Setting aside all the complex personnel and preparatory matters, let’s discuss the most basic requirement:

To possess Elemental Power, one must have a Sovereign Vessel.

“Sovereign” originally meant the deity of grains. Since the emergence of nations in the mortal realm, the foundation of a country has been called the “Sovereign Vessel.” This is not some illusory object, but a tangible treasure of the highest order!

This is because all Elemental Power in the nation first gathers and generates within it.

Objects that can serve as Sovereign Vessels must be able to bear the fortune of an entire nation and the weight of its mountains and rivers. The founding ancestor performs sacrificial rites to report to the heavens, and if the object is worthy of becoming a Sovereign Vessel, it transforms into a round cauldron, signifying heaven’s acceptance of the new nation. From then on, the faith and willpower of the citizens will continuously flow into it, fermenting into pure Elemental Power for the State Preceptor to use.

Feng Miaojun had seen Wei Kingdom’s Sovereign Vessel before—it was the small cauldron that manifested in Yun Ya’s hand. This object could only be held by the State Preceptor. If the State Preceptor died, it would return to the nation on its own, and no one else could touch it.

To restore the Sovereign Vessel and strip away its Elemental Power, a nation must fall.

Even during the previous Era and the Haoli Empire, such treasures were not easy to find, let alone today when the world’s spiritual energy has declined.

To qualify as a Sovereign Vessel, an object must at least be a divine artifact.

Therefore, though there are many nominal small countries in the world, those truly possessing Elemental Power are rare—only seven nations remain.

An’xia was once such a nation, but after its fall, the Sovereign Vessel was taken by the Wei Kingdom. It wasn’t difficult for Princess Changle to establish a country, but maintaining it would not be easy. After all, the Wei Kingdom would not allow it to rise from the ashes, and it was surrounded by great nations like Yao and Jin, watching like tigers eyeing their prey.

The newly established Xia Nation must possess Elemental Power to qualify for the most basic ability to protect its territory and subjects. Feng Miaojun was particularly curious: since Fu Lingchuan and Princess Changle had already established their nation and announced it to the world, had they also prepared a Sovereign Vessel?

After all, once this bombshell news broke, New Xia would face a storm of challenges.

Objects worthy of becoming Sovereign Vessels weren’t so easily obtained. Otherwise, the Wei Crown Prince Xiao Jing could have declared himself king in a minute. At worst, he could have divided the territory with old Wei and gradually planned to defeat Xiao Yan. Why would he have fallen into his current passive situation?

The next few days of sailing were calm and peaceful.

The land had long disappeared from view, and passengers’ perception of the seascape had changed from magnificent to monotonously uniform. Occasionally they passed by small uninhabited islands, where even the sparse greenery was refreshing to the eyes.

That day, Feng Miaojun went to the deck for fresh air and saw Lu Chuanying standing at the stern, conversing with someone.

Looking more carefully, that person was Fu Lingchuan!

Hmm? They seemed to be having quite an enjoyable conversation.

Lu Chuanying was facing her and immediately waved: “Miss, please come over.”

It seemed Lu Chuanying couldn’t resist his curiosity about Fu Lingchuan. Feng Miaojun smiled and walked over: “Uncle Lu.”

Fu Lingchuan had the royal bloodline of An’xia and had helped Princess Changle reestablish the nation, making him a prominent figure among the six kingdoms. Lu Chuanying also had connections with An’xia and wanted to take this opportunity to gather some information.

Fu Lingchuan’s demeanor and appearance indeed attracted people to socialize with him.

Lu Chuanying stroked his beard and said: “This is our master’s daughter, named Miaojun. I’ve been the steward in their household for many years.” Turning to Feng Miaojun, he said, “You must be familiar with him—the only Young Master Fu Lingchuan on this ship.”

Feng Miaojun turned and greeted Fu Lingchuan straightforwardly. Lu Chuanying managed her business affairs, so he simply referred to himself humbly as a steward.

Fu Lingchuan laughed: “To have someone of your caliber as a steward, it seems the master and miss of the Feng business are quite extraordinary.”

Just by looking at Lu Chuanying, one could tell he was different from ordinary people. Naturally, Fu Lingchuan had to regard his mistress Feng Miaojun with higher esteem. Feng Miaojun understood Lu Chuanying’s intention and also smiled: “You flatter me. We’re just struggling to make a living. But for a noble person like Young Master Fu, do you also need to personally risk sailing across the ocean?”

She was indeed curious about Fu Lingchuan’s journey. New Xia had just been established with everything needing development. Instead of staying in Lubo City to oversee affairs, these two bosses traveled thousands of miles by ship to the Southern Continent, which surely had deep meaning.

Was he going to report to the King of Yan? That didn’t seem right. After establishing the nation, Princess Changle would now be called the Queen of New Xia. If the King of Yan were to meet with her, he would at least have to receive her with national etiquette, no longer as casual as when the two were residing in Yan’s capital.

This wasn’t about their pride, but about the dignity they should maintain.

Conversely, given Princess Changle’s now esteemed position, was it appropriate for Fu Lingchuan to bring her out on such a risky journey? Especially sea travel, which depended entirely on the weather’s mercy. If they truly encountered a maritime disaster, human strength would ultimately be no match for nature.

Fu Lingchuan sighed: “Running a business is not easy; Miss Feng must also have felt this.”

Nation, business—he viewed the nation as his family, answering quite cleverly. Feng Miaojun decided to be direct, showing a face full of curiosity: “What line of business could cultivate such bearing as Young Master Fu’s?”

“My ancestors were originally officials, but after falling from grace, they had to find other livelihoods. Over the years, I’ve traveled throughout the northern and southern continents, engaging in various businesses as long as they weren’t too obscure.”

Lu Chuanying added from the side: “Young Master Fu founded the Yanhui Hall, with branches in both the Taoyuan Territory and Yan Kingdom.”

His business was indeed extensive. Feng Miaojun immediately showed respect: “So you’re from a distinguished family.” Then she smiled and said, “They say a hundred years of cultivation brings people to cross the same boat. My family deals in grain and medicinal materials—perhaps we could have more exchanges in the future?”

Fu Lingchuan smiled, showing eight teeth: “Of course.”

Seeing his fake smile, Feng Miaojun knew it was just courtesy, but she didn’t mind. She took out a medicine box from her bosom and opened it: “Meeting you is fate. This box of Spring Sun Pills made by Feng’s business is a gift for you.”

Inside the small medicine box lay six green pills, neatly arranged. Once the lid was lifted, a fragrant aroma wafted out. It wasn’t like medicinal herbs but rather like the sweet scent of ripe fruits.

Fu Lingchuan was knowledgeable—just smelling the fragrance, he praised: “Good medicine.”

Spring Sun Pills weren’t rare items but rather auxiliary medicines commonly used by many cultivators. Taking one before practicing cultivation could improve the body’s efficiency in gathering spiritual energy. Of course, the effectiveness of these pills was related to the medicinal materials and refining techniques. Ordinary ones could improve efficiency by ten percent, but those presented by Feng Miaojun could double the effect.

The difference was immense. Although Fu Lingchuan hadn’t tried them yet, he had consumed countless Spring Sun Pills before and could tell they were excellent just by sight and smell. Only someone accustomed to fine things like him would be willing to offer such praise.

They were indeed good medicine. Feng’s Spring Sun Pills differed from other shops—the formula had been improved twice. The first improvement came when Feng Miaojun found it in the notes of a pill dao master at Smoke Sea Tower. The second improvement occurred when Yun Ya, having nothing better to do during his time in Yao’s capital, modified it for her, adding and reducing three or four ingredients, lowering the cost while enhancing the effectiveness.