Chapter 193: What? You Say He Planted How Much? (5K)

"This method shouldn't use the Zhao Yang Earth Fire Array—it should use the Chong Guang Earth Fire Array, and the array base shouldn't be 'Earth Copper Soil' but 'Bawang Golden Sand'."

"Time is tight, and your Shenwei Army craftsmen aren't very skilled in this field, so it's passable for now, but you should replace it later."

"How can you use the Qiangji Method to cultivate this patch of fourth-rank Earth Fire Lotus? Don't you know the Xiyuan Method is the best?"

"Set up the Yao Guang Guiyuan Array on the Gan position—the earth vein fire isn't being fully utilized… Who placed the Guiyuan Array base here?"

Dong He pointed and commented across the planting zones around Mount Dong Sang, with Zhao Xing and Wang Ji accompanying him.

Seeing Dong He ask, Wang Ji muttered, "My lord, this was done by this subordinate."

Dong He said coolly, "A young man's carelessness is understandable, but since this is only fourth-rank cultivation, it's acceptable—for fifth-rank arrays, you must be far more meticulous."

Wang Ji opened his mouth, then merely bowed and replied, "Yes."

Dong He had come straight in and started criticizing his work, and worse, Dong He wasn't clueless—this made Wang Ji seethe with frustration.

"Lord Zhao." Dong He turned to Zhao Xing. "I heard you know a high-level Xiyuan Technique?"

"Yes, it's called…" Zhao Xing started to speak, but Dong He turned away again, pointing to a lotus patch ahead: "Just stand at the Kun position of the fourth-rank Earth Fire Peiyuan Array and assist me with your technique."

"I'll have the Xuanjia Army personnel calibrate the array, and I've assigned you assistants from the Xuanjia Army's Ministry of Agriculture. As long as your survival rate exceeds thirty percent, that's already quite good…"

Watching Dong He ramble on, Zhao Xing felt helpless.

Dong He seemed accustomed to giving orders—he treated himself as if he were Zhao Xing's deputy.

And this man was extremely decisive, stemming from his extreme confidence in his own knowledge.

After all, in the Xuanjia Army, Dong He was revered by every camp.

In just one hour, everyone Zhao Xing brought had been corrected by Dong He.

This guy really did know his stuff—everything he said was correct—but his "fatherly" tone was unbearable.

No wonder Xia Jing found him annoying.

"Lord Dong," Zhao Xing said, "couldn't we discuss this further? You've just arrived in Dong Sang City, and I think everyone…"

But Dong He waved him off again: "Lord Zhao, no need to discuss—time is urgent…"

"Zheng!"

A mechanical click suddenly sounded from Wang Ji's waist.

A track behind him rotated, and a row of crossbow ports flipped out from his shoulders—the mechanism cocked, a glint of cold light aimed squarely at Dong He.

Dong He's words were cut off. He, like those around him, stared in surprise at Wang Ji.

Wang Ji looked straight at Dong He and shouted, "Lord Dong, your vision is sharp—please observe this crossbow bolt: is it sharp enough?"

Dong He glanced at the miniature crossbow on Wang Ji's shoulder and nodded: "Good."

Wang Ji sneered, "The material used in this device is precisely the fifth-rank Qi Jin Wood grown by Lord Zhao."

"Why don't you listen to Lord Zhao's opinion?!"

Dong He fell silent—he finally understood why Wang Ji had suddenly exploded.

Meeting Wang Ji's gaze, Dong He had no doubt: if he dared to slight Zhao Xing again, this young man would shoot him.

Zhao Xing, already furious from being interrupted again and again, now said nothing, pretending not to notice Wang Ji's insolent act.

Damn it, who's really in charge here?!

After a moment of silence, Dong He nodded: "Lord Zhao, please continue what you were saying."

Zhao Xing, seeing this, glanced aside: "Wang Ji, the Xuanjia Army brothers came to help—you've overstepped. Go find Han Bing for your punishment."

Wang Ji wasn't going to report to Han Bing for punishment. But to outsiders, hearing Zhao Xing say that, they'd think Han Bing was some judicial officer.

It was pure bluff from Lord Zhao—to give Dong He a face-saving exit.

"Yes." Wang Ji grunted and walked off directly.

"Lord Dong," Zhao Xing bowed slightly, speaking coolly, "what you said earlier isn't without merit."

"But I ordered the use of the Zhao Yang Earth Fire Array instead of the Chong Guang Earth Fire Array, and I ordered the array base to be 'Earth Copper Soil' instead of 'Bawang Golden Sand'."

"Your suggestions are excellent, but the cost is double. My Shenwei Army can't afford such extravagance."

At the mention of technical matters, Dong He pushed back: "Without these aids, wouldn't success rates drop? Isn't that another kind of waste?"

Zhao Xing didn't bother arguing with Dong He.

Their cultivation philosophies differed.

Dong He was used to fighting wealthy battles—his position as a sixth-rank military agricultural officer in the Xuanjia Army came with the best equipment.

But Zhao Xing was used to careful budgeting—just enough to meet the requirement was sufficient.

For example, a fifth-rank low-grade Earth Fire Lotus robe and a fifth-rank mid-grade one made little difference when crossing the Flame Mountain.

Their favored magical techniques were different.

Dong He specialized in high-rank Qiangji Method, requiring these aids to reinforce his foundation—but Zhao Xing knew the Xiyuan Method, which needed none of those strict conditions.

Zhao Xing laid out his allocation plan directly: "Lord Dong, you and I each lead our own teams to cultivate the Earth Fire Lotus."

"You need personnel, you need materials—whatever the Shenwei Army has will be prioritized for you."

Prioritized for me? Dong He looked at Zhao Xing in confusion.

He felt there was something else in Zhao Xing's words.

As if his technique were stronger?

"As for how well my side performs, Lord Dong, you needn't concern yourself," Zhao Xing said.

"Very well," Dong He nodded. "This will make things easier."

Flying back from the Flame Mountain to Dong Sang City, Chen Shijie asked, "I heard you and Dong He aren't getting along well?"

"Word spreads fast?" Zhao Xing said. He'd just returned.

"Why did you tell Wang Ji to report to Han Bing for punishment? He doesn't handle discipline."

"It left Han Bing baffled—he brought Wang Ji to find me," Chen Shijie said. "I asked and immediately understood what happened."

"He looks down on people a bit," Zhao Xing said. "To let me speak quietly, Wang Ji loaded a fifth-rank shoulder crossbow."

"Can I really get Wang Ji punished? I was just saying it casually. By the way, where is he?"

"That kid Wang Ji is a bit serious; he actually went to the judicial officer and took twenty military lashes," Chen Shijie said. "Now Han Bing is applying medicine to his backside."

"..." Zhao Xing was left speechless. Artificers tolerate no sand in their eyes, and Wang Ji is even more stubborn.

"Sigh, they are all stubborn fellows."

"Where are you going?"

"To find the military doctor to heal his backside. I am still waiting for him to start work."

The Earth-Fire Lotus seeds were stolen back on August 24.

The volcano was activated on August 28.

By September 1, the Earth-Fire Lotus had expanded to 150,000 plants.

Starting September 1, Zhao Xing and Dong He each led their own groups, bringing a team of Agronomists to cultivate fifth-rank Earth-Fire Lotus.

One began casting spells from the south of the volcano, the other from the north.

Zhao Xing did not break his word; he handed over most of the elite forces of the Zhenhai Army, the Shenwei Army, and the Xuanjia Army to Dong He for assistance.

The precious materials prepared for planting were also mostly given priority to Dong He.

Outsiders thought Dong He was leading the Earth-Fire Lotus planting operation.

Chen Shijie and Xia Jing even ran over to confirm, discovering that Zhao Xing was not acting out of spite, but simply did not need as many auxiliary means from Dong He, so they left relieved.

Dong Sang Volcano, South.

Zhao Xing stepped on the Soaring Cloud and arrived above a lava lake.

"It's Zhao Xing!" He Yu watched Zhao Xing's figure excitedly. "He has come."

"Boss, why are you so excited?" someone asked, confused.

"Heh, high-rank magic. How can one not be excited when someone casts high-rank magic before you?" He Yu said.

"You don't know, I have quite a fate with him. Back then at the Cloud-Rain Trial in the branch assessment, Zhao Xing and I were in the same group," He Yu said proudly.

"Why don't you mention the time Zhao Xing tricked you before the Ten Thousand Miles Lei Chi?" Ouyang Song laughed. "That is fate too."

"..." He Yu glared at Ouyang Song. Bringing up the pot that wasn't boiling. You kid were almost dying of thirst on the Earth-Fire Plain too.

Zhao Xing glanced down, and his voice spread with the wind.

"Please, everyone return to your positions. When I give the order, activate the King Di Zang Return-to-Origin Array!"

Wang Ji immediately issued an order, and the personnel of the Engineering Office immediately operated the mechanisms.

"Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!"

Array bases floating five meters in the air crashed down with a boom.

"Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish~"

The five hundred Agronomists below were all eighth-rank and above, with the highest being seventh-rank.

Currently, many magic arrays had been arranged in this lava lake; the largest of these arrays was the Dili Sect's classic, the King Di Zang Return-to-Origin Great Array.

Wang He led fifty people as the main control team for the mechanism arrays, while the remaining five hundred Agronomists stood at various phases to provide Yuan Qi to the array, sharing the pressure with Zhao Xing.

At this location, there were over ten thousand fourth-rank Earth-Fire Lotus plants.

Casting spells one by one would not only be slow but also waste Zhao Xing's Yuan Qi.

Therefore, a large-scale planting auxiliary array is absolutely necessary.

The current array is merely child's play; the scale is not large.

Back then, Cao Xi installed Return-to-Origin Water Wheels in Gucheng, leveling the thirteen channels of Huai; those thirteen channels were the foundation of the array.

It covered the entire Gucheng and even cultivated a Donghu Spirit Mountain.

That range was much larger than the current one.

"Group One, in position!"

"Group Two, in position! Group Three, in position!"

"Group Ten, in position!"

Reports came from everywhere; Ouyang Song and He Yu were the leaders of the Agronomist groups.

At this moment, they were also swept up in emotion, shouting with their voices raised.

They were only eighth-rank, yet they could participate in the casting of large-scale high-rank magic; how honorable was that?

Of course, whether it succeeds specifically still depends on Zhao Xing!

After everyone was in position, Ouyang Song, He Yu, Han Bing, Wang Ji... hundreds of people, all looked up at Zhao Xing in the sky with burning eyes.

"Begin!"

Zhao Xing gave the order.

The King Di Zang Return-to-Origin Array began to operate first, and the Yuan Qi from the five hundred Agronomists flowed into the ground.

Zhao Xing felt that the fourth-rank Earth-Fire Lotus flower pool at this moment was filled with infinite Yuan Qi!

In terms of geographical conditions, it could not be done better!

Zhao Xing pointed to the sky, and a Solar Term Token flew out from his Origin Dantian, ascending to high altitude.

A sudden change occurred between heaven and earth.

As if a blazing sun rose from Zhao Xing's body, the surroundings immediately became stifling and scorching.

Heaven and Earth Solar Term Token, Start of Summer!

"Voom~"

The Solar Term Token flew high, breaking straight through the Gao Feng layer, and hovered at an altitude of two thousand meters.

The Solar Term Token of the Fourth Transformation of the Realm of Knowledge can break through the Gale Layer at four thousand meters, but to maximize its power,

stopping at two thousand meters is about right.

"Vroom~"

Immediately after, the second and third Solar Term Tokens appeared.

They stopped upon reaching eight hundred meters.

They were precisely the 【Minor Heat】 and 【Major Heat】 Solar Term Tokens.

The Earth-Fire Lotus delights in extreme heat, yet it is not pure heat, but rather humid, stifling heat.

So Zhao Xing rose again, supported by clouds.

He quickly covered the south of the volcano.

"Pitter-patter~"

A light rain fell, landing in the magma lake.

Soon, the heavenly conditions also reached their maximum.

Standing on the southern side of the cloud layer was a flying ship; Chen Shijie was watching Zhao Xing cast his spell.

He did not participate in the fourth-rank planting, because the Nine-Node Camp he led was to cultivate fifth-rank Earth-Fire Lotus seeds next.

"I never thought the youth I casually brought out of Gucheng back then would have become so powerful now," Chen Shijie said, looking at the scene, recalling his first meeting with Zhao Xing during the Minor Heat assessment.

At that time, facing the small 'Grain-Eating Bird Disaster' assessment, the only technique Zhao Xing knew was using the Returning Grass Man to drive them away.

He even had to compete with other clerks for a single stack of withered grass.

How many years have passed since then?

Now he could alter the heavenly conditions in this desolate southern wasteland and lead the cultivation of fifth-rank Earth-Fire Lotus.

"Start of Summer enhances Minor Heat; Minor Heat further merges into Major Heat."

"The merging of the Solar Term Tokens causes the full might of the Three Fu to be unleashed."

Chen Shijie sighed with deep emotion.

Xia Jing and Guan Junyang were also on this ship; instead of running over to watch Dong He farm, they came to cheer for Zhao Xing.

"Impressive," Guan Junyang sighed. "His Heavenly Conditions Art is worlds apart from the Ten Yang Cave Heaven's Heavenly Conditions; even Shi Yong probably couldn't match him now."

Shi Yong was the top genius of the Heavenly Conditions Institute back then, yet now Guan Junyang felt Zhao Xing was enough to surpass Shi Yong.

The Benwo Sect's spells actually do not require such excellent heavenly conditions and earthly advantages.

But the Earth-Fire Lotus is somewhat special.

If you say it is delicate, it grows in magma.

But if you say it is tough? If the surrounding conditions are even slightly off, it will die right before your eyes.

Plus, since this is a large-scale spellcasting, Zhao Xing must also properly attend to the Earth-Fire Lotus.

"Instant Primordial!"

Zhao Xing waved his hand; points of starlight appeared and fell toward the lotus pond.

All five hundred Agricultural Officials who had learned the 【Five Elements Observation Method】 of recognition widened their eyes to watch this scene.

Because in their microscopic vision, the sky was raining meteors.

Countless meteors crashed toward the lotus pond area.

But most people could at most see the external manifestation; once the meteors entered the interior of the Earth-Fire Lotus, they could hardly perceive them anymore.

Only a few Seventh-Rank Agricultural Officials in the scene who cultivated the "Yin-Yang Benwo Sutra," and Sixth-Rank Agricultural Officials like Chen Shijie, could observe it.

"The Benwo Method is profound and yet more profound," Chen Shijie said. After watching for a while, he gave up observing, because he could not make out anything at all.

The high-level spells of the Benwo Sect, even if one spent several fifth-rank Dao-Transmission Paintings, might not be learned.

It is common knowledge that the threshold for entering the Benwo Sect's path starts at Fifth Rank.

That is to say, the mainstream view holds that one must cultivate to Fifth Rank before studying Benwo Sect spells to make any sense of them.

Among the millions of Seventh-Rank Agricultural Officials in the Five Cave Heavens, only thirty or fifty know high-level Benwo Sect spells.

Even counting Sixth-Rank Agricultural Officials, the number would not exceed two hundred.

In the gaze of Chen Shijie and Guan Junyang, in that fourth-rank lotus pond, the mature Earth-Fire Lotus, for some unknown reason, suddenly began to grow again.

The expert sees the method, but now these experts could not see the method of the Benwo Sect.

They only knew that in this lotus pond, many fourth-rank Earth-Fire Lotus plants began to break through their growth constraints, grow again, and transform toward the fifth rank.

After the first stick of incense burned, fifty fifth-rank Earth-Fire Lotus plants had appeared, bearing fifth-rank lotus seeds.

But at this moment, Zhao Xing felt his Yuan Qi declining.

Many lotus flowers in the pond were withering; this was because there were too many, and too many Earth-Fire Lotus plants could not survive simultaneously.

"Rise!"

Seeing this, Wang Ji immediately organized the engineers of the Works Bureau to manipulate the second array base to float upward.

Over a thousand black cylinders emerged from the ground; these were the suppression bases they had just lowered.

What Wang Ji raised were the Earth-Fire and Earth-Element two guiding arrays.

Its principle was like the hand pump villagers use to draw water from wells, except this array guided the Yuan Qi of the earth veins.

Following Wang Ji's operation, Zhao Xing felt Yuan Qi rushing into his body; the number of withered fourth-rank Earth-Fire Lotus below decreased, while the number of fifth-rank ones increased again.

After a brief rest, Zhao Xing cast the spell again.

This repeated.

After the fourth stick of incense burned, the number of fifth-rank Earth-Fire Lotus plants had already broken through five hundred!

Fiery red lotus flowers bloomed; the lotus pod in the center also resembled a flame. Within the flame, some deeper-colored, crystalline red lights flickered.

Those were the lotus seeds of the fifth-rank Earth-Fire Lotus.

"It's done, it's done!" Guan Junyang clenched his fists excitedly. "The leaves of the Fifth-Rank Earth-Fire Lotus can be used to craft Fire-Repelling Dharma Robes."

"These lotus seeds are also capable of growing to the Fifth Rank. Hand them over to the others for replanting, and the Fifth-Rank Earth-Fire Lotus will soon undergo exponential growth."

"It's not that simple," Chen Shijie said. "With conventional replanting, the rank drops after three cycles. The Earth-Fire Lotus is quite demanding; even with careful cultivation, it loses a rank after just two replantings."

The offspring of plant life always weaken toward lower ranks. In ancient times, towering trees were everywhere, yet they are rarely seen now.

"Even so, it won't be long before we can equip the entire army with Fifth-Rank Fire-Repelling Dharma Robes," Xia Jing said, rubbing his hands together excitedly.

"My Lord Chen, there are no issues on Zhao Xing's side. I'll go check on Dong He."

"Please, Young Master," Chen Shijie nodded.

Xia Jing eagerly piloted the flying boat to the north of the volcano. At this moment, Dong He was also casting spells.

However, the technique he was casting was the Foundation-Strengthening Art, and his method was completely different from Zhao Xing's.

Dong He, wearing a Fifth-Rank Supreme-Grade Fire-Repelling Dharma Robe, was floating and sinking in the river of magma.

At this time, many Earth-Fire Lotus flowers were drifting around Dong He. As Dong He cast his spell, the lotus pond in the lake began to rotate.

While the lotus flowers orbited around Dong He, vortexes of self-rotation formed beneath each one.

Countless primal energies gathered within the Fourth-Rank lotus flowers. With Dong He's breathing, the entire lotus pond seemed to breathe as well.

Xia Jing lowered the flying boat and quietly asked Dong He's adjutant, "My Lord Jin, how many plants are there?"

The adjutant, Jin Ming, was also a Seventh-Rank Agriculture Officer. Seeing Xia Jing ask, he proudly replied, "Replying to the Young Master, My Lord Dong has already cultivated one hundred Fifth-Rank Earth-Fire Lotus plants!"

Xia Jing nodded and smiled; this pace was not slow.

Seeing that Xia Jing only smiled without praising his superior, Jin Ming immediately said, "I wonder how the progress of that good brother of yours is going, Young Master?"

"It is not for me to speak out of turn, but we came to the Divine Might Army not to offer charity. If their side cannot keep up with the progress, it will only delay our Black Armor Army too much."

"The Young Master should rely more on our own people."

The implication was that he felt Xia Jing's current cooperation placed too much emphasis on the outsider Zhao Xing, and that he should rely more on their own Agriculture Camp.

Xia Jing bared his white teeth and held out his palm: "My brother hasn't planted many either; just five hundred plants."

"That's not bad," Jin Ming nodded, then turned around in shock: "What? How many did you say he planted?"