"It's just that there aren't many exceptional individuals, not enough to support the entire Shadow Pavilion. So, the Shadow Pavilion expanded and later split, eventually forming the current four Dark Pavilions."
"Shadow Pavilion, Mystic Pavilion, Qian Pavilion, and Ink Pavilion."
"I, Bai Zhi, and Xiao Huan all hail from the Shadow Pavilion, while Lan'er comes from the Ink Pavilion."
"So, the exceptional abilities you possess originate from your bloodline?" Nan Shiying mused, touching her chin.
What Lu Wan had just said was clear enough: the fundamental reason for the appearance of exceptional individuals was the meteor. The meteor had influenced and altered some people, causing them to undergo a certain evolution.
Lu Wan nodded. "Yes!"
"It's just that with the dilution of the bloodline, there are fewer and fewer exceptional individuals nowadays."
So, this ability wasn't something that appeared because of her arrival, but rather it was the original Nan Shiying's ability?
"The reason for the scarcity of exceptional individuals today, besides the thinness of the bloodline, is that this ability needs to be awakened."
"For example, people in a family might have similar bloodlines and should all possess exceptional abilities, yet only one person ends up with this ability. That's because only that person awakened the ability within their bloodline."
Upon hearing this, Nan Shiying touched her chin again. Did this mean that it was her arrival that awakened the bloodline power within 'Nan Shiying'?
So, did the bloodline power within Nan Shiying originate from Nan Chaoyin or her mother?
Bai Zhi entered, carrying a square box, one meter high and one meter wide. She placed it on the ground with a loud thud, which interrupted Nan Shiying's drifting thoughts. Nan Shiying looked up at the box on the ground, which seemed to be packed to the brim, and then glanced at Bai Zhi, who was not even out of breath.
Fortunately, she already knew about Bai Zhi's immense strength; otherwise, she would have been shocked again.
Lan'er followed behind, closed the door, and walked over to the box. She opened the exquisite lock hanging on the box, removed it, and lifted the lid.
At first glance, the box was filled with wooden toys.
Nan Shiying had initially thought that Lu Wan's mention of toys was a general term, but she hadn't expected them to be actual toys!
Lan'er took out the items one by one. There were intricate little birds, Luban locks, and some other contraptions whose purpose was unclear.
Nan Shiying was not disappointed and watched with interest.
Lan'er picked up a little bird, twisted its tail, and under Nan Shiying's gaze, the bird spread its wings and flew high.
Surprise flashed in Nan Shiying's eyes.
These toys were quite exquisite.
After circling the room, the little bird flew towards Nan Shiying. Nan Shiying raised her hand, allowing the bird to land in her palm. She examined it up close.
As Lan'er manipulated these toys, she explained the principles that made them move.
Nan Shiying nodded continuously.
These were just small novelties; Lan'er's true skill lay not here, but in crafting large mechanisms. Watching the little bird, Nan Shiying wondered if it could be scaled up proportionally to carry people into the sky.
To gallop in the wind, accompanied by auspicious clouds.
The mere thought filled her with boundless yearning.
Nan Shiying inquired, and Lan'er replied, "Theoretically, it's possible, but it lacks practice. After all..."
After all, if it truly failed, it could be fatal.
Nan Shiying hummed, but her thoughts didn't seem to waver from the idea. Lu Wan dared not let the Princess Consort venture further down the path of seeking death, so she changed the subject, "Your Highness, there are actually very few exceptional individuals in the Shadow Pavilion."
"Mmm?"
Nan Shiying looked up at Lu Wan.
"Including the three of us, there are only thirteen."
Nan Shiying didn't understand what she was trying to convey.
"So, even the Mystic Guards don't know about the existence of exceptional individuals now," Lu Wan stated.
Now she knew!
Nan Shiying glanced up at the roof. Xuan Yi was there.
Lu Wan knew Xuan Yi was present, so she wanted to ask, "So, Your Highness, are you also an exceptional individual?"
Nan Shiying was slightly stunned, clearly not expecting the conversation to turn to this. Did Lu Wan notice? Yes, from her performance in learning martial arts from Xuan Yi, it seemed she could discern some clues.
Lu Wan was extremely intelligent. If she had only suspected before, now, after Nan Shiying's detailed explanation, she could confirm it.
Nan Shiying had no intention of hiding it; there was no need. She nodded and said, "Yes, I am too."
Bai Zhi gasped, her eyes widening in surprise.
The Princess Consort was also an exceptional individual?
Lu Wan didn't press further.
Nan Shiying continued on her own, "My eyes."
Actually, it wasn't wise to reveal her trump cards, but under the current circumstances, Nan Shiying didn't believe that fumbling around would be faster than seeking guidance.
Furthermore, given her current relationship with Ji Jinmo, since her trump cards wouldn't be used against him for the time being, there was no need to conceal them.
"My eyes could only initially track the flight path of mosquitoes. Later, they evolved somewhat to slow down everyone's movements. Do you understand? It's like when I was learning martial arts from Xuan Yi, I could clearly see every punch and sword move he made, even if the movement was so fast it created afterimages."
"Now, my eyes have evolved to the point where I can clearly see the่็ป (mai luo - internal veins and pathways) of the human internal organs during live dissection."
Of course, there was one thing Nan Shiying didn't mention: she also possessed abilities similar to Xiao Huan's, photographic memory combined with astonishing comprehension.
It was just not as specialized as Xiao Huan's.
"Your Highness, when did you awaken your abilities?" Lu Wan pondered and said, "If the awakening time is long, then..."
"Half a year ago."
Nan Shiying cut off Lu Wan's words. She didn't want to hear the reason for evolution due to a long awakening period; she wanted to hear the reason for a short awakening period and rapid evolution.
"Half a year?"
Lu Wan and the others were greatly surprised.
So, that was only half a year ago, right when the Princess Consort married into the Prince's manor?
"Your Highness, either your bloodline is very strong, or you are experiencing ancestral reversion."
It wasn't unheard of for exceptional individuals' abilities to evolve so quickly, but it was rare.
Ancestral reversion... Nan Shiying twitched her lips. Was she a person from hundreds of years ago considered ancestral reversion? Could it be that the strength of her soul, or spiritual power, had triggered the bloodline, causing a phenomenon of ancestral reversion?
However, none of this was important. The important thing was whether this evolution was active or passive.
"Relatively passive!"
"How should I put it? The evolution of exceptional individuals' abilities requires spiritual enhancement, and training in spiritual matters is scarce. However, the ancestors summarized a method through the evolution of exceptional individuals that can increase one's spiritual power. Oh, right, the Buddha's Finger Lotus in the imperial palace's treasury can not only heal bones but also increase spiritual power."
Nan Shiying: "..."
So, that meant Ji Jinmo was also an exceptional individual???