Chapter 27: Breeding

The plants Zhao Xing selected were chosen with great care. The quality of the Green Vine, Fragrant Lotus, and Diamond Bamboo he chose was Tier 2 Lower, Middle, and Upper, respectively. Plants of too low a tier wouldn't yield enough points, while those of too high a tier would be difficult to cultivate sufficiently within the three-day time limit to earn a high score.

Their practical utility also played a role. While three days might be a short time for plant growth, it was a long time for the candidates themselves. During the assessment, no food or drink was provided, and candidates had to expend vital energy to cultivate the plants, making it a significant test of endurance.

The Green Vine Zhao Xing chose, once mature, would bear Green Vine fruit, allowing him to satiate his hunger and replenish his vital energy. The Fragrant Lotus was an aquatic plant whose seeds and roots were edible. Since he had secured the spring well, cultivating it gave him a significant advantage. The first two plants ensured Zhao Xing could survive the three days in good health and secure a decent ranking, serving as a safety net. The Tier 2 Upper Diamond Bamboo, however, was chosen to aim for the highest score. Successfully cultivating a Tier 2 Upper plant would allow him to stand out and compete for the top rank. Furthermore, the Diamond Bamboo itself was an excellent material for casting the "Plants into Soldiers" spell. This meant that if anyone tried to interfere or cause trouble during the latter half of the assessment, he would have more countermeasures available.

The soil in the cultivation area had been tilled, but it was quite dry. To absorb its full potency, one needed to dig deeper. Zhao Xing once again cast a wind spell. Under his precise control, the wind connected with the clouds above, forming two small tornadoes, each about a person's height.

"Whoosh!" The tornadoes moved along the ground, precisely plowing the trenches even deeper.

"Hmm?" Wen Nanxing, who had just returned to his own plot, was startled by the sight. "What exquisite spell control this person has!"

While casting spells of the same level, some individuals displayed far greater finesse. For example, some people's moving clouds resembled mere wisps of cotton, while Wen Nanxing could transform his into swords, and Xiao Ze could shape his into tigers. Not only did this result in greater power, but it also offered more ingenious applications. The mastery of such techniques depended entirely on an individual's innate comprehension. At this stage, the agricultural clerks were like schoolchildren: some relied on rote memorization, some struggled even with that, but others had already achieved a comprehensive understanding and could infer from one instance to apply it broadly.

Undoubtedly, Zhao Xing belonged to the latter category. Wen Nanxing found himself increasingly captivated as he watched! It wasn't until Zhao Xing dispelled the tornadoes that Wen Nanxing snapped out of his trance.

"When we become officials next year, this person will be my strongest competitor!"

Wen Nanxing composed himself and began to focus on the task at hand. Zhao Xing was completely unaware that Wen Nanxing already considered him a primary rival. To Zhao Xing, what others viewed as exquisite spell control was merely a basic maneuver. He didn't find it particularly remarkable, believing it only worth mentioning if it reached the level of Old Sinong's "Clouds in the Palm" or "Three-Foot Heavenly Thunder."

"Damn it, this spring well is dug so deep?"

Planting the Green Vine and Diamond Bamboo seedlings was easy; he just had to bury them. However, the Fragrant Lotus was an aquatic species and needed to take root in water. Zhao Xing rushed to the spring well and realized it had been dug at least 60 meters deep! There were no tools nearby. Want water? You'll have to figure that out yourself!

"Chen Shijie, you're truly a mischievous one, tormenting people with every trick in the book," Zhao Xing muttered. Seeing this, he had to abandon the idea of directly planting the Fragrant Lotus seeds in the spring well.

Without tools, how would he get water? Naturally, he would use his cloud-manipulation spell to absorb it. Zhao Xing lowered his cloud, bringing the cloud layer closer to the ground. At this proximity, the cloud's vapor could begin to absorb the moisture from beneath the spring well. Chen Shijie's intention was clearly to make the clerks think outside the box to retrieve water.

Finding this method too slow, Zhao Xing once again cast a tornado spell, but this time, the tornado was much larger. It connected the clouds above with the spring well below. Water vapor continuously surged upwards, rapidly infusing into the cloud layer.

"What an incredible 'Dragon Suction Water'!" Chen Shijie had been observing the few clerks who had secured the spring, and once again, he saw Zhao Xing was the first to solve the water retrieval problem, and with remarkable efficiency!

"Elder Xue was truly modest," Chen Shijie remarked. "He's more than just a talent; he's a true gem! You've taught him exceptionally well!"

"I never even taught him that move," Xue Wenzhong said, also quite surprised. He genuinely hadn't taught Zhao Xing this particular technique, at least not the specific wind-raising skill involved. "Could it be that he merely observed my 'Three-Foot Heavenly Thunder' and 'Clouds in the Palm' spells and was able to infer this technique on his own?" At that moment, Xue Wenzhong's conviction about a certain idea grew even stronger.

On the day of the Beginning of Autumn, the intense heat was even worse than during the Great Heat period. Under a clear, bright sky, summoning rain was incredibly difficult. Many clerks found that after casting their cloud spells, attempts to follow up with rain were entirely ineffective. Spells below the Third Turn were heavily impacted by extreme weather.

Many clerks sighed in despair. "Without water, and in such intense heat, our cultivation spells will be significantly less effective."

"It seems we'll have to wait until nightfall to plant."

"What's the point of planting anyway? Tomorrow will be the same; whatever we plant will just die!"

"Sigh, my power is insufficient. If only I could perform a Third-Turn rain spell..."

"Damn it, I'm quitting. I'll just go home and wait for the make-up exam."

Less than two hours into the exam, many clerks gave up. Some hadn't secured a plot, while others realized that even if they had, their plants wouldn't survive. These two factors alone filtered out a third of the participants. People continuously withdrew early, abandoning the assessment. After all, there was no penalty, and they wouldn't be promoted anyway, so why endure the torment and serve as a backdrop for others?

"Pitter-patter~"

Rain began to fall in various parts of the cultivation zone. However, everyone controlled their rain spells meticulously, ensuring the water only fell within their own seedling plots and didn't flow elsewhere. The examiners had long anticipated this; helping others at this point would inevitably drag oneself down. Besides, the capable didn't need help, and helping the incapable now would be futile anyway.

Zhao Xing separated a small cloud, only five meters in diameter and two meters high. He moved it to the spring well, where he had dug a small pit for planting the Fragrant Lotus.

"Splash!"

The small, ink-dark cloud wasn't merely raining; it was practically pouring water! In no time, the small pit was completely filled. A layer of ash had already been spread inside the pit. When the water poured in, the soil and ash mixed, instantly becoming turbid and forming silt.

"Twenty portions of Fragrant Lotus seeds should be just enough."

Zhao Xing took out the seed bag and sowed the seeds at intervals. Lotus seeds were delicate, so the "Wild Growth" spell was temporarily unsuitable. Therefore, Zhao Xing first used the "Robust Growth" spell. He continuously channeled vital energy. After an hour, the Fragrant Lotus seeds took root, sprouted, and emerged from the soil.

"A hundred percent survival rate, phew!" Zhao Xing breathed a sigh of relief. The seedling and seed stages were the most delicate, requiring absolute vigilance. Once this period was over, things would be much easier.

"First, some water," Zhao Xing muttered. He summoned the dark cloud, buried his head into it, and drank deeply.

"In another two hours, once all three plants have properly rooted, I can cast the 'Wild Growth' spell. But I can't rest yet."

Zhao Xing looked around. The cultivation area, which had originally been a desolate grayish-yellow, was now teeming with vibrant greenery. "To get an A-plus score, one must always be prepared," he mused. He glanced at his surrounding colleagues, a sly smile creeping onto his face. "Sorry, but the nutrients in your plots are now mine."