Chapter 155: The Little Princess Appears, A Familiar Gift
Several young talents had already been defeated by Nangong Mian at the banquet.
She hadn’t even really fought. After her opponents exhausted all their techniques, she simply walked over and patted them on the shoulder.
This meant… these young talents weren’t even qualified to make Nangong Mian fight seriously.
Finally, no more young talents were willing to step forward and be humiliated.
Nangong Mian stood gracefully, looking at everyone with a smile.
“Uncles, Auntie did say that you should bring the best young talents in your clans for Xue Meimei to choose from, but now…”
She made a troubled face. “This… might be difficult.”
The “Auntie” Nangong Mian referred to was the Empress, and hearing her words, the lords and nobles’ expressions darkened slightly.
“Xiao Mian, don’t speak nonsense.”
The Sixth Prince still had a cheerful demeanor. He glanced at the Empress, then looked at the lords and nobles and said,
“This child is still young and doesn’t know any better. Please forgive her.”
“Of course, of course…”
The lords and nobles forced smiles.
Being looked down upon by a junior… Although they couldn’t refute it, they were still unhappy.
Like Zhou Ling, brought by You Wang, the juniors brought by these lords and nobles weren’t the most outstanding in their clans, but those of direct bloodline.
Among the branch families, there were also some talented individuals, even stronger than the direct descendants, but their treatment was definitely much worse.
And for a banquet where they could meet the Empress or the Immortal Emperor, it was even less likely for them to bring these branch family members.
This selfish motive was exposed by Nangong Mian, but the lords and nobles didn’t dare to speak out.
Because… Nangong Mian had mentioned the Empress, even using the intimate address “Auntie”…
“This is probably… the Empress’s intention…”
The lords and nobles all thought of this and realized that they had to reassess the Empress’s attitude towards Princess Xue.
Could it be that she wasn’t deliberately ostracizing her, as the rumors said?
“Is the Empress… standing up for me?”
Luo Xue, behind the gauze curtain, stared intently at Nangong Mian. What the lords and nobles understood, she naturally understood as well.
The Sixth Prince had taken the initiative to give the young talents a chance to show their abilities, but then had Nangong Mian, whose strength was far superior, step forward and humiliate them, embarrassing the lords and nobles.
Luo Xue’s gaze shifted between Nangong Mian and the Empress, lost in thought.
What was this woman, whom she should call Mother, planning?
It was a pity that she had only been awake for about half a day, and many of her memories hadn’t returned yet. And in her memories, she didn’t seem to have seen her father or mother much.
“Your Highness, it’s time for you to appear.”
Seeing Luo Xue spacing out again, the etiquette official quickly reminded her.
Her face was filled with worry, even more certain that the little princess’s attention was completely focused on Nangong Mian.
That Sixth Prince, with so many prodigies in his clan, he had to choose a girl…
No, it was because he was worried that the young princess would fall for someone unsuitable.
Who knew that Her Highness even liked girls…
How troublesome.
The etiquette official already knew about Nangong Mian.
This was deliberately arranged by the Empress, originally intending to do this before the Immortal Emperor, but he hadn’t come.
“I… I have to appear?” Luo Xue was flustered and quickly sat up straight. “Madam, is this alright?”
Luo Xue didn’t understand court etiquette. She didn’t even know what she should or shouldn’t do. Now, suddenly having to face these lords and nobles, she couldn’t help but feel nervous.
This nervousness, in the eyes of the etiquette official, was completely misinterpreted.
Once a misunderstanding started, it would only escalate.
“Her Highness even forgot to put on her veil…”
The etiquette official sighed inwardly and pointed to the thin veil on the table.
“Put this on, Your Highness.”
“Oh, oh, okay.”
Luo Xue nodded repeatedly and hurriedly put on the veil.
After she was ready, the court attendant with the shrill voice stepped forward again and announced,
“Her Highness Princess Xue has arrived!”
This time, the lords and nobles didn’t stand up. The little princess’s status wasn’t high enough for them to rise and bow.
However, the young talents were still looking forward to finally seeing the legendary Princess Xue.
The white gauze curtain slowly opened, revealing a silver-haired girl sitting dignifiedly, with the etiquette official standing respectfully beside her.
Almost all the young talents were captivated by the girl, marveling at how she deserved the title “Princess Xue” bestowed by the Immortal Emperor. Her cascading silver hair was truly impressive.
However, the lords and nobles looked at the etiquette official beside her, their pupils constricting.
“It’s her? Why is she…”
“It makes sense, she’s the Empress’s… It seems that the rumors about Princess Xue are not entirely accurate…”
“The affairs within the imperial family are indeed complicated, not for us outsiders to speculate.”
It was precisely because they didn’t want to get involved that all the other princes and princesses hadn’t returned to the palace to attend their sister’s birthday banquet.
“Your Highness, you have to say something.”
Seeing Luo Xue silent, the etiquette official became anxious and quickly transmitted her voice.
“Say… say what?”
“Greet the Empress and the lords and nobles!”
“Greet them…”
Luo Xue thought for a moment, then raised her hand and waved.
“Hello, everyone~”
Then she looked towards the Empress and waved again.
“Hello, Mother~”
Everyone was stunned into silence, even the figure within the purple mist seemed speechless.
The etiquette official wanted to kneel and apologize. Your Highness, you can’t do this to this old servant! Why did you forget all the etiquette I taught you…
Luo Xue didn’t know the complicated greetings of the court. There were no such things in her memories.
Not that she couldn’t remember, but she had never learned them…
“Good.”
Just then, the Empress’s cold voice came from the throne, easing the awkward silence.
Then, the young talents at the banquet quickly responded.
“This subject, Zhou Ling, thanks Your Highness for your concern, and offers a Nine Nether Ice Lotus, wishing Your Highness eternal health and happiness.”
“This subject, Chen Kangsheng, thanks Your Highness for your concern, and offers a piece of Profound Ice, wishing Your Highness eternal youth, beauty, and prosperity.”
“…”
The young talents, on behalf of the lords and nobles, offered their blessings and birthday gifts to Princess Xue, all of them treasures suitable for female cultivators.
Court attendants came and went, collecting the gifts and returning corresponding gifts, finally bringing the situation back on track.
The etiquette official glared at Luo Xue, but Luo Xue only felt wronged.
You were the one who told her to greet them…
And she did!
“Sixth Granduncle, do we also have to give a gift?”
Nangong Mian looked at the court attendants moving around the banquet hall, her eyes shining, her mouth almost watering, as if she was about to rob them.
If she could use all these treasures, she could at least advance her Desolate Extinction Scripture by half a level!
“Don’t be silly,” the Sixth Prince immediately saw through Nangong Mian’s thoughts and rolled his eyes. “It doesn’t matter whether you give a gift or not. If you want treasures, just exchange them with your Xuanyin Tokens within the clan.”
Xuanyin Tokens were like points, awarded for contributions to the clan or completing missions. Magical treasures, techniques, and heavenly treasures within the clan, unless unique, had to be exchanged with these tokens.
Large cultivation families had many descendants, even several prodigies, so resource allocation was always a problem.
“The gifts from the imperial family seem quite good~”
Although Nangong Mian still stood beside the Sixth Prince, her gaze lingered on the gifts.
“…Let me tell you, I haven’t prepared anything.”
The Sixth Prince’s eyelid twitched. He knew this girl was trying to get something from him.
He had already given her quite a few Xuanyin Tokens as payment for this mission, and she still wanted more.
…No way.
“Oh, but I don’t have anything either…”
Nangong Mian’s expression drooped. She was a body cultivator, the most resource-intensive cultivation path, and she didn’t have any treasures, not even a few spirit stones.
“Then just stand there quietly.”
The Sixth Prince was slightly smug, having finally managed to control this little girl.
Nangong Mian’s reputation within the clan’s territory wasn’t small, but it wasn’t because of her title as Mian Wudi, but rather…
She was infamous, feared by everyone.
Because of the high resource consumption of body cultivation, Nangong Mian was practically penniless, possessing only her unmatched strength within the same realm.
And what could she do with this strength…
Every once in a while, the clan would open small world secret realms for the juniors to train and obtain cultivation resources.
Anyone who had enough Xuanyin Tokens as an entrance fee could enter the secret realm and compete.
Then… Nangong Mian, relying on her invincible strength within the same realm, would rush into every secret realm, sweeping away almost 90% of the resources, beating up all the other juniors.
This left the other juniors with neither training experience nor resources, wasting their entrance fees.
Therefore, after this, almost no one dared to enter a secret realm where Nangong Mian was participating.
Occasionally, there would be a few who didn’t believe it, but after one experience, they learned their lesson.
A secret realm that could accommodate a hundred people, the clan only collected entrance fees from less than ten, a huge loss.
And the clan couldn’t do anything about Nangong Mian. After all, she was invincible at her level. They couldn’t change the ancient clan rules just for her.
The Sixth Prince had brought Nangong Mian to the clan’s main territory, and the happiest were the Foundation Establishment juniors of the same level, practically cheering as she left.
The most worried were the Core Formation juniors…
If Nangong Mian successfully formed her core after this trip, they would be the ones suffering.
As for whether Nangong Mian could be invincible at the Core Formation Realm… after several mid-stage Core Formation cultivators went to challenge her and were beaten back, no one doubted it anymore.
“How about, I give some blood!”
Nangong Mian suddenly clapped her hands, and these words stunned the Sixth Prince.
“Give… give blood? Mian’er… what are you planning?”
“I don’t have any treasures, I can’t just give away my food money for tomorrow, can I?”
Nangong Mian clutched the three remaining spirit stones in her pocket and said seriously,
“Anyway, blood can regenerate, and this is the blood of the Desolate Extinction Scripture! Although it’s useless, it’s something to brag about!”
Those who were qualified and willing to cultivate the Desolate Extinction Scripture, from ancient times to the present, could be counted on one hand.
Firstly, it was a matter of talent. It wasn’t just about having good talent, but having the right kind of talent, a matter of compatibility. Not all geniuses could cultivate the Desolate Extinction Scripture.
Secondly, it was the matter of resource consumption. Although Nangong Mian had reached the peak of Foundation Establishment in just a few years, that was because she had plundered many secret realms…
For cultivators with fewer resources, it might take hundreds, or even thousands, of years.
Finally, the most important thing was…
The Desolate Extinction Scripture could only be considered complete if one achieved Enlightenment Core Formation. Otherwise, it was an incomplete version.
Even the most talented prodigies couldn’t guarantee that they would achieve Enlightenment Core Formation.
In this case, with other top-tier body cultivation techniques available, why choose one that was likely to be incomplete?
Therefore, when Nangong Mian displayed the Desolate Extinction Scripture, the lords and nobles were shocked.
“Huh? Not blood essence?”
The Sixth Prince’s eyes widened slightly. He had thought Nangong Mian was going to give away a few drops of her blood essence, the only thing a body cultivator could condense.
But… she was just giving ordinary blood?
The Desolate Extinction Scripture had a powerful regenerative ability. Ordinary blood was plentiful, and besides carrying a hint of the Desolate Extinction Scripture‘s aura, it was useless.
“Sixth Granduncle, are you confused? I don’t even have much blood essence myself, how can I give it away?”
Nangong Mian glared back, finding the Sixth Prince’s question strange.
A single drop of a body cultivator’s blood essence was equivalent to countless treasures. Giving it away would be a huge loss, how could she earn anything?
She was here to gain benefits, not to give them away.
“Nonsense, this is utter nonsense!”
The Sixth Prince was furious, but Nangong Mian had already made up her mind.
She stepped forward, bowed to the Empress, then looked towards Luo Xue and smiled sweetly.
“This subject, Nangong Mian, thanks Your Highness for your concern, and offers a bottle of blood from the Desolate Extinction Scripture, wishing Your Highness eternal youth and beauty~”
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