Chapter 313: Meeting the Jing Emperor, Promotion and Ennoblement

Cold, dark, distorted starlight reflected on the dragon scales; the scales quickly faded, revealing tanned skin.

"Burnt black here, red there, white there—just like after cupping therapy. Well, this Heaven's Secret Robe and the almanac are both turned to ash." Zhao Xing slapped twice, and ash sifted down from his body.

The power of the Fuming Ming Furnace was too great; even though Zhao Xing had broken through to the Second Grade, it still scorched his skin.

Fortunately, after entering the Yin Realm, the cold Yin energy suppressed the furnace; with no sea of fire to forge it, the furnace's outer layer gradually cooled down.

"Last time it was the Yuan Soul that entered; this time even the flesh body came along. The warship's Yin-Yang shuttle function is truly powerful." Zhao Xing glanced around.

The Ancient Yin Warship drifted aimlessly; within the range of vision, everything was mottled and dim. Zhao Xing found it sailing amidst a sea of 'Yin Clouds'.

After tending to his injuries, Zhao Xing walked to a vertical rudder at the bow and inserted the Shang Tang Token into it.

"Voom—" The rudder rose a section higher. Zhao Xing sent his Yuan Soul out of his body and pressed both hands into the recessed slot.

The Square Point Array of the Yin Realm appeared in his mind; at the same time, the Ancient Yin Warship came to a halt, ignoring the spatial flow of the Yin Realm.

"The current position corresponds to the outer seas of Japan in the Yang Realm?"

"How did we end up here? In just that instant of flow, the changes are truly immense."

If Zhao Xing performed a Yin-Yang shuttle now, upon returning to the Yang Realm, his position would appear in the outer seas of Japan.

"The best route back to Great Zhou..." Zhao Xing's palm began to writhe.

The masts on the Ancient Yin Warship began to crackle loudly; Yin Clouds were gathering ahead.

"First jump into that Yin Cloud; four consecutive jumps will allow us to cut into the North-South Great Yin Flow along the route of 'Gui Yin, Gui Zi, Gui Chen, Gui Wu'."

"Following the return flow of the North and South Yin Flows, we can return to the territory of the Nineteen Provinces."

Piloting the Ancient Yin Warship was relatively easy for Zhao Xing; as long as one remembered 'Yin and Yang are opposite, Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches align with the time', one could use the spatial flows of the Yin Realm to travel.

The miracle of the Ancient Yin Warship lay in its ability to generate a 【Yin Cloud Path】, carving its own small road to cut onto the main path from any location.

For instance, right now, after Zhao Xing finished his operations, a faint, mist-like tunnel spread out before the warship.

At the stern, a faint ripple was drawn out, spreading to the surroundings.

The entire hull was no longer level; instead, it tilted slightly downward.

"A pressure difference between the front and rear Yin Flows... this feels a bit like 'a foot away yet a thousand miles'?"

"Oh, Li Boqian is a disciple of True Lord Tianyang; he must have used the Ancient Yin Warship. It seems 'a foot away yet a thousand miles' was created by comprehending the Ancient Yin Warship."

"Now I see why it feels so familiar; the Yin Cloud Path reversed, when cast in the Yang Realm, becomes the Yang Cloud Path."

With his realm elevated to this level, looking back at many things, the understanding was different.

"Li Boqian created this Cloud Art; his intention was to use the Cloud Art to distort space, reaching the degree of altering the rules of Heaven and Earth."

"I suspect Old Li wants to create ninety-nine stable, unchanging Cloud Paths in the Yang Realm."

"If he truly achieves this degree, the efficiency of transporting goods across the Yang Realm of the Nineteen Provinces would completely rival that of the Yin Realm."

The efficiency of Yin Spirits delivering messages is very high; utilizing the regular spatial flows of the Yin Realm, one can arrive in an instant.

Li Boqian was aiming for the Ultimate Cloud Art!

If he could make ninety-nine Cloud Paths exist in the Yang Realm, permanently passed down.

Then Great Zhou could use the Cloud Paths to transport supplies and armies.

Its transportation efficiency would far surpass the 【Ancient Earth Paths】 of the Dili Sect!

"Every Grand Minister of Agriculture has been ambitious."

Observing people through the Law, Zhao Xing peered into Li Boqian's heart.

Cloud Paths flowing forever, connecting the Nineteen Provinces—what a towering ambition!

"It seems 'a foot away yet a thousand miles' this Cloud Art is not meant for individual use at all; yet to reach such a degree, hope is slim."

From Zhao Xing's perspective, 'a foot away yet a thousand miles' must first reach the Ultimate Level.

Secondly, Li Boqian must also reach the 【Dao Establishment Realm】.

Only then would the possibility of Cloud Paths connecting the Nineteen Provinces exist. However, this is merely a possibility.

Take True Lord Li Huo as an example; his 【Riding Fire to Travel】 utilized the Li Huo Divine Altar to achieve long-distance teleportation.

"True Lord Li Huo is Dao Establishment Realm plus a Divine Artifact, achieving long-distance teleportation."

"Li Boqian wants to achieve this effect with Dao Establishment Realm plus Cloud Art, without wanting to pay the price." Zhao Xing smiled lightly.

Alas, this idea was destined to fail.

"Li Boqian cannot reach the 【Dao Establishment Realm】. Without the Resurgence of Spiritual Qi, a normal Dao Establishment Realm throughout the Era of Primordial Qi, excluding those half-dead old fellows, can be counted on one hand."

"Even the Jing Emperor should only be at the normal Rule Realm, perhaps extremely close to Dao Establishment, but absolutely not a normal Dao Establishment Realm." Zhao Xing thought.

"Creating a new Ultimate Cloud Art is not simple; furthermore, the situation in the Yin Realm is after all different from the Yang Realm." Zhao Xing thought.

"Thus it seems, the Kunpeng Transformation is not an Ultimate Art, and the Cloud Art 'a foot away yet a thousand miles' is not an Ultimate Art either; only the 【Pang Yuan Feng】 might be an Ultimate Art."

"Old Li's lifespan is running low; he will definitely pass before the Jing Emperor. Once this matter is settled, I must go find him and learn this art from my past life."

In the past life, the 【Pang Yuan Feng】 Art was mentioned only once or twice in the biography of Grand Minister of Agriculture Li Boqian; obviously, it was not inherited.

It is now the sixteenth year of Dazhi; Li Boqian will likely pass away during the Yongzhi period of his reign. His lifespan should be roughly similar to that of King Tianyan.

"Xu Xing will die of old age in the seventeenth year of Dazhi. In another few decades, the Dili Sect leader of the Kunyuan Academy, Xuanyuan Qingtian, will also pass away, followed by Grand Minister of Agriculture Li Boqian."

"One emperor, one set of ministers; not just the Minister of Agriculture, but the leaders of other professions will all pass away one after another, until finally the Jing Emperor."

Xu Xing died earliest; this was not mainly because he cultivated the Ten Thousand Methods Straw Man, but primarily because he was originally older.

The Ten Thousand Methods Straw Man only drives people mad; it does not shorten one's lifespan. Therefore, saying Xu Xing died of old age in the seventeenth year of Dazhi holds true even if he had not cultivated the Ten Thousand Methods Straw Man.

Three days later.

"Pang~"

A black cloud exploded and scattered from the stern of the warship; the next moment, Zhao Xing saw a string of auroras flash by, along with shadowy Yin Spirits passing through.

"We have already returned to the territory of Great Zhou; this location should correspond to the islands of the Eastern Sea."

"Traveling this way is fast, but unfortunately it cannot be used as a regular method." Zhao Xing thought silently.

No matter what realm one is in, as long as one is not yet dead, once turned into a Yin Spirit ghost, one can stay in the Yin Realm for at most seven days.

Entering with a physical body is even more fleeting; even while staying on the Ancient Yin Warship, one can only remain for five days.

Exceeding five days, no matter how strong you are, the physical body will disintegrate and collapse; that is a true dead end.

"Now that I have obtained so many treasures and become a pivotal figure in the Dragon Court Ancient Land, I must go and meet the Jing Emperor," Zhao Xing thought silently.

My true form must go personally to pay homage; otherwise, it would be disrespectful.

On the fourth day, Zhao Xing arrived at the Yin Realm area corresponding to Heavenly Yongzhou.

"Whoosh~"

The Ancient Yin Warship appeared at the private palace of Tianyang Zhenjun.

Distant auroras flickered, the space flow vanished, and he entered a stable Yin Realm area.

"Grandmaster~ Grandmaster~"

Zhao Xing stood at the bow of the ship, calling out loudly.

Before long, Tianyang Zhenjun flew out from the palace.

Seeing Zhao Xing's physical body and Yuan Soul on the warship, Tianyang Zhenjun couldn't help but laugh.

"Grand-disciple, it is only the end of the sixteenth year of the Dazhi era; how have you come out already?"

"Ho, your physical body looks like this; did you go find a physician for acupuncture and cupping?"

Zhao Xing bowed and said, "Grandmaster, I am fine; these are merely superficial wounds."

"Your grand-disciple did not escape because he encountered danger."

"Look, how many good things have I brought out?"

Zhao Xing waved his hand, dispelling the barrier of the Ancient Yin Warship, revealing the mountainous pile of treasures.

What had Tianyang Zhenjun not seen?

He originally intended to cooperate with his grand-disciple and let out an exclamation of awe.

But upon seeing the things on the ship, his feigned shock turned into genuine shock.

"Wah!"

"Did you ransack the Dragon Clan's old nest?"

Tianyang Zhenjun was truly shocked.

The treasures were piled in mountains!

As the Grand Minister of Agriculture who managed a nation's finances, what had he not seen?

But he had truly never seen a scene like this!

Mountains of 【Ancient Dragon Whaling Incense】, mountains of 【Dragon Blood Sacred Leaves】, and whole blocks, counted by tons, of 【Dragon Crystal Marrow】, plus more than twenty treasure-grade divine weapons...

Even more shocking were the Fuming Furnace and the Kun Primordial Spirit Hoe!

When Tianyang Zhenjun's gaze fell upon these two items, curses came out of his mouth.

"Damn it! Th-this is... I-I'm not seeing things, am I?"

Zhao Xing grabbed the Shennong Hoe, smilingly handed it to Tianyang Zhenjun: "Feel it, test the goods for your grand-disciple, and see if it is real."

With the Shennong Hoe in hand, Tianyang Zhenjun instantly became spirited, his whole body golden and bright, as if coated with a layer of divine light.

"It can't be fake! It can't be fake!" Tianyang Zhenjun hugged the Shennong Hoe and took the opportunity to dig downwards.

Bright yellow mist rose from the Shennong Hoe, and the Netherworld ground beneath the warship suddenly dropped by a section out of thin air.

Tianyang Zhenjun's palace instantly became a palace atop a thousand-meter-high Gaoshan.

"It is it, it is indeed it!" Tianyang Zhenjun was extremely excited.

He lifted the Kun Primordial Spirit Hoe and held it before his eyes to examine it.

The vanished land shrank into a tiny clod of mud, appearing on the hoe's blade.

Seeing this, Zhao Xing also nodded slightly; no wonder the former Grand Minister of Agriculture could unleash the power of the Kun Primordial Spirit Hoe immediately upon taking it up.

No wonder people say divine tools digging ancient roads are awesome; with just one hoe strike, the soil layer twenty kilometers in radius and a thousand meters thick was dug away.

Seeing that Tianyang Zhenjun wanted to dig again, Zhao Xing hurriedly said, "Grandmaster, stop digging, stop digging; you still need to live here; let's go somewhere else."

"True." Tianyang Zhenjun immediately flew with Zhao Xing to another place and dug to his heart's content.

He threw the dug earth into the space flow; several Dashan mountains formed and then vanished; the old man played with great delight.

Only after a quarter of an hour did he finally calm down.

"Thrilling, so thrilling!"

Tianyang Zhenjun leaned on the hoe, standing on his feet, and made a satisfied remark: "Grand-disciple, one of my greatest regrets in life was never holding the Kun Primordial Spirit Hoe."

"I never thought that a wish I could not fulfill while alive was fulfilled after dying for several hundred years."

He handed the Kun Primordial Spirit Hoe to Zhao Xing: "Grandmaster thanks you; I can now truly die without regrets."

A Grand Minister of Agriculture who has never held the Shennong Hoe has an incomplete life; other social divine tools do not carry as much meaning as it.

"Grandmaster, you are still being polite with me." Zhao Xing smiled as he took the Shennong Hoe: "I still have something to give you."

"Hahaha, let me see; what filial offerings does my grand-disciple have?"

Tianyang Zhenjun was overjoyed and flew back to the Ancient Yin Warship with Zhao Xing.

Zhao Xing rolled up a large portion of Ancient Dragon Whaling Incense and Dragon Blood Sacred Leaves.

Tianyang Zhenjun's eyes lit up: "Grand-disciple, this grade is a bit high."

He had seen Dragon Whaling Incense and Dragon Blood Sacred Leaves before, but the grade here was clearly different.

"Of course; this is exclusively for the Dragon Emperor!"

"Come, try it; see how the taste is."

"Look, first crush it, then roll it up with Dragon Blood Sacred Leaves, then ignite it with Dragon Grade Marrow... This is how the Dragon Emperor smokes!"

Under Zhao Xing's operations, a large rolled cigarette appeared.

He lit it, held it up halfway, and handed it to Tianyang Zhenjun.

"Hiss~"

Tianyang Zhenjun took a deep breath, his face full of intoxication, as if floating towards immortality.

After holding it for a long time, he slowly exhaled a breath.

"How is it?" Zhao Xing asked.

"Powerful!" Tianyang Zhenjun nodded vigorously.

As a Yin Spirit, these were his favorites.

Dragon tributes and human tributes, of course, have different power.

Moreover, this was exclusive to the Dragon Emperor; even the aura was different!

With such a halo bonus, plus its original effect being absolutely excellent, the old man was simply overjoyed.

"I saved a portion specifically for you." Zhao Xing waved, splitting off a batch to send to Tianyang Zhenjun's palace.

"Don't speak of it outwardly, or Yin Spirits will come to mooch your incense."

"Hahaha, why so secretive?" Tianyang Zhenjun laughed, "Rest assured, even if that boy Boqian comes down, I won't give it to him!"

This is a tribute from a grand-disciple! Want it? Go find it yourself!

Seeing Tianyang Zhenjun's happy look, Zhao Xing was also happy.

Tianyang Zhenjun had helped him greatly; back at the Tianhe Prefecture, without Tianyang Zhenjun's close protection, how would he have dared to act recklessly.

He also gave him a Shangtang Token; this thing can shuttle between the Yin and Yang realms and is key to later resurrection. Combined with the Tianhun Fruit, it equals a second life!

"Grand-disciple, your harvest in the Dragon Court is no small matter."

"Come, tell Grand-Grandfather what exactly happened."

Tianyang Zhenjun was very interested, pulling Zhao Xing and insisting he tell the Dragon Court story.

The two began chatting about daily life in the palace.

"What? The Dragon Emperor's Code, there is actually such a thing!"

"You exchanged it from Yin Xiu, then used it to summon Yin Xiu? Hahaha, brilliant! That Dragon King probably doesn't even know what he missed."

"Secret Palace of the Misa? Can influence the Dragon King challenge mission? Hiss..."

"The Purple Bone Venerable of the Baigu Sect offered you eighteen treasures? Where did the Baigu Sect get so many good things? That fool probably wouldn't even mind selling his bones, hahaha!"

"..."

Laughter in the palace basically never stopped.

Tianyang Zhenjun smoked the Ancient Dragon Whales while listening to Zhao Xing recount his experiences, occasionally glancing at the Kun Yuan Shen Hoe; this was simply his happiest and most comfortable moment.

However, time was ultimately limited; Zhao Xing had already stayed here for over four days and had to leave.

"Grand-Grandfather, this grand-disciple must leave."

Tianyang Zhenjun flicked the ash, somewhat reluctant.

But he also knew he couldn't keep Zhao Xing too long.

"Your return from this journey is a secret, but since you have returned to Tianyongzhou, you must pay audience to Your Majesty, then make arrangements afterwards."

"Yes." Zhao Xing listened obediently.

"I have already notified Li Boqian; he is on his way back. You will tear a passage from here; after exiting, you will arrive directly at his Ministry of Agriculture Office, then listen to his arrangements."

"This grand-disciple is timid; if I suddenly see Your Majesty, I might lose propriety. Grand-Grandfather's thoughtfulness is appreciated." Zhao Xing flattered.

"Do not fear!" Tianyang Zhenjun waved his large hand, saying carelessly, "Your Majesty is one I watched grow up. He may not be called a benevolent and kind ruler, but his heart is absolutely not narrow."

Zhao Xing remained silent; the old man could evaluate him so, but he dared not agree.

"Go see him boldly; above you have Li Boqian, Liu Tianning, and Meng Kun looking after you; below you have Grand-Grandfather me and Meng Haishan backing you."

"The world is vast; you can go anywhere!"

Tianyongzhou, Fengjing, East City.

Ministry of Agriculture Office, Four Seasons Garden.

Hiss hiss~

A black rift formed above the Four Seasons Garden; atop the mast, the Xuan Niao flag reflected the void, spreading its wings, continuously expanding the rift.

Celestial phenomena changed, and a cold wind howled.

However, after expanding to a certain extent, twelve Jin Guang appeared in the air, like nails pinning the sky curtain.

This stopped the phenomenon from spreading further; around the black rift, it remained sunny and breezy.

Li Boqian, the Minister of Agriculture, pointed a finger; a cloud path extended diagonally, like a rescue ladder, first guiding the large object, the Fuming Furnace, down.

Afterwards came numerous treasures and materials, and a figure slid down the cloud ladder.

The black rift vanished without any sound or movement, as if nothing had happened.

"Zhao Xing pays respect to the Minister of Agriculture!"

Li Boqian looked at the wounds on Zhao Xing's body and helped him up.

"Zhao Xing, you have worked hard."

"You need not worry; these are just minor wounds." Zhao Xing smiled, "Just treat them with medicine and they will be fine."

"No, the hard work I speak of is that you must endure a bit longer and not heal yet." Li Boqian pointed at the wounds. "Healing too fast is not enough to highlight your merit."

"You brought back so many treasures, materials, and divine artifacts; if you were completely unscathed, others would think it was easy. If obtained too easily, others will not cherish your labor."

Zhao Xing was stunned.

He looked around.

As expected, Earth Mirrors from all directions precisely illuminated his wounds and the tattered fragments of his magical robe.

You truly live up to the title of Grand Minister of Agriculture!

Zhao Xing admired him from the bottom of his heart.

"Very well, change into these first." Seeing the photos were mostly taken, Li Boqian handed Zhao Xing a new set of official robes and hat.

While Zhao Xing changed clothes, Li Boqian also approached the furnace and picked up the divine artifact 【Kun Yuan Divine Hoe】.

"It truly is it."

Li Boqian was also incredibly excited at this moment.

Hearing about it is one thing, but only when truly holding the Kun Yuan Divine Hoe in hand did one truly feel its charm.

The Kun Yuan Divine Hoe is called the Shennong Hoe because it holds special significance for the Grand Minister of Agriculture.

Even in death, Tianyang True Lord longed for it; one can imagine its status.

"I am stronger than the old man, hahaha," Li Boqian said with a proud smile.

When the old man served as Grand Minister of Agriculture, there were many divine artifacts, but he never encountered war; even the Li Shanhe Map and the Twenty-Four Solar Terms Talismans were never properly used.

Without war, many divine artifacts cannot unleash their full power!

Furthermore, Tianyang True Lord never held the Kun Yuan Divine Hoe in his lifetime either!

"The first Grand Minister of Agriculture in Great Zhou history to hold the Shennong Hoe!" Li Boqian said with a proud smile.

"In the future, I can brag about this to all the predecessors down below."

Especially when meeting the Grand Minister of Agriculture gods of the Dili Sect.

What? Predecessor, you haven't used the Shennong Hoe yet?

Sigh, I've tried it; that thing is actually just average.

"Hehe, hehe..." Thinking of this scene of showing off, Li Boqian couldn't help but yearn for it, wishing he could go down there sooner.

Zhao Xing, having changed clothes nearby, watched Li Boqian immersed in his foolish joy and didn't know what to say.

This isn't even the leader of the Dili Sect; if the Shennong Hoe were brought to the Kun Yuan Academy, one wouldn't know what sensation it would cause.

However, he couldn't worry about these things now; having returned, there were many official matters to handle.

For instance, the internal situation of the Dragon Court, the ownership of the treasures, and the audience with Emperor Jing, and so on.

At this moment, Zhao Xing had sealed his Memory Palace again.

He had done this before entering Tianyongzhou; although he was already at the Second Rank Heavenly Fate Realm and it was impossible for anyone to probe his thoughts, now that he was in Fengjing, he should keep a low profile where appropriate.

"Zhao Xing, these treasures were all brought back by you," Li Boqian finally turned to the main matter. "Do you have any plans?"

Zhao Xing had already made a decision and immediately stated his stance: "The Dragon Emperor Code is soul-bound to me; the Kun Yuan Divine Hoe will be left here temporarily to comprehend its mysteries, understand its methods, observe its principles, and prepare for annotating the scriptures."

"As for the remaining treasures, Xing is willing to turn them all over to the State Treasury for the Grand Minister of Agriculture to allocate."

He set the attitude first, but he did not intend to negotiate regarding the Dragon Emperor Code and the Kun Yuan Divine Hoe.

As for the other treasures, turning them all over was also a matter of attitude.

The imperial court certainly would not take everything; it would definitely leave a portion for him personally, and the portion taken would be exchanged for merit.

Furthermore, what Zhao Xing said was turning them over to the State Treasury, not the Imperial Private Treasury; these are two different matters.

The State Treasury is still managed by the Grand Minister of Agriculture, isn't it? Once Li Boqian dies, Old Liu will be in charge; after all the twists and turns, it is essentially still in his own pocket.

So Zhao Xing made his attitude very strong.

As for the dragon egg, spiritual liquid, and such, there was no need to mention them; these were not things that could be produced, sharing the same nature as the Dragon Emperor Code and the Kun Yuan Divine Hoe.

Li Boqian nodded slightly: "Your willingness to turn everything over shows your sincerity. However, the imperial court will not put everything into the State Treasury; otherwise, what would that look like?"

"I will discuss with the heads of the other departments to reserve a portion for you, which will then be reported to Your Majesty."

"For the portion you contribute, Your Majesty will also grant rewards."

"As for the Dragon Emperor Code and the Kun Yuan Divine Hoe, I must also petition Your Majesty; they too should appear on the list, to be bestowed upon you by imperial decree from Your Majesty. Do you understand my meaning?"

Zhao Xing respectfully said, "This humble official understands."

Bringing back divine artifacts was also executing imperial court official duties; it was all cultivated by the imperial court and due to Your Majesty's wisdom!

Having great merit is true, but one must still be humble and keep a low profile.

In this way, both face and substance are covered, and everyone is happy.

After chatting with Zhao Xing for a while, the tone and process were set.

Li Boqian nodded in satisfaction.

What he feared most was that Zhao Xing would be confused by his merit and become arrogant.

The Great Peace era title has already lasted sixteen years; how many arrogant civil officials and military generals have disappeared without a trace? Li Boqian had deep personal experience with this!

Even Wang Tianzhi was once persuaded by him to resign and cultivate.

However, his worry was completely unnecessary; Zhao Xing had already seen through Emperor Jing completely.

Arrogance is impossible; he only hopes Emperor Jing doesn't cause trouble.

After Li Boqian finished his instructions, he began to carefully count the items.

Suddenly, he looked at eighteen of the treasures.

"Hmm? Why are there so many human treasures? Three 【Wu Xian Cauldrons】 from the Southern Barbarians, five pieces of Jin Yu Divine Armor, four Spirit Witch Staffs, and these three bone artifacts; the refining technique clearly comes from the Baigu Sect... How come the divine artifacts of the Great Snake Kingdom, 【Ame-no-Murakumo Sword】 and 【Yasakani no Magatama Sword】, are both here?"

Li Boqian did not know about Zhao Xing's deception of the Purple Bone Venerable One, and the information was not timely.

Zhao Xing smiled and said, "This story is long; when I first entered the Palace of Secret Sa..."

After listening to him finish, Li Boqian was stunned for a moment.

"Truly fresh; such a huge Wang Ting and top-tier sects were actually played around by you."

"Hahaha, the Baigu Sect certainly doesn't have this many good things; most were probably borrowed."

"They are probably going bankrupt now."

Could he not go bankrupt?

For the next few hundred years, Venerable Ancestor Purple Bone will have to work madly to repay the sect's debts.

After finishing official business, Zhao Xing no longer used titles.

"Teacher, I have heard that Xu Xing, the Dean of Shangluo Academy, is about to pass away. I wish to see him off."

Li Boqian heard this and nodded: "Indeed, he does not have much time left. As far as I know, Xu Xing will pass away from old age in the first month of next year."

"You returned via the Shangtang Token; it cannot be exposed, so you must also appear publicly only when the Dragon Court closes in the twentieth year of the Great Zhi reign."

"Once affairs in Fengjing are settled, you may go to see him off."

"Yes." Zhao Xing also understood that now was not the time to reveal too much.

Even taking the Kun Yuan Primordial Spirit Hoe to Kun Yuan Academy could not be done by just running over; it required announcing it to the world and holding a grand ceremony, all of which were matters for the twentieth year of the Great Zhi reign.

"Rest for one day first, make preparations, and go to meet the Emperor tomorrow."

"Yes."

…………

On the seventh day of the twelfth month of the sixteenth year of the Great Zhi reign, Zhao Xing secretly entered the imperial palace accompanied by Li Boqian, the Minister of Agriculture.

Emperor Jing, Ji Mingjing, received Zhao Xing in the Tianyuan Hall.

"Your subject, Zhao Xing, pays homage to Your Majesty!"

"May Your Majesty live forever!"

Zhao Xing did not raise his head the entire way; upon entering the hall, he saw the light on the Wang Zuo from the corner of his eye and respectfully bowed down.

Li Boqian also performed the full ritual.

"Rise."

A majestic voice came from the Wang Zuo.

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

Zhao Xing bowed again, then rose.

Only then did he take a look at the figure on the Wang Zuo.

The figure on the Wang Zuo was towering, like a majestic Gaoshan, emitting an irresistible majesty.

He wore a purple and gold long robe embroidered with mysterious runes; every line flowed with powerful energy, and Jin Guang shimmered like stars adorning it.

His face was resolute and stern, his eyes deep as an abyss, seeming to contain endless wisdom and the sharpness to see through everything; the occasional glint in his gaze seemed able to pierce the mist of time and space, making one dare not look directly at him.

He wore a brilliant Wang Guan on his head, with nineteen gems shimmering upon it; each gem carried immense power, and the light they emitted wove into a mysterious radiance that enveloped his body.

This single glance made Zhao Xing's eyebrows twitch, because Emperor Jing's body was too huge, exceeding ten meters in height!

He was completely a giant!

"Bestow a seat."

"Thank you, Your Majesty." Zhao Xing and Li Boqian bowed again, but this time they did not need to perform the full ritual; the two walked with square steps to the two tables on the left and sat kneeling.

At this moment, the Jin Guang on Ji Mingjing's body receded, reducing some of the majesty and adding a touch of approachability.

Not holding a public audience indicated that the atmosphere of this meeting was a relatively casual conversation between ruler and subject.

"Your Majesty, your subject has good news to report." After taking his seat, Li Boqian spoke.

"Oh? What good news is this?"

"Marquis Shenwei Zhao Xing has returned early from the Dragon Court, with gains far exceeding your subject's expectations," Li Boqian said.

In fact, Emperor Jing already knew; this was just going through the motions.

Upon hearing this, Zhao Xing immediately rose and reported at once:

"Relying on Your Majesty's great fortune, your subject luckily obtained twenty-three treasure-grade divine artifacts in the ancient lands, along with one thousand seven hundred and fifty-two zhe of treasure-grade material 【Ancient Dragon Ambergris】, five thousand eight hundred and nineteen zhe of treasure-grade 【Dragon Blood Holy Leaves】, and sixty-one thousand two hundred and sixty zhe of treasure-grade 【Dragon Crystal Marrow】."

"Additionally, there are three rare treasures: the Dragon Emperor Code, the Kun Yuan Primordial Spirit Hoe, and the Fu Ming Furnace."

The weight unit of Great Zhou: one zhe is approximately 120 jin.

That is to say, the treasure-grade material 【Ancient Dragon Ambergris】 is approximately 105 tons.

【Dragon Blood Holy Leaves】 are about 349 tons.

The most abundant is 【Dragon Crystal Marrow】, with 3,672 tons!

For treasure-grade materials, every bit is counted!

Zi and Zhu are both weight units, equivalent to grams.

One can imagine how much cargo Zhao Xing brought back from the Dragon Court.

Excluding what was swindled, many things were unique!

If Master Zhao were not afraid of pursuit and defected abroad, with all these items, he could completely go abroad and create a top-tier sect himself.

Of course, this would be a foolish act; before long, it would be the era of Wu Di, and the Xuan Huang Realm would be full of war everywhere. To abandon Great Zhou and throw oneself into foreign lands at this time? That would be too stupid.

After the report, Emperor Jing also showed a smile and praised: "Chen An has made great contributions; he is truly a lucky general!"

This was a very high evaluation, and even more rare coming from Emperor Jing's mouth; the Shi Guan behind the curtains quickly recorded it.

Zhao Xing immediately bowed and said: "Your subject dares not claim credit; the credit for today's achievements relies entirely on the imperial court's cultivation and Your Majesty's wisdom."

"Your subject is willing to turn over all gains to enrich our dynasty's treasury, to repay Your Majesty's great kindness."

Emperor Jing nodded slightly: "You have such intentions; I am very gratified, and I will grant your wish."

Zhao Xing had to thank Emperor Jing again and bowed: "Thank you, Your Majesty."

"You have made such contributions; I cannot fail to reward you," Emperor Jing said. "The Kun Yuan Primordial Spirit Hoe is of great benefit to you; I permit you to keep it by your side."

"Treasure-grade divine weapons are otherworldly objects, difficult to present in a dignified manner; you may go to the imperial inner treasury and choose three items."

Twenty-three items were turned over, and Emperor Jing bestowed three more, even allowing a free choice of three; this reward was indeed generous.

As for the Ancient Dragon Ambergris, Dragon Crystal Marrow, and Dragon Blood Holy Leaves, Emperor Jing placed them on the list of rewards for promotion in rank and title.

Because Zhao Xing possesses the Dragon Emperor Codex, these items can still be put to use.

"Zhao Xing, you were originally a Third-Rank Pending-Transfer Official. Once the Dragon Court closes, I shall promote you to Full Third Rank, assign you a blessed land as an official, nurture your luck and cultivate in seclusion, and consolidate your realm."

"Merit increased by twelve ranks, and a million mu of fiefdom added. Let Boqian and the various departments draft the details."

"Additionally, bestow one Immunity-from-Death Gold Tablet, five hundred zhe of Ancient Dragon Whale Incense, two thousand zhe of Dragon Blood Sacred Leaves, ten thousand zhe of Dragon Crystal Marrow, and a Ninth-Rank Heavy Artifact, the 'Wu Yao Warship'..."

"Specially grant the Imperial Court Attendant Order and the duty of inspecting the battle-realm cave heavens."

After the rewards were announced, Zhao Xing joyfully kowtowed: "Thank you, Your Majesty!"

This bestowal from Emperor Jing was already a generous reward.

Both merit and official rank were raised, and even the fiefdom related to his peerage was granted, doubling Zhao Xing's original fief.

One-third of the treasure-grade materials were returned, and Zhao Xing was additionally permitted to equip a Heavy Artifact warship and granted access to many permissions.

Such as the Imperial Court Attendant Order allowing free entry to the imperial palace, the Inspector role enabling travel to major cave heavens and blessed lands in the battle realm, and the Immunity-from-Death Gold Tablet.

However, generous rewards always come with an agenda.

There was one thing Emperor Jing never mentioned: the Dragon Emperor Codex.

As expected, after Zhao Xing bowed in thanks, Emperor Jing asked: "Can the Dragon Court Codex be carried on one's person?"

"Yes, please, Your Majesty, take a look." Zhao Xing controlled his dragon-form size, then spat out the Dragon Emperor Codex, transformed back into human form, and respectfully held it above his head.

He knew Emperor Jing wanted to confirm whether the Dragon Emperor Codex was truly soul-bound to him.

Whoosh~

Emperor Jing reached out and grabbed; the Dragon Emperor Codex floated before him.

Golden light rippled, and Zhao Xing felt a powerful force invade the Dragon Court Codex.

"Crack, crack~" Zhao Xing felt his body tremble, and his life soul suffered immense pressure.

In an instant, Zhao Xing was drenched in sweat.

However, the pressure came quickly and left just as quickly.

Soon, the Dragon Emperor Codex flew back.

"Indeed, it is a divine object." Emperor Jing evaluated thus.

"I ask you: if the imperial court lends its full support, can you unify the Dragon Court within a short time and completely drive out the remaining forces from the ancient lands?"

As expected, what was bound to come had arrived.

Emperor Jing truly wanted Zhao Xing to unify the Dragon Court and turn it entirely into the Great Zhou's backyard.

Zhao Xing clasped his hands and said: "Reporting to Your Majesty, based on my exploration of the Dragon Court over these years and my understanding of the Dragon Clan... controlling the Dragon Court within a short time is probably very difficult to achieve."

"Where lies the difficulty?"

Zhao Xing replied: "Although I can summon Dragon King Yin Xiu, and even summon other Dragon Kings, I am limited only to Dragon Kings."

"Among the Ten Great Kingdoms, Great Dragon Kings are in slumber. With the Codex in my hands, I cannot issue orders to the Great Dragon Kings."

"As for ruling Dragon Kings, I cannot arbitrarily replace them with Dragon Peers of our dynasty."

"The other two parts of the Codex exist in the Nether Sea and the Sky Abyss."

"Retrieving them would be even more difficult than waging war against the Great Dragon Kings."

"If they cannot be retrieved, we cannot deprive the external forces of their entry quotas; they need only hide in these two places."

"In other words, I can only use this Codex to suppress the external forces from profiting, killing them as much as possible, but I cannot completely turn the ancient lands into our dynasty's territory."

After hearing Zhao Xing's statement, Emperor Jing fell silent for a moment, then nodded slightly, abandoning the idea.

"The Dragon Emperor Codex is a fine thing. You must make good use of it and absolutely not let it fall into enemy hands."

Zhao Xing knew what Emperor Jing was worried about and immediately declared: "I bear this in mind and will surely defend the interests of the Great Zhou with my life."

At this point, the audience between ruler and subject basically concluded.

Emperor Jing kept Zhao Xing and Li Boqian in the imperial palace for a simple meal, then asked Zhao Xing in a standard manner about strategies for disaster relief, the training of the Military Agriculture Bureau, the Theory of Material Laws, the Two Sutras with Annotations, and so on.

Zhao Xing's answers could be called excellent, but contained no world-shocking words; they merely fit his identity as a genius and, compared to his past performance, were standard and proper.

Not until evening did Zhao Xing and Li Boqian secretly leave the palace.

"Huff~"

After returning to the Grand Agriculture Bureau residence, Zhao Xing finally let out a long breath.

"Young man, this is not like you." Li Boqian looked at Zhao Xing strangely. "Why are you so nervous?"

"Perhaps it is my first audience with the sovereign, facing heavenly majesty; nervousness is inevitable." Zhao Xing said.

Li Boqian nodded and suspected nothing.

"Xu Xing's time is running out. Tomorrow, you and I will set off together for Daoyuanzhou."

"After returning, we will discuss which blessed land you should go to."

"Yes." Zhao Xing nodded.

At dawn the next day, Zhao Xing and Li Boqian left Tianyongzhou and headed for the Shangluo Academy in Daoyuanzhou.

As soon as they left Tianyongzhou, Zhao Xing woke abruptly.

In his dream, his first thought was to check the Dragon Emperor Codex.

"So they really want to rule the Dragon Court. Fortunately, this thing is truly soul-bound; otherwise, Emperor Jing would probably consider replacing me."

"From Third-Rank Pending to Full Third-Rank? This promotion was within my expectations. The gap between Pending Third and Full Third is a threshold. If Full, it means great use will come later. If only Pending, one can never enter the empire's core in a lifetime."

"Merit increased by twelve ranks, fiefdom doubled, and the Imperial Palace Attendant role and the Battle-Realm Cave-Heaven and Blessed-Land Inspector role were added."

"Who wants the Imperial Palace Attendant role? I don't want to go at all."

"The Battle-Realm Cave-Heaven and Blessed-Land Inspector role is not bad; I have permission to enter many secret and important places."

"The Wu Yao Warship? This means I can equip most war weapons."

"The Immunity Gold Tablet... let's not mention it."

Overall, during the Great Purge of the Sixty-Year Cycle in the Great Zhi era, receiving such an award was already quite good.

In normal times, the award might have been slightly higher, but the increase would have been limited.

Zhao Xing estimated that even if there were awards after Emperor Jing, they would all be insignificant nominal posts.

Why? He still had to leave room for his son.

Otherwise, by the time of Emperor Wu's reign, there would be nothing left to award Zhao Xing, and how would his son use people?

"Exchange three times in the Imperial Treasury? Hmm? Do I have hope of establishing the Great Dream Academy?" Zhao Xing was somewhat surprised.

Emperor Jing was indeed generous this time, bringing out the entire Imperial Treasury for him to choose from.

"After returning, I must take a good look," Zhao Xing thought silently.

Divine artifacts of the Dragon Clan are meant for the Dragon Clan's use; as for human treasuries, in the entire Xuanhuang Realm, only the treasury of the Southern Barbarian Holy Mountain can compete with the Great Zhou Imperial Treasury.

"The Dragon Court Codex should not have been tampered with." Zhao Xing examined the Dragon Court Codex again. "A Divine Artifact of the Rare Treasure level; if Emperor Jing could tamper with it, he would have simply taken it away; there was no need to do this."

After checking once, Zhao Xing came to his senses.

In the sixteenth year of Great Zhi, on the twentieth day of the twelfth month, Zhao Xing secretly arrived at the Shangluo Academy in Shangluo Commandery, Daoyuanzhou.

"Zhao Xing, why have you come out?"

Inside the Shangluo Academy, beneath the Ten Thousand Dao Tree, in a secret pavilion, Zhao Xing met Liu Tianning.

"The process was somewhat complicated; I came out secretly." Zhao Xing stared at Liu Tianning, trying to discern some clue from his face: "Teacher, more than ten years have passed; what realm have you reached?"

"First Rank, Initial Stage of the Fate Palace."

Zhao Xing's expression changed. "Do you have any abnormalities?"

Pausing for a moment, Liu Tianning sighed and said, "Yes, and the problem is very serious."

PS: Begging for double monthly tickets!