I am Guhuoniao, not an umbrella demon, please do not disturb me.

She definitely can forget about going to those ruins; those guys won't let her. Let's see what Xu Yuanqing has to say.

"This ruin must be related to the calamity to come. Your Majesty knows this even without me saying it. So I'm going to make a bold inference here. There's no basis for it, and I can't be sure. It's just a guess."

"You said."

"I suspect that the appearance of these ruins at this time is related to the young lady."

Xu Yuanqing made a startling statement and looked at Xiaoya, who was still eating dessert.

The ruins were too advanced for him to decipher; as he said, it was all just guesswork and intuition.

His intuition told him that this ruin must be related to the great calamity, and since it was located in the capital and was inextricably linked to mortals, the most likely candidate to open the ruin was the next human emperor.

The next emperor will be appointed by Heaven and will sit right in front of you.

Volume Two: Journey Through the Demon Book - Chapter Forty-Eight: Liu Changsheng's Grand Wedding

With a great calamity looming, anything could be part of it. If something is unusual, it's certainly right to think of it as part of the calamity.

After listening to Xu Yuanqing's words, Bai Qingyu pondered a question.

If this relic is truly related to Xiaoya, and only Xiaoya can open it, then what does this mean? Is it to make Xiaoya a true Human Emperor, not only in name but also in status, or is it to use Xiaoya to deliver a ruthless blow to the various sects?

I sensed several years ago that there were too many cultivators in the world, which put enormous pressure on heaven and earth. The essence of the great calamity was to cleanse the cultivators and use the spiritual power left behind by the cultivators after their death to nourish all living beings.

As a result, with an increase in the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, a new batch of cultivators will inevitably rise up. Perhaps in a few hundred years, or perhaps more than a thousand years, it will develop into what it is today, and then be eliminated again. This cycle has been repeated from ancient times to the present.

So her idea was simple: what role would Bai Xiaoya, as the human emperor, play in this great calamity?

"If I have the chance, I will go and see this ruin myself. I doubt that you human cultivators will let me get close."

"Your Majesty need not worry about that. There must be a reason why the ruins appeared at this time. The cultivators will definitely not destroy them, because the powerful beings all want to see the secrets of the ruins. It is better to wait for the right opportunity. If fate allows, the ruins will come to you automatically, even without forcing it."

Xu Yuanqing looked at the piece of armor in Bai Qingyu's hand and suddenly lowered his voice, "There's something I want to say to Your Majesty. Actually, ever since I saw this ruin, I've had this idea."

"tell me the story."

"That's right. Rather than thinking this ruin is a cemetery, I'm more inclined to believe it's a seal. In ancient times, someone sealed these soldiers inside. In other words, there's no treasure inside, only immense danger."

Bai Qingyu nodded, "That's true. What emperor would want to bury 200,000 troops with him? Sealing is more like it. To be able to seal such a large army, tsk tsk, I think even those Mahayana cultivators would be at risk of perishing if they went in."

"Yes, Your Majesty, that's exactly what I meant."

"Alright then, let's see how things go. It's uncertain whether he has a relationship with Xiaoya. If they do, there's no rush in a few days or years. If they don't, then there's no need to go in."

He returned the armor fragments to Xu Yuanqing, but Xu Yuanqing refused to keep them, instead letting Bai Qingyu take them, as they might be of greater use.

Without refusing, Bai Qingyu accepted the armor fragments and chatted with Xiao Lan about children, sharing some parenting tips with her. Then, he took Xiao Ya and bid farewell to Xu Yuanqing, leaving the Imperial Preceptor's residence.

Watching Bai Qingyu's departing figure, Xu Yuanqing shook his head, the smile on his face vanishing, leaving only solemnity.

"Husband, what's wrong?"

After Xiaolan put the child to sleep and carried the child back into the house, she came out and stood next to Xu Yuanqing.

It had only been less than ten years, and she had never imagined that such a day would come. She had been tricked by Xu Yuanqing into coming to the capital just to see the Divine Phoenix Lady. Although she did see her, she did not leave. At the time, she thought that if she left, Xu Yuanqing would be beaten to death if he stayed behind.

"It's nothing, I was just thinking about some things. If that Ninth Princess really becomes the Human Emperor, the whole world will be in chaos."

"Ah, then we..."

"Sometimes chaos is a good thing. Some things have to be torn down before they can be rebuilt. For example, the cultivators, if they don't experience chaos and lose a lot of people, they will never be able to change."

Xu Yuanqing sighed, "The main thing is the process. My wife, think about it. What would happen if the Ninth Princess got her hands on this ruin I just mentioned?"

"I don't know, I guess I'll just have to protect myself..."

"No, no, no, you're overthinking it. I've seen this Ninth Princess. She's definitely not as pitiful as she looks. In fact, she's very likely the complete opposite. Do you believe me?"

During the meal, Xu Yuanqing kept observing Bai Xiaoya.

Compared to a normal ten-year-old girl, Xiaoya appears much more intelligent, but that's not the key point. As the future Human Emperor and the Chosen One, it's perfectly normal for her to be more mature and intelligent. The main thing is this little girl's reaction to cultivators.

When she mentioned cultivators, her eyes clearly showed disgust.

She's so young and already hates cultivators. Imagine what will happen when she grows up and sees her people being bullied like this by cultivators, and then she gets something from the ruins.

Especially at times like these, it's crucial to magnify certain details.

How could the chosen one of Heaven stand on the side of cultivators instead of serving the common people?

Moreover, the chosen one is destined to be extraordinary. With the power of the ruins, it's impossible for him not to cause a major upheaval.

On this basis, don't forget that his mother is also quite capable. He doesn't believe that the Divine Phoenix Goddess won't lend a hand when the time comes. When the nation's fortunes rise and there is divine support, how could the world not be in great chaos?

·

On the streets of the capital, Bai Qingyu strolled along with Xiaoya.

There was no particular destination; I was just wandering around and looking at things in the capital.

Let Xiaoya get familiar with this place. After all, this is her real home. She was raised by her own mother, but she is only her adoptive mother. Her biological father is sitting in the palace. She has royal blood flowing through her veins and is imbued with the will of heaven and earth. One day, she will return to this place.

"Mommy, this place is so big and beautiful!"

Walking on the streets of the capital, the little girl stared wide-eyed at the sights. She had never been to the capital before, and the most prosperous place she had ever been was the three prefectures of Jiangnan. The capital was even more beautiful and prosperous than Jiangnan. After all, it was under the emperor's feet, so it couldn't be too bad.

"This is the capital city."

"Wow, this is the capital! The capital is so beautiful!" Xiaoya exclaimed, her mouth agape.

She knew what the capital city was, as well as the imperial palace and the emperor; Bai Qingyu often told her about these things.

"Xiaoya, would you like to hear a story?"

"miss you!"

"Well, then Mother will tell you a story. The name of this place is the Kingdom of Spirits."

On the way back, Bai Qingyu told her about the Great Ling Dynasty, especially about the palace and the influence and importance of the Human Emperor on this world.

Xiaoya listened, feeling as if she understood something yet also as if she understood nothing at all. She only felt that her mother's words had a hidden meaning, just like what she had said during dinner.

After leaving the capital, Bai Xiaoya took a deep look in the direction of the capital and at the imperial palace in the center of the capital, which seemed to be a city within a city.

After arriving in the capital, she always felt that something was strange, especially in her heart. But she couldn't quite put her finger on what was wrong. She wanted to talk to Bai Qingyu about it, but she didn't know where to begin. It was as if something was calling to her from the direction of the palace.

"Xiaoya, do you remember what you said to me before?"

"what?"

"It was three years ago, when I brought you out, that you said you would change everyone's lives if you were the emperor, do you remember?"

Holding the little girl's hand, Bai Qingyu smiled gently.

She couldn't help but smile wryly. What could she do? If she could, she wouldn't want Xiaoya to become some kind of emperor. She could just stay at home and be a carefree little girl.

"I remember that sentence, and I still remember the day my mother took me out."

The Human Emperor bears a heavy responsibility, and only the Human Emperor can change the world and allow everyone to live a happy and fulfilling life. Even if he cannot, he can at least prevent cultivators from interfering in the lives of mortals.

Cultivators can do whatever they want; they can fight to the death in their own circles without a care. But it's different for mortals. Mortals are much more fragile than cultivators, yet they are still human. Does that mean they deserve to be killed just because they are weak?

In the laws of nature, it's nothing to say that the weak are killed. Wild beasts also do this to survive; they lack intelligence, which is why they do it.

"So, do you still want to be the Human Emperor now?"

"I want to be one!" Bai Xiaoya answered without hesitation.

“Mother, I feel that the world shouldn’t be like this. I want to try it.”

"Try it? No, Xiaoya, this isn't your usual playful attitude. You can't just say 'try it' and that it's enough. Even if you fail, you can start over. Being the Human Emperor is a responsibility, you know? You absolutely can't have a 'try it' mentality or idea. You need to be more determined and have unwavering confidence in victory!"

"Then, then I must become the Human Emperor!"

"Good boy, that's right. But you have to remember, once you make a decision, there's no going back. Being the Human Emperor is a responsibility, but also a time of loneliness and solitude. After you become the Human Emperor, you won't be able to stay with your mother every day. You might not even see her once a year. You also won't be able to play whenever you want like you do now. You'll have many, many constraints. If you want to relax, there will be many people standing around you trying to persuade you to stop."

Patting the little girl's head, Bai Qingyu had specially braided her hair into a bun before she went out today. It was quite charming and full of lively cuteness.

“Whatever you want to do, there will be a group of people standing around you nagging, like flies and mosquitoes. And at that time, you will have to bear the consequences of your own actions. Your mother can no longer stay by your side, you know?”

Sure enough, after hearing these words, the little girl hesitated again.

That sounds really bad.

But it was precisely this sentence that made her impression of the Human Emperor even deeper, and she roughly understood what kind of position and what kind of person the Human Emperor was.

"I......"

"Okay, let's not worry about this now. We can think about it slowly. Anyway, we have plenty of time. You can tell me the answer any day you want."

"Yes, I understand, Mother. I'll think about it carefully."

The conversation between the mother and daughter made it seem as if the position of Emperor was worthless and could be obtained at will, but in reality, for Xiaoya, the position of Emperor was not a difficult thing at all.

Bai Qingyu's words today planted a seed in Xiaoya's heart. Anyway, there were still ten years left, so she didn't need Xiaoya's answer for the time being. However, she did not expect that she would wait for this answer for two hundred years.

"Go home. Starting today, you must cultivate diligently and not slack off, understand?"

"Yes, yes, I know, I will do my best, don't worry, Mom!"

Ten years is too short a time, and Xiaoya's cultivation has only just begun. Bai Qingyu is also worried. She wishes that Xiaoya would directly reach the Mahayana stage when she ascends to the next level.

·

Everything was peaceful in Shenhuang Residence, but major events were constantly happening in the world. The affairs of the Sea Kingdom were not yet over, and an ancient ruin appeared.

Everyone knows this is a sign of a great calamity, but few people truly care. Putting aside whether it's a great calamity or not, the right thing to do is to seize the benefits. Shouldn't we fight for the remaining territories and benefits of the sects destroyed by the Sea Kingdom? We should also fight for the treasures in the ruins. If we can grasp the secrets, we can raise a large army and not be afraid of the great calamity.

Meanwhile, the search in the Sea Kingdom continues. The Emperor is seriously ill, and we need to find a way to support the princes and princesses. What if we make an investment now and it actually succeeds later?

Aside from these matters, shouldn't the sect expand its recruitment efforts?

The great calamity is coming soon. Once the calamity begins, there is no guarantee that people will not die. With a group of cannon fodder, the sect may be able to escape the calamity and preserve its important fighting force.

Then there's the matter concerning the Heavenly Sword and Demon Sword, and the matter of recruiting teammates.

So many things have come together that the world seems calm and uneventful, as if nothing has happened. But in reality, things are turbulent and undercurrents are surging. If you investigate further, you will find out exactly how many things have happened recently and how many people have died.

In contrast, the fact that the Demonic Cult and the Merfolk had joined forces was downplayed considerably.

To this day, no one understands why the merfolk did this, but it doesn't matter anymore. Nobody believes the merfolk would dare to come ashore again.

Last time, we were lured away from our mountain stronghold, but not this time.

It's not too late to deal with the merfolk after we've finished preparing for the great calamity, or after it's over.