The living room of the Empress's residence was back to how it was. Guards and maids patrolled around the area with a happy smile on their faces.
The morning sun slowly rose on the horizon, spreading the sunlight like a blanket on whole Imperial Palace. However, some of it was blocked by the great crimson tree.
But that just made the scenery even more mesmerizing. The tranquility it provided couldn't be compared to any other place.
In one of the courtyard of Empress's residence, three people were enjoying tea and relaxing in the calm atmosphere.
Qing Zhiyan stood up when she saw Shen Yu had finished his tea and poured another cup for him.
As a tea lover, Shen Yu gladly accepted it after giving a thanks to his sweet wife. He took a sip and hummed.
"Tea really is the best!"
Li Xiaojing also enjoyed the tea and nodded.
"Indeed. It calms my mind and gives me the ability to think things through. It is much needed after what we did."
Shaking his head, Shen Yu replied.
"Come on! I already gave you a nice week long vacation to have rest and fun."
Qing Zhiyan smiled and said, her face slightly red as she remembered the days of torment she had to go through with Shen Yu, the torment she liked.
"But you didn't give our body any rest!"
Shen Yu rolled his eyes and refused to answer that. Was it his fault that the duo of mother daughter always seduced him? He was just a weak hearted man, so how could he refuse then?
[Heh! Once a pervert always a pervert!]
'Did you say anything?'
[Not a thing, Dadddy~~]
Shen Yu turned speechless, and wondered if he should just go and give Nancy some nice spanking. Her naughty mouth really deserves that.
[I would be happy if my naughty mouth is punished by something else.]
Shen Yu gave an appreciative nod at her and said.
"You did good. Well, even if you guys joined the forces, it would matter nothing. The Major Sects all have Soul Severing Realm experts sitting in their sects. Even if you do everything in your power, you can't defeat them."
This time, even Qing Zhiyan was surprised as she looked at Shen Yu with eyes wide open. She had some doubts which Li Xiaojing asked before she could.
"But that should be impossible, right? They can't do that!"
There was a reason that even the Major Sects were forced to live the way they lived. They couldn't muster powerful experts on this side of Hollow Mountains as it would be a foolish move.
The Spiritual Creatures attacked Humans because of their soul and life force. But weaker Cultivators and mundane humans had very low of that. So, only some weak Spiritual Creatures went after them.
This was the reason that powerful Spiritual Creatures rarely wandered down the Hollow Mountains to hunt in Qing Empire. For them, the meal was just not worth it.
However, it would be different if powerful experts began to reside here. They would be attracted to the powerful souls and life force, enticing them to come down the Hollow Mountains.
This was why no sect from the Holy Lands sent powerful experts to Qing Zhiyan. After all, they needed to pass the Hollow Mountains and if some powerful Spiritual Creatures decided to mark them, they would done for.
Splitting force was also not good as that would only lead them to downfall considering how weak the Qing Empire was.
There were no benefits and only losses. So, it was a known fact among echelon that only Nascent Soul Realm Cultivators would be allowed in Qing Zhiyan.
Anymore than that and they would risk the destruction of Qing Empire, which nobody wanted.
Shen Yu shrugged.
"They probably used some Artefacts to hide their presence and soul. Then, they simply stayed in their sects, secretly protecting it from everyone."
A worried expression appeared on Qing Zhiyan's face as she muttered.
"This changes a lot of things I have prepared."
Shen Yu smiled at her.
"You don't need to worry about them. They are probably some old man at the end of their life. Otherwise, no same person would agree to come here. Beside, they can't leave their sect so easily as that would make their presence known to the world. And there are terrifying Abominations who could sense them even from that tiny mistake."
His smile grew wider as he said.
"In fact, even that Emperor knows this. I'm sure of that, otherwise he wouldn't do what he did. He is probably scared and that's what the Devourer needs."