"No, the morning phenomenon was called the Five-Colored Divine Light, illuminating all heavens. It was a sign of a Five Elements Spiritual Root being born, far surpassing an ordinary Mystic Grade Top-tier Spiritual Root."
A knowledgeable senior martial artist explained.
At those words, everyone present drew a sharp breath.
The Mystic Grade Top-tier Spiritual Root, which they considered transcendent, was actually far inferior to the Five Elements Spiritual Root. Just who was this person who possessed such a root?
Thinking of this, everyone's gaze fell upon the girl standing between the three graceful figures.
After all, anyone whom two genius girls with Mystic Grade Top-tier Spiritual Roots surrounded in the center was bound to possess talent superior to theirs.
Then they saw it.
The girl standing in the center extended her slender, jade-like hand, crystalline and flawless, and gently pressed it onto the Spirit Testing Disk.
The next moment.
A dazzling rainbow glow shot into the skies. The Five-Colored Divine Light illuminated all heavens, while dense Five Elements spiritual energy spread across the entire Training Ground. Every martial artist present was moved.
"The Five-Colored Divine Light illuminates all heavens!"
"It really is a Five Elements Spiritual Root! A peerless aptitude unseen throughout the ages has actually emerged today!"
To those present, the Five Elements Spiritual Root had only ever been a legend. Everyone knew of it, but no one had ever seen it.
When that dazzling Five-Colored Divine Light appeared before their eyes once more, everyone finally confirmed that an unparalleled prodigy had truly appeared in Beiyang City.
A peerless genius with a Five Elements Spiritual Root, destined to reach the Primal Embryo Realm!
"Though it is a Five Elements Spiritual Root, it is only Mysterious-grade Low-rank. Alas, what a pity!"
A white-haired elder sighed and beat his chest in regret.
"The Five Elements Spiritual Root has never appeared throughout the ages. So what if it is Mysterious-grade Low-rank? Why does this old sir lament?"
A young martial artist asked in confusion.
"Young man, you do not understand. A Mysterious-grade Low-rank Five Elements Spiritual Root may be extraordinary, but at most, it is comparable to an ordinary Earth-grade Mid-rank spiritual root."
The white-haired elder explained.
"That is indeed so. Though Five Elements Spiritual Roots are rare, that is only within our Great Xia. As far as I know, the chief true disciple of the Dragon Tiger Sect, one of the Three Great Sects, possesses a Mysterious-grade Low-rank Five Elements Spiritual Root. His cultivation progress is enough to rival that of someone with an Earth-grade Mid-rank spiritual root."
A burly, weathered middle-aged man spoke up.
Hearing this, everyone present felt regret as well. If this young lady had a Mysterious-grade Mid-rank spiritual root, she would be able to suppress the Dragon Tiger Sect. Once she matured, she would surely sweep across the Southern Border and restore Great Xia's former glory!
On the platform.
Xiao Minghuang swept her gaze over the crowd, taking in their expressions. A faint smile flashed through her eyes.
Everything before her was entirely within her grasp.
First, she had nurtured a Five Elements Spiritual Root and triggered a phenomenon. All the martial artists of Great Xia had witnessed it, and it could not be concealed, so she might as well lay it out in the open rather than hide it.
But the grade of her spiritual root could deceive heaven and cross the sea, fabricating the truth.
Now that outsiders believed she possessed only a Mysterious-grade Low-rank spiritual root, things could not be better.
If her true talent were exposed, the name of a Heaven-grade spiritual root would be enough to cause countless troubles.
If she had the backing of an Immortal Dynasty, she naturally would have nothing to fear.
But Great Xia had long since declined and had little strength left to protect her.
If some old monster of the Primal Embryo Realm disregarded his status and secretly tried to assassinate her, then even if she hid in the imperial capital, she would likely live each day in constant dread.
Rather than cultivate in restless unease, she might as well conceal her talent.
"However..."
Xiao Minghuang turned her gaze toward Lin Wanqiu, a trace of puzzlement surfacing in her eyes.
"The Five-Viscera Spirit Essence Pill has such potent medicinal effects, yet it only raised Wanqiu's spiritual root to Mystic Grade Top-tier and failed to nurture a Five Elements Spiritual Root. What is going on?"
In her expectations, the Five-Viscera Spirit Essence Pill's medicinal power should have been sufficient to raise Lin Wanqiu's aptitude to Earth-grade Mid-rank, but the current result was not so.
Moreover, even now, her Destiny Compass's needle remained pointed at Lin Wanqiu.
This meant Lin Wanqiu still possessed an opportunity she had yet to discover.
As she pondered.
Lin Zhengquan brought the heirs of the three great families to the Training Ground.
Xiao Minghuang glanced at those so-called heirs of the three great families. Their steps floated, their auras were scattered; one look told her they were wastes hollowed out by wine and women, utterly beyond saving.
"City Lord Lin, if people like this are sent to represent Beiyang City in battle, I fear there will be no chance of victory at all!"
Those words left them not a shred of dignity. The heirs of the three great families all looked embarrassed. They usually strutted about in tyrannical fashion, but before the Ninth Princess, they did not even dare let out a fart.
After all, she was a distinguished guest whom even the heads of their three families treated with respect and caution.
Lin Zhengquan also looked awkward, not knowing how to respond.
Xiao Minghuang spoke calmly:
"For the spiritual vein tournament, Ruoshui, Wanqiu, and I will fight. Three against five may alter the rules, but having more fight fewer favors the Golden Elephant Kingdom. They should agree."
"Yes! This subject will make the arrangements at once."
Knowing himself to be in the wrong, Lin Zhengquan did not dare argue further and immediately agreed.
When they heard that Xiao Minghuang would lead them into battle, both Ye Ruoshui and Lin Wanqiu were thrilled.
They had received many gifts from Xiao Minghuang, and their strength had greatly improved. They had long wished for an opportunity to display their abilities and let Xiao Minghuang see their progress. Now that they had a chance to fight, it was exactly what they wanted.
Seeing the delight on the faces of the Ye and Lin girls, Xiao Minghuang reached out and rubbed their heads, smiling as she said:
"Since you have decided to fight, use these remaining three days to hammer your martial arts into shape."
The Ye and Lin girls nodded repeatedly.
Next, Xiao Minghuang sparred with Ye Ruoshui and Lin Wanqiu in turn.
She was quite satisfied with the strength Lin Wanqiu displayed. Within the Body Tempering Realm, as long as she did not encounter an extreme martial artist like Xiao Minghuang who had reached the Body Tempering Twelfth Level, she was certain to win.
As for Ye Ruoshui, her performance was rather unsatisfactory.
During their spar, Ye Ruoshui could not even hold her sword properly. The moment she entered the field, she charged straight at Xiao Minghuang.
Xiao Minghuang flashed aside. Ye Ruoshui had used too much force and plunged headfirst to the ground, sending the longsword in her hand flying away.
Ye Ruoshui climbed up from the ground, covered in dust and looking pitiful.
"Your Highness, am I very stupid?"
Xiao Minghuang stroked Ye Ruoshui's disheveled hair and casually used a Cleansing Garment Art to sweep away the dust. She sighed softly.
"You are not stupid at all. The days ahead are long; learn slowly."
Ye Ruoshui's performance was within her expectations. After all, the little girl had never cultivated martial arts before this. She had only relied on the pills Xiao Minghuang gave her to raise her cultivation.
Still, since she had decided to send Ye Ruoshui into battle, she had to make her look somewhat presentable and could not let her embarrass herself before outsiders.
Next, Xiao Minghuang focused on teaching Ye Ruoshui the basics of martial arts.
There was nothing profound involved, only basic sword techniques such as holding the sword, chopping, slashing, thrusting, and lifting.
During that time, Lin Wanqiu would also occasionally guide Ye Ruoshui's cultivation.
Though her cultivation was far inferior to Xiao Minghuang's, her foundations in martial arts were exceptionally solid. Moreover, she was in the same realm as Ye Ruoshui, making her guidance more natural and effective than Xiao Minghuang's teaching.
Thus, from the second day onward, Xiao Minghuang no longer served as Ye Ruoshui's martial arts instructor, and Lin Wanqiu took on that responsibility instead.
In merely three days, Ye Ruoshui's martial arts improved by leaps and bounds, and her strength rose tremendously.
On the third night, Ye Ruoshui was already able to defeat a Body Tempering Eighth Level martial artist in the Training Ground.
For someone at the Body Tempering Peak Realm to defeat a Body Tempering Eighth Level martial artist seemed simple, almost only natural.
Yet just three days earlier, Ye Ruoshui had been an ignorant girl who could not even hold a sword steadily.
After only three days of cultivation, she could defeat a martial artist who had devoted decades to martial arts. Aside from the suppression of her realm, this was inseparable from her own comprehension.
Furthermore, Lin Wanqiu's painstaking instruction had also played a major role.
The affection between teacher and student over three days, coupled with Lin Wanqiu's intentional efforts to improve her relationship with Ye Ruoshui, rapidly warmed the bond between the two.
But Xiao Minghuang knew none of this.
After entrusting Ye Ruoshui to Lin Wanqiu's instruction on the second day, she entered seclusion to gain insight.
After taking the Five-Viscera Spirit Essence Pill, she felt her comprehension improve greatly. She had gained new insights into the Ziwei Imperial Dao Scripture and the Big Dipper Seven Stars Sword Technique, and needed to enter seclusion quickly to fully integrate them. Perhaps she might even achieve a breakthrough.
Major Accomplishment Divine Ability, Daytime Star Manifestation!
Great Xia, imperial capital.
Inside a certain grand hall.
Emperor Xia sat cross-legged, holding an Imprint Talisman sent from Beiyang City.
The talisman ignited, and Wang Jin's figure appeared before him. His respectful yet excited voice rang out.
"Reporting to Your Majesty, the one who triggered the Five-Colored Divine Light phenomenon was precisely the Ninth Princess, Xiao Minghuang."
"Moreover, the Ninth Princess's Five Elements Spiritual Root is of extremely high quality: Heaven-grade Low-rank!"
As his words fell, Wang Jin's figure dispersed.
Hearing this, Emperor Xia clenched both fists, and wild joy immediately appeared on his face.
"Little Nine actually possesses a Heaven-grade Five Elements Spiritual Root! Heaven prospers Great Xia; its momentum cannot be stopped!"
Beiyang City.
In the blink of an eye, three days had passed, and it was time for the agreed tournament.
Ye Ruoshui, Lin Wanqiu, and the people of Beiyang City stood outside Xiao Minghuang's courtyard.
They could sense the mysterious, unfathomable aura flowing from within the room, so none dared make a sound to disturb her.
The crowd waited for a long time, until the sun stood high overhead.
Inside the room.
Xiao Minghuang slowly opened her eyes.
At that instant, countless stars seemed to shine within her pupils. Stars that had stood in the universe through untold ages seemed to come alive, casting brilliant, resplendent radiance from within her eyes.
Among the sky full of stars, only one was the brightest. It stood high above the Thirty-three Heavens, wreathed in violet light, noble beyond words.
This bright star represented eternity, represented immortality, represented supremacy. It was the most exalted leader of all stars in the heavens, and every twinkling star in the firmament had no choice but to answer its summons.
In an instant.
The starlight in Xiao Minghuang's pupils faded. Though that divine mystery receded, her gaze remained bright. Those sparkling peach blossom eyes carried an incomparable air of nobility that made people unable to resist falling to their knees in worship.
"The Ziwei Imperial Dao Scripture has reached Major Accomplishment!"
Though her cultivation had not risen during this period of seclusion, the improvement brought by her understanding of the cultivation art was no less than a rise in cultivation.
Xiao Minghuang restrained her aura, looking utterly calm, but the corners of her lips curled upward and a smile appeared at the edges of her eyes.
"Cultivation arts and martial arts are divided into five levels of comprehension because once a cultivation art or martial art reaches Major Accomplishment, one can comprehend a divine ability from it."
"Every divine ability is incomparably powerful and profoundly mysterious. If a martial artist spends an entire lifetime comprehending even one, they can be considered to have achieved something."
"Yet I comprehended a divine ability in only a few short months. If word of such comprehension spread, I fear not a single person would believe it!"
"The divine ability secret art within the Ziwei Imperial Dao Scripture is called Daytime Star Manifestation. It can summon the Power of Stars and add it to one's body, greatly increasing one's strength, even allowing one to kill enemies across an entire major realm!"
Xiao Minghuang knew that when the Ziwei Imperial Dao Scripture reached minor accomplishment, she could condense her spiritual power into starlight, sending it out from her body to combine offense and defense as one.
Though its functions were comprehensive, relying solely on her own spiritual power meant its might was ultimately limited. Fighting across minor realms was already the limit.
But Daytime Star Manifestation was different.
Before you continue