Chapter 137

A flush of color appeared on Xiao Minghuang’s face.

She fully activated the 《Purple Emperor’s Scripture》 to resist the pressure that came from nowhere.

At that moment, a strange fluctuation emerged, rippling through the void, and a faint golden halo appeared.

In the hazy mist, a faint, illusory figure gradually formed.

“What year is it now?”

The ethereal voice sounded, passing through the thin mist and reaching Xiao Minghuang’s ears.

Xiao Minghuang’s mind was greatly shaken; she felt the majesty emanating from this figure.

But within the majesty, there was also a sense of familiarity, as if it posed no danger to her, but rather seemed like an elder questioning a junior.

“Answering senior, this year is the 873rd year of the New Xia Calendar.”

“New Xia Calendar?”

The illusory figure’s tone was filled with confusion.

“The Old Xia Calendar ended over eight hundred years ago during the migration, but as for how long it lasted, this junior does not know.”

The illusory figure fell silent and did not speak for a long time.

Xiao Minghuang stood quietly in place, waiting.

She knew that the illusory figure before her was likely the remnant thought of a great ancestor of the Xia Dynasty, and knowing of the decline of their homeland, their heart must be filled with complexity.

After a while.

The illusory figure spoke again.

“Tell me everything you know about the outside world.”

“Yes.”

Xiao Minghuang did not dare to delay and quickly recounted everything she knew about the outside world.

However, having only recently succeeded as the crown princess, she was unaware of many secrets, so most of her account was about the current state of the Xia Dynasty.

After listening to her account, the illusory figure fell silent again for a long time, seemingly digesting the information she had brought.

This time, Xiao Minghuang did not have to wait long.

“Between heaven and earth, no one is immortal, and thus there is no truly immortal dynasty…”

The voice of the illusory figure was ethereal and distant, carrying a hint of emotion, a touch of helplessness, but mostly a sense of vicissitude.

“My descendant, since you have awakened me, I grant you the power to choose.”

“The cause and effect of the world are unfathomable, every action and reaction is predestined.”

“First, choose to cast aside the past and forge a new path entirely your own.”

“Second, bear the karma of the past and walk a more difficult path.”

“My descendant, with your wisdom, you should understand my meaning.”

“So, tell me, your choice.”

As the words fell.

The illusory figure seemed to disappear, yet it also seemed to merge with the heavens and the earth, watching her at all times.

“Think slowly, no rush…”

Xiao Minghuang understood the deeper meaning in the illusory figure’s words.

Based on the figure’s fragmented words and the current state of the Xia Dynasty, she could draw a conclusion.

The decline of a dynasty is never an overnight event.

It is inevitably a long and drawn-out process.

Like an aged giant, staggering across the wilderness.

At first, everyone feared its immense size, and though greed arose in their hearts, they dared not approach.

But as the giant revealed its decay and weakness, more and more jackals, wolves, tigers, and leopards gathered around it, their eyes gleaming with a bloodthirsty red light.

The giant swung its club, trying to drive away the jackals, but to no avail.

The moment it showed a flaw, countless tigers and leopards pounced, baring their bloody fangs, piercing the giant’s flesh, and absorbing the nutrients within.

Gradually, the giant’s body rotted, becoming emaciated, yet its brilliant eyes still did not extinguish.

The giant dragged its withered body across the land, feeding all the scavengers along the way.

Finally, the giant fell, and everything came to an end.

Yet, after the giant fell, those fierce tigers and leopards did not leave. Instead, they established a new kingdom in this place.

And now, the illusory figure presented her with a choice, no different from this.

To leave the kingdom of the tigers and leopards and rebuild her territory.

Or to carry the giant’s past, rise from decay, and declare war on the tigers and leopards?

Xiao Minghuang fell into deep thought.

She knew that the illusory figure would not reveal any truth before she made her choice.

Because once she knew the reasons behind it, it would inevitably influence her decision.

What she had to do was follow her heart.

After much deliberation, Xiao Minghuang finally chose the latter.

“This junior does not wish to leave.”

This was the most genuine answer from the depths of her heart.

“This junior is willing to take on the responsibility of restoring this land to prosperity, so that the people of this land can enjoy the beauty of life, rather than spending their lives in barren desolation.”

“Very well.”

The voice of the illusory figure rang out again, tinged with a hint of joy, “Your choice is correct. With your talent, even in my era, you would be among the very best. I hope you can walk firmly along the path you have chosen.”

Xiao Minghuang let out a soft sigh and asked the question that had been buried in her heart for a long time.

“Senior, could you tell me about the past of Great Xia?”

Next, the illusory figure did not hold back and told her everything he knew.

But after all, he was but a wisp of residual thought left behind from who knows how many years ago, and what he knew was incomplete. Yet for Xiao Minghuang, it was enough.

In the illusory figure’s tale.

Great Xia rose at the dawn of the era, its founder a peerless genius, a supreme powerhouse who dominated his time and awed the world.

But no one in this world is immortal, and even the founder of Great Xia, after living for who knows how long, eventually withered away.

Since then, Great Xia had never again produced a figure as overwhelmingly powerful as its founder.

Although supreme powerhouses continued to emerge, maintaining a dynasty that ruled over an entire realm was no ordinary feat.

Thus, Great Xia’s influence continued to shrink.

This contraction, while allowing Great Xia to recover somewhat, also cost it its position as the ruler of the realm.

As time passed, Great Xia became just another ordinary immortal dynasty.

The rest of the story was nothing worth mentioning.

It was nothing more than scheming and plotting with other holy lands, constantly depleting their own reserves in one struggle after another, ultimately leading to complete decline.

This ethereal figure was the last supreme powerhouse of the Great Xia to achieve sainthood.

Before his passing, he left behind the Dragon Transformation Pool and preserved a wisp of his residual consciousness within it.

If a descendant with sufficiently powerful talent were to enter it in the future, he would be able to sense it and bestow his legacy, ensuring that the Great Xia’s lineage would not be completely severed.

However, this arrangement was merely a contingency plan.

After all, although the Great Xia was in decline at that time, there were still many young geniuses with the potential to achieve sainthood.

But who would have thought that this contingency plan would actually come into use today.

The ethereal figure’s voice was faint and indifferent, seemingly devoid of any emotion.

But Xiao Minghuang knew in her heart that this senior must have exerted his utmost effort to protect the country he loved.

“Before my passing, there were many forces opposing the Great Xia, but only one could be considered a sworn enemy—a rising power. Although they had only one supreme powerhouse who had achieved sainthood, they also had an extraordinary genius, so many forces allied with them to jointly attack the Great Xia.”

“That holy land is called the Ziwei Holy Land. If you ever encounter their descendants in the future, you must accumulate strength and not confront them head-on. Wait for the right opportunity.”

“The Ziwei Holy Land? This junior will remember it.”

Xiao Minghuang nodded.

She vaguely recalled that the Ziwei Holy Land seemed to be a powerful immortal sect within the Eastern Pole.

“Everything I know has been told to you. The secret realm has endured for too long and is about to decay. Take all the Meteor Star Liquid from this pool with you!”

“Additionally, I have some martial arts techniques here, which I will also give to you. Take good care of yourself!”

“This junior will remember the senior’s teachings.”

Xiao Minghuang respectfully bowed.

The ethereal figure smiled and waved his hand, disappearing in an instant.

“This junior bids farewell to the senior…”

As her voice fell.

The surrounding scenery shattered like a mirage, vanishing without a trace.

The world before her eyes turned into complete darkness, where she could not see her own hand.

When she opened her eyes again, she was back in the imperial palace’s ancestral temple.

The great hall was empty.

Before Xiao Minghuang could look around, she felt a surge of vast memories flooding her mind.

“Is this… the martial arts of the ancient Great Xia?”

Xiao Minghuang closed her eyes, calming her mind and absorbing the memories in her mind.

Most of the martial arts legacies of the ancient Great Xia had been lost. Nowadays, the only ancient martial art that could be considered passed down was the 《Saint Dragon Heart Method》.

The other martial arts were mostly acquired after the migration.

But the martial arts Xiao Minghuang had obtained now were all ancient legacies of the Great Xia, even including heaven-tier martial arts!

“《Thirty-Six Heavenly Swords》, 《Nine-Bend Returning Sword》, 《Thousand-Layered Sword Intent》, 《Nine Revolutions True Dragon Technique》…”

Among these complex memories, Xiao Minghuang even discovered the 《Star Transformation Scripture》 and the 《Big Dipper Seven Stars Sword Technique》!

To think, these were actually the system’s compensation!

“It seems the system’s compensation is not created out of thin air.”

Xiao Minghuang pondered in her heart. The system’s compensation logic must be to select existing items to compensate her, rather than generating rewards based on the compensation multiplier.

After a careful count, Xiao Minghuang had obtained memories of over a hundred cultivation techniques. Most of them were of the Earth Rank, with a few being top-tier Mystic Rank, and a total of nine Heaven Rank techniques.

As for Saint Realm techniques, which are above the Heaven Rank, there were none.

Xiao Minghuang couldn’t help but feel puzzled.

“The Great Xia is clearly an immortal lineage with supreme powerhouses. How could it not have even a single Saint Realm technique?”

But at this moment, she could no longer find the answer to this question.

The secret realm had collapsed, and everything within the Dragon Transformation Pool was gone.

Thinking of this, Xiao Minghuang suddenly realized that she had not yet taken the pool of Starfall Liquid.

However, when she turned her gaze to the ground not far away, a smile appeared on her face.

“So, you’re here…”

On the ground not far away, thirteen jade bottles, each the size of a fist, stood quietly.

Those thirteen jade bottles contained the Starfall Liquid Xiao Minghuang had obtained!

Xiao Minghuang circulated her spiritual power, waved her sleeve, and collected all thirteen bottles into her storage pouch.

“I wonder what kind of compensation I can get for sending out this Starfall Liquid?”

A look of anticipation appeared on Xiao Minghuang’s lips.

It was also around this time.

The Emperor sensed the fluctuations in the palace and immediately pushed open the door.

“Little Nine, you’re out. How did it go?”

Hearing this, Xiao Minghuang showed a hint of apology.

“Although I gained some things, the secret realm has collapsed due to the wear of time.”

At these words, the Emperor’s pupils contracted sharply, and his face was filled with shock.

“Collapsed?!”

Xiao Minghuang nodded.

The Emperor’s expression turned extremely grim, but he also knew this was an irreversible fact.

After all, the Dragon Transformation Pool had long been unable to withstand the passage of time, and its collapse was only a matter of time.

But hearing this news firsthand still filled his heart with complexity.

“Little Nine, you are the future hope of Great Xia. You must strive in your cultivation. I know, with your talent, the Nascent Soul Realm is not your limit!”

Xiao Minghuang nodded.

“By the way, I obtained some techniques in the secret realm that might be of help to the royal family’s offerings.”

“Oh?”

Hearing this, the Emperor’s face lit up with excitement.

He knew that with Xiao Minghuang’s comprehension, she would have the opportunity to grasp techniques in the secret realm.

Although he had once said he hoped she wouldn’t focus her energy on techniques, if Xiao Minghuang had truly comprehended some, he wouldn’t refuse them.

Xiao Minghuang, however, frowned slightly and said:

“There are quite a few. I’ll transcribe them over the next few days and then present them to you, Father.”

“Good, good, good…”

The Emperor said ‘good’ three times in a row, clearly overjoyed.

After his excitement, the Emperor thought of another very important matter.

“Little Nine, how many bottles of Starfall Liquid did you obtain from the Dragon Transformation Pool?”

Xiao Minghuang naturally had no reason to hide this and answered truthfully.

“There were only thirteen bottles left in the pool. I took them all.”

“What?!”

The Emperor exclaimed, utterly shocked.

“Thirteen bottles?!”

“Yes.”

Xiao Minghuang nodded.

The Emperor realized his outburst and calmed down.

It was no wonder he was astonished, for Xiao Minghuang’s opportunity was truly extraordinary.

When he had entered the Dragon Transformation Pool, he had only managed to bring out a single drop of Starfall Liquid.

Yet, that single drop had caused him immense pain, and it was only with great difficulty that he had obtained it.

Having once entered the Dragon Transformation Pool, he naturally knew that the amount of Starfall Liquid one could gather depended on the individual’s talent. If the pool deemed the gatherer’s talent insufficient, it would not grant more.

For Xiao Minghuang to obtain the entirety of the remaining Starfall Liquid was undoubtedly a profound recognition from the Dragon Transformation Pool.

This also meant that even the Dragon Transformation Pool believed Xiao Minghuang had the potential to reach that transcendent, saintly realm.

“Little Nine… you are truly remarkable!”

The Emperor praised, feeling genuine pride in having such a daughter.

“Your Majesty flatters me too much.”

Xiao Minghuang smiled and cupped her hands in a gesture of humility.

After chatting for a while longer, Xiao Minghuang took her leave from the palace and returned to her princess manor.

At that moment.

Within the princess manor.

A surge of Yin energy rose in the void, gathering without dispersing.

After a series of turbulent undulations, it finally expanded, forming a massive vortex.

At the center of the vortex was the training room of the princess manor.

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Translator: Glariosa
Editor: Ruu

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