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Chapter 671: Another Veteran

"Retreat!" After hesitating for a moment and seeing that the remaining nine Wolf Cavalry members were all injured, Lü Bu no longer hesitated and ordered a retreat. He had come for revenge, not to throw away his life. Lü Bu carefully memorized Li Jin's appearance in his mind—this was his most embarrassing defeat yet. He had failed to take down his opponent in a duel and had even been forced into a retreat.

After Lü Bu left with his Wolf Cavalry and their fallen comrades, Li J...

Chapter 349: Defeating the Buddha Son, Spreading Across the Heavens

Bang!

As Feng Bo Ping's Celestial Thievery Saint Dao took effect, the Buddha Lord's power was continuously siphoned, leaving him weaker and more ethereal until his form shattered under a blast of Feng Bo Ping's heavenly tribulation lightning.

At that moment, a radiant Buddha light suddenly shone from behind the Sacred Mountain of the Buddhist Sect—it was the Buddha Lord's true form. The figure on the Buddha Hall was merely a reflection of his incarnation. As the incarnati...

Chapter 40: Night Vision, Seeing Ghosts and Spirits

"...The examination will start at the time of Xu and end at dawn during the time of Mao."

"All participants must carry a second-tier Spirit Guiding Lantern to patrol. The area covers both the lakes and bays, as well as the thirty-two wards of the docks."

"The content of the examination is to soothe the souls of those who drowned and other wandering spirits."

"Soothing ten souls without using the 'Invocation of Gods' will earn you an A-rank."

"Soothing five souls...

Chapter 39: Ghostly Wealth and River Dredgers

"Zi Yu, Qian Dong, are you going to the Fisherman’s Wharf tonight to watch the river lanterns?" Zhao Xing asked his two young colleagues as they finished their shift.

"No, not interested," Qian Dong shook his head. "The River Lantern Festival really isn't that fun. There aren’t many young ladies around, and it’s kind of eerie. What’s the point? It’s nothing compared to the Grass Battle Festival or the Spring Sacrifice."

"You’re only interested in watching the gi...

Chapter 38: Releasing River Lanterns and Honoring the Dead

There is a saying: “Mastering spells without understanding principles leaves one with nothing in the end; understanding principles without mastering spells is like wasting ten years of effort.”

Theoretical knowledge is also a critical component of examinations.

To outperform other clerks, one must be well-rounded. When spell proficiency is similar, those with better theoretical understanding are more likely to be promoted.

Zhao Xing casually picked up a book from ...

Chapter 37: Reaching Essence Gathering Tier Three

Just one bite of the Heavenly Origin Pear caused Zhao Xing's vitality to increase by 25 points. His body, like a thirsty sponge, greedily absorbed the energy coursing through his flesh and blood.

Crunch, crunch, crunch. Zhao Xing quickly devoured the entire Heavenly Origin Pear, even crushing the pit to drink its juice. The pear pit was useless to him since he couldn’t yet cultivate third-tier high-quality seeds.

Soon, his status panel began rapidly updating records, and ...

Chapter 36: This Won’t Do!

"Yes." The middle-aged man nodded, immediately handing over the information he had gathered.

"An orphan, taken in and mistreated by a jealous wife? It seems his daily life and needs weren't well taken care of. Our sect should naturally save people like him from suffering. If he joins us, he will surely perform even better!"

"Add him to the list!"

"Understood."

After the man finished, the woman beside him produced another list. "Protector, the Tiangong Workshop a...

Chapter 35: The List

The tribute quota that Chen Shijie promised to Zhao Xing will be available next month, starting from the White Dew solar term.

The reward for official positions is graded. For the first month, only the ‘Intermediate Official’s Reward’ can be claimed, but if Zhao Xing can achieve the A+ grade again next month, Chen Shijie will apply to upgrade him to the ‘Senior Official’s Reward.’

Intermediate Officials receive a monthly reward of five taels of silver, while Sen...

Chapter 34: Angel Investor Chen Shijie

The ratings of those who performed too well or too poorly were uncontroversial.

However, when it came to Wen Nanxing and Xiao Ze, some controversy arose.

Both had chosen around fifty second-tier plants.

First, looking at the base score, which refers to the second-tier intermediate and low-quality plants, the survival rate was only eighty percent, with thirty percent failing to reach maturity.

Although there were no dead plants, this data was somewhat weak for th...

Chapter 33: End of the Examination, On-Site Rating

News of Zong Shichang's defeat spread across the examination site.

Although the exact details were unclear, the signs of lightning and flying sand and rocks could not be hidden.

Moreover, Zong Shichang had been perfectly fine when he went towards Zhao Xing’s area, but returned limping.

If it wasn’t a fight, he surely didn’t fall into a well, right?

“Previously, Huang Tao and his group were defeated together. Now, Young Master Zong went over and suffered ...

Chapter 32: No Martial Ethics, Engaging in Ambush!

“You…” Zong Shichang was about to summon lightning to strike, but in an instant, he lost his target.

It wasn’t that Zhao Xing ran too fast, but rather that many straw puppets suddenly stood up on the ground around him.

The yellow straw puppets blended in with the color of the earth, and Zhao Xing had covered them with sand and dirt, making them nearly invisible!

This guy actually buried the straw puppets underground as ambushes!

“What’s the use of we...

Chapter 31: Zong Shiba

【You have crafted a Mighty Vajra Puppet】

【Soldier of Grass and Wood proficiency +15】

【Mighty Vajra Puppet proficiency +60】

【You have crafted a Mighty Vajra Puppet】

【Soldier of Grass and Wood proficiency +20】

【Mighty Vajra Puppet proficiency +80】

The high-quality materials provided different insights. Compared to Primordial Rice withered grass, the strength feedback from Diamond Bamboo was clearer, allowing Zhao Xing to grasp t...

Chapter 30: The Fifth Straw Puppet Technique - Mighty Vajra

Though surprised, Tang Wanchun and Pang Yuan had no choice but to sit back down, not daring to disrupt the exam’s proceedings.

Still, they couldn’t help but worry. If things continued this way, their students would suffer a hidden disadvantage.

"Earth Vein Consolidation is so covert that even I didn’t notice it until the second day. Xiao Ze must still be completely in the dark," Tang Wanchun thought, sighing to himself. "Zhao Xing... what a remarkable talent! Old Shen...

Chapter 29: Unstoppable Momentum

Huang Tao had pulled out handfuls of his own hair, yet he still couldn’t figure out why the Soul Calming Herb wasn’t blooming. Could it really be a diseased plant?

With no other choice, he decided to switch to another one.

He couldn’t afford to waste an entire night—after all, the exam only lasted four days and three nights!

Supporting himself on shaky legs, Huang Tao trudged toward the seedling area. Along the way, he spotted his friend Ma Wu hurrying in the ...

Chapter 28: Where Exactly Did It Go Wrong?

"Earth Vein Consolidation!"

Zhao Xing crouched down, his fingertips sinking into the ground as a wisp of energy immediately flowed into the soil, burrowing deep underground.

Soon after, a second wisp, followed by a third… In total, nine wisps of energy disappeared into the earth.

In Zhao Xing’s perception, these nine strands of energy formed a cage-like structure underground.

"This is the core of the spell, the central point. All the underground energy will ...

Chapter 27: Nurturing the Seeds

Zhao Xing’s choice of plants was quite meticulous.

The Green Vine, Fragrant Lotus, and Diamond Bamboo were all second-rank, but varied in quality: low, mid, and high, respectively.

Selecting plants that were too low in rank would yield few points, while those too high would be difficult to cultivate within the short three-day time limit.

There was also a practical consideration. Three days might be too short for the plants, but for the clerks, it was a long stretch....

Chapter 26: Seed Selection

Seeing Huang Tao and his two companions fail even after joining forces against Zhao Xing, the crowd quickly dispersed.

After all, these three had ranked on the A-list in the last exam.

Yet, despite teaming up, they were swiftly and decisively defeated. Who would still dare challenge him?

Since no one else stepped forward, Zhao Xing refrained from further taunts and began focusing on the exam.

...

"Was that really my brother?" Qian Dong and Chen Ziyu exchan...

Chapter 25: Cutting and Devouring, Crushing the Opponent

Chen Shijie watched the scene unfold with a leisurely expression, and the other officials, though reluctant, had no choice but to join him.

There was no helping it—after all, Chen Shijie held a higher rank and stronger cultivation than any of them. Moreover, he was the youngest official in the Shennong Division, not just in Gucheng but in all of Nanyang Prefecture.

It was clear that this Lord Chen’s future would not stop at the ninth rank.

"Lord Chen's adjustments...

Chapter 24: Planting Side by Side, Survival of the Fittest

The content of the Start of Autumn Exam was quite straightforward, fitting with the seasonal theme, testing both ability and endurance. It was very much in line with Xue Wenzhong’s usual style, as he was a diligent and hardworking person, focused solely on getting things done.

The clerks didn’t react as strongly as they had to Chen Shijie’s previous exam questions. Even if they didn’t perform well, they could only blame their lack of skill.

However, as Zhao Xing ent...

Chapter 23: The Start of Autumn Exam

Special training sessions for the talented could be justified as caring for gifted individuals.

But using a fourth-rank Painting of Teaching to help Zhao Xing pass the exam was purely personal favoritism.

It was the first time the old Shennong Officer had ever used public resources for personal reasons, and he felt somewhat uneasy about it. He remained silent throughout the meal, and once they finished, he promptly told Zhao Xing to leave.

Zhao Xing, sensing the mood,...

Chapter 22: The Painting of Teachings

Cultivation techniques related to growth require a specific target for casting, and different plants yield varying levels of proficiency.

To quickly gain proficiency in Vigorous Growth, it's best to practice on plants with short life cycles.

The plant Zhao Xing was currently looking at was a type of grass called Toothgrass.

"Toothgrass can mature from a seedling to full bloom in less than a month under natural conditions. It's usually used as feed for cattle and sheep...

Chapter 21: Harvest

【Name: Zhao Xing】

【Cultivation Realm: No Rank】

【Fortune: Derivation Two】

【Essence Gathering: Second Level (715/1000)】

【Techniques: Basic Cultivation (Max Level)】

【Vigorous Growth (Beginner Stage): First Transformation (1101/9999)】

【Cloud Summoning (Beginner Stage): Seventh Transformation (7546/9999)】

【Wind Summoning (Beginner Stage): Fourth Transformation (4124/9999)】

【Thunder Summoning (Beginner Stage): ...

Chapter 20: Night Vision and Five-Element Observation

The lamp flickered, and Zhao Xing focused on the dimly lit book in front of him. Gradually, his vision began to brighten. At first, he thought it was just a natural adjustment to the light, but the brightness continued to intensify until, at one point, the room seemed as bright as daytime.

"Hmm?" Zhao Xing raised his head, put down the book, and looked around. He noticed that it was still deep in the night outside, with no hint of dawn. The calendar showed it was the Zi Hour (mid...

Chapter 19: Preparing for the Examination

The Eight Solar Terms, including Start of Spring, Spring Equinox, Start of Summer, Summer Solstice, Start of Autumn, Autumn Equinox, Start of Winter, and Winter Solstice, are all mandatory exams. Depending on the conditions of different counties and prefectures, the minimum number of tests is twelve, while in the more demanding top-rank counties or prefectures, all twenty-four solar terms might be tested.

The three major requirements for official promotion are Harvest Results, Mo...

Chapter 18: The Token and The Almanac

【You have obtained the Thousand-Mile Transmission Token!】

【Thousand-Mile Transmission Token (Custom Made)】

【Quality: Third Rank, Top Grade】

【Effect: Upon activation with essence, it automatically sends a distress signal to a designated location and marks your position for the recipient.】

【You have obtained the Calamity-Repelling Almanac!】

【Calamity-Repelling Almanac (Custom Made)】

【Quality: Third Rank, Top Grade】

【...

Chapter 17: Treasures

"What? Old Shennong fell ill? Where did you hear that, Ziyu?"

"Last night, someone from the Xue family came to the Shennong Division to request leave for him. Lord Chen then informed everyone in Huailiu Courtyard."

Zhao Xing frowned. "Is it serious? Do you know any specifics?"

Beside him, Qian Dong shook his head. "They only mentioned that he's unwell and needs some time to recover. They didn't say for how long. For now, Lord Chen will temporarily oversee the daily af...

Chapter 16: Rainmaking Technique

The era of New Dawn is followed by the reign of Great Prosperity, with at least a few decades in between.

The Xuantian Sect, a chaotic faction, has always harbored ambitions of overthrowing established powers.

When Zhao Xing had first heard about them, it was during the Great Prosperity era under Emperor Jing. The sect had lain dormant during the rule of Emperor Wu, but reemerged towards the end of his reign, ultimately flourishing during the Revival Era.

What made th...

Chapter 15: The Case of New Dawn and the Xuantian Cultists

After just one A+ score in the exam, Zhao Xing noticed a shift in the attitudes of his colleagues. As he walked out of the courtyard, many began trying to get closer to him.

Zhang San mentioned there was a "grass puppet show" happening and invited him to come along. Li Si suggested a gathering with drinks, and even an older man invited Zhao Xing to listen to a musical performance. "I'm sorry... what was your name again?" Zhao Xing asked.

"Little brother Huang Siping, from H...

Chapter 12: The Power of the Straw Puppet

Zhao Xing’s actions at the grass field quickly caught the attention of the three examiners aboard the flying boat.

He was among the first clerks to respond by creating straw puppets, and both his speed and the quality of his creations were notably superior.

While others' straw puppets wobbled and staggered, Zhao Xing’s moved fluidly, running and jumping with surprising liveliness.

"Hmm? The Liu’s Compiled Eighty-One Techniques. Is this clerk under Lord Gao or Lo...

Chapter 11: The Grain-Eating Bird Disaster!

Above the public fields of Gucheng, a Flowing Cloud Flying Boat hovered amidst the low-lying clouds.

At the bow of the boat stood a burly man dressed in light green official robes embroidered with clouds and ears of wheat. At his waist hung a bronze seal with a silver sash, and next to him was a bamboo box.

The box, although only about a meter in size, continuously released flocks of black birds that swooped down toward the fields below.

Standing beside the box were t...