The Dao Sovereign of Shennong

"We're almost out of the Lava Plains." Zhao Xing cast the Hawk Eye spell, looking ahead and spotting some greenery appearing in the distance.

"I've cast the Earth-Splitting Technique three times. This route through the Lava Plains should block a lot of people behind me for quite some time. No one should catch up soon."

Zhao Xing breathed a sigh of relief. After running out of the Lava Plains, he immediately found a shady spot to rest.

He didn't summon clouds, mainly because the three suns were at their peak, making the conditions extremely harsh.

Even the Calamity Repelling Almanac issued a minor disaster warning: "Three Suns aligned at their cardinal points, clouds difficult to form, rain hard to conjure."

"At this point, forget about summoning rain; even forming clouds is tough."

Although Zhao Xing practiced the Cloud Devouring Technique, which maximizes the absorption of water element energy, right now the water element was nearly absent. No matter how good his absorption abilities were, without water to absorb, it was futile.

"I wonder if there's anyone ahead of me."

When entering from the Great Lake, a slight deviation when passing through the boundary wall could cause a significant difference in landing points.

Zhao Xing judged that he was relatively close to the route from the Lava Plains to the Shennong Monitor, but there was no guarantee someone wasn't even closer.

"Forget it. No need to overthink. It's just 10,000 points. It's better not to get injured." Zhao Xing considered rushing ahead despite the three suns in the sky, but he still had to repay the path he borrowed from the Firelord.

If he got hurt, like breaking a leg, it would be a big problem.

"It's best to repay the borrowed path within a month. If done within three months, there will be some minor effects, but after six months, it will be pure torment, as the fire element of the heavens and earth will constantly target you, like being trapped in a furnace."

No one would choose to borrow the path from the Firelord unless absolutely necessary, especially since failure to repay within a year would lead to certain death.

Other Daoist sects had similar methods, but the cost was usually even greater.

In extreme cases, only intervention from a sect headmaster or the possession of a rare treasure could temporarily postpone the repayment of the borrowed path.

There was also the possibility of receiving a decree from the emperor, whose divine mandate could absolve the debt, but such occurrences were even rarer than repaying the path itself.

After resting for a while and gradually recovering his vital energy, Zhao Xing began gathering energy from the environment.

Typically, the absorbed energy was gentle, but right now, the energy of the heavens and earth was mixed with scorching fire-element energy, making it difficult to gather.

Fortunately, Zhao Xing had taken the Giant Whale Pill, which greatly strengthened his physique.

His soul had also reached the mid-stage of the ninth tier, and the soul determines the body's endurance.

As such, even in such harsh conditions, Zhao Xing was able to gradually recover.

"According to the ancient cultivation system, there are nine tiers: ninth-tier Essence Gathering, eighth-tier Spirit Bridge, seventh-tier Earth Fiend, sixth-tier Heavenly Gang, fifth-tier Pure Essence, fourth-tier Primordial Soul, third-tier True Soul, second-tier Heavenly Luck, and first-tier Destiny Palace."

"Reaching the Spirit Bridge stage allows the body to form a bridge between itself and the heavens, greatly increasing the speed of energy absorption and the efficiency of refining energy."

"Afterward, one can train the body further by harnessing the earth's veins for Fiend Energy or the stars for Gang Energy, strengthening the physique. At the fifth tier, the energy absorbed by the body is called Pure Essence, and certain mystical traits begin to manifest."

"At the fourth tier, Primordial Soul nourishes the seven souls. The third-tier True Soul nourishes the seven souls and the main soul, allowing it to connect with the heavenly and earthly souls and start sensing one's destiny."

"At the second-tier Heavenly Luck, cultivators start focusing on enhancing their fortune by finding auspicious places to cultivate, such as spiritual mountains or cave heavens, to boost their luck."

"The first-tier Destiny Palace involves the cultivation of one's life essence, giving insight into one's lifespan and the construction of a Destiny Palace to protect the three souls, with the aim of altering fate."

As Zhao Xing recovered his energy, he also mentally reviewed the knowledge he had accumulated. "The key difference between the ancient cultivation system and the fortune-based system is that the imperial Qi dynasty interferes with the natural process by attempting to 'carry out the will of heaven on its behalf.'"

"In the fortune-based system, even the Essence gathering, spirit-bridging, and other processes can be completed with the help of imperial luck. Reaching Pure Essence isn't too difficult, but after that, external aid is required, such as bestowing cave heavens or spiritual lands to officials, eventually assisting in constructing their Destiny Palaces."

"If the Destiny Palace is completed, one can live for 800 years, though few officials actually reach that lifespan. The imperial Qi dynasty doesn't cultivate officials for free. Those who reach the first-tier Destiny Palace have often endured life-threatening experiences, which shortens their lifespans in the process."

Zhao Xing didn't have high expectations for his future under Emperor Jing. His goal was simply to reach the fifth-tier Pure Essence stage. Emperor Jing was notoriously stingy, and advancing beyond the fifth tier under his rule was extremely difficult—far more so than in other dynasties.

Emperor Jing had been heavily influenced by the Zhou Duke's doctrine of "reforming officials, not the people." Emperor Jing took this to an extreme, interpreting it as "both officials and nobles must suffer hardship."

For prominent noble families like the Zong family, even securing a small ninth-tier official position required sacrificing half of their wealth in bribes.

"Buzz~"

Just then, the Calamity Repelling Almanac in Zhao Xing's pocket vibrated slightly.

It indicated that one of the three suns had started to drift away from its cardinal position.

"I can keep moving now."

Zhao Xing pulled out his map and carefully compared his location.

"There are three routes from the Lava Plains to the Shennong Monitor."

"First, crossing the Gangwind Mountain Range. As the name suggests, this mountain range is filled with fierce Gang winds. This route tests the Shennong officer reserves on their mastery of wind techniques."

"Second, passing through the Ten Thousand Li Thunder Pool, a thunder zone covered by terrifying storm clouds that almost never dissipate. Only during seven suns or more in the sky does the cloud layer thin, and only when all ten suns align does it fully vanish."

"Third, traveling along the Heavenly Fire Path, a trail of craters left by meteors. The craters are arranged in a circular chain that stretches across the land."

"Of the three routes, the Ten Thousand Li Thunder Pool and the Gangwind Mountain Range are the shortest. The Heavenly Fire Path is a bit longer. Of course, I could take a half-day detour along the Lava Plains to another route, but that would add three times the distance."

Zhao Xing carried his bamboo chest and began walking forward. He wasn't entirely sure where he was within the Lava Plains and needed to walk a bit to figure it out.

"I'll use the Hawk Eye spell to look ahead. If I see mountains, it means I'm closer to the Gangwind Mountain Range."

"If I see thunderclouds first, it means I'm closer to the Ten Thousand Li Thunder Pool."

"The best option would be to go through the Thunder Pool since I've trained in the Cloud Devouring Technique. I only know the mid-tier Yin Wind for wind techniques. I haven't had time to learn Yang Wind, and my Yin Wind is only at the beginner's full mastery level."

Because he needed to observe the terrain and because the three suns still held sway, using spells to assist his movement would be too draining. Instead, Zhao Xing relied on his physical endurance, running steadily with the bamboo chest on his back.

With every step, he felt the fire path wrapped around him weakening, a reminder of the borrowed path. Every li he traveled, he was conscious of the need to repay the path.

After covering ten li, Zhao Xing realized that the fire path's intensity was decreasing twice as fast as expected.

"Carrying a load accelerates the repayment process. The Firelord isn't that rigid after all," Zhao Xing chuckled. The purpose of the rule was to tire out those who borrowed the path, discouraging them from disturbing the Firelord's sect for trivial reasons. Running with a load doubled the exhaustion, so the repayment speed increased accordingly.

As Zhao Xing ran forward, seeking the next region, over a hundred people had already gathered at the second fire isolation zone in the Lava Plains behind him.

"It's so damn hot! I'm dying here!"

"Who the hell cast that spell? This is insane!"

"If I ever find out who it was, I'll beat them senseless!"

"This is infuriating! Is this level of frenzy in the Lava Plains even normal? I've lost my eyebrows!"

"You're lucky it's just your eyebrows. There are at least a dozen people over there with shaved heads and scald marks!"

"..."

"Water... water... does anyone have water? Please, a sip for a fellow soldier. May you live a long and peaceful life," Ouyang Song weakly wandered through the crowd, desperately seeking a drink.

His lips were cracked, his brow flushed red, and his eyes bloodshot. The fire energy had invaded his body, progressing from mere heat exposure to actual fire poisoning.

"Sorry, I don't have any water."

"Get away from me! I want a drink too!"

"How embarrassing! A Shennong officer needing water?"

"If you're not strong enough, why even attempt to pass through the Lava Plains?"

"Brother, if you get some water, please share a bit with me."

"..."

Ouyang Song collapsed to the ground, too exhausted to speak.

Looking up at the three suns in the sky, the pride he had once felt was completely gone.

Back in the Wupan Army, he was respected wherever he went. People greeted him with smiles wherever he showed his face.

From a young age, he had always stood out. After joining the Wupan Army, the most common word used to describe him was "genius."

Especially after being selected by the Zhenhai Army, he had been on top of the world. Before his departure, his family had celebrated for seven days, proud that at just 26 years old, he had earned such an opportunity—a great honor indeed.

But now, Ouyang Song felt no pride at all.

There were hundreds of people like him here, most of them stronger than he was.

Though the three suns blazed down on everyone, at least half the people here could still stand, unaffected by fire poisoning.

"What kind of genius am I...?" Ouyang Song muttered as he lay on the ground, desperately wishing for a cup of water to appear before him.

"Gulp~" Ouyang Song's throat convulsed as he swallowed, his vision sharpening because he had, in fact, received a cup of water.

Though it wasn't much, it was enough to help him regain some clarity.

"Th-thank you." Ouyang Song looked up at the young man before him and struggled to his feet to bow.

"No need for thanks. My name is Wei Chen, also selected by the Zhenhai Army for this training."

"Thank you, Brother Wei. I'm Ouyang Song."

"You already said that." Wei Chen helped Ouyang Song to his feet and gave him another gulp of water. "I just arrived. Do you know what's going on here?"

With the water soothing his body, Ouyang Song managed to suppress the fire energy. "Someone went ahead of us. That's not the issue, but they cast a spell in one of the weaker areas of the Lava Plains, causing massive damage. I couldn't tell what spell they used."

"It was likely the Five Elements Earth-Splitting Technique," Wei Chen said, surveying the surroundings. "A simple fire-based Earth-Splitting Technique couldn't have caused such devastation unless it was mastered or surpassed its limits."

"How can you be sure?" Ouyang Song was surprised.

"The fire element here is already overwhelming," Wei Chen explained. "At its peak, adding more fire energy wouldn't trigger the earth veins to erupt further."

"So in this case, the Five Elements Earth-Splitting Technique draws upon the other four elements in the earth veins, using them as fuel to intensify the fire, leading to such an explosive effect."

"I see." Ouyang Song nodded as if enlightened, though he didn't fully understand. He hadn't studied the Earth-Splitting Technique and wasn't from the geomancy sect. His understanding of geomancy was limited to a few spells, like Earth Vein Consolidation and Earth Store Recovery.

But one thing was clear: Wei Chen was far stronger than he was.

Possibly even stronger than Zhuo Li, the person he had encountered earlier.

"Brother Wei, you truly are a genius. You're sure to join the Zhenhai Army."

Wei Chen shook his head. "You flatter me, Brother Ouyang. I think I have a decent chance of passing this training, but I wouldn't call myself a genius. There are plenty of people stronger than me."

"How many?" Ouyang Song asked bluntly.

Wei Chen thought for a moment. "Just among those I know, there are at least twenty or thirty people stronger than me. Most of them were selected by the Hujiao army."

"Next would be the Lieyang Army and the Xuanjia Army."

"I was selected from the Night Owl Army within the Pingman Corps. The Hujiao army also visited our area to recruit, and I met some of the talents they selected. Their recruitment method is quite unique."

"What's so special about it?" Ouyang Song asked.

"They start screening candidates early on. At each location, they make the local talents fight the geniuses they've already selected. Only the winners make it onto the training list; the losers are sent back."

Wei Chen sighed. "It's a bit embarrassing to admit, but the Hujiao army's commander was quite generous, allowing me to select any four people to fight. As long as I could draw even in one match, I would've been selected. All four opponents were at the same ninth tier as me, yet I lost all four matches."

"What?!" Ouyang Song was shocked. He had thought Wei Chen was already very strong. As a fellow Shennong officer, Ouyang Song could tell from their interactions that Wei Chen had deep knowledge and strength. To think there were ninth-tier individuals who were stronger than him.

"Brother Wei, do you—"

Before Ouyang Song could finish, Wei Chen interrupted, "No time to chat, Brother Ouyang. The suns are shifting from their cardinal positions, and I need to move! Farewell!" Wei Chen stepped onto a cloud, using wind magic to suppress the fire pillars as he crossed nearly 100 meters in a single bound, landing on the other side.

Once again, the conversation had been cut short, but Ouyang Song wasn't upset this time. He stood there, staring blankly in the direction Wei Chen had gone, and clasped his hands in thanks. "Thank you."

"Boom!"

A distant rumble of thunder echoed in the wind as Zhao Xing stood atop a hill, looking far into the distance.

He saw a dark line stretching across the horizon, unbroken and seemingly endless.

"So that's the Ten Thousand Li Thunder Pool. Fortunately, it's only ten li across in width for me to pass through." Zhao Xing gazed at the fearsome storm clouds.

At this moment, the three suns had started to drift from their cardinal positions. Seizing the opportunity, Zhao Xing immediately cast a wind spell, stepping onto clouds and rushing toward the storm.

The sky gradually darkened as he neared the thunderclouds. Just as he was about to enter the thunder zone, he noticed seven or eight figures on either side of him also heading toward the same area.

"So many experts. It seems quite a few people have already made it to the Ten Thousand Li Thunder Pool, and they're all trying to take advantage of the shifting weather."

"They clearly know that the suns' shift weakens the thunder pool. They've also spotted the thinnest section of the storm." Zhao Xing glanced around and saw that everyone's target was the valley ahead.

Realizing he couldn't avoid competing with them, Zhao Xing increased the power of his wind spell, thickening the cloud beneath his feet.

But as soon as he sped up, the others seemed to sense a starting signal and also quickened their pace.

Some even summoned clouds in advance, making it clear they were aiming to seize control.

"My mid-tier wind spell is Yin Wind, and while it's useful for travel, it's only at the beginner's level. I'll be slower than them, and they'll catch up soon." Zhao Xing quickly assessed the situation, which was precisely why he had chosen to cross the Thunder Pool. He had only mastered Yin Wind, without having the time to learn Yang Wind.

"Better strike first!" Zhao Xing noticed that fifteen people were gradually converging on him. Even if he pushed himself to the limit, he couldn't shake them, so he decided to take the initiative.