Chapter 91: Saint-Rank Pressure
–Sea Concubine Palace, Monthly Trial
Summoning spirit beasts was forbidden in this Aura Suppression Trial because spirit beasts, more so than humans, instinctively sensed the disparity in power and the ensuing threat. When faced with a higher-rank being, it was often the inexperienced spirit beast, not the human Spirit Master, that panicked and lost control.
The atmosphere in the Sea Dou Hall was tense, everyone holding their breath, waiting for the aura suppression to descend.
Many here had never even seen a Samsara Stage Spirit Master, let alone a Nether Traverse Stage expert like the Six Concubines. They couldn’t comprehend the terror that was about to come.
Just then, a shimmering starlight, radiating a faint light, bloomed in the sky.
Its beautiful, moon-like glow captivated all who gazed upon it.
Boom!!!
The next second, a vast and heavy pressure, like a collapsing mountain, erupted, a wave of starlight filling the Sea Dou Hall.
Seven stars connected to the moon, shaking the heavens. This violent aura had briefly appeared in the snowy depths of the Sea Concubine Palace before.
–The Seven-Star Titan Moonquake Fox, its Saint-rank aura returning.
Almost instantly, the minds of all the Spirit Masters present reeled as if struck by a hammer, most collapsing to the ground, unable to move.
An unprecedented, unimaginable pressure, like the world itself shattering, a deafening roar descending upon them.
Those with stronger wills, still struggling to resist, were forced to their knees, the air around them thick and heavy, making it difficult to breathe.
A Dawn and Dusk Stage girl, her face pale and drained of color, her body drenched in sweat, knelt on one knee, her eyes wide with disbelief. “Terrifying… is this the power of a Nether Traverse Stage expert?”
Although Dawn and Dusk Stage was considered entry-level in the Sea Region, in the mortal world, they were still revered figures, guests of emperors and kings.
And yet, facing the aura of a Nether Traverse Stage expert, she couldn’t even stand, reduced to the level of a commoner!
“No, this isn’t Nether Traverse. This is a Saint-rank aura… It must be the Sorrowful Saintess.”
Among the Dawn and Dusk Stage elites, the only girl still standing spoke, her voice trembling.
Her teacher was a Nether Traverse Stage senior instructor in the Sea Concubine Palace. She could tell the difference.
The higher the cultivation level, the denser and heavier the spirit energy. The mere release of their aura could cause discomfort in lower-level beings, suppressing their life force.
Nether Traverse Stage experts could achieve terrifying effects, but it was still worlds apart from the aura they were currently experiencing.
Only Saint-rank beings could evoke this sense of utter helplessness, like the sky itself was falling, a suffocating despair, the difference between a god and an ant.
“The Sorrowful Saintess!?”
Although everyone was terrified, no one had the strength to cry out.
The Sorrowful Saintess had also released her spirit beast during the Saintess selection. Although they hadn’t understood it at the time, most assumed it was a Saint-rank spirit beast in disguise.
Her baffling victory over the Cold Court Saintess Candidate without revealing her true spirit beast had misled them. Now they understood. That… thing… hadn’t even been a tenth of her true Saint-rank spirit beast’s power.
Now, after peeling away countless layers of disguise, the terrifying being hidden behind the Saintess had finally bared its fangs.
A mere trace of its aura was like an insurmountable wall, a level ordinary mortals could never reach.
How could anyone possibly defeat such a being…?
In the private room, Shui Qiu’e’s hair danced wildly in the wind, her appearance slightly disheveled.
The spirit energy radiating from the small fox in the blue-haired girl’s arms was like a swirling vortex, a chaotic torrent that threatened to drag one into an endless abyss.
The current situation was a mess. She couldn’t comprehend what Gong Lianyue’s spirit beast actually was.
A Matryoshka doll within a Matryoshka doll. This was the Sorrowful Saintess’s layered deception…
“What does the Saintess think of the quality of this year’s new recruits?” Shui Qiu’e asked, looking at the few trial participants still conscious.
“Hmm~~”
Gong Lianyue casually scanned the crowd, her gaze settling on a green-haired girl.
The girl was struggling to withstand the Seven-Star Titan Moonquake Fox’s aura. She looked like an ordinary, albeit talented, girl from the border region, but Gong Lianyue felt a strange sense of familiarity.
This girl looked just like the Wrathful Saintess!!!
But it was only her appearance and aura that were similar. She didn’t sense any familiar spirit beast aura. It probably wasn’t her.
The girl’s long, shimmering green hair was adorned with a pink cherry blossom, making her appear even more gentle than the Wrathful Saintess.
“She’s the Wrathful Saintess’s cousin, here as an exchange student,” Shui Qiu’e explained, noticing Gong Lianyue’s puzzled expression.
“By the way, it’s almost time to end this.”
“Oh, okay…” As the last few remaining participants were about to faint, Gong Lianyue finally reacted.
The Cloud Dream Flower slowly withdrew its Moonquake Fox aura and crawled back into her collar, resuming its duties as a chest pad.
In the Sea Dou Hall, most of the participants had collapsed from the aura suppression, lying scattered on the ground in undignified positions.
The girl who had recognized the Sorrowful Saintess earlier was pale, her lips tightly pressed together, her head throbbing, a look of frustration on her face.
The difference in power was too vast…
Also a Dawn and Dusk Stage Spirit Master, she couldn’t even withstand a trace of the Saint-rank spirit beast’s aura, let alone the terrifying pressure of its presence up close.
During the Saintess selection, the Sorrowful Saintess’s spirit beast had only seemed… strange, not particularly intimidating.
Now she understood. It had been holding back to avoid harming the audience!
She wondered if even the entire Sea Concubine Palace could contain a rampaging Saint-rank spirit beast if it unleashed its full power.
“That concludes this month’s trial. Your rankings will be assigned based on your survival time.”
“This was the first, and perhaps the last, time you will experience the aura of a Saint-rank firsthand, thanks to the Saintess. Remember this feeling of helplessness. Next time you face a higher-ranked spirit beast, you won’t be so afraid.”
Hearing Shui Qiu’e’s words, the only conscious girl clenched her fists.
As expected, it was the Sorrowful Saintess!
The green-haired girl with the cherry blossom hair ornament woke up, stretching languidly, her eyes narrowed.
“It feels much weaker than before. No… isn’t it the same one?”
Chapter 92: Blazing Soul Grass
The latest monthly trial had taken an unexpected turn. The Sorrowful Saintess, unleashing her Saint-rank aura, had overwhelmed the participants, leaving almost no one standing after a minute.
This incident made it clear that a hidden Saint-rank aura and a deliberately released one were two entirely different things.
A single drop of water disappearing into the vast ocean was insignificant. How could a mere droplet compare to the boundless sea?
The Sorrowful Saintess’s baffling display during the Saintess selection had been just the tip of the iceberg…
–Sea Concubine Palace, in a quiet and elegant courtyard.
Clear lake water, gently swaying curtains, and blooming lotuses.
A graceful woman in a formal palace dress sat on a stone bench in the courtyard, her snow-white hair cascading down like soft willow branches, sweeping the dust away like a broom.
She gently stroked the little fox nestled in her ample bosom, its paws kneading playfully, its head almost disappearing into her collar, her expression gentle and kind.
The little fox, seemingly fascinated by the mysterious softness, refused to leave.
Bai Ningying, former Saintess Candidate.
Historical records showed that many Saintess Candidates, after failing to secure the Saintess position, were often imprisoned and humiliated by the Saintess.
This practice was especially prevalent in the Storm Realm, but less so in the more peaceful Sea Region.
Bai Ningying hadn’t suffered any unusual consequences after losing the selection. Everything remained the same, although, in many people’s eyes, her relationship with the Sorrowful Saintess wasn’t good.
“What is it that the Saintess requires of me?”
Ignoring the little fox practically disappearing into her cleavage, she looked up and smiled at the expressionless, blue-haired girl sitting across from her—the Sorrowful Saintess!
She had naturally heard about the incident during the monthly trial. The little fox in her arms was likely the source of that terrifying Saint-rank aura.
In fact, not just the Variant Water Emperor, but many intelligent, high-rank spirit beasts would enter a dormant state before their masters reached the Dead Sea Stage, maintaining an incomplete, undeveloped form.
This was partly to avoid overwhelming their master’s weaker soul core and partly due to a beast’s instinct to seek safety.
The lower their master’s cultivation level, the less likely they were to encounter dangerous situations.
Minor skirmishes, like being bullied by other children, were beneath their notice.
Revealing their Saint-rank power prematurely might attract assassins and expose them to the world’s cruelty and darkness.
This was also why there were so many “underdog rises to power” stories in popular fantasy novels…
Hearing the question, Gong Lianyue asked calmly,
“Bai Ningying, I hear you’re in charge of the Sea Concubine Palace’s intelligence network and the black market?”
“Yes, Saintess.”
Bai Ningying didn’t hesitate, bowing respectfully.
The Sorrowful Saintess now held absolute authority within the Sea Concubine Palace, her status far greater than before.
The intelligence network and the black market weren’t particularly important secrets, operating with the tacit approval of the Sea Concubine Palace. It would be easy for someone of Gong Lianyue’s current status to uncover them.
“I need elixirs that accelerate cultivation.”
Gong Lianyue got straight to the point.
She was about to depart for the Storm Realm, but her cultivation hadn’t progressed at all.
The two soul cores of her Dual Soul Body were like bottomless pits, devouring all the spirit energy she absorbed.
It was like needing 10 experience points to level up from 1 to 2 in an online game, but then needing 10,000 to reach level 3—ridiculous.
At this rate, reaching the Dead Sea Stage would take far too long. She wouldn’t have time to contract with the Frost Snow Woman.
“Saintess, the Contribution Hall sells cultivation-accelerating elixirs. Clear Soul Grass, 50 contribution points per stalk. With your status, you would only need to pay 40,” Bai Ningying replied with a smile.
“That’s useless. Clear Soul Grass takes too long to digest, and the effect is minimal.”
Gong Lianyue shook her head. The Sea Concubine Palace didn’t encourage the use of cultivation-accelerating elixirs, so the only one openly sold was Clear Soul Grass.
She had naturally tried it before. The effect was negligible.
“Why is the Saintess in such a hurry to accelerate her cultivation? There are currently no threats to your position within the Sea Concubine Palace.”
“I simply heard that other Sea Region factions are selling Blazing Soul Grass and wanted to try some.”
“Try some!?”
Bai Ningying’s smile faltered. Blazing Soul Grass was an elixir used by Dead Sea and even Samsara Stage Spirit Masters.
Its potent energy, if consumed by someone at the Dawn and Dusk Stage, could have serious side effects.
She had thought only incompetent Spirit Masters would resort to such self-destructive methods to accelerate their cultivation. Gong Lianyue’s request was baffling…
Despite this, Bai Ningying waved her hand.
A young maid quickly approached, carrying an exquisite jade box, and carefully placed it on the stone table.
Even sealed within the box, the potent spirit energy within was palpable.
Blazing Soul Grass, a higher-grade cultivation elixir than Clear Soul Grass.
As the name suggested, it forcefully propelled the soul core’s rotation with violent spirit energy, accelerating cultivation.
“Blazing Soul Grass, 2000 contribution points per stalk.”
“Deal.”
Gong Lianyue gently stroked the jade box, a hint of excitement beneath her calm expression.
Finally, she had a chance to reach the Dead Sea Stage!
With the transaction complete, the little fox reluctantly emerged from Bai Ningying’s cleavage and was carried home by Gong Lianyue.
Staring at the blue-haired girl’s receding figure, Bai Ningying remained silent for a moment.
The Sorrowful Saintess wasn’t the type to rush her cultivation for a quick boost. There must be some compelling reason.
Bai Ningying wondered if it was due to a special physique, the legendary Soul Prison Trial, or perhaps a Saint-rank spirit beast waiting to be contracted…?
Having successfully acquired the Blazing Soul Grass from Bai Ningying, Gong Lianyue had almost everything she needed for her journey.
One stalk of Blazing Soul Grass, three Tyrant Blood Pills, and forty Life Fruits, all at a twenty percent discount, had depleted her entire savings and two months’ allowance, a total of 7600 contribution points.
But as long as she returned alive, with the ransom, it would all be worth it.
Even a fraction of the ransom would cover these expenses. Miss Swallow God was truly valuable~~~
She had briefly glanced at the long list of ransom demands. It even included an Ice Soul Stone…
Next was a trip to the Ice Shield Palace to meet with the representatives from the other Sea Region factions!
Leave a Reply