The gong was rung three times, silencing all in the kingdom, even the duo in the Queen's Chambers.

"Mother, what do you think that noise is?" Her daughter asked, straightening up her posture.

"If it's something we should worry about, we would have received a correspondence," she replied, waving off the question.

"I'm assured you will do well and make good use of the treasure I gave you, don't worry about such a useless thing."

"Of course, mother, I would not waste a gift you imparted on me."

The princess was graced by a beaming smile on the Queen's face as she asked, "Then, can I give you a piece of advice?"

"I'll never grow old of my mother's advice," Yao Niang replied, pushing down the nervousness she felt.

"You're my smart and capable daughter, and I have no doubt you will succeed," she began, stroking her cheek, "But make it so that even if you fail, you cannot be disposed of so that even if your lowest point is reached, it's still much higher than most people. Also, remember, the whole world is your oyster, don't stick yourself to the Qinxia Kingdom if it no longer benefits you. You come first, not the people, not your father nor me."

The princess smiled again; though she always felt close to her mother, it was hard to have a high standing and trust the people around you. It was always one or the other, but seeing her mother so supportive warmed her heart. Though she felt guilty for doubting her, this lotus and conversation proved where her mother's heart lay.

The world is your oyster versus don't be too greedy.

Her father's cold face contrasted with her mother's genial smile, causing the princess' disgust toward her father to increase.

I should have never doubted her.

She was not allowed towallow in guilt for too long, before being interrupted.

"Your Majesty, Your Highness, the King summons you both to the colosseum." A courier said, respectfully bowing outside the Queen's Chambers.

Not the Throne Room? Yao Niang thought, surprised as he rarely left that room.

"Well, let's not keep his highness waiting," the Queen replies, waving her hand as bouts of starlight surrounded Yao Niang, lifting her up and causing her to fly with the Queen, traversing from the harem to the colosseum in less than a breath's time.

Looking down at her daughter's impressed face, the Queen laughed, "This power will naturally be yours if you cultivate well; no need to look all in awe."

She then politely nodded toward the King, "I trust you've been well?" She asked before sitting on his left.

"I have Xing Ye of the Starry Night Realm." He replies, his tone as dry as his features.

"I'd appreciate it if you stopped babying Yao Niang; she has duties to attend to other than spending time with her mother."

"Attending to me will always be one of her duties," Xing Ye replied with ease, admiring her hands, "Besides, you haven't called me by that for so long, Xia Tian, perhaps trying to remind me of where I come from?" The King did not reply, instead turning his gaze toward Yao Niang, who was still kneeling on the ground. Seeing his attention land on her, she felt relieved.

"Greetings, Your Majesty."

The King waved his hand, dismissing her, but Yao Niang's gaze couldn't help but flit toward the empty chair toward his right, the seat of the heir, hers by birthright, but it was still out of reach. She sat on the other side of the Queen, and the colosseum was soon filled by the trickling of nobles, advisors and any cultivator powerful enough to be invited.

Yao Niang clasped her hands on her lap and sat straight, showing the decorum of a princess, but her gaze couldn't help but search for answers.

Amongst the quiet chatter that filled the grounds, Yao Niang understood that everyone here was just as confused, unable to guess why they had been called for. She felt some impatience well up within her; she wanted for nothing more than to return to her courtyard and refine the gift her mother had given to her. Every second spent here was a second she could use to improve her strength.

"Calm yourself," the Queen transmitted, ridding her of the impatience invading her heart.

There's no rush. She comforted herself, and then, suddenly, a screen of light appeared in the sky, converging to share an image or a video - no, a live feed.

One hundred people, fifty platforms, and beside it a list; detailing the names of the people present, their rewards and most obviously, their ranking. There were many people listed there, but not many that surprised her, except Xue Yueliang.

I can't believe she actually attended.

Yao Niang smiled, glad she had sent her a message through Lei Fu, as she had no doubt that Xue Yueliang would kill him otherwise.

But why am I so sure?

Every time they met, something that would benefit her would happen, suddenly, she felt much more regretful that she could not have attended, but she did not allow herself to lament for too long.

Her gaze then turned to the bejewelled name of the person at the very top, her traitorous brother, the third prince Mao Ya. Seeing his name at the top of a list that included many geniuses of foreign countries filled the vassal with pride in being part of the Qinxia Kingdom.

Being the focus and pride of the entire kingdom.

At this point, she could feel the blood in her body turn cold; this wasn't the usual random inheritance; this was the chance to show your prowess to the entire nation and be their point of pride. It was an opportunity to rally and impress, showcasing your capabilities. No wonder the resistance against her participating was so strong; she felt it was suspicious but had thought nothing much about it.

If she pushed a little harder, it would have undoubtedly been her name at the top, and those impressed gazes would have been directed toward her. This was an important opportunity she had missed, one she did not know how she would recover from.

But why would father help him? He's planning treason!

Her brows knit as she could not figure it out.

Does he really not suspect him, or is he planning to give him a false sense of hope?

She couldn't help but shiver at the thought; she did not know if that was really the case or if she was reaching, but her mind told her it was the former.

"Heh, who does he think he is."

An exclamation woke her from her fears, alerting her of the new happenings. One platform enlarged, showing Shi Ling's upright posture as he held his halberd, treating it as an extension of his arm.

"Does he think people will rush up to challenge him; our prince wouldn't even look in his direction!"

The princess sighed at their short-sightedness; Shi Ling was infamous for his thirst for battle, the more he fought, the stronger he would grow and the better chance he would have of fighting for the number one place. Besides, he was more likely to be paired against someone weaker than him; couldn't he drag that battle out?

Nothing was ever as simple as it seemed. It was never good to look down on people, especially the heirs to entire nations.

"Xue Yueliang, ranked ninth, I challenge you to battle."

The princess's eyes instantly focussed on the other platform, not further dissecting the crown prince's movements, waiting for her appearance.

Thankfully, Xue Yueliang did not make her wait for too long, appearing soon after, followed by light gusts of wind, twirling her robes around her enchantingly. Her golden earring shimmered from beneath long purplish hair, and half her face was covered by a veil, adding another layer to the air of mystery surrounding her.

"So that's her?" The Queen asked, disturbing the princess from her thoughts.

"Yes, she seems to have grown much stronger since I last met her." Yao Niang complimented.

Though she could not notice her power from only a projection, the air surrounding her seemed steadier, like she had better grasped her own power, which was good news for her. Xue Yueliang's progress was also hers.

"A dragon, huh," she laughed, replying to her daughter, "Well, her confidence is at least inspiring."

Yao Niang witnessed the slight mirth in her eyes and allowed herself to smile. Though she would never resort to insulting her challengers, it was still funny to watch.

She especially loved how mischievously her eyes darted around; It's a pity I can't see the rest of her face.

Yao Niang was startled by her thoughts and felt a slight heat on her cheeks but dismissed it.

It couldn't be helped, Xue Yueliang was pleasing to the eye, that veil had robbed her.

"It's undignified." The king said, his tone not allowing for argument, ending the conversation before it could even begin.

After the King's comments, an oppressive silence hung in the air, allowing the princess to return her attention to the battle on the screen; it was more fun watching Xue Yueliang taunt him with no reply.

What is he planning?

Xue Yueliang appeared bored of taunting him and sat down to cultivate, eliciting a few chuckles, "It seems like her success won't be without reason." An unexpected voice said, followed by the appearance of a thin scholar.

Zhang Zian. He had supported her for a while, even asking the King to reward her. She found it odd he would help her without expectations, but she had not questioned it; her situation was precarious enough.

The King acknowledged his presence with a nod allowing Zhang Zian to sit with the other advisors watching the screen.

Noticing the lull in Xue Yueliang's battlefield, the focus naturally returned to the crown prince, admiring the unknown contender that fought against him. Other than Xue Yueliang, he was a dark horse that no one had expected; with him being able to fight tit-for-tat, it was already impressive. Even if he lost, the fame he would get from this feat would elevate his status to another level.

Yao Niang allowed her eyes to wander until she noticed something peculiar within Xue Yueliang's arena, faint coloured wisps surrounding the space between Xue Yueliang and the man opposing her, barely visible to the eye, but they increased in intensity, turning into brighter shades of blue and green.

At the same time, Yao Niang was reminded of a piece of information she had while reading up on the Invincible Dao Sect; after all, she had found it peculiar that one of their inheritance sites would appear outside the capital.

The Invincible Dao Sect gained infamy for being a bunch of meatheads who struck first and asked questions later, and - unsurprisingly - this attracted many enemies, of which the Silent Killers Creed continued to search for remnants.

Though they were not as impressive as their name made them out to be, they had the ability to kill anyone as long as they stayed within a certain distance from them. Of course, no cultivator would allow a stranger to stand beside them for any prolonged time; they were easy to find and kill, though the difficulty would rise the longer they've been there.

Yao Niang couldn't help but clench onto her armrest, worried about what could happen.

A warm voice woke her from panic, "You recognised who he is?"

She turned around, facing Zhang Zian's smile, "Yes, he should be someone from the Silent Killers Creed."

She replied politely, wanting to refocus on the battle.

"Do you think she will win?" He asked, but after noticing the frown on her face, he added: "Do you think she would place herself in danger?"

The princess's frown deepened, this time being one of contemplation, as she remembered Xue Yueliang's battle against the formation master. Though she appeared reckless, she always had a plan; she would not allow herself to be in danger.

"Friendships are based on respect and trust. If you wish to befriend her, you should trust her and believe she knows what's in her best interest. You should know there is no reason to worry."

Yao Niang's tense knuckles somewhat relaxed, though the doubt toward him only increased. Xue Yueliang, on the other hand, was finally able to see the fruits of her opponent's hard work as the green and blue lights converged, forming a small world around her, encapsulating her, controlling her.

A flurry of scenes appeared in the colours, materialising in her mind's eye - they were all memories from her life - but they did not stop at this moment, continuing to go forward, trying to grasp her future. The images slowed down, blurred, unable to give the sense of certainty they had before.

The pictures stilled at the final scene - the finale of her life - and a sharp pain appeared in her chest, and her eyes flew open with a fury able to intimidate grown men. However, before she could vocalise her anger, blood dribbled from the corner of her mouth, wetting her robe, and a faint death Qi mingled with her aura.

A voice, seemingly from the depths of hell, raspy and hoarse, asked: "How was it? Your death?"