Chapter 2042: Chapter 1819: The Strong Grow Stronger
Liu Ye showed great interest in how Jia Xu intended to solve this matter. Although he had no solutions of his own, considering that Jia Xu seemed to be slightly better than him throughout these years, Liu Ye decisively believed in him.
After all, at their level, a small increase in wisdom might not be noticeable in the short term, but when the timeline extends to a certain length, that tiny gap is enough to create a chasm as vast as an abyss.
However, Jia Xu did not disclose to Liu Ye how he planned to resolve the issue; he only instructed Liu Ye to watch and assured him that it would be handled effectively.
Aware that he couldn’t get any answers, Liu Ye did not continue to press, even activating his Spiritual Talent to think from Jia Xu’s perspective, but to no avail. This situation inevitably sowed seeds of apprehension in his heart.
[It’s likely Wen He and his associates laid down some covert measures during Dong Zhuo’s era in Chang’an. Only then would I be unable to discern any clues.] Liu Ye thought to himself, adopting a form of self-comforting reasoning.
Yet, upon having this thought and turning to glance at Jia Xu, Jia Xu unexpectedly returned Liu Ye’s gaze with a rare, composed smile. For a moment, Liu Ye felt a chill down his spine; he was convinced that Jia Xu had read his mind.
[It’s certainly not as I previously thought. If it were, Jia Wenhe wouldn’t regard me in such a manner. What exactly is it?] Liu Ye awakened to the realization that if he attributed everything to previous setups, many unresolved issues would naturally evade resolution, hindering his progress and development.
[Ziyang, you wouldn’t truly believe that you stand on the same level as us, would you? While you might have been very close to us at one point, when we all moved ahead, you remained stagnant. Spiritual Talent is not the most crucial aspect!]
Jia Xu glanced briefly at Liu Ye, whose demeanor was calm, then looked away. Liu Ye overly relied on his Spiritual Talent—it represented wisdom, experience, knowledge, and all manners of enhancement, indeed the trump card of a Civil Official.
The problem is, wisdom is accumulated, experience is personally lived, knowledge stems from one’s study, and experience comes from societal practice.
Are these immutable? Certainly not—they naturally evolve. Spiritual Talent is the culmination of these factors, which continually change, and thus Spiritual Talent cannot remain static.
Spiritual Talent is analogous to modeling. Once the necessary fundamental data reaches a certain level, it qualifies for modeling, and as individuals receive diverse data, the formed Spiritual Talent naturally varies.
This is why different people have different Spiritual Talents. The inheritance from one’s mother is not direct wisdom or experience but a reduction in modeling difficulty.
Of course, if even after lowering the difficulty, the basic requirements remain unmet, all is futile.
Continuing on the topic of Spiritual Talent changes, upon successful modeling, the overall structure of Spiritual Talent remains unchanged but can undergo minor adjustments with improving awareness and experience, making it more perfected.
Similar to how the more precise the fundamental data, the more realistic the model, Spiritual Talent improves likewise.
As one’s intrinsic wisdom, experience, and knowledge elevate, Spiritual Talent strengthens correspondingly.
Conversely, if solely reliant on Spiritual Talent without enhancing personal capabilities, then Spiritual Talent struggles to grow.
This explains why figures like Guo Jia and Jia Xu—even without Spiritual Talent—are undaunted; they constantly push their limits, enhancing their basic attributes.
On the other hand, Liu Ye habitually depends on his Spiritual Talent, even forming a pattern of activating it regardless of necessity. Under such circumstances, it’s unsurprising that he distances himself from them gradually.
Li You proposed this hypothesis, although even now he remains unsure. Without Jia Xu’s continuous validation, Li You’s conjecture—derived from occasional Classic Books consultation with Cai Yan—would merely be an untested assumption.
Li You’s Spiritual Talent is a passive, fixed talent that enhances by ten percent whenever the differences in three wisdom-related attributes are minimal.
Initially, each wisdom-related attribute for Li You stood at 85, marking almost the bare minimum for awakening Spiritual Talent—an extraordinary precedent set by him—and upon reaching this point, he progressed to a comprehensive First-Class score of 93.5.
Even now, if Sima Yi were to eradicate his Spiritual Talent, his foundation would reach eighty-eight, eighty-nine, with post-enhancement reaching ninety-seven or ninety-eight.
Suppose ninety-three or ninety-four in comprehensive First-Class was already formidable, then ninety-seven or ninety-eight in Super First-Class renders Li You capable of challenging anyone.
Regardless of whether it’s military strategy, strategic planning, or governance, achieving ninety in any domain means congratulations are in order—you’d thrive under any leadership if not reckless. Attaining ninety-five or above designates you as a chief lieutenant in an overlord’s court.
Incremental daily growth might go unnoticed, but accumulated over time, the insignificant gathered height leads Li You to realize his Spiritual Talent improved retrospectively.
Li You harbors little secrecy from Jia Xu, sharing the hypothesis with him, but such matters are hard to validate without comparative analysis. Jia Xu merely informed everyone of the supposition, leaving it to personal discretion to accept.
However, considering the current situation, most seem to have brushed it aside, with only Jia Xu, Li You, and the now seemingly inebriated Guo Jia continuously striving to uplift their fundamental attributes.
After all, one cannot deny Spiritual Talent as heaven’s greatest gift to Civil Officials, which nearly serves as their principal trump card, and sealing one’s trump card for validation sees most unwilling.
Except for individuals like Guo Jia and Sima Yi, whose Spiritual Talent is rarely usable or even meaningful when used, how many can resist the urge to rely solely on personal contemplation during troublesome circumstances?
