...

"Your Majesty, you summoned an 'external minister.' May I ask what instructions you have? As long as it's within my capabilities, I, Wang Shouzhe, will do my utmost," Wang Shouzhe spoke with great politeness, yet he emphasized his status as an "external minister."

The Great Qian is indeed part of the Immortal Dynasty's camp, but it does not have a direct subordinate relationship with the Han Yue Immortal Dynasty. Although the Immortal Emperor wields immense power, he cannot directly order Wang Shouzhe around.

After all, the Changning Wang's Clan is a noble family of the Great Qian, not of the Han Yue Immortal Dynasty.

"Master Wang Shouzhe, there's no need for such formality~ I just happened to have some free time and came to visit my little Si, who was chatting with Fugui on the crystal screen," the Immortal Emperor said with a smile, "I realized I hadn't met the legendary Master Wang Shouzhe yet, and couldn't resist the urge to meet you."

"Indeed, seeing is believing~~ I truly regret being born seven or eight thousand years too early."

Wang Shouzhe didn't believe a word of it.

However, the Immortal Emperor is a formidable figure, and even through the screen, one must show the appropriate respect.

Therefore, before figuring out what the Immortal Emperor was up to, Wang Shouzhe decided to adopt the same deferential attitude as Fugui, agreeing with whatever was said.

The Immortal Emperor, seeing Wang Shouzhe's seasoned and unyielding demeanor, was also at a loss.

After some idle chatter, she brought the topic back: "By the way, Master Wang Shouzhe, did you know that your Yingxuan and Lici have done something astonishing on the outer region battlefield, achieving great merit?"

Wang Shouzhe looked "stunned": "Weren't those two supposed to be training at the Immortal Palace? How did they end up on the outer region battlefield? With their bloodline talents and cultivation levels, they shouldn't have been allowed to go to the battlefield, right?"

"Who would have thought~ But they sneaked off, causing me quite a headache," the Immortal Emperor sighed, briefly recounting the events at the Immortal No. 3 defense zone and the "achievements" of Wang Yingxuan, Wang Lici, and others.

After hearing the Immortal Emperor's words, Prince An and Wang Shouzhe exchanged glances, both utterly shocked.

They had thought the two girls went to the front lines just to gain some experience, never expecting them to cause such a commotion.

Truly, they were two girls who gave Wang Shouzhe endless headaches.

"So, Your Majesty, what do you mean?" Wang Shouzhe had a rough idea of what the Immortal Emperor was going to say.

"It's a bit embarrassing to say," the Immortal Emperor said with slight embarrassment, "Earlier, the Immortal Sovereign and I discussed and agreed that Yingxuan and Lici are still too young, and their cultivation hasn't reached the Divine Realm. If their fame becomes too prominent, it might not be a good thing..."

Upon hearing this, Wang Shouzhe immediately became serious: "Your Majesty's concerns are very valid. Those two girls are indeed too lively and need to be disciplined. If their achievements were widely publicized, their arrogance might reach the heavens. Moreover, their success this time had a lot of luck involved. If they become complacent because of it, it could lead to major problems."

As the saying goes, "The nail that sticks out gets hammered down." Lici and Yingxuan's talents are exceptional, and being too high-profile could easily attract unwanted attention. Especially Yingxuan, who is a rare commanding talent. If she becomes too conspicuous, an assassination attempt could be troublesome.

In this regard, he and the Immortal Emperor were on the same page.

As for the Yincha Demon God, there was no need to worry about it causing trouble. Even for the sake of its own reputation, it wouldn't publicize being outsmarted by a little girl.

Seeing Wang Shouzhe's understanding, the Immortal Emperor breathed a sigh of relief: "I also don't want such promising talents to suffer any mishaps. But rest assured, their merits are undeniable. It's just that, for external declarations, we'll need to use Suiyun's name."

Since Wang Yingxuan and Wang Lici had already joined the Immortal Palace, they naturally had to follow the directives of the Immortal Sovereign and the Immortal Emperor. However, Wang Shouzhe, as their elder, had the right to be informed about such matters.

"Of course. If it weren't for Princess Suiyun's thorough planning and active cooperation, how could they have achieved such a feat with just their little cleverness?" Wang Shouzhe nodded, "Your Majesty, there's no need to worry. This is also to protect Yingxuan and Lici. I'll personally write a letter to reassure those two mischievous girls."

Speaking of which, Wang Shouzhe was quite supportive of Princess Suiyun.

He had gathered information about Princess Suiyun from various channels and had the Palace of Immortals investigate some details. He believed that she not only had strong overall abilities but was also kind-hearted, considerate of the bigger picture, and had a strong sense of responsibility. If she could become the Immortal Emperor, it would be more beneficial than harmful to the human race.

"Master Wang Shouzhe, you are truly noble!" The Immortal Emperor praised, "With your words, I am relieved. If our human race had a few more like the Wang's Clan, how could we not see a revival?"

"Your Majesty flatters us," Wang Shouzhe replied with a smile, "In fact, we should thank you for your continued support of the Wang's Clan. By the way, Princess Suiyun recently wrote to Ningxi, requesting a batch of supplies to support the outer region battlefield. Coincidentally, we have already prepared these supplies and can have the Yao's Clan deliver them to the Princess at any time."

"Suiyun even asked Ningxi for money...?" The Immortal Emperor's eyes flashed with surprise, "That child is getting bolder. Thank you, Master Wang Shouzhe, for this matter."

"Not at all. Recently, Ningxi has been causing quite a stir in the Immortal Dynasty," Wang Shouzhe said with some embarrassment, "I hope Your Majesty won't hold it against that brat."

"Haha, I was just teasing him. That so-called sanction was just a joke, don't take it to heart."

For a moment, the two had a pleasant conversation, quickly settling two matters with just a few words.

At this point, the Immortal Emperor brought up another matter: "By the way, Master Wang Shouzhe, I heard you recently brought back a 'Green Immortal Island' from 'overseas' and plan to develop it into a sacred place?"

"It was just luck, picking up a sacred island. Does Your Majesty have any interest in investing?" Wang Shouzhe joked, "It would be an honor for the Wang's Clan."

While developing a sacred place is indeed good, the Immortal Emperor mentioning Green Immortal Island was not for this reason.

"No need to invest. However, there is a matter that requires your assistance," she smiled, "This time, the Immortal No. 3 defense zone rescued a group of human captives. Firstly, Suiyun suspects there might be spies who secretly defected to the demons among them, requiring careful identification. Secondly, the rescued captives need rest and recuperation. I heard your Wang's Clan is quite adept at healing..."

What the Immortal Emperor didn't say was that the Yincha Demon God had arrived too quickly this time, and it had directly targeted Wang Yingxuan, clearly knowing who had outsmarted it. This was unusual. The presence of spies among the captives was almost certain; it was just a matter of whether Wang Shouzhe could identify them.

"I understand. Let those captives stay at Green Immortal Island for a while," Wang Shouzhe agreed with a smile, "Coincidentally, our Wang's Clan engineering team plans to develop Green Immortal Island into a resort. Once they arrive, their wounded spirits and weakened bodies will receive the best care."

"Master Wang Shouzhe is indeed straightforward. The matter of the demon spies will require some trouble for Lu Wei," the Immortal Emperor said with a smile, "I've heard about that girl's peculiarities... You must treat her well and not let her go astray again."

Though not explicitly stated, this light remark revealed the Immortal Emperor's control. It was evident she knew about Lu Wei being the Demon Plant Venerable and was quite concerned.

"Ahem~"

Wang Shouzhe coughed twice, feeling slightly embarrassed.

He felt that the Immortal Emperor's "treat her well" seemed to have a deeper meaning.

He wanted to explain, but since the Immortal Emperor hadn't pointed it out, explaining might seem like overcompensating, so he reluctantly gave up and nodded in agreement: "I'll take good care of Senior Sister Lu Wei. As for identifying the spies, the Wang's Clan will do its utmost."

Although the Immortal Emperor didn't explicitly state it, her meaning was clear: temporarily isolate the captives for "recuperation" to prevent spies from infiltrating the Immortal Dynasty.

Seeing Wang Shouzhe's understanding and cooperation, the Immortal Emperor was very pleased: "Master Wang Shouzhe, your contributions to the human race will not go unnoticed. However, you're already very wealthy, and if I were to reward you with immortal crystals, you might not find them appealing."

"How about this, I'll grant you a special privilege. As long as it doesn't harm the overall interests of the human race, I can agree to one request from you. Think carefully and don't waste this rare opportunity~~"

With that, she playfully winked at Wang Shouzhe before quickly ending the connection.

Indeed, the Immortal Emperor's appearance was naturally radiant, and she maintained herself well, making her playful wink seem perfectly natural.

Wang Shouzhe was momentarily speechless, wanting to retort: "As the Immortal Emperor, isn't this a bit too casual?"

Unfortunately, the Immortal Emperor didn't give him the chance.

Wang Shouzhe handed the crystal screen back to Wang Fugui, casually asking a few questions about his studies at the advanced clan school, before turning to leave.

Unexpectedly, as he turned, he found Prince An standing quietly behind him, looking at him with a face full of grievance.

"Your Highness, what's the matter?" Wang Shouzhe was taken aback.

"Shouzhe, in terms of looks, talent, and wisdom, I'm not inferior to you, right? Yet, the Immortal Emperor is so biased..." Prince An said with a resentful tone.

From beginning to end, the Immortal Emperor hadn't even glanced at him, let alone exchanged pleasantries. It was too much! Simply too much~!

Wang Shouzhe glanced at him: "Did you ask the Immortal Emperor for money?"

Prince An: "..."

Wang Shouzhe understood and lazily concluded: "You're too poor."

"That's just infuriating!" Prince An stomped his feet in anger, "Is being rich that great? Once I develop the Great Qian and make my fortune, I'll make the Immortal Emperor regret overlooking me today."

"Great-grandfather," Wang Fugui, watching Prince An from the side, felt a bit sympathetic and quietly took out a stack of immortal crystal notes, handing them to him, "I've saved some pocket money. You can use it to build the nation."

"Fugui, as an elder, how can I take your pocket money..." Prince An was about to push the immortal crystal notes back when he noticed something amiss. He looked down, and his eyes nearly popped out, "Wait! How much is this?"

"Not much, just over ten million immortal crystals. I haven't counted exactly," Wang Fugui blinked, speaking naturally.

Prince An's hand, which was about to return the immortal crystal notes, quietly retracted, and he quickly stored the notes in his storage ring, tears of poverty welling up in his eyes.

Wuwuwu~ As Prince An, his wealth was so thin that even Fugui surpassed him, let alone comparing with Wang Shouzhe.

...

Time flew by, and soon, more than a month had passed since Wang Yingxuan and others rescued the captives.

During this month, the news of the great victory at the Immortal No. 3 defense zone spread like wildfire across the Immortal and Demon Dynasties of the human race.

Because of this, Princess Suiyun, who was already well-regarded, became the talk of the top noble families of both dynasties.

Even the rival Demon Dynasty families couldn't help but give a thumbs-up when discussing this matter in private.

To make the outer region demons suffer such a loss, such a satisfying event hadn't occurred for thousands of years.

As Princess Suiyun's reputation soared, she soon overshadowed other young talents of her generation, dominating the Immortal and Demon Dynasties and being hailed as the "number one of the younger generation."

With the rise of one, naturally, there is the fall of another.

The Demon Dynasty also had its young talents, and someone even created a "Red Moon Sage List," ranking the peerless prodigies of the Demon Dynasty's younger generation.

In the past, this "Red Moon Sage List" was highly regarded and widely celebrated in the Demon Dynasty.

However, from top to bottom, there wasn't a single person on the list who could compare to Princess Suiyun.

Especially the top of the Red Moon Sage List, the "Little Demon Lord," whose reputation had plummeted in recent years.

Demon No. 2 defense zone.

Like Princess Suiyun, the Little Demon Lord also served as the deputy commander of this defense zone.

Since suffering a setback at the hands of the Wang's Clan, he had come to the Demon No. 2 defense zone of the outer region battlefield, intending to "know shame and then be brave."

However, the demons were not so easily dealt with.

Despite his efforts, he only achieved minor victories. Before he could even boast about them, he learned of Suiyun's great victory.

In the deputy command center.

Little Demon Lord Chao Qianjue slammed the table into pieces with a "bang," shouting, "Who dares to spread rumors that I'm nothing compared to Princess Suiyun?!"

His personal guards all lowered their heads, not daring to speak.

"What is that Suiyun woman? In terms of cultivation, she's indeed a notch above me, but in terms of bloodline, she's inferior."

The Little Demon Lord, agitated by recent rumors, shouted in frustration, "It's just capturing three Demon King Fortresses. I, Chao Qianjue, can do it too! Gather the troops, we're starting that plan!"

"That plan?!" The guards were shocked, trying to dissuade him, "Young Master, that plan is already very risky. Starting it now, with our preparations incomplete, will only increase the risk."

"If the preparations aren't complete, then hurry up and complete them," the Little Demon Lord sneered, "Do you think I don't know? Those spreading rumors that I'm far inferior to Suiyun are just trying to undermine my authority. Besides those two, who else would do such a thing? If I don't show my strength, any Tom, Dick, or Harry will dare to challenge me."

"This time, I, Chao Qianjue, will spare no effort to achieve an unparalleled feat and shut those behind the scenes up!"

"Yes, Young Master."

...

At the same time.

In the Demon Emperor's Palace.

The atmosphere here was also "harmonious."

Under the grand chandelier of fire crystal stones, three princes stood in a row, heads bowed.

On the other side, the Demon Emperor, clad in a black robe, had been scolding them for a long time. Exhausted, he took a sip of tea to soothe his throat.

The great victory on the outer region battlefield was undoubtedly a good thing, but the fact that it was Princess Suiyun who achieved it left the Demon Emperor feeling a bit down.

In the past, while Princess Suiyun was excellent, her achievements weren't this exaggerated.

Those were three Demon King Fortresses, strategically positioned to form a solid defensive circle.

With those three fortresses, the area of the Immortal No. 3 defense zone expanded significantly.

Such a victory hadn't been seen in the human race for thousands of years.

The more he thought about it, the more upset he became, and he resumed his scolding: "You little brats, what's the point of all my efforts to train you? Each of you acts so high and mighty, but when it's time to step up, you all fall short. Now, you've all been overshadowed by a woman!"

"Shameful, you've disgraced me completely."

The eldest prince, Shentu Yuanzheng, and the second prince, Shentu Kaixuan, kept their heads down, trying to minimize their presence, letting the Demon Emperor vent his anger.

They were used to being scolded, though this time it was particularly harsh.

In their defense, they were busy with their own affairs when Princess Suiyun suddenly pulled off a great victory, putting them in a difficult position.

It was like failing an exam while the neighbor's kid topped the class—once the parents found out, there was no escaping the consequences.

Only the third prince, Shentu Jingming, remained unfazed, adopting a "let him be strong, the breeze brushes the hill; let him be fierce, the iron chains block the river" attitude.

Suiyun's victory had nothing to do with him~

His shameless demeanor naturally fueled the Demon Emperor's anger: "Old Third, can't you at least show some shame? At least make a statement? Everyone's asking what our three princes are doing."

"Ancestor," Shentu Jingming replied nonchalantly, "Let them say what they want; it won't hurt us. Besides, Princess Suiyun is indeed impressive. I can't match her achievements or outdo her."

He was speaking the truth. Because it was the truth.

But it was precisely because it was the truth that it made the Demon Emperor feel worse.

The more he thought about it, the angrier he became, and he turned, ready to smash Shentu Jingming with the Demon Emperor's throne.

Fortunately, the attendants quickly intervened to stop him: "Your Majesty, you know the third prince has always been like this. Don't take it to heart; anger is bad for your health."

"Ancestor, if necessary, I can discuss with Ruobing about forming a team to tackle the outer region battlefield," the third prince suggested, "I think Ruobing is quite clever and might lead us to victory."

The Demon Emperor's anger had subsided a bit, but upon hearing this, it flared up again: "You shameless brat! You haven't even tied the knot with Wang Ruobing, and you're already planning to freeload? How did I raise such a disgraceful descendant?!"

The eldest and second princes kept their heads down, not daring to speak, but they were secretly amused.

The third prince was indeed shameless, daring to provoke the ancestor even in such a situation.

Surely, he would fall out of favor.

Unexpectedly.

After his outburst, the Demon Emperor surprisingly calmed down, coldly saying, "Fine, go find Ruobing. Let's discuss how to achieve a great victory and suppress Suiyun's arrogance."

Is this even possible?

The eldest and second princes were dumbfounded.

Ancestor, didn't you just say freeloading was shameless?

"I'm not going. If you want to find her, you do it," the third prince retorted, suddenly acting proud, "I've decided to reclaim my dignity and not freeload anymore."

"You little..."

The Demon Emperor was about to lose his temper again, but before he could finish his sentence.

Suddenly.

There was a commotion in the sky outside the Demon Palace.

"Buzz~~!"

A deep humming sound echoed through the heavens.

Blazing red light erupted in the distance.

In an instant, crimson radiance swept across half the sky, turning the clouds into a fiery red.

The flames spread like blooming lotuses, resembling the scorching karmic fire, exuding a suffocating and terrifying aura.

Such a phenomenon immediately captured everyone's attention.

"This is..." The Demon Emperor was initially puzzled, then a flash of realization struck him, "Karmic fire filling the sky, the descent of the red lotus... This is the birth of a peerless red lotus bloodline from our Shentu lineage, causing a celestial phenomenon!"

"Quick, check which children were born today in our Shentu Clan, and see whose child caused this celestial phenomenon."

Only those with particularly strong bloodlines could cause a celestial phenomenon at birth. In other words, a child who could cause a celestial phenomenon at birth was extraordinary.

The attendants quickly went to investigate.

Soon, they returned with joy on their faces: "Great news, Your Majesty! It's the direct descendant of the Liexia King's Mansion, a daughter, who caused the celestial phenomenon."

"A daughter?"

The Demon Emperor's expression remained unchanged, but a hint of disappointment flickered in his eyes.

Although the Shentu Clan's True Demon Scripture wasn't gender-specific, being fire-attributed, it generally suited males better. Throughout history, except for one exception, all Demon Emperors had been male.

He personally preferred to choose a prince as the successor.

However, upon reconsideration, he suddenly showed joy: "Hahaha~ A daughter is good, a daughter is good! Order the Liexia King's Mansion to prepare for my visit. If the child's bloodline is up to standard, I'll immediately confer her as a 'Princess.'"

In the Demon Dynasty, the title of "Princess" wasn't given lightly. Conferring the title meant she had the right to compete for the position of Demon Emperor.

However, the Demon Emperor's joy was clearly not just because of gaining another heir.

Just now, when he thought of the words "Demon Dynasty Princess," the image of Wang Fugui suddenly appeared in his mind.

The Immortal Dynasty was able to win over Wang Fugui because they had a princess, right?

And now, the Demon Dynasty also had a princess.

Although Wang Fugui was the Mansion Master of Yun Mengyu's Princess Mansion, they weren't married yet, right? Wang Fugui was only fifteen or sixteen years old, and even in twenty or thirty years, he'd only be in his thirties or forties, still very young. Who knows what the future holds?

If our little princess could win over Wang Fugui, wouldn't Wang Fugui have to call him "Ancestor" in the future?

...