The Dao Sovereign of Shennong

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 Zhao Xing could feel his body reacting strangely, almost as if he had eaten too much.

"Brr, so cold." After gorging himself, Zhao Xing suddenly felt a chill sweep over him, making him shiver.

The Heavenly Origin Pear had a cold nature, and to prevent its effects from dissipating, Zhao Xing had eaten it quickly. The cold energy from the third-tier high-quality fruit made him feel as if he had been thrown into an ice cellar.

"Calm the mind, focus, and gather essence into the body!" Zhao Xing immediately sat cross-legged, beginning to digest the energy.

His qi and blood surged within him as the vigorous fire energy in his body neutralized the cold.

Round after round, Zhao Xing's once-pale face turned rosy.

It took him a full half hour to fully digest the energy before he opened his eyes.

"Whew! Amazing—it really is a third-tier high-quality treasure." Zhao Xing exhaled a long breath of cold air.

He had eaten it too hastily. If he were only at Essence Gathering Tier One, consuming it might have led to a cold-related illness, harming his body.

Even at Tier Two, the safest way to consume it would have been to cut it into pieces. However, leaving the pear cut would lessen its potency, so Zhao Xing hadn't wanted to waste any of its effects, enduring a momentary 'ice bucket challenge' instead.

"Cold as it was, the results were worth it. Just this one pear increased my vitality by 195 points!" Zhao Xing checked his status panel.

Essence Gathering Tier Two: 955/1000

"The Dao Embryo Pill is truly incredible," Zhao Xing praised, though not the pear itself—he had eaten plenty of Heavenly Origin Pears in his previous life.

For Essence Gathering Tier Two, a Heavenly Origin Pear typically provided around 70 points of vitality—data verified by countless players. Since individual physiques vary, absorption efficiency differs, leading to energy dissipation or expulsion.

An absorption efficiency 70% above standard is considered excellent, and double the standard is exceptional.

The Dao Embryo Pill had pushed Zhao Xing's absorption rate to three times the standard, nearly maxing out the vitality contained in the Heavenly Origin Pear!

"Could it be that I've achieved the legendary 'flawless body'?" Zhao Xing mused but quickly dismissed the idea.

The Dao Embryo Pill wasn't powerful enough to transform him to that extent. It was simply because the treasure's quality wasn't exceptionally high, which allowed for near-perfect absorption.

"At this rate, I'll reach Essence Gathering Tier Three in just a few days."

Satisfied, Zhao Xing closed the box containing the remaining Heavenly Origin Pear.

This was not something to eat in rapid succession—one every couple of days was optimal.

Otherwise, Chen Shijie wouldn't have given him only 15 per month. Considering Zhao Xing's current ability to process the energy, 30 pears a month would be too much for his body to handle, even though Chen's orchard could easily provide more.

...

Since earning the nickname 'Zhao Second Scholar,' Zhao Xing's house had become lively with frequent visits from colleagues, seeking to strengthen their relationships.

Just as Zhao Ruide had said, maintaining social connections was inevitable. When guests came bearing small gifts, it was only polite to serve them a meal and some wine.

Hosting guests at home was one thing, but going out to entertain them would cost even more.

"Mother, mother, big brother said to prepare lunch for four more people," Zhao Zheng ran to Madam Cai, tugging at her dress.

"What? Again!" Madam Cai frowned, her eyebrows knitting together. "It's bad enough that he eats here, but now he's bringing guests home too! I tolerated it the last two times, but now he's sending you to order me around? Outrageous!"

"Go tell him that I…"

Before she could finish, Zhao Zheng pulled out a small pouch, containing some loose silver.

"Hmm? Where did you get this silver?"

"Big brother gave it to me," Zhao Zheng answered honestly.

"What does he mean by this?" Madam Cai took the pouch and asked again.

"Big brother said you've been working hard these past few days. He mentioned receiving support from the officials and even becoming a Contributing Clerk, earning five taels of silver every month... This is his way of showing respect."

Madam Cai's stern face softened as she listened. She was momentarily stunned, and upon seeing the silver, her attitude changed immediately.

She didn't fully understand what a Contributing Clerk did, but she had remembered something about receiving five or ten taels of silver a month.

In any case, Zhao Xing was earning money now, reducing the likelihood of him competing with Zhao Zheng for the family's inheritance. He might even help Zhao Zheng in the future—after all, becoming a Shennong Officer still made him a government official!

"Zheng'er, go tell your... big brother, I'll get right on it!"

...

A few days later.

"I'm not much of a cook, so I hope the food suits your taste. If anything was lacking, it's entirely my fault. Please don't blame our Xing'er," Madam Cai said with a gentle smile, addressing the guests kindly.

The clerks, who were chatting after the meal, immediately stood up and cupped their hands in gratitude.

"Please don't say that, ma'am. We're the ones imposing."

"Indeed, your cooking is excellent! I've never eaten anything so delicious before."

"..."

Zhao Xing watched in shock as Madam Cai, wearing a warm and gentle expression, spoke softly, calling him Xing'er as if he were her own son.

The power of money is incredible! Zhao Xing thought to himself. He was more accustomed to her stingy nature—this affectionate side of her felt utterly strange.

In recent days, Madam Cai had even begun talking fondly about him.

"My dear Xing'er…"

"You wouldn't know, but Xing'er works so hard…"

Please, master, make it stop! Zhao Xing inwardly groaned.

Two days later, Zhao Xing ate the second Heavenly Origin Pear.

After expelling the cold, he reached Essence Gathering Tier Three.

Essence Gathering Tier Three: 10/10000

With his advancement to Tier Three, all his spells, including those related to straw puppets, gained some proficiency.

The stronger the vitality a person possesses, the more their overall abilities are enhanced, including their mental capacity, leading to deeper comprehension of their spells.

"Many people focus solely on increasing vitality and only train their spells to a functional level."

"When it comes to actual combat, they're often sloppy. It's not always short-sightedness; it's just personal choice. In peaceful times, the pursuit of spell mastery isn't urgent. Not everyone steps out of their comfort zone."

"If I had the wealth and resources of someone like Young Master Zong, relying on them to advance my cultivation, I might also grow complacent, thinking I could always refine my spell techniques tomorrow. And that's how countless tomorrows slip by."

Zhao Xing looked at the box on his desk, a gift from Zong Shichang. True to his extravagant nature, Zong had casually sent over a box containing ten Third-Tier Low-Quality Essence Gathering Pills.

While they couldn't compare to the Heavenly Origin Pear, a set of ten was still quite valuable.

Though Zong Shichang might be self-centered and domineering, he kept his promises, not going back on his word.

"Essence Gathering Tier Three—another step closer to my promotion, and a billion steps closer to my goal of immortality."

"After the Autumn Festival comes End of Heat, followed by White Dew. Since the End of Heat is associated with the 'River Lantern Festival' and honoring the dead, the White Dew Festival will be the next exam period."

"The End of Heat also features examinations for early-stage religious officials, like fuji (spirit medium) and ritualists. I should check it out."

"However, I need to improve my Night Vision spell first; otherwise, I won't see much, let alone any spirits."

"With White Dew likely to involve a written exam, I'll need to balance reading and practicing spells." Zhao Xing lit his lamp and began studying late into the night.