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Art Of Cultivation

Azure_Concert
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Chapter 1 - Li Yun

The moon hung high in the sky,shrouded by stormy clouds. The night was unusually restless,with occasional flashes of lightening and the deafening sounds of thunder.

Below this chaos, a large palace proudly stood,surrounded by nine Jade mountains,though it was night the area around the palace seemed bright,with a warm glow. The palace was usually peaceful,however, at this time—

"Your Highness,breathe! Slowly— just like that" An anxious voice came from within a room in the palace,her voice hurried.

Inside the Empress' chamber,the air was tensed, anxious... And excited?

In the center of the room was a large bed,on top of it ,the Empress laid down,her brows were furrowed,though in pain she still maintained a faint smile. The maid who spoke earlier was lightly dabbing the sweat on the Empress' face.

"I'm breathing... It's not like it's my first time..." The Empress spoke in an exhausted and strained voice,still wearing a smile.

"Your Highness, please focus!" The head maid chided,her voice trembling slightly.

The Empress winced in pain as another contraction coursed through her body,and her face visibly becoming pale.

"Your Highness!" The maids instinctively moved closer to help.

"He's going to be trouble,I can feel it" The Empress said while clutching the sheets.

The maids let out a faint sigh of relief.

"Your Highness! You can't joke around at a time like this" The head maid replied,exasperated,though she secretly let out a sigh of relief.

"Lian Yue calm down,this is my way of reassuring everyone" The Empress said in a strained voice.

"Your Highness! Please stop talking!" The Head maid– Lian Yue said desperately.

"It's almost over! You just need one more push!" Lian Yue said excitedly,the other maids also moved closer ,filled with anticipation.

The Empress' relaxed face was tensed for the first time,her teeth were clenched,her brows were tightly knitted together,and with a final push...

A sudden sharp cry spread throughout the room, breaking the tense silence in the room. The sound of the newborn's cry filled the air, and a wave of relief washed over the room. The maids exchanged tearful glances, their faces lighting up with joy. Quiet gasps of happiness escaped their lips, some hugging themselves and some even clasped their hands together in prayer.

"It's a boy!" Lian Yue said excitedly,"A healthy boy!"

The Empress' face lit up after hearing this,

"Let me see him" Her voice softened slightly at the end.

"Congratulations Your Highness!" The maids said in unison.

Lian Yue approached, carefully swaddling the newborn before placing him in the Empress's arms. But before the Empress could hold him properly, the temperature in the room skyrocketed.

A burst of blue flames erupted from the infant's body, crackling and flickering like a living thing. The shockwave sent the maids stumbling backward in panic.

"Fire!" A maid yelled in shock,as she stumbled back in panic.

"Wait... W– What's happening?"

"Empress!" Lian Yue struggled to regain her footing,and made a mad dash for the Empress.

Lian Yue quickly reached for the baby, but the Empress stopped her with a calm hand.

The Empress remained calm. She

extended her hand,lightly tapping her child's head, and a golden aura spread out from her finger tips,shielding the child from the flames,as well as dimming the intensity of the flames.

The door to the chamber flew open as a handsome gold-haired man, wearing jade imperial robes, walked in. His hair was slightly disheveled from the speed he rushed in with. That was the Emperor of the Jade Empire, Li Feng.

"What's going on in here? I felt—" He stopped mid-sentence, his eyes widening at the sight of the blue flames licking the walls and furniture.

"I suppose this is your fault," the Empress said teasingly, cradling the fiery infant.

"That is—" The Emperor said in disbelief as he looked at the faint flame mark on the child's forehead. "A Spirit Mark?"

"Spirit mark," the Empress confirmed, her smile warm.

"Hahaha! Truly my son!" The Emperor erupted into an excited laugh, his joy palpable.

"But why is he able to control flames at birth? Aren't affinities supposed to awaken at 12 years old?" Lian Yue asked in confusion. The other maids peeked their heads out from behind the furniture they used to shield themselves.

"Because of his spirit mark," the Empress replied thoughtfully.

"Spirit Mark?!" The maids let out shocked gasps, whispering among themselves in awe.

Lian Yue tilted her head. "What is a Spirit Mark?"

The Empress gave a tired chuckle, her voice soothing. "Don't worry about all the technical stuff. Let's just say it's pretty rare. It's tied to the root of a person's strength... Think of it like a natural power, something that marks a person as extraordinary."

The Emperor nodded, picking up the explanation. "Spirit roots are what define a person's potential as a cultivator. There are different grades of them—mortal, spirit, celestial, and so on. Most people are born with mortal-grade or spirit-grade roots, which are fine but nothing special. Celestial roots... now those are impressive. They grant someone real talent, the ability to connect with multiple elements, and make breakthroughs faster."

Lian Yue blinked, processing the information. "This is all basic information,I don't understand how it relates to the spirit mark?"

The Emperor continued, "Imperial-grade roots—those are incredibly rare, and they let someone wield a Spirit Mark. It's like a physical manifestation of your connection to one element, or even multiple. It means you're naturally gifted and can control that element from birth. My son here... he's got an affinity for fire. And that's why the flames showed up."

The Empress added, "And just so you know, a Spirit Mark gives him an edge. It's a huge thing for cultivators, especially those born with imperial roots."

Lian Yue's eyes widened in understanding. "Imperial-grade spirit root!"

"Exactly," the Empress said, her voice filled with a mixture of wonder and pride. "The higher the grade of the spirit root, the more potential the person has. With a Spirit Mark, he could grow far beyond what anyone expects."

The Emperor looked down at the baby, a proud grin spreading across his face. "Li Yun," he said, testing the name, and then nodded as if confirming something to himself. "It has a nice ring to it."

The Empress, still cradling their newborn, glanced at him and smiled. "Li Yun. It feels right."

They exchanged a brief look, a quiet understanding passing between them. It was decided.They nodded, their expressions full of silent agreement.

The Emperor looked toward the maids, his gaze sweeping over the room before he suddenly disappeared.

A moment later, his voice spread throughout the entire empire, resonating with authority.

"In one month's time, a grand ceremony will be held in the palace to celebrate the birth of my son, Li Yun!"