Chapter 276: Zhao Xing's Grand Celestial Theory, The Thirty-Fourth Year of the Jingxin Calendar, The Death of Yang Anzhi (Major Chapter)

April 10, 33rd year of Jingxin Era.Above Qianqing Palace, Tianyuan Prefecture Branch, Xuantian Academy.

"Boom!" A large cloud exploded in the sky, and a figure emerged from the mist, looking quite disheveled.

"Cough, cough, *sigh*..." Zhao Xing leaned his hands on his knees, coughing incessantly. His qi and blood surged violently, and his vital energy coursed wildly through his body. It took him a while to regulate his breathing.

Looking up, he saw dozens of huge holes in the ten-thousand-meter cloud layer, which comprised ninety-nine cloud pathways. Much of the cloud mist spread towards Zhao Xing, as if the cloud pathways stretched across the sky were leaking.

"It's really difficult," Zhao Xing straightened up and looked at the sky. He felt like a gopher, scurrying around and drilling many holes in the smooth cloud layer.

"Every time I try to activate the 'Near-Far Horizon' technique and travel through the cloud pathways, I either crash through them halfway, or I'm repelled by a strong differential in cloud energy," he muttered. "Controlling the cloud energy differential, both front and back, is truly not easy." Zhao Xing looked around.

He had just blasted out a large plume of cloud energy, which still hadn't dispersed.

"In one month, out of ninety-nine cloud pathways, I've only comprehended seven," he thought. "I originally thought that once I grasped the first one, the rest would come much faster, but it turns out that's not the case at all."

Zhao Xing didn't rush back into the cloud pathways for further comprehension. His current insights were chaotic, as if he understood everything and nothing at the same time. "This won't do; I need to use one of my consultation opportunities," Zhao Xing thought. The more he tried to comprehend, the more confused he felt.

Before long, illusions appeared before his eyes! There were only ninety-nine cloud pathways, but he saw nine hundred and ninety-nine! "No, this is a sign of qi deviation!" Zhao Xing quickly shouted downwards: "Senior, save me!"

The next moment, Li Boqian appeared high in the sky, observing Zhao Xing, who was trapped in an illusion.

At this moment, Zhao Xing's eyes were tightly shut, his face was bruised, and his body began to emit large amounts of cloud energy. With a whoosh of escaping qi, large amounts of cloud energy began to stream from all seven of Zhao Xing's orifices.

"How novel," Li Boqian immediately acted to suppress it. He circled Zhao Xing, scrutinizing him. "Others comprehend the Dao too slowly, so they end up straying onto crooked paths. This boy, however, comprehended too quickly, causing various cloud techniques to become muddled, creating numerous divergences that led to a rampage of vital energy within his body."

From Li Boqian's perspective, he could clearly see a vast amount of cloud energy constantly generating and dissipating within Zhao Xing's body. His meridians, acupoints, and even his flesh were all manifesting cloud techniques. Moreover, these cloud techniques were evolving independently, as if Zhao Xing had turned his own body into a site for casting spells.

"My cloud technique does indeed involve the use of the physical body, but this situation is truly rare." Even Li Boqian exclaimed at its rarity!

"Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang!" After a careful observation, Li Boqian began to exert force. He repeatedly kicked Zhao Xing's body. After Zhao Xing was sent flying, he would intercept him from a distance and kick him again in a different direction. Zhao Xing was like a ball, being kicked back and forth.

By the seventh kick, Zhao Xing had already regained consciousness. "Senior, wait, I'm fine now... *hiss*!"

"No, you're not fine yet."

"Thump!"

Zhao Xing felt dizzy, his head spinning. However, during this process, he also noticed that his rampaging vital energy was gradually calming down. Li Boqian wasn't just kicking randomly; each kick was directed along the path of one of the seven cloud techniques Zhao Xing had comprehended. With each kick, Zhao Xing's understanding of the cloud techniques returned to the correct path. This continued for a full two *kèzhōng*.

When Li Boqian tried to kick again, he missed. He looked closely and saw that Zhao Xing had stopped himself. A burst of cloud energy emanated from his feet, slowing him down. "Thank you, Senior," Zhao Xing bowed to Li Boqian after slowing down.

"Not bad, not bad. You only took three thousand-some kicks before stopping," Li Boqian said, nodding with a smile.

"Are there others who've suffered qi deviation like me?" Zhao Xing now somewhat understood why his vital energy had gone rampant.

"My junior disciple had similar symptoms to yours back then; he was kicked over ten thousand times." Wang Tianzhi? Zhao Xing was slightly surprised. Li Boqian only had one junior disciple, and that was Wang Tianzhi, the Lesser Agricultural Commander.

"Senior, how should I deal with my situation?" Zhao Xing had no interest in gossip.

"When you were comprehending, were you using the Divine Derivation Art to deduce?" Li Boqian asked.

"Yes," Zhao Xing nodded.

"Don't use the Divine Derivation Art," Li Boqian said. "You haven't mastered it yet; you're only comprehending. Using the Divine Derivation Art for deduction at this stage is just asking for trouble."

"Why is that?" Zhao Xing humbly asked.

"The reason is simple: you haven't mastered this spell yet," Li Boqian explained. "Although you comprehend quickly, that's precisely the problem. When tens of thousands of sub-souls deduce simultaneously, even the slightest error, magnified ten thousand times, becomes terrifying."

"But I've been constantly correcting myself," Zhao Xing replied, confused. "I could feel that I was on the right path." This was also evident from the progress bar on his system panel.

"Your correction speed can't keep up," Li Boqian said. "It's like having ten thousand people chopping at you on one side, while ten thousand physicians treat you on the other." Zhao Xing suddenly understood. Comprehending seven cloud pathways in a single month was an astonishing speed. However, the accumulated errors were also substantial. This had nothing to do with whether he had a system panel; the panel merely showed progress and didn't prevent him from straying onto the wrong path. As he comprehended the Dao, his body's qi, blood, and vital energy were also mobilized. Accumulating these led to the terrifying rampage of vital energy. In other words, Zhao Xing was currently training in an overloaded state. Rushing too much, he had touched the limits of his body's endurance. Pushing to the limit could lead to breakthroughs, but more often, it resulted in backlash. Thinking of this, Zhao Xing was startled. Could Old Liu's madness also be due to this?

"You seem to be overly eager for success, as if influenced by something," Li Boqian said, staring at Zhao Xing. "Are you affected by the public opinion within the academy?"

Zhao Xing replied, "Yes, this junior is indeed a bit anxious."

"Be grounded and don't rush for quick success," Li Boqian instructed. "You have great talent and are already faster than many. From today onwards, reduce your comprehension time for Near-Far Horizon. Don't spend all day comprehending here; change your mindset."

"Please guide me to a clear path, Senior."

"You are a Doctor of Classics; you can read more agricultural classics and teach students," Li Boqian suggested. "Sometimes, reviewing those obvious basic principles will make your path more stable."

"Yes," Zhao Xing bowed. "Thank you for your guidance, Senior. From today onwards, I will halve my comprehension time."

Li Boqian was speechless; if the boy halved it, he would still be practicing for six *shíchén*. He had barely slept this past month. "That's still too long. You should only come here to cultivate for two *shíchén* a day, until I feel your foundation is solid before considering extending it."

"Understood," Zhao Xing nodded.

From that day onwards, Zhao Xing followed Li Boqian's instructions, reducing his spell cultivation time and returning to the study of classic calendrical theories. However, when Zhao Xing went to teach, only a mere seven students showed up. Three of them had disdainful expressions, clearly not there to genuinely learn but to cause trouble. Another two were there merely to watch the show, and only two genuinely intended to listen and learn.

The reason was simple: other Doctors of Classics had too many students attending their lectures, making opportunities for questions almost non-existent. With fewer people attending Zhao Xing's classes, there were more chances to ask questions. Since he was an officially certified Doctor of Classics, he must have some ability, right? Although Dr. Zhao was criticized for only teaching one class a month.

"The Way of Celestial Timing, the five elements matched with the four seasons: Earth corresponds to Summer..." As soon as Zhao Xing began, an eighth-rank student immediately stood up, interrupting him. Zhao Xing, seeing this, didn't get angry; he simply watched him. "What is your question?"

"Dr. Zhao," Liu Hui said with a half-smile, "the Five Elements and Four Seasons theory is old news; my ears have calluses from hearing it. Since Dr. Zhao studies the classics of the Five Elements and Celestial Timing, what unique insights do you have to offer?" Liu Hui was purely there to cause trouble. He was a disciple of another Doctor of Classics, Zhou Cheng, who was among the first to seek out Zhao Xing for a challenge. To this day, people were still eyeing Zhao Xing's position. There was no helping it; Zhao Xing occupied resources, and those who benefited from them wouldn't easily let him go. "Dr. Zhao, surely you haven't annotated any classics, have you?" Liu Hui sneered. "If so, what kind of Doctor of Classics are you? Why not yield your position to a more capable person?"

Faced with such a rude challenge, Zhao Xing didn't get angry. He closed his book and nodded. "Since that's the case, we won't discuss those common topics today."

"What does Dr. Zhao plan to lecture on? The Grand View Sutra, perhaps? Hahaha," Liu Hui sneered. The Grand View Sutra was a classic of the Self School, and this fellow was purely being sarcastic.

"Today, I will lecture on the 'Theory of the Three Yin, Three Yang, and Six Qi Great Cosmic Cycle,'" Zhao Xing stated calmly.

Liu Hui, below, suddenly fell silent. He had never heard of such a classic. He intended to wait for Zhao Xing to finish before looking for mistakes. Another student, Han Guang, who was genuinely there to learn, asked, "May I ask, Teacher, what is the Theory of the Three Yin, Three Yang, and Six Qi Great Cosmic Cycle?"

"The Three Yin and Three Yang are respectively: Jueyin, Shaoyin, Taiyin, Shaoyang, Yangming, and Taiyang," Zhao Xing began. "The Six Qi are Yin, Yang, Wind, Rain, Gloom, and Brightness, corresponding to six phenomena of natural climate change. They also correspond to human perception: Wind, Cold, Summer Heat, Dryness, Dampness, and Fire."

"I divide celestial timing and weather into a *jì* of thirty years, a *zhōu* of sixty years, a *dà yùn* of three hundred and sixty years, and a *dà zhōu tiān* (Great Cosmic Cycle) of three thousand six hundred years."

"The four seasons of the entire year are matched with the Five Element Cycles, called 'Celestial Seasonal Cycles.' The celestial timing throughout the year follows five steps of seasonal cycles, starting with the Wood Cycle, then progressing through the Fire Cycle, Earth Cycle, Metal Cycle, and ending with the Water Cycle."

"The four seasons and five elements operate in a cycle of mutual generation, with each step lasting seventy-three days and five *kè*."

Liu Hui frowned slightly. He quickly calculated in his mind and found that while this method of division was somewhat unconventional, it didn't deviate from the current 'Five Elements and Four Seasons Theory.' He decided to listen further.

As for the other two, a student named Lin Yuejia seized the opportunity to ask, "Sir, why do you refer to the Five Elements and four seasons as 'Five Cycles'?"

"Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water are originally the names of the Five Elements. Now I call them the Five Cycles, which naturally implies a difference," Zhao Xing smiled. "The word 'cycle' implies movement. The Five Elements are mostly used to explain material changes on the ground, while the Five Cycles encompass the movement of the Five Elements' qi throughout the entire heaven and earth."

"Do I need to further explain the matching of Heavenly Stems with the Five Cycles?" Zhao Xing asked. Lin Yuejia was a rare student; she had attended every single one of his classes since he first started teaching, with hardly any breaks. Previously, he had often slacked off, merely reciting from textbooks, but Lin Yuejia was always present and very respectful.

"No need, Sir," Lin Yuejia bowed. "I have read 'The Great Discourse of Tianyuan Era.' Your Five Cycle Cosmic Cycle, apart from Sǐ earth and Gēng metal, completely differs for the other eight Heavenly Stems."

"Your foundation is very solid," Zhao Xing nodded. Lin Yuejia subtly puffed out her chest.

"Sir, you only said that each year begins with the Wood Cycle, but from what day do you 'determine the cycle season'?" Someone who hadn't quite grasped the calculation couldn't help but ask. Zhao Xing's Heavenly Eye had long discerned the thoughts of these eight individuals. Seeing that the questioner was genuinely seeking knowledge, and noticing his simple attire, Zhao Xing assumed he came from a humble background. He patiently replied, "Starting from the Great Cold day each year."

By this point, all eight students had no further questions, at least for now. This was because the framework Zhao Xing presented still largely adhered to the 'Five Elements and Four Seasons Theory'; once the specific time divisions were understood, it became easy to grasp. "Now that you've grasped my basic theory, I'll integrate it for you," Zhao Xing said.

"The twelve Earthly Branches are matched with the Three Yin, Three Yang, and Six Qi. Both Yin and Yang can be divided into three based on their quantity, thus forming the aforementioned Three Yin and Three Yang," he continued. "Each of the Six Qi exhibits characteristics of the Five Elements, but Summer Heat and Fire are similar, so here I don't list them separately; instead, Fire is divided into Emperor Fire and Minister Fire."

"The pairings of the Three Yin and Three Yang with the Six Qi are: Jueyin Wind Wood, Shaoyin Emperor Fire, Shaoyang Minister Fire, Taiyin Damp Earth, Yangming Dry Metal, and Taiyang Cold Water."

At this point, two of the eight students, Lin Yuejia and Liu Hui, could still follow. Both of them could quickly find evidence for Zhao Xing's theories in classics such as 'Five Elements by Month' and 'Heavenly Stems and Four Seasons Theory.' By now, Lin Yuejia had realized that Dr. Zhao indeed had some profound knowledge. His explanations seamlessly integrated multiple classics; wasn't this the essence of studying the classics? However, Liu Hui remained unimpressed, precisely because he could understand it.

But some in the group couldn't follow. A fair-skinned, handsome young man asked, "Dr. Zhao, what's the use of this theory for us?" His name was Wu Chun, and he was merely there to fulfill attendance requirements. He knew nothing about theory and had gotten in purely through his father, who was a Martial Marquis.

As soon Chun finished speaking, Lin Yuejia stared at him with a look of utter disbelief. "How can it be useless? When you perform the Twenty-Four Solar Terms Decree to reverse or restore celestial timing, if you don't know these theories, how would you know how much force to apply to the spell? How many hours to change? And how would you calculate how many solar terms to revert to when restoring to the correct seasonal position?" Wu Chun's face immediately flushed crimson. He felt completely overwhelmed by her knowledge, especially since the person was a rather pretty girl.

Zhao Xing interjected, "Precisely. This theory is designed to guide the Twenty-Four Solar Terms Decree and the execution of spells."

"The natural flow and correction of celestial timing cannot be arbitrarily altered. Otherwise, even if the difference isn't noticeable immediately, over a few years, it will accumulate into a great disaster."

"Why do natural disasters still occur in various regions despite so many powerful Agricultural Officials? This is due to the subtle differences that accumulate each year."

"In my hometown, Gucheng, an agricultural official in a neighboring county altered the four seasons over three hundred times in just fifteen years. The solar terms for summer and autumn alone were repeatedly changed by him over a thousand times. Yet, he still failed to properly adjust the celestial timing of the Great Cosmic Cycle, leading to widespread floods and rampant ice and snow, thus causing a great calamity."

Lin Yuejia asked curiously, "Dr. Zhao, what happened to such an incompetent official in the end?"

Zhao Xing recalled Chen Shijie's actions and said, "A friend of mine threw him into a cold river and drowned him for seven days. Ultimately, he was stripped of his official post for dereliction of duty and imprisoned for fifteen years." Lin Yuejia immediately turned to Wu Chun and said, "Did you hear that? That's the consequence of only cultivating celestial timing spells without understanding the principles of celestial timing." Wu Chun inwardly seethed, wishing he could go up and sew that girl's mouth shut.

Zhao Xing noticed the subtle commotion and couldn't help but smile. "Alright, let's continue."

"Since you now understand what this theory is for and why the Great Cosmic Cycle needs to be divided, let's move on to the next step."

"Before that, I need to clarify another concept: the Six Qi are further divided into two types."

"First, the Primary Qi, and second, the Guest Qi."

"The Primary Qi is used to describe constants, while the Guest Qi is used to predict changes."

"These changes refer to shifts in climate and phenology."

"If you were a county magistrate, understanding the Primary Qi of the Great Cosmic Cycle would suffice. But if you wish to govern a commandery or a prefecture, you must possess the ability to respond to drastic phenological changes."

When it came to phenological changes, even Lin Yuejia and Liu Hui became somewhat confused. The Phenomenon Alteration Technique was an advanced method, and theories related to it naturally belonged to 'advanced theories.' The highest ranks present were only seventh-rank practitioners, namely Lin Yuejia and Liu Hui. It was far too early for them to study the principles of phenological alteration. But Zhao Xing disregarded this. His purpose was not for these two students to understand. His true goal was for the high-level practitioners to understand. Liu Hui and the others would certainly record his 'Theory of the Three Yin, Three Yang, and Six Qi Great Cosmic Cycle' from today and inform their respective teachers. Secondly, it was also for his own cultivation.

"The Six Primary Qi are: the Qi of Dawn (morning glow), the Qi of Midday (true yang), the Qi of Sunset (flying spring), the Qi of Midnight (mist), the Qi of Heaven, and the Qi of Earth," Zhao Xing elaborated. "I categorize the Twenty-Four Solar Terms into six Qi and six steps, starting from the Great Cold day each year, following the sequence of mutual generation: Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water."

"Each step is divided into sixty days and eighty-seven and a half *kè*. When a certain Qi presides, it will display its corresponding Five Element characteristics."

"Conversely, we can also use the Solar Term Decree to reverse, restore, or correct the four seasonal solar terms of the Great Cosmic Cycle."

Lin Yuejia, barely keeping up, gradually showed signs of admiration. Liu Hui was also captivated, finding that Zhao Xing seemed to lecture even better than his own teacher, Zhou Cheng. "No, how can I think that?" Liu Hui shook his head. "That's disrespectful to my teacher." But his rationality told him that Zhao Xing was indeed superior to his teacher, Zhou Cheng. Both Liu Hui and Lin Yuejia were in their 'internship period'; they were already agricultural officials with practical experience, not mere students. The more they listened to Zhao Xing, the more profoundly they felt enlightened. Especially when Zhao Xing spoke about 'Guest Qi predicting phenological changes,' it resolved many doubts Lin Yuejia and Liu Hui had encountered while serving as officials and casting spells.

All agricultural officials would encounter a rather tricky problem: sudden phenological changes. For instance, in a given year, spring, summer, and autumn might perfectly align with classical descriptions—spring vibrant with life, summer's yang energy nourishing crops, and autumn bringing a bountiful harvest. Yet, come winter, sudden extreme cold weather could appear, freezing and injuring a large number of livestock and people. This would lead to soaring prices and even impact the following year's planting. This was merely a relatively low-level decade-long phenological change. If they encountered a century-long phenological change, their official achievements for that year would be wiped out, and they would be scorned by the common people: "We were doing just fine before, but as soon as you, this agricultural official, arrived, all sorts of once-in-a-century disasters occurred? Bah, incompetent official!"

Lin Yuejia and Liu Hui also had untold grievances. What Zhao Xing was teaching now was precisely how to 'pacify phenological changes.' Furthermore, this wasn't a blanket spell, meaning it wasn't about forcefully suppressing phenological changes with magic for the sake of political achievements that year. Lin Yuejia and Liu Hui absolutely detested such practices, because the hidden problems accumulated by previous officials made it difficult for them to even reverse celestial timing when they took over!

Time flowed, and unconsciously, this class went from dawn till dusk, and then from dusk till dawn again. "To resolve historical maladies, you can use the Guest and Primary Qi Overlap by adding the 'Guest Qi' of the Celestial Officials, which are either exceeding or weakening year by year, onto the third Qi of the Primary Qi," Zhao Xing explained. "The remaining five Qi are added in sequence; this is the Guest-Primary Overlap."

"Only by first understanding normal changes can you resolve special changes."

"As the saying goes, when Qi align, there is harmony; when they don't, there is illness."

"Of course, if you encounter a millennium-level phenological change, you'd best run early. Millennium-level changes are beyond your realm of ability to contend with."

"Alright, that's all for today." Zhao Xing glanced at the other six students sprawled asleep on their desks. "Class dismissed."

Wu Chun rubbed his eyes and looked up. "Is it over?" The person next to him said blankly, "I don't know; I just woke up too."

"I think I heard 'class dismissed.'"

"Then it must be over."

"Let's go, let's go, I'm not coming back. Damn it, I couldn't understand a thing."

Lin Yuejia, however, quickly jogged to Zhao Xing's front. "Sir, Sir! Please wait!"

Zhao Xing stopped and looked at her. "Do you have any other questions?"

Lin Yuejia quickly shook her head. "No, no, my knowledge is shallow. I should go back and read more books before asking for guidance."

"Then why...?"

"Sir, please accept me as your disciple!" Lin Yuejia fell to her knees with a thud, gazing earnestly at Zhao Xing. "I am willing to be your servant, to serve you by bringing tea and cooking meals."

"Uh..." Zhao Xing hadn't expected Lin Yuejia to be so emotional. Truth be told, the girl was quite pretty. But was Master Zhao someone who could be swayed by beauty? He immediately shook his head. "I know there's a traditional master-disciple relationship within Xuantian Academy, but I won't follow that tradition. Even if I were to accept a disciple, the time is not yet right."

Lin Yuejia said pitifully, "Then I will come back to ask you another day, Sir."

"Get up," Zhao Xing waved his hand, smiling as he helped her up. "If you wish to listen, just come often in the future."

"Mm!" Lin Yuejia nodded obediently, then bowed respectfully. "Then this student shall take her leave."

Not far away, Liu Hui watched this scene, feeling very conflicted. He also had an impulse to kneel and ask for tutelage. But ultimately, he remembered that he was Zhou Cheng's disciple. Seeing Zhao Xing refuse Lin Yuejia, he hesitated further. By the time he hesitated, Zhao Xing was gone. "Ah..." Liu Hui shook his head, feeling a sense of loss.

When he walked out of the public hall, two junior disciples were waiting for him outside the door. "Brother, how was it?"

"How was what?"

"The loopholes! Did you find any flaws in that renegade's theories? Or any inconsistencies?"

"First... the renegade's theory is too powerful. It seems this Doctor of Classics didn't get his position through connections after all," Liu Hui said. "I couldn't find any, so I can only take it back and present it to our teacher."

"Alright, let's go, let's go back and report."

Zhao Xing returned to the Mirror Lake Courtyard. He didn't rush to Li Boqian's residence to continue studying but instead began organizing the material he had just taught. "The 'Theory of the Three Yin, Three Yang, and Six Qi Great Cosmic Cycle' is a relatively accurate theory for predicting the movement of celestial timing in the Great Cosmic Cycle," he thought. "My learned Divination Art can also supplement it, as it primarily predicts and resolves drastic phenological changes without disturbing the overall celestial timing." Zhao Xing mused.

Not all phenological changes can be exploited. In century-level and millennium-level phenological shifts, billions of living beings die before a single lucky individual emerges. People often overlook the sheer number of casualties. Furthermore, some phenological changes are completely unusable. They represent phenomena that extinguish all life. "Such devastating phenological changes are the self-repair of the Xuanhuang Realm..." Zhao Xing wrote this sentence, then deleted it. This concept did not align with the Celestial Timing School's 'Man will conquer Heaven' philosophy, which aimed to replace the Way of Heaven. In reality, he wasn't even sure if his statement was correct. In his research on the Way of Celestial Timing, even with his past life's experience, Zhao Xing wouldn't dare claim omniscience or knowledge of all the great principles of heaven and earth. So he didn't include that sentence.

"The current content is sufficient," Zhao Xing thought to himself. "The Phenomenon Alteration Technique is the most important category in the Celestial Timing School, and the Phenomenon Alteration Faction has the most sub-factions within it." Of the seven ultimate techniques, the Phenomenon Alteration Technique accounts for three! It could be said that as long as Zhao Xing could gain their recognition, his plan to become the leader of the Celestial Timing School would be halfway solidified. "Releasing a little bit now and starting to prepare for this is enough. Theory also needs practical verification, and that takes time."

"I myself haven't even mastered the internal Phenomenon Alteration Technique; taking too big a step will cause problems." With a plan set in his mind, Zhao Xing continued writing.

At Tianhu Garden, the residence of Doctor of Classics Zhou Cheng, he was currently engaged in a philosophical discussion with his friends, Yang Boguang and Zhong Haiming. All three were Doctors of Classics, though their respective paths differed. Just as their discussion grew lively, they heard a knock at the door from outside.

"Teacher, we're back." Hearing Liu Hui's voice, Zhou Cheng immediately transmitted a message: "Come in." Soon, Liu Hui entered the living room to pay his respects.

"How was it?" Zhou Cheng asked, "Did you find any leverage against Zhao Xing?"

He deeply disdained Zhao Xing because, from beginning to end, Zhao Xing had never directly responded. He neither engaged in public debates about the Great Dao nor published any annotated classics. This led Zhou Cheng to further solidify his judgment: Zhao Xing was undoubtedly someone who got his position through connections! "Has the Great Zhou's officialdom truly decayed to this extent? If we don't step forward, who will?! If even places of education tolerate those with connections, is there any hope for the Great Zhou's future?" Thus, Zhou Cheng firmly believed he was doing the right thing. Yang Boguang and Zhong Haiming both wanted to remove Zhao Xing due to conflicts of interest. As for Zhou Cheng, he was the most vehemently opposed to Zhao Xing, but not because of any personal gain; it was purely out of passionate conviction.

"Teacher, this is the content of Zhao Xing's lecture," Liu Hui respectfully presented a scroll. It took him three days to organize Zhao Xing's lectures from the past two days. It was meticulously detailed, even including classroom interactions and Wu Chun's foolish questions—almost nothing was left out.

"Let me see," Zhou Cheng beckoned, casually flipping through it.

"Hmm?" Zhou Cheng immediately frowned.

"Brother Zhou, what's wrong?" Yang Boguang asked. "Is it full of errors? Has he finally revealed his true colors?"

Zhong Haiming also said, "Brother Zhou, say something! What's with just frowning?"

"Quiet!" Zhou Cheng waved a hand, immediately silencing the two. Yang Boguang and Zhong Haiming exchanged glances, momentarily stunned. What on earth was going on? Yet, Zhou Cheng remained silent. A stick of incense later, his breathing grew ragged. This only intensified Yang Boguang's and Zhong Haiming's curiosity.

*Rustle*. Zhou Cheng's hand trembled as he flipped through the scroll several more times. Finally, he suddenly looked up, staring intently at Liu Hui. "Are you sure this is the content of Zhao Xing's lecture?"

Liu Hui's heart trembled. "Yes, yes."

"Brother Zhou! Let me see!" Seeing his friend so distraught, Yang Boguang immediately stood up, circled the table, and snatched the scroll from Zhou Cheng's side.

"Hmm? The Theory of the Three Yin, Three Yang, and Six Qi Great Cosmic Cycle?" Yang Boguang also began to frown. This was Zhao Xing re-dividing the Greater Celestial Timing, a profound principle concerning the celestial timing of all nineteen prefectures. As he started reading, he too began to deduce and search for arguments in various classics, attempting to prove Zhao Xing wrong. But the more he read, the tighter his frown became. A stick of incense later, Yang Boguang's face drastically changed. "This, this..."

"What's wrong with you two?" Even Zhong Haiming's patience wore thin, utterly confused by their silence. "How can you both just stare without saying a word?"

"Let me see." Zhong Haiming also leaned in. "Redefining the *jì*, *zhōu*, and Great Cosmic Cycle, using seasonal cycles and the Six Qi, redrawing the Twenty-Four Solar Terms... What, this is a theory on phenological changes?"

"No, it's more than that." Zhong Haiming's face also changed dramatically.

For Doctors of Classics, Zhao Xing's classic treatise brought them an impact no less than a hundred top-tier spells striking them. "This isn't annotating the Six Classics; he's clearly using the Six Classics to explain his own magical theories!" Zhong Haiming crumpled the scroll into a ball, trembling with excitement. "Bastard, bastard! Renegade!" He, too, had tried to deduce, but he simply couldn't find any strong points to refute, which made him even angrier! "No, he absolutely didn't write this!" Zhong Haiming furiously threw the scroll to the ground. "Right, we'll study it carefully; we're sure to find errors!" Yang Boguang grabbed Zhou Cheng's shoulder. "Brother Zhou, with the combined strength of the three of us, can we not deal with one Zhao Xing?" Zhou Cheng looked at the two and subconsciously nodded. He then addressed his three disciples: "You may leave first." Liu Hui, watching the expressions of his three teachers, had a complex look in his eyes. He then picked up the crumpled scroll and quietly retreated.

While the three Doctors of Classics were still trying to figure out how to refute Zhao Xing, Zhao Xing had already submitted his organized 'Theory of the Three Yin, Three Yang, and Six Qi Great Cosmic Cycle' to Dean Lu Chunhua. Hengyuan wasn't here, Sima Yunhai belonged to the Cloud Faction, and Geng Shouchang to the Thunder Faction, so Lu Chunhua, from the Marquis Faction, was the most suitable person to review this theory. When a new theory emerges, it always faces a wave of skepticism. To avoid unnecessary disputes, it was best to submit it directly to a high-ranking authority for review. Authoritative validation was far better than engaging in verbal disputes oneself.

Upon receiving this treatise, Lu Chunhua was somewhat surprised after just one glance. After carefully pondering it, he immediately said, "I will arrange for people to enter the blessed land immediately to practically test your theory of phenological changes."

"Please, Dean, correct me," Zhao Xing bowed.

Lu Chunhua shook his head. "I currently see no flaws."

"However, I can be your recommender and send it to the main academy. Would you be willing?"

"It would be my honor," Zhao Xing replied.

Li Boqian had not yet retired and was, without a doubt, the foremost Agricultural Commander in the world! His guidance and protection helped Zhao Xing avoid qi deviation during his comprehension and saved him many detours. Of course, Zhao Xing had also used up three consultation opportunities, each delaying Li Boqian for a considerable period, at least half a month. The regular two-hour cultivation sessions weren't even counted within these. Later on, Li Boqian started acting more like a child, and his teaching methods became less conventional. "Boy, it's just this final kick left; come here and take it like a good boy," Li Boqian said, rolling up his sleeves and cheerfully beckoning to Zhao Xing. "You really are giving me a 'final kick,' aren't you?" Zhao Xing sighed, but still flew before Li Boqian. "Heh, you're not happy about it?" Li Boqian snorted. "How many people wish to be kicked by this old man but don't get the chance?" "Yes, yes, you are the most powerful in the world; it is my good fortune." "Watch your feet!" Li Boqian delivered a sudden kick, sending Zhao Xing directly into the clouds. *Whoosh!* Zhao Xing's figure instantly became a black dot, disappearing into the clouds.

However, this manuscript still found its way into Li Boqian's hands. 'The Theory of the Three Yin, Three Yang, and Six Qi Great Cosmic Cycle?' 'This boy really is full of surprises...' Li Boqian had merely intended for him to teach classes to calm his impetuous mind by reviewing the classics of the sages. He never expected Zhao Xing to produce such a significant treatise on phenological changes, even re-dividing the Greater Celestial Timing. "What grand ambition! To start with a theory on phenological changes and aim to redefine the Greater Celestial Timing!" Li Boqian's discerning eye immediately saw that Zhao Xing's treatise was merely a groundwork. His true objective was likely to redefine the Greater Celestial Timing of the Xuanhuang Realm!

"He wants all agricultural officials of the Celestial Timing School to cast spells and manage celestial timing according to his set of theories," Li Boqian mused to himself. "If he truly achieves this, our Celestial Timing School will produce another sage. Oh, junior disciple, you're in for a tough time now." Wang Tianzhi and Liu Tianning had already formed a competitive dynamic. The position of Grand Agricultural Commander was most likely to fall to one of them. "But first, Wang Tianzhi would have to become the leader of the Celestial Timing School; he'd need to sit in the Dean's chair of Xuantian Academy before he could even talk about the Grand Agricultural Commander position." "If I had died later, my junior disciple might not only lose to Liu Tianning but perhaps even to his own disciple." "Junior disciple, you truly live in a miserable era, unlike me. In my time, I was the only formidable one." Li Boqian cheerfully put away the manuscript and went to Qianqing Palace to play chess with Emperor Jing.

Li Boqian landed on the ground, looking up. At this moment, Ji Mingjing also stood beside him. Having stayed here for many days, he would occasionally observe Li Boqian teaching his disciple. Of course, Zhao Xing was completely unaware of Emperor Jing's presence. "That kick did it," Ji Mingjing nodded slightly. "Boqian, you teach well."

"Thank you for the compliment, Your Majesty. It's also because this boy has good comprehension," Li Boqian respectfully replied.

Ji Mingjing withdrew his gaze. "I will be leaving soon. The sky of Pinghai Province will be entrusted to you." Li Boqian's smile faded, and he bowed deeply, saying, "Your subject will spare no effort and serve until death." As soon as he finished speaking, Ji Mingjing's figure instantly vanished from the spot.

At this moment, a cloud of mist diffused around Li Boqian, and Zhao Xing's figure emerged from it. "Senior, look, I've mastered it!" Zhao Xing exclaimed. "What are you doing? I've mastered it, but there's no need for such a grand bow!"

Li Boqian laughed and scolded, "Boy, if I were to give you a grand bow, could you even bear it?"

"Hahaha," Zhao Xing immediately took Li Boqian's hand. "Don't get angry, it's not good for your health. I'm still counting on you to teach me the Kunpeng Transformation and Yuanfeng Art!"

Li Boqian impatiently shook off Zhao Xing's hand. "Scram! Don't bother me anymore; let me have a few days of peace! How can anyone be as zealous as you? Day in and day out, you don't sleep, and when you encounter a comprehension problem, you bawl."

Zhao Xing, however, grinned and leaned closer. "So, how many days do you plan to be at peace?"

Li Boqian held out one palm, thought for a moment, then added a second hand. "Five days, no, ten days!"

"Five days!"

"Hey, you're haggling with me now! Who cuts it in half like that?" Zhao Xing chuckled, taking Li Boqian's hands and lowering them. "Then you rest for as many days as you say; I won't bother you at all."

"Alright, alright, playing the sentiment card again, off with you!" Li Boqian kicked out, and Zhao Xing instantly transformed into a wisp of cloud, disappearing from the courtyard. Looking at the clear blue sky, Li Boqian couldn't help but smile. "I truly am getting old."

In October of the 33rd year of Jingxin Era, Zhao Xing began cultivating the internal Phenomenon Alteration Technique, 'Kunpeng Transformation.' In December, Kunpeng essence blood arrived. With the blessing of divine beast essence blood, Zhao Xing's internal Phenomenon Alteration Technique reached the first turn of mastery by the end of the 33rd year of Jingxin Era.

January 15, 34th year of Jingxin Era. Zhao Xing, as usual, arrived at Li Boqian's courtyard, intending to continue learning the Kunpeng Transformation. However, he only saw a swirling mist; he couldn't enter, and no matter how he called out, he received no response. In the afternoon, Lu Chunhua found Zhao Xing. "Your teacher has matters to attend to and can no longer teach you."

"These are two bottles of Kunpeng essence blood. Your teacher said that with these, reaching the fourth turn of cultivation should be no problem for you."

"Also, your teacher wants you to take care of yourself and be mindful of your safety."

"It would be best to remain within Xuantian Academy and not go out."

"Many thanks for the Grand Agricultural Commander's kindness; Xing will remember it always," Zhao Xing said. He didn't ask further questions, took the two bottles of Kunpeng essence blood, and left the Dean's office. Li Boqian's refusal to see him meant Zhao Xing's true body had to depart. Even though Li Boqian had yet to teach him the Yuanfeng Art, the fact that he was unreachable indicated that certain matters were consuming his energy. But Zhao Xing couldn't possibly stay; after waiting for so long, how could he shrink back into Xuantian Academy? The day after receiving the Kunpeng essence blood, Zhao Xing's true body quietly left Xuantian Academy, leaving only a clone behind.

On the first day of the second month, Zhao Xing returned to the border of Chongming Prefecture via the Li Fire Daoist Academy's channels. On the third day of the second month, he arrived at Chongming Prefecture City, at the Temple of the Earth God. He re-entered the military realm, intending to go to the Star Palace to inquire about internal news from King Tianyan. However, the Star Palace was also closed, and King Tianyan's Earth Mirror communication was in a state of seclusion. This situation continued until April of the 34th year of Jingxin Era.

On April 19, Zhao Xing didn't receive news from King Tianyan, but he did receive a message from Long Xiao. *Buzz!* Long Xiao's figure emerged from the Earth Mirror.

"Long Xiao, what's wrong?" Zhao Xing asked. "You activated emergency communication; what happened?"

Long Xiao's eyes were red, and his voice was hoarse. "Zhao Xing, the Marquis... he's dead."

The Marquis? Which Marquis? Bai Zhengyang? Zhao Xing pondered this for a moment, then suddenly realized. Long Xiao referred to other Marquises by their full names or titles. The 'Marquis' he spoke of could only be one person: Yang An.

"When did this happen?" Zhao Xing asked in a low voice.

"The news just came today," Long Xiao growled. "The Marquis died in Yin You Mountain! He was forced to his death!"