Imperial Cultivation

Chapter 246: Chapter 243: Inheritance

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Shen Hanyue blinked her bright eyes, ”But what if...”

”If it doesn’t work out, I’ll return to Yujing to marry, and you can stay as a disciple of Yao Yue Palace. It is indeed quite risky,” Xiao Ruoling nodded gently, ”How about we have a competition? ...Shen, do you really want to become the Holy Daughter?”

”Two people being the Holy Daughter... has that ever happened before?” Shen Hanyue blinked her bright eyes again.

She hesitated and was conflicted.

Actually, she had never dared to say it out loud, but she didn’t want to be the Holy Daughter either. Being just an ordinary disciple of Yao Yue Palace was good enough for her.

The Holy Daughter could achieve the Taiyin Great Refining Form and maintain eternal youth, but with her high aptitude and the powerful mental method of Yao Yue Palace, she would certainly become a Great Grandmaster in the future.

Besides, youth and beauty everlasting weren’t that important.

She wasn’t going to show off for any man, so aging wasn’t a big deal; her mother was old, but not ugly.

And the Holy Daughter had so many troublesome matters to deal with, having to manage this and that. Wouldn’t it be better to live freely?

She didn’t want to be controlled nor did she want to control others.

But if she didn’t become the Holy Daughter, her mother would be disappointed, and she would feel guilty and uneasy.

If the two of them didn’t compete but instead both entered the Profound Yin Palace and accepted the legacy, there would be no need for further consideration.

If she really did become the Holy Daughter, she could just hold the title without handling any affairs, fulfilling her mother’s long-cherished wish while avoiding trouble.

If she didn’t become the Holy Daughter, it would be for the camaraderie of her fellow disciples, and her mother would have nothing to say.

When she becomes a Great Grandmaster in the future, her mother would still be pleased.

Many thoughts surged in her mind.

Xiao Ruoling watched her with bright eyes, smiling, ”Shen, you can think about it first. There’s still some time before midnight.”

”...Sister, then let me think it over.” Shen Hanyue nodded.

In front of the magnificent and vast White Jade Palace was a whole slab of white jade, which was extraordinarily resilient underfoot.

Xiao Ruoling swept a spot clean with her sleeve and sat down.

Once again, she opened the small Cold Jade Box, observing the fifteen Sky-reaching Herbs inside, and the more she looked, the more beautiful they seemed.

Shen Hanyue watched for a while, growing more curious and couldn’t help but ask, ”What are these?”

”Sky-reaching Herb.”

”What is it used for?”

”It can strengthen the meridians.”

”Aren’t they not for consumption?” Shen Hanyue questioned, puzzled, ”To be used for refining medicine outside?”

Xiao Ruoling shook her head and smiled, ”The Princely Heir likes them, so I’m getting some for him.”

Shen Hanyue immediately pursed her lips.

She thought Xiao Ruoling was very nice. Having seen Xiao Ruoling’s looks, she was beautiful, and her temperament was excellent too.

She just lacked ambition, always thinking about that man, as if she couldn’t leave him.

Xiao Ruoling smiled, ”Shen, a Heir’s Wife can’t just leave when she wants, nor can she change her heart as she wishes.”

”Isn’t it the same?” Shen Hanyue grunted, ”He won’t leave you, but he can still marry other women.”

”Hmm... he will indeed take concubines.” Xiao Ruoling nodded.

With such talent, even if he doesn’t become the Emperor, he will definitely be a powerful prince with a high-ranking position.

The Prince Qing Mansion is already sparsely populated and needs to extend its branches and leaves.

By then, numerous dignitaries will attach themselves, and it will be difficult for the Princely Heir to remain unaffected. Marrying a couple of concubines would bolster his status.

Shen Hanyue said, ”Sharing a man with other women is too much of a grievance for oneself, completely unnecessary.”

”Shen, I am the daughter of the Duke An Mansion, I also have to consider the Mansion.” Xiao Ruoling smiled.

The disciples of Yao Yue Palace thought of loving one person for a lifetime, of perfect love, but she wasn’t as demanding.

The world is not only about romantic love, but there are many more important matters.

Love between men and women is ultimately difficult to endure; it must transform into family affection and be maintained by interests to grow old together.

This is the fundamental difference in her perspective compared to other disciples of Yao Yue Palace.

Having seen too many ways of interaction between the Duke Mansion and the royal and noble couples, she didn’t place much importance on love. She found it too fragile, as easy to break as a blooming flower.

There is no flower that never wilts in the world.

Even the most intense love affairs eventually fall into daily trivialities, the most typical being Prince Qing and Bai Ningshuang.

The two were childhood sweethearts and eventually married, yet they still live ordinary lives.

Brilliance ultimately returns to tranquility.

A quiet and simple life together is already plenty beautiful.

”That’s true...” Shen Hanyue nodded.

She also knew that the thoughts of the rich and noble differed from those of ordinary people, given their vastly different environments.

Xiao Ruoling said, ”My Nine Heavens Mysterious Woman Technique won’t dissipate, it’s actually best for becoming a Holy Daughter, and marrying into the Imperial Family is also the destiny of our Nine Heavens Mysterious Woman lineage. My master was like this too.”

Shen Hanyue lightly furrowed her eyebrows, slowly nodding.

She practiced the Mirror Lake Moon Pointing Technique.

Once married, the technique would disperse immediately, and her young and beautiful appearance would quickly fade away.

So, she wasn’t suitable for marriage, especially not to the Imperial Family.

Yao Yue Palace had an agreement with the Da Jing Grand Ancestor that the disciples of Yao Yue Palace would enter the Imperial Palace or Imperial Family.

But it’s been almost impossible to find successors for the Nine Heavens Mysterious Woman Technique, and now that there finally is one, it’s good news for Yao Yue Palace.

”If I marry quickly, won’t a new Holy Daughter have to be chosen again? Might as well choose two from the start; if I leave, at least you’d still be here, Shen.”

”This...”

She hesitated and said, ”But what if neither of us can succeed?”

Xiao Ruoling smiled, ”Maybe we can both succeed?”

”I’ll... I’ll think about it some more.”

Shen Hanyue still couldn’t make up her mind.

Xiao Ruoling smiled and nodded, feeling that fifteen Sky-reaching Herbs were still too few, so she wandered around looking for more.

...

Time flowed slowly, and midnight gradually approached.

The forest became increasingly lively, with the calls of various insects rising and falling, tirelessly.

The danger was even greater than during the day.

Xiao Ruoling killed several demon beasts that tried to ambush her, and by the time she returned to the front of the Profound Yin Palace, the box already contained thirty-five Sky-reaching Herbs.

Shen Hanyue bit her red lips, softly saying, ”Sister Xiao, let’s go in together.”

Xiao Ruoling smiled, ”Thank you, Shen.”

Shen Hanyue shook her head, ”Actually, I know I can’t beat you, Sister Xiao.”

Xiao Ruoling said, ”That might not be true, you are a genius.”

”You’re even more of a genius than me,” Shen Hanyue replied.

Xiao Ruoling laughed, ”Then let’s push open the door together and see if we can enter. If not, we’ll compete to decide.”

”Okay.”

The two of them walked to the Jade Gate, each pressing on one side, Xiao Ruoling on the left, Shen Hanyue on the right.

Once their jade hands touched the gate, it suddenly glowed, and the moonlight from above gathered towards it.

Strange patterns slowly surfaced, emitting light.

The two women felt an immense power suddenly pulling them forward, lifting their bodies uncontrollably towards the gate.

As they reached out their other hands to brace themselves and avoid a collision, they found themselves suddenly in an empty space, flying effortlessly through.

The gate seemed only a shadow, though they had previously found it solid and immovable.

This magical scene hadn’t yet sunk in before they were stunned by the vast and magnificent sights before them.

They arrived in an expansive sky, ascending ever higher, piercing through the clouds.

Above the clouds was a palace complex, suspended in the void, made of crystal-clear white jade, more magnificent than the Profound Yin Palace.

Uncontrollably, they floated down gently inside the railings outside a White Jade Palace.

Beyond the railings, white clouds drifted within reach.

Above them was a giant bright moon, larger than anything they’d seen, perfect and pure, as spotless as white jade.

A brilliant silvery radiance cascaded down.

Not far ahead, at the foot of a flight of thirty-six steps leading to the palace, a graceful figure was dancing alone under the moon.

The woman wore white attire, her face veiled, revealing only a pair of enchanting eyes.

Her eyes, like lakes, reflected the bright moon.

Beneath the enormous moon, the graceful silhouette appeared delicate, elegant, and her movements were slow.

Every move drew milky light down from the moon, merging into her body.

The two young women immediately knew that this was the Taiyin Great Refining Form.

Her beautiful and graceful movements had a strange rhythm that drew them in, gradually lulling them into a daze.

When they awakened, they found themselves standing in front of the White Jade Gate, one palm pressing against it.

The strange patterns were slowly dimming, retracting back into the white jade.

The world suddenly became bright.

With the bright moon in the sky and silver radiance everywhere, the previously dim world now looked as bright as day to them.

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