"What... what, Mother, what did you say?"
Without a doubt, Shunde was startled by Ding Yun's sudden words. While she had indeed felt a bit envious when listening to Lu Wu's story, it was only envy. She had never genuinely considered doing something like that!
Back then, Princess Taiping had such excellent conditions.
Yet, she couldn't successfully become the Crown Princess.
What about her?
So, not only was she slightly stammering from the shock on the spot, but she also immediately and fearfully began looking around.
Afraid of eavesdropping ears.
"Don't worry, I've set up a soundproof barrier here. No one can hear our conversation.
So it doesn't matter what we say.
Nor is there any fear of someone overhearing or informing."
Ding Yun comforted her daughter and continued,
"Shunde, you can be more at ease and bold.
Don't ever think that being Empress is impossible. In fact, with my current abilities, I can even force you onto the throne.
But the process will inevitably be filled with bloodshed.
It might even lead to countless citizens' deaths and injuries.
I doubt you'd want that, so if you wish to be Empress, we must proceed subtly and gradually, minimizing any potential upheaval."
"However, this way, the process will definitely be difficult. Even with my help, you'll certainly have to bear some pressure from society, court officials, and the secular world.
So you must be psychologically prepared.
Some things, once the bow is drawn, there's no turning back."
Only then did Shunde become certain that her mother wasn't joking but was genuinely willing to support her in becoming Empress.
However, she herself hesitated.
Although she didn't know what she would face if she made this choice, she was acutely aware that for a woman to contend for the throne, the process would be hundreds, even thousands, of times more difficult than for a man.
She would not only have to contend with her father, the Emperor, and the imperial clan, but also with all the civil and military officials, and even with the patriarchal norms of respecting men and denigrating women, and the principles of the Three Obediences and Four Virtues.
She would have to face the suppression of the entire society.
At this moment, she flinched.
Or rather, she was afraid.
"Mother, I... I'm afraid I don't have that ability.
I'm not Empress Lü or Empress Wu. I can't compare to them. I'm sorry, I've failed your expectations!"
Shunde could tell that her mother's tone revealed happiness when she mentioned helping her become Empress.
But she truly didn't have that much courage.
Nor did she have such great ambition.
At the same time, she felt she couldn't compare to Empress Lü or Empress Wu. Perhaps out of concern for disappointing Ding Yun, her voice lowered considerably as she spoke these words.
She appeared somewhat guilty.
Hearing her say this, Ding Yun naturally felt a trace of disappointment, but not too much.
After all, supporting her daughter to become Emperor was not an easy task. The process would involve dealing with numerous troublesome matters. Her unwillingness actually saved her a lot of trouble.
So, she quickly cast aside the slight disappointment in her heart and instead comforted her daughter.
She assured her that she wasn't disappointed and that becoming Emperor was a trivial matter. If she wanted to, she could; if not, it was fine. As long as she was happy, she could gain a certain amount of power without necessarily becoming Emperor.
With Ding Yun's comforting words, Shunde finally expressed her current thoughts:
"Mother, I actually think it's pretty good to be like you. Cultivating successfully like you is also quite good.
I wonder if I can cultivate with you too.
If I also cultivate successfully, even if I don't become Empress, no one will dare to look down on me. I can stay wherever I want, without having to look at anyone's face.
So, is that possible?"
Cultivating immortality was what Shunde truly desired. Becoming Emperor was not only extremely difficult but also entailed bearing the responsibility for the safety and stability of the nation. That was not her pursuit at all. In comparison, cultivating immortality was clearly more carefree and unfettered.
"This... I'll have to think about it..."
Ding Yun wasn't being stingy to the point of not teaching her own daughter. The main reason was that her cultivation through special means was entirely dependent on the Myriad Wood Spiritual Seed condensed with the system's help, which opened her path to cultivation. However, she wasn't sure if the system could also condense a Myriad Wood Spiritual Seed for others, so she couldn't immediately guarantee it.
While she said she needed to think, she was already contacting the so-called 'Realistic Immortal Cultivation Simulator' to inquire if it could help others embark on the path of cultivation.
[Yes, but the system cannot help. The host can condense the Myriad Wood Spiritual Seed herself and pass it on to her female relatives. Note that it can only be passed on to direct blood relatives, meaning mother, daughter, and biological sisters.]
[The system is bound to the host alone. When helping to condense the Myriad Wood Spiritual Seed, it borrows from the host's genes. The subsequent modifications to the body based on the Myriad Wood Spiritual Seed as a foundation are also predetermined based on the host's genes.]
[The host's daughter's genes are highly similar to the host's. Therefore, although the effect of the Myriad Wood Spiritual Seed will be slightly weaker, it can still be effective and open their cultivation paths.]
[The same applies to the mother and full biological sisters.]
[Due to greater genetic differences in fathers and brothers, it will not work.]
[Second and third-generation descendants might experience some effects, or they might suffer from gene disorders, becoming creatures similar to tree people or having their bodies lignify.]
[However, they will still possess intelligence.]
[They will not lose their minds and become true monsters.]
[But if the bloodline is more distant, they will absolutely turn into plants that have lost their intelligence. Therefore, the host must operate strictly according to the system's prompts and not act recklessly.]
After reading the system's explanation, Ding Yun immediately understood the situation. Her current cultivation method was custom-made for her alone by this 'Realistic Immortal Cultivation Simulator.'
It was a personalized customization based on her genes.
Her two children were greatly influenced by her and had high genetic similarity, so they could also use the so-called Myriad Wood Spiritual Seed, though its effectiveness would be less than hers.
Her mother and sisters could likely also use it.
Her father and brothers, due to the differences between males and females, had greater genetic differences, so they could not accept the Myriad Wood Spiritual Seed.
If the bloodline relationship was even more distant,
Then it might be completely incompatible. The Myriad Wood Spiritual Seed would no longer be a treasure that opened the path to cultivation, but rather a poison, leading to either death or transformation into a monster.
Understanding this, Ding Yun looked up at her daughter again and explained, "I can teach you.
But it might be a bit painful at first, and I also need a few days to prepare and lay a foundation for you.
If you can accept it, I will start preparing.
By the way, the pain I'm talking about isn't like a small cut on your finger. It's a pain that goes deep into the bone, a pain you can't imagine. Are you sure you still want to cultivate?"
Ding Yun wasn't trying to scare her intentionally. The period when the Myriad Wood Spiritual Seed takes root and sprouts, embedding itself into the meridians, is indeed very painful. Later, when it fully integrates with the body and transforms into the Myriad Wood Spiritual Body, it will be even more agonizing.
The most crucial point is that once the Spiritual Seed is planted, it cannot be removed. You can only follow this path to the end.
There's no option to simply give up if it's too painful.
And then remove the Spiritual Seed.
However, this time, Shunde did not hesitate or retreat as before. Her eyes even turned slightly red as she nodded immediately, stating that she was willing to endure such pain.
She felt that her mother had chosen to endure such pain back then without knowing if she would succeed, but she did it to protect them.
How could such maternal strength not move her?
Moved, she also felt that since her mother could endure such pain, she naturally could too.
Moreover, experiencing it firsthand would allow her to better understand her mother's sacrifice.