When the Sea of Parting Regret fell to the lower realm this time, a total of three hundred twenty-eight divine clan members were caught in the heavenly disaster. Three days after Xuan Yi returned to Zhongshan, the perished divine clan members were finally confirmed. A total of fifty-nine unlucky divine clan members perished in this heavenly disaster. The great majority were directly ground up by the clear and turbid air currents, while a small portion died in the lower realm after encountering demon clans who had fallen into the demonic path, unable to overcome them.

The unluckiest was probably Lizhu Dijun. He was also the only dijun to perish in the heavenly disaster. He and two disciples unfortunately fell near the Sea of Parting Regret. By the time Crown Prince Chang Qin led a group of war generals to finally find the Sea of Parting Regret at the extreme northern abyss of the lower realm, their corpses had nearly been smashed to pulp by the hands of the Fangfeng Clan.

The deaths of numerous divine clan members cast a somber atmosphere over the divine realm. Among them, the most heartbroken was probably Zhuxuan Dijun. His Zhuxuan Yuyang Prefecture had been completely shattered into pieces with no possibility of restoration. The treasures accumulated over many generations were all gone. Although Baize Dijun had been quick-eyed and quick-handed to snatch up Chiyou Dajun’s fingernail and Gonggong Dajun’s skull, having lost the Jade Glazed Tower, he couldn’t keep these two items and could only obediently send them to the Heavenly Palace to be suppressed by the palace’s Glazed Tower.

As for Houyi’s arrows that he’d nurtured with clear energy for many years and that piece of blue stone with a spiritual embryo—he ultimately couldn’t preserve them. They were lost together in the lower realm, to the point that now whenever he encountered a divine clan member, he would cry bitterly and recount his tragic experiences.

Of course, if he knew that the spirit stone that fell to the lower realm would many years later give birth to a heaven-shaking, earth-shattering monkey who would stir up the divine realm into chaos with an iron rod, who knows what he would think. But this is a story for later times and won’t be mentioned again.

Compared to the numerous divine clan members who received great frights, the luckiest were probably Shennu Wangshu and Shenjun Feilian. That day at Yuyang Prefecture, after removing the demon poison soft thorn from Xuan Yi, the two of them hurriedly left and didn’t personally experience the heavenly disaster—truly most fortunate.

“It’s now been confirmed that the Sea of Parting Regret fell to the extreme northern abyss of the lower realm. That place is vast and sparsely populated, so it didn’t cause greater disaster—truly lucky. I heard that five hundred war generals take turns standing guard in the lower realm daily. For now, no abnormal movements have been seen from the Sea of Parting Regret. Those hands of the Fangfeng Clan were also brought back to the divine realm by Crown Prince Chang Qin and are being carefully examined by the various dijuns at the Hall of All Gods. I believe there will be a result before long.”

Qi Nan earnestly finished reciting the intelligence he’d collected. The young princess across from him only absentmindedly spat out a plum pit: “Why are you telling me all this, Qi Nan?”

Qi Nan was frustrated at her lack of progress: “How can the princess not care what’s happening outside? The lower realm is very dangerous right now. Demon clans who have fallen into the demonic path are countless. The Southern Heavenly Gate and the Mirror Platform of All Lives no longer allow divine clan members to descend to the lower realm at will.”

Xuan Yi looked at him blankly: “So?”

Uh, so? He’d actually forgotten the princess’s bad habit of absolutely never going out if she could stay home. Reminding her not to randomly descend to the lower realm was indeed a waste of words.

“Nothing, the princess is fine as she is.” Qi Nan gave a dry laugh twice.

Xuan Yi closed the book in her hands. She’d been reading all morning—how boring: “I’m going to find Qing Yan to play.”

Qi Nan remembered there were still words he hadn’t finished speaking and hastily stopped the divine servants coming to lift the rattan bed: “I have something to ask the princess. When the princess was injured in her right leg by the catfish demon in the lower realm last time, thanks to Shennu Wangshu disregarding past grievances to remove the demon poison soft thorn for the princess and eliminate the hidden danger, Dijun prepared generous gifts to send to Wangshu Palace, but they were returned. Shennu Wangshu only said she hoped the princess would remember what she said to the princess that day at Yuyang Prefecture—what exactly did she say to the princess? Did she make some request?”

Xuan Yi concentrated and thought for a moment, then suddenly understood: “She hopes I’ll succeed her as Shennu Wangshu after I turn fifty thousand years old.”

Qi Nan was both surprised and delighted: “Truly? For the princess to hold this Wangshu position would indeed be very suitable!”

Xuan Yi frowned: “Being Wangshu means driving the moon around every day, and I’d have to work with that Shenjun Feilian. I don’t want to.”

“I actually think it’s quite good.”

Qing Yan’s voice came from outside the hall. Today he’d changed into white robes, moving with refined and carefree grace. At first glance, he actually resembled Fucang a bit. Previously Xuan Yi hadn’t been averse to white clothing, but ever since meeting Fucang, she’d uniformly found all divine lords wearing white garments unpleasant to look at. Seeing Qing Yan also dressed this way, her brows furrowed even deeper, her face full of distaste.

“What’s with that expression?” Qing Yan tapped her forehead, bent down to sit on the rattan bed, and while flipping through her books said: “You’ve always been lazy. When told to learn some martial arts or swordsmanship, you say that’s the behavior of boors. In the future when you reach fifty thousand years old, you can forget about being a war general. If you become a civil official, your temper is also bad—I’m afraid you’d offend many colleagues. Only being Wangshu would be suitable. The days are leisurely, quiet, and you wouldn’t have to look at anyone’s face.”

Strange—when he put it that way, it really did sound quite good. Xuan Yi asked curiously: “Then what divine position will Qing Yan hold after fifty thousand years? Will you be a war general?”

Before Qing Yan could answer, Qi Nan jumped in: “Xiaolong Jun will naturally succeed to the position of Zhongshan Dijun in the future, but he must first serve as a war general for two hundred thousand years.”

Xuan Yi laughed: “Then I want to be Zhongshan Dijun too, don’t I?”

Qing Yan looked at her mockingly: “You? If you became dijun, the Zhuyin Clan’s reputation would be completely ruined.”

Qi Nan sighed: “The princess gained human form at two hundred years old. At that time, we still hoped the princess would achieve great things in the future and revive the威望 of the Zhuyin Dragon God. What a pity… how did the princess turn out like this?”

He spoke as if it were absolutely true. Xuan Yi was actually amused by his frustration and was about to playfully scold him when she suddenly heard a divine official report from outside: “Mister Qi Nan, a letter has arrived.”

Qi Nan hadn’t joked around together with the siblings like this in a long time. At this moment, he didn’t want to handle official business and only said: “What letter? If it’s not important, just leave it.”

“It’s an invitation.”

He cared even less about invitations. Ever since Dijun had exterminated the Tongshan Clan, he stayed in the Hall of Eternal Life all day without coming out. He sent back all invitations without exception.

“It’s an invitation sent by Qing Di.”

Qi Nan rose abruptly: “Send it in!”

Shennu Wangshu’s willingness to remove the demon poison soft thorn for the princess was precisely due to Qing Di’s mediation. He truly didn’t know how to repay this favor, yet the princess and Shenjun Fucang still bickered constantly. He was truly having his heart broken over this little ancestor.

The letter was quickly brought in—a perfectly square one with a madder red envelope. On it, the characters were written in an elegant and upright script: “To Princess Xuan Yi with respect.”

Qi Nan was even more surprised—it was actually written to the princess? This was truly a first. Could it be from Shenjun Fucang… His heart, which was anxious to marry her off tens of thousands of years early, began to beat wildly. Not daring to open the envelope, he handed it to Xuan Yi with both hands: “Princess, the invitation is from Qing Di to you.”

Completely baffled, Xuan Yi opened the envelope. The letter paper had many lines of characters written in flowing ink. As she read, her expression remained blank. Qi Nan was a bit nervous and a bit expectant. He wanted to peek but felt it improper. In the end, it was still Qing Yan who was considerate, leaning over to look together and saying: “Oh, Shenjun Fucang’s Huaxu Clan sword path has awakened, so he’s sending invitations. Two days from now at noon, awaiting your honored presence at the peak of Taishan.”

He smiled again: “So that day’s sword energy transforming into a dragon was actually the Huaxu Clan’s sword path awakening. Indeed, a major event.”

Qi Nan was so excited both his hands were trembling. He knew he hadn’t misjudged Shenjun Fucang! Qing Di only awakened his sword path at fifty thousand years old! Shenjun Fucang was only thirty thousand! What gift should he send? He needed to prepare a very substantial gift! Should he send pearls from the Western Sea? Or send a heavenly fire essence from the extreme eastern lands?

Suddenly Xuan Yi sighed. Looking at her furrowed brows and twitching lips, before she could open her mouth, Qi Nan said sternly: “You’re not allowed to say you won’t go!”

Xuan Yi was rarely reprimanded by him like this and could only swallow back the words about not wanting to go, nodding repeatedly: “I’ll go, I’ll go.”

She looked at Qing Yan as if seeking help, hugging his arm: “Come with me, won’t you?”

Qing Yan smiled and tapped her forehead—an action he often did with her: “Go yourself. I need to return to the Northern Heavens.”