Commander Mu’s name was Mu Anning. She was the fourth daughter of the Mu family, ranked first in the Canglan Continent. Qiu Yuanxi’s Qiu family was also ranked first, alongside the Mu family. Before Ling Luoyi arrived in the Sacred Domain, everyone in the Sacred Domain, including Linghua Island and the Canglan Continent, had unanimously believed that she would become the ‘War Saintess’ of this generation. Even Mian Ning herself thought so.
Unfortunately, Ling Luoyi, who was unaware of this at the time, was chosen. Mu Anning, following the established rules, became Ling Luoyi’s guard commander, responsible for her safety.
The selection of a Saintess was not determined by popular vote but by the will of the first Saintess. There was no set time for this selection; as long as she had someone in mind, she would send a signal. Regardless of whether it was the candidate they favored, they had no right to dismiss it, not even the Lord of the Sacred Domain.
At that time, other positions were already filled, and only the first War Saintess had not yet chosen a successor. Mu Anning had been striving for this goal, wanting to be chosen by her, but in the end, Ling Luoyi was chosen.
The Sacred Domain had no divisions by country or family, only various sects. The strongest among them was the Sacred Palace. The master of the Sacred Palace was the strongest person in the Sacred Domain, with a cultivation of an eighth-rank demigod. The other masters within the Sacred Palace were the Saintesses and Saint Sons, a total of five people. Below them were the thirteen Grand Elders. Each master, excluding the Domain Lord, had two elders. Since the masters did not manage affairs, the Grand Elders managed the Sacred Palace, acting as their retainers.
The Domain Lord managed the entire Human Realm, and the First Elder was the one who assisted the Domain Lord. The First Elder coming to see her likely meant he knew she had returned and had something to ask. She could guess what the First Elder wanted to ask.
Ling Luoyi returned to Fengxi territory, quickly changed her clothes, tidied her appearance, and even washed her face before returning to the cultivation room. She then walked out of the cultivation room and headed to the reception hall.
By the time Ling Luoyi arrived, the First Elder had already finished a cup of tea. Upon seeing her, he quickly stood up and bowed, saying, "Greetings, Saintess of War."
Ling Luoyi politely returned the bow, "First Elder."
After returning the courtesy, Ling Luoyi sat in the main seat, and the First Elder sat below.
Seeing that he remained silent, Ling Luoyi waved her hand, and Mu Anning led the maids out. Once the maids had left, Mu Anning waited by the reception hall door. It wasn't that she wanted to eavesdrop, but protecting Ling Luoyi was her responsibility.
There was a barrier in the reception hall, so no matter how close someone outside got, they couldn't hear the conversation inside.
After the others had left, the First Elder asked, "Saintess, was your journey smooth?"
The First Elder knew her purpose for returning, and Ling Luoyi did not hide anything. She said, "It was alright. The revenge I wanted to seek has been avenged."
Hearing this, the First Elder chuckled and said, "Then this old man congratulates the Saintess on avenging her great feud."
"Thank you, First Elder."
The First Elder hesitated for a moment and then asked, "Then, does the Saintess still wish to leave?"
Ling Luoyi frowned, showing slight displeasure. "First Elder, if I recall correctly, you gave me two years. Only a little over four months have passed, and you are already so anxious?"
"Saintess, please calm your anger. This old man did not mean it that way." The First Elder paused and continued, "It is just that this old man believes that since the Saintess has broken through, it would be more suitable for her to consolidate her cultivation within the Sacred Domain."
"First Elder, your news is quite well-informed."
"I dare not claim so. It is just that the spiritual bell just rang. Among the several Saintesses who were in seclusion, it seems only you, the Saintess of War, would advance across levels. Therefore, it is not difficult to guess that the spiritual bell rang because of you."
Ling Luoyi was well aware of these matters, so she was not surprised.
Seeing that Ling Luoyi's temper was relatively good, the First Elder wanted to say something but, due to Ling Luoyi's disposition, he was hesitant to provoke her.
Although Ling Luoyi's cultivation was not comparable to the First Elder's, she possessed the power of the past War Saintesses. While this power would not harm the First Elder, it would suppress his strength, making him seem like an ordinary old man when facing Ling Luoyi, albeit with a stronger physique than a normal elder.
Even if Ling Luoyi did not suppress the First Elder so severely, leaving him with the same cultivation level as herself, the entire Sacred Domain knew that Ling Luoyi had the title of 'invincible among peers.' Therefore, to avoid losing face, the First Elder decided not to bring up matters that Ling Luoyi did not wish to hear.
Seeing the First Elder looking at her with a complex expression but saying nothing, Ling Luoyi was a bit bewildered. They had been talking so well just moments ago, why was he silent now?
As both of them fell silent, and the reception hall was suddenly filled with a strange quiet, Mu Anning, outside the reception hall, spoke again, "Your Highness, First Elder, the Domain Lord has arrived."
The voice outside the barrier could not be heard inside, but the voice outside could be clearly heard inside. Thus, Mu Anning's words clearly reached their ears, breaking the inexplicably awkward atmosphere.
Ling Luoyi regained her senses and said, "Please invite him in."
"Yes."
As soon as the words fell, a middle-aged man appeared in the reception hall.
Upon seeing him, both of them immediately stood up and bowed, "Greetings, Domain Lord."
"Domain Lord."
"Saintess of War, you're back," the Domain Lord said, looking at Ling Luoyi with a smile.
"Yes," Ling Luoyi sat down first and then said, "Domain Lord and First Elder, please sit down and talk."
The Domain Lord sat down in the seat next to Ling Luoyi and asked, "Saintess of War, are you still returning?"
Although it was a question, it carried a tone of certainty.
Ling Luoyi was not surprised by the Domain Lord's question. Since she couldn't hide her departure anyway, she admitted it, "Yes. Since the Domain Lord gave me two years, you shouldn't go back on your word, right?"
"Of course not," the Domain Lord replied. "However, may this seat know why you are returning, now that your revenge has been avenged?"
"I want to help the strength of the Ancient Spirit Continent to improve. This is a good thing for the Human Race, isn't it?"
"It is a good thing. The outer realms have already begun attempting to attack from lower continents, and the Ancient Spirit Continent is likely to be their first target. If the Saintess of War can improve their strength, it will save many lives."
At this point, Ling Luoyi fell silent for a moment before speaking, "Domain Lord, I saw spatial spiritual energy fluctuations on the Ancient Spirit Continent. The spatial spiritual energy there is already scarce and is used to maintain the continent. It is difficult for it to be affected by external forces. I investigated and found that it was caused by people from the outer realms attempting to open a teleportation channel. They have already begun their actions."
"What?" The First Elder was somewhat shocked upon hearing this.
The two looked over, and the Domain Lord said, "First Elder, you didn't know?"
"Replying to the Domain Lord, when I returned, the outer realms were still peaceful. I thought they were severely injured and recovering. I didn't expect them to set their sights on the lower realms." Saying this, the First Elder angrily slammed the table.
The Domain Lord sighed. He had suspected it, but their swift action still exceeded his expectations. He turned to Ling Luoyi and asked, "Saintess of War, do you have any ideas?"
"The restrictions on the Ancient Spirit Continent do not affect them much, but they greatly affect us. If we were to fight there, it would be disadvantageous for us. Fortunately, the ancient powerful beings placed a curse on them, which can significantly weaken their strength. This is a great benefit to us."
"However, that curse is effective against them, and it is also effective against us."
"I know."
Hearing this, the Domain Lord paused and said, "Very well, you may proceed."
"Yes."