Chapter 294: News of Death Spreads Throughout the Hua Xu Kingdom

In Liangyi Hall, dedicated secretaries were questioning everyone who had entered the Secret Realm one by one, recording their experiences and the fortuitous encounters they had inside.

Yan Ying seemed to be in a daze, still unable to recover from the fact of Chu Fan’s death.

Or perhaps, deep down, she simply couldn’t accept it.

One moment, they were walking hand in hand through the mountains and rivers of the Secret Realm; the next, they were separated by death. How could she possibly accept it?

‘Was this my father’s doing?’

She had her suspicions, but then she dismissed them. No matter how deep her father’s schemes ran, he couldn’t possibly control the beasts in the Secret Realm, could he?

She couldn’t help but touch her abdomen. ‘Getting pregnant with his child was probably the best thing I’ve ever done in my life!’

Long Jingyao read through all the records compiled by the secretaries, and he finally understood why so many people had been expelled from the Secret Realm in such a short time.

He felt a hint of dark satisfaction, but also a twinge of regret.

Although he had already made arrangements for Chu Fan and Long Yinwen, their deaths in the Secret Realm saved him a lot of trouble.

What he regretted was that he never expected them to die like this in the Secret Realm. If Chu Fan hadn’t been from the Eastern Domain, Long Jingyao would never have let such a talented and strategic individual slip through his fingers.

Long Jingyao offered some words of encouragement to the more than three hundred people present, urging them to continue improving themselves and serve the kingdom loyally.

Then, he dismissed them.

“Your Highness, it seems the Imperial Grandson has not yet exited the Secret Realm!” a Captain of the Imperial Forest Guard on duty whispered to Long Jingyao after the crowd had dispersed.

“Who said he hasn’t exited? He came out several days ago. He’s in the Eastern Palace right now!” Long Jingyao said before striding away.

The Captain was dumbfounded but dared not say anything more.

In the dispersing crowd, Yan Ying caught up to Wei Mian and Ye Xiaohan. “You two, come with me!”

Wei Mian and Ye Xiaohan were feeling quite despondent themselves, so they understood what Yan Ying wanted and followed her to a quiet corner.

“What happened in there? Why did Chu Fan die?” 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

Hearing Yan Ying’s question, Ye Xiaohan began to choke up again.

Wei Mian sighed and said, “To be honest, I’m still not sure what happened. Xiaohan and I had just finished off a group of beasts and were resting in the forest. The next thing we knew, we were teleported to a valley. And it wasn’t just us; everyone else was teleported there from other places too. When we arrived in the valley, we saw Chu Fan and a burly man being besieged by a group of Stone Giants.”

“Those Stone Giants were incredibly powerful. I’d estimate they had the Combat Power of the Void Realm at the very least. Chu Fan asked everyone for help, but no one was willing to step forward. Xiaohan and I charged in, but a single punch from a Stone Giant sent us flying dozens of yards away. We wanted to go back and help, but we couldn’t muster any strength. We could only watch helplessly as the Stone Giants beat him to the ground and smashed his skull with punch after punch. After the Stone Giants killed the two of them, they started chasing us. We had just recovered a bit of our strength, but before we could take two steps, we were ejected from the Secret Realm.”

After hearing this, Yan Ying’s last glimmer of hope was extinguished. She waved her hand weakly. “You can go now.”

After Wei Mian and Ye Xiaohan left, Yan Ying returned to the Eastern Palace like a walking corpse.

Long Jingyao arrived at Jinlan Garden and dismissed the servants.

“Hearing this news must be difficult for you. Do you think it is any less so for me?”

“The burly man who died with Chu Fan… was it Long Yinwen?” Yan Ying asked coldly.

“How did you know?”

“Three hundred and sixty people went in, and they’re the only two who didn’t come out. Who else could it be?”

“It was indeed him, but that was by no means my wish.”

“How can I believe you?” Yan Ying gave a miserable laugh.

“Believe it or not, just think about it. Even if I didn’t want them to live, what power do I have to make the beasts of the Secret Realm kill them?”

“So you never intended for them to live in the first place, did you?” Yan Ying asked icily.

“Anything I say now is pointless, and I don’t wish to argue. But the dead cannot be brought back to life, and the living must go on living well. You are carrying his child in your womb. This is the only bloodline Chu Fan has left in this world.”

“Don’t worry. I will give birth to him safely. And I will stop at nothing to raise him to be a great ruler.”

“I am relieved to hear you say that. From this day forward, you are no longer Yan Ying. Your name will be changed back to Long Yintian.”

The next day, Chu Fan’s name was removed from the Talent List.

Soon after, the news that Chu Fan had died in the Hua Xu Secret Realm spread quickly.

「Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, Piaoxue Palace.」

Leng Yingxue, who had only been back at Piaoxue Palace for a little over two months, had just finished reorganizing the sect and had initiated a sect-wide examination.

Having reached the Saint Realm in her Cultivation, her perspective had broadened.

She began to overhaul the Sect, tailoring her teachings to each disciple’s aptitude. ‘The grudge from ten years ago must be avenged.’

One day, she happened to overhear some disciples chatting and mentioning the name Chu Fan. Her curiosity piqued, she asked them about it.

When she learned that Chu Fan had been removed from the Talent List and had died in the Secret Realm, Leng Yingxue felt as if a vital piece of her had vanished in an instant.

That very night, she left Piaoxue Palace.

She first went to the Celestial Dao Palace, where she learned from Master Yunchen that Chu Fan had indeed died in the Hua Xu Secret Realm. Then, she went to the Eastern Palace.

Long Jingyao was the Crown Prince, after all. Even when facing Leng Yingxue, a cultivator in the Saint Realm, he would not yield an inch.

A great battle was about to erupt.

The reason was simple: Leng Yingxue demanded that Long Jingyao reopen the Secret Realm so she could go in and find Chu Fan.

The Secret Realm was already sealed and could not be opened for another thirty-six years. Why would Long Jingyao bend the rules for her?

If not for Yan Ying’s intervention, there was no telling how many lives would have been lost that night.

“Father, let me speak with Lady Leng!”

When Leng Yingxue heard Yan Ying call Long Jingyao “Father,” many things instantly clicked into place.

And while Long Jingyao cared about his pride, he was unwilling to offend a Saint if he could avoid it. Seeing Yan Ying step in, he nodded his approval.

Leng Yingxue followed Yan Ying to Jinlan Garden.

“You’re a princess?”

“To be precise, I am the Imperial Grandson,” Yan Ying said.

“You’re pregnant? Whose is it?” As a Saint Realm cultivator, Leng Yingxue could naturally tell at a glance that she was with child.

“It’s his. I conceived in the Secret Realm.”

“All men in this world are indeed cut from the same cloth,” Leng Yingxue spat coldly.

“It’s a good thing I’m carrying his child, so at least he won’t be without an heir,” Yan Ying said with a sorrowful sigh.

“When this child is born, I will take him as my disciple.”

“It’s a boy. Since when does your Piaoxue Palace accept male disciples?” Yan Ying said.

“That is my business. I’m asking if you agree or not,” Leng Yingxue said coldly.

Yan Ying sighed. “It’s not a matter of whether I agree. Do you think my father would ever agree?”

“I will persuade him. Did Chu Fan really die in the Secret Realm? Did you see it with your own eyes?”

Yan Ying shook her head. “I had already left the Secret Realm by then, but everyone else saw him get his head smashed by a dozen Stone Giants…”

As Yan Ying spoke, tears streamed silently down her face.

“So the Secret Realm truly cannot be opened again?”

“The Secret Realm only opens once every thirty-six years. The rules can’t be changed for anyone’s sake. Otherwise, why wouldn’t I go in myself?” Yan Ying said, her voice choked with emotion.

“In ten months, I will come to take him.” Leng Yingxue pointed at Yan Ying’s abdomen, then flew away.