Don't even mention whether Hai Pinglan truly grasped the Imperial Realm, based on conventional logic, there weren't many people who could have anticipated the Sea Emperor's resurrection to be so efficient. Xia Longyuan might not have expected it; otherwise, he might have come after them with injuries to chase down the defeated enemy. It wouldn't have been Zhao Changhe's turn to handle this.
Those who knew of the existence of Ancient Demons also knew that they were still in a weakened stage and had not fully recovered. The Sea Emperor had lain dormant for an entire epoch and only began to stir a dozen years ago, and even then, he was extremely weak. He used sneaky methods, arranging for San Niang's mother to obtain the treasure "Water Soul," taking the opportunity to secretly possess her spirit.
Only after compromising and making an exchange with Hai Pinglan, building temples for him, and gathering faith did he gradually recover to his current state.
