Chapter 129: Chapter 127: 1 King, 2 Generals, 3 Grandees: Securing the Mountains, Pacifying the Seas, Guarding the Heavenly Road

"You don’t need to worry too much. The Imperial Academy of the Mountain and Sea Empire is full of wondrous things. Your talents and abilities won’t go to waste there."

Brother Ni’s words filled Mo Qi with curiosity about the Mountain and Sea Empire.

’What kind of power could suppress the Four Great Sects and establish an orderly, civilized Empire all at once?’

It was clear that both the Ni Brothers and the perpetually arrogant Zhang Shao were filled with reverence and admiration for the Mountain and Sea Empire.

As if sensing Mo Qi’s confusion, Brother Ni continued, "The Mountain and Sea Empire is strong. Incredibly strong. The three of us spent a few years at the Imperial Academy when we were young, and just from what we saw and experienced, it’s far beyond anything the Four Great Sects could ever compare to."

"Let’s put other things aside and just talk about the basic power structure of the Mountain and Sea Empire."

"The Imperial Family’s surname is Li. The Li Family are the true rulers of the Mountain and Sea Empire. The depth of their power is unimaginable, and their clan is filled with experts as numerous as the clouds."

"Beneath the Li Family are the great clans of other surnames who followed Great Ancestor Li to conquer the world and earned illustrious military honors. Their power is immense and their influence vast, yet they have remained loyal to the Li Family for generations, never once betraying them. They are like a sharp spear in the hands of the Li Family."

"In the Imperial City, there’s a saying: ’One King, Two Generals, Three Grand Ministers; they stabilize the mountains, secure the seas, and guard the path of heaven!’"

"It means that the One King, Two Generals, and Three Grand Ministers play a crucial role in why the Mountain and Sea Empire is as peaceful and stable as it is today."

Mo Qi listened intently, not missing a single detail.

’The information the Ni Brothers are giving me is definitely useful. If I use it well, it might save my life one day.’

"This ’One King, Two Generals, and Three Grand Ministers’ doesn’t refer to just six individuals, but six families!"

"The ’One King’ refers to the family that Great Ancestor Li bestowed with the title ’King of Kaosan.’ Their entire clan was also granted the surname Li. In terms of status, not even the Princes from the Li Family’s direct lineage can compare. They are second only to His Holiness, the current Emperor. They answer to the Emperor alone and have the authority to execute first and report later—a power that extends over everyone else, with no exception for the Crown Prince."

"The ’Two Generals’ are the Nangong and Zhao families. These two are the military backbone of the Mountain and Sea Empire, controlling over seventy percent of the armed forces. If war were to break out, these two families would absolutely be on the front lines. That Nangong Ye from before was one of the key figures of the Nangong Family."

"The ’Three Grand Ministers’—don’t let their last-place ranking fool you—are the most dangerous group of all. Because these three families represent the Mountain and Sea Empire’s wealth, strategy, and intelligence network, respectively."

Hearing this, Mo Qi couldn’t help but gasp.

’The Mountain and Sea Empire truly lives up to its name. Beneath the Li Family, you have the One King, Two Generals, and Three Grand Ministers, each with their own distinct roles and a clear division of labor. Just hearing about it is terrifying.’

’This structure alone puts them far beyond the Four Great Sects.’

’And yet,’ Mo Qi knew, ’the most powerful of all must be the Royal Li Family. Otherwise, there’s no way they could command the loyalty of these six families for generations.’

"Mo the kid, I’m telling you this for a reason. At the Imperial Academy, even if it means offending other Princes, you must never, ever offend the direct heirs of these six families unless you have absolutely no other choice."

"Of course, that doesn’t mean you should let yourself be pushed around. Each of these six families only has one direct heir per generation. As for the other branches, as long as you don’t kill anyone, it shouldn’t be a major problem."

Mo Qi nodded, indicating he’d taken it to heart. But as for what he was truly thinking, only he knew.

Brother Ni smiled and added, "You’ll understand the specifics once you get there. Now, there’s one last thing to discuss, and that’s your Medicinal Cuisine."

’Medicinal Cuisine?’

’No way, is there a problem with my Medicinal Cuisine too?’ 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚

"Don’t be nervous, there’s nothing wrong with your Medicinal Cuisine," Brother Ni said with a laugh. "Besides, the three of us are complete amateurs when it comes to pharmacology, so we can’t really give you advice. We just have a few thoughts we’d like you to hear. If they’re useful, great. If not, just consider it a friendly chat."

Mo Qi didn’t relax in the slightest. On the contrary, his attitude became even more respectful.

"The Medicinal Cuisine you prepare is perfect, both in flavor and effect. However, we feel it’s too random, and it isn’t suitable for many situations."

"You don’t have your own fixed recipes, which is both a strength and a weakness. The strength is that, unlike Elixirs, you aren’t limited by ingredients. You can do as you please, cooking however you want and combining Spirit Medicines any way you see fit."

"But that same freedom can also lead to a waste of the ingredients’ medicinal effects. Of course, if it’s simply a matter of satisfying your appetite, that’s a different story. That’s the first point."

"Second, it’s common to consume Elixirs during a battle. But your Medicinal Cuisine... even though it’s more effective, it doesn’t seem very practical to consume in the middle of a fight, does it?"

Mo Qi paused, and after a moment’s thought, he realized it was true.

’You can’t just stop mid-battle, pull out a pot of soup, a bowl of rice, or some other dish, and start eating, can you?’

’Aside from how ridiculous that would look, it’s just not as convenient as taking an Elixir.’

"So, you should think about whether there’s a way to improve on that."

Mo Qi nodded gravely and took a deep breath. ’A single conversation with a wise man is worth ten years of study.’

The few suggestions and insights from the Ni Brothers had benefited him immensely, and would save him from taking many wrong turns in the future.

"Thank you for your teachings, venerable elders. I am eternally grateful." Mo Qi rose and bowed to the ground in a grand gesture of respect.

"Hey, what’s with all this formality again, kid? Believe it or not, I’ll beat you ’til you cry!" Third Brother Ni said with a laugh, giving Mo Qi a playful kick on the butt.

Mo Qi gave a sheepish grin, his heart filled with warmth.

Just then, a thought struck him: the Nine Transformations into Spirit.

He was currently at the Eighth Transformation Innate stage and had no idea how to break through to the Ninth Transformation. ’Perhaps... the Ni Brothers might know something about this ’Innate’ state.’

"Brother Ni, Second Brother Ni, Third Brother Ni, have any of you ever heard the term ’Innate’?" Mo Qi asked.

The expressions of the Ni Brothers froze, and they exchanged a look.

"The term ’Innate’... it’s not common. I believe it’s used to describe powerful Spiritual Objects born from the heavens and the earth," Brother Ni said, stroking his beard.

Second Brother Ni thought for a long moment, then slapped his forehead. "No, that’s not it. I remember back when I was at the Imperial Academy in the Mountain and Sea Empire, I read an ancient text. It said that among us Cultivators, there exists an incredibly heaven-defying constitution called the Innate Dao Body. It’s said that such people are blessed by the heavens, born naturally in harmony with the Dao. They’re terrifyingly powerful."

"However, that constitution is extremely rare, for one. For another, the conditions to awaken it are incredibly harsh. A single misstep can cause one to destroy their own foundation."

Mo Qi’s heart jolted at this. He quickly asked, "What are the conditions for awakening it?"

Seeing Mo Qi’s reaction, the three of them couldn’t help but give him strange looks.

"Don’t tell me... you have an Innate Dao Body?" Second Brother Ni sized Mo Qi up, but then immediately dismissed the idea. "Impossible. The ancient text said the awakening of an Innate Dao Body can only happen during childhood."

"Why?" Mo Qi asked instinctively.

"’Innate’ means to be born of heaven and earth, untainted by the mortal world, with one’s entire body being pure Spirit," Second Brother Ni explained with a smile. "As people grow, they inevitably become tainted by the impurities of the secular world. Once they pass childhood and their bodies begin to mature, their foundation becomes Acquired. The Dao Body would naturally collapse and be rendered useless."