"My King, if I recall correctly, you're already twenty years old this year. Isn't it somewhat late to begin cultivation now?"
Ji Qianqing looked at the earnest expression on Ji Xia's face and couldn't help but sigh with resignation.
For cultivators in the Endless Wilds, children of major nations typically begin cultivation as soon as they gain basic understanding. Due to various limitations in Taicang, citizens only start cultivation after age ten.
The Taicang Academy selects those with cultivation aptitude to enroll, teaching cultivation methods issued by the royal court.
After eight years of academy training, successful cultivators may join the Cangshou Army, with an exceptional few qualifying for the elite Cangwei Army.
But Ji Xia was already twenty. Even by Taicang's standards, beginning cultivation at this age was undoubtedly too late.
"For those new to cultivation, younger bodies—less corrupted by worldly impurities—have higher compatibility with heaven and earth's spiritual energy, making it easier to open the Great Snow Mountain and gather spiritual energy to become cultivators."
"That's why powerful figures in major nations often use spiritual energy to clear their descendants' meridians before they're even a month old, attuning them to spiritual energy. They typically adorn them with priceless spirit-gathering treasures too, letting them surpass their peers from childhood."
Ji Qianqing patiently explained. In the Endless Wilds, cultivation was paramount—the only path to surviving longer in this merciless world.
Though her tone carried resignation, she felt genuine joy at Ji Xia's transformation. After all, having an excessively weak monarch was rather embarrassing.
"If I start cultivating now, do I still have a chance to transcend mundanity and become a Divine Ability expert?" Ji Xia asked with eager anticipation.
He was deeply fascinated by Qing Furen's formidable power. Though he'd ultimately beheaded the Zhou Qing State Preceptor, the man's terrifying combat prowess left an indelible impression—single-handedly invading Taicang, slaughtering over three hundred spectral soldiers and two spectral generals.
Such overwhelming strength excited him to the point of sleepless nights!
Hearing Ji Xia's question, Ji Qianqing's breathtakingly beautiful face showed an expression torn between amusement and exasperation.
"My King, you're getting ahead of yourself. The Divine Ability realm isn't so easily attained. Among Taicang's six hundred thousand people, only the late former king ever transcended mundanity to reach it. This shows how extraordinarily difficult it is."
"Every cultivator should aspire to reach the Divine Ability realm, but one mustn't aim too high too fast. Take step by step—don't worry about such matters before even beginning cultivation."
Her expression turned solemn as she spoke sternly.
Ji Xia nodded with a smile. "I was just asking. So where should we begin?"
Ji Qianqing picked up a bamboo scroll beside her and handed it to Ji Xia. Unrolling it, he saw four bold characters at the beginning:
Star Network Secret Scroll!
"This is the royal family's hereditary cultivation method. But the late king believed no knowledge should be hoarded—even if the royal family grew strong, a few dozen people couldn't strengthen the nation. Any Taicang citizen showing Divine Ability potential could petition the court for this scroll."
Ji Xia nodded appreciatively. "Father was truly a remarkable man. Pity he passed in his prime."
As he sighed and began carefully reading the scroll, he noticed Ji Qianqing had fallen silent. Looking up, he saw her staring dejectedly at the Green Monarch Sword in her hands.
Ji Xia understood—she'd shared a father-daughter bond with Ji Shang. The king's sudden death had devastated her, but as Taicang's general and strongest warrior, she couldn't show vulnerability without damaging morale.
After consideration, Ji Xia pointed to some complex incantations on the scroll and asked, "This 'Great Snow Mountain'—is it where spiritual energy is stored?"
Ji Qianqing collected herself to explain: "The Great Snow Mountain isn't merely for storage. It's cultivation's foundation with infinite uses—gathering, refining, channeling, and storing spiritual energy. That's why every cultivator's first step..."
"Is to open their Great Snow Mountain, right?" Ji Xia waved grandly. "I'm the Great Wind's Envoy—how could mere cultivation trouble me?"
Ji Qianqing looked at him with pained resignation. "Isn't the 'Great Wind's Envoy' just a fabrication? You seem to be taking this role too seriously."
Ji Xia lowered his arm awkwardly. "How did you know?"
"What devout Great Wind follower would place the totem..."
Ji Xia nodded but argued, "Even if I'm not the envoy, perhaps my cultivation talent is peerless. Maybe I'll casually reach the Divine Ability realm that others can only dream of."
Ji Qianqing nodded solemnly, stood, and walked toward the palace exit, her parting words lingering: "You should sleep now, My King. In dreams, anything is possible."
Furious, Ji Xia wanted to retort, but she'd already vanished.
"Disappeared in seconds—how swift." Grumbling, he sat back down and began meticulously studying the jade scroll.
The Star Network Secret Scroll was the royal family's hereditary method—exceptionally powerful. Whether in spiritual energy gathering speed, cultivation pace, or resultant strength, it far surpassed ordinary techniques.
The existing scroll contained only three layers: first corresponding to the nine Mortal Shedding heavens, second to the Divine Ability realm, and third to the Spirit Controlling realm.
As the name suggested, its power lay in extraordinary spiritual energy gathering capability. Though spiritual energy permeated the Endless Wilds—even its thinnest regions sufficed for ordinary cultivation—this method surpassed others by drawing energy not just from the atmosphere, but from any spiritual source: sunlight, stars, ancient trees, mountains, plants...
By midnight, after ensuring he'd memorized every character and step perfectly, Ji Xia finally exhaled and set the scroll aside.
Assuming the lotus position with five centers facing heaven, he began circulating the Star Network method.
Gradually, he perceived himself in a void surrounded by scattered blue lights drifting toward him as the first layer's techniques activated.
The blue energy entered his body, coalescing above his abdomen. As the scroll's methods refined it, the energy slowly descended, forming a miniature mountain.
"This is my Great Snow Mountain's embryo," Ji Xia mused. "But at this sluggish pace, just opening the mountain and breaking through the first heaven will take considerable time."
With a thought, a tiny sigil—no larger than a fingernail, resembling two intertwined crescents—appeared pulsating in his palm.