Chapter 294: Promoted to Office and Title, Heading to Shangluo Academy! (12,000)

In the Water Flower Grotto-Heaven, the sea glacier suddenly cracked, and a Kun, ten thousand meters long, shot up into the sky.

Its massive mouth opened, and a pillar of seven-colored blue light surged toward the east.

Vast and mottled primal energy, mixed with abundant water vapor, was scattered across the eastern regions.

When the final inhalation and exhalation completed, the violent whirlpool deep beneath the sea also gradually vanished.

Whoosh! The Kun suddenly disappeared, and a human figure appeared above the ice plain.

Zhao Xing's true body took out the Earth Realm.

"It is Wang Tianzhi's order, telling me to return to Tianyuan Prefecture. Has the imperial edict arrived?"

"The result of the bestowal came down a bit fast."

Looking at this message, Zhao Xing pondered.

Since the bestowal was too fast, he worried that the imperial court had not fully accounted for certain matters.

But since they had already come, he could only go to receive the edict.

Someone had already come to the Water Flower Grotto-Heaven to fetch him.

"Great Roc Transformation!"

Within Zhao Xing's Inner Five Elements Heaven and Earth, the phantom image of a Great Roc spread its wings.

Divine light ignited within his pores, flesh, and blood.

His body underwent an instantaneous change in a single breath.

He transformed into a white Great Roc with a wingspan of one hundred meters.

In ancient myths, the Great Roc was mostly pure white.

Zhao Xing was the same now, with only the beak and claws being pale gold.

From the start of the mission until now, more than four months had passed.

Continuously refining the Hou Transformation Art in various harsh environments, Zhao Xing's true body, after consuming a drop of Kun Peng Essence Blood,

finally broke through the fourth turn and mastered the Great Roc Transformation.

At the same time, he roughly mastered one of the Great Roc Transformation's innate secret techniques: Great Roc Spreads Wings. "Kun Transformation Art has strong defense; Kun Swallows Heaven and Earth can devour vast amounts of primal energy, fearing no harsh environment."

"Peng Transformation Art has high speed; Great Roc Spreads Wings can unleash top-tier Xun winds, capable of both attack and flight. The two stages of Kun Peng Transformation both possess boundless mysteries, and the innate secret techniques have multiple avenues of realization."

Swish~

Great Roc Spreads Wings, and his figure instantly vanished from the spot.

The Great Roc Transformation mastered by Zhao Xing could reach a wingspan of one thousand meters, but in terms of the fastest form, it was still the hundred-meter level.

Compared to Inch-Long Sky, Great Roc Spreads Wings is more suitable for long-distance travel and can face harsh environments.

Inch-Long Sky is more suitable for short-distance teleportation, and its resistance to harsh environments is not that strong.

Of course, this short distance and resistance are relative to the Great Roc Transformation; the Hou Transformation Art inherently possesses the characteristic of resisting harsh environments.

The area where Zhao Xing executed the mission on the sea glacier was about fifty thousand li from Hua City.

Using Great Roc Spreads Wings to travel, he arrived in one shichen.

This already surpassed the vast majority of seventh-tier pagoda ships and could rival the speed of many seventh-tier premium military warships.

The key point is that the consumption was not very high, because the Kun Peng is the wind's favorite; riding the wind means completely merging into the wind.

"Ah!" A loud and piercing sound cut through the sky of Hua City.

Soon, many people looked up.

"It is Zhao Xing returning."

"Zhao Chen'an has mastered the Great Roc Transformation; it is truly enviable."

"In the eye of the storm area of the Water Flower Grotto-Heaven, Zhao Xing alone calmed nine of them."

"This innate secret technique is too strong; casting Great Roc Spreads Wings and mastering top-tier Xun winds is equivalent to automatically mastering the 'Xun Wind True Meaning' among the Five Elements True Meanings."

"His future is immeasurable; no wonder Dean Ling acted so boldly back then."

There were many high-ranking officials executing missions in the Water Flower Grotto-Heaven, mostly Hou Transformation practitioners serving the Ministry of Agriculture; whenever they saw the Great Roc appear, they were extremely envious.

If one could push the Great Roc Transformation to its extreme, one would master the supreme speed of the world.

Hua City Government Office.

King Tianyan pressed his forehead, glanced over, and could not help but smile slightly: "Good lad, you returned in just one shichen; you are truly fast enough."

Pshu~

The white Great Roc vanished, and then Zhao Xing cast Inch-Long Sky, instantly appearing at the Hua City Prefecture Office.

"Zhao Xing."

"Your Highness, keeping you waiting for so long." Zhao Xing clasped his hands; the order was conveyed by Wang Tianzhi, but the person who came to fetch him

was King Tianyan.

"You need not worry about the handover work; I have already spoken with the people here. Let's chat on the road; let's go."

"Yes."

Zhao Xing immediately boarded King Tianyan's dragon boat and flew toward the entrance of the Water Flower Grotto-Heaven.

Inside the cabin.

Zhao Xing glanced at King Tianyan and found his aura steady; although his appearance was no different from before, his temperament had changed, radiating a vigorous vitality.

"What are you looking at?"

"Has Your Highness been—"

"Hahaha, you saw it?" King Tianyan immediately showed a smile.

"It really is? I thought—" Zhao Xing's face showed joy.

He guessed that King Tianyan had already received the bestowal; after all, even the bestowal for a small shrimp like him had arrived, so King Tianyan's must have come even earlier.

"Did Liu Tianning and King Luo tell you that I am about to die?"

"Yes." Zhao Xing nodded; at that time, both Liu Tianning and King Luo had hinted at this trend.

At that time, both believed that King Tianyan could not receive an award to extend his life again.

Because King Tianyan was already six hundred and eighty-three years old, and he had lost fifty years of his lifespan during the Liang Wang rebellion.

King Tianyan himself had said he only had three years left to live.

For someone at King Tianyan's level, he had already approached the maximum lifespan of the Second Grade; if he wanted to survive,

apart from Emperor Jing granting him a First Grade official position to extend his life, there was no other path to take.

Seeking life-extending treasures in private? Let alone whether they exist, even if they did, who would dare give them to King Tianyan?

Because if Emperor Jing did not grant longevity, it would mean he forbade King Tianyan from continuing to live!

Who would dare present a treasure to King Tianyan? Putting aside the ruler and subject, this was still a matter within the Ji family; no one else could interfere.

Whether it was Zhao Xing, Liu Tianning, King Luo, or King Tianyan himself, they all knew the only way to survive was to see Emperor Jing's attitude.

"Your Majesty specially decreed to appoint me as a First Grade Life Official, but did not grant me the title of Prince, nor any other awards," King Tianyan said. "This matter will not be announced to the world."

Zhao Xing nodded slightly; this was having the substance without the name.

The special nature of Life Officials meant they could not move to the public stage either.

In fact, apart from a small group like Zhao Xing and his companions, most high-ranking officials did not even know King Tianyan existed.

"Congratulations, Your Highness," Zhao Xing sincerely congratulated him.

With this award, King Tianyan could live for another hundred years or so.

Of course, this lifespan still would not reach the era of Wu Di; he would likely pass away naturally at the end of the Yongzhi reign, and he would have to die before Emperor Jing.

There were few wars during the two reigns; King Tianyan's final hundred years could be considered a time to enjoy his old age in peace.

Even if there were still matters like the Dragon Court Ancient Land to handle, it would not be as exhausting as during the Great War against the Barbarians or the Liang Wang rebellion, where one would often vomit blood and lose years of life.

"Speaking of which, I must thank you as well," King Tianyan sighed.

Why did Emperor Jing grant him longevity?

Because he discovered Zhao Xing, a genius, selected him from the arena, and brought him to the Star Palace to cultivate the Tianyan Divine Art.

Furthermore, Zhao Xing summarized the correct cultivation insights.

During this process, King Tianyan halted the comprehension efforts of other Tianyan Divine Art cultivators, and during those years, compiled Zhao Xing's cultivation insights into a book and submitted it upward.

The true merit lies here!

What merit was there in quelling the Liang Wang rebellion? That was simply what he was supposed to do; Liang Wang left a backdoor in the Cauldron of Creation, instigated some Life Officials to defect, and there was negligence during the Ten Yang Grotto-Heaven incident.

Regarding these two crimes, Emperor Jing did not punish King Tianyan only because he saw that King Tianyan was already not long for this world.

Finding the correct cultivation path for the Tianyan Divine Art was different.

Originally, those cultivating the first layer of the Tianyan Divine Art could generally only produce less than ten thousand divine thoughts, and lacked the characteristics of the Seven Major Souls.

Zhao Xing, however, pushed this limit to 49,999 and possessed the Seven Major Souls.

If it were just a single case, that would be one thing.

But after King Tianyan organized Zhao Xing's cultivation insights into a book, he found many people to experiment.

As a result, those cultivating the first layer of the Tianyan Divine Art generally saw improvements.

Although they did not reach Zhao Xing's limit, they were much stronger than before.

Many people's divine thought divisions reached over ten thousand.

What was previously something only an unparalleled genius like Liu Tianning could achieve could now be done by ordinary geniuses.

It was precisely this action that changed Emperor Jing's mind.

A First Grade Prince would certainly not be appointed; appointing a First Grade Life Official and specially granting him longevity to let King Tianyan live another hundred years was still no problem.

"Your Highness speaks too highly; it is all due to Your Majesty's deep grace," Zhao Xing said solemnly.

"Hmm."

The two understood each other without speaking and did not continue this topic.

Zhao Xing also felt a sigh in his heart; Emperor Jing was indeed Emperor Jing.

The signal he transmitted earlier made Liu Tianning, King Luo, and others feel that King Tianyan would not receive an extension of life.

He had probably decided long ago to grant King Tianyan longevity.

He still needed King Tianyan to continue doing this matter.

However, experts like Liu Tianning and King Luo were destined not to know the inside story, because this was top secret.

Everyone would only think that Emperor Jing was remembering old feelings after all.

The grace of the ruler is indeed deep!

Since they could not talk about King Tianyan, they could only talk about his own award.

"Does Your Highness know where I am going?"

King Tianyan said, "Your merit comes roughly from four parts."

"First, preventing disasters in Tianhe Prefecture and Mingyue Prefecture, assisting the Prefect of Tianhe and the Lord of Mingyue to stabilize the situation. Of course, regarding disasters in other prefectures, the main part lies in the two prefectures of Tianhe and Mingyue."

Zhao Xing nodded slightly.

After he was assassinated, his original body returned to the Star Palace.

The three Agricultural Schools all participated in resisting Liang Wang; preventing disasters in other prefectures did not require Zhao Xing's clone to preside.

The main merit was concentrated in the two prefectures of Tianhe and Mingyue.

Although Sima Yunhai and Pang Yuanzhen assisted within, Zhao Xing held the dominant position, and taking the primary credit was unquestionable.

"Second, resolving the rebellion crisis in Tianhe Prefecture, saving the Transport Commissioner Zhang Ping and the Mystic Priest Wu Xuanying of the Temple, quelling the rebellion of King Xia, and the other seven garrisons."

The reason for stating them separately is that the merit of disaster prevention and the merit of war must be calculated separately.

The political achievements of civil officials and the military merits of generals ultimately yield different rewards.

Adding titles, advancing ranks, and distinguishing between the scattered rank and the merit rank must all be considered separately.

For instance, civil officials rarely advance to the rank of Wang Jue or Hou Jue due to governing, and the merit rank is the same. Conversely, high scattered ranks are mostly held by civil officials.

"Third is the 'Treatise on the Three Yin, Three Yang, and Six Qi of the Celestial Cycle,' calculating the opening time of the entrance to the Soldier Realm." King Tianyan said, "The reason the Ten Great Imperial Guards were able to seize the passage and enter Haizhou so smoothly was because of your treatise on cave-heaven numerology."

A thought flashed in Zhao Xing's eyes; he hadn't expected this to involve the deployment of the Ten Great Imperial Guards.

However, it was quite reasonable; otherwise, he would not have appeared on the Heavenly Fortune Gold List, nor ranked so high.

"In terms of military merit, cutting down ten thousand Xia Wangs is not as great an achievement as this."

Zhao Xing smiled: "If the Xia Wang knew you calculated it this way, he would likely be so angry as a ghost that he would turn blue."

Hearing this, Tian Yan Wang chuckled lightly: "He is indeed not a formidable character; aside from some merit on the battlefield, he barely ranks among the Commandery Princes."

"When the Great Zhou fought the Southern Wilderness back then and established the Nine Heavens Ying Yuan Prefecture, it was mostly smooth sailing. Many generals were lucky,

managed to reach high positions, and thus mistook the capabilities of the imperial court for their own."

Zhao Xing deeply agreed; the national strength of the Southern Wilderness and the Great Zhou was incomparable. If not for their special location, they would have been destroyed eight hundred times already.

If the generals of the Great Zhou and the generals of the Southern Wilderness were swapped, with everything else remaining unchanged, they would still be driven back to the Yin You Mountains; it would only be a matter of time.

"Fourth is the relocation of the populace from the countryside and cities to preserve the Great Zhou's foundational fortune." King Tianyan said, "This is another great merit."

"The Cauldron of Creation displays that in the coming centuries in Haizhou, a peak period of fortune will appear, with talents emerging in waves,

concentrating into a sudden outburst."

"You and Xia Jing, as the initiators and executors, played a significant role; your two names appeared together on the Cauldron of Creation."

Zhao Xing suddenly understood; no wonder the review was completed so quickly. It was because they had appeared on the Cauldron of Creation.

A true review!

"Of course, the predictions regarding the future on the Cauldron of Creation will not be made public; the future predicted by fate officials has never served as a basis for promotion." King Tianyan said.

"The Celestial Officials will make recommendations for those who participated in this operation, which must then undergo several audits by the Earth Officials."

Zhao Xing nodded. The future predicted by fate officials indeed cannot serve as a basis for promotion; otherwise, chaos would easily ensue.

The Celestial Officials mentioned here by King Tianyan are the officials responsible for civil administration.

Celestial Officials are divided into Yin and Yang; the Celestial Official agency managing the Yang realm's civil administration is named the Celestial Official Office,

while the Yin Celestial Officials manage the Yin realm's civil administration. In addition, the Yin Celestial Officials hold the authority to bestow blessings; the agency is named the Celestial Official Temple, also known as the Celestial Palace.

Both Yang Celestial Officials and Yin Celestial Officials are basically served by Ritual Cultivators, because Ritual Cultivators are the most rational and wisest group, and are least easily disturbed by certain matters.

The Bright Eye Technique of the Ritual Cultivators, which sees clearly even the finest details, is very suitable for examining officials.

Of course, this is one of their main responsibilities; in reality, when subdivided, there are many other functions, such as bestowing blessings,

extending life, and so on.

Corresponding to them are the Earth Officials, but the Earth Officials of the Yin and Yang realms differ greatly.

The Earth Official Simu of the Yang realm manages the Yellow Registers and the Earth Registers, part of the functions of the Earth Official Office, and overlaps with the Temple and the Agriculture Supervision.

The Earth Officials of the Yin realm manage the punishments of the Yin realm, capturing and arresting Yin souls. For instance, the Forgiveness Earth Official is a Second Rank Yin God. Since King Tianyan mentioned the Celestial Officials and the Earth Officials, Zhao Xing estimated that his reward this time would not be small.

Why say so? Because the Yin Official Earth Officials are generally used to investigate eighteen generations of ancestors.

If the ancestors were not criminals, then there is no problem.

It is equivalent to a "Yin realm version of political vetting."

Involvement in audits by Earth Officials generally means rising to a higher official rank.

Officials below the Third Rank do not matter; after all, they cannot stir up any waves.

But officials of the Third Rank and above must have a clean background.

As expected, King Tianyan then said: "Your reward this time will be an official rank of Deputy Third Rank. Your title, merit, and scattered rank will all be advanced, but I will not elaborate further, so that you do not lose all surprise when receiving the imperial decree."

"What official position is Deputy Third Rank?"

"A Deputy Third Rank official awaiting assignment; the position is not yet determined." King Tianyan said, "In three years you will go to the Dragon Court Ancient Land, so I and Your Majesty have advised that no specific official position be assigned to you for now, nor will you undergo the fortune baptism of the Third Rank, only that of the Fourth Rank."

"Of course, the explanation to the Celestial Officials and the official notification will be to let you rest well for a few years and reunite with friends and family."

To highlight Your Majesty's grace, I understand—Zhao Xing thought to himself.

Words aside, this arrangement is also quite reasonable.

The tasks of a Third Rank official are mostly long-term missions; results cannot be seen in just a few years.

Once governance begins and a direction is set, it cannot be changed easily, let alone leaving casually.

The Dragon Court Ancient Land will open in the third year of the Great Peace; assigning an official position to Zhao Xing now would lead to a dispersion of energy.

Although he possesses the Ten Thousand Dharma Divisions, the tasks he must undertake also require full concentration.

Being chased by people in the Dragon Court Ancient Land on one side, while handling major state affairs on the other, would certainly be greatly affected; neither side would be done well.

Therefore, the Deputy Third Rank official awaiting assignment is the best arrangement.

"What are your thoughts?" Seeing that Zhao Xing remained silent for so long, King Tianyan asked with a smile.

"Very excited."

King Tianyan laughed and scolded: "You are trying to fool a ghost!"

He hoped to see the excitement of promotion on Zhao Xing's face, but Zhao Xing's expression held only emotion.

What excitement is there?

Zhao Xing also smiled: "To be honest with you, I am indeed somewhat emotional; there are many feelings."

It is indeed quite emotional.

Although this time it was expected that he might reach the Third Rank.

But originally, Zhao Xing only wanted to muddle through as a Fifth Rank official during Emperor Jing's reign.

Now, as the Jingxin Era is about to end, he has already reached Deputy Third Rank!

Of course, the chances of further promotion afterward were slim; one had to endure the grind of seniority and wait for a new emperor to ascend the throne before gaining such a foundation. This was already far better than Zhao Xing had originally anticipated.

However, now that he had truly reached the Third Rank, Zhao Xing felt as though he were walking on thin ice.

For he was now closer to Emperor Jing, the sovereign himself!

Leaving the Shuihua Cave Heaven, he headed straight for the Fucheng of the Tianyuan Prefecture.

Since all his original temporary official posts had been resigned upon his departure, Zhao Xing now retained only his title from the Dao Academy: the Doctor of Scriptural Studies within the Dao Officials.

The Doctor of Scriptural Studies belonged to the Tianyuan Prefecture branch of the Profound Heaven Academy, so the imperial edict descended upon the Tianyuan Prefecture.

Because this promotion involved the secrets of the Dragon Court's ancient grounds and the mission of the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion, it was not made public.

Aside from the Junior Agricultural Minister Wang Tianzhi, the Fate Official King Tianyan, two Sky Officials, one Earth Official, and the Second Rank Priest of the Tianyuan Prefecture, no others were present.

Two Sky Officials had arrived, but one of them was not human; he was the Yin Sky Official.

The other was the Duke of Wei, 'Wei Gongming', a Second Rank Ritual Cultivator, whom he had met briefly back on the Chosen Island.

Zhao Xing had a friendship with Wei Gongming's legitimate grandson, Wei fifth stage, having met him when the spiritual radiance erupted in the Ten Yang Cave Heaven.

"Zhao Xing, receive the edict!"

Wei Gongming stood below the divine platform, his voice booming.

"Your subject listens to the edict."

Zhao Xing knelt on the rush mat prepared in advance.

"By the decree of His Majesty: Zhao Xing, formerly the Transport Commissioner of the Hundred Waterways in Tianhe Prefecture and concurrently the Inspector of the Five Prefectures and Three Levels in Haizhou, for guarding the Tianhe Prefecture City, slaying the rebellious king, and quelling the rebel army, your loyalty and bravery are commendable."

"For preventing the Bright Moon calamity, applying wondrous methods, and proposing superior strategies, your wisdom surpasses that of others."

"For presenting the Treatise on Heavenly Seasons and demonstrating the numerology of Cave Heavens, your talent is extraordinary."

"For constructing works, protecting the myriad people of Great Zhou, and promoting the sagely way of benevolence and righteousness."

"You are hereby promoted to a position of the Lower Third Rank; your former posts are no longer held."

"Acknowledging your years of hardship, you are granted permission to return to your hometown and await reassignment, resting for several years before a substantive post is determined."

"Your noble rank is advanced by one degree, and you are enfeoffed as the Marquis of Divine Might."

"You are granted two million five hundred thousand mu of land and a fiefdom of one hundred three thousand and fifty households."

"You are awarded one 'Yuan You' ceremonial staff, four sets of magnificent robes, two canopies, one Heavenly Sword, one Dragon-Head War Chariot,

five dragons, one Silver Dragon Flying Boat, and a pair of Dragon Soul Ruyi scepters."

"You are advanced to the position of Grand Minister of Rites, with twelve merit ranks added to honor your achievements!"

When Wei Gongming finished reading.

Zhao Xing immediately kowtowed and shouted loudly, "Your subject Zhao Xing humbly thanks the Imperial Grace; may His Majesty live forever and boundlessly."

He then straightened up, holding his hands high above his head.

The instant the imperial edict touched his hands.

"Boom!"

A mountain-like mighty force surged forth, and Zhao Xing immediately felt a heaviness deep within his soul.

At the same time, a wave of national fortune energy washed over Zhao Xing's body.

Since this was only a Fourth Rank baptism, this extraordinary phenomenon ended quickly.

Why did he not enter the Heart of Heaven Hall as before?

It was purely because the Yin Sky Official and the Earth Official nearby needed to carefully observe Zhao Xing's investiture process.

If he had entered the Heart of Heaven Hall, observation would have been impossible.

The Fourth Rank national fortune baptism was quickly absorbed by Zhao Xing.

The Sky Official and Earth Official observing the ceremony were conversing.

"His foundation is solid; the power of the national fortune has separately increased his fortune and lifespan."

"His lifespan seems abnormal, and his fortune is also quite substantial."

"This is because he swallowed much spiritual radiance within the Ten Yang Cave Heaven; he even consumed that Dragon Whale Heart."

"I see."

"His life soul is powerful and unlike that of ordinary people; what is the reason for this?"

"The Tianyan Divine Art."

"Are there any other questions?"

"Replying to King Tianyan, there are none, though the Marquis of Divine Might will need to cooperate in the coming matters."

"Hmm. Once he has rested for a while, I will arrange for you to discuss the details."

"Yes."

The baptism ended quickly. Zhao Xing stood up and bowed with clasped hands to everyone around, including the seemingly empty air.

"Thank you for your hard work, my lords and True Lords."

"The Marquis of Divine Might is too polite." Wei Gongming stroked his beard, filled with satisfaction.

"Congratulations, Zhao Xing." Wang Tianzhi smiled and returned the greeting.

King Tianyan said, "Zhao Xing, follow me to the rear hall; there are still some matters to instruct you on."

"Yes."

With the ceremony concluded, Wang Tianzhi could not participate further, so he did not go to the rear hall.

Aside from Zhao Xing, only two people went to the rear hall: two deities.

The Fate Official King Tianyan, the Yang Sky Official Duke of Wei, the Yin Sky Official Jade Purity True Lord, and the Earth Official Yin Spirit Clear Void True Lord.

Inside the rear hall, there was still a divine platform, with offerings of three sacrificial animals present.

However, differing from the standard of ordinary temples, there was an additional antique floor-standing mirror with a gray frame and a table.

And three peculiarly shaped instruments.

King Tianyan said: "Zhao Xing, though you are currently a Third Rank official awaiting assignment, you have not yet truly received the imperial court's Qi purification for Third Rank."

"Before that, some tasks remain."

"The first is to summon the Yin Si Earth Official to revise your family genealogy."

Zhao Xing bowed and said: "I am an orphan, raised by the grace of the imperial court, later adopted by my foster father, but I do not know where my biological parents are."

The Marquis of Wei listened carefully, then nodded slightly: "Zhao Xing, according to the Cosmic Disc's calculations, your biological parents are no longer alive, nor are any blood relatives within three generations still living."

"Still, your cooperation is required."

Zhao Xing said: "Yes, please, Marquis, instruct me."

Marquis Wei pointed to the desk: "Drop a single drop of blood and a strand of soul energy into it."

Zhao Xing followed his instructions, stepped forward, and let a drop of blood fall onto a compass.

Hum～

The compass flickered with dim light, then quickly displayed nothing but blankness.

This confirmed once again that Zhao Xing had no living blood relatives.

When determining whether Yang An had truly died, they used the same method—finding Yang An's blood relatives and dripping their blood into the Cosmic Disc for calculation.

If any existed, the Cosmic Disc would certainly show it, even if it could not pinpoint the exact location, it would still indicate presence or absence.

Blankness meant complete absence.

Seeing the result, Old Master Zhao breathed a sigh of relief.

One father is enough—I don't want another biological parent popping up; rewriting the genealogy would be a nightmare!!

But this is only the yang realm; we must now check the yin realm.

At Third Rank, when the Emperor bestows rewards, the categories multiply.

He may enfeoff relatives, children, and even create yin divine bodies for officials' parents to show his favor.

The ancient mirror flickered, and the Marquis of Wei nodded repeatedly beside it.

"Good, good, I understand."

After a moment, the Marquis of Wei looked up at Zhao Xing: "Zhao Xing, I regret to inform you that in the yin realm, no soul with karmic blood ties to you can be found."

"They may have become void."

The word 'may' is added because the void lands of the yin realm still theoretically exist.

But they are effectively non-existent.

Even a First Rank soul entering the void lands would be shattered.

In the Great Zhou, there is no concept of reincarnation.

The Great Zhou's stance on this matter follows one principle: Beyond the Six Realms, exist but do not discuss.

"Thus, the imperial court can only list your foster parents as candidates."

Zhao Xing nodded: "Understood."

At Third Rank, such enfeoffments cannot be avoided.

Of course, under normal circumstances, they do not affect promotion.

For example, when Zhao Xing advances to Second Rank, Tian Yun Realm, the court will not dilute that power.

At critical junctures, there will be no impact.

It is mainly for extra meritorious deeds or commendations that additional enfeoffments are granted.

Now that Old Master Zhao has found the ancient coin, he no longer cares about this.

Parents, younger brothers and sisters generally receive little.

The bulk goes to wife and children.

Zhao Xing is still young; this is still far off.

Like Old Liu, he has not yet married.

"Good, no further issues. The specific enfeoffment items will be arranged by a dedicated ceremonial official."

"Zhao Xing, we shall take our leave first."

Said Marquis Wei.

"Your humble servant bids farewell to the Marquis of Wei and the two True Lords."

Thus, only Zhao Xing and King Tianyan remained in the hall.

"Let us go as well."

King Tianyan smiled.

"Leave a projection behind to assist the ceremonial official; your true body come with me to the Military Realm's Celestial Mechanism Pavilion."

"Yes." Zhao Xing immediately split off a projection.

The coordination is to confirm the fief and tailor ceremonial robes.

On the way to the Military Realm.

Zhao Xing looked at the imperial edict in his arms; it had lost its divine power but must still be enshrined at home.

Not bad—this truly was a pleasant surprise.

Aside from the Third Rank official title.

His noble rank, honorary title, and military merit have all been greatly elevated.

First, his Third Class Hou Jue was raised to First Class Hou Jue, and he was granted the title Shenwei Hou.

This title was originally intended for Yang An, but before it could be formally bestowed, Yang An suffered repeated misfortunes and died in the Southern Wastes; the Shenwei Army lost its structure.

Now granting it to Zhao Xing is, in a way, a consolation.

At the very least, Long Xiao and Chen Shijie would be quite pleased.

Besides, the Shenwei Army has lost its organizational structure; reorganizing an army takes time.

This can also be left as a gap for Zhao Xing to enter the Longting Ancient Land.

In any case, Emperor Jing is not in a hurry to strengthen or expand the military now; it won't matter if he does it in a few decades.

Next is the honorary rank.

Originally, Zhao Xing had no honorary rank; ever since he offended Liang Wang back then, his honorary rank was stripped.

Now, being suddenly promoted to Fengchang Physician, it is already a quite high status.

Not only can he participate in policy discussions in Fucheng, but he can also communicate with Emperor Jing.

Emperor Jing might even take the initiative to write to him, asking Zhao Xing's opinion on matters of state.

Fengchang, Fengchang, meaning one frequently receives the Emperor's summons or inquiries.

Of course, Zhao Xing absolutely does not want to chat with Emperor Jing, let alone be summoned over.

What if Emperor Jing asks him to play chess? He doesn't understand it anyway.

Finally, the merit rank.

"I originally had a ten-rank merit; in a year, I'd get about eight hundred thousand points."

"Now, being raised twelve ranks in one go, excluding salary, solely on merit rank, I can collect 1.76 million points annually from the Military Realm."

A twenty-second rank merit is already quite high.

Ten years would be seventeen million six hundred thousand; a hundred years would be one hundred seventy-six million.

If Zhao Xing can live eight hundred years, calculating by his current merit rank, he could accumulate over a billion.

Finally, the 'reward'.

"In this reward list, there are finally some good things; the Heaven Swords used by the Feudal Lords, Dragon-Head War Chariots,

magnificent robes, and magnificent canopies, all must be crafted according to the eighth-rank standard."

"Other items also partake in the imperial court's fortune; as long as I am active outside the borders, I can completely use these for sacrifices, as mediums, or as consumables for divination."

Although Emperor Jing is stingy, at this status, even if the items are poor, they won't be that bad.

Emperor Jing still values the dignity of a great nation.

"I wonder how Long Xiao, Xia Jing, Chen Shijie, Tian Hou, and Lu Hou are doing," Zhao Xing thought silently.

This is only the first batch of rewards; for someone like him who rose three ranks, advanced one noble rank to Marquis, and increased over ten merit ranks, he is the fastest to know.

"Your Highness, what reward will my teacher receive?" Zhao Xing asked curiously.

"Liu Tianning is enfeoffed as Commandery Prince of Taihe, holding the official post of Vice Minister of Agriculture from the Second Rank; the Transport Commissioner post is removed, with a new candidate to be nominated by the Grand Minister of Agriculture; the Inspector role continues to be held concurrently; the post in the Imperial Chariot Office is removed; I did not pay attention to the merit and honorary ranks," King Tianyan said.

Old Liu is enfeoffed as a Prince? This is much earlier than in the previous life.

King Tianyan said, "Liu Tianning participated in the siege and suppression battle in Wang Cheng, and while serving as Inspector, he possessed much evidence of the crimes of the Liang Wang faction, which provided great help in quelling the rebellion."

"Of course, even without these, he would have been enfeoffed with the Wang Jue sooner or later."

"Xu Xing of Shangluo Academy has already listed him as the First Vice Dean; the leaders of the three schools basically must hold a Second Rank official post; currently, he is only Vice Second Rank, but in the future, he will surely become the Principal."

"He is about to go find Xu Xing; he should have told you about this, right?"

Zhao Xing nodded: "He mentioned it, but the specific date is not yet set."

King Tianyan pondered, "You should go along with him; is a three-month leave enough?"

Zhao Xing laughed helplessly: "Your Highness, you're at it again."

"Haha." King Tianyan also laughed, "You have now reached the Great Perfection of the First Layer; of course, I must urge you. Your Majesty urges me, so I must urge you."

"Besides, you need to prepare extensively for the Longting Ancient Land; the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion has a mission to assign to you."

"For this reason, your Third Rank pending appointment has not been made public."

Zhao Xing said, "Three months is not enough; add two more months."

"What? You actually want to rest for so long?"

"Even a donkey doesn't rest like you!"

Zhao Xing said helplessly, "I also need to go to Tianyongzhou to meet the main soul of Tianyang True Lord."

"What urgent matter?"

"Tianyang True Lord promised to give me a gift and said to let me have it as soon as possible, otherwise it will be gone if it's too late, but he didn't specify what it is."

King Tianyan nodded: "I see."

Zhao Xing asked, "You know?"

"I don't know." King Tianyan shook his head, "I do not concern myself with affairs of the Yin Realm."

Zhao Xing was speechless.

If you don't know, why do you look as if you've suddenly realized everything?

King Tianyan said, "It has been a while; the Longting Ancient Land will open in three years."

Zhao Xing said, "Actually, it's not that I want to rest for so long; it's mainly to clarify some issues."

"The drawbacks of the Ten Thousand Dharma Divided Body?"

"Yes."

King Tianyan spoke seriously, "That indeed requires giving you more time. When you go to Shangluo Academy to see Xu Xing, you must thoroughly understand the situation with Liu Tianning. For these three years, you need not come to the Star Palace."

Zhao Xing was somewhat surprised: "Why have you changed so quickly?"

King Tianyan's expression was somewhat stiff: "That fellow Xu Xing is terrifying when he goes mad; I am from the same era as him. You, you simply do not understand how terrifying that old fellow is."

Zhao Xing was also puzzled; just how terrifying is Xu Xing, that even King Tianyan, who has seen through life and death, seems to have psychological shadows?

But King Tianyan was unwilling to bring up that past.

"In any case, the priority of you solving this problem must be higher than the Longting Ancient Land."

"If you are mad, nothing can be discussed."

They ultimately did not go to the Star Palace; after King Tianyan learned the truth, he immediately ordered Zhao Xing to rendezvous with Liu Tianning.

The master and disciple agreed to meet on the third day of the fifth month at the Li Fire Dao Academy of the Tianyuan Prefecture.

"There are still a few days left."

Zhao Xing put away the Earth Realm and began contacting old acquaintances like Xia Jing, Long Xiao, and Chen Shijie.

Yu~

Light flared; a phantom image emanated from the Earth Realm, projecting the form of Long Xiao.

"Zhao Xing."

"Long Xiao, have you received your award?"

"Yes, I was promoted to Second-Rank Wu Hou, with the title Long Wu. My official rank rose to Fourth Rank Upper, and both my merit and merit ranks increased," Long Xiao said.

"Still, you didn't reach Third Rank." Zhao Xing felt some regret.

"It doesn't matter," Long Xiao said. "I am already very content; I can cultivate my way up."

"That is true." Zhao Xing nodded.

As the son-in-law of the Bai family, one of the three great aquatic clans of the Eastern Sea, Long Xiao's official promotion was naturally rapid.

His path of advancement had long been opened.

Back then, Bai Yunwu had already promoted this grandson-in-law to Fourth Rank Upper; only titles and merit ranks required imperial court bestowal.

For Third Rank, Bai Yunwu still lacked the authority to confer it.

"There are too many powerful ones; the Bai family is also making amends for their crimes. Besides, Hong Hong Yuanba still managed to escape."

Zhao Xing felt some regret, for there would likely be no better opportunity for Long Xiao afterward.

Of course, it was not a major problem; both he and Long Xiao were still very young.

"What about you?" Long Xiao asked.

"I am also Fourth Rank," Zhao Xing said. "Officially, I am a Fourth Rank official awaiting reassignment, and I must claim that publicly. 'But I have entered First-Rank Hou, with the title Shen Wei.'"

"What?!" Long Xiao was stunned, then overjoyed. "Excellent! Hahaha."

The Shen Wei Army had completely lost its organizational structure during the Great Campaign against the Man. Now that Zhao Xing was ennobled as Shen Wei Hou, he could naturally gather those people together.

Long Xiao was naturally delighted.

Had he not already established his home and career in the Eastern Sea, Long Xiao would have rushed over to serve as Zhao Xing's Adjutant General.

"However, I currently have no opportunity to rebuild the Shen Wei Army," Zhao Xing said. "I fear it will be a long wait."

"No problem, no problem," Long Xiao said. "There is no rush for the moment."

"Hmm." Zhao Xing nodded. "But I will first transfer Liao Ru Long to the old location to secure our old base, avoiding future transfer complications."

"Hmm, hmm, hmm. That is indeed how it should be."

This good news was quickly passed on to Chen Shijie.

"Shen Wei Hou?" Chen Shijie was momentarily dazed, then nodded: "The imperial court has indeed shown consideration for the sentiments of us old generals."

"Old Chen, have you received any imperial decree?" Zhao Xing asked.

"Not yet," Chen Shijie shook his head. "My position as Pingyuan Magistrate is still temporary."

"It is good enough to have my official post confirmed; I do not expect anything more."

Old Chen was quite open-minded.

Xia Jing felt a lingering fear.

When Zhao Xing contacted him, Xia Jing spoke with trepidation about the events of the second and third months of the year.

"Brother Zhao, as you predicted, many old noble families in the military sphere have vanished."

"Anyone with even a trace of guilt basically failed to escape the fate of having their family confiscated."

"Among my father's frequent associates, more than a dozen have died; this is too terrifying—" Xia Jing, mentioning these things, still felt some fear.

"Many of those in the Refuge Plan were also dismissed from office and had their fiefs reclaimed."

Zhao Xing shook his head and said, "I already advised them; if they would not listen, there was nothing more to be done."

Whether acting as a benevolent protector of the people or attempting to buy hearts and minds depended entirely on Emperor Jing's whim.

If they sought personal profit, there was no escape.

Their fates were basically deserved.

Dismissal and confiscation were the best outcomes; not having one's clan exterminated counted as a gain.

"My father's military authority was greatly reduced," Xia Jing said. "Originally, he had one hundred thousand troops; now only five thousand remain."

"What reason?"

"Because my father once received an invitation letter from Liang Wang, yet my father did not attend the banquet!"

"What about the fief?" Zhao Xing asked.

"The fief was untouched; my father voluntarily requested a reduction in his tax collection rate and thus escaped disaster."

"However, I was also ennobled as Second-Rank Wu Hou, with the title Jing Wu Hou," Xia Jing said. "I hold the position of Fourth Rank Upper Cave Heaven Martial General, but I have not yet received orders to reorganize the army, possessing only three thousand mid-to-low-level officers."

"The fief is also relatively small, meeting the lowest standard for a Second-Rank Wu Hou in a thousand years."

Zhao Xing nodded: "This is already very good; you are the hope of the Xia family."

"My father and my uncle-in-law said the same."

"By the way, my uncle-in-law has also changed from Pingyang Wang to Pingyang Hou."

"My cousin, the heir apparent, was also downgraded and no longer enjoys the support of the Wangshi Sect."

In a few months, the changes were immense!

After Liang Wang's defeat and destruction, Emperor Jing took the opportunity to reclaim vast amounts of fiefs, rights, national fortune, and wealth.

Everything happened with great speed; before many could react, the event had already unfolded.

There was no chance to do anything else.

A vast number of old nobles fell; the great clans were drained of their very last drop of blood, which flowed into the national treasury and was then transported to the imperial court.

Yet there were very few new nobles.

And during the two-governance period, this policy would continue to unfold slowly.

Cutting flesh with a soft knife, boiling a frog in warm water; everything was paving the way for his son!

"Your cultivation path has opened; from now on, focus solely on your own cultivation." Zhao Xing instructed. "Brother Xia, sooner or later we will have a place to use our skills!"

"Understood." Xia Jing took a deep breath. "I plan not to raise an army in the coming years, but to advance my studies at the Martial God Hall."

"I heard you are going with Liu Tianning to the Shangluo Academy?"

"Yes."

"When do you leave?"

"The third day of the fifth month."

On the third day of the fifth month of the thirty-seventh year of the Jingxin Era, Zhao Xing's original body and numerous clones waited at the Li Fire Academy of the Tianyuan Prefecture.

Taihe was Liu Tianning's hometown; having been enfeoffed as the Commandery Prince of Taihe, he was truly bringing glory to his ancestors and returning home in splendor.

Taihe Commandery is in the Dao Yuan Province, and the Shangluo Academy is also in the Dao Yuan Province.

This time, when Liu Tianning goes to the Shangluo Academy, he will also make a stop at Taihe Commandery.

By the third quarter of the Hour of the Pig, a large contingent of ceremonial guards appeared in the fire-pit area of the academy.

Suddenly, clouds and wind surged at the edge of the sky, and an aura of grim slaughter quietly spread.

A massive Golden Dragon Warship was seen slicing through the long sky, slowly approaching.

It resembled a divine chariot, radiating brilliant divine light; on the warship, banners fluttered, dazzling the eye.

The Golden Dragon Warship is the mount of an enfeoffed prince.

Zhao Xing, for instance, only possesses a Silver Dragon Flying Boat.

Looking out, one saw a man in a dark green long robe standing with his hands behind his back before the Ten Thousand Dharma Hall on the warship, atop the white jade steps.

His ink-black long hair swayed slightly in the wind; his cold, stern face seemed carved from frost, his deep and icy eyes as if capable of piercing through the illusions of all things in the world.

His demeanor was aloof and cold, like a lone pine atop a snow-capped peak, standing proudly and independently, inviolable.

Behind him, several flying boats followed closely, their momentum magnificent.

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

Great drums beat, as if each strike hammered upon people's hearts.

Drums and music sounded together; upon entering the inhabited area, the ceremonial guards arranged themselves in orderly rows, beginning to display the Commandery Prince's majesty.

Martial artists wore majestic battle armor, their stances upright as pines; the weapons in their hands shimmered with cold light, emitting a powerful aura of slaughter.

Swordsmen in robes as white as snow held their long swords slanted, sword qi crisscrossing, their eyes revealing sharp, cutting edges.

Dancers wore brilliant, colorful garments, their figures light and graceful, as if ready to dance with the wind at any moment, adding a touch of lively beauty to this solemn scene. Musicians, holding various instruments, wore solemn expressions and played a symphony that shook heaven and earth.

On one of the flying boats, all the precious items of the imperial reward were displayed.

Ritual Cultivators and Artificers stood silently before these mechanical devices.

As the flying boats and tower ships drew near, the entire world seemed to fall silent.

Liu Tianning raised his eyes slightly; wherever his gaze fell, no one dared to meet his eyes.

"How many years has it been? That Liu Tianning has truly returned—" Zhao Xing, watching this scene, felt some emotion in his heart.

It had actually been over ten years since he last met Liu Tianning's original body in person!

Meeting in the Earth Realm or with a clone did not produce this feeling.

Seeing him again now, Zhao Xing truly felt that oppressive pressure from his past life.

"Besides the officials sent by the imperial court, Old Liu is accompanied by many Agricultural Officials, Artificers, Martial Artists, Musicians, and Dancers."

"Each possesses a mighty aura; together, there are over a thousand people, all of whom voluntarily followed Liu Tianning."

Among the ranks of the Agricultural Officials, Zhao Xing also saw Pang Yuanzhen.

It was not that Liu Tianning sought to be ostentatious; rather, the enfeoffment ceremony of the Great Zhou requires such a process.

Furthermore, whether Liu Tianning goes to the Shangluo Academy or returns to the Dao Yuan Province, he carries the expectations of many.

His supporters behind him naturally hope to see a powerful, domineering Liu Tianning.

If Liu Tianning were to return quietly? His supporters behind him would think he had committed some error.

Moreover, when Liu Tianning goes to the Shangluo Academy this time, he must fight a few battles to solidify his position as the top candidate.

"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh~"

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

"The sound of the wind-horn, drums, music, and trumpets."

In the surrounding fire-pit area, everyone kept their distance.

Suddenly, Liu Tianning's gaze turned toward a certain spot; his eyes softened, and his cold demeanor became bright and radiant.

He raised his hand, and all sounds vanished in an instant.

Seeing this, Zhao Xing immediately piloted his Silver Dragon Flying Boat, flying to the front of the Golden Dragon Warship: "Disciple Zhao Xing respectfully welcomes Teacher Liu Tianning." A smile spread across Liu Tianning's face like flowing water: "Good, good, come up quickly."

"Yes."

Zhao Xing ordered the Silver Dragon Warship to land on the deck.

People around glanced sideways, murmuring and discussing.

"A Silver Dragon Warship? Isn't that exclusive to a Wu Hou? Hiss, how does Liu Tianning have a Wu Hou as a student?"

"That is Zhao Xing; he is also very capable. I heard he even killed a Commandery Prince!"

"Zhao Xing? I heard he also cultivated the Ten Thousand Methods Straw Man and was once hunted down by Liang Wang."

"Correct, it is him. It is said he is the Minister of Agriculture of the Benwo Sect—"

"Fool! How dare you speak Master Zhao's name directly?!"

"Furthermore, Master Zhao is the Minister of Agriculture of the Heaven's Timing Sect. He is a Doctor of our Profound Heaven Academy branch!"

"—Who are you?"

"I am Liu Sicheng, the Minister of Agriculture of the Profound Heaven Academy."

"Crazy."

"Hit him!"

"Stop!"

Zhao Xing was quite famous in the Tianyuan Prefecture, mainly thanks to the promotion by numerous teachers and students of the Profound Heaven Academy.

However, the generals, martial artists, and other officials who came to borrow passage did not necessarily know that the intricacies between the three sects were completely nonsensical, so they were verbally attacked.

On the warship, Liu Tianning glanced at the chaos below and the law enforcement personnel from the Dao Academy who had come out to maintain order,

and couldn't help but let out a light laugh.

"Zhao Xing, it seems you have done very well these years."

"This disciple does indeed have some achievements." Zhao Xing did not be modest anymore, after all, Old Liu knew his situation very well.

"The New Treatise on the Heavenly Things of the Benwo Sect" and "The Great Zhou Heaven Treatise on the Three Yin and Three Yang Six Qi" have now begun to circulate.

With the rebellion ended, these scriptures and treatises will surely be further promoted, and Zhao Xing's fame will only grow greater and greater.

"Before reaching the Shangluo Academy, there is still one final hurdle to clear before I can firmly secure the position of First Vice Dean," Liu Tianning said. "As my disciple, do you have the courage to face any challenge without fear?"

Zhao Xing smiled and said, "Regarding treatises, this disciple already has a new thesis; regarding martial arts, this disciple is already prepared for the great Dao contest!"

"Excellent!" Liu Tianning laughed loudly. "Let us depart!"