From Cold Palace Princess to Celestial Empress Ch. 117
Ye Ruoshui was equally worried about Xiao Minghuang and wanted to stay, but she knew that fetching the Seventh Elder for protection was the right choice.
“Alright, I’ll go right away. Big Sister Lin, you must take good care of Her Highness here!”
With those words.
Ye Ruoshui’s figure flashed and disappeared from the spot.
After some time of cultivation, Ye Ruoshui’s realm had also reached the peak of the Qi Refining stage. At full speed, she could make the round trip from the princess’s residence to the Offering Hall in less than a quarter of an hour.
Not long after.
The Seventh Elder and Ye Ruoshui hurried back.
Accompanying them was another familiar face.
“Eunuch Wang is here too…”
Lin Wanqiu looked up and saw the Seventh Elder and Wang Jin descending from the sky, with Ye Ruoshui beside them, her face filled with anxiety.
Wang Jin narrowed his eyes, gazing at the trembling, precarious pavilion, sensing the overwhelming blood and scorching spiritual energy emanating from within. A look of astonishment flashed in his pupils.
“Such formidable blood and spiritual energy, comparable to the peak of the Spring Realm…”
He couldn’t help but marvel inwardly. It had only been a few months, hadn’t it?
Princess Ziwei’s strength had almost grown before his very eyes.
From a cripple who had lost all her cultivation, to a powerhouse now on par with the peak of the Spring Realm.
All in less than half a year.
Such a growth rate was astonishingly fast.
If he hadn’t seen it with his own eyes, he would never have believed it!
Seventh Elder was equally amazed. Feeling the surging life force and spiritual energy emanating from the room, his heart trembled, and he pondered:
“Her Highness’s life force and spiritual energy are extremely formidable. Breaking through a realm will naturally cause some fluctuations. This is normal, so there’s no need to be alarmed.”
Hearing this, Lin Wanqiu and Ye Ruoshui, though still concerned, felt slightly reassured.
Inside the training room.
Xiao Minghuang’s qi and blood burned like flames, her spiritual power surged like tides, and her entire body radiated an intense, scorching heat, akin to a volcanic eruption. Even the surface of her skin emitted faint wisps of green smoke, as if she were refining a golden elixir in a blazing fire.
She could no longer feel any pain, not even the slightest discomfort. All her spiritual power roamed freely within her body, unrestrained and unbridled, like a roaring river that filled every corner of her being, bringing her an unparalleled sense of ease.
Boom!!!
The medicinal power of the pill within Xiao Minghuang’s body was fully unleashed.
A massive burst of flame erupted from her, shooting straight into the sky, swirling in the heavens like a tornado.
Boom!!!
Deafening roars echoed from the pavilion, and the entire structure trembled violently. In the blink of an eye, it collapsed into ruins.
Amid the billowing dust, a golden lotus suddenly appeared, floating in the air, serene and radiant, its brilliance dazzling like the stars.
Within the lotus’s ethereal form, Xiao Minghuang sat quietly, as if an immortal had descended to the mortal realm, her beauty otherworldly and breathtaking.
At this moment.
Everyone could sense that Xiao Minghuang’s aura was rapidly ascending.
Hum!
With a resounding boom, her cultivation finally broke through the bottleneck, reaching the fourth level of the Spring Realm!
“She broke through just like that?”
Wang Jin’s face was filled with astonishment.
“A fifteen-year-old at the fourth level of the Spring Realm—even within the sect, no one could compare!”
Seventh Elder sighed with deep emotion.
“Is that… Princess Ziwei’s residence? Is the Princess cultivating?”
In the capital, martial artists were startled awake, their gazes turning toward the sky.
In the night sky, a resplendent golden lotus bloomed, like a magnificent and breathtaking starry painting, illuminating the dark heavens.
Everyone assumed that after breaking through, Xiao Minghuang would consolidate her cultivation and solidify her foundation.
But.
At this moment.
Within the golden lotus’s ethereal form.
The noble young woman, sitting serenely, suddenly unleashed a terrifying aura.
That aura merged with the golden lotus in the night sky, transforming into a golden vortex. The vortex contained a terrifying power that distorted the air, creating ripples in its wake.
Wherever the vortex passed, the ground cracked open, forming one ghastly fissure after another, extending far and wide. Some buildings were directly crushed into rubble, while rooftops collapsed into dust, scattering like falling debris.
This earth-shaking aura startled the entire capital.
Countless people stepped out of their homes, gazing at the sky, where they saw the divine-like young woman.
She was enveloped in golden light, her hair dyed a dazzling, radiant gold, so noble that it was almost impossible to look directly at her.
“Is that… an immortal?”
For a moment, countless people were dazed, believing they had witnessed a true immortal that night.
“No… that’s Princess Ziwei. She must be cultivating.”
Hearing this, many fell silent.
Princess Ziwei!
Before this night, her name might have been known only to a portion of the capital’s martial artists and high-ranking officials.
But after tonight’s spectacle.
The name of Princess Ziwei would spread throughout the entire Great Xia, and even beyond, her fame echoing across the lands!
In the future, countless poets would sing of her.
That night.
Princess Ziwei was enveloped in golden light, with stars bowing around her, resembling a deity.
This scene.
Persisted continuously.
Xiao Minghuang’s cultivation also continued to rise.
Until the morning star rose in the east.
The figure seated within the golden vortex finally moved.
She slowly opened her eyes, her phoenix-like pupils shimmering with golden light, as radiant as golden glass, glowing brilliantly, resembling a deity.
On her forehead, a golden lotus faintly appeared, looking both mysterious and beautiful, exuding an unparalleled nobility.
She raised her hand.
A stream of golden spiritual energy flew from her palm, transforming into an incredibly sharp blade that sliced through the air, leaving a golden trail, and then shot over a hundred miles, fiercely striking a tree on a desolate mountain.
Boom!!
An ancient tree several zhang thick was instantly shattered into pieces.
And this was merely a manifestation of spiritual energy; if it were a real sword qi, it could easily cleave an entire mountain peak in two!
At this moment.
Everyone’s breath halted, and all hearts stopped beating.
The might of Princess Ziwei had surpassed everyone’s imagination.
Anyone could see that this sword qi was just a casual strike from Princess Ziwei, likely not even using a tenth of her strength.
Yet, such a strike would probably be enough to defeat any ordinary Spring Realm expert!
Of course, this refers to ordinary Spring Realm practitioners, not sect disciples like the Sixth Prince.
Rogue cultivators generally have unstable foundations and impure spiritual energy, often their strength does not match their realm.
However, even so, Princess Ziwei’s strength within the Spring Realm was enough to dominate and be unrivaled.
The question now is, could she spar with a Divine Sea Realm cultivator?
This doubt would likely be verified soon.
In the sky.
Xiao Minghuang’s lips curled into a faint smile, her eyes filled with amusement as she stretched lazily, looking completely relaxed and content.
This period of seclusion.
Had been very fruitful for her.
Firstly, her realm had continuously broken through.
From the peak of the third level of the Spring Realm, she had advanced all the way to the peak of the seventh level of the Spring Realm!
This was not only due to the Nine-Patterned Golden Lotus Pill but also the tenfold compensation gifted by Prince Wu’an.
Millions of spirit stones and pills, though individually insignificant, together formed a vast resource.
Combined with the Earth-grade supreme pill, the Nine-Patterned Golden Lotus Pill, the effect was not simply one plus one equals two!
But one multiplied by one!
Though the result appears the same, the actual utility is entirely different!
Thus, the boost to her cultivation reached an unimaginable level!
Pushing her cultivation all the way to the peak of the seventh level of the Spring Realm!
Now, she only needed a trigger to reach the eighth level of the Spring Realm!
At the same time, her true strength far exceeded that of ordinary peak Spring Realm practitioners.
Even when facing sect prodigies, with just a bit of seriousness, she could easily defeat them.
“I’ve heard that the True Disciple of the Dragon Tiger Sect, Xue Wushang, is at the peak of the Spring Realm. I wonder who is stronger between him and me?”
Xiao Minghuang’s lips curved slightly, a hint of mystery in her eyes.
She still remembered, back in Beiyang City, when Wang Bao of the Dragon Tiger Sect said he was ordered by Xue Wushang to capture her and bring her to the Dragon Tiger Sect.
Though much time had passed, she had not forgotten it at all.
“Hmph, when I achieve greater cultivation in the future, I must see for myself what kind of genius the True Disciple of the Dragon Tiger Sect is!”
Xiao Minghuang snorted softly, murmuring to herself.
She glanced at the distant sky, where the bright sunlight crossed the horizon, casting waves of warmth upon the earth.
“It’s already the second day…”
She restrained her aura and landed on the ground.
Xiao Minghuang was dressed in a bright yellow gown, her long hair cascading over her shoulders. The sunlight illuminated her flawless, fair complexion, her stunning beauty unparalleled in the world. A faint golden lotus mark between her eyebrows made her appear as if an immortal had descended to the mortal realm.
After a breakthrough, Xiao Minghuang seemed to have undergone a transformation, becoming even more noble and ethereal.
Seeing her land, Lin Wanqiu and the others immediately gathered around.
“Your Highness, you’ve finally emerged from seclusion!”
“Congratulations, Your Highness, your strength has improved again!”
“There should be no doubt that Your Highness will win this grand competition.”
Everyone offered their congratulations.
“With the Princess’s cultivation breakthrough, we no longer stand a chance against her.”
The Fifth Prince and the Sixth Prince also arrived at the scene, sighing repeatedly.
“With such a descendant, the Great Xia will surely prosper!”
An elderly figure in the mist couldn’t contain his excitement.
“Hehe…”
Xiao Minghuang smiled slightly and cupped her hands in greeting.
“You are all too kind. After the grand competition, there will be plenty of time for congratulations.”
Hearing this, Lin Wanqiu quickly chimed in, “Everyone, the grand competition is about to begin. Her Highness needs to adjust her state. Please disperse for now. After the competition, the Princess’s residence will surely host a banquet for all of you. We hope you will honor us with your presence.”
Upon hearing this, the court officials and renowned martial masters who had come at the news understood the underlying message and quickly excused themselves and left.
Notably, many of them offered spirit stones, elixirs, and rare spiritual herbs and materials as they departed, clearly believing that Princess Ziwei was certain to win and thus seeking to establish connections in advance.
Lin Wanqiu did not refuse these gifts, accepting them one by one.
She knew that for Her Highness to break through quickly, a vast accumulation of resources was necessary. Therefore, she never turned down such offerings.
As long as Her Highness’s cultivation improved, the debts incurred in the past would be insignificant.
Like ants unable to ask an elephant to crush their companions, for it would crush them as well.
Thus, Lin Wanqiu was not worried that these owed favors would become a burden.
As for these matters, Xiao Minghuang paid them no mind. After leaving her words, she sought out a quiet room to focus on her breathing and meditation.
“There is still one hour before the grand competition begins. I need to consolidate my foundation and adjust to my best state.”
She had a premonition that in this grand competition, her opponents might not be limited to just one.
First, there was the Second Prince, who had long coveted the throne.
There were various rumors about his cultivation level, ranging from the first level of the Spring Realm to the fifth level.
Based on what she had seen at Prince Wu’an’s residence a few days ago, the Second Prince should be at the third level of the Spring Realm.
But several days had passed, and his current cultivation level was unknown.
Then there was the sudden emergence of the First Prince, who she had seen yesterday at the third level of the Spring Realm.
Although it was unlikely that there would be much improvement in just a single day.
However.
The First Prince’s destiny was unique, and it was hard to say whether he might be favored by fortune, suddenly obtaining some great opportunity that would cause his strength to skyrocket.
Moreover, he had a mysterious ring elder with him.
Even if he couldn’t act freely due to certain concerns, if the First Prince came to participate in the grand competition, he would undoubtedly cause her a lot of trouble.
“Thinking carefully, both of these opponents should be quite difficult to deal with.”
Xiao Minghuang’s delicate brows furrowed slightly as she murmured to herself.
“However, the other princes shouldn’t pose much trouble for me.”
She knew that the Fifth Prince and the Sixth Prince wanted to become her followers, while the Third Prince and the Fourth Prince were merely ordinary and not worth worrying about.
After pondering, Xiao Minghuang’s mind settled, and she quietly adjusted her state, waiting for the time of the grand competition to arrive.
…
Meanwhile.
Inside the Prince Wu’an’s residence.
In a quiet room.
The Second Prince sat cross-legged, floating in mid-air, surrounded by an eerie red light, with a strong scent of blood permeating the entire room.
This bloodthirsty aura was emanating from the top of his head, a sign that he was devouring the flesh and blood of others.
Streams of blood erupted from the Second Prince’s body, forming powerful forces that struck the walls and ceiling around him.
His aura suddenly surged, reaching the fifth level of the Spring Realm.
But it didn’t stop there; it rapidly increased, breaking through two bottlenecks in an instant, advancing to the seventh level of the Spring Realm!
Moreover, his cultivation continued to climb slowly within the seventh level of the Spring Realm until it finally stopped at the peak of the seventh level.
Suddenly.
The Second Prince opened his eyes, a flash of bloodthirsty red light passing through his pupils, disappearing in an instant.
The next moment.
The scent of blood around him dissipated, and his crimson spiritual energy transformed into a peaceful and gentle pure white, just like an ordinary person.
“As expected of a demonic cultivator, not only can it greatly increase my cultivation, but it can also alter the form of my spiritual energy, preventing others from detecting my true identity!”
A ball of white light appeared in his palm, constantly changing shape, sometimes turning into a sword, sometimes into a spear, all exuding a terrifying aura that seemed capable of shattering mountains.
“With my current strength, I can easily suppress Princess Ziwei with a single move!”
The Second Prince sneered, brimming with confidence.
As soon as he finished speaking.
The demonic cultivator sitting beside him opened his eyes, his pupils pitch black without a trace of light, and spoke in a hoarse voice:
“Don’t be too confident. That girl is not simple.”
The Second Prince was unconcerned. With his current strength, even if he faced a Divine Sea Realm expert, he could still put up a fight. As for Princess Ziwei, she could be annihilated with a snap of his fingers!
Translator: Glariosa
Editor: Ruu
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