Chapter 252: Zhao Xing Was Shocked, Fourth-Rank Imperial Crocodile Is Just a Bigger Fish?

The Violet Mist Archipelago has five arenas.

The main arena on Violet Mist Island will not host preliminary rounds; they will only begin with the group stage.

Zhao Xing's Twin Islands are located west of the archipelago, so he was assigned to the Western Division to participate in its winter evaluation preliminaries.

The Violet Mist Arena for the Western Division is on Sky Competition Island.

By the time Zhao Xing arrived, Sky Competition Island was already bustling with activity. People, exotic beasts, and even costumed aquatic folk could be seen everywhere—in the sky, on land, and in the sea.

“My Lord, seven thousand eight hundred and thirty islands from the Western Division are participating in these winter evaluation preliminaries.”

“As of a quarter past noon today, the total number of exotic beasts participating is three hundred and fifty-seven thousand nine hundred and fifty-four, while handlers account for only a tenth of that. Ninety percent of the beasts are Sixth Grade.” Tao Anchun reported the latest figures as they docked their boat upon entering the island.

Zhao Xing looked at the ground mirror and chuckled, “What a grand event, so many battle beasts!”

“Participating islands have a minimum of two slots, but in reality, many large islands hold hundreds or even thousands of slots.”

“For example, Dragon Island, Myriad Beast Island, and Violet Mist Island. These three large islands each control over fifty thousand slots,” Dong Yuanqiu remarked with emotion.

“For this year’s winter preliminaries, these three major islands have only sent about a dozen participants. Most of the current attendees are from small to medium-sized islands, and even some medium-sized islands hold several hundred slots.”

Zhao Xing nodded. The disparity in strength between islands was far too severe.

Islands like Myriad Beast Island, Dragon Island, and Violet Mist Island boast numerous Fourth-Grade battle beasts, as well as higher-grade ones, allowing them to pick and choose from a vast selection of Fourth-Grade beasts!

Naturally, such large islands have more slots and are exempt from the preliminary rounds.

They even have guaranteed spots in the group stage, with the number simply varying based on whether they participate or not.

This is because Dragon Island, Myriad Beast Island, and Violet Mist Island are backed by the Great Zhou Dynasty's top dignitaries.

Violet Mist Island is entirely owned by Princess Youruo; it is her mother's ancestral home.

Dragon Island and Myriad Beast Island have shares held by numerous feudal kings and martial marquises.

For instance, Marquis Mingwu of the Tiger Jiao Army holds some shares in Dragon Island, as his great-grandfather distinguished himself during the founding emperor's era when expanding Pinghai Prefecture.

The three hundred and fifty thousand battle beasts participating in the Western Division sound like a lot, but in reality, one handler can have multiple pet beasts.

Of course, ninety percent are Sixth-Grade, serving merely as stepping stones.

The internal selection system is brutal; during the preliminaries, the mortality rate for these Sixth-Grade exotic beasts is as high as fifty percent.

However, many battle beasts also achieve breakthroughs, advancing from Sixth to Fifth Grade, and from Fifth to Fourth Grade.

It simply depends on who becomes whose stepping stone.

“It's fine if the Tiger Jiao and Azure Luan die in the preliminaries, but the Mountain Cat must not perish here. If it encounters a strong opponent, it should withdraw from the competition,” Zhao Xing thought to himself.

Because there were still many opportunities.

Over the next five years, qualifying in any of the seasonal preliminaries would grant entry to the group stage held in the subsequent five-year cycle.

This was only the first year of the preliminaries. If they didn't succeed this year, there were still four more years, totaling sixteen opportunities to compete.

Proud Sky Meow was only in its early Fifth Grade, with plenty of room for growth, so there was no need for it to fight to the death now.

As for the Tiger Jiao and Azure Luan gifted by the Daoist academy, their growth potential was limited, so Master Zhao was indifferent to their fate.

Let them fight for a chance at survival in a life-or-death struggle. As battle beasts, dying on the battlefield was better than spending a lifetime confined to a cage in melancholic despair.

As Zhao Xing pondered, the leading multi-deck ship suddenly stopped, and the pilot airship also came to a halt.

Faintly, the sound of arguments accompanied the stillness.

“Is this a traffic jam?” Zhao Xing looked ahead.

“My Lord, I’ll go take a look.” Tao Anchun volunteered.

But before he could step out to investigate, a sudden jet of flame erupted from the port side of a Moonrise multi-deck ship ahead, spraying towards a Seven Sails multi-deck ship in the front left.

The Seven Sails multi-deck ship, not to be outdone, immediately changed direction, accelerated fiercely, and rammed into the adjacent Moonrise multi-deck ship.

“Boom!”

The Seven Sails multi-deck ship was armored with profound iron, and its left side featured a piston ram.

The impact immediately punched a dozen holes into the Moonrise multi-deck ship.

“Damn your ancestors! How dare you attack a military vessel!”

“You scoundrel! I am of the Ji clan! How dare you utter such slander? Are you rebelling? Guards, seize them!”

“Nonsense! As if you're the only one from the Ji clan! Wolf God Guards, attack!”

The two multi-deck ships quickly engaged in boarding combat. Only dozens of people participated, but there were thousands of exotic beasts!

Even the pilot airships dispatched by Sky Competition Island were affected, crushed to smithereens. The officiating pilot swiftly abandoned their craft, barely saving their lives.

The onlookers were dumbfounded by this scene, and Zhao Xing was somewhat speechless; road rage truly exists everywhere.

“Reverse the ship, gain altitude,” Zhao Xing ordered.

His ship was a Cloud-Rain multi-deck vessel dispatched by the Directorate of Agriculture, not a warship. It was not built to withstand collisions, and being caught in the crossfire would be an undeserved misfortune.

However, what he feared came to pass. As Twin Islands’ Cloud-Rain multi-deck ship was only a hundred meters behind the two warring vessels and at a lower altitude.

When the Seven Sails warship capsized the Moonrise multi-deck ship, this enormous vessel, over two thousand meters long, began to plummet towards Zhao Xing’s ship.

“Reverse quickly! Reverse the ship!”

“Activate the barrier!”

“Sky Competition Island’s pilot airship hasn't even unhooked yet!”

“Who cares? The pilot officer will jump off themselves.”

On the Twin Islands’ Cloud-Rain multi-deck ship, there was a flurry of chaotic activity. Tao Anchun, Dong Yuanqiu, and others immediately ordered the engineers below to swiftly maneuver the warship backward.

“This is ridiculous,” Zhao Xing muttered, seeing the situation. He immediately flew out of the ship. After all, Twin Islands’ officials were not soldiers, and their reaction speed in a crisis was too slow. Zhao Xing calculated that if he didn't intervene, the Moonrise multi-deck ship would certainly crash into his own vessel.

There were still ships above, below, to his sides, and behind him; he couldn't retreat far.

“Nine Heavens Astral Wind Art, rise!”

Zhao Xing flashed outside the ship, and nine streams of azure astral wind appeared out of thin air around the Moonrise multi-deck ship.

While extinguishing the flames, he righted the tilting hull and arrested its fall.

“What excellent wind magic! Who are you?!” someone on the Moonrise multi-deck ship shouted.

If Zhao Xing hadn't supported the ship, the Sixth and Seventh Grade individuals aboard could have flown away, but the Eighth and Ninth Grade engineers controlling the mechanisms within the cabin would likely have perished with the ship.

Before Zhao Xing could speak, a lavishly dressed youth on the Seven Sails warship cursed, “Which scoundrel dared to interfere? Are you seeking death? My father is Marquis Jinwu! My mother is Princess Yuanyao, and I am…”

He couldn't finish his sentence because Zhao Xing once again unleashed wind magic, locking down the Seven Sails multi-deck ship he was on.

The Nine Heavens Astral Wind formed two spherical barriers, separating the two ships.

The Seven Sails multi-deck ship ran at full power but still couldn't break free from the astral wind barrier.

Zhao Xing's Nine Heavens Astral Wind Art had reached the peak of high-tier mastery!

How could a multi-deck ship, even a top-tier Fifth Grade one, break free from a magic domain formed by astral winds?

“Boom-crack!”

Within the astral wind barrier, nine azure astral wind dragons swam. With a clap of thunder, thunder beads emerged one after another.

Both the aggressor and the aggrieved instantly quieted down.

Another high-tier spell had reached peak mastery, and his control over magic was exceptionally high, forming a lightning magic domain.

“Hiss, we've encountered a master,” Marquis Jinwu's son thought, his eyes clearing instantly as reason returned.

Meanwhile, on the other ship, Count Wence Ji An secretly gasped in awe: “Whose subordinate is this, to be so formidable? Hmm? Just a Sixth Grade official. How did such a powerful figure emerge in the Violet Mist Archipelago?”

A Sixth Grade official possessing peak high-tier magic and dual domains was exceptionally rare, at least outside the military.

Zhao Xing ignored them, simply maintaining control over the two ships, waiting for the Inspection Bureau officials from Sky Competition Island to arrive.

The Sky Competition Island Inspection Bureau's response was swift; they arrived right after Zhao Xing cast his spells.

A patrol team, riding an airship, appeared above the two warships.

Fifth Grade Inspection Officer Liang Hongyu was quite surprised to witness this scene.

“What happened?” Liang Hongyu summoned the pilot officer to inquire.

The three pilot officers who jumped ship belonged to the Seven Sails vessel, the Moonrise vessel, and the Cloud-Rain vessel, respectively.

After Liang Hongyu asked, she quickly learned the whole story.

Liang Hongyu activated her Bright Radiance Armor, flew in front of Zhao Xing, cupped her hands, and said with a clear voice, “Many thanks to this Lord for intervening to maintain order. May I know your esteemed name?”

She was a Fifth Grade official, and Zhao Xing was a Sixth Grade official, but Liang Hongyu was very polite, as Zhao Xing's strength was perhaps even beyond that of a typical Fifth Grade official. Could he possibly be just an ordinary Sixth Grade official?

“Zhao Xing, Director of the Twin Islands Dragon Horse Directorate.”

Director of Agriculture? Liang Hongyu was somewhat surprised. “Please, Lord Zhao, remove the magical domain from the Seven Sails warship.”

“Alright.” Zhao Xing waved his hand, and the magical domain on the Seven Sails vessel instantly vanished.

“Everyone on this ship, except for the engineers controlling the warship, is to be cuffed and taken back for questioning!”

Although Liang Hongyu was a female inspector, she acted decisively. Once the culprits were identified, she immediately made arrests.

“You scoundrel, my father is…”

“Silence!” Liang Hongyu snapped. “A Seven Sails vessel dares to be brazenly modified into a warship? Is your father a Duke or a Feudal King? Detain him!”

Marquis Jinwu's son was cuffed, and the warship was towed to an outer island for docking.

Ji An, from the Moonrise multi-deck ship, was also to be taken away, but his vessel was damaged and couldn't move for the time being. He had to wait for the Directorate of Engineering on Sky Competition Island to repair it.

Zhao Xing saw that they were constantly causing a blockage, which wasn't good, and people behind them were already cursing!

So he transmitted a message to Liang Hongyu: “Lord Liang, why don’t I take them, both the people and their ship, to the island at once?”

Liang Hongyu hesitated, “Lord Zhao, it's still an hour and a half journey from here… Perhaps I should clear the path and have this ship disembarked on the spot.”

She doubted whether Zhao Xing could sustain such an effort for so long.

Zhao Xing said, “There’s no need for such trouble. After clearing the cloud path, you’ll still need to adjust the island entry array, which will again waste time. Don't worry, I won't let them crash to their deaths.”

A flicker of surprise crossed Liang Hongyu's eyes, and she immediately cupped her hands, saying, “Then I shall trouble Lord Zhao for your assistance.”

Thus, Zhao Xing controlled the dilapidated multi-deck ship, guiding it forward.

This scene attracted many gazes. Being able to levitate a Fifth Grade multi-deck ship using an astral wind magic domain was not something an ordinary person could do.

After reaching the island, they flew at low altitude for another hour and a half, finally arriving at the Multi-Deck Ship Directorate on Sky Competition Island.

Zhao Xing originally intended to leave, but Ji An, who was now in shackles, insisted on coming over to greet Zhao Xing.

He was escorted by Liang Hongyu and came forward, cupping his hands, saying, “Ji An, courtesy name Mingzhi, Magistrate of Kaiyang County on Seven Stars Island. I thank Lord Zhao for your assistance earlier.”

Seven Stars Island is a medium-sized island, formed by the union of seven smaller islands, with seven counties established upon it.

As for why a county magistrate, rather than a director from the Dragon Horse Directorate, was leading the team, it was mainly due to varying circumstances on different islands.

Some magistrates were quite powerful, with the Dragon Horse Directorate fully under their command, and some even held the concurrent position of Assistant Director.

“Zhao Xing, courtesy name Chen’an, Director of the Dragon Horse Directorate in Twin Islands County.” Zhao Xing cupped his hands. “What I did earlier was merely a casual act. Brother Ji, you should try to be less prone to anger in the future.”

Ji An smiled, “Brother Zhao speaks wisely. I wonder where Brother Zhao will be staying on the island? Once I pay my fine, I will visit to express my gratitude.”

Zhao Xing turned his head to look at Tao Anchun, who looked embarrassed and transmitted a low whisper: “My Lord, our Twin Islands haven't participated in the arena for many years. This time, our slots were specially approved, and Sky Competition Island did not arrange an inn beforehand. We’ll have to find our own lodging…”

Zhao Xing nodded and said to Ji An, “Please forgive me, Brother Ji, we haven't found lodging yet.”

Ji An was somewhat surprised. Shouldn't a powerful Agricultural Officer like Zhao Xing be in charge of a medium-sized island? How could Sky Competition Island not arrange accommodation for him?

Odd as it was, Ji An didn’t give up on the idea of expressing his gratitude: “If Brother Zhao doesn't mind, my Seven Stars Island does have an exclusive venue where arrangements can be made for you.”

Zhao Xing thought for a moment and said, “Alright, I appreciate the trouble.”

“Hahaha, this is my first time welcoming a guest while in shackles, so I hope Brother Zhao won't mind,” Ji An laughed heartily. “Brother Zhao, please wait here. I'll be right back.”

After speaking, Ji An disembarked with Liang Hongyu.

“My Lord, this man is quite generous. Seven Stars Island is a medium-sized island, so we won't need to rent accommodation now,” Tao Anchun chuckled as he watched Ji An's retreating figure.

The government inns were already full. To find a place to stay, they would have to pay to rent one, or simply buy a plot of land.

Land on Sky Competition Island was extremely valuable; buying or renting at this time would incur significant expenses.

Seven Stars Island hadn't failed to qualify for the preliminaries in decades, so they naturally had their own accommodation on the island and didn't need to jostle for space with others.

Indeed, just as Tao Anchun had speculated, when Ji An returned after paying his fine, Zhao Xing chatted with him and learned that Ji An had purchased an estate in Sky Competition City, and it was quite large, spanning a full thousand mu.

“A thousand mu? Brother Ji, that’s a truly grand gesture,” Tao Anchun, standing nearby, couldn't help but exclaim in admiration.

“Haha, actually, I’m just benefiting from the good fortune of the previous magistrate,” Ji An chuckled. “Before I took office, Kaiyang County had already acquired public property here.”

“Brother Ji, you truly have good luck,” Zhao Xing remarked with emotion. “To encounter such good fortune. My predecessor as director didn’t leave us anything at all.”

Ji An waved his hand, saying, “It has nothing to do with luck. The previous magistrate of Kaiyang County was my own brother.”

Tao Anchun: “…”

Damn, there are truly connections everywhere.

Zhao Xing, however, was accustomed to it; he himself was a 'connected person'.

In fact, in the East Sea Archipelago, this situation was not uncommon: after a grandfather served as magistrate, his son would, and after the son, the grandson would.

Many islands in the East Sea implemented a system similar to that of Tusi (hereditary tribal chiefs).

Long Xiao's romantic interest, Bai Ling, had a grandfather, Bai Yunwu, who was one of the largest Tusi in the East Sea.

Of course, Ji An's situation wasn't like that, nor was he of mixed or aquatic heritage; it was purely a matter of official maneuvering.

“Things haven't been easy these past few years,” Ji An suddenly remarked as they chatted.

“What do you mean by that, Brother Ji?” Zhao Xing prompted.

“Ever since the Pacification War against the Barbarians began, policies across the East Sea have become increasingly strict. In previous years, with a bit of maneuvering, I wouldn't even need to participate in the preliminaries and could directly secure a group stage slot in the Violet Mist Western Division.”

“Now, with this conflict, even the preliminaries are highly contested,” Ji An said. “Especially after King Liang took power, his exploitation of the East Sea has been excessive. Previously, when my brother served in Kaiyang County, he only needed to raise ten Fifth-Grade battle beasts every three years. Now, it's fifteen every year!”

“If we can't complete the quota in a year, we have to scale back, not just our salaries, but also the beasts' rations are halved.”

“If this war drags on for another decade, I fear I won't even be able to afford handlers and feeders,” Ji An sighed.

“Brother Ji, aren’t you a handler yourself?”

Ji An paused, then retorted, “Is Brother Zhao a handler yourself?”

Zhao Xing nodded, “I am.”

Tao Anchun asked in confusion, “Is it common to hire handlers?”

Ji An nodded, “Of course. The Dragon Horse Directorate only raises them; beast masters are always hired separately. We can't rely on the agricultural officers from the Chenghua Directorate to go into battle, can we? The agricultural