You don't want your secret to be revealed by others, right?

"Oh?" Lin Yue actually believed her words.

The cultivators of the Demon Path each have their unique features, and the cultivators of the Huangquan Demon Path really are such a group of people.

Or rather, they do not consider themselves the unforgivable demons of the Demon Path; instead, they seek to break the boundary between life and death, allowing the living to see the dead again.

"For the matter that Fifth Princess seeks, I naturally believe it."

Lin Yue sized up the Fifth Princess and said, "But Fifth Princess has already reached the summit, only a step away from Proving and Transcending. Since the Crown Prince and Second Prince are not contending for the throne, when Fifth Princess Proves and Transcends, she might still have a chance to fight for the final throne position. I cannot believe that Fifth Princess would not want it."

The Fifth Princess fell silent for a moment and said, "It seems that Prince Xia still does not know what the throne we contend for truly is, right?"

Lin Yue nodded slightly and said, "Indeed, I have not had the chance yet."

It was only on the night he was made a prince that he had attempted to enter Tianxia Building, and the Imperial Decree asked him to go to Taihong Hall soon to assume the special privileges of a prince.

Perhaps, it would be then when he could learn the truth.

"Not all princes and princesses are willing to fight for that throne."

The Fifth Princess said, "What I seek is the ultimate in personal desire; compared with what the throne brings, I care more about what is lost because of it."

"Gained? Lost?" Lin Yue pondered thoughtfully.

"The throne is also what His Majesty seeks for the True Intent of the Twenty-four Heavens," the Fifth Princess said. "Once you know the truth, you will naturally believe what I have said."

Lin Yue nodded slightly.

"I will not compete, nor do I wish to be implicated."

The Fifth Princess said, "I agreed to ally with Prince Cheng and Prince Xian initially to seek protection and avoid being pulled into the storm of factional struggles. Now that both of them are dead, I just hope that Prince Xia does not implicate me because of this."

Lin Yue pondered for a moment and said, "As long as Fifth Princess does not become my enemy, I naturally will not act against Fifth Princess."

"I appreciate this favor, and in the future, the Princess Mansion will certainly avoid interacting with Prince Xia's household," the Fifth Princess said.

The two did not say much more and left Tianxia Building immediately.

Lin Yue still needed the Heavenly Dao Heart to deduce the Inner Heaven and Earth Skills, but he did not understand Inner Heaven and Earth Skills yet, had no assumptions in his mind, and had no accumulation, so he naturally was not in a hurry at this moment.

...

That day, the news of the newly promoted Prince Xia's summit of Tianxia Building spread like a huge storm.

For countless cultivators who saw Tianxia Building as a benchmark, being able to ascend to the Ninth Layer Heaven was already within the domain of Saints, deserving of respect and admiration by all, sufficient to independently establish a Holy Land of cultivation.

Let alone reaching the summit; that signified someone truly likely to become a pillar of the Human Clan!

Now, Prince Xia, who was only a Great Cultivator, had surpassed an entire realm and stood on this level.

This silenced many who thought the Seventeenth Prince unworthy of the title Prince Xia.

If at the level of a Great Cultivator he could achieve such an inconceivable feat, how terrifying would it be once he achieved Harmonization?

And what about Proving?

By now, everyone who ever doubted him understood the terrifying potential of Prince Xia.

He was truly unprecedented.

Because many people had never even heard of the Ultimate Path, nor did they understand why Prince Xia's power was so formidable.

But, the ironclad evidence of his ascent to the summit of Tianxia Building, laid out solidly before them, conceived real belief.

Suddenly, public opinion completely turned around.

Many even believed that if the Seventeenth Prince did not deserve the title Prince Xia, then there seemed to be no one who did.

...

The next day at noon.

The large family of Prince Xia's household was rarely gathered together in the pavilion for a meal.

Lin Yue sat in the main seat, with Baili Fengzhi sitting to his left, while Qi Yinmo and Qi Wanqiu sat on the other side with siblings Xiahong Ning and Xiahong Chen.

"My husband."

Qi Yinmo said with a smiling face, "This morning, many Loose Cultivators actively sought the position of Guest Elder, including quite a few Great Cultivators. With my husband's fame, perhaps even Saints will come to serve as Guest Elders."

In the various prince and princess mansions, apart from the few princes and princesses who have Proved and Transcended, almost none of the guest elders were Saints.

After all, a guest elder was, frankly, just a dependant at another's house.

But Saints are different.

Even princes and princesses must treat them with great respect, so how could they be willing to simply be a guest elder?

Only those who have Proved might be able to attract Saints, willing to follow and serve as a guest elder in their mansion.

"We must select carefully."

Lin Yue ate his meal while casually saying, "New Guest Elders should all follow the previous rule, initially staying at South Square. Once I confirm there are no issues, then they can move to the inner areas."

Prince Xia's mansion occupied an area nearly two districts large, resembling a fortress, with naturally ample space.

However, to prevent enemy spies from learning about the core internal areas, he had those Guest Elders who had a chance to sit in key positions stay elsewhere until he learned their secrets and confirmed they were not a problem, then he would make other arrangements.

Although it was a bit troublesome, it was also a way to ensure the safety of his family.

"Eat more."

Lin Yue casually served Baili Fengzhi another dish with his chopsticks, smiling as he said, "Eating only Spirit Pills and Spiritual Medicines isn't very satisfying. These dishes are concocted from Heaven and Earth Treasures, they taste good and should sustain your energy. Eat up."

Baili Fengzhi gave him a speechless glance, helplessly saying, "Your Highness, I've only lost my Cultivation, not turned into a cripple who can't even pick up a dish, and moreover, I've recently been able to better control my strength."

Lin Yue just smiled and quietly transmitted a message to her.

"..."

Baili Fengzhi stiffened, almost snapping her chopsticks, fortunately, they were made of Magic Treasure material and sturdy enough.

She could not help but glance at Lin Yue, coughed once, and said no more.

Qi Yinmo, sitting nearby and biting her chopsticks, observed the two with curiosity and asked, "Sister Fengzhi, what mushy whisper did your husband just say to you that got you so flushed?"

"...I'm not flushed..."

"You clearly are, come on, tell me. It's okay to just whisper it to me."

"...Ahem, really, it's nothing."

Quietly, Xiahong Ning and Xiahong Chen, the siblings, kept their heads down eating, turning a deaf ear, and whenever Xiahong Chen looked up out of curiosity, his sister would kick him under the table.

Lin Yue glanced at the small actions of his children and couldn't help but laugh.

A family, indeed in harmony.

After lunch, an Inner Palace Guard hurriedly walked over and reported with a bow, "Your Highness, an envoy from the palace, the Purple Cloud Envoy, requests your presence. Please proceed to Taihong Hall today to be granted the special privilege of a Prince."

"Very well," Lin Yue thought with some anticipation.

The contest among the princes and princesses for the Divine Emperor's throne, what was it for in the end?

...

Taihong Hall, like the Hall of the Gathering Stars, was one of the Imperial Palace's Forbidden Lands. Without an Imperial Decree, no one was allowed to approach it even half a step.

From the outside, it just looked like any typical palace.

"Your Highness, please enter."

After the two guards pushed open the darkened great doors of Taihong Hall, Lin Yue immediately stepped inside.

Immediately after, the doors closed behind him, plunging him into complete darkness.

Within the darkness, a pillar of light suddenly shone.

At the same time, a deep, solemn voice emerged—

"The world is silent, one god through the ages, since the Ancient Mythological Era, only Great Yong named itself the Divine Dynasty. Do you know the reason?"

Within that light pillar that tore through the darkness, a figure appeared.

It was a middle-aged man dressed in a robe of dark gold with black patterns, his face neither ugly nor beautiful, his demeanor noble yet affable, his eyes calm without the aloofness of superiority, emitting an incredibly harmonious and congruent aura.

Lin Yue was seeing this man's face for the first time, but he recognized the attire.

It was the Imperial Robe!

Could this person be Your Majesty the Divine Emperor?

But the Divine Emperor was already dead, so could this person be something like a Hall Spirit?

"Who are you..." Lin Yue whispered.

"I am the spirit of Taihong Hall."

The man in the Imperial Robe softly said, "Prince Xia, answer my question first."

Lin Yue pondered for a moment, then replied, "Is it because the Divine Emperor was the reincarnation of an Ancient God?"

"That is one reason."

The Spirit of Taihong Hall said, "The second has to do with the throne, or more precisely, it should be called..."

"The Divine Position."