Just as he was wondering how to face them, a familiar gap appeared in front of everyone.

"What, what's going on? Long Qianling, your abilities have been stolen?" Ming Yuyin pointed at the gap in front of her, her mouth slightly open.

The others were equally surprised. They looked at Long Qianling on the throne and then at the gap, and were stunned.

Until a figure in black slowly emerged from the gap, the person raised their head, and that familiar face came into everyone's view.

Bai Qingnian!

"Year after year!?"

"Baby!?"

"Your Majesty?!"

"Bai Qingnian?!"

Everyone gasped in shock, even the owner of that face was astonished.

That's him?!

"Heh~"

A cold laugh rang out, and everyone saw Bai Qingnian standing in the center of the hall, her lips slightly curled, her red eyes staring straight at them.

Wait a minute! That aura, that look in her eyes... why does it look so familiar? It's just like—her!

All eyes turned to the person on the throne. Long Qianling on the throne was stunned by their stares, and a flash of panic crossed his eyes. Although he quickly suppressed it, they still noticed it.

Hu Ruo conjured a sword with his demonic power and held it menacingly to his neck, snarling, "Who are you? Why are you inside the Venerable One's body!"

"Hu Ruo! Put it down."

A cold male voice rang out. Although it was a male voice, Hu Ruo recognized it as Long Qianling's.

"Your Excellency..." Hu Ruo sheathed his sword with a hint of grievance and flashed to stand beside Bai Qingnian.

"If he's Long Qianling, then who is this?"

Ming Yuyin was still a little confused when Bai Yaoguang's eyes darkened, and then she slowly spoke.

"Bai Qingnian"

Bai Qingnian was stunned for a moment, then nodded with Long Qianling's face on his back, "It's me..."

If the soul inside his body is truly Ah Ling, then it's not surprising that he appeared inside her body.

She's so powerful, she must have saved him just now, otherwise he might...

But wasn't she injured by the will of Heaven?

Bai Qingnian looked at Long Qianling, but unexpectedly she was also looking at him. Their eyes met, and Long Qianling smiled slightly at him.

Bai Qingnian was stunned for a moment, and quickly looked away, but before a moment had passed, he couldn't help but look at her again.

"Your Majesty, what exactly happened between you and the Empress? How did you suddenly switch bodies?" Hu Ruo asked curiously, echoing the thoughts of everyone present. They all looked at Long Qianling with curiosity, eagerly awaiting her answer.

Long Qianling raised her hand and touched her wrist. Soon, a circle of golden light appeared on her wrist.

Bai Qingnian's pupils trembled slightly as he watched her movements.

It's that strange mark. Could it be related to Ah Ling?

"This is your marriage contract with Zai Zai!" Bai Changjun was somewhat surprised. "Could it be that this is why you two switched bodies?"

"I previously used a dragon marriage contract as a pretext to transfer most of my demonic power to the little fox, and in the name of the gods, I ensured his immortality!" Long Qianling smiled smugly. "Those who hurt the little fox were merely demons. Daring to harm someone the gods want to protect is simply courting death. Of course, we don't actually need to exchange souls, but I prefer to personally kill my enemies! Especially those who hurt the little fox!"

As soon as Long Qianling finished speaking, everyone fell silent.

Even Bai Qingnian stared at her blankly.

She... really liked, no, she loved her other half so much.

"Can you switch back now?" Bai Yaoguang asked. She couldn't very well call Bai Qingnian "Your Excellency" in front of his face; it just looked so strange. She certainly couldn't do what Hu Ruo did.

Long Qianling nodded and stood in front of Bai Qingnian in a flash.

"Master, please bear with it." As soon as Long Qianling finished speaking, she raised her hand and placed it on his forehead, then raised her other hand and placed it on her own forehead as well.

Bai Qingnian felt a sharp pain between her eyebrows, her vision went black, and she fainted.

Everyone saw Long Qianling's soul slowly fly out of Bai Qingnian's body, and the two souls exchanged in mid-air before returning to their respective bodies.

When Bai Qingnian opened his eyes again, he found himself still leaning against the throne. He thought the body swap had failed and anxiously raised his hand to touch his face.

"Nian Nian!" Suddenly, a middle-aged man rushed over and hugged him tightly.

Bai Qingnian was stunned and somewhat at a loss. He wanted to push him away, but reason told him that he couldn't do that.

"My poor Niannian, you've suffered so much... Waaaaah!"

Zhiyan hugged him and cried, her voice trembling.

During the time Nian Nian was in a coma, Long Qianling told them everything that had happened in the cultivation world, and also told them that Bai Qingnian was unwilling to return to the demon realm.

As he listened, his heart ached. His silly child…

"Niannian, please come back. Don't go back to the cultivation world. This is your home, the demon realm is your home. Your father is always waiting for you to come back..."

Father?

Upon hearing this, Bai Qingnian froze for a moment, turning his head to look at the middle-aged man whose face was covered in tears.

He means... he's his father?!

But why didn't he know? Ever since he could remember, he had always known that he was an orphan, that he had no family...

Ah Heng wiped away his tears, walked forward, patted Zhiyan's shoulder, and then said to Bai Qingnian, "Baby, your father is right. The demon realm is your home. You should stay here. If it weren't for my decision, you wouldn't be like this now, with an incomplete soul. Blame me if you must..."

After Ah Heng finished speaking, he looked to the side and started crying as well.

Is it because of him that I became like this? Is the demon realm my true home?

Bai Qingnian listened to the crying beside her, her eyes glazed over as she looked at Long Qianling standing to the side.

Long Qianling was also looking at him, but now her face was expressionless, no, that's not right, her brows were furrowed.

In the demon realm, he still has family... and Ah Ling...

His heart began to waver; perhaps he really… No! He couldn't!

He is not himself! This place does not belong to him! He is Yue Ci, the Yue Ci of the cultivation world! He is Yue Ci of the Xuan Tian Sect, not the little fox that A Ling mentioned!

So much time has passed; they've become two people, how could they possibly still be one person...?

Moreover, Ah Ling doesn't love him, but rather the other half of her soul.

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty's clan was wiped out and he was sealed away for over 30,000 years. It was only because of you that he was able to escape. How can you bear to leave her all alone in the Demon Realm? You care so much about her. This time, please care about her a little more. She only has you left..."

Hu Ruo roared, his eyes red, and knelt down directly in front of Bai Qingnian with a thud.