CHAPTER 602: CHAPTER 368: THE MAN WHO ONCE LEFT THE DIVINE DOMAIN

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When Li Meilin headed to the Imperial Palace, she was astonished to see a group of guards come out to greet her and take her directly to meet the Emperor, who was waiting to hear what she had to say.

The Emperor sat on his throne, dressed in royal attire, holding the Royal Seal in his hand, patiently awaiting Li Meilin’s arrival into the hall. One side of the grand hall was filled with officials, nobles, and everyone of high rank within the Siban Empire. All were eager to hear what Li Meilin had to say. She was the only person to have ever returned from the Divine Domain.

Accompanied by a large group of knights, all clad in the Emperor’s crimson uniform, it was evident these experts were members of the Royal Guard, the finest protectors in all of Siban. The fact that Li Meilin was escorted under their watchful protection demonstrated the Emperor’s level of importance placed upon her.

Li Meilin was picked up from a marketplace in town, and now she was being escorted by twenty men dressed in red. Their pace slowed as they spent nearly two hours crossing through the bustling city. With the news of Li Meilin’s return spreading like wildfire across the capital, even the typically quiet residential areas were teeming with crowds. Everyone wanted to catch a glimpse of this woman—the first person to emerge from the Divine Domain.

Finally, after hours of snail-like movement, Li Meilin saw the Imperial Palace before her. Her heart tightened with anxiety, anticipating the weighty topics she was about to raise with the Emperor. Although his cultivation might pale in comparison to hers, he was still the leader of the entire Spanish Empire—a figure Li Meilin deeply respected and would do anything for.

After traversing countless halls and corridors, they finally reached the hall where the Emperor welcomed his subjects. As soon as the guards spotted Li Meilin, they swung open the grand doors and loudly announced: "Ms. Li, High-Level Governor of the Divine Domain delegation."

Once her name was called, murmurs erupted within the hall as the nobles and officials stirred, unable to keep their voices in check. The experts had returned, and rightly so, everyone felt a wave of excitement. Yet questions lingered about how Li Meilin survived, especially when the delegation’s leading Saint appeared to have perished—a man considered the most powerful among the group. Even so, it seemed he succumbed to the lands of the Divine Domain.

The noise grew louder as she entered the room, though it was impossible to grasp every conversation simultaneously. Upon reaching the center of the hall, Li Meilin stopped and knelt deeply before the Emperor, a man she highly revered.

When the Emperor raised his hand, the room fell into silence; no one dared utter a word. Everyone held their breath as quietly as possible, doing everything they could to avoid attracting the Emperor’s attention.

"Ms. Li Meilin, we are thrilled to see you have successfully escaped the borders of the Divine Origin. We presume you have much information to share with us."

Upon hearing his words, Li Meilin nodded and slowly rose to her feet. She bowed deeply to the Emperor, keeping her upper body bent forward. She dared not raise her head, as it might seem disrespectful.

"We entered the Divine Domain as planned, but the first thing we encountered was a village inhabited by humanoid magical beasts." She began to recount the events from the very beginning. "God decreed that we must enslave and destroy this city. After that, we were to execute anyone unworthy of being enslaved."

"The beasts we encountered were unable to fight, so the battle was over much sooner than we expected. Once the slaves were bound, we continued our march through the forest."

"The Divine Domain is a forest?" The Emperor questioned, startling Li Meilin for forgetting this detail. "The Divine Domain is an enormous jungle. The entire nation is a forest. I apologize for that oversight," she stammered, her heart racing in her chest.

"Proceed," the Emperor said, as if he didn’t much care. Relieved, Li Meilin continued her tale.

"All we saw was an endless forest and magical beasts. Within the vast expanse of trees, no ordinary beasts were present—only humanoid beasts and magical beasts lived within. Our journey progressed slowly, but eventually, we encountered a group of humanoid beasts. All of them were Kings or Emperors, except their leader, who was a Saint. When they attacked us, their leader toyed with ours effortlessly. Killing him was hardly a challenge for her, and freeing the slaves felt like a mere stroll in the park. I was the sole survivor, for some reason—the beasts brought me to their capital and allowed me to live. If I had to guess why they spared me, it would be because I opposed the enslavement of their people."

"The Divine Domain’s capital is akin to one of our cities, but it’s filled with humanoid beasts rather than humans. They resemble humans in appearance but possess distinct beastly features. I was granted permission to reside in the castle of the Divine Origin Queen herself. Soon, I uncovered some troubling information. The Divine Domain is divided into sixty-six counties, each ruled by a Forest King. To become a Forest King, one must be a Holy Name Expert."

"What?!" Shock and disbelief washed over the crowd. Everyone forgot their obligation to remain silent. They were astounded to learn that at least sixty-four Saints resided within the Divine Domain. Sixty-four Saints far exceeded what the Siban Empire currently possessed. At most, Siban had half that number. Though the Empire was proud to boast the most Saints across the African continent’s three other kingdoms, the revelation of the Divine Domain having so many experts left the crowd overwhelmed by terror and awe.