Chapter 145: Time Yong, You Must Hold On

Here are the latest rankings:

First Place: Shi Yong, Training Points: 267450Second Place: Zhao Xing, Training Points: 238850Third Place: Zhuang Ziqing, Training Points: 235330Fourth Place: Cai Jin, Training Points: 208550Fifth Place: Feng Qiu, Training Points: 180200Tenth Place: Li Feng, Training Points: 154520Fifteenth Place: Han Bing, Training Points: 125580Twenty-first Place: Guan Junyang, Training Points: 98540Hundredth Place: Tao Tao, Training Points: 56780

"Second mandatory training, and I ultimately ranked second?" Zhao Xing glanced at the standings. "I only have a little over 3,000 points more than Zhuang Ziqing. The difference isn't significant; in terms of fourth-tier supplies, it's merely a 300-catty difference."

The gap was indeed very small. If they cultivated a similar quantity, a slight fluctuation in survival rate or yield could easily result in a difference of four to five hundred catties.

"But I'm almost 30,000 points behind Shi Yong."

Thirty thousand points, if converted to third-tier supplies, amounted to 30,000 catties. If rationed, that would be enough to feed ten warriors for three months, while maintaining sixty to seventy percent of their combat power.

"It's normal to have a gap. While I'm improving, so is he. It's still quite challenging to surpass a genius who has been a military farmer for several years, especially in just over two months."

"However, I did manage to overtake Xiao Zhuang. I wonder what he'll think," Zhao Xing chuckled softly.

"Brother Zhao," a voice called from behind. It was Zhuang Ziqing, who had just disembarked from a flying boat.

"Brother Zhuang," Zhao Xing turned to face him.

"I didn't expect you to win in the end," Zhuang Ziqing's eyes flashed with a peculiar glint. "Your progress is truly astonishing."

Since they were both in the Earth Advantage Academy, and Zhuang Ziqing occasionally sought advice from Field Marshal Tian Hou while Zhao Xing also consulted his own teacher, the two were quite familiar with each other. Zhuang Ziqing knew that Zhao Xing had been transferred to the Divine Might Army immediately after his regularization as a clerk! He had no prior experience as a military farmer, had only been in the Ten Suns Cavern for a little over two months, and had even learned the Three Great Secret Manuals *after* joining. Yet he had reached this level?

"It was just luck," Zhao Xing said with a slight smile.

"Luck?" Zhuang Ziqing shook his head. "Although the gap between us isn't large, you don't need to say that. You truly outperformed me in this training."

Zhao Xing smiled. In truth, it really was luck. Objectively speaking, his ability to surpass Zhuang Ziqing and secure second place was primarily due to the "Gambler's Tactic" achieving great success! If the influence of the "Gambler's Tactic" were removed, Zhao Xing estimated he wouldn't have been able to surpass Zhuang Ziqing, and might have even struggled against Cai Jin and Feng Qiu.

After all, with only two months, he had too much to learn, and time was extremely tight. This was especially true for the cultivation progress of the Three Great Secret Manuals; others had studied them for several years, while he had only just over two months. The Three Great Secret Manuals provided a significant boost to spells. The important strongholds of the Agricultural Directorate were all related to these manuals.

He hadn't really expected to rank second this time. Initially, Zhao Xing had merely aimed to secure a spot within the top twenty-one to avoid a downgrade in resources. His surge to second place was purely a result of the "Gambler's Tactic" combined with his knowledge and experience from his previous life.

During the first ten days, no significant gaps emerged. In the middle ten days, he should have fallen behind other geniuses due to the short cultivation time for the Three Great Secret Manuals, but the "Gambler's Tactic," along with his past knowledge and experience, allowed him to maintain his second-place position. In the final ten days, while he couldn't widen the gap, Zhao Xing's "Five Elements Earth Splitting Method" still provided some effectiveness. That is why he ultimately ranked second.

"You won this time, but next time, it might not be so certain." A hint of competitive spirit flickered in Zhuang Ziqing's eyes. "After the second training concludes, there will be a month for elective training. I've decided that, like you, I will also sleep for only one *shichen* a day."

Zhao Xing was taken aback. He hadn't expected Zhuang Ziqing to also decide to push himself so hard. Had the news of him sleeping only one *shichen* a day spread so widely?

Zhuang Ziqing's fighting spirit was indeed high. He was a son of an aristocratic family, with good talent and resources. He didn't usually spend much time on cultivation, at most four *shichen* a day, and even then, his progress was rapid. But now, Zhuang Ziqing had been truly stimulated by Zhao Xing.

"Zhao Xing, shall we compete again in the next training?"

Zhao Xing looked at Zhuang Ziqing and smiled, "Alright, I'll be waiting."

"I'm off," Zhuang Ziqing cupped his hands and turned to leave.

As for the others on the ranking list, Zhao Xing also briefly browsed through them. Feng Qiu and Han Bing, who previously held only Grade B-medium status, surged into the top twenty-one after the second mandatory training, so their status would be upgraded to Grade B-high. Li Feng, who had been eliminated early by Zhao Xing during the initial trials and hadn't even made it onto the Grade B-list, now broke into the top ten, essentially regaining the status that matched his true strength.

What surprised Zhao Xing somewhat was Cai Jin, who ranked fourth. Cai Jin was a student of Lu Bang from the Granary Academy. Previously, he only had Grade B-low status, but now he had leaped to fourth place with over 200,000 points.

Putting away his Earth Mirror, Zhao Xing walked towards Fuchunyuan. On his way to see Field Marshal Tian Hou, he also made some minor adjustments to his upcoming cultivation plan.

"My spell repertoire is now largely complete. The Four Heaven-timed spells and the Four Earth-advantaged spells are all acquired. I'm only missing two more of the Four 'My True Self' spells."

"From now on, my cultivation should focus on training with the Three Great Secret Manuals."

He couldn't always rely on luck to win; the "Five Elements Earth Splitting Method" would also be ineffective if he encountered anti-'gambler's tactic' terrains like the Seven Peaks Basin.

At the Granary Academy, Lu Bang examined the final rankings.

"As expected, Shi Yong still secured first place."

"But this Zhao Xing, he actually held onto second place?"

"Could it be that his cultivation progress in the Three Great Secret Manuals has caught up with everyone else?"

Since he wasn't present, Lu Bang hadn't seen Zhao Xing's maneuvers underground, nor had he noticed the unusual power of the "Five Elements Earth Splitting Method."

"It's unbelievable that he caught up in two months with what others spent several years cultivating. Ge Jinsong and Cheng Qingming truly are..." Lu Bang shook his head, ultimately refraining from uttering the words "short-sighted." That was because his student Cai Jin was still nearby.

Setting down the Earth Mirror, Lu Bang looked at his student. "Cai Jin, your ranking in this training surged to fourth place, which was quite unexpected. However, you benefited from some inherent advantages of our academy. This doesn't represent your true strength, do you understand?"

Cai Jin, with his dark skin and capable demeanor, quickly rose from his seat upon hearing his teacher's words. "Student understands. Seventy percent of the seeds and seedlings distributed in this training were derivative species, which I basically recognized from my studies at the Granary Academy. I did benefit from that advantage."

"Hmm," Lu Bang nodded with satisfaction. "That kind of knowledge can easily be caught up to. You must study even harder in the future. I heard that Zhao Xing from the Earth Advantage Academy sleeps only one *shichen* a day, dedicating all other time to cultivation. That's why he was able to rank second in this training."

"You should take him as your example."

One *shichen*? Cai Jin was stunned. He had thought that following Lu Bang's instruction at the Granary Academy meant he was already diligent. But he never imagined that Zhao Xing was even more diligent than him. This wasn't just diligence; it was sheer arduousness!

"Yes, student will take him as an example."

"Since you have this intention, I, your teacher, will give you a small gift to aid you." Lu Bang waved his hand, and a jade pendant flew into Cai Jin's palm. "A fourth-tier Void Malevolent Jade. It has the effect of clearing the mind and refreshing the brain. With it, sleeping one *shichen* a day will be sufficient."

Cai Jin had actually just said it casually to be polite, but he didn't expect his teacher to take it seriously. *Damn that Zhao Xing! Why are you pushing yourself so hard?!*

"Yes, thank you, teacher, for the treasure," Cai Jin said with a solemn expression, accepting the jade, though inwardly he felt helpless. From now on, he wouldn't be able to avoid pushing himself even if he wanted to.

At Feng Qiu's residence, a cold-looking young man stared at the Earth Mirror.

"Shi Yong is close to 270,000 points, Zhao Xing is also close to 240,000 points... I only have 180,000 points?"

"His progress is actually that significant?"

Feng Qiu clutched the Earth Mirror, his expression somewhat gloomy. He had a strong desire to win and had believed that rigorous training would lead to brilliant results this time, but it was still unsatisfactory.

"I didn't surpass Zhuang Ziqing or Shi Yong, couldn't even surpass Zhao Xing, and now there's a Cai Jin I've never heard of..."

Feng Qiu took a deep breath, put away the Earth Mirror, and stormed into his training room to train frantically.

At the Heaven-timed Academy, after numerous flying boats landed, many geniuses disembarked and received the ranking information on their Earth Mirrors.

"Hahaha, my ranking went up by 50 spots, from Grade B-low to Grade B-medium!"

"Sigh, I dropped 37 spots, my resources have been downgraded."

"Phew, that was close! I almost dropped a rank."

"It seems my spell cultivation and combinations still have a lot of issues."

"After being assigned to the branch academy, I was too focused on studying the 'Solar Terms Stele' and neglected Earth-advantaged spells, which resulted in only gaining 3,000 points in the last ten days."

Everyone discussed animatedly. There were fluctuations in Grade B-high personnel, let alone Grade B-medium and Grade B-low. The second training was quite comprehensive. Many, after being assigned to their branch academies, mismanaged their cultivation time, perhaps gaining many points in one area but losing them in another.

"Zhao Xing actually ranked second? He even surpassed Zhuang Ziqing." Guan Junyang looked at the Earth Mirror, a hint of surprise in his eyes. "The Divine Might Army has recruited quite a talent this time."

Hua Zhilin also looked at the Earth Mirror. "I heard he was selected to the Divine Might Army right after becoming a clerk. I already thought he was extraordinary back at Cloud Law Pass and Rain Law Pass, and now it's proven true."

Guan Junyang nodded. "Cao Shuang told me this person rarely shows up in the Earth Advantage Academy; he spends all his time cultivating. But I didn't expect his progress to be so significant." Cao Shuang, Guan Junyang, and Hua Zhilin were all from the Black Armored Army and often communicated.

Hua Zhilin said, "Brother Guan, you really need to work hard. You dropped to twenty-first this time, barely holding onto your Grade B-high rating. If you fall out, Cao Shuang will be the only remaining talent from the Black Armored Army."

Guan Junyang nodded. "I must work hard. Cao Shuang said that Zhao Xing cultivates for ten *shichen* a day, which is inhuman. We never pushed ourselves so hard in the Anti-Bandit Army. Coming here has truly opened my eyes..."

"However, to work hard, I won't just pursue Zhuang Ziqing and Zhao Xing; I'll surpass Shi Yong as well!" Guan Junyang looked at the tall figure in the distance. However, Shi Yong paid no attention to the gazes of others. After disembarking from the flying boat, he simply left the Heaven-timed Academy on his own.

At the Heaven-timed Academy, Autumn Water Residence.

"The training rankings are out. Two individuals from our Heaven-timed Academy have been pushed out of the Grade B-high list this time." A middle-aged man in cloud-patterned brocade robes, named Mei Zhiru, an agricultural official of the Heaven-timed Academy and the highest authority for new recruit training, spoke to his colleagues.

"Among the top five, only Shi Yong remains from our Heaven-timed Academy."

"Looking at the overall top hundred list, many from our Heaven-timed Academy have dropped in rank."

"How did two months of training actually result in a regression? What are your thoughts, esteemed officials?"

"Sir Mei, it's normal for the rankings of geniuses to fluctuate at the beginning of training," an official responded. "We dedicate ourselves to teaching, and the students also strive to learn. Sooner or later, we will reclaim more Grade B-high positions."

"Oh? Then why did the Earth Advantage Academy gain so many and lose so few?" Mei Zhiru pointed to the list. "For instance, Zhao Xing, who ranked second, was initially assessed as 'lacking experience' and 'below average' at the beginning of the branch academy selection. Now that he has progressed so courageously and diligently, doesn't that prove the teachers of the Earth Advantage Academy taught better and were more dedicated?"

"Cough, cough..." Mei Zhiru's question left the responding official flustered, who could only cough twice and look towards a specific seat. The gazes of the others also turned to two seats. Ge Jinsong and Cheng Qingming were sitting there.

Faced with the gazes of their colleagues, Cheng Qingming's mouth twitched, while Ge Jinsong strategically took a sip of tea. Mei Zhiru had not been involved in the initial selection of students for the branch academies. Now, seeing the subtle atmosphere in the room, he more or less understood what had transpired.

He then spoke coolly, "I am not criticizing any of you for any faults. However, our Heaven-timed Academy has always held a dominant position among the four academies. We simply cannot allow our current cohort to become the bottom tier."

"Currently, Shi Yong is still holding up the first place, but our overall performance in the top hundred is inferior to the previous batch. It is our duty to cultivate military farmers for the imperial court. The Heaven-timed Academy should not rest on its past achievements or cling to outdated practices. All of you, along with myself, should be even more diligent from now on."

"Sir Mei speaks truly," the other officials echoed. Cheng Qingming and Ge Jinsong also chimed in with their agreement. However, inwardly, they felt quite displeased. *What 'resting on laurels' and 'clinging to outdated practices'?* This was clearly implying that they hadn't been dedicated enough during the selection process and hadn't given Zhao Xing a Grade B-high rating! Mei Zhiru was practically pointing at their noses and calling them short-sighted.

Cheng Qingming and Ge Jinsong exchanged glances, both with a hint of helplessness in their eyes. If Zhao Xing continued to excel, their teaching performance for the year might very well be ruined.

"Sigh... I was careless," Ge Jinsong thought silently to himself.

"Shi Yong, you must hold on," Cheng Qingming's mind was preoccupied with a different thought.

At Fuchunyuan.

Tian Yan looked at Zhao Xing, who had returned from training. While pleased, Tian Yan also felt some confusion. "You said your Three Great Secret Manuals didn't make rapid progress, so why were you still able to get second place?"

"Teacher, I practiced the 'Five Elements Earth Splitting Method,' and my 'Condensing Essence Method' and 'Foundation Strengthening Method' also made breakthroughs. For complex terrains, I was able to easily enter the ground to regulate the earth veins using 'Divine Movement Protection.' I believe these are the reasons," Zhao Xing replied.

"I see," Tian Yan said. "Then your cultivation focus for the next month should be on comprehending the Three Great Secret Manuals. There happens to be an elective training course this month related to the Nine Sections Dojo."

"When you comprehend the Three Great Secret Manuals and make progress, you can go to the Nine Sections Dojo to verify it."

"You haven't obtained a rating in the Nine Sections Dojo yet, have you?"

"No," Zhao Xing shook his head. The Nine Sections Dojo was a place for combat and sparring. In the past two or three months, he had been focused solely on cultivation and hadn't visited it once.

"Shi Yong, Zhuang Ziqing, and others have already started training in that dojo. Now that you're beginning to comprehend the Three Great Secret Manuals, and it's also the elective training month," Tian Yan instructed, "you can temporarily set aside Lu Bang's elective course and first meet the training requirements of the Nine Sections Dojo."