As soon as the words fell, everyone around them breathed a slight sigh of relief. After all, having to make such a decision in such a short time naturally carried considerable pressure.
Lin Xiao slightly turned his head and glanced at Juzi.
With her meticulous mind, it was naturally impossible for her to have overlooked anything. By pressuring the various major sects like this now, she undoubtedly had other purposes.
"It is getting late. I do not wish for the matter of my ascension to the throne to disrupt the lives of the common people. Therefore, the ceremony shall end here."
"Since the representatives from the various sects have come from afar, you may as well stay in Mingdu for a few more days. If anyone needs to return to their sect to discuss, feel free to invite the experts from your sect here. Three days from now, we shall discuss the battle at the peak once more."
For some reason, when the people from the major sects heard Juzi's words, a slight chill ran down their backs, as if they were reminded of the time when the Sun Moon Empire had kept the participating disciples from each sect.
There was no other meaning in Juzi's words, yet they seemed to carry a faint sense of threat.
"Let's go."
Looking at the crowd outside that was slowly dispersing under the guidance of the army, Juzi spoke softly to Lin Xiao beside her.
"I need to return to the Netherworld Cult's residence for a while."
Upon hearing this, Juzi turned her head and glanced at Lin Xiao, then simply nodded without saying anything more.
Ascending to the throne as emperor was naturally not as simple as this. After this, Juzi still had to perform sacrificial rites to inform the successive generations of previous emperors, accompanied by the ministers, along with many other ceremonies to complete.
However, these did not require Lin Xiao's presence. Although he was the National Master of the Sun Moon Empire, he was not familiar with these rituals, so it was better to leave them to the ministers of the court.
Inside the Netherworld Cult's residence, Lin Xiao did not have to wait long before someone indeed came to visit.
Before long, Zhang Lexuan had already appeared in Lin Xiao's room.
"At a time like this, Shrek Academy should still be having headaches over the matter of the Spirit Alliance, right? You suddenly came to my place, aren't you afraid of arousing suspicion from others?"
Lin Xiao stood up and poured tea, speaking with a light smile.
Zhang Lexuan raised her head and looked at him. "Do you think that after what happened back then, the people in the academy wouldn't have noticed?"
"My identity… I'm afraid it has implicated you."
Upon hearing this, Zhang Lexuan shook her head, her eyes softening instead. "This is my choice. I don't care."
"Everything I do is with a clear conscience. One day, they will also come to know what kind of person you are."
Lin Xiao put down the teapot and sat to the side. In the next moment, a soft warmth entered his embrace. Zhang Lexuan's voice sounded beside his ear, "As for that female emperor, I can see that she values you quite highly."
It was rare for Lin Xiao to see Zhang Lexuan show such a posture. He suddenly chuckled. "She and I have indeed been through some things together."
"However… I'm not very good at saying those words that please people. It's just that ever since that night when you walked out from the moon, nothing else has been able to make my heart stir with that same palpitation again."
"If you want to hear about it, shall I tell you about her?"
How could Zhang Lexuan not know Lin Xiao's character? She simply nodded gently.
"Does the Cult Master have a guest visiting?"
Inside the Netherworld Cult's residence, Abomination looked toward Wu Yu beside him.
"That's what the disciple who just came said." Wu Yu nodded. "I wonder who would come to visit the Cult Master at a time like this."
If the meticulous Wu Yun were here, she might have been able to guess some of the truth. Unfortunately, Wu Yu was not sensitive to such things. Carrying a bit of curiosity, she headed toward Lin Xiao's room together with Abomination and the woman who had just appeared at the grand ceremony.
Upon seeing the Netherworld Cult's residence, the woman simply removed the bamboo hat from her head, revealing an extremely beautiful appearance.
Although she had already taken human form, her foundational appearance from the merfolk race was still outstanding. There was even a faint fluctuation of spiritual power around her, making people unconsciously sink into it.
Abomination turned his head and glanced at Liya, then nodded. "The Cult Master specifically sent a message asking me to bring Liya over. He probably has something to instruct us. Let's go see the Cult Master."
Liya's heart had no time to think too much. Although she had already escaped to land and no longer feared being chased by that sea soul beast from the ocean depths, her mother, the Sea Princess, was still missing, so she naturally could not feel at ease.
Hearing that Lin Xiao had specifically asked for her to be brought to Mingdu, even though she felt it was unlikely, she still couldn't help but harbor some hope in her heart.
However, just as the three of them, each with their own thoughts, arrived at Lin Xiao's courtyard and looked through the open door from afar, they saw the two people embracing inside the room.
Abomination and the other two instantly froze in place. Their mouths opened, they exchanged glances, and then quickly turned around and left.
Although they had not made any sound, with the cultivation of the two people inside the room, how could they possibly not have noticed their approach?
Lin Xiao glanced at the backs of the three as they quickly left, then withdrew his gaze. Zhang Lexuan simply buried her head in his embrace and did not raise it for a long time.
"I'm sorry." After a moment of silence, she suddenly spoke softly.
"Why are you suddenly saying sorry?"
"I just feel that I've always been busy dealing with the academy's affairs and rarely have time to stay by your side."
Lin Xiao smiled and raised his hand, his palm sliding down along Zhang Lexuan's long hair. "If you put it that way, then I should be the one saying sorry to you. I also have many of my own matters to attend to."
"But you don't need to say these things, because what I like is exactly this version of you."
"Just like you said back then, what I've always liked is the you who, although unable to choose your origin, has always been changing toward the person we both want you to be in our hearts."
Lin Xiao spoke gently, only feeling that the arms wrapped around his waist tightened a little more.
He was not saying this deliberately just to please her. In his heart, the person he liked should never be a mere vase who only followed beside him and obeyed his every command.
Zhang Lexuan was born in Shrek Academy. No matter what conditions Mu En had proposed, in the end, he had helped her take revenge for her family's blood feud and allowed her to reach her current cultivation level. It was only natural for her to help Shrek Academy.
Upon hearing this, Zhang Lexuan moved slightly, pressing even closer to Lin Xiao. Listening to the heartbeat beside her ear, she felt much more at peace, and the fatigue in her body dissipated considerably.
Lin Xiao's palm did not leave that head of soft, smooth, long hair. "There is a piece of information that cannot be leaked to outsiders. The reason for gathering all the sects this time is that the Douluo Continent we are on will ultimately face a great calamity."
Zhang Lexuan's movements suddenly paused, yet she still did not raise her head.
"Are you not afraid?" Lin Xiao lowered his head slightly to look at the person in his arms.
"I'm not afraid. We will get through it together."
"That's right." Lin Xiao chuckled softly upon hearing this. "But it won't just be us. What can overcome this calamity is the wisdom of the entire Douluo Continent."
The various major sects ultimately remained in Mingdu under the arrangements of the Sun Moon Empire. Throughout the long night, almost no one in the major sects had the heart to sleep, only constantly pondering the future.
No matter what decisions they made or what conclusions they reached through their thoughts, time still passed day by day, and the time agreed upon with the Sun Moon Empire finally arrived.
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Here are the chapters for today (づ￣3￣)づ╭～
"Don't forget there are chapters available on Patreon."
"From Douluo to Godhood by Defy 30 Advance chapters."
"Douluo: Far North Invincibledo 30 Advance chapters."
"Douluo Peerless: Living as an Evil Soul Master the novel is already finished on Patreon."
"Douluo Dalu 2:Peerless Tang Sect Dawn of Sun and Moon 40 Advance chapters."
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