From Cold Palace Princess to Heavenly Empress Chapter 6

"Your Highness is incredible! That Seventh Prince or whatever, Your Highness crippled him with one punch. Let's see what right he has to swagger around after this!"

Xiao Minghuang stopped, stroked the little maid's soft hair, and smiled.

"The Seventh Prince is nothing but a clown capering on a stage. He isn't worth worrying about. But you—were you bullied by them just now?"

Ye Ruoshui froze for a moment, then shook her head.

"No. This servant was waiting for Your Highness outside the hall when the Seventh Prince's group suddenly appeared and tried to molest me. Fortunately, that Captain of the Guards spoke up for me, and I managed to hold on until Your Highness emerged from seclusion."

Xiao Minghuang nodded slightly.

"Find an opportunity to send that Captain of the Guards some gifts and thank him for his kindness."

"This servant understands."

As they spoke, the two left the Imperial Palace and headed for their new residence.

9. Turmoil Approaches, Prepare for a Breakthrough

Second Prince's Manor.

Inside a quiet chamber, the Seventh Prince lay on a bed, his breath weak and his life hanging by a thread. He was like a candle flame in the wind, ready to go out with a single puff.

The Seventh Prince's situation differed from Xiao Minghuang's.

His Dantian had been forcibly shattered by an external force. His foundation was ruined, and all his power of blood and qi had dissipated.

Xiao Minghuang, on the other hand, had merely suffered ruptured meridians due to the side effects of the pill, leaving her blood and qi unable to circulate effectively.

With his foundation utterly destroyed, the Seventh Prince's injuries were far more severe than Xiao Minghuang's.

After his cultivation had been crippled, the Seventh Prince's blood and qi rapidly withered. In just half a day, he had wasted away into skin and bones. He looked like an old man in his sixties or seventies, as though his days were numbered.

"Second Brother, that little wench is at the Body Tempering Ninth Layer... I was no match for her... Second Brother, you must avenge me!"

The Seventh Prince spoke in broken fragments, breathing out but barely drawing breath in, as though he might die from his grave injuries at any moment.

At the sight of this, a flush rose to the Second Prince's handsome face, while fury flashed through his eyes.

Crippling his blood brother in public was simply a blatant refusal to show him any respect!

"Seventh Brother, rest easy. Second Brother will certainly avenge you!"

As he spoke, he waved his hand, his face full of sorrow.

"Fetch the best physicians. Seventh Brother's injuries must be healed!"

The Second Prince said this only for the Seventh Prince's benefit, to ease his mind.

Once one's cultivation was crippled, recovery was impossible unless one possessed a legendary Heaven-grade pill. This was common knowledge.

The moment he returned to his study, his expression darkened.

"What a Ninth Princess. She truly has no regard for me at all!"

Just then.

The door opened, and an imposing middle-aged man dressed in black entered. He radiated the aura of the Divine Sea Realm. He was none other than Great Xia's second strongest expert, King Wu'an.

"Second Prince, I heard the Seventh Prince challenged the Ninth Princess, only to have his cultivation crippled in public. Did you order this?"

The Second Prince cupped his hands.

"The Ninth Princess suddenly received rewards from Father Emperor, and I suspected something was amiss. So I sent Seventh Brother to test her. I never expected that little wench to be so audacious!"

King Wu'an's gaze remained calm as he asked, "Do you truly think so? How could a mere Ninth Princess possess such audacity?"

Hearing this, the Second Prince's eyes steadied. After pondering for a moment, he suddenly came to his senses. "Could it be Father Emperor..."

In an instant, many thoughts flashed through his mind.

Seven days ago, the Ninth Princess had violated the rules and lost during a contest, after which she had been thrown into the Cold Palace. Yet news later spread that her cultivation had recovered.

That was why he had sent the Seventh Prince to test her. But he had never expected...

As for why the Ninth Princess's cultivation had recovered after supposedly being crippled—and why her strength had instead advanced even further—

Perhaps she had never been crippled at all. Perhaps this had all been a grand performance orchestrated by Emperor Xia.

Having figured this out, the Second Prince let out a breath. Frowning, he hesitated. "If this truly is Father Emperor's intention, then this will be difficult."

No matter how powerful he and King Wu'an were, Emperor Xia was still Great Xia's strongest expert. Moreover, an Old Ancestor of the Spirit Seed Realm was still alive. If Emperor Xia wholeheartedly supported Xiao Minghuang, there was nothing he could do.

Seeing the Second Prince's unsettled state of mind, King Wu'an spoke blandly, reminding him, "What? You're already thinking of giving up?"

"No!"

The Second Prince answered instinctively. A moment later, coldness surfaced on his handsome face as he looked toward King Wu'an.

"Your grandson dares to ask Grandfather to act and kill the Ninth Princess, clearing the road for your grandson to ascend the throne!"

With King Wu'an's Divine Sea Eighth Level Realm cultivation, killing Xiao Minghuang, who was only at the Body Tempering Ninth Layer, would be no different from crushing an ant.

As long as he acted in secret and cleaned up properly, even Emperor Xia would have nowhere to investigate.

By then, once the Ninth Princess was dead, Emperor Xia would have to pinch his nose and endure it no matter how great his resentment. He would have no choice but to name him heir.

Hearing this, a pleased smile appeared on King Wu'an's imposing face.

"You can still be taught!"

"I came this time to tell you that Emperor Xia will soon enter seclusion to attempt a breakthrough into the Spirit Seed Realm. During that time, Great Xia will fall into chaos. We can profit amid the turmoil and sweep away the Ninth Princess along with anyone else in one stroke!"

The Second Prince looked confused.

Emperor Xia had been at the peak of the Divine Sea Realm for years. He frequently entered seclusion in an attempt to break through into the Spirit Seed Realm, but without exception, he had always failed.

Though this matter was not publicly known, everyone within the imperial family knew of it.

What truly puzzled him was the latter half of King Wu'an's words.

"The country is peaceful and the people are safe. How could Great Xia fall into turmoil? What does Grandfather mean?"

King Wu'an said indifferently, "That is not something you need to worry about. Make your preparations. In two days, you will head to Donglin City for training."

"As for the Ninth Princess, leave her to me!"

As he spoke, King Wu'an took out a storage bag and handed it to the Second Prince.

"Use these resources and break through to the Spring Gushing Realm as soon as possible."

The Second Prince lowered his head and bowed respectfully.

"Thank you, Grandfather, for your reward. When I ascend the throne one day, whatever Grandfather commands, your grandson will obey without exception!"

East of the city, on a broad street.

Xiao Minghuang and Ye Ruoshui left the Imperial Palace and headed straight for their new residence.

Above the gates hung a brand-new plaque, inscribed with four gilded characters—Ninth Princess Manor.

Outside the manor gates stood a middle-aged man dressed like a steward. His face was pale and beardless, and he radiated the aura of the Qi Refining Realm. The moment he saw Xiao Minghuang and Ye Ruoshui, he hurried forward.

"This humble one is Wang Er, sent by His Majesty to manage the manor's miscellaneous affairs for Your Highness. This humble one welcomes Your Highness home!"

"No need for formalities."

After entering the manor, Wang Er introduced Xiao Minghuang to its conditions. Most of it was trivial household business and not worth hearing.

"...In the western side courtyard, there is a medicinal garden planted with many spirit herbs and medicinal plants. Their grades are not high, but they can still generate quite a bit of spiritual qi for the manor."

"...In the eastern side courtyard, there is a training chamber engraved with a Spirit Gathering Formation. If Your Highness cultivates inside, the speed at which you absorb spiritual qi can increase greatly!"

Xiao Minghuang's gaze paused, and joy appeared in her eyes.

She knew nothing about alchemy, so the medicinal garden was of little use to her. But the Spirit Gathering Formation was another matter.

Like the path of alchemy, formations also had varying grades. A formation such as the Spirit Gathering Formation, which could increase cultivation speed, was simple to arrange, but it required precious Spirit Stones as materials and could not be set up casually.

Xiao Minghuang made her way straight to the training chamber. After learning how to use the Spirit Gathering Formation, she dismissed Wang Er, leaving only herself and Ye Ruoshui in the room.

"The Spirit Gathering Formation consumes ten Spirit Stones for every hour it operates. The current reserves of Spirit Stones in the formation can keep it running continuously for three days. Your Highness may activate it as assistance when you are about to break through."

Wang Er had left behind those words before departing.

The fact that the formation could run continuously for three days meant that it contained a full three hundred and sixty Spirit Stones. This was an enormously large number.

But to her, who possessed a hundred Mid-grade Spirit Stones, it could be activated freely and without restraint.

However, she had no intention of activating the formation just yet.

Her cultivation had already reached the peak of the Body Tempering Ninth Layer. She was only one step away from entering the Qi Refining Realm.

Drawing Qi into the Body required the guidance of a cultivation method. Although the Dragon Soul Heart Method she had just acquired was an Earth-grade low-rank Cultivation Method, if she gave it away and received system compensation, she would certainly obtain an even better cultivation method.

Having made up her mind, Xiao Minghuang quietly awaited the arrival of tomorrow.

10. Ten-Thousandfold Critical Strike, Heaven-tier Cultivation Method!

The next morning.

At daybreak, Xiao Minghuang hurriedly knocked open Ye Ruoshui's door.

The little maid was still bleary-eyed. Dressed only in a gauzy robe as thin as cicada wings, she opened the door for Xiao Minghuang with a yawn.

Xiao Minghuang entered the room and shut the door behind her. In the faint morning light, she glanced at the full curve beneath the little maid's nearly transparent gauze robe before finally fixing her eyes on the other girl's muddled little face.

"Ruoshui, Sister has a treasure for you."

Ye Ruoshui rubbed her drowsy eyes. Her long lashes fluttered like a pair of flower-dancing butterflies about to take flight.

"What is it?"

Xiao Minghuang pulled a white rod from her robes and directly stuffed it into the little maid's arms.

"Sister needs to cultivate lately and will be rather busy, so I won't have time to teach you. Practice by yourself first."

After tossing out those words, Xiao Minghuang pushed open the door, quickly left, and vanished.

Leaving behind only a thoroughly bewildered Ye Ruoshui.

The smooth, lustrous jade still carried a faint warmth. She sniffed it and could still catch a trace of orchid fragrance.

That scent left her intoxicated and unwilling to part from it.

Yet Ye Ruoshui could not puzzle out the function of this jade rod no matter how hard she thought.

"???"

She pondered it until daylight fully arrived, yet remained completely at a loss.

Only after the warmth and fragrance lingering on the jade had faded did Ye Ruoshui take the white jade rod outside into the sunlight and examine it closely.

The jade was shaped like a rounded rod, slightly shorter than her forearm. Both ends were smooth and rounded, while the rest of it was irregularly uneven.

Looking at the strange jade, the little maid thought for a long time but still could not understand it. So she went to ask an older palace maid in the manor.

The old palace maid glanced at Ye Ruoshui, appraisal in her eyes. After a moment, she lowered her head and whispered a few words into her ear.

"This thing can make you happy. I've never married despite being this old, and I've relied on this very thing all along..."

As she spoke, Ye Ruoshui's little face visibly reddened, becoming pink and alluring. It was as though white mist were rising from the top of her head.

Unable to help herself, she stamped her foot, lowered her head, and dashed back to her room. She threw herself onto the bed and rolled around, then wrapped herself in the blankets and rolled into the corner by the wall. Only her little head remained exposed, her eyes filled with tiny stars.

"Your Highness gave me this... could it be..."

When two flowers bloom, each tells its own branch of the tale.

After giving away the cultivation method, Xiao Minghuang immediately returned to the training chamber and impatiently questioned the system.

"System, where is my compensation?"

[ Ding! ]

[ Detected that the host has successfully gifted an opportunity! ]