Before long, Meng Ji stopped, took out a jade token, and infused it with a stream of Demonic Qi. The token flashed a white light, flying toward the Royal City. Chu Linfeng asked, "Are you informing Ling’er?"

"That’s right. It seems you’re quite smart. Soon, Ling’er will arrive, and we’ll wait for her here," Meng Ji said.

After waiting for about half an incense stick’s time, a luxurious carriage appeared at the city gate. Chu Linfeng glanced at the carriage, which was pulled by a Magical Beast resembling an elephant, although its trunk wasn’t as long. It had a small golden horn on its forehead, prompting him to ask, "What kind of Magical Beast is this, to be used for pulling a carriage? It looks like a very powerful beast!"

"Indeed, this Magical Beast is called the Unicorn Elephant, naturally endowed with immense strength and a very fierce temperament. They are generally hard to tame, needing to be trained from a young age. It’s a symbol of status. The golden horn on its head isn’t its natural color; originally, it was black. It’s painted gold to signify that this is a royal carriage, free to enter and exit the Royal City without obstruction," Meng Ji explained.

"I see, I thought it was naturally gold. It appears the Demon Race truly values symbols of status," Chu Linfeng laughed.

Soon, the carriage arrived before them, and a young girl descended gracefully, immediately kneeling upon seeing Meng Ji, "Ling’er pays respects to the Princess!" Before Meng Ji could speak, she stood up by herself, "Ling’er greets the Prince Consort!"

Chu Linfeng merely nodded, momentarily at a loss for words, "Princess, Prince Consort, please board the carriage!" Ling’er then said.

Sitting in the carriage, Chu Linfeng softly asked Meng Ji, "Why does Ling’er call me Prince Consort instead of Prince Consort in the Demon Realm?" Meng Ji laughed, "You haven’t married into the Demon Realm, silly."

Chu Linfeng suddenly realized, feeling rather foolish. Soon, the carriage entered the Royal City. The streets of the Demon Realm Royal City were bustling like those of the Human Race, filled with the cries of various vendors. Shops lined both sides of the streets, and squads of guards dressed in black could be seen patrolling, indicating that security in the Demon Realm was quite well-maintained.

The Unicorn Elephant carriage entered the Prince’s Mansion, and Chu Linfeng and Meng Ji alighted. They saw at least a hundred people kneeling in unison, chanting, "Welcome back to the palace, Princess!"

"Rise, all of you!" Meng Ji said with a wave of her hand. The people rose, noticing Chu Linfeng, a Human Race member, causing a murmur of confusion about why the Princess had brought a human back this time.

At this moment, a burly middle-aged man and two elders emerged from the crowd, approaching Meng Ji with a distant smile, "Xuan’Er, you’re back!"

"Xuan’Er pays respects to Second Uncle!" Meng Ji replied coolly to the middle-aged man. "Greetings, Princess!" the two elders also addressed Meng Ji. "No need for formalities, Elders."

Soon, the three turned their attention to Chu Linfeng, and the middle-aged man appeared surprised, asking, "Xuan’Er, who is this?" He deliberately refrained from mentioning Chu Linfeng’s Human Race identity, hoping Meng Ji would offer a reasonable explanation.

"This is Chu Linfeng, my husband!" Meng Ji replied calmly, fully understanding the underlying implication of her second uncle’s words.

Her second uncle wasn’t, in fact, the Demon Lord’s biological brother but a sworn brother from the past named Zhou Wenbin. Due to the Demon Lord’s downfall, the Demon Realm lacked a ruler, and Meng Ji had been sealed away in ice. The people believed the Demon Realm could not go without a ruler and, recognizing Zhou Wenbin’s exceptional prowess in both literature and martial arts, appointed him to oversee the Demon Realm.

Once Princess Meng Ji was capable of taking over, the throne would pass to her. However, Meng Ji had no interest in the Demon Lord’s seat, hence her departure to the Canglan Ancient Land in search of the Cyan Frost Sword and her subsequent encounter with Chu Linfeng.

However, her sudden return with a Human Race member gave Zhou Wenbin an ominous sense of foreboding. Retaining the Demon Lord’s position for long made it hard for anyone to relinquish it. Although Meng Ji was the rightful heir to the Demon Lord, bringing back a Human Race member became her greatest liability. Zhou Wenbin saw an opportunity to exploit this to forever strip her of her claim, possibly resorting to extreme measures.

"Your husband? Xuan’Er, it appears he is of the Human Race. As a dignified Princess of the Demon Realm, how could you allow a Human to be your husband? How will the Demon Race view you? You are to be the future Demon Lord," Zhou Wenbin remarked.

Chu Linfeng slightly furrowed his brows, immediately grasping the middle-aged man’s intent. Meng Ji then said, "I have returned this time to claim the Demon Lord’s position. Thank you, Second Uncle, for managing the affairs of the Demon Race for me all these years. Xuan’Er is very grateful."

Zhou Wenbin’s face briefly flashed with anger, but it quickly dissipated. Chu Linfeng saw it clearly. If Zhou Wenbin dared to act against Meng Ji, Chu Linfeng could easily dispatch him on the spot. This middle-aged man’s strength was just at the Seventh Layer of Saint Martial Realm, making him as insignificant as an ant to deal with.

Zhou Wenbin said nothing more, merely glancing at the two elders who had accompanied him, implying they express their opinions on his behalf, as it was inconvenient for him to speak while holding the Demon Lord’s position.

"Princess, you are indeed the heir to the Demon Lord. However, in marrying into the Human Race, you have forfeited your claim to inherit the Demon Lord’s title and even your title as Princess. The Demon Race and Human Race have been adversaries since ancient times. You’ve committed such a grave mistake. Out of respect for the late Demon Lord, leave the Demon Realm, or don’t blame this old man for showing no mercy," one of the elders declared.

Instead of reacting with anger, Meng Ji remained calm, but Ling’er couldn’t help but retort angrily, "Grand Elder, what gives you the qualification to rebuke the Princess? Your defiance merits punishment according to clan rules, and you dare speak so arrogantly about stripping the Princess of her title. What are your intentions, don’t think I’m unaware."

"Wretched maid! How dare you address this old man! You court death! Guards, seize this wench and execute her!" the elder bellowed in fury.

As the words fell, two guards immediately stepped forward to take Ling’er away, but Meng Ji spoke up, "Let’s see who dares! Grand Elder, I see you’ve grown quite fiery after these years, but you lack the authority to dethrone this Princess!"

With Meng Ji’s words, the two guards dared not move. Zhou Wenbin then smiled, "Xuan’Er, there’s no need for anger. Let’s discuss this matter calmly. The decision to dethrone the Princess isn’t solely up to the Grand Elder. It requires a unanimous vote by all elders. You must be weary from your journey; go rest in your quarters for now. Let Second Uncle prepare a feast to welcome you."

"Thank you for your kind offer, Second Uncle, but today this Princess wants to see who plots to strip me of my title. I demand an immediate convening of the Elder Council. Let it be determined today who rightfully claims the Demon Lord’s seat!" Meng Ji declared fiercely.