Chapter 56: Autumn Equinox Mountain-Opening, the Spiritual Splendor of the Mountains

Three quarter-hours later, Zhao Xing was still caught.

Beneath a rockery, Shen Zhui breathed slightly hard and pinned the iron ruler right above Zhao Xing's head.

Zhao Xing was briefly stunned, then withdrew his spell.

"Brother Shen, you've won again."

Shen Zhui recalled his iron ruler, his eyes somewhat surprised: "Brother Zhao, your progress is simply too fast. This is only our third sparring session, yet you've already learned to call down lightning, and this strange rain… I actually spent a full three quarter-hours just to catch you."

"A loss is a loss, Brother Shen need not console me."

Shen Zhui shook his head: "I'm speaking the truth. After the first quarter-hour, my primal energy consumption was already three times greater than last time; by the second quarter-hour, my movement technique could no longer reach the subtle level."

Ice Rain drains qi and blood heavily. After all, this spell is reputed to freeze primal energy — when Zheng Lun cast it during an ambush, the halberdiers were frozen solid into ice sticks.

Of course, Zhao Xing had only just begun learning, and didn't even have a first-revolution spell yet, so against Shen Zhui at the seventh stage of Qi Gathering, the suppression wasn't that exaggerated.

"But in the third quarter-hour, your strength suddenly surged, completely ignoring the Ice Rain's effect, and you merged into the rain. Brother Shen, what technique was that?" Zhao Xing asked.

Shen Zhui smiled slightly: "It's the secret art 'Qianyuan Burning Blood.' In a short time it can push my strength up another level, and my control over my body also becomes stronger."

"Only then could I withstand the rain's erosion and your heavenly thunder bombardment."

Zhao Xing suddenly understood: "It seems I still couldn't force Brother Shen to use his full strength."

Shen Zhui laughed: "Didn't you also hold back? This time I didn't even see you use wind."

"My wind is rather tricky and I haven't mastered it properly yet, so I didn't dare use it against Brother Shen."

It wasn't a fight to the death, merely a sparring session, so Zhao Xing had no need to use his Yin Wind against Shen Zhui.

Even the Ice Rain spell hadn't been unleashed at its true power.

It was autumn now, still unbearably hot, with abundant yang energy.

The Ice Rain spell's effect would be halved.

Only in late winter and early spring could the Ice Rain spell perform at its normal effect.

But there was no helping it — a Si Nong can borrow the timing of heaven and the advantage of earth, but must likewise be subject to their influence.

Unless he had entered the ranked realm, Zhao Xing began cultivating the "Solar Terms Decree," mastered the winter seasonal terms, and then would no longer be constrained by the environment, and Ice Rain could also unleash its greatest power.

As the two were chatting, Chen Shijie walked out of the room.

"You two should not spar again these next few days. The day after tomorrow is the Autumn Equinox Mountain-Opening. Go back, conserve your energy, and prepare properly for this examination."

"Yes." Shen Zhui and Zhao Xing took their leave together.

The Great Zhou's "Spirit Mountain Law" stipulated: "In any commandery or county that possesses a spirit mountain, one must follow the cycles of heaven and earth — seal the mountain at the Spring Equinox to nurture living beings; open the mountain at the Autumn Equinox to gather its spiritual splendor."

Gucheng's East Lake Mountain, a thousand feet tall, a marvel of heaven and earth, where primal energy gathered and did not disperse, was a proper 'spirit mountain.'

After Zhao Xing and Shen Zhui left Chen's residence, they began chatting.

"Brother Zhao, the day after tomorrow is the Autumn Equinox Mountain-Opening. These next few days you must be very busy too, I imagine."

Mountains, rivers, lakes, and lands all fell under the management of the Si Nong Bureau, and spirit mountains naturally also belonged to the Si Nong Bureau's jurisdiction.

When serving in a place with a 'spirit mountain,' a Si Nong also needed to know the 'Mountain-Opening Art' and the 'Mountain-Sealing Art.'

Because sealing the mountain at the Spring Equinox and opening the mountain at the Autumn Equinox both required a Si Nong to perform the rites.

Zhao Xing laughed: "The Si Nong Bureau opening the mountain — what does that have to do with me? I only know a few spells. The Mountain-Opening Art doesn't need me to perform it."

Shen Zhui said: "Will Brother Zhao go climb the mountain to gather spiritual splendor?"

Zhao Xing answered without hesitation: "Of course I'm going."

To nurture the mountain's spiritual splendor, and then to gather that 'spiritual splendor' — this was the meaning of sealing and opening the mountain.

A mountain's spiritual splendor could bring different benefits to people.

Some gained lifespan, some gained fortune, some had their primal energy greatly increase, and some had their spells advance to a higher level.

The fact that the Jitian Magistrate Cao Xi was posthumously enfeoffed as a lord was largely because he had nurtured an East Lake spirit mountain.

And ever since a spirit mountain was born in Gucheng, it had become a tradition that the officials' examination on the day of the Autumn Equinox was tied to East Lake Mountain.

"The Autumn Equinox examination's content is, after the mountain is opened, to climb it and gather spiritual splendor."

"Rankings are determined by the harvest."

"A mountain's spiritual splendor is divided into three grades: upper, middle, and lower."

"The highest grade is Fortune Spiritual Splendor, which can increase one's fortune."

"The middle grade is Primal-Faith Spiritual Splendor, which either lets one break through a realm or lets one's spells break through."

"The lower grade is Lifespan Spiritual Splendor, which increases very little and isn't very noticeable."

"Obtaining an upper-grade spiritual splendor earns a rating of Jia; a middle-grade earns Yi; a lower-grade earns Bing; gaining nothing means no score is recorded."

Shen Zhui said with a hint of envy: "I heard that during the great mountain-opening ten years ago, someone went straight from unranked into the Eighth Rank Realm. Truly enviable."

Mountain-opening and mountain-sealing came in great and small varieties, the shortest being one year and the longest ten years.

However, the nine spirit mountains of Nanyang Commandery rarely had great sealings and great openings. The one Shen Zhui mentioned had only been sealed for three years.

"Nanyang Commandery has nine spirit mountains. East Lake Mountain only ranks fifth, but that year not only the officials of our county eagerly participated, officials from other counties also came in great numbers."

Zhao Xing said: "Brother Shen only looks at the lucky ones, unaware that there are also people who died without a burial place. Climbing the mountain to gather spiritual splendor brings not only benefits, but also danger."

Shen Zhui said: "Climbing a spirit mountain and gathering spiritual splendor is open to all the people of Nanyang Commandery, but during the three days from the twenty-second to the twenty-fourth of the ninth month, only officials are permitted to enter; no experts will go into the mountain."

The Autumn Equinox was the day after tomorrow, but at this moment Gucheng's relay stations were already fully occupied. Quite a few officials from other counties wanted to come to East Lake Mountain to try their luck.

The county office was also overflowing, because taking the examination in another locale required prior registration.

Gucheng was still considered fine. Nanyang Commandery's number-one-ranked spirit mountain, 'Yuanping Mountain,' was the truly crowded one. Competition there was also fiercer; many officials had already reached the ninth stage of Qi Gathering, and some had even reached the realm of ranks, though they hadn't been formally appointed to office.

Zhao Xing shook his head: "I mean that the act of climbing the mountain itself carries some peril."

In climbing the mountain to gather spiritual splendor, competition among officials was limited — one could seize from others, but killing or maiming was not permitted.

But the mountains and rivers were treacherous, especially a spirit mountain that had just been opened; danger was inherent, and people had indeed died before.

Shen Zhui gripped the iron ruler at his waist and said firmly: "Even if it's perilous, this year I must go and try. Otherwise, who knows how many more competitors there will be next year? They all say it's getting harder year by year."

For the clerks, climbing Dengshan to gather spiritual excellence was a chance to overtake on the curves, and for those already in the lead, it was even more necessary to take part, to prevent being overtaken by others.

He paused, then looked at Zhao Xing: "Are you going?"

Zhao Xing smiled and said: "Of course I'm going. I'm a local, after all. If the mountain god won't bless a local like me, would he bless an outsider instead?"

This was, of course, a joke. Although the Autumn Equinox did include the custom of climbing the mountain to pay respects to the gods, the Yin Gods didn't care whether you were a local or an outsider—as long as you were a subject of the Zhou Dynasty, they treated everyone equally.

"Hahaha, then you and I shall meet at East Lake Mountain the day after tomorrow." Shen Zhui laughed heartily and left.