#ImperialEunuch
- Ten to Thirteen -
The step from nine years old to ten was exceptionally large. At least for Ji Li, as he now would start cultivating. All the trainees would start at that age, which was already slightly late for some early starters. Eunuchs were different, they lived in a yard with more abundant Essence that outside, even though they might not know that, and additionally to that they train their mind while learning and passively consume Essence which was dosed truly little in their food and drinks.
Starting with the age of ten, where many already knew a bit about the world and their profession, they would be allowed to cultivate. Even geniuses such as Ji Li had to follow this plan, especially considering that a stronger mind would passively help one in comprehension and with that in cultivation.
Having bathed in the pond below the Emerald Tree, they have lost their yang root and the way the male body accumulated the most impurities. Lastly their soul had time to settle in their young bodies, making it steady.
The Eunuchs practiced the way of Harmony, and for that they had to have a strong and stable connection of body, mind, and soul. Especially someone such as Ji Li, who did not have his memories washed away, and had a harder time adapting to the world. After such a long time, he finally did.
He frequented the cultivation room even more as he started practicing the [Yin-Yang Harmony Longevity Art], which truly fascinated him. He always guessed it and actually knew it, but before he cultivated himself, he wasn't sure how the world truly worked. Now, he was flabbergasted. How was it possible for such wonders to exist? Additionally, to the cultivation art, he also got a basic introduction book of the beginning stages.
It surprised him that there was such a thing as awakening because the cultivation alone seemed to be plenty. He thought that since there was such a cultivation part in this world, why was there a need for something that sounded more like magic?
When he recalled the thousands of years of history he learned from an early age, and the geography of the Emerald Brilliance Empire, which was gigantic beyond measure, he knew that this world was much larger than his previous one. Knowing that this was not only a predominantly magic or cultivation world, and that both were even combined, he guessed that he must be in a world that is lightyears ahead of any ghostly story he ever heard!
The weirdest part, which he gradually experienced over the years, was that technology was not so bad here. Now it was not a modern world, and even slightly behind the industrial revolution, but not that much behind. It was also only selectively behind, while some steps and tools were many years ahead.
Mostly the benefits were taken and given to the simple people, such as hygiene and aqueducts. It made one think of a modern usage of the roman's invention of his past life. Such a convenient and surprisingly well working combination of technology, cultivation, and magic.
He really did not know what to say besides that he was unlucky in his previous life, for he lived in a lower one, but also lucky in this life, for at least he had a rife mind and blessed body. It made him a bit disappointed, because he could not abuse general isekai knowledge for his benefit, but that was fine for him, as he was too lazy to explain to some medieval people, why their shit was good for the ground.
Ji Li cultivated diligently and passed cultivation realms faster than his other peers, already ahead of those which were a few years older.
In his introduction, there were only two realms mentioned, the general stages of the realms, and the difference of realms.
- The first realm was called "Body Strengthening." In this realm, the body would be vitalized by the absorption of Essence. The cultivation art provided to him by the trainees yard only gave him the first volume for this realm. The body would be strengthened differently based on the minor stages they were in.
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There were four minor stages per realm, starting with low, middle high and ending in peak. The low stage in the body strengthening realm referred to strengthening one's skin, making it cleaner and stronger, finally Ji Li did not suffer when someone pinched his cheeks.
The middle stage would refine one's muscles, making them more flexible and durable. High stage would strengthen one's bones, making them sturdy. Lastly in the peak stage, one's organs would be strengthened, giving them an outer defense, but mainly boosting their usage.
The Body Strengthening realm was only the starting point, and the body never stopped to evolve along the cultivation path, but this realm gave the body the foundation to accept Essence without harming the body and making further breakthroughs possible.
- The second realm he learned about, which was but only shortly mentioned and without much explanation, was the Essence Awakening realm. One could enter this realm at the peak of the body strengthening directly upon consumption of Nature's Gift or wait below and awaken slowly naturally. Nature's Gift having no drawbacks, the choice was obvious, as it was time saving.
Besides this small explanation, he also read the result of awakening with Nature's gift: One could awaken their Nature's Attribute, which was the element they had the biggest connection to, and the immediate awakening of one's Talent, an innate ability everyone that awakened would naturally explore.
At the cost of binding the Talent with their Element and not giving it the possibility to awaken independently and possibly awaken non-natural Attributes, it would bind the Nature's Attribute with the innate talent to form the Nature's Talent.
Nature's Talent was like sleeping potential, that one might or might not find in their lifetime. Although it might restrict some people, making it tightly bound to a natural element and not something else, for most of the Emerald Brilliance Empire, it was a purely a blessing without demerits. How could they, who are so close to nature, dislike having a natural element?
Ji Li's eyes sparkled reading the full introduction and repeated it repeatedly until he was sure that he really understood correctly. As he cultivated further and longer under the teachings of his mentor, alongside Ji Shixuan and Ji Qianyu, he showed a remarkable talent in the absorption of Essence but failed miserably in the training of martial arts. He truly did not see that coming!
He felt his body becoming stronger and stronger and he could carry things heavier than before, he could also stay awake for long times without difficulties. He was so strong, so how could he lose to Ji Shixuan and Ji Qianyu, when both of them were slightly worse than him! They had just entered the middle stage of the body strengthening realm, but he was already nearly high stage at the young age of 13! So how come both of them, which he utterly suppressed when he was a stage above them, can rival him now?!
He could not even beat up Shixuan without hurting himself, and he could not hit Qianyu, no matter how many times he tried or how much Essence he used! Sure, he was not defeated, so he was not a total useless trash, but he was actually so bad in this!
Seeing the trio fighting and it ending in a tie again and again, and looking at the exhausted faces of Shixuan and Qianyu, while Li seemed still passionate and upset, Hua Jing, who really didn't seem to have aged and still looked like an 18/19year old, laughed softly and said "Little jade, you can certainly win against them if you fight long enough, but you don't seem to be very talented in this region. Haha!
My little brother, this has to be the first thing that stomped you since you were born! But why do you look so upset, your elder brothers the High Eunuchs already said that you are remarkably talented for Immortal Arts and not Martial Arts. It seems that in the future you are going to be cultivating your Attribute Spells, joining the first faction.
Well, with your flute play, you might also have prowess in the third faction… but the second faction, the weapon faction, has too much of a need for Martial Arts. Normally it does not matter whether it is Martial Arts or Immortal Arts that u excel in more, but for you not to have talent in Martial Arts must be a punishment for having such remarkable Immortal Arts talent!"
Ji Li did not know whether to laugh or not. He surely is good with the flute and planned something for that, but he also wanted to ride a sword, swing a blade, thrust a spear, drawing a bow, or even slit a throat with a dagger! He thought it was so amazing seeing all the different people in the movies, but now he could not do anything of that!
Forget it, he did not plan to be a magic-swordsman anyway. Magi- Immortal Arts it is, clearly that is much better in the first place, he can act and pretend like an arrogant, defiant, and indifferent person as much as he wants while also killing people with a single glance! Not that they could survive when looking at his handsome face, regardless of his magic.