Chapter 506: Who Taught Him to Charge Through Like This?

My Lord, I've found out that under normal circumstances, the Sky Patrol Guards are recruited every thirty years through a unified process.

There are two types of abnormal circumstances. First, if a Guard dies or is severely injured and can no longer perform their duties. In such cases, the Great Divine Official will ask the subordinate Guards to recommend candidates, from whom they will then select.

Zhao Xing glanced at the intelligence report. The Sky Patrol Guards, established by Yu Shen Moyuan, are divided into four ranks:Sky Patrol Guard: Usually composed of demigods who have undergone nine True Spirit Tribulations, with a very small number being Eight-Tribulation Emperors.Earth Divine Official: Demigods from the tenth to thirteenth rank; there's no record of any Emperor-level ones.Heaven Divine Official: Demigods above the thirteenth rank.Great Divine Official: Divine realm.

There are four known Great Divine Officials, all of whom have demonstrated their strength, following the Path of the Free God. As for Tribulation-Free True Gods who achieved divinity through Heaven and Earth's attestation? Based on Wei Tianchen's notes, it's unlikely that a Tribulation-Free True God would work under someone else. This is because once a Tribulation-Free True God successfully attests to the Dao, even if they've just entered the divine realm, they can rival a Free Divine General and typically disdain Free Gods who still need to undergo divine tribulations.

Since Yu Shen has four Great Divine Officials under him, it implies he is at least a Tribulation-Free Divine General who attested to the Dao through Heaven and Earth, or even a Divine King. Zhao Xing waved his hand, signaling Xiaobai to continue.

Second, a few professions have no restrictions. Moyuan City will make exceptions for suitable candidates and promote them. For example, twelve years ago, a blacksmith named 'Venerable Huo' was specially selected as a Sky Patrol Guard because he was said to be able to participate in crafting a divine artifact.

"Able to participate in crafting a divine artifact?" Zhao Xing was somewhat surprised. "That blacksmith must be incredibly strong; even if he only played a minor role, that's still impressive." Divine artifacts are divided into two categories. One type consists of items imbued with divine power. These are called Power Artifacts. For example, the wooden door and stone lock he saw beneath Five Fortune Island, which were inscribed with divine power, could not be broken by demigods, and thus could be considered divine artifacts. However, their divine power would wane over time, causing them to revert to their original quality. Once they lose their divine power, they cease to exist as such; these are Power Artifacts. The other type is crafted from rare and powerful materials, can endure for a long time, and contains the essence of the Grand Dao. These are called Dao Artifacts. Their inherent power can even surpass that of some Free Gods, hence the name Dao Artifacts. The former requires little technical skill; anything that has been in the possession of a divine realm expert for a long time can be considered a Power Artifact. The latter, however, demands extremely profound technical skill; those capable of handling divine-grade materials are usually already in the divine realm themselves. It's no wonder Venerable Huo was specially recruited if he could participate in crafting a Grand Dao Artifact.

"Are Cultivators of Agriculture among them?" Zhao Xing asked.

"Yes. Cultivators of Agriculture, Mechanists, Physicians, and Diviners — practitioners of these four paths can join the Sky Patrol Guards based on their unique skills."

"Some professions, such as Martial Artists, Musicians, Dancers, Spellcasters, Mind Illusionists, and Historians, even if exceptionally strong, can only participate in the assessment during open recruitment periods; no exceptions are made."

"Of course, if a divine realm expert is willing to pledge allegiance, that's a different matter; they can directly become a Great Divine Official if they swear loyalty."

"My Lord, I've copied down all the requirements," Bai Lanjun said, pulling out a stone tablet.

"Read them," Zhao Xing commanded.

"For those following the Path of the Cultivator of Agriculture, achieving the following feats will allow you to join the Sky Patrol Guards and receive Yu Shen's favor:

One: Shake the celestial phenomena of 'Xianmeng Marsh,' causing moonlight to illuminate it. If the effect lasts for three days, you will be granted the rank of Sky Patrol Guard; if it lasts for a month, you will be granted the rank of Earth Divine Official; if it lasts for a year, you will be granted the rank of Heaven Divine Official. Those who permanently alter the celestial phenomena of Xianmeng Marsh will be granted a Grand Dao Artifact and may enter Yu Shen's Grotto-Heaven to discuss the Dao."

"Xianmeng Marsh? What kind of place is that, so extraordinary that altering its celestial phenomena for three days can make you a Sky Patrol Guard?"

"Permanently altering the celestial phenomena of Xianmeng Marsh, and being rewarded with a Grand Dao Artifact, even allowed to discuss the Dao with Yu Shen?"

Zhao Xing, feeling a bit bewildered, flipped through a map. He found Xianmeng Marsh in the southwestern part of Yu Shen Province, a small area roughly a thousand li in circumference. Next to it was Four Suns City, which was even ten times larger than Xianmeng Marsh. The weather patterns of Xianmeng Marsh were notoriously stubborn and unchangeable; no alteration lasting more than a year had ever occurred.

"Two: Delving into the Extremity of Profound Earth. Penetrating one hundred li into the earth will grant you the rank of Sky Patrol Guard; one thousand li, Earth Divine Official; ten thousand li, Heaven Divine Official. Those who can determine the ultimate extent of the Profound Earth will be granted a Grand Dao Artifact and may enter Yu Shen's Grotto-Heaven to discuss the Dao."

'Delving into the Extremity of Profound Earth' is the name of a challenge, located in the Grand Profound Yin Rift Valley next to Moyuan City. Successfully burrowing one hundred li into the earth there would make one a Sky Patrol Guard. Profound Yin Earth is extremely difficult to penetrate; even Yu Shen himself has not determined the limits of this unique geological area. If someone could ascertain it, Yu Shen would bestow upon them a Grand Dao Artifact and discuss the Dao with them. However, this task hasn't been completed, and delving beyond ten thousand li falls within the domain of the divine realm. If one were already in the divine realm, there would be no need for such trouble, as they could directly become a Great Divine Official upon arrival.

"Three: Resurrection of Dead Seeds. Yu Shen obtained a batch of dead seeds from the Bone Yin Realm; they have all lost their vitality and cannot be cultivated even under suitable conditions. However, resurrecting even one such seed will qualify you as a Sky Patrol Guard. The specific position will depend on the state of the seed after its revival, as there are no detailed regulations for this. The resurrected seed must be presented to Yu Shen for his personal judgment."

"No Cultivator of Agriculture has achieved this feat to date."

There are two more ways to become a Sky Patrol Guard, but they are not as straightforward as the previous three. For example, one path is exclusive to 'Saint Cultivators of Agriculture': one must worship Yu Shen in Moyuan City's Yu Shen Temple for a century or more. During this century, they will undergo various illusory trials of their inner heart. If, after a hundred years, their faith in Yu Shen remains unwavering, they can also become a Sky Patrol Guard.

"This path clearly values loyalty over ability," Zhao Xing mused.

For devout believers, even if their abilities are slightly weaker, they can be bolstered with resources. For instance, among the three members of the Divine Fire Sect currently following him, Hu Qing and Yan Jun have higher talent than Bai Lanjun. However, Zhao Xing trusts Bai Lanjun more; originally, his cultivation was lower than theirs, but after these years, he has surpassed both Hu Qing and Yan Jun.

"There are quite a few paths, but each one is incredibly difficult," Zhao Xing remarked. He dismissed Bai Lanjun and took out the Eight Directions Divine Mirror. "Senior Divine Mirror, which assessment method did this Ayisuo choose?"

The spirit of the Divine Mirror projected Ayisuo's image: he sat cross-legged on the back of a triangular black tortoise, beside a surging black river. The triangular cabinet gradually grew larger, and with each increment in size, a drawer slid out, forming a swirling channel that drew in some kind of threads. Zhao Xing immediately recognized it as the Nine Yin River. Its ultimate destination was unknown, but its known sections flowed through Moon God Province and Yu Shen Province.

"He is a Venerable who cultivates both medicine and martial arts, and he chose the 'Nine Yin Herb Gathering' assessment," the Divine Mirror explained. "Physicians gather great elixirs from heaven and earth, refining them from the void of origin. There has always been a tradition of gathering spiritual essence from the clouds and Five Fortune materials from earth veins."

Zhao Xing nodded. However, this was the Bone Yin Realm, a unique world where the territories of the White Bone Divine Domain and the Yin and Yang Realms of the Southern Continent merged. The Nine Yin River was unique even within this unique realm. Its current was incredibly swift, and while it was imbued with the essence of the Grand Dao, it was also exceptionally chaotic. Even for Ayisuo, a thirteenth-rank Medical Venerable, gathering great elixirs from the Nine Yin River was like trying to pick grains of rice from quicksand with chopsticks. His actions were exactly as predicted by the Eight Directions Divine Mirror. However, if he intended to spend sixty years on this, he must be aiming for more than just becoming a Sky Patrol Guard. Collecting great elixirs for such a long time would surely mean he aspired to become a higher-ranking Earth Divine Official or Heaven Divine Official.

"Isn't Ayisuo worried I might leave halfway through and not stay here?" Zhao Xing asked, somewhat puzzled.

"It would be even better if you left," the Divine Mirror spirit said, pointing to Ayisuo's image. "Then his objective would also be achieved."

Upon hearing the spirit's words, Zhao Xing immediately understood. Once Ayisuo forced him out of Yu Shen Province, the outside would be the wild, obstructed lands of the Dao. If Free God Danye had a Destiny Artifact, it could counteract the Eight Directions Divine Mirror's concealment, making it much easier to capture Zhao Xing. That Free God dared not cause trouble within Yu Shen Province, but outside, he could do as he pleased.

"Senior Divine Mirror, can you calculate which path I have a greater chance of succeeding on?"

A shimmering aura flickered on the Eight Directions Divine Mirror, drawing a significant amount of power from Zhao Xing's Bone Power, magical energy, and True Spirit Spark. Finally, it gave two answers: "Resurrection of Dead Seeds and Delving into the Extremity of Profound Earth – your chances of success are similar. The former has a slightly higher success rate, but not by much."

"Your chances of success with the Xianmeng Marsh endeavor are very low, almost negligible."

"Additionally, there is another path called 'Spirit of Wildfire,' which involves killing Wildfire Yin Spirits and collecting Soul Crystals. This has the highest success rate, however, it requires combat outside Yu Shen Province."

"Considering the threat from the divine realm, this path actually has the lowest success rate."

Zhao Xing understood; it was best for him to choose an assessment within Yu Shen Province.

"I'll try the 'Delving into the Extremity of Profound Earth' challenge first."

Putting away the Divine Mirror, Zhao Xing decided to attempt the 'Delving into the Extremity of Profound Earth' assessment first. Its location was the closest, right next to Moyuan City, whereas challenging Xianmeng Marsh would require a month of travel. As for the 'Resurrection of Dead Seeds' challenge, the Great Divine Official appears every three years to take registered Cultivators of Agriculture to a specific location for a unified assessment, so Zhao Xing would have to wait for that.

*Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!*

Zhao Xing soared into the air, left the Eighteen Scholar-Willow Courtyard, and arrived in the eastern part of the city. Beyond the eastern suburbs lay the Grand Rift Valley, directly visible from the city walls. The rift valley was pitch black, and the surrounding soil was also dark, as if dynamite had blasted open a charred crevice. It stretched for about three thousand li, was approximately a hundred li wide, and its actual depth wasn't profound; the bottom was merely thirty li down. However, it was obstructed by a layer of Yin energy, making it seem unfathomable when scanned by spiritual perception, like gazing into a mire.

"The challenge of 'Delving into the Extremity of Profound Earth' begins from the bottom of the valley," an attendant explained. "This challenge is restricted to Cultivators of Agriculture, and no divine weapons or artifacts are permitted, though the use of potions is not restricted."

"Young brother, if your strength is insufficient, don't continue burrowing, or you could easily get injured."

The speaker was a young man in white-gold bone armor, named Shan Qi, one of the Sky Patrol Guards. Shan Qi was a twelfth-rank Martial Venerable and the guide responsible for the 'Delving into the Extremity of Profound Earth' challenge at the Dao Assembly Palace. Being a guide was lucrative and easy work. Shan Qi had been doing it for a long time, primarily because of his excellent service attitude. Even though Zhao Xing was only an Eight-Tribulation Emperor, Shan Qi treated him like a brother.

"If your first attempt isn't successful, go back, regroup, and you can try again next time," Shan Qi said with a chuckle. "Don't ever harm your Dao foundation due to a momentary competitive urge."

"Of course, young brother, I sense an extraordinary aura about you; with a few more tries, you have a great chance of succeeding."

"Thank you for the reminder, Lord Shan," Zhao Xing said, cupping his hands. As for the latter part of the statement, he simply ignored it. Shan Qi said this to everyone, not because he was particularly kind-hearted, but purely because each challenge required a fee. He naturally hoped Zhao Xing would fail as many times as possible, but not to the extent of losing all hope. Zhao Xing seemed like a generous client, and he couldn't let him get away. Shan Qi also planned to arrange for this Emperor Chen An to witness Yu Ying's record later, as the example of a predecessor could further motivate people.

As soon as he squatted down, Zhao Xing felt a repulsive force pushing upwards, as if there were an anti-repulsion underground palace beneath him. At a depth of five li, scattered fragmented leyline fluctuations squeezed in from all directions. Upon reaching a depth of ten li, a Yin-gold leyline blocked his path, like a hard rock formation obstructing his way underground.

"Fragment and Open Wall!"

Zhao Xing first cast a spell using his Bone Power; this was a self-created technique for opening the Layered Realm Mountains. In about three breaths, the Yin-gold leyline below softened, allowing him to continue burrowing. *Rustle, rustle, rustle...*

Continuing downwards, Zhao Xing felt the oppressive force grow stronger. When he reached a depth of twenty li, he slowed down again. Another leyline blocked his path below, still a Yin-attributed earth-gold leyline.

"Interesting, I'll have to get a little serious now."

"Profound Fire Refines Gold!"

He used the Yin-attributed earth-fire power from above to break through the earth-gold leyline, using its own force against it. Zhao Xing's understanding of leylines was at a theoretical level. With the strength of an Eight-Tribulation Emperor, he leveraged power approaching that of a demigod within the leyline, effortlessly passing the twenty-li depth.

"Using the terrain to my advantage to counter the obstruction," he thought. "Back when I was only at the Origin Realm, I leveraged the power of the realm-volcano to cripple a Lord-level opponent. This is the benefit of mastering principles."

"Fragment and Open Wall."

Having overcome two consecutive obstacles, Zhao Xing still felt relatively at ease.

However, things changed after he surpassed fifty li. *Crack, crack, crack!* As soon as he crossed the fifty-li mark, Zhao Xing felt a powerful repulsive force from below, creating intense friction with his burrowing barrier, like a monster's claws scraping glass. The immense pressure from all sides felt as if it could crush a person, severely impacting his personal safety at this point.

"Leyline eroding gold, Profound Yin earth spikes... what strange terrain is this?" Zhao Xing observed the golden mountain-like spikes piercing from all directions. "Nature truly works wonders; such chaotic leyline fluctuations seem to form a natural leyline array, continuously attacking those who delve."

However, Old Master Zhao, during his pioneering efforts in the desolate ancient paths, most frequently utilized geomancy-based spells. While this scene was somewhat peculiar, it didn't surpass the terrain of the Layered Realm Mountains, one of the Ten Great Wonders of Profound Spirit. The real danger was when he went to rescue Emperor Hongshan, who was trapped within the Layered Realm Mountains.

"Ascension Seal!"

Zhao Xing first applied a powerful expulsion method to himself, augmenting his guardian burrowing barrier, then carefully sensed the terrain below. The obstacle at the fifty-li mark was no longer just an earth-gold leyline, but a confluence of earth-fire, earth-water, and earth-gold leylines. Zhao Xing now had two choices: one was to use his Seven-Colored magical energy's Azure Flower magical energy to force a breakthrough. However, there was still half the journey left, and who knew what challenges he might encounter next. Furthermore, choosing a crude method of breaking through and wasting magical energy now—what would be the difference between him and those brainless martial artists? Zhao Xing sensed the geological conditions below, treating it as a problem to solve. After about a quarter of an hour of deliberation, he resumed his actions.

"Qi Vein!"

"Penetrate Void!"

These two spells: the former activated the qi of the earth veins, and the latter constructed a new, illusory earth vein. Like a pipeline, it guided the origin of the water vein below to Zhao Xing's desired location. At this point, among the gold, fire, and water veins, the water vein was drawn away, creating a difference in leyline height, causing the fire vein to melt the gold vein on its own.

"Boil Amber!"

Zhao Xing refined the earth-gold leyline into shape, like a blacksmith forging raw iron. The formation of the earth-gold leyline created a main vein at the fifty-li depth. Due to the siphon effect between the leylines, the underground became less turbulent, and fragmented leyline energy and qi began to converge towards the earth-gold leyline through the etherealized channel.

"Liquefy Water!"

A large amount of flowing qi was generated, and as the water vein neutralized the fire vein, it also embrittled the already hardened earth-gold leyline.

"Profound Earth Splits Gold!"

*Boom!*

The continuous gold leyline reached a width of thirty li, but directly beneath Zhao Xing, it became extremely fragile. At this point, breaking through with 'Profound Earth Splits Gold' and 'Fragment and Open Wall' techniques would be achievable even for a Six-Tribulation Emperor.

"Successfully passed!" Zhao Xing smiled faintly and continued to burrow downwards.

As Zhao Xing successfully burrowed beyond fifty li, the two other challengers with him found themselves unlucky. The earth-gold leyline, spanning thirty li horizontally at the fifty-li depth, now obstructed the paths of Emperor Di Jun and Emperor Cheng Fei, the other two participants. Like Zhao Xing, both were Eight-Tribulation Cultivators of Agriculture. They were still far from success, having repeatedly failed at the seventy-li depth. However, they weren't here to become Sky Patrol Guards through this method; they merely wished to use this place for cultivation. Now, ironically, they couldn't reach the seventy-li depth; they were blocked at the fifty-li mark. Zhao Xing's leverage in refining the leylines had already reached the threshold of a demigod's power. Emperor Di Jun and Emperor Cheng Fei were utterly dumbfounded.

"What's going on? Why has the minor obstacle at the fifty-li mark changed like this?"

"No way! I paid money to experience the pressure seventy li underground, and now I'm blocked at just fifty li?"

"What the hell? How could the Profound Yin Earth undergo such a change?"

Emperor Di Jun and Emperor Cheng Fei were both extremely frustrated. It was as if everyone was descending a staircase, and upon reaching the fifth floor, a steel plate suddenly appeared before them, sealing the passage, whereas previously, for them, it had at most been a wooden board.

"Break! Break! Break!"

Emperor Di Jun and Emperor Cheng Fei immediately chose to forcibly break through the earth-gold leyline. However, half an hour later, they were still stuck in place, gaping, their own magical energy largely depleted instead.

"Damn it, refund!"

Emperor Di Jun and Emperor Cheng Fei flew back up, extremely disgruntled.

Shan Qi, who was leisurely strolling at the bottom of the valley, suddenly noticed Emperor Di Jun and Emperor Cheng Fei emerging onto the surface.

"Hmm? Why are the two of you up so early this time?"

Emperor Di Jun and Emperor Cheng Fei were fortunate to be in their skeletal forms, or they would surely have shown their displeasure. However, they only dared to grumble softly, not daring to truly complain to Venerable Shan Qi.

"Lord Shan," they began, "we usually manage to burrow smoothly to the seventy-li depth for cultivation, but this time, the earth veins at the fifty-li mark became abnormal. Isn't something wrong?"

"Yes, we paid money not expecting to pass the Sky Patrol Guard assessment, but simply to cultivate. This time, we came up shortly after going down, and recovering our strength will waste a lot of time."

Shan Qi shook his head, saying, "Impossible, absolutely impossible!"

"The Profound Yin earth layer returned to its original state after the last assessment, which is why I brought you here again. It can't be due to the location itself."

Emperor Di Jun and Emperor Cheng Fei exchanged glances. "Lord Shan, would we lie to you? Why don't you go down and see for yourself?"

Shan Qi looked at the two suspiciously, sensing they weren't lying. He then pulled out a burrowing shuttle from his bone ring. "Wait here for a moment; I'll go down and see what's causing this."

"Yes, Lord."

"Remarkable! At the seventy-li mark, five leylines have actually merged into a single qi?" Zhao Xing exclaimed, a look of excitement on his face as he stood at the seventy-li depth.

"This is one of the 'Thousand Terrestrial Wonders,' truly a rare sight!"

The 'qi of stagnation' refers to a harmful qi generated within earth veins. In mortal times, this qi typically referred to night dew, the white mist rising at night. It means that before sunrise, as Yang qi ascends, it evaporates gases from the earth veins. In advanced geological layers, the formation of such qi signifies a high degree of drastic change. The most classic example is the Li Xing River Transformation, though the intensity of that disaster was tens of thousands of times greater than the current Profound Yin Earth mutation. The Li Xing River Transformation was a catastrophe that the ancient kingdom of Tianyou could not resolve even after several epochs, despite desperately begging the gods for help. The merging of five leylines into a single qi is one of the 'Thousand Terrestrial Wonders,' a compilation summarized by the Ancient Hill. This book is similar to the 'Hundred Sights of Marquis' Transformations' in the Heavenly Timing Sect. Zhao Xing's own 'Zhao's Earth Chronology and Terrestrial Changes,' was also included in the 'Thousand Terrestrial Wonders,' appearing as the first entry.

"This is rather interesting," Zhao Xing mused. "To think that even in the small Profound Yellow Realm, one can witness a Thousand Terrestrial Wonder."

He was only seventy li deep right now! According to the trial left by Yu Shen, a depth of ten thousand li was the level for a Heaven Divine Official. Could it be that there are many more subterranean wonders hidden here?

"I must go down and see," Zhao Xing declared, the spark in his eye sockets flickering as he grew excited. The assessment was now secondary to him; to behold such subterranean wonders, he would have no regrets even if he died trying! Zhao Xing rubbed his palms together, like a scholar encountering a fascinating problem, immediately immersing himself in solving it.

"Merging of five leylines, no need to panic; cast spells to erect wood and open a skylight."

"Gold drains fire, water covers fire, a single qi transforms Yin and Yang!"

"To break through the merging of five leylines, first, support the earth-wood leyline using the Subterranean Palace method. Then, the earth-gold leyline should drain the earth-fire leyline, with fierce attacks being paramount. The earth-water leyline should cover the earth-fire leyline, which requires a gradual approach. Once the earth-soil leyline forms the foundation, and the wood leyline can be supported, the Subterranean Palace will be formed."

"The qi of stagnation can then be discharged through the skylight of the Subterranean Palace!"

"Brilliant, simply brilliant! I am indeed a genius!"

Zhao Xing's eyes sparkled, and the golden light of his spells blurred into afterimages as he began to solve the problem comprehensively.

Just as Zhao Xing's Subterranean Palace technique took shape, a handsome Sky Patrol Guard happened to pass by. After Shan Qi drilled an underground space with his burrowing shuttle, he immediately jumped down to investigate the situation. He was convinced that the complaints from his two regular clients were related to Emperor Chen An. The further he descended, the more certain he became, because wherever this fellow passed, the geological layers underwent significant changes. Even without experiencing it himself, Shan Qi, as a Martial Artist of the Sky Patrol Guard specializing in this area, could naturally detect anomalies, especially since Emperor Chen An had already delved beyond sixty li. Since two people who were close to him couldn't pass, but he did, wasn't it obvious that he was influencing it?

"What in the world is this kid doing? Who taught him to clear stages like this? Huh? Why is this ground suddenly emitting qi?"

Relying on his martial artist abilities and the relatively shallow depth of only sixty to seventy li, Venerable Shan Qi curiously took a deep breath. However, he immediately regretted it. His face quickly turned green, and he violently struck his stomach, expelling a cloud of poisonous gas.

"Damn it! I can't refine it away!"

Venerable Shan Qi cursed inwardly, knowing something was wrong. He immediately tried to seal his mouth, but when he touched it, he only felt his jawbone. Looking down, his flesh was already falling off in chunks.

"Crap! This is bad—"

Venerable Shan Qi immediately crushed the talisman in his hand and crawled into his burrowing shuttle before losing consciousness. The talisman flickered, displaying the name of an Earth Divine Official: 'Venerable Cultivator of Agriculture, Lan Chuan.'