From Cold Palace Princess to Heavenly Empress

No matter what, Xiao Minghuang's strength was now no longer what it had once been.

Xiao Minghuang steadied herself, raised her hand, and extended a slender, fair index finger.

At a thought, a speck of Golden Starlight flickered into existence atop her fingertip. Within its dazzling, ravishing glow lay boundless killing intent.

"After practicing the Big Dipper Seven Stars Sword Technique only once, it has already reached Major Accomplishment. If word of such progress got out, I'm afraid no one would believe it!"

A guess arose in Xiao Minghuang's heart. The Ziwei Imperial Dao Scripture and the Big Dipper Seven Stars Sword Technique had resonated with each other, complementing one another. The might they could unleash would likely far exceed her expectations.

"If only I had a chance to test the power of this martial art."

Xiao Minghuang murmured, then left the training room.

Looking at the rising morning sun in the east, Xiao Minghuang muttered, "I wonder how long I spent in seclusion this time?"

"Ninth Highness has been in seclusion for a full month."

A shrill, effeminate voice abruptly rang out.

Xiao Minghuang's heart skipped a beat. She followed the sound, only to see an unexpected visitor.

Grand Eunuch Wang Jin stood within the small pavilion in the courtyard and smiled. "Ninth Highness truly possesses remarkable perseverance. This servant has already waited here for a month."

Xiao Minghuang was slightly startled upon hearing this. Her seclusion had actually taken so long.

Seeing her expression, Wang Jin said, "Ninth Highness need not be surprised. It is common for cultivators to enter seclusion for intensive cultivation. The higher one's cultivation, the longer the seclusion. For Divine Sea Realm cultivators, a single retreat lasting thirty to fifty years is perfectly normal."

Wang Jin was at the Sixth Level Divine Sea Realm. Among all the Divine Sea Realm experts in Great Xia, he ranked second only to Emperor Xia and King Wu'an, and Xiao Minghuang held him in great respect.

"I have troubled Eunuch Wang by making you wait so long. Has Father issued some decree?"

Wang Jin shook his head slightly.

"His Majesty has issued no decree. He merely instructed this servant to protect Ninth Highness's safety before the grand competition, lest anything unforeseen occur."

"Additionally, His Majesty entered seclusion a month ago to prepare for a breakthrough into the Spirit Seed Realm."

Xiao Minghuang's beautiful brows furrowed slightly at this.

It was within her expectations that Emperor Xia had ordered Wang Jin to protect her.

After all, if someone secretly eliminated her before the grand competition, there would be no need for any contest. They could simply establish the Second Prince as Crown Prince.

But the news that Emperor Xia had entered seclusion was beyond her expectations.

"Great Xia is now battered by wind and rain, with powerful enemies watching from all sides, yet Father entered seclusion at such a critical juncture..."

Xiao Minghuang murmured to herself. After pondering for a moment, she suddenly understood.

The so-called grand competition did not necessarily have to determine a victor after half a year.

It had begun the moment the order was issued a month ago.

Marriage Pact

"There is one more matter besides this."

Wang Jin's expression turned solemn as he spoke.

"Please speak, Eunuch Wang."

"Evil cultivators have appeared near Beiyang City, Donglin City, and Western Reed City, harming innocent commoners. The city lords of those three cities must remain stationed in their cities and cannot spare themselves. They have requested aid from the imperial court, hoping it will dispatch Qi Refining Realm martial artists to eliminate the evil cultivators."

As he spoke, Wang Jin studied Xiao Minghuang.

"If this servant is not mistaken, Ninth Highness has already reached the Third Level Qi Refining Realm. Your progress is truly astonishing!"

"You flatter me, Eunuch Wang." Xiao Minghuang smiled faintly, her expression gradually turning serious. "Could you explain the matter of these evil cultivators in detail?"

Since Wang Jin had raised this matter before her in person, his meaning was already clear. He wanted her to go to one of the cities and assist in eradicating the evil cultivators endangering the region, restoring peace to its people.

"The matter is like this..."

Wang Jin gave a concise account of the events.

Since news of Emperor Xia's seclusion had spread a month ago, evil cultivators who had originally hidden in the shadows had emerged one after another, frequently abducting ordinary people to cultivate their evil arts.

The city lords across the land had to remain in their main cities, guarding against unforeseen incidents, and could not spare themselves.

In other regions, the imperial court had dispatched higher-cultivated enshrined experts to aid in the extermination. The evil cultivators appearing in Beiyang City, Donglin City, and Western Reed City were comparatively weak, so the Imperial Family Enshrined had discussed treating this incident as a trial.

Several princes of the court would all be sent out to deal with the unrest caused by the evil cultivators.

Xiao Minghuang had grown up in the deep palace and knew nothing of matters beyond the court. Before handling such affairs, she needed to gather the facts in advance.

"In Eunuch Wang's opinion, which city would be best for me to assist in clearing out the evil cultivators?"

Xiao Minghuang asked.

Before entering seclusion, Emperor Xia had entrusted Wang Jin with the important task of protecting her safety. This showed that Wang Jin was someone worthy of trust, so Xiao Minghuang asked him directly.

"Among the three cities, the evil cultivators in Donglin City are the strongest. It is said they are approaching the Spring Gushing Realm, and the enshrined experts have already assigned the Second Prince there."

"As for the remaining Beiyang City and Western Reed City, their situations are more or less the same. Going to either makes little difference."

At this point, Wang Jin paused.

"But if Ninth Highness goes to Beiyang City, it would be more suitable for you."

Xiao Minghuang asked, "What do you mean?"

Wang Jin smiled.

"Ninth Highness truly forgets matters that do not concern you. Back then, the old Beiyang City Lord was close friends with His Majesty. They once arranged a marriage pact while their children were still unborn, agreeing that regardless of whether their descendants were sons or daughters, they would be joined in marriage. Counting the years, the old Beiyang City Lord's grandchild should now be about Ninth Highness's age."

Only after Wang Jin's reminder did Xiao Minghuang recall that there did indeed seem to be such a matter.

"The old Beiyang City Lord has been dead for many years. The current Beiyang City Lord has never associated with Father, and I have never met Beiyang City's son. It would be best not to mention this marriage pact."

Xiao Minghuang had no intention of marrying. Having little Ruoshui was enough for her.

"Still, it would be good to make a trip to Beiyang City. I can take this opportunity to cancel the marriage pact, so as to avoid unnecessary trouble in the future."

Seeing that the Ninth Princess had already made up her mind, Wang Jin found it inconvenient to say more. He merely smiled. "In that case, this servant will inform the enshrined experts that Ninth Highness will head to Beiyang City to assist in the extermination."

"I will trouble Eunuch Wang to make the trip."

Xiao Minghuang clasped her hands.

"It is only a small matter."

As his words fell, Wang Jin's figure flashed. Like a streaming rainbow, he shot into the sky and vanished in the blink of an eye.

Seeing this, Xiao Minghuang could not help but sigh.

"Divine Sea Realm cultivators can fly through the heavens and burrow through the earth. It truly makes one yearn for such power."

The streaming rainbow leaping through the sky abruptly halted, then turned back and descended to the ground.

Wang Jin revealed himself, apologetically taking out a small pouch and handing it to Xiao Minghuang.

"I am getting old, and my memory grows worse by the day. This is a storage pouch His Majesty has bestowed upon Ninth Highness. It contains some cultivation resources. Please accept it, Ninth Highness!"

"A storage pouch?"

Xiao Minghuang took the storage pouch and offered her thanks.

After giving her the storage pouch, Wang Jin continued.

"For this journey to Beiyang City, this servant will secretly accompany and protect you along the way, lest villains attempt to harm Ninth Highness!"

Xiao Minghuang clasped her hands.

"Then I must thank Eunuch Wang."

"Ninth Highness is too courteous."

Leaving behind those words, Wang Jin's figure flashed and disappeared.

Xiao Minghuang knew that, as an elder, Wang Jin would not pry into her private affairs or show himself under ordinary circumstances. As for this trial, she would still have to rely entirely on herself.

Next, Xiao Minghuang turned her attention to the storage pouch. Following the method recorded in the books, she sent her spiritual sense into it.

The sight before her caused a flicker of surprise to flash through Xiao Minghuang's pupils.

"So many spirit stones and pills—Emperor Xia has truly paid a heavy price!"

Inside the storage pouch were spirit stones piled like a small mountain, crystal-clear and radiating incomparably dense spiritual energy. Merely breathing in their scent made one feel as though their bottleneck had loosened.

Besides that, many bottles of different pills sat on the other side, each with a label affixed to it.

"Qi Replenishing Pill, Qi Boosting Pill, Strength Pill, Blood Nourishing Pill..."

When Xiao Minghuang's spiritual sense passed over the last bottle, shock surfaced in her eyes once more.

"There is actually an entire bottle of Ascension Yuan Pills!"

Xiao Minghuang could not help but twitch the corner of her mouth, her peerless face filled with astonishment.

"Emperor Xia has truly gone all out. He directly gave me ten of the precious Ascension Yuan Pills!"

More than a month ago, when she had wagered a battle against the Seventh Prince, she had won only one Ascension Yuan Pill. Yet this time, Emperor Xia had taken out ten at once and given them directly to her!

Before this, the relationship between Emperor Xia and her could not be considered close at all.

Though they were father and daughter, in the fourteen years since her birth, the number of times she had seen Emperor Xia could be counted on one hand. No one would believe they shared any deep father-daughter affection.

"Then there is only one possibility!"

Xiao Minghuang's gaze flickered. After pondering for a moment, she reached a conclusion.

"Emperor Xia is making an investment. He believes I am the most likely to win, so he chose me."

But thinking deeper, perhaps that was not the case.

Emperor Xia had not actually made a choice at all.

The Second Prince was already at the peak of the Qi Refining Realm, only half a step away from breaking through to the Spring Gushing Realm. With King Wu'an behind him, every court official followed his lead. The only thing Emperor Xia could give him was the throne.

And even if he truly gave the throne to the Second Prince—

the Second Prince might not be grateful to Emperor Xia.

Even if Emperor Xia did not give it to him, the throne would sooner or later belong to the Second Prince anyway.

But the same method, when used on Xiao Minghuang, would be immensely effective.

She had no power backing her. Any small favor Emperor Xia bestowed upon her would be infinitely magnified, making her deeply grateful to him.

What truly puzzled Xiao Minghuang was why Emperor Xia had not chosen the Sixth Prince, but her instead.

Xiao Minghuang thought it over repeatedly but could not make heads or tails of it, so she simply stopped thinking about it.

"The matter in Beiyang City is what matters most right now."

According to Wang Jin, Beiyang City lay in the north and bordered the Golden Elephant Kingdom. Conflicts frequently erupted between the two nations, and warfare never ceased.

The chaotic situation nourished the space in which evil cultivators could survive.

If the realm were peaceful and the four directions stable, where would these evil cultivators find room to survive?

But this trip abroad was also an opportunity for Xiao Minghuang.

There were no opportunities left in the Great Xia Capital. It was just the right time to go out and look around; perhaps she might encounter one.

As for the spirit stones and pills bestowed by Emperor Xia, Xiao Minghuang planned to give them all to Ye Ruoshui.

After transmigrating into Anna, the villainous Witch from the game "Dawn's Light"—

the system told me that I could return home only after completing all of Witch Anna's storylines.

Yet on the eve of the final storyline, "The Witch's Death," the system suddenly grabbed its bucket and ran away.

And so, I was killed by the hero.

When I awakened once more in the darkness, the hero was excitedly hugging me.