Chapter 429: The Great Points Sweep of the Taixu Straw Man (Part One)

The East Coast of the Primordial Ocean.

Zhao Xing was carried by the waves to the shore. After jumping ashore, he turned back towards Lan Si, who stood at the water's edge, and cupped his hands in gratitude. "Thank you for accompanying me, Fellow Daoist Lan."

"We shall meet again."

"Indeed, we shall meet again."

Zhao Xing disappeared into the sea entrance reserved for Coral-rank members.

"I hope we truly will meet again," Lan Si chuckled. He was now at the peak of the Life-Death Dao Domain realm, a Coral-rank nine-tier member. To enter the Reincarnation realm, one must transcend life and death, but how easy is that? Lan Si had been in the Primordial Ocean for three hundred thousand years, hoping to draw courage from the vast sea, but he still dared not take that final step.

"The closer you get, the more awe you feel." A faint sigh dissipated with the waves.

Emerging from the Instantaneous Flower and transferring to the Thousand Star Vine, Zhao Xing walked cheerfully along the path.

"During the Origin realm stage, standing firm for ten breaths at one million nautical miles in the Primordial Ocean signifies that one already possesses capabilities akin to the Life-Death Dao Domain realm in some aspect. Achieving this automatically grants one enough points to reach 102.2 million, making them a first-tier Coral-rank member. This rule is specifically designed for the geniuses among geniuses."

"If one attempts this after reaching the Dao Domain realm, they will still accumulate points according to the original rules. Even reaching one million nautical miles would only yield a little over nine million points; they would need to continue much further." Reaching one million nautical miles in the Origin realm is a completely different concept from reaching it in the Dao Domain realm; the former indicates a much higher future potential!

"Many members from the Primordial Assembly 1775 years ago have now entered the Dao Domain realm," Zhao Xing observed, looking at his Star Mirror. "They have reached the end of their path in the Origin realm; staying there longer won't further solidify their Origin foundation. For example, Han Chuchen and True Person Miaosong, they have both entered the Dao Domain realm, generating spiritual power, and their dao fields have transformed into dao domains. They reached their limits long ago. I should also test my own limits and break through to the Dao Domain realm as soon as possible, to seize the initiative in the next version."

"First, I'll use these more than 100 million points. The priority is to recover from the soul-related side effects."

At the Treasure Exchange Hall in Algae City, Nainazi had been waiting early in front of the exclusive high-level reception room.

"Lord Zhao, congratulations on becoming a revered Coral-rank member."

Glancing at the curvaceous Nainazi, Zhao Xing smiled, "Nainazi, you're doing well too. After over a thousand years, you're almost at the Yin-Yang Dao Domain realm."

"Thank you for your praise, my lord. You are the sun and moon; I am but a tiny firefly," Nainazi said respectfully. "Please be seated, my lord."

Amidst the flattery, Nainazi ushered Zhao Xing into the reception room. "My lord, upon becoming a Coral-rank member, your residence will be changed. You will no longer reside in Algae City but will move to Coral City, which has a higher spiritual energy index and is built on the first layer of the Dao Manifestation Layer. Furthermore, your accompanying members will also be replaced, unless you specifically request to retain someone..." Nainazi began introducing the new benefits and privileges.

Algae City and Seaweed City are both temporary residences. Members can only stay for a maximum of two thousand years, essentially being 'tenants.' Upon becoming Coral-rank, one can reside in Coral City, owning land and estates, truly becoming a master. Otherwise, they are merely transients in the Primordial World.

The Star Mirror was further upgraded, and privileges increased accordingly. Zhao Xing even noticed that the newly replaced Star Mirror now displayed options such as 'Starfire Organization,' 'Imperial Military Department,' and 'Crimson Star Frontier.'

"From this moment on, I am truly a member of the Primordial World; I finally have a foundation," Zhao Xing mused. True Primordial World members have direct access to various key departments of the Empire! Such as Starfire, Frontier, and the Military Department. Before this, if Zhao Xing wanted to contact Starfire, he would first have to send out a clone from the Primordial World and then use personal connections to find Starfire. Now, he could connect directly. These privileges were intended to cultivate a sense of ownership among Coral-rank members and enhance their feeling of belonging.

"My lord, these two storage rings: one contains the physical benefits for Coral-rank members, and the other holds the treasures you ordered."

"Understood." Zhao Xing opened the smaller ring to examine its contents. Inside were a few pills, seven types of identification seals, and twenty-four sets of 'one-click deployment' formations. These were either keys to certain safe houses or emergency distress signals. In extreme situations where the Star Mirror was blocked, they could be used for self-rescue. This was not much different from what Zhao Xing knew from his previous life, so he casually glanced at them before setting them aside.

The second ring contained the treasures he had purchased with over 100 million points. These were primarily treasures to remedy soul-related side effects.

"Last time, to pass Zuo Qiyu's trial, I consumed 500 Soul Spirit Pills in one go. Although this boosted my soul level to the Yin-Yang Dao Domain realm, it also left behind side effects. Three Soul-Cleansing Jades and two 'Soul-Rice Worms' should be enough," Zhao Xing thought to himself. "Next are the Five-Element Origin Stones, Yin-Yang Stones, and a Mid-grade Realm-Fixing Tower, all required for cultivating the Primal Chaos Diagram." The Primal Chaos Realm cultivation method was the biggest expenditure; the upper limit of the origin space determined the upper limit of the 'troop-spamming' strategy.

"I will enter seclusion." Zhao Xing waved his hand, and Nainazi immediately withdrew.

Inside the cultivation chamber, three palm-sized, dark purple Soul-Cleansing Jades floated around Zhao Xing. The three purple jades emitted light that penetrated directly into Zhao Xing's soul. It was warm and comfortable. The swelling and strange bubbles on Zhao Xing's soul began to subside.

"Next are the Soul-Rice Worms." Opening two silver metal boxes, two worm-like creatures, tiny as grains of rice, quickly burrowed into Zhao Xing's head. Soul-Rice Worms were not true life forms, but rather medical Dao-soldiers crafted by 'Mechanism Physicians,' a sub-branch of the Mechanist profession. The two 'Soul-Rice Worms,' guided by the purple light, entered his Sea of Consciousness. They quickly divided, from two to four, and in a blink, there were a hundred thousand of them. They swarmed forward, heading straight for his Destiny Soul.

"The side effects of the three souls were actually in the Destiny Soul; the other two souls appeared listless because the Destiny Soul was afflicted." Zhao Xing remained motionless, watching the Soul-Rice Worms fly towards him. He then witnessed a 'health defense battle' with clear division of labor and incredibly high efficiency. Large numbers of Soul-Rice Worms burrowed into his soul body, cutting and devouring cysts and bubbles, and extracting tiny, imperceptible yet real soul parasites. The entire process lasted only two and a half months, and aside from a slight itchiness, there was virtually no discomfort.

After the treatment concluded, the purple light shone on the Soul-Rice Worms, guiding them out. With a click, the two Soul-Rice Worms had grown four or five times their original size. They returned to the silver metal boxes, and after the boxes were closed, a flash of intense light and heat left only ashes inside.

"What a relief," he sighed. Zhao Xing stretched his body, then inwardly observed his Sea of Consciousness, finding his soul body bright and smooth, serene and dignified, having regained its former radiance.

"The Empire is truly incredible, worthy of a nation with God-tier Mechanists." In many ancient nations, consuming 500 Soul Spirit Pills would lead to an intractable ailment. In the Primordial World of the Empire, Zhao Xing didn't even need to consult a physician. It eliminated the risk of having his soul spied upon.

"It's just a bit expensive. Out of 100 million points, 60 million went to repairing the soul side effects, and 40 million to cultivation methods—gone in an instant. This little bit of resources isn't even enough to satisfy my needs," Zhao Xing clapped his hands, opened his Star Mirror, and accepted over a thousand missions in one go. "Send out the Grand Void Straw Man for a massive point sweep!"

July, 1775th year since entering the Primordial World.

Zhao Xing dispatched his Grand Void Straw Man, which began systematically clearing Primordial World point missions one by one.

"Wind-Thunder Canyon, combining the Grand Dao of Wind and Thunder. The canyon is only ten thousand li long, and for every li traveled, I get 100 points? The total points would only be a million, but every little bit helps."

"Hmm? There are also record rewards? If I can break the time limit for passing the trial and enter the top ten of this session, I'll get an additional multiplier bonus. If I can break the first-place record, I'll get a 10x bonus, which is 10 million points. Now that's interesting."

The Grand Void Straw Man stood outside Wind-Thunder Canyon, glancing at the stone monument at the canyon entrance, which bore only ten names.

"First place is Tuo Sen, with a time of three ke and two breaths.""Second is Pu Tianrui, with a time of three ke and eight breaths.""Third is Wu Yanlin, with a time of three ke and twelve breaths.""Fourth place, however, is a 'Steward Farmer' from the Heavenly Time Sect named Fang Hongyu, with a time of three ke and nineteen breaths.""Fifth place, Fairy Youling...""Sixth place, Han Qianye.""Seventh place, Miaosong.""Eighth place, Su Jiudao.""Ninth place, Wei Lan.""Tenth place, Caslo."

"The top five completed it within four ke, while the latter five all took more than four ke, but the difference wasn't significant." With a thought, Zhao Xing had the Grand Void Straw Man begin its first attempt immediately.

Boom! Thunder erupted from flat ground. As soon as it entered the canyon, continuous, circulating lightning bolts struck towards the Grand Void Straw Man. The Grand Void Straw Man's form flickered, and the streaks of lightning struck behind it. Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh! The Grand Void clone flew swiftly.

"Compared to the comprehensive trials of the Primordial Ocean, Wind-Thunder Canyon is purely a magical attack. Two grand formations envelop the canyon, with their power continuously escalating. If hit by a lightning bolt or a gale, one immediately gets caught in a loop, hindering further progress. Hiding underground is also useless; the intensity of the subterranean yin wind and yin lightning is equally formidable." The entire Wind-Thunder Canyon could be said to be an intricate Yin-Yang Wind-Thunder Grand Formation!

A journey of ten thousand li would normally take less than a blink of an eye to travel. However, Zhao Xing was flying very slowly now because the two Grand Daos of Wind and Thunder continuously interfered with the Grand Void Straw Man's control over the Grand Dao of Void. They couldn't defeat Zhao Xing, but they could slow him down.

Ultimately, Zhao Xing's first clear time was set at three ke and sixteen breaths. "Replacing Fang Hongyu in fourth place, I gain a seven-fold bonus, which is seven million points. The first time was just to get familiar with the trial; the speed was a bit slow. I should be able to improve it," Zhao Xing thought. "If I surpass the first place, I'll get an additional 3 million points. Let's try." Regrouping, Zhao Xing entered Wind-Thunder Canyon again.

"He went to Wind-Thunder Canyon!" Han Qianye and Daoist Miaosong were staying in Algae City when Daoist Miaosong suddenly received news that his ranking in Wind-Thunder Canyon had dropped by one. "I saw Zhao Xing in the new ranking."

"What rank?" Han Qianye looked up abruptly, his eyes gleaming.

"Fourth, with only three ke and sixteen breaths!"

Battle intent blazed in Han Qianye's eyes: "Excellent, what an excellent Grand Void Straw Man!" Whoosh! Han Qianye instantly vanished from the spot.

Inside Wind-Thunder Canyon, Zhao Xing's second attempt concluded. "Three ke and seven breaths, placing me second." Zhao Xing glanced at the result, deep in thought. After a short adjustment, he continued with a third attempt.

Just after he entered Wind-Thunder Canyon for the third time, Pu Tianrui and Wu Yanlin, who had been surpassed, also received the news.

"Zhao Xing is in Wind-Thunder Canyon?"

"He's already in second place."

"A good opportunity."

Pu Tianrui and Wu Yanlin were also in Algae City and immediately rushed towards Wind-Thunder Canyon. Not only did Han Qianye and True Person Miaosong want to witness the capabilities of the Grand Void Straw Man, but they also wanted to engage in a battle with Zhao Xing. After all, this was the legendary Straw Man ultimate technique!

There were quite a few people staking out in Algae City, and countless more sent challenge invitations to Zhao Xing via the Star Mirror. However, Zhao Xing's main body was cultivating the Primal Chaos Diagram and wasn't looking at his Star Mirror at all. He had no idea that many geniuses were looking for him, eager to compete.

The third trial ended. Zhao Xing stood at the other end of the canyon. Arcing electricity crackled on the Straw Man's shoulders. There were scorched marks in many places.

"Two ke and fifteen breaths." Zhao Xing patted away the arcs on the Straw Man's shoulders with satisfaction: "10 million points obtained. The only minor drawback is that it wasn't a no-damage clear." The first two attempts were aimed at a no-damage clear, which naturally made them slower. The last time, he didn't plan to dodge, so it was naturally much faster.

"My Grand Void Straw Man was made with practice materials, so there's still room for improvement. However, this record was set by Tuo Sen five hundred years ago. I wonder who is stronger between us now." Zhao Xing saw his name above Tuo Sen's, then set the thought aside and moved on to the next location to earn points.

As soon as he left, a large crowd appeared outside Wind-Thunder Canyon.

"Is Zhao Xing here? Coral-rank member Haibo requests a challenge!""Mushroom King, I, Hong Yue, request a battle!""Fellow Daoist Zhao, why aren't you accepting challenge invitations in the Star Mirror?"

There were so many people that Han Qianye and True Person Miaosong didn't even get a chance to speak before others beat them to it. "It seems everyone has the same idea," the two exchanged glances, shaking their heads with a wry smile. With so many people, including many seasoned Dao Domain realm experts of Coral-rank seven or eight, they wondered if it would even be their turn. However, after a quick scan, they realized that Zhao Xing's figure was nowhere to be found in Wind-Thunder Canyon, leaving only his name on the stone monument and the incredibly striking record of two ke and fifteen breaths.

The Primordial World, Layered Realm Mountains.

"The Layered Realm Mountains are a very peculiar natural wonder in the universe, with peaks stacked in layers within the void." Zhao Xing stood on a green vine leaf, gazing into the distance. From outside, he could see the mountains' exterior and interior, both macroscopically and microscopically. This was because Layered Realm Mountains typically pierced through multiple layers of void. If they pierced through the Manifestation Layer, Dao Manifestation Layer, and Ancient Dao Layer, they would be called Three-Layered Realm Mountains. This particular Layered Realm Mountain was a typical Three-Layered Realm Mountain. The associated mission was called 'Mountain Relocation Mission.'

"The more stones excavated from the Layered Realm Mountain within the specified time, the more points earned." Zhao Xing looked at the mission and couldn't help but smile. "Well, well, the Primordial World also engages in plagiarism. This is clearly a training exercise from the Hill of the Ancient Primordials."

Excavating an entire Three-Layered Realm Mountain was extremely difficult. This was because Three-Layered Realm Mountains continuously converted void origin energy, forming new stones. The Five Poisons Emperor once complained that Emperor Mengshan's eldest disciple from the Hill of the Ancient Primordials was useless, taking over three hundred years to excavate one Three-Layered Realm Mountain. In truth, this speed was already quite impressive, but it still couldn't satisfy the demands of the higher-ups.

"The Foolish Old Man moved mountains by relying on endless generations of descendants, but what if the mountains are also endless?" Zhao Xing muttered, then plunged into the Three-Layered Realm Mountain.