"Hmm hmm hmm~♪"

Princess walked out of the restaurant's gate with light steps, feeling very good now.

Aya is in the palace and has already gone to find Xingjian. This is the clue Tiran got from Wushengchen. Although it was only a sentence, it was enough.

Just you wait, Aya, I'm coming! Tiran pointed in the direction of the palace along the street with a gesture and had a feeling of seeing the light through the clouds.

"Silver War Maiden, what are you gesturing about?" Suddenly, Xiangling's voice, as cold as ever, came from behind. Tiran shivered and slowly turned around to see the princess leaning against the door she had just walked out of.

"You haven't left yet..."

"Of course, the winds in Luojing have been off lately, and as an ally, I don't want you always out of my sight," Xiangling walked straight towards Tiran.

"Ally... " Tiran said sullenly, "With that Grand Minister helping you, what else is there to worry about?"

"Wushengchen? He doesn't count as my ally," Xiangling denied Tiran with a sharp tone, "It's more accurate to say that, except for you and a few others, I don't have true allies."

"Huh?"

"Is that surprising?" Xiangling grabbed Tiran's hand and walked forward down the street, not looking back, saying,

"People who know about my past understand that before I led the border troops to Yamen Pass, my existence wasn't even known to the power circles of this country. Even in recent years, the area I can influence most is the northwest region centered around Yamen Pass, while my two royal brothers... they are much older than me, positioned at the heart of imperial power, with more time and resources to make connections... Besides personal strength, I am hard-pressed to compete with them in any aspect."

"What about that old man just now... "

"Wushengchen is a pillar of our nation," Xiangling suddenly offered this high praise, "Everything he does is for this country."

As a three-time veteran of the court and still firmly in the position of Grand Minister after two power transitions, it's not something an ordinary person can achieve.

"The first time during Prince Qing's rebellion after Emperor Huan's death, he assisted the young prince at the time in quelling it, it can be said that he orchestrated the whole thing. The second time was the conflict between my father and one of my royal uncles. But behind that conflict, there were shadows from both sides."

"Indeed impressive... " Tiran clicked his tongue, "So why did that old man just help you?"

"I already said it," Xiangling glanced back at Tiran.

"Said it? When did you... oh damn?"

After a beat, the princess finally realized, "Impressive, that old man has the guts to play the raising gu technique?!"

"Raising gu... that's a good metaphor, and you're right," Xiangling chuckled lightly, "Yes, because I lacked the resources in my hands compared to those two royal brothers, he was willing to provide me with some help. Otherwise, far away in the borderlands, I wouldn't have been able to reach Luojing, let alone intervene in this struggle."

"So, he helps a bit on both sides, hopping back and forth to maintain his position?"

"If that were his only goal, I would have killed him with one strike in that room just now."

So ruthless? What's wrong with being a turncoat? What did the turncoat do wrong? Do you know how hard they've worked? At least they're still alive and well.

"Breeding Gu. In the end, only the strongest Gu poison survives. Originally, Xiang Liang wouldn't have had a chance to compete with Xiang Ji. Xiang Ji, as the eldest legitimate son, should have inherited the throne in both sentiment and logic. However, later on, my father began to favor Xiang Liang more... It was also his scheme behind the scenes."

"And me... bluntly speaking, even though I am the one he favors, I have the qualifications to participate in this competition. He will provide me with some conveniences, but not many, just enough to get me on that stage. Perhaps he just wants to give my two royal brothers more challenges to sharpen them. Of course, if I do emerge victorious in this competition, he will happily assist me in inheriting this country."

"...Uh, good luck?"

"What, Silver War Maiden, do you seem to sympathize with me?"

"No, no, Your Highness Ling is invincible... Well, okay, I admit, maybe a little, don't you feel annoyed about it too?"

"Of course I'm annoyed." Ling suddenly chuckled, "So it's quite amusing when this challenge also hits hard on the faces of my two royal brothers, isn't it?"

"Got it, one last question."

"Go ahead, Your Highness Silver War Maiden." As if finally expressing what he wanted to say relieved him, Ling's tone also seemed a bit more relaxed and cheerful.

"Where are you arrogantly taking me?"

"For lunch, I haven't eaten lunch yet."

"...Huh?"

...

Aya woke up, her face against the cold, smooth floor, filled with curses in her mind. Why do I always get knocked out, damn it!

Subconsciously, Aya seemed to not have been unconscious for long. She vividly remembered being overwhelmed by an unstoppable force.

Hoshimi... This thick-browed and big-eyed guy actually betrayed the revolution...

"Are you looking for me?"

After turning over, Aya saw Hoshimi sitting on a soft couch in front of her, looking at him calmly.

"You must really want to curse me and be confused, right."

Seeing Aya's silence, Hoshimi continued.

"Tsk... Isn't that obvious? Can you tell me what's going on? We were getting along so well with Miss at my home before."

Aya sighed and glanced around, feeling that it was unlikely she could easily escape now. She decided to give up on being treated politely, "No plans to explain, huh?"

"If you're willing to listen, I don't mind." Hoshimi's expression also seemed bitter and helpless, "Where should I start..."

"Such as where am I right now?"

Aya pointed to the sky above and the ground below. The space they were in presented a subtle scene where a velvety darkness dominated everything, with a starry night sky above and a ground that resembled a glossy black crystal below. The floor appeared hard, yet had the sheen of water, reflecting the distorted images of Aya and Hoshimi as if ripples were spreading, and also reflecting the shining stars in the sky, the shimmering light making it seem like a dream-like reality.

No matter how you looked at it, this scene didn't seem like it belonged to a real existing world.

"Divine powers, celestial realms, mental imagery, inherent barriers... Many names for it, by Western terms, The Realm."

"Gasp..."

Aya heard her own gasp.

What about the Holy Rank?! How did it become The Realm out of nowhere? It must be a cheat! Aya had seen first-hand the difference between The Realm and a regular Holy Rank. Little Angel, a standard Holy Rank with the blessing of the Goddess of the Light, was effortlessly smashed around by a nearly dead Abyssal Dragon. How can she deal with a new enemy like this if suddenly faced with one!

"Judging from your reaction, you are aware of The Realm's existence, right?" Hoshimi suddenly raised his hand, forming a square with his thumb and index fingers pointing towards Aya, closed one eye, and took a glance through it. "Oh, just as expected from that guy's daughter, encountering such monsters. It's not easy for you to follow her, Aya."

"Hey, don't casually pry into others' privacy!" Aya widened her eyes. Even though she seemed to lack the capital to be angry about her current situation, she couldn't help but feel that Hoshimi didn't harbor any apparent hostility.

"Sorry, sorry, I was just a bit curious."

Hoshimi lowered his hand with a chuckle. "But you don't have to be too surprised. What you're seeing now is not my The Realm, at least not yet."

"This The Realm is called 'Starry Sky,' established by the original Hoshimi solidified in this Star Tower's The Realm, existing as an extension of the Star Tower. As a Hoshimi, I can freely control it within this tower, but once I leave, I'm just a Holy Rank."

"Ah, I see, I see." Aya couldn't muster any excitement. What's the difference anyway? She had no chance of escaping. Come to think of it, it was quite magical how she managed to run away from Yuan initially. Now it seemed like that guy purposely led her to seek help from Hoshimi, the only Holy Rank she knew in the Eastern Continent.

- If she had known this earlier, she would have just run out of the city. Even if she might have encountered other troubles due to the seal, it would have been much better than her current helpless state!

"So, why are you helping that guy?"

...

"It's quite impressive that you managed to sneak in here without my awareness. The item you have in your hand should be from the mythological era... But why should I help the brother you mentioned? The Golden Dragon in your words... I remember that child is from Tiran's side, now that they have found their way here, they should have a better relationship with us than the unwanted intruders. Big Chu is not just any Holy Rank that can be toyed with, right?"

"Of course, Lord Hoshimi."

"Now that you understand, don't blame me for not showing mercy. Even if I can't capture the causality threads on you, I can deduce that the bizarre illness afflicting the King, where Yuan's head is obscured, is related to you. Do you really think Great Chu can be manipulated freely by just any Holy Rank?"

Hoshimi's expression changed in an instant. With a swift movement of his right hand, the scenery inside the Star Tower immediately shifted into an infinite starry sky, and the pressure from all directions started squeezing Vera relentlessly. At any moment, with just a thought from Hoshimi, she would be crushed into a mist of blood.

But Hoshimi didn't see any fear of death in the eyes of this young girl.

In the next moment, to his surprise, Hoshimi looked up with a gaze containing a hint of terror.

The starry sky released above shattered with a crisp sound, like glass walls shattered by a shockwave, scattering starlight downward.

A girl with disheveled black hair slowly descended from the shattered starry sky, devoid of any worldly aura.

Although she appeared as an ordinary girl, just now, she had shattered the starry sky The Realm passed down through generations by Hoshimi.

This person... definitely didn't belong to the category of humans.

"Lord Hoshimi, this is our confidence. You've seen it now, so what is your answer?"