Chapter 243
The Sun Hall Mistress felt a chill run down his spine, thinking to himself that this little girl was truly cunning. But then he thought, if she weren't cunning, how could she go out and earn her respect?
After a moment's thought, she asked, "What are your thoughts? You can tell me, and I will consider them."
Xiao Minghuang immediately perked up. After going around in circles, she finally heard those words.
"This disciple is currently at the Nascent Soul Realm and will likely be preparing to break through to the King stage soon. However, there are still many things I don't understand about cultivation. I humbly request Master's guidance."
Xiao Minghuang said humbly and respectfully.
Upon hearing this, the Sun Hall Mistress raised an eyebrow slightly. So he wanted her to help improve his cultivation. He wasn't distracted by external things and focused on improving himself. That was a good choice.
In fact, ever since she noticed Xiao Minghuang, she had already planned to take him on as a disciple.
Therefore, she had already considered Xiao Minghuang's situation.
After a moment of contemplation, the Sun Hall Mistress spoke, "Your physique is a hybrid spirit body. While this gives you an advantage below the Saint Realm, the path after reaching Sainthood is not about having many skills, but about focusing intently on one path to achieve greater progress. The way of cultivation is not about quantity, but quality. You should understand this principle, right?"
Xiao Minghuang nodded and said, "This disciple knows a little."
The Sun Hall Mistress said, "Therefore, the choice you must make now is which path to take: the path of pure Yang or the path of fire?"
"Whichever path you choose, it means you must quickly abandon the other and clear obstacles for the construction of the Holy Palace."
Xiao Minghuang understood what the Sun Hall Mistress had said.
The creation of the Sacred Palace signifies the first step towards transcendence and sainthood. It involves using one's own Daoist magic to forge a palace within one's own Purple Mansion, where one's Primordial Spirit resides. This process continuously radiates one's Daoist magic outwards, gradually evolving the Purple Mansion into a higher-level grotto-heaven or secret realm. This is considered a sign of successfully entering sainthood.
Of course, entering sainthood is not only a characteristic of the Palace of Saints, but it is indeed the most important characteristic.
Ordinary cultivators might need to accumulate experience at the King Realm for a long time before considering the Palace of Saints, because they themselves don't know if they will be able to break through to the Saint Realm in the future. After all, the Palace of Saints requires a large number of Heaven and Earth Divine Object from heaven and earth, which is usually difficult for ordinary cultivators to bear.
But Xiao Minghuang is clearly different. With her talent, becoming a saint is only a matter of time, so she should consider it in advance. Otherwise, if she doesn't gather all the necessary Heaven and Earth Divine Object when the time comes, she will needlessly delay her cultivation progress.
Xiao Minghuang asked, "In your opinion, Master, which path should I choose?"
The Sun Hall Mistress replied, "If you choose the Path of Pure Yang, then you can later connect with the Path of Taiyin, achieving harmony between Yin and Yang, and forging the Yin Yang Sacred Palace. There are not many predecessors on this path, but each one was an exceptionally talented genius, and many of them became emperors. This will guide your path and prevent you from walking alone and helplessly."
"And what about the other one?"
"If you choose the Path of Fire, you can then connect with the Paths of Metal, Wood, Water, and Earth, allowing the Five Elements to mutually generate each other and forge the Five Elements Sacred Palace. Many have followed this path, but few have succeeded... or rather, most have failed. After all, the possibility of simultaneously gathering all five elements of equal level of Heaven and Earth Divine Object is not high. There was once a sage from the Sacred Academy who overcame numerous difficulties, yet still fell at the critical moment of his attempt to become an Emperor... But if you choose this path, I will do my best to help you."
Xiao Minghuang seemed to be deep in thought. Of the two routes, judging from the Sun Hall Mistress's words, the former seemed to be easier, since there were predecessors to guide them, while the latter seemed to be more difficult. However, the key point was that the materials of the Palace of All Saints were scarce, which did not seem to be a particularly difficult thing for her.
Therefore, she can actually choose either of these two options.
However, she always felt that neither of these paths was quite right for her.
Alternatively, choosing both paths simultaneously is not impossible.
So she shared her thoughts.
"Master, is it permissible for me to cultivate two paths simultaneously?"
"Um?!"
The Sun Hall Mistress was taken aback, then said solemnly, "Good idea, theoretically feasible. Others have tried it before, but they all failed. I don't recommend you do it this way. With your talent, as long as you work steadily, you will eventually reach my level. At that time, you can accumulate experience slowly, and within this era, there is a great chance that you will be able to break through to immortality."
Xiao Minghuang asked, "Master, I often hear people talk about saints, immortals, and emperors. Could you explain them to me first?"
The Sun Hall Mistress frowned and said, "Didn't you hear the elders giving instructions before?"
Xiao Minghuang simply smiled and remained silent. Since being admitted to the hospital, she had been in seclusion every day, and aside from that, she was constantly engaged in fighting and killing. Where would she find the time to attend classes?
The Sun Hall Mistress sighed softly and explained, "Above the Life and Death King is the Longevity Saint, and above that is the Immortal Supreme. Theoretically, the Immortal Supreme is on par with the Great Emperor and can contend with him, but in reality, things usually don't go as planned."
"The Great Emperor is the strongest being in a world, recognized by the heavens and earth of that realm. Theoretically, no one within that realm can defeat the Great Emperor, let alone even contend with him. However, no matter how powerful the Great Emperor is, he can only gain the recognition of the heavens and earth for one era. When the era ends, the heavens and earth will no longer recognize him."
"The Great Emperor cannot be re-elected. This is the highest and most fundamental law of Heaven and Earth, and no one may violate it, not even the Great Emperor himself!"
However, there's always a way out; there's always a glimmer of hope.
299. Sun God City
"Before the end of an era, an emperor can sever his own body, cutting off his connection with a particular world, thus preserving himself. While this allows the emperor to live, it also exposes him to numerous crises, such as retaliation from past enemies or the resulting mutilation..."
The Sun Hall Mistress added, "Besides that, Heaven and Earth will only recognize the supreme beings who achieve immortality in this era, and the supreme beings from the previous era, or even earlier times, will not be recognized by Heaven and Earth."
"That's about it. Is there anything else you'd like to ask?"
After hearing this, Xiao Minghuang thought about it for a moment and realized that the Sun Hall Mistress still thought highly of her.
It is said that she can reach the Immortal Realm within one era, that is, within 129,600 years, which actually means that she has the opportunity to compete for the title of Emperor in the next era.
Xiao Minghuang organized her thoughts; she did indeed have a small problem.
"What if the Great Emperor dies shortly after attaining enlightenment?"
Upon hearing this, the Sun Hall Mistress was speechless, never expecting Xiao Minghuang to ask such a question.
She said decisively, with a hint of disdain, "Impossible. Within a world, no matter who it is, even the most ancient monster, being able to withstand a single blow from an Emperor without dying is already a testament to their profound abilities. Even if a group of ancient monsters attacked together, they couldn't possibly defeat an Emperor, let alone kill him."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Minghuang sensed that she seemed to be implying something, but he didn't press the matter. He respectfully replied, "Thank you for your explanation, Master. I understand."
When this topic came up, the Sun Hall Mistress seemed somewhat disinterested. She waved her hand and said, "As I just said, go to the Myriad Treasures Pavilion and choose a Saint King magic weapon. As for Emperor Scripture and Emperor Technique, you can choose whatever you like. As for which path you want to take, you're not a child anymore. Just be responsible for yourself. Once you've decided, tell your master, and I will definitely help you. I'm leaving now. With this token, you can freely enter and exit all places in Sun God City except for the Sun God Palace. Take care!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the Sun Hall Mistress vanished from the spot.
A fiery red token floated there, radiating a scorching aura, with two large characters written on it: Sun.
Xiao Minghuang picked up the token, smiled slightly, and turned to leave.
The Sun God City is the training ground of the Sun Hall Mistress. It is also the highest level of the Holy Academy, above the Inner Academy, and is openly accepting disciples. Disciples who can enter the Sun God City to cultivate are usually called Two Halls Disciple.
The Two Halls Disciple are not necessarily the disciples of the two hall masters. More often, they are the disciples of the elders in the two halls, or they are not even disciples of the elders. They can only pretend to be disciples of the two halls and do not have a real master.
Becoming Two Halls Disciple is almost the pinnacle of success for the younger generation; the next step is to become a saint and compete for the qualification to become a candidate for emperor.
That doesn't belong exclusively to the younger generation; it requires competing with the older generation of sages, even great sages, holy kings, and quasi-emperors!
Just like the Sun Hall Mistress herself, she was a very strong candidate for Emperor.
Xiao Minghuang glanced at the token and saw that Sun God City was a large city with all kinds of facilities, including a branch of the Myriad Treasures Pavilion. Moreover, there was a very convenient teleportation array that could take her to the headquarters, so she didn't need to go to the Myriad Treasures Pavilion headquarters separately.
She should first select the Holy King's magical treasures Emperor Scripture, and then it wouldn't be too late for her to formally report to the Sun God Palace.
Following the token's directions, Xiao Minghuang headed east.
After three days of flying, she caught sight of an extremely large urban complex in the distance.
The city cluster is arranged in a ring shape, stretching as far as the eye can see. There are no city walls on any side, and countless pavilions and palaces are built against the mountains, soaring into the clouds.
In the city center stands a giant tree, its branches and leaves lush and verdant, countless leaves radiating a dazzling golden light. At the highest branch stands a magnificent palace, like a great sun, illuminating the heavens and the earth.
Xiao Minghuang looked up and glanced at the palace, but her eyes felt a stinging pain, as if they were being burned by flames.
"This must be the Sun God Palace..."
The residence of the Sun Hall Mistress is not a place that outsiders can casually spy on.
Xiao Minghuang looked away, took out the token, checked the map of Sun God City stored inside, found the address of the Myriad Treasures Pavilion, and then rushed there.
Along the way, she saw all sorts of buildings in the city, a dazzling array, standing side by side.
The entire city was incredibly prosperous, almost like a kingdom, with a bustling atmosphere permeating the air.
"So many people!"
Xiao Minghuang couldn't help but click her tongue in amazement.
There are just too many people gathered here!
Before coming here, she thought there were only Two Halls Disciple. Now she realized that there were other disciples as well. Many of them came here to run shops, work, or engage in other businesses, all of whom were related to the Two Halls Disciple.
As they ventured deeper into the city, the number of cultivators with low cultivation levels gradually decreased, while the number of young cultivators with distinctly different auras increased, accompanied by numerous attendants and maids.
There are many cultivators like this, but when Xiao Minghuang appeared, everyone took notice.
Because she is so beautiful!
Especially when she wore a bright yellow dress, she was pure and elegant, with skin as white as snow and delicate features, exuding a noble and elegant aura, like a fairy who stepped out of a painting, attracting countless people's attention, whether intentional or not.
Many cultivators, both male and female, approached to befriend her, but Xiao Minghuang politely declined them all.
Having just arrived in this place, she was unfamiliar with both the people and the land, and had little desire to make friends or enemies.
Xiao Minghuang responded politely to these people's overtures but was unwilling to develop a deeper relationship with them.
Soon, Xiao Minghuang arrived at the Myriad Treasures Pavilion.
There are so-called Pill Cauldron Pavilion, Hundred Inquiries Pavilion, Myriad Treasures Pavilion, and Cloud Seal Pavilion in the world, with tentacles reaching every corner of the Eastern Pole and the Central Heaven. Even in remote places like the Southern Border, there are branches of them.
However, these four forces are actually subordinate organizations of the Holy Academy.
Within the Sun God City, the Myriad Treasures Pavilion occupies a vast area, a magnificent and imposing complex of numerous buildings.
Each building is cast from special materials, its surface shimmering with a silvery sheen resembling flowing water, revealing a hint of powerful strength that is truly awe-inspiring.
The avenue leading to the entrance of the Myriad Treasures Pavilion is paved with jade, and every ten steps or so, there is a huge statue, one of which is an ancient mythical beast that is so lifelike that it seems to be alive, giving people a strong sense of awe.
Xiao Minghuang went straight to the entrance of the Myriad Treasures Pavilion.
Two beautiful and slender maids stood at the entrance of the Myriad Treasures Pavilion. Dressed in matching green dresses, they stood gracefully with professional smiles on their faces, softly asking, "What would you like, fairy?"
Xiao Minghuang flipped his hand, revealing his Sun Token. "I won the selection at the Heavenly Dipper Assembly and have come to collect my reward. May I show you the way?"
The two maids were slightly taken aback, but their attitude immediately became more gentle as they bowed and said, "Please wait a moment, fairy."
After saying this, one of them hurriedly went into the Myriad Treasures Pavilion to report.
300. Origin Ancient Script
Xiao Minghuang waited briefly, and soon a middle-aged man who looked like a steward came out. He glanced at her briefly and smiled, "Fairy, you've been waiting for a long time. I am He Jin, the head of the Sun God City branch of the Myriad Treasures Pavilion. First of all, congratulations on your victory in the Heavenly Dipper Assembly. However, this matter is not a trivial matter. I do believe what you say, Fairy. May I examine the token for a moment?"
"Of course!" Xiao Minghuang flicked her hand, and the token flew to He Jin's front.
He Jin took out a mirror-like magic item from his sleeve, scanned it on the token, and some information about Xiao Minghuang appeared on the mirror, confirming her words.
"I was rude earlier. Please come in, fairy. I have prepared a small gift to express my apologies!"
He Jin smiled respectfully, and a storage bag flew out of his sleeve, hovering in front of her.
Xiao Minghuang naturally had no reason to refuse. She accepted the storage bag and said, "Please lead the way, Master."
"Fairy, please follow me."
He Jin led the way.
Xiao Minghuang followed behind him, walking forward.
The Myriad Treasures Pavilion is luxuriously decorated and incredibly extravagant. Top-grade refining materials, rarely seen in the outside world, are used here only for floor tiles. The tables and chairs are all made of divine metal, and the walls are engraved with one mysterious rune after another, which are extremely extraordinary and seem to be some kind of unnamed ancient script.
He Jin turned his head and saw Xiao Minghuang looking at the runes on the wall. He explained, "These characters are copied from extremely ancient origin scripts. Each rune manifests along with the thing it represents, representing the oldest and most primitive form of a word."
He pointed to a vertical character engraved very high up, shaped like a long sword.
"That is a copy of the Origin Ancient Script 'sword'. As times changed, no one used this character anymore, and its true meaning gradually separated. This form of character also gradually lost its power and became a mere collectible with only its form."
"I've heard that some Origin Ancient Script, though they've endured the passage of time, still retain some of their power, but unfortunately I've never seen them," He Jin sighed.
Xiao Minghuang nodded and continued walking deeper into the Myriad Treasures Pavilion.
However, among those words, there was one that left a deep impression on her, exactly the same as the one that the Clear Sky Saint King had written in his hand before.
"May I ask, sir, what is the meaning of that character?"
He Jin looked in the direction Xiao Minghuang was pointing and explained, "This is an extremely ancient character called 'Kong' (空). It is said to have been one of the original components of the Way of Void, but over the years, the concept of 'Kong' has changed several times, sometimes increasing and sometimes decreasing, and this ancient character has lost its power."
After hearing this, Xiao Minghuang seemed to understand a little.
The so-called Origin Ancient Script are the written forms of the things they represent. Because they can fully describe the things they represent, they possess the power of the things they represent.
However, the "emptiness" character that the Clear Sky Saint King gave her seemed to have lost its power.
He Jin took out a small booklet from his sleeve and solemnly handed it to Xiao Minghuang with both hands. "It's rare to find someone who wants to understand this declining unorthodox path. I happen to have some knowledge of ancient characters, otherwise I wouldn't have engraved these ancient characters on the wall."
Seeing He Jin's demeanor, Xiao Minghuang knew that this book was extraordinary.
"This book was written in my spare time and is called <The Origin Ancient Script Compendium>. If you don't mind, you are welcome to take a look."
"Thank you for your kindness, sir. I will certainly keep it safe."
Xiao Minghuang hesitated for a moment, then reached out and took the booklet. Without looking at it, she put it into her storage bag first.