He tried to break through and establish his qi cavity directly by crazily tempering his physical body, hoping to rely on sheer physical strength. However, this grand feat did not succeed; instead, he ended up exhausting himself to death due to unrestrained, frenzied cultivation.

Coincidentally, this Evan Bennett of Huaxia was struck by lightning and survived. Using some basic martial arts experience from his previous life, Evan Bennett felt that this body already possessed true qi.

But why couldn’t he sow the martial embryo, stimulate true qi, form a qi cavity, and thus enter the most basic ‘first stage’ of martial cultivation?

Because, before reaching ‘innate’ in martial cultivation, there are twelve minor levels, divided by ‘stages’.

First stage: the dantian is like a pore.

Second stage: the dantian is like a needle’s eye.

Third stage: the dantian is like a thread.

Fourth stage: the dantian is as thick as a chopstick.

Fifth stage: the dantian is the size of a pinky finger.

Sixth stage: the dantian is the size of a thumb.

Seventh stage: the dantian is as thick as a spicy sausage.

Eighth stage: the dantian is the size of a rice bowl.

Ninth stage: the dantian is the size of a small bucket.

Tenth stage: the dantian is the size of a washbasin.

Eleventh stage: the dantian is as big as a pot.

Twelfth stage: the dantian is as thick as a vat.

After a martial artist receives divine inheritance and successfully sows the martial embryo, a qi cavity the size of a pore can form in the body. This is the martial artist’s dantian. Therefore, it is called the ‘first stage’ dantian, as small as a human ‘pore’.

“Qing’er, hurry and drink this bowl of white beast soup while it’s hot.” Mother Grace Carter had tried everything, even spending all her wealth to buy elixirs to help her son cultivate martial arts. But it seemed this was just a beautiful soap bubble—nice to look at, but useless.

“Mother, where did you get the silver to buy white beast essence blood for the soup?” Evan Bennett asked with concern, because the spiritual energy condensed in the essence blood of a third-rank white beast was especially rich.

And a bowl of essence blood soup from a third-rank white beast would cost at least two hundred taels of silver. Mother was only a noble lady in the palace, with a monthly allowance of at most one hundred taels.

However, over the years, the empresses and servants in charge of palace finances bullied her, so even that one hundred taels was cut down to barely a dozen.

And in recent years, mother had become nearly destitute just to help him successfully sow the martial embryo.

Two hundred taels was a huge sum for a ‘noble lady’ in the palace, and in such dire straits, it was impossible for her to come up with it.

“Hehe, the king rewarded us with a thousand taels. If I don’t spend it on you, who else would I spend it on?” Grace Carter smiled with deep concern. Evan Bennett immediately felt a warm current fill his whole body and heart.

In his previous life as an orphan, he never experienced this kind of motherly love. Although the staff at the orphanage were kind, it was never the same as the blood bond of a real mother.

“Mother, I’ll drink it. In a moment, I’ll go participate in the sacrificial ceremony. This time, I’ll definitely succeed in sowing the martial embryo.” Evan Bennett confidently drank the white beast soup in one gulp. Instantly, a warm current spread throughout his body. He had been prepared to endure great pain and suffering.

Because, under such a powerful medicinal impact, the body would surely be in great pain.

However, in the blink of an eye, that surging energy vanished without a trace. It was as if he had just drunk a bowl of cold water—there wasn’t even a hint of pain, not even a feverish sensation.

Damn! He got nervous for nothing again.

“Yun’er, hurry and practice to absorb the spiritual energy from the essence blood. I won’t disturb you.” Grace Carter limped out with a cat-like gait.

“Absorb what? It’s already gone!” Evan Bennett roared angrily in his heart.

Because, apparently, this wasn’t the first time this had happened. He’d been in Yan Kingdom for several months, and it seemed to be the same every time.

“Eighth Prince, hurry and cultivate, don’t waste this soup.” Mother’s personal maid Emily Carter said as she prepared to leave.

Emily Carter was brought by mother from her maiden family. Also unappreciated by the Zhao family, this maid was absolutely loyal to mother.

“Sister Yue, hasn’t Father left seclusion yet? How could he possibly reward us with a thousand taels? Even if he had, there’s no reason for such a random reward, right?” Evan Bennett turned to look at her and asked.

“Well… sigh, Eighth Prince, you’re right. The king is indeed still in seclusion.” Emily Carter looked evasive, shaking her head with a guilty expression.

“Then where did the thousand taels come from?” Evan Bennett pressed, his eyes sharp as lightning as he stared at her.

“Sigh, it was Miss who danced for them for a month to get it. Miss didn’t want me to say anything about this…” Emily Carter sighed, tears welling up in her eyes.

“Bastards!” Evan Bennett was so angry he smashed the porcelain bowl with his palm.

Evan Bennett knew that his mother’s palace dancing was especially outstanding. That’s why those empresses and concubines were extremely jealous.

So, dancing to entertain them was an enormous humiliation. Moreover, she was often subjected to their disdain, insults, and even kicks.

“They didn’t do anything to Mother, did they?” Evan Bennett snapped back to his senses and glanced at Emily Carter, asking.

“No… no…” Emily Carter twisted her gaze away, her head drooping.

“Sister Yue, you’re not telling the truth. Tell me, why is Mother walking differently than usual? Speak! If you don’t, I won’t go to the sacrificial ceremony today.” Evan Bennett pressed closer.

“Please don’t! That’s Miss’s only hope. Actually, today was just bad luck.