All sorts of guesses flashed through Seventh Prince’s mind, but he dismissed them one by one.
He’d considered that Xiao Minghuang might have had a breakthrough, but immediately rejected the idea.
After all, Xiao Minghuang’s talent was about the same as his, and she’d been seriously injured—how could she possibly break through so easily? If Xiao Minghuang wasn’t just barely holding on, then she must have some kind of magical artifact that could shield her from pressure.
Under normal circumstances, Seventh Prince might have thought about backing out at this point, but right before he left, Second Prince had personally told him:
“I’ve already been chosen as the successor by the Old Ancestor of the Spirit Seed Realm.
Even Father can’t do anything to me now, so this time, you must find out Ninth Sister’s true strength.
This isn’t just for us brothers—it’s for the fate of Great Xia!”
The reason behind this didn’t need to be spelled out by Second Prince; Seventh Prince understood perfectly.
The Old Ancestor favored Second Prince, while the Xia Emperor favored the Ninth Princess.
These two big shots were at odds, fighting their own battle behind the scenes.
Of course, Seventh Prince supported Second Prince—not just because they shared the same mother, but also because the Old Ancestor was in the Spirit Seed Realm, while the Xia Emperor was only in the Divine Sea Realm.
The Xia Emperor’s arm could never twist the Old Ancestor’s thigh!
Thinking of this, Seventh Prince’s thoughts cleared up and everything made sense.
Seventh Prince looked at Xiao Minghuang, who was standing not far away, and said with ill intent, “It’s been a few days since we last met, Ninth Sister.
Your cultivation seems to have improved.
I’d like to spar with you—would you do me the honor?”
Seeing Seventh Prince suddenly change his attitude, Xiao Minghuang frowned slightly.
“You say you want to spar, and I’m just supposed to agree? Why should I?”
Seventh Prince’s eyelid twitched, but he suppressed his anger and kept his tone pleasant.
“Then, according to you, how should we do this?”
“There should at least be a wager.
If you lose, what will you do?”
Seventh Prince raised an eyebrow—finally, she’d taken the bait.
“If I lose, I’ll give you ten spirit stones.
How about that?”
At these words, everyone was shocked.
Ten spirit stones—that was almost a year’s allowance for a royal family member!
But Xiao Minghuang just shook her head.
“Too little.
Not enough.”
Seventh Prince took a deep breath, trying not to lose his temper, and gritted his teeth.
“Thirty spirit stones, plus one Rising Essence Pill!”
At that, everyone gasped.
Never mind the thirty spirit stones—just the Rising Essence Pill alone was incredibly precious!
The Rising Essence Pill was a top-grade yellow pill, packed with pure spiritual energy, able to rapidly boost cultivation!
In all of Great Xia, only one highly respected royal family elder could make them, and only a hundred pills were produced each year!
Those hundred pills had to be shared among many royal elders or given as rewards to meritorious officials.
For a junior like Xiao Minghuang, there was no way she’d ever get one.
But Seventh Prince actually had one of these priceless Rising Essence Pills in his hand!
This shocked everyone present.
“The year I came of age, Second Brother gave me a Rising Essence Pill.
If you win this fight, the pill is yours!”
Seventh Prince’s eyes were sharp, staring unblinkingly at Xiao Minghuang, a strange light flickering in his pupils.
The next moment, Seventh Prince held out his hand, revealing a small jade bottle.
He gently pulled out the stopper, and a rich, sweet medicinal fragrance instantly filled the air.
Everyone present felt their own cultivation improve just from smelling it.
The Rising Essence Pill was famous throughout Great Xia—a symbol of status, power, and strength.
Xiao Minghuang had heard of it long ago.
Seeing that she’d provoked him enough, Xiao Minghuang smiled and said,
“In that case, it’s my honor to spar with Seventh Brother.”
…
Martial Arts Arena.
Xiao Minghuang stood on the arena, with Seventh Prince facing her from a short distance away.
Outside the ring, a crowd of imperial clan juniors watched the match.
Ye Ruoshui had also come along to cheer for her Highness.
Looking at the slender Xiao Minghuang, Seventh Prince grinned and said,
“Ninth Sister, it’s not too late to admit defeat now.
Otherwise, when fists start flying, I can’t guarantee I won’t injure you again.”
“Oh? Then you’d better be careful, Brother, or I might finish you off in one move.”
Xiao Minghuang’s lips curled up slightly, her eyes showing a hint of mockery and a lot of nonchalance.
Seventh Prince let out a cold laugh.
“Heh.”
As a body cultivator, Seventh Prince was confident that even if he faced someone a whole realm above him in the Body Tempering Realm, he wouldn’t be afraid.
He couldn’t imagine what this frail-looking Xiao Minghuang could possibly do to compete with him.
The crowd outside laughed as well.
They could believe Xiao Minghuang had some lucky encounter and recovered her cultivation, but if she could suddenly leap ahead and defeat the Body Tempering Seventh Realm Seventh Prince in one move, that was just impossible.
“Let’s see what you’ve got.”
Xiao Minghuang didn’t waste words, tossing out that line.
Seventh Prince didn’t care, just about to get into his stance—
But right then—
In just an instant, he heard a sound like something tearing through the air by his ear.
A shadow followed, appearing right in front of him.
A cold light flashed in Xiao Minghuang’s eyes as she unleashed the full power of the Body Tempering Ninth Level.
Her small, delicate fist carried the force of ninety-seven thousand two hundred jin, and she punched out hard!
Bang!!!
“Ah—!”
A dull thud rang out.
Seventh Prince screamed, flying backward like a broken kite, landing face-down on the ground, blood streaming from his seven orifices and staining the earth red.
He’d actually been sent flying by Xiao Minghuang’s punch!
With Seventh Prince at the center, the blue bricks on the ground shattered inch by inch, cracks spreading several meters out.
It was clear just how terrifyingly powerful Xiao Minghuang’s small fist was!
Everyone was completely stunned.
No one had expected the match to end so quickly.
“Seventh Prince… beaten in one punch?”
“Ninth Princess is this strong? How is that possible?”
Seventh Prince hadn’t lost consciousness after hitting the ground.
His head was spinning as he tried to get up.
But from his lower back, a force he couldn’t resist pinned him down, making it impossible to move.
Seventh Prince gritted his teeth, trying to rise, but he just couldn’t do it.
At that moment, Xiao Minghuang’s voice came from above.
“So, Brother, are you satisfied with my strength?”
After taking that punch, Seventh Prince could feel for himself that Xiao Minghuang was already at the Body Tempering Ninth Level.
He had no choice but to admit defeat.
“Sister, your strength far surpasses mine.
I lost this match.
Please, be merciful and let me go!”
Seventh Prince hated Xiao Minghuang to the core, but he had to swallow his pride and beg.
He’d been so sure of victory, but because he underestimated her, he hadn’t even had a chance to use his skills before being taken down.
He thought that if he could do it over, even if he was two realms lower, he wouldn’t lose this badly!
