"I'm sorry, Lucien," Jasmine said softly, her brows drawn together in helplessness. "I truly have no way to teach you Soul Forging Cultivation right now. Our starting points are different. If you were already at the Revolving Core Stage, I could guide you step by step."
She paused, then sighed.
"As things stand, if you wish to cultivate your soul before reaching that stage… you will have to rely entirely on your own comprehension."
Lucien nodded calmly.
"I understand, Mother."
Most people in this world couldn't even sense their soul without cultivation, let alone train it. Lucien knew that very well. Still, he did not feel discouraged. If others couldn't walk this path, that didn't mean it was impossible. It only meant the road had not been discovered yet.
He would stumble. He would detour. But he would move forward.
"Mother," Lucien said after a moment of thought, lifting his head, "I want a Nascent Soul Stage Soul Forging manual from our family."
Jasmine stiffened immediately.
"Lucien," she warned, her tone firm, "you are not allowed to cultivate until you turn five."
"I know," Lucien replied quickly. "I don't want to cultivate yet. I only want to study the manual and find a method that works for me. I promise I won't actually train until I'm five."
Jasmine fell silent.
She studied his face for a long moment, weighing his words. Finally, she let out a slow breath.
"…I'll discuss it with your father."
Lucien's eyes lit up.
"Then I'll go play with Estella afterward!" he said cheerfully.
Jasmine raised an eyebrow, feigning anger. "Oh? Your sister likes you more than she likes me now. What kind of tricks have you been playing on her?"
Lucien leaned in, lowered his voice, and smirked.
"Secret."
Then he turned and ran.
Jasmine watched his retreating figure and shook her head, unable to suppress a smile.
*
Six months passed in quiet persistence.
After Aerondor gave his approval, Lucien gained access to multiple Nascent Soul Stage Soul Forging manuals. He studied them obsessively, comparing lines, symbols, and explanations, searching for even the smallest inconsistency or hidden hint.
Aerondor personally taught him the foundations of all three cultivation systems, paying special attention to Soul Forging theory. He explained how cultivators normally sensed the soul only after forming a stable revolving core, how the soul then resonated with heaven and earth, and how refinement followed perception.
Lucien understood all of it.
Too well.
After six months, he could clearly explain how one cultivated the soul after reaching the Revolving Core Stage.
Yet the problem remained unchanged.
He still could not figure out how to cultivate without it.
The fact that he had reached Nascent Soul Stage without any manual at all was already a miracle. A fluke. Something that should not be repeatable.
Unable to find answers in texts alone, Lucien began asking questions indirectly.
"Good day, Crown Prince."
"Good day, Mister Oxford."
The librarian smiled warmly at him. Mister Oxford was a tall man with refined features and a calm, scholarly demeanor. Though he looked about fifty by mortal standards, Lucien suspected his true age was far greater.
"Our prince is so diligent," Oxford said sincerely. "The Empire will be stable for many generations with you as its future."
"Thank you," Lucien replied politely. Then, tilting his head in curiosity, he asked, "May I ask you something?"
"The Crown Prince has a question for me? I'll answer to the best of my ability."
"What stage are you at in the Essence Gathering Cultivation System?"
Oxford chuckled. "Revolving Core Stage."
Then he added with a proud smile, "Though that pales compared to your father. His Majesty reached the Law Seed Stage shortly before the rebellion ended."
Lucien froze.
"Father reached the Law Seed Stage?!"
"Yes," Oxford nodded. "The Fifth Stage. A true powerhouse."
Lucien felt a chill.
The Law Seed Stage was no ordinary realm. Only the strongest forces on the continent possessed experts at that level. His grandfather had once been one as well… before his death sparked the rebellion.
"Then… what about my father's Soul Forging Cultivation?" Lucien asked carefully.
Oxford sighed lightly.
"Your father is at the peak of the Young Soul Stage, the Third Stage of Soul Forging Cultivation," he said. "As for me, I'm only at the peak of Nascent Soul Stage."
Lucien's eyes widened.
"That slow?" he blurted before he could stop himself.
Oxford laughed bitterly. "Soul cultivation is not easy, Your Highness. It requires rare resources to temper the soul, as well as deep resonance with heaven and earth. Without both, progress is painfully slow."
Lucien nodded, absorbing the explanation.
After leaving the library, he wandered the corridors absentmindedly.
No matter how he turned the problem over in his head, no solution emerged.
"Forget it," he muttered at last. "I'll find a way someday."
For now, he chose to enjoy life.
He played with his mother and sister, entertained Estella until she giggled, and occasionally made her cry—usually followed by a painful spanking from Jasmine.
Despite his royal status, his life felt strangely free. Other than not being allowed outside the castle, he could roam almost anywhere, disturb nearly anyone, and live without real burdens.
*
Eight months later.
Lucien turned five.
At last, he officially gained permission to cultivate.
By then, he had already received three cultivation manuals from the Royal Library, each one a treasure beyond measure.
All three were Sky Grade.
Sky Grade manuals were not merely rare. They were monopolized by the continent's highest powers. No mid-level force dared trade them openly. Only the strongest factions possessed them, and even then, they guarded them like lifeblood.
The three manuals chosen for Lucien were:
Tyrant Body Secrets – a Mid-Level Sky Grade Body Tempering manual with five layers, each aligned to a cultivation stage.
Extinction Lightning Judgement – a Mid-Level Sky Grade Essence Gathering manual, equally structured in five layers.
Sacred Luminance Mist – a Mid-Level Sky Grade Soul Forging manual, also divided into five layers.
No public force on the continent possessed a Sky Grade Soul Forging manual.
Only the Elysia Empire did.
And even then, only three existed.
Under his parents' guidance, Lucien studied all three manuals thoroughly, gaining comprehension up to the Second Stage in theory.
Yet his frustration remained.
"Father," Lucien said one day, lowering his head slightly, "I still don't know how to cultivate the soul."
Aerondor smiled faintly.
"Don't rush it. You're five. You have time."
"But—"
"No buts," Aerondor interrupted calmly. "Focus on the other two systems first."
Lucien opened his mouth again—then stopped.
Aerondor suddenly paused, his eyes shining.
"Hmm."
He turned away, his steps suddenly light and confident.
"Father?" Lucien called out, confused. "Where are you going?"
Aerondor laughed, his aura subtly shifting. "It's time for me to break through."
Lucien stared at his retreating back, stunned.
"What?"
*
Three hours passed in heavy silence.
"Lucien!"
Jasmine's voice rang out as she hurried toward the Emperor's chamber. Her steps slowed the moment she saw her son standing outside the sealed doors, small hands clasped tightly, eyes fixed on the room beyond as if willing it to open.
He had been waiting the entire time.
Lucien had expected his father's breakthrough to be swift. Aerondor was powerful, experienced, and already standing at the peak of the Young Soul Stage. But as minutes stretched into hours, Lucien realized the truth. His father had entered true closed-door cultivation.
Soul Forging breakthroughs were different.
Unlike body or essence cultivation, the soul demanded absolute stillness. Silence. Serenity. Any disturbance, even a ripple of emotion, could cause failure. While legends spoke of cultivators breaking through in the heat of battle, such feats required extraordinary alignment of emotion and will. They were exceptions, not rules.
"Mother… Father is currently—"
"I know," Jasmine interrupted gently, her worry barely concealed. "How is he?"
"For now… stable," Lucien replied, though uncertainty lingered in his tone. "All we can do is wait."
They stood side by side.
Ten minutes passed.
It felt far longer.
Just as Jasmine shifted restlessly, preparing to suggest Lucien leave, a sudden radiance burst from within the chamber. Brilliant, majestic light flooded the corridor, carrying a profound aura that made the air itself feel sacred.
Then, as suddenly as it appeared, it faded.
The corridor fell silent again.
Jasmine and Lucien exchanged solemn looks.
Moments later, the door creaked open.