Volume 1, Chapter 51 – Nine-Star Genius Xiao Ya

That night, in the Ninth Princess’s bedchamber.

After dismissing her palace maids, Xiao Ya sat alone by the window. She gazed at the bright moon in the night sky, so utterly different from the one in her “previous life,” and sank into deep thought.

She had been in this world for seventeen years.

She had gone from being a senior researcher at the Academy of Sciences of the Galactic Federation to the Ninth Princess of the Great Yan Dynasty.

At first, she had thought this was merely an ordinary ancient world.

But she soon discovered that cultivators here could live for centuries, even millennia. There were demonic beasts and divine abilities that allowed people to soar through the heavens and burrow into the earth.

The scientist’s soul within her had been set completely ablaze!

How was energy converted?

How did life evolve?

How did the laws of space operate?

In her previous life, these mysteries could only be approached through countless experiments and endless theoretical deductions. Yet in this world, there seemed to be traces that could be followed.

For seventeen years, she had voraciously studied the knowledge of this world.

At the same time, she had secretly tried to analyze “spiritual power,” “formations,” and “pills” through scientific thinking.

Her efforts had yielded considerable results.

For example, she discovered that low-level illumination formations were essentially a form of orderly guidance applied to light-attributed energy, much like the principle behind LED luminescence.

She also found that the ingredients of certain pills bore similarities to some of the substances she had studied in her previous life that promoted cellular activity.

However, limited by resources, her research had always remained superficial.

Now, an opportunity had arrived.

Yaochi Immortal Palace…

“An organization capable of subduing a Mahayana demon king cannot possibly be ordinary.”

Xiao Ya murmured to herself,

“Perhaps there…”

Excitement gleamed in her eyes.

In her previous life, her greatest regret had been failing to witness humanity surpass the speed of light and explore the stars with her own eyes.

In this life, she would go even farther!

She would not merely explore the stars. She would explore the essence of life and the source of the laws themselves!

A smile curved across Xiao Ya’s lips.

She rose and walked to her writing desk, picked up her brush, and began recording the thoughts she had formed that day.

What flowed from the tip of her brush were peculiar notes containing a mixture of this world’s script and mathematical symbols and physics formulas from her previous life.

Outside the window, moonlight flowed like water.

No one knew what astonishing revolution was brewing in the heart of this seemingly gentle and refined princess.

…

Meanwhile, at Yaochi Immortal Palace.

Gu Han withdrew his gaze from the water mirror, an amused smile appearing on his face.

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“This Xiao Ya is rather interesting.”

[Host, Xiao Ya’s potential rating is out: Special Nine-Star! Although her cultivation talent is average, the knowledge she possesses is extremely interesting.]

“Special Nine-Star?”

Gu Han raised an eyebrow.

“Then isn’t it as rare as Gu Luoli’s Hidden Ten-Star rating?”

[They are different in nature. Gu Luoli’s double pupils are an unrivaled combat-oriented talent, while Xiao Ya’s is intelligence-oriented.]

Gu Han fell into thought.

“It seems I truly will have to pay close attention to this Ninth Princess during the disciple recruitment.”

[One more reminder, Host. As Yaochi Immortal Palace’s reputation spreads, people will soon begin paying attention to this place.]

“We will block the soldiers when they come and dam the waters when they rise.”

Gu Han said calmly,

“As long as we are strong enough, nothing will be a problem.”

“By the way, System,”

Gu Han suddenly thought of something.

“Do you think it would be possible for Xiao Ya to create a communication device similar to the mobile phones from my previous life?”

[Theoretically, it is possible.]

Gu Han nodded.

She looked forward to seeing what sort of surprise Xiao Ya would bring her.

The next day, in Qingyang City.

By the third day of the spiritual aptitude test, the number of people had not decreased. Instead, even more had arrived.

Many cultivators and mortals from nearby cities, and even more distant places, had rushed over through the night after hearing the news, all hoping to try their luck.

The square in front of the Liu Residence had already been expanded three times, yet it was still packed with people.

Liu Ruyan stood beside the testing platform and calmly looked over the dense crowd below.

After the deterrence of the previous two days, no one dared cause trouble again.

Everyone lined up properly, and the order was impeccable.

“Next, Wang Teng.”

A boy of eight or nine stepped onto the testing platform. He had a sturdy, energetic appearance, and his eyes held an unyielding spirit.

He extended his hand and pressed it against the Heaven-Observing Stone.

Hum!

Seven stars lit up, steady and bright.

“Seven-Star, inner disciple standard.”

Liu Ruyan recorded the result.

Wang Teng scratched his head and stepped down with some disappointment.

His grandfather always said he had “the bearing of a Great Emperor.” It seemed his grandfather’s judgment was not very accurate after all.

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The testing continued.

As noon approached, the crowd suddenly stirred once more.

“The imperial family is here!”

“It’s the Ninth Princess!”

A ceremonial procession slowly approached, led by none other than Xiao Ya.

Xiao Ya did not put on any imperial airs. Like an ordinary visitor, she followed the Liu family’s guards to the front of the raised platform.

“Patriarch Liu.”

Xiao Ya cupped her fists. “By order of my imperial father, I have come to observe the grand spiritual aptitude test held by the Immortal Palace. I hope you can accommodate me.”

Liu Beihai hurriedly returned the gesture. “Your Highness is too courteous. Please take a seat.”

He ordered another seat to be added and invited the Ninth Princess to sit below Yun Yun.

Yun Yun merely inclined her head and said nothing more.

Yet Xiao Ya’s gaze was involuntarily drawn to Yun Yun.

According to her sensory analysis, the aura surrounding this white-robed woman was practically like a “black hole.” Every means of detection failed against it.

This was what happened when the difference in energy levels was simply too vast!

“At least a stellar-level energy reaction…”

Xiao Ya was shaken. “No, perhaps even higher…”

According to the knowledge from her previous life, stellar-level energy was already sufficient to power an interstellar mothership through a spatial jump.

Yet the woman before her was clearly nowhere near using her full strength.

What sort of existence was Yaochi Immortal Palace?

Suppressing the turbulent waves in her heart, Xiao Ya turned her attention to the testing platform.

At that moment, it happened to be the turn of a boy around fifteen or sixteen.

The boy placed his hand on the Heaven-Observing Stone, and light shone forth.

Four-Star.

The boy stepped down in disappointment.

A strange gleam flashed through Xiao Ya’s eyes.

She had noticed that when the Heaven-Observing Stone lit up, the fluctuations it emitted were similar to those of the “biological-field resonance detector” she had studied in her previous life.

“Does it use the principle of resonance to detect the potential of a life’s origin?”

She pondered inwardly.

“Interesting… In my previous life, this technology never advanced beyond the theoretical stage.”

“Next, Xiao Ya.”

Liu Ruyan’s voice pulled her from her thoughts.

It was her turn.

Xiao Ya took a deep breath, rose, and walked toward the testing platform.

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Countless gazes from below converged on her.

An imperial princess personally taking the test was major news!

Xiao Ya extended her slender hand and gently pressed it against the Heaven-Observing Stone.

One second.

Two seconds.

Three seconds.

The Heaven-Observing Stone showed no reaction.

Just as everyone thought the rare outcome of “Zero-Star” was about to appear…

Hum!

The stone suddenly trembled violently!

It was not the stars that lit up. Instead, the entire stone radiated a strange, seven-colored halo that flowed continuously!

Within the halo, countless tiny runes resembling streams of data flashed into existence and vanished!

Immediately afterward, nine stars lit up at the same time!

Yet these nine stars did not remain in a fixed arrangement. They slowly revolved like a galaxy, connected to one another by invisible “force fields”!

“It is actually Nine-Star…”

Liu Ruyan recorded the result in astonishment. “Potential rating: Nine-Star!”

The entire crowd erupted!

Nine-Star!

This was the highest rating seen during the seven-day testing period so far.

On the raised platform, Yun Yun showed clear interest for the first time.

She looked at Xiao Ya and said gently,

“You seem… different from ordinary people.”

Xiao Ya withdrew her hand and gave Yun Yun a graceful bow.

“Senior, your insight is remarkable. This junior does indeed have… some unusual ideas and understandings.”

She did not conceal anything.

Before an existence of this level, concealment was meaningless. Honesty might instead earn her an opportunity.

Yun Yun inclined her head slightly. She asked no further questions and merely said,

“Stay behind after the testing ends.”

Xiao Ya’s heart trembled, and she hurriedly replied,

“Yes!”

She knew she might truly have seized that fortuitous opportunity!

The sun dipped toward the west, and the third day of testing came to an end.

In total, ten people who met the outer disciple standard and three who met the inner disciple standard had been selected that day, along with Xiao Ya, the special “Nine-Star.”

These results had already far exceeded expectations.

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After the crowd dispersed, inside the main hall of the Liu Residence.

Yun Yun, Liu Ruyan, and Xiao Ya sat facing one another.

“Tell me. What is so ‘special’ about you?”

Yun Yun went straight to the point.

Xiao Ya pondered for a moment and organized her words.

“Senior, in this junior’s understanding, everything in the world follows certain laws.”

“Spiritual power is a form of energy. Formations are the orderly guidance of energy. Pills stimulate life’s potential…”

She tried her best to explain using the language of this world, though terms from her previous life still slipped into her speech from time to time.

Yun Yun listened quietly, her eyes repeatedly flashing with wonder.

Although she could not understand those terms, she grasped the core idea Xiao Ya was expressing.

Xiao Ya was using an entirely new mode of thought to analyze the cultivation system!

“Your ideas are very interesting.”

Xiao Ya paused, then gathered her courage.

“Senior, this junior has a presumptuous request… Would you allow me to visit Yaochi Immortal Palace?”

“I would like to see those more advanced formations, pills, and artifacts with my own eyes. Perhaps they might inspire me.”

Looking at the pure thirst for knowledge in her eyes, Yun Yun gently inclined her head.

“You may.”

“When the seven-day period ends, return with us.”

Xiao Ya was overjoyed and hurriedly bowed.

“Thank you, Senior!”

Liu Ruyan was happy for her as well.

The Ninth Princess’s temperament and intelligence were indeed unlike those of ordinary people.

Perhaps Master would take an interest in her.

Night gradually deepened.

Xiao Ya returned to the guest room arranged for her by the Liu family, yet she felt no desire to sleep.

She sat beside the window, took out paper and brush, and began frantically recording everything she had seen and thought that day.

“Speculation on the principles of the Heaven-Observing Stone…”

“Energy-level analysis of Senior Yun…”

“Comparison between spiritual power and known forms of energy…”

Her brush flew across the pages, and she soon filled more than a dozen sheets.

Only when the moon reached the middle of the sky did she finally stop writing and gaze out at the stars beyond the window.

“Yaochi Immortal Palace…”

Her eyes shone with yearning.