Chapter 272: Curse Killing Technique, Xia Jing Exits, Meng Kun Gets Involved?

"How novel," he remarked.

The ninetieth floor of the Secret Arts Pagoda at Tianyuan Branch Academy was only accessible to those with a Doctorate in Classical Studies. Anyone capable of manifesting a Myriad Law Clone was undoubtedly a genius of the Self-Contained Sect. Yet, he seemed to be contemplating a supreme Cloud Art. Li Boqian's curiosity was instantly piqued.

"Senior, your cultivation is profound, and your magic unfathomable. Could you perhaps offer some guidance?"

Zhao Xing immediately cupped his hands towards the source of the voice. His Myriad Law Clone was not something easily discernible to just anyone. Moreover, he was currently within the range of a Mist Concealment spell, with multiple layers of obfuscation, making it virtually impossible for an ordinary person to discern his true state. However, the other party had not only abruptly appeared within his Mist Concealment spell but had also, with a single phrase, revealed his secret. How could Master Zhao not realize he had encountered a top-tier expert? Who it was didn't matter, nor did their presence or absence; what was important was whether this powerful figure could offer him some pointers.

Skipping the details of surprise and inquiry, Zhao Xing seized upon the unknown expert's curiosity and immediately began to demonstrate his understanding of the Heavenly Lightning Finger and the Cloud Gate. "Senior, with your discerning eye, please correct my Heavenly Lightning Finger and Cloud Gate!"

Li Boqian hadn't even fully registered the situation when Zhao Xing began his demonstration. "A bit interesting," Li Boqian mused, growing even more intrigued. The Heavenly Lightning Finger originated from the "Prison Suppressing Chapter" of the Mystic Heaven Lightning Art, and Cloud Gate was also a supreme art derived from the "Cloud Heaven Dao." Who was this young man, daring to use a Myriad Law Clone to study supreme arts that directly pointed to the ultimate truths? Moreover, he wasn't concerned with who had invaded his spell, nor did he ask for guidance; he simply started demonstrating. "Heh, what a clever fellow!" Li Boqian watched with great interest.

*Buzz, buzz, buzz*

Lightning flickered at Zhao Xing's fingertips, where a black point seemed to appear. The point was impossibly dark, as if it threatened to devour and destroy everything, while around it, lightning swirled. When Li Boqian saw the black point at Zhao Xing's index finger, he was genuinely surprised. "This kid wasn't boasting, was he? His Heavenly Lightning Finger has already taken its preliminary form."

*Boom!*

The lightning vortex around the black point instantly struck the spell wall. The wall, crafted from special materials, briefly凹陷 and was covered in dense cracks. As a test wall designed to withstand high-grade training, it possessed immense resilience and self-repairing capabilities. However, the black vortex and lightning imprinted within it had an incredibly destructive power, taking a full seven breaths for the wall to completely restore itself.

"Phew," Zhao Xing exhaled, then added, "Senior, please correct my mistakes." He wasn't sure if the mysterious person had left, as he couldn't sense them at all. At this moment, Li Boqian had not only stayed but had actively revealed himself.

"From the perspective of your understanding of the Lightning Dao, your cultivation of the Heavenly Lightning Finger is already on the correct path; there's nothing to correct."

Zhao Xing was stunned to see the plain-clothed old man emerge from the mist. He immediately bowed in salute. "This humble official, Zhao Xing, greets the Grand Minister of Agriculture!"

Li Boqian smiled and nodded. "Dispense with the formalities. Here, there is no Grand Minister of Agriculture, only an old senior who has lived a few hundred years longer." The reason he had remained hidden was that the Grand Minister of Agriculture's portrait was widely known throughout the land. If Li Boqian were to appear in the Secret Arts Pagoda, it would likely cause a commotion, with countless people abandoning their cultivation to come and pay him homage as if on a pilgrimage. His reason for revealing himself now was primarily that Zhao Xing had piqued his curiosity. If he didn't show himself, he feared his subsequent questions would not be answered.

"Thank you, Senior." Zhao Xing straightened up.

Li Boqian said, "You cultivate the Liu Clan Strawman Art. What is your relationship with Liu Tianning?"

"Liu Tianning is my master," Zhao Xing replied.

"Then how did you manage to enter the Mystic Heaven Academy as a Doctor of Classical Studies?"

"I distinguished myself in the Dragon Court Ancient Land quota competition and was recommended by Lords Geng Shouchang, Heng Yuan, and Sima Yunhai," Zhao Xing answered truthfully.

"So that's it," Li Boqian mused, suddenly understanding. "I suppose your true body is cultivating the Derivation God Art in the Star Palace, which is why you couldn't come."

"Precisely," Zhao Xing did not deny it. His cultivation of the Derivation God Art was a closely guarded secret to others, but not to Li Boqian.

"Since you've embarked on the path of the Self-Contained, why have you come to the Mystic Heaven Academy?" Li Boqian asked his third question, though with a hint of expectation.

Zhao Xing replied without hesitation, "This junior has not only come to the Mystic Heaven Academy but is also on his way to the Kunyuan Academy." He continued, "I practice all three sects and aim to unify the Celestial Timing, Terrestrial Advantage, and Self-Contained paths! To bring the Dao of Agriculture to an unprecedented peak!"

"Hahahaha," Li Boqian burst into laughter. "What magnificent ambition! Young man, you have even greater aspirations than Liu Tianning!" Li Boqian was immensely pleased; this was precisely the answer he had hoped for.

With a testing thought in his mind, he immediately asked, "Even your master, Liu Tianning, only wishes to forge an ultimate path for the Self-Contained Sect. I won't ask you how you plan to unify the three sects yet. Just tell me about your master, Liu Tianning: do you know his ambition, and why he was chosen as one of the candidates for Shangluo Academy?" He wanted to see if Zhao Xing truly had substance, if he had a clear path, or if he was merely indulging in wishful thinking and grandstanding.

Zhao Xing pondered for a moment, then cupped his hands and said, "The Strawman Art has three classifications: the Liu Clan Strawman Art, the Wu Clan Strawman Art, and the Shangluo Strawman Art."

"The Wu Clan version refers to the revised edition of the ancient Strawman Art by Grand Minister of Agriculture Wu Cheng during the reign of the Great Ancestor."

"The Shangluo Strawman Art is the ancient, original version."

"The Liu Clan Strawman Art was created by Liu Zonghai."

"Among them, the Shangluo Strawman Art is largely incomplete in its intent, form, and spirit."

"Some of the magical materials required for forging clones are even extinct."

"Furthermore, only one type of supreme Dharmakaya cultivation was passed down at the time, and its power was not remarkable. Thus, the 'Shangluo Strawman Art' holds only historical significance as the origin."

"During the founding of our Great Zhou Dynasty, two venerable sages, Wu Cheng and Liu Zonghai, simultaneously inherited, improved, and innovated the Strawman Art."

"And they derived low, medium, and high-grade Strawman Arts."

"Among them, True Monarch Wu's mastery of the Dao was already sufficiently high."

"He himself did not practice it, but he gathered powerful figures from the Self-Contained Sect and, with the aid of the Creation Disk, developed forty-nine types of Strawman Arts, from low to high, ultimately leading to the cultivation of seven supreme Dharmakayas."

"Theoretically, the Wu Clan Strawman Art can also be cultivated to its ultimate extent."

"Wu Cheng was a theoretician, while Liu Zonghai was a practitioner, creating eighty-one types."

"The versions created by the two sages had forty-nine overlapping types. Although their essence was the same, there were many differences in their spell effects, primarily concerning materials."

"The Wu Clan Strawman Art is more accessible, prioritizing the spell over materials. The low and mid-tier Strawman Arts publicly promoted by the imperial court are the Wu Clan versions."

"The Liu Clan Strawman Art is an elite path, emphasizing both the spell and the selection of materials."

"However, neither the theoretical Wu school nor the practical Liu school ever cultivated that ultimate Dharmakaya."

"Later generations of Shangluo Academy deans only reached the supreme Dharmakaya level."

"Even so, once a Myriad Law Clone reaches the supreme perfect level, its power and effectiveness are already comparable to the ultimate arts of other sects."

"Therefore, the requirement for leaders of the Self-Contained Sect is merely to cultivate multiple supreme Dharmakayas and achieve perfection."

"My master intends to unify nine supreme Dharmakayas into one, to forge a truly ultimate path for the Self-Contained Sect, and then recompile the Strawman Art. That is his ambition."

Li Boqian asked with interest, "You wish to unify the three sects; how do you propose to do that?"

Zhao Xing quickly replied, "In addition to the Myriad Law Strawman, I shall create another ultimate path for the Self-Contained Sect." He continued, "For the Terrestrial Advantage Sect, I will create ultimate mountain arts and ultimate profound earth arts to complete the five ultimate terrestrial advantages."

Seeing that he had no further explanation, Li Boqian smiled and asked, "The Celestial Timing Sect already has seven ultimate arts; what will you do about that?"

Zhao Xing said, "The Celestial Timing Sect doesn't lack arts; instead, I will perfect the 'Five Elements and Four Seasons Theory'."

"Hahahaha, well said! If you can accomplish all this, you will truly be unprecedented and unequaled!" Li Boqian laughed with satisfaction. "You have the Dao in your heart and the art in your hands, but the path beneath your feet still needs to be trod more steadily." He then added, "I have asked you six questions, so you may come to Nanshan Villa to consult me six times."

Zhao Xing's heart leaped with joy, knowing that good fortune had come his way. Guidance from the Grand Minister of Agriculture was far superior to that from Geng Shouchang.

"This junior seeks your guidance on how to gain insight into the Heavenly Lightning Finger."

Li Boqian pondered, "As I said earlier, your lightning art has already taken its preliminary form, with nothing to correct." He continued, "The main reason you cannot fully manifest it is because this is a Myriad Law Clone."

Myriad Law Clone? Zhao Xing fell into thought.

"A Myriad Law Clone has its limitations. For example, it cannot perform the internal Transformation Art." Zhao Xing listened quietly. Indeed, a Myriad Law Clone could not perform the Transformation Art internally, at least not in this era. The Transformation Art involved significant changes to the physical body, and a clone's composition differed greatly from a physical body. Once the Transformation Art was performed internally, the clone would immediately collapse and be beyond repair, which underscored the irreplaceable nature of the true body.

"Furthermore, while a Myriad Law Clone can comprehend the three great secret scriptures, the clone's body lacks Seasonal Order Medallions and Pure Essence Soil, so it cannot store plant-based constructs."

Li Boqian's fingertip showed a black hole lightning vortex, the Heavenly Lightning Finger's speed slowed by countless times. At the same time, a Seasonal Order Medallion floated from his body. It was a Start of Insects Seasonal Order Medallion. However, while others' spring seasonal medallions were green, Li Boqian's was purple.

"The Heavenly Lightning Finger is comprehended from the Great Heat, Lesser Heat, and Start of Insects seasonal nodes. It combines the true essence of lightning art, understood with the aid of the Seasonal Order Medallion. In the beginner stage, the Seasonal Order Medallion is a very important auxiliary cultivation method."

"The structure of your Myriad Law Clone is not the same as your physical body."

"Thus, you have grasped its form and roughly its spirit, but you lack the true essence of thunder and are not accustomed to the difference between your true body and the clone."

"The Myriad Law Clone you created emphasizes Yin Five Elements because its foundation is the Soul-Binding Strawman Art, and its magical materials are Yin Five Elements. Yet you are attempting to cultivate Yang lightning, which constantly interferes with your spellcasting."

Zhao Xing's eyes widened in realization. Li Boqian had pointed out two issues: first, he hadn't used the Seasonal Order Medallion as an aid during cultivation, essentially adding an inherent layer of difficulty. Second, he hadn't noticed the clone's unique properties; he wanted to cultivate a supreme Yang lightning art, but the heavy Yin Five Elements within the clone's body interfered with his comprehension. If it were his true body, he would likely have succeeded long ago; this was the drawback of sending a clone.

Li Boqian said, "The solution is simple. You're just a step away from success, so you can perfectly allow your true body to take some time to cultivate." He added, "Once you truly grasp the fundamentals, and can look down from a high vantage point, it will be much easier to then find a way for your clone to perform the spell."

Zhao Xing felt suddenly enlightened after hearing this. His previous mastery of the Dao was sufficient, so he had quickly overcome obstacles, enabling his clone to swiftly cast advanced spells with gradually increasing power. But now, cultivating a supreme art was no longer so easy, which had stumped him. Now that Li Boqian had pointed out a path, he immediately knew what to do. In truth, it sounded simple, but if Li Boqian hadn't enlightened him, Zhao Xing might have taken much longer to discover it.

"Thank you, Senior, for your guidance. I know what to do."

Li Boqian smiled. "This question won't count towards your six opportunities; consider it payment for your silence. My visit here is confidential, and you must not disclose it. Go to the academy and find Lu Chunhua; he will have a Master of Ceremonies cast 'Three Silences' on you."

"Yes," Zhao Xing said, cupping his hands. The Three Silences was a ceremonial spell, also commonly known as a silencing spell. Li Boqian was here on an important mission and could not risk exposure.

After meeting Li Boqian, the clone went to the Dean's office. Lu Chunhua summoned a Master of Ceremonies whose cultivation level was indiscernible, and had him cast 'Three Silences' on Zhao Xing. This spell affected the soul, meaning neither the true body nor the clone could reveal Li Boqian's whereabouts.

Zhao Xing's true body, at his residence in the Star Palace, closed its eyes, pretending to rest. He wore his Heavenly Machine Law Robe, a Soul-Suppressing Jade Pendant, and a Soul-Suppressing Bell as he entered a dream. In the memory palace within his dream, Zhao Xing replayed his meeting with Li Boqian.

"Li Boqian, the Grand Minister of Agriculture, has a very high historical standing. Unlike Old Liu, he isn't cruel; he's relatively gentle." Zhao Xing mused to himself, "If I gain his favor, these six opportunities for guidance are my reward." He had originally thought it would take more effort, but he hadn't expected to gain such an opportunity simply by expressing his ambition before him. He had to admit, besides luck, his own strength was also a factor. If he hadn't cultivated a Myriad Law Clone and his true body had gone to the Secret Arts Pagoda, it might not have even caught Li Boqian's attention. What he said afterwards would then just seem like idle boasting. But having cultivated a Myriad Law Clone proved that he wasn't just thinking about it, but actively working towards it; his actions and ambitions were aligned. That's why Li Boqian said he 'had the Dao in his heart and the art in his hands.'

"I must make good use of Li Boqian's six opportunities. Ideally, I can learn his 'Origin Seal' art." He decided, "However, I should save the Origin Seal art for the last opportunity. Right now, I'm still barely capable of receiving such a legacy, and I can't afford to waste a chance." If he succeeded, his work in the Celestial Timing Sect would be much smoother, and his status would skyrocket! Bestowing an ultimate art upon the Celestial Timing Sect would be 'carrying on the lost scholarship of the sages,' a monumental merit! Although the Celestial Timing Sect already had seven ultimate arts, the intrinsic value of an ultimate art would not diminish simply because of its quantity.

"The Derivation God Art is fundamental for learning spells. With my Soul Seal at three stars, my learning ability has increased by more than tenfold." He noted, "Spell affinity, spell comprehension, spell creation, derivation... these are all noticeably improved." He concluded, "Next, I'll take a few days to try it out."

Time flowed by, and in a blink of an eye, it was December 10th. In the Star Palace, Zhao Xing's true body was cultivating, though this time it wasn't the Derivation God Art, but the Heavenly Lightning Finger.

*Buzz, buzz, buzz*

A black lightning vortex appeared at his fingertip. It was incredibly stable, yet contained immense destructive power. "The true essence of lightning destruction, the supreme art Heavenly Lightning Finger, has finally reached its introductory stage," Zhao Xing smiled faintly, dispelling the spell.

Both the true body and the clone shared the same soul, so their insights were naturally interconnected. The clone's enlightenment was equivalent to the true body's enlightenment. He had stayed in the Secret Arts Pagoda for ten consecutive days. Concurrently, his true body had briefly abandoned the cultivation of the Derivation God Art, activating the Seasonal Order Medallion to aid in comprehension. Finally, on the tenth day of using the Secret Arts Pagoda, he comprehended the Heavenly Lightning Finger to its first refinement stage.

"The true body has achieved入门 (mastery), now it's about getting the clone accustomed," Zhao Xing thought to himself. The clone would definitely lag behind the true body. In casting supreme arts, the true body was like seeing the world with both eyes and having all limbs intact. The clone, on the other hand, was like covering one eye and having a limp.

"Based on my experience with high-grade arts, once the true body cultivates a supreme art to the third refinement stage, the clone should be barely able to cast it."

Suddenly, the Earth Mirror buzzed. Zhao Xing looked at it and sighed helplessly. "Oh, the King of Heavenly Derivation is urging me again, really... Does he think I'm slacking off?"

When Zhao Xing rested for two days, the King of Heavenly Derivation approved. After five days of rest, the King of Heavenly Derivation began to get restless. After ten days of rest, the King of Heavenly Derivation continuously reminded Zhao Xing not to be negligent. The dignified King of Heavenly Derivation had become Zhao Xing's cultivation supervisor. He was afraid Zhao Xing would miss the chance to break a record.

"Zhao Xing, it's time to cultivate, come out quickly!" The King of Heavenly Derivation's voice echoed outside the door. "The total time you've rested has exceeded ten days! Even the horses in Tuoquan Palace don't rest as much as you!"

"Oh, coming, coming!" Zhao Xing sighed and quickly flew out. The difficulty of progressing from the third to the fourth destined star was increasing. Liu Tianning had spent over half a year to achieve this leap. After learning the Heavenly Lightning Finger, under the supervision of the King of Heavenly Derivation, Zhao Xing had to abandon spell comprehension with his true body and focus on cultivating the first layer of the Derivation God Art.

"Soul Seal at four stars will probably be in January next year," Zhao Xing mused. "I wonder if my speed is considered fast or slow, and if I can complete it within three years." From the third star onwards, he felt it became increasingly difficult, and the time required grew longer. Of course, Zhao Xing had no concrete concept of this, as the King of Heavenly Derivation didn't tell him, and he had no way of knowing the cultivation speeds of others. Were any of the other thirty-seven people faster than him? Where did he rank? These were all top-secret files.

"Seeing how urgent the King of Heavenly Derivation is, I probably aren't cultivating very quickly. I need to work harder; I can't underestimate the geniuses of Great Zhou." Master Zhao had no idea that he was not only first among those thirty-eight people, but also the first in this dynasty, and even the first in history. If he knew, he would probably complain to the King of Heavenly Derivation: *I'm already this fast, why are you still rushing me? You act like I'm last.*

Time came to January 15th of Jinxin Year 31. Inside the Star Palace.

*Rumble*

The secret pattern stars rotated, and Zhao Xing stood on the Star Platform, watching quietly. By now, he no longer cried out in pain. The cultivation of the Derivation God Art had also honed his mental fortitude. The pain was now far greater than during the first star, but he could maintain a composed expression. Even the King of Heavenly Derivation couldn't tell if Zhao Xing had succeeded or not. He waited a long time, but Zhao Xing didn't take the Primordial Soul Liquid, nor did he cry out. The King of Heavenly Derivation couldn't help but reveal himself. "You... have you broken through or not? You've been standing here for a long time." If he had broken through, he should speak up quickly; the King still had to write a record!

"Reporting to the King of Heavenly Derivation, I have broken through." Zhao Xing nodded. At this moment, on his soul, following his lower back and shoulders, another star appeared on his back. Secret patterns emerged from the star, a testament to the path of the soul.

"The fourth destined star?" The King of Heavenly Derivation's face lit up with joy. "Excellent, excellent."

"Your Highness, what level is my speed at for breaking through to the fourth star?" Zhao Xing asked.

"Of course, it's..." The King of Heavenly Derivation, in his excitement, almost blurted out the truth. But then he remembered Zhao Xing's ten days of rest and swallowed his words. "Ahem, well, I can only say you still have a lot of room for improvement."

Zhao Xing couldn't quite grasp his ambiguous answer and could only ask, "Your Highness, may I have a few days off?"

"What are you going to do?" The King of Heavenly Derivation asked warily. Why did he want to rest again? This kid wasn't like this in the Ten Yang Caves!

"The Spring Sacrificial Day is approaching, so I need to go home for the New Year holidays," Zhao Xing said. "Last time I broke through, besides one clone at the Tianyuan Branch Academy and another on its way to Kunyuan Academy, all the others dissipated due to soul vibrations during the breakthrough." He added, "It's not that I can't use a clone to go back, but my sister often calls me a foolish brother, and I want to go back and see her in person." This reason was impossible to refuse. The King of Heavenly Derivation nodded. "All right, then I'll give you half a month off." The leap from the fourth to the fifth star wouldn't happen overnight anyway.

"Thank you, King of Heavenly Derivation."

"Don't rush," the King of Heavenly Derivation said. "Go back closer to the holiday; it's still early, half a month away."

"Yes."

In Chongming Prefecture, within a secluded private residence. Yin Quanchuan looked at the stack of documents before him and turned to his subordinate. "How did you manage this? I asked you to bring all the official records from the Chief Controller of the Earth God Temple, but all of these have the signature of the Right Chief Controller Chen Shijie. The Left Chief Controller only has an official seal?"

His subordinate felt wronged. "My lord, you can't blame me. When Zhao Xing went to the Earth God Temple, he was completely hands-off. He just slept in his office all day and didn't manage anything." He explained, "All affairs of the Earth God Temple Chief Controller were handled by Chen Shijie." What could be done if Zhao Xing did nothing but slack off?

"What?! How can that scoundrel be so lazy in his governance!" Yin Quanchuan slammed the table in anger. He needed to obtain items related to Zhao Xing, to secretly send them overseas, as a medium. Collected, they could be put to use when the time was right. But Zhao Xing had been at the Earth God Temple for so long and had done absolutely nothing; all matters, big and small, were handled by Chen Shijie. He was like a statue in a temple, only observing, never speaking, never moving.

"Is there not a single document here with Zhao Xing's signature?" Yin Quanchuan asked, clutching the stack of papers. "Huh? Is there?"

His subordinate replied, "Reporting to my lord, there are still three."

"Oh?" Yin Quanchuan was overjoyed. "Where?"

The subordinate immediately scurried forward and found three documents among the ones Yin Quanchuan had disorganized.

"Good, you may leave," Yin Quanchuan dismissed his subordinate. Then he sank into the ground, arriving at an underground palace. A massive brazier burned in the underground palace. Yin Quanchuan threw all three documents into it. This brazier had been passed down from the ancient True Fire Sect. It was an imitation of the Li Fire Divine Sect's Li Fire Divine Altar and Fire Pit, but being a knockoff, it lacked some capabilities; it couldn't transport people, only items, and not in too large a quantity.

*Poof*

These three official documents were transported to the distant Three Mountains beneath the sea. The Blood Spirit Venerable stepped down from his platform, holding the three documents, then closed his eyes to sense them. A moment later, a face with a stubbly beard, a slightly square jaw, faint brow lines, and smaller nose and eyes appeared in the Blood Spirit Venerable's mind. It was a fair-skinned face.

"That fool Yin Quanchuan," the Blood Spirit Venerable snorted coldly. This wasn't Zhao Xing's signature at all; it was clearly signed on his behalf by Chen Shijie! The Blood Spirit Venerable casually tossed the documents aside. A dignified Fourth-Grade Inspector couldn't even obtain an item from a Fifth-Grade official, let alone make such a mistake? Yin Quanchuan was truly useless! To perform a Curse Assassination spell, he would face considerable costs, even needing to consume someone's life. How could it be used to kill Chen Shijie? He wasn't even on the target list!

The Blood Spirit Venerable sent a reply to Yin Quanchuan. Soon after, in the underground secret chamber, Yin Quanchuan saw the reply: *Fool, that was signed on his behalf by Chen Shijie!*

"What?!" Yin Quanchuan was furious upon seeing the reply. "Damn Zhao Xing! How could you be so lazy in your governance! Argh, you infuriate me!"

Time flew by, and soon it was February 4th. In Chongming Prefecture, most officials were already on New Year's leave, but the Earth God Temple became increasingly busy. As the Spring Sacrificial Day approached, many people flocked to the temple to worship the Earth God. It was also on this day that Zhao Xing was granted half a month's leave by the King of Heavenly Derivation.

Emerging from the entrance of the underground secret chamber, he returned to the temple. Upon arriving at the Earth God Temple's office, he saw a pile of documents flying into the Chief Controller's room. Scarcely had one batch been processed when a new one flew out of the brazier. Subordinate officials constantly entered and exited, seeking instructions from Chen Shijie.

Upon seeing Zhao Xing enter, the surrounding officials paused, then cupped their hands in salute. "Greetings, Chief Controller Zhao." Though they saluted, some officials looked rather displeased. Because Zhao Xing often slept and didn't manage affairs, everything was handled by Chen Shijie, the Right Chief Controller. Consequently, some officials barely remembered there was a Left Chief Controller named Zhao Xing, only realizing it after being reminded by others.

"You all carry on, carry on. Don't mind me," Zhao Xing said with a smile, walking into Old Chen's office. Upon entering the Chief Controller's room, Chen Shijie was already buried under documents. Heaven help him, Zhao Xing entered, and he didn't even notice! Chen Shijie was a Military Minister of Agriculture, with high alertness, yet he was so busy he didn't even notice Zhao Xing's entrance.

"Cough, cough..." Zhao Xing coughed twice, casually grabbed a junior clerk, took two stacks of documents, and walked over. "I'll take over; you may leave."

"Yes."

"Quite busy, huh?" Zhao Xing, holding the documents, intended to sit down but found there wasn't even a place to stand nearby, so he could only remain upright.

"What are you doing?" Chen Shijie asked, looking at the documents in Zhao Xing's hands.

"I'm here to help you with official duties, of course."

"What do you know about official duties? Give them here, these two are urgent from Mingyang Commandery."

"Right away, Lord Chen." Zhao Xing swiftly handed over the documents. Chen Shijie's hands didn't move, but many pens were held by an unseen force, continuously signing and replying to reports from subordinate commanderies and counties. The Earth God Temple was usually not busy, but leading up to the Spring Sacrificial Day, it became frantically busy. The most important affairs of a nation were military and sacrificial; sacrifices were one of the Great Zhou's most crucial activities. The Spring Sacrificial Day was particularly important. Normal sacrificial activities in counties didn't require approval from the prefecture, only reporting to the commandery level. However, for Spring Sacrificial Day related rituals, even county-level events required prefectural approval.

But now there seemed to be too much. Zhao Xing watched for a while and realized there was more work than he expected. "Why is there so much work? Even county-level matters fall under our purview now?" Zhao Xing asked.

"It was an impromptu assignment," Chen Shijie said. "A month ago, Imperial Astrologer Zhou transferred county-level spring sacrifices to the prefectural level."

"Is someone targeting us?" Zhao Xing frowned. "Is Zhou Chengwen part of the Prince Liang's faction?" Zhou Chengwen was the Star Lord Priest of the Prefectural Star Lord of Destiny Temple, a third-grade official, essentially their superior.

"I don't know, can't tell," Chen Shijie shook his head. "His reasons are sound too. This year is a major New Year spring sacrifice, so it's normal for county-level matters to be transferred here." The Earth God Temple didn't just manage sacrifices; it also handled agricultural affairs. Chongming Prefecture was vast, and even the counties and commanderies on the islands had so much work, so it was impossible to keep up.

Zhao Xing nodded; there was nothing to be done about it. He wasn't sure if Zhou Chengwen was truly part of Prince Liang's faction or if there was some conspiracy behind it, but Zhao Xing was too lazy to think about it. Since Princess Youruo hadn't intervened, it meant what he was doing wasn't excessive.

"The Spring Sacrificial Day is soon. Can we finish before the New Year?"

"No," Chen Shijie shook his head. "What are you thinking? The New Year is the busiest time." He added, "The Earth God Temple isn't just involved with sacrifices; it also handles agricultural affairs. These two months are the busiest."

"How long has it been since you had a vacation?" Zhao Xing asked.

"I haven't had one since I arrived," Chen Shijie replied.

Zhao Xing couldn't help but feel a little ashamed. "Alright, stop now. Go home for the New Year; I'm giving you a holiday." He continued, "If you don't go back, Gui Niang will start complaining."

Chen Shijie was puzzled. "You don't want to work anymore? If I leave, who will handle this work?"

"I will," Zhao Xing said with a smile.

"You?" Chen Shijie scrutinized Zhao Xing.

"Who are you looking down on?" Zhao Xing said. "I'm just busy, not incompetent." How could he not know how to handle government affairs? He knew all about the "Complete Guide to Optimal Governance" summarized by players.

"You're not going back?" Chen Shijie asked. "This year, not only is Long Xiao coming back for the New Year, but even Xia Jing will come to the East Sea after the Spring Sacrificial Day."

"Oh? Xia Jing is coming too? Why wasn't I told?" Zhao Xing was somewhat surprised.

"Well, you have to be reachable first. Even your attendance roll call was done for you," Chen Shijie said, pulling out his Chief Controller's seal.

Zhao Xing clarified, "What I mean is, how does he have time to come?" The Pacification of the Barbarians War was not yet over, and Xia Jing was now a Rank 5 Upper Martial General. How could he leave?

Chen Shijie explained, "Xia Jing broke both arms and was poisoned by an Earth Witch."

"What?" Zhao Xing's eyebrow twitched. "Is it serious?"

"He says it's not serious," Chen Shijie said, "Xiang Kui found him a Thousand-Year Bone-Mending Ginseng from Guangling Caves, but his two arms were poisoned and couldn't be reattached. He'll have to wait for them to grow back, which requires a period of recuperation." He added, "The poison is also quite troublesome; he's expected to need about half a year to a year of treatment to fully recover."

That was very serious! Xia Jing cultivated the Black Tortoise Shield externally and the Beast Devourer Art internally. To be injured to this extent, how could it not be serious?

"Fortunately, his life was spared," Zhao Xing breathed a sigh of relief. As long as he hadn't died on the spot, he could usually be saved.

"It seems your decision back then was correct," Chen Shijie murmured. They had enjoyed the good fortune without encountering any disaster. Otherwise, Chen Shijie and Long Xiao might not be well now. The Pacification of the Barbarians War had progressed, with its intensity gradually escalating. Xia Jing being injured by an Earth Witch meant that forces with Third-Grade combat power had begun to engage. For now, Third-Grade combatants were only appearing sporadically, but it was a sign. Sooner or later, one side would lose patience and fully initiate a high-grade war.

"Counting the time, it should be within these two years," Zhao Xing thought to himself. Prince Liang's rebellion occurred in Jinxin Year 35, and before that, the high-grade war lasted for about three years. This meant that the high-grade war would break out in Jinxin Year 32. At that time, the Southern Wilderness would truly become a hellish, meat-grinding battlefield.

"When he arrives, I'll advise him to use this opportunity for a complete recovery," Zhao Xing said solemnly. "If he retreats now, he can still retain his Rank 5 Upper official position and honorably retire with his title and military rank."

"You mean you're also going back to Dongyang County?" Chen Shijie asked, surprised. "Then what about here?"

Zhao Xing chuckled. "Did you forget I have clones?" Although he only had two remaining due to his cultivation of the Derivation God Art, they could be recreated at any time. Zhao Xing now had an abundance of materials in his Pure Essence Soil; he could instantly create a hundred more. Handling government affairs wouldn't even require that many. With his Soul Seal at four stars in the Derivation God Art, he could handle multiple tasks simultaneously, making dealing with mere government affairs a piece of cake.

"Alright, I'll listen to you then." Chen Shijie smiled, put down his pen, and immediately lay down to sleep. Zhao Xing waved his hand, and a gust of wind carried Chen Shijie to his official residence. He then activated Pure Essence Projection, and from the shadows, clones emerged one by one. The clones took over Old Chen's work, beginning to sign official documents.

On February 10th, Jinxin Year 31, Spring Sacrificial Day. Zhao Xing and Chen Shijie celebrated the New Year together at home in Dongyang County. On February 13th, Long Xiao arrived in Dongyang County with Bai Feng. They had just arrived when, on the afternoon of February 14th, Xia Jing also reached Dongyang County in Bixian Commandery. Zhao Xing had a relative's quota at the Li Fire Daoist Academy, allowing Xia Jing to pass through directly. So, he arrived on the fourth day after the New Year. Thus, the Four Swordsmen of the Ten Yang Caves, after eleven years apart since their separation in Jinxin Year 20, reunited once more.

"How fast time flies, it's been eleven years already," Xia Jing remarked, sitting at the table. His appearance hadn't changed much in eleven years, but his hair had fallen out completely, a lingering side effect of the Earth Witch's poison, which hadn't fully recovered. His demeanor carried a hint of vicissitude, and he had become more composed than before.

"Come, drink! Xia Jing, I toast you. To survive against a Third-Grade Earth Witch, I salute you as a true hero!" Long Xiao raised his cup.

"Keep your voice down," Chen Shijie said. "Why are you shouting so loudly? Madam is resting in the side hall."

"What's there to fear? It's just the four of us here. Tonight, we drink freely!" This was the second round of their gathering; their family members were not in this four-meter wide room.

Xia Jing also raised his wine cup. He had installed two Seventh-Grade mechanical prosthetics. After taking the Bone-Mending Ginseng, his bones wouldn't grow back quickly. He needed restorative medical prosthetics, which were thicker than his original arms, with space inside for his hands to slowly regrow.

"Don't worry, this room is soundproofed. You can shout as loud as you want," Zhao Xing said with a smile, raising his cup. "We should indeed toast. Come, for Brother Xia, bottoms up!"

"Bottoms up!"

The four men drained their cups.

"Hah, good wine." Xia Jing's face turned red after just one cup. His resistance was not what it used to be; a single cup of Fifth-Grade fine wine could make him flush.

"Crown Prince, tell us in detail how you escaped from under a Third-Grade Earth Witch," Long Xiao said. "Today, we're giving you a chance to brag."

Xia Jing raised his wine cup but looked at Zhao Xing. "Speaking of which, I owe my life to Brother Zhao."

"Oh? How is he involved?" Long Xiao asked curiously. Chen Shijie also looked over.

Xia Jing looked at Zhao Xing and said, "Do you still remember what you told me when we parted ways?"

Zhao Xing nodded. "I remember."

Xia Jing said, "Before you left, you drew a flag for me and told me to run if I ever saw that flag."

Zhao Xing's pupils contracted. "You encountered the Nine Nether Army of the Southern Wilderness Sacred Mountain?"

Xia Jing smiled bitterly. "Yes, I encountered people from the Nine Nether Legion. At the time, I was leading a Dragon Rider Battalion on a reconnaissance mission for Xiang Kui." He continued, "Suddenly, I encountered a flag I had never seen before." He went on, "Upon seeing that flag, I suddenly remembered your words and immediately fled."

"So you didn't fight?" Long Xiao interjected.

"No, I fled as soon as I spotted it," Xia Jing said. "But just when I thought I had successfully retreated, I found myself poisoned. My hands trembled uncontrollably, my Blood Qi Battle Array began to collapse, and I started hallucinating."

"What did you see?"

"I saw nine black worms with hideous mouthparts, suddenly emerging from the air and burrowing into my body," Xia Jing said in a deep voice. "At first, I thought it was a worm witchcraft technique, but it wasn't, because I carried a holy item for detoxifying, but it was useless." He recounted, "My body began to crumble, and my golden body was disintegrating, so I decisively severed both my arms." Xia Jing continued, "Fortunately, my Azure Dragon Transmogrification Art had reached the seventh layer, and the Black Tortoise Shield and Beast Devourer Art also helped immensely. After severing my arms, the hallucinations stopped, and only the poison remained active." Xia Jing recalled the scene with lingering fear. "Do you know, I didn't even see the enemy, nor did I know what kind of technique it was. At the time, I only wanted to escape with my life." He concluded, "After I ran back to the camp, I passed out. Only afterward did I learn that I had encountered a Third-Grade expert."

"The outside world says I encountered a Third-Grade Poison Witch, but that's not true," Xia Jing recalled. "This was absolutely not an ordinary Third-Grade; there's no record of such a technique in the military world. You know the rest; I left the battlefield to recuperate."

Long Xiao asked, "Zhao Xing, do you know what kind of technique that was?"

Zhao Xing said solemnly, "The Nine Nether Army is the Southern Wilderness Sacred Mountain's trump card. Its status in the Southern Barbarians is equivalent to our Great Zhou's Ten Forbidden Armies." He explained, "The Nine Nether Army originated from the ancient Nine Nether Divine Sect. The people within it are trained as all-rounder commanders." He added, "From the beginning, they have had a servant army, and the selection standards for the servant army are very high, comparable to the top twenty Forbidden Armies of the Great Zhou."

"What? Servants are held to that standard?" Long Xiao was stunned. "Are their numbers very small? Is it a 'raising蠱' (cultivation of poisons) style of training, picking one in ten million?"

Zhao Xing shook his head. "No, there are many. The Nine Nether Army exceeds fifty thousand, and the servant army exceeds ten million."

"Are you joking?!" Long Xiao was shocked. "Ten million servant troops comparable to the top twenty Great Zhou Forbidden Armies? Great Zhou doesn't even have that many, and how strong must those fifty thousand be? Wouldn't each of them be an unparalleled genius?"

"Impossible, absolutely impossible," Chen Shijie said. "How could a mere Southern Barbarian region have such a foundation?"

Xia Jing, however, looked at Zhao Xing; he was the only one who didn't question it.

Zhao Xing pondered. "The Southern Wilderness Sacred Mountain is quite special. The Nine Nether Army doesn't use ordinary cultivation methods; they have ways to change the aptitude of ordinary people. But they also have restrictions; they cannot leave the Southern Barbarian region and can only defend." He added, "I cannot say more specifics. I don't want to lie to you. You will understand in the future."

The Southern Wilderness Sacred Mountain, as the place with the most spiritual energy remaining in the Xuanhuang Realm, was also one of the key conditions for ascension. It had historically been the place that successive Dynasties of Fortune most desired to conquer. However, such secrets related to ascension could only be known by emperors. Zhao Xing could not disclose further details, only some rumors. Of course, it would be different by the time of the Martial Emperor Dynasty. The Martial Emperor directly publicized the secret of ascension, no longer treating it as a matter exclusive to the royal family, but widely announcing it, encouraging all subjects to strive for this goal. The Martial Emperor was unlike previous emperors; he wanted to lead all his subjects to ascend together! Unlike past ascending dynasties, who only took the privileged and powerful.

Seeing Zhao Xing's reticence, the three no longer pressed, but the atmosphere suddenly grew heavy. This was mainly because, in their impression, Great Zhou had always been invincible, and the Southern Barbarians were very weak. Especially Long Xiao and Chen Shijie, who had honorably retired, they hadn't experienced the later stages of the mid-grade war. Even Xia Jing, though injured now, still held this belief, merely taking it a little more seriously. But deep down, he also believed he was just unlucky to have encountered an extreme outlier, and he hadn't expected Zhao Xing to say such things.

Just then, a knock came from the outer door. "Husband, are you still drinking? I've brought you some snacks to go with the wine." It was Bai Feng's voice.

Long Xiao glanced at Zhao Xing, who opened the spell formation in the private room. Bai Feng, heavily pregnant, was followed by Gui Niang, bringing a team of maids to serve dishes.

"Thank you, Madam," Zhao Xing rose to help serve the food. "We can do it ourselves."

"Let me, Gui Niang," Chen Shijie also went to take the dishes from Gui Niang's hands.

"Yes, Ling'er, you rest," Long Xiao said with a smiling face, standing up.

"How much have you drunk?" Bai Feng asked.

"Not much, not much," Long Xiao said. "Just a tiny bit."

Xia Jing couldn't help but chuckle at the sight; Chen Shijie was fine, but Long Xiao's standing in the family was truly worrying. However, he stopped laughing almost immediately. Because Long Xiao brought him two bowls of fish.

"..." Xia Jing's throat twitched, and he glared at Long Xiao. Long Xiao looked innocent, indicating that he truly hadn't done it on purpose. Bai Feng was from the East Sea, how could she not bring some local specialties?

"Why isn't the Crown Prince eating?" Bai Ling'er asked, noticing Xia Jing's unusual behavior. "I carefully selected these; they're all top-grade fish, and both dishes were personally prepared by Gui Niang."

Zhao Xing and Chen Shijie stifled their laughter, never expecting that Xia Jing still couldn't escape this fate.

"Thank you both, Madams," Xia Jing said with a smile. "I've already eaten quite a bit; I'll eat more after a short break."

Bai Feng said, "Then have some soup, at least. Gui Niang specially prepared it for you, Crown Prince. See if it suits your taste."

"Yes, it won't be good cold," Long Xiao said with a smile. "You should have it while it's hot."

Zhao Xing and Chen Shijie also added, "That's right, Brother Xia. It's already served; at least try it."

Xia Jing closed his eyes, took a sip, and forced a look of enjoyment. "Excellent, Madam, your culinary skills are superb, and the ingredients are top-notch. Truly unforgettable!"

"That's good, hehe," Bai Feng giggled. "Long Xiao, you accompany the Crown Prince well."

"Certainly, certainly."

With that, Bai Feng and Gui Niang exited.

*Pfft!*

As soon as they left, Xia Jing spat out a mouthful of fish soup. Long Xiao and Chen Shijie, unable to dodge in time, got sprayed all over their faces. Zhao Xing, seemingly prepared, had already moved out of the way. Xia Jing took out a handkerchief to wipe his mouth, gnashing his teeth, "You two are truly my good brothers!"

"Hahahahaha!"

Joyful times are always short-lived. On February 18th, Long Xiao and Bai Feng left Dongyang County and returned to the sea. On February 19th, Zhao Xing also had to return to the prefectural city; his half-month vacation granted by the King of Heavenly Derivation was over. As for Chen Shijie, he could still rest for a few more days.

At Zhao Xing's urging, Xia Jing decided to recuperate in the East Sea for a few more months. He already owned an estate there, so he settled down in Dongyang County.

On February 20th, Zhao Xing's true body cultivated the Derivation God Art in the Star Palace. The progress to the fifth star had slowed, and it was estimated to take another half a year for it to condense. The first clone continued to cultivate the Mystic Heaven Lightning Art and Cloud Gate at the Tianyuan Branch Academy. The second clone, at this time, had finally arrived at the main campus of Kunyuan Academy on Daoyuan Continent, accompanied by Meng Kun and Gu Changqing.

"From April last year until late February this year," Gu Changqing said, standing on the deck of the warship, "we've finally fulfilled the imperial court's instructions, and everyone can finally take a holiday."

Meng Kun cupped his hands, watching the jubilant officials below. "The subordinate officials can go on holiday, but you and I still cannot rest. Zhao Xing's enrollment in Kunyuan Academy must be expedited."

"Enrollment isn't difficult. The challenge is the allocation of resources for him to study in the sacred grounds," Gu Changqing chuckled. "You made a quick promise then, and now finding those three hundred million resources for him will be a headache. Once it's done, people will surely curse your ancestors for eighteen generations."

Meng Kun shrugged. "Doesn't matter. As long as I don't catch them. If I do, I'll send them to meet my ancestors so they can curse them face-to-face."

Gu Changqing said, "You truly are willing to put in the effort."

Meng Kun tilted his head towards the cabin behind him. "Haven't you noticed? In just a few months, Zhao Xing's soul has significantly strengthened." He continued, "A terrifying transformation is occurring within him. For a few moments, I even sensed the fluctuations of a supreme Celestial Timing art on him."

Gu Changqing recalled. "It does seem so. It appears his cultivation at the Tianyuan Branch Academy has gotten on track."

Meng Kun said, "A person's energy is limited. The more effort he puts into Celestial Timing arts, the less he'll spend on Terrestrial Advantage arts." He proposed, "I plan to transfer my comprehension rights at the Kunyuan Daoist Sanctum to him for a period. That way, he'll also focus more attention on our side. What do you think?"

Gu Changqing was stunned. This was even more generous than the conditions previously promised. The Kunyuan Daoist Sanctum was the best place for comprehending the Dao; even Third-Grade experts vied for access. Meng Kun was so generous, and it was his own resources he was spending, so of course, Gu Changqing wouldn't object. Meng Kun's decision was good, but... why had it suddenly become so competitive?