Ise looked up at her uncle.
All she could see was his anticipation. Why ? Why did he betray her father ? Looking at him , her uncle is just not the type to covet the kingdom.
Why would he go to such lengths as murder to snatch the kingdom from his younger brother's hands ?
Ise searched his face for any clues.
It's only then she realized the feeling behind her uncle's anticipation. It's desperation.
Desperation for what ?
She did not understand.
However, no matter what it is, not cultivating is not an option.
" Yes. " She answered firmly.
" Come forth, and make your choice. " Her uncle told her, his voice sounding majestic.
Ise took a step forward.
The entire stadium's eyes focused on her.
Ise's physique is not a secret. The entirety of Frigia knows their crown princess is suffering from a yin-yang cursed physique.
Even among cursed physiques, there are levels, which apply to both yin and yang. Measuring from neonate at lowest to supreme at highest.
Both Yin-yang and yang-yin mismatch are cursed physiques, with former suffering far more than later. Both of them are disadvantaged compared to pure yin or yang physiques.
The worst sort of physique is yang and yin mismatch, where some one had the spirit seed size of a lake, meridian size of taps pipes. Their spirit energy is almost always at the risk of explosion. They were simply walking talking time bombs. A calamity is caused by their death.
In fact, it is believed Frigia is formed by the death of frost princess Nera, who had such a physique.
Surprisingly, despite having such a founding story, Frigia has the least number of Yang-Yin cursed children in the known world. Conversely, Yin-Yang mismatch is rather common.
Thus, the royal family of Frigia holds the highest number of techniques geared towards cultivation for yin-yang mismatch. So much so, half the cursed physique cultivators on this side of the dragon mountains gathered in Frigia.
The 'No' of Ise in her first life, was getting shamed internationally, if one were to be brutally honest.
Unfortunately, Ise hadn't been aware of the gravity of the situation. Her father knows, but he hid it from her anyway. He knew his daughter would rather suffer than bring shame upon their nation.
After all, all Yin-yang mismatch cursed techniques work on a simple principle. Hold spirit energy to upgrade your spirit seed. The pain a person suffers is proportional to the gap between their yin seed and yang meridian.
In summary, the neonate yin and supreme yang mismatch Ise had, she would have to walk through thousand sword mountains and magma rivers before being able to amount to anything. It's an acknowledged fact.
The cold spirit energy stored in her yin seed would affect her body. It is like having frostbite from inside, and that too, continuously, through day, night, seasons and years.
Which sane parent would wish such pain upon their child ?
" psst… Pssst… " Ise's uncle muttered at her, trying to attract her attention.
Ise looked up in surprise. Is her ever so serious uncle trying to let her cheat a bit on stage in front of so many people ?
Damn ! She did not expect such a scene, even in her rebirth.
" the void blaze… " her uncle gestured to her, pointing to an inconspicuous scroll behind her.
Ise stopped in shock.
The void blaze cultivation method is a double edged sword. It has incredible lethality. Void elements could be cultivated by any one. The slightest mistake in application leads to harm to yourself. However, that is only the case for blessed physiques.
For a cursed physique such as hers, the difficulty is reduced ten fold.
However, this technique belongs to the demon world. If Ise chose it here openly, then it is announcing their affiliation with demons, despite there not being any.
Ise could not give such a handle to their enemies, while she knows they are already rearing for a battle.
However, this uncle still braved the dangers of the demon world to acquire a technique for her that would at least give her a fighting chance. Ise is touched. It raised the question once more. Just what in the world happened for uncle to throw father in prison.
Ise felt very touched. However, she could not choose void blaze here and now. She dearly hoped none of the others will either, so she could practise it in secret.
There was only one choice for her.
She started walking towards it.
Only a few of the people looked curiously at the scrolls surrounding her when she took the first step. She is walking towards the cursed physique practice techniques.
'That there is the Frost enchantress technique. It is perfect for creating giant ice sculptures or even a skating rink. Probably a bit unfitting for princess Ise ' one of the curious guys commented in the stands.
A few more concentrated on her curiously, when she took ten more steps forward.
' Ah! Makes sense. The most common of cursed physique practise is the seed upgrade techniques, which strengthen the spirit seed boundary, allowing spirit seed to upgrade independently from the meridians. It is a good choice. Princess Ise is wise.' A veteran nodded his head in approval.
Ise walked forward.
' Where is she going ? Those techniques may help cultivation, but they are inhuman torturre. There's no need for our princess to suffer like this. We frost warriors are still strong. ' one of the generals said, frowning at the cultivation collections in front of Ise by now.
As she took one step after another, the curiosity gave way to faint doubt, that faint doubt gave way to utter horror.
After all, the technique Ise is walking towards is considered the most inhumane technique in the world. There is no reason a princess who grew up with gentle pampering would choose such an technique.
'Supreme Frost world ' is a technique that is rumored to have been practiced by goddess Nera.
It's the most powerful cultivation method in the possession of the frost kingdom. No one but the royal family is allowed to practise it. If a person is bold with extreme talent, the royal family either married them in or adopted them into the family before letting them practise it.
Royal family never rejected a person from practicing it, no matter their loyalty. That's how powerful and useful the technique is.
Even with such spectacular endorsements, no one has practiced frost world for the past hundred years.
The reason was simple.
Practicing Frost world is to temper your body with frost energy for ever, and ever and ever.
Imagine never being warm for a day in your life.
Which person is willing to go through such torture just for the sake of practising a cultivation technique ?
Her father looked horrified, her uncle looked equally unwilling to let her practise that technique.
However, this is the perfect technique for Ise, she knew.
Cold never bothered her anyway.
She doesn't mind not being warm, as long as she is able to protect her loved ones.
This technique, ridiculed 'hundred years of toil, one second of success' is the perfect gun she could hold in her hands.
That one second of success could change the very face of the world. That is the power of the supreme frost world.
It matters not whether she succeeds or not. On the day she did, none of her enemies survived. Thus, this matter would forever be like a damocles sword hanging by thread over the heads of her enemies.
Sure, this could increase the number of assassinations geared towards her. However, she knew.. She is well protected by the strongest guard in the world.
' Ye Yul '
Ise thought for a moment.
Ye Yul was the death guard that's been protecting from the time she was eleven. Yul is two years older than her. He was the baby brought back by her uncle from the demon world along with his wife.
Ye yul was born with the supreme yang physique of fire seed. In the last world, he left her a year after her marriage, and became a general in the war between Frost and snow kingdoms.
He alone had killed half the snow country army. The situation was so dire, the celestial army had to intervene for the snowcountry. From then on, the war went on halt, while the celestial army pursued Ye Yul alone for assasination.
One could not guard against thieves for a thousand days. In the end, Ye yul died. The war resumed after his death, eventually leading to Frost's defeat.
This time, she would not let him die such a bitter death.
This time, she would protect her family and kingdom.
After all, the torture of the Frost world is nothing compared to torture of loosing your loved ones.
Ise walked forward confidently amidst the deathly silence in the hall.
She picked up the ' Supreme Frost World '.
She held it up to her uncle to announce her choice. Her uncle was still staring at her in shock and horror.
Ise smiled gently at him, as if reassuring it's alright.
In a moment, her uncle's countenance changed.
For the first time, Ise saw an unknown emotion on her uncle's face.
It is only late in the night in her delirious dreams she realized… that expression was ' respect ' .