Seeing this, Shui Ling’er stopped Lyle, who was about to strike, and said, "Uncle Lyle, forget it. It’s useless. The power of this Nether Barrier can only be broken by someone who has reached the Sword God level. Legend has it that this Nether Barrier in the Underworld Realm was personally crafted by Hades, the King of the Underworld. There are only twenty such barriers in existence, yet their defensive capability is absolutely monstrous. I never expected this Nether Clan member to possess one. It was my oversight; I should have realized that since the Underworld Realm placed such importance on this operation, they would surely be prepared."

Mo Han immediately rushed forward to comfort Shui Ling’er, patting her shoulder and saying, "It's alright, it's not your fault. Don't take everything upon yourself; you've done remarkably well."

Everyone in the grand hall was stunned to see Mo Han daring to touch the Saintess's shoulder. How exalted was the Saintess's status? She was not someone an ordinary person could approach casually. Some of the Beast Clan members who disliked Mo Han sneered, eagerly awaiting the spectacle of Mo Han’s punishment and wondering how the Saintess would chastise him.

Even the Beast Emperor looked at Mo Han with an expression of sheer disbelief. He himself wouldn't dare touch the Saintess, yet Mo Han, a mere envoy from the Heavenly Dragon Empire, possessed such audacity! But then, an even more astonishing event occurred: not only did the Saintess refrain from anger, but she even turned to Mo Han with a gentle expression of thanks. Her gentle tone was a stark contrast to the authoritative one she had used during negotiations earlier, leaving everyone dumbfounded—everyone except Lyle, who merely watched with a constant smile, showing no surprise whatsoever.

At this point, the Beast Emperor couldn't help but inquire, "Your Holiness, Saintess, what is going on here? Why has the Prophet suddenly become like this again?" Hearing the question, Shui Ling’er realized she had let her guard down and regained her composure. She replied, "Your Majesty, do you recall what I mentioned earlier about our Church's Holy Grail sensing the presence of the Underworld Realm?" The Beast Emperor nodded, "Of course, I remember. Could this be related to us?" Shui Ling’er affirmed, "Precisely. After sensing the disturbance, our Holy Grail detected several distinct auras dispersing in different directions. One of those auras appeared right here among the Beast Clan. Coincidentally, the Prophet of your clan, who has not appeared in a hundred years, has surfaced at this very moment, behaving so bizarrely and vehemently urging Your Majesty to launch a war against the Heavenly Dragon Empire. These actions offer no substantial benefit to the Beast Clan. How could the Prophet of the Beast Clan not see this? Once this war erupts, the strength of the human race on the Dragon Ascension Continent will be greatly weakened, which would be disastrous for the impending Holy War. Therefore, we suspected that this Prophet must be compromised, if not a Nether Clan member himself, then certainly connected to them."

Hearing Shui Ling’er’s explanation, the Beast Emperor’s face paled slightly. "So, this was the main reason for your visit? But how did you discover the Prophet was actually from the Nether Clan?" Shui Ling’er smiled faintly. "The Light Talisman of our Church of the Holy Light possesses a unique ability to sense and suppress the Nether Clan. I keep it with me at all times, and just a moment ago, I discovered the Light Talisman reacting strongly to this counterfeit Prophet. That confirmed my suspicion that he must be of the Nether Clan."

The Beast Emperor seemed utterly stunned by Shui Ling’er’s reply, and the other Beast Clan members in the hall had yet to process the information. Their deeply respected Beast Clan Prophet was actually a member of the Nether Clan from the Underworld Realm. This revelation was a devastating blow; the contrast was simply too immense. They had initially believed it was the Beast God showing favor, only to realize it was all for naught. A sense of listlessness settled over the assembled Beast Clan members.

The Beast Emperor was the first to recover. He bowed deeply to Shui Ling’er and spoke with genuine sincerity, "Thank you, Your Holiness, Saintess, for saving our Beast Clan. Otherwise, we would have remained ignorant, and the Beast Clan would have suffered terrible losses. I would have become a sinner to my people. Please accept my bow."

Shui Ling’er quickly helped him up, saying, "Your Majesty is too kind. In truth, even if I hadn't appeared, I believe that with Your Majesty's wisdom, the truth would have been revealed eventually. I merely exposed him sooner."

The Beast Emperor offered a wry smile. "Please, Saintess, do not try to comfort me. I know my own limitations. By the time I might have discovered it, the Beast Clan would surely have suffered catastrophic damage. Alas..."

The Beast Emperor seemed significantly aged after speaking those words. Seeing this, Mo Han felt a pang of sympathy for him and spoke up, "Your Majesty, there is no need for such sorrow. After all, as the ruler of a nation, who doesn't desire to expand territory and secure a place in history? Your Majesty's actions were not wrong; you were merely exploited by the Nether Clan."

The Beast Clan officials in the hall also began offering words of consolation.

The Beast Emperor turned gratefully to Mo Han. "Thank you, Esteemed Envoy. I apologize for my earlier behavior. I sincerely hope that the Heavenly Dragon Empire and the Beast Clan will remain brother nations, enjoying eternal amity."

Mo Han replied with a smile, "That is natural. When I return, I will certainly convey Your Majesty’s sincerity to our Emperor. I am confident that our Emperor will soon send back the official letter of reconciliation, and I will certainly return then."

The Beast Emperor nodded with a smile. "We welcome the Esteemed Envoy to visit at any time; you will forever be an honored guest of the Beast Clan."

Mo Han quickly agreed with a pleasant nod.

At this moment, the First Prince spoke up, "Your Holiness, Saintess, what shall we do with this Nether Clan member? We cannot kill him, yet keeping him here is not a solution."

Hearing the First Prince’s words, Shui Ling’er pondered for a moment before saying, "We currently have no way to break this Nether Barrier. Leaving the Nether Clan member here means the forces of the Underworld Realm will eventually track him down, which will only bring trouble upon you all. How about this: I will take him back to the Holy Capital. After all, that is the headquarters of the Church of the Holy Light, where experts are gathered in large numbers, and the power of Holy Light is abundant there. If the Nether Clan appears there, their strength will be severely diminished, making them more cautious and less likely to act recklessly."

Upon hearing Shui Ling’er’s proposal, the Beast Clan members in the hall nodded in agreement. They were still deeply fearful of the Nether Clan. If this member remained here, and if a Nether General were to appear, where could the Beast Clan find a Sword God to engage in a one-on-one battle? Shui Ling’er offering to take him away was exactly what they wished for.

Leaping over