Chapter 58

In a few moments, the beast tide arrived, shaking the earth and mountains. A vast, dark mass of ferocious beasts charged forward.

Above, a large flock of fierce birds flapped their wings, a dark cloud that even the towering trees could not withstand, being directly uprooted and severed.

Facing the overwhelming beast tide, even Xiao Minghuang’s expression turned grave, losing her usual composure as she quickly assessed the strength of the ferocious beasts.

Among the dark tide of beasts, one particularly stood out—a massive creature as tall as a small hill.

It was a giant elephant, dozens of feet tall, its body shimmering with silver light. Each step it took seemed to cause the heavens to collapse and the earth to split, as if the world itself trembled under its terrifying might.

Someone exclaimed:

“A Spring Realm Silver Light Elephant!”

An old soldier’s eyes filled with despair:

“A Spring Realm ferocious beast can only be hunted by a Divine Sea Realm expert. Beiyang City is doomed today!”

At that moment, a streak of light transformed into a rainbow and landed on the city wall. It was Lin Zhengquan.

His face was filled with worry, and he looked haggard as he approached Xiao Minghuang and advised:

“Your Highness, the beast tide is too powerful. Beiyang City may not withstand it. Please evacuate first to avoid harm to your noble self!”

Xiao Minghuang did not respond directly but instead asked:

“City Lord Lin, are you not confident in stopping that Silver Light Elephant?”

Hearing this, Lin Zhengquan sighed lightly and said with shame:

“Your Highness, please forgive my incompetence. I suffered a hidden injury during the beast tide ten years ago and have been stuck at the Spring Realm, unable to break through… If it weren’t for this, how could I fear this beast?”

Upon hearing this, Xiao Minghuang smiled slightly and took out a storage bag from her sleeve, handing it to Lin Zhengquan.

“Here I have two elixirs that might help City Lord Lin recover from his hidden injuries and break through his current realm.”

Hearing this, Lin Zhengquan’s first thought was that the Ninth Princess was comforting him. But then he reconsidered, knowing that the Ninth Princess was wise and steady, and would never act without purpose.

He didn’t immediately doubt her. Instead, he extended a thread of spiritual awareness into the storage bag.

The moment he saw the two elixirs inside, his pupils contracted sharply, and his face was filled with disbelief.

“Yuan Restoration Pill! Spirit Nurturing Pill! And both have been refined to the point of forming pill patterns!”

In the next moment, he thought that these elixirs must have come from the Chen Family.

When he had seen the Chen Family produce such an elixir before, he had thought that if he could take it, there was a good chance he could recover from his hidden injuries.

But.

Lin Zhengquan glanced at his daughter standing beside him. Seeing her calm expression and robust aura, it was clear she was at the peak of the Body Tempering Realm, just one step away from entering the Qi Refining Realm.

“If Her Highness didn’t give the elixir to Wanqiu, how did she manage to unblock her meridians?”

Lin Zhengquan was utterly puzzled.

Seeing his doubtful expression, Xiao Minghuang reminded him:

“City Lord Lin, with the enemy at our gates, this is no time for hesitation. Quickly take the elixir. If you can break through to the Divine Sea Realm, Beiyang City will be saved!”

Hearing this, Lin Zhengquan’s heart tightened.

At this moment, the safety of Beiyang City was the most important. Any questions would have to wait until after the beast tide was repelled.

“Thank you, Your Highness. I won’t stand on ceremony.”

With the urgency of the situation, Lin Zhengquan didn’t hesitate. He sat down cross-legged on the spot and swallowed one of the elixirs.

Hum!

In an instant.

Radiant light flowed over Lin Zhengquan’s body, emitting a myriad of auspicious colors. The faint sound of roaring waves could be heard, as if an endless sea was churning.

His aura surged abruptly, breaking through the shackles of the Spring Realm in the blink of an eye, reaching the first level of the Divine Sea Realm.

But.

He didn’t stop. Instead, he continued to take the elixir.

As the elixir entered his stomach, streams of pure medicinal power dispersed, instantly spreading throughout his limbs and bones, stirring the spiritual energy he had accumulated over the years.

In the blink of an eye.

Lin Zhengquan’s aura broke through once more, directly reaching the second level of the Divine Sea Realm.

His body was like a massive vortex, continuously drawing in and absorbing the spiritual energy from the surrounding hundreds of feet.

At this moment.

The eyes of everyone in Beiyang City were drawn to him. Even the tide of ferocious beasts outside the city halted, their eyes filled with fear.

“Who… who is breaking through their realm?” asked a young martial artist.

“I see! It’s the City Lord! The City Lord has broken through!” an old soldier exclaimed in joy.

“With the City Lord breaking through to the Divine Sea Realm, Beiyang City is saved!” a woman cried tears of joy.

On the city walls, everyone who saw this scene cheered and rejoiced.

“With the City Lord breaking through in the midst of battle, we are saved!”

All the soldiers knew that this beast tide was fierce, and quelling it would likely cost many lives.

But if Lin Zhengquan broke through to the Divine Sea Realm, as long as they could kill the Spring Realm Silver Light Elephant in advance, defending the city would be much easier, and casualties would be greatly reduced.

But.

Just as the entire city was cheering for Lin Zhengquan’s breakthrough.

Lin Zhengquan suddenly soared into the sky and addressed the soldiers and residents of the entire city with a loud voice:

“Today, I was able to heal my hidden injuries and break through to a new realm, all thanks to the elixir bestowed by the Ninth Princess!”

“If we can repel the beast tide today and protect the safety of everyone in the city, it is entirely due to the Ninth Princess’s immense assistance!”

These words reached the ears of everyone in Beiyang City.

Everyone knew that City Lord Lin would not speak empty words. If he said it was the Ninth Princess’s help, then it must indeed be her help.

“Without the Ninth Princess, Beiyang City would have perished!”

“The Ninth Princess is truly our greatest benefactor in Beiyang City!”

“Wuwu… It’s a pity the Ninth Princess is a woman. If she were a man, I would surely offer myself to her.”

The one who spoke these words was a heavily made-up woman. Hearing this, someone glanced at her and teased:

“Why don’t you look in the mirror? You’re not even fit to carry the Ninth Princess’s shoes!”

The heavily made-up woman pouted and flailed her arms:

“All of you, get lost! Go up to the city walls and kill the beasts!”

Outside the city.

After breaking through to the Divine Sea Realm, Lin Zhengquan’s power was incomparably strong. With every move, spiritual energy overflowed, like a moving ocean of spiritual power. A gentle wave of his hand unleashed hundreds of zhang of spiritual flames, and a casual slash harvested the lives of hundreds of beasts.

As Lin Zhengquan charged into the beast tide, he immediately caught the attention of the Silver Light Giant Elephant. The two soon engaged in a fierce battle.

The expected one-sided situation did not occur. Lin Zhengquan, wielding a golden spear, was drenched in blood, with divine light swirling around him and the sound of waves echoing.

Although the giant elephant’s spiritual power was inferior to Lin Zhengquan’s, its beastly body was incredibly resilient. Its skin shimmered with silver light, divine patterns flowed, and its beastly blood surged. It fought Lin Zhengquan to a standstill, neither gaining the upper hand.

On the city walls.

Xiao Minghuang watched the scene before her, her delicate brows slightly furrowed.

“This beast is so powerful that it can fight across a major realm.”

Ye Ruoshui had been observing the battle for a long time, and her initial fear gradually subsided. She now saw some clues.

“I once read in an alchemy book that the Silver Light Giant Elephant inherits the bloodline of an Ancient Divine Elephant. Even if only a trace of it is awakened, its power increases manifold.”

At this point, she paused and looked at the distant, mountain-like giant elephant, then continued:

“This Silver Light Giant Elephant must have only awakened a trace of the Divine Elephant’s bloodline. A true Ancient Divine Elephant is an unimaginably powerful being. It is said that a single drop of its blood could crush a ten-thousand zhang high mountain.”

“Although the bloodline awakened in this giant elephant is sparse, according to the book, once the bloodline of an Ancient Divine Elephant is awakened, no matter how sparse, its flesh and blood will condense into Divine Elephant seeds. These seeds can be used to refine Body-Tempering elixirs far more potent than the Tiger Bone Strengthening Pill!”

Hearing this, Xiao Minghuang’s lips curved into a slight smile as she said:

“So, this giant elephant could be considered an opportunity?”

Ye Ruoshui thought for a moment before replying:

“Not necessarily. This giant elephant’s realm is relatively low. Even if all its flesh and blood were used, it would be difficult to condense more than a few Divine Elephant seeds.”

“However, if its flesh and bones were used to refine lower-quality body-tempering elixirs, producing several thousand should not be a problem.”

Hearing this, Xiao Minghuang pondered.

Low-grade body-tempering elixirs were of no use to her, but they were not entirely useless.

Although she was currently only the Ninth Princess, she would eventually ascend to the position of Crown Princess, or even be crowned as the ruler. At that time, she would undoubtedly need a strong foundation of loyal followers.

If she were to recruit in the future, it would certainly be possible, but it would never be as reliable as nurturing loyalty from a young age.

Moreover, with the system’s support, she would inevitably accumulate vast resources over time. Letting them go to waste would be a shame; it would be far better to utilize them to build a powerful army.

Additionally, with the system in place, if she were to present the corpse of this giant elephant to Ye Ruoshui, she might receive unexpectedly generous compensation.

At this thought, it was as if the clouds had parted, and her mind was suddenly clear.

Xiao Minghuang turned her gaze toward Lin Zhengquan, who was locked in combat with the giant elephant on the battlefield. A flash of golden light appeared in her hand as her sword soared through the air.

“City Lord Lin, catch the sword!”

As the words fell.

Lin Zhengquan’s figure flashed, and a golden light fell into his hand.

Looking down, he saw a long sword entirely flowing with golden light, with faint dragon patterns winding up the blade, exuding an extraordinary and divine aura.

“What grade of treasure is this?”

Lin Zhengquan’s face showed doubt. The highest-grade treasure he had ever seen in his life was the top-grade yellow-tier longsword used by Xiao Minghuang a few days ago.

But the longsword before him was clearly more extraordinary and divine than that longsword.

“Could it be a profound-tier treasure?!”

Lin Zhengquan speculated in his heart, his pupils revealing a trace of shock.

Just as he was lost in thought, the silver giant elephant swung its steel-like thick trunk, slashing down through the air.

The trunk was incredibly hard. Even with his top-grade yellow-tier spear, Lin Zhengquan could only leave a few faint bloodstains on it, which quickly healed.

Although he had advanced to the Divine Sea Realm, without using his strongest killing move, he could not defeat the giant elephant. Even if he exerted all his strength, he could only defeat it, not kill it.

Beasts at the Spring Realm were inherently powerful, and this giant elephant before him had clearly awakened a trace of the bloodline power of an Ancient Divine Elephant, making its defense astonishingly strong. Even with his Divine Sea Realm strength, it was difficult to kill.

“Now, I can only rely on you.”

Lin Zhengquan glanced at the longsword in his hand, praying in his heart. Then, he gathered all his spiritual power, concentrated it in his hands, and fiercely swung a sword strike at the trunk pressing down on him!

Boom!

The moment the trunk collided with the sword light.

The sword light whistled past without any hesitation, and the thick trunk was cleanly severed as if it were tofu. Pale golden blood gushed out, splattering across the ground.

The flesh and blood of the giant elephant contained a trace of the seed of an ancient divine elephant. As it spilled onto the ground, it seemed to weigh a thousand pounds, collapsing the earth within a radius of several dozen feet, forming a massive crater.

The sudden scene shocked everyone present.

“The seed of an Ancient Divine Elephant is truly terrifying!”

On the city wall, someone who had just heard Ye Ruoshui’s explanation exclaimed in awe.

“If Miss Ye can refine this elixir, my Li Family is willing to pay a high price for it!”

The Li Family, one of the three great families, had almost all their members mobilized, even the white-haired patriarch, clad in armor, had come to the city wall. Seeing the might of the giant elephant’s blood, they were also itching with desire.

Suddenly being the focus of countless gazes, Ye Ruoshui’s face turned red, and she hid behind Xiao Minghuang, not daring to speak.

Xiao Minghuang gently patted Ye Ruoshui’s small hand, then looked at the crowd and said clearly:

“If the elixir is successfully refined, this princess will not forget the people of Beiyang City!”

Hearing this, everyone present was overjoyed and bowed in unison:

“Thank you, Your Highness!”

Xiao Minghuang observed the reactions of the crowd, a slight smile curling at the corners of her mouth, feeling satisfied.

If she wanted to build her own faction, she needed a foundation.

In the Imperial Court, most of the officials had already sided with the Second Prince.

Even if she defeated or even killed the Second Prince in the future and took his subordinates for her own use, they were not people she knew well.

It would be better to develop her power in Beiyang City.

The first batch of subordinates I will cultivate will be selected from Beiyang City.

Xiao Minghuang thought to herself.

At this moment.

The battle between Lin Zhengquan and the silver giant elephant was nearing its end.

The silver giant elephant was in a pitiful state at this moment. Its massive trunk had been severed at the root, three of its four legs were broken, and it lay completely prone on the ground. Its silver-white body was covered in blood and mud, a wretched sight. Despite its mournful cries, it could not escape its fate of being slain.

Humans and ferocious beasts are not of the same kind, and their enmity is irreconcilable!

Standing atop the giant elephant’s corpse, Lin Zhengquan shouted toward the city tower:

“The giant elephant is dead! Soldiers of Beiyang City, follow me and slay the enemy!”

“Yes!”

“Charge!”

The soldiers of Beiyang City responded in unison. The thunderous sound of war drums echoed through the heavens, and the roars of battle and shouts of the soldiers surged like a tidal wave, shaking the earth. The army of one hundred thousand surged out of the city like a flood, their intense life force rising into the sky, almost dyeing the heavens red.

As the soldiers clashed with the ferocious beasts, Lin Wanqiu also felt the itch to join the fray. She had a feeling that if she could gain experience in this battle, her cultivation would surely advance.

“Your Highness, I…”

Lin Wanqiu looked toward Xiao Minghuang, her beautiful eyes filled with a glimmer of hope.

Xiao Minghuang, understanding her intentions, spoke gently:

“Go ahead, just be careful!”

“Thank you, Your Highness!”

Lin Wanqiu’s face lit up with joy as she turned and charged into the tide of beasts. Her Qingying Sword appeared in her hand, swift as the wind. She danced like a spirit, continuously reaping the lives of the ferocious beasts.

Watching Lin Wanqiu display her skills, Xiao Minghuang also began to feel an itch in her heart. Her cultivation had been steadily improving, but her combat skills had stagnated. Although she often sparred with Lin Wanqiu in daily life, the results were minimal.

Now, however, was an excellent opportunity. She could grow through real combat.

As she pondered this, Xiao Minghuang glanced at Ye Ruoshui, who was still staring at the corpse of the giant elephant. She couldn’t help but smile and say:

“Ruoshui, stop looking. After the battle is over, that giant elephant will be all yours.”

“Thank you, Your Highness!”

Ye Ruoshui replied with delight.

After obtaining the Tiger Bone Body Tempering Pill, she had disassembled the pill and, based on ancient texts, gradually deduced its formula.

However, one of the main ingredients in the formula only grew near Dragon Tiger Mountain, making it impossible to refine.

But to her delight, while reading the ancient texts, she had combined the pill’s components and slightly altered a few ingredients, creating a new formula. This new formula used the flesh and bones of a giant elephant as the main ingredient, also serving to temper the body, but with even greater effects!

The giant elephant before her, imbued with the bloodline power of an ancient divine elephant, would surely enhance her formula significantly.

Thinking of this, a hint of a proud smile appeared on Ye Ruoshui’s delicate face.

Seeing Ye Ruoshui’s expression, Xiao Minghuang understood that she likely had no intention of honing her skills through combat. Without further comment, Xiao Minghuang turned and rushed into the chaotic tide of beasts.

Within the beast horde, the clash of swords and the surge of blood filled the air. The ground was littered with the corpses of both beasts and humans, mixed together, the thick stench of blood assaulting the senses and inducing a wave of nausea.

Xiao Minghuang’s delicate brows furrowed slightly, but she paid no mind to the foul stench. She stepped into the horde, extended her arms, and two golden sword shadows shot out, each over ten feet long. Like sharp blades, they continuously harvested the lives of nearby ferocious beasts.

Her current strength was comparable to that of a first-level Spring Realm disciple from the three great sects. Killing Body Tempering Realm beasts was as easy as blowing away dust.

After slaying dozens of Body Tempering Realm beasts, Xiao Minghuang consumed a pill to replenish her depleted spiritual energy.

Her gaze wandered through the beast horde, carefully observing. For her now, continuing to kill Body Tempering realm beasts held little significance.

Only by challenging Qi Refining Realm beasts could she enhance her combat skills.

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Translator: Glariosa
Editor: Ruu

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