Hearing Aldrian's answer, all of them felt joyful. They were glad that everything was proceeding according to what Aldrian had planned, and that the devils' threat in the First Heaven would soon be no more.

They knew that Aldrian's plan in the central region of the Heaven was quite simple. To eliminate all the devils in that place to the point where they would have no chance to recover. To cut off the head of the devils' forces in the First Heaven, and from there, end their presence once and for all.

"Girls, let's let Aldrian take a seat first. He just came back from a far place," Irene said to Aldrian's wives, which made them reluctantly separate from him.

However, Sylphia and Baek Jimin still held onto both of his hands. After wiping her tears, Sylphia spoke to Aldrian.

"Let's go. I want to hear what you have experienced during your journey."

Aldrian still showed his warm smile. "Of course, my love. Let's go somewhere more comfortable. It will be a long story. How about the glass house in the western garden? That would be a nice place for us."

Sylphia nodded. He and all of his family then moved toward one of the glass houses on the western side of the palace grounds.

The maids and butlers who had been watching their interaction since earlier wondered why Aldrian's family reacted in such a way. They were still too far away to hear their conversation, and they did not dare to eavesdrop, so they could only observe their expressions and the movement of their lips.

They knew that it was inappropriate for them to observe the emperor's activities, yet they could not suppress their curiosity. They also simply wanted to see their emperor.

Many of them were his admirers, even worshippers. Being able to see him was a kind of honor, even a blessing to them.

Although they had already seen him a few times while working here, they still felt the same sense of reverence and honor every time they saw him.

That was why two years without even catching a glimpse of him made them feel that something was missing.

They missed seeing him.

All they had known during this time was that the emperor was in seclusion. But now, when they finally saw that he had come out of it, they felt confused.

Why did the emperor's family act as if he had been gone for a long time and had only just returned? Was the seclusion that dangerous? Was there something they did not know?

As Aldrian and his family moved toward the western garden, some maids and butlers followed them from a distance, just in case the imperial family needed their service.

After Aldrian and his family entered a large glass house with a pavilion inside, Irene asked the maids to serve tea, and they quickly obeyed.

Once the tea was served, the storytelling began. Fortunately, the day had not yet passed midday, which gave them many hours to spare. Aldrian began recounting what had happened, starting from the moment he stepped into the teleportation gate.

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While Aldrian had finally returned to his family and was spending time with them, in another place far away from him, a group of figures stood on the branches of trees within a dense forest. The figures had humanoid bodies, but certain features made it clear that they were not entirely human.

There were two men and two women. They had green hair and wore green and white robes. All of them had long ears like elves, with the same kind of beauty in both their features and figures. However, they also had crowns on their heads, which gave them the bearing of royalty, and intricate tattoos adorned their bodies.

The tattoos formed symbols, and the way they were engraved upon their fair skin created a striking contrast.

If anyone could sense their aura, they would realize that these individuals were immortal warrior cultivators and belonged to one of the spirit races that dwelled within the forest. Their gazes were filled with wariness as they watched the dense line of trees ahead.

After a few moments, one of them suddenly noticed movement in the distance. He immediately gave a signal to the others.

The rest understood at once and turned their attention toward the same direction.

After waiting for a moment, a figure wearing a white robe that covered the figure's head landed on one of the branches not far from them. The moment the figure opened the hood, the figure's features came into the spirits' view.

The figure was an old man with a long white beard, a moustache, and long white hair. His gaze was sharp, and his face carried an aura that showed he was a fierce person.

One of the female spirits spoke without wasting time.

"What kind of news do you bring?"

"The conflict between the followers of God Arvegis and God Tarius is becoming more intense. After a thorough investigation, we finally discovered the cause, which actually originated from the First Heaven. It is said that some followers of God Arvegis killed the followers of God Tarius there, which caused the conflict to escalate to this stage," the old man answered.

"The conflict became even more severe when something strange occurred in the First Heaven, preventing those invaders from descending. Even the Divine Realm cultivators from God Tarius' force began wreaking havoc in the territories of God Arvegis' followers, destroying their temples," the old man added, which caused the spirits to smirk.

"What happened in the First Heaven has truly turned the entire situation against those invaders. Combined with the strange force that blocks them from descending, there is a high possibility that His Majesty, the Great Emperor, has done something." The old man then fell silent.

The female spirit who had spoken earlier nodded, unable to hide her joy.

"This is good news. That means His Majesty will likely ascend before long," she said.

The other spirits could not help but show expressions of joy as well. This was the moment they had been waiting for.

The old man's eyes also glimmered, as if he too had been waiting for that moment. The time when the Great Emperor would ascend meant that they could finally strike back instead of continuing to hide.

"I wonder what His Majesty did to cause so much trouble for those invaders? Didn't our lord say that he is still a mortal in the First Heaven at this moment? How could he do something to the extent of preventing those invaders from descending?" one of the male spirits asked, which made the woman look at him sharply.

"You had better watch your words, Xerik. Do not apply your limited understanding to His Majesty. He is a special existence that even we cannot comprehend. Although he might be a mortal for now, he possesses power that surpasses any mortal means," the woman said in a sharp voice, causing the male spirit to shudder.

"My apologies, Miss Acilis. I have spoken wrongly," he said hurriedly.

"I know you only spoke out of curiosity, but in the eyes of some, that is no different from doubt. You had better not show such expressions regarding His Majesty again. You might lose your life if certain extremists hear you, and I would kill you myself before that happens," the woman added after letting out a soft sigh.

"My apologies, Miss. I will make sure not to repeat my mistake. I will not show any doubt regarding His Majesty," the man replied with clear repentance.

The old man who heard their interaction did not show much expression. However, he had almost killed the male spirit just now if the woman had not reprimanded him. He was someone who regarded the Great Emperor as a god despite never having met him, and he was extremely serious about it.

He was what the female spirit had called an extremist.

"Alright, you may return now, Sir Varmak. Although those invaders are busy with each other, it would not be good if one of them realized you were here," the woman said to the old man.

The old man nodded before his body disappeared, as if he had never been there in the first place.

After he vanished, the woman turned away.

"I will report this to our lord. You stay here and keep watch," she said before her body also disappeared.

Inside a dim hall illuminated by illumination crystals embedded along the walls, a middle-aged man with the same features as the earlier spirits sat upon his throne. His posture was relaxed, his eyes closed, and his head rested against his palm as if he were asleep.

There was no sound within the hall, only silence.

That silence was soon broken by the woman's arrival as her body manifested from a vortex of wind that suddenly formed.

She was already kneeling, her head lowered.

"My lord, my apologies for disturbing you, but we have received news regarding the First Heaven," she said, which caused the man to open his eyes instantly, as if unwilling to miss even a single detail. He even shifted from his relaxed posture into a more serious one.

"What is it?" he asked.

The woman then told him everything that the old man had reported. After she finished, the middle-aged spirit grinned, and he could not help but burst into laughter.

"Buahahaha!"

His laughter echoed across the hall, causing it to tremble as dust fell from above. The woman seemed already used to it as she maintained her posture and said nothing.

"Oops, my bad, my bad." Realizing that he had laughed too loudly, he stopped, though he was still chuckling before breaking into a grin.

"Ah, yes… the time is finally about to come when we will strike back! Those invaders will finally receive their karma! We must make sure we are fully prepared to greet His Majesty when he ascends here," he said with both joy and excitement in his voice.