Curse Kill Art, Xia Jing's Exit, Meng Kun Gets Fired Up? (Da Zhang)
"How refreshing!"
The Secret Art Tower of the Tianyuan Branch Academy has ninety floors, which can only be ascended by Classics Scholar.
Those who can cultivate the ability to manifest Ten Thousand Laws Clone must be geniuses of the True Self Faction.
But he seemed to be pondering the ultimate Cloud Method.
Li Boqian's curiosity was immediately piqued.
"Senior, your realm is profound and your magic is unpredictable. Could you please give me some pointers?"
Zhao Xing immediately cupped his hands in a gesture of respect toward the source of the sound.
His Ten Thousand Laws Clone are not easily discernible to just anyone.
Moreover, he is currently within the range of the Mist-Hiding Art, with multiple layers of concealment, making it impossible for ordinary people to see through his situation.
However, the other party not only suddenly appeared in his Mist-Hiding Art, but also revealed the secret of heaven in a single sentence.
How could Old Master Zhao not know that he had encountered a top-tier expert?
It doesn't matter who it is, or whether they show up or not; what matters is whether the big shot can give me some pointers.
Skipping over the details of surprise and inquiry, Zhao Xing seized upon the unknown master's curiosity and immediately began demonstrating his understanding of the Heavenly Thunder Finger and Cloud Gate techniques. "Senior, your insight is unparalleled! Please correct my Heavenly Thunder Finger and Cloud Gate techniques!"
Before Li Boqian could react, Zhao Xing began to perform the ritual.
"That's interesting."
Hearing this, Li Boqian became even more interested.
The Heavenly Thunder Finger originates from the Suppression Prison Chapter of the "Profound Heaven Thunder Law," while the Cloud Gate is a top-tier method derived from the "Yun Tian Dao."
Where did this kid come from, actually using Ten Thousand Laws Clone to comprehend the ultimate, top-level law that points directly to the ultimate?
Moreover, he didn't dwell on who had intruded into his spell, nor did he ask for guidance; he simply began demonstrating.
Hey, what a clever one!
Li Boqian looked on with great interest.
"Sizzle sizzle~"
Lightning flashed at Zhao Xing's fingertips, and a black dot appeared on his fingertips.
The dot was pitch black, as if it wanted to devour and destroy everything, while lightning surrounded it.
Li Boqian was somewhat surprised when he saw the black dot on Zhao Xing's index finger.
"This kid wasn't bragging after all? His Heavenly Thunder Finger is already taking shape."
Boom!!!
A vortex of lightning flickered around the black dot, which instantly slammed into the Law Wall.
The Law Wall, made of special materials, experienced a brief dent, and numerous cracks appeared around it.
As a testing Law Wall capable of withstanding high-level training, it possesses strong resilience and self-repairing capabilities.
However, the black vortex and lightning imprinted within possessed extremely powerful destructive force, and the Law Wall took a full seven breaths to fully repair itself.
"Phew~" Zhao Xing let out a breath, then said, "Please correct me, senior."
He didn't know if the mysterious man had left or not, because he couldn't sense him at all.
At this moment, Li Boqian not only didn't leave, but instead showed up on his own initiative.
"From the perspective of understanding the Way of Thunder, your Heavenly Thunder Finger cultivation is already on the right track, and there is nothing that needs to be corrected."
Zhao Xing was stunned when he saw the old man in Hemp Garb emerge from the Mist Concealment.
He immediately bowed and said, "This humble official, Zhao Xing, pays his respects to the Grand Minister of Agriculture!"
Li Boqian smiled and nodded, "No need for formalities. There is no Grand Minister of Agriculture here, only an old senior who has lived for hundreds of years."
The reason he went into hiding was because the portrait of the Grand Minister of Agriculture had already spread throughout the land.
If Li Boqian were to appear in the Secret Art Tower, it would likely cause a riot, with countless people abandoning their cultivation to pay homage to him as if on a pilgrimage.
The reason why he has reappeared now is mainly because Li Boqian 'Zhao Xing curiosity.
If he doesn't show himself, he might not get an answer to his questions.
"Thank you, senior." Zhao Xing straightened up.
Li Boqian asked, "You practice the Liu Transmission Straw Man Art. What is your relationship with Liu Tianning?"
"Liu Tianning is my teacher," Zhao Xing replied.
"Then how did you manage to sneak into the Mystic Heaven Academy and Classics Scholar?"
"I made a contribution in the competition for the quota in the Dragon Court Ancient Land, and was recommended by three lords: Geng Shouchang, Heng Yuan, and Sima Yunhai," Zhao Xing answered truthfully.
"I see." Li Boqian suddenly realized, "I suppose your true self is cultivating the Derivation God Art in the Star Palace, which is why you can't come."
"That's exactly right," Zhao Xing said without denying it.
His cultivation of the Derivation God Art was a top secret to others, but not to Li Boqian.
"Now that you've embarked on the Way of the True Self, why have you come to the Mystic Heaven Academy?" Li Boqian asked his third question, but he asked it with a certain expectation in his voice.
Zhao Xing replied without hesitation, "This junior has not only come to the Mystic Heaven Academy, but is also on my way to the Kunyuan Academy."
"I cultivate the three schools of thought, desiring to unify the Timing, Earthly Advantage, True Self! To bring the way of Agricultural Official to an unprecedented and unparalleled peak!"
"Hahahaha~" Li Boqian burst into laughter. "What a grand and ambitious statement! Kid, you have even more ambition than Liu Tianning!"
Li Boqian was very pleased, as this was exactly the answer he had hoped for.
With a test in mind, he immediately asked again:
"Even your teacher, Liu Tianning, only wanted to forge the ultimate path for the True Self Faction."
"I won't ask you how you managed to unify the three factions. Just talk about your teacher, Liu Tianning. Do you know his ambitions, and why he was chosen as one of the candidates for the Shangluo Academy?"
He wanted to see if Zhao Xing truly had something to offer, if he had a clear path forward, or if he was just indulging in empty talk and grandstanding.
Zhao Xing pondered for a moment, then cupped his hands and said, "There are three categories of Straw Man Art: Liu Transmission Straw Man Art, Wu Clan Straw Puppet Art, and Shangluo Straw Puppet Art. Wu Chuan refers to the revised version of the Straw Man Art passed down from ancient times by Wu Cheng, the Grand Minister of Agriculture during the reign of Grand Ancestor."
"The Shangluo Straw Puppet Art is an ancient Japanese version."
"The Liu Transmission Straw Man Art Liu Zonghai, was invented by him."
"Among them, the Shangluo Straw Puppet Art is largely incomplete in terms of intent, form, and spirit."
"Some of the magical materials used to create clones are even extinct."
"Moreover, at that time only one top-level Dharma body cultivation method was passed down, and its power was not obvious. Therefore, the ' Shangluo Straw Puppet Art ' only has a historical status and is the source."
"During the founding of our Great Zhou, the two sages Wu Cheng and Liu Zonghai simultaneously inherited, improved, and created new methods for making Straw Man Art."
"And it gave rise to three levels of Straw Man Art: low, medium, and high."
"Among them, Wu Zhenjun's realm of Dao has reached a sufficiently high level."
"He did not practice it himself, but he summoned the great masters of the True Self Faction and, with the help of the Creation Disc, introduced forty-nine Straw Man Art, from low to high, and finally could cultivate seven top-level Dharma bodies."
"Theoretically speaking, Wu Clan Straw Puppet Art can also be cultivated to its ultimate level."
"Wu Cheng is a theorist, while Xin Zi is a practitioner." The versions created by the two sages, Zhong Haitong, have forty-nine overlapping versions. Although they are essentially the same, there are many differences in their magical effects, mainly in the materials.
"Wu Clan Straw Puppet Art is more accessible to the people, emphasizing technique over materials. The low- to mid-level Straw Man Art making methods publicly promoted by the imperial court are Wu's version."
"Liu Transmission Straw Man Art is an elite approach, emphasizing both the method and the selection of materials."
"However, neither the Wu School in theory nor the Liu School in practice has cultivated that Ultimate Law."
"In later years, the deans of the Shangluo Academy were only at the top level of the Dharma Body."
"Even so, once the Ten Thousand Laws Clone reaches the top-level perfection, its power and effect are already comparable to the Ultimate Law of other schools." "Therefore, the requirement of the leader of the True Self Faction is to cultivate multiple top-level Dharma bodies and reach the perfection level."
"My teacher wanted to use the nine supreme Dharma bodies to unite with the Dao and achieve the true ultimate path for the True Self Faction, and then re-edit the Straw Man Art. This was his ambition."
Li Boqian asked with great interest, "If you wish to unify the three factions, how will you do it?"
Zhao Xing quickly replied, "Besides the Ten Thousand Laws Straw Puppet, True Self Faction."
"To create the Ultimate Mountain Art and the ultimate Mystic Earth Art for the Earthly Advantage Faction, thus completing the five ultimate Earthly Advantage Institute."
Seeing that he had no further to say, Li Boqian smiled and asked, "The Time Faction has seven Ultimate Law, so what are you going to do about them?"
Zhao Xing said, "The Heavenly Timing is perfect, and we should improve the ' Five Elements and Four Seasons Theory '."
"Hahaha, well said! If you could do all that, you would truly be unprecedented and unparalleled."
Li Boqian laughed heartily with satisfaction.
"You have the principles in your heart and the skills in your hands, but you still need to walk the path under your feet more steadily."
"I have asked you six questions, and you may come to the Nanshan Villa to consult me six times."
Zhao Xing was overjoyed, knowing that good fortune had come his way.
The Grand Minister of Agriculture's guidance is far superior to that of Geng Shouchang.
"This junior was just about to ask, how can one possibly grasp the essence of my Heavenly Thunder Finger technique?"
Li Boqian pondered and said, "As I just said, your thunder magic has already taken shape and there is nothing that can be corrected."
"The main reason you can't unleash it is because this is your Ten Thousand Laws Clone."
"Ten Thousand Laws Clone? "Zhao Xing pondered.
"The Ten Thousand Laws Clone has its limitations; for example, it cannot perform the Internal Cultivation Transformation of Seasons Art."
Zhao Xing listened quietly. The Ten Thousand Laws Clone cannot be internally cultivated to the Transformation of Seasons Art, at least not in this era.
Because the internal cultivation Transformation of Seasons Art involves drastically changing the physical body, the material of the clone is very different from that of the physical body. Once the internal cultivation Transformation of Seasons Art, the clone will immediately collapse and cannot be restored. This is also the reason why the original body is irreplaceable.
"In addition, although the Ten Thousand Laws Clone can comprehend the three great secret scriptures, it has no Solar Terms Decree or Pure Origin Soil within its body, so it cannot store Plant Soldier. A black hole lightning vortex appeared at Li Boqian's fingertip, and the speed of the Heavenly Thunder Finger slowed down countless times."
At the same time, a Solar Terms Decree floated out from within his body.
The Solar Terms Decree "Awakening of Insects" is hereby declared.
However, while everyone else's springtime color is green, Li Boqian's is purple.
"The Heavenly Thunder Finger is derived from the three solar terms of Great Heat, Minor Heat, and Awakening of Insects. It is the true meaning of thunder magic that is understood in conjunction with the Solar Terms Decree. In the introductory stage, the Solar Terms Decree is a very important auxiliary cultivation method."
"Your Ten Thousand Laws Clone are not the same as your physical body."
"So you have grasped its form and have a rough understanding of its spirit, but you lack the true meaning of thunder and are not accustomed to the difference between the true self and the clone."
"This Ten Thousand Laws Clone that you created is heavily influenced by the Nether Five Elements. Because its foundation is the Soul Capturing Straw Man Art, and its magical materials are Nether Five Elements, yet it requires the cultivation of Yang Lightning, this constantly interferes with your spellcasting."
Upon hearing this, Zhao Xing suddenly realized what was going on.
Li Boqian pointed out two problems to him. First, he did not use the Solar Terms Decree to assist him during cultivation, which meant that he was inherently more difficult than others.
Secondly, he was unaware of the characteristics of the clone. He wanted to cultivate the top-level Yang Thunder Law, but the Nether Five Elements within the clone were too heavy, interfering with his comprehension.
If it were the real person, they would probably have already achieved it. This is the drawback of sending an avatar.
Li Boqian said, "The solution is quite simple. You're just one step away from success. You can simply ask me to take some time out to cultivate."
"Once you've truly mastered the basics, Takagami Ken, it will be much easier to go back and find a suitable path for your clones to cast spells."
force e
He quickly unleashed a high-level spell, and its power gradually increased.
But now, cultivating top-level techniques is no longer so easy, which is why it has become difficult for him.
Now that Li Boqian had shown him a way, he immediately knew what to do.
It's actually quite simple, but if Li Boqian hadn't pointed it out, Zhao Xing probably wouldn't have realized it for a long time.
"Thank you for your guidance, senior. I know what to do now."
Li Boqian laughed and said, "This question won't count as one of your six chances; consider it hush money. I came here secretly, so you can't tell anyone. Go to the academy and find Lu Chunhua; he'll have Ritual Cultivator use 'Three Mouths' on you."
"Yes." Zhao Xing cupped his hands in Ritual Cultivator. The "Three Muzzles" technique was a ritualistic spell, also known as Word Art.
Li Boqian has an important mission here and cannot easily reveal it.
After meeting with Li Boqian, the clone went to the dean's office.
Lu Chunhua invited a Ritual Cultivator whose cultivation level was unreadable to use the "Three Mouths" technique on Zhao Xing.
This method is effective against the Fate Soul, meaning that neither the main body nor the clone can reveal Li Boqian's location.
Zhao Xing's true form, in his Star Palace residence, closed his eyes and pretended to rest.
He entered the dream wearing the Heavenly Mystery Magic Robe, carrying the Mo Shou Jade Pendant and the Soul Suppressing Bell.
Inside the memory palace in the dream, Zhao Xing recounts his meeting with Li Boqian.
"Li Boqian, the Grand Minister of Agriculture, has a very high historical reputation. Unlike the tyrannical Old Liu, he was relatively mild-mannered."
"I'll win his favor, and these six opportunities to ask him for advice will be my reward," Zhao Xing thought to himself.
I thought it would take some effort, but I never expected that my declaration of my commitment to him would earn me such an opportunity.
It must be said that, in addition to luck, one's own ability is also a factor.
If he hadn't cultivated the Ten Thousand Laws Clone, his main body might not have even attracted Li Boqian's attention when he went to the Secret Art Tower.
What followed seemed like empty boasting.
The fact that he cultivated the Ten Thousand Laws Clone proves that he not only thought about it, but also did it, and that his actions and aspirations were consistent.
Therefore, Li Boqian said that he "has the principles in his heart and the skills in his hands".
"I must make good use of Li Boqian's six opportunities, and it would be best if I could learn his Yuan Seal method."
"However, I will have one last chance to learn from Origin Seal Art. Right now, it would be difficult for me to accept such a transmission, so I cannot waste this opportunity."
If it works out, things will go much more smoothly for him in the Time Faction, and his status will rise dramatically!
The Time Faction inherited an Ultimate Law, which is "to continue the lost learning of the past sages," which is an immense merit!
Although the Time Faction has seven Ultimate Law, the value of these Ultimate Law is not diminished by their sheer number.
"The Derivation God Art is the foundation of learning techniques. I am now at the third level of the Life Soul Seal, and my learning ability has increased more than tenfold compared to before."
"Spell affinity, spell comprehension, spell creation, and spell deduction—these are all things that can be clearly perceived."
"I'll set aside Heavenly Timing to try it out."
Time flies, and it's December 10th in the blink of an eye.
In the Star Palace, Zhao Xing's true form was cultivating, but this time it wasn't the Derivation God Art, but the Heavenly Thunder Finger.
"Sizzle sizzle"
A black lightning vortex appeared at his fingertips; it was incredibly stable, yet contained immense destructive power.
"I've finally grasped the essence of Thunderous Destruction and mastered the top-tier Heavenly Thunder Finger technique." Zhao Xing smiled slightly and dispelled the spell.
The true self and the clone share the same Fate Soul, so their insights are naturally interconnected.
Enlightenment through a clone is equivalent to enlightenment through the original body. He stayed in the Secret Art Tower for ten consecutive days.
At the same time, the main body also briefly abandoned the cultivation of the Derivation God Art, and used the Solar Terms Decree to cooperate in comprehension.
Finally, on the tenth day of using the Secret Art Tower, he mastered the Heavenly Thunder Finger technique to the First-Turn.
"The main body has already mastered the basics; the next step is to get the clone used to it," Zhao Xing thought to himself.
The clone will definitely be slower than the original.
In casting top-tier spells, the true form is like having two eyes to see the world, and possessing both hands and feet. The clone, on the other hand, is like covering one eye and having a lumped leg.
"Based on experience from higher-level cultivation stages, once the main body reaches the Third-Turn of the top-tier cultivation method, the clone should be able to barely perform its function."
Suddenly, the Earth Mirror began to buzz.
Zhao Xing looked at it and immediately felt helpless:
"Ugh, Heaven Derivation King is urging me again. Honestly—does he think I'm slacking off?"
Heaven Derivation King agreed to let Zhao Xing rest for two days.
After resting for five days, Heaven Derivation King became restless.
After resting for ten days, Heaven Derivation King kept reminding Zhao Xing not to slack off.
The mighty Heaven Derivation King became the supervisor of Zhao Xing's cultivation.
He was afraid that Zhao Xing would miss the opportunity to break the record.
"Zhao Xing, it's time for you to cultivate! Come out now!" Heaven Derivation King's voice echoed outside the door. "You've been resting for more than ten days in total! Even the horses in the Spring Palace haven't rested like this!"
"Hey, here it comes!" Zhao Xing and quickly flew away.
The difficulty increases as you progress from the third to the fourth Fate Star.
It took Liu Tianning more than half a year to make this leap.
After learning the Heavenly Thunder Finger, Zhao Xing, under the supervision of the Heaven Derivation King, had to abandon his comprehension of magic and instead focus on cultivating the first level of the Derivation God Art.
"Four-star Life Soul Seal, probably won't be until January next year," Zhao Xing thought to himself. "I wonder if my speed is considered fast or slow, and whether I can achieve FP Inch X:"
Starting from the third star, he felt it was getting harder and harder, and the time required was getting longer and longer.
Of course, Zhao Xing didn't have a concrete idea of this, because since Heaven Derivation King didn't say, he had no way of knowing the other cultivation speeds.
Are there any of the other thirty-seven people who are faster than me?
Where do I rank?
These are all top-secret files.
"Seeing how urgently Heaven Derivation King is pushing me, I'm afraid my cultivation isn't progressing very quickly. I need to work harder; I can't underestimate the geniuses of the Great Zhou."
Old Master Zhao had no idea that he was not only the first among these thirty-eight people, but also the first in this dynasty, and even the first in history. If he knew, he would probably complain to Heaven Derivation King, "I'm already so fast, why are you still urging me? You're at the very bottom of the list."
The time came to the fifteenth day of the first month of the thirty-first year of the Jingxin Calendar.
Inside the Star Palace.
"Boom!"
The Mystic Rune Stars rotated, Zhao Xing stood on the Star Platform, watching quietly.
He no longer cries out in pain.
The practice of the Derivation God Art also tempers one's spirit and will.
The pain is now much greater than it was during the first week, but he can now remain calm and composed.
Even the Heaven Derivation King couldn't tell whether Zhao Xing had succeeded or not.
After waiting for a long time, Zhao Xing neither took the Origin Soul Liquid nor Zhao Xing out.
Heaven Derivation King couldn't help but show himself. "You, have you broken through or not? You've been standing here for so long."
If you've made a breakthrough, say something quickly! I'm in a hurry to write the record!
"Reporting to Heaven Derivation King, I have broken through." Zhao Xing nodded.
At this moment, his Fate Soul, following his waist and abdomen, and his shoulders, now had another star appear on his back.
Secret patterns appeared on the stars, a testament to the path of the soul.
"A fourth Fate Star?" Heaven Derivation King's face lit up with joy. "Excellent, excellent!"
"Your Highness, what level is my speed in breaking through to the fourth star?" Zhao Xing asked.
"Of course—" Heaven Derivation King was so happy that he almost blurted out the truth, but when he thought of Zhao Xing's ten-day rest, he swallowed his words. "Ahem, well, I can only say that you still have a lot of room for improvement."
Unsure of his ambiguous answer, Zhao Xing Attaining Dao, "Your Highness, may I have a few days off?"
"What are you going to do?" Heaven Derivation King asked warily.
Why do you want to rest again? This kid wasn't like this when he was in the Ten Yang Grotto-Heaven!
"The Spring She Day is just around the corner; we always have to go home for the holidays," Zhao Xing said. "Last time I broke through, aside from one body from the Mystic Heaven Academy branch..."
Another clone was on its way to the Kunyuan Academy, while the rest were in the process of breaking through, and dissipated due to the vibration of their Fate Soul.
"It's not that I can't go back using a clone, but my sister always says I'm a silly brother, and I want to go back and see for myself."
There was no way to refuse that reason, Heaven Derivation King nodded and said, "Alright, then I'll give you a half-month leave."
Breaking through from the fourth to the fifth star is not something that can be done in a short time.
"Thank Heaven Derivation King."
"Don't rush," Heaven Derivation King. "Let's go back closer to the festival. It's still early, half a month away."
"Yes."
Chongming Prefecture, inside a secluded private residence.
Looking at the stack of documents in front of him, Yin Qiquan couldn't help but turn to his subordinate. "What's going on here? I told you to bring over all the official records of the Community God Hall's head, but why are all these documents signed by the Right Head Chen Shijie, while the Left Head only has an official seal?"
The subordinate felt wronged. "Sir, this isn't my fault. Zhao Xing went to the Community God Hall and completely washed his hands of the matter, lying in his office all day sleeping and not caring about anything."
"Chen Shijie handles all the affairs of the Community God Hall."
Zhao Xing does nothing and just slacks off. What can be done about it?
"What?! How can this scoundrel be so lazy in his administration!" Yin Qiquan slammed his fist on the table in anger.
He wanted to obtain something related to Zhao Xing and secretly send it to sea, which could serve as a medium.
Collect them up; they will come in handy when the time is right.
However, Zhao Xing has been at the Community God Hall for so long, yet he does nothing. All the affairs, big and small, are handled by Chen Shijie.
He was like a statue in a temple, only looking, not speaking, not moving.
"Isn't there a single official document here with Zhao Xing's signature?" Yin Qiquan asked, holding the stack of documents. "Huh? Is there any?"
The subordinate replied, "Sir, there are still three."
"Huh?" Yin Qiquan was overjoyed. "Where?"
The subordinate immediately stepped forward and found three documents among the ones that Yin Qiquan had disrupted.
"Alright, you may leave." Yin Qiquan subordinate.
Then his body sank into the ground and he arrived at an underground palace.
A huge brazier was burning in the Earth Palace, Yin Qiquan threw all three documents into it.
This brazier was passed down from the ancient sect, the True Fire Sect.
It was created by the True Fire Sect by imitating the Li Fire Divine Altar and Fire Pond of the Li Fire Divine Sect.
However, counterfeit products are a bit lacking; they can't be passed by people, only by passing items, and the quantity can't be too large.
"Pfft~"
These three official documents were sent to the distant Three Undersea Mountains.
The Blood Spirit Venerable stepped down from the stage, holding three official documents in his hand, and then closed his eyes to sense them.
A moment later, a white-skinned face with a stubble beard, a slightly square face, light eyebrows, and small nose and eyes appeared in the Blood Spirit Venerable's mind.
"That idiot Yin Qiquan." Blood Spirit Venerable snorted coldly.
This isn't Zhao Xing's signature; it's clearly Chen Shijie's signature on his behalf!
The Blood Spirit Venerable casually tossed the document away.
A dignified Fourth Grade inspector, unable to obtain even a Fifth Grade official's item, could also make a mistake.
Yin Qiquan is a complete waste!
For him to unleash the [Curse Kill Art], there is a considerable price to pay; it may even require sacrificing a person's life.
How could it be used to kill Chen Shijie? He wasn't even on the list!
Blood Spirit Venerable replied to Yin Qiquan.
A short while later, Yin Qiquan, in the underground chamber, saw the reply: Fool, that was signed by Chen Shijie on his behalf!
"What?!" Yin Qiquan was furious upon seeing the reply. "That damned Zhao Xing! How could you be so lazy in your administration! Ugh, I'm so angry!"
Time flies, and it's already the fourth day of the second lunar month.
At this time, while the officials of Chongming Prefecture were on their annual leave, the Community God Hall was becoming increasingly busy.
As the Spring She Day approached, many people flocked to the temple to worship the local deity.
On that same day, Zhao Xing was also given a half-month leave by Heaven Derivation King.
They emerged from the entrance to the underground chamber and returned to the Divine Temple.
Upon arriving at the office of the Community God Hall, a large pile of documents flew into the office of the chief administrator.
Almost as soon as one batch was processed, a new batch flew out of the furnace.
Subordinate officials kept coming and going, seeking instructions from Chen Shijie.
Upon seeing Zhao Xing enter, the surrounding officials were taken aback for a moment, then bowed and greeted him, saying, "Greetings, Chief Administrator Zhao."
Despite the formalities of bowing, some officials did not look too pleased.
Because Zhao Xing often slept in and didn't care about anything, all the work was done by Chen Shijie, the right-hand manager.
As a result, some officials didn't even remember that there was such a Left Chief Clerk as Zhao Xing, and only realized it after being reminded by others.
"You guys continue, continue. Don't worry about me." Zhao Xing walked into Old Chen's office with a smile.
Upon entering the office, Chen Shijie was already overwhelmed by documents.
Thank goodness, he didn't even notice Zhao Xing coming in!
Chen Shijie is the Military Sima Nong, so he is very vigilant. Yet he didn't even know Zhao Xing had come in, which shows how busy he is.
"Ahem—" Zhao Xing coughed twice, grabbed a minor official at random, picked up two stacks of documents, and walked over. "I'll take care of it. You can go now."
"Yes.
"Pretty busy, huh?" Zhao Xing grabbed the documents and was about to sit down when he realized there wasn't even a place to stand, so he could only stand there.
"What are you doing?" Chen Shijie, looking at the document in Zhao Xing's hand.
"I'm just here to help you with some official business."
"What do you know about handling official business? Give it to me, these two documents are urgent from Mingyang County."
"Yes, Lord Chen." Zhao Xing quickly handed over the document.
Chen Shijie's hands did not move, but many pens were held by the wind, constantly signing and replying to the reports from the subordinate prefectures and counties.
The Community God Hall is usually not busy, but it gets extremely busy as the Spring She Day approaches.
The most important affairs of the state were military campaigns and sacrifices, with sacrifices being one of the most important activities of the Great Zhou.
The Spring She Day is of utmost importance. Normal sacrificial activities in the county seat do not require approval from the prefectural city; they only need to be reported to the county level.
However, all sacrificial rites related to the Spring She Day must be approved by the prefectural government at the county level.
But there are too many now. After looking at it for a while, Zhao Xing realized that there were more things than he had imagined.
"How come there are so many things going on? Even county-level matters are under our jurisdiction now?" Zhao Xing asked.
"They were temporarily assigned," Chen Shijie said.
"A month ago, Zhou Siming transferred the county-level spring festival to the prefecture-level administration."
"Is someone targeting us?" Zhao Xing frowned. "Is Zhou Chengwen a Liang King Faction?"
Zhou Chengwen is the Star Lord Priest of the Controller of Fate Star Lord Hall in the prefectural city, Third Grade Official Rank, making him their superior.
"I don't know, I can't tell." Chen Shijie shook his head. "Their reasons are quite valid. This year is the Spring Festival, so it's normal for county-level affairs to be transferred here."
The Community God Hall doesn't just handle sacrifices; it also involves agricultural affairs. Chongming Prefecture is huge, with as many counties and prefectures as there are on the islands, so it's simply impossible to keep up with the workload.
Zhao Xing nodded; there was nothing he could do about it.
Zhao Xing wasn't sure whether Zhou Chengwen was a Liang King Faction or not, and he didn't know what kind of conspiracy was behind it, but Zhao Xing was too lazy to think about it. Since Princess Youruo didn't interfere, it proved that what she did wasn't too excessive.
"The Spring She Day is coming up soon, can we finish it before the Lunar New Year?"
"No." Chen Shijie shook his head. "What are you thinking? The Spring Festival is the busiest time."
"The Community God Hall is not only involved in sacrifices, but also in agricultural affairs, so these two months are the busiest."
"How long has it been since you took a vacation?" Zhao Xing asked.
"I haven't had a break since I arrived."
Zhao Xing couldn't help but feel embarrassed. "Alright, stop for now. Go home for the New Year. I'll give you a holiday."
"If you don't go back soon, Gui Niang will complain."
Chen Shijie asked in bewilderment, "You don't want to do this anymore? If I leave, who will take care of this job?"
"Me?" Zhao Xing said with a smile.
"You?" Chen Shijie scrutinized Zhao Xing.
"Who do you think you are?" Zhao Xing said. "I'm just busy, not a food vendor."
How could he not be good at handling government affairs?
Check out this Ultimate Guide to Administrative Affairs " compiled by players.
"Aren't you going back?" Chen Shijie asked. "Not only is Long Xiao coming back for the New Year this year, but Xia Jing is also coming to the East Sea after the Spring She Day."
"Oh? Xia Jing is coming too? Why didn't you tell me?" Zhao Xing was a little surprised.
"But we still need to be able to find you. Your roll call is done for you." Chen Shijie took out his chief seal.
Zhao Xing said, "What I mean is, how come he has time to come?"
The Pacifying Barbarians War is not over yet, and Xia Jing is now a Fifth Grade military officer. Why would he leave?
Chen Shijie said, "Xia Jing lost both arms and was poisoned by the Earth Witch."
"What?" Zhao Xing's brow furrowed. "Is it serious?"
"He said it wasn't serious," Chen Shijie said. "Xiang Kui found him Thousand Year Bone-Reconnecting Ginseng from Guangling Grotto-Heaven, but his two arms are poisonous and can't be reattached. He can only wait for them to grow back and needs to recuperate for a while."
"The poison is quite troublesome; it's estimated that it will take a year and a half of recuperation to fully recover."
This is very serious!
Xia Jing practiced the Black Tortoise Shield externally and the Gluttony Art internally. How could he be injured to this extent if it wasn't serious?
"Thank goodness I'm still alive." Zhao Xing breathed a sigh of relief. As long as you don't die on the spot, there's usually a chance of survival.
"It seems your decision back then was correct," Chen Shijie said in a low voice.
They enjoyed the good fortune, but avoided any misfortune.
Otherwise, we wouldn't know what would happen to Chen Shijie and Long Xiao now.
The Pacifying Barbarians War has escalated to a new level.
Xia Jing was injured by the Earth Witch, which proves that Third Grade combatant has already begun to appear on the field.
Currently, only a few individuals possess the Third Grade combat power, but this is still a sign.
Sooner or later, one side will lose its temper and completely ignite a high-end war.
"If I calculate the time, it's been about two years," Zhao Xing thought to himself.
In the thirty-fifth year of the Jingxin Calendar, the Liang King Rebellion. Prior to this, the Gaopin War had been raging for about three years.
In other words, the High-Rank War will break out in the thirty-second year of the Jingxin Calendar.
Back then, the Southern Wilderness was a true hell mode, a veritable meat grinder:
"When he comes, I'll try to persuade him to take this opportunity to recuperate completely," Zhao Xing said in a deep voice. "If he retires now, he can still keep a Fifth Grade Official Rank and retire with his Nobility Title and honors."
"So you're going back to Dongyang County too?" Chen Shijie asked, puzzled. "What about here?"
Zhao Xing laughed and said, "Have you forgotten that I have a clone?"
Although only two bodies remained after cultivating the Derivation God Art.
However, this thing can be recreated at any time. Zhao Xing has plenty of materials in his Pure Origin Soil now, and he can copy and paste a hundred of them in the blink of an eye.
We don't need that many for handling government affairs.
With the Derivation God Art and the Fate Soul at the fourth level, he is multitasking and handling trivial government affairs is a piece of cake.
"Okay, I'll listen to you then." Chen Shijie smiled, put down his pen, and then fell asleep.
Zhao Xing waved his hand, and a gust of wind carried Chen Shijie to the official residence.
He then used Pure Yuan Projection to create clones that emerged from the shadows.
The clone took over Old Chen's work and began issuing official documents.
The 31st year of the Jingxin Calendar, the 10th day of the second month, the Spring She Day.
Zhao Xing and Chen Shijie spent the Spring Festival together at their home in Dongyang County.
On February 13th, Long Xiao brought Bai Feng to Dongyang County.
They had just arrived when, on the afternoon of February 14th, Xia Jing also arrived in Dongyang County of Bixian County.
Zhao Xing has a relative's quota at the Li Fire Dao Academy, which allows Xia Jing to travel directly through the academy.
So he arrived on the fourth day after the New Year.
Thus, the four swordsmen of Ten Yang Grotto-Heaven reunited once again after eleven years since they parted ways in the twentieth year of the Jingxin Calendar.
"Time flies, it's been eleven years already," Xia Jing said with a sigh as she sat at her desk.
His appearance is no different from eleven years ago, but he has lost all his hair, a side effect of the Earth Witch's poison, which he has not yet fully recovered from.
He has gained a more mature and composed demeanor, showing signs of age.
"Come on, drink! Xia Jing, I'll toast you. You survived against Third Grade Earth Witch, I salute you as a true hero!" Long Xiao raised his glass.
"Keep your voice down," Chen Shijie said. "Why are you shouting so loudly? Madam is resting in the side hall."
"What's there to be afraid of? It's just the four of us here, let's drink!"
This is the second gathering, and the family members are not in this four-meter-wide room.
Xia Jing also raised his glass. He had two Seventh Order Mechanical Prosthetic Limb installed, and after taking the Bone-Breaking Ginseng, they wouldn't grow back quickly.
Instead, he will need to use a regenerative medical prosthesis, which is thicker than his original arm and has some space inside from which his hands will slowly grow out.
"Don't worry, it's soundproofed here, you can shout as loud as you want without any problem." Zhao Xing smiled and raised his glass. "It's time for a toast."
Come on, for Brother Xia, cheers!
"Dry!"
The four of them drank it all in one gulp.
"Ha~ Good wine." Xia Jing's face turned red after just one cup. His resistance is not as good as before, and a cup of fifth-grade wine is enough to make his face turn red.
"Heir Apparent, you escaped from Third Grade Earth Witch, tell me in detail," Long Xiao said. "I'll give you a chance to show off today."
Xia Jing raised his wine glass, but looked at Zhao Xing: "Speaking of which, I have to thank Brother Zhao for saving my life."
"Oh? What does this have to do with him?" Long Xiao asked curiously.
Chen Shijie also looked over.
Xia Jing looked at Zhao Xing and said, "Do you still remember what you told me when we parted?"
Zhao Xing nodded. "I remember."
Xia Jing said, "Before you left, you drew me a flag and told me to run if I came across it."
Zhao Xing's pupils contracted. "You encountered the Nine Hells Army from the Southern Wilderness Sacred Mountain?"
Xia Jing smiled wryly and said, "Yes, I encountered people from the Nine Hells Army Corps. At the time, I was leading a Dragon Rider Camp on a Reconnaissance mission for Xiang Kui."
"Suddenly, I came across a flag I had never seen before."
"After seeing that flag, I suddenly remembered what you said, so I immediately ran away."
"So you didn't fight?" Long Xiao interjected!
"Yes, I ran away as soon as I found out," Xia Jing said. "But just when I thought I had successfully retreated, I discovered that I was poisoned. My hands were trembling uncontrollably, my qi and Qi and Blood Battle Formation began to collapse, and I started hallucinating."
"What did you see?"
"I saw nine black worms with ferocious mouthparts. They suddenly emerged from the air and entered my body."
Xia Jing said in a deep voice, "At first I thought it was the work of Insect Witch, but it wasn't, because I always carry the antidote with me, but it didn't work."
"My body began to crumble, my Golden Body was disintegrating, so I decisively severed my own arms."
"Fortunately, I had already mastered the Azure Dragon Transformation Art to the seventh level, and the Black Tortoise Shield and the Gluttony Art also helped a lot. After severing my arms, I no longer had hallucinations, and only the poison was taking effect."
Xia Jing recalled that scene with lingering fear, saying, "You know what? I didn't even see the enemy, and I didn't know what kind of method it was. At that time, all I wanted to do was escape."
"I fainted after running back to the camp, and only afterwards did I find out that I had encountered Third Grade expert."
"Everyone outside says I encountered Third Grade Poison Witch, but that's not the case," Xia Jing recalled. "This is definitely not an ordinary Third Grade. There are no records of such methods in the Military Realm. You all know what happened next; I left the battlefield to recuperate."
Long Xiao asked, "Zhao Xing, do you know what kind of tactic this is?"
Zhao Xing said in a deep voice, "The Nine Hells Army are assassins from the Southern Wilderness Sacred Mountain. Their status in the Southern Barbarians is equivalent to that of the Ten Imperial Guards of our Great Zhou."
"The Nine Hells Army originated from the ancient Nine Hells Divine Sect, and its members are all trained to be all-around generals."
"They've had a Servant Army from the very beginning, and the selection criteria for this Servant Army are extremely high, comparable to the top twenty Imperial Guards of the Great Zhou." "What? Even vassals meet this standard?" Long Xiao was stunned. "Are they few in number? They've been trained like 'gu' (a type of poisonous insect), selected from among millions."
Zhao Xing shook his head. "No, a lot. The Nine Hells Army has more than 50,000 men, Servant Army has more than 10 million men."
"Are you kidding me?!" Long Xiao was shocked. "Ten million Servant Army compared to the top twenty of the Great Zhou Imperial Guard? The Great Zhou didn't even have that many!"
And how strong must those 50,000 people be? Aren't they all unparalleled geniuses?
"Impossible, absolutely impossible," Chen Shijie said. "How could a mere Southern Barbarians have such a foundation?"
Xia Jing looked at Zhao Xing, and only he did not question her.
Zhao Xing pondered, "The Southern Barbarian Holy Mountain is quite special, and the Nine Hells Army doesn't use ordinary training methods. They have ways to change the aptitude of ordinary people. But they also have limitations; they can't leave the Southern Barbarians region and can only guard it."
"I can't go into details anymore. I don't want to lie to you. You'll understand in time."
The Southern Barbarian Holy Mountain, as the only place in the Profound Yellow World with the most spiritual energy, is also one of the key conditions for ascension.
It has always been the place that the Dynasty of Fate most wanted to conquer.
However, such secrets involving ascension can only be known by the emperor, so Zhao Xing could not go into details and could only talk about some rumors.
Of course, things were different during the Wu Emperor Dynasty.
Wu Emperor directly revealed the secret of ascension, no longer treating it as a matter for the royal family alone, but making it known to all his subjects, so that all his subjects would strive towards this goal.
Wu Emperor was unlike any emperor before him; he wanted to ascend to heaven with all his people! Unlike previous dynasties that only took the nobles and powerful figures with them,
Seeing that Zhao Xing was reluctant to talk about it, the three of them stopped asking questions, but the atmosphere suddenly became somewhat heavy.
The main reason is that in their minds, the Great Zhou Dynasty was always invincible, while the Southern Barbarians were very weak.
Especially Long Xiao and Chen Shijie, who retired successfully, didn't experience the subsequent mid-level battle. Even Xia Jing, now injured, still holds this view, only taking it a little more seriously.
But deep down he also believed that he was unlucky and had encountered an extreme case, and he did not expect Zhao Xing to say such a thing.
Just then, there was a knock on the door.
"Husband, are you still drinking? I've brought you some snacks to go with your drinks." It was Bai Feng's voice.
Long Xiao glanced at Zhao Xing, who then activated the Magic Array inside the private room.
Bai Feng, heavily pregnant, was accompanied by Gui Niang, who led a group of maids to serve the dishes.
"Thank you for your trouble, sister-in-law." Zhao Xing got up to help set the table. "We'll do it ourselves."
"Let me do it, Gui Niang." Chen Shijie also took the dishes from Gui Niang's hands.
"Yes, Ling'er, you should rest." Long Xiao stood up with a smile.
"How much did you drink?" Bai Feng asked.
"Not much, not much," Long Xiao said. "Just a tiny bit."
The position of the younger brother in the Long Xiao family is truly worrying.
But his smile quickly faded.
Because Long Xiao brought him two bowls of fish.
"—" Xia Jing's throat bobbed involuntarily, and she glared at Long Xiao.
Long Xiao looked completely innocent, saying that it really wasn't intentional.
Bai Feng is from the East Sea, so how could he not bring some local specialties with him?
"Why isn't Your Heir Apparent eating?" Bai Ling'er asked, noticing Xia Jing's unusual behavior. "I carefully selected only the finest fish, and both dishes were made by Gui Niang herself."
Zhao Xing and Chen Shijie laughed, never expecting that Xia Jing still couldn't escape this calamity.
"Thank you both for your hard work, sisters-in-law," Xia Jing said with a smile. "I've already eaten quite a bit, I'll rest for a while before eating again."
Bai Feng said, "Then have some soup. Gui Niang specially prepared it for you. Try Heir Apparent and see if it suits your taste."
"Yes, it won't taste good when it's cold," Long Xiao said with a smile. "It has to be eaten while it's hot."
Zhao Xing and Chen Shijie also said, "Yes, Brother Xia, since everything is served, we should at least give it a try."
Xia Jing closed his eyes and took a sip, forcing a look of enjoyment. "Not bad, sister-in-law's cooking is superb, and the ingredients are top-notch. It's unforgettable!"
"That's good then, hehe." Bai Feng laughed, "Long Xiao, you keep the Heir Apparent."
"Definitely, definitely."
After saying that, Bai Feng and Gui Niang went out.
As soon as she stepped outside, Xia Jing spat out a mouthful of fish soup.
Long Xiao and Chen Shijie tried to avoid it, and their faces were immediately covered in it. Zhao Xing, on the other hand, seemed to have been prepared and avoided it.
Xia Jing took out a handkerchief to wipe his mouth, gritting his teeth as he said, "You guys are really my good brothers!"
"Ha ha ha ha!"
Happy times are always short-lived. On February 18th, Long Xiao and Bai Feng left Dongyang County and returned to the sea.
On February 19th, Zhao Xing also had to return to the prefectural city, as the half-month vacation that Heaven Derivation King had given him was over.
As for Chen Shijie, he can take a few more days off.
At Zhao Xing's urging, Xia Jing decided to stay in the East Sea for a few more months.
He already owned a manor here, so he settled down in Dongyang County.
On February 20th, Zhao Xing's true form was cultivating the Derivation God Art in the Star Palace.
The progress of the fifth star has slowed down, and it is expected to take another six months after it is fully formed.
The first clone continued to cultivate the "Profound Heaven Thunder Law" and "Cloud Gate" at the Tianyuan Prefecture Branch.
The second clone finally arrived at the Kunyuan Academy headquarters in the Daoyuan Continent, following Meng Kun and Gu Changqing.
"From last April until the end of February this year, we were busy." Gu Changqing stood on the deck of the warship. "We finally completed the task assigned by the imperial court, and everyone can finally take a break."
Meng Kun clasped his hands together, looking at the cheerful officials below. "You subordinates can take a holiday, but you and I cannot rest. The matter of Zhao Xing's joining Kunyuan Academy must be settled as soon as possible."
"Getting a job isn't difficult; the real challenge is getting into this treasure land and managing the resource allocation," Gu Changqing laughed. "You agreed so readily back then, but now you're going to have a headache finding those 300 million in resources for him. Once you get it done, people will definitely be cursing you and your ancestors for eighteen generations."
Meng Kun shrugged and said, "It doesn't matter, as long as I don't find out. If I do, I'll send them to meet my ancestors and let them curse me to my face."
Gu Changqing: "You really go to great lengths."
Meng Kun tilted his head towards the cabin behind him. "Didn't you notice? Zhao Xing's Fate Soul has strengthened a lot in just a few months."
"An extremely terrifying change is taking place within him. For several moments, I even sensed the fluctuations of a top-tier Time Law emanating from him."
Gu Changqing recalled, "It seems so. It appears that his cultivation at the Tianyuan Prefecture Branch has gotten on track."
Meng Kun said, "A person's energy is limited. If he spends more effort on the Time Law, he will spend less effort on the Earthly Advantage Method."
"I'm thinking of giving him my permission to study at the Kunyuan Dao Field for a while. That way, he can focus more on us. What do you think?"
Gu Changqing was taken aback; this was even more generous than the conditions he had previously agreed to.
Kunyuan Dao Field is the best place for enlightenment; even those at the Third Grade are vying for it.
Since Meng Kun was so willing to spend his own resources, he naturally wouldn't disagree.
Meng Kun's decision is good, but—
How did it suddenly curl up?