Chapter 235: Jun, Ming, Shen: The Upgrade Effects of the Hou Bian Art (Combined Chapter)

Ji Zixuan led the guests off the ship and introduced them to Zhao Xing one by one.

Xia Tong came from the Black Armor Army and was a Fifth-Rank Upper Assistant Regional Commander, in charge of three famous camps of the Black Armor Army: the Dragon Cavalry Camp, the Iron-Backed Flying Bear Camp, and the Black Colt Camp.

He was Xia Jing's cousin, and as soon as he stepped off, he called Zhao "Little Brother."

Although he was more than twenty years older than Xia Jing, this age gap was not significant.

Pei Yuanchang was also over fifty, yet he still addressed Zhao Xing as a brother.

He was the most enthusiastic toward Zhao Xing, acting as if everyone were part of the same inner circle.

The other two military officers, He Wu and Fang Ze, came from the Wuluo Army and the Jiujiang Army, respectively.

Both of these armies belonged to the East Sea Legion of the Pinghai Province.

The two armies shared a single grotto-heaven garrison—the Jiujiang Grotto-Heaven—and were quite famous.

He Wu and Fang Ze had come out of respect for Princess Youruo, because the Eastern Legion operated at sea; whether they were fighting pirates, the aquatic tribes, or launching expeditions to the East, they had to pass through the Princess's territory.

In the vast ocean, obtaining supplies was even more difficult than on land. The Princess possessed many resource-rich islands along the vital routes of these armies, so they had to show respect.

Their attitude toward Zhao Xing, besides being polite, held a hint of curiosity.

They were primarily interested in Zhao Xing's method of training war beasts.

Generals placed great importance on discipline and obedience, especially regarding war beasts, and it was extremely difficult to instill these traits in them.

A battle formation with war beasts and one without were entirely different concepts.

Especially in large-scale formations, individual prowess could be ignored.

Taking a sword cultivator like Long Xiao as an example, if he were to crash into a Level 6 battle formation, he would face a nine-in-ten chance of death.

Qin Hongying of the Green Water Daoist Academy was a Fourth-Rank Upper Scripture-Governing Doctor! Her own strength was even greater, having reached the Third-Rank Primordial Soul Realm.

The other two, Wen Ji and Zhai Zhong, were also of the Fourth Rank, though their status was slightly inferior to Qin Hongying's.

Ji Zixuan, much like Old Master Zhao, was very adept at waving the Princess's banner; with a bit of smooth-talking, she had managed to invite these three big shots to Twin Islands.

However, they had no interest in war horses or battle formations; instead, they set their sights on the mountain cat beside Zhao Xing.

One side focused on the individual, the other on the collective; it was clearly inappropriate to entertain them together.

Zhao Xing summoned a Myriad Law clone to entertain the two groups separately.

"Marquis Yuanrang, has this mountain cat of yours cultivated a second form?" Zhai Zhong asked.

After the pleasantries, Zhai Zhong fixed his gaze on the mountain cat.

"Indeed, the mountain cat's second form is the Wind-Thunder Pure Essence Body," Zhao Xing replied.

"Could you demonstrate it?" Wen Ji asked.

"No problem."

Zhao Xing waved at the mountain cat, signaling it to transform.

"Meow~" Aotian the cat was somewhat reluctant; transforming was also very energy-consuming.

After Zhao Xing promised to catch it plenty of big fish afterward, the mountain cat agreed to put on a show.

"Meow~~~~~~"

With a roar from the mountain cat, its body suddenly underwent a change.

Its two-meter-long, one-meter-high frame surged again, rising to one and a half meters tall and five meters long.

After the mountain cat released its energy, two streams of air—one purple and one cyan—appeared around its head and tail, circling its body alternately.

Three breaths later, the fur on the mountain cat's body retracted into its skin, replaced by dense, fine scales.

Only the fur on its limbs remained, but it had changed from gray, brown, and black to purple and cyan, with ring patterns matching the scales on its body.

Its head and tail also changed, covered in a layer of cyan and purple scales.

Its fangs and claws lengthened, and with every breath, thunder and gale-force winds flowed around its body.

At this moment, the mountain cat had thick limbs and well-developed muscles, looking like a cat clad in battle armor, full of metallic texture.

It held its head high and walked forward a few steps, looking like a victorious cat general.

"Such divinity is truly extraordinary. How did you raise it?" Qin Hongying was also quite interested. "Is there some secret?"

Wen Ji and Zhai Zhong also looked at Zhao Xing.

Zhao Xing bowed and said, "The raising of this mountain cat is likely impossible to replicate."

"Does Marquis Yuanrang look down on our Green Water Academy's Beast-Taming Division?" Wen Ji said with dissatisfaction. "Is it possible that our division lacks what it eats?"

Zhao Xing said helplessly, "Doctor Wen, please don't misunderstand; that is not my intention."

"Then tell us," Zhai Zhong said. "How exactly did you raise it?"

Zhao Xing said, "In my hometown, there is a spirit mountain. The mountain cat was originally raised by the mountain god. It began consuming spirit essence in its infancy and reached the entry-level grade within a month. Less than half a year later, I brought it into the army, and with the help of friends, it reached the Eighth Rank."

"By the time it was a year and a half old, because it often trained with the army and ate well, it reached the Seventh Rank."

"That's nothing special," Wen Ji said.

Zhao Xing continued, "Later, the mountain cat followed me to explore the Ten Suns Grotto-Heaven. The amount of spirit essence it consumed could rank in the top ten."

"..." Wen Ji and Zhai Zhong fell silent.

"No wonder," Qin Hongying smiled.

It was indeed impossible to replicate.

They were aware of the spirit essence eruption in the Ten Suns Grotto-Heaven.

If the amount of spirit essence the mountain cat consumed ranked in the top ten, how terrifying was that?

The bloodline and physique of exotic beasts were inherently stronger than those of humans, and the mountain cat's capacity for consumption was higher than that of an average Sixth-Rank beast.

Zhao Xing had taken the mountain cat to soak in hot springs, enter the Heavenly Gate, and later, the spirit essence fish of the Polar Night Sea had made the cat grow a size larger.

The Green Water Academy might be able to find spirit essence hot springs or spirit fish of the same quality.

But things like the Grotto-Heaven Heavenly Gate, the Primordial Spirit Yin-Yang Fish, and dragon whale meat and marrow were out of the question.

At that level, there wasn't even enough for humans to eat, let alone feed to a cat.

Old Master Zhao had been generous at the time; aside from the dragon whale heart and Yin-Yang fish, he had let the cat eat its fill of dragon whale meat and marrow.

"A Fifth-Rank mountain cat is rare in the world," Zhai Zhong marveled. "You really were willing to invest in its cultivation."

"Its bloodline talent has also been developed well," Wen Ji said, reaching out to feel the cat's bones. "It seems it not only ate well but was trained well, too."

The mountain cat looked disgusted and wanted to swat away Wen Ji's old hand, but Zhao Xing gave it a look.

Aotian the cat could only wave its paw weakly to express protest:

More fish! Must add several big fish!

"Hahaha, what a spiritual big cat." Zhai Zhong saw the mountain cat's expression and couldn't help but laugh. "It actually dislikes Wen Ji, hahaha."

Qin Hongying looked it over carefully and then looked at Zhao Xing: "When it broke through to the Fifth Rank, was there any other help?"

Zhao Xing bowed: "Doctor Qin is sharp. When it shaped its Pure Essence Body, it did receive help from the Hou Bian Art."

Qin Hongying was worthy of being a Third-Rank; her eyes were very sharp, and she saw through the mountain cat's breakthrough process at a glance.

"The Hou Bian Art, both internal and external, is a transformation of heaven and earth, possessing immense power," Qin Hongying praised. "I never imagined Liu Tianning had such attainments in the Hou Bian Art, and that it could even be used to tame beasts."

Qin Hongying assumed it was Liu Tianning's doing and never suspected Zhao Xing.

After all, Zhao Xing was only Sixth-Rank, and the Hou Bian Art was a High-Rank technique; a version capable of evolving exotic beasts was even rarer.

Because destruction is easy, but reconstruction is difficult.

Qin Hongying had seen plenty of Sitanong who mastered attack-type Hou Bian Arts, but those used for exotic beast cultivation were rare.

Zhao Xing said, "I dare not deceive Doctor Qin. The mountain cat's evolution happened just this month and was not the work of my master."

"Oh?" Wen Ji looked at Zhao Xing. "You don't mean to say it was you?"

Zhao Xing nodded: "It was indeed this junior."

Zhai Zhong was surprised: "You are only Sixth-Rank, yet you have mastered this kind of Hou Bian Art?"

Ji Zixuan said from the side: "Zhai Master, Wen Master, the mountain cat ate so much spirit essence; what about my senior brother?"

Zhai Zhong and Wen Ji suddenly realized.

That was true. If the mountain cat ate its fill, Zhao Xing would only have eaten more.

Grotto-Heaven transformations were rare in ten thousand years, so it wasn't strange that they had created a genius like Zhao Xing.

Qin Hongying said, "Zhao Xing, since you have mastered this technique, we haven't made this trip in vain."

"Later, I will send some beast tamers over to hand their pets to you."

"Let's sign a 50-million contract first to see how it goes. Are you willing?"

How could Zhao Xing be anything but happy? These were the political achievements he wanted.

Money was a small matter; in the future, he could add a line to his resume: he had provided powerful war beasts for the Green Water Academy's Beast-Taming Division.

These would be his capital for promotion in the future.

"Thank you, Doctor Qin, Doctor Zhai, Doctor Wen. This junior will certainly give his all and not let down the Academy's support."

While Zhao Xing was chatting with the three doctors of the Green Water Academy, his clone led Fang Ze, He Wu, and Xia Tong to visit the Tuoquan Palace.

"Currently, the Tuoquan Palace houses four types of war horses: Dragon-Beard Horses, Heavenly Horses, Purple Lightning, and Fire-Fierce."

"Which would the three of you like to see first?" Zhao Xing asked.

"Let's see the Dragon-Beard and Purple Lightning," Fang Ze said.

They had already seen the Heavenly Horses and Fire-Fierce horses during the welcome.

"Agreed," He Wu said.

"I have no objections," Xia Tong smiled. He would be placing an order anyway, so Zhao Xing just needed to serve these two military clients well.

"Very well, please follow me." Zhao Xing led the way.

He Wu and Fang Ze looked on with anticipation.

Because the cyan Heavenly Horses and Fire-Fierce horses could only be considered of the "Jun" (Steed) bloodline, while the Purple Lightning and Dragon-Beard were of the "Ming" (Famous) horse grade.

The Great Zhou classified excellent war horses into three grades: Jun, Ming, and Shen (Divine).

Purple Lightning and Dragon-Beard were both in the Ming horse category.

Fire-Fierce and cyan Heavenly Horses were only of the Jun horse bloodline.

Divine horses were limited to ten types; Fang Ze and He Wu didn't dare hope for them, as they couldn't afford them anyway.

What kind of family background would one need to use a divine horse as a mount?

"If the Dragon-Beard and Purple Lightning horses perform as well as the Fire-Fierce and Heavenly horses, I will order some. What about you, Brother Fang?" He Wu asked.

"Hmm, for the sake of the East Sea Princess, I must buy some," Fang Ze said.

The East Sea Princess they referred to was Princess Youruo, as the aquatic tribes were more accustomed to calling her the "East Sea Princess."

They dealt with the aquatic tribes in the East Sea year-round, so they had grown accustomed to the title.

Arriving at the Tuoquan Palace, Tao Anchun had been waiting for a long time.

Now that the 【Divine Selection Division】 had been restored, he also assisted Zhao Xing in training the war horses.

"Tao Anchun, release the Dragon-Beard horses," Zhao Xing ordered.

"Yes."

Tao Anchun gave a whistle, and the fence mechanisms opened one after another.

"Clack, clack, clack, clack, clack, clack."

The sound of hooves echoed.

Dragon-Beard horses walked out of their stalls.

The Dragon-Beard horse, a hegemon among exotic beasts, had a body like a horse but long whiskers like a dragon, elegant and refined.

Its eyes were like brilliant stars, shining with light that made one dare not look directly at them.

Its whiskers danced with the wind, possessing the ability to control clouds and rain, and its four hooves shook the mountains and rivers when they struck the ground.

Its entire body was covered in golden dragon scales, exuding endless power and majesty.

Among the Ming horses, the Dragon-Beard horse had the most vigorous blood and energy.

A battle formation composed of Dragon-Beard horses could truly trample city walls, making them highly favored by mid-level officers.

"Assemble! Form up!"

Zhao Xing roared.

The Dragon-Beard horses didn't rush out; instead, they lined up in the wide corridor outside the stalls.

Once all the horses were out, they formed four rows and marched out of the Dragon-Beard Palace in perfect step.

As they passed Fang Ze, He Wu, and Xia Tong, they didn't even glance at them.

This sight made Fang Ze and He Wu marvel.

"I feel like I haven't come to a stable, but to an army camp."

"Even army camps aren't necessarily this clean and orderly," Fang Ze looked at a stall. "Good heavens, look at how these horses live; the hay beds inside are laid out perfectly."

"Zhao Xing's beast-taming is truly something."

The two exchanged messages privately.

Zhao Xing saw their expressions and knew they were very satisfied.

If it weren't for the fact that these horses didn't use blankets, Old Master Zhao would have forced them to fold their bedding into perfect squares.

Of course, that was just a thought; Zhao Xing wasn't obsessive-compulsive to that extent.

The neat hay inside wasn't arranged by the horses themselves, but cleaned and cleared daily, as were the feeding and manure troughs.

"Clack!"

As the last hoofbeat fell, 1, 00 Eighth-Rank and 20 Seventh-Rank Dragon-Beard horses stood silently outside the palace, waiting for inspection.

"My lords, what else would you like to see?" Zhao Xing asked.

"Battle formation," Fang Ze immediately said. "We want to see the effect of the Dragon-Beard horses' blood-energy battle formation."

"Very well." Zhao Xing nodded and gave a whistle.

"Boom~"

The Dragon-Beard horses, which had been motionless a second ago, neighed, and the next second, their blood-energy burned.

It converged toward the twenty Seventh-Rank leaders.

Blood-energy like clouds, dragon whiskers swirling.

Soon, a blood-energy dragon phantom appeared above the heads of the twenty Dragon-Beard horses.

The phantom flickered four times, gradually solidifying.

Twenty blood-energy dragons circled above the Dragon-Beard Palace.

"Dragon Armor Protection!"

Zhao Xing shouted.

Boom~

All the Dragon-Beard horses activated their innate skill, and a faint golden light seeped from their pores, weaving together to form secret-pattern scales.

It looked as if they were clad in battle armor.

This not only increased their defense but also boosted their strength and speed.

The blood-energy dragons in the sky grew even larger, reaching the threshold of a Level 5 battle formation.

Fang Ze and He Wu looked at each other, shocked.

After seeing this, they had already decided to place an order, but to negotiate a better price, they forced themselves not to show any emotion.

In reality, they were already communicating frantically: "The bloodline of his Dragon-Beard horses feels stronger than ordinary ones."

"Drop the 'feels'; they are definitely stronger. The strength of the battle formation is at least one-fifth higher."

"Why is that?"

"Two possibilities," Fang Ze said. "Either Zhao Xing feeds them better, or the Dragon-Beard horses have greatly improved their coordination through training."

"A battle formation formed with three parts of effort is naturally different from one formed with six parts."

Fang Ze couldn't help but say: "How did he get the Dragon-Beard horses to cooperate so well? These horses haven't even been on a battlefield."

If they had been killing on the battlefield for years, they would naturally be accustomed to it, but Zhao Xing's horses were already superior in their "factory state."

If they were taken back and allowed to bond with their riders, these war horses would soon be ready for use.

Because Zhao Xing had already trained them very well.

However, Fang Ze and He Wu still wanted to find faults.

There was no other way; if they didn't find faults, the price wouldn't come down.

"Marquis Yuanrang," Fang Ze said, "do these Dragon-Beard horses only obey your commands?"

"Also, you used the Myriad Beast True Word Art and the Slave Seal Art, right? Can our knights achieve such good results if they ride them?"

Zhao Xing smiled: "General Fang, I didn't use the Myriad Beast True Word Art just now. I did use it before, but it's no longer needed."

"Can I give them orders?" He Wu asked.

"You can." Zhao Xing waved his hand, and Tao Anchun brought over a tray with a row of command arrows.

"But the Dragon-Beard horses aren't used to you yet; you must wear these to approach them."

Dragon-Beard horses were fierce; in fact, no Ming horse was gentle, and they were all difficult to subdue.

Zhao Xing used the arrows to save time on familiarity and bonding, which was a common practice.

After riding for a while, they wouldn't need the arrows anymore.

He Wu saw that Fang Ze couldn't find any faults, but he still wouldn't give up: "May I test-ride one? Experience the degree of integration in the battle formation?"

Zhao Xing smiled: "Of course."

He Wu didn't hesitate; he stuck the command arrow behind his neck and leaped onto the Seventh-Rank Dragon-Beard horse.

He Wu was a bit cunning; when he sat down, he specifically circulated his blood energy, transferring the weight of every golden bone in his body onto the horse.

This sitting made the Seventh-Rank Dragon-Beard horse's legs tremble, and its body sank.

"You!" Tao Anchun glared in anger.

"Don't worry about it," Zhao Xing stopped Tao Anchun.

Since he was letting someone "test-drive," he couldn't expect them to be gentle.

As long as they didn't crush or injure the horse, Zhao Xing wouldn't interfere.

War horses were meant to be used; they had to go to the battlefield with their masters.

Naturally, they had to withstand their master's martial techniques.

If they couldn't withstand this, they weren't war horses.

He Wu still had a sense of proportion; he just wanted to weigh the quality, not deliberately make things difficult.

"Neigh~"

The Dragon-Beard horse let out a clear dragon-like neigh, and the blood-energy dragon in the sky roared along with it.

It forced He Wu to stand straight.

He Wu secretly praised the good horse, then reached out, clenched his fist, and raised it above his head.

He was going to connect to the blood-energy battle formation.

He would become the controller of the battle formation.

Originally, the core of the battle formation was the horse beneath him.

Now that he wanted to take over, it was equivalent to taking over the life and death of the entire herd.

Because once he took control, the damage he received would be transferred and shared by the herd.

Normally, the initial training of a battle formation was the most troublesome time because the resistance of a fierce horse would be great.

They wouldn't easily hand over their lives.

Sure enough, He Wu's blood energy met resistance and was not accepted by the blood-energy dragon formation.

The herd below also became restless.

Zhao Xing remained unmoved, just watching quietly.

He Wu fell into thought, switching his blood-energy circulation method to better fit the formation.

The resistance weakened, and after a quarter of an hour, the herd's restlessness vanished.

He Wu looked stunned, then gave the Dragon-Beard horse a light pat.

The entire herd formation moved forward a step in unison according to his will.

"Change!"

He Wu pointed, and one of the blood-energy dragons in the sky transformed into a giant blood-energy spear.

Now, it was the battle formation he was familiar with.

Although it was shaky and could collapse at any moment, the fact that he succeeded on his first try left He Wu speechless.

He didn't try for long, as these were quasi-war horses, not true war horses, and couldn't withstand his intense testing.

After He Wu jumped off the horse's back and returned to the steps, he opened his mouth, wanting to say something critical, but it eventually turned into: "Marquis Yuanrang, name your price."

There was no other way; he really couldn't bring himself to find faults.

He Wu was a soldier, not a merchant; he wasn't the type to be blinded by greed.

How could he find faults in such war horses to drive the price down?

If he did that against his conscience, he would slap himself in the face in the middle of the night.

"As the General can see, the Twin Islands Dragon-Horse Prison uses elite cultivation and training," Zhao Xing said.

"Therefore, 40, 00 for Eighth-Rank, 200, 00 for Seventh-Rank, settled in Military World points, public transfer, no bargaining."

This price was more than double the normal market rate.

But He Wu felt it was worth it.

However, he still asked: "If my Wuluo Army orders a large quantity, is there a discount?"

Zhao Xing smiled: "The price cannot be lowered, but since you are the first group of talent-spotters, if you buy a lot, I can give you a few extra good horses for the generals in the army."

He Wu said: "I'll order 1, 00 Eighth-Rank Dragon-Beard horses first! And 500 Seventh-Rank ones. However, I need to take these back immediately; my army has a requirement for 10, 00 units soon. How does the Marquis want to be paid?"

"This transaction must be settled immediately, no credit. For subsequent orders, a 30% deposit is required, and the balance must be settled upon pickup."

"Deal."

"Wait!" Fang Ze couldn't sit still. How could you leave my Jiujiang Army behind and start negotiating?

A hint of a smile appeared on Zhao Xing's lips: "General Fang, any instructions?"

"Marquis Yuanrang, how many Dragon-Beard horses do you have here?"

"Currently, the adult Dragon-Beard horses available are all here; there are only a little over 1, 00 Seventh and Eighth-Rank combined," Zhao Xing said. "However, in half a year, this number can increase to about 8, 00."

"My Jiujiang Army has a larger equipment requirement, at least 50, 00!" Fang Ze said. "I also need to take a batch of adult horses back; you can't give them all to the Wuluo Army."

"Old Fang, stop bragging. What does the Jiujiang Army need so many Dragon-Beard horses for? You have mostly naval forces; where would you get the equipment requirement?"

"That's none of your business; in short, I want these horses!"

"Nonsense, you want them just because you say so? I was the one who spoke first!"

The generals had explosive tempers, and the two who had been harmonious began to argue.

Tao Anchun, listening from the side, was moved to tears.

If the occasion hadn't been inappropriate, he would have burst into laughter.

Two powerful army generals fighting over his horses—the Twin Islands Dragon-Horse Prison actually had a day like this!

"Alright, you two," Zhao Xing advised. "You are both brother armies; don't hurt the harmony."

"I also come from the military and can understand the feelings of both generals."

He Wu and Fang Ze stopped arguing and looked at Zhao Xing.

"For this batch of Dragon-Beard horses, you can each take half back," Zhao Xing decided.

"If you are satisfied, you can place further orders based on your procurement needs."

"Good." He Wu and Fang Ze agreed immediately.

Zhao Xing arranged for Tao Anchun to lead them to the government office to discuss the details.

Only Xia Tong remained.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, Brother." Facing Xia Tong, Zhao Xing was much closer, addressing him as brother directly.

"It's fine, it's fine," Xia Tong laughed happily. "The Qilin Child was right; even when you come to raise horses, it's extraordinary."

"These two guys are very picky; I almost wanted to scold them just now, but I didn't expect this batch of Dragon-Beard horses to shut them up."

Zhao Xing said modestly: "It's all thanks to the support of the elders, especially Princess Youruo. Without her, I wouldn't have achieved this."

"The Princess was helpful, but you don't have to be modest. Others might have so many young beasts, but they wouldn't necessarily be able to train them into talent."

Zhao Xing didn't dwell on this topic: "Brother, what kind of war horses do you need, and in what quantity?"

Xia Tong pondered: "Are the Purple Lightning horses you trained of the same level?"

Zhao Xing said: "Purple Lightning excels in speed and is the fastest among Ming horses. It has its own advantages and disadvantages compared to the Dragon-Beard, but I can guarantee that the training effect is the same."

"If that's the case, I'll take all your Purple Lightning horses back to the Black Armor Army and order another 20, 00."

Zhao Xing bowed: "Brother, please act according to your ability. If the Black Armor Army doesn't have this requirement..."

He had a good relationship with Xia Jing, but he couldn't add a burden to others for no reason.

Xia Tong waved his hand: "The war against the barbarians has slowed down, and the counterattacks from the four major courts of the Southern Wilderness are gradually strengthening."

"The five major grotto-heavens are constantly increasing troops and expanding their strength. Let alone 20, 00 Purple Lightning horses, it's possible that 200, 00 will be thrown into the battlefield in the future."

"My Black Armor Army really has this requirement," Xia Tong said.

"Doesn't the Black Armor Army have its own high-level channels?" Zhao Xing asked.

"Yes," Xia Tong said. "We and the Tiger-Flood Army had procurement quotas on Dragon Island, but with the Liang Prince taking power, these quotas have been compressed this year because the Liang Prince has implemented a unified military supply adjustment."

"From this year on, it won't be as easy for our Dragon Cavalry Camp to replenish dragon beasts, at least not as conveniently as before."

"So, finding an alternative channel is very important."

Hearing this, Zhao Xing nodded.

The Liang Prince taking power meant controlling all the legions in the barbarian war.

This was a power he had to grasp immediately upon taking office.

Otherwise, he couldn't talk about controlling the entire barbarian-pacifying legion.

In the end, the battlefield wasn't as easy as it used to be.

The offensive momentum was blocked, and casualties increased.

Even in the training phase, to reduce unnecessary consumption, it was necessary to integrate the forces of each army, and resource integration was the top priority.

Since the Black Armor Army really needed them, Zhao Xing didn't try to persuade him further.

When they left the next day, Xia Tong, Fang Ze, and He Wu all signed a 【Divine Spirit Contract】 with the Twin Islands Dragon-Horse Prison.

This type of contract was the most binding in the Great Zhou.

Because the paper used for such contracts was of high quality, and they had to invite the Star Lord of Calculation to witness it.

"My lord is wise!" Tao Anchun, Dong Yuanqiu, Bao Shiqiu, and Dong Jiang were all excited.

The total transaction amount finalized by the three military officers was 165 million! Once these three returned, there was a high probability that they would bring orders worth over a billion to the Twin Islands Dragon-Horse Prison!

The Green Water Academy also gave an order of 50 million. Of course, this market was more high-end, and it was difficult to scale up because only Zhao Xing knew the Thunder Hou Bian Art.

But if the reputation spread, there would be no shortage of business in the future.

These were all tangible political achievements.

"My lords, you are excited too early," Zhao Xing smiled. "This is just the beginning; in the future, more and more people will come to my Twin Islands Dragon-Horse Prison."

It was indeed just the beginning; his investment in the Twin Islands Dragon-Horse Prison exceeded 1. billion, and Zhao Xing still intended to continue investing the 200 million he had just received.

Only by fully scaling up could he cultivate a batch of elite war beasts to participate in the Beast Competition.

The Thunder Hou Bian Art had a possibility of failure; he had to make the base large enough to reach the expected goal, otherwise, it would be easy to end up like the previous prison warden.

Of course, the previous warden couldn't be compared to him; the starting points were different.

"Everyone must work together to make the Twin Islands Dragon-Horse Prison better and better."

"We will follow your orders, my lord," the officials of the Dragon-Horse Prison bowed.

On the other side, Zhao Xing was chatting with Ji Zixuan.

"My senior brother, you have brought so many orders to the Dragon-Horse Prison. When do you plan to train me?" Ji Zixuan was full of anticipation.

If her senior brother could train horses so well, training her shouldn't be a problem.

"Have you started practicing the Gluttonous Food Art?"

"I have. I started practicing it at the end of last year, but I've only reached the first level," Ji Zixuan said. "This secret art is too difficult."

Zhao Xing checked the calendar and pondered: "The training of the Gluttonous Food Art requires reasonable dietary matching. Come to Twin Islands after the autumn harvest, and I will help you accelerate your cultivation of this art."

"By then, a batch of the things I planted should be entering the maturity period, enough for you to reach a few levels."

"Good, thank you, senior brother." Ji Zixuan's eyes curved, and she smiled happily.

"Don't be in such a hurry to thank me," Zhao Xing said. "This will involve a lot of suffering; don't blame me when the time comes."

"Is your junior sister the type to fear suffering?" Ji Zixuan's voice was firm. "Rest assured, senior brother, no matter how bitter or tired it is, I won't utter a sound."

Time passed, and in the blink of an eye, it was late July.

Zhao Xing didn't need to do everything himself for the army's orders, because at the beginning of last month, the Chongming Prefecture government allowed the Twin Islands Dragon-Horse Prison to restore the 【Divine Selection Division】.

His subordinates, Tao Anchun, Cao Jiang, and others, were all capable.

Zhao Xing could also spare some energy to deal with the Green Water Academy's orders.

"Currently, I am the only one who can satisfy the requirements of the Academy's Beast-Taming Division. My Thunder Hou Bian Art has only been used once on the mountain cat, so I need more reference samples."

Zhao Xing arrived at a wasteland area on the island.

The sky here was covered in thunderclouds, and the thunder-attribute energy was very dense.

Since the New Year, while building the Earth-Hidden Return-to-Origin Array, Zhao Xing had also set aside a few experimental areas for himself.

This thunder pool was modeled after the Ten Thousand Mile Thunder Pool in the Ten Suns Grotto-Heaven.

However, the range and thundercloud intensity couldn't be compared to those in the Ten Suns Grotto-Heaven.

"This area has been in the 'Awakening of Insects' solar term for six months, and the thunderclouds haven't dissipated for six months."

"I can apply the Thunder Hou Bian Art here with more ease," Zhao Xing thought to himself.

"Boom~"

Exotic beasts appeared in groups from all directions in the wasteland.

These were Zhao Xing's Myriad Law clones, driving some of the non-graded exotic beasts from the island over.

"There were 3. million non-graded exotic beasts on the island, but that was the data from early November last year."

"After the Earth-Hidden Return-to-Origin Array transformed the island, it became a secondary treasure land, and the number has increased significantly."

"There are quite a few graded exotic beasts in the wild."

Zhao Xing didn't count exactly how many, as there were no relevant tasks for the time being; the main business of the Dragon-Horse Prison was still cultivating war horses and dragon beasts.

However, with the Green Water Academy's orders, the pets of the Academy's Beast-Taming Division were varied, and what Zhao Xing had to do now was verify the Thunder Hou Bian Art.

So he could open a path with the Academy.

"The 50-million contract is just Qin Hongying testing the waters; the pets sent over for cultivation won't be of high grade."

"If non-graded exotic beasts can withstand my Thunder Hou Bian Art, then graded ones will have an even higher chance of surviving."

Not killing the pets was Zhao Xing's main goal now.

Because his Thunder Hou Bian Art had reached the Eighth-Rank High-Rank level, the power was too great, and he needed to control the proportions well.

Of course, if the power was too small, it wouldn't work either; if it was too small, it wouldn't achieve the effect of the Hou Bian.

"Roar~"

"Awoo~"

"Baa~"

"Om~~"

The sounds of various exotic beasts gathered on this wasteland.

Zhao Xing's original body floated in the sky, with the Eighth-Rank "Awakening of Insects" solar term token above his head.

"Meow!" Aotian the cat saw this and immediately hid far away.

When it advanced, it had suffered greatly; it didn't want to experience that feeling a second time.

"Boom, boom, boom!"

The thunderclouds began to build up.

Zhao Xing sat cross-legged in the clouds and began to control the thunder.

The exotic beasts below seemed to sense it and fled in all directions.

But before they could escape the area.

"Boom!"

A thunderclap sounded, descending from the sky.

"Thump~"

In the herd of one-horned wild boars, one exotic beast equivalent to the Seventh-Rank of the Gathering Yuan Realm fell to the ground, turning into black charcoal.

"Om!!"

The herd of one-horned wild boars became even more panicked.

"Boom, boom, boom~~~~~"

The lightning became dense, sometimes large, sometimes small, and the shapes were different; some were straight lines, while others were like cracks, forming mysterious textures in the sky.

Others turned into thunderballs, chasing the wild boar herd.

"Boom! Boom!"

More than 3, 00 wild boars suffered.

No matter how they ran, they couldn't outrun the lightning; this was a wasteland, and there was nowhere to hide.

About a quarter of an hour later, Zhao Xing landed on the ground.

He began to check the results.

Charcoal, charcoal, charcoal... everywhere were boar-shaped charcoal.

Finally seeing a touch of golden yellow, Zhao Xing ran over to look, speechless.

It was a roasted suckling pig.

"Sigh, the power is still too great. Only this one was weaker, and it was roasted golden by the lightning."

Sticking to the principle of not wasting food, Zhao Xing sat down, ate the roasted suckling pig, and pondered the spell he had just cast.

After finishing one roasted pig, Zhao Xing flew back into the thunderclouds to cast the spell.

"Boom!"

The Thunder Hou Bian Art continued.

As time passed, Zhao Xing became more proficient in the application of the Thunder Hou Bian Art.

His Thunder Hou Bian Art had already reached a very high level in the Heavenly Gate, forcibly pulled to the Eighth-Rank High-Rank level.

However, he had used it very little, and now he was practicing it in reality, slowly finding the tricks.

"The Thunder Hou Bian Art has a higher success rate on earth-attribute exotic beasts, and it is usually applied to mid-grade exotic beasts."

"I'm not looking for a success rate now, but to ensure the success rate while reducing the power."

The basic power of the Thunder Hou Bian Art was there; exotic beasts that were too weak couldn't withstand this strike.

How low was the probability of a non-graded exotic beast completing the Hou Bian? Zhao Xing didn't know.

But in the visions observed from the solar term monument, it was the death of hundreds of millions of insects and beasts that gave birth to one earth dragon.

The transformation from an earthworm the size of a finger to a hundred-zhang earth dragon—this leap in life level had too low a probability, one in hundreds of millions.

Of course, the vision demonstrated power, naturally presenting an ideal situation.

Theoretically, the Hou Bian Art could turn an ordinary non-graded earthworm into a mid-grade earth dragon, but the probability was too low.

"The non-graded one-horned wild boar is earth-attribute. If I can't control it using this as an example, it will be even harder to control other exotic beasts."

"Observe its internal five-element energy transformation carefully and summarize the method." Zhao Xing continued to cast the spell.

Old Master Zhao decided to practice the art, and the one-horned wild boars suffered.

On the first day, more than 300 one-horned wild boars were struck dead by thunder.

On the second day, more than 500 were struck dead.

On the third day, Zhao Xing expanded the range, and 1, 00 were struck dead.

On the fifth day, 3, 42.

On the seventh day...

From the confirmation of the Green Water Academy's order in early July, Zhao Xing had been striking wild boars with lightning.

He struck until late July.

The number of one-horned wild boars that died exceeded 80, 00.

On the thunder pool wasteland, there were boar corpses everywhere.

Of course, not all were corpses.

A few one-horned wild boars were lucky enough to advance, becoming leaders of the herd.

Only, after becoming leaders, they still had to face even stronger lightning strikes.

Now, this herd of wild boars was completely undergoing a tribulation.

If they survived, they lived; if they didn't, their lives ended there.

And Zhao Xing entered a state of self-forgetfulness in his lightning-striking practice.

Constantly adjusting the power of the Thunder Hou Bian Art and the casting environment.

In this state of self-forgetfulness, the success rate gradually increased.

He was completely unaware that time had reached July 27th.

It was already the day the Green Water Academy had agreed to send people.

July 27th, Chen hour.

Ling Ruoxue took a flying ship to the thunder pool wasteland to find Zhao Xing.

Because Zhao Xing's original body had entered a state of self-forgetfulness, and his Myriad Law clones were all offline, unable to be woken up.

Guests had arrived at the Twin Islands Dragon-Horse Prison, and Tao Anchun could only send Ling Ruoxue to find Zhao Xing.

"What happened here?"

At this moment, Ling Ruoxue had just flown into the thunder pool wasteland area and saw the charcoal-roasted wild boars, scorched-skin boars, roasted suckling pigs, disabled boars...

"Lord Zhao, how many one-horned wild boars did you kill..." Ling Ruoxue couldn't help but shiver.

This scene was too terrifying; corpses were piled up like mountains everywhere, and some had died in extremely strange ways, their bodies seemingly undergoing some weird changes.

For example, the horn on a boar's head was gone, but two feet had grown out... and its eyes seemed to be flashing with light.

"Boom!"

A thunderclap startled Ling Ruoxue, and she saw a wild boar leader, four meters tall, trapped on a hillside ahead. When the thunder flashed, it collapsed with a crash.

Lightning flashed, illuminating Zhao Xing's figure. Under the gloomy sky, Zhao Xing's face also looked gloomy.

He frowned, and Ling Ruoxue, watching, subconsciously took a few steps back.

Zhao Xing seemed to have discovered Ling Ruoxue and suddenly raised his head to look at her.

The next moment, his figure disappeared and suddenly appeared on her flying ship.

"Ah—"

Ling Ruoxue was scared half to death, her body retreating until she hit the cabin.

"You, are you human or ghost? Don't come over!"

Zhao Xing was speechless.

He pointed at the sky, letting the light around brighten, and a skylight opened in the clouds, a beam of sunlight dispelling the gloom and shining on the flying ship.

"Do you see if I am human or ghost now?"

"Lord, Lord Zhao, is it you?" Ling Ruoxue covered her chest.

"Of course it's me," Zhao Xing said irritably.

These civil Sitanong were too cowardly.

The imperial court should really give every civil Sitanong half a year of military training before they take office.

Ling Ruoxue was already Seventh-Rank, yet she had so little courage.

Was it that scary?

When he was killing turtles in the Ten Suns Grotto-Heaven and the barbarian-pacifying battlefield, others didn't even frown when they saw it!

"If you aren't grazing at Heavenly Horse Lake, what are you looking for me for?" Zhao Xing asked.

"It was Tao Uncle who let me..."

"Use your title when working," Zhao Xing reminded.

"Oh, it was Lord Tao who let me find you," Ling Ruoxue said. "He said the Green Water Academy people are arriving soon and need you to receive them. I was nearby, so I came to find you."

"Understood, you go back," Zhao Xing closed his eyes, and the Myriad Law clones in the Warden's Mansion were reactivated.

In the East Sea, a beast-law building ship was traveling through the cloud path.

From the bottom three levels of the warship, the sound of beast roars could be faintly heard.

On the top two levels, dozens of boys and girls in green robes were active.

They were all students from the Green Water Academy's main branch, all from the Beast-Taming Division.

At this moment, they were all talking.

"Have you heard? The reason the Academy signed a contract with the Twin Islands Dragon-Horse Prison this time is all because of Senior Sister Ji."

"A 50-million training contract; Senior Sister Ji is really getting better and better."

"Senior Sister Ji was the most outstanding graduate of the 19th year of the Jingxin calendar. She is already in the Tiangang Realm now; what is this little matter?"

"I heard that Senior Sister was also named the Princess of Morning Glow last year. I only found out then that she was actually the granddaughter of the Prince of Chenglan."

"Really? Senior Sister is too low-key; I've never heard her mention it."

"It is said that the warden of the Twin Islands Dragon-Horse Prison is also a skirt-chasing subject of Senior Sister, hehehe..."

"What? Tell me more..."

"..."

On the top level of the building ship, Ji Zixuan was looking at the two young girls in front of her.

"Ziyan, Minghui, you must grasp the training opportunity of this contract."

"I have placed you two at the forefront of this training contract, and your pets will receive priority cultivation."

"Yes," Shang Ziyan and Su Minghui responded respectfully.

They had self-awareness because among the students of this year's Beast-Taming Division, their performance was only average.

Compared to the many royal and noble children, their backgrounds were average, their financial resources were average, and their talent was only passable; only their hard work had caught the eye of this senior sister.

That was why they were placed in the first two positions in this training contract.

The people below had the leisure to gossip about this and that, but they only thought about how to grasp this opportunity.

Shang Ziyan gathered her courage and asked: "Senior Sister, what kind of person is Zhao Xing, the warden of the Twin Islands Dragon-Horse Prison? How can we gain his appreciation?"

Ji Zixuan said: "Zhao Xing is a genius of the age. He appreciates people who are positive and upward-looking."

"You must bring your pets and cooperate well when you get off the ship."

"If there is an opportunity, you must strive to show your talent."

"If you can be appreciated by him, you will be lucky for the rest of your lives."

"Senior Sister, is the Marquis Yuanrang really that magical?" Su Minghui asked out of curiosity. "I heard he is only Sixth-Rank, the same realm as Senior Sister, yet Senior Sister speaks so highly of him, which is really curious."

Ji Zixuan smiled: "I was helped by him when I first arrived, which is why I reached the Sixth Rank so quickly."

"Not to mention other deeds, just last year, he defeated the strongest Sixth-Rank Hundred-Art Master of the Green Water Academy's Dayuan branch with just one move."

"In addition, he has mastered dozens of High-Rank techniques and can cultivate Sixth-Rank plants!"

"You tell me, isn't it beneficial to learn something from him?"

Shang Ziyan and Su Minghui were surprised to hear this. If what Ji Zixuan said was true, then this Marquis Yuanrang, Zhao Xing, was indeed a peerless genius.

"Senior Sister, does the Marquis Yuanrang have any taboos?" Shang Ziyan asked carefully.

"He hates lazy, ignorant, and indecisive fools," Ji Zixuan recalled. "Remember, don't ask any stupid questions."

"Alright, the building ship is about to land; go prepare to summon your pets," Ji Zixuan waved her hand.

"Yes, thank you, Senior Sister." Shang Ziyan and Su Minghui retreated obediently.

"If there is an opportunity, you must strive to show your talent."

"If you can be appreciated by him, you will have hit the jackpot in this life."

"Senior Sister, is the Marquis of Yuanyang really that magical?" Su Minghui gathered her courage and asked the curiosity in her heart. "I heard he is only Sixth-Rank, the same realm as Senior Sister, yet Senior Sister holds him in such high regard, which is really curious."

Ji Zixuan smiled: "I owed it to his help that I was able to reach the Sixth-Rank realm so quickly."

"Not to mention other deeds, just last year, he only used one move to defeat the strongest Sixth-Rank Master of One Hundred Arts of the Dayuan Branch of the Lihuo Academy."

"In addition, he has mastered dozens of high-rank methods and can even cultivate Sixth-Rank plants!"

"You say, isn't it infinitely useful to learn something from him?"

Shang Ziyan and Su Minghui were surprised upon hearing this. If what Ji Zixuan said was true, then this Marquis of Yuanyang, Zhao Xing, was truly a peerless genius.

"Senior Sister, does the Marquis of Yuanyang have any taboos?" Shang Ziyan asked cautiously.

"He hates lazy, ignorant, and indecisive fools," Ji Zixuan recalled. "Remember, don't ask any stupid questions."

"Alright, the building ship is about to land; you all go prepare to summon your pet beasts," Ji Zixuan waved her hand.

"Yes, many thanks, Senior Sister." Shang Ziyan and Su Minghui retreated obediently.