From Cold Palace Princess to Heavenly Empress

He couldn't help but speak up to remind her:

"Your Highness, this battle is dangerous. If you're not confident, we can just concede. There's no need to fight for temporary glory."

Upon hearing this.

Xiao Minghuang's lips curved slightly, but there was no trace of a smile in her eyes. Instead, they held a hint of reproach.

"City Lord Lin, every martial artist possesses a heart of invincibility. Even if they cannot be invincible in the world, they should at least fear no enemies of the same realm. Otherwise, how can they be called a true expert?"

Xiao Minghuang's words deeply shook Lin Zhengquan.

In his youth, he too had possessed a heart of invincibility, defeating all opponents of his level. But after being stuck in the Spring Gushing Realm without breaking through, that heart of invincibility had long since extinguished.

However, upon hearing Xiao Minghuang's words, the bottleneck he had been facing in the Divine Sea Realm for so long seemed to loosen considerably.

Not only Lin Zhengquan, but everyone present turned their gaze towards Xiao Minghuang, who stood noble and ethereal in a vibrant crimson dress, her beauty unparalleled.

This young girl before them, capable of speaking such powerful words, had undoubtedly taught them all a valuable lesson.

Lin Wanqiu, in particular, had suffered from blocked meridians since childhood, making her cultivation incredibly difficult. While others could break through with double the effort, she needed double, or even triple, the amount, a hardship that outsiders could never truly understand.

As the eldest daughter of the City Lord's mansion, she bore not only greater glory but also immense pressure.

The constant whispers and ridicule, though never spoken to her face, were relentless.

While these experiences had forged her resilient character, one that bent against hardness and cut through softness, she lacked the invincible heart that feared nothing.

Xiao Minghuang's words struck directly at the knot in her heart.

In an instant.

A profound and mysterious aura suddenly emanated from Lin Wanqiu, vanishing as quickly as it appeared, yet leaving a significant impact.

The surrounding spiritual energy surged towards Lin Wanqiu like a hundred rivers flowing into the sea, being absorbed by her at an astonishing rate. In the blink of an eye, the spiritual energy within a radius of several hundred feet was completely depleted.

The sudden phenomenon caused an uproar among the onlookers.

"What's happening?"

"It's the young lady! The young lady has achieved enlightenment!"

Someone exclaimed in shock.

Seeing that Lin Wanqiu was on the verge of breaking through to the Qi Refining Realm, Xiao Minghuang quickly sent a telepathic message:

"Wanqiu, don't break through yet. Trust me!"

Enlightenment was a rare and precious opportunity. Lin Wanqiu was on the cusp of breaking into the Qi Refining Realm, just a single thought away from crossing the threshold. If anyone else had said these words, she would have ignored them, but coming from Xiao Minghuang, it was a different matter entirely.

Lin Wanqiu retracted her aura, dispersing the spiritual energy that had been drawn to her by the enlightenment, and let out a deep breath, circulating her energy to adjust her turbulent meridians.

She had forcefully pulled back from the brink of breakthrough. While the impact on her body was not significant, she needed time to recover and could not use her spiritual power for the time being.

At this moment.

Xiao Minghuang walked to Lin Wanqiu's side and whispered a few words into her ear, causing her pale complexion to instantly light up with joy.

What Xiao Minghuang spoke of was naturally the latter three stages of Body Tempering.

To not fall behind others on the path of cultivation, one must achieve the Body Tempering Extreme Realm.

Next, Xiao Minghuang handed Lin Wanqiu a storage bag containing the Body Tempering chapter of the Ziwei Imperial Dao Scripture.

Aside from the private exchange between the two, everything that had transpired was witnessed by Wang Bao.

He never imagined that in this small Beiyang City of the Xia Kingdom, there would be two exceptionally talented young women, both of whom possessed world-shattering beauty.

One possessed the Five Elements Spiritual Root, and the other could trigger enlightenment in the Body Tempering Realm.

Such potential was extremely rare, even within the Dragon Tiger Sect. If discovered, they would undoubtedly be made core disciples.

But now, he had encountered two of them!

This made Wang Bao's mind race. If he could capture both of these geniuses and bring them back to the Dragon Tiger Sect, he could offer the girl with the Five Elements Spiritual Root to his senior brother.

As for the other girl who triggered enlightenment, he would keep her as his Dao companion.

Wouldn't that be wonderful?

Furthermore, he noticed among the people of Beiyang City another young woman with a captivating figure and enchanting beauty, especially the full, rounded curve of her chest, which stirred an inexplicable urge in anyone who saw it.

"Her talent is unknown, but in terms of looks, she's more than enough to be a concubine."

Wang Bao couldn't help but swallow. This time, descending the mountain and coming to the humble Xia Kingdom, he had encountered three beauties of unparalleled allure. He was truly in for a great harvest!

Just as his mind was abuzz with calculations.

Xiao Minghuang's figure flashed as she entered the arena. Her skin was like snow, her black hair like a waterfall, her robes fluttering as she moved with an ethereal grace. Her exquisitely beautiful face was flawless, possessing a beauty that was peerless and otherworldly.

Seeing Xiao Minghuang step onto the stage, Wang Bao collected his thoughts, his expression turning serious.

Although he was several minor realms higher than Xiao Minghuang, just from her earlier words, he knew that this young lady, despite her age, was likely not someone to be trifled with.

The two stood at opposite ends of the battlefield, the atmosphere heavy and oppressive. No one spoke; everyone held their breath.

Xiao Minghuang stood with her hands clasped behind her back, her gaze calm, but her heart was entirely focused.

This was her first battle against a peer martial artist since embarking on the path of cultivation.

Before this, whether it was the Seventh Prince or the leader of the Evil Cultivators, they were all mediocre. Even if she won, it wouldn't prove anything.

But in this battle, her opponent was an inner disciple of the Dragon Tiger Sect, with outstanding talent and formidable strength.

If she won, it would be extremely beneficial for her to forge an invincible Dao heart.

If she failed...

"In my dictionary, the word 'failure' simply doesn't exist!"

Xiao Minghuang's lips curved slightly as she said calmly, "I'll let you make the first move!"

46. So what if I hurt you? Today, I will kill you!

As soon as these words were spoken.

Everyone present was shocked.

Facing an inner disciple of the Dragon Tiger Sect, the Ninth Princess was actually so arrogant. Did she not know how powerful the young prodigies of the Three Great Sects were?

"Hmph! This brat won't even know how she died later!"

The old man in yellow robes said coldly.

"The Ninth Princess is overconfident. The outcome of this battle is unpredictable."

Lin Zhengquan shook his head slightly.

"Sister will definitely win, she definitely will!"

Ye Ruoshui looked at the figure in bright red on the stage, her eyes filled with trust.

After being subjected to continuous cold remarks, Wang Bao, as a sect prodigy, could no longer suppress the anger in his heart, and he shouted.

"Hmph! Little girl, you're arrogant and seeking your own death!"

As his voice fell.

A giant hammer appeared in Wang Bao's hand. It was heavy and powerful, exuding great might. Purple arcs of electricity swirled around the hammerhead, making it look extraordinary.

Without a moment's hesitation, Wang Bao struck first, charging rapidly towards Lin Wanqiu.

Although he was tall and burly and wielded a heavy weapon, his movements were extremely swift. In the blink of an eye, he arrived in front of Xiao Minghuang.

The giant hammer, weighing ten thousand jin, was raised high, as if it could smash mountains. Wisps of arc light emerged from the hammerhead, exploding in the void with a continuous "crackling" sound.

"Martial Nephew Wang's cultivation has already reached the seventh level of Qi Refining, just one step away from the eighth level. Furthermore, he has been practicing the Lightning Hammer Technique for many years and will soon reach the Minor Accomplishment stage. How can a mere little girl resist? This battle's outcome is already decided!"

The old man in yellow robes stroked his beard, a smug look on his face.

Although he had exchanged a Tiger Bone Body Strengthening Pill for Wang Bao's assistance, if he could use this opportunity to be recalled to the sect, or even establish a connection with a great true disciple, then any price would be worth it.

Not only the people from the Golden Elephant Kingdom, but even those from Beiyang City did not expect Xiao Minghuang to win.

Lin Zhengquan's footsteps trembled slightly, his eyes flickered, and his fists clenched, as if he were about to rush forward and save Xiao Minghuang from being defeated at any moment.

However.

Just as the giant hammer was about to fall.

Xiao Minghuang moved.

With a flash of her figure, she appeared behind Wang Bao the next moment. A long sword radiating dazzling golden light appeared in her hand. It was three feet long, and mysterious patterns flowed all over its body, like a star projected onto the ground, incredibly brilliant.

"Seven Stars Sword · Yao Guang!"

Xiao Minghuang let out a soft cry, and a golden sword energy, about ten feet long, suddenly appeared in the void, stirring up countless spiritual energies that scattered everywhere, causing rocks to fly and dust to fill the sky.

The moment this sword energy appeared, Wang Bao's expression changed drastically. He felt his entire body locked by a cold and desolate aura, as if he would be blasted into scraps the next moment.

"What kind of cultivation method is this!"

Wang Bao frowned and immediately moved his feet, trying to escape the sword energy's lock.

The golden sword energy moved extremely fast, cutting through the void and suddenly descending.

Wang Bao had only taken a few steps when he felt the sword energy approaching his back. Helpless, he turned around.

He roared, concentrating all his spiritual power into his palms, and slammed out a hammer strike!

"Lightning Strike!"

Instantly.

Sword and hammer clashed!

The two collided, emitting a violent roar. Explosions echoed incessantly, shaking dozens of miles. Countless trees were broken in half, rocks rolled, streams surged, and sand and stones flew.

As the dust and smoke cleared.

Xiao Minghuang stood in place, her dress as new, untouched by dust.

Wang Bao, however, was not.

He was covered in dirt and dust, his clothes tattered, and his face pale. It was clear that he had suffered a great loss in the direct confrontation.

Seeing this scene.

The old man in yellow widened his eyes, his pupils filled with disbelief.

"How is this possible?"

On Beiyang City's side, everyone wore joyful expressions. Ye Ruoshui, in particular, was practically jumping with excitement to cheer for Xiao Minghuang.

"Your Highness, keep it up!"

In the arena.

Xiao Minghuang was focused, unaffected by the outside chatter. She spoke calmly, "This is the strength of an inner disciple of the Dragon Tiger Sect. It seems I overestimated you after all."

Wang Bao's face turned a mixture of red and white, looking extremely displeased. He never expected that a rogue cultivator girl from one of the thirty-six kingdoms, who looked no older than ten, would possess such immense power.

"I was careless just now, but you won't be so lucky next!"

Wang Bao took a deep breath, and a more ferocious aura than before surged through his body.

Cracking sounds erupted in the void, like the roar of thunder and lightning in the sky, chilling the soul!

"Thunder Hammer Strike!"

As the words fell.

Wang Bao's face turned pale, his entire body's spiritual energy instantly drained!

He swung the giant hammer in his hand and smashed it out fiercely, his speed as fast as lightning.

The giant hammer transformed into a purple lightning bolt as thick as a bucket in the air, roaring forward through the void. Its destructive aura overwhelmed everything, causing everyone to widen their eyes!

"Although Martial Nephew Wang is only at the seventh level of the Qi Refining realm, by fully activating the Yellow Tier high-grade magic treasure, the Thunder Hammer, with the Dragon Tiger Body Tempering Method, his full-power strike is something even a martial artist at the peak of the Qi Refining realm would struggle to resist. The Ninth Princess of the Xia Kingdom is bound to lose!"