As Princess Ata finished speaking, a CLANG resounded from behind!
She curiously turned around, only to see Ji Youzhi anxiously bending down to pick up a bowl.
"Seventh Young Master! What happened to you?"
Princess Ata looked at him, bewildered.
Ji Youzhi took a deep breath, the words his maternal grandfather spoke before his death echoing in his mind. He asked Xiaosuisui, "When will we be able to have real contact with the Cultivation Realm?"
Without a second thought, Xiaosuisui answered, "Once we dismantle the Array of Heaven in all four directions, we can establish a pathway to them."
"If the Array of Heaven isnât dismantled, canât we summon Immortals from the Cultivation Realm?"
Xiaosuisui shook her head. "Our Tianling Continent has shielded the Celestial Dao, which is equivalent to shielding time and space. Without the Celestial Dao as the nexus of time and space, naturally, there are no channels connected to other Realms."
"So, to summon experts from outside, we must dismantle the Array of Heaven in all four directions, right?"
Xiaosuisui nodded emphatically.
Princess Ata was very confused. She sensed Ji Youzhiâs slight unease and hurriedly asked, "Whatâs wrong, Seventh Young Master?"
Ji Youzhi shook his head without saying anything, then turned and left.
"Strange. It clearly looked like the Seventh Young Master had something to say!" Xiaosuisui tilted her head, scratching her little head, and remarked with an air of innocent wisdom, "Uncle Ji seems to have a big secret!"
Princess Ata lifted her and patted her little head. "Be confident. Donât say âseems toâ!"
Xiaosuisui pouted. "What big secret could Uncle Ji have?"
Princess Ata smiled and replied, "Everyone has secrets. Donât dwell on it. If he wants to tell you his secret, he naturally will. If he doesnât want to say it, questioning him is useless."
Xiaosuisui nodded in understanding.
Suddenly, a piercing cry echoed from outside. It was the Phoenixâs cry. Xiaosuisui and Princess Ata exchanged a look.
Theyâre here at last.
Xie PanâEr ran over, panting, and called out, "Suisui! I feel the Phoenix is uneasy; it seems agitated and anxious."
Xie PanâErâs nervousness was unprecedented. This was the first time she had felt such strong emotions from the Phoenix.
"The Phoenix acting like this means that, just as the National Master predicted, today is our chance to turn the tide," Princess Ata said seriously. "Usually, such an opportunity is accompanied by danger."
The National Master, who admired Princess Ataâs courage in the face of danger, also entered from outside and continued where she left off. "Princess Ata is right. Today is indeed a time when danger and opportunity coexist."
Accompanying the National Master were the Emperor, Ji Youzhi, and Dugu Xiao.
These three hadnât been idle for the past three days. The National Master could come and go without a trace and was the only one among them capable of restraining the Great Wizard. (Mainly because they still saw Xiaosuisui as a child and didnât believe she could be that powerful!)
So, for the past few days, the National Master had been shuttling between Yunhang County Town and the Daoist Temple to procure winter cotton clothes for the soldiers. The results werenât ideal, but there were some unexpected gains.
For instance, at this moment, he was certain that Lu Yunsheng was not dead, nor had he fallen into the hands of the Great Wizardâs Clone!
"My dear, how do you feel now? Do you still want to sleep?"
As soon as the Emperor entered, he held Xiaosuisui in his arms, gently stroking her small face. Seeing how thin she had become, his heart ached.
"Look how thin you are! No, after we resolve things here, I, your adoptive father, must find a way to feed you until youâre plump and healthy!"
Xiaosuisui pulled the Emperorâs hand away from her face, holding it as she grumbled, "Iâm a girl! I donât want to be fat. I want to be thin so clothes look good on me!"
Her words made the Emperor laugh.
Ji Youzhi wasnât pleased.
This girl is my biological niece, so why is His Majesty the Emperor always holding her and never letting go?
"The battle is about to start. Come here, your Uncle Ji will protect you!" Ji Youzhi reached out to take the girl from the Emperorâs arms.
The Emperor glared fiercely at him.
I suspect youâre insinuating my Martial Arts are inferior to yours!
Ji Youzhi ignored the Emperorâs glare, forcibly snatched the girl into his own arms, and didnât forget to say to the Emperor, "The future Queen is delicate. You must protect her well!"
His unspoken insinuation was clear: Didnât the Emperor have any sense? At such a critical moment, instead of trying to make an impression, why not find an opportunity to be the hero, save the damsel, and win her heart sooner?
However, at his words, Xie PanâEr was completely overwhelmed. Her body swayed, and she almost fainted.
"Are you alright?" Princess Ata, who was nearby, supported her and gave her a sympathetic look.
Xie PanâEr barely steadied herself. Pale-faced, she glanced at Princess Ata, managed a bitter smile, and thanked her. She fought back tears, hiding all her emotions.
The Emperor saw all of this. It was a scene he hadnât wished to witness, but the truth remained: Ji Youzhi indeed had no romantic feelings for Xie PanâEr.
He had asked Ji Youzhi about it, as promised, and had even considered decreeing the marriage. But Ji Youzhi had knelt before him, his expression resolute, stating he had no romantic feelings whatsoever for Xie PanâEr. He explained that he had once been trapped in an Illusory Realm where he experienced what seemed like a lifetime of fated love. He had long understood that the person in the illusion had merely used Xie PanâErâs face to try and bewitch him. However, his heart was very clear: his affection for Xie PanâEr was not romantic love.
If His Majesty were to forcibly bind them together, then Ji Youzhi would not be the only one to suffer in the future. Ji Youzhi had further advised that if His Majesty truly cared for Xie PanâEr and had her best interests at heart, then His Majesty should demonstrate some masculine grace. He should use his own sincerity to move and cherish Xie PanâEr, waiting for the flower budâwhich could belong to the Emperorâto bloom brilliantly.
Hearing this had filled the Emperor with mixed emotions. Ultimately, he decided not to force the marriage, while also privately admitting to himself that he had, just this once, acted out of selfish desire.