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Chapter 5: The Five Cultivations in the World

"What?" Huo Guang\'s face drained of color.

"What\'s wrong? Lost your nerve?" Yan Chuan\'s tone remained calm, but there was a sharpness to it.

"N-No, it\'s not that... it\'s just—" Huo Guang struggled for words. That wasn\'t just any snake. It was a beast of legend, a creature that had cultivated its essence, a monster capable of wiping out hundreds of warriors with a single breath of venomous smoke.

As Huo Guang wrestled with his thoughts, he caught Yan Chuan\'s gaze. The prince was studying him intently, waiting. A realization struck Huo Guang like a thunderbolt.

He straightened and took a deep breath. "Your Highness, if it\'s your command, I will face any danger, no matter the cost."

Only then did Yan Chuan\'s expression soften, a flicker of approval in his eyes. "Good."

An empire isn\'t built by the strength of the emperor alone—it requires the support of loyal and talented allies. Yan Chuan sized up Huo Guang. He was young, no more than thirty, but he possessed qualities Yan Chuan admired.

Loyalty. He had shown it in his determination to protect the bamboo house with his life.

Courage. Not only had he bested opponents of equal strength, but he had also faced down seven at once.

Leadership. Without it, his Silver Guard would never have followed him so willingly into danger.

But there were still things Huo Guang lacked—tactics, confidence, the kind of ambition that dismisses fear. And his vision was too limited, too rooted in the concerns of the mundane world.

Still, those were things Yan Chuan could teach.

Smiling to himself, Yan Chuan spoke, "It\'s just a beast at the \'Essence Stage.\' Once I\'ve digested that meal, we\'ll head to the mountain. I want to see the terrain."

"Yes, Your Highness." Huo Guang bowed respectfully.

As Huo Guang and Liu Jin went to eat, Yan Chuan remained in the courtyard, practicing his martial arts.

His movements were slow and deliberate, a style he\'d created in his past life, known as the Heavenly Dragon Force. A foundational technique for strengthening the body. Master it, and one could wield the strength of a dragon, boundless and unstoppable.

Each punch sent a subtle ripple through the air, the sound of the wind following his fist.

Boom!

Another punch, and more air pressure built around him. It was a way of training—expending the energy from his meal while simultaneously strengthening his body.

By the time he finished a full set of Heavenly Dragon Force, sweat covered his entire body. As he completed his final strike, Liu Jin returned, watching with surprise. He\'d never seen Yan Chuan practice this technique before.

"Prepare hot water for His Highness to bathe," Liu Jin ordered a servant.

"Yes, right away," the servant replied before hurrying off.

Huo Guang, a warrior of the Sixth Level of Strength, observed quietly. Although Yan Chuan\'s punches seemed slow, he knew better. The flow of air around Yan Chuan followed each movement—a sign of mastery. This wasn\'t something just anyone could imitate.

No one Huo Guang had ever met could match the depth of Yan Chuan\'s skill. Could His Highness really only be at the Third Level of Strength?

With a final strike, a gentle breeze stirred the bamboo leaves nearby, lifting them into the air. Yan Chuan exhaled and finally ended his routine.

"Your Highness, is this a technique you learned from the emperor before you turned ten?" Liu Jin asked, astonished.

"I just remembered a few things from the past," Yan Chuan replied evasively.

Both Huo Guang and Liu Jin gazed at him with admiration. The emperor had been a man of near-mythical abilities—how could his techniques be anything less?

"The bath is ready, Your Highness," Liu Jin said, bowing.

"Good," Yan Chuan replied, and after bathing, he emerged feeling refreshed.

His cultivation level, however, remained unchanged at the Third Level of Strength. Unfortunately, neither a meal nor a martial art set could push him past that limit.

When Yan Chuan stepped outside, Huo Guang was already waiting, along with twenty Silver Guards.

"Your Highness," they greeted in unison.

"Let\'s go," Yan Chuan ordered.

They ascended the nearby mountain, the Silver Guards clearing a path through the underbrush. Huo Guang and Liu Jin followed closely behind, respectfully trailing Yan Chuan as they made their way to the peak.

Though the mountain was over 600 feet high, it wasn\'t a challenge for such seasoned fighters. Before long, they reached the summit.

From their vantage point atop a large boulder, the view stretched out before them.

"Your Highness, that is Cuiyun Mountain, where the Great Zheng Empire\'s retainers are stationed," Huo Guang said, pointing toward a distant peak.

Though it appeared small from this distance, Yan Chuan knew it was much larger than the mountain they stood upon.

"Hmm." Yan Chuan nodded, but his gaze soon drifted away from Cuiyun Mountain, locking onto something else in the distance.

"What\'s that?" Yan Chuan muttered to himself.

Far to the south, a thick fog covered the landscape for miles, obscuring the forest below. Dark clouds loomed above, casting the entire region into a gloomy shadow.

"That\'s the Forbidden Forest," Liu Jin explained. "It\'s a dead zone. Many have entered to explore, but none have ever returned. It existed long before our empire was founded, and even when armies were sent in, they never came back. Now, no one dares go near it."

"A feng shui formation..." Yan Chuan narrowed his eyes.

"A what?" Huo Guang asked, puzzled.

Yan Chuan looked at his men, gauging their interest. Since he intended to train them, he saw no reason to hide the truth.

"You think all those so-called \'Immortal Sects\' are the same?" Yan Chuan smiled faintly.

"I... I\'m not sure," Huo Guang admitted. "I thought they were."

Shaking his head, Yan Chuan took a deep breath. "The term \'Immortal Sect\' is just something mortals use. Becoming an immortal isn\'t that simple. Most of those so-called sects are just schools for mortal cultivators. In truth, there are five types of cultivation paths in this world..."

"Oh?" Huo Guang\'s interest was piqued.

"One\'s life, two\'s luck, three\'s feng shui, four\'s virtue, and five\'s learning!" Yan Chuan said in a deep voice.

"Your Highness, learning? What use is there in reading books?" Huo Guang asked, confused.

"Learning? Don\'t underestimate it. Some scholars possess a righteous aura so powerful that their words alone can suppress countless demons. And those who master the art of writing can summon armies from mere ink and paper. Entire legions can emerge from their brushstrokes, capable of destroying anything in their path!" Yan Chuan explained.

"What? You can conjure armies with just ink and paper? That\'s even more powerful than the legends of summoning soldiers from beans!" Huo Guang exclaimed in shock.

"Summoning soldiers from beans? That\'s a mere trick!" Yan Chuan scoffed.

"Yes, of course," Huo Guang\'s face twitched. A trick?

"What about cultivating virtue?" Huo Guang asked again.

"Cultivating virtue? It\'s similar to what the Buddhist and Daoist sects do. They focus on amassing immeasurable good deeds as part of their practice. You\'ll encounter it eventually," Yan Chuan said nonchalantly.

"Yes!" Huo Guang nodded respectfully.

"As for feng shui masters, they travel the land, searching for dragon veins. The formations they create are mysterious, existing somewhere between the real and the illusionary. They are unlike typical formations. The most powerful feng shui masters can even use dragon veins to communicate between the realms of the living and the dead," Yan Chuan continued.

"Communicate between the living and the dead? Feng shui masters?" Huo Guang was awestruck.

"Then there are those who cultivate luck, known as Fate Manipulators. They can divine the secrets of the heavens, read the stars, and predict fortunes. Some, who are bold enough to defy the heavens, can even rearrange the stars and disrupt the natural order of the world!" Yan Chuan explained.

Huo Guang\'s heart raced. Fate Manipulators? Rearranging the stars and disrupting the heavens? The mere thought sent a shiver down his spine.

"And what about life cultivation?" Huo Guang asked, trying to contain his shock.

"Life cultivation?" Yan Chuan gave him a sidelong glance. "That\'s not something you can comprehend. Don\'t ask."

"Yes, Your Highness!" Huo Guang immediately straightened, feeling a chill in his heart.

Liu Jin and the twenty Silver Guards standing nearby were equally stunned. They swallowed hard, their hearts filled with anticipation.

"The path of cultivation is incredibly difficult. It requires careful planning and, just as importantly, a strong mind. You must clear your heart of distractions," Yan Chuan said calmly.

Upon hearing this, everyone\'s expressions shifted.

"Yes, thank you, Your Highness!" they replied with deep reverence.

Yan Chuan\'s words were clear—he was preparing to lead them down the path of cultivation. This was a rare opportunity, one they would never pass up.

Seeing the eager looks on their faces, Yan Chuan nodded. He knew that from this moment on, their loyalty would only deepen. Building loyalty wasn\'t enough on its own—his followers also needed dreams, something to strive for.

Looking toward the distant feng shui formation, Yan Chuan\'s knowledge of feng shui wasn\'t extensive, but as a former emperor, he wasn\'t unfamiliar with it. At the very least, he could recognize the basics.

"A dragon vein? How many veins are gathered here? It seems one of the smaller veins has even been pushed out," Yan Chuan said in surprise.

"What did you say, Your Highness?" Huo Guang asked.

"Over there, to the west. On the nineteenth mountain in that chain, is there a small lake?" Yan Chuan asked.

"Huh? How did you know? A few years ago, I led a patrol up that mountain and saw it. The lake isn\'t large, but the water is incredibly sweet," Huo Guang replied, astonished.

"A lake on the mountain? That\'s the mouth of a dragon vein. It must have been gathering the energy of the vein for years," Yan Chuan said, excitement flashing in his eyes.

"A dragon vein? That lake?" Huo Guang was stunned.

"Huo Guang, once we return, gather the troops. We\'ll head to that dragon vein first, and after that, we\'ll go to Cuiyun Mountain and wipe out all of Great Zheng\'s retainers. Then, we\'ll hunt that demon serpent!" Yan Chuan ordered.

"Yes, Your Highness!" Huo Guang responded immediately.

"What about the Black Armored Army we captured? Should we assign guards?" Huo Guang asked again.

Yan Chuan\'s eyes narrowed. "They\'re just a waste of our provisions. What\'s the point of keeping them?"

"Yes!" Huo Guang straightened, understanding the prince\'s command.

With that, Yan Chuan had just sentenced the Black Armored Army, who had attempted to assassinate him, to their deaths.