Looking at the towering stack of Books, almost higher than the table, Ye Ruoshui’s beautiful big Eye Injury were filled with despair as she looked pitifully at her Your Highness.
“Your Highness, there are so many books, how am I supposed to finish them all?” Xiao Minghuang remained gentle, softly stroking her little head, and said warmly, “The Pill and Spirit Stones Sister gave you can strengthen your body and improve your memory.”
“With all the Spirit Stones and Pills together, it’s enough for you to reach Body Tempering Sixth Realm.
Once you start Cultivation, reading these Books should be a breeze.”
“I’ll check your progress the next time I come out of seclusion.
If I find out you haven’t been studying properly…” As she spoke, Xiao Minghuang’s gaze swept up and down the little girl, then the corners of her mouth curled up in a pleased smile.
She reached out and gave Ye Ruoshui’s perky little butt a light smack.
So bouncy! She leaned in, bringing her lips close to Ye Ruoshui’s ear, her breath warm and fragrant: “If you don’t behave, Sister will have to punish you!”
Ye Ruoshui’s face turned bright red, her voice barely a whisper: “Will there be a reward if I finish?”
“Of course!” Xiao Minghuang smiled and said, “If Ruo Shui completes her studies, Sister will grant you one request.”
Xiao Minghuang knew very well the principle of mixing stick and carrot.
Besides, Ye Ruoshui was still young, so she wouldn’t push her too hard.
Saying these things was just to give her a sense of urgency, not to actually punish her harshly.
Hearing there was a reward, Ye Ruoshui looked very excited.
Her big, beautiful Eye Injury sparkled shyly, like a butterfly about to take flight.
“Any request at all?” Xiao Minghuang didn’t think much of it and answered right away, “Of course.”
Hearing this, Ye Ruoshui seemed even more excited.
Without a moment’s hesitation, she dove straight into the sea of knowledge.
Seeing this, Xiao Minghuang couldn’t help but show a satisfied smile.
“Trying to get a kid to study hard—just forcing them doesn’t work.
You really need to tempt them with rewards!”
…
【Ding!】
【Gifted Opportunity/Chance/Serendipity successfully!】
【Congratulations, host, you’ve triggered a thousandfold Critical Hit/Bonus compensation and obtained the Earth Rank top-grade Martial Art “Beidou Seven Stars Sword Technique”!】
Back in the Cultivation Room, the System’s voice rang out.
“My luck is as good as ever!” Xiao Minghuang grinned smugly.
With a thought, a Book appeared in her hand.
The Book was a pale gold color, glowing faintly, like a distant Star shining with a deep, mysterious brilliance.
“An Earth Rank top-grade Martial Art—there probably isn’t a second one like this in the entire Southern Territory!” Xiao Minghuang smiled.
Cultivation Methods and Martial Arts are different, but they complement each other.
The three great Sects all have Earth Rank Cultivation Methods, but none have Earth Rank Martial Arts, showing just how much rarer Martial Arts are.
After getting the Earth Rank Martial Art, Xiao Minghuang immediately began to study it.
She pressed the golden Book to her forehead.
In an instant, her mind sank into it, as if she’d entered a mysterious, unknown Life world.
Here, the sky was filled with endless, dazzling Stars.
Among these brilliant stars, seven hung in the far northern Star Emptiness in the shape of a ladle.
These seven Stars, with special significance, were called the Beidou Seven Stars.
They represented the most terrifying Fate/Destiny among all the stars.
Death as the main theme! Those distant and beautiful Beidou Seven Stars had stood in the depths of the Star Emptiness since time immemorial, always shining, never fading.
But above the Beidou Seven Stars, a Star even more dazzling and profound suddenly rose, brighter and more radiant, as if it were Eternity Immortal!
Just as Xiao Minghuang was lost in the beauty, unable to tear herself away—
The endless Stars suddenly vanished, and everything around her returned to normal.
In the Cultivation Room, Xiao Minghuang’s eyes were dazed.
The memories belonging to the Stars poured into her mind without missing a single detail.
The dazzling, endless Stars; the Beidou Seven Stars radiating boundless killing intent amid infinite beauty; the brilliant light of the North Star, like a fleeting Eternity—all of it became part of her memory.
Though she hadn’t taken a single step out of this Room, it felt as if she’d been baptized by that starry sky, as if she’d personally traveled the Universe’s Star Emptiness and witnessed that deadly beauty.
Xiao Minghuang let out a deep breath.
After thinking for a moment, she said decisively, “The ‘Beidou Seven Stars Sword Technique’ is definitely not just an Earth Rank Martial Art!”
That moment of Enlightenment had almost taken her to another world, giving her a new set of memories—far beyond what any Earth Rank Martial Art should be capable of.
Even when she cultivated the Heaven-Rank Supreme-Grade Cultivation Method “Purple Star Imperial Path Scripture,” she’d never had such a magical experience.
After thinking it over, Xiao Minghuang guessed that the “Purple Star Imperial Path Scripture” and the “Beidou Seven Stars Sword Technique” were highly compatible, creating some kind of resonance that pulled her into the vision.
But that was just her guess—she couldn’t be sure if it was true.
Either way, Xiao Minghuang’s strength was now on a whole new level.
She steadied herself, raised her hand, and extended a slender, fair index finger.
With a thought, a point of golden Starlight flickered at her fingertip.
Within the dazzling Starlight, a boundless killing intent flashed.
“Just one session of Cultivation, and the ‘Beidou Seven Stars Sword’ is already at Major Accomplishment.
If I told anyone about this kind of progress, no one would believe it!” Xiao Minghuang had a hunch that the resonance between the “Purple Star Imperial Path Scripture” and the “Beidou Seven Stars Sword Technique” made their combined power far exceed her expectations.
“If only I had a chance to test out the power of this Martial Art.”
Xiao Minghuang muttered to herself, then left the Cultivation Room.
Glancing at the morning sun rising in the east, Xiao Minghuang murmured, “I wonder how long I spent in Seclusion this time?”
“Ninth Your Highness, you’ve been in Seclusion for a whole month.”
A sharp, feminine voice suddenly rang out.
Xiao Minghuang’s heart skipped a beat.
She looked over and saw an unexpected guest.
Great Eunuch Wang Jin was standing in the small Pavilion in the Courtyard, smiling as he said, “Ninth Your Highness, your perseverance is impressive.
I’ve been waiting here for a month.”
Hearing this, Xiao Minghuang was a little surprised.
She hadn’t realized this Seclusion had taken so long.
Seeing her expression, Wang Jin said, “Ninth Your Highness, there’s no need to be surprised.
Cultivators going into Seclusion for training is normal.
The higher the Cultivation, the longer the Seclusion.
For Divine Sea Realm Cultivators, it’s common for a single Seclusion to last thirty to fifty years.”
Wang Jin was at the Sixth Level of the Divine Sea Realm.
Among all the Divine Sea Realm experts in Great Xia, only the Xia Emperor and Prince Wu’an were above him, so Xiao Minghuang respected him greatly.
“Sorry to keep you waiting, Eunuch.
Is there an Imperial Decree from Father?”
Wang Jin shook his head slightly.
“His Majesty has no Imperial Decree.
He just told me to protect Ninth Your Highness before the Grand Competition, to prevent any accidents.”
“Also, His Majesty went into Seclusion a month ago, preparing to break through to the Spirit Seed Realm.”
Hearing this, Xiao Minghuang frowned slightly.
The Xia Emperor ordering Wang Jin to protect her was expected.
After all, if someone secretly got rid of her before the Grand Competition, there’d be no need for the Competition at all—they could just make the Second Prince the Crown Prince/Heir Apparent right away.
The news of the Xia Emperor’s Seclusion caught her off guard.
“Now that Great Xia is in turmoil, surrounded by powerful enemies, why would Father go into Seclusion at a time like this…” Xiao Minghuang muttered to herself.
After thinking for a moment, she suddenly understood.
The so-called Grand Competition didn’t necessarily have to be decided six months later.
It had already begun the moment the order was given a month ago.
