It's a complete mess

Ao Lin's gaze swept over her bleeding wounds and blood-stained clothes. He nodded, said nothing more, and led his team to continue their pursuit.

Qing Shanyue's words were undoubtedly a knife to Ao Lin's throat.

If a battle breaks out with Hua Fei later, Ao Lin can use Qing Shan Yue as an excuse to attack Hua Fei on the grounds of harming his own kind.

This allowed them to rightfully occupy the moral high ground, putting Hua Fei at a significant disadvantage in public opinion.

Qing Shanyue stopped in her tracks, watching Ao Lin's departing figure. She leaned against a tree and slowly straightened up, revealing a playful smile.

She knew that Hua Fei had never been able to confirm whether she had been injured or not, so there were always spies planted by Hua Fei around her palace.

This is also why Hua Fei was able to arrive immediately after Mo Zuili had only exchanged a few words with Qing Shanyue when he first came to the Dragon Domain.

Those eyes hidden in the shadows had already relayed the news.

The corners of Qing Shanyue's lips, which had been curled up, slowly fell back, and her face returned to its usual cold and aloof expression.

Looking down at the beads of blood seeping from her palm, Qing Shanyue let out a barely audible sneer.

Qing Shanyue had long since figured out the spies Hua Fei had planted around her. Despite her years of keeping a low profile, she was not truly indifferent to worldly affairs.

If she can't even turn such a pawn against her, why should she go to such lengths to fight for the Dragon Emperor's throne?

If it weren't for the "timely" tip-off from the turned spy, how could Hua Fei have fallen into the trap so easily in today's scene?

As Qing Shanyue's figure suddenly disappeared from the courtyard, the turned surveillance officer rushed back to Huafei Palace in a panic: "Your Highness, the Ninth Princess has mysteriously disappeared!"

Hua Fei, who was practicing her swordplay, paused, and when she looked up, her eyes were already dark.

Just then, another informant reported that the eldest prince, Ao Lin, had mobilized golden-armored soldiers to surround the main hall of the Dragon Palace.

With these two events combined, alarm bells rang in Hua Fei's mind.

Compared to Ao Lin, who has the backing of his maternal clan, Hua Fei still thinks that Qing Shan Yue, who is solitary and indifferent to worldly affairs, is more daunting.

Without hesitation, Hua Fei coldly shouted, "Chase!"

They followed the faint scent that Qing Shanyue had deliberately left behind.

During the journey, another of Hua Fei's informants sent an urgent message, saying that Qing Shan Yue might now know the whereabouts of the Dragon Pattern Jade Seal.

Hua Fei's pupils suddenly contracted.

She had long suspected that Qing Shanyue was hiding something, and now it seemed that the other party probably already knew the whereabouts of the token.

Now, taking advantage of Ao Lin's big move, they want to fish in troubled waters and get the token!

Halfway through the chase, Hua Fei intercepted Qing Shan Yue.

At that moment, Qing Shanyue was rushing eastward with an ancient bronze key in her hand. When she was stopped, a look of panic flashed across her face.

Without saying a word, Hua Fei brandished his knife, aiming straight for a vital spot.

Hua Fei intended to kill Qing Shan Yue on the spot, but Qing Shan Yue narrowly escaped her fatal blow.

However, Hua Fei snatched the key away.

Upon catching a glimpse of the words "Locking Dragon" engraved on the key, Hua Fei instantly realized that this key belonged to the forbidden area of ​​the Dragon Realm in the east.

Qing Shanyue saw the key being snatched away by Hua Fei, and her face instantly turned deathly pale.

Ignoring the bleeding wound on his shoulder, he staggered forward, trying to take it back, but his haste made him lose his composure, and Hua Fei seized the opportunity to exploit his weakness.

Hua Fei flicked her wrist, and the short knife, gleaming with a chilling light, hurtled straight at Qing Shan Yue, just inches away from killing her.

But in the end, Qing Shanyue managed to evade it.

Having obtained the key, Hua Fei was certain that the token must be in the Dragon Lock Abyss Forbidden Land, so she didn't bother to get entangled with Qing Shan Yue any longer.

With a backhand slash, he struck Qing Shanyue hard in the back. Seeing that the other was lying on the ground, barely alive and still struggling, Hua Fei was afraid that further entanglement would lead to unforeseen changes, so he ignored Qing Shanyue and turned to run eastward.

During the journey, Hua Fei sent a message to his confidants, telling them to hurry over.

Hua Fei used the key to open the forbidden area's restrictions, which had not been activated since the current Dragon Emperor ascended to the throne, further confirming that the token was inside the forbidden area.

However, within the forbidden area, black mist surged, and fierce magic arrays and talismans were faintly visible.

Even Hua Fei dared not venture in alone, for in this forbidden area, the slightest carelessness could lead to utter destruction.

Hua Fei suppressed her eagerness, stood sideways beside the stone gate, and patiently waited for her trusted confidant to arrive.

Once everyone arrives, they work together to explore in depth.

But instead of his trusted subordinates, Hua Fei was greeted by a deafening battle cry.

Ao Lin arrived with his men and shouted angrily from afar, "Hua Fei, you have committed an unforgivable crime of harming your own kind. Surrender and come back with me to be punished."

Hua Fei tightened her grip on the key, frowning as she looked at the golden-armored guards following behind Ao Lin.

That's not right!

How could Ao Lin have arrived so quickly?

Hua Fei had a vague premonition of something bad. Before she could think about it carefully, another group of people arrived from behind Ao Lin, also accompanied by golden-armored guards.

Hua Fei looked up and saw that the person leading the group was none other than her own younger brother, the eleventh prince of the Dragon Clan.

The two sides faced off in front of the forbidden area gate.

Ao Lin, using Hua Fei's alleged cruelty towards her own kind as an excuse, acted as if he was determined to take her back to be punished, which made Hua Fei feel even more uneasy.

Ao Lin and Qing Shan Yue were not close at all. Moreover, it had only been a short time since he injured Qing Shan Yue and stole the key, yet Ao Lin had already received the news and rushed over.

Hua Fei frowned and roughly estimated the time in her mind.

Ao Lin wanted to get here from the main hall of the Dragon Palace, so he set off almost as soon as he found Qing Shan Yue and got the key.

Moreover, they arrived at top speed.

This could not possibly be a letter from Qing Shan Yue Chuan.

Hua Fei suddenly looked up, her face extremely cold, barely suppressing her surging anger.

Damn it, she'd been tricked by Qing Shan Yue! The forbidden area was just a decoy!

Where is Qing Shanyue now?

Hua Fei suppressed her anger, took a deep breath, and secretly sent a telepathic message to her younger brother: "Hurry up and go find Qing Shan Yue."

Upon receiving the telepathic message, the eleventh prince looked at Hua Fei with a puzzled expression.

Seeing the two secretly exchanging words, Ao Lin grew increasingly impatient and drew his longsword, pointing it at Hua Fei: "Fifth Sister, are you trying to force me to take action?"

Hua Fei suddenly laughed, twirling the forbidden area key between her fingers: "Forcing you to take action? There's no need. What you want is inside the forbidden area; I've already opened the door. If you're worried, here's the key; go see for yourself."

After saying that, Hua Fei threw the key far away.

Ao Lin, fearing a trap, did not catch it and instead had his subordinate catch it.

After checking, his subordinates found it was not a trap and handed the key to Ao Lin.

Ao Lin took the key, but hesitated to move, his longsword still pointing at Hua Fei.

Just then, following Hua Fei's instructions, the eleventh prince quickly withdrew and used his spatial powers to leave before anyone could react.

Ao Lin's eyes sharpened instantly. Hua Fei's easy handing over of the key was already suspicious, but then her younger brother left first.

This action confirmed Ao Lin's guess: Hua Fei hadn't handed over the real information at all; she was just stalling for time!

Ao Lin waved his hand and ordered, "Stop them!"

The golden-armored guards instantly formed a circle, trapping Hua Fei and her entourage in the center.

"You severely injured my Ninth Princess; this matter cannot be left unresolved." Ao Lin brandished his sword, his tone resolute.

Hua Fei scoffed at Ao Lin's aggressive and relentless attitude, not wanting to waste any more time with him, and said directly, "Pathetic fool! You just want the token, don't come up with those high-sounding excuses."

Seeing that Ao Lin was still wary, Hua Fei raised her voice, her tone laced with a hint of mockery: "You've been fooled! This is Qing Shan Yue's scheme! She's luring you here to cause us to fight amongst ourselves!"

In the past, Hua Fei would have already led her men to attack Ao Lin.

Although their cultivation levels are roughly equal, Hua Fei guarantees that Ao Lin will not gain any advantage if they were to actually fight.

But at this moment, Hua Fei was preoccupied with finding Qing Shan Yue and really didn't want to be held back by the fight. So she had to patiently explain to Ao Lin, "Qing Shan Yue's schemes are all interconnected. If we keep dragging this out, she will only get what she wants."

Hua Fei concluded that Qing Shan Yue was currently implementing the next step of her plan, and she needed to find her as soon as possible.

But in this situation, the more eager Hua Fei was to explain, the more convinced Ao Lin became of his own judgment.

Hua Fei must know the whereabouts of the token; he's just trying to slip away unnoticed.

The two sides were on the verge of war, but Ao Lin lost his temper first and gave the order to attack.

...

Meanwhile, the atmosphere in the main hall of the Dragon Palace was extremely eerie.

Jun Yuze and Ao Que stood guard by the old dragon emperor's bedside, neither daring to make a move.

According to the Dragon Clan, there is a mysterious connection between the Dragon Emperor and the token. Even though the old Dragon Emperor is on his deathbed, he can still suppress the Dragon Clan descendants with the Dragon Emperor's bloodline simply by relying on that connection with the token.

Therefore, no one dared to use coercive means to force an answer.

Upon reaching the main hall of the Dragon Palace, Qing Shanyue raised her hand to wipe the blood from the corner of her lips.

Jun Yuze and Ao Que, who were inside, sensed Qing Shanyue's presence and went out to investigate.

Qing Shanyue stood outside the courtyard, looking as if she were about to collapse, as if she wanted to go into the palace to rest.

Jun Yuze welcomed Qing Shanyue into the courtyard inside the palace. Just as he was about to ask her questions, he suddenly felt a chill in his heart.

Qing Shanyue drew a strangely shaped wooden branch sword, which looked like an ordinary withered branch, except that the tip was sharpened. With a muffled "thud", the wooden branch pierced straight through Jun Yuze's body.

Jun Yuze stared incredulously at the wound on his chest, blood gushing out along the grain of the wood.

Ao Que, who was a step behind Jun Yuze, reacted quickly and exclaimed as he tried to retreat back into the house, but was entangled by Qi Shuyan, who suddenly appeared from some group of golden-armored guards.

As the two clashed, Jun Yuze also realized what was happening.

Although he was seriously injured by Qing Shanyue's sneak attack, Jun Yuze was not weak. His powerful spiritual energy exploded like a wave, sending Qing Shanyue flying. Jun Yuze immediately covered his wound and staggered back, a hint of understanding flashing in his eyes.

Jun Yuze desperately tried to rush into the hall.

But at the last moment, Qing Shanyue stopped him. Despite spitting blood, Qing Shanyue dragged Jun Yuze into the courtyard to fight.

While fighting, Ao Que shouted at the golden-armored guards around him, "What are you all standing there for? Come and reinforce us! Take down these two traitors!"

The golden-armored guards, as if waking from a dream, gripped their spears and surrounded them.

As the soldiers surrounded them, Ao Que was about to order the golden-armored guards to subdue Qi Shuyan and Qing Shanyue. However, although the golden-armored guards stepped forward, they failed to subdue the two and instead surrounded Ao Que and Jun Yuze.