From Cold Palace Princess to Heavenly Empress Chapter 2

Moreover, Ye Ruoshui was deeply grateful to her, and she quite liked the adorable little girl as well. It would not hurt to have another younger sister.

After soothing the little girl for a while longer and finally coaxing Ye Ruoshui from tears into laughter, she returned to the room with the girl's support.

"Ruoshui, I'm a little tired and want to rest for a while. You've had a hard day too, so go get some rest first."

Ye Ruoshui had just been coaxed into a daze, her head full of little stars. Whatever Xiao Minghuang said now went; without a second thought, she agreed at once.

"This servant will go rest right away!"

As soon as she finished speaking, Ye Ruoshui jogged out, gently shut the door, and her footsteps gradually faded into the distance.

In this world where the strong devoured the weak, without strength, one could only become a soul beneath another's blade!

"System! Where is my compensation?"

[ Ding! ]

[ Opportunity bestowed successfully! ]

[ Congratulations, Host. Your first gift after binding a contractor has triggered a ten-thousandfold critical hit. You have obtained a Heaven-grade top-tier pill, the 'Creation Mending Heaven Pill'! ]

"Perfect!"

Xiao Minghuang was overjoyed. She had expected the ten-thousandfold critical hit to reward her with a Heaven-grade pill, but she had never imagined it would be a Heaven-grade top-tier pill.

Nor was it just any Heaven-grade pill. It was a supreme spiritual elixir that could mend injuries, fortify one's foundation, remold one's body, and greatly enhance one's talent and aptitude!

Creation Mending Heaven!

One could tell from its name alone that even if someone had been gravely wounded and had only a breath left, taking this pill would immediately restore them to their peak condition!

"This little girl really is my lucky star!"

Holding the divine pill that radiated crystalline spiritual light in her palm, Xiao Minghuang felt thoroughly satisfied.

The medicinal power released by the Creation Mending Heaven Pill spread throughout the room, condensing into white mist.

Xiao Minghuang drew in a deep breath. The rich medicinal fragrance rushed into her nostrils, and she seemed to feel her severed meridians slowly reconnecting.

Xiao Minghuang swallowed the Creation Mending Heaven Pill.

The instant the pill entered her stomach.

A vast, majestic force surged within her body.

The dense energy was like a river bursting through its banks, rushing through her body toward her limbs and bones.

As the pill's energy washed over her, her severed meridians reconnected. Xiao Minghuang felt as though this enormous energy was about to burst her apart.

"What potent medicinal power!"

Not long after.

The pallor vanished from Xiao Minghuang's face, gradually replaced by a healthy flush, while her frail state was swept clean away.

Between her brows, a faint heroic air naturally emerged.

After taking the Creation Mending Heaven Pill, Xiao Minghuang's bearing was utterly different from before!

As the final crack rang out.

With Xiao Minghuang's body at its center.

Wave after wave of golden ripples surged outward.

Her entire body was suffused in a cloud of golden mist!

The aura emanating from her body grew increasingly solid!

The presence she exuded rose rapidly!

Body Tempering First Level!

Body Tempering Second Level!

Body Tempering Ninth Level!

Body Tempering Realm Ninth Level Peak!

No one knew how long this state lasted. Only when the golden light lingering around her slowly dispersed.

Did Xiao Minghuang open her eyes.

The instant her soul-stealing peach blossom eyes opened, a fierce golden gleam flashed through them!

"Phew!"

Xiao Minghuang let out a long breath and steadied herself.

"A Heaven-grade top-tier pill truly is extraordinary. Not only did it completely restore all the meridians in my body, it even raised my Gold Spiritual Root from Mysterious-grade Low-rank to Earth-grade Mid-rank!"

"And it actually pushed my cultivation to the Body Tempering Realm Ninth Level Peak. I'm only one step away from the Qi Refining Realm!"

The path of cultivation was divided into ten major realms.

Body Tempering Realm, Qi Refining Realm, Spring Gushing Realm, Divine Sea Realm, Spirit Seed Realm, Primal Embryo Realm, Nascent Soul Realm, Life and Death Realm, Longevity Realm, World Origin Realm.

Great Xia's strongest expert, one of the Imperial Family's Old Ancestors, was a Spirit Seed Realm expert!

As for the realms above that, she had only read of them in books and knew nothing of their specific might.

Aside from that Spirit Seed Realm Old Ancestor, the strongest person publicly known in Great Xia was Emperor Xia, who stood at the Divine Sea Realm. As for how many Imperial Family Enshrined were hidden in the shadows, no one knew.

For the countless masses, the Body Tempering Realm was already the limit.

Xiao Minghuang had just reached the Body Tempering Realm Ninth Level Peak. All she needed was Drawing Qi into the Body to enter the Qi Refining Realm.

Mysterious Expert

The Body Tempering Realm mainly tempered the bones and flesh, cleansed the tendons and marrow, and laid a solid foundation for future cultivation. There was nothing especially difficult to comprehend about it; so long as one put in the effort, it could be crossed regardless of aptitude. The realms beyond it, however, were another matter.

So-called Qi Refining meant Drawing Qi into the Body, guiding it through the meridians, gathering it within the Dantian, nurturing a qi vortex, and giving rise to spiritual power.

The speed at which one absorbed spiritual qi depended on the aptitude of one's Spiritual Root. The higher the rank of the Spiritual Root, the faster one absorbed spiritual qi, and the faster one cultivated.

"My Gold Spiritual Root was originally Mysterious-grade Low-rank, but after being cleansed by the Creation Mending Heaven Pill, it advanced to Earth-grade Mid-rank. My cultivation speed has greatly increased!"

"An Earth-grade Mid-rank Spiritual Root would be enough for Nascent Soul True Persons of the major sects to fight over taking me as a disciple. In terms of aptitude, I am now no weaker than the true disciples of those great sects!"

Xiao Minghuang pondered this, the corners of her lips lifting slightly as a trace of amusement appeared in her eyes.

The wonder of the Qi Refining Realm lay in the fact that spiritual power, unlike mortal flesh, could leave the body and take countless forms for battle.

Those with profound cultivation could even condense Sword Qi hundreds or thousands of zhang long, sever rivers, cut off waters, and slice through mountains to level peaks.

Thus, the Body Tempering Realm and the Qi Refining Realm were both a dividing line and a threshold.

Once one achieved Drawing Qi into the Body, one would transcend the mundane.

Xiao Minghuang was now only a final step away from entering the Qi Refining Realm.

"I still need a little opportunity."

Xiao Minghuang murmured softly, then rose and pushed open the door.

It was early morning. Bright sunlight fell upon the girl's crystal-clear skin, making her shine as brilliantly as the stars, as though her entire body were glowing.

Ye Ruoshui, who had just arrived from outside, saw this scene. Her heart began to race, and she could not help staring in a daze.

"Your Highness... you're so beautiful..."

Seeing Ye Ruoshui standing there dumbstruck, Xiao Minghuang walked over and smiled faintly. "What are you staring at?"

Her clear voice, as pleasing as a babbling spring, rang out. Ye Ruoshui clenched her little hands inside her sleeves and could not help blushing.

"N-Nothing..."

Xiao Minghuang looked Ye Ruoshui over and found that the petite little maid seemed to have developed somewhat. She had grown noticeably taller, while her skin seemed fairer, softer, rosier, and more lustrous—not the slightest bit inferior to that of a newborn baby.

Of course, she was still far inferior to Xiao Minghuang. After all, Ye Ruoshui had only taken a Mysterious-grade pill, while Xiao Minghuang had taken a Heaven-grade pill.

"How do you feel after taking the pill I gave you yesterday?"

At the mention of this, Ye Ruoshui beamed, her eyes curving into crescents. "After taking Your Highness's pill, this servant's skin became fairer and more elastic, and I feel much stronger too!"

Xiao Minghuang merely smiled. The Essence Replenishing Pill was meant to fortify one's foundation, replenish one's essence, and cleanse the tendons and marrow. What Ye Ruoshui described were only minor side effects of the pill; its true importance was its ability to improve talent and aptitude.

"When there's time, I'll take you to test your Spiritual Root aptitude again."

Though Ye Ruoshui did not understand what her princess was talking about, anything her princess said had to be right. She only needed to obediently listen.

The two were chatting happily when voices drifted in from outside the courtyard.

"Chen San, why are we always assigned filthy work like collecting corpses? When will we ever get transferred to the Imperial Attendant Directorate? If Eunuch Wang gave us even one casual pointer, we'd be sparrows flying up to become phoenixes!"

"Keep dreaming. People at the bottom like us, with no connections and no spirit stones, are probably doomed to toil our whole lives. Work honestly, and maybe those above will reward us with a few spirit stones. If we break through to the Qi Refining Realm someday, we might even live a few more years."

"That's true!"

Before the words had faded, the sound of a lock being opened rang out.

The gate creaked on its hinges, and the scene within the courtyard entered the two eunuchs' sight.

Xiao Minghuang stood in the courtyard in a bright yellow dress, slender and graceful, radiant and refreshed, noble and ethereal, her bearing even more magnificent than before.

Moreover, the aura faintly emanating from this Ninth Princess was somewhat unfathomable.

The sight nearly made their eyes pop out of their sockets.

"Y-You... are you human or a ghost?!"

Chen San's eyes widened, his pupils filled with disbelief.

Xiao Minghuang chuckled softly. "If I am not human, then am I a ghost?"

Seeing that Xiao Minghuang had not only survived but had even improved her cultivation, the two young eunuchs did not dare hesitate. They hurriedly dropped to their knees.

"This servant greets Ninth Princess!"

"Rise."

The two young eunuchs rose, trembling as they felt Xiao Minghuang's imposing presence.

"Since you are here, you have saved me a trip. Go back and tell whoever can make decisions. Not only am I alive, I have received guidance from an expert and broken through to the Body Tempering Ninth Layer. I am only one step away from entering the Qi Refining Realm!"

Upon hearing this.

Both young eunuchs were shocked!

Body Tempering Ninth Layer!

Among the imperial descendants, the most gifted, the Sixth Prince, had only entered the Body Tempering Ninth Layer at the age of eighteen, after consuming heaven knew how many spirit stones and pills.

As for the Second Prince, whose cultivation was the highest, that was because he had cultivated for far longer. He was not comparable to a young imperial princess like the Ninth Princess, who was only in her teens.

Seven days ago, the Ninth Princess had all her meridians severed and her cultivation completely destroyed!

Yet now, she had leapt straight to the Body Tempering Realm Ninth Level Peak!

What sort of expert possessed such ability?

The two young eunuchs had seen too little to figure it out. Shivering, they answered and hurried away.

The courtyard returned to peace.

Ye Ruoshui looked at Xiao Minghuang with a face full of worship.

"Congratulations to Your Highness on recovering your cultivation and advancing further!"

Xiao Minghuang stroked Ye Ruoshui's soft hair and smiled. "It is all thanks to you!"

Ye Ruoshui did not understand. Her princess had deep fortune and had received the aid of an expert. She should be thanking that unknown senior—why did she say it was thanks to Ye Ruoshui?

Imperial Palace, Central Palace.

A stern-faced middle-aged man in a Dragon Robe sat upon the imperial throne. Below the steps stood a gray-haired old man, his face wrinkled and beardless. They were Emperor Xia and Wang Jin, the Grand Eunuch of the Imperial Attendant Directorate.