Chapter 1512: Chapter 474: The Rapid Rise of Great Xia—Military Expansion, Institutional Reform, and a String of Coincidences

Xia Hong’s shock was not without reason.

After achieving the perfect skin in the Earth-digging Realm, breaking through to the Cold Resistance Level only requires stimulating the blood and flesh beneath the skin with the medicinal power of the Yangyuan Pill. Though this breakthrough process is not without difficulty, the difficulty is generally within the range of human endurance, and the level of difficulty is directly related to the quality of one’s battle body talent.

In other words, the better the battle body talent, the greater the pain endured, the more resources consumed, and the greater the difficulty of the breakthrough; conversely, the poorer the battle body talent, the less challenging it is. Those with the most ordinary Cold Resistance Level, with only 1 zag of strength after the breakthrough, have little difficulty besides enduring the pain of blood and flesh reorganization;

However, breaking through to the Xianyang Level is a completely different matter.

First, the requirement of top-grade battle body talent alone eliminates over ninety percent of those at the Cold Resistance Level;

Secondly, even if one possesses top-grade battle body talent, their basic strength cannot be too low. Calculating normally, those with the weakest top-grade battle body talent have a basic strength of 24 zags at the peak of the Cold Resistance Level. Xia Hong, reflecting on his own experience of breaking through, knew that attempting Bone Tempering directly with 24 zags would be suicidal;

Then there’s the supply of resources. Breaking through from the Earth-digging Realm to the Cold Resistance Level does not require auxiliary dan medicine, but transitioning from Cold Resistance to Xianyang is different. Without the corresponding special dan medicine, most people wouldn’t even know where to start with Bone Tempering.

Finally, there’s the matter of time cost!

Xia Hong remembered clearly that he went into seclusion during the third year of the Great Xia, reached a basic strength of 72 zags in August of the fourth year, which marked the peak of his Cold Resistance, and only then started the Bone Tempering process.

From August of the fourth year of Great Xia, he remained in seclusion until September of the seventh year, taking a full four years to break through to the Xianyang Level with his Bone Burning Battle Body and emerge successfully.

Of course, during his breakthrough, he had neither the Sun-Rising Pill nor the guidance of predecessors, relying entirely on himself to find the way. Moreover, his Bone Burning surpassed the normal fourth-class bone appearance. Considering these special conditions, the four-year breakthrough period could potentially be shortened.

But not by much!

The problem is that even if the breakthrough time was shortened.

Where would the resources, like the Sun-Rising Pill, come from?

Xia Hong still remembered that he brought back a total of 16 Heavenly Yang Fruits from White Tiger Pond and the Jiao Long Nest, with Cheng Feng refining the first batch into 36 Sun-Rising Pills. He gave 15 to Li Xuanling, then gave 5 each to Xia Chuan and Yuwen Dao, while the remaining 11 were all handed over to Qiu Peng, stored for future use in the Camp Supply Department.

For 19 people to break through, not even 11 nor 36 pills would be sufficient.

The Great Xia must have undergone earth-shattering changes in these three years!

As shock filled Xia Hong’s heart, this thought immediately surfaced in his mind, and his longing to return home became much more urgent.

Suppressing his inner turbulence slightly, he continued to ask, "19 of them, besides you, who are the other 18?"

Jiang Xinfan, having perceived Xia Hong’s confusion, contemplated for a moment before responding:

"The year before last, in the twelfth year of the Great Xia, on the ninth day of the twelfth month, the Minister and Yuwen Sizheng were the first to break through; four months later, in April of the eleventh year of the Great Xia, Director Yuan of Yuan Cheng broke through; in June, the Deputy Director of the Garrison Department, Xu Ning, and the East Ridge Guardian, Lu Yang, broke through..."

Xia Chuan and Yuwen Dao’s breakthroughs did not surprise Xia Hong, as he had anticipated it before coming to Cai Qiu; as for Yuan Cheng, Xu Ning, and Lu Yang, it was likely due to the benefits from the Master’s Organ. These three probably gained benefits beyond just breaking through to the Xianyang level, considering that the critical point for breaking through to the Tribulation Body Realm is the five organs, a faint smile appeared on Xia Hong’s face.

That makes five; he continued listening to Jiang Xinfan for more.

"Originally, it should have ended there, because the Camp Supply Department’s stock of Sun-Rising Pills was fully used up, but later on, the madam provided six more, and the Minister and Yuwen Sizheng each took out two more, so the Camp Supply Department Qiu Sizheng, Longshan Guardian Yue Feng, and Treasure Tower Leader Xiang Wentian, relied on these 10 Sun-Rising Pills, to break through successively last September and October..."

Qiu Peng, Yue Feng, and Xiang Wentian, three more!

Xiang Wentian, Xia Hong recalled slightly, was the grandson with the best qualification from Xiang Fuhai’s lineage. The year Bashang was destroyed, Yang Fa crippled him, yet he recovered with the Holy Vein Pill afterward.

The position of the Treasure Tower Leader, which used to be concurrently held by Director Qiu Peng, seemed to have been handed over to Xiang Wentian now. With this in mind, Xia Hong curiously inquired, "Xiang Wentian is now the Treasure Tower Leader, what about Xiang Fuhai?"

"Prison Department Director!"

Upon Jiang Xinfan’s reply, a flicker of concern rose within Xia Hong, who then inquired with a questioning tone, "Old Li..."

"The previous Prison Department Director, Lord Li Tiancheng, departed on the eighth day of April last year. The Minister posthumously elevated him to the fourth-rank Marquis Yuheng, and according to the etiquette of the Xia family, the lady personally presided over Old Li’s funeral; the noble title has been inherited by his grandchild, Li Hu."

Li Tiancheng, indeed, couldn’t hold on any longer.

Li Xuanling must be heartbroken by the passing of his close relative!

Xia Hong sighed slightly, the passing of Li Tiancheng was only to be expected, something he had a premonition about before coming to Cai Qiu.

Jiang Xinfan noticed the sadness on Xia Hong’s face and sighed slightly, "Speaking of which, Old Li suffered due to age. Had he been even three or four years younger, as long as his vital energy and blood hadn’t declined, he would have had a chance to break through.

Later, I heard that Old Li, always selfless, knowing he had no chance of breaking through, left the six Sun-Rising Pills given by the lady unused, and only disclosed the truth on his deathbed. All who knew this in the Great Xia were deeply moved, especially Minister Qiu Peng, Yue Feng, and Xiang Wentian, who personally carried Old Li’s coffin and laid him to rest as filial sons. The grandeur of his funeral, not just in the Great Xia, was unprecedented even in the Nine Towns."