Chapter 266: Cursing Arts, Xia Jing Exits, Meng Kun Rolls Up? (Large Chapter)

"Truly fresh."

The ninetyth floor of the Secret Arts Tower at the Tianyuan Branch is accessible only to Doctor of Healing Classics.

One who can cultivate the Ten Thousand Dharma Avatars must be a genius of the Benwo Sect.

Yet he seems to be pondering a supreme Cloud Art.

Li Boqian's curiosity was instantly aroused.

"Senior, your realm is profound and your arts unfathomable; may you offer a little guidance?"

Zhao Xing immediately clasped his hands toward the source of the voice.

His Ten Thousand Dharma Avatar is not something just anyone can easily perceive.

Moreover, they are currently within the range of the Mist Veil Art, under multiple layers of concealment; an ordinary person could never possibly see through his situation.

Yet the other party not only appeared abruptly within his Mist Veil Art, but also spoke the truth of heaven in a single sentence.

How could Lord Zhao not know he had encountered a supreme powerhouse?

Who it was didn't matter, nor did it matter whether they revealed themselves; what mattered was whether the big shot could offer him a bit of guidance.

Zhao Xing skipped the trivialities of surprise and inquiry, grasped the unknown big shot's curious psychology, and immediately began demonstrating the Heavenly Thunder Finger and Cloud Gate he had comprehended.

"Senior's insight is sharp as a torch; please correct my 'Heavenly Thunder Finger' and 'Cloud Gate'!"

Before Li Boqian could come to his senses, Zhao Xing had already begun demonstrating the art.

"Interesting."

Hearing him say this, Li Boqian became even more interested.

The Heavenly Thunder Finger originates from the Prison-Suppressing Chapter of the Profound Heaven Thunder Art, and the Cloud Gate is also a supreme art extended from the Cloud Heaven Dao.

Where did this young fellow come from, comprehending supreme arts that point directly to the ultimate with a Ten Thousand Dharma Avatar?

Moreover, he did not dwell on who had breached his art, did not ask if he could offer guidance, but immediately began demonstrating.

Hey, truly a clever one!

Li Boqian watched with keen interest.

"Zzzzz~"

Thunder light flickered at Zhao Xing's fingertips, and a black dot seemed to appear at the tip of his finger.

The dot was pitch black, as if it would swallow and destroy everything, while around the dot, thunder light circled.

When he saw the black dot at Zhao Xing's index finger, Li Boqian was somewhat surprised.

"This young fellow really wasn't boasting? His Heavenly Thunder Finger has already begun to take its form."

Boom!!!

A thunder-light vortex flickered around the black dot and instantly blasted into the art wall.

The art wall, crafted from special materials, showed a brief depression, and dense cracks appeared around it.

As a test art wall capable of withstanding high-grade training, it possessed tremendous resilience and self-repair capabilities.

Yet the black vortex and thunder light imprinted within it possessed extremely powerful destructive force; the art wall took a full seven breaths to fully repair itself.

"Huff~" Zhao Xing exhaled, then added, "Please, Senior, offer your corrections."

He did not know whether the mysterious person had left, because he could not sense them at all.

At this moment, Li Boqian not only did not leave, but actively revealed himself.

"In terms of comprehension of the Thunder Dao, your cultivation of the Heavenly Thunder Finger has already walked the correct path; there is nothing that needs correction."

When Zhao Xing saw the Senior Ma Yi elder walking out of the Mist Veil, he was instantly stunned.

He immediately bowed and saluted, saying, "Subordinate Zhao Xing pays respects to the Grand Minister of Agriculture!"

Li Boqian smiled and nodded: "No need for ceremony; there is no Grand Minister of Agriculture here, only an old senior who has lived a few hundred years longer."

The reason he had hidden himself was that the portrait of the Grand Minister of Agriculture had already spread throughout the world.

If Li Boqian revealed himself in the Secret Arts Tower, it would likely cause a commotion; countless people would abandon their cultivation and come to pay him homage like pilgrims.

So why reveal himself now? Mainly because Li Boqian's curiosity had been aroused by Zhao Xing.

If he did not reveal himself, he feared his subsequent questions would receive no answers.

"Thank you, Senior." Zhao Xing straightened his body.

Li Boqian said, "You cultivate the Liu Chuan Straw Man Art; what is your relationship with Liu Tianning?"

"Liu Tianning is my teacher," Zhao Xing replied.

"Then how did you manage to sneak into the Profound Heaven Academy and become a Doctor of Healing Classics?"

"I performed well in the struggle for the ancient Dragon Court place-name quota and was recommended by three my lords: Geng Shouchang, Heng Yuan, and Sima Yunhai." Zhao Xing answered truthfully.

"I see." Li Boqian understood. "I suppose your original body must be cultivating the Derivation Spirit Art in the Star Palace, so you could not come in person."

"Exactly so." Zhao Xing did not deny it.

His cultivation of the Derivation Spirit Art was a top secret to others, but not to Li Boqian.

"Since you have set foot on the Benwo Dao, why come to the Profound Heaven Academy?" Li Boqian asked his third question, though he asked with a certain expectation.

Zhao Xing did not hesitate: "This junior has not only come to the Profound Heaven Academy, but is also on the way to the Kunyuan Academy."

"I cultivate the Jianxiusan Sect, wishing to unify Heaven's Timing, Earth's Advantage, and the Benwo Self! I will bring the Dao of the Grand Minister of Agriculture to a peak unmatched by those before or after!"

"Hahahaha~" Li Boqian burst into laughter. "What magnificent ambition and bold words! Young man, you have more ambition than Liu Tianning!"

Li Boqian was deeply gratified; this was precisely the answer he had hoped for.

With the intent to test him, he immediately asked again:

"Even your teacher, Liu Tianning, only wished to forge the ultimate path for the Benwo Sect."

"I will not ask you how you will achieve the unification of the three sects; I will only speak of your teacher Liu Tianning. Do you know his ambition, and why he was selected as one of the candidates for the Shangluo Academy?"

He wanted to see whether Zhao Xing truly had substance in his belly, whether he had a clear path, or whether he was merely indulging in empty talk and seeking attention.

Zhao Xing pondered for a moment, clasped his hands in a bow, and said, "The Straw Man Method has three classifications: the Liu Transmission Straw Man Method, the Wu Transmission Straw Man Method, and the Shangluo Straw Man Method."

"The Wu Transmission refers to the version recompiled by Wu Cheng, the Grand Minister of Agriculture during the reign of the Great Ancestor, based on the ancient Straw Man Method passed down from antiquity."

"The Shangluo Straw Man Method is the old version from antiquity."

"The Liu Transmission Straw Man Method was created by Liu Zonghai."

"Among them, the Shangluo Straw Man Method is largely incomplete in intent, form, and spirit."

"The materials for casting the doppelganger spells have even gone extinct."

"Moreover, only one supreme dharma-body cultivation method was passed down at that time, and its power was not prominent; thus, the 'Shangluo Straw Man Method' holds only a historical status as the origin."

"During the founding of our Great Zhou, the two sages Wu Cheng and Liu Zonghai simultaneously inherited, improved, and newly created the Straw Man Method."

"They also derived low, middle, and high-stage Straw Man spells."

"Among them, Lord Wu's realm of the Dao was already sufficiently high."

"He did not practice it himself, but he gathered the mighty ones of the Benwo Sect, utilized the Cauldron of Creation, and produced forty-nine types of Straw Man Methods; from low to high, one could ultimately cultivate seven supreme dharma-bodies."

"Theoretically speaking, the Wu Transmission Straw Man Method can also be cultivated to the ultimate extent."

"Wu Cheng was of the theoretical school, while Liu Zonghai practiced personally; he created eighty-one types."

"Of the versions created by the two sages, forty-nine overlapped; although their essence was the same, there were many distinctions in spell effects, mainly regarding materials."

"The Wu Transmission Straw Man Method is more accessible, emphasizing the spell over materials; the low and middle-stage Straw Man Methods publicly promoted by the imperial court are the Wu version."

"The Liu Transmission Straw Man Method follows an elite path, valuing both the spell and the selection of materials."

"However, neither the theoretical Wu School nor the practical Liu School cultivated that one supreme dharma-body."

"Later, the Shangluo Academy's headmasters for several generations only reached the supreme dharma-body level."

"Even so, once a Myriad Dharma Doppelganger reaches the supreme perfection level, its power and effects are already no inferior to the ultimate techniques of other schools."

"Therefore, the requirement of the Benwo Sect leader is simply to cultivate multiple supreme dharma-bodies and reach the perfection realm."

"My master intends to unite nine supreme dharma-bodies, merge with the Dao into one, forge a true ultimate path for the Benwo Sect, and recompile the Straw Man Method; this is his ambition."

Li Boqian asked with keen interest, "You wish to unify the three schools; how will you do it?"

Zhao Xing answered quickly, "Apart from the Myriad Dharma Straw Man, I must create a new ultimate path for the Benwo Sect."

"Create an ultimate Mountain Method and an ultimate Profound Earth Method for the Dili Sect, completing the five ultimate methods of Dili."

Seeing he had no more to say, Li Boqian smiled and asked, "The Tianshi School already has seven ultimate methods; what will you do then?"

Zhao Xing said, "The Tianshi School lacks no methods; one should perfect the 'Five Elements and Four Seasons Theory'."

"Hahaha, well said. If you can achieve these things, you will truly be unmatched by those before or after."

Li Boqian laughed heartily, satisfied.

"You have the Dao in your heart and the technique in your hands; it is just that the road beneath your feet needs to be walked more steadily."

"I have asked you six questions; you may come to the Nanshan Villa to seek my instruction six times."

Zhao Xing's heart rejoiced, knowing that good fortune had descended upon him this time.

Guidance from the Grand Minister of Agriculture is far superior to that of Geng Shouchang.

"This junior wishes to ask: how can I glimpse the entryway to my Heavenly Thunder Finger?"

Li Boqian pondered, "As I just said, your Thunder Method has already taken its initial form; there is nothing to correct."

"Your inability to manifest it is mainly because this is a Myriad Dharma Doppelganger."

Myriad Dharma Doppelganger? Zhao Xing fell into thought.

"The Myriad Dharma Doppelganger has its limitations; for instance, it cannot practice the Inner Cultivation of Seasonal Changes Method."

Zhao Xing listened quietly; the Myriad Dharma Doppelganger cannot internally cultivate the Seasonal Changes Method, at least not in the current era.

Because the Inner Cultivation of Seasonal Changes Method causes the flesh and blood to undergo drastic changes, and the doppelganger's material differs greatly from the flesh and blood; once the Inner Cultivation of Seasonal Changes Method is applied, the doppelganger will immediately collapse and cannot be restored; this is where the irreplaceability of the original body lies.

"Additionally, although the Myriad Dharma Doppelganger can comprehend the three great secret classics, it contains no Solar Term Tokens within its body, nor does it have Pure Origin Soil, so it cannot store plant soldiers."

A black-hole Lei Guang vortex appeared at Li Boqian's fingertip, and the speed of the Heavenly Thunder Finger slowed down countless times.

At the same time, a Solar Term Token floated out from within his body.

The Jingzhe Solar Term Token.

However, while others' spring solar term tokens are green, Li Boqian's is purple.

"The Heavenly Thunder Finger was comprehended from the Great Heat, Minor Heat, and Jingzhe solar terms; the true meaning of the Thunder Method comprehended in conjunction with the Solar Term Token is, at the entry stage, a very important auxiliary cultivation method."

"The structure of your Myriad Dharma Doppelganger is not the same as your flesh and blood."

"Thus, you have already attained its form and roughly understood its spirit, but you lack the true meaning of Lei Ting, and you have not yet accustomed yourself to the distinction between the original body and the doppelganger."

"This Myriad Dharma Doppelganger you forged emphasizes Yin and the Five Elements; because its foundation is the Soul-Restraining Straw Man Method, its spell materials are Yin and the Five Elements, yet you seek to cultivate Yang Thunder, which constantly interferes with your spellcasting."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Xing suddenly understood.

Li Boqian pointed out two problems to him: first, during cultivation, he did not employ the Solar Term Token as assistance, which is equivalent to having one extra layer of difficulty from birth compared to others.

Second, he failed to perceive the characteristics of the doppelganger; he wished to cultivate a supreme Yang Thunder Method, but the Yin and Five Elements within the doppelganger were too heavy, interfering with his comprehension.

If it were the original body, it would likely have been cultivated long ago; this is the drawback of sending a doppelganger.

Li Boqian said, "To solve this is very simple; you are now only missing the final push; you can fully allow the original body to spare some time for cultivation."

"Once you have truly entered the path, standing on a high building to look down on the landscape, returning later to seek the entryway suitable for the doppelganger to cast spells will be much easier."

After hearing this, Zhao Xing suddenly had his mind cleared; since his realm of the Dao was already sufficient before, he could quickly cross this hurdle, allowing the doppelganger to also quickly cast high-level spells, with its power gradually increasing.

But now, cultivating supreme methods is not so easy, which has stumped him.

Now that Li Boqian has pointed out a path for him, he immediately knows what to do.

Actually, it is very simple to say, but if Li Boqian had not enlightened him, Zhao Xing would probably have discovered it only after a long time.

"Thank you, elder, for your guidance; I know what to do."

Li Boqian smiled and said, "This questioning will not count; he will find a Ritual Cultivator to cast 'Three Seals on the Mouth' upon you."

"Yes." Zhao Xing bowed, his silence a ritual art—the so-called Spell of Three Seals.

Li Bokian had an important mission here and could not afford to reveal himself.

………

After meeting Li Bokian, the avatar went to the Dean's official office.

Lu Chunhua hired a Ritualist of undetectable realm to cast the "Spell of Three Seals" on Zhao Xing.

This spell targets the life-soul, meaning neither the original nor the avatar may reveal Li Bokian's location.

Zhao Xing's original body, in his Star Palace residence, closed his eyes and pretended to rest.

He entered his dream wearing the Heaven's Mechanism Robe, the Mo Shou Jade Pendant, and the Soul-Still Bell.

Inside the Memory Palace of his dream, Zhao Xing reviewed his meeting with Li Bokian.

"Li Bokian's historical evaluation as Grand Agronomist is high; unlike Old Liu, he is relatively mild."

"I've boosted his favor—these six opportunities to ask are the reward," Zhao Xing thought.

He had expected to need more effort, but his display before Li Bokian had earned him this chance.

He had to admit: besides luck, his own strength also played a part.

Without the Ten Thousand Methods Avatar, even if his original body had gone to the Secret Technique Tower, Li Bokian might not have noticed him.

What he said afterward seemed like empty flattery.

Having cultivated the Ten Thousand Methods Avatar proves he doesn't just want—he acts; his deeds align with his aspirations.

That's why Li Bokian said he "has Dao in his heart, and Art in his hands."

"I must make good use of Li Bokian's six opportunities—ideally, learn his 'Pang Yuan Feng' Art."

"But the Pang Yuan Feng Art must be asked for at the final opportunity; right now, accepting such an inheritance would still be too forced—I must not waste it."

If successful, his work in the Heaven's Timing Sect would become far smoother, and his status would rise sharply!

To pass down a final Art to the Heaven's Timing Sect is "to continue the lost learning of the sages"—a great merit!

Though the Heaven's Timing Sect already has seven final Arts, the value of a final Art does not diminish with quantity.

"The Divine Expansion Scripture is the foundation of cultivation—I now have a Three-Star Soul Seal; my learning ability has increased more than tenfold."

"Art affinity, art comprehension, art creation, art deduction—all are noticeably enhanced."

"Next, I'll spend a few days testing it."

………

Time passed, and in the blink of an eye, it was December 10th.

In the Star Palace, Zhao Xing's original body was cultivating—not the Divine Expansion Scripture, but the Thunder Finger.

"Ziziziz~"

A black thunder vortex appeared at his fingertip—immensely stable, yet brimming with devastating destructive power.

"The True Meaning of Thunder's Destruction—the top-tier Art, Thunder Finger—I've finally entered the threshold," Zhao Xing smiled faintly and dispersed the art.

Original body and avatar share the same soul; their insights naturally connect.

When the avatar awakens to Dao, so does the original—he remained in the Secret Technique Tower for ten straight days.

Meanwhile, the original briefly abandoned cultivation of the Divine Expansion Scripture, activated the Solar Terms Command, and aided his insight.

On the tenth day in the Secret Technique Tower, he finally comprehended Thunder Finger to the First Turn.

"The original has entered the threshold; now the avatar must become accustomed," Zhao Xing thought.

The avatar would inevitably lag behind the original.

When wielding a top-tier art, the original sees with both eyes and has full limbs; the avatar sees with one eye and limps on one leg.

"Based on experience from the high-tier art stage, when the original reaches Third Turn in a top-tier art, the avatar should barely be able to use it."

Suddenly, the Earth Mirror hummed.

Zhao Xing looked and sighed helplessly:

"Ugh, King Tianyan is pestering again… Does he think I'm slacking?"

When Zhao Xing rested two days, King Tianyan approved.

After five days of rest, King Tianyan grew restless.

After ten days of rest, King Tianyan constantly reminded Zhao Xing not to slack off.

The mighty King Tianyan had become Zhao Xing's cultivation supervisor.

He feared Zhao Xing would miss the chance to break the record.

"Zhao Xing, it's time to cultivate—come out now!" King Tianyan's voice echoed outside the door. "Your total rest time has exceeded ten days! Even the horses at Tuoquan Palace don't rest this much!"

"Alright, alright, coming!" Zhao Xing sighed and swiftly flew out.

………

The difficulty of advancing from the third to the fourth soul star has increased.

Liu Tianning took over half a year to make this leap.

After mastering Thunder Finger, under King Tianyan's supervision, Zhao Xing had no choice but to have his original body abandon art comprehension and focus entirely on cultivating the first layer of the Divine Expansion Scripture.

"I estimate the Four-Star Soul Seal will take until January next year," Zhao Xing thought. "I don't know if my pace is fast or slow—can I complete it within three years?"

Since the third star, he had felt it growing harder, requiring longer and longer time.

Of course, Zhao Xing had no concrete benchmark—he didn't know others' speeds, since King Tianyan never told him.

Were the other thirty-seven faster than him?

Where did he rank?

These were top-secret records.

"Given how urgently King Tianyan is pushing me, I'm probably not progressing quickly enough—I must work harder. Don't underestimate the geniuses of the Great Zhou."

Lord Zhao had no idea at all that he was not only first among these thirty-eight people, but also the first of this dynasty, and indeed the first in all history.

If he knew, he would probably complain to King Tianyan: I am already this fast, why are you still rushing me? It's as if I were last!

Time arrived at the fifteenth day of the first month of the thirty-first year of the Jingxin Era.

Inside the Star Palace.

"Boom~"

The secret-patterned stars rotated; Zhao Xing stood on the Star Platform, watching silently.

By now, he no longer screamed out in pain.

The cultivation of the Tian Shen Art had also tempered his mental will.

Now the pain far exceeded that of the first star, yet he could remain expressionless.

Even Tian Yan Wang could not tell whether Zhao Xing had succeeded or failed.

He waited a long time, yet saw neither Zhao Xing taking the Yuan Hun Liquid nor hearing him cry out.

Tian Yan Wang could not help but appear: "You, you—have you broken through or not? You have been standing here for a long time."

If you have broken through, speak up quickly; this King is in a hurry to write the record!

"Replying to King Tianyan, I have already broken through," Zhao Xing nodded.

At this moment, a star appeared once more on his back, following his waist, abdomen, and both shoulders, as his life soul manifested.

Secret patterns floated upon the star; this was the proof of the Path of the Soul.

"The fourth life star?" Tian Yan Wang's face showed joy. "Good, good, good."

"Your Highness, what rank would my speed in breaking through to the fourth star be considered?" Zhao Xing asked.

"Of course it is..." Tian Yan Wang, in his excitement, almost spoke the truth, but remembering that Zhao Xing had rested for ten days beforehand, he held his words back. "Ahem, well, I can only say you still have great room for improvement."

Zhao Xing could not gauge his ambiguous answer, so he said: "Your Highness, may I have a few days of leave?"

"What do you intend to do?" Tian Yan Wang asked warily.

He wants to rest again? This fellow was not like this in the Ten Yang Cave Heaven!

"The Spring Society Day is coming soon; one must return home for the New Year," Zhao Xing said. "During the last breakthrough, except for one clone at the Xuantian Academy branch and another on the way to the Kunyuan Academy, the rest were dispersed by the vibration of the life soul."

"I could use a clone to return, but my sister often calls me a foolish older brother; I wish to return in person to see her."

This reason could not be refused; Tian Yan Wang nodded and said: "Very well, then I grant you half a month of leave."

Breaking through from the fourth star to the fifth is not something that can be achieved in a short while.

"Thank you, King Tianyan."

"Do not rush yet," Tian Yan Wang said. "Return closer to the festival; it is still early, with half a month remaining."

"Yes."

In Chongming Prefecture, inside a hidden private residence.

Yin Qiquan looked at the stack of documents before him and turned to his subordinate: "How did this happen? I told you to bring all the official records from the Office of the Director of the She She Temple, yet here they are all signed by Chen Shijie, the Right Director, while the Left Director has only the official seal?"

The subordinate was also aggrieved: "My lord, this cannot be blamed on me. That Zhao Xing went to the She She Temple and acted as a complete absentee director, sleeping in the office every day and managing nothing."

"All matters of the She She Temple directors are handled entirely by Chen Shijie."

Zhao Xing does no work, purely slacking off; what can be done?

"What? How can this rascal be so lazy in governance!" Yin Qiquan angrily slapped the table.

He needed to obtain something related to Zhao Xing and secretly send it out to sea to serve as a medium.

Collect it, and when the time is ripe in the future, it can be put to use.

Yet, Zhao Xing has been at the She She Temple for so long and does nothing; all affairs, great and small, are managed by Chen Shijie.

He is like a statue in a temple: only watching, never speaking, never moving.

"Is there not a single document here with Zhao Xing's signature?" Yin Qiquan asked, holding the stack of papers. "Ah? Is there or isn't there?"

The subordinate replied: "Replying to my lord, there are indeed three."

"Hmm?" Yin Qiquan was overjoyed. "Where are they?"

The subordinate immediately stepped forward quickly and, amidst the documents disordered by Yin Qiquan, found the three copies.

"Good, you may go down," Yin Qiquan dismissed his subordinate.

Afterwards, his body sank into the ground, arriving in an underground palace.

A huge brazier burned in the underground palace; Yin Qiquan threw the three documents into it.

This brazier was handed down from the True Fire Sect, an ancient sect of the past.

It was crafted by the True Fire Sect as a copy of the Li Fire Divine Altar and Fire Pit of the Li Fire Shen Sect.

However, the Shanzhai copy lacked some essence; it could not transmit people, only objects, and the quantity could not be too large.

"Pfft~"

These three documents were transmitted to the distant Sanshan beneath the sea.

Blood Spirit Venerable descended from the platform, holding the three documents in hand, then closed his eyes to sense.

Moments later, a white-skinned face with a scruffy beard, a slightly square face shape, faint eyebrow patterns, and a small nose and eyes appeared in Blood Spirit Venerable's mind.

"Yin Qiquan, you fool," Blood Spirit Venerable snorted coldly.

This is not Zhao Xing's signature at all; it is clearly Chen Shijie signing on his behalf!

Blood Spirit Venerable casually tossed the documents aside.

A proper fourth-rank inspector cannot even obtain an item from a fifth-rank official, and yet he gets it wrong?

Yin Qiquan is truly a waste!

He wanted to cast the Curse of Death, but it came with a heavy price, even requiring the sacrifice of a life.

How could it be used to kill Chen Shijie? He hasn't even made the list!

Blood Spirit Venerable sent a reply to Yin Qiquan.

Shortly after, Yin Qiquan, in the underground secret chamber, saw the reply: "Fool, that was signed by Chen Shijie on behalf of someone else!"

"What?" After seeing the reply, Yin Qiquan flew into a rage: "Heaven-slaying Zhao Xing! How can you be so negligent in your duties! Ah, this truly makes me furious!"

…………

Time passed, and in the blink of an eye, it was the fourth day of the second month.

At this time in Chongming Prefecture, most officials had already begun their New Year's holiday, but the Earth God Temple grew busier by the day.

Because the Spring Earth Festival was approaching, many people flocked to the temple to prepare for worshipping the Earth God.

On this very day, King Tianyan granted Zhao Xing a half-month holiday.

He emerged from the entrance of the underground secret chamber and returned to the temple.

Arriving at the administrative office of the Earth God Temple, he saw a huge pile of documents flying into the Director's office.

Almost as soon as one batch was processed, a new batch flew out from the furnace.

Subordinate officials were constantly coming and going, seeking instructions from Chen Shijie.

Upon seeing Zhao Xing enter, the surrounding officials were momentarily stunned, then clasped their hands in greeting: "Greetings, Director Zhao."

They offered their greetings, but some officials' expressions were not very pleasant.

Because Zhao Xing often slept and did not manage affairs, all the work was done by Chen Shijie, the Right Director.

As a result, some officials hardly remembered that there was even a Left Director named Zhao Xing, only realizing it after being reminded.

"You continue, continue. Don't mind me." Zhao Xing walked into Old Chen's office with a smile.

After entering the Director's office, Chen Shijie was already buried under a mountain of documents.

Heaven help us, Zhao Xing entered, yet he didn't even notice!

Chen Shijie was the Military Agrarian, after all; his vigilance was usually very high, yet now he didn't even know Zhao Xing had entered, showing just how busy he had become.

"Ahem..." Zhao Xing coughed twice, casually grabbed a minor clerk, snatched two stacks of documents, and walked over, "I'll take over, you all can leave."

"Yes."

"Quite busy, huh." Zhao Xing held the documents and intended to sit, but discovered there wasn't even a place to put his feet nearby, so he could only stand there.

"What are you doing?" Chen Shijie looked at the documents in Zhao Xing's hands.

"I'm just here to help you handle some official business."

"What do you know about handling official business? Hand them over, these two are urgent reports from Mingyang Commandery."

"Alright, my lord Chen." Zhao Xing quickly handed the documents over.

Chen Shijie's hand did not move, but many pens were held by the wind, continuously signing replies to reports submitted by subordinate commanderies and counties.

The Earth God Temple is usually not busy, but as the Spring Earth Festival approaches, it becomes incredibly hectic.

The great affairs of the state are war and sacrifice; sacrifice is one of the most important activities of Great Zhou.

The Spring Earth Festival is especially paramount; for county-level sacrificial activities under normal circumstances, Prefecture City approval is not needed, only reporting to the commandery level is sufficient.

However, for sacrifices related to the Spring Earth Festival, even county-level matters must be approved by Prefecture City.

But now there are simply too many; after looking for a while, Zhao Xing realized the workload was greater than imagined.

"Why are there so many matters? Even county-level affairs fall under our jurisdiction?" Zhao Xing asked.

"Temporarily reassigned," Chen Shijie said. "A month ago, Zhou Si Ming transferred the county-level Spring Sacrifice to be managed at the prefecture level."

"Is someone targeting us?" Zhao Xing frowned. "Is Zhou Chengwen of the Liang Wang faction?"

Zhou Chengwen is the Star Lord Priest of the Star Lord Hall of the Prefecture City Si Ming, a Third Rank official, considered their superior.

"I don't know, can't tell," Chen Shijie shook his head. "His reasons are quite sufficient; this year is a major Spring Sacrifice year, so it is normal for county-level affairs to be transferred over."

The Earth God Temple does not purely manage sacrifices; it also involves agricultural affairs. Chongming Prefecture is large, with so many counties and commanderies even on the islands, so it is simply impossible to keep up.

Zhao Xing nodded; this was unavoidable.

Whether Zhou Chengwen is truly of the Liang Wang faction, he couldn't be sure, nor did he know what schemes lay hidden behind the scenes, but Zhao Xing was too lazy to think about it.

Since Princess Youruo had not intervened, it proved that what he was doing was not excessive.

"The Spring Earth Festival is coming soon; can we finish before the New Year?"

"No," Chen Shijie shook his head. "What are you thinking? The New Year is the busiest time."

"The Earth God Temple is not only involved in sacrifices but must also manage agricultural affairs; these two months are the busiest."

"How long has it been since you took a holiday?" Zhao Xing asked.

"I haven't taken one since I arrived."

"..."

Zhao Xing couldn't help but feel ashamed.

"Forget it, stop for a while, go home for the New Year, I'll give you a holiday."

"If you don't go back soon, Gui Niang will start complaining."

Chen Shijie asked in confusion: "Do you not want to work anymore? If I leave, who will handle this work?"

"Me," Zhao Xing smiled.

"You?" Chen Shijie scrutinized Zhao Xing.

"Who are you looking down on?" Zhao Xing said. "I'm just busy, not incompetent."

How could he not know how to handle state affairs?

Have you heard of the "Complete Guide to Optimal Statecraft" summarized by players?

"You're not going back?" Chen Shijie said. "This year, not only is Long Xiao returning for the New Year, but even Xia Jing will come to Donghai after the Spring Earth Festival."

"Oh? Xia Jing is coming too? Why didn't you tell me?" Zhao Xing was somewhat surprised.

"That's only if they can find you. Your attendance roll was marked for you." Chen Shijie took out his Bureau Director seal.

Zhao Xing said, "What I mean is, how does he have the time to come?"

The Great Pacification of the Man tribes has not ended. Xia Jing is now a Fifth Rank Upper military officer; how could he leave?

Chen Shijie said, "Xia Jing had both arms severed and was poisoned by an Earth Witch."

"What?" Zhao Xing's eyebrows jumped. "Is it serious?"

"He said it isn't serious," Chen Shijie said. "Xiang Kui found him a Thousand-Year Bone-Regenerating Ginseng produced in the Guangling Cave Heaven. However, those two arms were poisoned and cannot be reattached; they must wait to grow back, requiring a period of recuperation."

"The poison is also quite troublesome. It is estimated that he will need a year and a half to a year to fully recover."

That is very serious!

Xia Jing externally cultivates the Black Tortoise Shield and internally cultivates the Gluttony Method. If he was injured to this extent, how could it not be serious?

"At least he kept his life." Zhao Xing sighed in relief. As long as he didn't die on the spot, there was basically a chance to save him.

"It seems your decision back then was correct," Chen Shijie said in a low voice.

They enjoyed the blessings, yet they didn't encounter a single misfortune.

Otherwise, Chen Shijie and Long Xiao wouldn't know what state they would be in now.

The Great Pacification of the Man tribes has been fought until now, with the levels gradually escalating.

Xia Jing was injured by an Earth Witch, which proves that Third Rank combat power has begun to enter the fray.

Looking at it now, Third Rank combat power has only appeared sporadically, but this is also a sign.

Sooner or later, one side will be unable to hold back and will fully open the High Rank war.

"Counting the time, it's about right for these two years," Zhao Xing thought silently.

In the thirty-fifth year of the Jingxin Era, Liang Wang rebelled. Before that, the High Rank war had been fought for about three years.

That means the High Rank war will break out in the thirty-second year of the Jingxin Era.

At that time, the Southern Wasteland would be a true Hell Mode, truly a meat grinder.

"When he arrives, I will advise him to use this opportunity to recuperate completely," Zhao Xing said in a deep voice. "If he withdraws now, he can still keep his Fifth Rank Upper official post and retire with his title and merit rank."

"Do you mean you are returning to Dongyang County too?" Chen Shijie asked in surprise. "Then what about here?"

Zhao Xing smiled. "Did you forget I have clones?"

Although to cultivate the Great Expansion Spirit Art, only two existences remained before.

However, these things can be recreated at any time. In Zhao Xing's current Pure Origin Soil, there is no shortage of materials; he could copy and paste a hundred of them in the blink of an eye.

Handling government affairs doesn't even require so many.

With the Great Expansion Spirit Art's Life Soul at Four Stars, multitasking and handling mere government affairs is a piece of cake.

"Alright, then I'll listen to you." Chen Shijie showed a smile, put down his brush, and then fell asleep on the spot.

Zhao Xing waved his hand, and a gust of wind carried Chen Shijie to the official residence.

He himself then cast the Pure Origin Projection, and from the shadows, a row of clones walked out.

The clones took over Old Chen's work and began issuing official documents.

The tenth day of the second month, the Spring Society Day, in the thirty-first year of the Jingxin Era.

Zhao Xing and Chen Shijie spent the New Year together at their homes in Dongyang County.

On the thirteenth of February, Long Xiao brought Bai Feng to Dongyang County.

No sooner had they arrived, on the afternoon of the fourteenth of February, Xia Jing also arrived in Dongyang County of the Bixian Commandery.

Zhao Xing had a relative quota at the Li Fire Academy, allowing Xia Jing to pass through directly.

So he arrived four days after the New Year.

Thus, the Four Swordsmen of the Ten Yang Cave Heaven, separated since the twentieth year of the Jingxin Era, gathered once again after eleven years.

"It's really fast; it's been eleven years already." Xia Jing sat before the desk and sighed.

His appearance was no different from eleven years ago, but his hair had already fallen out; this was a sequela of the Earth Witch's poison, not yet fully recovered.

His temperament had gained a few traces of vicissitudes and had become more steady than before.

"Come, drink! Xia Jing, I toast you. You survived under the Third Rank Earth Witch; I toast you as a man!" Long Xiao raised his cup.

"Keep your voice down," Chen Shijie said. "Why shout so loudly? The Lady is resting in the side hall."

"What's there to fear? There are only the four of us here. Let's drink freely today!"

This gathering was already the second one; the family members were not in this four-meter side room.

Xia Jing also raised his wine cup. He had installed two Seventh Rank mechanical prosthetics. After taking the Bone-Regenerating Ginseng, they would not grow back quickly.

Instead, restorative medical prosthetics were needed. The prosthetics were a circle thicker than his original arms, with some space inside; his hands would slowly grow out from within.

"Rest assured, this place is soundproofed. No matter how loudly you shout, it's fine." Zhao Xing smiled and raised his cup. "We should toast. Come, for Brother Xia, bottoms up!"

"Bottoms up!"

The four of them drank it all in one go.

"Ha~ Good wine." Xia Jing had only drunk one cup, and his face turned red. His resistance was not as good as before; a single cup of Fifth Rank fine wine could make him flush.

"Young Master, you escaped from under the Third Rank Earth Witch. Tell us the details," Long Xiao said. "Today, I give you a chance to show off."

Xia Jing raised his wine cup but looked at Zhao Xing. "Speaking of which, I was able to pick up my life thanks to Brother Zhao."

"Oh? What does he have to do with it?" Long Xiao asked curiously.

Chen Shijie also looked over.

Xia Jing looked at Zhao Xing and said, "Do you remember the words you told me when we parted?"

Zhao Xing nodded. "I remember."

Xia Jing said, "Before you left, you drew a flag for me and told me to run upon encountering it."

Zhao Xing's pupils contracted: "You encountered the Jiuyou Army of the Southern Barbarian Holy Mountain?"

Xia Jing smiled bitterly: "Yes, I encountered people from the Jiuyou Legion. At that time, I was leading a Dragon Cavalry Camp on a reconnaissance mission for Xiang Kui."

"Suddenly, I encountered a flag I had never seen before."

"After seeing that flag, I suddenly remembered your words, so I immediately ran away."

"So you didn't engage in combat?" Long Xiao interjected.

"Yes, I ran as soon as I noticed." Xia Jing said, "But just as I thought the retreat was successful, I discovered I had been poisoned. My hands trembled uncontrollably, my Qi and Blood Battle Formation began to collapse, and I started experiencing hallucinations."

"What did you see?"

"I saw nine black worms. They had ferocious mouthparts and suddenly drilled out of the air, burrowing into my body."

Xia Jing spoke in a deep voice: "At first, I thought it was a technique of the Insect Witches, but it wasn't. I carried a Supreme Grade antidote with me, yet it was useless."

"My body began to collapse, and my Golden Body was disintegrating, so I decisively severed my own arms."

"Fortunately, my Azure Dragon Transformation of Origin Art had reached the seventh layer, and the Black Tortoise Shield and Gluttony Devouring Art also helped greatly. After cutting off my arms, the hallucinations ceased, leaving only the poison taking effect."

Xia Jing recalled that scene and said with lingering fear: "Do you know what? I didn't even see the enemy, nor did I know what technique this was. At that time, I only wanted to escape with my life."

"After I ran back to the camp, I fainted. It was only afterwards that I learned I had encountered a Third Rank expert."

"The outside world says I encountered a Third Rank Poison Witch, but that is not the case." Xia Jing recalled, "This is absolutely not an ordinary Third Rank. The Soldier Realm has no records of such techniques at all. You know what happened later; I left the battlefield to recuperate."

Long Xiao asked, "Zhao Xing, do you know what technique this is?"

Zhao Xing spoke in a deep voice: "The Jiuyou Army is the trump card of the Southern Barbarian Holy Mountain. Its status in the Southern Barbarians is equivalent to our Great Zhou's Ten Great Forbidden Armies."

"The Jiuyou Army originated from the ancient Jiuyoushen Sect. Everyone inside is trained as an all-around main general."

"From the very beginning, they had a retainer army. The selection standards for the retainer army are very high, comparable to the top twenty Forbidden Armies of the Great Zhou."

"What? Even the retainers meet this standard?" Long Xiao was stunned. "Are their numbers very small? Is it a Gu-style cultivation, one in ten thousand?"

Zhao Xing shook his head: "No, there are many. The Jiuyou Army exceeds fifty thousand, and the retainer army exceeds ten million."

"Are you joking?!" Long Xiao was shocked. "Ten million retainers comparable to the top twenty Great Zhou Forbidden Armies? The Great Zhou doesn't even have that many! And how strong must those fifty thousand be? Aren't they all peerless geniuses?"

"Impossible, absolutely impossible." Chen Shijie said. "A mere Southern Barbarian, how could it have such a foundation?"

Xia Jing, however, looked at Zhao Xing; he was the only one who did not question it.

Zhao Xing pondered, "The Southern Barbarian Holy Mountain is somewhat special. The Jiuyou Army does not use ordinary cultivation methods; they have a way to alter the aptitude of ordinary people. But they also have restrictions: they cannot leave the Southern Barbarian region and can only defend."

"I cannot say more specifically. I do not want to lie and deceive you. You will understand later."

The Southern Barbarian Holy Mountain, as the place with the most remaining spiritual energy in the Xuanhuang Realm, is also one of the key conditions for Ascension.

It has always been the place that fortune-laden dynasties most desire to conquer.

However, this secret involving Ascension is known only to Emperors. Zhao Xing could not reveal details and could only speak of rumors.

Of course, it would be different during the Wu Di Dynasty.

Wu Di directly revealed the secret of Ascension. He no longer treated Ascension as a matter for the royal family alone but announced it widely, urging all subjects to strive for this goal.

Wu Di was different from previous Emperors. He wanted to lead all his people to Ascend together! Unlike previous dynasties that ascended, which only took nobles and the powerful.

Seeing Zhao Xing speak cryptically, the three asked no more, but the atmosphere suddenly became somewhat heavy.

Mainly, in their impression, the Great Zhou had always been invincible, and the Southern Barbarians were very weak.

Especially Long Xiao and Chen Shijie, who retired after achieving success. They did not experience the subsequent Middle Grade Great War. Even Xia Jing, though now injured, still held this view, only paying slightly more attention.

But deep down, he also believed he was just unlucky, encountering an extreme outlier, and never expected Zhao Xing to say such things.

Just then, the outer door was knocked upon.

"Husband, are you still drinking? I have come to bring you some dishes to accompany the wine." This was Bai Feng's voice.

Long Xiao glanced at Zhao Xing, and the latter activated the formation array in the private room.

Bai Feng, with a large belly, had Gui Niang following beside her, leading a group of maids to serve the dishes.

"Trouble you, Lady." Zhao Xing stood up to help arrange the dishes. "We will do it ourselves."

"Let me, Gui Niang." Chen Shijie also went to take the dishes from Gui Niang's hands.

"Yes, Ling'er, you rest." Long Xiao stood up with a beaming smile.

"How much have you drunk?" Bai Feng asked.

"Not much, not much." Long Xiao said, "Just a billion little bit."

Xia Jing looked on and couldn't help but laugh; Chen Shijie was one thing.

Long Xiao's status as the younger brother in the family was truly worrying.

But he soon stopped laughing.

Because Long Xiao brought two basins of fish over to him.

"..." Xia Jing's throat couldn't help but swallow; he glared at Long Xiao.

Long Xiao wore an innocent expression, indicating this truly wasn't intentional on his part.

Bai Feng is from the Eastern Sea; how could she not bring some local specialties?

"Why isn't the Heir eating?" Bai Ling'er noticed Xia Jing's strangeness and couldn't help but ask, "I carefully selected these; they are all top-quality good fish. These two dishes were made by Gui Niang herself."

Zhao Xing and Chen Shijie held back their laughter, never expecting that Xia Jing still could not escape this calamity.

"Thank you, both Ladies." Xia Jing smiled. "I have already eaten quite a bit just now; I will rest a while before eating."

Bai Feng said, "Then have a sip of soup. Gui Niang specially prepared it for you. Heir, please try it and see if it suits your taste."

"Yes, it won't taste good if it gets cold." Long Xiao smiled. "It must be eaten while hot."

Zhao Xing and Chen Shijie also said, "Yes, Brother Xia, it has all been served; you might as well try it."

Xia Jing closed his eyes and took a sip, forcing a look of enjoyment onto his face: "Excellent. The Lady has great skill, and the ingredients are also top-quality, making it unforgettable for a lifetime!"

"That is good, hehe." Bai Feng smiled: "Long Xiao, you keep the Heir company well."

"Definitely, definitely."

Having said that, Bai Feng and Gui Niang went out.

"Pfft~"

No sooner had they gone than Xia Jing spat out a mouthful of fish soup.

Long Xiao and Chen Shijie could not dodge in time and were instantly splattered all over their faces; Zhao Xing, as if prepared for this, simply dodged aside.

Xia Jing took out a handkerchief to wipe his mouth and gritted his teeth, saying, "You really are my good brothers!"

"Hahahaha!"

Happy times are always short. On the eighteenth of the second month, Long Xiao and Bai Feng left Dongyang County and returned to the sea.

On the nineteenth of the second month, Zhao Xing had to return to Fucheng; the half-month leave granted by King Tianyan had expired.

As for Chen Shijie, he could still take a few more days off.

Persuaded by Zhao Xing, Xia Jing planned to stay on the East Sea for several more months to recover.

He already had a manor here, so he settled down in Dongyang County.

On the twentieth of the second month, Zhao Xing's true body cultivated the Tianyan Divine Art in the Star Palace.

Progress on the Fifth Star had slowed; it was estimated that even after condensation, it would still be half a year away.

The first clone continued to cultivate the Profound Heaven Thunder Art and the Cloud Gate at the Tianyuan Prefecture Branch Academy.

The second clone had finally, at this moment, arrived at the Kunyuan Academy Main Campus in Daoyuanzhou with Meng Kun and Gu Changqing.

"Since last April, we have been busy until the end of February this year," Gu Changqing said, standing on the warship's deck. "We have finally completed the imperial court's assignment, and everyone can finally take a holiday."

Meng Kun clasped his hands, looking down at the cheerful officials below: "The subordinate officials can take a holiday, but you and I still cannot rest. The matter of Zhao Xing's appointment at Kunyuan Academy must be settled quickly."

"Appointment is not difficult; what is difficult is the allocation of resources for entering the sacred grounds to comprehend," Gu Changqing smiled. "You promised readily back then; now you have to find three hundred million worth of resources for him. That will give you a headache. Once it is done, people will surely point at your back and curse your eighteen generations of ancestors."

Meng Kun shrugged and said, "It doesn't matter, as long as they don't get caught by me. If they do get caught by me, I will send them to meet my ancestors so they can curse right in front of them."

Gu Changqing: "You are truly willing to spend the effort."

Meng Kun tilted his head toward the cabin behind him: "Didn't you notice? In just a few months, this kid Zhao Xing's Life Soul has strengthened by a huge margin."

"Something extremely terrifying is happening within him; there were a few moments when I even sensed the fluctuation of a top-tier Heavenly Timing Method on him."

Gu Changqing recalled, "It seems so. It appears his cultivation at the Tianyuan Prefecture Branch Academy has finally gotten on the right track."

Meng Kun said, "A person's energy is limited; if he spends more effort on the Heavenly Timing Method, he will spend less on the Earthly Advantage Method."

"I plan to let him use my comprehension privileges at the Kunyuan Dao Field for a while. This way, he can also shift more of his attention to our side. What do you think?"

After hearing this, Gu Changqing was stunned; this was far more generous than the conditions agreed upon before.

The Kunyuan Dao Field was the best place for comprehending the Dao; even Third Rank officials fought to get a spot there.

Since Meng Kun was so willing to part with it, and it was his own resources, Gu Changqing certainly would not disagree.

Meng Kun's decision was good, but...

Why did it suddenly become so intense?