Chapter 185: The Saintess Arrives
–Water Heart Stage
The Ranking Battle commenced, and as the participating factions of the Sea Region Alliance prepared to enter, the atmosphere within the arena buzzed with excitement and anticipation.
It was rumored that the Jade Pot Palace hadn’t even managed to gather fifteen Dead Sea Stage members a week before the competition, scrambling to recruit from smaller, affiliated factions at the last minute.
As defectors from the Wind Realm, they were viewed with suspicion and distrust by all the other factions, their single Nether Traverse Stage Spirit Master offering little protection.
Moreover, those who chose to join the Jade Pot Palace after passing the subsidiary factions’ selections were generally considered… less than ideal.
Top Tier: Winter Floating Sky.
First Tier: Ice Shield Palace, Sea Concubine Palace, Cold Court.
Second Tier: Tide Pavilion, Water Wish Pavilion.
Third Tier: Jade Pot Palace, Snow Fairy Mansion, Azure Stream Palace.
The higher one’s evaluation during the selection process, the more faction choices they had.
Regarding the bottom three factions, there was a saying: “Join the Snow Fairy Mansion for pleasure, the Azure Stream Palace for shame, and the Jade Pot Palace for… well, let’s just say they’re not the sharpest tools in the shed.”
The Jade Pot Palace, lacking connections, resources, and strength, still managed to attract a few… unusual individuals every year. This was the so-called “better to be the head of a maggot than the tail of a phoenix” mentality.
(Though, technically, it should be “chicken,” not “maggot.”)
“But I heard that last year’s top recruit joined the Jade Pot Palace…?” someone asked.
“They must have been offered a hefty bribe. After all, even the top ten recruits who join the Winter Floating Sky have to start from scratch, and all the existing members are also former top recruits. The competition is fierce. If the Jade Pot Palace offered good enough terms, it would be understandable.”
“Bribing the top recruit… they’re quite ambitious.”
A few seconds later, the chatter died down, and the restless atmosphere calmed.
Tens of millions of spectators… in a venue like this, for a performance or a show, it would have been impossible to achieve such silence, as there would be no hierarchy.
But this was different. Like a teacher entering a classroom, or a CEO entering a meeting, the arrival of powerful Spirit Masters commanded respect and silence.
The Sea Region Alliance factions began to enter.
The Jade Pot Palace, led by a young woman in a silver robe, her short, gray hair reaching her shoulders, a single, vertical spike-like marking at the corner of her left eye.
Unlike the nervous members behind her, the gray-haired woman’s Dead Sea Stage aura was solid and stable, clearly having been at this level for some time.
She walked towards the center of the arena with an air of confidence and determination, showing no trace of shyness. This was the top recruit they had been discussing.
The Lost Saintess of the Jade Pot Palace.
Although her spirit energy was impressive, the other members behind her… their auras were so weak and chaotic, it made the audience cringe.
How could their spirit energy be so unstable? It was as if they had just barely reached the Dead Sea Stage…
A few seconds later, the Snow Fairy Mansion’s members also emerged, but their Pure Saintess was stopped at the entrance, causing a commotion, delaying their arrival by several minutes.
Later, rumors spread that the Pure Saintess had attempted to enter the arena completely naked, hoping to transcend the limitations of shame, only to be stopped by the Winter Floating Sky Spirit Masters.
Indecent, immoral, a disgrace.
After a few minutes of struggling, the white-haired girl, now wearing a thin, barely-there skirt, finally emerged, glaring at the Winter Floating Sky Spirit Masters.
If it weren’t for them, she would have ascended right there and then.
The Pure Saintess of the Snow Fairy Mansion.
The difference between the two factions was clear. Although the Saintesses themselves were comparable, the other fourteen Dead Sea Stage Spirit Masters from the Snow Fairy Mansion were far superior to those from the Jade Pot Palace.
The Hateful Saintess of the Azure Stream Palace, a beautiful blue-haired woman in a strange, nun-like outfit, her appearance somewhat similar to the Six Concubines of the Sea Concubine Palace, clearly also from the water lineage.
The water lineage was the oldest and most influential cultivation family in the Sea Region, its roots stretching back thousands of years. Many renowned Spirit Masters had come from this lineage, such as Shui Qinghou and Shui Qiu’e of the Six Concubines, Shui Yingge, the Water Emperor, the previous Palace Master of the Cold Court, the previous, previous, previous Palace Master of the Water Wish Pavilion, and even, further back, the Nether Empress’s teacher.
As the fifteen members of the Azure Stream Palace entered, their combined spirit energy created a palpable pressure, especially for the rogue cultivators from smaller factions.
They had initially looked down on the Spirit Masters from the Snow Fairy Mansion and the Jade Pot Palace, thinking the Sea Region Alliance was nothing special.
However, starting with the Azure Stream Palace, the quality of the participating Spirit Masters had clearly increased significantly.
Each Spirit Master radiated a solid, stable aura, clearly tempered through countless trials at the Dead Sea Stage.
After the bottom three factions, it was the Tide Pavilion and the Water Wish Pavilion’s turn.
The Fearful Saintess of the Tide Pavilion, her entire body wrapped in white bandages, resembling a mummy, her aura dark and unsettling, elicited boos and jeers the moment she appeared.
It was said that the Fearful Saintess enjoyed bullying the weak, torturing her servants, and was generally considered a wicked person, her reputation within the Sea Region Alliance abysmal.
Unfazed by the jeers, the Fearful Saintess’s expression remained unchanged, while the fourteen Spirit Masters behind her scowled.
A moment later, the Water Wish Pavilion’s arrival silenced the crowd.
Led by a beautiful, veiled woman, fifteen Spirit Masters from the Water Wish Pavilion entered the arena.
The Blissful Saintess of the Water Wish Pavilion.
Her mere presence evoked a sense of awe, a terrifying aura that seemed to devour everything around her.
The Blissful Saintess’s spirit energy was as solid as a rock, clearly on a different level from the other Dead Sea Stage Spirit Masters.
This woman… had definitely battled against Samsara Stage opponents!
The Water Wish Pavilion and the Ice Shield Palace, both outer factions of the Sea Region, often sent their members to the Wind Valley for training. The Blissful Saintess had likely been battling high-ranking Spirit Masters since childhood.
However…
The Blissful Saintess clenched her fists, veins bulging on her forehead beneath her veil.
She, who had always considered herself superior, felt a deep sense of shame and frustration. That day, traveling to the Wind Realm with the Sorrowful Saintess and the Wrathful Saintess, before they even reached the border, they had encountered that thing…
Although she had survived, she had been terrified, fleeing back to the Sea Region.
Half a month later, when news of the Sorrowful Saintess’s incredible feats reached her, she had immediately noticed the first line: [Subdued the Tyrant Demon Seed while passing through the Wind Valley.]
The Sorrowful Saintess, capable of defeating even that monster… she wasn’t human…
Recalling Gong Lianyue’s actions, she felt a wave of helplessness and despair.
With a sense of foreboding, she looked towards the area where the Sea Concubine Palace would emerge.
That woman… was about to arrive!!!
Chapter 186: The Saintess Appears (2)
Jade Pot Palace, the Lost Saintess.
Snow Fairy Mansion, the Pure Saintess.
Azure Stream Palace, the Hateful Saintess.
Tide Pavilion, the Fearful Saintess.
Water Wish Pavilion, the Blissful Saintess.
The participating Spirit Masters from the first five lower and mid-tier factions had entered. As the higher-tier factions prepared to appear, the spectators held their breath, their expressions turning serious.
Even the Spirit Masters from the Tide Pavilion and the Water Wish Pavilion radiated an aura far beyond the reach of these ordinary, smaller factions.
Just what level of power did these top factions possess…?
The Wrathful Saintess of the Ice Shield Palace.
A long, dark green robe trailed behind her, a large, imposing character [Nether] embroidered on the front, and a mysterious number [03] on the back.
Her arrival seemed to freeze time itself. Her long, flowing green hair, like willow branches, wrapped around her waist, as if it had never been cut.
Her skin was pale, her face only moderately attractive, her figure thin and wiry.
Strangely, a delicate, light green vine tattoo, like a creeping plant, covered her slender arms, extending to the hidden parts of her body.
A powerful, almost overwhelming spirit energy, radiated from her, a violent aura that made the spectators’ scalps tingle.
No one had ever seen Luo Kuxin like this. Even the members of the Ice Shield Palace were startled, unable to recognize her.
Was this still the same playful, cute, and curvaceous girl next door?
“Has she reached the half-step Samsara Stage!?”
“Perhaps even a glimpse of the Wheel Shadow…”
The Samsara Stage Spirit Masters in the audience, their faces grim, watched intently. This woman, so young, had already reached a realm they had spent decades cultivating towards.
And not just Luo Kuxin herself, but all fifteen Ice Shield Palace Spirit Masters radiated a sharp, almost overwhelming aura.
The Twelve Palaces of Ice, having tirelessly defended the Sea Region for centuries, battling day and night against the Wind Realm Spirit Masters in the Wind Valley, their combat experience far surpassed that of any other Sea Region faction.
As expected, the Spirit Masters from the Cold Court, who entered next, were completely overshadowed.
The Grieving Saintess of the Cold Court.
A white-haired girl with squinted eyes, accompanied by fourteen other delicate-looking girls, entered the arena quietly, causing barely a ripple.
Although she had known the lineup beforehand, the Grieving Saintess still couldn’t help but glance at the Ice Shield Palace delegation, her expression shocked.
Twelve of the fifteen Ice Shield Palace Spirit Masters were former Saintess Candidates!
The Ice Shield Palace, although recognized as the strongest fighting force in the Sea Region, was constantly ranked fourth or fifth because the Saintess Candidates of the Twelve Palaces constantly fought and sabotaged each other. Especially after the true Saintess was chosen, their feuds intensified, with only three or four candidates usually willing to participate in the Ranking Battle.
But this Wrathful Saintess, Luo Kuxin, had actually united the other eleven candidates…?
The Ice Shield Palace was constantly at war, its Spirit Masters a group of hot-headed women. How had she managed to quell their internal conflicts?
At this rate, not even the Winter Floating Sky, perhaps not even the Pool of Hidden Secrets, could withstand them!
The Grieving Saintess’s eye twitched. If she could change the participants, she would definitely forfeit the Final Battle.
—
It was now the Sea Concubine Palace’s turn to enter, but a commotion at their waiting area delayed their arrival.
As the audience waited impatiently, the Winter Floating Sky, forced to abandon their planned grand entrance, entered the arena first.
And under the watchful eyes of all, that woman appeared…
Her skin and hair as white and delicate as freshly fallen snow, her features exquisite, her eyes dull and colorless.
Like a creature abandoned by the heavens, her frail body bearing countless imperfections.
Sight, hearing, smell, taste, touch—all five senses lost, living like a corpse, feeling nothing.
Xue Beihan, the Desireless Saintess of the Winter Floating Sky.
Unable to even feel her own heartbeat, unable to see the path before her, she walked naturally towards the center of the arena.
Some speculated that the Desireless Saintess’s disabilities were a fabrication created by the Winter Floating Sky, a deliberate counter to the rumors about the Sorrowful Saintess’s six teardrop beauty marks.
However, as Xue Beihan appeared, they realized one thing…
This woman… wasn’t even a Spirit Master!
She was still in her Awakening Period…
Although the Ranking Battle rules limited participation to the Dead Sea Stage, this was only to prevent Samsara and Nether Traverse Stage Spirit Masters from competing. Sending someone of a lower level wasn’t forbidden, but no one would do so.
The Winter Floating Sky had just made history.
Xue Beihan possessed no spirit energy and couldn’t even sense the spirit energy of others. And yet, she had walked through the chaotic currents of the Dead Sea Stage Spirit Masters, reaching the center of the arena.
As for the other members of the Winter Floating Sky’s team, they were… competent, but far from the level of the Ice Shield Palace’s terrifying lineup.
After them, the Pool of Hidden Secrets’ entrance was… unremarkable, though their uniform black hair did draw some attention. They must be from the same family, their bloodline pure.
The Pool of Hidden Secrets’ viewing area was also filled with black-haired girls, all looking identical, like generic NPCs.
However, Hei Luelan, their leader, did make some uneasy, her aura powerful. She seemed to be at the half-step Samsara Stage. The moment she entered, she began a staring contest with the Wrathful Saintess, their clashing auras creating a violent turbulence that made it difficult to even open one’s eyes.
After another ten minutes, the Sea Concubine Palace finally arrived.
The first thing the audience saw was a pair of ice-blue, teardrop eyes, shimmering tears seemingly flowing down, freezing on her beautiful cheeks, forming strange, teardrop-shaped marks.
Icy eyes, innate teardrop markings.
Her long, sea-blue hair danced in the wind. She was so beautiful, she seemed more like a divine being than a human Spirit Master.
At that moment, Hei Luelan, a single black teardrop on her forehead, stared in disbelief, her eyes wide, goosebumps rising on her skin, her scalp tingling, a chilling dread washing over her.
The Sorrowful Saintess of the Sea Concubine Palace.
Her arrival silenced the entire arena, the atmosphere freezing.
Those downcast eyes, those six perfectly arranged teardrop marks…
Born in the Sea Region, such markings were a sign of divine favor.
The legends… were true…
The Sorrowful Saintess… blessed by a water deity…