Chapter 282: The Aftermath and the Imperial Edict of Rewards! (15,000 words, please vote!)

The premature defeat and death of Prince Liang gave Zhao Xing a certain suspicion.

But now, without another major event to test his hypothesis, he could only make a note of it for the time being.

On the eighth day of the twelfth month of the thirty-sixth year of the Jingxin Calendar, Zhao Xing's true self also emerged from the Star Palace.

"Now is the final stage of beating the dog that has fallen into the water."

"The news of Prince Liang's defeat and death in Luliang Prefecture will soon spread throughout the world; there is no need for me to eat the last wave of scraps."

Zhao Xing left the Star Palace and immediately flew to the Heavenly Horse Villa of the Princess's Mansion.

A flash of clouds and mist appeared at Chen Shijie's residence.

"Old Chen."

Zhao Xing tapped his foot lightly, sending fluctuations of Qi diffusing into the ground, beginning to search for Chen Shijie's place of seclusion.

"Hum—"

Before long, he found Chen Shijie's location.

It was in an underground palace three thousand meters below the surface.

The Soul-Refining Underground Palace!

As a veteran agricultural official of the Earth-Benefit School, Chen Shijie had chosen the most solid method of soul-refining: the underground palace method.

During these two years of being idle, Chen Shijie had spent ninety percent of his time in the underground palace, to the point that even Gui Niang rarely saw him.

"Old Chen~ Old Chen~"

The earth pulse fluctuations, gentle yet powerful, were continuously transmitted into the underground palace.

"Hmm?"

Chen Shijie, sitting cross-legged within the earth pulse, opened his eyes.

He then quickly ascended, detached himself from the underground palace, and appeared on the surface.

"Zhao Xing, has the time come?"

"Yes."

Zhao Xing glanced at Chen Shijie; the old man's temperament was completely different from two years ago. He had already entered the Fourth Realm.

His seven souls had been fully refined, and his foundation was solid, far exceeding the standard level.

At the beginning of the Jingxin Calendar, Chen Shijie's natural talent and bone structure were low, and only his comprehension could be called average.

However, after experiencing the promotion and reception of luck during the early stages of the Great Barbarian War, consuming the spiritual essence of the Ten Yang Grotto-Heaven, cultivating magic for ten years in the East Sea, and consolidating his foundation for two years with Zhao Xing's resources at the Princess's Mansion, he could now be said to have been reborn.

"It is time. Prince Liang has been defeated and killed; you, this official awaiting reassignment, should also come out of the mountains."

Zhao Xing shared the intelligence with Chen Shijie.

Except for a slight movement of his eyes upon hearing of Prince Liang's defeat and death, Chen Shijie remained calm.

The earth is thick and carries all things; Chen Shijie's mind was now even stronger, possessing a steadiness that wouldn't make him frown even if the sky were to collapse.

"Have you finished reading?"

"I have."

"Chen Shijie, receive the edict!"

Zhao Xing took out an appointment edict, which he had requested from Prince Luo.

"Your subject is here."

Chen Shijie opened his robes and knelt on the ground.

What he was receiving now was a royal decree carrying the power of imperial investiture.

According to regulations, a Fifth-Rank official awaiting reassignment must kneel to receive an edict.

Zhao Xing spread out the edict.

"Hum—"

A phantom appeared above it, none other than Prince Luo, holding the Imperial Command Sword, wearing the Heavenly King Armor, and carrying the Instant Prison Bow.

"I, by the order of His Majesty, specially appoint you as the Agricultural Supervisor of Tongming Prefecture, concurrently serving as the Agricultural Commandant of the Yuanming Army and a Fourth-Level Special Envoy of the Earth Path Office. Proceed to Tongming Prefecture to take office immediately."

"Your subject receives the edict."

Chen Shijie raised his hands above his head.

Zhao Xing placed the edict into his hands.

Chen Shijie's hands sank slightly; the edict was heavy, but the sentiment was heavier.

Whether it was the Magistrate of Pingyuan, the Agricultural Commandant of the Yuanming Army, or the Special Envoy of the Earth Path Office, all were Fourth-Rank positions! The Magistrate of Pingyuan, in particular, was a proper Fourth-Rank.

How could he, a proper Fifth-Rank official awaiting reassignment who had been idle for several years and had previously only served as the Head of the Dragon Horse Bureau and the Right Administrator of the Deity Temple, obtain such an appointment?

Although it was a special appointment and a temporary position, once he performed well, his transition to a permanent post would be a certainty.

"You were actually able to beg for such an edict from the Governing Prince." Chen Shijie couldn't help but feel moved after standing up.

Zhao Xing chuckled: "You, Chen Shijie, deserve this appointment. If you were a mediocre official, even if I begged for the decree, you wouldn't be able to hold it, let alone get promoted—you might even be demoted."

"Tongming Prefecture is now in ruins and waiting to be rebuilt. Old Chen, you are going to suffer and toil from now on."

Chen Shijie also laughed: "Only you, Zhao Chenan, could describe a promotion as suffering and toiling."

It was obvious that he could reap great political achievements there!

Even if he did poorly, how bad could it really be?

Tongming Prefecture was already in ruins, and all his positions were inseparable from regulating the earth pulses.

Once the chaos in Pinghai Prefecture ended, the earth would slowly begin to heal itself, not to mention that the leader of the Earth-Benefit School, Xuan Yuanqing Tian, had once used the Deity Artifact to cast 【Mountains and Rivers Forever Solid】.

As long as Chen Shijie sat in that position, even if he did nothing, he could lie back and reap the achievements.

"Time is tight, set off quickly," Zhao Xing said.

This was only a temporary appointment; as for the subsequent administrative adjustments and how far Chen Shijie could go, that would depend on himself.

He had chosen this position for Old Chen after deep consideration, and Zhao Xing believed that with Chen Shijie's ability, he would definitely be able to make a difference.

"Let's go."

Chen Shijie left a message for Gui Niang and followed Zhao Xing out of the Princess's Mansion.

Tongming Prefecture was still quite far from Chongming Prefecture, and getting there wouldn't be a matter of a moment.

But Zhao Xing had the privileges of the Dao Academy, and it only took him one day to send Chen Shijie to Tongming Prefecture.

"I won't accompany you to the prefectural office."

"No need, I can manage."

Chen Shijie certainly didn't need Zhao Xing to accompany him anymore.

If he couldn't handle his subordinates, colleagues, and superiors at this point, he might as well just run into a wall and die.

If Zhao Xing were to accompany him, it would be like feeding him the food directly into his mouth; that's not how one serves as an official.

"Good, I await your good news."

After sending Chen Shijie off, Zhao Xing's true self began to teleport again through 【Blue Tour Vast Sea】.

His next stop was Dayuan Prefecture, Nanyang Commandery, which was also his hometown.

"Flash~"

Zhao Xing quickly arrived at the temple in Nanyang Commandery.

After entering the temple, Zhao Xing flicked his finger, and the incense burner ignited.

"Where are the Day and Night Wandering Gods?"

"Hum~"

The two divine statues revealed their true spirits.

The original Day and Night Wandering Gods had already died; the current ones were newly appointed by the Underworld, their power was not yet sufficient, and their figures were somewhat illusory.

"Greetings, Inspector."

When a low-ranking Yin God sees a high-ranking official, it is the Yin God who must pay respects.

"Where is Zong Shichang, the Seventh-Rank Magistrate of Pinghuai in Nanyang Commandery, currently located?"

"He is patrolling Wang Family Village in Yuhe County."

"Good, you may withdraw."

Having asked for the location, Zhao Xing disappeared from the temple.

Zong Shichang had been Eighth-Rank in the twenty-second year of the Jingxin Calendar, and now it was already the thirty-sixth year; he had only been promoted to the Junior Seventh-Rank.

That is how it is to be an official in a small place; one might not move for over a decade.

Zong Shichang's promotion from Eighth-Rank to Seventh-Rank was only because Zhao Xing had stood up for the young master when he returned to Nanyang Commandery, so the Nanyang Prefect had given him the opportunity.

However, Seventh-Rank was the limit; one could not just be promoted to a Mid-Rank official.

Now that Pinghai Prefecture was at the end of its chaos, the opportunity had arrived.

Of course, Zhao Xing also had to see what the young master's thoughts were and how capable he was; otherwise, forcing him into a Mid-Rank position would only harm him.

Yuhe County, Wang Family Village.

"Where is the Return-to-Origin Waterwheel of that old dog Gongsun Bo? Why hasn't it been set up yet?!"

"Magistrate Zong, Magistrate Gongsun says the weather is cold and the mechanics from the Heavenly Craft Workshop cannot go into the water, so the construction period must be delayed by a few days."

"Bastard, the old thing is just being lazy! Go, go find Police Inspector Wu and have him bring men to drag that old dog out of his kennel!"

"This—"

"Go!"

Zhao Xing had just arrived when he heard Zong Shichang cursing.

"Magistrate Zong, you have quite the official authority!"

"Who?!"

Zong Shichang turned his head abruptly, only to see a familiar face staring at him with a smile.

"Hahaha, Zhao Xing!" Zong Shichang was overjoyed. "Why are you back?!"

"Don't ask me yet, what is going on with you?"

Zong Shichang snorted upon hearing this: "What else could it be? It's freezing cold, and the people from the Heavenly Craft Workshop just don't want to work.

"Let me tell you, that old dog Gongsun Bo is simply a bastard—"

Heavy snow was falling from the sky, and Zong Shichang on the ground was pouring out his bitterness.

The two stood by the rushing river, one listening, one speaking.

From time to time, ice blocks jumped into the river, joining the mighty army of river water as it surged forward to conquer cities and land.

Listening and calculating, Zhao Xing loosened his fingers.

He immediately understood the situation.

The flood caused by the Southern Barbarians using the power of the Canglan River had indeed brought some impact.

Any prefecture or commandery not far from the Canglan River had an extra amount of water this year.

Nanyang Commandery, including Dayuan Prefecture, was not an enemy-occupied area during the chaos; occasional small groups of rebels appeared, but they were quickly wiped out, and it remained under the control of the imperial court from beginning to end.

Therefore, it had never been designated as a 【Disaster Area】 by the imperial court.

Since it wasn't a disaster area, manpower and materials were naturally prioritized elsewhere, and no one paid much attention to it.

In the eyes of those above, it had no impact on the overall situation.

For the rural folk, most of the villages and towns along the river were flooded; in their eyes, it was a major disaster.

Young Master Zong was the Magistrate of Pinghuai, and he was in charge of rural rivers.

He wanted to build more agricultural waterwheels and open channels in the countryside.

But he had no funds and no sufficient manpower.

For the past two years, the money and manpower of the entire Pinghai Prefecture had been insufficient.

The rebellion could be quelled, and the heavens and earth could be calmed, but economic losses could not be recovered overnight.

If one wanted relief, it would have to wait until the era of Great Governance.

After cursing for a while, Zong Shichang finally wasn't so agitated: "Sigh, actually, it can't be blamed entirely on them. Blame me for not having the ability to coordinate all parties, and the imperial court has no money to send down, sigh—"

Zhao Xing nodded slightly: "If Brother Zong's position were a little higher, you would be able to seek welfare for the people."

Zong Shichang didn't catch Zhao Xing's meaning, just said somewhat melancholically, "Where would I have that ability? I can't even manage these small rivers—hmm?"

Suddenly, Zong Shichang looked at the sky suspiciously, subconsciously loosening his collar: "Why has it become hot? And this river—damn, why has the water level dropped so much?"

Zhao Xing smiled: "It seems Brother Zong's efforts have moved the heavens; the disaster in Wang Family Village has eased."

"Really?" Zong Shichang looked at Zhao Xing with some doubt, then ran to the bamboo shed nearby.

"It really has dropped. The Yin-Yang Instrument has shifted to the left by one-quarter and three-tenths. According to the description in Wu Ji's Agricultural Book, this is a sign that the disaster is dissipating."

"The Earth Spirit Water Grass has dropped five leaves, and the Temperature-Flower Bottle has also dropped seven graduations—"

"Could it be that I really moved the heavens?"

"I don't usually worship the gods much."

Zong Shichang didn't understand, but he was greatly shocked.

After receiving messages from subordinate officials in many places, he finally confirmed that the disaster was indeed dissipating, and not just in Wang Family Village.

"Brother Zhao, did you do this?" Zong Shichang turned back and asked. "As soon as you arrived, the disaster eased."

"Did you invite some big shot to take action?"

"It does have something to do with me."

"Ah, it really was you."

Zong Shichang was somewhat incredulous; he had never seen the methods of a high-ranking agricultural official. In his cognition, Zhao Xing seemed to be getting more and more powerful, but he still didn't dare to think of such a high position.

"You are already so powerful, can your brother follow you to get promoted and get rich? Hahahaha." Zong Shichang joked.

Zhao Xing also laughed:

"Sure, I see Brother Zong's ability; being a Sixth-Rank official is absolutely no problem."

"With some training, you would even be worthy of a Fifth-Rank."

"However, there is no opportunity here in Nanyang Commandery. Are you willing to leave your hometown and serve as an official elsewhere?"

"As long as you want, I can recommend you to go elsewhere, starting as a temporary Sixth-Rank official. Whether you can be confirmed and how long it takes depends on your ability."

Zong Shichang was stunned: "You, you are serious?"

After receiving Zhao Xing's affirmative answer, Zong Shichang became somewhat conflicted.

He pondered for a while and finally refused.

"Brother Zhao, thank you for your kindness."

Zong Shichang rubbed his face and said: "How should I put it? I don't have such great ambition. I just want to guard Qing'er and live a peaceful life. If I can seek some welfare for the people on this basis, I am satisfied."

"You should understand what I mean, right?"

Zhao Xing patted Zong Shichang's shoulder: "Understood. Not everyone wants to be a high official. Some people just want to live their lives happily. Eagles have the ambitions of eagles, and wild boars have the way of life of wild boars. Everyone has different pursuits; there is no need to force it."

"Right, right, that's exactly what I mean." Zong Shichang nodded fiercely, then paused, "No, wait, I suspect you are saying I have no great ambition and am a pig-headed person who just eats and waits to die."

"Don't suspect it."

"Damn, you dog thief, take my punch!"

"Hahahaha, remember to give me ten taels of silver!"

"Hahaha, put it on my tab, let me hit you eighteen times!"

Cloud Shell Lake, this is the largest lake in Dongchang Prefecture and also the largest inland lake in Pinghai Prefecture.

It is located in the eastern part of Pinghai Prefecture, and after the chaos in Pinghai Prefecture, this lake became even larger than before.

"Splash—"

A certain part of the lake water suddenly arched up, as if a giant object was lurking underground.

"Gurgle—"

A huge bubble floated up.

When it expanded to a radius of twenty meters, it suddenly burst.

"Cough, cough—cough, cough—"

A figure appeared above the lake; this person was none other than Ji Chen, who had fled from the East Sea.

When the rebel army in the East Sea was a lost cause, Ji Chen did not flee to the depths of the East Sea with Hong Yuan-shou, but instead went against the trend, boarded the shore, and used the permissions of the Blue Water Dao Academy to come to Cloud Shell Lake in Dongchang Prefecture.

He ran in time; at this moment, the permission for a teleportation channel controlled by Prince Liang was still in effect.

Ji Chen wanted to borrow the path all the way to the Southern Wilderness, because his father had urged him to run in that direction when he was besieged.

Only in this way would there be a way to survive.

"Cough, cough—cough, cough—" Ji Chen coughed violently again; as a Third-Rank realm expert, he was having a truly hard time.

Because he was seriously injured, with a golden sword stuck in his shoulder; it was this sword that made it completely impossible for him to recover.

"Ah, ah, ah—" Ji Chen tried to pull out the golden sword, but as soon as he pulled it out half a foot, the sword emitted a powerful sword intent, wantonly destroying his body.

At the same time, this divine sword was still growing larger.

As long as he used his Qi, the sword would keep growing!

Smoke rose from the hand holding the sword hilt, and he had to give up pulling the sword.

"Damn Long Xiao, damn it!!"

Ji Chen lowered his head.

He had originally escaped very smoothly, and everything was unknown to anyone.

But he didn't expect that a sword cultivator named Long Xiao would actually find him!

Not only that, he seemed to be waiting for him specifically; the moment he was about to complete the teleportation, the other party ambushed him!

Six of the swords were dodged by Ji Chen, but one sword still pierced his body.

"How did he know I was going to escape there? Even Hong Yuan-shou didn't know my escape route, and I still have absolute heavenly secret concealment on me—"

Ji Chen couldn't figure out how he had been targeted.

Could it be that the absolute concealment his father spoke of was fake?

He had to stop to heal his wounds while thinking about his escape route.

But just one quarter of an hour later.

A bubble appeared on the lake surface three thousand meters behind him, and a man carrying a large sword appeared above the lake.

Sword Qi swirled around his figure, as if he were a god.

At the same time, the golden sword on Ji Chen's body trembled violently.

"What?!"

"It's Long Xiao, he's chasing me again!"

Ji Chen immediately understood the identity of the person who had arrived.

Just then, through the sensing of the Seven-Star Divine Sword, Long Xiao also discovered the location of the Heavenly Authority Sword.

The Seven-Star Divine Sword was originally a treasure sword bestowed upon Bai Mingchuan by Emperor Jing.

It must be said that Emperor Jing had a wicked sense of humor; some of the materials of the divine sword were the same as the Heavenly Fish Hook.

It also possessed the function of 【Seven-Star Positioning】.

The Bai family were water tribes, and Emperor Jing bestowed this set of Eighth-Rank peak Seven-Star Divine Swords; Bai Mingchuan had to be grateful.

But he was not a sword cultivator, so he gave it to Long Xiao to use.

"Found you!"

Seeing Ji Chen, Long Xiao's eyes spewed fire.

"You beast, pay for the Marquis's life!"

Ji Chen didn't run anymore; he knew that if he didn't solve Long Xiao, he would be discovered no matter how he ran.

He immediately pasted a divine talisman on his chest and back to suppress the effect of the Seven-Star Divine Sword.

"Long Xiao, don't you want to know Yang An's dying words?"

Ji Chen looked at the rapidly approaching Long Xiao while pasting the talisman, trying to stall for time to recover: "I was also on the battlefield at the time and witnessed his death with my own eyes."

Long Xiao stopped as expected.

But the next moment.

The six divine swords behind him quickly unsheathed and flew toward Ji Chen like swimming dragons.

"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—"

The sky full of sword shadows formed a sword array, surrounding Ji Chen.

At this moment, after more than a decade of tempering, Long Xiao was no longer the brave captain who would be easily provoked by others.

He had anger, but he also had enough reason to control this anger.

"Flash, flash, flash, flash—"

Sword Qi intersected, and Ji Chen dodged in a sorry state, shouting crazily: "Yang An, hahaha, he died too miserably!"

"I instigated Luo Zhen to betray him, but I didn't expect Yang An to fall for it!"

"By the way, Luo Zhen later became the Prince of Xier, right at your former station of the Divine Might Army, ah, hahaha!"

"Yang An is really stupid; he clearly had a chance to escape, but for the sake of brotherhood, he refused to retreat alone."

"In the end, he died of exhaustion, and even his soul didn't escape. Do you know why he let out such painful cries before he died?"

"Hahahaha, it's the Soul-Dissolving Gu!"

Ji Chen endured the severe pain, dodging crazily while performing spells to resist; he had many treasures on his body, and even if he was trapped in the Seven-Star Sword Array and attacked by countless sword Qi, he could still persist.

"The Soul-Dissolving Gu is the most painful and torturous method in the world!"

"Yang An's will was tough enough; the Soul-Dissolving Gu tortured him for a full month before turning his soul into nothingness—"

Under Ji Chen's constant provocation, Long Xiao's body trembled, and the anger seemed to be about to burn him.

But Long Xiao's eyes also became increasingly cold.

Anger and sword intent were constantly rising!

In the blink of an eye, it broke through a critical value.

Seeing this, Ji Chen was shocked.

Because he found that his stimulation didn't have the expected effect, but instead caused Long Xiao's sword technique to break through!

The one hundred thousand sword Qi in the Seven-Star Sword Array jumped to two hundred thousand in the blink of an eye!

"Clang, clang, clang, clang, clang, clang!"

The dense sword Qi made the space within two thousand meters around him completely a world of swords!

The attack power of each sword Qi emitted by the original Seven-Star Divine Sword barely reached the level of the early Third-Rank.

However, now, the power of the sword Qi was also rising!

Two hundred thousand turned into five hundred thousand!

The attack power of each sword Qi had reached the mid-Third-Rank!

Ji Chen was stunned!

Long Xiao, at the Fourth-Rank realm, could actually exert such powerful combat effectiveness; even Yang An back then might not have had such powerful combat effectiveness.

And this was entirely stimulated by him!

He didn't dare to speak anymore.

Although the defensive treasures on his body could defend against sword Qi, they couldn't completely offset the impact.

Except for barrier-type treasures, there is no absolute defense, and shock absorption also has a limit.

Not to mention that Ji Chen was only Third-Rank, and he couldn't fully exert the power of the treasures.

And Long Xiao's ambush was truly experienced, which made many of Ji Chen's treasures unable to be used.

For example, the Golden Feather Battle Armor on his body covered his whole body, but his chest couldn't be covered for a long time because of the Seven-Star Divine Sword.

"Bad!"

Ji Chen's face changed wildly.

He watched the light shield in front of him getting weaker and weaker, and the barrier activated by the Wolf Tooth Jade Pendant on his body was weakening crazily.

All barriers have energy values and will be constantly consumed.

The only things he had that could fully defend against attacks were barrier-type treasures.

The Golden Feather Battle Armor did have a ninety percent weakening effect.

But now it could only exert eighty percent.

"!"

Under the attack of the dense sword Qi, the Eighth-Rank peak defensive barrier was finally broken.

Now Ji Chen could only resist hard.

Originally, with the eighty percent weakening of the battle armor, he could still bear it.

But gradually, he found that he couldn't bear the terrifying impact.

"Long Xiao, Yang An is actually not dead!"

"His soul was hidden by me; let me go, and I will take you to find him!"

"Ah, ah—"

Ji Chen was terrified; he tried to lie to make Long Xiao stop, but at this time, Long Xiao didn't believe a word Ji Chen said.

"No, no, no, stop, Yang An is really not dead—"

"Puff!"

At a certain moment, Ji Chen felt severe pain coming from his body.

The divine sword on his body had disappeared, and a large hole appeared in his chest.

"Puff—"

Sword Qi drilled in along his chest, and Ji Chen found that the Golden Feather Battle Armor he was wearing was actually stripped away by Long Xiao's sword Qi.

Like a master butcher dismembering an ox, after a moment, the complete Golden Feather Battle Armor turned into a group of flowing liquid, while beside it was the naked and seriously injured Ji Chen.

"Puff, puff, puff, puff, puff, puff, puff!"

Seven divine swords nailed Ji Chen to the void.

Flames burned on his body, and he struggled constantly.

But he couldn't even break free from one divine sword, let alone seven?

"... ave me—save me!"

Ji Chen shouted, but Long Xiao couldn't hear the first two words, as if they had been silenced.

Suddenly, the sword Qi disappeared.

Long Xiao stopped.

Ji Chen looked at Long Xiao, his eyes full of despair, because he found that Long Xiao, who was originally Fourth-Rank, had stepped into the Third-Rank realm!

What an astonishing talent this was!

What made him even more desperate was that Long Xiao didn't seem to intend to kill him immediately.

Otherwise, he should have died when the Golden Feather Divine Armor was stripped away just now.

"Long Xiao, come on! Cough, cough—use your, your most cruel means to kill me!" Ji Chen said crazily:

"Come on! Let this young master see how capable you are!"

"Hahaha, Yang An died very miserably. Do you see the brocade pouch on my left waist? There is a bottle of Piercing-Origin Water in it."

"You, you just need to drop one drop on me, and my pain will be magnified ten thousand times; this is what was used on Yang An—"

A trace of cruelty flashed in Long Xiao's eyes, and he was about to take action.

"Hum"

Just then, a sound transmission talisman in Long Xiao's arms burned automatically.

A familiar voice appeared in Long Xiao's ear.

"Long Xiao, don't become what the enemy expects."

Long Xiao's voice was hoarse: "Did you hear what he said?"

"The Marquis wouldn't want you to do this. Kill him cleanly and go to Anping Prefecture."

"I have something important to tell you."

In the distant prefectural city, Zhao Xing looked at the sky, as if he could see the scene there.

He didn't want Long Xiao to become what he was in his previous life. Today, he could vent his hatred by torturing Ji Chen to death in a cruel way.

But Long Xiao's sword heart would also be affected.

Entering the Third-Rank Dao with hatred, if he still followed Ji Chen's incitement to torture him cruelly, this would be detrimental to Long Xiao's future Dao.

"Long Xiao!" Zhao Xing found that Long Xiao wasn't moving, and he became anxious, shouting sternly: "Kill him quickly!"

"Ah, ah, ah!!!"

Long Xiao finally listened to the advice, and ten thousand swords appeared again, instantly shredding Ji Chen's physical body and life soul.

When Ji Chen dissipated, the scarlet in Long Xiao's eyes dissipated, leaving two lines of clear tears.

"Woo, woo, woo—Marquis—"

Hearing Long Xiao's crying, Zhao Xing on the other end also breathed a sigh of relief.

He waited quietly.

A quarter of an hour later, Long Xiao's hoarse voice came: "Zhao Xing, I've finished crying, where should I go now?"

"Anping Prefecture, follow the eastern tributary of the Canglan River and kill the remaining enemies back and forth."

Now there were only some significant enemies left along the Canglan River.

The inner prefecture was basically just small fish and shrimp, not enough to be divided.

Chen Shijie was already in the civil official system, and Zhao Xing wanted him to quickly obtain governance achievements.

Long Xiao was a military general, so he should go and obtain the achievements of killing enemies.

"Good, I'll go immediately."

Zhao Xing urged: "I have no more talismans. You must remember, killing is fine, but don't use cruel means to torture the enemy; it is detrimental to your Dao."

"When you really can't help it, go to the temple to resolve the killing intent, otherwise it is easy to suffer Qi deviation."

"Good, I understand."

Long Xiao's voice also gradually stabilized.

"Keep in touch."

The talisman paper burned to ashes, and Zhao Xing's voice also disappeared.

Long Xiao picked up the items scattered by Ji Chen and quickly disappeared from Cloud Shell Lake.

Datong Prefecture, wilderness swamp, three thousand meters underground.

There was a large underground city here.

In the 【Planting Area】 of the seventh underground city.

Xia Jing ran to a straw man in the planting area, excited: "Zhao Xing, Zhao Xing, Prince Liang is dead!"

"Hmm, I know." The straw man nodded and continued to plow the land.

"I said Prince Liang is dead!" Xia Jing was anxious, "Shouldn't we do something?"

"Isn't that what I'm doing?" Zhao Xing turned back.

"Not doing anything else?" Xia Jing asked, "Many remaining enemies are fleeing to the southeast; the Canglan River line is full of big fish now!"

Xia Jing was also well-informed; when he heard that Prince Liang had been defeated and killed, he knew it was time to beat the dog that had fallen into the water.

"Brother Xia, I don't suggest you go."

"Ah? Why?" Xia Jing said, "Isn't it a good opportunity?"

"You are too weak."

"???"

Xia Jing almost dismantled Zhao Xing's straw man.

"I mean relative to the current situation, you are too weak," Zhao Xing said. "You don't have the strength of the Third-Rank."

"You simply can't get a share of the pie."

"The army has entered Pinghai Prefecture; how many strong people have been sent here? Where is there any room for you to cut off heads?"

"Even the Third-Rank is not enough; you might be busy for nothing and find that you worked in vain."

After Xia Jing turned the corner, he couldn't help but smile bitterly: "You don't have to be so blunt."

"If I'm not blunt, I'm afraid you won't be able to help yourself."

"Old brother, you are now at the Fourth-Rank Soul Realm; if you run into some fleeing First or Second-Rank experts at this final moment, wouldn't you die in vain?"

"The shelter plan and the underground city plan are enough for you to be full."

Xia Jing nodded: "Actually, it's not that I can't help myself, it's just that I'm not alone now."

From the thirty-fifth year of the Jingxin Calendar to now, the stall that Xia Jing and Zhao Xing had laid out had reached a considerable scale.

The mobilized resources exceeded three trillion!

Most of these resources were squeezed from the noble families.

People didn't pay for nothing; of course, they expected a return!

Even if there was no return in the short term, Xia Jing had to go up; if Xia Jing went up, they would have plenty of opportunities to ask for favors in the future.

"Be patient," Zhao Xing covered the last handful of soil, and the acre of seedlings in front of him had been planted. "There are already enough generals in the Great Zhou who can fight, but not many who can both fight and govern."

"When everything passes and the people above look down, you will be able to stand out."

Xia Jing stroked his chin and said: "Do you think there will be any more wars in the future? Should I switch to being a civil official?"

Zhao Xing shook his head; Emperor Jing would not launch a second Great Barbarian War.

The policy of the Great Zhou in the next two governance periods would turn to defense.

The army and military expenditures would be significantly reduced, and it would be difficult for military generals to be promoted.

In addition, he would constantly find reasons to reduce power, collect power, accumulate national strength, and leave a family foundation for his son.

"Don't look at the fierce killing outside; those generals seem to be picking up heads, but in reality, very few can stand out."

"Not to mention the quotas for high-ranking officials, even the quotas for Mid-Rank promotions are very few."

"In the final analysis, this is a rebellion, a civil war."

"It's not something glorious, and it's not worth publicizing."

Zhao Xing whispered: "Brother Xia, at this time, I not only don't suggest you go to reap achievements, but I suggest your father take the initiative to plead guilty, hand over military power, follow arrangements, and reduce the tax collection rights of the fiefdom."

"In addition, I will hand over all control of the shelter plan to the government before the Spring Festival."

"Others are fearful, I am greedy; others are greedy, I am fearful."

"Now, it is time to be fearful."

Xia Jing's expression was uncertain: "My uncle seems to have said this too, but not as heavily as you said, and my father's opinion is the opposite. Why is this?"

Zhao Xing said: "Because your father and the others think that the Southern Barbarian War will continue and that military generals will be reused, but I think the possibility is not high."

Xia Jing gritted his teeth: "Good, I will go to persuade my father."

"Be quick, it's already December. The Spring Festival is in February, and the administrative adjustment is in April; it will be too late if you are late."

"I understand." Xia Jing nodded and ran out in a hurry.

On December 8th, the true self left the Star Palace; in late December, Zhao Xing's true self went to the Tianyuan Prefecture branch.

At this time, the Tianyuan Prefecture branch had become the place where the Great Agricultural Official Li Boqian issued orders.

Zhao Xing didn't intend to exert his subjective will anymore, but he couldn't be idle either.

He intended to take some bitter and tiring tasks from Li Boqian to do.

Otherwise, after a Prince Liang rebellion, if he had all the credit and no hard work, and relied entirely on connections and power,

that would invite hatred.

"Assassinated by an assassin group, painstakingly building shelters, and then having to suffer a bit—sigh, working under Emperor Jing is really damn hard."

When Zhao Xing's true self flew to Tianyuan Prefecture, it was already December 21st.

Mainly because he spent some time retrieving the clones scattered in various prefectures.

Order returned to Pinghai Prefecture, and the Golden Dragon luck was stable, so he couldn't do whatever he wanted.

Accepting the coordination of superiors to do some dirty and tiring work was Zhao Xing's plan for the aftermath.

Li Boqian did not meet with Zhao Xing.

Receiving him was the Junior Agricultural Official Wang Tianzhi.

It's good to have many identities; he still held the title of Doctor of Classics at the Profound Heaven Academy.

When Zhao Xing expressed his desire to do some heavy work, Wang Tianzhi showed a strange expression:

"Others are fighting to do easy and easily promoted work, why do you, Chenan, want to go against the trend?"

Zhao Xing arched his hands: "The subordinate has a strange temperament and has never liked to go to crowded places."

Wang Tianzhi also made up for it: "You do have a pioneering spirit and like to challenge some difficult problems."

"Since that is the case, then I will arrange for you to do two things."

He pulled out two files:

"One is the periodic calculation work of the military world channel; you are already doing this with Hu Yang, so now continue to participate."

"You have cultivated the Derivative God Art, which is most suitable for this large-scale calculation work."

Zhao Xing nodded; this task had a large workload, which met his expectations.

"The second is the combing work of the grotto-heavens in Pinghai Prefecture. Many bitter and cold places have experienced Qi riots. You have cultivated the Kunpeng Transformation; many places others cannot go, you can go."

Prince Liang's rebellion didn't just mess up Pinghai Prefecture; many grotto-heaven worlds were also stirred into chaos.

Especially during the most crazy period, the most fiercely contested were the grotto-heaven worlds, because grotto-heaven worlds involved channel entrances, so naturally, they were the places where the most high-intensity battles occurred.

"The subordinate obeys orders."

Zhao Xing received the two orders and then respectfully saluted and exited.

Not long after, Lu Chunhua walked in and arched his hands toward Wang Tianzhi.

Seeing Wang Tianzhi thoughtful, Lu Chunhua couldn't help but be curious: "What is the Uncle Master thinking about?"

Wang Tianzhi came back to his senses and smiled: "Nothing, just met a smart guy."

"How smart?"

"It's possible that in the future I will have to work under him."

Most of the clones Zhao Xing retrieved were sent to the Sky-Monitoring Division of the Phenology Academy, working together with the two brothers Hu Yang and Zhang Tianxing on calculation work.

When Zhao Xing came over, Hu Yang and Zhang Tianxing were overjoyed.

"Hahaha, Shaodong, look who's here."

A thousand-eyed green spider flew down from the mountain of books and turned into a middle-aged man.

He was Hu Yang's senior brother, Zhang Tianxing.

"Where?" In another direction, a golden bird arrived in an instant and restored its human form.

"Yo, my Saint Son of the Hou Bian School is here. Come, come, come, Senior Brother, let us quickly kowtow to the Saint Son."

After saying that, Hu Yang and Zhang Tianxing made a gesture to kneel.

Zhao Xing also made a gesture to kneel: "Don't, you two are the Protector Elders of the Sect, how can the Elders kneel to the Saint Son? It should be me kneeling to you two."

"No, no, no, it is we who should kneel."

"Hey, hey, hey—"

After some pushing and shoving.

Zhao Xing, Zhang Tianxing, and Hu Yang all laughed.

"Come, please come in quickly."

"Chenan, you came just in time, my senior brother and I are almost bald." Hu Yang touched his head melancholically, "Yesterday I walked to the Machinery Academy to find tools, and others thought I was a mechanic."

Zhang Tianxing laughed: "How offensive is that? Not all mechanics are bald."

Zhao Xing said: "Could it be that Senior Brother Hu is wearing the cross-striped and vertical-grid Shenluo Dharma Robe?"

Hu Yang and Zhang Tianxing were stunned, then reacted, and immediately laughed out loud.

Zhao Xing quickly learned a hand of mechanic cold jokes and integrated into the work of the two.

These two were also fun-loving people.

In the subsequent work, mechanic jokes came from time to time.

"That day I used the Hou Bian method to rush to the Machinery Academy, passed their training ground, and a mechanic wearing a Tianheng detector was actually waving at me."

"Chenan, guess what I did?"

"What did you do?"

"I got interested, so I joined his puppet bird array, and then he told me to go east, and I went west."

"Until I left, that guy was doubting his life, thinking his bird mechanism was broken, and was checking them one by one."

"Hahahaha, Junior Brother Hu, you are too damaging! Chenan, don't learn from him!"

"How could I? I usually become the lead bird, ensuring that his entire mechanism array is in chaos."

"Hahaha!"

The calculation work was too boring and dull, and Hu Yang and Zhang Tianxing could only amuse themselves.

After Zhao Xing joined, the two fun-loving people became three.

Hu Yang and Zhang Tianxing also liked Zhao Xing very much and felt more and more that Zhao Xing was to their taste.

At the same time, Zhao Xing's true self went to the "White Stone Grotto-Heaven" in Tianyuan Prefecture to perform the task of calming the Qi riots.

"Zhao Xing, I am Tao Guangyao, the Great Agricultural Official in charge of White Stone Grotto-Heaven."

"This task is very heavy and tiring. Although you were sent by the Junior Agricultural Official, I will definitely not give you special care!"

"You may get injured during the period. It's not too late to quit now; I'll just pretend you never came."

"But if you accept the task and come to slack off, I will definitely not be merciful and will give you a C-minus rating! Or even rate you as a mediocre official!"

Tao Guangyao had very dark skin and was thin and small. When he kept a straight face, he looked very fierce.

Facing Zhao Xing, the popular agricultural genius, he was also completely official, stating in advance that he would definitely not let water or give special care.

Zhao Xing also became serious and immediately stated his attitude: "Please rest assured, Magistrate Tao, there is no genius Zhao Xing here, only an agricultural official Zhao Xing."

Tao Guangyao nodded slightly, then waved his hand and drew a map: "The 'Sky Sea' area of 'White Stone Grotto-Heaven' is currently experiencing a magnitude 12 tsunami, as well as violent water tornadoes, hurricanes, and seaquakes."

"The Sky Sea Grotto-Heaven is expanding to the surroundings. You, Shang He, and Wu Long are responsible for the Seventh-Level area in the southeast."

"Any questions?"

Zhao Xing looked at the data and immediately said: "No questions."

"Good, you rest for a quarter of an hour. After a quarter of an hour, I will arrange for you to set off."

"Yes!"

An hour later, Shang He, Wu Long, and Zhao Xing set off.

After Zhao Xing boarded the ship, the two couldn't help but look at Zhao Xing strangely.

"Who are you, why are you on this ship?" Wu Long asked.

"Subordinate Zhao Xing, here to perform the task with the two adults."

"Zhao Xing? Never heard of it—you are at the Fourth-Rank realm?" Shang He frowned.

"Yes."

"Isn't this a joke!" Wu Long stood up immediately. "Don't start the ship yet, I'll go find Magistrate Tao."

Neither of them had heard of Zhao Xing's name, because Zhao Xing's rise was too short.

From the discussion of the classics to now, it had only been two or three years.

Slightly stronger Third-Rank experts, one seclusion, or performing a task, might last for several years, or even over a decade.

Especially those strong people who have been in the grotto-heaven for a long time, they interact even less with the outside world.

"It was Magistrate Tao who sent me here. I have already mastered the Kunpeng Transformation. Two adults, please be calm; when we arrive at the place, you will know if I can do it."

White Stone Grotto-Heaven, because the Qi is too violent, the land realm is currently impassable, and the communication method relies entirely on human transmission.

Seeing that the time was about to be missed, and seeing Zhao Xing full of confidence, Shang He and Wu Long sat down again.

"Don't blame me for saying ugly words first; if you have an accident, we don't have time to save you," Wu Long said.

"Rest assured, I will definitely not hold the two adults back."

Shang He nodded: "Good, then start the ship."

The wind roared, and the world changed color.

When the warship escorting the two arrived in an airspace, it soon couldn't move forward.

At this time, Wu and Shang walked out of the cabin.

Zhao Xing also followed.

I saw a sea appearing on the vast horizon!

I have seen many cloud seas, but this is the first time I have seen a sky sea floating in the sky.

At this time, the sky sea couldn't even tell how high the waves were, because looking up was the sea, and looking down was also the sea.

The sea cube couldn't see the end at all.

"Boom, boom, boom—"

Seawater waves, layers of shock waves transmitted to the surroundings.

Zhao Xing originally thought that the seaquake mentioned by Tao Guangyao referred to an earthquake in the sea, but he didn't expect it to be like this at all.

"A huge piece of land was rolled into the sky sea, constantly pulling, and falling to the surroundings under the push of the waves."

"Water tornadoes roll away mountains and rivers, throwing them to other places, mountains and seas intersect, violent Qi vortices constantly strengthen, if no one stops them, sooner or later they will spread to the entire White Stone Grotto-Heaven."

Zhao Xing opened his Heavenly Eye, scanning the situation of the sky sea through the heavy wind and waves.

The disaster in the grotto-heaven world broke out much more violently than outside, and it was also unreasonable.

"Roar!"

Wu Long rose from the ground, his body swelled rapidly. When he took off from the deck and rushed out of the barrier, he became a giant beast with a dragon head and human body.

"Inner practice Hou Bian method, Jimeng Transformation."

The inner practice of the Hou Bian method can basically be judged by appearance.

What Wu Long cultivated was the Hou Bian method of transforming into Jimeng.

"Jimeng's shape is human body and dragon head, always swimming in the Zhang Abyss, and there must be storms when entering and exiting."

"I don't know how many secret techniques he has mastered."

At this time, Shang He also completed the transformation.

"Eight heads and eight faces, tiger body, eight feet and eight tails, green and yellow color, spitting clouds and mist, in charge of water."

"Ancient exotic beast—Tianwu."

"He cultivates the Tianwu Transformation."

Neither of them looked back at Zhao Xing, rushing directly toward the sky sea.

If Zhao Xing could do it, he would naturally know what to do.

If he couldn't, or was afraid, he would naturally follow the ship back.

"My turn."

A trace of excitement appeared in Zhao Xing's eyes.

He rushed up.

His whole body changed drastically, all the acupuncture points lit up with divine light, and the phantom of Kunpeng roared in his bloodline.

When Zhao Xing rushed out of the deck barrier, he became a giant fish a thousand meters long,

The Kun Transformation in the Kunpeng Transformation!

"The place here is big enough, completely enough for me to toss, let me see the limit strength!"

When Zhao Xing followed Li Boqian to learn this method in Tianyuan Prefecture, he couldn't get full release at all.

Because the place was too small!

Even so, he cultivated to the top Third-Turn level, mastered the transformation of Kun, and could perform the talent secret technique of Kun.

"Big, big, big!!!"

Zhao Xing's dantian operated crazily; he had refined Kunpeng true blood, and at this time, the phantoms of Kun and Peng intersected in his acupuncture points and flesh.

Finally, the phantom of Kun became more solid, while the phantom of Peng gradually faded.

"Ang—"

Shang He and Wu Long were flying forward when they suddenly heard a sound coming from behind.

It seemed to come from the ancient prehistoric ocean, the sound was desolate and primitive.

"Damn, so big?"

"He is a Fourth-Rank, really cultivated the Kunpeng Transformation?"

Shang He and Wu Long were both shocked.

Their transformations were big enough; Shang He's body size and Wu Long's body size both exceeded a thousand meters.

But compared to Zhao Xing, it was not enough to look at.

At this time, the big Kun, just the size of its eyes, was a hundred meters.

The body size was even more endless; in front of Zhao Xing, they were like ants.

Zhao Xing's feeling was indeed the same.

When he exerted to the limit, Shang He and Wu Long, in his eyes, were just slightly stronger than ants.

"North of the North Sea, there is a Ming Sea, the Heavenly Pool, there is a fish, its width is thousands of miles, its length is the same, its name is Kun." Great Agricultural Official Li Boqian's unique skill, someone really practiced it. Shang He muttered to himself.

"It is rumored that Kun has been extinct from the world. North of the North Sea is a frozen ocean, there is no Heavenly Pool at all, and there are no traces of Kun."

"The world cannot accommodate such a super-large giant object, I didn't expect to see it today." Wu Long was also extremely surprised.

Of course, Zhao Xing couldn't be called a giant object yet.

Because after he turned into Kun, the length of his body was only nine thousand meters.

It was still too far from the level of thousands of miles.

"Normal Kunpeng Transformation, the Third-Turn level is three thousand meters, but the Kunpeng true blood I refined is pure enough, plus my Ten Thousand Dharma Dao Body foundation is solid enough, so it reached more than nine thousand meters."

"Compared to the real Kun, it's just born."

He couldn't break through the ten-thousand-meter level now, because his inner world was pulling him, no longer continuing to expand.

If he continued to change, not only would he not get bigger, but he would collapse and abnormal changes would occur.

Zhao Xing would naturally not try to break through the limit; the inner practice Hou Bian method is a relatively dangerous method, so he naturally couldn't mess around.

"After turning into Kun, you can perform 'Kun Swallows Heaven and Earth', which can swallow water, Qi, and clouds and mist, turning them into your own power."

Zhao Xing began to swim his body and flew toward the sky sea.

Wu Long and Shang He both hurriedly gave way and had to change their marching route.

Because this thing was too damn big!

They were blocking the way forward.

Zhao Xing just flicked his tail, and they would be knocked away.

"Go!"

The two came back to their senses and rushed toward the sky sea.

As the big Kun entered the sky sea, Zhao Xing instantly felt a pulling force and impact force.

Many giant rocks like small mountains rushed over and smashed into his body.

There were also tornado vortices tearing his body.

However, Zhao Xing was completely unaffected.

"Kunpeng Transformation is really strong."

"It deserves to be the most awesome school in the Heavenly Time School."

Zhao Xing was swimming in the sea.

The attack that was enough to tear the Third-Rank, the giant rock that smashed the Third-Rank, hit him like an itch.

Of course, there was not much Zhao Xing could do; such a large body size was relatively clumsy.

If it was against the enemy, the Third-Rank couldn't kill him, but it was also difficult for him to catch the Third-Rank.

The movement was too big, and people ran away from afar.

"Kun Swallows Heaven and Earth!"

The Kun in the sea opened its giant mouth, and Zhao Xing also began his task of calming the riot.

Time passed, and in the blink of an eye, the thirty-seventh year of the Jingxin Calendar arrived.

Zhao Xing's clones began to withdraw from the shelter plan.

He contacted Prince Luo and Prince Tianyan, and discussed with Lu Bang and Marquis Tian, slowly handing over the control of various places to the local government.

As the government agencies in Pinghai Prefecture recovered, this should also be handed over.

The group of nobles behind Xia Jing withdrew from the scene following Zhao Xing for the first time.

Especially Marquis Xia and Prince Pingyang (Ji Ziyun's father, Xia Jing's uncle), who withdrew very decisively.

However, there were still many people who were reluctant.

Having invested so much money, why did it feel like nothing was gained, and it was time to withdraw?

Zhao Xing also persuaded them earnestly.

In the successive handovers, eighty or ninety percent of the people followed him.

As for the small number who couldn't see the situation clearly, Zhao Xing was helpless.

At the end of January.

Liu Tianning, who had not appeared for a long time, finally appeared.

"Teacher, is the task over?"

"It has come to an end," Liu Tianning's phantom nodded. "Before, I had been intercepting Prince Liang's team and participated in the siege of the high-ranking legion in Luliang Prefecture."

"So that's it." Zhao Xing had guessed before that Old Liu might not be in Pinghai Prefecture.

Now that the task was unbanned, Liu Tianning had nothing he couldn't say.

"I have reached the early stage of the Heavenly Luck Realm."

Liu Tianning gave Zhao Xing another heavy message.

"Congratulations, Teacher."

Saying so, Zhao Xing smiled somewhat reluctantly.

Because he was worried about Liu Tianning's state.

Judging from the memory of his previous life, Liu Tianning's improvement was faster than what he knew in his previous life.

He remembered that Liu Tianning was only Third-Rank when Prince Liang's rebellion ended, but now he was Second-Rank.

"After April, you follow me to Shangluo Academy," Liu Tianning said. "Follow me to see Xu Xing and get familiar with the people of Shangluo Academy."

"Yes." Zhao Xing nodded.

This was certain; even if he didn't write the Theory of Self-Heavenly Objects, he would inevitably have to see the high-level officials of Shangluo Academy.

Because he was Liu Tianning's only successor.

Old Liu going to Shangluo Academy was to take the position of the first vice-dean.

Once Xu Xing died, the leader of the Self-School would be Liu Tianning; no one could snatch it from him.

This was a major moment, and he had to be present no matter what.

After all, from the beginning, Zhao Xing accepted the resource cultivation plan of the Self-School and was considered an important member of the Liu Tianning Group.

"Prince Tianyan may not live long," Liu said a few things. "But Prince Luo will succeed to the position of Grand Marshal, be added as a First-Rank Governing Prince, and concurrently serve as the Hall Master of the Martial God Hall and the Dean of the Divine Martial Academy."

"Prince Tianyan won't live long?" Zhao Xing said. "Won't he be sealed as a First-Rank Prince?"

"Judging from the current trend, the possibility is slim; His Majesty does not have this intention," Liu Tianning shook his head. "A rebellious prince has just died, it is difficult to seal another one."

The harm brought by a First-Rank Prince is too great; as long as one holds a divine artifact, it is easy to tear the luck and lifeblood of the Great Zhou.

Zhao Xing sighed in his heart; Prince Liang had just died, how could Emperor Jing loosen his mouth so quickly? He was probably still weighing it.

He didn't have a deep impression of Prince Tianyan in his previous life, because life officials were relatively mysterious and unknown.

"What things have you done with your true self and clones?" Liu Tianning asked. "Is the shelter plan and the underground city still under your control?"

"The shelter plan is being handed over," Zhao Xing said. "As the local government recovered, I handed it over immediately."

"Be quick, and the accounts must be clear and distinct. Don't get involved in the suspicion of corruption; kill if you should kill, don't hesitate, I will send an inspector to station there."

Zhao Xing was shocked in his heart; he wasn't surprised by anything else, but by Liu Tianning's tone.

Old Liu seemed to be overlapping with the image he knew in his previous life.

"Yes, I will get out as soon as possible, but Teacher—do you feel anything wrong with cultivating the Ten Thousand Dharma Clones?" Zhao Xing asked.

Liu Tianning was silent, and after a while, his voice was somewhat low: "Zhao Xing, I have let you down."

Zhao Xing was even more surprised: "Teacher, what are you saying?"

Liu Tianning sighed: "The Ten Thousand Dharma Clones have drawbacks; I thought I could solve this problem."

"Because even Xu Xing is not as good as me! He only has five top-level Dharma bodies, but I have practiced seven! And the quantity far exceeds him!"

"However, I failed; I cannot change this problem."

"On the contrary, the stronger this problem is, the more serious it is."

"Only by succeeding to the position of Dean can I achieve temporary suppression."

Liu Tianning said: "In history, there has never been an era where two people practiced top-level Ten Thousand Dharma Clones and reached old age safely."

"I led you onto this path, but I couldn't solve this problem for you, and now, you have already practiced one top-level Dharma body; if you continue to go on, you will encounter the same problem as me."

Zhao Xing was also silent for a while, then shook his head and said: "Teacher, this is not your fault; I also noticed the drawbacks of this method, but it is not without hope of being solved."

He certainly didn't blame Liu Tianning; he took the initiative to find this spell to learn, but he didn't think about becoming a disciple at that time.

In addition, there is a way to solve the problem of Ten Thousand Dharma Clones.

Liu Tianning might not know that the Derivative God Art he practiced is different from his own.

From the current point of view, the correct cultivation method can control the Ten Thousand Dharma Clones.

"Teacher, there are some things that are not convenient to say now," Zhao Xing said. "But I can be sure that there is a way to solve it." Liu Tianning's phantom looked over; he was not sure about Zhao Xing's attitude, whether it was to comfort himself, or if there was really some secret he didn't know?

"Good, I believe you, let us master and disciple solve this problem together."

Time came to February of the thirty-seventh year of the Jingxin Calendar, and there was basically no war in Pinghai Prefecture.

The governance and recovery work also progressed rapidly.

As long as there is no external influence, with the strength of the Great Zhou, the chaotic celestial phenomena and landscape changes in Pinghai Prefecture are easy to be restored.

Especially the Earth-Benefit School's Kunyuan Reconstruction, a top-level restoration spell; once cast, it covers a county, and the recovery speed is very fast.

Because Prince Liang was defeated and killed early and did not continue to cause chaos, Zhao Xing found that on the whole, the trauma suffered by the Great Zhou in this life was smaller than in the previous life.

At least judging from the data of Pinghai Prefecture, this is the case.

This further confirmed his hypothesis.

February 10th, Spring Festival.

A large number of imperial envoys entered Pinghai Prefecture.

At the same time, Prince Tianyan also revealed some hints.

Next, the imperial court was about to start reviewing the chaos in Pinghai Prefecture and would carry out more detailed and deep-level combing.

Zhao Xing naturally understood that the aftermath of the cleaning had begun.

Emperor Jing no longer intended to launch the Great Barbarian War, so naturally, he had enough energy to clean up the hidden dangers inside.

How many foreign forces were still hiding in this wave?

Is it loyalty if they didn't accept the Black Dragon luck investiture? Did they secretly fund Prince Liang's group?

"As long as they are involved, it is a big problem," Zhao Xing secretly said. "Fortunately, I started laying the groundwork from the Ten Yang Grotto-Heaven; I, Chen Shijie, and Long Xiao were all demoted because we offended Prince Liang, and later encountered assassinations in the East Sea."

"Many things are nothing at the time, but now reviewing them can become some basis."

From early February to late March of the thirty-seventh year of the Jingxin Calendar, Pinghai Prefecture was clear and bright, but there was always a cloud hanging over everyone's heart.

Because in these two months, a large number of officials were executed and imprisoned. Those who were lighter were also deprived of power, reduced in rank, and had their fiefdoms, scattered ranks, and merit ranks taken back.

Especially the military heads and oligarchs; as long as there was a small mistake, it became a big mistake.

The seventy-two Dao Academies could not stay out of it and had to give Emperor Jing an explanation.

In such an atmosphere, all of Zhao Xing's clones basically shrank.

Staying in Tianyuan Prefecture, just honestly doing the two tasks assigned by Wang Tianzhi.

By late April, the tense atmosphere seemed to have eased.

The first batch of rewards also came down.

On this day, Zhao Xing, who was doing hard labor in the grotto-heaven world, and his clones in the Phenology Academy, all received orders.

"Zhao Xing, return to Tianyuan Prefecture immediately, there is an imperial edict!"

The first batch of rewards has also come down.

On this day, Zhao Xing, who was doing hard labor in the Grotto-Heaven world, and his avatar in the Phenology Academy, both received orders.

"Zhao Xing, return to Tianyuan Prefecture immediately; an imperial decree has arrived!"