"Alas! Later events, Your Majesty, you are also aware of. We originally thought that with the joint efforts of the armies of Eternal and Celestial Stars, we would exterminate the enemies trapped in the Celestial Palace and deal a heavy blow to the Mastanians. Unexpectedly, we fell into the Mastanians' trap, which led to the Eternal Star Palace being seized by them due to a large number of soldiers rushing to support the Celestial Palace. It resulted in a significant numerical disadvantage for us under circumstances of insufficient troops. Eventually, we not only lost control of the Rainbow Tunnel entrance on the Eternal Star side again, but also lost control of the Eternal Star Palace completely, as we couldn't redeploy troops back to the Eternal Star side."

Here, King Er lamented once again for his negligence during that battle. Hao Yun, however, didn't want to delve into the details of the battle at this moment and asked in puzzlement, "Since you knew that the Eternal Star Palace was about to be captured by the Mastanians, why didn't you use the teleportation array to evacuate immediately?"

"Firstly, we saw that the invading Mastanians were still as incompetent as before, which led to some complacency. Secondly, at that time, I wasn't inside the Eternal Star Palace but on the battlefield commanding the troops. So when I realized the situation was dire and wanted to evacuate, it was already too late. Thirdly, although I had the opportunity to escape later, who would protect the Eternal Celestial people still stranded here? Without my leadership, their fate would have been even more tragic!" King Er replied calmly, yet his tone revealed his sense of duty and responsibility as a sovereign. This alone was enough for Hao Yun to admire King Er's response.

"But by staying, you ended up with such an outcome. Was it really worth it?" Hao Yun asked again, probing.

King Er slowly extended a hand woven with dry grass fibers, his expression filled with unmistakable sorrow. "Alas! This was my only choice! Lord Hao, you also know the Mastanians' nature. Once they occupy Eternal Star, it will become a living hell. Therefore, I had to step forward, bravely negotiate with the Destroyer, voluntarily surrender, and become their captive to ensure the safety of all Eternal Celestial people still stranded here!"

Hao Yun didn't expect that King Er's voluntary surrender was to protect his subjects. In history, there were also kings who abandoned their cities to surrender to avoid civilian casualties caused by war, and these kings were always respected and celebrated by future generations. Thus, upon learning of King Er's decision to become a captive for the sake of his people's safety, Hao Yun couldn't help but feel admiration for the compassionate monarch.

Of course, while expressing admiration for King Er's actions, Hao Yun also shook his head in regret and said, "It's a pity that although Your Majesty made such a great decision, you faced demons who are ruthless killers. Therefore, your noble act couldn't sway them or stop them from continuing to eye your territory."

King Er, feeling helpless, touched his horns and responded, "Indeed. On the bright side, although many people suffered from the Mastanians' invasion, I did my best to save the lives of the majority here. Alas! In a sense, I am already very satisfied with this outcome."

Hao Yun could only nod helplessly, indicating that he had no objections to King Er's viewpoint. After all, when facing an irreversible disaster, minimizing losses as much as possible was already a fortunate thing.

"But this is only a temporary expedient. Once the opportunity arises, the Mastanians will surely launch another devastating attack on us. So, we really don't have much time left," King Er said again.

Hao Yun seemed to sense something from King Er's words, so he followed up, "Your Majesty, why do you keep saying there isn't much time left? Do you already know the Mastanians' next move?"

King Er shook his head in response, "No, I don't. But I know that the time for Her Majesty and myself is running out."

"You and Her Majesty don't have much time left? What happened?" Hao Yun leaned forward involuntarily, furrowing his brows.

"To maintain the Celestial Shield over the Celestial Star, Her Majesty has already expended tremendous energy. In addition, the increasingly frequent harassment by the Mastanians is also increasing the defensive pressure on the Celestial Shield. Therefore, if we continue like this without finding a solution to the crisis, the Celestial Shield will sooner or later collapse due to the depletion of Her Majesty's strength. Once we lose the protection of the Celestial Shield, the Celestial Star will immediately become an undefended star, and sooner or later, it will be captured by the Mastanians," King Er said with a worried expression.

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"So, Your Majesty, what trouble have you encountered?" Hao Yun nodded in understanding of King Er's concerns, then asked in puzzlement.

"As for me—alas! I can only say that I have been trying my best to support! However, it shouldn't be long before he can overcome my will and completely control my body," King Er said anxiously.

"Who is he? The Destroyer?" Hao Yun asked.

"Well, it's the Destroyer, but not entirely him. I don't know what he will gain from me. But I know that once my consciousness completely succumbs, I will never appear again. By then, the agreement between us will immediately become null and void, and the people still staying on the Eternal Star will also face complete destruction," King Er said, finishing his glass of red wine in one gulp. However, from King Er's bitter expression, Hao Yun found it hard to believe that he had just drunk a cup of fine wine; it seemed more like a bitter medicine.

"What do you mean? Aren't you already their puppet?" Hao Yun asked, his head spinning from King Earl's cryptic words.

"Hahaha! Lord Hao, do you really think a Mastanian puppet would converse with you so cordially? Those transformed into Mastanian puppets are emptied from flesh to spirit, leaving only a shell controlled by the Mastanians. Their vocabulary knows only slaughter; calm conversation is never an option for them!" King Earl replied with a laugh.

"Then what are you now—"

"Your Majesty, do you need anything else?" Just as Hao Yun was about to question further, the tall attendant abruptly intruded into the room, bluntly cutting him off without any courtesy.

The attendant had been impeccably polite during previous services, so his rude interruption now unsettled Hao Yun. Surprisingly, King Earl showed no displeasure at the attendant's brusque behavior. Instead, he calmly replied, "Can I have some more wine?"

"Of course, Your Majesty. The guards outside are all set as well," the attendant responded respectfully, bowing slightly.

"Very well, then bring me another glass! Let's indulge ourselves!" King Earl nodded in satisfaction, suddenly lifting his glass with great enthusiasm, signaling the attendant to fill it up.

Hao Yun was utterly perplexed by their inexplicable conversation and was about to ask what was going on between the two. Before he could speak, he saw King Earl tilt back his head, downing the entire glass of wine, then closing his eyes as if entering a meditation. Meanwhile, the withered muscle fibers on King Earl's face began to twitch restlessly, giving him a terrifying yet pained expression.

Soon, King Earl's whole body started trembling violently, not in the throes of agony but as if struggling against something. Seeing this, the attendant quickly put down the wine bottle, drew a gleaming dagger from his waist, and rushed behind King Earl. Hao Yun, thinking the attendant was about to assassinate King Earl—even in his puppet form, he felt compelled to protect him. He swiftly summoned his dagger and moved forward to shield the king.

However, Hao Yun soon realized that the attendant wasn't aiming to attack King Earl. Instead, he stood behind the king, holding the dagger aloft with its brilliant light flooding the room. The intense glare forced Hao Yun to shield his eyes momentarily, preparing to defend against any attack on the king or himself.

But he soon noticed the attendant had no intention of attacking. Rather, he seemed to be guarding King Earl with the dagger's radiant light. As Hao Yun adjusted to the brightness, he felt a profound sense of belonging emanating from the milky-white glow. Bathed in this light, the entire chamber took on a solemn and sanctified atmosphere.

King Earl remained seated at the table, eyes still closed but with a serene expression. Astonishingly, the withered fibers on his face had stopped moving, and under the pure white light, a hint of color returned to his cheeks. After a brief adjustment, King Earl exhaled deeply and slowly opened his eyes. They were deep blue, full of wisdom, instantly restoring his vitality and regal demeanor.

Rising slowly, King Earl smiled and nodded slightly to the attendant behind him. "Iron Tower, it's good to see you again. How have things been lately?"

The attendant immediately removed his hood, still holding the dagger high, and knelt respectfully. "Your Majesty, welcome back!"

Hao Yun, after recognizing the attendant's face, couldn't help but exclaim, "Iron Pillar? Why is it you? Didn't you withdraw to Mu Star?"

The attendant stood up calmly and nodded politely to Hao Yun. "Iron Tower, that's my name. The Iron Pillar you mentioned is actually my twin brother."

"Twin brother? I see! No wonder I felt a sense of familiarity upon seeing you. But I couldn't recall whom you resembled," Hao Yun exclaimed in realization.

"Iron Pillar is a rare talent in military leadership. However, as he needs more experience, and for his better protection, Father requested Her Majesty to keep him close and educate him further. As for Iron Tower, he too possesses exceptional command skills, coupled with a more stable temperament. So I've kept him by my side as an attendant and a covert aide for special operations," King Earl explained.

"But... what are you two playing at?" Hao Yun asked again after quickly grasping Iron Tower's situation.

Iron Tower didn't rush to answer Hao Yun's question. Instead, he carefully placed the still-glowing dagger on the candlestick holder on the table. It was then that Hao Yun saw the lightning-shaped hollow pattern running through the dagger's body. Familiar with this pattern from his own Lightning Blade and the dagger that originally belonged to Yan Chaozhan, given to him by the Countess.