Chapter 300

She still remembered the situation back then — in the council chamber of Wang Gong, there were two ministers, and two… people from the church!

At the time, Princess Luoying found it strange, because whenever her father the king met with people from the church, he never did so in the secret council chamber, but rather in a grand council hall outside!

That had always been the case for as long as she could remember.

"Perhaps there was something especially important."

Princess Luoying had thought so at the time.

Then, there was the tone in which her father had spoken.

As king, her father's manner of speaking always carried a faint, natural authority, but when he spoke to her in ordinary times, his tone would soften a little.

Even in public settings, though her father's tone remained formal, she could still sense within it the connection of a father.

But that one time, her father's tone made her feel a great distance.

That sense of distance, anyone else would absolutely have failed to notice.

But Princess Luoying could feel it.

Because she was the daughter, and he was the father.

Beyond that, in her father's tone and bearing, she also sensed another feeling.

She had puzzled over that feeling for a long time, and only now finally understood what it was:

Lofty and supreme, despising all living beings!

And then, cold indifference!

Utter, absolute cold indifference!

Her father, as king, certainly possessed a king's pride, but that one time, the feeling he gave her was entirely different.

It made her feel as though that were not her father at all.

"Perhaps father was in a bad mood about something."

Princess Luoying had thought so at the time.

Though she was a princess, she did not yet know that the god of the Xiling Kingdom had been defeated in the God War — that matter was known by far too few people within the Xiling Kingdom, completely sealed off.

Because if it spread, for the church it would be a catastrophe!

Otherwise she would not have been puzzled earlier: why had her father, after the Yan Kingdom had destroyed a great noble house of the Xiling Kingdom, still made her deliver so many gifts here!

Though it felt off, Princess Luoying did not make too many connections.

When a person is in a bad mood, their expression and attitude can indeed change quite a bit; a slight oddity in her father was understandable.

Until now, standing on the plaza before the temple, watching that dramatic scene of the Lion Race's Grand Hierophant being possessed by an Abyss Demon God!

This stirred certain connections in her mind.

And Princess Luoying recalled yet another matter.

That was, roughly a month ago, her father's relationship with the church had become very strained!

Her father had not told her the reason.

But during that period, envoys from other kingdoms frequently came and went in her father's palace, and her father also frequently dispatched envoys — she did not know to which kingdom they were sent.

And once, in the garden, she overheard her father seemingly speaking ill of the god!

She still remembered the situation — her father had spoken only a few words before he spotted her, and then fell silent.

And during that half-month, the security in the Xiling royal palace had been tightened several times over; even her aunt — her father's elder sister, a powerful Grand Archmage — had returned from a distant place to take up residence in the Xiling royal palace.

But half a month ago, her aunt had disappeared from sight; reportedly she had left the Xiling Kingdom and gone off again to a distant place to seek further learning.

Once these matters were strung together, a terrible suspicion arose in Princess Luoying's heart:

Her father had very likely had his body taken over by a consciousness sent down by the god!

Just like that Lion Race Grand Hierophant!

But this suspicion still lacked a certain key point of support.

That key point was, in fact, the news confirmed by the fox woman Sister Qing Ling and Meng Ying: the god of the Xiling Kingdom had been defeated!

If Princess Luoying knew this key point, she could be certain of this suspicion right now!

However, she did not yet know, so Princess Luoying decided to go back and verify it.

She could not set her mind at ease without verifying!

That morning, Princess Luoying came to the temple and found the fox woman Sister Qing Ling.

She had come to bid farewell.

This was also her first time entering the temple of the Lord of Flames.

The fox woman Sister Qing Ling normally lived in the temple; the last time she had specifically come to the palace to entertain her, and this morning Princess Luoying had suddenly decided to return, so naturally she could only come here to find the fox woman Sister Qing Ling!

The temple was filled with a sacred atmosphere.

On the altar at the center of the temple, flames burned year-round without dying.

Those flames were not Lin Yan, but ordinary wood-burning flames; Lin Yan would occasionally descend and rest there for a while.

"Didn't the princess say she would stay a few days? Is there some urgent matter?"

The fox woman Sister Qing Ling asked.

Princess Luoying nodded and said, "Mm, there really are some matters, I need to hurry back, so I cannot stay long — my apologies, Your Majesty."

The fox woman Sister Qing Ling said, "It's quite all right, then I won't keep you. By the way, you came all this way and brought us such So Heavy gifts, I haven't given you a return gift yet — wait a moment."

As the fox woman Sister Qing Ling spoke, she clapped her hands, and several temple maid-servants brought something up on a tray.

It was a five-colored magic stone!

This magic stone had been part of the Slo family's collection, and was quite precious to magicians.

Princess Luoying did not stand on ceremony; after thanking the fox woman Sister Qing Ling, she accepted the return gift.

The fox woman Sister Qing Ling saw Princess Luoying out of the temple.

After walking out of the temple, Princess Luoying suddenly turned her head back and said:

"Queen, if I encounter danger, may I pray to the great Lord of Flames for help?"

Her question, however, gave the fox-woman Sister Qing Ling a start.

As a royal princess, Princess Luoying naturally had to follow the royal family's faith in the deities of the Spirit-Seeking Kingdom.

Of course, such faith might only be on the surface.

But faith on the surface is still faith.

Yet Princess Luoying was now asking whether she could pray to the Lord of Flames for help when in danger!

Instinctively, Sister Qing Ling felt that what Princess Luoying had just said was connected to the reason she was in such a hurry to leave!

Though she was momentarily stunned, Sister Qing Ling's reaction was still very quick.

She revealed a smile and said:

"Of course you may, my god is generous and merciful!"

After saying that, she thought of something and took a pendant from around her neck!

On this pendant was a small, black, burning flame!

That was an Abyss Magic Flame. Don't be fooled by how small this flame looked—there was no shortage of energy points within it, more than enough for this Abyss Magic Flame to burn in its tiny state for a full year.

This was something Sister Qing Ling had crafted under Lin Yan's revelation, capable of providing Sister Qing Ling with powerful soul protection!

She wasn't the only one who had this pendant—every one of Lin Yan's holy maidens had one. With this pendant on them, even a god's one or two wisps of consciousness couldn't hope to attack their souls, and should an attack occur, Lin Yan would sense it.

"Princess, this is a blessing from my god. Now I give it to you—with it on, no evil will can harm you."

After saying that, Sister Qing Ling hung that pendant around Princess Luoying's neck.

As for herself, she could just craft another one later!

On the flying magical beast, Princess Luoying turned her head back to look at the Miracle City behind them.

Only when Miracle City had completely vanished from her field of vision did she finally turn her head back.

Her fingers rubbed that pendant. This Abyss Magic Flame was bound within the pendant, so naturally it was harmless to the wearer.

Although she had stayed in Miracle City for less than a day, this trip to Miracle City had left her with an incomparably deep impression.

The goodwill Sister Qing Ling had shown also made her feel a great warmth.

And the Lord of Flames.

The great Lord of Flames!

As the misty mountains vanished behind her and the Spirit-Seeking Kingdom appeared before her eyes, Princess Luoying's thoughts finally returned to the Spirit-Seeking Kingdom.

"I hope things aren't what I imagine them to be."

Princess Luoying thought.

If that were the case, for her it would be the worst, most desperate situation!