Zong Shiba

You crafted a Straw Puppet (Great Strength)

Every Tree and Bush an Enemy proficiency +15

Straw Puppet (Great Strength) proficiency +60

You crafted a Straw Puppet (Great Strength)

Every Tree and Bush an Enemy proficiency +20

Straw Puppet (Great Strength) proficiency +80

The superior materials brought different insights. Compared to Yuan Rice Dry Grass, the power contained within Adamantine Bamboo gave clearer feedback, allowing Zhao Xing to grasp the finer details of the Great Strength Straw Puppet Art on a deeper level.

With that foundation, the Great Strength Straw Puppet Art's spell proficiency shot up.

Half a day later, Zhao Xing had already trained it to the second transformation.

Straw Puppet (Great Strength)

Proficiency: 2750/9999

Effect: Indestructible, immensely powerful.

"Hit me. Thirty percent strength." Zhao Xing crossed his arms in front of his chest, then ordered the second-transformation Vajra Puppet.

"Bang!" The golden Vajra Puppet threw a punch. Zhao Xing felt as though he had been struck by a giant pendulum and was sent flying backward.

The Vajra Puppet flashed forward, immediately preparing to finish him off.

"Stop! That's enough, it's already ridiculous!"

Zhao Xing bared his teeth and called a halt.

The Vajra Puppet immediately froze in place.

Now Zhao Xing was no longer tired; all that remained was the aching pleasure coursing through his body.

How did resistance come about? This was how it was trained!

He was just still too weak and unable to take much of a beating. Otherwise, Zhao Xing would definitely have practiced with the Vajra Puppet.

"With a punch like that, a Minister of Agriculture's body would find it difficult to withstand it. If it went all out, even thick-skinned martial artists would probably need to be Ranked Martial Artists to take it."

You got what you paid for. Using Yuan Rice as the base for the Straw Man Art could at most scare off birds.

The Vajra Puppet, on the other hand, could completely serve as a bodyguard.

Still, the Vajra Puppet had no technique whatsoever. It only knew simple punches and kicks. Against Ranked Martial Artists, it could be easily led around, but against these junior Minister of Agriculture officials, it should be more than enough.

"The numbers are about right too. Let's see which fool dares come provoke me."

Zhao Xing walked out of the bamboo grove and entered the nearby field, plucking several Green Vine Fruits from the vines and eating them.

The low-grade Second Order Green Vines had already ripened, covered in thumb-sized golden fruits.

The flavor was fairly mediocre, but they were filling.

Zhao Xing was not picky about taste. Practicality was always his first consideration.

"Now only the aquatic Fragrant Lotus remains. More than half of it still hasn't ripened." Zhao Xing looked around the muddy pit.

Since most of the vital energy had been supplied to the Adamantine Bamboo, only two Fragrant Lotuses had matured. The remaining eighteen were still growing.

"I wonder how everyone else's crops are doing. My Earth Veins Synthesis only took care of the eastern half of the Planting Area. The western side received no attention at all."

If Huang Tao heard that, he would probably cough up blood. Was that what he called receiving attention?

"There are limited Grade A slots. If I can suppress Wen Nanxing and Xiao Ze so that they only receive Grade A, then as they decline, my chances of entering official service will grow."

"On the third night, I'll secretly kill off some of their plants. That should be enough. As for the people on the western side, forget it."

Having made up his mind, Zhao Xing planned to rest for a while and wait until nightfall to act.

But unexpectedly, an uninvited guest arrived.

"You few, go over to Brother Chengfeng's side and switch plots with me." Zong Shichang came from the west and stopped beside the western edge of Zhao Xing's Clouds.

"Brother Zong, we've already planted here, and they're about to mature. Changing now would be inappropriate." Someone was unwilling to switch places.

"It won't be for nothing. Come to my residence afterward and collect your money," Zong Shichang said blandly.

"I'll switch." The first person immediately beamed, pulled up his crops, and left without another word.

"What about you? Will you switch or not?"

Seeing that they were still hesitating, Zong Shichang impatiently said, "If you dig them up yourselves, you might not suffer too much damage. But if I help you dig them up, then all your previous efforts will be wasted."

"We'll switch." Under both threats and inducements, Zong Shichang quickly completed the exchange.

Such a commotion naturally caught Zhao Xing's attention.

"Zong Shichang? What is he doing moving over here? Is he coming for me?" Zhao Xing watched the scene unfold.

Unlike Li Chengfeng, who had the reputation of a gentleman, Zong Shichang gave people the impression of being overbearing.

Put nicely, he acted as he pleased. Put bluntly, he was domineering and disregarded others' feelings.

But he did not act recklessly without cause, and he was willing to spend money.

Usually, he opened the way with money first, only resorting to force if that failed.

"His father, Zong Heng, is one of the vice presidents of the Nanyang Merchant Guild. He doesn't take ordinary people seriously at all." Zhao Xing recalled some rumors about Zong Shichang.

The most famous incident was when Zong Shichang had played Duicao with someone in Nanyang County, a kind of folk entertainment game.

Young Master Zong got so upset after losing that he punched the other man in the face.

By coincidence, constables happened to pass by and immediately tried to arrest Zong Shichang.

Zong Shichang offered the man he had hit thirty taels per punch. The man immediately sprang up from the ground and drove the constables away.

In the end, Zong Shichang punched the man eighteen times to vent his anger, earning himself the nickname "Zong Shiba."

"Brother Zhao! May I have a word with you?"

Sure enough, once Zong Shichang had settled in, he immediately walked toward Zhao Xing.

Zhao Xing saw that he was standing at the edge of the Clouds' shadow and was speaking fairly politely, so he walked over.

"So it's Brother Zong. What guidance do you have for me?"

After Zhao Xing spoke, he noticed Zong Shichang glance behind him, then inexplicably... become excited?

"So Brother Zhao has the same intention? I indeed wish to spar with you!" Zong Shichang said directly.

Hey, hey, was that what I meant by guidance? Your thought process is way too strange, isn't it?

But Zhao Xing could not be bothered to explain. Explaining at a time like this would make him look cowardly, would it not?

So he spoke just as directly. "Set the terms. How do you want to do this?"

"Straightforward!" Zong Shichang found Zhao Xing much more pleasing to the eye. "You and I will compete without restrictions. Any spells may be used. Are you willing?"

"If I injure you, you may choose any spiritual pill below the third tier. I'll have someone deliver it to your residence afterward."

Are you looking for a sparring partner? Zhao Xing raised a brow. Zong Shichang's reputation for extravagance truly was not exaggerated. Everyone else competed for the assessment, while he purely wanted someone to spar with.

"No."

"No?" Zong Shichang's expression turned cold, and his eyes narrowed slightly.

"If I win, you have to pay up as well."

Zong Shichang was stunned for a moment, then laughed. "Beat me? Hahaha, then it's settled! Take this!"

He pointed upward, and the Cloudcalling above his head immediately turned pitch-black as lightning flickered within the clouds.

He rapidly completed the steps of Cloudcalling and Thunderclap.

From the opening gesture of his spell, Zhao Xing knew that his third step would be Guiding Thunder.

Guiding Thunder was an intermediate spell. Zong Shichang loved competing and fighting, and he clearly had some skill.

Zhao Xing frowned and retreated behind the Straw Puppets.

"Knock him down. Yes, all twenty of you, attack together."

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