Two years later.

The First Heaven had undergone changes that most of its inhabitants did not realize. The shifts were subtle, almost imperceptible, yet those who lived in regions ravaged by the devils could sense that something was different.

Over the past two years, the devils had grown far less aggressive in their approach. Their invasions no longer carried the same relentless force as before, and a clear restraint had taken hold of their actions. They stopped expanding their territory and instead focused on defending what they had already seized.

In some regions, they even chose to abandon their positions entirely, leaving many confused.

What had happened to them? Why had their behavior changed so suddenly?

Unbeknownst to the people of the First Heaven, the devils had been in a state of panic for the past two years.

It began when an unknown figure appeared in the central region of Heaven and brought destruction upon them.

Two years ago, that figure slaughtered many of their powerhouses. Their highest leaders, the overlords, fell, and numerous immortals were defeated. Even the so-called divine beings who were said to have descended had vanished without a trace.

A great battle was said to have taken place, one so devastating that it destroyed two entire worlds. Such destruction was proof of the terrifying power wielded by that figure.

The losses threw the devils into chaos. With their leaders gone and their strongest forces shattered, panic spread throughout their ranks.

Worse still, they had no way of knowing whether the attacker was still alive, and that uncertainty left them restless.

The center of Heaven had become a mess, and the situation only worsened as one side of the region became completely inaccessible.

Since the supernova two years ago, an area spanning billions of kilometers on the southern side of the center of Heaven had become a forbidden zone. A colorful nebula filled with deadly poison spread across the region, its corrosive properties strong enough to kill even those at immortal realm.

The devils had attempted several times to enter the region, yet anyone who stepped into the nebula would without a doubt perish, their bodies corroded by the poison.

The possibility that the attacker remained within that region left the devils in constant unease. As long as that person stayed in the central region of Heaven, it was only a matter of time before they shared the same fate as those who had already fallen.

Some devils tried to resort to other methods, attempting to ascend to the Second Heaven to report what had happened and request reinforcements.

However, something unexpected occurred when they tried to do so.

They could not ascend.

An invisible force blocked their breakthrough, as though Heaven itself forbade them from advancing. No matter what they did, they were unable to step into the Immortal Realm.

There were also immortals who were still alive in the First Heaven, having not been present in the central region when Aldrian slaughtered many of them.

Yet the moment they released the seals on their cultivation, they found that they could not return to the Second Heaven.

Even though they had already returned to their original cultivation levels, the heavenly laws did not repel them to the Second Heaven. In fact, it was the opposite. The heavenly laws were preventing them from reaching the Second Heaven.

Even when they tried to ascend through the center of Heaven, using the pillar of light, something blocked them from entering it.

All of them had gathered in the central region of Heaven, often staying near the area where the poisonous nebula was located. They knew that whatever was happening in the First Heaven had to be connected to the battle two years ago.

There was no way they could ignore that connection, as the changes had begun only after that battle.

There was another reason the devils had fallen into panic.

The condition of the First Heaven had suddenly turned unfavorable toward them. The natural heaven and earth energy had begun to suppress the excessive devil energy within their territories.

It was as if nature itself was trying to purge all traces of them, causing the devils in the First Heaven to gradually weaken. Their territories began to lose the environmental advantages that usually formed after long periods of occupation.

They had already lost several territories in this way, which was also why they were forced to abandon them.

To most beings in this Heaven, the devils’ strange behavior was visible, and many had begun to sense the change in the natural energy, something they regarded as a miracle.

The First Heaven was truly undergoing a great change!

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In the Ancient Blue Gate World, within Aldrian’s palace, the situation appeared normal. The only difference was that more people could now be seen walking back and forth across the palace grounds.

All of them wore imperial maid or butler attire, making it obvious who they were and why they were there.

Aldrian’s avatar had decided to open recruitment for maids, butlers, and even cooks for the palace, doing so a year after Aldrian left for the central region of Heaven.

The avatar believed they needed staff to help maintain the palace and take care of the family’s daily needs and various menial tasks.

He knew that the size of the family would continue to grow in the future, and there would be many matters that required people to handle such responsibilities. Maids and butlers were the solution, and with skilled cooks who could prepare delicious meals, everything would be properly taken care of.

The moment Aldrian’s avatar announced the recruitment, the situation became no less lively than when Aldrian had recruited cultivators for his knight order.

Millions registered, and many among them were descendants of noble families. For them, even serving as maids, butlers, or cooks in the imperial palace was an honor that could elevate their family’s name.

In the end, the avatar selected two hundred individuals, all of whom were cultivators, with the lowest among them at marquess stage.

They had now been working in the palace for more than two years, assisting Aldrian’s family in many aspects of daily life.

---------------------------

On one side of the palace, Sylphia, Baek Jimin, and Angelica were gathered in a room they often used as a place to converse comfortably with one another.

It was their private room, where all of Aldrian’s wives could gather and interact freely.

During these past years, while Aldrian’s true body journeyed to the central region of Heaven, they had grown much stronger.

All of them had already reached the Emperor Stage!

Sylphia had reached middle Emperor Stage, Baek Jimin low Emperor Stage, and Angelica high Emperor Stage.

With the abundance of cultivation resources and a highly supportive environment, their cultivation speed far surpassed that of normal cultivators or even geniuses.

As their cultivation increased, their appearances also underwent changes. Their auras became more refined, and their outward appearance grew even more radiant. Their beauty carried a mature charm that set them apart from before.

Their looks, which had already been mesmerizing in the past, had now reached a level where anyone who gazed upon them could forget everything else. They truly resembled goddesses descended from Heaven.

Tea had already been served on the table before them, and they could be seen quietly laughing together. Then, Baek Jimin suddenly let out a soft sigh.

"I wonder when Aldrian will come back? It has already been two years since we last heard anything from him," Baek Jimin said.

The others could not help but sigh as well upon hearing her words. None of them knew what had happened to him over the past two years.

Since two years ago, the two avatars Aldrian left in the palace had disappeared. If not for the fact that the avatars had told them Aldrian was safe and had found an opportunity to increase his strength before disappearing, they would have already fallen into panic and might have even tried to go to the central region of Heaven themselves.

This was the longest time they had gone without hearing anything from him. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

Since then, the empire’s affairs had been handled by Sylphia, and she had announced that Aldrian had entered seclusion to prevent others from seeking him out.

They could not help but wonder what kind of opportunity had caused Aldrian to remain silent for two whole years.

Deep in their hearts, they could not feel at ease, as they did not know his true circumstances.

There was a possibility that the avatars had said those words only to keep them from worrying. Something might have happened to him, forcing him to sever his connection with the avatars, which led to their disappearance.

Or perhaps Aldrian truly had found an opportunity, one that required him to cut off all connections.

They could only hope it was the latter.

"Well, let’s just pray that he will come back soon. He is a special being, remember?" Sylphia said, causing the others to smile.

"He will be in for a surprise when he comes back and finds that he already has another little sibling," Angelica said, which made them giggle.