Chapter 134
This long river runs almost through the entire territory of the Great Xia, sustaining Great Xia of millions of people.
Prior to this, Xiao Minghuang had no idea that there was an opportunity at the bottom of the river.
She brought up the system panel.
[Deep beneath the riverbed, thirty miles below the silt, lies a fragment of a low-grade earth-level magic weapon.]
[Four hundred li from here, fifty li beneath the mud and sand, lies a Thousand-Year Washing Silk Grass.]
[Three hundred miles from here, on the riverbed, among the coral reefs, lies an Eight Hundred Year Jade Water Pearl.]
[Four hundred and fifty li from here...]
Looking at the various colored opportunities on the system panel, Xiao Minghuang felt pleased, and a smile appeared on her lips.
"It seems that as my strength increases, the opportunities I can trigger are also gradually increasing."
Over the past three days, guided by the system's Treasure Seeking Compass and the Destiny/Fate of some cultivators, Xiao Minghuang discovered many opportunities.
She naturally accepted any opportunities that were not yet predetermined by her Destiny/Fate without any objection.
However, such opportunities that are not related to a cultivator's Destiny/Fate are often of low quality, almost always white, and of little use.
Only those opportunities that are related to a cultivator's Destiny/Fate will present green, blue, or even purple opportunities.
146. The Memory of the Stars; Great Danger
After three days of exploration, Xiao Minghuang only discovered one purple opportunity.
It is the leading one, and deep within the riverbed, lies a fragment of a low-grade magic weapon.
"The Way of Karma is elusive, but it cannot be ignored. Although rare and precious treasures are reserved for the capable and first come, first served, those who seize them will inevitably bear the consequences. If I do not wish to be entangled by troubles that may come from nowhere in the future, I will try my best to settle my karmic debts while acquiring opportunities."
Xiao Minghuang pondered for a moment, then immediately put it into action.
She categorized the opportunities she encountered into two types.
All opportunities for male cultivators are converted into spirit stones and pills and given to them as gifts, as if they were purchased.
Whenever a female cultivator has an opportunity, she tries her best to give the item to her in exchange for compensation from the system.
Only when there is a truly unavoidable opportunity to give something away will she offer it as a gift in exchange for spirit stones or pills, trying her best to avoid getting involved in unnecessary karma.
Xiao Minghuang had a premonition that her caution, though it might not be of any use now, might bring unexpected benefits in the future.
Although she lost some spirit stones, it was nothing more than a drop in the ocean for her.
After a moment's thought, Xiao Minghuang composed herself, gazed at the surging river flowing eastward, and leaped into the water.
The riverbed is full of silt, accumulated over countless long years.
Xiao Minghuang raised a layer of protective spiritual Spiritual Qi to avoid the mud and sand, and continued to descend.
The deeper she went, the stronger the oppressive feeling became. The pressure from countless massive sands and mud was like a towering mountain pressing down on her head. If her strength hadn't been comparable to that of the Divine Sea Realm, she probably wouldn't have been able to hold on for even a single breath.
Xiao Minghuang focused her mind and concentrated on circulating her spiritual energy, navigating the mud and sand at the bottom of the river for about fifteen minutes.
As she delved deeper, she could see through the system panel that she was getting closer and closer to her opportunity.
Not long after.
Clumps of mud and sand were squeezed apart by her spiritual power, and a cavity, only a little over a meter tall, emerged from the mud and sand.
"Did we finally find it...?"
Xiao Minghuang murmured to herself. What came into view was a ball of light emitting a faint white mist, which seemed to isolate the flow of energy between the inside and outside. Even though she had seen it with her own eyes, she still could not sense its existence.
"If it weren't for the system's guidance, I probably would never have found this opportunity in my entire life."
Xiao Minghuang sighed, then extended her spiritual power, condensing it into a large, crystal-clear hand, which she then embraced.
As soon as the ball of light entered her palm, an ancient and weathered aura wafted over her, giving her a strange sense of familiarity, as if her family was calling to her.
This feeling was so gentle and soothing that she sensed no threat whatsoever.
She obeyed the call and immersed her consciousness into the ball of light, immediately feeling a strange connection established between herself and the ball of light.
"Um?"
Xiao Minghuang was surprised.
What's going on?
Just as she was wondering what was going on, she suddenly felt dizzy and then fell into darkness.
In a short while...
It felt like millions of years had passed.
When Xiao Minghuang opened her eyes again, it was as if a thousand lifetimes had passed.
What came into view was an endless universe sparkling with countless stars, dazzling to the extreme.
Against the backdrop of the pitch-black void, adorned with countless stars, it resembles a scroll painting that reveals the most profound and mysterious truths of the universe, captivating and enchanting visitors.
She stood in this universe, and the dazzling stars reflected in her eyes, so beautiful that she didn't want to blink.
This is?
Xiao Minghuang was somewhat shocked.
After a brief moment of shock, she realized that it was that strange fragment of a magical artifact that had transported her to this universe.
She had reason to believe that a mere fragment of a low-grade magic weapon should not possess such immense power, allowing her to traverse the void and travel the universe.
But everything before my eyes felt so real, as if I had truly arrived in the boundless universe.
Standing in this vast starry sky, she felt like a speck of dust, so insignificant that she could be blown away and turned into dust at any moment.
The scenery here is truly breathtaking.
But she knew in her heart that this was probably some kind of illusion created by fragments of a magical artifact, or perhaps a realization, and should not be taken as reality.
If she becomes truly addicted to it, she may suffer some unknown harm.
Or perhaps, to remain forever.
As expected.
As her emotions gradually calmed down, she clearly told herself that everything before her eyes was nothing but an illusion.
As she continued to gain clarity within herself, the countless stars before her, the boundless starry sky, slowly dissipated like a mirage.
When she opened her eyes again, she was back at the bottom of that deep, muddy river.
In her palm lay a fragment no bigger than her hand, its texture delicate and smooth, yet it was not made of ordinary silk. It seemed to have been made of some kind of mystical material, or perhaps some precious mineral, but to the naked eye it appeared plain and unadorned.
"This fragment of a magical artifact must have an extraordinary origin."
Xiao Minghuang's eyes flashed, and almost instantly she thought of the two martial arts techniques she had learned.
The Ziwei Imperial Dao Scripture and the Big Dipper Seven Stars Sword Technique!
As her cultivation level improved, she became almost certain that these two cultivation techniques must have originated from the same source.
Because whenever she uses the Daytime Star Manifestation, it draws upon the power of the Big Dipper, and the resulting enhancement is not as simple as one plus one equals two.
It is one squared times!
Now, this mysterious fragment of a magical artifact suddenly transported her to a starry sky.
This starry sky is so similar to the one she encountered when she first comprehended the Big Dipper Seven Stars Sword Technique. How could it be explained if there were no connection between them?
In conclusion, Xiao Minghuang believes that this fragment of magic weapon should have some connection with the cultivation technique she practices, but it has not yet been discovered.
However, as her cultivation level increases, these mysteries will be solved sooner or later, so there's no need to worry about them too much.
Her top priority remains improving her strength.
While pondering, Xiao Minghuang put the fragments of the magic weapon into her storage bag.
Although this fragment of magic weapon is mysterious and unpredictable, it is still just a fragment, and its power is only one-tenth of what it once was. Even if it is activated at full power, it is probably only comparable to Profound Tier Top Grade Magic Treasure at most.
All things considered, the Mountain River Town Mountain Seal in her possession is still more powerful.
After all, this magical artifact can leverage the power of destiny, perfectly matching her Golden Crown of Destiny. When facing an enemy, it naturally suppresses the opponent and allows her to unleash even greater combat power.
"Right now, the strongest combat power I can unleash outside of Great Xia is at most enough to defeat someone at the Divine Sea Third Layer. If I were to encounter someone at the Divine Sea Fourth Layer, although I could rival them, I would probably find it difficult to defeat them, let alone kill them."
Xiao Minghuang pondered for a moment, her delicate brows furrowing slightly, a hint of doubt flashing in her eyes.
After all, the secret realm will open in two months, and those who will compete with her will not be the martial artists within the Great Xia territory, nor the princes of the royal family, but the cultivators of the entire Southern Border!
Even disciples from the Three Great Sects will participate.
"Before leaving the capital, I heard that the direct disciples of the Three Great Sects would also personally go to the secret realm..."
Prior to this, she had heard that the direct disciples of the Three Great Sects had all gone into seclusion to cultivate in preparation for the upcoming opening of the secret realm.
Now, almost two months have passed.
If we add the next two months, until the secret realm opens, then it will be a total of four months.
Given the resources of the Three Great Sects, they would spare no effort to help their disciples improve their cultivation so that they could gain the greatest benefit in the secret realm.
Xiao Minghuang rarely heard any news about the Spirit Sword Sect and the Beast Taming Sect.
However, news about the Dragon Tiger Sect, especially the rumors about its true disciple Xue Wushang, had already spread like wildfire throughout the Great Xia and even the Thirty-Six Kingdoms!
It is said that he had already reached the Spring Gushing Peak Realm before he went into seclusion.
Such talent is already extremely terrifying.
After another four months of seclusion, it's unimaginable how much his strength will improve.
Although she can now defeat opponents at the Divine Sea Third Layer, that is based on the premise that the opponent does not have a magic weapon of the same level as her.
If her opponent also unleashes a level-one magic weapon, then both sides will be back on equal footing, and her advantage will be greatly reduced.
However, she has no fear whatsoever.
Because she won't be idle during the remaining two months.
Xiao Minghuang's lips curled up slightly, a smile appearing in his eyes. Then, he leaped forward, breaking through the mud and sand, and drifted downstream towards his next opportunity.
Half a month passed in the blink of an eye.
On the banks of a mighty river, in a picturesque restaurant, a woman in a light red dress leans against the railing. On the table beside her sits a half-finished cup of tea, wisps of steam rising gently, dispelling the chill of late autumn.
The woman's face was stunningly beautiful, and her demeanor was noble and otherworldly. As she leaned against the railing and gazed into the Banished Immortal Descends, attracting the attention of everyone present.
"What a beautiful girl! It's my great honor to meet you today..."
"I only regret that I couldn't be thirty years younger..."
"Although I am a woman, my heart is pounding!"
Most of the people present were refined individuals who had come to admire the scenery, and they were all young talents from nearby cities, including men and women, as well as senior figures who had already achieved success and fame for many years.
But no matter who it is, the moment they see the woman, they are captivated by her stunning beauty and noble demeanor.
Such a beauty should only exist in heaven; how could one hear of such a thing on earth?
Countless people looked on with amazement, yet not a single person dared to step forward and strike up a conversation with him.
Time passed by, second by second.
The tea on the table gradually dwindled to almost nothing.
Finally.
A pretty girl, who looked about fifteen or sixteen years old, mustered her courage, blushed, and stepped out of the crowd towards the woman's location.
Although she had come out, she was still very shy and walked with her head down the whole way.
When the corner of the table came into her view, she looked up abruptly, but what she saw was not that unforgettable, stunningly beautiful face...
Rather, it is.
Between the azure waters and the vast sky, a fleeting, graceful silhouette drifts away.
The stunningly beautiful woman who flew away from the restaurant was none other than Xiao Minghuang, who had gone out to seek opportunities.