"Hiss!" The beast was infuriated from the attack it just received and wished to counter attack but before it could do so, Zi Hua had already started to dish out a barrage of onslaught.
If the opponent had an advantage in the fight, she just had to make sure that the opponent doesn't get a chance to attack her and use that advantage, simple logic!
Zi Hua twisted herself in different angles in order to weave through the currents and carry out the attacks, in reality if someone else were to do it they wouldn't be able to last long and the attacks wouldn't be as fierce however Zi Hua had put herself through vigorous training during her past life and after she arrived here, the skills of her past life still remained after the merging process.
The poor snake-eel was beaten to death and full of bitterness, if it was going to die, it wanted to die in a noble way not in such a pitiful manner.
Once the 'fight', AKA one-sided annihilation, was finished Zi Hua took the lantern looking thing and swam back to the shore, her oxygen supply was about to run out, of course not forgetting the core, she can make a weapon or something out of it, marine spirit beasts weren't that common.
It would be more suitable to use to make a water usable weapon with a marine spirit beast core, she couldn't use the stuff in Heaven-defying pagoda since they are too precious and may bring her trouble, this Mid Stage Saint rank spirit core totally won't bring her trouble, right?
She doesn't want to kill needlessly but it doesn't mean that she is afraid to kill, whether they're human or spirit beast, however although death can't not happen, she at least wants to minimize the unnecessary deaths, the snake-eel was a necessary death since it was the guardian.
As soon as she exited the lake, she entered the Heaven-defying pagoda, if anyone sees her during the absorption period it would be troublesome, she would've preferred to have entered once she had gotten the flame fragment however, if she did, as soon as she got out she would be in the lake again and that wouldn't be very good.
The others knew not to disturb her, so she quickly went to dry herself and change her clothes, then she opened the lantern looking thing after twisting and turning it a few times, with her line of job there were times where she had to sneak into places.
Her master is lucky that she's her disciple, if it was someone else they wouldn't even be able to reach the flame fragment.
Humans needed to breathe and in this era there were few ways of going under water and it was near impossible for people here to get the lantern- looking thing to open, that was probably why there were no traps and only a guardian.
Once she opened it, Zi Hua immediately started to absorb the flame fragment, this time it took her a few days less and after resting for a while Zi Hua headed back to Wan Shou Mountain.
When she arrived, the members were there waiting for her.
"Welcome back master" They greeted her in a synchronized manner, when Zi Hua was near they could sense her aura, of course it was Zi Hua that purposely allowed it, she needed to gather them all.
"I'm back, has the Light Phantom Halls been closed?" Before she left, she had instructed them to close the Halls once all the 'failures' were sold.
"Yes master" Gardenia and Anemone stepped forward to report to her.
Zi Hua had done this due to the fact that the failures were sold out but also to prevent war, after Nan Xia Empire looses General's Manor the other three empires would see it as a chance to swallow it during the chaos and potentially gain favor from Light Phantom Sect, however before they had the chance to evaluate the circumstances and prepare the army, the Light Phantom Halls had gone away.
They know that Light Phantom Sect still exists however they were just in seclusion but if the Four Empires were to end up in a dogfight, the ones benefiting would most likely be Light Phantom Sect, especially if they intervene, this act had made them change their plans.
Although Light Phantom Sect was stronger in power but never showed ambition towards the Four Empires, but who knows, they might only be waiting for the right time, this suspicion stopped the war.
"Where's the little prince?" Now that she had sorted out those matters, the only thing left in Moonlight Continent for her to do was to settle Xing Wu Xun's problem.
"He is with Iris and Lilium in Nan Xia Empire's Capital" Iris and Lilium had already been seen by Nan Xia Empire's people so it was the best choice as a warning that Light Phantom Sect hadn't disappeared.
After Xing Lan Ping and those from General's Manor were disposed of, the little prince's existence had been almost forgotten, no one searched for him either, the emperor was busy with the succession problem and couldn't care less for that orphaned grandson of his.
"Tell them to hand the little prince over to the emperor and tell him to make sure the prince gets the best and stays safe, say the Sect leader pitied the child and imply that she wishes for him to become emperor"
Those words were indicating that the little prince had Light Phantom Sect's backing, if the little prince becomes emperor it will solve the emperor's predicament and stabilize Nan Xia Empire so the emperor would have no choice but to agree, plus after the little display during the banquet the emperor won't dare to disobey.
Other empires although wary and cautious won't have the guts to oppose Light Phantom Sect, they won't make a move unless Light Phantom Sect makes a move on them and the Light Phantom Sect backing the little prince just further solidified their suspicions.
She had lost part of her childhood but, although the little prince had almost become a poison test subject, he is still young, he should stay in the palace where he's meant to be, at least there, the emperor would be afraid of Light Phantom Sect and treat him favorably and protect him, not to mention the spirit beast he has in his possession, contrary to the dangers that will come his way if he were to follow her.
"Yes master"
"I will head to Starlight Continent in a few days, everyone except Anne and Nia will stay here and train" Zi Hua had originally wanted to bring them too but after evaluating the potential danger, she wouldn't be able to protect them if she brought them all.
"Yes master" They were absolutely obedient to Zi Hua, even if she told them to head to their deaths they would do so without objection, since their master told them to train they would make sure to train as hard as they can so they can be of assistance to Zi Hua, they understood that they were still too weak.