Northern Continent follows the Monarch system.
Unlike other continents, where there is no proper rule but merely the dominance of sects and clans in different regions, the Northern Continent has proper governance.
Other continents have countless unrestrained warriors and are far more dangerous compared to the Northern Continent, where a strict system is followed.
The capital of the Golden Crow Kingdom is Jinyang City, where the Royal Court is situated.
Not just the Royal Court, but the Empress and Inner Palace are also located in this city.
Most of the Royal Family members comprise the Jin clan. Even if some outsiders are recruited, their surnames are changed to Jin.
There are six ministries: Ministry of Civil Affairs, Ministry of Rites, Ministry of War, Ministry of Revenue, Ministry of Justice, and Ministry of Works.
Each ministry is headed by a Grand Minister and staffed by Deputy Ministers and Inspectors.
Grand Ministers directly report to the King in the Royal Court. The six ministries receive edicts from the King and then implement various policies or send orders to Royal Governors or Dukes who control various provinces.
From these governors, policies are passed to several regions and then to various villages, implementing governance hierarchically.
There are also four noble houses in the Golden Crow Kingdom. They often form marriage alliances with royal members—whether it is the crown prince or other imperial siblings.
The status of the four noble houses keeps changing, and many times they are replaced by inferior families, depending on circumstances.
The Northern Coastal Region is controlled by the House of Yin. They are situated at the borders of the coastal cities, Haifeng and Qinglu.
Near the capital Jinyang, there is another city called Luyang, controlled by House Lan.
The western part of the Golden Crow Kingdom has volcanic terrain and mineral-rich mountains. It is controlled by the House of Rong.
In the eastern part—not too far east, but between the coastal region and the capital—resides the House of Mu. This region is particularly rich in flora and fauna.
Besides these four noble houses, there are other minor houses, like House Xie in Luyang City, House Tao, House Ning, House Zhao, House Liao, and so on.
Ten months passed by.
Jin Long and Jin Huang were now one year old.
Jin Huang had already become famous throughout the Northern Continent as the Little Devil, the born genius!
Jin Huang had also learned to walk now. She was still physically weak, but her understanding of the world surpassed many. You could never take her as a mere child!
Rumors spread throughout the Northern Continent. The little princess of the Golden Crow—the born genius—had started speaking at the age of one month, walking by six months, and participating in court affairs by the age of seven months!
Soon, it was 2nd February, Year 19066 of the Elemental Era.
People in this world generally do not celebrate birthdays. However, in the Northern Continent, the first year holds a unique significance.
They test the talent of a newborn only after completing one year.
Thus, a grand celebration was held in the Golden Crow Kingdom.
All the noble houses were invited to the celebration. All imperial princes and princesses came.
Jin Long is the 12th Prince, while Jin Huang is the 13th Princess.
The First Prince, Jin Wei, is the Crown Prince due to his greater talent. He has B-grade talent and has shown remarkable growth since his youth—not just in cultivation, but also in his understanding of court matters.
In fact, these grades are further divided into low, mid, and high levels. This is a custom unique to the Northern Continent. Since the upper limit is B-grade, they introduced sub-levels for finer comparisons. However, these sub-levels are not widely acknowledged, as their practical significance is minimal and can often be overcome through sheer hard work and perseverance.
Jin Wei's talent is B-grade, at the low level.
Both Jin Long and Jin Huang had grown enough to walk on two legs. Jin Huang learned walking by the age of six months, while Jin Long achieved it at five months.
Yes, Jin Long was not to be underestimated.
Jin Haoran also introduced many people to Jin Huang. For some reason, he thought much more highly of Jin Huang than of Jin Long. It was hardly surprising once you saw how intelligent she actually was.
He took her around and introduced her to many, including young Shi Tian—the future general under Jin Long. Shi Tian looked young and vigorous. He was only in his 70s now and had already reached Rank 5, mid stage.
Soon, the celebration began.
They first performed certain rituals to bless the bright futures of the two children. Then came the moment to measure their talents.
Jin Huang glanced at the Wisdom Gauge curiously as she saw her father bringing Jin Long near it to test his talent.
She observed the Wisdom Gauge and its inscriptions, thinking inwardly: "Those patterns... could they have something to do with how the talent is described?"
There was one thing no one knew about her—she had already reached Rank 1 early stage!
Yes, without any cultivation technique, without being taught by others! But how?
From the moment of her birth, she had unique perceptions. She could sense things far beyond what others could. She could see the flow of Spiritual Essence, and as she observed countless warriors, she judged the differences between them and herself and deduced the method she needed to follow in order to become like them.
She had to go through many trials and errors. After all, when clues are insufficient, possibilities become infinite.
Trial and error is one of the best ways to reduce the Solution Space—the list of possibilities based on given clues. Normally, it is infinite, and sometimes this infinity is multilayered.
If we speak mathematically, suppose the solution lies in the range (5, 6). There are infinite real numbers between 5 and 6. But then, a broader space like (4, 8) also contains infinite possibilities—yet clearly, (4, 8) is a larger domain.
Even after reducing the solution space, it often remains infinitely large.
This is exactly how Jin Huang deduced. If we assume earlier the solution space lied in (4, 8), then the paths of Cultivation System existed within (5, 6). And finally the path she chose is one of those infinite possibilities.
There is not one path to cultivation—there are countless. And yet, at the end, they all converge at the same summit.
Jin Huang created her own cultivation technique at the age of eight months. From then on, she had been cultivating.
Not just that—she could also perceive Mental Radiations. She had already decrypted those of the people close to her—her mother, her maid, and her father. She was already capable ofreading their minds!
Even though Mental Radiations are encrypted differently for different individuals, she had already recognized the common patterns of how they worked.
It was like learning a language. Though languages differ, they share structure—nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs. The first language is the hardest, but after mastering it, every new one becomes easier.
She glanced at her father and read his thoughts. She was immediately shocked by what she saw in his memories.
Flashback — One Day Before
Jin Haoran looked at a Rank 3 Warrior and asked calmly, "So, what was the result?"
Lan Zhen was a Rank 3 Warrior, an expert in array formations and inscriptions. Wisdom Gauze is a unique material, but it is the inscription that brings out its true potential. When the stone interacts with blood, it comes into contact with Soulbind Ether. Soulbind Ether connects with one's Spiritual Imprint and enhances synchronization between body and soul.
When the Wisdom Gauze stone interacts with Soulbind Ether, it radiates rays of different frequencies depending on one's inherent talent. The inscriptions then capture these rays and interpret them.
This measurement is done before the awakening of the Spiritual Imprint. Sometimes, a warrior's talent changes after their imprint awakens, which is why final assessments always consider both.
Lan Zhen had been ordered to test Jin Long and Jin Huang secretly before the formal ceremony. This is common among elite factions to avoid embarrassment—or unnecessary attention.
Lan Zhen was still in shock and responded slowly, "Your Majesty, our Wisdom Gauze is of inferior quality. It can only measure talent up to A-grade high level. But both the 12th Prince and 13th Princess… their talents surpass even that!"
The upper limit of talents in the Northern Continent had always been B-grade. So how could it be that two talents beyond that threshold appeared at the same time—both born not just in the same kingdom, not just in the same palace, but to the same king?
Was it truly coincidence?
In truth, Jin Long's case was unique.
Jin Huang was born with a supreme and unparalleled physique, one that cannot appear ever again.
Jin Long, still in his infant state, had unknowingly been bathed in the aura of her evolving physique.
The aura that enveloped her during the manifestation of her physique was not inert—it was transformative. Jin Long, simply by proximity, was forcefully elevated, his talent artificially enhanced by that radiance.
Jin Haoran nodded, eyes thoughtful.
He walked up to Lan Zhen and placed a hand on his shoulder. "I want to ask one last thing. It is of utmost importance—and it must be done in secrecy."
Lan Zhen nodded. "Your wish is my command, Your Majesty."
Jin Haoran smiled. "Good."
He gave the order: "Tamper with the inscriptions on the Wisdom Gauze in such a way that its upper limit is only B-grade low level. Even if someone has A-grade talent, it must display B-grade."
As soon as Lan Zhen left, Jin Haoran looked in a particular direction and whispered, "As soon as he completes the inscriptions, verify them. If they function as instructed—dispose of him."
Flashback over
Jin Huang narrowed her eyes at the Wisdom Gauze. She could read her father's thoughts through his Mental Radiations—but not visualize them. It wasn't that her understanding was lacking, but that Mental Radiations only carried limited information.
She started thinking about the person who inscribed the Wisdom Gauze. She felt a sharp pain in her chest. "He should already be dead by now. If only I had realized this earlier."
Even though she thought that, there was no sadness in her eyes. She sympathized with him—but did not mourn.
After all, billions die each day. One cannot weep for every ripple in the vast ocean of existence.