Chapter 268: Soul-Annihilating Bell, Dream-Walking Method, Jingxin Year 33! (Large Chapter)

"Yes, I have only differentiated six paths." Zhao Xing nodded. "The main soul and the six divided souls occupy a single Fate Star."

Upon hearing this, King Tianyan immediately frowned: "How could such a situation arise?"

He also cultivated the Tianyan Divine Art; he and the others, including Liu Tianning, all had their Seven Stars of Fate residing within the main soul.

The main soul is called the 'Divine Soul'; by using the Divine Soul to differentiate divided souls, one can achieve infinity.

Of course, while the theory is infinite, in practice there is still a limit, and this limit varies from person to person.

For instance, the first layer differentiated by King Tianyan amounted to eight thousand one hundred.

But Liu Tianning's exceeded ten thousand.

This difference is merely a difference in the innate Fate Soul, yet the key to cultivating the Tianyan Divine Art—the Seven Stars of the Fate Soul—are all the same.

That is, all Fate Stars reside within the Divine Soul, which is the main soul.

Never before has there been a case like Zhao Xing's, where the Seven Stars of the Fate Soul are completely separate.

"You wouldn't have..." King Tianyan looked at Zhao Xing, somewhat worried he had suffered qi deviation.

After all, such a situation had never occurred before.

"Your Highness, please rest assured; I have not suffered qi deviation," Zhao Xing said.

"Allow me to observe." Having spoken, he became motionless, and a shadow figure flew out from within his body.

It was formless and without substance, invisible to the naked eye, visible only through the Heaven Eye Technique or spells of the Bright Eye type.

This is the characteristic of the Fate Soul leaving the body after reaching the Third Rank Primordial Spirit Realm.

"I am now going to enter your Sea of Consciousness; do not resist, or you may easily injure me," King Tianyan said.

He did not mean injuring Zhao Xing, but feared injuring himself.

If it were a Fourth Rank cultivator, King Tianyan entering another's Sea of Consciousness could easily annihilate their Fate Soul.

Because Fourth Rank cultivators usually cannot cultivate the soul, they are relatively fragile.

However, Zhao Xing was different; he was the fastest cultivator of the first layer of the Tianyan Divine Art in history.

After he consumed the Primordial Spirit Fruit (which King Tianyan knew of) and the Primordial Soul Liquid, and the Divine Soul Seven Stars Diagram was formed, King Tianyan's Fate Soul entering his Sea of Consciousness was equivalent to entering Zhao Xing's home ground to fight.

King Tianyan's Fate Soul would first be weakened by one layer by Zhao Xing's seven corporeal souls.

When the Fate Soul resides in the fetus, the seven corporeal souls of the fleshly body are the Fate Soul's armor; simultaneously, the seven souls can nourish the Fate Soul if fighting in an enemy's Sea of Consciousness.

Zhao Xing could obtain a continuous supply of energy from the seven souls; for King Tianyan's Fate Soul to fight as an alien body was extremely dangerous.

Originally, this was unnecessary, but this old senior, King Tianyan, insisted on entering to examine him and see clearly, otherwise he would not feel at ease.

Thus, Zhao Xing could only agree: "Very well."

"Voom~"

When King Tianyan's Fate Soul coincided with the position of Zhao Xing's fleshly body, a burst of blood qi and golden light immediately erupted from Zhao Xing's body.

This was the instinctive rejection and protection of the seven corporeal souls.

However, Zhao Xing quickly suppressed the blood qi and golden light, equivalent to turning off his own 'firewall'.

Even so, when King Tianyan's Fate Soul entered Zhao Xing's Sea of Consciousness, it became weakened.

Inside the Sea of Consciousness, starlight shimmered.

With a mere thought, Zhao Xing conjured a living room.

King Tianyan's body leaped into this living room.

"Hmm?"

King Tianyan looked up and saw seven giants ahead.

The seven giants all bore Zhao Xing's appearance.

"You... why are you so tall?" King Tianyan was somewhat bewildered.

His Fate Soul was at the peak of the Second Rank, yet upon entering here, he found he was only 1.8 meters tall, while Zhao Xing was 2.8 meters.

The height of the Fate Soul, to some extent, represents the strength of the Fate Soul.

Although he entered deliberately suppressing his Fate Soul's power and was weakened by one layer, the contrast was too obvious.

"Is it the strength of the innate Fate Soul, or the effect after cultivation?" King Tianyan asked.

"Unclear," the seven Zhao Xings shook their heads in unison. "Perhaps both contribute a little."

King Tianyan became interested: "I have seen those with powerful innate Fate Souls, but yours indeed contains some exaggerated elements; perhaps it is because you are the most talented practitioner of the Tianyan Divine Art."

The cultivation speed of the first layer determines one's talent on the path of the soul.

For someone like Liu Tianning with this speed, he would also enter the second layer quickly, and after entering the second layer, he would be stronger than others, making the difference even more obvious.

For instance, in the first layer, Liu Tianning had over ten thousand Fate Souls; after comprehending the second layer, his Divine Soul differentiation reached twelve times, exceeding one hundred twenty thousand.

Whereas King Tianyan, after comprehending the second layer, could only differentiate eighty-one thousand Divine Souls.

He only had a tenfold amplification.

The gap became very obvious.

With such a gap, if they simultaneously cast the same soul spells, upon collision, King Tianyan would certainly be utterly defeated.

"These seven Fate Souls of yours indeed have no distinction between primary and secondary," King Tianyan pondered. "I cannot see any flaw."

"Very well, I will go out and speak first."

King Tianyan jumped upward.

"Bang!" As a result, he hit the ceiling; his head felt somewhat dizzy, and when he fell, he almost lost his balance.

With this jump, he actually still hadn't jumped out of Zhao Xing's Sea of Consciousness?

"My apologies," Zhao Xing said somewhat awkwardly, "I just broke through and am not yet very proficient."

Subsequently, the seven Fate Souls emitting specks of starlight caused the conjured living room to vanish instantly.

King Tianyan successfully jumped out of Zhao Xing's Sea of Consciousness; then a shadow figure flew out from Zhao Xing's fleshly body and returned to his own body.

"Huff~" King Tianyan shook his head. "Your situation is indeed quite interesting; I must make a detailed record."

"Zhao Xing, tell me in detail about your cultivation realizations," King Tianyan said.

As the first person to break the record, King Tianyan guessed that Zhao Xing's realization of this spiritual method might be even more perfect.

Because this intensity was fundamentally different from what he understood.

How could a Seven-Star Life Soul have no distinction between primary and secondary?

And how could one be this strong after just finishing the first layer?

So King Tianyan concluded that Zhao Xing might be walking a correct path, very likely to comprehend the third layer of the Yan Shen Stele in the future.

"No problem." Zhao Xing followed King Tianyan to the archive room of the Star Palace.

He was not stingy about paving the way for those who came after.

Because in the era of spiritual qi, everyone cultivating the Yan Shen Art condensed a Seven-Star Life Soul, dividing the primary soul into six paths.

When Zhao Xing cultivated the first layer, he also relied entirely on the experience of his past life to move in this direction.

"First, look at the insights summarized by predecessors, then compare them." King Tianyan pulled out a Fenjuan Sect scroll.

The names on the Juan Sect scrolls were all sealed, so Zhao Xing did not know who wrote these insights.

After Zhao Xing perfected it, he would also leave an insight here.

"Here are not only insights left by Yan Shen Art cultivators of this dynasty, but also from previous dynasties; the names on those of this dynasty are blurred, but the previous ones don't matter."

"Good." Zhao Xing read carefully.

In less than a quarter of an incense stick, he finished reading over a thousand Fenjuan Sect scrolls and fell into deep thought.

King Tianyan waited silently, because Zhao Xing had closed his eyes; at the same time, his soul fluctuated, obviously having fallen into some kind of thinking or deduction.

About half an incense stick later, Zhao Xing opened his eyes and nodded toward King Tianyan.

King Tianyan picked up his brush and began to record: "You divided the Life Star into seven soul bodies; what is the difference between this path and having all seven Life Stars within the divine soul?"

Zhao Xing pondered, "All seven stars return to the divine soul; if the divine soul perishes, then the person dies and the Dao vanishes."

"The seven stars are divided among seven soul bodies, but if one soul remains, it can restore itself and generate a new soul body, once again restoring the seven soul bodies."

King Tianyan nodded; he had been thinking about this just now, and it was much the same as what he thought.

"What are the pros and cons of the two?" King Tianyan continued to ask.

Zhao Xing pondered, "According to reason, having all seven stars return to the divine soul has the advantage that the divine soul's defense is somewhat stronger."

"Dividing the seven stars among seven souls means the defense is somewhat weaker."

"According to reason?" King Tianyan was stunned and stopped recording, "Then what is the actual situation?"

Zhao Xing said, "The actual situation is that I can also merge the seven soul bodies into one, forming a Seven-Star Soul Body."

"What?" King Tianyan was stunned. "Does this not mean that the Seven-Star Soul Body is the correct path of cultivation?"

Zhao Xing nodded and said, "It should be."

King Tianyan's face showed some shock; could it be that previous cultivators were all on the wrong path?

This discovery was too important! So important that King Tianyan found it hard to believe.

"Wait, if you merge the seven souls into one, how many divided souls can you manifest?"

The divided souls here refer to divided soul bodies without Life Stars.

Divided soul bodies do not contain the soul core, so even if they are destroyed or dissipate, the impact is not great; as long as too many are not lost at once, they can be replenished within a short time.

"Let me try first." Zhao Xing closed his eyes again; he had just broken through and had not yet tried how many he could divide.

"Good." King Tianyan watched with expectation.

Inside the sea of consciousness, the seven Life Soul giants merged together.

On the forehead, both shoulders, chest, abdomen, back, and beneath the feet, stars appeared.

Then Zhao Xing shifted his mind, and the stars on the Seven-Star Soul Body began to flicker.

One after another, divided soul bodies quickly emerged.

They soon exceeded ten thousand.

Zhao Xing also wanted to test where the limit lay, so he continued to manifest.

Only when all seven Life Stars began to tremble did he stop.

A moment later, Zhao Xing opened his eyes.

"I can divide forty-nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine."

"How much??" King Tianyan's brush fell to the ground.

"How many was that person who was originally first in history?" Zhao Xing was also curious; if King Tianyan was so out of control, the number must have been outrageous.

King Tianyan waved his hand to pick up the brush and asked, somewhat incredulously, "You... you aren't joking?"

"That fellow who was originally ranked first in history manifested only fifteen thousand six hundred and forty-two divided soul bodies!"

King Tianyan simply did not know what to say.

Zhao Xing's upper limit for the first layer was simply too high.

He had only eighty-one thousand divided souls, yet Zhao Xing was already nearing fifty thousand!

Could there be such a huge gap between Yan Shen Art cultivators?

"It might be related to my personal encounters," Zhao Xing said.

However, this explanation was also hard to justify.

Zhao Xing consumed the Primordial Spirit Fruit, the Primordial Soul Liquid, and the Life Soul Pill; did others not consume similar treasures? They might even have consumed more!

The factor of treasures can be ruled out; only two points can explain this: first, a powerful innate Life Soul, and second, that the seven soul bodies are the true path of cultivation.

Only thus could it be explained why, for so many years, no one had perfected the third layer.

"A great discovery, a great discovery..." King Tianyan's lips were trembling. "This discovery is destined to be recorded in history."

Zhao Xing wasn't particularly excited, because when he first encountered the King Tianyan's Primordial Spirit Scripture, everyone did it this way—it wasn't unusual at all.

During the Qi era of his past life, those who cultivated this ultimate technique typically awakened two or thirty thousand soul fragments upon mastering the first layer.

Zhao Xing estimated he could reach 49,999, likely because his innate soul force was high enough.

When players were born, this innate value appeared on their interface—but in this life, he had never seen it at all.

Back then, Zhao Xing had stopped paying much attention to this technique, because by the time ultimate techniques became common, the realm had already entered the Ascension version.

As one of the first top players, Zhao Xing quickly obtained far stronger techniques after Ascending, so he no longer cared about this one.

Now, after reviewing numerous Juan Sect records, Zhao Xing realized that all practitioners of the King Tianyan's Primordial Spirit Scripture from 35,346 years ago until now seemed to be on the wrong path.

At least, the first layer was wrong.

He had assumed the technique simply had multiple development paths.

But after learning these data, Zhao Xing realized it was not so.

While King Tianyan was stunned, Zhao Xing closed his eyes and quickly fell into thought: "If this is true, then Liu Tianning's madness seems caused by multiple factors. Giving him only a Primordial Spirit Fruit won't fix the flaws in the Ultimate Straw Man Art. I don't yet know what the second layer will be like—my past-life Dao enlightenment cultivation differed greatly from this life; I can only wait and observe."

Opening and closing his eyes took only an instant; when Zhao Xing opened them again, King Tianyan was still in shock.

"If the Seven Stars of the Soul can be separated and recombined, then that is correct—then all previous and current practitioners must re-cultivate."

Zhao Xing asked: "Your Highness, have you cultivated the second layer? What is its condition?"

King Tianyan said: "The second layer expands more destiny stars and can generate more soul fragments, but the destiny stars remain within the soul body—they cannot appear inside the soul fragments, as yours do."

"As for the third layer, there is no record of anyone ever achieving it."

Zhao Xing nodded; this matched his knowledge closely—the number of soul fragments multiplied exponentially, and so did the destiny stars.

The only difference was whether the destiny stars could be separated.

King Tianyan said solemnly: "Zhao Xing, please compile a detailed summary of your two years of cultivation insights."

"Ideally, imprint them onto a Dao-transmitting painting so others may feel your Dao."

"I will immediately halt all current practitioners in the Great Zhou who are cultivating the first layer, awaiting your results."

"As for those who have already completed the first or second layer, we must observe the aftermath before deciding."

King Tianyan had the authority to halt those cultivating the first layer—but for those who had already completed the first or even second layer, he had no power.

He would need to report to Emperor Jing and obtain his approval to act.

Approval might not come quickly, because so far, those who have mastered the second layer show no apparent flaws—only lesser power.

If they must re-cultivate without knowing the consequences, few would willingly do so.

Moreover, war is currently ongoing; this plan would greatly impact high-rank combat strength and cannot be accomplished in just a few years.

But this discovery will inevitably influence the next generation of King Tianyan's Primordial Spirit Scripture cultivators.

"If your method is ultimately proven correct, you will be the pioneer of this Dao—every cultivator of the King Tianyan's Primordial Spirit Scripture will owe you gratitude. This is great merit!"

"This matter is of utmost importance—please place it above all else! On behalf of every cultivator of the King Tianyan's Primordial Spirit Scripture, I thank you." King Tianyan bowed deeply to Zhao Xing.

Who are the people qualified to cultivate the King Tianyan's Primordial Spirit Scripture?

The top geniuses among the Middle Rank, and all High Rank cultivators.

Whether they can succeed is another matter—but only these two categories are eligible.

The impact is enormous!

Even if only a small fraction can succeed, the Great Zhou will pass this down generation after generation—its influence will be profound!

Zhao Xing is currently only a record-breaker; impressive, yes—but merely an honor, with no direct benefit to others.

But if he truly accomplishes this, he will have opened a new path for future generations—all who succeed will call him Master.

"Your Highness, please do not perform such a profound bow," Zhao Xing hurriedly helped King Tianyan rise. "I will give this matter my full effort."

"Good, good," King Tianyan grasped Zhao Xing's hand and smiled faintly. "If I can help you accomplish this before I die, I will have no regrets."

Zhao Xing could not help but smile bitterly inwardly—the pressure was overwhelming.

He had no idea whether he could bring the King Tianyan's Primordial Spirit Scripture up to the level of his past life; seeing King Tianyan's immense expectations, he had to issue a warning: "Your Highness, do not forget other factors—this is merely one possibility; it may not be solely due to cultivation."

King Tianyan now regained his composure and said gravely: "Rest assured—I will not expose you until we have definitive results. This is top secret, known only to you and me. Do not bear psychological pressure."

"Thank you for your understanding, Your Highness," Zhao Xing bowed slightly.

…………

Having completed the first layer, Zhao Xing earned a brief one-month vacation.

As for King Tianyan, he had no more interest in monitoring Zhao Xing—he had already halted the other thirty-seven practitioners in the Great Zhou currently cultivating the first layer.

All of them were Middle Rank; halting them was simple. As for the Third Rank practitioners still cultivating the first layer, King Tianyan temporarily refrained from interference.

Zhao Xing's main body left the Military Realm's Star Palace and arrived at the Earth God Temple in Chongming Prefecture.

"Today is the twentieth day of the tenth month, Jingxin Year 32," Zhao Xing gazed into the distance.

He quickly left Chongming Prefecture and arrived at a secret estate he had purchased in Dongyang County.

After sinking underground and preparing everything, he attempted to enter the Great Dream Academy.

Hum~

This time, his "login" did not occur outside the misty gate of the Great Dream Academy—he appeared directly inside the Celestial Mechanism Pavilion, where the Celestial Mandate Phoenix resided.

Because the Celestial Mandate Phoenix had broken the rules, Zhao Xing's entry point had changed.

"Gaa~ You're here," the moment he logged in, he heard the phoenix's voice from atop a cabinet.

What kind of greeting is "Gaa, you're here…"? Zhao Xing mentally grumbled, but smiled and bowed: "Elder, long time no see."

"Gaa gaa~ You've grown stronger again," the Celestial Mandate Phoenix's voice held delight. "Excellent, excellent."

"All thanks to your guidance," Zhao Xing looked up—the Celestial Mandate Phoenix's missing feathers had not fully regrown, but most had returned.

"How have you been lately? How is your recovery progressing?" Zhao Xing asked with concern.

The last time he came was during the deep winter of Jingxin Year 29; now it was early winter of Jingxin Year 32—nearly three years had passed.

The Destiny Dark Bird pecked at its feathers: "Not bad, you've recovered very well."

Zhao Xing said hopefully, "I wonder if senior could go out one more time..."

The Destiny Dark Bird interrupted, "No, I have not fully recovered; going out again would cause major problems!"

Zhao Xing said, "The dynasty I am in is about to face a great upheaval; at that time, top-tier experts will run rampant, and I fear I will struggle to protect myself."

The Destiny Dark Bird shook its head, "No is no. If I use my incomplete strength to break the rules, I will die."

Seeing the Destiny Dark Bird so resolute, Zhao Xing could only give up: "I wonder how much longer senior needs to recover?"

"At least a year and a half, at most three to five years," the Destiny Dark Bird said.

Zhao Xing understood he could only wait.

He hoped the Destiny Dark Bird could recover before the thirty-fifth year of the Jingxin Era.

However, although it could not fetch treasures for him now, this trip was not in vain.

The Destiny Dark Bird had once said that if he broke through to the Fourth Rank within ten years, it would bestow a portion of its fortune upon him.

Only three years had passed, and he was already at the peak of the Fourth Rank; naturally, he had to come in and claim this benefit.

"Senior, I have fulfilled your requirement; I am now in the Yuan Po Realm of the Fourth Rank."

"I can see that," the Destiny Dark Bird nodded. "Do you want it right now? You must think clearly. You currently possess the Fifth Tier of Tianyan Fortune; if you accept my fortune gift, you will immediately become the Sixth Tier!"

"If you are in a critical location and frequently contact experts, a sudden massive increase in fortune may not be a good thing. You had best choose a suitable moment to receive this fortune."

Zhao Xing was stunned; he had obtained the Heavenly Secret Robe and possessed high-tier perfected Fate Arts, yet he had truly overlooked this point.

King Tianyan was indeed a Fate Official, and a top-tier expert at that.

He would surely be able to see it; would this cause any problems?

Although King Tianyan was considered one of their own, Zhao Xing still chose not to take the risk.

After all, he still had to enter and exit the Star Palace; once the first layer of the Tianyan Divine Art was cultivated, he would need to cultivate related offensive and defensive secret techniques. For the next few years, he would have to stay there.

Therefore, choosing a suitable timing node to accept this fortune was also very important.

"When Liang Wang rebels, many government agencies in Haizhou will fall into paralysis and turmoil; accepting this fortune at that time would be just right," Zhao Xing thought inwardly.

"First, there would be a legitimate reason to leave for a long period. Second, with Liang Wang rebelling, the fortune of Haizhou will undergo massive fluctuations; when someone falls, others rise. My change from the Fifth Tier to the Sixth Tier of Tianyan Fortune would be explainable."

Having made his decision, Zhao Xing said, "Then I will come to see senior again next time."

Having spoken, he actively detached himself from the Great Dream Academy.

Waking from underground, Zhao Xing checked the time; only a quarter of an hour had passed.

"A fool bird's fortune here; later, I can also ask it to help fetch some good treasures."

"For the next two-plus years, I can slowly prepare some things," Zhao Xing thought inwardly.

First, a suitable and reasonable identity!

As a Director of the She Shen Hall, killing rebels would be very inconvenient.

Moreover, the scope of activity is too small; cross-regional operations would be inappropriate. Zhao Xing must settle the procedural issues.

At that time, he also planned to visit the Great Yuan Prefecture, which is his hometown.

A She Shen Director from Chongming Prefecture running to the Great Yuan Prefecture? That would be very strange.

"Solving this problem is simple; Princess Youruo and Liu Tianning can both do it, but it is best to go through Liu Tianning."

"Otherwise, whatever I do and whatever merit I establish will be influenced by the title of Princess Youruo, making people think I received the princess's help and borrowed her prestige."

"Liu Tianning is different; he and I have a legitimate teacher-student relationship. He is a Military World Inspector and also the Transport Commissioner of two prefectures, holding a post in the Shangyu Office."

"If he arranges such an identity for me, it will be very convenient to operate," Zhao Xing thought inwardly.

"Second is the list."

"The list of people to kill, and the list of people to save."

Zhao Xing browsed in the Memory Palace: "When Liang Wang rebels, many people join him, including many Agricultural Officials."

"For instance, in several branches of the Profound Heaven Academy, people defected to Liang Wang at that time."

"Additionally, there are the armies in the Haizhou Cave Heavens; those Military Agricultural Officials caused immense destruction."

"Killing a few key figures will maximize the reputation gained."

"For example, Sheng Yuandong, a Military Agricultural Official of the Fourth Rank, Upper Grade, in the Yuanhua Cave Heaven. This person is a die-hard loyalist of Liang Wang; at that time, he will definitely enter the imperial court's 'Rebel List'."

"For example, Qin Fang, a Military Agricultural Official of the Fourth Rank, Upper Grade, in the Danxia Cave Heaven."

"There is also the Director of the Water Office in Anping Prefecture. This person is even of the Third Rank, Upper Grade. During the rebellion, he directly opened the coastal defense array of the nineteen routes of the Lan River, causing terrifying destruction."

"..."

Zhao Xing sorted through the list; some people he knew from his previous life.

Others were intelligence he had collected himself in this life.

Of course, this list will continue to be updated.

It mainly depends on his strength at that time.

If capable, find the high-ranking rebels; if not capable, find the smaller officials.

"Besides the Agricultural Officials, the most terrifying rebels are the Priests," Zhao Xing thought inwardly. "When Priests rebel, even some Yin Gods of the third and fourth ranks join the uprising."

"Liang Wang is also a direct descendant of the Taizu. His initial edict was not against Emperor Jing or the Great Zhou, but to 'purify the monarch's entourage'."

"Others cannot command Yin Gods on a large scale, but he is a First Rank Prince and a direct grandson of the Taizu. When the Great Zhou Taizu established the Yin God system, he did not stipulate that Yin Gods serve only the Emperor, but rather serve the Ji Royal bloodline."

"Because he pacified the era of the Ten Thousand Nations' chaotic wars and had seen countless foolish emperors. If his descendants became foolish emperors, then replacing the Emperor with another Ji surname was not impossible. After all, the Ji descendants fighting each other means the meat still rots in the same pot."

"Only when Liang Wang begins to invite Evil Gods into the Great Zhou territory will he lose this validity."

"But at the beginning, the Priests' rebellion is extremely terrifying. As a Priesthood from the Era of Primordial Qi, the Priest profession combines the advantages of all professions; except for a slightly short lifespan, it has almost no flaws."

"I must also prepare some means to counter Priests, and they cannot be using the evil arts of sects," Zhao Xing calculated.

There are indeed not many means to suppress Priests, because within the Great Zhou territory, Priests borrowing divine power is much more convenient than outside the territory, and the cost is much lower.

"Next is the list of people to be saved." Zhao Xing recalled carefully, "Some with abundant luck would not die anyway; even if I do not go, they will turn misfortune into fortune, be rescued by the imperial court's support forces, or escape to safety on their own. But if I save them, I will forge a bond of kindness."

"For instance, Wei Xuancheng, the priest of Anping Prefecture, is the future Prime Minister."

"There are also physicians, craftsmen, weavers, dance masters, and musicians with weak combat abilities... These can be identified by checking the rankings on the Dao Field."

Zhao Xing recorded names on the list.

In any case, he had many avatars and feared not being able to save them all.

"Finally, there are the populous great cities, high-ranking prefectures and counties, and key waterways..."

For a full month, Zhao Xing was laying out plans for the future 'Liang Wang Rebellion' event.

The network of connections preserved within the Ten Yang Grotto-Heaven was also coming into play; the matters Zhao Xing sought to inquire about were not significant affairs.

It mainly involved investigating where a certain person served as an official, their reputation, their standing, their family background, and so on.

This matter would continue uninterrupted over the next two years.

And the other matter was assigned by King Tianyan: a summary of insights regarding the first layer of the Tian Yan Wang Art.

Jingxin Era, Year 32, November 20th.

Zhao Xing returned to the Star Palace of the Soldier Realm.

He recorded his insights and detailed process of cultivating the first layer, including the specific hour, the consumption of the Yuan Soul Liquid, the repair of his Fate Soul injuries, and the timing of the appearance of the Secret Pattern Stars, and so on.

The Juan Sect scrolls were packed to the brim; stacked together, they could fill an entire ship, and could be described as extremely detailed.

Upon receiving Zhao Xing's cultivation insights, King Tianyan was as if he had obtained a treasure.

"For the next three or four months, I'm afraid I will have no time to supervise your cultivation."

"However, you must not slacken," King Tianyan said. "You can only cultivate the second-layer secret technique after reaching the Third Rank, as this involves the soul leaving the body."

"But once the first layer is fully comprehended, the soul attack and defense methods must be cultivated urgently. See if your Seven-Star Soul Body can also possess extraordinary power in actual combat."

"Yes." Zhao Xing nodded. Having fully comprehended the first layer of the Tian Yan Wang Art, he could differentiate tens of thousands of fragment soul bodies.

Yet it was not created solely for the Ten Thousand Methods Straw Men; it itself was equipped with many powerful soul-based techniques, including attack, defense, and support.

Soul-based spells are also a major category.

For instance, the 'Bright Eyes Method' and 'Heavenly Eye Method' can be considered half-soul-based spells.

"You may peruse all the spell secret manuals within the Star Palace."

"I must pause my other cultivation progress and require more corroboration. Soon, I will come to inspect your cultivation results," King Tianyan said.

King Tianyan left, yet remained uneasy, and specially left behind a mechanical puppet to serve as a supervisor in the Star Palace.

Zhao Xing also sighed at King Tianyan's dedication, and then began to contemplate the various combat techniques accompanying the Tian Yan Wang Art within the Star Palace.

Jingxin Era, Year 32, December 5th, inside the Star Palace.

"Ding~"

A bell sound emanated from within Zhao Xing's body.

At this moment, within his Sea of Consciousness, there stood a golden great bell.

The great bell floated in the center of the Sea of Consciousness, while his soul held it up with one hand.

"Having fully comprehended the first layer of the Tian Yan Wang Art, I cultivated the 'Soul-Extinguishing Bell' and mastered the first move of the top-tier soul attack technique in only fifteen days," Zhao Xing looked at this golden great bell.

"According to the secret technique, although it is merely at the level of a single ring, any Third Rank who has not cultivated soul secret techniques will be injured by the 'Soul-Extinguishing Bell'."

"Go out for some fresh air." Having cultivated the first layer, Zhao Xing left the Star Palace.

In the government office of the Society God Temple, Chen Shijie was writing furiously.

With the New Year approaching, he was busy beyond measure.

"Old Chen."

Zhao Xing walked into the office, pulled him up, and said, "Rest for a while and come with me."

"What for? Where are we going?" Chen Shijie asked.

"Don't worry about it; I'll watch this place first."

Zhao Xing snapped his fingers, instantly releasing several avatars to take over Chen Shijie's government duties.

He then brought Chen Shijie to the official residence.

This was their shared dwelling.

"Come, the year-end bonus is here." Zhao Xing placed three bottles of Yuan Soul Liquid before Chen Shijie's desk.

"What year-end bonus? I didn't know such a thing existed," Chen Shijie said suspiciously. "It looks very precious; where did you get it?"

"Don't worry about where I got it; anyway, it wasn't stolen," Zhao Xing smiled. "Just consider it my personal compensation for you, alright?"

"Alright, certainly alright." Chen Shijie did not stand on ceremony. "How do I use it?"

"Just drink it directly," Zhao Xing said. "After you finish, you'll understand how it works."

Chen Shijie immediately pulled out the cork and poured a bottle of Yuan Soul Liquid into his mouth.

"What? This is a treasure that increases the Fate Soul?" Chen Shijie's face immediately showed shock. "I was wondering where you got it; you didn't rob someone, did you?"

Treasures of the Fate Soul are hard to find; even in the Soldier Realm, there are few channels to purchase them.

Chen Shijie could feel his Fate Soul increasing significantly; such a treasure was at least Sixth Grade!

All such resources are allocated by a rationing system. No amount of money can buy them!

"Where would I go to rob?" Zhao Xing smiled.

This was the cultivation resource quota given to him by King Tianyan.

For him, the Yuan Soul Liquid no longer had much enhancing effect, only a restorative one.

It was mainly used by Zhao Xing to cultivate soul-based secret techniques.

But for Chen Shijie, this was a great tonic, specifically one that nourished the Life Soul.

Old Chen's Life Soul was still lingering at the peak of the Sixth Grade.

However, after consuming a single bottle, he broke through to the mid-stage of the Fifth Grade.

Zhao Xing estimated that after Chen Shijie consumed all the Yuan Soul Liquid, he could reach the early stage of the Fourth Grade.

A strong Life Soul means strong spells and a fast rate of comprehension; Chen Shijie's path upward was open, and there was no problem with him cultivating to the Fourth Grade on his own.

"I haven't been very busy lately; you can spare some time to cultivate." Zhao Xing dragged another chest out of the room. "Inside here are treasures for refining the Soul. Same old saying: don't ask where they came from; suffice it to say they are reasonable and legal."

"Additionally, I will leave a projection here to demonstrate the Top-Grade Underground Palace Technique for you... What are you looking at me with such a rule-breaking expression for?"

I already said they are reasonable and legal; why don't you believe me?

"I believe you, but I truly didn't expect that even your projection could cast the Top-Grade Underground Palace Technique," Chen Shijie sighed. "Now it's your turn to teach me."

"Hahahaha." Zhao Xing laughed and patted Chen Shijie's shoulder. "Little Chen, I've been waiting for this moment for a long time, wow."

"Get lost!" Chen Shijie slapped his hand away. "You cultivation monster!"

"Hahahaha."

Zhao Xing left while laughing loudly.

From today on, Chen Shijie was locked inside the official residence.

And the projection he left behind became Chen Shijie's cultivation supervisor.

Old Chen has a talent for the Earth Advantage Technique; even if his original talent wasn't outstanding, after that burst of spiritual beauty in the Ten Yang Grotto-Heaven, he could truly be called a genius.

Liang Wang rebelled; with such huge benefits, of course, good brothers couldn't be left out.

After locking Chen Shijie in a small dark room, he arrived at Dongyang County.

"Brother Xia, how is your recovery?"

"I've already removed one mechanical arm." Xia Jing raised his right hand. "The left one is almost grown back."

"Yo, your hair has grown back this much too; not bad," Zhao Xing said.

Xia Jing had been staying here for nearly a year.

His recovery was very good; nowadays he already possessed seventy percent of his full-strength capability.

"Since your body has recovered almost completely, I will help you with recovery training," Zhao Xing said.

Xia Jing lacked neither wealth nor recovery treasures; his father, Xia Hou, was a first-class Wu Hou, with strength, status, and resources no worse than certain feudal kings.

Of course, Xia Jing didn't bring anyone when he came; he indeed lacked some opponents for sparring.

Zhao Xing pulled over all eight Heavenly Maidens he had obtained in the Heavenly Works Hall.

"Here, a gift for you."

"Hmm? What version of mechanical puppet is this?" Xia Jing's eyes lit up, as if he had seen a beloved treasure.

Xia Jing likes these large-scale action figures?

Zhao Xing was somewhat surprised; how had he not noticed this before?

Right, before they were both in the army; where was the opportunity?

"Old version; hard to get," Zhao Xing said. "Their strength is not bad; it should be enough for you to fight."

"Fight?" Xia Jing shook his head like a rattle drum, looking at Zhao Xing in shock: "Are you crazy? Using such exquisite mechanical puppets for sparring?"

"If you don't use them for sparring, do you use them for collection?"

"Of course; I have a room full of mechanical puppets at my home," Xia Jing said. "It's just that for the last two or three decades, puppeteers have had no new ideas; they are all bald male figures; I'm really fed up."

Zhao Xing: "..."

"Big brother, wake up!"

"You are a martial artist; how can you be burdened by such childish things?"

Xia Jing squinted his eyes: "You simply don't understand."

Zhao Xing: "..."

Zhao Xing suspected that gifting the Eight Heavenly Maiden puppets to Xia Jing was a wrong choice.

"Fine then, you fight with my straw man." Zhao Xing grinned wickedly and rubbed his fists.

He had to make Xia Jing wake up properly!

Time passed; in the blink of an eye, it was the second month of the thirty-third year of the Jingxin Era.

"Dang~ Dang~"

Inside the Star Palace, two bell tolls sounded.

"The Soul-Erasure Bell; finally cultivated to the second layer." Zhao Xing revealed a slight smile.

He left the Star Palace again; the puppet left behind by King Tianyan, seeing this, helplessly shook his head.

"Whoosh whoosh~"

Zhao Xing left Fucheng and returned once more to his family estate in Dongyang County.

The reason he came out every so often was mainly because the secret technique "Great Dream of Spring and Autumn" had also achieved a breakthrough.

"Since I fully comprehended the first layer of the Tianyan Divine Art and began cultivating soul-based combat techniques, the Great Dream of Spring and Autumn has finally moved from the introductory 'Dream Storage Method' to the second layer, 'Dream Walking'."

Zhao Xing closed his eyes and entered the dream realm.

Unlike previous dream realms, this time, a panorama of Dongyang County appeared in Zhao Xing's dream.

"It is now the Hour of the Rat; the vast majority of people in Dongyang County have entered slumber." Zhao Xing, in the sky of the dream realm, looked down upon the 'Dongyang County' below.

At this moment, many colorful bubbles rose up from Dongyang County.

Every bubble represented the dream a person was currently having.

"I can jump into anyone's dream realm at will; through the dream, I can transform into a nightmare and kill their Life Soul."

"This method is extremely concealed and hard to detect; even cultivators could suffer qi deviation in their dreams. Even if a Yin Spirit arrived, they would deem it an accidental death."

"Dream-walking leaps, killing without a trace—this is the technique of the Ancient Gushen Sect." Zhao Xing leaped beside one of the yellow spheres.

This was the dream of a seventeen or eighteen-year-old youth.

In the dream, he lay on a pink bed where a middle-aged woman with a graceful figure rested. Behind the curtains, the youth panted with great effort.

"Sister-in-law, isn't the shopkeeper less formidable than me? Hehe, hehe..."

"Tsk tsk, quite a vivid dream." Zhao Xing shifted his thought.

The dream instantly emitted a faint glow.

The middle-aged shopkeeper in the youth's dream, once mature and still charming, suddenly transformed into a fat-headed, greasy middle-aged man.

"Wah!!" The youth was half-dead with fright, leaping from the bed in sheer terror.

He pulled up his trousers and kept retreating, only to see the shopkeeper with a lustful expression lying on his side, beckoning him with a finger, his posture identical to his wife's, yet the person had changed entirely.

"Ahhh!" The youth screamed in terror.

He desperately wanted to end this nightmare, but could not wake up no matter what.

Zhao Xing stood outside the sphere. The sphere began to trem violently. At this moment, he could follow the dream and torture the youth's life soul until it collapsed.

However, he merely gave a light prick, piercing the dream and allowing the youth to wake.

【365】 "Since you have committed no great evil, merely seducing someone's concubine, this time I shall only frighten you." Zhao Xing waved his hand, ending the youth's nightmare.

"Since you've never committed any great evil, only seduced someone's concubine, I'll just scare you this time." Zhao Xing waved his hand, ending the boy's nightmare.

He continued wandering within the Dongyang County area.

Having comprehended the first layer of the Tianyan Divine Art, his progress in the Dream-Walking Method was also rapid.

"I can now split off tens of thousands of nightmares to strike multiple dreaming targets simultaneously."

"Even those not dreaming, I can guide into dreams before annihilating them."

"Truly deserving of the nickname Nightmare Sect," Zhao Xing thought inwardly, "it's just that there are no strong ones for me to practice on."

The highest official in Dongyang County was only Fifth Rank. Zhao Xing had invaded the dreams of Fifth Rank officials, yet the Yin Spirits of the Temple had not detected it.

Because this method was extremely concealed, a top technique of the Dream God Sect; if it could be easily discovered, it would not have dominated for so many years.

"Another day, I shall go to King Tianyan to apply for a batch of death-row prisoners. Ideally, a Third Rank death-row prisoner for me to practice on."

"As for the pretext, simply claim it is for cultivating the Soul-Extinguishing Bell." Zhao Xing strolled through the Dongyang County within the dream.

Just as he intended to end this cultivation session, suddenly, Zhao Xing frowned.

In the next instant, he arrived at a small town near his own manor.

In an ordinary household, a man and a woman were dreaming.

They produced a blood-red sphere. Within this sphere, scenes flashed one after another.

"Venerable One, over three years, we have collected numerous items used by Zhao Xing from the Zhao Manor." A man reported within the dream.

The man knelt before the woman. The woman bared her chest, revealing a human face on her belly.

This was a replay of daytime scenes.

"Including the bowls he ate from, and the silver notes and silver taels Zhao Xing distributed to surrounding villagers during New Year's over these years."

"Also, couplets allegedly written by his own hand, and small toys given to his younger sister."

"Over three years, a total of two hundred and sixty-three items were collected."

"Very good." The blood-colored face emitted a hoarse voice. "Your mission is complete. In five days, take the items and set sail; a merchant route will bring you here."

"Yes, thank you, Venerable One." The man was overjoyed, while the woman lowered her chest.

The dream continued, revealing more scenes from the day.

Zhao Xing's expression turned gloomy.

He was far too familiar with this human face.

"Blood Spirit Venerable!"

"You truly are a persistent ghost!"

Zhao Xing immediately ended the dream.

"Collecting items I used is clearly intended to serve as a medium."

"The warning I sensed three years ago in Chongming Prefecture came from him?"

"Good, good, good. I never expected you to have arrived in the East Sea." Zhao Xing immediately flew toward Chongming Prefecture, entered the Star Palace through the military boundary entrance of Chongming Prefecture.

"Your Highness, I have urgent matters to report." Zhao Xing found the puppet left behind by King Tianyan.

"Vwoom~" The puppet's eyes lit up with a faint glow, and King Tianyan's voice sounded.

"In Dongyang County, I discovered believers of the Xuantian Sect collecting items I used as a medium," Zhao Xing said.

"I have already known of this matter for some time," King Tianyan said. "Those few believers were deliberately let in by me. They collected not just two hundred and sixty-three items."

"Over these years, many of the official documents you signed have been swapped."

"Your Highness knew?" Zhao Xing was stunned.

"Yes. As I said before, I would execute a fishing operation," King Tianyan said. "I was just unclear how large the fish behind this was. At that time, you had not yet successfully cultivated, and your life soul was still fragile, so we merely prepared."

"Do not startle the snake," King Tianyan said. "I will return the day after tomorrow. At that time, I will need your cooperation."

"Yes." Zhao Xing nodded.

"How is your cultivation of the Soul-Extinguishing Bell progressing?" King Tianyan asked. "You are to be the bait. If it is too fake, it won't work; if it is too real, I fear you will be injured."

"Your Highness, my Soul-Extinguishing Bell has reached the second layer," Zhao Xing said. "Is that sufficient?"