From Cold Palace Princess to Heavenly Empress

Emperor Xia's tone carried a trace of doubt as he said, "Little Nine truly broke through to the Body Tempering Ninth Layer? This is a matter of great importance. You must investigate it thoroughly and not speak recklessly!"

Wang Jin said respectfully, "This matter is absolutely true. This old servant did not believe it at first either, so I secretly went to investigate. I saw that with every gesture Ninth Princess made, there were faint fluctuations of spiritual energy. She was clearly only one step away from entering the Qi Refining Realm!"

"Since that is the case, do you have any guesses about that mysterious 'expert'?"

Wang Jin pondered for a moment before cautiously saying, "Has there been any news from the one in the Imperial Mausoleum in recent years?"

At those words, a sharp gleam flashed through Emperor Xia's eyes, his gaze turning keen. "You mean... it was Old Ancestor..."

"This old servant misspoke. Although Great Xia lies in a remote region, there is no guarantee that some Great Cultivator of profound cultivation has not passed through this place and passed down..."

"Stop!" Emperor Xia's expression calmed, as though he had already made up his mind. He slowly said, "Ten years ago, Old Ancestor sent word that his Life Span was Nearing End. Before his death, he would choose one successor from the imperial family to inherit all he had learned in his lifetime."

"I originally thought that he would choose either Sixth Prince, the most talented of the younger generation, or Second Prince, who had the highest cultivation. I never expected him to choose Little Nine, the youngest one."

Wang Jin's heart shook. The sole Spirit Seed Realm Old Ancestor, Great Xia's pillar holding back the sea, was nearing the end of his lifespan. If this news spread, the vast Kingdom of Xia would likely be carved up by countless powerful enemies in the blink of an eye.

"Since I have told you this, it means I trust you."

Emperor Xia said in a deep voice, "Do not make any rash moves regarding Little Nine for now. I will immediately make a trip to the Imperial Mausoleum. If it is confirmed that she is the successor chosen by Old Ancestor, we will make arrangements afterward."

"This servant obeys Your Majesty's orders!"

A Thousandfold Compensation! One Hundred Mid-grade Spirit Stones!

The next morning, the cold palace was unusually lively. Grand Eunuch Wang Jin led more than a dozen young eunuchs, carrying numerous rewards as they grandly invited Ninth Princess Xiao Minghuang back to the palace.

"Ninth Princess Xiao Minghuang possesses both virtue and talent, with extraordinary aptitude. Her violation during the previous competition was purely a slanderous accusation by petty people. By decree, all Titles and Ranks are restored, and one hundred Spirit Stones are bestowed. All cultivation methods on the second floor of the Scripture Depository may be freely perused. So decreed!"

Grand Eunuch Wang Jin held the imperial decree and said with a smile, "Ninth Princess, please accept the decree!"

"Your daughter accepts the decree. Thank you for Father Emperor's boundless grace!"

Xiao Minghuang accepted the decree and saw Wang Jin off. As she checked over the list of gifts, the corners of her lips slowly curved upward, and a trace of delight appeared in her eyes.

What had happened before her was beyond her expectations.

Yesterday, she had claimed that an expert was helping her merely to test Emperor Xia. Yet she had not expected the effect to be so astonishing, allowing her to gain so many benefits for nothing.

Ye Ruoshui opened the boxes one by one. They contained all manner of gleaming gold, silver, and precious jewels, leaving the little maid staring so wide-eyed that her eyes nearly popped out.

Xiao Minghuang had not the slightest interest in such yellow and white trinkets. She already had one foot on the path of cultivation. Treasures precious to mortals held no meaning whatsoever for her.

What truly deserved her attention were the hundred Spirit Stones and the chance to freely browse the texts in the Scripture Depository!

One had to know.

As a member of the imperial family, she could only receive one Spirit Stone every month.

Yet Emperor Xia had bestowed a hundred at once. He had truly spared no expense!

If she gave them to Ye Ruoshui and casually triggered a tenfold return, that would be a thousand Spirit Stones!

As for being allowed to freely browse the texts on the second floor of the Scripture Depository, that was an exceedingly precious opportunity.

Under normal circumstances, even members of the imperial family could not casually browse the classics on the second floor of the Scripture Depository.

Any imperial family member could enter the second floor of the Scripture Depository once at the age of six, when they first began cultivating. After that, they could only enter again at the age of fifteen, during their coming-of-age ceremony.

After reaching adulthood, if they wished to enter the second floor of the Scripture Depository again, they could only do so after rendering great merit or breaking through a major realm. Moreover, each visit could not exceed one day. Once the time was up, they had to leave.

This showed just how lavish Emperor Xia's reward was this time. His favor toward her seemed to have suddenly surpassed that shown to all the princes and princesses.

A trace of puzzlement flashed through Xiao Minghuang's eyes. Even if the "expert" she spoke of had bluffed Emperor Xia, it should not have produced such an overwhelming effect, should it?

"Could there be some hidden reason behind this?"

After thinking for a while, Xiao Minghuang could not come up with any other possibility, so she stopped dwelling on the matter.

"My most important task right now is still to increase my strength. As long as I am strong enough, whatever schemes Emperor Xia has will be nothing to fear!"

Turning her gaze back, Xiao Minghuang looked at the little maid, who was utterly engrossed in the beautiful jewelry, and said helplessly:

"Ruoshui, stop looking. Come here for a moment."

The moment she heard her mistress call, Ye Ruoshui immediately set down the glittering gold and silver ornaments and ran over to Xiao Minghuang with a grin.

"Please give your orders, Your Highness!"

Xiao Minghuang nodded and pondered briefly.

"I have already embarked on the path of cultivation, but you are still a mortal without cultivation. We will inevitably be separated in the future. What should we do about that?"

At the thought that she might no longer be able to remain by her mistress's side, Ye Ruoshui's little face immediately fell. She said pitifully, "Your Highness, please do not abandon this servant. This servant will definitely cultivate diligently and not hold Your Highness back!"

Xiao Minghuang put on a pained expression and sighed mournfully. "But you only possess a Yellow-grade Low-rank Spirit Root. Your aptitude is too poor. Even if you work hard, how could you possibly catch up to me?"

"Th-this... this..."

Ye Ruoshui was utterly at a loss, unable to utter a word for a long while.

Seeing that the timing was about right, Xiao Minghuang pointed at the chest containing the Spirit Stones and said gently, "Your talent is lacking. If you want to catch up to me, you will certainly need a great deal of resources. This entire chest of Spirit Stones bestowed by Father Emperor is yours. You must cultivate diligently and catch up to my progress as soon as possible. I think highly of you. Keep it up!"

"Ah... this..."

Ye Ruoshui glanced at the chest filled with Spirit Stones, then cautiously looked at her mistress. What met her eyes was a gentle yet encouraging gaze.

"Your Highness, these are Spirit Stones bestowed upon you by His Majesty. How could this servant dare..."

Xiao Minghuang's delicate brows furrowed slightly as she covered her face and sighed. "Since childhood, I have never had anyone my own age whom I was close to. You are like a younger sister to me. Giving these Spirit Stones to you is like giving them to my own sister."

"So, a younger sister cannot refuse a gift from her elder sister. Do you understand?"

With one "younger sister" after another, Xiao Minghuang thoroughly bewildered Ye Ruoshui. Her eyes were filled with little stars.

At that moment, Xiao Minghuang appeared incomparably tall in Ye Ruoshui's eyes, as if she were radiating a boundless brilliance, majestic as a deity.

"Then... this servant obeys!"

Having finally given away an entire chest of Spirit Stones, Xiao Minghuang let out a soft breath, while inwardly she was blooming with delight.

[Ding!]

[Opportunity successfully gifted!]

[Congratulations, Host! You have triggered a thousandfold critical compensation and obtained Mid-grade Spirit Stones *100!]

Hearing the system's voice, Xiao Minghuang was delighted once more.

The Spirit Stones Emperor Xia had bestowed were merely Low-grade Spirit Stones. Upon triggering a thousandfold critical hit, she should normally have received one hundred thousand Low-grade Spirit Stones as compensation.

Yet the system had compensated her with one hundred Mid-grade Spirit Stones.

One Mid-grade Spirit Stone could be exchanged for a thousand Low-grade Spirit Stones, but a thousand Low-grade Spirit Stones might not necessarily be exchanged for one Mid-grade Spirit Stone.

The total amount of spiritual energy contained in the two was the same, but the spiritual energy within Mid-grade Spirit Stones was purer and easier to absorb. For cultivators of higher realms, there might not be much difference, but for Xiao Minghuang, Mid-grade Spirit Stones were clearly more useful.

With a hundred Mid-grade Spirit Stones in hand, Xiao Minghuang felt the pure fluctuations of spiritual energy. She discovered that her Dantian seemed to be humming, as though it would spontaneously begin Drawing Qi into the Body the very next moment.

But that was merely an illusion.

Regardless of whether they had the guidance of a cultivation method, anyone in the Body Tempering Realm could reach its peak through bitter cultivation. But if one wished to Draw Qi into the Body without the guidance of a cultivation method, at best they would suffer Qi Deviation and Meridian Disorder, with all previous efforts wasted; at worst, their cultivation would be destroyed and they would die on the spot!

Therefore, the most urgent task at present was to find a suitable cultivation method to help her Draw Qi into the Body.

With that thought, Xiao Minghuang no longer hesitated. After giving Ye Ruoshui a few instructions, she left the palace and headed toward the Scripture Depository.

The imperial Scripture Depository was divided into an inner hall and an outer hall.

The outer hall stored classics of history, philosophy, and literature, none of which were related to cultivation.

The inner hall stored cultivation methods and martial techniques. Its second floor even held treasured rare copies, collected over countless years by Great Xia. They were the foundation upon which Great Xia had been founded.

According to legend, many years ago, Great Xia had once been a vast imperial dynasty comparable to a Supreme Holy Land. But it later declined, migrating all the way to the Eastern Extreme Southern Territory. Its profound classics were gradually lost, its talents withered away, and it became what it was today.

These were all stories passed down orally by the elders of the imperial family. Xiao Minghuang had no way of knowing whether they were true or false.

But the deepest cultivation method currently possessed by the imperial family was merely the Mysterious Tier High-grade Dragon Origin Scripture. It could be cultivated up to the Spirit Seed Realm and was Great Xia's scripture for safeguarding the nation.

Earth-tier Cultivation Method, Dragon Soul Heart Method!

Outside the Scripture Depository, heavily armed guards stood watch. Every guard was an expert at the peak of the Body Tempering Realm.

The leader was even a Qi Refining Realm expert. Holding a long halberd, he was tall and imposing. When he spotted Xiao Minghuang from afar, he cupped his fists and saluted.

"Greetings, Ninth Princess. This general has received the decree. Your Highness may freely browse within the hall, but you may not take any cultivation methods out."

Xiao Minghuang smiled and nodded. "Thank you for conveying the decree, General. I understand. I certainly will not make things difficult for you."

"Thank you for Your Highness's understanding."

Only after that fragrant figure in bright yellow disappeared through the doors of the hall did a ripple flash through the gate commander's eyes.

"The imperial family members are all arrogant and never regard guards like us highly. This Ninth Princess is an exception."

Inside the Scripture Depository.

Being kind to others was merely a habit Xiao Minghuang had always possessed.

To her, the most important matter at present was choosing the cultivation method most suitable for her.

Though it was called choosing, there was in truth no room for choice at all.

Within the Scripture Depository, there was only one Mysterious Tier High-grade cultivation method, the Dragon Origin Scripture. The highest grade of the rest was merely Mysterious-grade Low-rank.

Thus, the moment Xiao Minghuang entered the hall, she headed straight for its deepest reaches.

After turning a corner, she suddenly heard a faint snoring sound coming from some corner.

Ever since entering the Body Tempering Ninth Layer, her hearing had greatly improved. Within a hundred meters, even the sound of a needle falling to the ground could be heard clearly.

"Could someone actually be taking a nap in the Scripture Depository?"

The sound instantly aroused Xiao Minghuang's curiosity, and she followed it.

After turning several more corners, Xiao Minghuang saw an old man dressed in white. Leaning against a pile of books scattered across the floor, he was sleeping soundly.

At this sight, Xiao Minghuang's pupils contracted slightly. She could not see through the old man's cultivation at all.

She was already at the Body Tempering Ninth Layer. Even when facing a Spring Gushing Realm cultivator, she could sense the other party's approximate cultivation. If she could sense nothing at all, there was only one possibility.

"He is an imperial Old Ancestor of the Divine Sea Realm!"

Apart from Emperor Xia, the Great Xia imperial family had a total of five Divine Sea Realm experts. They normally ignored worldly affairs and focused solely on cultivation. They would only appear when necessary, to protect Great Xia or quell calamities and chaos.

Xiao Minghuang's gaze became solemn. Not daring to disturb Old Ancestor's rest any further, she was just about to quietly leave when an aged voice came from behind her.

"Since you came looking for this old man, why are you leaving again?"

"This junior came to the Scripture Depository to seek a cultivation method and unintentionally disturbed Senior. I beg Senior's forgiveness. This junior will leave at once."

"Since you came looking for a cultivation method, why not simply ask me?" the old man said in a hoarse voice as he slowly rose.

The old man was gaunt and thin, his face covered in wrinkles, his hair completely white. A decaying aura emanated from his entire body, as though his days were numbered.

"Those in the Divine Sea Realm can live five hundred years, yet even that has its end..."

Xiao Minghuang sighed inwardly and respectfully said, "If this junior may receive Old Ancestor's guidance, this junior would be endlessly grateful!"

"Hehe!" The old man laughed twice, though it sounded worse than crying. "This little girl truly does not stand on ceremony with an old fellow like me."

Xiao Minghuang remained respectful. "Senior is a virtuous and honorable person. Your words are as good as gold, and once you act, you see it through. Since you have spoken, you certainly will not go back on your word, much less toy with this junior."

"To say such things before an old fellow like me, little girl, you have courage!"

The old man said, "Go to the third row from the back in the deepest part of the hall. Count the seventh bookshelf from the inside out and push it aside. There is a hidden door beneath it. Turn it gently, and the hidden door will open. Inside lies what you seek."

"Thank you for Senior's guidance. This junior will certainly cultivate diligently and not disappoint Senior's generous gift!"

After saluting, Xiao Minghuang headed deeper into the Scripture Depository.

"If not for this senior's guidance, in such a vast Scripture Depository, who knows how long it would take me to find the Dragon Origin Scripture."

Xiao Minghuang thought gratefully.

Before long, she reached the deepest part of the Scripture Depository. Following the old man's instructions, she entered through the hidden door.