The Third-Ring Mission Ends, Promotion to Seventh Rank?

Zhao Xing launched the largest Cloud Method in history.

From the moment Xia Jing and the others took their positions, his Devouring Cloud Art never stopped, continuously absorbing the clouds and mist in the sky.

After covering Cloud City, it expanded to the surrounding areas, mainly extending southwards towards the Canglan River.

Theoretically speaking, the Devouring Cloud Art has no limit to its potential; only the caster has a limit.

In recent days, Zhao Xing has been using the Devouring Cloud Art, which has spread five hundred miles into the depths of the Southern Barbarians lands.

Thanks to the existence of the Canglan River, there was no shortage of cloud energy, allowing Zhao Xing to easily maintain his spell.

The Cloud City is called Cloud City because clouds often hang in the air.

Zhao Xing's Devouring Cloud Art was not a solid, uniform technique.

He has absolute coverage in all directions except for Cloud City; in other directions, he only extends his tentacles.

The Devouring Cloud Art constructs "cloud paths" within the clouds of nature.

The airships travel through the "cloud paths," ensuring both safety and concealment.

"You're well-prepared." Xia Jing looked at the mountains that resembled Cloud Mountain, and between these Cloud Mountain were 'cloud paths' connecting them.

Even a shaman who can also control Cloud Method would find it difficult to detect, because Zhao Xing's Cloud Method Gao Ming and is no different from the clouds in nature.

"There are five hundred miles of cloud paths in every direction."

"The cloud paths in the sky form a strategic transportation network."

"The Martial Office can take a flying boat from Cloud City and quickly reach 500 miles outside Cloud City, in any direction."

Xia Jing couldn't help but feel a little emotional, realizing how lucky she was.

Being assigned to Cloud City and meeting Zhao Xing —wasn't that just lucky?

If it were a different Agricultural Official, they'd probably be chasing away bugs right now.

I sent a message to a friend at the end of Rat Hour, and now it's the beginning of Yin Hour.

Some people have already gotten up and replied to Xia Jing after seeing the message.

You won't believe it until you see it, and what you find will shock you.

In the counties and prefectures south of Nine Heavens Responding Origin Prefecture along the Canglan River, more than a hundred places have been affected by the disaster.

Natural disasters come in various forms; some are caused by floods, some by earthquakes, and some by snow and ice... but the most severely affected areas are all caused by Insect Witch.

In one of the counties, 70% of the officials and civilians have died!

Xia Jing learned from others that the martial artist friend he had sent the letter to had perished in the disaster.

"Finally found it."

Zhao Xing suddenly opened his eyes, quickly got up, grabbed the rudder of the airship, changed direction, and swooped down.

"Get ready for battle!" Xia Jing shouted, and the others were also eager to fight.

The search started at 11:45 Rat Hour and has been going on for almost an hour and a half now.

The shaman's spell range wasn't that far; they just hadn't found it yet.

Now, finally there's news.

"Wang the Engineer!"

"Understood." Wang Ji immediately understood, quickly activating the Invisibility Magic Array on the Tigron Flying Boat, and then shouted from the Magic Array chamber, "Prepare the God-Breaking Crossbow!"

"Crossbow number one, in position!"

"Crossbow number three, in position!"

"Crossbow No. 10, ready!"

Immediately, many voices responded.

"Prepare to throw the net!"

"Network One is ready!"

"Network 3 is in place!"

"Network 10 is ready!"

Upon hearing Wang Ji's order, Zhao Xing opened the window and poked his head out of the control room. "Wang the Engineer, there are only ten enemies. You don't need to use the God-Breaking Crossbow, do you?"

The window of the rear cabin opened, and a balding head poked out. "Hehe, this is just a show of force, isn't it?"

Zhao Xing said helplessly, "I know the brothers are itching to get out of it, but don't get too excited. We don't have many God-Breaking Crossbow Bolts in Cloud City."

Wang Ji waved his finger between his eyebrows. "Don't worry, the God-Breaking Crossbow is recyclable. Besides, I'll make as many as you need. Today, the brothers are going to have a blast!"

After saying that, Wang Ji's head shrunk back in a flash.

Xia Jing was organizing the queue on the other side of the cabin.

"Brothers, did you hear what Wang the Engineer said?"

"Their Mechanism Master want to do our job instead, will you agree to that?"

"No way!"

Xia Jing laughed and said, "Okay, Zhao Shennong will jump when he lowers the flying boat to 300 meters. Let's save Heavenly Craft Workshop some crossbow bolts."

They're going crazy, they're all going crazy from holding it in.

The first two tasks mainly tested mental strength and courage. I finally made it to the third task, but upon analyzing the task content, I found that I was constantly on the defensive.

Now that Zhao Xing has created an opportunity, everyone is eager to seize it.

They all wanted to unleash their full potential and fight fiercely.

"Zhao Xing, how about our Agricultural Supervisorate..." Cao Shuang rubbed his hands together.

Zhao Xing glanced back and saw that Cao Shuang, Che Shihai, and other Military Sima Nong were all eager to get started. Even the usually aloof Han Bing was getting restless.

"Go and bring a breeze to the martial artists."

"Don't let them fall to their deaths."

"Alright!"

The Military Sima Nong quickly stood on the deck.

Zhao Xing smiled.

Whether the Military Sima Nong intervenes is actually irrelevant, because the third ring is only to prevent natural disasters from damaging Cloud City.

They wanted to take action mainly to make a good impression and leave a good impression on the Military Realm bigwigs who were monitoring the area.

There are only ten people... that's simply not enough to go around.

Zhao Xing himself had no intention of making a move, because there were more than five hundred people on the Tigron Flying Boat!

"What do you mean by saturation attack...?"

Zhao Xing rubbed the rudder, causing the Tigron Flying Boat to hover in the low-altitude clouds.

At this time, it was only 300 meters above the ground.

"Swish, swish, swish~"

Xia Jing, Chen Fang, Hu Bing, Zhang Jie and other martial artists immediately jumped off the deck.

"Phew~"

A gust of wind surrounded them, negating the wind resistance, and they descended silently and rapidly.

But they couldn't outrun the Mechanism Master.

Before Xia Jing jumped.

The net was then launched from the bottom of the flying boat.

"Buzz~"

A large net, as fine as silkworm silk, descended from the sky and enveloped Zhao Ke.

Zhao Ke only realized what was happening when the large net had descended to a height of fifty meters.

Because the Skyflight locusts he released to monitor the sky, although they were at a height of 200 meters, were caught in the net too quickly.

By the time his Skyflight locusts were cut to death and he received feedback, the net had already descended to a height of fifty meters.

Although the Skyflight Locust is not known for its defense, its carapace is comparable to a top-tier third-grade defensive armor.

Without anyone noticing, it was sliced into a dozen thin pieces, Zhao Ke immediately realized what kind of attack he had suffered.

"It's Sky Net!"

"At least a fourth-order Sky Net!"

Zhao Ke didn't even have time to shout a reminder before he immediately made the most advantageous move for himself—bending over.

Because the most precious treasure he possesses is the insect box on his back.

The rectangular insect box instantly unfolded, forming a shield.

Zhao Ke curled up on the ground, frantically activating the mechanisms on the fourth-order insect box.

At the same time, he released twelve Illusion-Form Insect around him.

"Tch~"

Centered on Zhao Ke, twelve streams of green smoke shot out in all directions, and the shape of Zhao Ke condensed within the smoke.

However, its skin is covered with scales and fine hair.

The Great Zhou's Sky Net is often accompanied by the tracking and attack of the Spirit Breaking Crossbow.

Using the five elements of life as the target, the Zhao Ke Illusion-Form Insect can confuse the attacks of the Spirit Breaking Crossbow.

"Click click click~"

The Sky Net rubbed against the insect box, emitting bursts of steam and sparks.

Of the remaining ten Insect Witch, only three reacted and made the same move as Zhao Ke.

The other seven people were stunned on the spot. In the next moment, their bodies scattered and turned into pieces of flesh.

"Run separately!!!"

Zhao Ke only shouted it out at this moment.

With his life Zhao Ke had no time to think about anything else; his only thought at that moment was to run!

When the Insect Witch encounters the patrolling soldiers of the Great Zhou, he can only run away; he can forget about fighting head-on.

Their close-combat abilities are too weak.

Moreover, in terms of weaponry, the Great Zhou has always been far superior to the Southern Barbarians.

Zhao Ke is the young chieftain of the Hana Tribe, but his insect box is only a top-grade fourth-tier item. The other elders only have a Lower Fourth Tier.

However, Great Zhou soldiers who dare to cross the border to patrol will have their flying boats equipped with a variety of fourth-tier weapons, and large fourth-tier Divine Soldier at that!

The soldiers' equipment might even be more luxurious than that of him, the young clan leader!

"Whoosh whoosh whoosh whoosh whoosh!"

The moment Zhao Ke shouted, crossbow bolts rained down from the sky.

"Bang bang bang bang bang bang!"

The crossbow bolts are three meters long, with specially made gold drill tips that are hollow inside. They are powered by Windwalking Formation, which causes the arrowheads to rotate after being fired, increasing their armor-piercing ability.

The crossbow bolt is three-sectioned; the middle and rear sections, in addition to providing power, can explode to change the direction of the arrowhead, allowing it to track and hit the enemy.

The Spirit Breaking Crossbow represents the pinnacle of craftsmanship of the Great Zhou Works Department. Even a small third-tier crossbow bolt is a feat that the Southern Barbarians tribes could not replicate.

"Young Master!"

"Pfft!"

"Boom!"

The other three shamans were pinned to the ground by crossbow bolts, their bodies sinking three feet into the earth.

Only Zhao Ke, who reacted first, activated the Insect Box and used the Illusion-Form Insect, causing the crossbow bolts to hit him instead of directly.

However, upon landing, an airburst occurred, and the aftershocks flipped Zhao Ke over.

"What! How can the Spirit Breaking Crossbow be so powerful?!"

Zhao Ke deeply shocked.

His soft armor was cut open by the shards, revealing deep, bone-revealing bloodstains beneath his skin.

However, worms soon emerged from his muscles, stuck together, and repaired the wounds.

"It's not a third-tier Spirit Breaking Crossbow, it's a fourth-tier God-Breaking Crossbow! Hiss!"

Zhao Ke glanced at the shards on the ground and was plunged into despair.

He couldn't help but look up.

All around him, five hundred figures descended from the sky, while dozens more figures above him were brewing Astral Wind and heavenly thunder.

The Heavenly Net opens the way, the Divine Arrows pierce through, and there are so many martial artists and mages.

What does it mean to have nowhere to go, neither to heaven nor to hell?

"I have no right or ability to Zhao Ke..."

Any martial artist could easily match his aura.

Zhao Ke was filled with despair in an instant.

"Damn it, all those barbarians were shot dead by Wang the Engineer's men, and this is all that's left?"

"Fine, I'll tell Wang the Engineer not to waste money next time."

"Five hundred brothers, all that jumping for nothing!"

"..."

Listening to the noise around him, Zhao Ke realized what he should do.

He was about to commit suicide.

No one could stop an Insect Witch from committing suicide.

Unless--

"Whoosh whoosh whoosh!"

Eighteen silver needles were inserted into Zhao Ke's body.

In an instant, all the natal worms inside Zhao Ke's body were sealed off, especially the heart worm, which had already opened its mouthparts, wanting to pierce its master's heart, but was accurately nailed to death by the silver needle.

"You... the Ghost Gate Thirteen Needles!"

Zhao Ke lay on the ground, his body twitching, as the magic insects inside him had lost control.

"Huh? He's quite knowledgeable." Yuan Yang walked over in surprise. "This Southern Barbarians actually knows about the Ghost Gate Thirteen Needles. Looks like he's a big fish."

Zhao Xing followed and looked Zhao Ke up and down. "Although this person's cultivation level is average, his status is definitely not low. Let's search him first."

Xia Jing waved his hand, and three burly men who had cultivated the Black Tortoise Secret Method rushed over and stripped Zhao Ke naked.

"What's their background?"

"He must be the chief of a small tribe, or the chief's son."

The others took out their Earth Mirror to look for relevant clues.

Zhao Xing looked at the patterns on Zhao Ke's face and chest, and then compared them with the skin and clothing on his body.

He immediately said, "The feather symbol proves that he should accept the rule of the Golden Feather Royal Court. The fact that people chase the three silver moons indicates that their tribe is directly governed by a 'Silver Moon Lord.' The three silver moons represent the rank of the leader and are also a symbol of power Silver Moon Level Lord are usually Earth Witch."

"As for his own tribe, it should be called the Hana Tribe."

Xia Jing knew Zhao Xing was right as soon as he saw Zhao Ke's reaction.

However, he was a little puzzled. "How come I couldn't find it? Where did you get it from?"

Zhao Xing laughed and said, "The history of this tribe is not long, probably only three or four hundred years. The Military Realm the Great Zhou is too lazy to update the information of such small tribes. The Hana Tribe is recorded in the annals of fifteen counties in the Nine Heavens Responding Origin Prefecture. It is normal that you do not know about it."

"You really only sleep for an hour a day?" Wang Ji looked at the top of Zhao Xing's head. "No wonder you have time to study so much, but why aren't you losing hair?"

Zhao Xing laughed it off and turned to look for the person.

"Chen Fang, where is Chen Fang?"

"I'm here." Chen Fang came running over excitedly.

"You've mastered the Southern Barbarians common language best, so he's in your hands now." Zhao Xing pointed at Zhao Ke. "Don't mess it up. The Hana Tribe isn't a big fish, but it's still of medium strength... Oh? Sorry, Brother Xia, I misspoke."

"It's nothing, it's nothing." Xia Jing covered her mouth and nose, her Adam's apple bobbing. "I'm kind of used to it now..."

"Understood," Chen Fang said. "We need to find out this kid's tribal location, right?"

"Yes." Zhao Xing nodded.

There's one downside to fighting the Southern Barbarians: apart from a few tribes that have established their own kingdoms, the rest of the tribes have no fixed territory and wander around the Southern Wilderness.

Because the weather is unpredictable, most barbarian tribes do not have a 'shaman' who can control the weather, so they can only keep changing locations.

This meant that the Military Realm couldn't provide them with accurate maps, so they had to find people to kill on their own.

"Leave it to me," Chen Fang, patting his chest.

"No, I'm just entrusting you with the translation," Zhao Xing said. "Interrogation is something Zhang Yi and the army doctor should handle."

"We mustn't let him die until we've uncovered everything; the brothers' next task depends on him."

"Understood!" Chen Fang picked up the Zhao Ke and carried it onto the flying boat.

On his way back, Zhao Xing also received a message from the Military Realm.

"The Third Ring Mission is complete, huh? I've temporarily changed from Seventh Grade official to Seventh Grade. Can I be promoted now?" Zhao Xing looked at the message in the Earth Mirror with some surprise.

This is the second update, guaranteed to be the minimum.

I won't be updating today; I need to adjust my sleep schedule.

Also, this chapter says it's not displaying on Qidian, but it will be fine in a couple of days.