“Another Profound-grade top-tier spirit root!”
Everyone present cried out again, some rubbing their eyes in disbelief.
To witness a Profound-grade top-tier spirit root appear twice in a single day—such a scene might not occur even once in several hundred years.
“Two geniuses with Profound-grade top-tier spirit roots… Great Xia is about to rise again!”
An elderly man with graying hair sighed emotionally.
“This morning I saw divine light filling the heavens. Was that phenomenon caused by these two geniuses?”
A young martial artist asked curiously.
“No. The phenomenon this morning was called Five-colored Divine Radiance, shining over all the heavens. That was the omen of a Five Elements spirit root being born. It far surpasses an ordinary Profound-grade top-tier spirit root.”
A knowledgeable senior martial artist explained.
At his words, everyone present sucked in a sharp breath.
In their eyes, a Profound-grade top-tier spirit root was already transcendent and peerless—yet the Five Elements spirit root was said to be far above such a level of talent. Then just who was the one blessed with a Five Elements spirit root?
Thinking of this, everyone unconsciously turned their gazes toward the girl standing in the center of the three graceful figures.
After all, for two girls with Profound-grade top-tier spirit roots to stand by her side and flank her like stars around the moon, the one in the middle was almost certainly more gifted than either of them.
They watched as—
The girl in the central position reached out a slender, jade-like hand, crystal clear as if carved from white jade, and lightly pressed it onto the spirit-testing disc.
In the next instant—
A brilliant spray of multicolored radiance shot straight into the sky. Five-colored divine light flooded the heavens, dense Five Elements spiritual qi billowed across the entire martial arena, and every martial artist present was visibly moved.
“Five-colored Divine Radiance, shining over the heavens!”
“It really is a Five Elements spirit root! A peerless talent unseen since ancient times has actually appeared today!”
To everyone here, the Five Elements spirit root had always been something out of legend—everyone had heard of it, but no one had ever seen it with their own eyes.
Now, as this dazzling five-colored light reappeared before them, they finally confirmed it: in Beiyang City, a heaven-defying prodigy had truly emerged.
Someone born with a Five Elements spirit root was fated to achieve the Primordial Embryo Realm—a peerless genius!
“Although it’s a Five Elements spirit root… it’s only Profound-grade low-tier. What a pity…”
An old man with white hair sighed softly, regret written all over his face.
“A Five Elements spirit root is something unseen for ages. Even if it’s only Profound-grade low-tier, so what? Why are you lamenting, elder?”
A teenage martial artist asked in confusion.
“Youth, there are things you do not yet understand. A Profound-grade low-tier Five Elements spirit root is indeed extraordinary, but at best it only compares to an ordinary Earth-grade mid-tier spirit root.”
The white-haired elder explained.
“That’s right. While a Five Elements spirit root is rare, that’s only within our Great Xia. As far as I know, in the Dragon-Tiger Sect—one of the three great sects—their core personal disciple also possesses a Profound-grade low-tier Five Elements spirit root. His cultivation progress is comparable to someone with an Earth-grade mid-tier spirit root.”
A broad-shouldered, weathered middle-aged man spoke up.
Hearing this, the crowd could not help feeling a sense of regret. If this girl had possessed a Profound-grade mid-tier spirit root, she would be able to overshadow Dragon-Tiger Sect. Once she grew up, she would surely sweep the entire Southern Region and restore Great Xia’s former glory.
On the stage—
Xiao Minghuang swept her gaze across the crowd, taking in the expressions on every face. A faint smile flashed in her eyes.
Everything before her was entirely within her control.
First, she had nurtured a Five Elements spirit root and triggered a heavenly phenomenon. Every martial artist in Great Xia had seen it with their own eyes; there was no way to hide it, so it was better to acknowledge it openly rather than try to conceal it.
But as for the grade of her spirit root—that could be obscured from the heavens and fabricated as needed.
Now that everyone believed she only had a Profound-grade low-tier spirit root, that suited her perfectly.
If her true talent were exposed, the mere title of “Heaven-grade spirit root” would be enough to invite endless trouble.
If she had the backing of an immortal imperial dynasty, she would have nothing to fear.
But Great Xia as it stood now had long since declined. It barely had the strength to protect itself, much less shelter her.
If some old monster in the Primordial Embryo Realm chose to disregard his status and strike from the shadows to kill her, then even hiding inside the imperial capital would leave her in constant fear for her life.
Rather than cultivate under that kind of anxiety, it was far better to conceal her true talent.
She understood perfectly well the saying: “The tree that stands out in the forest is the first to be felled by the wind.”
“However…”
Xiao Minghuang turned her gaze toward Lin Wanqiu, a trace of puzzlement flickering in her pupils.
“With the Wuzang Lingyuan Pill’s medicinal force being that strong, it only raised Wanqiu’s spirit root to a Profound-grade top-tier. It didn’t transform it into a Five Elements spirit root. Why is that?”
According to her expectations, the power of the Wuzang Lingyuan Pill should have been enough to elevate Lin Wanqiu’s aptitude to the level of an Earth-grade mid-tier spirit root. Yet the reality before her eyes did not match that prediction.
Moreover, even now, the pointer of her Fortune Compass still pointed unerringly at Lin Wanqiu.
That meant there were still opportunities on Lin Wanqiu’s body that she had yet to uncover.
As she pondered—
Lin Zhengquan arrived at the martial arena, bringing with him the heirs of the three great clans.
Xiao Minghuang cast a glance at these so-called heirs. Their steps were unsteady, their auras scattered—one look and she could tell they were all hollowed out by wine and women, utterly unfit for any serious cultivation.
“City Lord Lin, if you send this sort of people to represent Beiyang City, there’s no chance of victory at all.”
She did not bother to spare them the slightest dignity. The faces of the three clan heirs all went stiff and awkward. Normally, they threw their weight around like tyrants, but in front of the Ninth Princess they did not even dare to fart.
After all, this was the noble figure whom even their clan heads treated with utmost respect and caution.
Lin Zhengquan also wore an embarrassed expression, unsure how to respond.
Xiao Minghuang spoke calmly:
“For the Spirit Vein tournament, I, Ruoshui, and Wanqiu will take the field. Three against five—though it changes the rules, having fewer against more favors the Golden Elephant Nation. They should be willing to agree.”
“Yes! This subject will make arrangements at once.”
Knowing he was in the wrong, Lin Zhengquan didn’t dare argue. He immediately agreed.
Hearing that Xiao Minghuang would personally lead them into battle, both Ye and Lin’s girls were overjoyed.
They had received many gifts from Xiao Minghuang, and their strength had increased dramatically. They had long wanted a chance to show off their abilities, so that Xiao Minghuang could see how much they had improved. Now that there was an opportunity to fight, they naturally couldn’t ask for more.
Seeing the joy on the faces of Ye Ruoshui and Lin Wanqiu, Xiao Minghuang reached out and ruffled both their heads with a smile.
“Since we’ve decided to fight, then with the three days we have left, we’ll hammer your martial skills into shape.”
Both girls nodded repeatedly.
After that, Xiao Minghuang sparred with them one after the other.
She was very pleased with the strength Lin Wanqiu displayed. Within the Body Tempering Realm, as long as she didn’t meet someone like Xiao Minghuang herself—who had reached the extreme of the twelfth layer of Body Tempering—Lin Wanqiu had absolute confidence of victory.
As for Ye Ruoshui, she was somewhat less impressive.
During their bout, Ye Ruoshui could barely even hold her sword properly. The moment she stepped onto the field, she charged straight at Xiao Minghuang in a blind rush.
Xiao Minghuang simply sidestepped, and Ye Ruoshui, putting in far too much force, pitched forward and fell flat on her face. The longsword in her hand flew out and clattered away.
Ye Ruoshui scrambled up from the ground, covered in dust and looking pitiful.
“Your Highness… am I really that stupid…?”
Xiao Minghuang gently smoothed Ye Ruoshui’s messy hair, then casually cast a Clean Garment spell to sweep the dust from her clothes. She sighed softly.
“You’re not stupid at all. The road ahead is long. You’ll learn slowly.”
Ye Ruoshui’s performance was entirely within her expectations. After all, the little girl had never practiced martial arts before. Her cultivation had come purely from the pills Xiao Minghuang had given her.
However, since she had already decided to let Ye Ruoshui go on stage, the girl at least needed to look the part. She could not be allowed to make a fool of herself in front of others.
After that, Xiao Minghuang focused on teaching Ye Ruoshui the most basic martial skills.
She did not touch on any profound techniques—just simple sword fundamentals like holding the sword, chopping, slashing, thrusting, and lifting.
From time to time, Lin Wanqiu would also give Ye Ruoshui pointers.
Though her cultivation was far below Xiao Minghuang’s, Lin Wanqiu’s martial foundation was extremely solid. And since she was in the same realm as Ye Ruoshui, giving guidance came even more naturally to her. Compared to Xiao Minghuang’s instruction, Lin Wanqiu’s guidance was actually more effective.
So, from the second day onward, Xiao Minghuang no longer acted as Ye Ruoshui’s martial instructor and instead left that responsibility to Lin Wanqiu.
In just three short days, Ye Ruoshui’s martial skills improved by leaps and bounds, and her strength soared.
On the night of the third day, she was already able to defeat martial artists at the eighth layer of Body Tempering within the martial arena.
On the surface, it looked simple—Body Tempering peak beating Body Tempering eighth layer seemed only natural.
But one had to remember: just three days earlier, Ye Ruoshui had been a clueless girl who couldn’t even hold a sword steady.
After only three days of training, she could defeat martial artists who had devoted themselves to martial cultivation for decades. Aside from the advantage in cultivation level, her own comprehension and talent clearly played a huge role.
On top of that, Lin Wanqiu’s patient instruction had also contributed greatly.
With three days of teacher-student bond between them, and with Lin Wanqiu deliberately trying to improve her relationship with Ye Ruoshui, the feelings between the two had warmed rapidly.
All of this, however, was unknown to Xiao Minghuang.
From the second day onward, after entrusting Ye Ruoshui’s training to Lin Wanqiu, she had shut herself away in seclusion to meditate.
After taking the Wuzang Lingyuan Pill, she felt her comprehension had increased greatly. She had gained new insights into both the Purple Tenuity Imperial Dao Scripture and the Big Dipper Seven Stars Sword Art. She needed to go into seclusion and integrate these insights as quickly as possible—there might just be a breakthrough waiting on the other side.
