Chapter 217: The battle hungry is never full.

Chapter 217: 217: The battle hungry is never full.

A servant soon approached the courtyard and knocked on the door before speaking respectfully from outside.

"Patriarch, there is some unfortunate news."

"Come in," Lin Xuan replied.

The servant entered the courtyard, bowed deeply to him, and spoke with a troubled expression.

"Patriarch, Elder Shushu has passed away. The Elder Council is demanding an explanation, and his bereaved family is also demanding justice."

"Oh, do you need any help, Junior Brother?" Mu Qingya asked, looking at Lin Xuan with curiousity.

Lin Xuan glanced at her.

Wow, she’s really deep into this role-playing.

"It’s nothing, Senior Sister. I’ll solve it immediately," he played along not daring to offend the empress. "In the meantime, how about you tour around the estate with my daughter?"

"You have a daughter?" Mu Qingya immediately asked with excitement.

"Yes," Lin Xuan replied proudly.

"I have one too!" Mu Qingya said excitedly. "Introduce me to her. Perhaps my daughter and yours can become friends."

"Huh?"

Lin Xuan stopped and looked at her strangely.

"Senior Sister, isn’t your daughter the Imperial Princess, Tian Lianhua?"

"Yes, she is," Mu Qingya replied proudly.

"My daughter is only thirteen."

Mu Qingya’s proud expression suddenly froze.

She stared at Lin Xuan for a moment before asking, "How old are you?"

"I’m thirty-two," Lin Xuan replied right away making Mu Qingya completely silent.

A moment later, she collapsed into the chair beside her and stared blankly ahead like a dead fish.

"Senior Sister?"

Lin Xuan immediately walked over to her.

Mu Qingya weakly raised one hand.

"I’m okay. Go, go. Just send your daughter over later."

Lin Xuan looked at her suspiciously but eventually nodded.

"Alright."

As he walked away, Mu Qingya continued staring at the empty space in front of her.

He’s already at the Nascent Soul Realm at only thirty-two? What are you doing, Lianhua?!

Meanwhile... Feeling an itch in her ear Lianhua glanced around the room suspiciously.

Is Mother talking behind my back again?

She rubbed her ear before turning her attention back to the imperial court.

In front of her, various heads of the empire were seated in their respective positions, their expressions serious as they listened to the discussion.

At the highest seat, her father sat calmly, his gaze fixed on the people gathered below.

They were discussing a matter that had recently drawn the attention of the entire court.

The appearance of a spatial rift in the Eastern Region, within an area known as the Sea of Mist.

The Sea of Mist had earned its name from the thick mist that covered the entire region throughout the year.

Even cultivators with powerful spiritual senses found it difficult to see through the fog, and the further one ventured into the region, the more distorted their perception became.

Many had tried to investigate the depths of the Sea of Mist over the years, yet most returned empty-handed. Some never returned at all.

Because of that, the region had long been regarded as one of the more mysterious territories within the Tianhe Empire.

Qin Tianyu, seated among the imperial court, finally spoke up as he looked toward the map laid out before them. ℯℯ𝑙.

"We should temporarily seal off that region until we understand what this spatial rift is and where it leads."

His suggestion immediately caused several people to exchange uneasy glances.

"The sects around the Sea of Mist will certainly object," an elder of the Snowfeather sect said. "Their territories and businesses are heavily connected to that region, and countless smaller sects under their protection depend on those routes as well."

Qin Tianyu nodded slightly.

"That is precisely why we should act before the situation becomes worse. If something comes through that rift, we may no longer have the opportunity to contain it."

The Tianhe Empire was fundamentally different from the kingdoms it had subdued.

Within those kingdoms, much of the actual power was held by influential cultivation families. Even when a kingdom had a royal family, powerful clans often possessed enough influence to challenge royal decisions.

The Tianhe Empire did not operate in the same way.

Here, the imperial family stood at the center of the empire, while the major sects formed the backbone of its cultivation forces.

There was only one cultivation family powerful enough to stand on equal footing with the imperial family.

The Qin Family.

The Qin Family had existed alongside the Tian Clan for generations, sharing a history that stretched back to the very formation of the Tianhe Empire. Their relationship with the imperial family was unlike that of any ordinary cultivation family.

Aside from the Qin Family, however, the major sects were the true pillars of influence throughout the empire.

Each powerful sect commanded numerous smaller sects beneath it, along with cities, territories, resources, and countless cultivators.

Because of this, sealing off the Sea of Mist was not as simple as issuing an imperial decree.

The moment the imperial court made such a decision, the major sects surrounding the region would undoubtedly come forward to oppose it.

And behind those major sects were countless smaller sects that would be affected as well.

The atmosphere within the imperial court gradually became heavier.

Several representatives of the major sects remained silent, clearly considering the consequences of Qin Tianyu’s proposal.

The Sea of Mist was not an ordinary stretch of territory.

It connected several important regions of the Eastern Region, and countless cultivators entered its surrounding areas every year to search for spiritual herbs, rare materials, and ancient ruins.

More importantly, several major sects had established branches and subordinate sects around it.

Sealing the region would affect all of them.

One of the sect representatives, an elder of the Cloudrise sect finally stepped forward.

"Your Majesty, we understand the concern surrounding the spatial rift, but completely sealing the Sea of Mist would cause enormous losses. Our sect has dozens of smaller sects operating in that region. They depend on the resources there to survive."

Another representative from the Sea breeze sect immediately followed.

"The same applies to our sect. If the region is sealed without knowing how long the restriction will remain, many of our subordinate sects will be forced to abandon their territories."

The complaints continued to pile on but there was one thing everyone had in common, it was that nobody was directly rejecting the Emperor’s authority.

They simply presented their own interests and made it clear that they would not willingly accept a decision that harmed them.

They wanted the spatial rift investigated, they simply did not want the investigation to interfere with their territories.

Tian Cangyu looked toward Qin Tianyu.

"Qin Tianyu, how long would you need to investigate the rift?"

Qin Tianyu thought for a moment before answering.

"That depends on what lies on the other side. If the rift is naturally occurring, we may be able to determine its stability within several days."

"And if it is not naturally occurring?"

Qin Tianyu’s expression became serious.

"Then we should assume the worst."

Several people in the hall exchanged uneasy glances.

Lianhua tilted her head slightly.

"What do you mean by that?"

Her voice was soft, but everyone heard her.

Qin Tianyu turned toward her.

"If someone created the rift intentionally, then there is a possibility that they created it for something to enter our world."

Lianhua’s expression changed slightly.

"You mean an invasion?"

"We cannot rule it out."

The entire hall fell silent.

Even the representatives who had been arguing against sealing the Sea of Mist stopped speaking.

Tian Cangyu’s fingers lightly tapped against the armrest and after a brief silence, he finally spoke.

"Then we will not completely seal the Sea of Mist."

Several representatives immediately relaxed.

"But," Tian Cangyu continued, "the area surrounding the spatial rift will be placed under imperial restriction."

The relief on their faces disappeared.

"No cultivator will be permitted to approach the rift without authorization from the imperial court."

His voice remained calm, but there was no room for negotiation in it.

"The sects may continue operating outside the restricted area. Your territories and subordinate sects will not be affected unless they enter the restricted zone."

The representatives looked at one another.

This arrangement was far more reasonable than completely sealing the Sea of Mist.

Still, one question remained.

"Your Majesty," one of them asked cautiously, "who will investigate the rift?"

Tian Cangyu’s gaze swept across the court.

For several seconds, nobody spoke.

Then his eyes settled on Qin Tianyu.

"Let the Qin Family handle the initial investigation."

Unlike the sects, the Qin Family had no subordinate sects in the Sea of Mist that would be directly affected by the investigation.

More importantly, if something truly dangerous was hidden beyond the rift, the Qin Family possessed enough strength to investigate it without relying entirely on the imperial forces.

Qin Tianyu stood and bowed.

"The Qin Family will obey the imperial decree."

Tian Cangyu nodded.

"Then it is settled."

Lianhua leaned back in her seat and quietly looked toward the enormous map displayed across the imperial hall.

Her eyes eventually settled on the eastern coastline.