Chapter 23: Start of Autumn Exam

Giving him extra lessons could still be justified as cherishing talent.

But using a fourth-tier 'Dao Transmission Painting' to help Zhao Xing pass the exam was pure, unadulterated favoritism.

It was the old Agronomist's first time abusing public resources for private gain, so he was still a bit awkward about it. He ate the whole meal in silence, and once finished, he sent Zhao Xing packing.

Zhao Xing tactfully didn't mention it either. He cupped his hands in a bow and took his leave for home.

With the old Agronomist's help this time, the beginner-tier spell Robust Growth had reached max level.

While observing the copy of the Myriad Things Growth Painting, he had casually comprehended a mid-tier spell 【Savage Growth】.

Agronomist spells only came in two varieties: 'practical' and 'extremely practical.'

This mid-tier spell belonged to the extremely practical category.

【Savage Growth: Mid-tier Spell】

【Progress: 0/9999】

【Effect: After casting, it exhibits destructive force beyond the environment's capacity to bear, and affects the survival of other species.】

The proficiency for mid-tier spells still advanced one transformation per 1000 points, with the same cap, but the difficulty of improvement increased accordingly.

Why was Savage Growth considered extremely practical? Because it was a highly confrontational spell!

During the process of shortening a plant's maturation cycle, it would frantically plunder the surrounding nutrients, growing with such destructive momentum that it exceeded the environment's inherent capacity to bear.

Most importantly, it would squeeze the living space of other plants, even draining their vitality to serve as nutrients.

The subsequent advancement route for this spell, after its evolution in the Revival version, had a jaw-dropping name—"Sole Law Supreme!"

It was also hailed by Agronomist players as a 'god-tier skill for infighting'—my plants live, yours don't. The height of overbearing dominance!

As for the other beginner-tier spell obtained from the Myriad Things Growth Painting copy, it was likewise extremely practical.

【Earth Vein Convergence: Beginner-tier Spell】

【Progress: 0/9999】

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【Effect: Draws upon the power of earth veins to converge their primordial energy】

Earth veins were the foundation of the world; every location connected to the spiritual veins deep underground, differing only in strength.

Earth Vein Convergence was a supportive spell that could draw upon earth vein primordial energy to make the soil in a given area fertile.

Building upon 【Earth Vein Convergence】, the ultimate goal was to advance it to 【Five Elements Blessed Land】.

This was a spell of the Dili Sect, and this series of spells had a nickname: 'Primordial Energy Theft Arts.'

Unlike 【Savage Growth】, it was hard to detect and had very high concealment.

Many sneaky players loved to level this spell to extremely high tiers, then sneak over to someone's blessed grotto-heaven to cast it in secret, fattening up their own land.

Stealing vegetables? I'm straight up stealing the earth vein primordial energy!

"Old habits die hard... why is it that everything I comprehend is this kind of sneaky trick?" Everyone who observed the Myriad Things Growth Painting comprehended different things, just like the randomness of the Temple of Laws' transmission. Zhao Xing figured he must have been too much of a sneaky player in his past life.

By the time he got home it was already dark, though it wasn't that late yet.

Zhao Xing planned to head to his family's vegetable garden to try out his two newly acquired spells.

Not long after entering the garden, his little brother came running over enthusiastically, lantern in hand.

"Big brother, big brother, what are you doing? Are you making a midnight snack?"

Zhao Xing was a bit speechless: "Didn't your mother feed you dinner? It's only just gotten dark and you're already thinking about a midnight snack."

"I ate, hehe, but it's not as good as what you make." Zhao Zheng seemed to think of something and let out a slurp.

Although this big brother of his liked to smack him around, he did have his merits—his cooking was delicious, and he was always coming up with tasty dried fruits and candied preserves.

"Big brother, I'll hold the lamp for you! When you cook later, I'll tend the fire for you."

"Get lost, get out of here." Zhao Xing was a bit annoyed. "There's still a box of snacks under the bedside cabinet in my room. Go find it yourself and eat, and stop bothering me here."

"Thank you, big brother!!!" The little brother hung the lantern on the nearby fence and took off like a shot.

After tinkering for about two hours, Zhao Xing saw that both spells had reached the one-transformation tier, so he stopped grinding.

Tomorrow marked the start of the Start of Autumn Exam, so he still needed to conserve his energy.

At dawn the next day, Zhao Xing got up, washed, and prepared to head out. His adoptive father Zhao Ruide was already practicing boxing in the courtyard, his movements very slow—a health-preservation routine.

"Foster father, I'm heading to the office." Zhao Xing greeted him.

Zhao Ruide noticed Zhao Xing wasn't carrying a lantern, so he asked: "Why aren't you taking a lamp? The family isn't short on that bit of expense for you."

"I can already see in the dark." At Zhao Xing's thought, his pupils instantly turned yellow-green in the night.

"Oh?" Zhao Ruide glanced at him and nodded slightly: "Then before you leave, go wake up Zheng'er for me."

"Alright." Zhao Xing ran to the other room and, without ceremony, kicked the door open.

Since last year, Zhao Zheng had been sleeping separately from Lady Cai. This was something Zhao Xing had forced, otherwise this doting Lady Cai would probably have continued co-sleeping with her precious child for a few more years.

"Who the hell dares to disturb young master..." The curses flew before his eyelids were even open, but the moment they opened, he immediately swallowed his words.

"Get up! Get dressed." Zhao Xing flipped off the thin blanket and hauled Zhao Zheng up. The kid had actually fallen asleep hugging a jar of candied preserves.

"Big brother, big brother, what's wrong?" Zhao Zheng looked completely bewildered, but obediently got dressed anyway.

"Go outside and practice martial arts."

"Huh?" Zhao Zheng frowned. "The roosters haven't even crowed yet..."

"Hmm?"

"Yes, big brother! I'm dressed!" Zhao Zheng capitulated quickly. Anyway, big brother was leaving soon, and resisting would only earn him a beating. But going out to practice martial arts meant he could act cute with father and mother later and still sneak back to sleep.

After waking Zhao Zheng, Zhao Xing headed out to the Agronomist Bureau.

Lady Cai woke up shortly after as well, because she heard the sound of her child calling out that he was hungry.

She rushed out of bed and ran to the vegetable garden, only to find a scene of lush abundance. She couldn't help exclaiming: "Ah! How is it that the seedlings I planted just days ago have already today..."

"... The Start of Autumn Minor Exam will be held in the Hundred Herbs Garden."

"Begins at the si-hour on the sixth day of the eighth month, and ends at the xu-hour on the ninth day of the eighth month."

He had only approached within a thousand meters of the Agricultural Office when he heard a voice circling by his ear—it was Chen Shijie's voice.

"Voice carried on the wind, audible for several li, clear as a bell in the ear. An official Ninth Rank Agricultural Officer truly is extraordinary." Zhao Xing thought to himself.

This was an advanced application of the 【Rising Wind】 spell; the control over vital energy was far beyond what a minor clerk could match.

But there were even more exaggerated cases—for instance, Gucheng's County Magistrate Li Wenzheng, who during the issuance of a 'Recruiting Settlers Edict' once demonstrated the ability of 【Golden Voice and Jade Resonance, Sound Traveling a Hundred Li】, though that was aided by certain external forces.

Zhao Xing listened carefully for a while, and by the time he arrived inside the Agricultural Office, he had more or less figured out the rules.

From the si-hour on the sixth day of the eighth month to the xu-hour on the ninth day of the eighth month, it was roughly four days and three nights.

Every clerk could, in the 'Seedling Area' of the Hundred Herbs Garden, freely select an unlimited number of '. They would then proceed to the 【Planting Area】 for cultivation.

Clerks could enter at any time during these three days, but once inside, they were not permitted to leave.

It would end precisely at the xu-hour on the ninth day of the eighth month, with people sent by the county government office to witness, tally the results, and record them in the archives.

There were three criteria for judgment: as of the exact xu-hour on the ninth day—first, the quality of the seeds or seedlings the clerk selected; second, the number of plants that survived; third, the condition of the plants after they had taken root.