Chapter 300: The First Year of Dazhi: Stunning Discoveries After Review

Shi Wenzhuan finished speaking and left; Zhao Xing stared at the three items.

The Wen Bamboo Box, also called the Wen Bamboo Chest, can preserve many precious items and extend their shelf life.

Inside are precious resources to aid in cultivating Dragon Language.

For example, Dragon Breath Pills—powder made from ground dragon scales; vocal organs soaked in special liquid; and Dragon Blood Ointment for coating the entire body.

Though precious, the usage is simple: internal ingestion and external application.

Back in the Ten Yang Cave Heaven, Zhao Xing had cultivated the Kui Ox Thunder Roar and didn't need anyone to teach him—he knew how to use it just by reading the instructions.

"The Xi Yin Dragon Stone is rare indeed." Zhao Xing picked up one of the stones.

The moment his hand touched it, it began vibrating unconsciously, emitting a unique frequency from within the Xi Yin Dragon Stone.

Zhao Xing instantly felt dizzy and nauseous, his chest constricting.

But the sound was extremely faint, nearly imperceptible.

Had he not been a top-tier Dao Body reaching Third Rank, he would never have heard such a minute sound.

"Great sound is silent—the sound emitted by the Xi Yin Dragon Stone has surpassed the hearing range of many Third Rank cultivators." Zhao Xing's expression turned awestruck.

Many professions involve the Way of Sound: warriors cultivating sonic martial arts, musicians playing battle melodies, Ritual Cultivators uttering true words, shamans and sorcerers casting incantations.

Their essence is all the same: using sound to unleash spells and Wu Ji.

"Even the Minister of Agriculture's thunder involves the Great Sound Way—the power of Lei Ting, even without directly striking its target, 【16】 can shatter living beings and spirits, or frighten them to death."

Thunderclaps are enough to shatter living beings and ghosts, terrifying them to death.

Zhao Xing put down the Xi Yin Dragon Stone and picked up the seven scrolls.

"Learning Dragon Language involves listening, observing, and writing—all three parts: meaning, method, and spirit."

The seven scrolls before Zhao Xing belonged to the same series: "Ten Thousand Dragon Roars."

Why were they presented as paintings?

Primarily because Dragon language differs from the characters of the Great Zhou.

It doesn't just contain left-right, up-down, inside-out structures—it also incorporates spatial and temporal changes, and carries information on an entirely different scale.

Dragons are large-bodied, so their characters are large; to humans, the characters as dragons see them appear like paintings.

"It is said that when the Heaven and Earth of Xuan Huang first opened, all things were chaotic, and no beasts could produce sound—until the primordial Dragon let out a single Dragon Roar, and thus sound became part of the cosmic law."

Zhao Xing had sealed his Memory Palace; now, seeing these high-end artifacts, everything felt new to him.

"Let's begin with the first scroll, 'Ancestral Dragon Roar'—this painting directly reveals the essence of the Great Sound Way."

Zhao Xing pulled the Binding Spell Rope from the scroll.

"Shhh～"

Without the Binding Spell Rope's suppression, the scroll instantly unfurled on its own, slowly unfolding and hovering two meters before Zhao Xing.

The scroll extended endlessly—above, no sky; below, no earth; left and right connected—until, centered on Zhao Xing, it formed a sphere.

Painting Dao Stars!

Patterns began flowing within the stars, a three-dimensional image flashing into Zhao Xing's vision.

He felt as if he stood within an ancient primordial world.

The sky was hazy gray; the earth boiled; the oceans were murky.

Countless creatures struggled between Heaven and Earth, roaring upward.

Yet they could produce no sound.

Zhao Xing seemed to feel their emotions, and couldn't help roaring aloud.

But the world remained hazy gray, as if an invisible Dao barrier existed.

He realized he was shouting with all his strength, yet heard no sound at all.

Until, at one moment—the heavens and earth flashed with Jin Guang.

Sensing it, Zhao Xing turned toward the Jin Guang.

There, a massive, majestic dragon head loomed, forged like forged iron, covered in tough, gleaming metallic scales.

Its horns were thick, jutting from either side of the forehead like giant deer antlers, yet far harder, their surfaces etched with mysterious patterns, as if holding ancient secrets of Heaven and Earth.

Its eyes were like brilliant stars—large, wide open, deep as abysses, within them flames burned and lightning flickered; its gaze radiated terrifying power.

Its nostrils were broad, occasionally exhaling wisps of white mist like swirling clouds; when its mouth opened, sharp fangs interlocked in rows, each as sharp as a sword, capable of effortlessly tearing through all things.

"Ancestral Dragon!" Zhao Xing, upon seeing the dragon's head, was overcome with excitement.

He pounded his chest and roared, following the beasts like a madman, chasing after the Ancestral Dragon to witness its creation of Heaven and Earth.

As he drew near, Zhao Xing finally glimpsed the Ancestral Dragon's full form.

Its body was long and agile, coiling endlessly. Its scales were tightly packed, each the size of a palm, their edges razor-sharp.

The scales gleamed like blazing suns, dazzling and radiating boundless nobility.

Powerful dragon claws grew from both sides of its body, each with five toes, their talons piercingly sharp like peerless divine weapons, capable of shattering mountains and rocks effortlessly.

The muscles on the claws bulged, bursting with explosive power, revealing immense strength.

Its tail was long and strong, shaped like a giant fish tail but covered in hardened scales.

Every part of the Ancestral Dragon seemed infused with cosmic laws, brimming with Dao essence.

Standing upon the earth, its head raised high, its whiskers swaying.

Its mouth opened, as if golden light surged forth.

"!"

The first sound emerged—and the murky Heaven and Earth instantly cleared.

Zhao Xing's mind could never forget that sound; then the entire cosmos became bright.

All beasts began roaring!

Zhao Xing also let out a roar, but it was quickly drowned out by the voices of the Ten Thousand Beasts and the Ancestral Dragon, leaving him unable to hear what he had shouted.

He screamed desperately while sprinting forward, determined to witness the Ancestral Dragon's creation of heaven and earth.

Then, at that moment—

"Shhh~"

The scroll retracted, and all images blurred before Zhao Xing's eyes.

"This—"

Zhao Xing's soul was filled with awe; he murmured to himself.

"The scripture painting could achieve such a level."

Sound can purify the soul, or it can disturb it.

Many people grow agitated when hearing chaotic noise, while others fall into unconscious sleep upon hearing a lullaby.

Zhao Xing recalled the scene he had just comprehended—the madness and rage flooding his mind, entirely without awareness.

"The Dao of Great Sound, opening heaven and earth—no wonder it was the dominion of the ancient era's dominant race," Zhao Xing sighed in wonder.

Legends say the True Dragon clan once spread across all corners of the Xuan Huang Realm, yet later they vanished entirely.

The so-called 'Dragon Clan' existing today are in fact inferior hybrids.

Even the strongest among them, like Bai Yunwu the half-dragon, are merely the pinnacle of the aquatic races.

Naturally superior to ordinary humans, the Bai family's direct bloodline are born at the Ranked level—even as high as Eighth Rank.

"The Ancestral Dragon's Chant was derived from murals in the Dragon Court's ancient grounds; who knows what mysteries the original held?"

Zhao Xing recalled his comprehension process—he had heard a single phoneme, and a character "Gā" appeared in his mind.

"Each person perceives the structure differently. First, comprehend the other scrolls."

Zhao Xing decided to first study the other six scrolls; the Ancestral Dragon's Chant was too profound, while the other six were comparatively easier.

Time was urgent; after obtaining cultivation resources, Zhao Xing immediately devoted himself entirely.

First, he ingested pills and applied medicinal liquids to strengthen and protect his body's parts.

Producing a dragon's voice was no simple matter—dragons' bodies naturally mastered Dragon Language,

but human bodies struggled.

With the basic conditions established, next came listening, writing, observing, and speaking.

The Dragon Court's ancient grounds contained many trials, where rules were spoken in Dragon Language; if you didn't understand, you broke the rules and died without knowing why.

If you couldn't hear the sound or understand it, seeing it was enough.

Even if you couldn't speak or hear, if you could read Dragon Language and translate the rules, you wouldn't be completely lost when entering the Middle Rank trials.

Hearing, understanding, speaking, and writing Dragon Language were essential qualities for High Rank cultivators.

Zhao Xing was currently training primarily to expand the number of Dragon Language characters and their meanings he knew.

Middle Rank Dragon Language was measured primarily by quantity, not power.

Expanding quantity was simple for Zhao Xing.

"Manifest!"

Zhao Xing unleashed his Pure Origin projection; countless top-tier clones appeared.

A thousand clones in total were fully released.

"I have the Ten Thousand Methods Straw Dolls—I can absolutely focus on multiple tasks at once. Middle Rank Dragon Language? I'll master it quickly."

The manor held many books; Zhao Xing began frantically absorbing Dragon Language knowledge.

Mastering the form, meaning, and essence (Dao) of Middle Rank Dragon Language was effortless for Zhao Xing, already Third Rank.

He already had a foundation: Level 1 Middle Rank.

He merely lacked systematic instruction and time to refine it.

Now, here were vast, organized materials—he could use this method to cultivate.

"One group of clones focuses on reading, another on writing, another on listening; my true body handles only the final step—speaking, thus activating Dragon Language spells."

Zhao Xing's plan was clear: though he had only one set of cultivation resources, the clones, due to their structure, could not produce Dragon Language sounds.

But listening, writing, and observing posed no problem.

"Begin!"

Zhao Xing's thousand clones appeared throughout the manor.

Some clones held scrolls, studying them closely; the six scrolls depicted dragon clans of the Five Elements and Wind-Thunder attributes—either fighting, teaching young dragons, or playing in groups.

Each scroll contained the structural meaning conveyed by the dragons' activities.

Simultaneously, the vibrations from the Xi Yin Dragon Stone revealed how sound affected the Five Elements—this was the way to understand the Dao of Great Sound from the perspective of the Five Elements.

Analyzing the essence of the Dao.

His true body occasionally contemplated the Ancestral Dragon's Chant, sensing its advanced Daoic essence.

As the saying goes: aim for the highest, attain the middle.

Though the Ancestral Dragon's Chant remained partially incomprehensible, immersing himself in it regularly still yielded gains.

The clones solidified the foundational Middle and Low Rank Dragon Language; his true body comprehended the supreme Dao.

Added to this was guidance from the expert Shi Wenzhuan.

Zhao Xing's cultivation speed was terrifying.

"A minor rank advancement every three days?"

Nine days passed; Shi Wenzhuan gradually sensed Zhao Xing's uniqueness.

"His progress is astonishingly fast."

"The Ten Thousand Methods clones are helping him far too much."

Shi Wenxuan had seen myriad-method avatars before; he had taught those cultivating the first and second layers of the Yan Shen Art.

However, on Zhao Xing, the effects of these two methods were clearly far stronger.

"No wonder King Tianyan dares to speak so."

Shi Wenxuan's interest was thoroughly aroused.

When a teacher instructs a student with high aptitude, teaching becomes truly interesting.

If one encounters a fool, forget about any teaching joy; it would be good enough if one isn't angered to death.

One month later, at a certain spot in Xiaoshan.

"Zhao Xing~"

"Zhao Xing~ Come to Xiaoshan Dragon Spring~"

"Come quickly to Xiaoshan Dragon Spring~"

Shi Wenxuan activated Bat Dragon Speech; his lips vibrated, and strange ripples appeared in the air.

Bat Dragon Speech; this is an ultra-low-frequency Dragon Speech.

To cultivate a good learning atmosphere, starting from the third day, all communication between Shi Wenxuan and Zhao Xing used Dragon Speech.

"Mr."

Zhao Xing's figure quickly appeared before Shi Wenxuan.

"You called me?"

Shi Wenxuan showed a faint smile: "Not bad. Among Dragon Speeches, Bat Dragon Speech has already reached the Upper-Mid Ninth Rank level."

"Your ability to come here proves your Upper-Mid Dragon Speech has reached the Ninth Rank."

Zhao Xing humbly said, "It is all because Mr. taught well."

Shi Wenxuan said, "You are naturally intelligent; completing the Upper-Mid Dragon Speech training in one month is something I have never seen before."

"However, the upcoming advanced training will not be so easy."

"You can let your avatars pause for a moment, gather all your focus, and assault the Upper Dragon Speech."

"Yes." Zhao Xing shifted his mind, and all avatars flew to Xiaoshan Dragon Spring.

As the avatars were drawn into the Pure Origin Space, the Life Souls naturally returned to the Sea of Consciousness.

Shi Wenxuan extended a finger, drawing golden lines in the air.

As he wrote, he spoke: "What I am about to teach you is the Upper Dragon Speech, and within the Upper Dragon Speech, it is a very important type of spell."

"Zhao Xing listened quietly. The Dragon Speech system is vast; ninety percent of it has no magical effect."

Zhao Xing listened quietly; the Dragon Tongue system was vast, and ninety percent of it held no spellcasting utility.

"Let's go play in the sea."

"Did you eat today? What did you eat?"

"Bring me some food back to Dragon City."

Such Dragon Speech, once learned, has no efficacy; it serves only for communication.

"Only Upper Dragon Speech can truly be called spells." At this point, Shi Wenxuan returned to normal human language to chat with Zhao Xing.

"Listen carefully to the following passage."

As the words fell, Shi Wenxuan's body suddenly swelled, and a coiling dragon appeared behind him.

His expression turned cold, his eyes filled with a killing intent.

"Aaaah-aaaaah-aaaaah~~"

V

A series of dragon roars mixed with growls erupted.

Zhao Xing felt himself targeted by a giant dragon; he sensed terrifying pressure from Shi Wenxuan. Vital Energy pressed down like a vast sea, light in the space seemed to twist, and his body trembled involuntarily.

"Crack-crack-crack-crack~" Zhao Xing felt his Golden Bones constantly grinding, as if about to melt; pain surged from his marrow.

Undoubtedly, Shi Wenxuan possessed the strength of a First Grade expert.

Because he learned Dragon Speech, Shi Wenxuan, a Ritual Cultivator, could still wield immense destructive power even outside the Great Zhou borders.

"Whoosh!" As a syllable appeared, all strange phenomena around Shi Wenxuan vanished.

Zhao Xing returned to normal, panting heavily in great gasps.

"Mr., what Dragon Speech spell was that just now?" Zhao Xing could not help but ask.

"The Death Spell among the Nine Great Spells of the Dragon Court: 'Dragon King Bone-Scraping Spell'!"

"It was created by the Dragon Emperor 'Xie', specifically to execute disobedient Dragon King-level Rebellious Dragons and Sinful Dragons."

"Dragon King Bone-Scraping Spell?" Zhao Xing understood; no wonder he felt his bones were about to scatter.

However, Shi Wenxuan clearly did not unleash it fully.

The final sound 'Whoosh' was a stop syllable that interrupted the spell.

If truly unleashed, Zhao Xing would have lost his life.

Shi Wenxuan merely let him feel this pressure.

"The Dragon King Bone-Scraping Spell I cast is not the complete version either," Shi Wenxuan said. "No one knows what the complete version looks like."

"After all, true dragons no longer exist in the world."

"If you feel similar pressure in the Ancient Lands of the Dragon Court, do not overthink it; just run away immediately."

Shi Wenxuan said, "When the Dragon King Bone-Scraping Spell is cast in the Dragon Court, its power is especially great; even a First Grade martial artist would have their bones scraped out and explode to death."

The heavenly and earthly rules of the Dragon Court differ from the outside world; spells cast in the Ancient Lands of the Dragon Court have their power amplified greatly.

"Yes, I have noted it." Zhao Xing listened obediently; this was a matter of life and death, so he memorized it firmly.

"Yes, I have noted it." Zhao Xing listened obediently; this was a matter of life and death, and he committed it firmly to memory.

"Of the Nine Great Spells, the Great Zhou holds three, while external powers such as the Sect Realm, Southern Barbarians, and Eastern Japan, among other Wang Ting,

collectively hold four."

"The Great Zhou and they share two in common, including the Dragon King Bone-Scraping Curse and the Dragon King Heart-Wrenching Curse."

"The other spell held by the Great Zhou is the Dragon King Soul-Forging Curse."

"Doesn't that mean all the spells our court holds are death curses?" Zhao Xing asked.

"Indeed," Shi Wenxuan nodded. "Your realm is too low for now; I can only let you slightly feel their might. If you see them, run immediately."

"There are many safe places within the Dragon Court; their formations can withstand the power of death curses. If you see them, you should run to those places."

The Dragon Court Ancient Land will open soon; at that time, many powers will be involved, making it extremely dangerous.

Shi Wenxuan was teaching Zhao Xing how to save his life first before discussing anything else.

"Now I will teach you the other important spells."

Shi Wenxuan switched back to Dragon Tongue; his mouth suddenly widened, his primordial energy surged, and he emitted two long dragon roars.

Zhao Xing vaguely saw nine dragon shadows circling around Shi Wenxuan.

"Mr., what spell is this?"

Shi Wenxuan switched back to Human Tongue: "This is the Unsealing Curse.

"After you enter the Dragon Court Ancient Land, try this spell at every location you reach.

"Perhaps it can open some treasure grounds."

Zhao Xing pondered: "Teacher, the Dragon Court isn't all treasures; won't this open some dangerous places,

such as traps?"

Shi Wenxuan shook his head: "Unsealing Curses come in many varieties. As I just said, this is the Treasury Unsealing Curse.

"When the Dragon Race imprisons criminals or seals dangerous forbidden lands, they do not use the Treasury Unsealing Curse, but other types."

"Of course, spells are only one condition for opening. For high-level places, the Dragon Race's identity, credentials, and spells are all indispensable."

"Even if you accidentally recite the correct spell, without power, without identity, and without credentials, it is impossible to release any demons or monsters."

Zhao Xing nodded.

The Dragon Race is a sentient race; at least the True Dragon clan is.

Opening the Great Zhou's treasuries also requires people of specific identities, plus tokens, and finally casting spells, before they can be opened.

Back then, when Ye Yukong handled government affairs, the Scholar Feng Chen Treasury required his presence as the Prefect to be opened.

The Dragon Race certainly has identity ranks; the Dragon King belongs to one of the ranks among the Dragon Dukes.

The Dragon Race was once a prosperous and flourishing civilization; that vast and lost world has not yet been fully excavated by people.

Shi Wenxuan said: "Where there is an Unsealing Curse, there is also a Sealing Curse; this is also needed at checkpoints in certain places of the Dragon Court."

"Besides these two major categories, there are also Edict Spells."

"They can mobilize certain ancient powers left behind in the Dragon Court."

"In addition, there are offensive, defensive, and auxiliary spells, but there is no need to learn those."

Zhao Xing nodded; for the other types, Human spells and secret techniques are more satisfying to cast and possess greater power.

No need to learn them.

Mainly learn the three major categories.

First is Unsealing, second is Sealing, third is Edict.

Of course, even these three major categories are merely the tip of the iceberg in Dragon culture.

It is impossible to completely avoid risks; however, with only three years left before Li Kai departs, Shi Wenxuan must focus when teaching Zhao Xing.

Once December of the thirty-seventh year of the Jingxin Era passes, the imperial court will issue a new almanac.

The third emperor of the Great Zhou, Ji Mingjing, changed the era name to 'Great Order'.

The Two New Reforms, which lasted for over three hundred years, finally drew to a close,

and Zhao Xing also took time to read the official gazette issued by the imperial court.

However, since his memories were sealed, he felt nothing.

He even had the thought that 'finally, the world is at peace, and we can relax a little.'

Yet, intelligence from the Military Realm revealed that small-scale skirmishes still occurred along the Great Zhou's various border lines.

The disastrous impact brought by Liang Wang's rebellion cannot end in a short time.

Because of the Liang Wang incident, all territories conquered during the Jingxin Year were reclaimed by the Southern Barbarian Wang Ting; even the scale of the Nine Heavens Ying Yuan Prefecture returned to the initial level of the Great Pacification War.

At this point, the Southern Barbarians did not dare to continue; they still maintained a ten-thousand-li buffer zone.

Only small-scale friction and probes still occurred.

Additionally, the chaos among the Eastern Sea Water Clans continued. Under the Emperor's order, the three local chieftains of the White, Ao, and Tang Water Clans carried out continuous high-pressure cleansing of the outer waters of the Eastern Sea.

However, for the inland regions, there was no war in the Eastern Sea's inner waters, and trade routes began to gradually recover.

In the first year of Great Order, Lvliang Prefecture was renamed; due to its many hills within its borders, it was renamed 'Fuzhou Prefecture'.

The original Liang Wang City was destroyed in the great war; after reconstruction, it was changed to Fubu Commandery, its administrative level directly dropped from a royal capital to a commandery, and the numerous commanderies carved out were all brought under direct imperial court administration.

Similarly, the one who suffered greatly was the Lv King.

Because Liang Wang rebelled and the Lv King failed to fulfill his supervisory role, his feudal state was directly abolished, and the Lv King was immediately demoted to a Marquis.

His fiefdom, Scholar Feng Chen, and army were all drastically reduced. The vacated lands were all brought under direct imperial court administration.

The original Lv King City was changed to Fucheng; the Lv Fu was moved to a nearby satellite city for the Lv clan members to reside.

"Where there is a fall, there is a rise; the Lv King's direct descendant, Lv Yuanwei, still commands the Divine Thunder Army and has actually been promoted to a First-Rank Marquis, putting him on the same level as his father," Zhao Xing couldn't help but smile.

Lv Yuanwei was quite famous in the early stages of the Great Pacification War.

At that time, Zhao Xing and the others had all planned to follow Lv Yuanwei to make a living.

But plans often fail to keep up with changes.

Only Xia Jing continued fighting; Zhao Xing, Long Xiao, and Chen Shijie all withdrew.

"The changes over twenty years have been immense."

Zhao Xing set the intelligence aside and returned to his cultivation.

Lost in cultivation, he lost track of time; in the first year of Dazhi, the rest of Shi Wenzhuan's students gradually departed.

Because in the final two years, they too needed to prepare for other matters.

Since Zhao Xing began studying Upper Dragon Grammar, he also began studying alongside the rest of Shi Wenzhuan's students.

Among them, the Lu siblings—Lu Manman and Lu Xiuyuan—were assigned to the same group as Zhao Xing.

Originally, the Lu siblings had paid little attention to Zhao Xing; when he came to ask questions, they treated him as a junior to instruct, not as an equal to spar with.

But gradually, things changed.

April of the first year of Dazhi.

Lu Xiuyuan said with surprise: "Zhao Xing, you've mastered twelve of the Opening Seal incantations? That's fast."

"You can spar with my sister and me now."

June of the first year of Dazhi.

"You want to learn the Eastern Dragon Sealing Method? Shouldn't you have mastered the first four sealing methods before starting this?"

"What? You've already mastered the first four?"

August of the first year of Dazhi.

"Brother, am I dreaming? How did I wake up to see Zhao Xing casting the Dragon Spring Seal?"

"I only slept three days—he made me feel like I'd slept thirty years!"

Lu Xiuyuan sighed: "You didn't imagine it. He's mastered sixteen sealing methods."

In December of the first year of Dazhi, Zhao Xing mastered four of the Command Incantations.

At this point, Lu Xiuyuan and Lu Manman looked at Zhao Xing with strange eyes.

"Younger Brother Zhao, have you been getting special tutoring? How did you progress so fast?"

"Monster! Monster!" Lu Manman shrieked. "We've studied for twenty years and only mastered three Command Incantations."

Zhao Xing smiled faintly, while King Tianyan appeared behind them.

"Come with me."

Lu Xiuyuan felt his shoulder seized and bristled, shaking free: "Who the hell are you? You just order me around?"

King Tianyan produced a token engraved with the character "Ming."

"Sss—"

Lu Xiuyuan immediately knelt: "Forgive me, my lord, I was impolite just now."

King Tianyan snorted: "Youngsters shouldn't be so fiery. I'll let it slide this time."

To greet King Tianyan's mother? Only because King Tianyan has a good temper—otherwise, Lu Xiuyuan would've learned firsthand what royal dignity means.

"Th-thank you," Lu Xiuyuan rose shakily.

The two siblings obediently followed King Tianyan to receive the Mouth-Sealing Technique.

When they returned, they became meek and quiet.

Even their attitude toward Zhao Xing grew far more respectful.

December 25th, first year of Dazhi.

King Tianyan and Shi Wenzhuan appeared in the mansion; Zhao Xing, who had been cultivating wrapped in a scroll, ceased his practice.

"Mr. Shi, Your Majesty."

Shi Wenzhuan's face showed a trace of reluctance: "Zhao Xing, your year of special training ends here."

"Ends?" Zhao Xing blinked. "But Mr. Shi, I still feel there's so much left to learn."

The more he learned, the more Zhao Xing felt how little he knew.

"King Tianyan and I have discussed this for days," Shi Wenzhuan said. "Continuing your cultivation now yields diminishing returns compared to studying other techniques."

"Therefore, ending now is the optimal choice."

King Tianyan is a Mandate Official—he can calculate where Zhao Xing's next year and a half will be most effective.

In this regard, he is the authority; Shi Wenzhuan, though reluctant, could only halt the training.

"Yes," Zhao Xing too felt reluctant, but he trusted King Tianyan.

Reviewing his own studies, he realized his core techniques still had much room for improvement.

"Zhao Xing, bid farewell to Mr. Shi," King Tianyan said. "He has never ceased casting the Soul- Awakening and Calming Techniques on you this past year."

No one else has received such treatment.

Yes, Zhao Xing truly had been given special tutoring.

His rapid comprehension stemmed partly from himself, partly from Shi Wenzhuan, a First-Rank Ritual Cultivator.

"Zhao Xing thanks Mr. Shi. Please take care," Zhao Xing bowed deeply.

Shi Wenzhuan accepted the bow gracefully, stroking his beard and smiling: "Good. If you have time in the future, come back to listen to my lectures."

Teaching Zhao Xing brought him great joy.

It was like watching a sapling he had nurtured grow strong.

"But come soon—I'm not much younger than King Tianyan, and I don't have much time left."

At this age, they no longer feared death.

"Yes, thank you, Mr. Shi," Zhao Xing bowed again.

After three bows, King Tianyan took Zhao Xing away.

Zhao Xing was the fifth-to-last student to leave Shi Wenxuan's place.

He arrived late, yet he was not the last to depart.

After leaving the Sacred Words Academy, King Tianyan took Zhao Xing away from the Fire Passage and returned to Daoyuanzhou.

Their next stop was the headquarters of the Profound Heaven Academy.

"Whoosh~"

The moment they left Tianyongzhou, Zhao Xing's brows twitched slightly.

"Your Highness, I will go inside to rest for a while."

"Go ahead."

Zhao Xing went to the other end of the cabin, closed the door, lay down on the specially made magical bed, and fell into deep sleep with his eyes closed.

Inside the Memory Palace.

"Holy crap, the Shangtang Decree! The Yin-Shang Royal Ship that shuttles between the realms of Yin and Yang!"

"Did such a thing actually exist as far back as the Jingdi Dynasty?"

Zhao Xing reviewed his memories and immediately spotted something extraordinary.

"This ship can not only travel to the polar regions of the Yin Realm to seek precious plants, but it is also the key item for the resurrection of Yin Gods in later eras."

"It never appeared during the Wu Di era, yet it is in the hands of Tianyang Zhenjun?"

Zhao Xing felt he had stumbled upon a great treasure.

This ship appeared during the era of Spiritual Qi Resurgence, emerging from the Void at that time.

It was the key object for the resurrection of Yin Gods.

He originally thought it had remained in the Void all along, but he never expected it to exist in this era, and moreover, to have been captured by Tianyang Zhenjun!

"Awesome, Ancestor. Your incense offerings were not in vain." Zhao Xing could not help but sigh.

Now, he had even more reason to become the Grand Minister of Agriculture.

"I must keep an eye on it; I absolutely cannot let it get lost," Zhao Xing thought silently.

The fact that it was unheard of during the Wu Di era proves that this ship was lost later on.

That is why it entered the Void.

It only reappeared after the Spiritual Qi Resurgence.

Continuing to browse the memories.

"Hmm? Shi Wenxuan? He wasn't just ranked in the top three; he was the Dragon-Scripture Ritual Cultivator ranked first!"

"The Dragon King Bone-Scraping Curse, the Dragon King Heart Curse, and the Dragon King Soul-Refining Curse—he mastered all three of these by himself."

"Among the Dragon-Scripture Ritual Cultivators of later times, no one has ever mastered all three simultaneously."

"No wonder I learned so quickly when he taught me."

"I really should go find him again later. Oh no, I must invite him to leave Tianyongzhou," Zhao Xing thought silently.

He did not want to enter Fengdu again; every time the memory seal was applied, it was quite troublesome.

"It is almost the second year of the Great Zhi reign. Is King Tianyan taking me to the main academy of the Profound Heaven Academy?"

"This is good; it aligns with my plans," Zhao Xing thought silently. "My main purpose in going to the Profound Heaven Academy is to cultivate the Hou Transformation Arts!"

"I must cultivate several types of both internal and external arts."

"Especially the Hou Transformation Arts related to dragons," Zhao Xing recalled.

"Shi Wenxuan has already taught me the three great spells, but I cannot comprehend them; I can only forcibly memorize their forms."

"However, if I can transform into a dragon through the Hou Transformation Arts and then wield the Dragon-Scripture Spells, perhaps I will finally master the nine great spells that I have been unable to grasp!"