Chapter 66: The Holy Emperor's Wrath

"I wonder if that Young Master Chen is still around these days..." As he thought of Young Master Chen, Donggong Fu murmured to himself.

"Sacred Emperor, there is an even more troubling matter." Minister Jiang spoke respectfully once more.

"Is there anything worse than this?" Donggong Fu's expression suddenly turned cold. "Speak!"

"During the celebration in the southern domain’s county city, Nalann Ruoshui from the Sacred Sword Sect witnessed everything and rushed to report it. When the princess heard the news, she was furious and immediately left with Nalann Ruoshui. However, to this day, she has not returned," Minister Jiang replied, trembling. "At present, we do not know if the princess has fallen victim to the county king of the southern domain."

"What? The princess is missing?" Donggong Fu was struck as if by lightning, his body trembling violently.

Donggong Qianxue was his precious daughter. Her disappearance was far more serious than the loss of the Heaven-Slaying Sword Array.

"That bastard Bing Changtian! I will tear him to pieces!" Donggong Fu roared, and from his towering figure erupted a vast and mighty pressure.

Thud!

Minister Jiang could not withstand this pressure; his knees crashed heavily to the ground, his face pale and contorted with pain.

The immense pressure spread out, and the entire imperial palace complex rumbled as if on the verge of collapse.

"The Sacred Emperor is furious!"

"Heavens, the Sacred Emperor’s wrath is terrifying!"

A chorus of shocked voices echoed throughout the imperial dynasty.

Immediately, silhouettes of powerful figures burst from various buildings, rushing toward the imperial hall.

Within moments, a large number of imperial experts knelt outside the hall.

"Sacred Emperor, please quell your anger!"

Their faces were filled with terror, and their voices trembled.

"Sacred Emperor, please quell your anger!"

Inside the hall, Minister Jiang knelt before Donggong Fu, sweat streaming down his face, his aged body quivering. "Sacred Emperor, the princess has merely not returned. It does not mean she has been slain by Bing Changtian, that scoundrel. Now, with the Grand Banquet of Elegance approaching, such a grand event cannot be missed by our Spring and Autumn Sacred Nation. Moreover, the princess is our only candidate. Therefore, the urgent task is to find the princess at all costs. Matters concerning Bing Changtian and the Heaven-Slaying Sword Array must be set aside until after the banquet."

"The Grand Banquet of Elegance..."

Donggong Fu murmured.

The Grand Banquet of Elegance was a martial feast jointly hosted by the sacred nations of the eastern region of the Silver Snow Realm. Only the princes and princesses of each sacred nation were eligible to participate.

There were thirty-six sacred nations in the eastern region of the Silver Snow Realm.

In other words, the number of participants totaled thirty-six.

But they were all princes or princesses of their sacred nations—one can imagine how grand the event would be.

Donggong Fu took a deep breath, striving to calm himself. The mighty pressure he had emanated slowly receded.

"Minister Jiang, your words ring true," Donggong Fu said in a deep voice. "The princess has not returned; it does not mean she has fallen to Bing Changtian, that dog. Her absence may be the best news. Ideally, she is still contending with Bing Changtian. Otherwise, that villain would have long since come with the Heaven-Slaying Sword Array."

Seeing Donggong Fu regain his composure, Minister Jiang exhaled deeply, nearly collapsing from relief.

He wiped the sweat from his brow and said, "Sacred Emperor, precisely! The urgent task is to swiftly recover the princess; the Grand Banquet cannot be delayed."

"The princess's matter—alive, she must be found; dead, her body must be recovered."

Donggong Fu strode toward the hall's exit.

Minister Jiang hurried after him.

Moments later, the two stood outside the hall. Donggong Fu's face was dark and stern; his gaze slowly swept over the mass of kneeling palace experts.

"The Sacred Emperor has finally calmed down," the assembled experts secretly sighed in relief.

"Two matters!" Donggong Fu raised two fingers, speaking slowly. "The princess has been absent for some time; I believe all present are aware. With the Grand Banquet imminent, the princess's disappearance must be kept secret and never leaked. Any who disobey—execution!"

A tremor ran through the crowd. "Yes!" they responded hastily.

"The second matter..." Donggong Fu called out, "Zhuge Yu!"

"Present!" From the crowd, a young man with a jade-like face and extraordinary handsomeness stood up, saluting Donggong Fu respectfully.

"I know you have always had feelings for the princess..."

"Ah, I dare not!" Zhuge Yu was startled; his face turned pale in an instant, as if his soul had been laid bare.

His body trembled, sweat pouring down. "Sacred Emperor, the princess is one of the most noble women of our Spring and Autumn Sacred Nation. How could I dare to offend her?"

Donggong Fu glanced at him calmly and shook his head. "Zhuge Yu, why are you so nervous? The princess is your cousin; you grew up together. Having feelings for her is normal and hardly counts as offense."

"Now, I entrust you to find the princess. Choose any assistants you need from among those present. I have only one demand: no matter what, you must find the princess—alive or dead."

Zhuge Yu had always admired the princess; he was the ideal candidate to search for her, and would surely be more devoted than anyone else.

"Sacred Emperor, you... you want me to find the princess?" Zhuge Yu could hardly believe his ears.

"Yes," Donggong Fu nodded.

Zhuge Yu was ecstatic, his face flushed red, his body trembling. "Sacred Emperor, rest assured, I will not fail; I will bring her back!"

The Sacred Emperor himself had entrusted him to find the princess—was this not a hint that he had a chance with her?

The princess was unrivaled in beauty, famed as the most beautiful woman of the Spring and Autumn Sacred Nation, and one of its most exalted. If he could marry her, it would be a dream come true.

"If you fail, you die," Donggong Fu said calmly.

Zhuge Yu was struck dumb, as if by lightning.

"Begin choosing your assistants. Pick whomever you wish," Donggong Fu waved his hand dismissively.

"Yes! Yes!" Zhuge Yu came to his senses and began selecting from those present.

...

Chen Changsheng's secluded abode had become unusually lively.

The most astonishing thing was that even the palace master of the Spring and Autumn Sacred Nation was now staying there, serving as Chen Die'er's personal maid, attending to her needs.

Incredible as it seemed, one of the nation’s most venerable women was not only content to be Chen Die'er's maid—she did so with delight.

In these days, she had witnessed many shocking things: the water she drank was liquid spiritual energy, the fruit was nectar of immortals, the meals contained boundless Daoist essence.

Even if she spent the rest of her life as Chen Die'er's maid, she would be more than willing!

Aside from her, the others also felt as if they had entered a paradise of immortals, their cultivation advancing rapidly.

If they remained here, even reaching the Extreme Dao realm would not be a dream.