Chapter 2: Compensation From The Heavens

Contrary to the beliefs of many who witnessed Anji's birth that day, the youngest princess of the Celestial Dragon Sect did not feel unfortunate. Ever since she could speak, her mother and older siblings often told her the story of their father sealing her cultivation core when she was born because it was too powerful for her. After three years, almost everyone in the Murim's heroic sect knew her story. Today, everyone was busy preparing for the Rainbow Alliance's banquet.

"Anji," Madam Zhao called out to her youngest daughter. "There will be many guests walking around in the sect. Some of the younger ones might be rowdy, so stay close to mother at all times. Your father and brothers are busy greeting the guests."

Approaching her third year, Princess Zhao Anji embodied a charm and adorableness that could melt even the sternest of hearts. Petite and dainty, she possessed a diminutive stature that even novice disciples of the Initial Core foundation could effortlessly scoop up in a single arm. Her locks, as dark as the midnight sky, framed a pair of eyes that sparkled with a precocious intellect capable of captivating even the most learned scholars. With cheeks flushed rosy from the chill air, her delicate features stood out against her porcelain skin, casting a picture of innocence and loveliness as she toddled towards her mother.

If there was one thing three-year-old Anji was dissatisfied with her life, it was the excessive coddling she received from everyone in the sect. Her young heart yearned for independence, a desire that burned brightly despite her tender age.

"Mother! I'm old enough to walk by myself!" Anji protested in her mother's arms when she was carried before she could climb the short flight of stairs up the pavilion. However, as usual, her resistance was futile.

Radiating warmth and grace akin to a gentle spring breeze, Madam Zhao enveloped her youngest daughter in a tender embrace, her laughter carrying a melody of joy. Despite the blessing of motherhood four times over, the mistress of the Celestial Dragon Sect bore a beauty that defied the passage of time. Her serene smile, like a beacon of tranquillity, adorned features untouched by the years, leaving her visage as youthful and radiant as if she were but thirty springs old. However, it was her playful demeanour whenever something pertained to her youngest daughter that shone the brightest.

"Mmm! Anji is so mean! How could you deny me the right to cuddle? Mother won't be able to do much longer once you get bigger. Just last week, you grew an inch taller. The seamstress had to make new clothes. If you grow three inches taller, Mother might not be able to enjoy having a human warmer around anymore."

Rolling her eyes at her mother's silly antics, Anji couldn't help but let out a big, dramatic sigh. Sometimes, she wondered who the adult was. Then again, what could she do? With these flimsy arms of hers, she could never hope to win against her mother's strong hugs. With a shrug and a pout, Anji gave in and slumped into her mother's arms, returning a big, squishy hug. As a great strategist once said, a general knows how to advance without coveting fame and retreat without fearing disgrace. This was simply Anji's tactical retreat.

Peeking out from beneath her bangs, Anji took in her surroundings as her mother carried her back to their room. From a young age, Anji had sensed a special gift within herself that seemed unique even among the practitioners of Murim. Whether it was a byproduct of her suppressed talent or an innate ability all her own, nobody knew. When Anji told others about her gift, they dismissed it as a child's vivid imagination.

Undeterred, Anji taught herself how to read at the tender age of two. Since then, she has immersed herself in the endless tomes of the library. Through countless hours of research, she unearthed the only clue about her extraordinary ability. The name of her unusual ability was [Heavenly Eyes], as if the heavens bestowed it as compensation for the absence of conventional cultivation in her life.

Unlike cultivators who estimate their opponents' cultivation levels by feeling their opponents' qi fluctuation, Anji could tell their cultivation core levels at one glance.

"Activate [Heavenly Eyes]!" Anji thought hard, and her world instantly changed into one bursting with colours.

For nearly a year, Anji wrestled with the daunting task of correlating the hues of each person's aura with their corresponding stage of cultivation. Day after day, she poured over scrolls and meditated tirelessly, grappling with the complexities of Murim energy. The youngest princess finally cracked the code through countless trials and errors, aligning the spectrum of aura colours with their corresponding core levels.

Hmm? This Rainbow Alliance gathering seemed to lack the presence of truly formidable cultivators. Ever since Anji caught wind of the event, she anticipated encountering figures of power akin to her father. In the hierarchy of cultivation, those surpassing the Heavenly Core emanated an ethereal white aura. Meanwhile, newcomers or fledgling disciples exhibited grey auras, signifying their novice status within the sect.

The spectrum of cultivation stages unfolded like a vibrant rainbow: from Strengthened Core individuals radiating a fiery red hue to the illustrious Transcendent Core practitioners cloaked in majestic purple. Anji braced herself to witness an array of luminous white and regal purple auras, symbolising the pinnacle of martial prowess. However, to her dismay, the representatives dispatched by the esteemed heroic sects showcased predominantly green and blue auras, leaving her confused.

Gazing at her mother, an Enlightened Core cultivator enveloped in an aura of emerald green, Anji pondered the possibility of a martial arts demonstration among experts at the upcoming meeting. Her older sister, already matching their mother's cultivation level at the age of fourteen, was the pride of their sect and the next successor. Meanwhile, Anji's second brother, on the cusp of turning ten, had broken through to the Solid Core stage, one level below their eldest sister.

However, the third young master of the Celestial Dragon Sect, Anji's third brother, was the black sheep of their family and a disgrace to the Zhao surname. Despite turning eight, Zhao Yihao lagged in his cultivation, barely reaching the Refined Core stage. If not for their parents' strict discipline, the mischievous youngster might have remained at the Initial Core level indefinitely, much to their chagrin.

Excitedly, Anji deactivated her Heavenly Eyes. It wouldn't bode well if others caught wind of the transformation when her typically obsidian gaze transformed into molten gold with the activation of her power.

CREATORS' THOUGHTS
Destiny_Aitsuji

This is not a romance focus story. No harem. The focus is on cultivating and family so the ML would come in extremely late. I like fluffy slice of life and green flags.

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