"Although Taisang now has abundant food and a powerful army, there are still many shortcomings."
The matter with Dusang was merely a minor interlude. After Dusang left, Ji Xia returned to the main topic.
"Earlier, everyone spoke freely, pointing out many deficiencies in Taisang. Whether it's the people's need for warmth or issues in urban construction and basic livelihood, given Taisang's current resources, achieving significant improvements in a short time seems difficult."
He spoke slowly. Taisang's foundations were weak, its martial arts undeveloped, and its craftsmanship rudimentary. As for skilled professionals such as alchemists, glyph-masters, and artifact forgers, they were almost nonexistent.
These issues severely hindered Taisang's development. If Taisang wanted to achieve rapid progress, these critical professions had to be developed.
In the realm of alchemy, Fang Lu, equipped with numerous pill recipes, techniques, and fire-control methods, could likely make some advancements.
As for artifact forgers, Taisang didn't currently require them. Ji Xia's Youkong Ring still held numerous mystical weapons. What Taisang urgently needed were competent blacksmiths. If the Taisang Silver Guards and Vanguard Army could be equipped with standardized, durable armor and weapons, their combat power would improve significantly.
In terms of civilian welfare, Ji Xia's greatest asset was the Glyph Codex.
This codex contained thousands of mature glyph techniques. Some were developed from advanced glyph studies, while others were widely circulated traditional techniques. Many of these were incredibly relevant to Taisang's current needs.
"Today, I have gathered you all here because Taisang must establish an institution of great importance and uniqueness. You will form its founding members."
The crowd bowed their heads and listened as Ji Xia explained his intentions. Hearing the seriousness in Ji Xia's tone, their expressions grew increasingly solemn.
Ji Xia continued, "This matter concerns Taisang's livelihood. Should you excel, the entire nation will benefit. Countless citizens will be spared from death, countless households will enjoy the conveniences this institution provides, and Taisang will grow stronger because of you."
Hearing Ji Xia's words, a warm surge filled the hearts of the gathered people.
No matter their age or gender, they were all native Taisang citizens, descendants of families that had lived here for eight or nine generations. The people of Taisang had endured countless hardships and narrowly escaped extinction many times, yet they had persisted with tenacious vitality.
They held deep, heartfelt affection for this land and its people. This bond had never wavered, despite the challenges of starvation, suffering, or being hunted as prey by other races.
They dreamed of a day when Taisang would no longer suffer oppression from outsiders. They dreamed of a day when the Taisang people would grow strong and thrive!
Now, summoned to the palace to meet Taisang's greatest ruler, they heard him solemnly declare that they held the key to Taisang's prosperity. How could they not feel excitement and pride?
"This institution," Ji Xia announced, "shall be named the Heavenly Glyph Pavilion. For now, the position of Pavilion Master will remain vacant. Based on your contributions to Taisang, I will choose a Pavilion Master from among you. The Pavilion Master will rank equally with the Masters of the Crafting and Apothecary Offices."
"What would you have us do, Your Majesty?" asked Zhong Quan, bowing respectfully.
Ji Xia's expression turned serious. "You will need to devote yourselves to relentless training, study, and research."
The crowd hesitated. What would they be training in? Martial arts? Most of them were only average martial artists. If Taisang needed powerful warriors, the army held many with far greater potential. Why choose them?
Seeing the questions in their eyes, Ji Xia offered no explanation. Instead, with a wave of his hand, a massive jade scroll appeared, floating before him.
With a slight motion of his finger, the red ribbon securing the scroll slipped away, and the jade scroll unfurled, projecting a vast screen of light into the air.
The screen was filled with countless texts and diagrams, densely packed with intricate details. Obscure terms and complex explanations left the audience increasingly confused.
Ji Xia gently gestured, and the content on the screen began to scroll rapidly. In just a few breaths, over a thousand completely different topics flashed by.
The crowd grew more and more astonished. Zhong Quan swallowed hard, never having imagined that a single jade scroll could contain so much information. Even if all the books in Taisang were combined, their contents wouldn't match half of this scroll!
"This jade scroll," Ji Xia said, "is called the Divine Glyph Codex. It holds an extraordinary number of glyph techniques."
Many looked puzzled. Glyph techniques? What were those?
Among them, several instructors and students from Taisang Academy exchanged glances. They had read about glyph techniques in ancient texts and knew them to be akin to spells—extremely powerful knowledge.
"What you will study and train in are the glyph techniques contained within this scroll. These techniques hold vast potential to benefit Taisang. Master their mysteries, and Taisang's rise will be within reach!"
Ji Xia's voice grew firm as he addressed them. "From this day forward, the Crown Prince's Palace will be repurposed as the Heavenly Glyph Pavilion. Here, you will study glyph techniques day and night without any idleness!"
The crowd was stunned. The Crown Prince's Palace, transformed into the Heavenly Glyph Pavilion? Clearly, the ruler placed immense importance on this new institution!
They bowed deeply to Ji Xia, and Zhong Quan declared, "Rest assured, Your Majesty. You know the resilience of Taisang's people. Enduring hardship is second nature to us. Compared to starvation or battle, studying advanced techniques in a warm chamber is no hardship at all!"
Ji Xia shook his head. "You underestimate the challenge. Glyph techniques are profoundly intricate. Although we have this Divine Glyph Codex, Taisang's foundation is too weak. We have no prior experience with glyph techniques. Everything must begin from scratch."
The crowd inhaled sharply. They understood the difficulty, but if glyph techniques truly held the potential to empower Taisang's rise, they were determined to overcome every obstacle, even at the cost of their lives and sanity.
"We will start with specific priorities. Currently, Taisang's greatest challenges are lighting and heating. The Divine Glyph Codex contains numerous glyph techniques to address these issues. The two most suitable for Taisang, with minimal resource consumption, are the Heating Furnace Glyph and the Radiant Light Glyph."
"You forty individuals must master these two glyphs within ten days. Taisang Academy has recently established a Glyph Academy and begun recruiting talented individuals with aptitude for training. Once you master these glyphs, you will serve as instructors there. Your task will not be to teach them the theory but to train them in glyph engraving as quickly as possible."
Ji Xia looked out at the pitch-black night sky and said softly, "Taisang must achieve a monumental feat—within one month, we will install a heating and lighting system for the entire nation, freeing our people from the terror of darkness and the cold of winter."
The crowd knelt as one, and Zhong Quan exclaimed, "We will not fail you, Your Majesty!"
Ji Xia took a deep breath, gazing at a corner of the Crown Prince's Palace where a sandalwood incense burner smoldered with Zongfang Sandalwood.
"With the help of this incense, mastering two basic glyph techniques in ten days might just be possible," Ji Xia murmured.
"Once they succeed, I'll move the incense burner to the Glyph Academy, ensuring the students there also learn swiftly for the benefit of the people."