"Yes, then I shall take my leave," Baili Fengzhi bowed his hands in salute, and promptly turned to leave.
After she left, Lin Yue sat on the bed, lost in thought.
It was some time before he finally had a clear idea in mind and was ready to give it a try.
"Did Your Highness begin to cultivate last night?"
Baili Fengzhi, seeing Lin Yue appearing somewhat weary, couldn’t help but feel puzzled, "Have you thought it through so quickly? Why not contemplate it for a few more days?"
Although he had decided on the dual paths of enhancing the physical body and Primordial Power, he still needed to select an Essence with an attribute that fit.
The number of Essences a person could perceive was limited; the least might perceive only one, while the more perceptive might sense three or five. This was a matter of talent and had nothing to do with bloodline; even Princes of the Xiahong lineage were no exception.
Could it be that Xia Lie could only perceive one or two types of natural Essences?
If one could only perceive one or two types of Essences, naturally there was little room for choice.
"As things stand, it seems to be the optimal solution."
Lin Yue made a casual remark and then glanced at Baili Fengzhi, frowning, "What’s with that look in your eyes? Are you pitying me? Do you want me to slap you again?"
"Your Highness is overthinking it."
Baili Fengzhi staunchly denied it, simply changing the subject, "His Highness mentioned the optimal solution? May I ask how did Your Highness make his selection?"
Lin Yue hummed and said, "With my kind of talent, my choice will naturally be flawless. I’ll solely use Earth Element Essence to strengthen my physical body, making it suitably robust."
Baili Fengzhi nodded slightly, "The earth bears the heavens and all things; indeed, a physical body strengthened by Earth Element Essence would be most robust. And the Primordial Power? How did Your Highness choose?"
Lin Yue chuckled, saying, "The choice for Primordial Power is the most exquisite. I chose the attributes of Water and Fire, forming three kinds of Primordial Powers."
"Water, Fire, and Wind?"
Baili Fengzhi was taken aback, frowning slightly, "Your Highness, did I not remind you last night? The Way of the Ancient God is more in accordance with the laws of nature than any other path of cultivation. If one takes the wrong path, one’s future will be limited. This combination of Water, Fire, and Wind is..."
What sort of synergy could these three attributes of Essence have?
Lin Yue said offhandedly, "Is that not in accord with the laws of nature?"
"Boil water?" Baili Fengzhi was slightly startled, with some astonishment in her Phoenix Eyes, "Does Your Highness intend to imitate mortals boiling water? But even ordinary martial artists are not afraid of boiling water, I fear the upper limit might also be..."
"You lack insight, of course you don’t understand its profundity."
Lin Yue was too lazy to explain and simply said, "Moreover, Water and Fire Element forces can also better temper the body, much like tempering a weapon or firing clay."
"This... indeed." Baili Fengzhi then nodded her head.
But she still didn’t understand, what on earth did boiling water mean?
Lin Yue in his heart sighed.
Looking back on the history of humankind’s energy development in his previous life, it was always about boiling water, even nuclear power was used to boil water.
Isn’t the essence of boiling water just Water, Fire, and Wind?
Primordial Power is just energy, after all. As the Primordial Power grows more and more monumental, the power generated by Water, Fire, and Wind boiling water will become increasingly strong; in the early stages among basic Essences, it’s a decent application.
It was just a pity he hadn’t perceived any Essence of electromagnetic nature; otherwise, he would have chosen Metal Element Essence to strengthen his physique and go for steam-powered electricity generation.
Of course, it was also because ’Earth, Wind, Water, Fire’ sounded more harmonious.
Baili Fengzhi suddenly reacted and asked, "Your Highness, did you choose these four from among the natural Essences? That means Your Highness perceived more than just these four types, right?"
"About a dozen or so," Lin Yue said casually.
Baili Fengzhi was momentarily stunned.
The broadest talent she had ever seen in her life was someone who could perceive more than ten natural Essences.
Moreover, she had long since tested Xia Lie’s talent for perceiving the natural Essences...
Baili Fengzhi looked deeply at Lin Yue and bowed her hands, "Your Highness truly has an exceptional gift."
Lin Yue sat down at the table and began to enjoy the breakfast prepared by the accompany cooks of Baili Fengzhi’s Personal Guard.
"By the way, Your Highness."
Baili Fengzhi suddenly said, "Today, many have sent invitations asking for an audience with you and have sent substantial gifts. Do you want to see them?"
"Who are they?" Lin Yue asked lazily.
"The Qingdu Prefectural Governor and his several sons, the Capital Commandant of the City Guard Army, and a few branches of the major families from Liangzhou City."
Baili Fengzhi said, "These people probably think that if they can be of help to you while your power is not yet fully established, in the future you might remember them. It could be an opportunity for them to turn their fortunes around. Seeing that they have no ill intentions, and you in need of cultivation resources, I did not refuse them."
"A fly is meat, however small it may be."
Lin Yue carelessly stuffed a piece of pastry into his mouth, "Then let’s meet with them."
In the early autumn morning, a luxurious and finely decorated carriage headed from the governor’s mansion towards the Observatory Tower.
Atop the carriage, the Qingdu Prefectural Governor and his three sons sat stiffly, daring not to fidget for fear of wrinkling their neatly and cleanly arranged clothes, which might seem discourteous.
"Father, was the person from the Xiahong lineage whose bloodline awoke yesterday really that young master Xia Lie?" Xu Mingli couldn’t help but inquire.
"It’s highly likely."
The Qingdu Prefectural Governor nodded slightly, "Otherwise, why would the Great Commander Baili Fengzhi have especially come from the Northwest Pass to find him? Moreover, the commotion made by Baili Fengzhi’s Personal Guard last night was clearly for Xia Lie."
He glanced at his son whose posture was somewhat lax, frowned slightly, and reprimanded, "Sit properly."