……

"Why do you call me Die'er?" Princess Huari pouted angrily, "We're not even close."

"But I'm close with Fugui, we're 'good friends'." Yun Mengyu blinked her almond-shaped eyes, her face full of a friendly smile, yet her tone was unyielding, "His sister is naturally my sister. Die'er, you better listen to your sister."

"Good friends? Ha, since when did the princesses of the Immortal Dynasty become so shameless?" Princess Huari wrapped her arms tightly around Wang Fugui's waist, peeking out from his side with a look of claiming ownership, "I think someone like Sister Suiyun, who is gentle, bright, and exceptionally graceful, is a true princess of the Immortal Dynasty. Much better than you."

Yun Mengyu's face turned dark with anger, wishing she could rush over and pull her off Wang Fugui: "Even siblings from the same mother can have different temperaments. Just like you and Fugui, aren't you worlds apart?"

"Isn't it great that my brother is better than me? I can enjoy being protected by him for life. Besides, my brother is the eldest legitimate heir of the family, he can only marry, not be married into another family. I advise you to give up on that idea."

"I don't mind, I'm not planning to compete for the Immortal Emperor anyway. But you, little girl, with such a sharp tongue at a young age, might suffer when you grow up~"

The two of them bickered back and forth, completely at odds like fire and ice.

As they argued, they even forgot about Wang Fugui, standing face to face with hands on hips, the atmosphere tense and sparks flying.

Wang Fugui had no intention of intervening, so he leisurely ordered a pot of tea on the side and sipped it slowly, as if enjoying the spectacle.

After several rounds of bickering, the two little princesses found no winner and lost interest, turning their attention to Wang Fugui.

"Brother, aren't you going to help me?"

"Fugui, Die'er is accusing me unjustly, aren't you going to help?"

Wang Fugui leisurely drank his spiritual tea: "I think you two have read too many little storybooks. Where do all these love triangles come from? Keep going, argue a few more rounds, because after this, who knows when you'll see each other again."

With these words, the two princesses immediately lost interest in arguing.

"Fugui, are you going back to Changning?" Yun Mengyu's expression dimmed a bit.

"Mengyu, I'm still young, and I have many studies unfinished. It's time to return to the clan school and study hard," Wang Fugui explained, "And you need to attend the Yun Clan School to systematically learn the Yun Clan's knowledge system."

"What about our Chunnan State?" Yun Mengyu was still downcast, "We have our Chunnan Princess Mansion there."

"I've already thought about the affairs of Chunnan State." Wang Fugui said, taking out a thick stack of bound documents from his storage ring, "This is the 'Chunnan State Development Plan' I've drafted based on the research I've done recently. After I return, I'll also call upon some talents from within the Wang Clan to assist you in managing the various development projects in Chunnan. I'll also be remotely directing from Changning, so there won't be any problems."

Judging by the thickness of the documents, it was clear he had prepared well, considering even the potential issues that might arise.

"Great, Brother is finally going back to school!" Princess Huari's eyes lit up, her face full of joy, then she glanced provocatively at Yun Mengyu.

That look seemed to say: See~ In the end, my brother and I are family.

"Don't be too happy just yet." Wang Fugui glared at her, "Skipping classes without permission is no small matter. If Ancestor Grandfather doesn't hold you accountable, I will. Once we return, I'll personally oversee your studies, so don't think about slacking off."

"What? I have to go back too?!"

Princess Huari's delicate face froze instantly, then she pouted, looking pitifully at Wang Fugui, "Brother, I just arrived at the Immortal Dynasty~ I haven't played enough. I don't want to go back."

"When you grow up and graduate from the higher clan school, you can play as long as you want. But for now, your primary task is still to study." Wang Fugui spoke with the authority of an elder brother, his tone leaving no room for argument, "Not experiencing life in a higher clan school is an incomplete life."

Princess Huari's face fell instantly, tears welling up in her eyes, looking extremely pitiful.

She's only in the elementary clan school now, after that there's the intermediate clan school, and only after that is the higher clan school. It's said that the exams for advancement are very difficult~ Especially the higher clan school, which is like hell mode.

By the time she graduates from the higher clan school, she'll be an old maid~!

Unfortunately, this is not something she can escape just because she doesn't want to.

In front of Wang Fugui, her little tricks were not enough, and every time she tried to sneak away, Wang Fugui easily caught her.

It can only be said that there's always someone who can handle you.

The usually invincible little Princess Huari finally met her match.

After arranging the affairs of the Immortal Dynasty, Wang Fugui specifically left a clone of Lixian and a matching Tianji Recording Disk with Yun Mengyu, so he could happily attend school in the clan while remotely directing the development of Chunnan State, without missing a beat.

Thus, ten days later, Wang Fugui took Princess Huari and boarded the Yun Yao flying boat back to the Great Qian.

Now, the flights between the Great Qian and the Immortal Dynasty were becoming more frequent, invisibly bringing the two closer together, making travel much more convenient than before.

……

At the same time.

Princess Suiyun's Yun Yao flying boat heading to the outer region battlefield had reached the skies above a turbulent ocean.

Through the porthole, a massive rift could be seen hanging diagonally in the cloudy sky, like a sinister scar, emitting strange red and black lights, extremely eerie.

This is the [Boundary Rift].

Below the rift, a massive steel fortress stood on the sea. Its base reached the seabed, and the part exposed above the sea was already like a small garrison town.

On the fortress, giant crossbows were set up, aimed at the boundary rift, always ready to fire.

At the side porthole of the Yun Yao flying boat, Princess Suiyun, in her valiant military attire, stood with her hands behind her back, staring intently at the boundary rift.

The core advisors of the Princess Mansion stood behind her, all with solemn expressions.

"Xiuyuan, contact the [Immortal No. 3 Boundary Fortress] and arrange for ten boundary boats. We need to pass through the boundary rift as soon as possible," Princess Suiyun ordered.

As they were heading to the outer regions, Yan Xiuyuan had also changed into military attire, looking particularly stern and upright.

Upon hearing the order, he immediately bowed and accepted, "Yes, Your Highness."

"Yinghao, you can bring out those stowaway guests now," Princess Suiyun said calmly, "They've been cooped up in the cargo hold for long enough, it's time for some fresh air. Don't worry, we're at the boundary fortress now, we won't send them away."

Wu Yinghao's face changed slightly, embarrassed, "As expected, nothing escapes Your Highness."

With that, he quickly went to bring the group of "stowaways" over and apologized to Princess Suiyun, "Your Highness, the stowaway was my idea, it has nothing to do with the guests."

The group of stowaways consisted of four people: Wang Lici, Wang Yingxuan, Lan Wan'er, and Zhang Huaibing, who was half-coerced and half-fooled into coming.

Among the four, only Zhang Huaibing looked a bit embarrassed with his head down, while the other three were completely at ease, not feeling awkward at all.

Clearly, these three had done enough rule-breaking to develop a thick skin.

Princess Suiyun ignored Wu Yinghao and instead glanced at the stowaway quartet: "I understand your eagerness to earn merits at the outer region battlefield. I believe even if I send you back now, you'd find another way to sneak over. So I won't bother."

"However, since it's your first time at the outer region battlefield, you must follow the procedures. Study what needs to be studied, train what needs to be trained. Afterwards, I'll personally arrange your positions."

Wang Yingxuan frowned, about to say something, but Zhang Huaibing quickly stopped her and respectfully saluted Suiyun, "We will follow Your Highness's arrangements."

"Mm." Princess Suiyun nodded slightly, then looked at the strange rift in the sky, introducing, "This is the [Immortal No. 3] boundary rift, one of the boundary rifts our Immortal Dynasty mainly defends. The steel fortress in the sea below serves as both a logistics base and a precaution. If the front line collapses and the boundary rift is breached, it will become a line of defense, buying us time to organize the next defense."

The girls listened intently, each showing excitement and longing.

This knowledge and defense layout were strictly confidential to outsiders, only accessible when they qualified to enter the outer region battlefield. Now that Princess Suiyun was willing to explain, they listened extra carefully.

"On the other side of the [Immortal No. 3] boundary rift, there's also a defensive fortress built by our Immortal Dynasty, named [Immortal No. 3 Guard Fortress], which serves as the command center for the Immortal No. 3 defense area, overseeing all military affairs. Currently, I serve as the deputy commander of the Immortal No. 3 defense area."

"Sister Suiyun," Wang Yingxuan asked excitedly, "I feel the energy fluctuations inside the boundary rift are strong, can our Yun Yao flying boat pass through?"

"That's right, to traverse the boundary rift, you need at least the Purple Mansion Realm. The Yun Yao flying boat's defense is too weak. Since we need to transport supplies and soldiers, we usually use boundary shuttle boats for ferrying." Princess Suiyun valued Wang Yingxuan and the others highly, patiently teaching them bit by bit.

At this time, several boundary shuttle boats had already arrived as ordered.

Princess Suiyun explained while leading them onto the first boundary boat.

It was a shuttle-shaped boat, much smaller than the Yun Yao flying boat. It was made of an unknown material, neither metal nor wood, with a dark coating giving it a matte texture, and even some scratches, indicating it had been used for many years.

Like its simple exterior, the interior of the boundary shuttle boat was also very basic, with almost all usable space allocated for cargo, and personnel crammed into the passenger compartment, making it very crowded.

In comparison, the luxurious Yun Yao flying boat was like heaven.

However, Wang Lici and the others didn't mind the cramped space, still enthusiastically surrounding Princess Suiyun, asking questions.

They were going to the outer region battlefield for experience and to kill enemies, not for a leisure vacation, so they were prepared for hardship.

Soon, the first boundary shuttle boat was fully loaded.

The docking port on the side of the shuttle boat slowly closed, and the defensive array inside the boat was fully activated. In the blink of an eye, a thick energy shield appeared outside the shuttle boat, enveloping it completely.

"This energy shield is specially designed for shuttle boats, with strong defense and stability, able to withstand the spatial distortion force when traversing the boundary rift," Princess Suiyun explained as she saw Wang Lici and the others staring at the energy shield outside.

As she spoke, the boundary shuttle boat slowly started, heading towards the boundary rift.

"Buzz~~"

With a slight tremor, the boundary shuttle boat moved quickly, soon entering the rift emitting black and red light.

In an instant, everyone inside felt a jolt in their hearts, as if a low hum sounded in their minds.

The entire boundary shuttle boat shook violently, as if traveling on a bumpy road.

Inside the passenger compartment, any cultivator below the Celestial Realm turned pale instantly, and even those at the Celestial Realm didn't look much better, only those above the Purple Mansion Realm seemed slightly better.

If the items inside the boat weren't secured in place, and if the passengers weren't all powerful Basalt cultivators, this bumpiness alone could have taken half a life.

Time seemed to pass eternally, yet also like just a moment.

Wang Lici felt she had just started to adapt when the boundary shuttle boat stopped again.

Moments later, the energy shield dissipated, and the hatch slowly opened, revealing a huge red crescent moon hanging in the sky.

It seemed to hang right above them, emitting a blood-red glow, looking sinister and eerie.

A massive steel fortress stood under this blood moon.

The red glow gave it a red halo, making it appear even more majestic and menacing.

Clearly, this was the [Immortal No. 3 Guard Fortress] Princess Suiyun mentioned.

Looking around, the view was filled with gray-black demonic fog, and the air carried a choking, unpleasant smell.

Just a rift apart, the entire world was completely different.

"Is this the outer region battlefield?"

Wang Yingxuan, Wang Lici, Lan Wan'er, and Zhang Huaibing all widened their eyes, feeling an overwhelming sense of awe.

No matter how many times they heard about it from others, it couldn't compare to seeing it with their own eyes.

From this moment, a new world was slowly opening up to them.

……

Around the same time.

Demon Emperor's Palace.

Haotian Hall.

As the place where the Demon Emperor handled daily court affairs, Haotian Hall saw many people coming and going every day. Outside Haotian Hall, the imperial guards stood on duty year-round, and attendants and palace maids were constantly coming and going.

Even the demonic flowers and exotic plants in the garden outside the hall were meticulously tended, growing more vibrant than elsewhere.

On this day.

The royal guards stood as usual outside Haotian Hall, serving as guards. A group of attendants carrying food boxes slowly passed through the corridor, about to step onto the stairs.

Suddenly.

A figure in black clothing, elegant and graceful, emerged from the swaying greenery in the garden.

This person had handsome features, smiling eyes, and an air like a gentle breeze in spring, dashing and unique, exuding a comforting aura.

Seeing him, the attendants at the foot of the stairs immediately stopped, bowed respectfully, "Greetings, Third Prince."

The newcomer was none other than the third prince of the Red Moon Demon Dynasty—Shentu Jingming.

"Rise~"

Third Prince Shentu Jingming waved his hand, signaling everyone to rise, then craned his neck to look inside the hall, asking the guard at the door, "Is the Ancestor inside? How's his mood today?"

Hearing this, the guard at the door didn't speak, but a low, aged voice came from inside the hall, "Third Prince, you're here at a bad time, His Majesty is in a bad mood right now~"

As he spoke, an old attendant in a maroon robe slowly walked out from the hall, bowing to Shentu Jingming, "Greetings, Third Prince."

"Master Shi, you're too polite." Third Prince Shentu Jingming quickly helped him up.

Though Master Shi was an attendant, he was a favorite of the Red Abyss Demon Emperor, with cultivation already at the Void Realm, his status only below that of Zhuo Lao.

Even though he was polite, Shentu Jingming dared not neglect him.

After helping him up, he curiously asked, "What's going on?"

"It's all because of Emperor Yuanji of the Yan Kingdom." Master Shi sighed, "Since the Yan Kingdom's defeat, he's been lingering in the demon capital, coming to the Demon Emperor's Palace to complain whenever he can, asking His Majesty for compensation. He just left, and His Majesty is upset~"

Shentu Jingming raised an eyebrow, dissatisfied, "He privately borrowed troops from the Chao Clan, it's already generous of the Ancestor not to punish him. How does he have the nerve to complain?"

"Who knows?" Master Shi shook his head, "It's all to avoid punishment and seek benefits, nothing more to say. But Your Highness, when His Majesty summoned you before, you didn't return. If you go in now, you might get scolded. Maybe you should come another day?"

"No worries." Shentu Jingming waved his hand confidently, "Since the Ancestor is upset by Emperor Yuanji, as a prince, I should cheer him up, so he can be in a good mood. Master Shi, please announce me~"

Master Shi glanced at him, a bit puzzled.

Where did he get this confidence? Daring to walk into the line of fire?

However, he knew how favored the third prince was, so he didn't ask further, turning to announce him inside.

Soon, Master Shi came out again, leading him to the inner hall.

Inside the hall.

The Red Abyss Demon Emperor, in a black robe, was reclining on a luohan bed, eating snacks while absentmindedly reviewing memorials.

Above, a luxurious fire crystal chandelier emitted bright light, casting a faint red glow on his pure black robe, making him look extremely noble, yet also exuding a hint of murderous intent.

"Jingming greets the Ancestor."

Seeing this, Shentu Jingming immediately stepped forward, bowing in salute.

The Red Abyss Demon Emperor glanced at him, casually tossing aside the memorial, sneering, "You little brat, you still know to come back?"

With these words, the atmosphere in the hall became a bit tense.

The surrounding attendants were frightened, keeping their heads down, their breathing barely audible.

Unexpectedly, Third Prince Shentu Jingming wasn't scared at all, glancing at the Red Abyss Demon Emperor, then rubbing his nose and chuckling, "Ancestor, didn't I have important matters to attend to? As soon as I finished, I came back to see you."

"Important matters?"

The Red Abyss Demon Emperor sneered.

He was already in a bad mood, and seeing Shentu Jingming's nonchalant attitude made him even angrier, pointing at his nose and scolding, "You little brat, you call seeking a breakthrough opportunity to the Divine Realm important? You're only at the seventh level of the Purple Mansion Realm, haven't even inherited the proper canon, what breakthrough opportunity are you seeking? Can't you come up with a more believable excuse? Do you really think I know nothing? You just wanted to stay near that girl Wang Ruobing and flatter her, didn't you?"

"Hehe~ You knew?" Shentu Jingming looked smug, "How's my taste?"

"Your taste is… nonsense. If I couldn't find out such a small thing, I might as well not be the Demon Emperor." The Red Abyss Demon Emperor got angrier as he spoke, "And you're a prince, can't you have some dignity, groveling in front of a little girl, don't you feel ashamed?"

"Ancestor, isn't this what you've always taught me? To achieve your goals, you can't care too much about dignity." Shentu Jingming rubbed his nose, with a look of "I learned this from you."

"Brat! When have I ever been undignified?" The Red Abyss Demon Emperor almost exploded, grabbing a stick nearby, wanting to hit him. Thinking of Wang Fugui, then of the three princes he raised, especially this third one… the more he thought, the more frustrated he got, might as well beat him to death!

Luckily, Master Shi reacted quickly, grabbing the Red Abyss Demon Emperor's arm, saving Shentu Jingming from a cracked skull.

"Hehe~~ Ancestor, I was just joking with you, it's good for your health. Look, I brought you something good." Shentu Jingming shrank his neck, finally not daring to provoke the Demon Emperor further, obediently taking out gifts from his storage ring.

First, he took out a bunch of snacks and toys, things he bought to please Ruobing, but she didn't want them, so he decided to "recycle" them for the Ancestor.

"Just this?" The Red Abyss Demon Emperor's forehead veins throbbed, almost dying of anger.

Maybe it's better to just beat this kid to death.

Snacks and toys aside, there was even rouge and powder!

Is he treating him, the dignified Demon Emperor, like a trash can?

"Joking, joking, those were just extras, this is the real gift!" Seeing the Demon Emperor's face getting darker, the murderous intent in his eyes growing stronger, he quickly thought on his feet, taking out a jade box, carefully opening it.

The jade box was about the size of a fist, containing just over two ounces of tea leaves.

He solemnly handed the jade box over, "Ancestor, take a look at this."

The Red Abyss Demon Emperor sniffed it suspiciously, his expression turning serious, "Such a rich immortal spirit energy of the life attribute. Where did you get this celestial tea?"

"Of course, I flattered it out of someone." Third Prince Shentu Jingming looked proud, "This is rare, showing how much the goddess Ruobing values me. I only parted with it to honor you, Ancestor. If you don't want it, I can take it back."

The phrase "flattered it out of someone" made the Red Abyss Demon Emperor feel uneasy, but he liked this rare celestial tea…

After a brief internal struggle, the Demon Emperor shamelessly accepted the jade box, his expression softening, "The gift is passable, shows you have some filial piety."

Seeing this, Shentu Jingming immediately seized the opportunity, moving closer to massage the Red Abyss Demon Emperor's shoulders, "Ancestor, don't be upset over a minor defeat, it makes you seem petty."

This remark angered the Red Abyss Demon Emperor again, "And you think you're broad-minded? Always carefree, never worrying about the empire's troubles. If you're so broad-minded, why don't you learn from Wang Fugui, reclaim the lost territories of the Yan Kingdom? Why not conquer the capital of the Liang Kingdom and give it a good sweep?"

Thinking of the shame of the Yan Kingdom, the Red Abyss Demon Emperor's anger flared again.

Why is Wang Fugui so outstanding, while his children are so unreliable, especially this third one, who's utterly lawless. And he dares say he's petty?

"It's just a few commanderies, let them have it." Third Prince Shentu Jingming looked like a wastrel, "The most important thing now is to consolidate our forces and repel the outer region demons, so we can focus on the stars and seas. Competing with the Immortal Dynasty over a tiny piece of land is not worth it."

"What do you know! Repelling outer region demons, advancing to the stars and seas, you call that broad-minded? That's just headless ambition, aiming too high." The Red Abyss Demon Emperor glared at him, cursing, "The Lingqu Continent is an important source of earth crystal mines, a third of our dynasty's earth crystal mines come from the Yan Kingdom. If the Yan Kingdom is gone, we'll have to trade with the Immortal Dynasty for earth crystal mines, costing several times more, and easily manipulated by that Mu Yun. You might not care, but I still want to save face!"

"Ancestor, let's not talk about this small matter." Shentu Jingming, overwhelmed by his nagging, quickly changed the subject, "Actually, I have great news to tell you this time."

"Great news?" The Red Abyss Demon Emperor looked skeptical, then his heart skipped a beat, "You didn't cause trouble somewhere again, needing me to clean up, did you?"

Of the three princes, the third one worried him the most. From childhood to now, he lost count of how many times he cleaned up after this third one.

"Of course not, it's really great news." Shentu Jingming looked like "how can you think of me like that," then smugly showed his wrist, hinting, "Look at my bloodline aptitude, has it changed?"

The Demon Emperor suspiciously checked, his expression turning to surprise and joy, "Peerless Class B?"

It's known that for Basalt cultivators, once their aptitude reaches the level of a peerless prodigy, further improvement isn't easy.

From peerless Class D, C, B, to A, the difficulty increases with each step.

A peerless prodigy at the Purple Mansion Realm has awakened their bloodline to the seventh level, and even a ninth-grade Dao Pill can only raise one's aptitude from peerless Class D to C. To reach Class B with a Dao Pill, one's aptitude must already be in the mid-range of Class C.

And a ninth-grade Dao Pill is the best pill humans can currently make.

Back then, Shentu Jingming used a ninth-grade Dao Pill to raise his aptitude to peerless Class C, and now even Dao Pills wouldn't help much.

Who would have thought, just a trip for training, and this kid raised his aptitude to peerless Class B.

What kind of luck is this?

"Good, good." The Red Abyss Demon Emperor's anger turned to joy, "With this, you can find an opportunity to inherit the [Scarlet Refinement Canon] and raise your bloodline aptitude to peerless Class A, not letting that Little Demon Lord of the Chao Clan steal the spotlight. But I warn you, good aptitude doesn't guarantee you'll be my successor."

"Ancestor, is that all you aspire to? Broaden your horizons, look further." Shentu Jingming sighed.

The Red Abyss Demon Emperor's face twitched, barely holding back the urge to hit him, "Then teach me, what is broad-mindedness?"

"Our Shentu Clan has the treasure [Scarlet Lotus of Immortality] passed down by the Ancestor, doesn't it?" Shentu Jingming grinned, "This treasure greatly enhances the Red Lotus Karma Fire bloodline."

As he spoke, the Red Abyss Demon Emperor exploded."You ungrateful brat, that's a treasure passed down from our ancestors. Even I couldn't bear to use it back in the day, and you dare to covet it?" The Red Abyss Demon Emperor glared, roaring in anger, "Get out of my sight, you wastrel! And take these celestial teas with you. I can't afford such luxuries!"

"Ancestor, if I use the Crimson Celestial Lotus, there's a high chance I could achieve the innate dao body, and that would make me the Heavenly Son. Our demon dynasty hasn't seen a Heavenly Son since its founding. Aren't you tempted?"

"You, a Heavenly Son?" The Red Abyss Demon Emperor looked at him with disdain, though a spark of interest flickered in his heart.

"Once I become the Heavenly Son and inherit our family's Red Lotus True Demon Codex, I'll start as a Grade C Heavenly Son. Reaching the mid-True Demon Realm will be just around the corner," Third Prince Shentu Jingming boasted extravagantly. "Meanwhile, our royal family will secretly support Ruobing in becoming the master of the True Demon Hall. Together, as husband and wife, we'll first conquer the Celestial Dynasty, then annihilate the demons and monsters, leading our human race to the sea of stars! That's the grand vision, Ancestor!"

"No wonder you're the pride of our family," the Red Abyss Demon Emperor said sarcastically, his lips twitching. "The fate of the world is in your hands, truly a grand vision."

"Of course, the mid-True Demon Realm, just thinking about it gets me a little excited. Judging by the combat power comparison between the mid and early Void Realm, an insignificant True Demon Realm like you, Ancestor, would definitely be crushed by me!"

"Boom!"

The Red Abyss Demon Emperor finally lost his patience and slapped the brat out of Haotian Hall.