Her voice rang out firm and resounding, already showing the aura of a future Empress.
[Ning Hongye’s favorability +10, current total: 20.]
Xiao Yang heard the system notification.
He hadn’t expected that his performance would earn him 10 favorability points just like that.
At this rate, wasn’t conquering the female war goddess—no, the future Empress—right around the corner?
Forget the future, even now, with Ning Hongye at his side, he could run rampant in the King’s Residence…
But just then, Ning Hongye spoke again, “Xiao Yang, your strength is still too weak. You’re only a 1st stage martial artist. If you wish to achieve great things, you need to raise your cultivation quickly!”
“This is the Thunderclap Saber Technique, passed down in my Ning family. It’s mid-grade Spirit-tier. Take it back and study it. If you’re confused about anything, come ask me.”
As she finished, she took out a scroll from her bosom and tossed it to Xiao Yang. It was faintly warm and carried a subtle feminine fragrance!
Women’s words—so deceiving!
Just a moment ago, she was pledging to share the world, and now she’s already “disgusted” by his low cultivation?
Still, Xiao Yang didn’t mind. With the system, upgrading his strength was just a matter of minutes.
“Thank you.”
He stored the Thunderclap Saber Technique and turned to leave.
Ning Hongye, watching his back, had an odd glint in her beautiful eyes.
“Who says women can’t be Empress?”
“Interesting… I never expected him to say something like that.”
“Xiao Yang, could you be the one my master spoke of?”
Since childhood, there had been a reincarnated female Immortal Empress residing within her.
Though the Empress was mostly dormant, she had once prophesied that Ning Hongye would meet a Chosen One.
“When golden wind meets jade dew, they shall rise 90,000 kilometers together.”
…
On the other side, Xiao Yang quickly returned to his residence.
“System, I want to extract the Yin-Yang Genesis Pill!”
Whoosh!
In the next moment, a gleaming pill the size of a dragon’s eye appeared in his hand.
Its fragrance was rich and filled the room instantly.
Nine pill patterns flowed on its surface—a symbol of an emperor-tier spiritual pill.
[Yin-Yang Genesis Pill: Top-grade emperor-tier. Reverses yin and yang, reshapes constitution, and grants the equivalent of 100 years of bitter cultivation.]
Xiao Yang was beyond excited. Emperor-tier pills were extremely rare in the Grand Xia Empire.
Aside from a few held by the royal family, the last one to appear publicly had been 80 years ago at the Pill Alliance, sparking a bloody struggle among several 8th stage Martial Marquises.
If he offered this pill to the royal court, he could easily be rewarded with a third-rank official title.
Of course, Xiao Yang would never do something so foolish.
Gulp!
He swallowed the Yin-Yang Genesis Pill in one go. A violent medicinal force surged through his organs, limbs, and bones.
It was overwhelming!
He immediately focused his mind, fully absorbing the pill’s power.
His cultivation began rising rapidly—
Body Tempering Stage 6… Stage 7… Stage 8… Stage 9!
Meridian Opening Stage 1… Stage 2… all the way to Stage 9!
Qi Sea Stage 1!
“I’m now a 3rd stage martial artist!”
Mortal martial cultivation was divided into nine realms:
1st stage Body Tempering
2nd stage Meridian Opening
3rd stage Qi Sea
4th stage Spirit Refinement
5th stage Vajra
6th stage Mountain Shifting
7th stage Dharma Forming (Grandmaster)
8th stage Martial Marquis
9th stage Martial Saint
Each realm had nine sub-stages.
The original body’s talent was average, and due to lax cultivation, had only reached 5th sub-stage Body Tempering Realm.
But now, with a single emperor-tier pill, he jumped two whole major realms and over ten sub-levels…
A 3rd stage martial artist!
In the military, that qualified him to be a Centurion—commanding troops and possessing solid combat ability.
Huu…
Xiao Yang exhaled a foul breath, his body refined, his spirit renewed.
He casually threw a punch, and the air shattered with a sonic boom.
At 3rd stage Qi Sea Realm, even his basic physical strength reached 5,000 kilograms.
Moreover, his entire aura had transformed.
Previously a handsome youth, he now exuded calm and contained sharpness—like a treasured blade tempered for ten years.
Though still sheathed, once drawn, it would pierce the heavens.
[Host has consumed the spiritual pill. Constitution transformed into “Innate Yin-Yang Sacred Body (Yang).”]
[Charm +100. Fortunes with the opposite sex multiply. The more beautiful the woman, the more likely she is drawn to you. If you dual cultivate, your cultivation will progress by leaps and bounds.]
Xiao Yang froze.
Wait.
All I did was take a pill… why am I suddenly a human charm magnet?
Now, beautiful women would see him like a monster sees monk meat?
Might as well rename this thing from Yin-Yang Sacred Body to Innate Dual Cultivation Sacred Body!
He shook his head helplessly at this “side effect.”
“Now that my cultivation’s up, time to train my techniques.”
He took out the Thunderclap Saber Technique gifted by Ning Hongye and began reading.
Buzz… buzz…
Suddenly, his left eye’s dual pupil activated, automatically triggering the [Instant Comprehension] divine ability.
[Auto-deducing technique, fixing flaws.]
[Deduction complete. Spirit-tier mid-grade Thunderclap Saber Technique evolved to King-tier top-grade “Thunder Prison World-Destroying Saber.”]
King-tier technique!
Xiao Yang was stunned again.
Though [Instant Comprehension] wasn’t as broken as the system’s return rewards, it was still absurdly powerful.
King-tier techniques were only found in royal courts or top-tier clans and sects.
Even as a prince of the Northern Suppression King’s house, Xiao Yang had no access to such methods.
He immediately began cultivating Thunder Prison World-Destroying Saber. Its secrets poured into his mind like a flood.
It consisted of nine stances. At its peak, it could even summon heavenly tribulation.
But with his current strength, he could only grasp the first move—Thunderflash.
Thunderflash was not just a charging slash—it was also a movement technique!
In a blink, it could cross 100 meters. When unleashed, its power was devastating.
With [Instant Comprehension], Xiao Yang quickly mastered Thunderflash and cultivated it to perfection.
He left his bedroom, entered the backyard, and casually grabbed an ordinary saber to test it out.
Whoosh!
In that moment, Xiao Yang’s figure blurred midair, leaving an afterimage, while faint lightning flickered on his blade.
Boom!
A fake mountain over 100 meters away exploded into pieces and collapsed with a rumble.
“What terrifying power!”
Xiao Yang was shaken.
That was just the first move, and already it possessed such divine might.
He was confident that even if he faced the First Prince Xiao Junlin again—this time without any suppression—he could still fight evenly.
“System, if I gift Thunder Prison World-Destroying Saber to Ning Hongye, can I trigger another return?”
Xiao Yang asked mentally.
[All treasures rewarded by the system cannot trigger return bonuses.]
Hearing this, Xiao Yang understood—the system had blocked all loophole exploits. Otherwise, he could’ve farmed returns off Ning Hongye and ended up with Immortal Emperor-tier techniques.
Having advanced multiple realms and evolved a King-tier saber art, his stamina was greatly drained. His stomach began to growl.
He sheathed his saber, returned indoors, and shouted, “Huang Li! I’m starving! Bring me something to eat!”
“Yes, Young Master!”
Moments later, the maid Huang Li walked in carrying a delicately arranged tray.
But her head was bowed the whole time, and her body was trembling slightly.
“Huang Li, what’s wrong with you… Lift your head!” Xiao Yang ordered.
Hearing this, Huang Li hesitated for a few seconds, then obeyed.
Her delicate, lovely face was bruised and swollen, covered in red slap marks.
“What happened? Who did this?!”
Xiao Yang’s face darkened instantly.
Huang Li had always served him with great care and devotion these past days.
He was extremely protective—whoever dared bully her, was asking for war.
“I… I fell… by accident,” Huang Li stammered a poor excuse.
“You won’t say? Then I’ll go ask around! Did my eldest brother hold a grudge and send someone to trouble you?”
Xiao Yang rose, gripping his saber, and prepared to storm out.
“Young Master, wait!”
Huang Li hurriedly grabbed his arm and confessed, “It was the Fourth Prince’s concubine. She falsely accused me of stealing a gold hairpin and insisted on searching my body.”
“I refused, so she ordered her servants to beat me. Thankfully, Guard Zhao Changkong stepped in and stopped them!”
“I got off lightly—just a few slaps. But Guard Zhao had his arm broken and is now recovering in the back courtyard!”