Weapons possessing spirituality didn't surprise Lin Yuan.
In the Dragon and Tiger World, the True Martial Sword had its own spirituality.
However, in this world, divine weapons began to herd humans, consuming them periodically.
This wasn't just spirituality; it was sentience.
Thirty-six divine weapons equated to thirty-six quasi-fourth or even fourth-rank powerhouses. If they joined forces, massacring all human races would be a trivial matter.
But these thirty-six divine weapons refrained from doing so. Instead, they opted for sustainable development and found their spokespersons—members of the royal families of the thirty-six central nations.
They supported their spokespersons, managing the masses of cattle. Every once in a while, suitable livestock were selected for consumption, forming a well-established process.
Just from this, Lin Yuan concluded that not only did divine weapons possess sentience, but their intelligence was also considerable.
"However, I'm not in immediate danger," Lin Yuan thought to himself.
Even among livestock, there were hierarchical distinctions. For someone like Lin Yuan, chosen by the divine weapons as their spokesperson within the Great Yan Imperial Family, his status was undoubtedly the highest. Even if he couldn't escape the fate of being consumed, he would be the last to be devoured.
"As long as my strength is formidable, even divine weapons can be shattered with a single punch," Lin Yuan exhaled a breath of relief as he left the wooden tower.
The living beings of this world were influenced by the divine weapons in their cultivation systems. Despite their outstanding talents, they could only reach the level of Martial Saints. Faced with the lofty divine weapons, they were nothing more than delicious food.
But Lin Yuan was different. His foundation didn't come from this world, remaining unaffected by the influence of divine weapons.
Returning to the Eastern Palace, Lin Yuan sat cross-legged.
"Today, I can fully restore my strength."
Lin Yuan's gaze lowered. After six years in this world, he had been regularly taking various supplements. In secret, he had already recovered almost entirely.
In fact, given Lin Yuan's cultivation speed, he could have fully recovered within five years. However, this world's cultivation system had given him inspiration.
Although the system of refining the body through stages—flesh, tendons, skin, bones, organs, marrow, and finally blood—was somewhat abnormal, it was perfect for forging the body.
Every part of the body was thoroughly tempered.
Lin Yuan had spent over a year integrating this unique cultivation system into his martial arts practice.
"Almost there."
Lin Yuan closed his eyes, and his body underwent profound changes.
After half a day, Lin Yuan successfully restored his strength to the third rank.
At this moment, Lin Yuan's combat power surpassed his peak in the main world. Currently, he had perfected the transformation method for the body that he had comprehended from Loulan He, and he seamlessly absorbed the body refining technique from this world.
In terms of physicality, he now exceeded the peak of the main world by a considerable margin.
"Take it slowly," Lin Yuan's gaze remained calm.
According to his speculation, each of the thirty-six national divine weapons in the Central Plains possessed at least quasi-fourth-rank, or even true fourth-rank, strength.
In comparison to these divine weapons, Lin Yuan was currently inferior.
One day, after finishing his cultivation, Lin Yuan saw his seventh sister waiting for him.
Lin Yuan's seventh sister, more accurately, his half-sister, was the seventh princess of the Great Yan Imperial Family.
Despite being half-siblings, their relationship was amicable, often meeting and chatting.
"Little Yuan, I'm going to the Divine Weapon Ancestral Land with the other sisters later," his seventh sister suddenly sounded concerned.
"The Divine Weapon Ancestral Land?" Lin Yuan's expression remained unchanged.
The Divine Weapon Ancestral Land was where the national divine weapon of the Great Yan Imperial Family slumbered.
As for why his seventh sister and other princesses were going there, it was likely related to cultivating 'Warrior Commander.'
To become a Warrior Commander, one needed the recognition of the divine weapon. It inevitably required close contact with the divine weapon.
Traditionally, candidates for Warrior Commander in the Great Yan Imperial Family were chosen from the imperial descendants. After all, the short lifespan of Warrior Commanders wasn't a secret. If the reigning emperor had a choice, they would not send their own children.
However, the Great Yan Imperial Family faced a shortage of Warrior Commander.
After all the imperial descendants had been tested and none had been chosen, Emperor Liu Shi had no choice but to send his own daughters.
Of course, this was limited to daughters. Princes like Lin Yuan were absolutely not eligible to become Warrior Commander. Being a Warrior Commander meant prolonged proximity to the divine weapon and a short life, eliminating any chance of ascending the throne.
"It shouldn't be a problem," Lin Yuan reassured her.
"I hope so" his seventh sister's eyes reddened.
Although she didn't know what the fate of a Warrior Commander entailed, the Great Yan Imperial Family selected a new Warrior Commander every thirty to forty years. It was evident that the previous Warrior Commander had most likely perished.
Half a day later, his seventh sister came back to find Lin Yuan in tears.
"Little brother, I—I've been chosen" her voice was hoarse, tinged with fear.
Not long after, the imperial guards entered, paid their respects to Lin Yuan, and escorted his seventh sister away.
She didn't resist; being chosen by a divine weapon meant her fate was already sealed. Even the emperor couldn't change it. She appeared here solely because she wanted to see Lin Yuan one last time.
"Divine weapons... do they prefer those with powerful souls?" Lin Yuan watched his seventh sister leave, pondering quickly.
Compared to other imperial family members, his seventh sister had a naturally strong spiritual soul. Specifically, she had an excellent memory and was always energetic with little sleep.
As to why divine weapons liked such qualities—perhaps, to divine weapons, those cultivators with vigorous life forces were just ordinary food. Individuals with powerful souls were a gourmet feast, and that might be why every Warrior Commander had a short lifespan.
Lin Yuan's thoughts surged as he began to speculate on why divine weapons didn't release the shackles on the soul and spirit in their cultivation systems.
"Once the physical body and soul cultivate together, there is a chance of giving birth to an existence surpassing Martial Saints. Over time, it may even shake the 'dominance' of the divine weapons."
"Yuan'er, your seventh sister being chosen by a divine weapon is her honor and also a good thing for our Great Yan Imperial Family" Emperor Liu Shi found Lin Yuan and whispered.
Although the crisis of the Great Yan Imperial Family's Warrior Commander 'generational gap' had been resolved, Emperor Liu Shi's mood wasn't good.
He naturally knew what becoming a Warrior Commander meant. If it were any other imperial descendant, he would have turned a blind eye.
But when it came to his own daughter...
Even so, Emperor Liu Shi had no regrets.
Despite the constraints of the alliance, even if the Great Yan Imperial Family didn't have a Warrior Commander for a short time, it wouldn't cause any serious consequences. However, a dynasty with a Warrior Commander and one without were entirely different concepts.
When negotiating with other Central Plains dynasties, if the Great Yan Imperial Family didn't have a Warrior Commander, it was destined to be at a disadvantage. Facing other powerful dynasties, the Great Yan Imperial Family would undoubtedly suffer various setbacks, perhaps even having to sign some humiliating alliances.
While Warrior Commander might not need to invoke divine weapons, their presence alone served as a significant deterrent.
You could choose not to use it, but you couldn't afford not to have it.
Now that the seventh princess had become a Warrior Commander, it meant the Great Yan Imperial Family's most significant weakness had been addressed. There would likely be no major issues in the next thirty to forty years.
As for the personal emotions of the seventh princess...
As a princess of the dynasty, the seventh princess had lived a life of luxury since birth, always above tens of thousands. After enjoying so much, if she had to make sacrifices during the crisis facing the Great Yan Imperial Family, what was there to hesitate about?
"Yuan'er, I know you have a good relationship with Little Seven."
"But if we can cultivate a 'Warrior Commander' it's worth any sacrifice."
Emperor Liu Shi consoled Lin Yuan. He had specifically come over, fearing Lin Yuan might have unwarranted thoughts.
After all, he also knew about the relationship between Lin Yuan and the seventh princess.
"Father Emperor, actually..."
Lin Yuan fell silent for a moment.
"Actually, what?" Emperor Liu Shi's spirit trembled slightly. He was curious about Lin Yuan's perspective on the matter. It was also a kind of test by Emperor Liu Shi.
If Lin Yuan still harbored reluctance towards the seventh princess, Emperor Liu Shi would be very disappointed.
Ordinary people could cherish sibling relationships, but emperors could not. If an emperor wavered due to personal feelings, it would be a disaster for the entire country.
As the future Great Yan Emperor and the father of millions of subjects, Lin Yuan's perspective should be from the standpoint of the entire Great Yan Imperial Family. If he could secure decades of stability for the Great Yan Imperial Family, even if it meant sacrificing not just one princess but ten or a hundred, Liu Shi would not hesitate.
"In fact, there's no need to cultivate a Warrior Commander."
Lin Yuan looked at Emperor Liu Shi.
"Give me time, and I will surpass the Warrior Commander."
...
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