All of them hurried back to the kingdom. By the time they arrived, half of the soldiers had already fallen. The battle was still raging fiercely. Without hesitation, everyone joined the fight.
Princess Lin Zhang noticed the same engraved token they had seen earlier on the road to the Forbidden Land.
Princess Lin Zhang: "Kill them all! They're from Xie Lingyu!"
A brutal battle erupted…
Prince Long Hua was about to be injured when, unexpectedly, Princess Xiao Yu Fan struck the attacker from behind and saved him. Without resting, she ran straight toward the palace.
Emperor Xiao Yu Qing was moments away from death when the princess arrived and shielded him.
A masked man shouted,
"Retreat!"
The enemies withdrew into the shadows. The injured soldiers were carried away for treatment. Prince Yulong and Prince Wen Yili were heavily wounded and taken to the Shuilu Palace, where they became honored guests during their recovery.
Soon, news of the Xie Lingyu attack spread across all four realms…
Meeting of the Four Realms
Chief God Hei Ping summoned all rulers to discuss the threat.
Chief God Hei Ping: "Xie Lingyu has begun their attacks once more."
Emperor Li-Lan: "It's strange that they return now. Their goal has always been to rule all realms."
Demon God Zou Chou: "Rumors say that no one can kill the leader of Xie Lingyu except the chosen ones."
Jade Emperor Donghua: "Yes. The leader cannot be defeated—unless the two chosen ones fight him together."
Emperor Xiao Yu Qing: "Who are these chosen ones?"
Jade Emperor Donghua: "Prince Long Hua and Princess Xiao Yu Fan."
Emperor Xiao Yu Qing froze when he heard his daughter's name.
Chief God Hei Ping: "They were chosen by the ancestor gods to protect this world. But no one knows how to destroy the leader of Xie Lingyu."
Growing Bonds
In the Shuilu Kingdom, Empress Xiao's life was saved with the Crystal Nut. Prince Yulong and Prince Wen Yili fully recovered from their injuries.
Time passed, and everyone slowly became good friends. Princess Xiao Yufan began to develop feelings for Prince Long Hua.
Whenever they had free time, they secretly met.
One day, Prince Long Hua invited her to the Heavenly Garden. But when she arrived, she saw Princess Lin Zhang hugging him. A sharp pain struck her heart. She turned to leave, but Prince Long Hua quickly stopped her.
Leaving Princess Lin Zhang behind, he walked over to Xiao Yu Fan. Lin Zhang watched sadly as he chose someone else and quietly left the garden.
Prince Long Hua and Princess Xiao Yufan walked beneath the golden celestial trees and talked for a long time. Their bond deepened, though neither of them realized that the other felt the same way.
After their conversation, Princess Xiao Yufan returned home.
The Dream
That night, she had a terrifying dream
A great war was raging. Blood soaked the land. She saw Prince Long Hua fighting a demon—one whose face felt strangely familiar, though she could not recognize him. Then, suddenly, someone stabbed Prince Long Hua from behind.
Princess Xiao Yufan screamed and woke up in fear—
To be continued.