"Princess and Shenyi are still in the palace." Long Xin seemed to read my confusion and explained, "You don't know, the person most worried about you during this time has been the Princess."

"You must be Your Highness Star?" Before me stood a burly middle-aged man with thick eyebrows and large eyes, towering nearly two meters tall. It was clear he was a top master seasoned in countless battles. That invisible aura and oppressive pressure made me feel as if I had fallen into an abyss, suffocating. Gods! Such a terrifying presence—he was absolutely the most frightening person I had encountered since arriving in this world. Stronger than Master Jian Li; I couldn't begin to fathom how terrifying his actual strength might be.

He was clad in golden armor. Judging by the style, it resembled the God of War Armor, clearly custom-made. Around his neck was a rugged necklace woven with silver-white and gold threads, which instantly made me recognize it: the Sacred War Necklace. Although it was the first time I'd seen the physical item, its design was exactly like the one in Legend. I gasped in shock. I examined his other accessories closely: tawny bracelets and rings, ancient in style, exquisitely detailed, shining with a soft, natural luster. The dense energy fluctuations immediately alerted me to the immense power hidden within!

It was the Sacred War Set! I was stunned, staring blankly at the middle-aged warrior before me. Heavens, it was the Sacred War Set! Perhaps because he was within the residence, he wasn't wearing the Sacred War Helmet, but I was certain he possessed the complete set.

To be honest, after being in this world for so long, I had only ever heard tales of the Sacred War Set; I never had the chance to witness it firsthand. Yet here stood a mighty warrior adorned in the Sacred War Set, respectfully before me, his face flushed with excitement. "I am deeply grateful for your righteous assistance to the Princess."

For a moment, my mind felt utterly blank. Could he be the legendary Demon Warrior? But his armor style didn't look like the Demon War Armor. Still, aside from the Demon Warrior, I couldn't think of any other warrior capable of wearing the Sacred War Set.

"I am Star, yes," I murmured, feeling as if I were sleepwalking. "But when did I become Your Highness?"

"Your Highness is the Princess's younger brother," the middle-aged man said excitedly. "Naturally, we address you as Your Highness."

Sweat! It came to that. I finally snapped out of my shock. Me, a mere nobody, being called Your Highness—this was a first. And this deeply respectful giant before me was an incredibly powerful Demon Warrior. I felt distinctly awkward. "Heh heh, General, please just call me Star from now on. Although Her Highness has accepted me as her brother, I am not truly of the Magic Dragon Royal Family; I really cannot bear the title."

"Since the Princess personally recognized you as a brother, you are naturally a member of the Royal Family," the middle-aged warrior stated with firm resolution. "This is the Princess's command; please do not refuse."

"This!" I was quite flustered. Why did Shen Yin have to saddle me with such a title? Still, I was deeply moved. It wasn't wasted affection after all, I thought silently.

Furthermore, I felt a little giddy about the current situation. Unbelievable! Truly unbelievable! I, an obscure commoner, have reached this day. Heh heh, Star Your Highness—that title actually sounds quite good, imposing and magnificent, and incredibly prestigious. Vanity, you ask? This is it.

"Enough!" Long Xin, noticing my discomfort, hurried to say, "Stop standing around like a statue. Star has finally returned; let's go into the inner hall and rest."

"Exactly. Look at the state of you both," Jin Hong chuckled. "Acting like unwashed children, covered head to toe in mud."

"Heh heh!" Long Qi and I exchanged wry smiles.

The surrounding guards also chuckled. It was clear they held a favorable impression of me. Shen Yin truly carried great weight.

"Please, Your Highness, rest in the inner hall," the middle-aged warrior requested respectfully. "I have already dispatched someone to notify the Princess; I trust she will return shortly."

"Oh, right," I suddenly remembered. "Is someone protecting the Princess? Please, nothing must happen to her again."

"Your Highness need not worry," the middle-aged warrior assured me. "General Jidu is protecting the Princess; she will be perfectly safe."

"Jidu?" I recoiled in shock. "Could that be the Princess's teacher, the Demon Warrior, Mentor Jidu?"

"Indeed, General Jidu," the middle-aged warrior confirmed.

"I see." My heart settled, and I bowed slightly. "Forgive me, General, but how should I address you?"

"My name is Luohou," the middle-aged warrior replied. "Like General Jidu, I am a Demon Warrior of the Magic Dragon Royal Family."

"Dem—De—mon—Warrior!" I stammered, my eyes wide. "Heavens, it really is a Demon Warrior! I actually get to meet the most terrifying and powerful entity of the Mapha world, the Demon Warrior!"

Seeming to sense my internal shock, Luohou smiled faintly. "Your Highness flatters me. However, the Demon Warrior is not the ultimate strongest in the Mapha world. Above the Demon Warriors, there exist the even more powerful Thunder Warriors. And above the Thunder Warriors are the current strongest warriors of the Mapha world: the Phoenix Warriors."

"Thunder Warriors! Phoenix Warriors!" My brain was struggling to keep up. "How is that possible? There are even stronger entities than Demon Warriors! Then what does that make us, the Rangers?"

"Heh heh, Your Highness, no need to be so shocked," Luohou said calmly. "In truth, whether it’s a Demon Warrior, a Thunder Warrior, or even a Phoenix Warrior, they merely rely on the power of the Royal Demon War Set, the Church's Thunder Set, and the Phoenix Set, respectively. Stripped of this equipment, their individual cultivation, while still considerable, is not drastically different from the ultimate experts in the Ranger world."

"............" I was somewhat distracted. If it were a Thunder Warrior, they might be able to obliterate the Red Moon Demon with a mere wave of the hand, perhaps.

Surrounded by the entourage, I was led into the inner hall. Only then did Long Xin and the others have the chance to chatter out everything that happened after we were separated.

At the ferry crossing, despite their worry for my safety, Long Xin and the others followed the plan and galloped toward Cangyue. Whether their luck was exceptionally good, or the pursuing enemies were completely confused by my actions, I don't know—but they encountered no trouble along the way. Though there were a few necessary interrogations, no one managed to identify them. Thus, they arrived quickly at Cangyue City.

Next was an audience with the King of Cangyue. Of course, Long Xin and the others were not qualified to enter the palace. Shen Yin originally thought that her mere appearance would cause those pursuing me to withdraw. In fact, the day after Shen Yin represented the Magic Dragon Empire at the palace, the Royal Family officially announced the formal commencement of the union between the Magic Dragon Empire and the Cangyue Empire via the official Red Notice.

Simultaneously, the Wei Royal Estate announced that the Ghost Shadow who stole from Xiaoyao Shan had been apprehended. In Shen Yin's group's view, this meant the Wei Royal Estate was abandoning its plan to arrest Shen Yin, since she had previously used the guise of capturing Ghost Shadow to search everywhere for her whereabouts. Now that Ghost Shadow was reported captured, there was no excuse to search for me so openly.

But who could have imagined that the treacherous Wei King, unable to stop the union between Cangyue and Magic Dragon, took his frustration out on me, determined to capture me to cause trouble for Shen Yin. Fortunately, I was lucky; I encountered almost no difficulty, and they reached Cangyue City smoothly. There was really no thrilling adventure to recount on their end.

But my story was spectacular! Everyone listened, dumbfounded. Even Luohou praised, "Your Highness managed to escape unharmed from Cangyue Liu Kong, one of the Wei Royal Estate's Four Great Vajras. Such skill is exceedingly rare among the younger generation of experts on the Cangyue Continent."

"Heh heh, if you were to make a move, General, I imagine that fellow Cangyue Liu Kong wouldn't even have a chance to run, right?" Honestly, rarely meeting the legendary Demon Warrior, I couldn't help my curiosity.

"Heh heh, perhaps," Luohou replied with a faint smile.

As dusk approached! Shen Yin and Shen Yi finally returned from the palace, and I was afforded the sight of another legendary Demon Warrior, Jidu.

His silver-white hair cascaded over his broad shoulders. Two strands of beard, as thick as a thumb, hung down his chest near his ears, lending an unusual vibrancy and aesthetic appeal. His nose bridge was strong, but his silver-white pupils were like an autumn pool of icy water, instilling a palpable sense of dread and coldness in anyone who looked upon them. Yet, in his gaze, there was the majestic authority and dominance of an unparalleled powerhouse, urging one toward prostration. In terms of sheer aura, he was a step above Luohou. I truly couldn't fathom how strong his actual power might be.

As I stared blankly at Jidu, Jidu was equally scrutinizing me.

"Star!" Just as I was immersed in the unique shock Jidu radiated, a wave of sweet fragrance washed over me, and Shen Yin rushed into my arms, deliriously joyful.

"This is wonderful; you're finally back." I never imagined that after knowing her for such a short time, Shen Yin harbored such an extraordinary emotion for me. In that instant, I deeply felt how genuinely worried she had been.

"I told you I would return alive. Do you believe me now?" For a moment, I didn't know whether to embrace her or not. Everyone around us stared at Shen Yin and me with expressions of utter bewilderment and strangeness.

Especially the two Generals, Jidu and Luohou, who looked at Shen Yin in my arms with undisguised horror and disbelief.

After a long moment, Shen Yin regained her composure. "I thought I'd never see you again," she choked out. "Several times in my dreams, I dreamed you were crying for help, but I couldn't move to save you. Then, then I woke up scared."

"You really went through hardship," I thought. Having a sister is wonderful. Although I might have to call her older sister, whatever I do for her is worthwhile. Someone worries for me, has nightmares because of me, and weeps for me. In my life, I've only seen two people like that: my mother, far away in Biqi, and Shen Yin, standing before me now. What more could a man ask for in life? "I promise, I will never let you have those nightmares again."

This reunion, so emotional after escaping death, made me feel quite shy.

Unfortunately, Shen Yin cared nothing for my feelings. Seeing that I was still in my disguise, she was greatly displeased. She immediately ordered her subordinates to drag me off and clean me up.

When I returned in my true form, everyone gasped: "Star—Your High—ness."

Luohou and Jidu were struck dumb. "Praise be to the Mapha Goddess, this—this isn't real, is it?"

"It's too similar; it's impossible to tell the difference between real and fake," one of the guards muttered dazedly.

It was only then that Jidu showed a look of realization. "No wonder the Princess recognized you as her brother. If we had met you elsewhere, this old servant would have mistaken you too."

"Heh heh, now you believe me, don't you?" Shen Yin seemed thoroughly satisfied with the result. "What if I told you Star isn't my brother? Would you believe that?"

"No, this old servant dares not believe it," Jidu murmured. "Although this old servant knows that Empress Long only bore one daughter, the Princess, I believe Your Highness Star must have a very deep connection to the Royal Family."

"I believe so too," Luohou agreed, his gaze toward me shifting considerably. "Otherwise, how could he look so strikingly similar to the Princess?" I had keenly felt a vague sense of caution emanating from Jidu, Luohou, and the others the moment I met them. While their expressions remained perfectly respectful, how could someone as seasoned as I not see through their inner thoughts? If I were in their shoes, I would likely feel the same. After all, the Princess's status is supreme, and my sudden appearance beside her, with such intimacy—if they harbored no suspicion toward me, they would be absolute fools.

Only now did Jidu's and Luohou's gazes soften noticeably toward me. At least I could feel they no longer held the resistance and suspicion they did before. One could say that only now did they truly accept my identity. This also allowed me to secretly breathe a sigh of relief.

Long Xin and the others also wore expressions of profound relief, seemingly sensing the change in Jidu and Luohou's demeanor.

"Alright! To celebrate my brother's safe return, I decree a grand feast tonight to celebrate properly!" Shen Yin exclaimed excitedly.

"Haha!" Luohou exclaimed. "It is only proper, only proper! Not only did the Princess escape danger, but she also found a precious brother like Your Highness Star—that certainly calls for celebration."

"Well said," Jidu added. "I suspect that before long, the Magic Dragon Royal Family will gain another pillar of strength."

"Heh heh, precisely, precisely," Shen Yin beamed, looking immensely proud. "You all don't know yet, but my brother is no ordinary person. He is quite famous in the Biqi Empire..." I realized Shen Yin was even better at embellishment than Shan Tianfang. She took the stories she had heard from Long Xin and spiced them up with her own flourishes, live-broadcasting them to the assembly. The listeners were captivated, exclaiming in wonder repeatedly.

"Do you know the Zuma Leader?"

"Yes, yes! One of the Ten Great Demons of the Mapha world!" Shen Yi, truly Shen Yin's best partner, feigned terror. "It is rumored that the Zuma Leader is an extremely, extremely terrifying monster. Countless Ranger heroes have been slain by it!"

"Isn't that right? I don't need to elaborate on how formidable the Zuma Leader is," Shen Yin continued. "But the Zuma Totem, the Leader's treasure, was snatched right by my brother! Tell me, isn't my brother impressive?"

"Hah!........" This time, everyone stared at me with sheer astonishment.

Jidu and Luohou also wore expressions of deep admiration. But I was certain these two old foxes were merely acting. I refused to believe they didn't know my background. Even if Shen Yin kept quiet, would Shen Yi dare hide anything from them? They probably just didn't want to ruin the Princess's excitement by being blunt.

"............" Long Xin and the others were long past shock; we simply watched with resignation as the overly excited Shen Yin acted like a child who had acquired a precious toy and couldn't wait to show it off to everyone.

Ah! Shen Yin truly hadn't grown up yet!

"While we do not know Your Highness Star's true identity, I am certain that Your Highness Star possesses the bloodline of my Magic Dragon Royal Clan," Jidu stated solemnly. "If possible, this old servant implores Your Highness Star, after this diplomatic mission concludes, to accompany us back to the Magic Dragon Empire."

"To the Magic Dragon Empire?" I was slightly taken aback. "To do what there?"

"To formally recognize your ancestors and return to the fold, of course," Jidu said sternly. "Our Magic Dragon Royal Family nearly perished during the Heaven Punishing Chaos five hundred years ago. Fortunately, Heaven favored Magic Dragon, allowing Emperor Ming to escape certain death, thus preserving the legitimate line of our Royal Family. However, for centuries, our numbers have been dwindling." Jidu continued, "By the Princess's generation, there are only the Princess and His Highness Shen Xu."

"Because the Royal Family membership is so sparse, the strength of the Magic Dragon Empire has never been able to truly consolidate," Luohou lamented. "Due to the thin royal bloodline, our Demon Warriors can only be filled by choosing strong candidates from the military to fill this gap. But those chosen do not possess the innate Divine Protection granted to those with Magic Dragon Royal blood; thus, they cannot fully harness the power of the Demon War Armor!"

"Therefore, among all Demon Warriors, the strength of the Magic Dragon Empire's Demon Warriors is the weakest," Jidu said emotionally. "If Your Highness Star could rejoin the Royal Family, perhaps he could inject new blood into Magic Dragon. At the very least, I believe that with Your Highness Star's bloodline, he could unleash the true power of the Demon War Armor!"

"More importantly, Your Highness Star might be able to change the fate of our thin Royal bloodline," Luohou concluded. "If that happens, the Magic Dragon Royal Family can cast off the decadence that has lasted five centuries and restore the might of Magic Dragon!"

"Royal bloodline, Divine Protection," I murmured. "What exactly are those? Perhaps I just happen to look similar; maybe I'm not a descendant of the Magic Dragon Royal Family at all."

"The so-called Divine Protection is a noble bloodline blessed by the Mapha Goddess. On the continent, there are only four types of Divine Bloodlines. They are the Fire Spirit Protection, inherited by the ruling family of the Demon Sealing Empire; the Wind Spirit Protection, the legitimate bloodline of the Cangyue Royal Family; the Blood Spirit Protection, inherited by the ruling family of the Biqi Empire; and finally, our Magic Dragon Royal Family's Divine Protection. Every national royal family possesses a method to verify legitimate bloodlines, so whether Your Highness Star truly possesses the royal lineage can be determined then."