Chapter 311: Five Elements Characteristics, Solving Drawbacks and Future Major Changes?

Within the Dragon Well, water gurgled, emitting a misty aura of spiritual energy. For dragons, it was a well; for humans, it was clearly a pond. There was no need for the Elemental Scrutiny Art to purify it; the spiritual energy was visibly manifest and could be absorbed effortlessly.

“This feels incredible!” Zhao Xing greedily absorbed it. Happiness had come too suddenly! He had assumed that even if the Dragon Well contained spiritual energy, it wouldn't be excessive. But now, it far surpassed his imagination.

“The spiritual spring water is three or four meters deep. While this might be a small amount for dragons, for me, it's an immense quantity.”

“Profound Yellow Elemental Scrutiny!” Zhao Xing first absorbed the spiritual energy from the air. Then, he jumped into the spring water and swiftly performed the Profound Yellow Elemental Scrutiny Art, extracting all the spiritual energy. With a gurgling sound, the vibrant, multi-colored spiritual energy flew into his Pure Essence Space, and the surrounding water level visibly dropped. Soon, the water level neared depletion, becoming ordinary water.

“Let me see if this soil is useful.” Zhao Xing then dug three feet deep, attempting to bring the soil in as well. However, the attempt failed. “Perhaps it's decent soil for survival in the outside world, but it doesn't meet the requirements to be brought into the Pure Essence Soil.” Pure Essence Soil was fundamentally different from real-world soil, and the requirements for incorporating it were stringent.

“I can't let it go to waste!” Zhao Xing activated his Pure Essence Projection, releasing the other plant-type soldiers and allowing them to root themselves beneath the Dragon Well. “Plant-type soldiers with low growth potential shouldn't absorb spiritual energy; it would be a complete waste!”

After the initial excitement, reason returned, and Zhao Xing immediately considered how to allocate the spiritual energy efficiently. “Using the Profound Yellow Elemental Scrutiny Art, I completely drained this Dragon Well. The highly concentrated spiritual energy, which was already nearing liquefaction, was purified and fully liquefied by me.”

Zhao Xing looked at the seven floating masses of spiritual liquid hovering above the Pure Essence Soil in front of him. The one with a deep blue appearance was liquefied water elemental spiritual energy. The water elemental spiritual liquid was also the most abundant. After liquefaction, it had a tangible quality. Zhao Xing calculated that there was over a thousand kilograms of it!

“One ton doesn't seem like much, but this is spiritual liquid! The Floater had just absorbed about fifty kilograms, and it instantly broke through two realms, going from peak Seventh Rank to early Ninth Rank.”

“It should ultimately reach late Ninth Rank!” Growth through spiritual energy absorption also takes time to manifest. The amount the Floater had just absorbed was enough for it to reach late Ninth Rank. The main reason Zhao Xing didn't let it absorb more was his fear of overfeeding it. It wasn't that more spiritual energy was always better; proper allocation was necessary to avoid waste or improper development.

“The other six masses were of metal, wood, fire, earth, wind, and thunder respectively.”

“Their quantities were significantly less than that of the water elemental spiritual energy.”“Earth elemental spiritual liquid: 312.8 kg extracted.”“Wood elemental spiritual liquid: 52.5 kg extracted.”“Metal elemental spiritual liquid: 10.1 kg extracted.”“Wind elemental spiritual liquid: 8.5 kg extracted.”“Thunder elemental spiritual liquid: 5.2 kg extracted.”“Fire elemental spiritual liquid: only 2.1 kg.”

Zhao Xing kept precise records, even for the smallest fractions, mainly because even a small remnant of this substance was incredibly valuable on the outside. As for why the spiritual energy in the Dragon Well possessed all five elements, it was primarily due to the well's formation array.

“Although there's a lot of spiritual energy, I need to use it sparingly.” “Weak plant-type soldiers aren't worthy of absorbing spiritual energy.”

“All the others can be uprooted.” With a thought, Zhao Xing completely uprooted the plants from the Pure Essence Soil that were rooted in the real world's soil, leaving only the Floater Vine and the mysterious Void Seed. The batch of plants he had initially selected were only meant for temporary use. Allowing them to absorb spiritual energy would be nothing short of wasteful. Even if they were rooted in the soil, it wouldn't do; as long as they remained, they could potentially siphon off the spiritual energy.

“After uprooting them all, there are only four areas where I should invest spiritual energy.”

“First, the Pure Essence Soil itself. Its evolution can develop numerous characteristics, such as the Steadiness of Earth, the Earth Veins, and the Spiritual Earth Veins. The characteristics of the other five elements also require spiritual energy for cultivation.”

“Second, the Floater Vine. Judging by Liu Tianning’s Floater in his previous life, it is absolutely worth investing in.”

“Third, the Void Seed. Currently, only a faint green layer has appeared on its surface, and it is also a major consumer of spiritual energy.”

“Fourth, resolving the drawbacks of the Myriad Arts Straw Effigy. Regarding the soul, spiritual energy can cause a qualitative transformation in the Life Soul. The Myriad Arts Straw Effigy, which had no drawbacks during the spiritual energy resurgence era in his previous life, might simply be lacking spiritual energy now.”

“Heh, thinking about it this way, it’s not enough anymore.” The more Zhao Xing gained, the more he desired. If spiritual energy were likened to points for stat allocation, he now had far too many areas to allocate points to!

“I need to allocate it by priority. The Void Seed has already begun to sprout, so it must be given energy, otherwise, it might just die on me.” Zhao Xing separated one drop of each of the five-elemental, wind, and thunder spiritual liquids and dripped them onto the Void Seed's surface one by one. He wanted to see which had the best effect, but found that all types of spiritual liquid had the same effect on it.

“Oh? It accepts everything!” As water elemental spiritual liquid was currently the most abundant, Zhao Xing immediately began to nourish the Void Seed with it, drop by drop. Since it didn't require soil to survive, Zhao Xing didn't bury it in the Pure Essence Soil. As more water elemental spiritual liquid was dripped onto it, the greenness on its surface intensified. Strands of mystical patterns spread across its surface, and the seed slowly grew from its original fist size.

“It has already consumed one hundred kilograms. The Floater reached Ninth Rank directly with fifty kilograms, and you still haven't sprouted?”

“Nurturing it is truly difficult.” The Void Seed was a peerless treasure from the start! Because in this era, even the Shangluo Academy had no Void Seeds, and records of them were extremely scarce. How else could it be called 'peerless'?

Zhao Xing was initially delighted, as the harder a plant-type soldier was to nurture, the stronger it would be. But gradually, his delight waned.

“No, your requirements are too high?!”

“It has already consumed four hundred kilograms of spiritual liquid, yet it's only getting bigger?” Zhao Xing looked at the seed before him. It was originally fist-sized, but now it was twice the size of his head. The original green had vanished, replaced by an alternating pattern of grayish-black and light purple. Its surface also had faint, shimmering starlight, making it resemble a starry sky.

“If the spiritual energy runs out, I'll just find more. I want to see what kind of divine being you truly are!” Zhao Xing gritted his teeth and continued to feed it. It wasn't until it had consumed eight hundred kilograms of water elemental spiritual liquid that it finally changed! A single leaf emerged from its surface. The leaf also had a black base with light purple edges, and star-like patterns shimmered on its veins.

“Boom!” As this single leaf appeared, the surrounding space seemed to be subtly cut and distorted.

“Gasp!” Zhao Xing was stunned! Just a tender leaf from a sapling could cut space and distort the Dragon Court's laws of heaven and earth?

“Holy cow, this thing shouldn't even exist in the Xuanhuang Realm; even in the cosmic version, it would be a rare commodity!” “How did the Great Li acquire it? Did it fly in from outer space?” Zhao Xing was ecstatic. Because he now knew what type of plant the Void Seed before him was.

“It's the classic plant-type soldier of the Gardener path in the cosmic version: the Vine-type Void Seed, the Cloud-Shrouding Vine!” Zhao Xing looked at the leaf resting on the seed's outer shell, a hint of helplessness creeping into his expression.

“What a surprise.” The good news was that even in the cosmic version, it was extremely difficult to obtain. The alarming news was that it was too powerful; nurturing it to maturity at this stage would be incredibly challenging for Zhao Xing.

“Big guy, you rest in my space for now. I'll provide for you when I have more resources.” Helplessly, Zhao Xing moved the Void Seed to float at the very center of his Pure Essence Soil. Then he surrounded it with the seven types of spiritual energy, providing a wisp of spiritual energy every two hours to keep it alive. After gazing at it reluctantly for a moment, Zhao Xing continued allocating the spiritual energy.

“The Floater won't consume any more for now; I'll first try to resolve the drawbacks of the Myriad Arts Straw Effigy.” With the Cloud-Shrouding Vine, that supreme being, Zhao Xing now viewed all other vine-type plant soldiers as utterly insignificant.

“Plop!” Zhao Xing extracted one drop of each of the five-elemental spiritual liquids and dripped them onto his Divine Court acupoint. The spiritual energy entered his body and was directly absorbed into his Sea of Consciousness. Although it was a single drop, once in his Sea of Consciousness, it transformed into a wisp. Zhao Xing continuously extracted and dripped in spiritual energy, but found no further sensation beyond feeling a bit clearer-headed.

“I must research the detailed process to make it effective.”

“Otherwise, it will ultimately remain a hidden danger.”

“Separate!” His Seven-Star Life Soul divided into one of its strands.

“From now on, whether in combat or daily life, one of the Life Souls will not come into contact with spiritual energy and will solely be used to observe the changes in the six main Life Souls under the influence of spiritual energy.”

“Conversely, the six main Life Souls will also dedicate a portion of their energy to observe the one Life Soul that is not exposed to spiritual energy, noting its soul force fluctuations, emotional changes, and insights gained... recording the differences between the two.”

“The process of research is also a form of cultivation. If it truly proves effective, then I will be able to solve the problem.” The Shangluo Academy certainly had spiritual energy, so they didn't lack this 'medicinal ingredient'. The key was the method of application. Zhao Xing guessed that the reason Xu Xing's true body hadn't left for years was likely because he was recuperating in the spiritual energy-rich area of the Shangluo Academy. He might not know how to fully resolve it, but merely staying in a spiritual energy-rich environment could suppress it. To truly solve it, Zhao Xing surmised that a complete cultivation method for the Divine Derivation Art was still needed, along with an understanding of spiritual energy's role in it. Only by combining these would the true solution emerge, preventing cultivators of this art in the Primal Qi Era from suffering Qi deviation or madness.

“This is a long-term endeavor, so I need to keep some spiritual liquid in reserve.” Even so, the remaining spiritual liquid still brought about earth-shattering changes for Zhao Xing. Within the Pure Essence Space, the land had expanded to an astonishing degree.

“The radius has just exceeded ten thousand meters; this is Tier Seven Soil!” With Tier Seven Soil, one's scope could truly be considered that of a powerful cultivator of the Gardener path. If Zhao Xing could achieve a 1:1 ratio for his Pure Essence Projection, then when he summoned it, it could cover an area of 10 kilometers in any direction from his own center. Concurrently, he could make his plant-type soldiers appear at any location within a 314 square kilometer area. Of course, in reality, the Pure Essence Projection was suppressed by the Xuanhuang Realm, making a complete 1:1 projection impossible. As his comprehension of the laws of heaven and earth improved, it could approach a 1:1 ratio infinitely, but it would never truly be 1:1.

“However, if the range of my Pure Essence Soil continues to expand, reaching a radius of 100 kilometers, or even 1,000 kilometers, 10,000 kilometers, that would be truly terrifying.” Imagine Zhao Xing being a thousand kilometers away, and his enemies, without even seeing a trace of him, are surrounded by an army of plants! Furthermore, this was vastly different from the long-range attacks of the Artisans. A Gardener's Pure Essence Projection, along with the appearance of plants, allowed the Gardener to perform leaps and close-range reconnaissance, and their stealth was also superior to that of an Artisan's mecha master.

“The Pure Essence Soil has been upgraded to Tier Seven and now possesses seven characteristics.” Zhao Xing's mind sank as he gazed down at the earth below.

“The Steadiness of Earth has advanced, reaching the level of Earth Veins.”

“Each characteristic has nine minor ranks; the Earth Veins are currently at the Fifth Rank.” Zhao Xing could clearly feel that the Fifth Rank Earth Veins within his Pure Essence Soil were already powerful enough. The prime fertile lands of the Great Zhou Dynasty had a Fourth Rank Earth Vein standard. Even many of the experimental fields at Shangluo Academy's Twin-Life Institute were only Fifth Rank Earth Veins. The generation of Earth Veins within the Pure Essence Space held a different significance. It was akin to a person carrying an Earth Vein within their own body!

“The creation of Earth Veins is one of the prerequisites for evolving an inner world.”

“Later, when I cast geographical advantage-based spells, I will also receive a bonus from it.”

“A fully developed Gardener truly incorporates elements from every path.” Zhao Xing looked at the mound of soil at the center, unable to help but sigh with emotion. A central area was already five meters above the ground level!

“For Self-Nature Gardeners at Shangluo Academy whose Pure Essence Soil has given birth to Earth Veins, they would likely be at the First Rank. Extremely rare cases might appear among the Second Rank cultivators of the Shenhua Institute, as they inherit ancient trees.”

“The second characteristic, the Nurturing of Water, created by water elemental spiritual liquid. It can accelerate the growth of plant-type soldiers.”

“The water elemental spiritual energy has allowed me to bypass the initial stage of this water characteristic and advance directly to the second stage: the Spring of Spiritual Energy.” Zhao Xing then went to another spot, where a small, ten-meter-diameter pond had formed. It stored water elemental spiritual liquid, with wisps of spiritual energy rising from its surface. Based on this, it could radiate its influence across the entire Pure Essence Soil. From now on, Zhao Xing wouldn't need to cultivate plant-type soldiers one by one; he could simply draw spiritual energy from here, solving the storage problem. Before it appeared, he had to constantly expend energy to contain the spiritual energy.

“The remaining characteristics are the Agility of Wind, the Vitality of Wood, the Warmth of Fire, the Durability of Metal, and the Destructiveness of Thunder.”

“All of them are at Tier Seven or Eight of the first stage, still a distance away from advancing.” Zhao Xing withdrew his Pure Essence Projection and then shot into the sky.

“The Nine-Star Fire Prison is only a part of the Dragon Prison. I can continue searching; there's more spiritual energy here than I imagined.”

“Next, I need to search for spiritual energy while simultaneously resolving the issue with the Myriad Arts Straw Effigy, and also verifying my previous conjecture.”

“If the spiritual energy I find subsequently is still more than I imagined, it will partially confirm my hypothesis.”

“I'll need to figure out ways to enter some areas, so I must make haste.” Zhao Xing continued to fly through the Nine-Star Fire Prison. Counting from the moment he entered the Dragon Well, it had been three months when he emerged. After all, absorbing and purifying such a large amount of spiritual energy required considerable time. While Zhao Xing searched for spiritual energy within the Nine-Star Fire Prison, the outside world erupted in chaos.

Dragon King Yin Xiu awoke from his slumber and intervened in the siege of the Great Zhou Dynasty by the Southern Barbarians, Eastern Islanders, Aquatic Race, and various sects. It was utterly unbelievable. The final outcome was even more astonishing: Dragon King Yichuan of the Great Serpent Nation was killed, and the two Southern Barbarian Dragon Kings, Tuoyan and Pompeii, were stripped of their titles and fled in panic, their fates unknown!

When the news spread, it was almost beyond belief. “They just said the Great Zhou's White Dragon King was besieged; why has the situation suddenly reversed?”

“Heavens, Yichuan was actually killed! Pompeii and Tuoyan lost their Dragon King titles!”

“Did I hear that correctly? A Dragon King's title can be stripped?”

“Absolutely true! The Alliance had already issued a warning, but unfortunately, no one believed it.”

“Who issued it?”

“The two Heavenly Venerates of the White Bone Sect!”

“Damn it, why did they deliver it so lightly!” At this moment, the two Heavenly Venerates of the White Bone Sect were still refining the Great Dragon King's skull on the Dragon Ascent Platform. When they heard the news, their jaws dropped in disbelief.

“Red Bone, did we… bite off more than we can chew?” Purple Bone Heavenly Venerate's expression was strained. Red Bone Heavenly Venerate also swallowed hard. They had absolutely no idea that the Great Zhou faction had gained such extensive authority from the Dragon Emperor's Dragon Ascent Platform! Not only did they summon Yin Xiu and kill the Wind Dragon King, but they could even shake a Dragon King's noble rank!

“The Dragon King title is fundamental to our operations in the Dragon Court. Without this position, exploring many areas becomes highly inconvenient!”

“This matter… is too significant.” Purple Bone Heavenly Venerate also grew tense. “If that person can achieve such a feat, who can prevent the Great Zhou Dynasty from dominating the Dragon Court?”

“Now is not the time to think about this. No matter how powerful the Great Zhou is, their quota is ultimately limited, and the ancient Dragon Court is so vast that they can't explore it all. They won't be able to obtain all the benefits.”

“The issue we need to consider now is how to explain this to the Royal Court,” Red Bone Heavenly Venerate said. They did issue a warning, but it was too casually delivered. Now that one of the three Dragon Kings is dead and two have fled, someone is definitely going to take the blame. The problem is, this blame is too heavy; their White Bone Sect cannot bear it!

“What else can we do? We can only hide first!” Purple Bone Heavenly Venerate gritted his teeth. “Regardless, we did issue a warning.”

“Who could have imagined the Great Zhou possessed such power? Bai Yunwu isn't even dead yet, and he's about to emerge from the Nine-Star Fire Prison. This is entirely due to Pompeii's misjudgment!” Hiding was a good option; they could go on an adventure first, secure benefits, and then later negotiate the transfer of interests.

“What about it?” Red Bone Heavenly Venerate pointed to the Great Dragon King's skull.

“We can only take it with us for now and slowly refine it elsewhere.”

“This is the only course of action for now. We hope to succeed in refining it. If we can find more treasures to enhance our influence, perhaps not only will we avoid trouble, but we might even advance further.”

**Gu Ting Kingdom, Royal City, Xila Mansion.**

Bai Yunwu led his people to hunt down the outsider forces, while Long Xiao, Bai Yang, King Shenluo, Ye Yukong, Tong Jin, and Ji Mengjun returned to the Royal City first. Escorting the divine artifact back was, of course, more important.

“Lord, a letter from Zhao Xing.” Long Xiao handed the letter to Ji Si.

“Oh? Where is he?” Ji Si asked.

“He went to the Nine-Star Fire Prison and hasn't come out,” Long Xiao replied. “Zhao Xing said he intends to continue exploring the Dragon Prison and asked you not to worry.” Ji Si frowned, but then, recalling that Yin Xiu was still guarding the Nine-Star Fire Prison's entrance and considering the formidable power of the Dragon Emperor's Edict, his brow relaxed. After reading the letter, Ji Si subtly put it away. Then he looked behind him: “King Shenluo, please take the Dragon Ship to the back.”

“No problem.” After pondering for a moment, Ji Si then said to Long Xiao: “You stay here and rest for a bit.”

“Alright.” Ji Si then discussed with Ji Mengjun and Tong Jin in a side hall for a moment. Afterward, the two swiftly departed. Having arranged everything, Ji Si entered the Heavenly Mystery Chamber. He wrote a letter to King Tianyan outside using the Cloud Casket Time Token.

“Bai Yunwu's siege has been lifted. Wind Dragon King Yichuan of the Great Serpent Nation was killed by Yin Xiu.”

“Pompeii and Tuoyan have lost their Dragon King titles…”

“Everything happened too quickly. Please, elder brother, quickly inform the military department of this situation, and guard against any desperate actions or disturbances from the outsider forces.”

**Mozi Palace, Heavenly Mystery Hall.**

“What?!” King Tianyan was stunned. “The effect was actually so good?” Then came ecstasy: “If this is truly the case, then our dynasty will hold absolute dominance for a very long time!” The birth of a Dragon King required numerous trials, and human lifespans were not long. Just completing these trials would take three to five hundred years. It was foreseeable that in the next three or four hundred years, it would be difficult for outsider forces to regain Dragon King authority. Even if they did, it wouldn't matter; no matter how many they gained, it wouldn't be enough for Zhao Xing to strip away, unless they could find a new countermeasure.

Ji Si's message continued to be transmitted, but this time, it was to Emperor Jing.

“Zhao Xing has entered the Nine-Star Fire Prison for exploration. He left a letter.”

“According to him, there are two places in the ancient Dragon Court that can ignore his decrees: the Sea of Sin and the Abyss of Heaven.”

“Furthermore, some Dragon Kings of the Dragon Race itself cannot be easily mobilized by his methods, nor can their authority be easily revoked. While he could forcibly kill them, he has not yet fully mastered the power of the Codex and needs to proceed gradually.”

“The Dragon Emperor's Codex is bound to his soul; he cannot transfer it for others to use before his death.”

“Additionally, Zhao Xing has newly acquired two divine artifacts: the Limitless Sword Embryo and the Titan God Soldier. Both are treasure-grade artifacts, not within previous predictions, which fully demonstrates Zhao Xing's loyalty…”

“Ji Mengjun and Tong Jin have secretly begun His Majesty's mission with the Heavenly Guard Commander…”

After a pause, Ji Si wrote about another matter:

“This humble brother previously managed to acquire a treasure-grade divine artifact from Dragon King Yin Xiu's treasury.”

“Recently, I have gained considerable insight; it seems it can serve as a vessel for the power of Life Officials, perhaps even replacing the Cloud Casket Time Token. I hope His Majesty grants permission for this humble brother to further research this divine artifact…”

**Frost Dawn Domain.** The light of the teleportation array flashed, and the figures of Ji Mengjun and Tong Jin appeared. The two took out their Star Conches and communicated a few words. Then they quickly headed towards the Frost Dawn Domain Lord's residence.

Within the Domain Lord's residence, First Rank martial artist Luo Guanxiu was uneasy. As a Life Palace Realm expert, he had a certain premonition about his own fate. He constantly felt that this trip to the Dragon Court was fraught with danger, and that he might very well perish there. That was why he hadn't gone to support Bai Yunwu when he was besieged. Too dangerous! With three Dragon King-level figures deploying their forces and so many Domain Lord-level dragons attacking, even a First Rank expert could easily fall. Therefore, he declined to go, using his original mission as an excuse, and twice refused transfer orders from the imperial clan. The third time, he awaited Ji Mengjun and Tong Jin.

“Lord Ji,” Luo Guanxiu replied via his Star Conch, “I have an important task at hand. I've discovered a secret treasure site and am preparing to explore it. If successful, it might bring back a valuable material for our dynasty, so I apologize, but I cannot extricate myself.”

Ji Mengjun and Tong Jin said nothing more and headed straight for the Domain Lord's residence. When Luo Guanxiu saw Ji Mengjun and Tong Jin descend, his heart sank. However, he still didn't think these two had come to kill him, so he greeted them with a smile, intending to appease them.

The result—

“Hm?” Luo Guanxiu flew a thousand meters forward, but suddenly shivered. He looked back and realized, to his shock, that his primordial soul had somehow left his body without him knowing, while his physical body remained standing on the steps.

“Soul Extraction? She's here to kill me!” Luo Guanxiu was enraged and immediately tried to return to his body. However, Ji Mengjun had already begun performing the "Emperor's Dance." Her limbs made no movements, but her Life Soul in her Sea of Consciousness danced along.

The Emperor's Dance, also known as the Dance of Souls! Among the Six Minor Dances, its power ranked first! Derived from the ultimate methods of the Six Great Dances, Ji Mengjun now possessed soul dance techniques at the peak complete level! Secret techniques targeting the soul all shared a common characteristic: they could, to some extent, disregard the rules of a cultivation arena. The moment Luo Guanxiu's primordial soul reacted, it didn't show any substantial response. Because his primordial soul began to dance in lockstep with Ji Mengjun's body.

“Why! Why are you killing me!” Luo Guanxiu roared. But his Life Soul was completely unable to break free. With his soul extracted and having lost the initiative, Ji Mengjun could control him for at least ten breaths! Such ample time was enough for Tong Jin to shatter his physical body!

“Bang!” Neither Ji Mengjun nor Tong Jin responded, or rather, the shattering of Luo Guanxiu's physical body was the best response.

“I am appointed by His Majesty…” Luo Guanxiu tried to say something more, but suddenly realized something. A bitter smile appeared on his face. He understood. Everything became clear.

“Thump!” In his final moments, Luo Guanxiu, filled with endless regret, plunged into complete nothingness.

“Buzz!” When both Luo Guanxiu's Life Soul and physical body vanished, a light glowed from the imperial edict in Ji Mengjun's sleeve. Returning Fortune to the Dynasty! All the national fortune he had previously gained from the Great Zhou Dynasty's baptism was reclaimed. Tong Jin and Ji Mengjun stood silently.

Half an hour later, a group of gold-armored, spear-wielding, helmeted strongmen flew out from various parts of the Domain Lord's residence.

“Reporting, my lords, everything has been handled.”

“Let's go.” Efficient! Swift! During the Great Zhou's pursuit of outsider evil-doers, such small but highly efficient groups of strongmen would suddenly appear in various locations. Mou Dingbang, Lan Zhongji, Luo Guanxiu… many powerful individuals vanished during this upheaval, and their names would appear on the official casualty lists. No one would know the details of their deaths. Even the executors would undergo the 'Oblivion Art' of the Rites Cultivators afterward. Their respective families would also gradually decline with the death of these First Rank experts.

Time flowed. Within the Nine-Star Fire Prison, Zhao Xing had already been flying for three days. In the Nine-Star Fire Prison, apart from eternal darkness, there were only occasional flaming chains traversing through the gloom. These chains of rules would shackle any life form that entered. Zhao Xing could only determine his location by the movement of the flaming chains.

“This is excruciating. Being trapped in a place so utterly silent and shackled by flaming chains of rules is torture.” “If it weren't for the spiritual energy, I really wouldn't want to come to this hellhole,” Zhao Xing muttered. He flew for a long time before finding another Dragon Well location. It was also a drifting micro-continent, identical to the previous one.

“It took a month. It should now be April of the fourth year of the Great Governance era.” The vastness of the Dragon Race's territory was secondary; the main issue was the inefficiency of travel within the Dragon Prison, where one could only navigate by the flaming chains of rules. His ability to navigate was due to his transformation and the amplification effect of the Dragon Emperor's Codex. Naturally, it was also because the Dragon Wells were inherently spaced far apart. Judging by the scale of the first one, a single Dragon Well could sustain many Dragon Race prisoners with minimal life functions. Imprisonment wasn't meant for enjoyment; naturally, merely staying alive was sufficient.

“Whoosh, whoosh,” Zhao Xing tore open the chains on the Dragon Well. This time, tearing the chains felt a bit more difficult. He had fully transformed into his Five-Clawed Golden Dragon form, wrapping the massive chains around his claws and bearing them on his shoulders just to drag them.

“Buzz!” When the chains were torn open, the second Dragon Well still erupted like the first, though with less intensity.

“Change!” Zhao Xing reverted to his human form, then swiftly activated his Pure Essence Soil.

“Absorb!” Just like before, Zhao Xing first captured the spiritual energy that diffused out, trying not to waste a single bit. Then he jumped into the Dragon Well and activated the Profound Yellow Elemental Scrutiny Art for purification.

“Gurgle, gurgle,” The spiritual energy liquefied and dripped into the soil, where Zhao Xing stored it. Because the elemental properties of the spiritual energy varied, Zhao Xing first purified and stored it to prevent his Pure Essence Soil from developing in a skewed manner. “The Five Elements emphasize balance. If my Earth Veins become too strong while other elemental attributes are too weak, it would be like a barrel with only one stave growing infinitely, which could even interfere with the other attributes.”

“This time, I obtained another ton of water elemental spiritual liquid, 258.52 kg of earth elemental spiritual liquid, and the other elements were all in the tens, adding up to less than a hundred kilograms.”

“I'll store them for now.” Zhao Xing didn't absorb it immediately. Given this exploration efficiency, he also needed to calculate if he had enough time.

Time flowed. Two years and four months had passed since Zhao Xing entered the Nine-Star Fire Prison. At the entrance to the Nine-Star Fire Prison's plains, Dragon King Yin Xiu opened his eyes again. Seeing that Zhao Xing had not emerged, he obeyed Zhao Xing's original command, flew away from the Fire Prison plains, and returned to Gu Ting Royal City. Yin Xiu could still sense the Dragon Emperor's Codex's location, and it was constantly moving. Clearly, the great Dragon Emperor's successor had important matters to attend to. As the first Dragon King under the Dragon Emperor's successor, he only needed to return to Gu Ting Royal City, reorganize the dragon army, and await his king's summons.

After returning to Gu Ting Royal City, Yin Xiu chose not to re-enter slumber, and the Gu Ting Kingdom entered an era of dual-king governance. The two Dragon King brothers, Yin Xiu and Yin Li, began frequently summoning Dragon Race domain lords and city lords. The flames of the Fuming Palace burned day and night; vast numbers of heavily armed Dragon Race soldiers were being manufactured. Dragon Turtles carried Dragon Crystals back and forth across the kingdom, and Dragon Ships transported large quantities of materials. Even many humans within the kingdom received military equipment tasks from the Dragon Race.

“What's going on? Why are all the recent tasks mining-related?” Lu Manman and Lu Xiuyuan, a brother and sister, emerged from the Domain Lord's residence, their faces smudged with dirt. They had just completed one mining task when another arrived. Otherwise, it was retrieving resources from the sea or picking fruits in dangerous areas. In short, they were all manual labor tasks, requiring very little skill.

“There's going to be a war, of course. The Dragon Race of Gu Ting Kingdom is expanding its military!” Lu Manman said.

“That's too intense. Who exactly is this 'Edict-bearing' Great Dragon King of our dynasty? Yin Xiu and Yin Li's decrees always bear this name; it's just too impressive!”

“You ask me, who should I ask?”

“Thump! Clang!”

“Clink! Clang!”

**Gu Ting Royal City, Fuming Divine Temple.**

Cao Qianyue was diligently hammering a weapon component, next to a massive furnace set over a lava lake. As he hammered nearby, a small loli with twin buns sat on an iron frame, dangling her fair, tender legs.

“Dunlie, how much longer are you going to forge? This is so boring.” Li Muwan's head emerged from behind a massive dragon fruit, her lips still covered with fruit pulp. “I've almost finished three Dragon Abyss Pears, and you're still not done.”

“Almost, almost!” Cao Qianyue grinned honestly. “Once I'm done forging, we can go eat.”

“Alright, alright.” Li Muwan jumped down, beaming. “What are we eating today?”

“How about some fragments of an Eighth-Rank Fire Dragon Axe?”

“? You can get that?” Li Muwan's eyes lit up.

“Certainly not just by myself, but I'm the Divine Might Marquis's personal guard!” Cao Qianyue rubbed his bald head.

“You said the Great Dragon King 'Edict'—is that Divine Might Marquis Zhao Xing?” Li Muwan asked curiously.

“Mmm-mmm-mmm~” Cao Qianyue covered his mouth and shook his head. “I don't know.”

“I really don't know,” Cao Qianyue explained. “Don't ask anymore. My current treatment is much better, and in another year or two, I might even reach Third Rank. If you keep asking and ruin it, we won't be able to eat so many delicious things.”

“I won't ask!” Li Muwan said with a giggle. “Next time you see the Divine Might Marquis, tell him about me and see if he can transfer me too.”

“Alright,” Cao Qianyue smiled. “I've already mentioned that your Gluttonous Art is superior to mine; the Marquis will definitely like it.”

**The third year of entering the Nine-Star Fire Prison.**

Above a vast, dark-red land, a Five-Clawed Golden Dragon looked down.

“Three years have passed. I've reached the depths of the Dragon Prison.”

“I didn't expect there to be a living Great Dragon King here.” Zhao Xing looked down at the dark-red land below, where an extremely colossal black dragon lay coiled! It occupied almost three-fifths of the land, with very little room to move. Its massive dragon head and scales, even in slumber, gleamed with a dangerous light. Its body size exceeded at least a hundred kilometers. Even from a great distance, Zhao Xing could feel the terrifying aura naturally emanating from the black dragon.

“He's currently in a state of slumber, but he's still alive.”

“There must be spiritual energy beneath his body, otherwise he wouldn't have been able to live this long.” Unlike other places, the black Great Dragon King imprisoned here had a stone tablet next to him recording his name, the duration of his imprisonment, and the reason for it.

“Great Dragon King 'Zhi', imprisoned by Dragon Emperor 'Jie' during the Fifth Dragon Yuan Era for violating decrees and returning to the Dragon Court without permission, for a period of one epoch.”

“A Dragon Yuan Era is a million years. The Fifth Dragon Yuan Era should have been the twilight period of Dragon Emperor Jie, a time when the Dragon Court was likely at war with the Abyssal Demon Race.”

“This crime is equivalent to a frontier general returning to the capital without orders.”

“Imprisoned for a million years, it's likely been even longer.” After all, the Dragon Emperor later died, and no one would release 'Zhi'.

“It seems my theory is correct.” Zhao Xing quietly stared at the stone tablet, repeatedly confirming that this Great Dragon King was indeed named 'Zhi', his heart surging.

“In my previous life, I entered the Nine-Star Fire Prison many times, and all I ever saw was the corpse of Great Dragon King 'Zhi'.”

“He should have died, but now he's alive and well, merely slumbering, and it looks like he can continue to do so.”

“Why is he still alive? Naturally, it's the spiritual springs extending his life.”

“In this life, the total amount of spiritual energy is greater than I imagined. This is certain. Or rather, the total amount of spiritual energy in the Xuanhuang Realm remains unchanged, but a significant portion has been preserved due to slower consumption.” A look of contemplation flashed in Zhao Xing's eyes.

“The biggest reason for this situation is… ‘players’!”

“The biggest difference between this life and my previous one is the absence of players.”

“If the player resurrection mechanism is a law of heaven and earth that requires a massive consumption of spiritual energy to activate, then without players and without a resurrection mechanism, a lot more spiritual energy would remain.”

“Judging by the Dragon Wells I've unearthed over these three years, there's a tremendous amount of spiritual energy remaining, even two or three times more than my highest expectation.”

“So, will the small-scale spiritual energy resurgence brought about by the primal qi tide during Emperor Wu's era become larger?” Zhao Xing fell into deep thought. This concerned his future plans; he couldn't afford not to consider it.

“What if, what if… I could complete the ascension during Emperor Wu's era?”

“That rain of spiritual energy resurgence… can I make it bigger?”

“Manual spiritual energy resurgence…” Zhao Xing fell into recollection. “This was part of the 'Saving the Heavens' plan originally organized by players.”

“If I were to lead and initiate the 'Saving the Heavens' plan, could I complete a manual spiritual energy resurgence during Emperor Wu's era and help the Great Zhou Dynasty ascend?” Zhao Xing's eyes flickered as he couldn't help but ponder this possibility.

“Current verification only proves that there's more spiritual energy than in my previous life; if I guide a spiritual energy resurgence, it might not be enough…”

“And I also need to compress the Ascension version and the Resurgence version into the same period.”

“I only have less than a thousand years. Can it be done?” Zhao Xing sank into thought. “I still need more data for reference!”

“Upon my return, I will complete preliminary calculations during Emperor Jing's reign.”

“If everything truly unfolds as expected…” Zhao Xing clenched his fist, his eyes sparkling with brilliance. “Then my plan will undergo significant changes!”

“Perhaps, I will be able to rewrite the destinies of many, even the fate of an entire dynasty!”