Chapter 100 | The Max-Level Big Shot Ascends by Picking Up Scraps!

Jiang Lu saw many villagers heading in this direction. Leaving behind the words, “The evil spirits have been eliminated; you may rest easy,” she hurriedly departed.

By the time the villagers reached the banyan tree, only her ethereal voice remained echoing in the air.

Jiang Lu had originally intended to head straight to the imperial capital, but on second thought...

The imperial capital was protected by the empire's destiny. Demonic cultivators would not dare to enter without absolute certainty. Since they were currently severely injured, their priority would naturally be to recover.

The various vassal kings were searching for talented individuals and masters of the extraordinary; the demonic cultivators might take this opportunity to seek refuge with them.

She pinched her fingers to perform a divination, her brow furrowing slightly. Why is this hexagram different from before?

After a moment of thought, Jiang Lu mounted her sword and flew toward the imperial capital...

“Hyah!”

A woman clad in silver armor rode upon a fiery steed. She gritted her teeth, her arms swinging forcefully to snap the reins.

The rushing wind howled past her ears as the horse beneath her kicked up clouds of dust, galloping at breakneck speed.

She cast a hurried glance backward, then tightened her grip on the reins once more. Not daring to stop for even a moment, she spurred her horse forward along the road.

“Reporting to the Princess, Qingling has returned!”

A maidservant rushed into the hall. The woman in the study abruptly looked up, her eyes flashing with pleasant surprise.

She wore simple attire that exuded capability, her hair bound high in a basic crown.

Hearing the news, her hand paused. A drop of crimson ink fell from her brush onto the paper, blooming into a dark stain.

She set down her brush, stood up, and said,

“Bring her in quickly!”

Accompanied by the crisp clinking of armor, the woman stepped into the study. Perspiration still clung to her face, and her messy hair betrayed her haste.

Upon seeing the person behind the desk, she dropped to one knee. Sweat dropped onto the floor as she spoke in a rushed yet clear voice.

“Princess, our scouts report that His Majesty will not survive the month. The vassal kings have already begun gathering their troops, and Prince Cheng is among them! Various extraordinary talents and masters have been recruited by the vassal kings.”

After speaking, she stole a cautious glance at the princess, lowering her head slightly as her voice grew softer.

“I have already stationed our soldiers. However, Prince Cheng will pass through this area, and he may ask you to lend him troops.”

Upon hearing this, a sarcastic expression appeared on the princess's face, and she let out a soft snort.

“Hmph.”

“Prince Cheng? Isn't he supposedly the most carefree and averse to conflict? What, does he want to vie for the throne now too?”

She was the Grand Princess of the Great Qian Dynasty, born of the Empress and her only daughter.

Granted her own fiefdom, she possessed vast territories and was financially self-sufficient. She held an elite private army under her direct command.

With absolute military and political authority concentrated in her hands, she was a powerful regional lord. If other vassal kings wanted to rebel, they would naturally try to win her over.

She waved her hand, dismissing the messenger.

With her hands clasped behind her back, she paced back and forth. Suddenly, her expression shifted as a thought struck her, and she turned to give orders.

“We set off tomorrow to return to the imperial capital!”

She thought of her once-shrewd royal father, who was now blinded by the sweet words of those around him, completely unaware that his sons had long been eyeing his throne like hungry wolves.

As for the Crown Prince, she shook her head. He was controlled by various factions; even if he ascended the throne, he would merely be a puppet.

Besides, he was far from simple—he was incredibly ruthless.

Jiang Lu flew down on her sword, landing in a mountain ravine. She paused; this place seemed to possess spiritual energy, making it the perfect spot to meditate and restore her strength.

She sat by a pond, closing her eyes to meditate.

With her eyes shut tightly and her spiritual energy circulating, wisps of golden light began to gather around her, enveloping her hazy figure in a faint golden glow.

Jiang Lu felt a sudden resonance. Could this be the power of merit?

It was indeed extraordinary.

She sensed that there was no spiritual energy here, yet her strength still increased slightly as she meditated.

“Aooowuuu—”

A massive roar echoed through the clouds.

The horses on the official road immediately grew restless.

“Whoa!”

“This is bad, Princess! There is a White Tiger blocking the road ahead!”

A guard ran back from the front, reporting to the princess with a panicked expression.

The princess lifted the carriage curtain and looked toward the White Tiger, her brow furrowing.

The White Tiger was the guardian divine beast of the Great Qian Dynasty, and its life could not be harmed. Now that it was blocking the road, things would be difficult.

The sounds of horses' hooves and chaotic shouting filled the air, and the crowd grew slightly restless. However, out of respect for the Grand Princess, no one dared to move without orders.

Jiang Lu heard this and swept her divine sense over. Seeing the scene, she tapped her toes and, within a few breaths, arrived not far from the White Tiger.

The White Tiger bared its fangs, staring at the convoy before it with hostile eyes.

These humans again!

Intruding upon its territory!

There was spiritual aura in these mountains, and it had awakened its spiritual awareness early on. It had never harmed the innocent, yet these humans actually wanted to venture into the mountains to capture it. It had managed to escape here with great difficulty, only to run into another human convoy.

Seeing that the White Tiger was on guard but had not initiated an attack, Jiang Lu directed her divine sense toward it. It was indeed another beast that had awakened its spiritual awareness.

“White Tiger, come here!”

She sent a thread of her divine sense into the White Tiger's ears. The beast froze, retracting its bared fangs, and looked around.

It seemed to hear a call, and its eyes instantly grew round.

“Come over.”

The voice echoed in its ears once more. Its ears twitched twice, and with its tail held high, it trotted toward Jiang Lu.

Then, it saw the figure standing not far away—an elegant presence radiating an extraordinary aura.

Goddess!

Its paws suddenly pressed against the ground, and its body wiggled from side to side as if trying to confirm something.

Could its daily prayers have finally been heard by the heavens?

Did an immortal take a liking to it and choose it to be their mount?

Should it agree?

Would that be too forward?

Should it play hard to get?

But if it was too reserved, would she think it was refusing?

Its thoughts drifted ten thousand miles away as the entire tiger rolled onto its back on the ground, its eyes filled with shyness and anticipation.

It was just a hair's breadth away from panting with its tongue out.

Jiang Lu watched this, feeling a bit of pity in her heart. Is this tiger a bit of a blockhead?

Well, beasts that are too clever are prone to doing bad things when they cultivate. A sillier one is safer.

Just as she was about to call out to it again, it scrambled back up and bounded toward her, wagging its tail.

Jiang Lu was speechless. It's a tiger, not a dog. Why is it wagging its tail with such a flattering look?

Once it stood before Jiang Lu, it felt the gentle and extraordinary aura radiating from her even more clearly.

She was definitely a Goddess!

The spirits in the mountains really hadn't lied to it; there truly were immortals in this world. It sat down nearby, looking at Jiang Lu with an expectant expression.