The Third Prince said nothing more.

He merely stood there, quietly contemplating something.

Mountain winds roared past.

Having stepped into the Grandmaster realm, Jiang Zirou already possessed a faint, indescribable sense of connection with the natural world.

Standing here, she sensed strands of golden qi rising from the surrounding mountains, converging into an enormous azure dragon.

This dragon was huge, but its appearance was sickly and wisps of black smoke were coiling among its scales.

‘So this is the Great Xia Dynasty’s fate energy…’

From this golden dragon, Jiang Zirou felt a faint resonance, as if tied by blood.

‘I remember hearing some palace ministers chatting—saying that the Great Xia Dynasty has declined and disasters have been happening everywhere. Judging by this fate-dragon, what they said may not be false. This is a sacred land of Great Xia. If I use a special sign-in here… maybe I can obtain a very rare reward…’

Jiang Zirou’s eyes brightened.

‘System, how many special sign-ins do I have left?’

[Ding! Host, you currently have one special sign-in remaining.]

‘Only one every three years… Fine.’

Jiang Zirou made her decision.

‘Use special sign-in at the Great Xia Imperial Mausoleum!’

[Ding! Congratulations to the host, you have obtained True Martial Body.]

“Roar!”

A dragon’s roar tore into the heavens.

Above the firmament.

The immense, formless dragon of fate opened its jaws and a golden sphere of light fell from its mouth.

It dropped into Jiang Zirou’s crown.

Jiang Zirou trembled lightly.

Countless strands of knowledge poured into her sea of consciousness.

Fortunately, she had long stabilized her cultivation at the Grandmaster realm, allowing her expression to remain unchanged.

True Martial Body

‘So that’s it. I once saw records related to this technique in the Sutra Repository Pavilion. Legend has it that a thousand years ago, when Emperor Jiang the Great founded Great Xia, sweeping across the Four Directions, subduing demons of the Eight Wastelands and establishing the foundation of an eternal empire—his reliance was precisely this technique.

But after a thousand years of upheaval, Great Xia experienced countless twists and turns. Somehow the technique was lost. And yet, through the system, it has returned to me… Have the ancestors of Great Xia shown their will?’

The historical texts contained few details about Emperor Jiang the Great.

But one fact was widely acknowledged.

A thousand years ago, a Great Grandmaster perished at Emperor Jiang’s hands—yet his own cultivation realm was never known.

All in all.

The Great Xia imperial lineage truly was steeped in mystery.

And as if in response.

The moment True Martial Body fell into Jiang Zirou’s possession, a sudden gale rose from nowhere, sweeping countless leaves into the sky.

The leaves gathered together, forming the shape of a massive azure dragon that soared upward, enough to shake the heart and soul.

Witnessing such a magnificent sight.

Even the Third Prince involuntarily relaxed his tightly furrowed brow.

A faint smile appeared on his slightly sickly face.

“It seems the ancestors of Great Xia have never abandoned us… No matter what has happened these past years, I will never allow Great Xia to fall in my hands!”

* * *

That night.

After returning to her room.

Jiang Zirou confirmed no one was nearby before sitting cross-legged on her small bed, unable to suppress a flicker of excitement.

The cultivation method of True Martial Body appeared fully in her mind.

She took a bottle of Barrier-Breaking Pills, then quietly began comprehending this supreme martial technique of the Great Xia Dynasty.

At the beginning of cultivation, body and spirit must be separated. If cultivating spirit, then in sitting, lying, walking and speaking, all actions must align with virtue, nourishing clarity without impurity.

If one wishes to cultivate qi, one must first cultivate the body. Body cultivation begins with movement; in movement, intention must align and clumsy force may be refined.

* * *

The first rays of dawn shone upon Jiang Zirou’s delicate face.

Her eyelids, like tiny brushes, fluttered.

After some more time, Jiang Zirou exhaled a turbid breath and slowly opened her eyes.

Bones heavy as temple bells, breath cold as divine metal; pupils clear as autumn water.

After just one night of cultivation, Jiang Zirou felt a very obvious transformation throughout her body.

This was a body-tempering technique.

Its entry threshold was extremely high—requiring at minimum the Grandmaster realm.

And only direct bloodline heirs of the Great Xia imperial family could cultivate it.

Of course, harsh requirements brought unprecedented power.

Once cultivated to great heights, one could achieve a holy body, capable of moving mountains and stepping across seas.

Even manifesting the True Martial Dharmic Aspect—radiant, righteous, unyielding, illuminating the heavens and earth, dispelling all illusions.

It was one of the most formidable dharmic aspects in existence.

‘Dharmic Aspect… a symbol of Great Grandmasters. The gap between Qi Refining and Grandmaster is a great chasm; the gap between Grandmaster and Great Grandmaster is another.’

Jiang Zirou felt deeply moved.

After three years of cultivation, she now stood within the Martial Grandmaster realm.

To ordinary martial artists, she was already standing at the peak of the martial path.

Yet only after reaching this peak did Jiang Zirou realise that once the mist lifted just a little, another far greater mountain stood before her.

After a long moment.

Jiang Zirou smiled brightly, like spring sunlight.

She softly said, “My heart is bright—what more is there to seek?”

* * *

Since the Third Prince and Jiang Zirou had gone together to the imperial mausoleum on the back mountain, in the days that followed.

The Third Prince did not return to the Sutra Repository Pavilion to read.

Which was normal. As Crown Prince, he had countless duties. Peaceful mornings of quiet reading were a luxury.

Though he did not come again.

He still occasionally ordered palace guards to bring pastries from the Imperial Kitchen to Jiang Zirou.

Jiang Zirou enjoyed her freedom and felt genuine fondness toward this brother by blood.

During this period, she cultivated Primordial Ancient Sutra each morning to advance her realm.

In the afternoons, she trained her body, cultivating True Martial Body.

In the evenings, she read widely in the Sutra Repository Pavilion—absorbing classics, refining her temperament and completing her daily sign-ins.

Life was rather pleasant.

However, on this particular night as Jiang Zirou set down the scroll in her hand.

She looked up.

And saw a shadow sweep past outside the Sutra Repository Pavilion.