Chapter 52: Gathering Yuan Fourth Stage, Receiving the Law Again

Essence Convergence Tier 3: 9999/10000

Under the Primordial Pear Tree, Zhao Xing sat cross-legged. Essence qi flowed throughout his body, and the vortex in his dantian, resembling a nebula, spun faster and faster. At this moment, his essence qi had reached the limit of Essence Convergence Tier 3, lacking only a tiny bit more. However, this final increment wasn't merely a matter of quantity; it was the crucial point for a qualitative change.

Seeing this, Chen Shijie was about to turn and go inside. Entering a new cultivation tier requires a significant amount of time, as every inch of one's flesh and blood must adapt to the new level of essence qi. Even the final step of the transformation would take one or two hours. As his right foot stepped into the study and his left foot was yet to be lifted, Zhao Xing opened his eyes and stood up from under the Primordial Pear Tree.

“Hmm? Did he fail?” Chen Shijie noticed the movement, turned around, and frowned. But seeing Zhao Xing's abundant vital energy and vigorous spirit, he didn't appear to have failed. So, he activated his Five Elements Observation spell and looked towards Zhao Xing.

“Five elements balanced, Yin and Yang harmonious, even better than before. The breakthrough is complete! Such speed, this boy's innate talent is truly extraordinary,” Chen Shijie exclaimed, delighted. He had initially thought that Zhao Xing had high comprehension in spells but only average innate talent. However, it now seemed that this assessment was incorrect.

“His innate talent, even when considering the entire Nanyang Commandery, ranks as upper-middle tier.”

“As long as his luck isn't too bad, reaching rank eight within five years shouldn't be a problem.”

“But if his luck is too poor, like my own 'difficult journey' in the past, who knows how much hardship he'll have to endure. Not everyone is as kind as the general to help me change my fortune.” Chen Shijie recalled his past with a sigh of emotion.

“What are you thinking about, sir?” A voice suddenly pulled Chen Shijie from his thoughts.

“Now that you've broken through, I'm thinking about how to punish you,” Chen Shijie snorted.

“If you're going to punish me, why not combine all my offenses? Shen and I will just pick a few more pears first,” Zhao Xing said with a grin, then picked a few more pears with a backhand motion.

Shen Zhui was dumbfounded. “Brother Zhao, you truly dare to say and do anything!”

But Chen Shijie actually liked this kind of behavior. He came from the military and was only in his thirties; he wasn't a rigid old-timer. In fact, if Zhao Xing had been overly respectful and polite, he wouldn't have liked it. As it was, Chen Shijie felt as if he were dealing with a mischievous younger brother at home, and he rather enjoyed this feeling.

“You’ve got a thick skin. Take those pears and get out of my sight. I don’t want to see you today,” Chen Shijie scolded with a laugh.

“Then I’ll come again tomorrow. Farewell.”

“Get out!”

Even after walking far from the Chen residence, Shen Zhui, with two pears tucked into his arms, still hadn't fully recovered.

“Brother Zhao, are you… named Zhao?”

“Isn’t that obvious, Brother Shen?”

“You’re really not named Chen?”

“Do I look like Chen Shijie?”

Shen Zhui scrutinized him for a moment, then nodded. “A little,” he said.

Zhao Xing smiled, wiped a pear, and took a bite. “You might as well say I look like this pear.” Shen Zhui thought about it and decided they didn't resemble each other. Chen Shijie had a slightly squarer face, lighter brow lines, and smaller nose and eyes; his appearance was indeed not outstanding. However, his skin was fair, a common complexion in Xishan Commandery. Zhao Xing, on the other hand, had thick eyebrows, large eyes, a high nose bridge, and distinct facial features. He was also much taller than Chen Shijie. If his skin weren't wheat-colored, he could be called a handsome young gentleman, but his healthy wheat complexion made him seem much more radiant. Their temperaments were also different. Chen Shijie possessed a hardened resilience forged through experience, while Zhao Xing exuded a relaxed composure.

Thinking of this, Shen Zhui couldn't help but feel a little envious. “Are the superior-subordinate relationships in your Agricultural Bureau always so harmonious?”

“Why? Is your relationship with Director Wang Longwu not harmonious?” Zhao Xing counter-questioned.

“Not exactly,” Shen Zhui shook his head. “Lord Wang is very good to me, but he's relatively strict and rarely smiles.”

Zhao Xing had no intention of explaining his relationship with Chen Shijie further. After walking past Fumen Street, he bade farewell to Shen Zhui. “Brother Shen, I’ve broken through to Essence Convergence Tier 4 and want to go to the Spirit Temple to learn new spells. See you tomorrow at the Chen residence.”

Shen Zhui tucked the pears into his arms, then freed his hands to cup them in a gesture of farewell. “See you tomorrow, Brother Zhao.”

As per the old custom, the Agricultural Bureau would submit an application, the county government would approve it, and then he would go to the Spirit Temple to receive the spells. Xue Wenzhong naturally approved it swiftly, knowing that while Zhao Xing progressed quickly, his foundation was solid. Of the four seasonal spells crucial for an Agricultural Officer’s livelihood—Cloud Movement, Rain Summoning, Thunder Striking, and Wind Raising—Zhao Xing had reached the ninth, seventh, seventh, and eighth turns respectively. Zhao Xing couldn't compare to veteran Agricultural Officers like Xue Wenzhong, who could perform 'three-foot heavenly thunder' or 'palm cloud movement'. However, his control over these spells was already no worse than that of some newly ranked Agricultural Officers. Xue Wenzhong naturally had no concerns.

Upon arriving at the county government office, he found quite a few people conducting business. The waiting hall was bustling, with hardly any space to stand. “Strange, why are there so many people today?” Zhao Xing wondered, but he still joined the end of the queue.

After waiting for a while, he suddenly saw someone approach his side; it was his old acquaintance, Pang Fei.

“Brother Zhao, come over here to talk.”

“Okay.” Zhao Xing stopped queuing and directly followed Pang Fei.

Pang Fei led him directly into a small lounge next to the waiting hall, then asked, “Brother Zhao, do you have any documents that need signing or approval? Just give them to me directly.”

“Brother Pang, is this convenient?” Zhao Xing thought to himself, 'Isn't this blatant queue-jumping?'

Pang Fei chuckled. “Brother Zhao’s matters are handled specially. The County Magistrate himself instructed me on this.” Ever since Zhao Xing achieved three consecutive 'Top-tier A' ratings, he had gained recognition from the County Magistrate, and Pang Fei had become Zhao Xing's 'exclusive customer service'. While others had to queue for approval, Zhao Xing could simply bypass the line.

“Thank you, Brother Pang,” Zhao Xing said as he handed over the document, then casually asked, “Brother Pang, why are there so many people at the county office today?”

“Not just today, it's been very busy these past few days,” Pang Fei replied. “East Lake Mountain is about to open for autumn. More people are coming to acquire treasures and learn new spells.”

“I see,” Zhao Xing realized. The autumn opening of the mountain was a big event in Gu County, with even people from Nanyang Commandery coming to join the excitement. He had been so diligent in his practice recently that he had forgotten the autumn equinox was approaching.

With the approval document from the county office, he made his way to the Spirit Temple. The Spirit Temple was also much busier than usual at this time. The Cao Xi True Monarch Hall, in particular, had a long queue. There were even visitors whose accents sounded like they were from out of town, worshiping from afar in the square outside the hall.

“True Monarch Cao Xi, in his time, repaired the Thirteen Channels of Pinghu Lake, deployed the 'Earthly Repository Return to Origin' spell from the Earthly Benefit School, and established Essence Return waterwheels. This caused the essence qi to become increasingly concentrated, transforming water disasters into blessings. The small hill in East Lake also grew progressively taller, eventually becoming a renowned spiritual mountain far and wide.”

“The autumn mountain opening is soon; I wonder who will acquire the spiritual essence within the mountain...”

Zhao Xing waited for a long time and found that the Cao Xi True Monarch Hall was too crowded, with the queue showing no sign of moving. “Anyway, I'm just receiving a basic spell. It makes little difference whom I worship.” Zhao Xing changed locations and went to the Hall of All Sages, which had a larger capacity for visitors.