One Hundred and Twenty-Seventh Frame: The Eight Trigrams

"Typical. Sang Hongye has countless elders, siblings, and fans backing her. For someone from a low-level civilization to achieve this much is something to be proud of."

"The person above is an idiot. I hate it when people bring up status. What’s wrong with low-level civilizations? I like Sang Hongye. She is talented and has a positive image. My whole family supports her. Once she finishes her internship and the Temple releases her Faith Map, I’m definitely taking my entire company staff to support her."

"I agree. Although the Danxia Faith Zone is small—just one continent—unlike those candidates who rely on family resources and just wait to inherit, Sang Hongye conquered that world with her own two hands. At her age, it’s basically a miracle. Plus, her Law of Creation is excellent."

"Calling it a miracle is an exaggeration. I don’t believe no one helped her. Even if the promotional documentary claims to be realistic, it’s been artistically embellished. How can you believe all of it?"

"Another jealous hater. Sang Hongye only went to the Danxia Painting Realm to study because someone snatched her Space-Time Miniature World. Everyone knows you can only bring one nanny and one guardian knight when studying abroad, and unless it’s a matter of life and death, the guardian knight isn’t allowed to intervene. Her nanny is just a childhood friend who’s always off playing somewhere, so who could have helped her?"

"Speaking of her childhood friend, isn’t that the same person mentioned in the announcement who experimented with a magical artifact with her, causing a space-time collapse?"

"You guessed it. I’ve been holding back, but someone finally connected the two. As an insider, I’ve been dying to spill this. Sang Hongye’s childhood friend and companion is no ordinary person. Although they are about the same age, their talent and potential are even greater than hers. Lord Kane wanted to take them as a disciple but was afraid of holding them back, so he only agreed to teach them as a mentor."

"Are you kidding me? Sang Hongye has already made all the young geniuses in the Temple look dim, even Shui Ling is trailing behind her. Is this ‘child’ supposed to be defying the heavens by being even stronger?!"

"I don’t know about defying the heavens, but their name is ‘Heavenly Emperor’—aggressive enough for you? They broke through the star level and jumped straight to the third tier. Only a year has passed, and they are already at the peak of the sixth tier, with a complete Dharma image and about to forge a Star Path. Isn't that monstrous enough?"

"Someone with that much accumulation is from a low-level civilization? As a member of a high-level civilization who always considered myself a genius, I feel like my face has been slapped raw."

On the Star Net, news regarding Sang Hongye and the Heavenly Emperor was being monitored. Upon noticing the breach, officials were immediately notified.

Kane had just seen the Heavenly Emperor off when he received the report. His face darkened as he ordered an investigation into the loose-lipped insider. Since the person knew about the Heavenly Emperor and their cultivation level, the pool of suspects was already quite small.

The insider vanished instantly. Even though others in the chat kept calling out, the user didn't return to the Star Net, and the netizens naturally shifted the topic.

"The Saintess of a Hundred Flowers has an interesting look in her eyes. She’s been in seclusion for a long time, hasn't she? I almost forgot about her. By the way, has the Holy Son’s child been born yet?"

"No idea. Can someone from the Yuan Kong Mountain inner circle enlighten us?"

"I am an attendant at Yuan Kong Mountain. The Holy Son’s child is still in the Saintess of a Hundred Flowers’ womb. Everyone, watch your tongues; don’t upset the Saintess and affect the development of our little Highness."

"Prince Jian Kong isn’t a long-lived species. The gestation period for humans is only a year or two. The Saintess has been pregnant for several years now—hasn't it finished developing? Can't it be born?"

"Is there anyone here with an Appraisal Origin? Can someone take a look at the Saintess’s belly and tell us the developmental status?"

"Does that even need appraisal? Even if it’s fully developed, it’s better to keep it in the womb longer. For any species, the later it’s born, the better. Only inside the mother’s body can the primordial energy remain intact, making future body cultivation twice as effective."

"I have an Appraisal Origin, but I can’t see through the Saintess’s belly. The Holy Son’s mysterious energy protective film is too strong."

"It seems the Holy Son cares a great deal about the child."

"Strange, isn’t it supposed to be a fetus cultivated from blood? A lifeform similar to a clone, right? Its potential should be limited. At most it’ll reach the Void Level peak; the Profound Level would be a miracle. I’ve never heard of an artificial lifeform reaching the Origin Level. It’s enough for an ordinary person, but hardly befitting the Holy Son’s status."

"Is it really made from blood?"

"The Saintess of a Hundred Flowers claims it is."

"I possess the Clairvoyance Origin, with a minor in Space-Time. I can see the fetus. The little Highness is perfectly normal—it’s a natural conception."

"Clairvoyance Origin and Space-Time minor? Based on the star sector of that post, I know which great master you are! Please, take me under your wing!"

"..."

"Why are we off-topic? How did the Saintess even get the Holy Son’s essence? That’s big news. Has anyone looked into it?"

"Don't dig into that. If it’s true, it’s a dark chapter in the Holy Son’s life. Nobody dares to touch it, for fear of being dragged to the life-and-death arena by the God of War."

Starry, the chief assistant to the Holy Son Jian Kong, felt his face go dark upon seeing this. They knew perfectly well whether the fetus was made of blood or essence.

At the time, the Prince was severely wounded and unconscious for a period. Later, the Saintess claimed to be pregnant with his child. After an examination, they confirmed the fetus was healthy and conceived through sexual union. They naturally knew she had stolen his essence while he was incapacitated. However, revealing this would damage the Prince’s reputation, so they suppressed it. Regardless, the Saintess hadn't achieved her ultimate goal, and the fetus remained safe.

Soon, the topic on the Star Net shifted again.

The Deputy Holy Son was sent on a diplomatic mission to the Hongmeng Star Domain of the Xian Gu clan and was being pursued by the Empress of the Pangu clan. The rumors were spreading like wildfire, and the authenticity of the gossip was high, so the scandal-mongers flocked to the new spectacle.

Both Senna and Starry, as well as the Saintess's new assistant, breathed a sigh of relief.

The historic meeting concluded, and the film crew departed. Sang Sang remained at the Palace of a Hundred Flowers. The Saintess was kind and cordial, proactively explaining what a Saintess should pay attention to without waiting for Sang Sang to ask. She offered tips on dealing with believers and showed concern for Sang Sang’s daily life, never crossing into personal boundaries, acting exactly like a friendly elder.

Sang Sang’s response naturally shifted from subtle repulsion to admiration. Her words and expressions conveyed total trust, believing that the Saintess must have been a victim of past unpleasantness. She became more intimate, almost acting like the Saintess’s little shadow.

The Saintess was very satisfied with her own charm. Sang Hongye might have great talent, but she was still just a child. Her precocity had its limits; her clear eyes were transparent, and she couldn't hide her emotions. Being won over by a few small favors proved that the person Senna was so determined to groom was nothing special.

Of course, the Saintess remained vigilant regarding Sang Hongye’s extraordinary talent and comprehension. She specifically hired a high-level appraiser to observe and evaluate Sang Hongye inside and out. Although there were defensive artifacts in her sea of consciousness and items in her spatial storage that couldn't be probed, the Faith Map she carried with her was revealed in the eyes of the appraiser, its attributes clear at a glance.