The Urgency of Time

"Great King! Rest assured, I'll cultivate diligently."

"Great King, we know what matters. We won't neglect either our studies or martial training."

As Zhang Xianzhong's words fell, Ai Nengqi and Li Dingguo wore grave expressions on their young faces and respectfully gave their assurances.

"Good!"

Zhang Xianzhong nodded in satisfaction. Looking at the two mature-for-their-age, tall youths before him, he added, "Sit down first."

"Just now, I passed on the cultivation methods you will primarily practice. Next, I'll explain in detail my own insights into cultivating the Big Dipper Heavenly Gang Star Scripture..."

Since he had already gone to such great lengths to nurture truly loyal subordinates, he naturally would not give up halfway.

To help Li Dingguo and Ai Nengqi avoid taking unnecessary detours in the future, Zhang Xianzhong, as someone who had walked this path before them, began explaining the precautions involved in cultivating this True Scripture Cultivation Method.

Only by thoroughly understanding one's primary cultivation method before practicing it could one achieve twice the result with half the effort.

During this time, as beginners, Li Dingguo and Ai Nengqi naturally had many questions.

Whenever they raised questions during the lesson, Zhang Xianzhong did his utmost to answer them clearly.

He had cultivated the Big Dipper Heavenly Gang Star Scripture for several years already and was naturally rich in experience, more than capable of perfectly answering their questions.

Although Li Dingguo's upgraded True Scripture Cultivation Method had become utterly unrecognizable, his thorough understanding of the Big Dipper Heavenly Gang Star Scripture, which shared the same origin, still allowed him to find answers in Zhang Xianzhong's explanations to many questions regarding the cultivation of the Circumstellar True Scripture.

Before they knew it, evening had arrived.

Just as Zhang Xianzhong was preparing to order the group dismissed and end the day's martial training, Liu Wenxiu and Zhang Huier, who were practicing Tiger Roar Fist in the field, suddenly shouted. Their fist techniques changed, and every move erupted with explosive blasts!

After cultivating desperately, the two had almost simultaneously gained entry into Tiger Roar Fist, successfully stirred their Qi and Blood Power, and become early first-stage Body Tempering Martial Artists!

Unfortunately, their talent appeared to be a tier below that of Li Dingguo and Ai Nengqi. When they broke through to become Martial Artists, they had not achieved a Qi and Blood Limit Break or undergone Marrow Cleansing and Tendon Transformation.

"Good!"

A trace of disappointment clearly flashed through Zhang Xianzhong's eyes, yet he still praised them joyfully.

Even though Liu Wenxiu and Zhang Huier's innate aptitude fell short of Li Dingguo and Ai Nengqi, those two Peerless Prodigies, they could still be called monstrous geniuses.

Judging by how quickly they had broken through, they would at least be able to achieve Qi and Blood Limit Breaks and Marrow Cleansing and Tendon Transformation twice within every major Body Tempering realm in the future.

"Liu Wenxiu, Zhang Huier!"

He beckoned to the two genius youths. When they jogged over, both delighted and somewhat disappointed, he nodded and said, "Don't be discouraged. Your performance now is already quite good."

"To become early first-stage Martial Artists in such a short time, you are already stronger than the vast majority of geniuses."

"Don't compare yourselves to Li Dingguo and Ai Nengqi. Talents like theirs are exceedingly rare in this world, peerless prodigies who appear only once in a hundred years."

"Even I, Zhang Xianzhong, have seen only a few like them over all these years."

"Besides, if you two work hard in the future and your fortune is strong enough, it is not impossible for latecomers to surpass those who came before!"

"Do not forget: this world is not nearly as simple as what you see or imagine."

"From orphan beggars who did not know where their next meal would come from and could barely survive from one morning to the next, you have now become Genius Martial Artists. You are already far stronger than most orphaned youths, and you should be content."

"From now on, striving to become stronger and working hard to improve yourselves is what you need to do."

Seeing Liu Wenxiu and Zhang Huier nod solemnly, Zhang Xianzhong continued with satisfaction, "In three days, once my Mental Energy has recovered, I will impart to you the Divine Techniques and Marvelous Methods I cultivate."

"But remember this: among my, Zhang Xianzhong's, subordinates, there is no place for those who grow jealous of the worthy and envious of the capable!"

"Any internal strife will be severely punished. All of you must take this as a warning!"

"Otherwise, everything I can bestow upon you can also be taken back at any time!"

Having invested so much, Zhang Xianzhong certainly did not wish to see any undesirable developments occur.

"Yes, Great King!"...

As Zhang Xianzhong's suddenly raised voice fell, Liu Wenxiu, Zhang Huier, Li Dingguo, and Ai Nengqi all felt their hearts turn cold and answered in unison.

This was precisely the effect Zhang Xianzhong wanted: kindness and authority wielded together, with remarkable results.

Night fell, and the stars shone brilliantly.

Amid the profound silence, inside the side rooms of the inner residence, Li Dingguo and Ai Nengqi were different from before. Each sat cross-legged on a large bed, assuming the posture of five hearts facing heaven, following the instructions of their inherited cultivation methods as they began cultivating their primary methods for the first time.

True Scripture Cultivation Methods were entirely different from cultivation methods ranked as formulae, arts, and scriptures.

True Scripture Cultivation Methods could be practiced at night by visualizing cultivation runes, thereby replacing normal sleep.

This was the wondrous aspect of top-tier cultivation methods, fundamentally different in practice from low-grade, middle-grade, and high-grade methods.

In this world, aristocratic families, powerful clans, and the imperial family all guarded their inherited cultivation methods tightly and would never pass them on to outsiders.

Ordinary commoners generally could only receive instruction in some basic low-grade cultivation methods by joining the army.

As for middle-grade and high-grade cultivation methods, they had to be exchanged for military merit.

Alternatively, if one's ancestors had been military households and their inherited cultivation methods had not been lost, one could avoid the restrictions of military merit and personally gather Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures, spiritual herbs and roots, or hunt Demon Beasts to acquire the corresponding resources for cultivation.

However, gathering cultivation resources in the wilderness was extremely dangerous. Therefore, many Martial Artists with outstanding aptitude attached themselves to wealthy merchants or military commanders, choosing to become household retainers or guards in exchange for cultivation resources provided by their masters.

In the present world, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth was growing increasingly thin. Naturally, this also meant that Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures, spiritual herbs, and spiritual roots were becoming fewer and fewer, making the world increasingly unfriendly to cultivators.

The continuous shortage of cultivation resources made Martial Artists' cultivation ever more difficult.

The limitless demand of large and small factions for all kinds of cultivation resources naturally sparked every sort of conflict, slaughter, and struggle, making such resources increasingly precious.

Combined with the endless disasters, both natural and man-made, the court's inaction, and the intensifying internal and external crises of the Great Ming Dynasty, this hastened the rapid arrival of this final age of the dynasty.

At the beginning of such a chaotic age, both Li Dingguo and Ai Nengqi were undoubtedly extremely fortunate to have gained Zhang Xianzhong's favor, a man carrying a heaven-defying fortuitous encounter, and to receive his wholehearted cultivation.

At the very least, at the outset of this chaotic age, Li Dingguo and Ai Nengqi's opportunities already surpassed those of the overwhelming majority of people—and by far too much!

Thus, the two knew full well that none of this had come easily, and they naturally cherished it greatly.

Under normal circumstances, from this day onward, replacing sleep at night with seated cultivation would become a regular part of their lives.

One step ahead meant every step ahead. Both of them believed this deeply.

They both understood that Zhang Xianzhong's earlier warning had not been a joke.

Before long, they would face wave after wave of life-and-death trials!

For the sake of their own lives, they had to rely on the vast cultivation resources Zhang Xianzhong provided and break through to the third stage of Martial Artist before the government troops arrived to encircle and suppress them!

Only after achieving this initial small goal could they speak of having a future.