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"Princess Zi Yue?"

"Hmm?"

"Are you alright?" the war priest asked with concern.

"I’m fine..." Zi Yue came back to her senses and smiled.

Everyone around breathed a sigh of relief, "Your Highness, what do we do now?"

Clearly, even the most senior war priest had come to see Zi Yue as the backbone of the group.

Zi Yue struggled to glance at the Imperial Army defending in the distance and said, "The one commanding the battle formation is no simple individual, that Sparrow Bee has not taken action yet, and now even the Guard Commander has fallen into a trap. It’s not advisable to continue the fierce assault on the Vermilion Bird Palace; let’s retreat for now.

Even though this time my Ancient Demon Clan has only managed to capture one of the Four Holy Guard, we have made extensive preparations, and under our strategy of accumulating strength over time, we’re incomparably superior to other forces. "

"Yes..." The priest nodded hurriedly, thinking that a steady retreat was also his preference. The fact that the other side shared his thoughts gave him some peace of mind; he feared that the other party, at the peak of their prestige, might lead their entire clan into danger.

"Your Highness, if that’s the case, let me take you back to the Azure Dragon Palace to recuperate."

"Thank you, High Priest."

"Don’t mention it, Your Highness..."

The High Priest carefully lifted Zi Yue, who was now without her physical shell and appeared extremely fragile. He was afraid to cause even the slightest damage.

Sparrow Bee watched and secretly heaved a sigh of relief.

Although the Empress had timely changed the formation and demonstrated terrifying command talent, and the main force of the Ghost Army was preserved, the chances of winning another battle were actually quite low.

The Ghost Army, being new, could not compare to the deep-rooted high-ranking officers and the Ancient Demon Clan, who had been plotting for many years.

If he were to take action under these circumstances, it would be a life-and-death gamble, best avoided if possible.

But this scene, which made everyone else breathe easier, caused an invisible presence to display a strange and anxious expression.

"What are you... doing?"

No one paid any attention to the shadowy figure, but in fact, her position was quite conspicuous. She should have been surrounded and guarded by the Four Holy Army, yet for some reason, no matter how much she shouted, no one could see her, as if she didn’t exist at all.

The situation was extremely bizarre, made even more so by the fact that, in her eyes, the individual the war priest was carefully carrying... was that not the Demon Statue from before?

Yes...

This ignored figure was none other than Princess Zi Yue herself, who currently held high prestige and commanded the sincere loyalty of the Four Holy Army!

"You..."

Zi Yue considered herself to have encountered much strangeness, but this scene before her was truly chilling.

She had felt that the Demon Statue had intended to do something to her, but she had never imagined it would be like this...

What kind of ability was this?

Under the watchful eyes of all, she... had actually been replaced?

And it was done so smoothly, she thought Ali’s powers were strange enough, but who would have thought there were such eerie things in this world?

Suddenly Zi Yue could understand the feelings of those advanced players who had furiously ranted about Pu YunChuan on forums; this was simply against all reason.

One second she was being protected by a great army, receiving warm inquiries about her well-being, and she had paid a great price to win the hearts of the Holy Army, and what happened next? That eerie creature just took one look and plucked the peach?

Damn it... is there no shame?

Princess Zi Yue stood up, her entire body aching with pain. She didn’t know why, but despite feeling so weak before, she had somehow regained some strength now—perhaps it was the extreme frustration that fueled it.

But what was even weirder to her was her current state...

It was as if everyone couldn’t see her at all.

The abilities of this Demon Statue were downright defying nature, not only could it control minds, it could even forcibly seal the powers of that member of the Siao Family. But compared to its current ability, its previous performances were nothing but appetizers.

Just one glance from it could replace you, making everyone ignore you completely and taking over your position—what kind of terrifying power was that?

No wonder the data update had said that White Drawing was the beginning of the upheaval of the existing order. With this bug-like ability, it would be normal for any power to be overthrown by it.

What to do now?

Princess Zi Yue staggered to her feet, striving hard to approach one of the Four Holy Army soldiers. She reached out to touch them, but immediately realized that they instinctively avoided her...

Weak from exhaustion, Princess Zi Yue fell to the ground with a thud, wincing in pain. Her bloodied and battered appearance was as pitiful as could be, yet no one noticed her, as if she no longer existed in this world.

She questioned herself, her past ordeals were no less challenging than any suffering person in this world, never had she harbored a heart of despair, yet this time, she truly felt powerless, even entertaining the thought of giving up.

No, that’s not right...

Princess Zi Yue immediately shook her head, knowing clearly in her heart that this was the mental control effect of the monster.

She looked up fiercely at the monster, only to find that there was no trace of her in its eyes.

Princess Zi Yue paused, a hint of confusion arising in her heart.

Was it deliberately not looking at her, or...

But no matter what, it seemed that there was no escape from her current predicament. Chen Qing... how much longer are you going to take?

--------------------------------

Meanwhile, Chen Qing, who had been missing for some time, finally appeared. His arrival was atop the core fragment of the Imperial Palace, immediately drawing everyone’s attention.

Those who were still alive here were all Transcendents, each capable of seeing through several space fragments at once, and at this moment, the entire Imperial Palace was on the verge of reintegration.

Although the Imperial Palace had been enlarged several times over, Chen Qing’s position still made him the center of focus immediately.

"Your Majesty?"

Speaking of surprises, none surpassed that of the Western Sea Army. After Tian Heng was gravely injured, relying solely on the Deputy General’s command left them feeling uneasy, especially when the order came from some monster.

At this moment, the Deputy General also heaved a sigh of relief. He was naturally indecisive, and without Tian Heng, he was like a soul lost, though Mr. Chen Baifeng seemed stable enough. However, he didn’t quite measure up to his own boss.

Chen Baifeng’s gaze was complicated. Honestly, if Chen Qing hadn’t been able to return, leading the Western Sea Army back to Jiangnan and, as a former head of a Sorcerer Family, forming an alliance with the Shen Family, in a situation where Jiangnan had no clear leader, he stood a good chance of taking over.

Not to rule it completely, perhaps, but to become an important part of Jiangnan’s decision-making layer was definitely feasible.

But if Chen Qing was around, then he would just be an ordinary outsider. With his and his family’s background, it wouldn’t be difficult for him to get by in Jiangnan, but to aim for a higher status... he would then depend on Chen Qing’s mood.

Of course, this was a disadvantage; Chen Qing’s presence also had its upsides.

The chaotic world was about to arise, with all sorts of monsters and demons emerging.

Even with his abilities, he feared it would be difficult to survive in the chaos, should he control Jiangnan.

Chen Qing, on the other hand, was different.

If he lived, he was bound to be a strong contender for the ruler of the Central Plains, securing Jiangnan without a doubt.

Compared to the Western Sea Army’s emotions, those of others were even more complex.

Including Shenyue, nobody really thought Chen Qing would die so easily, but... his return coupled with the Western Sea Army could be the turning point in a certain battle situation.

Whichever side he helped would gain an advantage...

Especially Shenyue and their allies.

So... which side would this guy choose?