Chapter 547 - 295: Ling Qiyue: Husband, Just How Many Debts Do You Owe?

「Qingyao Continent, Yuzhou.」

"...Your Majesty, you’ve returned?"

In the Royal Capital of the Da Xia Divine Dynasty, within a hidden inner hall, several trusted Zong Elders were bowing to Xia Qingying on the throne.

Xia Qingying, looking somewhat dejected, waved her hand and asked, "Has the chaos in Shunzhou been pacified yet?"

"Your Majesty, Daoist Monarch Qianhuan has used the flesh, blood, and souls of countless Cultivators to successfully open the gate to that Ancient Secret Realm, allowing what was inside to cross over."

An old man with graying hair and beard, dressed in a purple and cyan brocade robe, spoke with a grave expression.

The color drained from Xia Qingying’s beautiful face. "He actually succeeded? Then... isn’t he afraid of letting the wolf in the door?"

The Zong Elder sighed. "Those of the Demon Path have always been lawless, and Daoist Monarch Qianhuan is no exception. Didn’t he meticulously set up this death trap just to ensnare his old rivals? Even now that the world understands what happened, they likely can’t touch him for the time being."

"Those damned demonic fiends!"

Xia Qingying’s face was ashen as she cursed bitterly, her voice dropping to a low tone:

"What’s the situation over there now? Give me the details."

The Zong Elder nodded and calmly began to recount the course of the drastic events.

The Primordial Demon Palace started by fabricating a fake Child of Destiny. This successfully attracted the attention of all the major powers, who then dispatched numerous elite experts to investigate.

To ensure the "Child of Destiny’s" safety, Daoist Monarch Qianhuan hid him in an Ancient Secret Realm and arranged for many experts of the Demon Path to guard him.

If the Cultivators from the outside powers wanted to see the Child of Destiny, they had only one path: enter the Ancient Secret Realm. They would have to navigate through layers of vicious and malevolent Restriction Traps, clearing every obstacle, both obvious and hidden. Only by reaching the altar in the very depths of the Secret Realm could they hope to achieve their goal.

It wasn’t a particularly brilliant scheme, and it wasn’t as if no one was suspicious beforehand. However, in that chaotic situation, the upper echelons of the various powers could no longer calm down enough to discuss countermeasures.

This was especially true after some high-level spies, who had seen the Child of Destiny, swore up and down that this one was the real deal. They claimed that was why Daoist Monarch Qianhuan felt he couldn’t protect Him and decided to just sacrifice Him to open the gate deep within the Ancient Secret Realm.

As a result, tens of thousands of Cultivators from all sides could no longer sit still. They all rushed into the Secret Realm, attempting to snatch back the Child of Destiny.

The outcome was predictable. Not even one in a hundred who went in was fortunate enough to return alive. Many important figures from major powers were among those left behind forever in the depths of the Ancient Secret Realm.

That mysterious gate, it is said, connects to the Outer Heaven—specifically, to the ancestral Divine Land that is the very source of the Demon Path. Several of this world’s great calamities during the Ancient Era were caused by it.

Later, through the combined efforts of this world’s Great Powers and at a tragic cost, that place was permanently Sealed, holding the Outer Heaven Exotic clans at bay on the other side of the passage.

Logically speaking, that gate had been closed for over ten million long years. There should have been no hope of it ever being opened again.

However, after sacrificing the flesh, blood, and souls of countless Cultivators, Daoist Monarch Qianhuan ultimately managed to break the Sealing Array and awaken the long-dormant gate, allowing numerous Demons from the Outer Heaven to reappear in this world.

"So... has the Primordial Demon Palace thrown in their lot with them, or have they been devoured?"

Xia Qingying asked, her brow furrowed.

’The beings from the Outer Heaven World aren’t necessarily of the Human Race. It’s far more likely they are a species that treats Human Race Cultivators as food.’

’If they turned hostile, the Primordial Demon Palace would surely be the first to suffer.’

"Your Majesty’s guess is correct. Those otherworldly beings have indeed joined forces with the Primordial Demon Palace. The major powers around Shunzhou are now on high alert, preparing for war day and night."

A young man in a jade-green shirt standing nearby spoke, a hint of worry on his face.

These beings from the Outer Heaven brought over by the Primordial Demon Palace definitely won’t just lie low. Once their numbers reach a certain scale and they decide to begin a large-scale expansion, it will quickly evolve into a catastrophe for the Qingyao Continent.

"It seems our Da Xia Divine Dynasty must prepare for a rainy day and get ready for war!"

Xia Qingying spoke, though deep down, she had a premonition this would happen.

The ambitions of the Primordial Demon Palace were an open secret. After becoming the number one power in Shunzhou, they were constantly thinking about expanding outward, annexing all the surrounding major prefectures, until they could unite the entire Qingyao Continent.

It’s just that their strength didn’t match their ambition, so in the past, they could only call the shots in Shunzhou; they were powerless in the territories of other major powers.

The grandmasters from the Buddhist Pure Land would come over from time to time to eliminate demons and defend the righteous path, keeping the Primordial Demon Palace firmly suppressed.

But now, with the help of the beings from the Outer Heaven, the Primordial Demon Palace’s power will surely skyrocket. They will then bare their fangs at the surrounding powers and might not even pay any heed to the Buddhist Pure Land.

Of course, even after becoming the masters of the Qingyao Continent, the Primordial Demon Palace would still not be satisfied. They would inevitably think about extending their reach to other continents.

Therefore, the Da Xia Divine Dynasty already had a contingency plan for this. If the situation spiraled out of control, they would immediately form an alliance with the powers of the other major prefectures and fight the Primordial Demon Palace together, no matter the cost.

At this thought, Xia Qingying couldn’t help but feel a pang of regret. ’If only Ling Changqing were one of my people! As long as he was here, this great calamity would be unlikely to cause serious harm to the Da Xia Divine Dynasty. Weathering this tribulation would be virtually guaranteed.’