Chapter 88

Oh, I'm sorry. I was just watching "Dragon Ball: Resurrection 'F'" on Bilibili. Although many people say it's unreasonable, I still enjoyed it a lot, hahaha. It's really great that my childhood was all about Dragon Ball! ^0^

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Prince Chuxin laughed heartily and said, "Five years ago, in the fourteenth year of Qianfeng. My father, the Emperor, was unwell and had to retire to the inner palace for recuperation, unable to manage state affairs any longer. At that time, the court was in a state of panic. Fortunately, Mother Empress stepped forward, took control, and ruled from behind the curtain, which calmed everyone down. Over these five years, the country has enjoyed favorable weather, harmonious governance, and thriving industries, all thanks to Mother Empress. Mother Empress, I present this cup of wine to you. May your blessings be as vast as the sea and as long as the mountains, may you remain youthful and beautiful forever."

As he spoke, Prince Chuxin knelt before the Empress, holding the wine cup with both hands, raising it high above his head. Everyone in the hall stood up, bowed to the Empress, and said in unison, "May the Empress's blessings be as vast as the sea and as long as the mountains, may she remain youthful and beautiful forever."

The Empress was delighted and said with a smile, "What silly children. How can anyone remain young and never age? It's just something to say. But I appreciate your sentiment. Hahaha~" She took the wine cup from Prince Chuxin and drank it in one go. Then she showed the empty cup to everyone and said, "No need for such formalities, everyone. Please sit down."

Everyone thanked the Empress and sat down again. Prince Chuxin, however, smiled and said, "Mother Empress, others may not be able to remain young and never age, but that's their problem. Mother Empress is a celestial being descended from heaven, far superior to ordinary mortals. For this grand occasion today, I have specially gathered a few items to present to Mother Empress as a gift."

Having said that, Prince Chuxin turned around, faced the main door of the hall, and clapped his hands three times. Before the clapping had even stopped, a eunuch entered the hall, holding a tray covered with bright yellow silk, bent over, and quickly knelt before the Empress's table, holding the tray high.

Prince Chuxin walked down and reached out to remove the silk. Instantly, a strange light radiated, and a peculiar fragrance wafted through the air. Many people in the hall who knew the value of the items on the tray could not help but stand up in shock and exclaim, "Heaven! It's actually that?"

Xiao Sheng, sitting in his seat, opened his eyes and focused intently. He saw that the tray contained four items in total.

The first item was placed on an exquisite wooden stand, cushioned by a piece of rose-colored velvet. It was a pearl as large as an adult's fist, crystal clear, flawless, and emitting a soft, iridescent glow.

Jewelry and precious stones usually have a much stronger appeal to women than to men. Xiao Sheng found the pearl very precious, but he did not have many thoughts about it. However, Ling Zileng, sitting next to him, was different. Instantly, her brows showed a mix of surprise, joy, and envy as she exclaimed, "Wow! What a beautiful pearl! And it's so big, it's practically priceless."

"The Snow River Pearl is indeed priceless," said Prince Xian, who had somehow moved from his seat to sit next to Xiao Sheng. "As everyone knows, pearls are produced by pearl mussels. Depending on where the mussels live, they are classified as sea pearls or lake pearls. However, the Snow River Pearl is different from both. It is produced by a rare species of cold mussels living in the endless ice fields of the northwest Great Snow Mountain. These cold mussels have an extremely long lifespan and produce pearls very slowly. For this pearl to grow so large, I estimate it must have taken at least 120 years. Truly remarkable, truly remarkable."

"Oh? There are pearl mussels living in the northwest Great Snow Mountain? The world is truly full of wonders," Xiao Sheng remarked, then asked, "Eighth Brother, what special benefits does the Snow River Pearl have?"

"Of course, it has many benefits," Prince Xian sighed. "Cold mussels are naturally cold, so just by carrying this cold pearl, one can reduce body heat and toxins, thereby calming the mind, stabilizing the spirit, and nourishing the soul. If used to aid cultivation, one will never fear the risk of going astray. It is something all martial artists dream of. Even if not used for cultivation, grinding it into a powder and consuming it can have remarkable effects on beauty and youth. Yes, Second Brother's gift is truly rare."

Ling Zileng, who looked only about twelve or thirteen years old and was not yet twenty, was not interested in beauty and youth. She immediately turned her attention to the other items on the tray.

The second item on the tray was a piece of gold. However, it was pitted and uneven, as if it had never been refined, and was a piece of raw gold ore. Although gold is precious, the Empress, who was the richest person in the world and controlled the entire empire, would hardly be impressed by a piece of gold. It was indeed strange that Prince Chuxin would give a piece of gold as a gift.

Seemingly noticing the confusion of the crowd, Prince Xian explained, "Don't look at this piece of gold as if it's ordinary. In fact, it's not just any gold, but celestial gold, which is found in meteorites from outer space."

Xiao Sheng's heart stirred, recalling the celestial star essence he had collected from the lava lake on Jinding Mountain. He asked, "Celestial gold? I only know that meteorites contain celestial iron, which, when extracted, is called mystic iron and is essential for forging divine weapons. I haven't heard of celestial gold."

Prince Xian smiled and said, "Fourteenth Brother, you don't know. Meteorites contain various metals, which cannot be lumped together. Celestial iron is one type, and celestial gold is another, but it is much rarer. This piece of celestial gold can harmonize the five elements within the wearer's body. Illnesses occur due to the imbalance of the five elements. When they are harmonized, one naturally remains healthy, with smooth blood flow and nourished skin."

Xiao Sheng smiled and said, "Second Brother must have spent a lot of effort preparing this gift. It's quite remarkable. Um... there are still two more items. I wonder what other treasures they are?" He looked closely and saw that the other two gifts were placed in exquisite jade boxes.

One jade box contained three small, thumb-sized, dark red fruits. The other contained a golden pill with a "卐" symbol on it. Both items emitted a fragrant aroma. Just smelling the aroma made one feel refreshed and invigorated.

Prince Xian marveled, "They are Blood Rong Fruits and Golden Soul Pills. Blood Rong Fruits are said to be ancient relics. Consuming them can greatly nourish one's vital energy and blood. As for the Golden Soul Pills, they are secret medicines of the Divine Physicians. It is said that from the start of the refining process to the completion of the pill, it takes a hundred years. It is said that by consuming this pill, one's cultivation can greatly increase, breaking through barriers and advancing in realm. If a Grandmaster consumes it, there is a 50% chance of advancing to a Great Grandmaster. If a Great Grandmaster consumes it, there is a 30% chance of advancing to a Martial Sage. If a Martial Sage consumes it, there is a 10% chance of advancing to a Martial Saint."

Xiao Sheng was slightly surprised and said, "That's impossible. According to what Eighth Brother said, wouldn't ten of these pills be enough to create a Martial Saint?"

Prince Xian said, "Theoretically, yes. However, refining these pills is extremely difficult. Not to mention the time required for refining, just collecting the ingredients takes at least three 60-year cycles. And each time the furnace is opened, only three pills can be produced. In other words, it would take at least 500 to 600 years to gather ten Golden Soul Pills. Since the creation of the formula by one of the Ten Martial Saints, the Divine Physician, no one has ever refined ten pills."

"Even so, that's still quite remarkable," Xiao Sheng smiled. "Second Brother must have put a lot of effort into preparing this birthday gift."

"Second Brother is the Empress's biological son. On her birthday, he naturally wants to show his best," Prince Xian sighed and smiled bitterly. "But it makes the rest of us brothers feel inferior. Sigh, when he presented these four gifts, I felt that my own gift was too meager and not worth presenting."

Xiao Sheng smiled and comforted Prince Xian, "Well, the most important thing is the sentiment. We're not here to compete. As long as the sentiment is there, that's enough."

"True, but... sigh," to be honest, Prince Xian had also put a lot of effort into gathering his gift. But seeing Prince Chuxin's gifts, he felt quite depressed.

While Xiao Sheng and Prince Xian were whispering, the others in the hall were also discussing among themselves. Soon, everyone knew how rare and valuable the Snow River Pearl, celestial gold, Blood Rong Fruits, and Golden Soul Pills were. Instantly, exclamations of amazement and envious glances were directed at the Empress.

Even though she was the Empress, the most powerful and wealthiest woman in the world, she was still a woman. These exclamations and envious glances made her feel very proud and satisfied. Therefore, she deliberately had the eunuch hold the tray, displaying the four gifts her son had gathered for everyone to see clearly.

After a while, the Empress waved her hand and said with a smile, "You are indeed thoughtful, my child. It was not in vain for me to carry you for ten months. Fine, put the gifts away and sit down."

Prince Chuxin, feeling a great sense of pride, happily agreed and waved to the eunuch to take the gifts back to the inner court and then sat down again.

From the adjacent seat, another person stood up. It was the eldest son of Emperor Xuan, Prince Lame Xiao Yi. He bowed and said loudly, "Mother Empress, I have also prepared a gift for today. Although it may not be as good as Second Brother's, I believe it is still presentable. Please do not find my gift too crude."

The Empress smiled and said, "Oh, the eldest prince has also prepared something? I am a bit curious. Bring it forward."

Prince Lame bowed deeply and then waved his hand. Immediately, a eunuch entered the hall, holding a tray. Everyone focused their attention, but they could not help feeling a bit disappointed.

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