Grinding Cultivation Toward Martial Saint-Chapter 1299 - 192: Royal Capital, Ji Mingyue (2)

"Yes, Alliance Hierarch!"

"I hope to encounter you, to see on what basis you can withstand Master Yun’s Mountain and River Finger!" Li Sixiang muttered to himself.

He couldn’t help but recall the first time he met Jiang Ning.

At that time, it was still at the Water Moon Sword Palace, during Xiao Qiushui’s Grandmaster banquet.

Back then, upon his arrival, he became the focus of the entire banquet.

Whereas Jiang Ning was just an unnoticed presence; he didn’t even spare him another glance.

Merely a few months apart, in retrospect, it felt like an eternity had passed.

"Does such a terrifying martial arts talent truly exist in this world?" he pondered internally.

His fists involuntarily clenched.

A deep sense of unwillingness filled his heart.

To reach this point, he didn’t know how many hardships he endured, defeating all enemies.

He was one of the very few who stood out among the masses.

However, when comparing himself to Jiang Ning, a profound sense of defeat welled up within him.

...

On the other hand.

Jiang Ning was unaware that Li Sixiang had thoughts about him, even if he knew, he wouldn’t care.

Because, after several hours, he had already traversed Guangning Prefecture.

Let alone Li Sixiang being unaware of his movements, even if he knew, he couldn’t catch up.

At this moment.

Jiang Ning looked at the exposed riverbed in front of him, joy welled up within.

The direction of the winding river was exactly the direction to the Royal Capital.

"I can shorten a substantial distance again!" he thought to himself.

Then, with a movement of his body, accompanied by splashing water,

he submerged into the river.

The next moment.

With a thought, his form melded into the river water.

In an instant.

He felt the colorful sights flashing before his eyes, seeing scenes all around, with segments of the riverbed whisking past his view.

Compared to before.

Now he could handle the execution of the Great Five Elements Water Escape Technique and manage the complex and chaotic images he saw.

No longer like before, where the strange and overlapping visuals were all he could perceive.

Moments later.

His form reappeared in the river.

Splashes—

Accompanied by waves rising on the river, he landed by the riverbank.

"The consumption is truly immense!!"

At this moment, he felt a weakness sweeping through him, an inward sigh.

This time using the Great Five Elements Water Escape Technique, he felt almost exhausted.

He then lifted his Heart Spirit, expanding his Divine Thought, instantly covering a radius of tens of miles.

Before setting out, he had committed the terrain and topography of the Thirty-six Prefectures of the Nine Provinces to memory.

Now correspondingly, he confirmed his direction.

Subsequently, he returned to the river.

Quietly feeling the river water flowing through his body, carrying away his fatigue, nourishing his body, restoring his energy.

For a long while.

Feeling that he had recovered less than two-tenths, a trace of helplessness surfaced in his heart.

Once exhausted, fully recovering to the best state required far more time than before.

The stronger the strength, the bigger the vessel the body becomes.

Under the premise of unchanged intake, filling this large vessel took substantially more time.

Another long while passed.

After nearly an incense-burning’s duration, he felt his body was roughly seventy percent recovered.

"Time to adjust my direction!" he mused internally, then returned to the riverbank.

In the next moment, he chose a direction, made slight adjustments, and once again utilized the Wind and Thunder Steps.

Just then, expanding his Divine Thought, comparing the surroundings’ terrain with the topography in his mind, he discovered his direction had slightly deviated.

In unfamiliar places, he could only rely on cross-referencing the map’s topography etched in his mind with the actual environment to determine whether his direction was correct.

This was the difficulty of traveling.

In situations like the current, what assisted him most in confirming direction were the towering cities within the Thirty-six Prefectures.

...

Time flew by.

In an instant, it was the next day.

Shangjing Prefecture.

Upon seeing the three words engraved on the stone tablet ahead, Jiang Ning felt a burst of joy.

Shangjing Prefecture was the location of the Royal Capital.

"It won’t be long now!" he looked into the distance, as if he could pierce through the void to see the grand city standing on the plains.

...

Elsewhere.

Bright Moon Mountain, the highest peak.

"It seems that Lord Jiang didn’t choose this most probable path!" Li Sixiang stood atop the mountain, the wind filling his robes, making a fierce sound.

Then, he gently sighed again, "What a pity!"

With this sigh, he also transformed into a gentle breeze and vanished from the spot.

...

Royal Capital.

Imperial Palace.

Qingluan Hall.

At this time, a girl in a goose-yellow long dress rested her elbow on the windowsill, gazing at the scenery by the lake outside, lost in thought.

"Shiqi, what’s wrong again?" A man dressed in a dragon robe, extraordinarily valiant, entered the pavilion.

"Brother!" Seeing Ji Minghao’s arrival, the girl casually greeted.

"Shiqi, are you thinking about him again?" Ji Minghao asked from the side.

"Mmm, mmm!" Ji Mingyue nodded.

"I still don’t quite get it, Shiqi only met Brother Jiang once, how is it she’s been so infatuated for so long!" Ji Minghao gazed at his younger sister with a puzzled look.

"Brother, do you have a girl you like?" Ji Mingyue now spoke, returning with a question.

Hearing this, a trace of warmth appeared in Ji Minghao’s eyes, as if related to someone he thought of.

"I know, it’s Sister Li, right!" Ji Mingyue teased, noting her brother’s expression.

"Don’t talk nonsense!" Ji Minghao glared at his sister.

"Brother, like when you first laid eyes on Sister Li, and loved her at first sight." Ji Mingyue began.

She continued, "So do I!"

"When I first saw Jiang Ning, it felt like an eternity, as if I had known him, entangled with him before.

"The more time passes, his image in my mind becomes clearer rather than fading!"

"So, I chose him!"

When she spoke the last sentence, Ji Mingyue said determinedly.

"So Shiqi confessed to the Emperor?" Ji Minghao asked.

"Yes!" Ji Mingyue nodded.

"And then Shiqi got grounded, restricted of freedom!" Ji Minghao said.

Ji Mingyue nodded again, continuing, "I know it’s hard to gain Father’s approval of him, given Father’s emphasis on lineage and birth!"

"So, if I don’t say anything, he’ll surely have to face Father’s pressure along with me in the future!"

"I don’t want him to bear that with me!"

Hearing these words, Ji Minghao pinched his forehead.

Then he said, "So you’re going to confess now, and bear Father’s pressure alone?"

"Exactly!" Ji Mingyue nodded, "As long as I persist, there’s a huge chance Father will compromise! After all, Father spoils me the most!"

"You’re using how Father spoils you as leverage!" Ji Minghao looked at his sister, showing a helpless expression.

"What can be used, should be used!" As she spoke, Ji Mingyue gave a mischievous smile.

"Being favored by Brother Jiang is really his great fortune over eight lifetimes, and I truly want to beat him up!" Ji Minghao gritted his teeth.

"Brother, don’t overthink it, men should marry, women should wed, and your sister’s age is already mature, it’s about time to marry!" Ji Mingyue saw her brother wasn’t truly angry at Jiang Ning, so she laughed it off.

"That’s not for you to say!"

"It’s all the same! It’s all the same!" Ji Mingyue waved her hand.

Then, a wisp of worry creased her brows.

"Brother, with the Martial Arts Examination approaching, why hasn’t he arrived at the Royal Capital yet, is he really going to give up this year’s opportunity and wait for next year? But there’s no certainty there’ll be a Martial Arts Examination next year!"

"No need to worry!" Ji Minghao patted his chest and said, "With his level of progress, entering the Martial Examination now, he might not easily win the top, but would definitely rank in the top three!"

"Indeed!" Ji Mingyue nodded, "He shouldn’t miss this chance!"

At this point, Ji Mingyue couldn’t help rubbing her hands.

With that said, seeing him soon really made her happy!!"

The joy was evident in her brows at this moment.