The Dao Sovereign of Shennong

Three quarters of an hour later, Zhao Xing was finally caught.

Under a small artificial hill, Shen Zhui, slightly out of breath, drove his iron ruler into the ground just above Zhao Xing's head.

Zhao Xing was momentarily stunned, then withdrew his spell.

"Brother Shen, you've won again."

Shen Zhui retrieved his iron ruler, a look of surprise in his eyes. "Brother Zhao, your progress is astonishing. This is only our third sparring session, yet you've already mastered Lightning Summoning. And that strange rain... I took a full three-quarters of an hour to catch you."

"A loss is a loss, no need to comfort me, Brother Shen."

Shen Zhui shook his head, "I'm being honest. After the first fifteen minutes, my essence energy consumption was three times what it was last time. By the second quarter-hour, I could no longer maintain my Swift Nine-Transformation Body Technique."

The Ice Rain spell consumed a lot of energy, especially because it was known to freeze essence energy itself. When used in a battle by someone like Zheng Lun, it could turn soldiers like the halberdiers into ice statues.

Of course, Zhao Xing had only just begun to learn the spell, and hadn't even reached the first stage yet, so the pressure it exerted on a Gathering Essence seventh-stage practitioner like Shen Zhui wasn't nearly as overwhelming.

"But in the third quarter-hour, you suddenly surged in strength, completely ignoring the effects of the Ice Rain and blending into the rain itself. Brother Shen, what was that move?" Zhao Xing asked.

Shen Zhui smiled, "It's a secret technique called 'Qian Yuan Blood Ignition.' It allows me to temporarily boost my power and strengthens my control over my body."

"Only with it could I withstand the erosion of the rain and your summoned thunder strikes."

Zhao Xing understood. "So I still wasn't able to push Brother Shen to your full strength."

Shen Zhui chuckled, "Neither did you. I didn't see you use wind this time."

"My wind is more troublesome to control and isn't quite suitable for use against you, Brother Shen."

Since this was just a sparring match and not a life-or-death battle, Zhao Xing didn't feel the need to use Yin Wind against Shen Zhui.

Even the Ice Rain spell hadn't shown its true power yet.

It was currently autumn, yet the weather remained unbearably hot, with strong Yang energy. The effect of the Ice Rain spell was halved.

If it had been late winter or early spring, the spell would have displayed its full effect.

But there was nothing to be done about it—Shennong officers could take advantage of the seasons, but they were also bound by them.

Unless Zhao Xing reached the rank where he could study the Seasonal Command, mastering the winter seasons, he would remain limited by the environment, and Ice Rain wouldn't reach its full potential.

As the two of them chatted, Chen Shijie emerged from his room.

"You two should stop sparring for the next few days. The day after tomorrow is the Autumn Equinox, when the mountain opens. Go home and rest well, and prepare for the upcoming examination."

"Yes, sir," Shen Zhui and Zhao Xing said in unison before taking their leave.

The Great Zhou's Law of Sacred Mountains stated: "In any county or prefecture that has a sacred mountain, the natural cycles must be followed. During the Spring Equinox, the mountains are sealed to nurture life; during the Autumn Equinox, they are opened to harvest its spiritual essence."

East Lake Mountain, located in Gucheng, stood a thousand feet high. Naturally formed, it held an abundance of essence energy that did not dissipate easily, making it a true "sacred mountain."

After leaving the Chen residence, Zhao Xing and Shen Zhui began chatting.

"Brother Zhao, the day after tomorrow is the opening of the mountain for the Autumn Equinox. I suppose you'll be busy in the coming days?"

Mountains, lakes, and land all fell under the jurisdiction of the Shennong Office, and sacred mountains were no exception.

In regions with sacred mountains, Shennong officers had to know both the Mountain Opening and Mountain Sealing spells.

Since the mountains were sealed during the Spring Equinox and opened during the Autumn Equinox, Shennong officers had to perform the rituals.

Zhao Xing laughed, "What does the mountain opening have to do with me? I only know a few spells, and no one needs me to perform the Mountain Opening spell."

Shen Zhui asked, "Will you be going up the mountain to collect the spiritual essence?"

Zhao Xing answered without hesitation, "Of course. Why wouldn't I?"

Nurturing the mountain's spiritual essence and then harvesting it—that was the entire point of sealing and opening the mountain.

The mountain's spiritual essence could bring various benefits to people.

Some would extend their lifespan, some would boost their fortune, others might see their essence energy soar, and some would have breakthroughs in their spells.

The reason Caoxi was able to be conferred as a lord after death was largely due to his successful cultivation of East Lake Mountain into a sacred mountain.

And ever since the birth of the sacred mountain in Gucheng, it had become a tradition for the officers' examinations during the Autumn Equinox to be tied to East Lake Mountain.

"The Autumn Equinox examination involves climbing the mountain after it's opened and gathering spiritual essence."

"The rankings are based on the amount collected."

"The spiritual essence is divided into three grades: high, middle, and low."

"The highest grade is Fortune Essence, which can increase a person's fortune."

"The middle grade is Essence Energy Essence, which can help with breakthroughs in cultivation or spells."

"The lowest grade is Longevity Essence, which adds a small, often imperceptible, increase to one's lifespan."

"Obtaining a high-grade essence will earn you a first rank, a middle-grade essence will get you a second rank, and a low-grade essence will earn you a third rank. If you get nothing, it doesn't count toward your score."

Shen Zhui said with a hint of envy, "I've heard that ten years ago, during the great mountain opening, someone leaped from being unranked straight to the eighth rank. It's something to envy."

Mountain openings and closings varied in scale, with some taking as little as a year and others as long as ten years.

However, the nine sacred mountains of Nanyang rarely saw major openings or closings. The one Shen Zhui was referring to had been sealed for just three years.

"Nanyang County has nine sacred mountains, and while East Lake Mountain ranks fifth, during that particular year, not only were the local officers eager to participate, but officers from other counties flocked here in large numbers," Zhao Xing explained.

Shen Zhui said, "You only hear about the lucky ones, but you should know that some never make it back. Climbing the mountain and collecting spiritual essence isn't without its dangers."

Shen Zhui replied, "Anyone in Nanyang can participate in climbing the mountain and collecting spiritual essence, but from the 22nd to the 24th of September, only officers are allowed in. No experts will be entering the mountain during that time."

Although the Autumn Equinox was still two days away, the inns of Gucheng were already full. Many officers from other counties had come to East Lake Mountain, hoping for good fortune.

The county office was also bustling, as officers from other regions had to register in advance.

Gucheng was still manageable, but over at Yuanping Mountain, the top-ranked sacred mountain in Nanyang, the competition was much fiercer. Many officers there had already reached the ninth stage of Essence Gathering, with some even on the verge of entering the official ranks, though they had not yet been formally appointed.

Zhao Xing shook his head. "I'm talking about the inherent dangers of climbing the mountain itself."

While competition among officers was regulated—one could steal, but killing or crippling others was forbidden—the treacherous terrain of the mountain itself posed a threat. Sacred mountains, especially freshly opened ones, were inherently dangerous, and deaths weren't unheard of.

Shen Zhui gripped the iron ruler at his waist, his voice resolute. "Even with the danger, I have to try this year. Who knows how many more competitors there will be next year? Everyone says it gets harder each time."

For officers, climbing the mountain and collecting spiritual essence was a way to quickly surpass others. For those already in the lead, participating was essential to prevent being overtaken.

After a pause, Shen Zhui looked at Zhao Xing. "Are you going?"

Zhao Xing smiled, "Of course. I'm a local, after all. If the mountain god doesn't protect a local like me, who will it protect? Some outsider?"

Of course, this was just a joke. Even though the Autumn Equinox involved climbing the mountain to pay homage to the gods, the Yin gods didn't care whether someone was local or not. As long as they were subjects of the Zhou Dynasty, they would be treated equally.

"Hahaha, then I'll see you on East Lake Mountain the day after tomorrow," Shen Zhui said with a hearty laugh as he left.