From Cold Palace Princess to Celestial Empress Ch. 135
After three days of exploration, Xiao Minghuang had only found one purple opportunity.
It was the first one listed, the fragment of an Earth-grade treasure hidden deep beneath the river.
“The ways of karma are elusive but cannot be ignored. Although treasures are for the capable and the first to arrive, once you take the cause, you must bear the consequence. If I don’t want to be entangled by unforeseen troubles in the future, I should try to settle the karma while obtaining the opportunities.”
Xiao Minghuang pondered and then took action.
She divided the seized opportunities into two categories.
For opportunities belonging to male cultivators, she converted them into spirit stones or pills and gave them away as if she had bought them.
For opportunities belonging to female cultivators, after obtaining them, she tried to gift the items back to them, thus receiving compensation from the system.
If an opportunity couldn’t be gifted, she would convert it into spirit stones or pills and give it away, trying to avoid unnecessary karma.
Xiao Minghuang had a premonition that her caution, though seemingly useless now, might yield unexpected benefits in the future.
Although she lost some spirit stones, it was merely a drop in the bucket for her.
After some thought, Xiao Minghuang calmed her mind and, looking at the surging river flowing eastward, leaped into it.
The riverbed was filled with silt, accumulated over countless years.
Xiao Minghuang activated a layer of protective spiritual energy, avoiding the silt, and continued to dive deeper.
The deeper she went, the stronger the pressure around her became. The immense weight of the silt pressing down felt like a towering mountain above her. If her strength hadn’t already matched that of the Divine Sea Realm, she wouldn’t have been able to last even a single breath.
Xiao Minghuang focused her mind, concentrating on circulating her spiritual energy, and swam through the riverbed silt for about a quarter of an hour.
As she went deeper, she could see through the system panel that she was getting closer to the opportunity.
Before long.
Clumps of silt were pushed aside by her spiritual energy, revealing a hollow space just large enough for one person.
“Finally found it…”
Xiao Minghuang murmured to herself, her eyes fixed on a glowing orb emitting a faint white mist. It seemed to isolate the flow of internal and external energies. Even though she could see it clearly, she still couldn’t sense its presence.
“If it weren’t for the system’s guidance, I might never have found this opportunity in this lifetime.”
With a sigh of wonder, Xiao Minghuang extended her spiritual power, condensing it into a crystalline hand that gently cradled the orb.
As the orb settled into her palm, an ancient and profound aura washed over her. This aura felt strangely familiar, as if it were calling out to her like a long-lost relative.
The sensation was gentle and soothing, devoid of any hint of threat.
Following the call, she immersed her consciousness into the orb, instantly feeling an inexplicable connection forming between her and the glowing entity.
“Hmm?”
Xiao Minghuang was puzzled.
What was happening?
Just as she was lost in thought, a wave of dizziness swept over her, plunging her into darkness.
…
A moment later…
Or perhaps it felt like eons had passed.
When Xiao Minghuang opened her eyes again, it was as if she had traversed countless lifetimes.
Before her stretched an endless cosmos, ablaze with countless stars, a sight so dazzling it was almost overwhelming.
Against the backdrop of the dark void, the stars twinkled like a masterpiece painting, revealing the most profound mysteries of the universe. It was a scene so mesmerizing that one could lose themselves in it forever.
And there she stood, amidst this vast universe, her eyes reflecting the brilliance of the stars, a sight so beautiful she couldn’t bear to blink.
What is this?
Xiao Minghuang was stunned.
After a brief moment of awe, she realized it was the strange fragment of a magical artifact that had transported her to this cosmic realm.
She had every reason to believe that a mere fragment of an Earth-grade artifact shouldn’t possess such immense power, capable of allowing her to traverse the void and wander the universe.
Yet, everything before her felt so real, as if she had truly stepped into the boundless expanse of the cosmos.
Standing in this vast starry expanse, she felt like a speck of dust, infinitesimally small, as if a single gust of wind could scatter her into oblivion.
The scene was truly awe-inspiring.
But deep down, she knew this was likely an illusion conjured by the artifact fragment, or perhaps a profound insight, not to be mistaken for reality.
If she were to lose herself in it, she might suffer some unknown harm.
Or worse, remain trapped forever.
Sure enough.
As her mind gradually calmed, she firmly reminded herself that everything before her was merely an illusion.
With each moment of clarity, the starry sky and the endless cosmos began to dissipate like a mirage.
When she opened her eyes again, she was back in the deep, muddy riverbed.
In her palm lay a fragment no larger than her hand, its texture smooth and delicate, yet it wasn’t made of ordinary silk. It seemed to be crafted from some mystical spiritual material or a rare mineral, though to the naked eye, it appeared unremarkable.
“This artifact fragment must have an extraordinary origin.”
Xiao Minghuang’s eyes sparkled with realization as she immediately thought of the two cultivation techniques she had studied.
《The Purple Emperor’s Scripture》 and 《The Seven Stars Sword Art》!
As her cultivation level increased, she was almost certain that these two techniques shared a common origin.
Because, every time she performed the “Daytime Stars Manifestation,” it would invoke the power of the Big Dipper, and the enhancement it brought was not as simple as one plus one equals two.
It was an exponential increase of one squared!
Now, this mysterious fragment of a treasure had suddenly transported her into a starry sky.
This starry sky was strikingly similar to the one she had encountered when she first comprehended the 《Big Dipper Sword Art》. If there was no connection between them, how could it be explained?
In short, Xiao Minghuang believed that this treasure fragment must have some connection with the cultivation technique she practiced, though she had yet to discover it.
However, as her cultivation level improved, these mysteries would eventually be unraveled, so there was no need to be overly concerned.
Her primary task was still to enhance her strength.
While pondering, Xiao Minghuang stored the treasure fragment in her storage pouch.
Although this treasure fragment was mysterious and unfathomable, it was still just a fragment, and its power was less than one-tenth of its original form. Even if fully activated, it would likely only be comparable to a top-tier Profound-grade treasure.
By this calculation, the Mountain and River Suppressing Seal in her possession was still more powerful.
After all, this treasure could leverage the power of destiny, perfectly complementing her Crown of Destiny. In battle, it naturally suppressed her opponents, allowing her to unleash even greater combat strength.
“At present, the strongest combat power I can exert outside of Great Xia is at most enough to defeat a third-level Divine Sea cultivator. If I encounter a fourth-level Divine Sea cultivator, I might be able to match them, but defeating them would be difficult, let alone killing them.”
Xiao Minghuang pondered, her delicate brows slightly furrowed, and a trace of doubt flashed in her eyes.
After all, in two months, when the secret realm opened, her competitors would no longer be just the martial artists within Great Xia or the princes of the royal family, but the cultivators of the entire Southern Region!
Even the disciples of the three major sects would participate.
“Before leaving the capital, I heard that the True Disciples of the three major sects would also personally enter the secret realm…”
Before this, she had heard that the True Disciples of the three major sects had gone into seclusion to cultivate in preparation for the upcoming secret realm.
Now, nearly two months had already passed.
If you added the next two months until the secret realm opened, that would make a total of four months.
With the resources of the three major sects, they would spare no expense to help their disciples improve their cultivation to gain the greatest benefits in the secret realm.
Xiao Minghuang had heard little about the Spirit Sword Sect and the Beast Taming Sect.
But news about the Dragon Tiger Sect, especially the rumors about its True Disciple Xue Wushang, had already spread like wildfire throughout Great Xia and even the thirty-six nations!
It was said that before he went into seclusion, he had already reached the peak of the Spring Realm.
Such talent was already terrifying.
After four months of seclusion, it was hard to imagine how much his strength would have improved.
Although she could now defeat a third-level Divine Sea cultivator, that was based on the assumption that her opponent did not possess a treasure of the same level as hers.
If her opponent also wielded an Earth-grade treasure, they would be back on the same starting line, and her advantage would be greatly diminished.
However, she would not be afraid.
Because she would not be idle during the remaining two months.
The corners of Xiao Minghuang’s lips curled slightly, and a hint of a smile appeared in her eyes. Then, with a leap, she rushed out of the sand and mud, following the river downstream toward the next opportunity.
…
Half a month passed in the blink of an eye.
By the side of the surging river, in a picturesque tavern, a woman dressed in light red robes leaned against the railing. On the table beside her sat a half-drunk cup of tea, its faint steam gently rising, dispelling the chill of late autumn.
The woman’s beauty was breathtaking, her demeanor noble and ethereal. As she gazed out from the railing, she resembled a celestial being descended to the mortal world, capturing the attention of everyone present.
“What a stunning lady! To see her today is a blessing of three lifetimes…”
“If only I were thirty years younger…”
“Even as a woman, I can’t help but feel my heart race!”
Most of the onlookers were refined individuals who had come to admire the scenery, including young talents from nearby cities, both men and women, and even some accomplished elders who had achieved fame years ago.
Yet, no matter who they were, the moment they laid eyes on the woman, they were captivated by her unparalleled beauty and noble aura.
Such a beauty should only exist in the heavens; how could she grace the mortal world?
Countless eyes were filled with awe, yet no one dared to step forward and strike up a conversation.
Time passed minute by minute.
The tea on the table gradually emptied.
Finally.
A young girl, about fifteen or sixteen years old, with a delicate appearance, mustered her courage. Blushing, she stepped out from the crowd and approached the woman.
Though she had stepped forward, she remained shy, her head bowed as she walked.
When the corner of the table came into her view, she suddenly looked up, but what met her eyes was not the unforgettable, stunning face…
Instead.
It was the fleeting silhouette of a graceful figure, soaring away between the endless blue sky and the vast waters.
The woman who had flown away from the tavern was none other than Xiao Minghuang, who was out seeking her destiny.
After half a month of exploration, she finally sorted through all the opportunities within the Great Xia territory.
Just now, she had found the last opportunity. To settle the karma, she went to a tavern and secretly gifted some elixirs to a person whose fate was intertwined with hers.
That person was the girl who had stepped out of the crowd at the last moment.
…
Meanwhile.
In the tavern, the crowd sighed in regret as the stunning woman left.
“One glance could topple a kingdom, such a beauty is hard to come by again…”
“Hidden scriptures, vast seas are no match for water, yet Mount Wu is not the clouds…”
“Laughter fades, voices disappear, affection is often met with indifference…”
Everyone present was well-versed in poetry, and their words were filled with timeless verses.
Seeing the girl in a daze, her friends came forward to comfort her and change the subject:
“Qiaoqiao, express your current feelings with a poem.”
By now, the girl seemed to have calmed down, a playful smile appearing at the corner of her eyes as she softly recited:
“As for me… the sun rises in the east while rain falls in the west, seemingly without sunshine yet there is sunshine.”
…
Above the wilderness, a golden rainbow streaked across the sky, eventually stopping at the western border of Great Xia.
Xiao Minghuang stood in the heavens, gazing into the distance, where she could faintly see a large city hundreds of miles away.
“In the capital of the Fire Dragon Kingdom, there exists a red opportunity…”
Xiao Minghuang clenched her fist and murmured to herself.
Guided by the system, she had searched through all the remaining opportunities within Great Xia, but the highest quality was only purple.
Among them was the Emerald Water Pearl, a rare spiritual herb that could help consolidate spiritual awareness, but its age was only eight hundred years.
However, in the capital of the Fire Dragon Kingdom, within Fire Dragon City, there existed a red opportunity.
Moreover, based on her experience, any opportunity displayed by the system was one she could potentially obtain without risking her life.
But.
She had a premonition that the moment she stepped even half a step beyond Great Xia’s borders, she would immediately face catastrophic disaster!
This was the Crown of Fortune warning her, cautioning her against dangerous actions.
Xiao Minghuang was deeply puzzled by this.
The Crown of Fortune couldn’t be wrong, and neither could the system, so…
After some thought, she proposed a theory.
“The opportunity itself isn’t dangerous, but if I leave Great Xia, I’ll face other threats!”
Xiao Minghuang took a deep breath, her mind gradually calming down.
Previously, at the royal competition, she had made a grand impression.
First, she killed the Second Prince, showcasing her prowess as a Four Forbidden Prodigy.
Then, she summoned an Earth-grade treasure, killed the First Prince, and fully stepped into the Five Forbidden Realm.
With such strength and talent, how could she not inspire fear?
Not to mention others, the Golden Elephant Kingdom, which had a long-standing feud with Great Xia, likely wanted her dead as soon as possible!
Moreover, the Tranquil Sea Kingdom and the Dragon Tiger Sect, both of which had grievances with her, had reasons to ambush her. She couldn’t afford to be careless.
Without much deliberation, Xiao Minghuang immediately decided to return to the capital.
No matter what opportunities existed in the Fire Dragon Kingdom’s capital, they were not something she could seize at her current level.
“It’s better to focus on improving my cultivation and wait for the secret realm to open. Once I reach the Divine Sea Realm, I won’t have to fear them as much…”
Xiao Minghuang exhaled softly, a sense of relief suddenly washing over her.
“If it weren’t for the secret realm opening within the Great Xia Kingdom, I would probably have to remain a turtle in hiding for a long time…”
Translator: Glariosa
Editor: Ruu
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