The rune in Ji Xia's palm was derived from the Forbidden Decay Divine Tree, a spiritual symbol capable of accelerating the gathering of spiritual essence and vastly increasing the speed of cultivation.
Ji Xia studied the rune for a long time, then suddenly pressed it to his neck. As the rune touched his skin, it flickered slightly before it mysteriously merged into his flesh, disappearing without a trace.
Now, a tiny black rune appeared on the back of his neck, giving off an enigmatic aura. Ji Xia could feel a deeper and more delicate connection between himself and the rune.
He activated the first layer of the Starry Secret Scroll once more, sensing the scattered spiritual essence drifting through the world. Gradually, he began to draw it toward him.
"Even with the precious Starry Secret Scroll, the speed of gathering spiritual essence is still much slower than its refining speed. The scroll's refinement speed is at least dozens of times faster than gathering."
Ji Xia muttered to himself, "Let's see just how much faster the Gathering Spirit Rune can speed up the essence collection process."
He focused his mind, and the rune instantly activated. Ji Xia felt the surrounding spiritual essence thicken dramatically, and then...
The essence surged toward him like a tidal wave!
A massive flow of spiritual essence poured into his body, like a dam being breached, flooding him with energy.
Desperately, Ji Xia activated the Starry Secret Scroll, trying to refine the influx of spiritual essence. The most terrifying part was that the refining speed of the Starry Secret Scroll couldn't keep up with the torrent of essence flowing in!
This was an incredibly rare occurrence. The gathering speed of the spiritual essence was far slower than the refining speed, a difference of dozens of times. But now, despite Ji Xia's full effort, he couldn't fully digest the overwhelming essence.
"This is invincible! The product of the Divine Tree is truly rare and powerful!"
He exclaimed, both excited and impressed, while struggling to refine the essence. Slowly, the refined energy descended, beginning to form his Great Snow Mountain.
The entire night passed. By dawn, Ji Xia felt the Great Snow Mountain had been successfully created. It could now store a large amount of spiritual essence, which filled him with joy.
The creation of the Great Snow Mountain meant that he had become a true cultivator. Though his cultivation was only at the first layer of the realm, it was still a milestone that left him thrilled beyond measure.
"In just one night, I've created the Great Snow Mountain and begun my cultivation path. Does this mean that with enough practice, I will eventually shed my mortal limits and ascend to the Divine Power realm?"
Thinking about this, Ji Xia's heart swelled with joy, but a thought quickly dampened his excitement.
"My cultivation is still shallow. The spiritual essence gathered by the rune is already enormous for me, but as I progress, I will need more and more. The rune's effectiveness will gradually diminish."
"Moreover, cultivation isn't just about gathering spiritual essence. There are many other challenges, such as the obstacles at the Sixth Layer when breaking through to the Seventh Layer, and the Heavenly Obstacles that every cultivator faces when moving from the Ninth Layer to the Divine Power realm. Only comprehension can break through these barriers."
He mentally cataloged the difficulties he might encounter on his cultivation journey, and his overwhelming excitement began to cool.
Rising slowly, Ji Xia felt the Great Snow Mountain shift. A stream of spiritual essence poured from the mountain, enveloping his right hand.
"As a First Layer cultivator, I can store and summon spiritual essence, but it's still too little and weak. Once I reach the Sixth Layer, the amount of essence I can call upon will be substantial."
Just then, a guard entered and announced, "Your Majesty, the court assembly is about to begin. The officials are waiting in the Taihe Hall."
Ji Xia nodded. Shortly after, palace servants came to wash and dress him. Although Tai Cang was a small kingdom, it did not lack proper etiquette.
In the court hall, the officials stood in neat rows. Ji Xia sat at the head of the table, listening quietly as the officials presented their reports.
"South Qing Street was devastated after yesterday's battle with the Divine Power experts. Many houses collapsed, and the roads were destroyed. The citizens have begun repairs, but they're not very effective. Should we send artisans from the Craft Bureau to help rebuild?"
"Approve it. The affected households also need compensation—let's provide them with twenty days' worth of grain per household."
"Your Majesty, the harvest in this year's third crop has decreased by twenty percent. The cause is under investigation by the Agricultural Scholar."
"We'll discuss it further once the Agricultural Scholar has completed the investigation."
"A fierce beast escaped from the South Forbidden Forest and entered the southern city, causing many casualties. Generals Rong Lu and Zuo Kun led a team to kill the beast, but General Zuo was seriously injured by the beast's tail."
"Send some meat and food to General Zuo to comfort him and allow him to rest well. We can lose anyone, but we can't lose soldiers who fight and die for Tai Cang!"
Under the throne, Lu Yu and Zhao Qu exchanged glances, surprised and pleased, but also relieved. They had expected that even if the Crown Prince stopped being reckless and ascended to the throne, it would take time for him to adapt. They hadn't anticipated that today's court session would bring such a surprise. Not only did Ji Xia handle state affairs efficiently, but he also showed remarkable tact and composure.
The court session lasted over an hour, and as it drew to a close, Ji Qianqing stepped forward and reported, "Your Majesty, the spies have informed us that the Pigeon Dog Kingdom has agreed to halt all hostilities with the Crocodile Horn Kingdom. They will soon meet for talks."
Ji Xia was not surprised. "The Pigeon Dog Kingdom has been quiet for a long time. It was inevitable that they would resume their activities. But there's no need to worry too much. The talks won't yield any results in the short term. Do any of you generals have suggestions?"
"Your Majesty, General Zhou Qing has stationed troops at Cangqing Mountain. Other armies are still busy mining the Crimson Flame Stones. They are unlikely to launch a major offensive against Cang City. It would be better to order the Cang Guard to send forces to Tai City to prepare for the expected Pigeon Dog attack," suggested General Rong Lu.
Ji Xia pondered for a moment before Ji Qianqing spoke up. "We can leave 3,000 troops in Cang City to guard it. The remaining 3,000 Cang Guard soldiers can support Tai City. If Zhou Qing Kingdom realizes that Cang City is undefended, they will surely attack in full force."
Ji Xia nodded. "Order the Lord of Cang City to personally lead 3,000 troops to Tai City. Cangqing Mountain is too close to Cang City. If we don't leave a garrison, the city will be an easy target. Any excuse can't stop Zhou Qing Kingdom from invading. Their soldiers stationed at Cangqing Mountain can reach Cang City in less than an hour, and the city will be undefended, with no time for reinforcements."
The court session continued for another hour, dealing with many urgent matters, including the succession, Pigeon Dog Kingdom's invasion, and various state issues.
Afterward, Ji Xia stood up and asked, "How are we addressing the water supply for the Cang Guard?"
"They are drawing water from the Hai Xiu River nearby," Ji Qianqing replied.
"Summon all the craftsmen in the kingdom and order them to build a water reservoir near the Cang Guard camp within three days, enough to supply water for ten thousand soldiers."
Lu Yu, hearing such an unusual decree, couldn't help but ask, "Your Majesty, what is the purpose of this? The army is near the Hai Xiu River, so it's easy for them to access water. There's no need to expend so much manpower and resources."
Ji Xia smiled mysteriously. "You'll know soon enough."