The Dao Sovereign of Shennong

The top 100 who reached the Shennong Monitor would be rewarded with a significant amount of points.

With such benefits at stake, this was no time for pleasantries.

"Yin Wind Assaults the Soul!"

As Zhao Xing extended his hands, a burst of yin wind rapidly emerged from the ground, swirling around his hands.

After perfecting his Yin Wind Technique, he could now cast the spell at will. The process was much more subtle, and the yin wind rose more quickly.

The wind element counters thunder in the five elements system. Although this area was covered by the Thunder Pool, and the earth veins were undoubtedly affected, the wind element in the earth veins was still present.

"Go!"

With a thought, a thread of yin wind shot from Zhao Xing's fingertips in two directions, targeting the fifteen people around him.

Controlling fifteen threads of yin wind at once divided its power but made it more potent and difficult to detect.

As he cast the Yin Wind, Zhao Xing didn't even look back, relying only on the air currents to determine the positions of the fifteen people.

He kept running forward.

"Whoosh~"

The Yin Wind swirled briefly before slipping into the bodies of the fifteen people around him from different directions.

"Cough, cough..."

"Hiss, so cold!"

"Huh? Why am I seeing illusions?"

"Is this a Yin Wind? Who's behind this?!"

The speed of the fifteen people instantly slowed down.

However, there were differences in how each person reacted.

Four of them didn't immediately realize they were affected by the Yin Wind and instead assumed it was caused by the thunder pressure.

Six others recognized the presence of the Yin Wind, but they believed it was a natural occurrence from the earth veins below.

Only five of them correctly identified that the Yin Wind wasn't natural but cast by someone.

"The Thunder Pool is oppressive, but with such terrifying thunder clouds, there's no way that a natural Yin Wind could blow up from the ground."

"It has to be someone casting a spell!" Yu Chunwu, stepping on his cloud, slowed his pace while warily scanning the others around him.

"The direction the Yin Wind came from... it's him! Li Feng of the Hujiao army!"

Seeing the tall figure running ahead on his left, Yu Chunwu's eyes flashed with anger. "Hmph, I didn't expect the sixth-ranked genius from the Hujiao army's selection to stoop to such underhanded tactics."

Unlike other armies, the Hujiao army selected its talents through direct combat.

Their dragon-headed ship traveled from one state to another, pitting local Shennong officers of the same age and rank against each other.

With each battle, their reputation grew.

As the top-ranked garrison in the Ten Sun Cave Heaven, the Hujiao army garnered a lot of attention, so Yu Chunwu instantly recognized Li Feng.

Coincidentally, in another direction, He Yu, who had also realized the Yin Wind was man-made, focused his gaze on Li Feng.

"It's definitely Li Feng!"

"I see others have been affected, but he seems barely touched."

"Hmph, He Yu fears no one! If you won't let me pass, you won't get through either!"

These two had been misled by Zhao Xing's direction of the Yin Wind and mistakenly blamed Li Feng.

Meanwhile, two others were influenced purely by Li Feng's reputation.

"How insidious, using the Yin Wind to harm people while pretending not to know anything, keeping your head down and rushing forward. Do you think I, Peng Ran, am the kind of person to take a hit without striking back? Take this!"

"His name is Li Feng, and his name even contains the word 'wind'—of course, it's him. Forget it, I'll just stay out of this... What? Three people are already attacking him? Count me in, Yang Yang!"

Thus, after Zhao Xing unleashed the Yin Wind on these fifteen people, three distinct groups emerged.

Yu Chunwu, He Yu, Peng Ran, and Yang Yang all cast their spells, surrounding Li Feng. The first three attacked almost simultaneously, while Yang Yang was slightly slower.

However, this gave him an advantage. Seeing that the others were using time-based spells, Yang Yang added a complementary earth technique to block the enemy.

The Shennong officers' teamwork instincts were deeply ingrained.

The second group, unaware that the Yin Wind was man-made, quickly caught on when the first group started attacking and shouting. They promptly joined the fray, targeting Li Feng with their own spells.

The third group had no clue what was going on. Not realizing the source of the Yin Wind, and knowing their own strength was insufficient, they retreated, moving far away from the valley's direct path.

Seeing this situation unfold, Zhao Xing let them leave. Those affected by his initial Yin Wind posed little threat, so he didn't bother with them.

However, he hadn't expected the other two groups to react so intensely.

Their responses took Zhao Xing by surprise.

When he cast the Yin Wind, he'd made sure that the wind's direction pointed toward a couple of different people.

So why was everyone targeting that young man with the wind-catching ears?

"Li Feng? Judging by their shouts, they seem to know him. Is he famous?" Zhao Xing thought quickly but didn't dwell on it.

Immediately, he transformed his Yin Wind into lightning and struck in Li Feng's direction.

At the same time, he shouted, "Li Feng, you've gone too far! Taste my Thunder Strike!"

Zhao Xing didn't actually know Li Feng. He was just acting on instinct, choosing the course of action that would benefit him the most.

Li Feng: "..."

Li Feng was speechless.

He hadn't done anything, yet suddenly twelve people were attacking him, shouting and trying to kill him.

They didn't even give him a chance to explain.

Caught off guard, Li Feng scrambled. He was about to rise on a cloud, but the ground beneath him cracked, and a vine shot out, wrapping around his legs.

Six bolts of lightning descended from the sky, striking his head. His third-tier top-grade Hundred Flowers Hat immediately short-circuited and went up in smoke.

Seven wind spikes followed, aiming for his chest, knees, abdomen, throat, and face.

"Whirlwind Shield!"

Li Feng quickly summoned a whirlwind, the green wind materializing around him, cutting through the vine that had entangled his legs. He barely managed to block the second wave of attacks.

"So it's really you! That solid wind, unmistakably mid-tier Wind Mastery, fully mastered. We haven't even provoked you, yet you're going too far!" Zhao Xing shouted as he continued to run.

In truth, no one had stopped running, and all spells were being cast on the move.

Hearing this, Li Feng nearly exploded with rage.

"Damn it! It wasn't me!"

Who could understand his frustration?

He had suspected Zhao Xing, but now there was no way to clear his name.

"Li Feng," Yu Chunwu shouted while continuing to cast his spell. "You still want to deny it? Who else but you could have cast Yin Wind?"

Li Feng blocked another lightning strike, opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out.

Because, in fact, he did know the Yin Wind technique!

However, compared to his mastery of wind techniques, his Yin Wind was only at the fourth transformation.

But would anyone believe him?

"You think just because you made a name for yourself in the Hujiao army's selection, I'll be afraid of you?" He Yu tossed out a Cloud Rain Pearl, and the raindrops transformed into ice arrows, shooting toward Li Feng. "Take this, my Arrow Rain!"

"The Yin Wind may be difficult, but my Thunder Sword is even sharper!" Peng Ran's hands crackled with lightning as he unleashed his signature technique.

Meanwhile, Yang Yang paused his attacks, as his earth-based technique required more time to cast.

Back in his previous military post, Yang Yang specialized in supporting the army's movements, unlike the others, who all had powerful offensive techniques at their disposal.

Attack spells required speed above all else.

Li Feng was beyond frustrated.

"What the hell does my spell proficiency have to do with any of this?!"

"Enough!"

Li Feng was furious.

"If you want a fight, fine! I'll fight you to the end!"

"None of you are getting away today!"

Boom!

As soon as Li Feng shouted, a blood-red cloud appeared over his head.

"The Blood Cloud Technique, one of the most insidious techniques, causes a backlash through the cloud itself. Once trapped, the opponent can't break free easily, and both their blood and cloud energy will be drained rapidly. A victory with clouds inflicts maximum damage on the enemy."

"The Cloud Spiral, though lacking some finesse, is no small matter at the ninth transformation of the Blood Cloud Technique. Li Feng is playing for real now."

Seeing the cloud forming over Li Feng's head, Zhao Xing instantly recognized the mid-tier Cloud Mastery technique.

He also realized that Li Feng was genuinely enraged.

In casual sparring, Shennong officers typically avoided using cloud spells unless they wanted to settle the matter seriously, possibly even to the death.

Casting a cloud spell meant a true fight to determine a winner—and perhaps a corpse.

Still, Zhao Xing couldn't blame Li Feng for being angry; he'd feel the same if he were in Li Feng's position.

"Time to get out of here."

Zhao Xing glanced around, then quickly retreated.

He was the closest to the valley entrance and the farthest from Li Feng.

Now that the situation was out of control, it was time for him to slip away.

Zhao Xing had never held an official Shennong officer position before. Many of his techniques were incomplete, and he hadn't yet learned spells like the Season Command or the All Things Growth Diagram, or mastered the Yin-Yang True Self Scripture.

If he stayed and fought, he might not be able to leave unscathed.

"Yin Wind, go!"

Taking advantage of the chaos, Zhao Xing cast a Yin Wind, hidden within a basic Wind Summoning spell, toward Li Feng.

This caused Li Feng to briefly lose focus, breaking his lock on Zhao Xing's position.

"Retreat!"

Zhao Xing seized the opportunity and immediately stepped onto a cloud, dashing toward the valley entrance.

In no time, he disappeared into the valley and entered the thundercloud zone.

Li Feng's Blood Cloud Technique lost its connection to Zhao Xing.

"It was him!"

"That bastard! Just wait, I'll get you for this!"

Li Feng finally realized who had been behind it all and glared in the direction Zhao Xing had fled.

But for now, he had to deal with the other attackers.

Since the fight had already begun, there was no point in explaining until he'd won. Otherwise, he'd look weak.

In such cases, even if you were in the right, you'd still be trampled on.

"It wasn't me who started this, but..." Li Feng glared at the group. "You've really pissed me off."

"Come on, you wanted a fight, didn't you?"

"Let's settle this right here!"

Li Feng roared with anger.

"You think I'm scared of you?!"

"We're going to crush your arrogance today!"

"Attack!"

At the Shennong Monitor, in the Taicang Courtyard.

The number of people gathered around the Earth Mirror instrument had increased. After all, there were many instructors responsible for teaching the new recruits.

Although the new recruits were under Lu Bang's supervision, some of those present were even more powerful and higher-ranked than Lu Bang. These senior figures occasionally came by the Taicang Courtyard to observe.

"Lu Bang, the new Shennong officers have begun their training in the Ten Sun Cave Heaven. You've been watching for a while now. Have you spotted any promising recruits?" An elderly man with white whiskers but a lively spirit entered the Earth Mirror Hall and addressed Lu Bang.

"There are a few. What kind of recruits are you looking for, Lord Tian?" Lu Bang asked.

"I specialize in the geomancy school. You should keep an eye on the Suspended Domain, Heavy Water River, and Lava Plains. If you find any recruits with good potential, let me know in advance." The elder smiled.

"Of course, I'll keep you informed." Lu Bang smiled as he saw the elder out.

While he responded courteously to everyone, he always followed protocol.

After seeing the elder off, Lu Bang returned to the mirror. "Let's see where that kid is now."

He was watching Zhao Xing.

Since Zhao Xing had caused chaos in the Lava Plains with his spell, forcing the later arrivals to endure hardship, both Zuo Zizhi and Lu Bang had been paying close attention to him.

"After leaving the Lava Plains, he's headed toward the Ten Thousand Li Thunder Pool," Zuo Zizhi pointed out. "But he's unlucky; he's run into Li Feng's group."

"Oh?" Lu Bang immediately looked toward the Earth Mirror. He knew Li Feng. As one of the Hujiao army's top recruits, Li Feng had stood out during his training.

Having arrived at the Cave Heaven over a month ago, Li Feng had already faced numerous challenges from other recruits.

Li Feng had won many battles, losing only five times.

In the Hujiao army's rankings, he was placed sixth.

"There are three others who aren't bad either," Zuo Zizhi said, flipping through a booklet. "Yu Chunwu from the Lieyang Army, and He Yu and Peng Ran from the Xuanjia Army."

"Hmm." Lu Bang nodded slightly. In his opinion, though Zuo Zizhi's three picks were good, the only ones who truly caught his eye were Li Feng and, now, Zhao Xing.

"What's going on? Their speed seems to have slowed," Zuo Zizhi suddenly noted, watching the scene. "It looks like they're shouting something."

"Let me adjust the sound." Lu Bang was curious as well. After some quick adjustments, the Earth Mirror transmitted their voices.

"Li Feng, you've gone too far!"

"Li Feng, you still say you don't know Yin Wind?"

"....."

Lu Bang listened to the voices, watching Zhao Xing's actions on the screen, his expression growing more and more amused.

He had, of course, noticed Zhao Xing's small maneuver earlier. It had been subtle at first, but as an observer, Lu Bang quickly understood the situation.

Because Zhao Xing didn't even know Li Feng, having spent less than two hours outside the garrison, everything Zhao Xing said was purely fabricated to incite Yu Chunwu's group to attack Li Feng.

"Clever and cunning," Zuo Zizhi chuckled, also realizing that Zhao Xing had cast the Yin Wind. "If he fought them head-on, he probably wouldn't even be able to handle Yu Chunwu. After all, he's never been a Shennong officer before."

"But by stirring the pot, he's become the most advantageous player."

"How is that cunning?" Lu Bang replied. "Fifteen people, and he managed to turn the situation to his advantage. That's smart."

"Yes, very smart." Zuo Zizhi nodded. "But Li Feng sure is unlucky—caught in Zhao Xing's scheme with no way to explain himself."

"Hahaha, indeed, very unlucky!" Lu Bang laughed. "If it were me, I'd want to chop that kid, Zhao Xing, into pieces too."

"Look, Li Feng has realized who the real culprit is, but Zhao Xing has already slipped away."

Inside the valley, hearing the furious shouts from behind, Zhao Xing ran even faster.

"I don't know what kind of karma Li Feng accumulated, but with just a little push, everyone ganged up on him."

Zhao Xing knew he had arrived late at the Cave Heaven garrison. The military selections had started much earlier, after all.

As a civil servant, he had to wait until spring for official appointments, while the military, academies, and daoist institutions began their selections the previous year.

"Maybe he made too much of a name for himself by arriving early and fighting in the outer garrison?" Zhao Xing pondered the words spoken by those before, finding the theory plausible.

"He was probably too high-profile and invited jealousy."

"But being too low-key isn't good either. In the military, keeping too low a profile makes you look weak, and everyone wants to step on you."

Unlike civil officials, who are more restrained, Zhao Xing had learned in places like Gu City that soldiers are more confrontational, with frequent fights for status.

"When there's something worth fighting for, like point rewards, you should fight high-profile. But at other times, stay low-key and avoid making a spectacle of yourself."

"Only fight for benefits and rewards. When fighting, use sneak attacks, like today. Avoid unnecessary or pride-driven battles." Zhao Xing set his guiding principles for his time in the Ten Sun Cave Heaven.

"Boom!"

A loud thunderclap snapped Zhao Xing out of his thoughts, refocusing him on navigating the Ten Thousand Li Thunder Pool.