Chapter 394: Advising the Expulsion Order, Questioning the Daoist Puppet, Food Supplement Methods

Zhao Xing, having been expelled twice in a row, realized he had encountered the 'Expulsion Order' checkpoint.

What is the Expulsion Order? It’s a magic spell used to exclude outsiders.

Originally, missionary scholars used this spell to identify foreign races, especially demons.

Examples include the Demon Slaying Decree and True Spirit Reflection, among other divine abilities. These identification methods were collectively known as the Path of Recognition.

Scholars distinguished between humans and other races by examining the Grand Dao of Life and the Grand Dao of Soul.

The universe creates all things; no matter how other races disguised themselves with magic, there would always be differences in their life origins and soul origins.

However, there were times when relations between humans and demons eased. Ancient human kingdoms even began taming demons and, at times, appointing them to important ministerial positions.

Sometimes, a previous epoch would see all demons within a kingdom slaughtered, only for the next epoch to reverse that policy.

Consequently, the Daoist arts also had to evolve with the times, moving away from such extreme, indiscriminate approaches and developing more moderate versions.

Later, as conflicts arose between ancient human kingdoms, the Expulsion Order reappeared.

The 'Expulsion Order' spell continued to be refined and specialized.

In some cases, even humans could not enter certain territories, and sometimes, individuals from the same nation but with different statuses were denied entry.

Generally speaking, however, racial discrimination remained very severe in the Profound Spirit Starfield.

This was due to divergent philosophies among missionary scholars. Some believed that demons' "spirits" were chaotic and inherently malicious; even if educated, their reform would be temporary, and they would inevitably cause harm in the future.

These scholars focused solely on guiding human progress, adopting an uncompromising stance that completely forbade demons from accessing Daoist legacies.

Other missionary scholars were relatively more tolerant, allowing both humans and spirits to enter.

"The ancient Yue Luo Kingdom was quite hostile towards demons back then," Zhao Xing thought to himself. "If a demon had come for this inherited Daoist legacy, they probably wouldn't have faced an Expulsion Order, but a Slaying Decree."

"The checkpoint at Shang Luo Dao Academy, further refined, must prohibit entry to non-Yue Luo Kingdom natives," Zhao Xing pondered.

The saying was already very clear: "Yue Luo shines in all directions, but the Grand Dao also has its boundaries. Non-tribal guests, depart quickly, do not hesitate."

"Does this mean that non-Yue Luo tribesmen cannot enter this inherited Daoist legacy at all?"

"No, that's not right; Du Yun was able to enter," Zhao Xing mused. "Either Du Yun was strong enough to resist the scholar's spell and force his way in, or this Expulsion Order has been refined, only prohibiting entry to Shang Luo Dao Academy itself."

"It seems there's a difference between entering with Five Sovereign Coins and with Platinum Zhu ancient coins."

In his previous life, when he observed this place, there were no such rules; even offerings didn't require money.

The Illusion God Star System had become a tourist attraction. With tickets being sold, how could they maintain so many rules? Naturally, they were abolished.

However, it would be easy to determine the exact situation; he just needed to try.

"I'll ask Du Wen."

Zhao Xing turned and flew up to the cold pond.

He stood before Du Wen.

"Zhao Xing, how did you come up so quickly? Did you encounter a problem?"

"Yes, Master, I encountered the missionary scholar's 'Expulsion Order'," Zhao Xing replied, cupping his hands. "Might I borrow an 'Admonition Against Expulsion Order' from you?"

The 'Expulsion Order' spell was classic precisely because it had two sides, making it unequivocally a civil war spell.

After scholars developed it, they didn't use it for combat themselves, but others could.

When multiple factions were exploring an area, but no one wanted to kill to escalate the situation, someone would often plant an 'Expulsion Order' into the ground. Then, within the designated area, no one but their own people could enter.

Anyone attempting to enter would be repelled by the Grand Dao of Life and Grand Dao of Soul inherent in the Expulsion Order.

Those who wished to enter would counter it by planting an 'Admonition Against Expulsion Order.'

This scene was like two children squabbling:

"Idiot, get lost!"

"Reflected!"

"I reflect your reflection!"—the final outcome depended on whose invited scholar-retainer was more formidable.

Of course, those with sufficient power could also brute-force their way through.

However, given that missionary scholars' Dao and methods typically rendered them invincible among their peers and capable of fighting above their rank, breaking an Expulsion Order required finding another missionary scholar.

"Oh? No wonder—" Du Wen realized. "I'll go down and take a look."

"Thank you, Master."

Du Wen was also at the Grand Divine Ability realm, the same as Hong Qi, who was with Lu Yuehan.

When Zhao Xing used his panel to scan him, it was like looking at a book; his entire visual field couldn't encompass it all, requiring him to turn many pages.

Since the Expulsion Order was a classic spell, he must have learned it.

He just didn't know how strong the next checkpoint would be.

In terms of strength, the tomb's owner was a missionary scholar at the Yin-Yang Dao Domain realm, certainly stronger than Du Wen.

It depended on how strong the checkpoint was set to be.

Was it truly impenetrable, or merely a test?

*Splash*

The cold pond's water parted, clouds formed under Du Wen's feet, light shimmered around him, and he descended gracefully.

He bowed with the Platinum Zhu ancient coin, and then his form was absorbed into the small world.

But in less than a second, Du Wen reappeared outside, as if kneeling.

"My 'Admonition Against Expulsion Order' is not as strong as the tomb owner's," Du Wen shook his head, using the momentum to fly up. "This checkpoint is very strong."

Zhao Xing nodded. Inherited Daoist legacies were like this; they were passed on to whoever the previous owner wished.

A scholar's Daoist legacy was not something ordinary people could forcibly break. A missionary scholar at the Yin-Yang Dao Domain realm, if they fought to the death, might even be a match for someone at the Life-Death Dao Domain realm.

"Then we'll just have to follow the requirements," Zhao Xing said.

"Hmm, so non-Yue Luo natives aren't allowed in? Then we just need to find a way to become Yue Luo Kingdom natives from the outside," Du Wen chuckled.

Knowing the answer, Zhao Xing deliberately asked, "Master, the ancient Yue Luo Kingdom no longer exists, so how can one become a native of that nation?"

Du Wen slowly replied, "It's simple, really; it's about starting from five aspects: clothing, food, shelter, methods, and language."

"Clothing, meaning Dharma robes. This is relatively simple: find a Dharma robe from the ancient Yue Luo Kingdom, wear it, and blend in with local customs. Using the aura of that era to conceal oneself might allow you to pass."

"Of course, the checkpoint set by this tomb owner is likely not something that can be bypassed with just one Dharma robe."

"Food, meaning dietary supplementation methods. Although the ancient Yue Luo Kingdom no longer exists, the Yue Luo Mausoleum grounds still grow plants and animals native to it."

"The Expulsion Order is not a Slaying Decree; its severity isn't as high. We are all Profound Spirit humans, so by adopting local customs and aligning our diets, eating more food from the ancient Yue Luo Kingdom could be a way to circumvent it."

"Shelter, which means living in a palace produced by the ancient Yue Luo Kingdom. The principle is the same as with the dietary supplementation method."

"Living changes one's aura, and nourishment changes one's body. The environment and the food consumed can alter a person's aura. This is also a basis we scholars use when casting an Expulsion Order."

"For example, for the retainers of Huangsha Prefecture, I arrange their meal plans and living quarters' spell formations. If there's ever a need to use the Expulsion Order, I can differentiate between allies and enemies based on dietary supplementation and dwelling spirit methods."

Zhao Xing nodded, pretending to listen intently.

"Of course, these are relatively easy to imitate, so the latter two—'language' and 'methods'—are the most crucial."

"'Language' means the language, which could be that of the ancient Yue Luo Kingdom, but it usually refers to profound incantations."

"'Methods' refers to cultivation techniques."

"These five aspects are the ways to bypass the Expulsion Order."

Du Wen added, "If it were a Slaying Decree, it would be different. Bloodline, life origin, and soul origin could all be considered, with essentially no clever ways to bypass it—only brute-force methods."

"Master, your vast knowledge has truly opened my eyes," Zhao Xing said, cupping his hands, then appearing somewhat embarrassed. "Might I ask if you could teach me—"

He was too lazy to buy cultivation techniques himself; Du Wen was a ready-made scholar and clearly no stranger to such matters.

He'd try to get it for free if possible. It was just a matter of putting aside his pride and saying a few pleasant words. If Du Wen refused, he'd figure something else out.

"Certainly," Du Wen smiled. "I have several official cultivation methods from the ancient Yue Luo Kingdom here, as well as Dharma robes and food. Only the living quarters might need to be transferred from Huangsha Prefecture."

Palace-type treasures, once acquired, were generally not easily swapped, especially ancient ones. Thus, Du Wen only lacked the "shelter" aspect, which was the Dwelling Spirit method.

"Thank you, Master," Zhao Xing bowed respectfully.

"No need to be so polite," Du Wen declined with a smile. "As a Minister of Agriculture, you are perfectly suited to cultivate dietary supplementation methods, and the Dwelling Spirit method."

In any case, Huangsha Prefecture was going to send people to try, and since all ten people here had tasks, it was just convenient to let Zhao Xing try first.

Subsequently, Zhao Xing and Du Wen sat facing each other, and the teaching began.

Once he truly began learning, Zhao Xing realized Du Wen had been modest.

How could he have only a few spells from the ancient Yue Luo Kingdom? He clearly had several major categories!

The corresponding food varieties were also complete.

"Historical records of the ancient Yue Luo Kingdom's Ministers of Agriculture repeatedly mention dietary supplementation methods. Among the most unearthed are three types: 'Five Elements Heavenly Chef,' 'Six Qi Military Gate,' and 'Sun and Moon Shared Food.'"

"The Dwelling Spirit methods are 'Mountain Palace,' 'Sea Hall,' and 'Water Elemental Dwelling.'"

"As for Dharma robes, I have two sets of Minister of Agriculture official robes here. I'm not entirely sure what ranks they correspond to, but the robes themselves are of no low grade; you can borrow them for now."

"There's plenty of food, both meat and vegetables. You might have to work hard to eat a lot."

"For language, you only need to learn the 'Common Understanding Method.' If even that doesn't work, there's no way to enter."

Listening to Du Wen's introduction, Zhao Xing once again sighed, realizing the importance of having power and connections when venturing out.

If he hadn't shared the profits with Du Yun, from the "Boundary Setting" step onward, he would have had to spend decades, then arrange spell formations to conceal the star continent, buy Platinum Zhu ancient coins, learn spells, and acquire food. A hundred years might not have been enough to complete these processes.

With Du Yun having a host of retainers to help, he didn't need to do everything himself, which saved a lot of trouble.

*Whoosh~*

Du Wen activated his teaching realm, and a shimmering gate appeared before Zhao Xing.

Du Wen merely intended for Zhao Xing to try, so this teaching session didn't involve much energy consumption. He simply allowed Zhao Xing into his Daoist training ground to create a good cultivation environment.

After all, it was a favor, so Zhao Xing didn't dare ask for too much.

Once inside, several 'Dao Fruits' hovered before Zhao Xing's eyes.

Although called Dao Fruits, they were actually about the size of asteroids.

They all stored the Daoist rhymes of the spells Du Wen had just mentioned, which were the cultivation methods.

Zhao Xing looked into the distance; countless stars dotted the vast, boundless expanse, almost without end.

"I wonder how many spells Du Wen has learned."

His panel showed that Du Wen had lived for 1.5 epochs.

Zhao Xing estimated that this individual wouldn't lack resources, and in over 1.8 million years, at least eighty percent of that time must have been spent learning.

Gathering his thoughts and clearing his mind, Zhao Xing began to learn the first dietary supplementation method: 'Five Elements Heavenly Chef.'

The Dao body's acupoints were like stars, and the 'Heavenly Chef' corresponded to the stomach region of the Dao body.

Of course, the Five Elements Heavenly Chef didn't just train this single area; it also involved the five zang organs, as the Five Elements correspond to the heart, liver, spleen, lungs, and kidneys.

The cultivation of dietary supplementation methods wasn't just about internal energy circulation; it had to be accompanied by eating.

So, when Zhao Xing began cultivating, a continuous stream of ingredients was thrown into Du Wen's training ground.

"Humans consume the vital essence of all things, which first enters the Heavenly Chef department."

"Without a special cultivation method, ten parts consumed would yield five parts of nourishment, three parts would become toxins, and two parts would return to heaven and earth."

This was explaining the utilization efficiency of consuming spiritual ingredients directly.

Dietary supplementation methods were further divided into fast food and refined food.

Fast food referred to combat replenishment; at such times, the only concern was quickly restoring one's state. As for accumulated toxins or waste caused by fast food, those could be ignored for the sake of survival.

Most hidden injuries among cultivators were caused by 'fast food.'

The varying appearances among cultivators were also due to imbalanced recuperation.

Lu Yuehan's team included healers, and she herself was one. They had specialized medical dieticians for recovery and conditioning, but most people couldn't afford such services.

Refined food was what Zhao Xing was doing now: after consuming food, it would first undergo a 'careful selection' and 'cooking' process within the 'Heavenly Chef department,' extracting its essence and discarding its dross.

Only then would it be decided which part of the body this 'vital essence' should be distributed to.

Zhao Xing's cultivation of the Purple Yin and Purple Yang technique developed all parts of his body in a balanced manner; he hadn't specifically trained the Heavenly Chef department, it was just a byproduct.

The Yuanhai Realm did have something similar, but it wasn't refined enough, as it was merely a technique, whereas now he was cultivating a specialized method.

As soon as Zhao Xing entered, he opened his panel and began to grind for proficiency.

He then became an emotionless food glutton.

'Five Elements Heavenly Chef' had no clear-cut levels; its effectiveness primarily depended on the food consumed. In the ancient Yue Luo Kingdom, it was considered a relatively moderate method.

It carried little danger, emphasizing the path of balance.

"I eat!"

Zhao Xing enlarged his body, opened his cavernous mouth, and swallowed half of a cabbage-like ingredient in one bite, which was as large as a prefecture.

After consuming it, a cool sensation surged in Zhao Xing's stomach.

The stars in his stomach lit up, and light quickly enveloped the ingredients, as if countless chefs emerged from the stomach wall, cleaving away with their knives.

"I spit!"

Zhao Xing spat out a mass of green residue, mixed with chaotic spiritual energy.

As soon as one batch was cleared, Du Wen quickly threw in another.

They emitted a fragrance that didn't dissipate far. Zhao Xing looked closely and saw that it was a Moon Spirit Fish, seared by Li Fire.

"If Brother Xia were here, he would definitely love this," Zhao Xing thought mischievously.

When eating and drinking became a form of cultivation, it ceased to be enjoyable and turned into torture.

Three years after three years, after Zhao Xing had been eating for six years, Du Wen stopped throwing in ingredients.

Because he had already noticed some changes in Zhao Xing's aura; his Dao body emitted a precious light, his cultivation hadn't changed much, but the fluctuation frequency of his life origin was subtly different from before.

Since he only needed to pass the checkpoint, Zhao Xing merely had to achieve the required outcome.

Of course, if 'Five Elements Heavenly Chef' didn't work, he would have to go back and practice 'Six Qi Military Gate' or 'Sun and Moon Shared Food.'

The former was still acceptable, as it involved 'normal ingredients.' The latter, however, would require him to start consuming minerals like rocks.

This was a dietary supplementation method for a small number of martial artist officials, essentially turning them inhuman.

"Your cultivation speed is decent," Du Wen encouraged, but it was just decent. Du Wen had seen too many prodigies; Du Yun, for instance, was a prime example.

"I've detected a change in your life origin fluctuations; they've become similar to those of the ancient corpses, so you can proceed to the next step."

How did Du Wen compare? Of course, with the unearthed corpses from the ancient Yue Luo Kingdom. Some corpses were perfectly preserved, and Du Wen had spent no small amount of time extracting marrow and digging bones for research.

"Among the cultivation methods of the ancient Yue Luo Kingdom's Ministers of Agriculture, the most significant in terms of aura alteration is the Marquis Transformation Method. It is a path of transformation and will not affect your existing cultivation path."

As Du Wen finished speaking, a corpse appeared within the training ground: it had a human body, a turtle shell, bulging muscles, dark red skin, and flame patterns on its abdomen.

"What is this?" Zhao Xing was momentarily stunned. "It looks like a combination of a Fire Turtle and a human."

"'Divine Fire Turtle Transformation Method'," Du Wen stated. "It's a minor Marquis Transformation divine ability unearthed from the ancient Yue Luo Kingdom. This is an un-transformed template, quite valuable, and I only have this one. Don't damage it."

"'Divine Fire Turtle Transformation?'" Zhao Xing didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

He had killed so many Fire Turtles, yet now he was to cultivate a turtle-race Marquis Transformation Method?

"Is there a problem?" Du Wen noticed Zhao Xing's expression. "It's a bit difficult, and its life structure is somewhat complex."

"No problem at all, Master," Zhao Xing said, shaking his head with a smile. "I'm quite familiar with the life structure of the turtle race."

How could he not be? He had killed over a million Fire Turtles.

The Divine Fire Turtle was the third realm of that race, originating from the same source.

The ancient Yue Luo Kingdom was known for raising turtles. In the Legacy Realm, Zhao Xing had also seen statues of Divine Fire Turtles. Even if they weren't national treasures, they were considered auspicious beasts.

Three years after three years, due to his understanding of the turtle race, Zhao Xing cultivated this minor divine ability to the first rank of divine abilities by the ninth year.

"Cultivated it in nine years?" Du Wen couldn't help but nod. "You truly have some research into the turtle race bloodline."

Even Du Wen found this speed a bit fast.

Even the weakest minor divine ability wasn't that easy to cultivate.

"It's all thanks to Master's excellent guidance," Zhao Xing said. He was now wearing a turtle shell, his muscles were bulky, and his skin was reddish, emitting a fiery red aura.

"Alright, now only the Common Understanding Method remains to be learned," Du Wen said. As for the Dwelling Spirit method, Zhao Xing didn't need to learn to cast it; it was deployed by others. If needed, he just had to live in a designated place for a period.

"Yes."

A planet before Zhao Xing's eyes rapidly expanded, and incantations resonated in his mind.

The Common Understanding Method of the ancient Yue Luo Kingdom had a remarkably unique pronunciation, causing the entire upper body to vibrate, mobilizing the Grand Dao of Melody.

Zhao Xing wondered what the inventor of this language was thinking. Imagining the scene of the ancient Yue Luo Kingdom's court meetings, with everyone trembling and shaking as if holding a vibrator, made him blush with embarrassment.

Lewd, too lewd.

The Common Understanding Method was mastered in a year; after all, it was just a slightly more advanced encrypted language.

And so, Zhao Xing emerged from seclusion sixteen years later.

He had gained a minor divine ability, a dietary supplementation method, and the ancient Yue Luo language for free.

"Thank you, Master, for imparting these methods."

"No need to be so polite," Du Wen said, pointing to the side. "You can go down with You Qing and Fan Yu. That way, you'll have someone to look out for you."

Zhao Xing looked. Sixteen years later, when he emerged again, there were many more people on the star continent. Most were at the Second Realm or minor Divine Ability realm; it seemed Huangsha Prefecture had dispatched a group for exploration.

Around Du Wen, nine shimmering gates stood upright, faintly revealing people meditating within.

Some already met the conditions to descend and didn't need to learn anything on the spot.

"You Yitian and Fan Yu are both formidable retainers under the Prefecture Lord, both at the Grand Divine Ability realm. The rest are at the minor Divine Ability realm. This time, a total of fifty-four people will descend, making it fifty-five with you."

"The conditions have been investigated: as long as one satisfies the methods, language, and dietary requirements, entry is permitted."

"You can enter with them; it'll also be a safeguard," Du Wen said.

"Yes."

Zhao Xing didn't refuse. After all, he had called Du Yun over precisely because he didn't want to take risks. Since he had already given up the larger share, there was no need to act alone.

The 'Expulsion Order' had been unexpected, and there might still be unknown factors inside. Zhao Xing preferred to go with the flow if possible.

With a guaranteed minimum of 10, the returns wouldn't be too bad.

"Brother Zhao," You Yitian, a Qi Sect martial artist, immediately waved with a smile as Zhao Xing emerged and Du Wen finished giving instructions. "We were just waiting for you."

"Waiting for me?" Zhao Xing was somewhat flattered. Fifty-four people, all waiting for him?

A leader's subordinates reflected their character.

Du Yun was magnanimous and upheld righteous principles, and most of his retainers were similar.

Since Zhao Xing had provided the information and Du Wen had given instructions, You Yitian and Fan Yu were very courteous to Zhao Xing; You Yitian could even be described as somewhat enthusiastic.

"My apologies for troubling Brother You and Fairy Fan," Zhao Xing said, cupping his hands.

"Haha, Brother Zhao, don't be so polite," You Yitian said heartily. "Thanks to you, everyone can get rich together."

Although Fan Yu didn't speak, she smiled and nodded.

Du Wen knew that Du Yun valued Zhao Xing. During the sixteen years, Du Yun had emerged once, specifically instructing Du Wen to look after Zhao Xing.

So Du Wen had the dispatched personnel wait for Zhao Xing.

No other specific instructions were needed; the mere act of Du Wen telling people to wait for Zhao Xing implied a great deal.

While it wasn't as exaggerated as fifty-four protecting one, it definitely meant they intended for Zhao Xing to share in the spoils.

With the two team leaders accepting Zhao Xing, the rest naturally had no objections.

Zhao Xing possessed divine abilities in both soul and will, allowing him to perceive that their gazes held curiosity, scrutiny, and envy, but no hostility or jealousy.

"Brother Zhao, are you ready?" You Yitian asked.

"I'm ready, I'll follow all of your instructions, Brother You," Zhao Xing nodded.

"Let's go!"

You Yitian's body vibrated, and he took the lead, leaping into the cold pond.

At this time, after the 'Boundary Setting' work, the cold pond's water had been drained, and its surrounding edges had been widened dozens of times.

All fifty-five individuals bowed in unison, then were sucked in by a force.

This time, Zhao Xing was not repelled.

Evidently, Du Wen's method had been effective.

*Crunch*

Zhao Xing's feet landed on the ground, crushing a dead twig.

He surveyed his surroundings.

All fifty-five people were present, having appeared beneath a withered tree.

The massive tree touched the heavens, its roots embedded in the earth, and its branches spread across the sky, seemingly merging with the firmament.

However, it had no leaves, only barren branches.

"It's a Myriad Dao Tree. I wonder how many years it lived, but unfortunately, it's withered."

Missionary scholars particularly liked planting Myriad Dao Trees.

Zhao Xing recognized it at a glance.

"This one's body exceeds a hundred million kilometers. It must have been at least King-grade in its lifetime."

"I wonder what cultivation method it was used to preserve."

They had barely entered and observed for a moment when You Yitian beckoned everyone to prepare to move.

For Qi Sect martial artists to lead the way was a common practice for team movements in the universe.

However, the customs of this particular Huangsha Prefecture contingent were different.

Two scholars, two priests, two historians, and two fate masters were directly swallowed into his stomach upon entering.

Although these eight were also at the minor Divine Ability realm, they were non-combat personnel, so they were directly protected inside his stomach and would only be released if needed.

Additionally, there were four physicians: two stood on his right shoulder; Zhao Xing could see via his panel that these two specialized in poison medicine and were skilled in combat.

The two who were swallowed specialized in healing.

Zhao Xing and sixteen others squatted inside his right ear.

Fan Yu, on the other hand, stood alone on his left shoulder; she was a Grand Divine Ability realm Soul cultivator.

The combination of Fan Yu and You Yitian was significantly weaker compared to Chen Xuan and Yue Nü.

However, their lineup was well-matched. Fan Yu primarily focused on mind illusion techniques. The weakness of Qi Sect martial artists was their minds; as long as You Yitian wasn't affected by illusions, he essentially had no weaknesses.

"There are nine Ministers of Agriculture, but only one is from the True Self Sect, named Huangfu Yun."

"There are also nine artificers, encompassing forging, spell formations, Daoist soldiers, giant gods, and some 'musicians,' 'dancers,' 'beast masters'—" Zhao Xing thought to himself, "Having so many niche professions is basically to increase the probability of 'winning prizes' or 'receiving rewards.'"

Missionary scholars had broad interests, and the challenges in their Daoist legacies could be highly varied. Bringing in more people might increase the chances of obtaining an inheritance.

"It seems I can relatively easily gain some benefits this time," Zhao Xing thought to himself.

You Yitian and Fan Yu didn't even ask what he knew! The implication was clear: "You don't need to exert yourself; our team is complete. Brother, just relax."

"Little Du is truly thoughtful. He's returned my favor. When I eventually leave, I'll be sure to remind him to abandon the Yuanhai Ancient Kingdom, that huge pit."

The team quickly moved away from the withered tree, heading eastward.

You Yitian and Fan Yu didn't choose the direction randomly; they judged based on the spiritual energy index, noting that the spiritual energy concentration increased gradually to the east.

If there were any trials or treasures, they would only be in that direction.

West of the withered Myriad Dao Tree, the spiritual energy index was less than 10, so there couldn't be any treasures or spell formation checkpoints there.

As it was an exploration, their speed was not fast; they traveled a hundred million kilometers in just under half a year.

After traveling five hundred million li eastward, green grass began to grow, rivers appeared, and vitality started to emanate.

The exploration team finally encountered the second checkpoint.

Zhao Xing scanned ahead and discovered many figures wandering on the prairie, dressed in grey scholar robes and carrying satchels.

"They are Dao-Seeking Book Golems."

A voice came from inside You Yitian's stomach. Zhao Xing identified it as a minor Divine Ability realm scholar speaking, named Du Qing, likely also a clansman of Du Yun.

"Du Qing, what are Dao-Seeking Book Golems?" You Yitian asked.

"Dao-Seeking Book Golems are used by missionary scholars to teach students legal principles," Du Qing explained. "Imparting Dao and methods, or enlightenment by infusion, requires a price and has a limited number of uses in one's lifetime. That's not a conventional teaching method."

"Are there any specific rules?"

While You Yitian was speaking, two scholars flew out.

"There's no great danger. Dao-Seeking Book Golems are a relatively gentle screening method, primarily testing whether a seeker's Dao aligns with Shang Luo Dao Academy's teaching philosophy."

"As the saying goes, 'those whose paths differ cannot plan together.' If you answer incorrectly, you might be denied entry."

"I guess we're currently on our way to Shang Luo Dao Academy, and the Dao-Seeking Book Golems are the second screening," Du Qing explained.

"Can we force our way through?" You Yitian asked. He found matters requiring thought to be troublesome.

"Probably not," another man in black scholar robes said. "The regulations of a Dao Domain realm scholar are difficult to bypass."

"Then can you answer on our behalf?" Fan Yu asked.

"Let's try," Du Qing said.

Next, You Yitian spat out the rest of the people and let down those from his ear.

He then proceeded with Du Qing.

Upon stepping onto the green grassland, a Book Golem immediately expanded dramatically, reaching the same size as You Yitian.

It then posed a question to You Yitian.

"A dragonfly's mouth holds the