The Dao Sovereign of Shennong

[Earth Origin Vermilion Fruit]

[Grade: Mid-tier, Fourth Level]

[Effect: Contains rich and easily absorbable essence energy, has a body-cleansing effect.]

[Military Store Price: 3000 Points, Buyback Price: 2400 Points]

Zhao Xing compared the treasure's price in the military store and realized that this Earth Origin Vermilion Fruit was a native treasure of the Ten Sun Cave-Heaven Realm.

"There's also a fifth-tier Heaven Origin Vermilion Fruit that costs 30,000 points—ten times the price! But that's only suitable for eighth-grade cultivators or higher, typically used by seventh-grade cultivators in their training."

"A ninth-grade cultivator consuming a Heaven Origin Vermilion Fruit would likely be overwhelmed by it."

Lord Tian had gifted Zhao Xing 10 Earth Origin Vermilion Fruits. Clearly, Lord Tian had done his homework, knowing that Zhao Xing was only at the fifteenth stage of essence gathering, so the gift was precisely what Zhao Xing needed.

"My understanding of the Dao has already reached a sufficient level. As long as I raise my essence gathering to the required level, I can break through to the eighth grade." Zhao Xing looked at the 10 Earth Origin Vermilion Fruits, overjoyed. "Lord Tian really knows how to give gifts."

Now that the academy placements were finalized, regardless of grade level, many who had reached the required stage in their cultivation would start focusing on advancing their essence gathering, aiming to break through to the eighth grade.

Of course, those with fewer resources would likely take a bit longer to reach that point.

[Hundred Beast Throat Pill]

[Grade: Low-tier, Fourth Level]

[Effect: Made from the vocal cords of a hundred different exotic beasts, strengthens the throat after consumption.]

[Military Store Price: 2000 Points, Buyback Price: 1600 Points]

[Earthly Fiend Lung Refining Pill]

[Grade: Low-tier, Fourth Level]

[Effect: Contains the power of the Earthly Fiend, used to temper the lungs.]

[Military Store Price: 2000 Points, Buyback Price: 1600 Points]

"Huh? Why these two?" Zhao Xing's expression became somewhat strange.

He was no stranger to the Hundred Beast Throat Pill and the Earthly Fiend Lung Refining Pill, as they were commonly consumed during certain stages of Shennong Division training.

But why had Lord Tian included these in his welcome gift?

"Could it be related to the upcoming training?"

"Is the first mandatory training in the Ten Sun Cave-Heaven Realm going to be Martial Arts Training?"

Zhao Xing thought it was very likely.

Still, it was early. He set aside three Hundred Beast Throat Pills and two Earthly Fiend Lung Refining Pills for now.

"I'll start with the Earth Origin Vermilion Fruit."

Zhao Xing picked up one of the fist-sized, bright red fruits and began to eat.

Heat. Intense heat.

The moment Zhao Xing swallowed the fruit, he felt his entire body heat up, as if he were burning with a high fever.

"The Earth Origin Vermilion Fruit doesn't just contain rich essence energy; it also carries a trace of fire-element energy, tempering my body."

"Of course, it has a body-cleansing effect as well."

Zhao Xing didn't resist the heat or use any techniques to cool himself down, allowing himself to sweat profusely.

As the scorching heat spread, Zhao Xing's entire body began to perspire, and his muscles and skin turned red.

But the effects were undeniable.

Immediately after consuming the fruit, his essence gathering progress jumped significantly.

[You consumed the Earth Origin Vermilion Fruit and began initial digestion. Your essence gathering progress increased by 501 points.]

[Essence Gathering: Fifteenth Stage (7525/10000)]

"The effect is incredible. Just one fruit boosted my progress by one-twentieth."

"And this is just the beginning."

Zhao Xing closed his eyes and began circulating his essence gathering technique, guiding the energy through his body.

[You consumed the Earth Origin Vermilion Fruit and further digested its essence. Your essence gathering progress increased by 1521 points.]

[You consumed the Earth Origin Vermilion Fruit and deeply absorbed its essence. Your essence gathering progress increased by 1022 points.]

[You consumed the Earth Origin Vermilion Fruit and absorbed more of its essence. Your essence gathering progress increased by 852 points.]

[Essence Gathering: Sixteenth Stage (881/10000)]

"Phew~"

Zhao Xing exhaled a deep breath. After fully digesting the fruit's effects, he used a technique to clean off the impurities from his body.

"The fruit's effects were so potent that even after breaking through to the sixteenth stage, I still had 920 points left over. But only 881 of those carried over—there was some slight diminishing of the effect, but it's still strong overall."

Although the upper limit for each stage was 10,000 points, the actual difficulty increased with each breakthrough. The progress points required became more meaningful, even though the numbers themselves remained the same.

"At the fiftieth stage of essence gathering, eating 10,000 Earth Origin Vermilion Fruits might not even increase progress by 1 point. But for me, as a ninth-grade cultivator, the diminishing returns are still minimal."

After resting and waiting for the heat to dissipate, Zhao Xing decided to write to Old Chen to share the good news.

After preparing the letter, he called for a courier via the Earth Mirror.

Soon, a courier on a mechanical steed arrived at the courtyard gates.

"Need it expedited?" the courier asked lazily.

"How much for expedited?"

"Normal delivery to Xi Er Prefecture takes ten days. Expedited, it'll take three days. Costs go from 1 point to 3 points."

"I'm sending this to a military contact. It still costs that much?"

"You're sending a personal letter. If you want to use the military channel, you'll have to drop it off at the temple yourself."

"Never mind, I'll handle it myself."

Without another word, the courier rode off on his mechanical steed.

Zhao Xing, who was headed to the temple to study the three great secret classics anyway, decided he might as well deliver the letter there personally. After all, saving those three points was still something.

The temple in Sun City was far larger and more grandiose than the one in Gu City.

When Zhao Xing entered, he immediately felt the difference. The statues housed within were far more imposing, most of them carved in fierce, battle-ready poses.

"All of them are armed and armored, ready for combat."

Zhao Xing scanned the array of statues before choosing one of Wu Cheng.

Wu Cheng had been the Grand Shennong during the Taizu era, holding the rank of first grade.

During his lifetime, he was ennobled as a Duke, and after his death, he was enshrined as a first-grade deity.

In the capital and Southern Zheng, his temple was of duke-level prestige. But here, his image was that of a fourth-grade deity, appearing much younger.

"Shennong official Zhao Xing, humbly seeks the 'Seasonal Qi Command'."

After offering incense, Zhao Xing knelt on a prayer mat and chanted quietly.

"Buzz~"

The Twenty-Four Seasonal Qi Diagrams appeared clearly in his mind.

Unlike his experience in Gu City, the diagrams this time were much clearer, with none of the prior haziness.

Twenty-four distinct patterns rotated in his mind.

To master one of them, he needed to focus on a specific diagram and imprint it into his dantian.

By incorporating the diagram into his dantian, he would form the Seasonal Qi Command.

Once this was done, he could summon the appropriate seasonal changes at will, effectively commanding the cycles of the seasons.

"The Seasonal Qi Command greatly enhances the effectiveness of techniques and can even inspire new techniques or help in breaking through limits."

"The twenty-four seasonal diagrams have endless applications and can benefit me for a lifetime."

"Thank you, True God, for bestowing this knowledge!"

After receiving the full visualization of the diagrams, Zhao Xing rose to offer another round of incense, seeking the second secret classic.

"Shennong official Zhao Xing, humbly seeks the 'Earth Mother Returning to the Origin'."

After settling his mind, Zhao Xing soon saw the image of a small grain of sand form in his consciousness.

That grain of sand was like a miniature continent.

Upon it flowed billions of earth veins, all converging within this speck of dust.

"If I can reach the fiftieth stage of essence gathering and comprehend the operations of forty-nine different earth veins, I will be able to form pure elemental soil in my dantian."

The Earth Mother Returning to the Origin was different from Earth Vein Consolidation. The former sought to comprehend and control the veins of the earth, while the latter focused on utilizing them.

The Earth Mother Returning to the Origin aimed to delve into the essence of the Dao, while Earth Vein Consolidation taught its practical applications, manifesting the Dao into tangible techniques.

"Thank you, True God, for bestowing this knowledge!"

Zhao Xing rose once more to light the third round of incense.

"Shennong official Zhao Xing, humbly seeks the 'Yin-Yang Self Sutra'."

The Self School had two foundational texts: The All Things Growth Diagram and the Yin-Yang Self Sutra.

The All Things Growth Diagram focused on the external growth patterns of living things, using that knowledge to break through the limitations of life.

Zhao Xing's intermediate technique, Wild Growth, and his basic technique, Wild Growth, were both derived from the All Things Growth Diagram.

On the other hand, the Yin-Yang Self Sutra involved internal observation and the cultivation of the five internal elements, utilizing the forces of yin and yang to enhance the five organs.

Since Zhao Xing was still at the ninth grade, he chose the Yin-Yang Self Sutra for its benefits to his internal cultivation. The All Things Growth Diagram could wait for later, when he would have more time to delve into its complexities.

"Buzz~"

Golden light from the statue enveloped Zhao Xing, bringing him into a state of internal observation.

He now saw his heart beating and his stomach churning from a unique perspective.

Gradually, these organs became less solid and turned into five distinct energies.

Under the guidance of the golden light, these energies began to interact, merging and separating in a constant flow, connecting with the energies of the outside world.

With each breath, these movements mirrored the rhythm of life itself.

"Yin and Yang within the Self, cultivation of the Five Elements."

"By maintaining balance within the five elements, I can not only enhance my internal energy flow but also unlock the mysteries of my own body."

Zhao Xing immersed himself in the internal observation process.

During his previous promotion to full officer, he hadn't yet been able to reach this level of internal observation.

But now, with the guidance of the golden light, he achieved it effortlessly.

"Phew~"

Zhao Xing exhaled again, this time noticing a faint heat in his breath.

"The balance of the five elements within me is off. I didn't notice it before, but now it's clear after this internal observation."

"That residual heat is from the fire-element energy left over from consuming the Earth Origin Vermilion Fruit."

"By adjusting the internal circulation of the five elements, I was able to expel that excess energy."

Zhao Xing glanced at his progress:

[Essence Gathering: Sixteenth Stage (971/10000)]

After expelling the residual energy, his essence gathering had gained an additional 90 points.

"Even the most powerful treasures have their downsides."

"But now that I've learned the Yin-Yang Self Sutra, I can constantly monitor my internal state and expel any harmful energies from my body."

"By refining the internal qi over a few days, I can begin to establish my own internal timing system."

"Soon, I won't even need a calendar to determine the time."

Zhao Xing mused to himself.

With the internal cultivation of the Yin-Yang Self Sutra, his sense of time would become exceptionally accurate.

Even during the era of the Fotune Dynasty, the Yin-Yang Self Sutra was known for its many miraculous effects.

"Thank you, True God, for bestowing this knowledge!"

Zhao Xing bowed respectfully before leaving the temple.

Obtaining the methods was only the first step.

To truly master them would depend entirely on his own comprehension.

"The Tianshi Acaademy's 108 seasonal monuments, the Taichang Academy's Original Dao Field, and the Pinghuai Academy's 36 Waterways—all can assist in comprehension."

"I can access them for free twice."

With his first-tier resources, Zhao Xing was allowed three free visits to his own academy's sacred grounds and two free visits to the other academies' training sites.

"But there's no rush to go right now. I'll save those visits for when I hit a bottleneck since these opportunities are rare."

The twenty-four Seasonal Qi Diagrams and the Earth Mother Returning to the Origin images were still vivid in his mind.

If the day came when the images grew dim and unclear, that would be a sign that he had reached a bottleneck.

"Ah, I almost forgot—I haven't sent Old Chen his letter yet."

Zhao Xing turned back but didn't head for Wu Cheng's temple this time. Instead, he approached another hall.

"The Divine Messenger, Lord Dai Zong."

Zhao Xing gazed at the statue inside the hall.

The figure was carved in a running stance, with clouds beneath his feet and a mailbag on his back.

"Please, True God, deliver my letter."

After offering incense, Zhao Xing placed his letter into the incense burner.

"Whoosh~"

The flames danced, swiftly consuming the letter.

Zhao Xing glanced at the burner. Seeing no ash and no sign of rejection, he knew his letter had been delivered.

"Thank you, True God, for delivering the message."

With that, Zhao Xing left the temple.

A quarter of an hour later, in the Xi Er Prefecture.

Inside the Shenwei Army's command hall.

"Whoosh~"

A series of wall-mounted braziers burned steadily in the hall, each about a meter tall and flanking a row of various deities' statues.

At the very first brazier to the left, which was dedicated to Lord Dai Zong, the flames suddenly flared up, spitting out a sealed letter.

"Hmm? A letter from the Ten Sun Cave-Heaven Realm," murmured Chen Shijie, who was standing by a sand table, simulating battle strategies with Long Xiao. The sudden emergence of the letter caught his attention, and he turned to fetch it from the brazier.

"Many thanks to the True God for delivering the message," Chen Shijie said respectfully before picking up the letter.

"Who sent it? Which department is it from?" Long Xiao asked curiously.

"It's from Zhao Xing," Chen Shijie replied with a grin, laughing as he opened the letter. "That kid... he's really something. Using the military intelligence channel for personal correspondence! Didn't you send him a batch of Thunderstones? Why would he be so stingy as to not pay for an express message and instead have Lord Dai Zong deliver it?"

"We'll have to remind him next time: personal letters shouldn't clog up military channels," Chen Shijie joked.

Long Xiao, always quick with his wit, countered, "He's one of our key trainees. His progress is a matter of intelligence too, isn't it?"

"Hmm..." Chen Shijie couldn't help but chuckle. "You might be right about that!"

As Chen Shijie began reading the letter, his expression softened, and a faint smile tugged at his lips.

"What's it say? Don't just grin—share the details!" Long Xiao was clearly too intrigued to stay focused on the sand table.

With a flick of his wrist, Chen Shijie passed the letter to Long Xiao, who eagerly snatched it up.

"Hah! So the first challenge was a sneaky one—'relay reporting'. Crafty! Oh? He got into a fight with Hujiao Army's Li Feng during the cloud-wrangling competition? And he actually eliminated Li Feng, who ranked sixth in their internal selection? Satisfying!" Long Xiao laughed, clearly enjoying the story.

"Ranked ninth in the Thunder Technique Hunting Challenge... third in the Rain Law Trial... and ultimately, he got into the Di Li Academy with first-tier training resources!" Long Xiao recited enthusiastically, waving the letter. "He's really moving up!"

Long Xiao practically bounced with excitement, as if he had witnessed Zhao Xing conquer each challenge firsthand.

"He made it into one of the Four Great Academies. Ha! Thank goodness our Shennong Division isn't just relying on Han Bing," Long Xiao concluded, clearly impressed. "And Han Bing only got second-tier training resources."

"He's making great strides," Chen Shijie agreed. "I bypassed quite a few formalities to bring him into the Shenwei Army, and plenty of people have had opinions about it. But now that he's secured a spot in the Di Li Academy under Lord Tian, and with first-tier resources no less, I'd like to see anyone question it."

"People will always find something to say!"

"Hm?"

"Well, now they can say that Chen Shijie has a great eye for talent!"

"Hahaha!"

April 7th. It had already been three days since the academies had made their selections.

Although the academy placements were finalized, Sun City had only become busier.

The reason? Discontentment.

Many of the Shennong trainees were dissatisfied with their placements. Why should someone else get a personal mentor while they had to endure lectures in a crowded classroom? What made the others so special? Weren't they all just two shoulders and one head, the same as everyone else?

Thus, competition intensified. The atmosphere was suffocating with everyone desperate to improve, preparing for the upcoming mandatory training sessions in hopes of changing their situation.

"Things are getting quite hectic out there," Zhao Xing remarked with a grin as he stood within the Seventy-Two Earthly Palaces, observing the overcrowded streets outside.

At the moment, he was deep within the Di Li Academy, focusing on his studies. The place was spacious, and there were only about twenty to thirty people scattered throughout the vast expanse.

Not everyone here was from the reserves; some were active Shennong officials seeking further enlightenment.

"I feel like those people outside are glaring daggers at us," Zhao Xing said, casting a glance at Han Bing, who was sitting nearby. "If I went out there now, do you think someone would throw a rock at me?"

"They wouldn't throw a rock," Han Bing replied dryly, "They'd throw a chamber pot."

Zhao Xing shivered at the thought. "But we're not allowed to dump chamber pots here!"

"They don't prohibit bringing a pot with you though, do they?" Han Bing said coldly. "If I were to pour one over your head, it wouldn't be against the rules."

"Yikes, that's brutal!"

"I don't make the rules," Han Bing continued, "but if you're feeling brave, why not try going out there?"

"On second thought... I think I'll stay here," Zhao Xing quickly decided.

In terms of spell mastery, Zhao Xing's main focus was on his Earth Palace Technique and Mysterious Earth Technique. These two techniques, when combined, formed the backbone of his cultivation.

Most critically, the Divine Travel Guard technique, which combined the two, was a major breakthrough that Zhao Xing was eager to fully master. As soon as he earned access to the deeper levels of the Earth Palace, he and Han Bing had rushed in together to begin their studies.

"Combining the Mysterious Earth Technique and Earth Palace Technique lets me travel through earth veins undetected," Zhao Xing murmured as he examined the intricate inner workings of the Divine Travel Guard.

"Marvelous. Truly marvelous!"

On the fourth day after the academy placements, Zhao Xing achieved the eighth transformation of the Earth Palace Technique.

On the fifth day, he advanced to the eighth transformation of the Mysterious Earth Technique.

By the sixth day, Zhao Xing had successfully merged the two techniques, bringing the Divine Travel Guard to its eighth transformation.

Once his insights into the Earth Palace were complete, on the ninth day, he consumed his sixth Earth Origin Vermilion Fruit, advancing his essence gathering to over halfway through the eighteenth stage.

It was also on this day that he visited Lord Tian's Fortune Garden and learned about the upcoming mandatory training.

"The first mandatory training will focus on Martial Arts Training," Lord Tian explained. "The details have been finalized."

"The training will last one month, and during that time, the use of all techniques will be forbidden. You'll have to rely solely on your physical abilities."

"The goal is to improve the Shennong officials' hand-to-hand combat skills, preparing you for situations where you might find yourself unable to rely on spells."

"A month from now, you'll be tested on your progress."

"For this Martial Arts Training, soldiers from various military factions will serve as your sparring partners. They won't be going easy on you, so if you don't want to get beaten black and blue, I suggest you spend the next twenty days preparing yourself and breaking through to the eighth grade as soon as possible."