From Cold Palace Princess to Celestial Empress Ch. 193
“That’s how it is…”
The purple-armored man explained as he looked at the stunningly beautiful girl before him.
Hearing this, Xiao Minghuang felt somewhat conflicted.
Although the Holy Academy’s support had arrived late and hadn’t been able to assist the southern region, they had still sent experts.
These dozen or so King Realm cultivators were all beings far beyond her reach. Even the faintest wisp of their aura was enough to instill fear.
But that wasn’t the key point.
What mattered was that they didn’t act arrogantly despite their high cultivation levels. They had spoken to her in a calm and even tone throughout.
Thus, Xiao Minghuang politely cupped her hands and said:
“Since you esteemed seniors have come from afar, why not rest in the Xia Capital for a while before making further plans?”
The purple-armored man turned to the others and said, “I will stay here alone. The rest of you may return.”
The King Realm cultivators nodded, and in the next moment, they all vanished into the void.
As the many King Realm experts departed, the surrounding air seemed to ease.
The purple-armored man’s gaze fell on Xiao Minghuang, his eyes filled with a hint of curiosity.
“Earlier, you said you killed the demon?”
Xiao Minghuang nodded. “It was merely luck.”
The purple-armored man’s eyes showed doubt. He could tell that although the girl before him was exceptionally talented—even a rare gem within the Holy Academy—she was still young, with a cultivation level only at the Spirit Seed Realm. While he believed she could fight against a Nascent Soul Realm opponent, the idea that she could slay a Nascent Soul Realm demon was something he couldn’t accept!
“How did you do it?”
Xiao Minghuang smiled but remained silent.
Seeing this, the purple-armored man suddenly chuckled. “Haha… I overstepped.”
If it were him, and he had slain a supreme being who had entered the Saint Realm, he wouldn’t reveal how he did it either.
He looked at her with appreciation and said:
“Young one, you are quite impressive. I hope you can secure a spot within the top 100 in the Holy Academy’s enrollment half a year from now.”
As he spoke, the purple-armored man flicked his sleeve, and a stream of light flew out, landing in front of Xiao Minghuang.
“This is the Holy Academy’s Hidden Dragon Token. With this, you can bypass the first round of the entrance trials.”
Xiao Minghuang took the token in her hand and saw the words “Hidden Dragon” inscribed on it.
“I will stay here for three days. During this time, if you have any questions, you can come to me.”
Hearing this, Xiao Minghuang understood that the purple-armored man recognized her talent and wanted to establish a favorable connection with her. She responded respectfully, “Thank you for your high regard, senior. I will strive diligently in my cultivation and not disappoint your expectations.”
Next, the purple-armored man shared some information about the recruitment process of the Holy Academy.
Previously, the Medicine King had also mentioned some details about the Holy Academy, but those were from three thousand years ago, and many things no longer aligned with the current situation.
The rumors she had heard were even less reliable.
The Holy Academy’s recruitment ceremony did not have a fixed schedule. It would be held whenever the academy deemed it necessary.
However, to ensure that all cultivators from the Eastern Pole had the opportunity to participate, they were divided into different groups based on their cultivation levels. These groups did not interfere with each other, and cultivators of different realms were not pitted against one another.
Xiao Minghuang, who was in the Spirit Seed Realm, was placed in the Hidden Dragon Group.
The entrance trial for the Spirit Seed Realm consisted of three major stages.
The first stage tested aptitude, the second stage tested combat ability, and the third stage was a comprehensive assessment.
The Hidden Dragon Token given to her by the purple-armored man allowed Xiao Minghuang to skip the first stage and proceed directly to the second stage.
This was because the first stage was eliminatory in nature, with no rankings or rewards for passing.
The second stage, however, was different. This stage tested the combat abilities of the cultivators.
The Holy Academy would group the participating cultivators and have them compete in actual combat, continuously advancing until the strongest were determined.
The top ten thousand cultivators in the second stage would receive rewards from the Holy Academy, with the rewards varying based on their rankings.
As for the third stage, in addition to testing combat abilities, it also emphasized teamwork.
In this stage, all participating cultivators would be transported into random secret realms for competition, where the situations they encountered could be entirely different.
Apart from testing the cultivators’ hard skills, luck also played a decisive role in determining the outcome.
Some might be fortunate enough to survive until the secret realm closed, even if they gained nothing, and still earn survival points.
On the other hand, some talented cultivators might be devoured by a demonic beast as soon as they entered, immediately being transported out and earning no points at all.
A cultivator’s performance in the third stage also determined whether they could gain the favor of the Holy Academy’s powerful figures.
It was worth noting that during the third stage, even some of the most powerful beings who had already attained sainthood would come to observe. If one could catch the eye of such a supreme being, even if only as a nominal disciple, it would be a meteoric rise!
The benefits of becoming a disciple of a supreme saint were beyond imagination.
“Thank you for your guidance, senior!”
Xiao Minghuang pointed to the bone spear on the ground and asked, “Senior, this is a treasure left by the evil demon. Do you have any instructions on how to handle it?”
With a wave of his hand, the purple-armored man lifted the bone spear from the ground and suspended it in front of Xiao Minghuang.
“This is your spoils of war. Keep it for yourself.”
Hearing this, Xiao Minghuang remained composed and bowed respectfully before storing the bone spear in her storage pouch.
“Thank you, senior!”
…
On the city wall of the Xia Capital.
Ye Ruoshui and the others waited anxiously.
Earlier, they had sensed an overwhelmingly vast aura suddenly appear and then vanish in an instant.
This strange occurrence filled them with worry. Ye Ruoshui wanted to investigate, but Lin Wanqiu stopped her.
At almost the same time.
Xiao Minghuang and the Medicine King flew in from the distance.
“Princess!”
Seeing Xiao Minghuang return safely, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
“The demon has been slain, everyone need not worry. I happened to meet a senior from the Holy Academy earlier and chatted for a while, which delayed me for some time.”
“Oh?”
Xiao Hanbing looked at Xiao Minghuang in surprise: “A senior from the Holy Academy actually came to the Southern Region?”
Xiao Minghuang nodded: “Someone from the Holy Academy sensed the presence of the demon and sent people to rescue the Southern Region. But by the time they arrived, the demon had already been killed by us, so they didn’t stay long and have already left.”
She didn’t mention that a King Realm expert from the Holy Academy had also stayed behind, to avoid unnecessary complications.
Hearing this, everyone showed expressions of regret.
“What a pity…”
“That was someone from the Holy Academy…”
“If only we could have met a senior from the Holy Academy…”
To the people of the Southern Region, the Holy Academy was the greatest and most revered place in their hearts. Those who came from there were all exceptional talents, and receiving guidance from a Holy Academy senior would undoubtedly bring lifelong benefits!
Regardless of the commotion caused by the arrival of the Holy Academy.
Within the entire Great Xia territory, except for the capital, there were no living beings left!
All had been devoured by the demon!
This was a catastrophe, a devastating blow to Great Xia. Without centuries of recovery, it would be difficult to restore!
After reading the reports from the court officials, Xiao Minghuang sighed deeply. This demonic invasion not only severely wounded Great Xia but also brought catastrophic destruction to the nearby nine nations.
Translator: Glariosa
Editor: Ruu
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