THE NOVICE

King Aurelius had a lengthy and eventful day at the castle, where he engaged with various important individuals, including the nobles from royal families responsible for managing specific regions under his authority and council members from his court. Despite these encounters with prominent figures in the empire, he chose to remain mostly silent, opting to listen attentively and observe the conversations and actions of those around him.

After the demanding day, he retreated to his chamber to gather his thoughts and meticulously recorded them in his personal journal. Once he had completed his writings, he donned a different attire and concealed his identity with a mask. Despite the challenges of adapting to a new body, his past experiences and memories served him well, allowing him to leave the castle undetected.

With his true identity hidden, he made his way to a bustling tavern in the capital city, where he sought to gain more genuine knowledge about himself from the common people. He selected a corner seat in the tavern , quietly blending into the crowd, and focused on listening to the conversations and discussions taking place around him. His aim was to gain insights into the perceptions and opinions that the average citizens held about their king, hoping to gain insights into what the common folk thought and knew about their king.

As King Aurelius eavesdropped on the conversations in the crowded tavern, he couldn't help but overhear various opinions about the state of the kingdom and his own rule.

The sight of a bald man holding a glass of beer and engaged in conversation with his companions piqued the king's curiosity. The Bald man asked " "Is there any truth to the rumor that our country will face an imminent attack from neighboring kingdoms?" The bald man's campanion rejected the Idea of War "It's not accurate, You foolish." he said as he took a sip of his wine. They both continued their conversation while having wine.

At another table, King Aurelius overheard a different piece of news . "Our new king is young and inexperienced. Perhaps our empire is in peril, and we might find ourselves in conflict with other empires." A young man spokes to his group of friends, and as another friend joined in, they spoke with hushed voices. "It's true, our current king doesn't compare to our previous monarchs, and it's unfortunate that both the previous king and our current king's father succumbed to a rare disease."

After spending two hours listening to the conversations in the tavern, King Aurelius returned to his chamber, where he removed his cloaked attire. Standing in front of a tall mirror, he gazed at his reflection, and his hand instinctively moved to touch the wound mark on his chest. "So this king is not a good ruler and also the weakest one among other kings and queens."Unable to suppress his emotions, King Aurelius couldn't help but frown, revealing a hint of disappointment. Suddenly His thoughts began to drift towards another topic, one concerning the royal families and their reactions to his rule as king. "I oversee thirteen noble royal families, but I lack a clear understanding of who supports me and who opposes me. Many of the officials and nobles I've encountered do not appear content with my rule as King Aurelius. While they may display respect outwardly as a matter of courtesy, there's an underlying lack of genuine respect and satisfaction." King Aurelius began to pace back and forth slowly, deep in thought about the events of the entire day. He carefully reviewed the details, searching for any potential aspects he might have missed or overlooked.He quietly muttered to himself"For now, I must keep a low profile and focus on elevating my cultivation to its zenith." He found that he couldn't maintain his fire manifestation for more than a few minutes,that his power had disappeared exactly when the previous king, the original owner of this body, had passed away.

In another empire, a person radiating a profound aura stood alone on a balcony, bathed in the soft moonlight. A man knelt on one knee, displaying great humility as he patiently awaited the other person to speak. Time passed slowly as the individual with the hoarse voice began to speak. "I will not tolerate any mistakes this time. To ensure the flawless execution of my plan, King Aurelius Must die." The man who was kneeling on the floor spoke. "My Lord, I pledge to fulfill this mission and shall not let you down." The figure remained facing forward, giving a nod of acknowledgment. The person on the floor then rose, bowed in respect, and departed, vanishing into the obscurity of the night. As the moon retreated behind the shrouding clouds, a profound silence descended upon the place. "King Aurelius, your demise is essential for my plan," he whispered and disappeared into the darkness.

In the chamber of the Phoenix Empire's king...

After a period of introspection and self-reflection, he made the decision to focus on strengthening himself. He understood that he couldn't avoid interaction with others for long, and the mysterious circumstances surrounding the death of the previous owner of this body were still unresolved. To survive in a world where the strong preyed on the weak, he needed to improve his abilities.

With this determination, he opened the door and made his way to the training room. This room was exclusively used by the king, specially designed with magic-infused stones to enhance energy absorption tenfold. He settled in the middle of the room, commencing a meditation to harness the surrounding energy. Since his arrival in this new body, he had sensed the availability of energy in the environment, which could be channeled to generate elemental energy.

In the days since his arrival in this world, he had diligently dedicated time to study some books and educate himself about the various cultivation levels that existed in this world.In this world, the cultivation path comprised seven distinct levels: Novice, Apprentice, Practitioner, Sorcerer, High Sorcerer, Archmage, and Divine Mage. Currently, he found himself at the Novice Level of cultivation, where he could harness and accumulate energy within his body.He was a High Sorcerer king, possessed the ability to effortlessly command and manipulate fire. However, following King's death and soul transmigration, he had lost his powers and was now compelled to embark on a journey of recultivation.

With a deep breath, he initiated his meditation, fully aware that he had the potential to reach his peak level in a matter of months if he dedicated himself to the cultivation process.As time passed and the sun began to cast its rays upon the empire, he slowly opened his eyes, his mind filled with confusion and questions. Observing his own body, he noticed something peculiar. Instead of the expected single spherical orb, there were nine of them. These spherical orbs served as contained spaces within the body to store an infinite amount of energy, representing various elements.

Spherical orb was associated with a specific element, and the number of orbs indicated the number of elements a person could manipulate. As he inspected more closely, he realized that there were indeed nine spherical orbs, positioned in a circular pattern around the area where his wound was located. However, only the fire orb contained a substantial amount of energy, while the others remained dormant, devoid of energy.

A frown creased his face as he questioned, "Did I make a mistake in my cultivation?" With numerous uncertainties and inquiries swirling in his mind, he stood up and left the training room. He headed to his room to freshen up, contemplating his next steps. As a king, he had duties to attend to, and his journey towards mastering this new cultivation path began...