martial Artist Realm of a Five-Ring Martial Spirit. But he must have had some kind of miraculous opportunity, as he somehow possesses the ability of Tier Jumping in battle—and it’s even jumping a Great Tier. That’s not all. The Crown Prince possessed the Spiritual Treasure Soldier, the Thunder Dragon Spear, because he had uniquely blessed innate conditions. But his opponent also had an uncanny Spiritual Treasure Soldier in the form of a Locking Chain! And judging by the Combat Skills they both unleashed, the grade of that Locking Chain far exceeds the Thunder Dragon Spear!"