The Peerless Emperor (TPE)

As the crowd continued to observe the warship hovering in mid-air, the energy cannons that had been aimed at them began to retract, returning to their normal state.

At that moment, a scholar approached from a distance, flying gracefully through the air before coming to a stop in front of the group. "You must be the esteemed members of the Twin Extremes Hall, Carefree Sect, and Blood Spirit Valley. His Majesty has been expecting you. Please follow me into the city."

Hearing this, some of the elders in the group couldn't help but feel displeased. They silently thought to themselves that Lin Qian had quite the ego, only sending a subordinate to greet them. However, since the three elders did not express any dissatisfaction, the others decided it was best to hold their tongues and followed the scholar into Yushui City.

But as they entered the city, they were taken aback by what they saw.

Based on their past experiences, a city that had been invaded and occupied by an enemy should be filled with fear and unrest. The atmosphere should have been tense and heavy. However, in Yushui City, they were met with the sight of citizens with joyful expressions, and the atmosphere was lighthearted and happy.

All around the city, new buildings were being constructed. Skilled craftsmen were hard at work, and even the city's citizens were helping by carrying materials and assisting with the construction. The people helping out were not showing any signs of resentment. Instead, they seemed eager and excited, smiling even as they wiped away sweat.

It was clear that the citizens were working voluntarily, not under compulsion.

"Setting up spirit-gathering formations in homes for commoners—what's the point of that?" One elder remarked in astonishment as he watched the scholars arrange basic spirit-gathering formations in the newly constructed homes after the craftsmen had completed the structures.

The other elders who had accompanied them were similarly shocked.

In their minds, commoners had no real future in cultivation. There was no need to waste precious resources on setting up formations for them. After all, setting up a spirit-gathering formation required special materials. Doing this for one or two households wasn't much of an issue. But to do this for the entire city of Yushui was a significant expense.

"This is sheer wastefulness. What is this young emperor of the Huaxia Empire thinking?"

"Indeed, there's no need to squander resources on these common folk."

"At this rate, I believe the Huaxia Empire will soon find itself in dire need of cultivation materials."

However, they were unaware that the Huaxia Empire had no shortage of such materials.

"Hmph, ignorance," the scholar leading them suddenly scoffed, turning to address the elders who had voiced their complaints.

His words immediately provoked irritation among the elders, who retorted, "Ignorant, are we? I think it's your Huaxia Empire that's foolish, wasting cultivation materials on these commoners."

"Exactly. If you call us ignorant, then why don't you explain your reasoning?"

The scholar stopped in his tracks, turned to face the elders, and coldly responded with a question of his own: "Then let me ask you, why do your sects cultivate spiritual trees and set up spirit-gathering formations? Why are spirit-gathering formations placed in the City Lord's Mansion and the city guard barracks?"

"Setting up spirit-gathering formations increases the concentration of spiritual energy and accelerates cultivation. But for commoners with limited talent, who may never break through the basic three realms, what use could these formations possibly serve?" one of the elders, who specialized in formations, responded.

"Hahaha, such narrow-mindedness. Then let me ask you, why are there fewer powerful cultivators and talented youths in remote areas like Linhai Prefecture, while stronger cultivators and more prodigies are found in places like the Twin Extremes Prefecture, Carefree Prefecture, and Blood Spirit Prefecture?" the scholar countered.

The elder scoffed and replied without hesitation, "That's because those three prefectures are home to the Twin Extremes Hall, Carefree Sect, and Blood Spirit Valley, so..."

At that moment, the elder fell silent, furrowing his brow and unable to continue. The other elders who had accompanied them began to look equally perplexed as the realization dawned on them.

Indeed, why was that the case?

They had always known that remote areas produced fewer strong cultivators and fewer talented individuals, while more prosperous areas produced more powerful cultivators and geniuses. However, they had never questioned why.

The elders remained silent, unable to provide an explanation. Even the current leaders of the three factions couldn't come up with an answer. It was Fang Shuiwen who spoke first. "I once stayed in Central Prefecture, where it's believed that powerful regions naturally produce strong individuals—like father, like son. Their descendants often inherit their talents. Meanwhile, in remote regions, where the overall strength is weaker, the offspring are also generally less talented."

Many of the elders nodded in understanding, finding Fang Shuiwen's reasoning to be quite plausible.

"Fang Lao's explanation is indeed partially correct. Inheriting talent through bloodline is certainly one factor. Additionally, it's true that prodigies can emerge from remote areas due to mutations in their inherited bloodlines. This is a conclusion drawn from our research in the Heavenly Crafting Department," the scholar affirmed with a nod.

However, his words caused Fang Shuiwen's expression to shift slightly, as he picked up on a few key phrases.

Research by the Heavenly Crafting Department... bloodline mutations...

"Are you saying that inheriting talent involves inheriting bloodlines? And that the emergence of geniuses in remote areas is due to mutations in these inherited bloodlines?" Fang Shuiwen pondered aloud, suddenly realizing something. "Could it be that this explains why people like Yian, Guixiang, and I ended up with such exceptional talent despite our humble origins?"

Indeed, Fang Shuiwen, Zhou Yian, and Yang Guixiang had all been incredibly talented despite being born into unremarkable circumstances, and it seemed this might be related to bloodline mutations.

"Is there more to it than that?" Zhou Yian asked, noting that the scholar had said it was only part of the explanation. After posing the question, Zhou Yian glanced at the newly constructed buildings below, suspecting that the spirit-gathering formations might also play a role.

"Our research in the Heavenly Crafting Department has shown that after birth, a child's innate talent is influenced by their inherited bloodline. However, the environment in which they grow up also plays a significant role."

"If a child grows up in a highly concentrated spiritual energy environment, their body will naturally absorb the energy, subtly refining itself, which can greatly enhance their innate talent."

"Since it's not feasible to plant vast numbers of spiritual trees in the city, the next best option is to use spirit-gathering formations to increase the concentration of spiritual energy within the homes. By focusing the formations inside the residences and not wasting resources on the streets, we can conserve materials while still achieving the desired effect."

The scholar's explanation left the group of elders speechless. They had never considered that increasing the concentration of spiritual energy could have such an impact.

Their attitude toward the scholar noticeably softened after hearing his words.