Chapter 246
Xiao Minghuang responded. She noticed that Luo Qianhua had a deep understanding of the rules of the Holy Academy, and even knew these details by heart.
She picked up the Jade Slip and tried to put it into her storage bag, but suddenly found that she couldn't open the storage bag.
Luo Qianhua smiled and reminded her, "Princess, please don't try. To prevent disciples from taking out cultivation techniques without permission, storage bags cannot be used here. We can only carry them ourselves."
"I see."
Xiao Minghuang smiled to cover her embarrassment, and with a thought, she extended a ball of spiritual energy to wrap the Jade Slip and suspend it beside her.
"Let's go!"
The two then registered at the deacon's office and left the Scripture Depository.
The two parted ways outside the Scripture Depository.
Luo Qianhua was a little reluctant to part and reminded her, "Princess, don't break your promise to visit the Eastern Ridge Quasi-Emperor Ancient Tomb in a month!"
Xiao Minghuang nodded. "Don't worry, I'll contact you before we set off. In the meantime, focus on your cultivation and improve your strength as quickly as possible, striving to break through to the King Realm."
"Thank you for your kind words, Princess."
Luo Qianhua smiled and said that she had accumulated experience at the peak of the Nascent Soul Realm for many years, and now she was only one opportunity away from breaking through to the King Realm. Perhaps she could really break through during this period.
See you in a month!
Xiao Minghuang clasped his hands in a fist salute, waved, and then turned to leave.
"Goodbye..."
Luo Qianhua stood there, watching Xiao Minghuang's back. Her expression gradually calmed down, a hint of struggle flashing in her eyes, before she walked in another direction.
She used a teleportation array to travel to a remote town, and then ventured deeper into the remote mountains until she entered a hidden cave.
The cave was pitch black. She flicked her fingertips, and a flame ignited at her fingertip, illuminating the surroundings.
Deep inside the cave, there is a platform about ten feet high, engraved with complex array patterns. It looks eerie and is completely unlike the orthodox Orthodox Sects of Zhongtian Dongji. Instead, it is full of evil and demonic intent.
Luo Qianhua remained expressionless, extending her palm. A drop of blood flew from her fingertip and landed on the array in the center of the platform.
As blood was injected, the array glowed with a pale pink light, and a phantom figure materialized—the figure of a middle-aged beautiful woman.
305. The Joyful Union Saintess!
The beautiful woman was dressed in light gauze, barely covering her body, and possessed a charming demeanor. In the words of the Orthodox Sects, one could tell at a glance that she was not a respectable woman.
Luo Qianhua knelt on the ground, extremely humble.
"Master, your disciple has come as summoned."
She stared at Luo Qianhua for a while, then asked in a cold voice, "Luo Qianhua, the Saintess of the Joyful Union Dao, do you still remember your mission?"
"Of course I remember. Since I was five years old, I have received great kindness from my master. I have no way to repay him, so I went to the Eastern Pole Sacred Academy with a clean background to infiltrate the academy, just to gain the trust of the higher-ups and gradually find out about the current situation of the Eastern Pole Central Heaven Emperor!"
Luo Qianhua answered without hesitation.
The beautiful woman frowned, seemingly dissatisfied, and said, "That's not what I meant. Sending you to the Eastern Pole is merely for training. Besides, if you want to know about the Eastern Pole Emperor's current situation, don't even think about it without reaching the Saint Realm."
"Staying in the Eastern Pole is nothing but a waste of time. The Red Dust Path Holy Son is currently at the Void Saint realm, only half a step away from becoming a Saint. He needs your primordial yin to successfully enter the Saint realm. Don't delay, hurry back to the Southern Wilderness and marry the Red Dust Path Holy Son."
Among the Six Paths of Demonic Ways in the Southern Wilderness, the disciples of the Red Dust Demon Path are extremely few, but each generation is extremely powerful. As long as they do not die young, they can at least become quasi-emperors. This is because their lineage is extremely abnormal, requiring them to kill their lovers to achieve their path.
Upon hearing this, Luo Qianhua's face instantly turned pale, and panic flickered in her eyes.
Her voice trembled as she asked, "Master, can I... refuse?"
She was originally the daughter of a wealthy merchant family in the Eastern Pole. Her father got into trouble with a group of bandits, and her whole family was killed. Fortunately, she was saved by her master who happened to be passing by, and he even avenged her parents.
Luo Qianhua thought she had encountered a cultivator who hated evil, but she didn't expect to meet the Silver Gourd Demon King of the Southern Joyful Union Dao, who was also her master.
The reason I saved her and avenged her was simply because she possessed the extremely rare Heavenly Desire Sacred Body, which contained pure and flawless Heavenly Desire Sacred Power. This physique had no special characteristics in combat; its only feature was that it allowed for rapid progress in cultivation.
Furthermore, once combined with the Heavenly Desire Sacred Body, one can obtain immense benefits, possessing a natural Cauldron Physique.
Luo Qianhua knew in her heart that although she was nominally the Saintess of the Joyful Union Dao, she was actually just a pawn of the Silver Gourd Demon King, who could be discarded at any time.
By giving her to the Red Dust Path Holy Son, one would gain a great favor from the Red Dust Path, making it a very worthwhile deal.
Seeing Luo Qianhua remain silent and hesitant, the Silver Gourd Demon King dropped a bombshell.
"Hehe, I saved you and your sister back then, leaving you in the Eastern Pole, but I took your sister back to the Southern Wilderness. You don't remember that, do you?"
Luo Qianhua was shocked upon hearing this, her beautiful eyes widening in disbelief. "You, what did you do to her?"
She knew that the Silver Gourd Demon King was using her sister as a threat.
Luo Qianhua's younger sister, Luo Qianrui, was her only relative. After being taken back to the Southern Wilderness by the Silver Gourd Demon King, they never saw each other again.
Countless days and nights, she missed her sister countless times, yet she could never see her again.
"Don't be nervous. I admire her very much and even took her as my personal disciple. How could I possibly harm her?"
The Silver Gourd Demon King smiled insincerely. In fact, she only remembered Luo Qianhua, whom she hadn't contacted for many years, because she didn't want to sacrifice Luo Qianrui, a disciple she had already developed feelings for.
Mentioning her younger sister, Luo Qianhua seemed to suddenly find her courage and asked, "Master, I would like to see Xiaorui!"
The Silver Gourd Demon King stared at her, making her skin crawl, before slowly saying, "I can let you see her, but you must return to the Southern Wilderness and marry the Red Dust Path Holy Son."
This was clearly a ploy to force her to return and face death, but Luo Qianhua only had her younger sister left as a family member, and she desperately wanted to see her sister one last time.
"I'll agree for now, let's see my sister first."
Luo Qianhua pondered to herself. She was within the Eastern Pole Sacred Academy; even if the Silver Gourd Demon King possessed immense power, he couldn't possibly cross realms to intrude upon the academy and take her away. Therefore, she still held a certain degree of initiative.
She gritted her teeth and replied, "This disciple is willing!"
The Silver Gourd Demon King nodded, waved his hand, and a round mirror appeared.
The mirror reflected a palace, in which sat a girl dressed in light pink gauze. Her appearance was identical to Luo Qianhua's, but her temperament was completely different.
The woman was petite and graceful, with snow-white and delicate skin, like fine jade, with a subtle luster. Her long, beautiful black hair cascaded down her back. Although she was young, she exuded a captivating charm, as if she were born with a natural allure.
"Xiao Rui!"
The moment Luo Qianhua saw the girl, she couldn't help but shed tears of excitement. She had waited so long, and finally she could see her younger sister.
But no matter how she called out, the girl in the mirror did not respond; she simply continued her cultivation quietly.
"Don't cry. This is just an Image Talisman that projects scenes from the Joyful Union Dao. When you return to the Southern Wilderness, you will naturally be reunited with your sister."
The Silver Gourd Demon King's calm voice rang out.
Luo Qianhua calmed down, but her heart was in turmoil.
If she really listens to the Silver Gourd Demon King and returns to the Southern Wilderness, she will surely die, and it's hard to say whether her younger sister is alright or in danger.
If she doesn't return to the Southern Wilderness, she won't encounter any danger in the Holy Academy, but the Silver Gourd Demon King might use her younger sister to marry the Red Dust Path Holy Son.
Just as she hesitated, the Silver Gourd Demon King continued, "A month later, a Quasi-Emperor Ancient Tomb in the Eastern Ridge will open. The Red Dust Path Holy Son will lead several outstanding young talents from the Southern Wilderness there, including your sister. You will need to cooperate with the Holy Son as an inside agent."
"You should be twenty years old this year. If you don't want the Heavenly Desire Sacred Power to erupt when the time comes, then you should obediently follow my arrangements. I will then bestow upon you the Heavenly Desire Joyful Union Pill to suppress the Heavenly Desire Sacred Power. Furthermore, I will preserve your true spirit when the Red Dust Path Holy Son enters sainthood, and afterwards, I will reshape your physical body so that you can continue your journey."
Luo Qianhua didn't pay much attention to Silver Gourd Demon King's long speech; she only heard the first sentence.
A month later, my younger sister is going to the Eastern Ridge Quasi-Emperor Ancient Tomb!
This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!
She would stop at nothing and do everything in her power to keep her sister in the Eastern Pole and prevent her from ever returning to that hellish place in the Southern Wilderness!
Thinking of this, Luo Qianhua suddenly stood up and knelt down before the Silver Gourd Demon King: "Thank you for your grace, Master! This disciple swears to serve you to the death, even at the cost of fire and water!"
The Silver Gourd Demon King smiled and said, "Don't worry, as long as you obediently follow your master's arrangements, your master will not mistreat you."
She knew in her heart that Luo Qianhua's actions were nothing but an act, but so what?
She didn't care.
When the Red Dust Path Holy Son arrives in person, the entire younger generation of the Eastern Pole in the Quasi-Emperor Ancient Tomb will be slaughtered. At that time, even if Luo Qianhua is unwilling, she will be taken away by the Holy Son!
As for Luo Qianhua not going to the Quasi-Emperor Ancient Tomb... that's impossible!
That was her chance to see Luo Qianrui, how could she possibly give it up?!
"Once you enter the Quasi-Emperor Ancient Tomb, the Holy Son will contact you. Just be prepared to provide support."
After saying this, the Silver Gourd Demon King disappeared.
Luo Qianhua took a deep breath, trying to control her excitement and calm herself down before slowly getting up, her eyes flashing with determination.
According to the Silver Gourd Demon King, the Red Dust Path Holy Son has already reached the Void Saint realm, which is the Life and Death King Realm Twelfth Level. This is a formidable enemy that she cannot contend with.
Even if she breaks through to the King Realm within this month, there is absolutely no chance of victory!
Therefore, the only person she can rely on is Princess Xiao!
"I'm sorry... I have to scheme against you again. In return, I will give you everything I have..."
306. One step late
The Sun God Palace.
In a small courtyard brimming with Spiritual Qi.
Dressed in a bright yellow dress, Xiao Minghuang sat cross-legged in the quiet room, holding the Sun Token in her hand, meditating with her eyes closed. Suddenly, she opened her beautiful eyes, a strange light flashing in them.
"Hmm, interesting. These two halls actually contain so many secret realms and grotto-heavens."
Xiao Minghuang murmured, her slender jade fingers tapping in the air. Immediately, a series of images unfolded rapidly, revealing the secret realms of the Sun God City and the Taiyin God City.
These images are projected through the array contained within the token, each image so lifelike that it is indistinguishable from a real scene.
"Not only are there secret realms specifically for combat and training, but also secret realms for increasing cultivation speed, and special secret realms for cultivating different Daoist techniques."
There are hundreds of the most popular secret realms related to the Five Elements Dao!
Secondly, there is the most common magic weapon, the swordsmanship, and there are dozens of related secret realms!
Other areas such as body refinement, destiny analysis, Pill Cauldron also have many secret realms, presenting a flourishing of diverse approaches and schools of thought.
Xiao Minghuang said with great interest, "These cultivation conditions are simply too good. No wonder all the major holy lands and aristocratic families send their disciples to study at the Holy Academy."
Although the families and clans of these holy lands have ancient traditions, they often remain stagnant and isolated. Apart from a few close allies, they never exchange their traditions with each other. Therefore, these lineages preserve only a handful of different traditions.
Among the many secret realms, Xiao Minghuang noticed two adjacent secret realms named "Taiyin" and "Taiyang".
According to the map, these two secret realms were left by an ancient sage and simulate the positions of the Sun Star and moon in the starry sky. They are excellent places for cultivators who practice related Daoist techniques.
"I am now preparing to cultivate the Great Sun Moon True Scripture. I will go into seclusion in these two secret realms to try to master it before the Quasi-Emperor Ancient Tomb opens, and use this opportunity to break through to the King Realm."
Xiao Minghuang thought to herself.
To break through from the Nascent Soul Realm to the King Realm, three conditions must be met: the perfection of essence, qi, and spirit. In other words, this means the perfection of body refinement, qi refinement, and spirit refinement.
Ordinary cultivators break through to the tenth level of the Body Realm, thus failing to achieve perfection. They need to supplement their physical body through other means when they reach the peak of the Nascent Soul Realm. However, Xiao Minghuang does not need to do this, as her physical body has already reached perfection.
The so-called Qi Refining refers to one's spiritual root reaching at least the Heavenly Rank; anything lower will prevent one from successfully condensing the Life and Death Platform.
Generally speaking, the more spiritual roots one has, and the higher their grade, the more layers of the Life and Death Platform one can condense, and the higher the realm one can reach as a King.
Previously, Wang Cheng had been stuck at the peak of the Nascent Soul Realm and had not broken through because he was preparing Heaven and Earth Divine Object to complete his spiritual root into a Heavenly Rank Five Elements Spiritual Root.
Finally, there is the Refining of the Spirit, which is less complicated. You only need to wait for your primordial Primordial Spirit to grow to the same size as your physical body, which means that your Primordial Spirit is perfected, that is, the peak of the Nascent Soul Realm.
Therefore, Xiao Minghuang has already met the conditions for breaking through to the King Realm, and her Heavenly Rank Five Elements Spiritual Root has reached the highest grade of spiritual root. Once she breaks through to the King Realm, her realm will definitely not stop at the first level of the King Realm!
The reason for not making a breakthrough is simply that they haven't figured out the path they want to take in the future.
Previously, the Sun Hall Mistress suggested that she choose between the Way of Yin and Yang and the Way of the Five Elements, but she wanted to cultivate both.
What she needs to do now is to maintain the purity of her physique, otherwise the Dao laws within her body will not be balanced when she breaks through to the King Realm, and there is a risk of Dao law disorder and Spiritual Qi reversal.
"It seems I have no choice but to abandon my Fire Spirit Body for now and break through to the King Realm. When I'm ready to enter the Saint Realm, I'll collect Heaven and Earth Divine Object to complete my Five Elements Body."
Xiao Minghuang thought to herself, she was trying to break through to the King Realm with the Great Sun Moon True Scripture, but the Fire Spirit Body was not only not an aid, but would even cause conflict. At present, she had no choice but to give up.
With that thought in mind, Xiao Minghuang got up and headed towards the Taiyin Taiyang Secret Realm.
She first arrived at the entrance to the Lunar Secret Realm.
There was an inn here, used for disciples entering and leaving the secret realm to register and rest, but at this moment the gates were tightly closed.
A notice was posted on the door. Xiao Minghuang went inside to take a look and saw that it read:
The Lunar Secret Realm opens on the 15th of July each year; it is closed at other times.