Chapter 115: Dual Methods United, Divine Step Guardian, A Delivery from West Er Commandery

Taicang Court.

The registration had long since ended, but Lu Bang and Zuo Zizhi were still busy — they still had to oversee the next stage of the branch examinations.

Both Lu Bang and the other were military men with duties of their own, and they took their tasks seriously, so they would occasionally observe the various treasure lands to check on the recruits' comprehension progress.

They would even modify and adjust the upcoming branch trials based on these observations.

"The Myriad Forms Labyrinth has appeared again." Zuo Zizhi looked helplessly at the situation at the Seventy-Two Labyrinth treasure lands. "Palace Wu Hou is an old man, yet still child at heart — he's come to tease these new recruits again."

Lu Bang glanced at the labyrinth that appeared and vanished like a ghost, and couldn't help but smile: "It's already good enough that the old gentleman can come to Ten Sun Grotto-Heaven. If the other army commanders knew, they'd be only too happy to let him go play."

Zuo Zizhi said: "True enough. He's the Honorary Vice Dean of Earth Lake Dao Academy, a veteran Wu Hou, famous for three hundred years, and a Third Rank powerhouse — others couldn't beg him here even if they tried… It was only because the military department invited him, and the nine garrison commanders went to plead, that he agreed to sit for a while at Ten Sun Grotto-Heaven."

"He's been here three years, and this Myriad Forms Labyrinth has only appeared a few times in the early stage of recruit training." Lu Bang said, "Don't laugh — even I want to go comprehend there myself, but it's not permitted."

"Right, anyone above Eighth Rank who goes, the Myriad Forms Labyrinth won't show itself." Zuo Zizhi was also helpless. "Look at the Myriad Forms Court where he lives — it's been so long, and no one has managed to knock on his door. When too many people disturbed him, he simply ordered no one to approach. Truly eccentric."

"The older you get, the more like a child you become." Lu Bang said, "Old and small, old and small — wait until you and I are seven or eight hundred, who knows how strange we'll be."

"Seven or eight hundred?" Zuo Zizhi shook his head. "I don't dare hope for that long. Living to five hundred, I'd be very content."

Chatting as they went, the two didn't take the appearance of the Myriad Forms Labyrinth too seriously.

But a few days later, the Myriad Forms Labyrinth was still there, and its appearances grew more and more frequent — this gave Lu Bang and Zuo Zizhi some surprise.

"Hmm? Two little ones from Divine Might Army — Zhao Xing and Han Bing?"

"The Myriad Forms Labyrinth is lingering for the two of them?"

"Look, that Zhao Xing closed his eyes — he's smiling?"

"Could he have comprehended a method?"

【You have comprehended for several days before the Myriad Forms Labyrinth and gained insight into the mid-tier spell "Divine Step Guardian" (Special).】

【Divine Step Guardian: Mid-tier Spell】

【Progress: Fourth Turn (4253/18000)】

【Effect: A combination of the Divine Step Labyrinth Method and the Mysterious Earth Guardian Method. Once cast, with the caster at the center, an octagonal palace instantly forms. It can also cause the labyrinth to sink underground, traveling stealthily through the earth's veins. The Fourth Turn Divine Step Guardian can travel stealthily through earth, metal, wind, and thunder veins.】

"It's actually a Myriad Forms Labyrinth — no wonder it was so difficult." Zhao Xing opened his eyes.

After comprehending the method, he understood it at once.

The Myriad Forms Labyrinth was somewhat similar to the Myriad Laws Spiritual Splendor and the Myriad Laws Cloud Map.

But this technique was far more ingenious than the Myriad Laws Cloud Map.

Of course, it couldn't truly be called the Myriad Laws — in reality it only contained the Labyrinth Method and the Mysterious Earth Method.

A true Myriad Laws Labyrinth would combine the four great categories of King Di Zang, Labyrinth, Splitting Earth, and Mysterious Earth, and encompass everything.

This one clearly had not reached that level.

"The Myriad Forms Labyrinth is already very powerful — the fusion of two methods, combining Divine Step and the Labyrinth Method. This was created by at least a Third Rank powerhouse." Zhao Xing thought to himself.

Having learned Divine Step Guardian, Zhao Xing had effectively learned both the Divine Step Labyrinth Method and the Mysterious Earth Guardian Method.

Because of the fusion of two methods, the difficulty was greater, so this type of spell was very special.

Its upper limit was far higher than ordinary mid-tier spells.

"With eighteen turns of the spell, you could say I've learned a method comparable to a high-tier one."

"This type of spell is even rarer than high-tier spells."

Why was it rare?

If you put Divine Step Guardian together with another high-tier method and took them to the Departing Fire Dao Academy to test for an honorary title,

Divine Step Guardian would definitely be chosen.

Because between the two, the learning threshold of Divine Step Guardian was lower, yet its power was the same.

Divine Step Guardian could be comprehended step by step from a lower threshold — from one to ten.

But a high-tier spell had a comprehension difficulty that started directly at ten.

"Traveling stealthily through the earth's veins — with this octagonal labyrinth, the safety factor of my stealth travel is greatly increased." Zhao Xing thought to himself.

He thought of the person who had traveled stealthily underground in the Ten-Thousand-Li Thunder Zone before.

If that person was walking a tightrope, then he himself was riding a cable car.

Suppose the two fought or chased while traveling stealthily underground.

He was faster, and in a fight, one charge of Divine Step Guardian would send the opponent to their doom.

"This trip was not made in vain."

Zhao Xing smiled, his anxiety of many days turning to pleasure.

Although eight days had been wasted, comprehending the fused Divine Step Guardian from the Myriad Forms Labyrinth — and comprehending it straight to the Fourth Turn at that — was absolutely worth it.

"I wonder who the master of this Myriad Forms Labyrinth is."

Such a powerful figure certainly wouldn't be without fame.

But he didn't think on it further.

"Han Bing is still comprehending." Zhao Xing looked at Han Bing's back, still immersed in pursuit. "I hope he can comprehend what he wants."

Not wanting to disturb him, Zhao Xing quietly left.

Minor Nine Heavenly Gang Wind Third Turn, Rolling Ground Thunder Fourth Turn, Divine Step Guardian Fourth Turn.

Zhao Xing's basic training had reached the planned target.

After returning for a big meal, he hurried off without pause to another place to comprehend, beginning his advanced training.

"Fifteen days left."

"Of the three newly learned spells, aim to break through to Seventh Turn with one."

"If one breaks through to Seventh Turn, the advanced training target is met."

"If two do, that's a pleasant surprise."

"All three gates above seven revolutions — the possibility isn't great."

Comprehension also requires a gradual, step-by-step approach; Zhao Xing didn't set his expectations too rigidly.

Sometimes being too anxious can actually prevent one from achieving the desired result.

"To increase a spell's power, comprehending a single spell is one aspect; the other is cultivating the Solar Terms Command, Returning Earth to Origin, and Yin-Yang Self Canon."

The Solar Terms Command and Returning Earth to Origin are also methods of comprehension.

The Solar Terms Map can create heavenly timing more favorable to spells; Returning Earth to Origin also alters earthly advantage, essentially adding an extra layer of amplification to spells.

As for the Yin-Yang Self Canon, it cultivates oneself — cultivating the 'Inner Five Elements' — Zhao Xing planned to comprehend it after the branch academy ended.

The sixteenth day, zi hour.

Zhao Xing arrived at the Mysterious Earth Prison of the Earth Advantage Academy.

In this prison, quite a number of underground exotic beasts were held.

Each one's strength was extremely terrifying, chilling to behold.

The innate abilities possessed by these underground-dwelling exotic beasts were all similar to earth advantage spells.

In fact, many human spells were created by observing these exotic beasts.

At this moment, Zhao Xing stood outside a massive cell over ten meters tall, watching a multi-segmented exotic beast raging inside.

"The Five-Colored Centipede favors damp, dark swamp lands; its toxicity is fierce, it excels at evasion, and its tentacles lash like wind — its power is extremely strong."

"Among underground creatures, it's a relatively ferocious exotic beast, living up to a thousand years at most, growing to fifth-grade."

"Its innate ability can influence and distort earth veins; the hardest rock becomes soft before it. Its innate ability invisibly harnesses the earth-vein forces of earth, water, and metal."

Zhao Xing watched quietly, cross-referencing with his learned Divine Movement Guardian.

The Five-Colored Centipede and the Emerald Water Centipede were one male, one female.

The Five-Colored Centipede was raging now because next door was a Mirage Pearl preserving the scene of the Emerald Water Centipede being killed.

【You observed the Five-Colored Centipede unleash its innate ability and gained insight; Divine Movement Guardian spell progress 25】

【You observed the Five-Colored Centipede unleash its innate ability and gained insight; Divine Movement Guardian spell progress 55】

【You observed the Five-Colored Centipede unleash its innate ability and gained insight; Divine Movement Guardian spell progress 35】

Half an hour later, the Five-Colored Centipede calmed down.

It couldn't be allowed to rage the whole time either — it needed to be reused.

Half an hour of thrashing was about enough.

Zhao Xing headed toward the next cell.

The twentieth day.

Zhao Xing left the Mysterious Earth Prison.

【Divine Movement Guardian: Mid-grade spell】

【Progress: Six revolutions (6005/18000)】

"Four days, not a small harvest. Although it only advanced two revolutions, this spell is a dual-spell combination."

"It looks like only two revolutions of progress, but in reality my Divine Movement Earth Palace and Mysterious Earth Guardian both advanced two revolutions, and the Boundless Earth Palace is nearly at nine revolutions."

A dual-spell combination naturally had different power, and the mysteries of the spell were understood more thoroughly.

"To the Earth Vein Hall."

Zhao Xing flew eastward.

"The Earth Vein Hall contains nineteen earth-vein maps, depicting over ten thousand earth veins across the nineteen provinces."

"Comprehending them is equivalent to observing an infinitely repeatable teaching painting."

"Whether I can break through to seven revolutions depends on it."

If one had to choose a spell to break through to seven revolutions, naturally the Divine Movement Guardian was more cost-effective.

It combined offense, defense, and travel, and its power was greater than that of normal mid-grade spells.

Just as Zhao Xing was heading to the Earth Vein Hall.

Suddenly—

The Earth Mirror trembled.

"Hm?"

Zhao Xing took out the Earth Mirror in puzzlement and looked.

【Agricultural Commandant 'Fan Zhaoli', by setting heavenly timing and altering heavenly timing, turned waste into treasure. Over two years, he transformed the 'Inverted Peak Mountain' of the Ten Sun Grotto-heaven, a region of three hundred li in radius, into a treasure land.】

【Effective immediately, Inverted Peak Mountain can stably produce eight types of fourth-grade fruits and one type of fifth-grade original treasure, 'Heaven Serpent Fruit'. Therefore, Fan Zhaoli is awarded 1 billion points! In recognition of his labor! This announcement is specially issued to congratulate Commandant 'Fan Zhaoli'!】

【The Armory adds fifth-grade treasure 'Heaven Serpent Fruit', priced at 400,000 points each.】

"What? Someone transformed a treasure land and received a reward of 1 billion points?" Zhao Xing's brow rose.

"Capable of stably producing a fifth-grade original treasure, the Heaven Serpent Fruit?"

"The heavenly timing and earth veins across three hundred li have all been transformed — truly remarkable."

Zhao Xing knew how difficult it was to turn wasteland into treasure land.

Destruction was easy; transformation was hard.

Without question, this was a war of attrition.

"Two years, 1 billion points — that 1 billion probably isn't Fan Zhaoli's alone; it should be a team." Zhao Xing thought.

Every time a treasure advanced a grade, its value jumped a tier.

Fourth-grade treasures that could be mass-produced were usually no more than ten thousand.

If they couldn't be mass-produced, the price certainly exceeded ten thousand, sometimes reaching several tens of thousands.

Fifth-grade treasures that could be mass-produced were basically all over ten thousand; those that couldn't be mass-produced might reach an upper limit of several hundred thousand.

The Heavenly Serpent Fruit is a treasure of its place of origin, meaning only the Ten Sun Grotto-Heaven can produce it.

At first it wasn't fully mass-produced, so a price of four or five hundred thousand per fruit was normal.

Once it can be mass-produced, the price will come down.

Being able to mass-produce it is a great merit; a reward of 1 billion points isn't really much.

"So many points—if it were all Fan Zhaoli alone, the military department would probably promote him. At the very least he'd be raised to a loose rank."

Zhao Xing put away his Earth Mirror and continued walking toward the Earth Vein Hall.

These matters were still far off for him. The most important thing right now was preparing for the branch academy examination in one month.

The twenty-fourth day.

Inside the Earth Vein Hall.

Zhao Xing sat cross-legged before a mural.

At this moment, many people were sitting in this broad mural corridor, meditating and comprehending.

Anyone cultivating Dili Sect techniques and contemplating the flow of the various earth veins across the nineteen provinces could gain some insight.

【Divine Step Guard: Intermediate Spell】

【Progress: Sixth Turn (6995/18000)】

"Comprehending these earth vein murals really does bring significant progress—four days, and the progress went up by 990 points."

"But I've already been comprehending here for four days."

"Yet Divine Step Guard still hasn't broken through to the seventh turn."

"The progress bar is only five points short—the last five points, why so hard?"

Although coming to the Earth Vein Hall to comprehend the murals wasn't without gains.

The progress also rose from 6005 to 6995.

But that was the gain from the first three days.

Today, the entire day, not a single point of gain.

"Free stuff really isn't anything good."

Zhao Xing shook his head.

Not like a fourth-tier Dao-Dissemination painting, whose effects were astonishing.

The freely exhibited resources did indeed help the new soldiers, but these free treasure sites also had a ceiling.

To break through a dual-law combined spell to the seventh turn in a short time was extremely difficult.

"I only have a little over a thousand points; I can't even buy a fourth-tier painting in the armory."

Zhao Xing was browsing his Earth Mirror.

Dao-Dissemination paintings—at least upper fourth-tier—were the only ones that could possibly have an effect on him now.

But every upper fourth-tier Dao-Dissemination painting cost three thousand points!

That was even after some discount, since the military was cheaper than outside.

Back then, what Lu Qian and Zong Zong Shichang bought were all over three thousand taels; Lu Qian's Ten Thousand Laws Cloud Map was even over six thousand taels.

"To break through Divine Step Guard, I need the corresponding Dao-Dissemination paintings for both the Divine Step Earth Palace and the Mysterious Earth Guard—that means I need at least six thousand points."

"I can't even get any missions now, where do points come from? Should I find someone for a wager-duel?"

A wager-duel meant finding someone to spar, with points as the stakes.

Now, more than twenty days in, many people had used this opportunity to scrape points off others.

But after thinking it over, Zhao Xing tossed the idea aside again.

"Everyone's broke as hell—new recruits only have 100 points, and after more than twenty days they've probably already spent it all; wagering ten or twenty points is pointless."

"And those with a few thousand points aren't necessarily beatable."

"Long Xiao and Old Chen, why haven't they delivered my goods yet? It's been so long."

The Blood Spirit Needle and Blood Sha Pearl Zhao Xing had obtained back then were both fourth-tier treasures, which he had handed over to Long Xiao and Old Chen.

Ten days ago, he had received a letter from Old Chen, saying he would send some things over.

Now he didn't know what was going on—they still hadn't been delivered.

"Maybe something held them up."

"Forget it, I'm only five points short of progress; I may not need points to break through."

Zhao Xing continued looking at the mural.

Time passed, and Zhao Xing stayed in the Earth Vein Hall for another four days.

His eyes never once left the mural.

What was before him now were the seven main earth veins of Pinghai Province; these seven main earth veins corresponded to metal, wood, water, fire, earth, wind, and thunder.

Each earth vein was extremely stable, flowing quite slowly—if one didn't look closely, one wouldn't notice it at all.

"To shake the earth veins of an entire province—how difficult that is."

"The Boundless Earth Palace and the Divine Step Earth Palace can collapse some small earth veins in certain places, but for earth veins of the nineteen-province level, forget ninth-rank—even fifth-rank would struggle to shake them."

"Vast, incomparably stable, embracing all things, nurturing all life."

Zhao Xing watched quietly.

Unconsciously, he activated his Keen Sight, wanting to see more clearly.

And at a certain moment, a meteor suddenly streaked across his field of vision.

The vast and stable earth veins suddenly sped up, and Zhao Xing saw the second layer.

"So that's how it is."

Zhao Xing smiled, rose, and walked out of the Earth Vein Hall.

【Divine Step Guardian: Intermediate-Tier Spell】

【Progress: Seventh Revolution (7001/18000)】

On the twenty-eighth day, his Divine Step Guardian successfully broke through to the Seventh Revolution.

"There are only two days left before leaving the branch academy. Being able to successfully train Divine Step Guardian to the Seventh Revolution level can already be considered completing the advanced training plan."

Zhao Xing was quite satisfied with this result.

Rolling Ground Thunder and Minor Nine Heavens Gang Wind, although only at the Third or Fourth Revolution level, Third or Fourth Revolution wasn't too bad either.

Wanting to master every spell? A genius becoming a jack-of-all-trades? That would require a massive accumulation of time and resources.

"Buzz~"

Just then, the Earth Mirror in his bosom trembled.

Zhao Xing flipped his hand and pulled out the Earth Mirror, discovering that Long Xiao was contacting him.

"He's arrived at Ten Yang Cave Heaven?"

The Earth Mirror could only be used to contact someone within Ten Yang Cave Heaven. Long Xiao and Old Chen had previously communicated by letter.

Now that he was contacting through the Earth Mirror, it naturally meant the person had arrived in person.

"Zhao Xing, where are you? I've come to deliver goods to you!"