When the king was alone, a person entered the hall. She had a face like a fairy and an excellent figure. She knelt down in front of the king and said, "Greetings, Father."
It turned out she was the king's youngest and most talented daughter, Princess Moon.
"Do you know why I called you?" the king asked.
Princess Moon raised her head, meeting her father's gaze with a calm demeanor. "I can assume, Father. The emergence of these individuals, their immense power, and their role in dismantling the Crimson Cobra Syndicate have surely caught your attention."
The king nodded, a trace of pride evident in his eyes. "Indeed, Moon. These individuals possess exceptional strength and potential. I believe they could be valuable allies to our kingdom. However, their identities remain a mystery, and I sense that they may be not from our kingdom. I want you to find out more about them and establish a connection."
Princess Moon inclined her head respectfully. "I understand, Father. I will do my best to uncover their origins and gain their trust."
The king smiled. "I have faith in your abilities, Moon. Approach this task with care and tact. Forge bonds with them, so they see the Xiao Kingdom as a friend and ally. But be cautious not to reveal too much about our kingdom's inner workings until we are certain of their intentions."
Princess Moon nodded in agreement. "I will proceed with caution, Father. I will seek opportunities to befriend them and learn about their motivations."
The king's expression turned serious. "Moon, remember that their strength is remarkable. If they are indeed from a different kingdom or from the mainland, they could possess knowledge and power beyond our understanding. Treat them with respect and avoid any confrontations. However, if they are confirmed to be from our enemy's kingdom, you may eliminate them. Nevertheless, the chances of them belonging to our enemy neighbor are very low, considering they did assist us in getting rid of the syndicate."
Princess Moon bowed her head. "I will keep that in mind, Father. I shall approach them humbly and extend an invitation to our palace as a gesture of goodwill and if they are from our enemy neighbor I will kill them."
The king placed a hand on her shoulder, his gaze filled with a mixture of pride and concern. "I trust your judgment, Moon. May your efforts lead to a prosperous future for our kingdom. I initially wanted Sir Eric to undertake this mission, but he is currently healing and his strength is not at its peak. Besides, you expressed a desire for another adventure after returning from your previous one."
The king added, "Furthermore, this time you must disguise yourself. I do not want our enemies to discover your location, as you will need to interact with many people. It is different from your previous journey to the Dark Forest."
Princess Moon nodded and rose from her kneeling position, a determined glint in her eyes. "Thank you, Father. I will begin my investigation immediately."
With her father's blessing, Princess Moon left the hall and began formulating a plan. She knew that approaching these mysterious individuals required careful strategy.
When Princess Moon left, four shadows appeared behind the king. Their breath was strong, indicating that they were powerful cultivators at the late stage of the Sky Realm. They were the four ministers of the king, possessing strength only inferior to the king himself.
One of the ministers with red hair spoke up, saying, "My king, this time I will follow her."
The king replied, "Very well. This time, you shall go. Remember, protect the princess at all costs. She is the future queen of the kingdom, so it is crucial that no harm befalls her."
Another minister with silver hair reassured the king, saying, "Don't worry, Your Majesty. The princess is very strong. Even without our help, she can protect herself. She just broke through to the late stage of the Spiritual Realm, and her actual strength is comparable to Sir Eric, a seventh-stage Sky Realm cultivator. Furthermore, she possesses a flying artifact, so the advantage of Sky Realm cultivators is nullified against her."
The king glared at him and reminded him, "Do not let anyone else know about this. If the information leaks to our enemies, they will stop at nothing to kill her. Furthermore, once she breaks through to the Sky Realm and reaches even the mid-stages, who in this entire kingdom will be her opponent? Even neighboring kingdoms will fear her."
The other four ministers nodded, expressing their agreement with the king's thinking. The king continued, "Moreover, there is another reason. If news of her talent spreads, sects from the mainland will come to recruit her. I do not wish for that to happen until she reaches the Sky Realm. Otherwise, she will be bullied in that place. As you all know, she will surpass those geniuses from the mainland, but before she does, they will try to surpass her to hinder her growth in the early stages. However, if she joins as a Sky Realm cultivator, the chances of being bullied will be extremely low."
One of the ministers questioned, "My king, aren't you going to make her queen? Why are you thinking about joining the sect of the mainland?"
The king replied, "I understand your concern, but I cannot hold her back. With her talent, she will inevitably rise in the world of cultivation sooner or later. If I were to ask her to stay here, I know she would gladly agree. However, it would hinder her growth. As a father, I want her to remain by my side, but as a cultivator, I cannot allow that. Additionally, there are other princes and princesses who are striving to become the next king or queen of this kingdom. So, it's not that I lack a good successor; it's just that Moon is the best candidate among them."
The conversation ended, and the four ministers disappeared. The hall fell silent once again, just as it was before.