The Dao Sovereign of Shennong

Under the Heaven Origin pear tree, Zhao Xing sat cross-legged.

The essence energy flowed through his body, and the vortex in his dantian spun faster, resembling a nebula.

At this moment, his essence energy had reached the peak of the Essence Gathering third stage, with only the last trace of energy needed to break through. However, this final bit was not just about quantity but the key to triggering a qualitative change.

Chen Shijie was about to turn and leave because breaking through to the next stage would take some time, requiring the body to fully adapt to the new level of essence energy. Even the final step of the process could take one or two hours as every inch of flesh had to adjust to the higher level of power.

Just as he stepped into the study with one foot, yet to lift the other, Zhao Xing suddenly opened his eyes and stood up beneath the Heaven Origin pear tree.

"Hmm? Did he fail?" Chen Shijie, sensing the movement, turned around with a frown.

But seeing that Zhao Xing's energy was robust and his spirit lively, he realized failure was unlikely. He quickly activated the [Five Element Observation] technique to examine Zhao Xing.

"His five elements are balanced, yin and yang in harmony, even stronger than before. This breakthrough is complete. This kid's bone structure and talent are exceptional," Chen Shijie thought with pleasant surprise.

He had previously thought Zhao Xing's understanding of techniques was high, but his innate talent was average. Now, it was clear that judgment was wrong.

"His talent is at least above average, even in the whole of Nanyang County."

"As long as his fortune fate isn't too poor, reaching the eighth official rank in five years shouldn't be a problem."

"If his fortune fate is poor and he faces as many setbacks as I did, he may face endless challenges. Not everyone is lucky enough to have someone like the General help them change their fate." Chen Shijie reminisced about his own past, feeling sentimental.

"What is the Lord thinking about?" A voice suddenly interrupted Chen Shijie's thoughts.

"Now that you've broken through, I'm thinking about how to punish you," Chen Shijie replied with a snort.

"If I'm going to be punished, why not do it all at once? I might as well pick a few more pears with Brother Shen while we're at it." Zhao Xing chuckled and, without hesitation, plucked several more pears.

Shen Zhui stood by, speechless. Zhao Xing, you're really bold!

But Chen Shijie seemed to enjoy this.

Having come from a military background, and only in his thirties, he wasn't the type to be rigid. If Zhao Xing acted too respectful and cautious, Chen Shijie might have liked him less.

Now, with Zhao Xing behaving like a mischievous younger brother teasing him, Chen Shijie found it quite amusing.

"You've got some nerve. Take the pears and get out of here. I don't want to see you again today," Chen Shijie laughed as he scolded.

"I'll see you tomorrow then, farewell."

"Get lost!"

Even after leaving Chen's residence and walking far away, Shen Zhui, holding two pears in his arms, still hadn't fully recovered.

"Zhao Xing, are you really... surnamed Zhao?"

"Isn't that obvious?"

"You really aren't surnamed Chen?"

"Do I look like Chen Shijie?"

Shen Zhui studied Zhao Xing's features for a moment before nodding, "A bit."

Zhao Xing laughed, wiping one of the pears before taking a bite. "You might as well say I look like this pear."

Shen Zhui thought about it and shook his head. Chen Shijie had a slightly squarish face, softer eyebrows, a smaller nose and eyes, and wasn't particularly striking in appearance, though his skin was pale, typical of people from Xishan County.

In contrast, Zhao Xing had thick eyebrows, large eyes, a high nose bridge, and sharply defined facial features. He was also much taller than Chen Shijie. With his healthy tanned skin, he exuded a sunny and energetic demeanor, more than enough to be called a handsome young man.

Their temperaments were also different. Chen Shijie had a sense of resilience from his trials, while Zhao Xing seemed more relaxed.

Seeing this, Shen Zhui couldn't help but feel a bit envious. "Is everyone in your Shennong Office as relaxed as this?"

"What, you don't get along with Wu Si Wang Long?" Zhao Xing countered.

"Not exactly." Shen Zhui shook his head. "Lord Wang treats me well but is very strict and rarely smiles."

Zhao Xing didn't bother to explain his relationship with Chen Shijie. As they passed through the main street, he said farewell to Shen Zhui. "Brother Shen, I've broken through to Essence Gathering fourth stage. I'm heading to the temple to learn new techniques. See you tomorrow at Chen's place."

Shen Zhui pocketed his pears and gave a parting salute. "See you tomorrow, Brother Zhao."

As usual, Zhao Xing submitted an application to the Shennong Office, the county office would approve it, and then he'd head to the temple to receive new techniques.

Naturally, Xue Wenzhong swiftly approved it. He knew Zhao Xing's progress was rapid but his foundation solid.

In the four core techniques of the Shennong Office—Cloud Summoning, Rainmaking, Thunder Calling, and Wind Summoning—Zhao Xing had reached the ninth transformation, seventh transformation, seventh transformation, and eighth transformation, respectively.

Of course, he wasn't at the level of someone like Xue Wenzhong, who could summon clouds with a wave of his hand or call down thunder with a flick of his wrist, but Zhao Xing's control over these techniques wasn't much weaker than that of newly promoted Shennong officers.

Thus, Xue Wenzhong had no concerns.

When Zhao Xing arrived at the county office, he found it unusually crowded.

The office was bustling with people, and there wasn't even a place to stand.

"Strange, why so many people today?" Zhao Xing wondered but still joined the back of the line.

A short while later, someone approached him from the side. It was his old acquaintance, Pang Fei.

"Brother Zhao, come this way. Let's talk."

"Alright." Zhao Xing left the line and followed Pang Fei.

Pang Fei led him to a side lounge next to the service hall and asked, "What paperwork do you need signed, Brother Zhao? Just hand it over to me."

"Brother Pang, is this okay? I feel like I'm cutting in line." Zhao Xing replied, feeling a bit awkward.

Pang Fei chuckled. "For you, Brother Zhao, we make exceptions. This was something the county magistrate specifically instructed me to do."

Ever since Zhao Xing had achieved top marks three times in a row, he had become known to the county magistrate, and Pang Fei was essentially Zhao Xing's "personal assistant" now.

While others had to wait in line, Zhao Xing could skip ahead.

"Thank you, Brother Pang." Zhao Xing handed over his paperwork and casually asked, "By the way, why is it so busy at the county office today?"

"Not just today. It's been like this for a while," Pang Fei explained. "The East Lake Mountain will soon open for the Autumn Equinox, so many people have come to purchase treasures and learn new techniques."

"I see." Zhao Xing nodded. The opening of East Lake (Donghu) Mountain for the Autumn Equinox was a big event in Gu County, attracting people even from Nanyang Prefecture. Zhao Xing had been so focused on his cultivation that he had almost forgotten about the upcoming equinox.

With the paperwork in hand, Zhao Xing headed to the temple.

The temple was also much busier than usual, especially the Hall of True Lord Cao Xi, where a long line had formed.

There were even tourists from other regions bowing in reverence in the square outside the hall.

"Back when True Lord Cao Xi constructed the Thirteen Canals of the Plain Lake, he used the Earth School's 'Hidden Ground Return-to-Origin' technique and set up the Return-to-Origin Waterwheel. Over time, the essence energy became more concentrated, turning a disaster-prone area into a blessed one. As a result, the small mountain near East Lake grew taller and eventually became a famous spiritual mountain."

"Soon the Autumn Equinox will open the mountain, and we'll see who can capture the spiritual essence from it…"

After waiting for a while, Zhao Xing saw that the line in the Hall of True Lord Cao Xi wasn't moving at all.

"Since I'm just here to receive some basic techniques, it doesn't really matter which hall I go to."

Zhao Xing decided to head to the Hall of All Saints, which could accommodate more people.