The Dao Sovereign of Shennong

Zhao Xing sat down on the cushion in front of the statue, relaxed his body, closed his eyes, and cleared his mind of any distractions.

Before long, a gentle breeze brushed against his face, accompanied by the rumbling of thunder.

He felt as if he were standing in the middle of a vast primordial forest, surrounded by hidden dangers.

The temple officiant, sensing something, glanced at the statue of Lord Caoxi and then at Zhao Xing's figure. "He's learning quite fast."

Once all the strange phenomena subsided, Zhao Xing opened his eyes, and three new spells had appeared in his mind:

Wind Summoning, Thunder Summoning, and Soldiers of Grass and Wood.

The first two belonged to the Heaven School of the Shennong Sect, preliminary spells from the Order of the Solar Terms, while the last one could be classified under the Self-School's Diagram of All Things Growing.

In his previous life, learning a spell was as simple as slapping a skill book, but now it required genuine comprehension, deep understanding, and study. From this perspective, players in the game were practically all born geniuses.

After sitting for a while and realizing that the mysterious sensation had faded, he knew that these were the only spells he could learn for now. Standing up, he clasped his hands together and bowed, "Thank you, Lord Caoxi, for granting me these spells."

 [Wind Summoning: Beginner Spell]

 [ Progress: (0/9999)]

 [ Effect: Summons a gust of wind.]

 [Thunder Summoning: Beginner Spell]

 [Progress: (0/9999)]

 [Effect: When paired with Cloud Movement, it causes thunder to rumble in the clouds.]

 [Soldiers of Grass and Wood: Beginner Spell]

 [Progress: (0/9999)]

 [Effect: Animates plants to serve as soldiers and attack.]

Wind Summoning was a standalone spell, but Thunder Summoning required Cloud Movement to be cast first. Since Zhao Xing hadn't yet changed professions, this spell was purely for effect—no actual damage could be dealt, though it might give someone a scare.

The true offensive spell would be Lightning Strike, which allowed thunder to be drawn from the clouds for an attack.

The beginner version of Soldiers of Grass and Wood also had an intimidating name, but in reality, Zhao Xing could only craft grass soldiers from specific plant materials. To reach the level where he could wave his hand and turn all the surrounding vegetation into an army, the spell needed to be upgraded.

Since he hadn't used any of the spells yet, their proficiency was at zero.

Most parts of the city were no-casting zones, to avoid disturbing the citizens.

For instance, if a low-ranking official accidentally blew away an elder's laundry or soaked someone's grain with rain, they'd be looking at a salary deduction! And promotion? Forget about it—he'd be told to stay out of sight until he could be useful.

To practice, one had to leave the city or head to the Shennong Division.

The Shennong Division had set up an Earth Gate Formation, allowing clerks like Zhao Xing to practice spells freely.

As Zhao Xing passed through the gates of the Shennong Division, he saw a Wind and Rain Tower Ship, about five or six meters high. Its prow was shaped like a dragon's head, from which water could flow to irrigate vast lands, and its sails were adorned with a dragon capable of summoning fierce winds. This was one of the signature treasures of the Shennong profession.

Of course, Gucheng was too small to possess such a high-level treasure; this was just a model. The real thing would only be found in a Shennong Division at the county level or higher.

Still, the county-level Shennong Division had its share of valuable items. In the northeast corner, the treasure vault housed treasures like the Flowing Cloud Boat, the Return-to-Origin Waterwheel, the Golden Raincoat, and the Hundred Flowers Straw Hat.

Zhao Xing knew all of this because the layout of government buildings in the Great Zhou was standardized. Once you remembered one, you basically remembered them all.

Plus, in his past life, he often participated in raids on county towns, and the first place they'd attack was always the Shennong Division. He even knew where the traps were and how to access the secret passages.

"Halt! This is the treasure vault. No entry allowed!" a voice suddenly called out, stopping Zhao Xing.

He looked up and realized that he had unknowingly wandered near the treasure vault. Judging by the guard's suspicious expression, Zhao Xing must have had a sneaky look on his face.

Whoops, his old habits had kicked in.

"Sorry, I got distracted," Zhao Xing bowed, suppressing the impulse to investigate further and quickly walked away.

"No rush. Once I get my promotion, I'll have access to everything."

After comforting himself, Zhao Xing walked through the herb garden and arrived at the residence of the full-time officers.

There was only one Ninth Rank Shennong Officer in charge of the Shennong Division, but there were several Sub-Ninth Rank officers responsible for various sectors such as storage, the iron market, registered fields, and grain transport.

In border towns, there would also be military Shennong Officers, who followed the army to create favorable conditions for the troops.

The Ninth Rank Shennong Officer was the head of the division and usually didn't bother with guiding low-level clerks. Those with strong backgrounds or connections were exceptions.

Sub-Ninth Rank Shennong Officers had the responsibility of teaching and guiding the lower-level clerks.

Gucheng's Sub-Ninth Rank Shennong Officers had a full complement of nine positions, but currently, only seven were filled.

Each officer had a group of clerks under them, serving both as subordinates and students.

"Brother! Brother, wait for us!" A familiar voice called out from behind as Zhao Xing walked along the corridor.

Turning around, he saw Chen Ziyu and Qian Dong, both carrying baskets.

"You two are here early as well."

"And so are you, Brother!" Chen Ziyu laughed.

Qian Dong, pretending to be mysterious, said, "See, Ziyu, I told you I was right. Brother has indeed been secretly practicing hard behind our backs. Look how early he is to meet with Teacher Xue. Oh, and Brother's complexion looks much better than it did before…"

Zhao Xing's mouth twitched. Could they stop mentioning his complexion?

"Enough with the chatter, let's go quickly."

Zhao Xing's superior and mentor was named Xue Wenzhong, and he had the largest number of clerks under his guidance.

It wasn't because he was particularly skilled, but because Xue Wenzhong was known as the most easy-going officer in the Shennong Division.

While other Shennong Officers were selective, reluctant to take on too many clerks, and carefully considered a candidate's background and potential, taking only the best for the sake of their performance, Xue Wenzhong was different. If any of his clerks got promoted, it counted toward his political achievements.

But Xue Wenzhong was a kind and simple man, only caring about doing his job. Whenever other officers refused to accept those with low status or mediocre aptitude, Xue Wenzhong would take them in, which was why out of over 500 clerks in the Shennong Division, 204 of them were under his wing!

Even though the old officer worked diligently, the sheer number of students made it difficult for him to teach them all effectively. As a result, the amount of attention each clerk received was limited. Meanwhile, the wealthier students like Li Chengfeng progressed quickly under more focused guidance.

When Zhao Xing arrived at Xue Wenzhong's courtyard, four or five dozen people were already gathered, waiting outside the hall.

The old Shennong Officer stood on the platform, lecturing on the Hundred Explanations of the Seasons, and everyone listened attentively. Occasionally, someone would enter or leave, but they did so quietly, with bowed heads and soft steps.

Despite being a Sub-Ninth Rank Shennong Officer, Xue Wenzhong had achieved some remarkable feats. It was already Early Summer, yet peach blossoms still bloomed in his courtyard, and the air was as warm as spring.

However, the frequent coughing indicated that the old officer's health wasn't in the best condition.

"Xue Shennong is already ninety-eight years old, and his health isn't great. During Emperor Jing's reign, officials weren't given many benefits. He's already received the maximum of two longevity blessings. Who knows how much longer he'll live?" Zhao Xing thought to himself.

"Old officer, please don't pass away this year. If you die before you can recommend me for promotion, where will I find another superior to give me that final push? It'll be such a hassle."

Perhaps his prayers worked because Xue Wenzhong stopped coughing. When Zhao Xing looked up, he realized the lecture had ended, and it was now time for free questions and answers.