Chapter 71: Lotus Seeds, Yellow Paper, Powerful Spirituality

Zhao Xing arrived at the Temple of Heaven Square exactly at 7 PM. He quickly comprehended the lightning magic, and after using up the lightning spiritual essence, it was not yet 7:45 PM, with nearly an hour and a half still remaining until 11 PM.

"Still plenty of time," Zhao Xing thought, glancing at the sundial. He planned to examine the two other spiritual essences when he suddenly spotted several familiar figures through a gap in the crowd.

"It's Zong Shichang. He finally came up the mountain."

Zong Shichang and a few others were resting by a pillar. Three men with him exuded abundant vitality and dense elemental energy, clearly the experts the Zong family had hired for him. Zhao Xing's gaze swept over the square, spotting a woman wearing a veiled hat in a corner. It was Lu Qian, who had failed to seduce him earlier and had been severely beaten instead.

"Wearing a veiled hat to hide her panda eyes?"

Lu Qian seemed to sense his presence. Her black-rimmed eyes, hidden beneath the veil, turned in a certain direction. Her breathing quickened as she scanned his straw man.

"It's him! He's here too!" Lu Qian gnashed her teeth in anger. She would recognize his straw man even if it turned to ash!

"Qianqian, what's wrong?" asked a woman beside her, holding a *liu qin* (willow lute). "You're really strange today. First, you inexplicably wore a hat and refused to take it off, and now you're distracted when I talk to you."

"I'm fine, Sister Mu. I just feel a bit unwell. Don't ask." Lu Qian didn't want to disclose what had happened to her, at least not until her injuries were gone. Her eyes were still swollen!

"The number of experts is growing. When I first arrived, there were only a few at Gathering Essence Seventh Tier or higher."

"Now, they're everywhere." Zhao Xing used his Five Elements Observation technique to scan the area, realizing that vying for the first incense tonight would likely involve a fierce battle.

"I wonder how Shen Zhui is doing."

Zhao Xing and Shen Zhui had agreed to meet the next day at the Temple of Heaven Square to enter the temple together, but Shen Zhui was nowhere to be seen. There was still some distance from the Temple of Heaven Square to the divine temple, and it would be quite dangerous for an Agricultural Official like himself to engage in close-quarters combat with so many people. If he could team up with Shen Zhui, his chances would be much greater.

"Forget it, I'll adapt if he doesn't come." Zhao Xing was already prepared to fight alone. Ultimately, his own strength was paramount.

Withdrawing his gaze, Zhao Xing picked up the second spiritual essence: a blue lotus pod plucked from a spring in the cave. Four blue lotus flowers had been discovered, but only this one had matured and produced lotus seeds.

"So cold. Why is this lotus pod so icy?" Zhao Xing had previously kept it with his straw man and hadn't noticed much, but now holding it himself, he felt a chilling sensation that penetrated to his core.

"The coldness comes from these lotus seeds."

Zhao Xing examined them. There were eight lotus seeds, each emitting a crystal-clear blue glow. Using his Five Elements Observation, he immediately detected a strong water elemental energy, but its structure was peculiar. It wasn't a gentle mass, but rather individual ice crystals.

"Frost power?"

Gently plucking one, Zhao Xing instantly understood how to use this spiritual essence. "An edible spiritual essence, similar to a Vermilion Fruit?"

He put the lotus seed into his mouth, chewed, and swallowed. It was extremely cold, like biting into ice, making Zhao Xing shiver uncontrollably. A freezing sensation spread throughout his body, making him feel as though he was about to be frozen solid. The bone-chilling cold seemed to make his thoughts stop.

"Hiss..."

Zhao Xing, unable to bear the cold, quickly circulated his Gathering Essence technique. The elemental energy in his dantian immediately surged forth, like soldiers, surrounding and attacking this cold power. Soon, his mind returned to normal, and Zhao Xing felt warmer.

As the elemental energy within him "围剿" (encircled and suppressed) and "厮杀" (battled) the frost power, Zhao Xing's elemental energy was constantly being consumed. However, once a unique "frost power" was successfully assimilated, it transformed into nourishment, replenishing his dantian. Although there was a difference in power levels, it was a give-and-take process. Zhao Xing's internal elemental energy quickly gained the upper hand. At the same time, with every portion of frost power assimilated, Zhao Xing gained a deeper understanding of water-type magic in his mind.

"So that's it." Zhao Xing immediately understood the function of this spiritual essence and fully immersed himself in comprehending and assimilating it.

Thirty minutes later, the first lotus seed was fully digested.

*You consumed the water magic spiritual essence 'Cold Ice Lotus Seed'. Your vital energy increased by 800 points.**Your affinity for water elemental power increased. You gained insight, and your Ice Rain spell proficiency increased by 1000 points!**Your basic spell Laying Rain broke through to the eighth rotation, and your intermediate spell Ice Rain broke through to the second rotation!*

"A Cold Ice Lotus Seed, combining both 'essence' and 'magic'. It increases vital energy and enhances magical comprehension," Zhao Xing understood the dual effects of this spiritual essence. The Lightning Stone was purely a lightning magic spiritual essence, while the Cold Ice Lotus Seed was a vital energy and magic spiritual essence.

"However, consuming this spiritual essence is harder than the Lightning Stone and takes longer," Zhao Xing mused. The Lightning Stone involved pure comprehension. The Cold Ice Lotus Seed, however, required first digesting the 'frost power' before gaining magical insights from it. The former was an external process, where Zhao Xing entered a state similar to 'enlightenment' through the spiritual essence, deepening his understanding of magic and fundamentally improving his lightning magic. The Cold Ice Lotus Seed was an internal digestion that enhanced Zhao Xing's 'affinity for water elemental power,' so no unusual phenomena occurred. As affinity increased, understanding of magic naturally deepened.

"While it doesn't provide as rapid an improvement as the Lightning Stone, in the long run, the effects of the Cold Ice Lotus Seed are even greater." The Lightning Stone's impact was limited to 'magic,' whereas the Cold Ice Lotus Seed improved both 'magic' and 'body.' In the future, Zhao Xing would undoubtedly cast water-type spells more easily and with greater power. One was direct gain, the other was teaching how to fish.

"Eat, eat, eat!"

Understanding the difference, Zhao Xing also knew how to quickly digest this spiritual essence. The first Cold Ice Lotus Seed took thirty minutes to digest. But the second took less than fifteen minutes. His vital energy rapidly broke down the unique 'frost power,' simultaneously and naturally deepening his understanding of water-type magic. The third, fourth... the time taken became shorter and shorter. By the time all eight seeds were consumed, it took even less time than consuming the Lightning Stone. However, the subsequent effects also correspondingly diminished slightly.

"The first Cold Ice Lotus Seed increased magic comprehension by 1000 points, the second by just over nine hundred, and then it decreased by about a hundred with each subsequent seed."

"A total increase of 5420 points in water magic comprehension! This far exceeds expectations!" Zhao Xing was pleasantly surprised. The Lightning Stone significantly improved his magical realm, even enabling Zhao Xing to comprehend new spells. The Cold Ice Lotus Seed, however, increased his affinity for water elemental power! In other words, it increased his cultivation speed. Its ability to grant him so many insights into water-type magic in a short time, increasing the proficiency of Ice Rain by a full five rotations, proved its remarkable effect! From now on, his cultivation speed for ice-attribute spells within water-type magic would definitely be several times faster than other spells! Of course, this was limited to 'ice-attribute spells' within water magic. The basic spell Laying Rain reaching max level from the seventh rotation was merely a concurrent gain.

"My talent in ice-type magic is terrifyingly strong now," Zhao Xing couldn't help but feel. Checking his status panel, Zhao Xing noticed that while the affinity increase gradually weakened, the vital energy increase remained relatively constant. Even by the eighth seed, it hadn't diminished much, resulting in a total increase of 6300 points of vital energy. He had now reached 7456 points at Gathering Essence Sixth Tier, which could be considered the 'late stage of Gathering Essence Sixth Tier.'

These eight Cold Ice Lotus Seeds, this spiritual essence, ultimately maxed out Zhao Xing's basic spell Laying Rain. His intermediate spell Ice Rain reached the sixth rotation. His vital energy grew significantly, and he gained the hidden, long-term benefit of several times faster cultivation speed for ice-type magic.

"No wonder so many people climb Spirit Mountain, especially during the years of 'great opening'. They literally fight tooth and nail for it."

"If one has no family background, obtaining a spiritual essence might just change their destiny."

Zhao Xing watched the increasing number of people outside, with some occasionally looking his way. If it weren't for the current 'cessation of hostilities' period, countless people would likely rush over to snatch his spiritual essences. One person possessing three spiritual essences was truly enviable! However, as Zhao Xing used two of them, that exhilarating feeling around him significantly diminished. The covetous gazes also decreased.

"Only one left."

Zhao Xing looked at the thin yellow paper. It was covered with profound secret patterns, glowing and looking quite extraordinary. The yellow paper was very light. As he took it in his hand, Zhao Xing's eyelids twitched. "This is... Myriad Magic Spiritual Essence?"

What was Myriad Magic Spiritual Essence? It meant that as long as you held this yellow paper and placed it on your body, whichever spell you desired to break through would do so! And it would instantly be pulled to the ninth rotation level! Of course, the spell itself could not exceed intermediate level.

"The wonders of creation gather spiritual essence, myriad magics converge upon the body. This single piece of yellow paper can make any intermediate spell reach the ninth rotation."

"It's the strongest among mid-grade spiritual essences, and also the rarest."

"For a spiritual mountain of East Lake Mountain's caliber, a Myriad Magic Spiritual Essence might not appear even once in two or three decades, yet I encountered it?"

Zhao Xing now really wanted to reward Zhou Gang and Fang Jie with a few hundred taels. What a blessing! The karmic debt was too significant; it would be inexcusable not to reward them.

"Are they near the Temple of Heaven?" Zhao Xing stood up and scanned the surroundings, indeed spotting the two of them.

"Go."

Zhao Xing created a straw man and walked towards Zhou Gang and Fang Jie.

"Brother Zhou, Brother Fang, how did you get injured?" a friend asked concernedly. "Judging by the wounds, they look like knife cuts..."

"Hmph, it was those bastards from Qin Feng," Fang Jie said bitterly. "They held a grudge against us two brothers, secretly followed us, and suddenly ambushed us when we discovered a spiritual essence."

"What? How could that be? You both apprenticed under Instructor Zhang!" the friend exclaimed in surprise.

"It's absolutely true. If not for a mysterious expert passing by and lending a hand, my brother and I would probably have been killed by them..."

"Oh? What expert?" the friend asked curiously.

"He was an Agricultural Official Senior." Fang Jie was talking animatedly when his peripheral vision suddenly caught sight of a straw man approaching, and he froze.

"It's me," Zhao Xing's voice drifted on the wind.

"Senior, what do you need?" Zhou Gang asked.

"Come here for a moment."

Fang Jie and Zhou Gang exchanged glances, then reluctantly walked over. When they reached the straw man, Zhao Xing had it part, revealing his true appearance.

"Sen..." Zhou Gang looked at his excessively young face, and the word "senior" caught in his throat. The contrast was too great! They had assumed that someone capable of wielding Agricultural Official magic to such an extent would be at least an old official, but they never expected him to be so young!

"My name is Zhao Xing. You two don't have to keep calling me 'senior'. Just call me by my name," Zhao Xing said with a smile.

"Brother Zhao, what can we do for you?" Zhou Gang's attitude became even more respectful. Zhao Xing was so young that he felt even less able to offend him.

"I said before that if I gained anything in the cave, I would certainly repay you two," Zhao Xing said, waving his hand as Zhou Gang was about to speak. "Don't mention the life-saving kindness. One thing is one thing; I will do what I said."

"Now, you two tell me, what do you want?"

Zhou Gang remained silent, but Fang Jie blinked. "If I'm really to say it, then we both want money."

This was tricky; who brought money up the mountain? Zhao Xing thought for a moment and realized he truly had nothing valuable to give. The things he took from Qin Feng were probably only worth twenty or thirty taels. Heavenly Origin Pear elixirs and such, he needed to keep as backup. Sparrow Plume Robe? That wouldn't be appropriate either. For a moment, Zhao Xing was genuinely at a loss. Should he give it to them after descending the mountain? Once they passed the Forget Worry Stele, who would remember?

Just as he was struggling, Zhao Xing's eyes caught sight of Zong Shichang.

"You two wait for me here, don't move. I'm going to get you some money."

The two obediently listened, waiting in place.

"For tonight's first incense competition, my demands aren't high. It's enough if someone can get into the top ten. As for Yang Junxiong's matter, you don't need to worry about it. You just need to escort me down the mountain later..." Zong Shichang was discussing something with the people around him. Suddenly, he noticed others looking strangely, so he turned to look as well. Zhao Xing carried the Myriad Magic Spiritual Essence; it was difficult not to attract attention.

"Zhao Sanjia, have you finished digesting your spiritual essences?" Zong Shichang asked.

"How do you know?"

Zong Shichang smiled. "As soon as I arrived, I heard people saying, 'One person possesses three spiritual essences, truly worthy of being Zhao Sanjia.' I saw you surrounded by wind walls and straw men, so I didn't disturb you."

Zhao Xing waved his hand. "Let's not talk about that for now. I need something from you."

Zong Shichang said, "Tell me."

"Do you have money on you? Silver notes would be best, but other valuable jade artifacts would also work."

Zong Shichang nodded. "I do have silver notes. How much do you need?"

Zhao Xing replied, "Two hundred taels."

"Alright." Without a word, Zong Shichang immediately pulled out the money. A burly man with a saber next to him couldn't bear to watch and spoke up to remind him, "Young Master, you're lending money to others on the mountain. You can't write an IOU, and you won't remember anyway..." The Forget Worry Stele would erase the memories of these few days, including any means of revealing what happened on the mountain; written records naturally wouldn't work either. Another person scrutinized Zhao Xing, seemingly asking how he would repay the two hundred taels.

Zong Shichang smiled. "He seems agreeable to me. Even if it's only for these three days, it's worth two hundred taels. You don't need to persuade me further."

Zhao Xing took the silver notes and fanned them. "It's not for free. I'll definitely repay you before descending the mountain."

Zong Shichang smiled and said no more. Two hundred taels was a small sum to him; he had brought these silver notes up the mountain precisely to spend them.

"I still have something to do. Let's talk later."

"Please do," Zong Shichang waved his hand.

Returning to Zhou Gang and Fang Jie, Zhao Xing handed them two one-hundred-tael silver notes. Fang Jie and Zhou Gang were stunned, as if they hadn't expected Zhao Xing to actually give them money.

"Why are you standing there stunned? Is it too little?" Zhao Xing frowned slightly.

"No, no, no," Zhou Gang and Fang Jie quickly said. "It's already a lot. Thank you, thank you so much." One hundred taels was enough to significantly improve their lives by several grades. Even for cultivation, it was more than enough to break through a level with some time.

"That's good. Remember, don't flaunt your wealth, and misfortunes often stem from words spoken," Zhao Xing said calmly. "Go."

"Yes, we understand. We'll descend the mountain now," Zhou Gang and Fang Jie nodded emphatically. Clearly, these silver notes were not just a reward from Zhao Xing, but also a form of hush money, ensuring they wouldn't reveal the secret of the cave. Zhou Gang and Fang Jie were honest people. After the incident with Qin Feng, surviving and receiving a hundred taels was already cause for immense gratitude, so they naturally harbored no further thoughts. They immediately left the Temple of Heaven and descended the mountain.

Having settled the matter with Zhou Gang and Fang Jie, Zhao Xing felt much more relaxed. He then took the Myriad Magic Spiritual Essence and placed it on his chest.

Zhao Xing's intermediate spells included Savage Growth, Thunder Snare, Thunder Palm, Attract Lightning, Ice Rain, and Yin Wind. His other intermediate spells were at least at the fifth rotation, so using the Myriad Magic Spiritual Essence on them would clearly not be cost-effective. Only Yin Wind had not even reached the first rotation, being merely at the stage of newly acquired mastery.

"The Yin Wind spell is definitely worth maxing out. It can blow away people's souls, specializing in countering those melee professions with thick hides, and it can also counter those who affect mental faculties. It's one of the Military Agricultural Official's signature skills."

"Furthermore, Yin Wind is extremely difficult to cultivate, only being suitable for practice during the Greater Cold, Lesser Cold, and Qingming solar terms, or requiring excellent cultivation locations."

"Even if I had other intermediate spells, I should prioritize improving Yin Wind."

Zhao Xing closed his eyes, calmed his mind, and constantly recalled the Yin Wind spell. Gradually, a chilling sensation emerged from the 'yellow paper' on his chest, spreading downwards to his feet. It then extended further, seemingly enveloping Zhao Xing's soul, pulling him into an endless descent.

"Whoosh..."

A wind sound, like the wailing of ghosts, appeared in his ears. It made Zhao Xing feel as though he was deep within the earth's ley lines, truly experiencing the existence and circulation of Yin Wind. Simultaneously, countless techniques for using Yin Wind flooded into his mind. The status panel continually updated, and the progress of the Yin Wind spell rapidly ascended.

Time slowly passed. Zhao Xing's forehead seeped with sweat, and his complexion grew paler. The moment the yellow paper on his chest completely vanished, Zhao Xing suddenly opened his eyes, his pupils deep and dark, as if hiding a terrifying storm.

"Whoosh..." Everyone in the Temple of Heaven Square shivered inexplicably, as if a chilling wind had pierced their necks on a cold winter day.

Zhao Xing wiped the sweat from his forehead, a faint smile on his lips. The Yin Wind spell had reached the ninth rotation!