Chapter 12

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Emperor Xia had nine children, with Ninth Princess Xiao Minghuang being the youngest.

The First Prince was born to a commoner and had a naturally crippled body, making it impossible for him to cultivate. He had long been sent away by Emperor Xia to a remote place, forgotten and ignored.

After so many years, it was unknown whether he had died of old age.

The Second Prince, however, was different.

His mother was the daughter of Prince Wu’an.

Prince Wu’an was at the eighth level of the Divine Sea Realm.

In the entire Great Xia, aside from the Imperial Family’s offerings, Prince Wu’an had the highest cultivation and the most esteemed status.

Therefore, the Second Prince held an extremely high position, with all the court officials vying to curry his favor. He had subtly taken on the role of a leader and often acted as if he were the Crown Prince.

Among the other princes, except for the Sixth Prince, all had attached themselves to the Second Prince, bowing and scraping.

Even without considering the forces behind the Second Prince, his peak Qi Refinement Realm cultivation alone was something Xiao Minghuang could not contend with.

“There is still a long way to go. For now, I have the protection of the Xia Emperor and the Old Ancestor. Even the Second Prince dares not do anything to me.”

But Xiao Minghuang knew that this protection was not eternal. A flower that grew in a greenhouse could not lead the Great Xia to survive in the chaotic southern region.

Those high-level cultivators behind the Second Prince might be intimidated by the Old Ancestor’s might and dare not act openly, but the hidden daggers and arrows in the shadows would certainly not be few!

After pondering for a moment, Xiao Minghuang steadied her mind and continued walking toward the main hall of the Imperial Palace.

At the entrance of the hall, a sharp voice rang out from within. It was none other than the chief eunuch, Wang Jin, who had come to the Cold Palace to deliver the imperial decree the other day.

“Summon Ninth Princess Xiao Minghuang for an audience!”

As Xiao Minghuang entered the hall, she saw a middle-aged man seated on the steps above, dressed in a dragon robe, exuding an air of solemn authority. This was the Emperor of Xia.

Beside him, bowing slightly, was an elderly man with graying hair and no beard—the chief eunuch, Wang Jin.

Apart from them, there was no one else in the hall.

A pair of scrutinizing eyes fell upon her.

Sensing the faint spiritual energy emanating from Xiao Minghuang, a trace of surprise flickered in the Emperor’s otherwise calm eyes.

“In just two days, she has actually stepped into the Qi Refining Realm!”

Wang Jin was equally astonished. Two days ago, he had observed the battle between Xiao Minghuang and the Seventh Prince from the shadows.

At that time, the Ninth Princess was only at the ninth level of the Body Tempering Realm. Yet, in just two short days, she had broken through to the Qi Refining Realm!

“The potency of the Ascension Pill shouldn’t be enough to break through an entire major realm, should it?”

Though the Emperor was puzzled, he did not voice his question.

In the hall.

Xiao Minghuang took a deep breath and spoke in a steady voice, “Your daughter, Xiao Minghuang, pays her respects to the Emperor!”

Emperor Xia said indifferently, “Let’s dispense with these formalities. I summoned you here to inform you of something.”

“Six months from now, the palace will hold a grand competition. The ultimate victor will be named the Crown Prince.”

Hearing this, Xiao Minghuang’s pupils slightly contracted. The Emperor had summoned her to the palace just to inform her of this.

What signal was this sending?

Was he intending to name her as the Crown Prince?

Seeing her expression, the Emperor nodded and said, “You are correct in your thoughts. I do indeed intend to name you as the Crown Prince.”

“But you are not the only one.”

A look of astonishment appeared on Xiao Minghuang’s stunningly beautiful face.

“For eight hundred years, the Great Xia has moved into the southern region, but the various nations and sects of the south have never regarded the Great Xia as one of their own.”

“They dare not openly attack the Great Xia because within the Royal Family, there exists an Old Ancestor at the Spirit Seed Realm. Once the Old Ancestor passes away, the nations and sects will no longer hold back. Therefore, your time is limited.”

“Six months from now, whoever emerges victorious will become the next Emperor of Xia!”

After saying this, the Emperor waved his sleeve, and Xiao Minghuang was blown out of the hall.

Once she steadied herself, Xiao Minghuang’s delicate brows furrowed slightly as she pondered the Emperor’s words.

Although the Emperor had not explicitly stated it, his words carried an intangible sense of crisis, as if something ominous was about to happen.

“What could make the Emperor feel fear? Only if the Great Xia’s empire is under threat. With the Old Ancestor at the Spirit Seed Realm, what could the Emperor possibly be worried about?”

But in the next moment.

Xiao Minghuang thought of the elderly man she had seen in the Scripture Hall two days ago.

Her pupils contracted slightly, and combined with the Emperor’s earlier words, a terrifying thought suddenly arose in her mind.

“The Old Ancestor’s lifespan is nearing its end!”

If it were not so, the Old Ancestor would not have suddenly appeared to impart the long-hidden Earth-grade cultivation technique to her, nor would the Emperor have chosen such a ruthless method to select the most outstanding heir.

With a somewhat heavy heart, Xiao Minghuang returned home.

Earlier that afternoon, an awkward misunderstanding had occurred between Xiao Minghuang and Ye Ruoshui. They should have taken a few days to cool off, waiting until both had mostly forgotten about it, and then started anew as if nothing had happened.

But.

“I must quickly improve my strength. The Second Prince will not show me any mercy!”

Xiao Minghuang clenched her palm and walked towards Ye Ruoshui’s room.

Arriving at the door, she knocked, but there was no response.

Xiao Minghuang extended her spiritual sense but found no trace of Ye Ruoshui in the room.

She expanded her spiritual sense, enveloping the entire residence, and detected Ye Ruoshui’s presence in the cultivation chamber.

Xiao Minghuang approached the cultivation chamber, quietly opening a crack in the door. Inside, she saw Ye Ruoshui’s small figure sitting cross-legged in the center of the room, her little face filled with determination.

“The little girl has truly grown up, knowing to work hard on her cultivation.”

Xiao Minghuang sighed with emotion but did not leave. She stood at the door, waiting, and took the opportunity to circulate her own cultivation techniques.

After about half an hour, rustling sounds came from the cultivation chamber, and Ye Ruoshui emerged.

As Ye Ruoshui pushed open the door, she saw her mistress standing in the courtyard, graceful and poised, her eyes slightly closed, exuding an aura of profound mystery.

But this feeling lasted only for a moment before it vanished.

Xiao Minghuang opened her eyes and smiled, “Ruoshui, have you encountered any problems in your cultivation?”

Like a child caught stealing candy, Ye Ruoshui’s face was full of shyness as she stammered, “Mistress, this servant also wants to improve her cultivation to be of help to you. I didn’t activate the formation in the cultivation chamber, so I wouldn’t waste your spirit stones!”

Hearing this, Xiao Minghuang said helplessly, “You haven’t used a single one of the spirit stones I gave you, have you?”

Ye Ruoshui nodded obediently, “I’m saving them for you, Mistress. You can come to me whenever you need them.”

Xiao Minghuang stepped forward, gently stroking Ye Ruoshui’s soft hair, and sighed softly:

“Silly child, those spirit stones were given to you for your use, and you can use the cultivation chamber as you please.”

“I’ve said before, you’re like a little sister to me. Isn’t it natural for a sister to use her elder sister’s things?”

Hearing this, Ye Ruoshui looked up with teary eyes and immediately threw herself into Xiao Minghuang’s arms, bursting into loud sobs.

“M-Mistress, you’re so good to me!”

Xiao Minghuang held Ye Ruoshui’s soft figure, gently stroking her back, and said tenderly, “I treat you well because I like you!”

“Good girl! I have a precious pill here to give you, and you must not refuse it!”

Perhaps the phrase “I like you” was too powerful, as Ye Ruoshui seemed to be filled with energy, immediately swearing to the heavens.

“Mistress, rest assured, I will never let you down!”

Seeing the little girl’s earnest vow, Xiao Minghuang couldn’t help but smile with satisfaction.

As long as Ye Ruoshui was willing to work hard on her cultivation, even if her talent was poor, Xiao Minghuang could use pills and spirit stones to elevate her to the level of a peerless expert!

【Ding!】

【Host has successfully gifted an opportunity!】

【Congratulations, host, you have triggered a hundredfold compensation and obtained 100 Ascension Pills!】

As Xiao Minghuang entered the cultivation chamber, the system’s voice echoed in her mind.

A hundredfold compensation!

Her eyes flashed with delight.

It seemed her luck had been quite good recently, with several compensations, none of which were less than a hundredfold.

Before the joy on her face could fade, the system’s voice rang out again.

【Ding!】

【Host’s gifting count has met the conditions, activating the Opportunity Compass function!】

“What does this mean?”

Xiao Minghuang asked.

【Within a hundred miles of the host, if there are any opportunities present, the system compass will provide prompts and guidance.】

【As the number of opportunities the host bestows increases, the range of prompts will also expand.】

After listening to the system’s explanation, a look of pleasant surprise appeared on Xiao Minghuang’s stunningly beautiful face.

This function is truly remarkable!

Opportunities are called such precisely because they are rare and hard to come by.

An ordinary cultivator might encounter an opportunity once in a lifetime and benefit from it for half their life.

Even those born with great fortune cannot encounter opportunities at all times.

The system can actually present opportunities directly before her eyes. Although it is only effective within a radius of a hundred miles, it is already quite powerful.

Not to mention that this range can continue to expand!

“A radius of a hundred miles can almost cover the entire capital of the Great Xia Kingdom.”

Xiao Minghuang’s thoughts stirred slightly, and she immediately asked:

“System, can you check if there are any opportunities nearby?”

As the words fell.

In her mind, a phantom image resembling a compass appeared, its needle spinning continuously before finally settling on the northeast direction.

“This direction… seems to be the Scripture Hall?”

Xiao Minghuang’s delicate brows furrowed slightly. The Royal Scripture Hall was the foundation of the Great Xia Dynasty. Although it had been relocated multiple times and many profound classics had been lost, there was no guarantee that some hidden treasures didn’t still remain.

Thinking this, Xiao Minghuang immediately set off for the Scripture Hall.

With the Emperor’s decree, she could enter and exit the Scripture Hall at will, saving her a lot of trouble.

Soon, Xiao Minghuang arrived at a specific area.

The compass’s guidance stopped spinning, indicating she had reached her destination.

Her eyes scanned the area, but all she could see were some mediocre martial arts techniques.

“Could there really be any valuable opportunities hidden here?”

Xiao Minghuang expanded her spiritual sense, quickly exploring the area. As she passed by a secluded corner, her eyes suddenly lit up.

It was a small, dusty booklet, tattered and reeking of decay.

“A high-grade Profound-tier martial art, 《Flying Star Sword Technique》!”

A flash of joy appeared in Xiao Minghuang’s pupils. Among the Great Xia’s heritage, there was only one high-grade Profound-tier technique, the 《Dragon Origin Scripture》.

All other martial arts were, at best, low-grade Profound-tier.

Though the difference was only two minor grades, the power between them was worlds apart, completely on different levels.

Xiao Minghuang tucked the manual into her sleeve but didn’t return to her residence immediately. Instead, she headed to another section of the Scripture Hall.

This area housed a large number of cultivation-related common knowledge and unorthodox texts.

Ye Ruoshui was completely clueless about cultivation, and Xiao Minghuang didn’t have the time to personally teach her. So, finding some books for her to read was the most convenient and quickest solution.

After gathering some concise and essential texts, Xiao Minghuang turned and left the Scripture Hall, instructing her attendants to come and transport the books.

Since these texts weren’t cultivation techniques, they could be taken out of the Scripture Hall.

After leaving the Scripture Hall, Xiao Minghuang wandered around the palace for a while, trying to continue her search for opportunities, but found nothing.

“No matter how glorious the Great Xia once was, it is now just a weak nation without even a single Nascent Soul Realm expert.”

Xiao Minghuang sighed softly and returned to her residence.

The day was not yet over, and the system’s compensation count had not refreshed, so Xiao Minghuang was in no hurry to hand over the sword technique.

She returned to her training room and began refining one hundred Ascension Pills.

“One hundred Ascension Pills may seem like a lot, but my foundation is too deep. It’s unlikely to significantly boost my realm.”

As the words fell.

Xiao Minghuang closed her eyes, calmed her thoughts, and began circulating her cultivation technique to refine the pills.

In the blink of an eye, a day passed.

In the training room, Xiao Minghuang exhaled a turbid breath and slowly opened her eyes. A glint of golden light flashed in her pupils before vanishing instantly.

“I was right. I used ninety Ascension Pills, but only managed to break through to the third level of the Qi Refining realm. Is my foundation too deep?”

From what she knew, a Qi Refining realm martial artist only needed to consume one Ascension Pill to loosen their bottleneck.

Even martial artists with poor spiritual roots could break through one level by consuming five Ascension Pills.

Yet, she had used nearly forty Ascension Pills just to break through to the second level of the Qi Refining realm.

Breaking through to the third level had taken her over fifty Ascension Pills!

This was almost ten times the amount an ordinary martial artist would need.

The cultivation at the Qi Refining Realm relies on forcibly opening acupoints with a large amount of spiritual energy, making talent and resources the most crucial factors.

The former determines the speed at which one can absorb spiritual energy, while the latter determines the quantity of spiritual energy one can absorb.

Xiao Minghuang lacked neither of these.

Thus, the reason could only be attributed to her exceptionally solid foundation. Although Xiao Minghuang had anticipated this, she still felt a bit frustrated.

“With such a terrifying consumption of resources, how can I possibly sustain it?”

“Sigh!”

But this thought only lasted for a moment before it vanished.

Even if it required a vast amount of resources, so what?

She had the system!

With a fortune at home, her actions were guided by her heart.

Xiao Minghuang glanced down at the ten remaining Ascension Pills in her hand.

“I’ll give these ten pills to Ruoshui.”

Even if she refined all ten pills, they wouldn’t provide much benefit to her own cultivation. However, if used on Ye Ruoshui, they would likely be enough to help her break through several minor realms.

Thinking this, Xiao Minghuang pushed open the door and, after a few breaths, arrived at Ye Ruoshui’s door, gently knocking.

Tap tap!

After just two knocks, the door creaked open, revealing Ye Ruoshui’s figure.

She still had that innocent and adorable appearance, but her pure little face now bore a trace of unyielding determination.

Xiao Minghuang habitually reached out and gently patted the little girl’s soft hair, saying warmly, “Your sister has found something good again, and I’m giving it to you.”

As she spoke, she stuffed the sword technique she had brought, along with the ten Ascension Pills, into Ye Ruoshui’s arms.

In response, Ye Ruoshui didn’t tear up with gratitude as she had before, but simply smiled and said:

“Thank you, Your Highness!”

This wasn’t because Ye Ruoshui was less grateful than before, but because receiving treasures every day would make anyone grow accustomed, even numb.

Xiao Minghuang wasn’t disappointed by Ye Ruoshui’s reaction; in fact, she was quite satisfied.

In the days to come, she would be giving Ye Ruoshui gifts every day. If she had to coax her into accepting them each time, wouldn’t that be a waste of time?

A simple expression of gratitude like this was more than enough.

After handing over the sword technique, Xiao Minghuang didn’t leave immediately. Instead, she ordered her attendants to bring in a large stack of books and placed them in Ye Ruoshui’s room.

Seeing this, Ye Ruoshui’s big eyes were filled with confusion.

“Your Highness, what are these books for?”

Xiao Minghuang’s lips curved into a soft smile as she replied, “These are also gifts for you, Ruoshui!”

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Translator: Glariosa
Editor: Ruu

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