Starting as a stray dog, I embarked on a journey of cultivation.

Unlike the mutual probing between Shen Yu and Yun Yao in the green space.

Outside the secret realm, the main hall was quiet and still.

The Demon King Huang Ku sat languidly on his throne, a thin wisp of spirit smoke between his fingers, the wisps of smoke swirling around him, making his expression even more unreadable.

Gou An stood to the side with his hands at his sides, looking somewhat reserved, his heart filled with worry about what might happen in the green space.

He had visited Greenland before and knew that the most special thing about this tranquil place was the flow of time.

In the past, when he went inside to pay homage to the Demon King, he could clearly feel that time flowed much faster inside than outside.

They often spend most of the day inside, while only a short time in the outside world.

Based on this pattern, the short time they have been waiting outside should have passed considerably in the green space.

However, the Demon King Huang Ku did not seem to be in a hurry. He remained calm and composed, and as soon as one spirit incense stick burned out, he immediately lit another one, his movements slow and deliberate.

After a long silence, Huang Ku finally spoke first, his deep voice breaking the stillness in the hall: "Master Gou, do you really think this method will work?"

Upon hearing this, Gou An quickly composed himself, bowed, and replied, "Your Majesty, a mental illness requires a mental cure."

"The root cause of the princess's headache is that she is obsessed with her spirit. This time, having the old friend spend time with the princess in peace and harmony, so that their souls can resonate, although we cannot guarantee a 100% cure, is the most appropriate and hopeful method for curing the disease at present."

The Demon King slowly exhaled a puff of white smoke and nodded slightly: "How much longer will it take? When can we go inside to investigate?"

"Your Majesty, the flow of time in the Green Land Secret Realm is mysterious, and I am not sure of its accuracy, so I dare not make any predictions about the time," Gou An replied respectfully.

Huang Ku smiled faintly upon hearing this and explained, "You don't need to worry about that. I created this secret realm myself, and only when I am inside it will the flow of time inside and outside be significantly different."

"Now that I have left the secret realm, time inside is completely synchronized with the outside world, with no difference between fast and slow."

He smiled slightly, his tone calm yet carrying a hint of doting: "In this way, when I'm with Yunyao in the green space, I won't have to worry about the many practical matters of the outside world."

Gou An's heart stirred, and he quickly bowed and replied, "So that's how it is. Your Majesty's Taoist arts are truly profound."

"Since the time is now synchronized, to be on the safe side, why don't we wait another half an hour to give the princess and her old friend enough time to achieve a better effect?"

"Alright!" Huang Ku nodded slightly and lit a brand new spirit cigarette.

Gou An stood to the side, his eyes glancing over the scene, and he was secretly amazed.

In less than half an hour, the Demon King had smoked more than twenty spirit cigarettes in a row, one after another without stopping.

Layers of smoke swirled around the throne, almost condensing into mist.

He was secretly amazed; as expected of the Demon King, his physique was powerful and his cultivation profound.

If it were an ordinary cultivator or a demon, endlessly consuming spiritual smoke would probably have caused them to develop lung disease long ago.

Only a powerful demon like Huangku, who has reached the Nascent Soul stage, could squander money so recklessly.

Not long has passed since the creation of the Spirit Smoke, yet the Demon King has already become a heavy smoker.

Spirit smoke is made primarily from spirit tobacco. Although this herb is non-toxic, long-term inhalation can still be addictive. Furthermore, anything in excess will have its opposite effect; too much of anything will overflow.

I just don't know if his body can withstand it if things continue like this.

The main hall fell silent once more, with only the faint, intermittent sound of burning incense echoing softly.

One person sat quietly waiting, while the other stood respectfully with hands at his sides, and the atmosphere quieted down once again.

Time passed slowly, and half an hour was over in the blink of an eye.

The Demon King, Desolate Desolation, stubbed out the last cigarette butt, slowly rose, and said in a deep voice, "Let's go in and see how it goes."

Gou An's heart stirred slightly. He wanted to buy Shen Yu a little more time, but faced with the Demon King's command, he was at a loss for words. He could only suppress his thoughts and follow closely behind the Demon King, stepping once again into the emerald light-filled spatial gate.

With a flash of light and shadow, the two returned to the Everlasting Green.

A gentle breeze rustled through the trees, and the vegetation was lush and green, just as it had been before.

In the distance, under the shade of trees, Yunyao sat before her zither, gently plucking the strings, and melodious music flowed forth.

Shen Yu was sitting not far from her, motionless, with a calm expression, showing no sign of anything amiss.

At first glance, the two seemed to be getting along peacefully, with nothing unusual about them.

The Demon King, Desolate Desolation, stepped forward, his gaze gently falling on Yun Yao, and softly asked, "Yun Yao, have you felt any better since we spent time together? Has your headache eased?"

Yun Yao gently raised her jade hand and suddenly pressed down on the strings, causing the music to disappear.

She looked up at the desolate landscape and said softly, "It's working. The obsession entangled in my body has calmed down a bit, and my headache has indeed eased considerably. However, the obsession is deeply rooted, and to completely eradicate it, I'm afraid we'll need to spend more time together in the future."

Upon hearing this, the Demon King Huang Ku was relieved and nodded gently. He then turned to Shen Yu and ordered in a deep voice, "Since the method is effective, let's stop here for today."

Then the Demon King looked at Gou An, who was standing quietly to the side: "Hall Master Gou, take him away first, and bring him back here at this time tomorrow. Persist every day until Yun Yao's headache is completely cured."

"Yes, Your subordinate obeys!" Gou An hurriedly bowed and accepted the order, then stepped forward to take Shen Yu away.

But just as the two turned around, Shen Yu suddenly stopped and did not move.

He turned around, bowed slightly to the Demon King Huangku, and said in a calm and polite voice, "Your Majesty, I am also somewhat skilled in medicine. Observing the Queen's illness, I dare to offer my advice."

"Speak!" The Demon King Huang Ku turned around and swept his gaze over.

Shen Yu lowered his head and slowly said, "The princess's headaches stem from the stagnation of her spiritual obsessions. Simply relying on resonating with similar old friends can only provide temporary relief, not a complete cure."

"The princess has been trapped in this secret realm for many years, which must have made her feel depressed and restricted, and it will only deepen her obsession."

"In my humble opinion, the princess should be allowed to frequently leave the secret realm to relax, clear her mind, and soothe her soul, so as to help cure her stubborn illness."

These words sounded clear and logical, and every sentence made sense.

But Gou An knew very well what Shen Yu was thinking. This was not for curing the illness at all; he probably wanted to take the opportunity to take Yun Yao away from the City of Ten Thousand Demons.

The Demon King Huang Ku's gaze darkened as he glanced indifferently at Shen Yu, coldly replying, "You only need to do your duty and cooperate with the treatment. You don't need to worry about anything else."

Shen Yu was about to argue and continue to persuade him.

Gou An, standing nearby, was startled and quickly stepped forward to interrupt the conversation, bowing and saying urgently, "We will withdraw immediately and will not disturb the Princess's rest!"

After saying that, without waiting for Shen Yu to say anything more, he quietly reached out and tugged at Shen Yu's sleeve, then turned around and hurriedly left this green secret realm with him.

After leaving the green space, Gou An didn't say anything. He grabbed Shen Yu's sleeve and quickly walked through the layers of palace passages, returning to Gou An's residence.

Upon entering the courtyard, Gou An immediately ordered Pig Ninth, who was on duty in the courtyard, in a deep voice: "Guard the courtyard gate well. No one is allowed to approach or eavesdrop."

"Yes, Dao Master!" Pig Ninth, who was dozing off, quickly bowed and accepted the order, guarding the courtyard gate firmly and not leaving for a moment.

Gou An was relieved and led Shen Yu into the alchemy room, closing the door behind him.

Then, a simple soundproof barrier was set up to completely isolate the sounds from both inside and outside, and only then did I breathe a sigh of relief.

After confirming that the surroundings were absolutely safe, Gou An turned to look at Shen Yu, who had already taken his seat and was looking calm, and said, "Young Master Shen, please, don't do anything reckless, okay?"

Shen Yu sat upright in the chair, his eyes slightly lowered, his expression calm, and he did not say a word.

Seeing his calm demeanor, Gou An's anger flared even more. He lowered his voice and continued to question him, "I brought you here only to treat the Princess's illness, not for you to traffic people. Why do you want to take the Princess away?"

Upon hearing this, Shen Yu finally slowly raised his eyes, his gaze completely calm, and his tone even more so: "Your so-called treatment of the princess is actually an attempt to completely suppress Qingwei's remnant soul consciousness, to keep her forever shrouded in darkness, and to make her an eternal shell for someone else, right?"

Gou An was speechless for a moment, unsure how to refute.

After thinking for a moment, he gritted his teeth and replied, "What else can I do?"

He took a half step forward, staring at Shen Yu with a look of helplessness and resignation: "Do you really think that you alone can take away the queen from a Nascent Soul level demon like the Demon King Huangku right under his nose?"

"You should know that ever since the Queen was injured and returned thirty years ago, she has been protected by the Demon King in the Green Land and has never come out again."

Faced with Gou An's stern questioning, Shen Yu replied firmly, "I can do it!"

Those few simple words sounded extremely confident, but they sent chills down Gou An's spine.

"You!" Gou An took a deep breath, suppressing his agitated emotions, and said in a warning tone, "Do you believe that I will go to the palace right now to see the Demon King and report your true identity and purpose?"

"Also, keep those two hidden spiritual flames inside you well concealed. Don't even think about assassinating the Demon King when he's not looking; that's just courting death!"

Upon hearing this, Shen Yu's lips curled up slightly, revealing a faint smile: "Don't worry, I'm not that kind of fool. I brought the spirit fire only to give myself more trump cards; I won't use it lightly unless it's absolutely necessary."

"Furthermore, I am aware of the current situation. I will fully cooperate with you, pretending to cooperate with Yun Yao's treatment, and act out the treatment scene step by step to help you successfully cure your headache and help you win the position of Protector of the Nation."

Upon hearing this, Gou An frowned sharply.

She had never told him that she could become the Protector of the Nation by curing the Princess's headache. How did he know?

Could it be that Princess Yunyao told her?

The thought crossed his mind, and Gou An immediately pressed, "Then tell me honestly, what exactly did you and Princess Yun Yao talk about during that long time alone in the green space? Did you two make some kind of deal that I don't know about?"

Shen Yu shook his head slightly, unwilling to say more: "There was no transaction, just a casual reminiscing."