Ling Xiao had already spoken to Ao Tianhai even before Aldrian could introduce him, as Ling Xiao seemed to already know Ao Tianhai.

Aldrian did not find it surprising. They might know each other since both came from the higher heavens, and they had lived long enough to know many famous beings there.

Ao Tianhai looked at Ling Xiao with raised eyebrows. It had been a long time since he last heard that title, and he instantly knew that Ling Xiao must be from the higher heavens.

That meant he was like him, one of those frozen inside the time-stopping formation.

"Oh, to think that I would hear that title again. I suppose you are just like me, frozen inside the crystal. Who are you in the higher heavens?" Ao Tianhai asked.

"Ah, I am just nobody in front of your esteemed self. I am the disciple of the Eastern Heaven Divine Swordmaster. You have never met me, but I have already heard about you from my master. I have seen your portrait a few times," Ling Xiao replied.

Ao Tianhai nodded. "I see, so you are that man’s disciple. Although I have never met you, I have already heard that he took in a disciple with the talent to become his successor. The only disciple of the Eastern Heaven Divine Swordmaster, Ling Xiao. To think that man made you join the plan of frozen time."

Ling Xiao’s eyes glimmered, then he bowed.

"It is an honor to be remembered by someone like your excellency."

Ao Tianhai nodded. "It seems we will work together from this moment until His Majesty, the Great Emperor, reaches the peak once again."

Ling Xiao lifted his head, his eyes showing determination and spirit.

"Yes, your excellency."

Aldrian smiled as he heard their interaction.

"Well, I am glad that both of you already know each other’s identities. Since the two of you will work together from now on, I hope you can maintain a harmonious relationship, or even strengthen it. I will need both of your help in the future, after all," he said.

Both of them looked at Aldrian with serious expressions.

"Yes, Your Majesty," they replied in unison.

Aldrian nodded. "Good. Now I will take my leave. I still need to bring the Divine Vanguard Knight Order to eradicate the devils in several worlds. Ao Tianhai, you can bring Ling Xiao around and help him become familiar with the palace."

Ao Tianhai nodded. "Yes, Your Majesty."

"Oh, and while I am at it, I will also bring some of our friends to this place from their slumber. There are quite many of them, so I think it will take quite some time," Aldrian added, which made both of their eyes glisten.

The Great Emperor would awaken all those who shared the same situation as them across the First Heaven. They did not know how many of them were out there, but they were curious about who had chosen, or been chosen, to remain in the First Heaven in the past.

They did not know the exact number, nor the details of who decided to stay in the First Heaven and be frozen inside the time-stopping formations.

The only thing they knew about this plan was that many cultivators from the higher heavens had remained in the First Heaven, waiting until the Great Emperor returned to lead them back.

They wondered whether those who joined this plan were people they knew.

Aldrian then disappeared as he continued his activities with his knight order. This time, while leading them on battle expeditions, he also released those frozen within the time-stopping formations across many worlds in the First Heaven.

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

For the next week, Aldrian continued releasing those who were frozen inside the time-stopping formations. The number reached hundreds, yet even that was not all, as Aldrian could still sense that there were more than a thousand remaining.

Those who had already been freed were truly astonished when they arrived at the core region of the Eternal Sanctuary Forest, especially upon seeing Aldrian’s palace and the Guardian Palace.

It felt as if they had returned to the highest heaven.

Most of them possessed cultivation beyond the Immortal Realm. Among them, there was even one who had reached the Divine Realm, although not as strong as Ao Tianhai.

Fortunately, all of them knew each other’s identities, or at least had heard of one another. Aldrian did not need to spend time introducing each of them in detail, which made it easier for him to let them grow closer.

As their numbers increased, Aldrian decided to have them stay in the Guardian Palace. He did not want his own palace, which was his family’s home, to be filled with too many people.

Even though his palace could accommodate millions and still feel vacant, he felt that it was not appropriate to gather too many people in his home. The private atmosphere would be lost.

Moreover, with the Guardian Palace being as vast as a great city, and with conditions comparable to those in the Ninth Heaven, it was a suitable place for them to stay. He had already designated it as the residence for his troops and subordinates anyway.

Of course, the maids, butlers, and cooks of his palace were exceptions.

At this moment, while Aldrian continued to travel through the vast space with his knight order, releasing more of his frozen followers, a guest arrived at his palace.

The figure was a beautiful woman, and she met with his avatar, whom he had assigned to receive any guests who came to see him.

The woman wore an elegant dress that revealed her body curves, enhancing her allure and beauty. With a mature and beautiful face, along with her long blue hair flowing freely, she exuded a special charm that could captivate any man.

The avatar released a soft sigh as she approached him, sitting upon the throne. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎

"Queen Revania, did you come to see my wives again?" he asked, his tone showing that he already knew her intention.

Queen Revania, the queen of the Cerdian Kingdom, smiled as the avatar revealed how well he understood her purpose for visiting this place.

It could not be helped. Over the past few years, she had visited his palace repeatedly. If one were to count, she might be among the visitors with the highest number of visits, despite not being part of his family.

During those visits, most of her intention was not to meet him. Instead, she wanted to meet his wives. She had already met Sylphia, Baek Jimin, and Angelica many times.

Because of that, she had formed a friendly relationship with them. She was the type of woman who could easily communicate with others and make them feel close with her daring personality.

She was a pleasant conversation partner, someone whose presence was naturally welcomed by others.

But in the context of her visits to the palace, why did she do that? Why was she approaching Aldrian’s wives and trying to grow close to them?

Even during the two years of his absence, she still visited from time to time. Only in the last six months did she completely stop visiting the palace.

During those visits, she did not seem to do much beyond conversing about various topics and taking strolls around the palace garden with her wives.

He knew about it from his recent casual conversations with his wives.

Heck, she had even managed to build an amicable relationship with his parents. Sometimes, they would converse with her when she visited the palace, and now they had already grown used to her presence.

Aldrian did not need to think much to understand why she did all of that. He had long since known her intentions, and he had to admit that she was quite smart, even cunning in this regard.

He was aware of her interest in him, yet he did nothing about it. He simply ignored her feelings, just as he did with the countless other women who were interested in him.

However, she was the only one who remained persistent, even using various methods to get closer to him and achieve her goal.

He might not have shown any interest in her and had chosen to ignore her feelings, but she chose another path to make him open to her. That was to build a close relationship with his family.

If he could discern her intent, then his family would naturally be able to see it as well. After all, she had been quite obvious with her repeated visits to the palace. Especially his wives, who were the most sensitive when it came to women interested in him.

There had been a few times in the past, when his real body was still on his journey to the central region of the heavens, that his avatar denied her entry with various reasons, something she must have realized.

However, she did not return to her kingdom. She did not give up.

Instead, she met with his parents’ families and even his wives’ families!

He had to admit that her dedication to gaining his attention and favor was admirable. It would be a lie if his heart had not been moved at all by her efforts.

But still, it was not to the point where he felt that he wanted to take her as his woman.

He also could not rudely drive her away, as that would damage their relationship.

This was the first time he had faced such a persistent woman, one who was quite bold in her actions and continued to press forward. It was different from Baek Jimin and Angelica’s efforts in the past to gain his affection.

Queen Revania showed a trace of sadness when she heard Aldrian and the tone he used toward her.

"Your Majesty, it pains my heart that you seem tired of my visits." Her tone carried a trace of sorrow.

Any man who saw her would be swayed by her act and feel sympathy for her. But Aldrian could sense that neither her words nor her expression reflected her true feelings.

She was simply being playful.

Aldrian sighed again, which made Queen Revania smile at him.

"Alright, my apologies, Your Majesty. I was only joking. It is true that I came here to meet Their Majesties, the Empresses, but I also came to meet you."