[Tianyou Calendar, Four Suns Year 1889, Pinghuai Office's Zhao Feiyang moved Seven Mountains, gathered Ten Thousand Trees, and used the "Piling Mountain Method" to fill the Eight River Routes, resolving the troubles of the Eight Major River Routes of Wuma Lixing.]
[The following year in June, he forged Six Cauldrons to refine the Six Qi of Heaven; promoted agriculture and cultivated spirit rice.]
[By Four Suns Year 1952, Wuma Constellation had no Class-A natural disasters, and the long-deficit Kufu Office finally turned a profit.]
[He was promoted by the Black Feather Army Commander of the Demon-Suppressing Corps to the Wei River Army, appointed as a Fifth-Rank Dian Nong Envoy over two armies.]
As they flipped to the first page of Zhao Xing's historical records, Jing Yue didn't feel much, but Zuo Qiyu and Five Venom Emperor both showed a strange reaction.
"A Fourth-Rank local river officer? Starting from such a low position?" Five Venom Emperor found it hard to believe how Zhao Xing had managed to climb up from there.
Even though it was still Fourth Rank, given the chaotic history of the Tianyou Ancient Kingdom, a Fourth-Rank river officer held less power than a Sixth-Rank administrative officer.
Fan Hua explained, "The Lixing River section of the Wuma Constellation used to be a disaster zone."
"Though the starting point was low, he managed to turn a disaster zone into fertile land in just a short time and even turned the Kufu Office's deficit into a surplus. That's impressive."
Five Venom Emperor snorted proudly, "Of course my disciple is impressive."
"Even starting from such a low rank, he achieved what no one else could."
Zuo Qiyu curled his lips, "Like it has anything to do with you as his master. Forging Six Cauldrons and refining the Six Qi of Heaven clearly came from the Four Seasons Palace's methods."
"The Piling Mountain Method comes from the Ancient Hill and is a disaster relief technique. Though it uses divine wood for disaster prevention, the main method lies in mountain law."
Five Venom Emperor huffed, "So what? My disciple is just that good."
Zuo Qiyu didn't even bother replying. Did this old man even listen to anything?
"But wait, if he achieved merit, why was he demoted from Fourth Rank to Fifth Rank?" Jing Yue asked curiously.
Fan Hua explained, "According to the system of that period in the Tianyou Ancient Kingdom, this was actually a hidden promotion. He was originally a local Fourth-Rank river officer, whose status was even lower than that of a Sixth-Rank administrative officer."
"But moving to Military Shennong changed everything. Four thousand years ago, when the Tianyou Ancient Kingdom faced internal and external threats and constant wars, the status of Military Shennong far exceeded that of Civil Shennong."
"If you wanted to climb quickly, the military was undoubtedly the best path."
"Keep flipping to the next page," Jing Yue urged.
Rustle—
[Four Suns Year 1983, Dian Nong Envoy Zhao Feiyang garrisoned the Moon Valley lands. In August, the Ten Thousand Rivers Demon King led three thousand elites for a surprise attack.]
[Zhao Feiyang used the Moon Valley's Nine Springs Earth Vein to set up an array. The Moon Valley cracked across fifty thousand li of red rocks. Of the three thousand demon soldiers, six hundred died, two hundred surrendered, and fewer than ten percent escaped.]
[Zhao Feiyang was promoted to Fourth-Rank Military Governor and titled Marquis of Pingyan.]
This page didn't really surprise anyone. With Zhao Xing's combat ability, managing his own territory would never allow him to be taken by surprise.
Zuo Qiyu clicked his tongue repeatedly.
Jing Yue and Fan Hua thought he was praising Zhao Xing.
Only Five Venom Emperor was slightly offended, knowing that Zuo Qiyu wasn't praising at all.
Zhao Xing had once again used a technique from the Earth-Favored School to achieve merit!
That damn Zuo Qiyu was clearly mocking him for not teaching Zhao Xing properly!
[Tianyou Calendar, Four Suns Year 2105, the offensive of the Ten Thousand Demon Kingdom was stalled, and the southern border temporarily entered a ceasefire. In the same winter, Zhao Feiyang was transferred to the Tian Office, assigned to Buluo Prefecture in the Southern Border.]
[At that time, the region was suffering from a locust plague that affected thirty-six administrative offices.]
[Zhao Feiyang cultivated the "Five-Colored Locust-Exterminating Grass," saving the Mingdao Office from the plague and was appointed as the official supervisor of the Fourth-Rank Tian Office.]
"Still spinning around at Fourth Rank?" Jing Yue was puzzled.
"Promotions weren't easy in that era," Fan Hua explained. "The reigning king of Tianyou was in closed-door seclusion attempting a heavenly tribulation, leaving national affairs to three dukes, resulting in a fragmented chain of command and constant chaos. That was the bigger issue."
"The king at that time was the seventh-generation ruler, and surviving a tribulation isn't easy. Without the king to keep things in check, other powerful figures easily developed ambitions of their own."
Jing Yue nodded. In such a vast and wealthy ancient kingdom, an Emperor-level figure who took the throne could easily consume a full era's worth of resources, possibly advancing to Demigod.
If the king had no issues, it would be fine, but since he was in dead-closed seclusion and likely to fail, the power vacuum beneath him inevitably bred rebellion.
Fan Hua thought aloud, "This time Zhao Xing is once again a civil official, still spinning at Fourth Rank, but now he's the head of a Tian Office. That's a solid position."
"I checked the records. Out of thirty-six offices, only three suffered the least damage from the locust plague. Zhao Xing's Mingdao Office was one of them."
In such troubled times, just doing your job properly was enough to stand out.
The virtual history flipped again, and this time, the time span jumped significantly.
It went straight to Year 2954.
"In such a chaotic system, Zhao Xing served for eight hundred years before catching another opportunity."
"This time, he was back as a Military Shennong," Fan Hua sighed.
[Tianyou Calendar, Four Suns Year 2554, Zhao Feiyang was reassigned to the Western Desert Xingye Office. The thirteen cities of the Western Desert suffered from years of drought and constant harassment from the Fire Demon Tribe.]
While the four of them were carefully reading, a small boat suddenly drifted toward the barrier outside the hall.
Whoosh—
A figure on the boat ignored the barrier and descended directly outside the hall.
"Hmm?"
Zuo Qiyu and Five Venom Emperor, immediately alert, looked over.
Fan Hua also closed the virtual history.
"Who is it?"
Fan Hua observed the person's attire and slightly shook his head. "It's the Royal Gate Envoy of the Tianyou Ancient Kingdom. Typically, only when the king summons ministers for secret discussions would such an envoy be dispatched."
"Since Senior Zuo here holds the title of Duke of Qi, being summoned isn't surprising."
The Royal Gate Envoy, a burly figure clad in golden armor, entered the barrier and used a secret technique to transmit his voice, shaking the space.
"Where is Duke Qi?"
Swish—
Zuo Qiyu immediately stepped out.
"Qi Yuanzi greets the Special Envoy."
"The king has issued a decree, summoning Duke Qi and the three guests at your residence to enter the palace together."
"Hmm?"
Zuo Qiyu immediately found it strange.
It wasn't unusual for the king to issue a decree, but the fact that the king knew he had three guests at his residence was suspicious.
Of the three, only Zuo Qiyu held the Six-Pillar Jade; the other three had only Five-Pillar Jades.
Logically speaking, the other three shouldn't have been summoned so easily.
Jing Yue quickly speculated and then sent a voice transmission, "Senior Zuo, Senior Wu Du, Brother Fan, it's likely that when I was using my fate calculation to search for someone earlier, the experts in the royal palace detected it."
Her calculation had pointed directly to the royal palace, so it was entirely possible that other Fate Officers had sensed it.
"Could this summons have something to do with Zhao Xing?" Five Venom Emperor suddenly asked.
"I'm not sure," Jing Yue shook her head.
"Whether it is or isn't, we'll know once we enter the palace," Fan Hua said.
"Senior Zuo's status as a duke is already high enough. Something this minor could easily be explained away with any excuse. It won't trigger any Void History incident."
"Then let's go have a look."
After briefly discussing, the four immediately followed the Royal Gate Envoy.
At the same time, deep within the royal palace.
In the Imperial Flower Garden, flowers were in full bloom, competing in beauty. Under a towering green elm tree, a young man reclined on a chair, leisurely tapping a rhythm.
Just a hundred meters away, a clear river flowed, carrying heavenly music. A group of enchanting female yao were singing in the river.
Above the elm, clouds gathered. As the singing echoed, the clouds parted, and under the bright moonlight, graceful beauties danced in the air.
"The heavenly voices of the female yao, combined with the fragrance of over thirty thousand flowers in the garden… In the past thousand years, I've already dispelled fifty percent of my True Spirit Heavenly Poison."
As the music ended, Zhao Xing sat up on the chair, savoring the lingering notes, stretching lazily. "So comfortable. This way of healing is much better than those painful methods back in the Academy. Completely painless."
Zhao Xing turned his senses inward to examine his sea of consciousness and saw that the True Spirit Heavenly Poison was now much weaker than before.
Where it had once been pitch black, it had lightened enough that the faint shadow of his soul's destiny was now visible.
"Master and the others should be arriving soon."
Zhao Xing calculated the time and looked to the sky. Before long, a sky carriage pulled by heavenly horses, led by the Royal Gate Envoy, landed in the Flower Garden.
"Huh? Didn't they say it was the Tianyou King summoning us? Why are you here?" Zuo Qiyu stepped down from the carriage and froze when he saw Zhao Xing under the tree.
"You all may leave," Zhao Xing waved toward the golden-armored Royal Gate soldiers.
"Yes."
After they left, Zhao Xing opened the door of the wooden hut under the elm and invited Zuo Qiyu inside. "Senior Zuo, Master, please, come in for a chat."
Before long, Zuo Qiyu and Five Venom Emperor entered the hut beneath the tree. Jing Yue and Fan Hua remained waiting in the carriage.
"Zhao Xing, what's going on here?" Five Venom Emperor sized him up. "Why are you in the royal palace? And in the Flower Garden, no less? What's with all those female yao? And your True Spirit Heavenly Poison—"
"Master, Senior Zuo, I've been waiting in this timeline for four thousand years," Zhao Xing said with emotion. "The moment you entered and Jing Yue used her fate technique to search for me, I sensed it immediately. That's why I sent someone to invite you here."
"Four thousand years? But you can only live for three thousand—"
"I've already removed part of the True Spirit Heavenly Poison," Zhao Xing explained. "The reason is what you just witnessed—those rare female yao and the fragrance of the flowers in the garden."
"I see," Five Venom Emperor suddenly understood. "Among the yao race, there are those with natural divine talents. Their singing seems kissed by the Dao itself, making them born musicians and dancers."
"That's why they've long been hunted and captured by all races. Among the human nobility, raising high-grade female yao was once considered a mark of prestige. But by the Tenth Era of the Barren Domain, they had been driven to extinction."
"I just never knew their music could counter True Spirit Heavenly Poison."
Zuo Qiyu, who knew more about this, added, "The Academy's treatment list actually includes a method that involves gathering an Emperor-level female yao, or several Emperor Level female yao, to perform with their Dao of Music to treat the poison."
"This method doesn't consume Realm Spirit value since there's no material exchange. But it's nearly impossible to achieve."
Zhao Xing nodded. "Exactly. The yao race is nearly extinct. With fewer of them left, the chance of any new powerful ones emerging also shrinks."
"Finding an Emperor-level female yao would require going back to the Five Emperors Era. After that era, even finding Emperor Levels is rare."
"It took me two thousand years, using the performances of a group of Emperor Level female yao, to shatter half of the True Spirit Heavenly Poison."
"Wait a minute." Five Venom Emperor frowned. "How did you end up in the royal palace and get the Tianyou King to personally summon us?"
He still couldn't understand how Zhao Xing had gained such influence.
Even if Zhao Xing had done well, it shouldn't be possible for him to reach this level in just four thousand years.
Zhao Feiyang was a nobody in history. Even if Zhao Xing managed it, this would essentially rewrite history.
And Zhao Xing's cultivation hadn't obviously changed—he was still at the Dao Domain Realm and hadn't broken through.
"Master, Senior Zuo, I cannot speak of this matter," Zhao Xing said while pointing to the sky, his tone serious. "I can only say this—something has gone wrong with the transmission tower's laws. This isn't an accident."
Zuo Qiyu and Five Venom Emperor exchanged a glance, both seeing the shock in each other's eyes.
If this wasn't an accident, then someone had interfered.
No—this wasn't something a person could do. Only a Divine Realm being could interfere.
"I see," Five Venom Emperor nodded heavily.
"What do you see?" Zuo Qiyu mocked. "You're just pretending to understand."
Five Venom Emperor felt his temper flare. "I know more than you!"
"Prove it, then," Zuo Qiyu challenged.
"Go ask Fan Hua to flip to the second half of the Virtual History. It's guaranteed to be completely blank!"
Of course Zuo Qiyu didn't believe him. He reached into the void, pulling the Virtual History book from Fan Hua's hands without effort.
Rustle—
The pages related to Zhao Xing flipped rapidly, and sure enough, after the year Four Suns 3000, Zhao Feiyang's story turned into a complete blank, with no further records.
Zuo Qiyu flipped back to the last page with writing and found that Zhao Feiyang had died in the Ten Thousand Rivers Demon Kingdom War, holding only a Third-Rank position and still at the Dao Domain Realm.
This was completely different from what they had imagined—that Zhao Xing had worked his way up step by step to become someone of great power and status.
"If the character in the Transmission Realm has already died, how is he still here?" Zuo Qiyu looked confused. "Wouldn't that trigger a Void History event?"
Five Venom Emperor laughed. "I already told you, you don't understand. I do, but I'm not telling."
Zuo Qiyu's veins bulged as his eyes filled with killing intent.
"Senior Zuo, please don't be angry," Zhao Xing quickly tried to smooth things over. "The reason is simple. I'm currently rejected by the Transmission Realm Tower and only entered through the Flower Between Realms Chair, so none of my actions will trigger a Void History event."
With an excuse offered, Zuo Qiyu let it go and didn't argue with Five Venom Emperor any further.
Soon, Jing Yue and Fan Hua were called in as well.
The two were visibly surprised to see Zhao Xing commanding peak Emperor Level female yao and moving freely in the Flower Garden.
However, they were disciplined enough not to ask questions since Zhao Xing wasn't offering explanations. They simply asked what the next step was.
"In this timeline, there are still Du Yun, Emperor Tianwu, and five Demon Emperor-level figures from the yao race," Zhao Xing pondered. "There will be a major confrontation at the junction of the Three Realms. We must get there."
"How long do we have?" they asked.
"Half a year," Zhao Xing replied.
"Only half a year left?" Five Venom Emperor pressed. "What are we waiting for? Let's go right now."
"Master, Senior Zuo, Lord Jing, Lord Fan, please wait for me at the Tianyou Realm Transport Office. Make some preparations. I'll meet you there in seven days."
The four were full of doubts but still followed his instructions patiently.
After they left, Zhao Xing returned to the elm tree.
Buzz—
The elm cracked open, revealing a passage. Zhao Xing stepped inside, entering the tree's heart space.
The interior was filled with milky white mist. An old man with white hair sat cross-legged at the center, his body withered, his skin wrinkled like tree bark, looking like he was at death's door.
Above his head, a red light streamed down, forming a tower-shaped barrier that fought against the surrounding green energy.
"Getting ready to leave?" The old man opened his eyes.
"Yes," Zhao Xing nodded respectfully. "They have arrived. Teacher, do you have any final instructions?"
The man before him was none other than the seventh Tianyou King in history—and one of Qing Yuzi's incarnations!
This was the real reason Zhao Xing could move freely through the palace and enjoy such high status.
Qing Yuzi spoke with some emotion. "Everything that needed to be said was already said at our last meeting. The me you met in the Transmission Realm Tower was a backup left from the past, a continuation of the Causality War back then."
"I told you before that Wei Tianchen's poison couldn't kill you—you would definitely live. And now, it has come true."
"I once thought everything was unfolding exactly as I foresaw. But now I realize I am not the final victor of that Causality War."
Zhao Xing listened quietly. "If possible, please enlighten me, Teacher."
"I'll speak. You listen. Do not respond. Do not react."
Seeing Zhao Xing remain still, Qing Yuzi knew he was ready. Green energy rose from his body, three circles of markings slowly lifting and pushing the red energy above his head.
"Wei Tianchen used you to search for the rare poison. After finding it, he turned on you, trying to kill you."
"He thought he had won because he had obtained the treasure. The Pot Immortal believed he had lost because he failed to kill you completely."
"If he couldn't kill you, then he never truly obtained the treasure he sought."
"You likely hold the true method to unlock that treasure."
Zhao Xing neither confirmed nor denied, since Qing Yuzi had told him to only listen.
"Bowe saved you and opened the Transmission Realm Tower. His reputation reached the peak among all past scholars. Though I don't know his full plan, it doesn't matter. The Tower had barely opened when problems started with you, risking shutdown. He made mistakes, so he's not the winner either."
"The Empire's Fate Officer pushed Bowe's treatment plan while pulling a causality scam to lure the yao Demon Emperors into the Tower, reducing the Empire's pressure in exploring the Barren Domain. He achieved his goal, but things didn't fully go as he expected. That's why he had Ji Si accompany you and later sent Jing Yue."
"I waited for you here in the timeline of the Twenty-Second Era of the Barren Domain. You will use this mission to clear your True Spirit Heavenly Poison ahead of schedule. Once that happens, whatever those three planned will collapse!"
Zhao Xing felt a jolt of shock. The Causality War started with Wei Tianchen and seemed to end with Qing Yuzi, making him the apparent victor.
But thinking deeper, Wei Tianchen only obtained the Taiyi Heavenly Source Poison Body and True Spirit Heavenly Poison. He never got the most critical Archaic God Poison or the Heart-Sealing Method.
Bowe's God-Making Plan had been well hidden, even Qing Yuzi's Fate Officer, the Pot Immortal, hadn't fully seen through it.
But whether they knew or not didn't matter.
If Zhao Xing fully cleared his True Spirit Heavenly Poison now, it would completely disrupt Bowe's setup. Zhao Xing would no longer need to stay in the Academy or under Bowe's watch.
The God-Making Plan was supposed to be a long-term process. Bowe had arranged three stages of treatment for Zhao Xing, clearly intending to keep him under control. But if Zhao Xing cleared the poison right after the Tower's launch, it would go way beyond Bowe's expectations.
After Zhao Xing's unexpected failure, the Empire's Fate Officer had pressured Bowe by sending Emperor Meng Wu, forcing the Tower to open to the yao. This both eased the Empire's burden and lured the yao Demon Emperors into a causality trap, clearly part of a deeper scheme.
If Zhao Xing left the Tower now, ending his journey here, the Empire's plan would collapse midway as well.
Qing Yuzi's final smile seemed to suggest he had repaid Zhao Xing for helping him ascend to godhood. But if that was true, why did he claim he wasn't the ultimate victor of the Causality War?
Was there someone else pulling the strings?
What Qing Yuzi seemed to say next, Zhao Xing didn't hear clearly. The red energy surged again, overpowering the green aura and suppressing Qing Yuzi's energy once more.
Qing Yuzi glanced upward. "Zhao Xing, what you hear here won't be known by others. Don't overthink it—just let things take their course."
"I can only hold on here for another half a year. Within that time, you must hurry to the place where the gray bone is located and bring this time-space journey to an end."
Zhao Xing felt his vision blur as he was ejected from the tree's heart space. Everything just now felt like a dream, and the curiosity quickly faded.
"Old Qing wants me to go with the flow? Fine, going with the flow it is."
Zhao Xing chuckled. Qing Yuzi was worried he might get caught up in overthinking, but that was unnecessary.
He wasn't going to overthink it anyway. This was clearly a game way out of his league. Overthinking wouldn't help him. The best thing he could do was to listen to advice and focus on getting stronger.
"There's still half of the True Spirit Heavenly Poison left, yet Old Qing claims I'll completely purge it. What exactly is that gray bone?"
When Zhao Xing left, he had a ring on his finger, colored green and red. Inside the ring spun a single small whirlwind.
It rotated with a strange pattern, the embodiment of Qing Yuzi's divine power.
This was also the hidden trump card that Jing Yue had calculated could kill all of them if Zhao Xing used it.
"Why are you alone?" When Zhao Xing showed up alone to regroup, Five Venom Emperor looked behind him.
"Since you can command the Palace Gate Envoy, shouldn't you have mobilized the Tianyou Ancient Kingdom's army and powerhouses to move with us?"
Zhao Xing smiled. "Master, who says I have no one? The Southern Border's Tianye Emperor is already stationed ahead with his army, waiting for us."
"Tianye Emperor?" Fan Hua looked shocked. "One of the three Demigods of the Tianyou Ancient Kingdom in the Twenty-Second Era of the Barren Domain?"
"Yes," Zhao Xing nodded.
"Wouldn't that trigger a Void History event?" Jing Yue couldn't understand how Zhao Xing was able to mobilize a Demigod inside the Transmission Realm.
"The place we're going is the Three Realms Junction, already a region of Void History events. A little more chaos won't hurt. Let's get moving, I'll explain on the way."
Even though he said that, all of this was actually being stabilized by Qing Yuzi's divine power, preventing the Transmission Realm from collapsing and allowing things to proceed in an orderly fashion amid the chaos.
"That red light Old Qing was fighting against… it must have been the Transmission Realm Tower's law power. And Old Qing says he can hold on for half a year? The power of a God Realm is incredible."
Zhao Xing couldn't help but be amazed.
Qing Yuzi had only just ascended to Godhood, yet he could project his power across time from his past self, even influence the Transmission Realm Tower. This deepened Zhao Xing's understanding of what it meant to reach the God Realm.
"Could it be that the Reincarnation Divine Palace's Gods really do use the Derivation of the Divine Spirit Tablet to reverse time and resurrect people from the river of time?"
"No other superpower is known to have the ability to truly bring people back to life. Even the so-called resurrection in the Reincarnation Realm relies on altars."
"Just from this alone, the Reincarnation Divine Palace really is superior."
Two and a half months later, Zhao Xing and his four companions arrived at the southern border of the Tianyou Ancient Kingdom.
Zhao Xing first met with Tianye Emperor. When this Demigod saw Zhao Xing, his gaze locked onto the green-red ring. Immediately, Tianye Emperor's behavior became like a scripted NPC—mechanically knowing what to do without needing orders.
The Tianye Army had already sealed off a chaotic region spanning about three hundred star units. Formation arrays had been set up in eight directions.
As one of the top five ancient kingdoms, Tianyou Ancient Kingdom had a deep foundation, especially being Old Qing's former stronghold.
These eight star continent formations ensured that Zhao Xing and his team could teleport to any location within that three hundred star unit area.
"Lord Jing, Lord Fan, you two should remain at the base," Zhao Xing said.
"Why? Shouldn't we be going too?" For the first time, Jing Yue and Fan Hua showed hesitation. "Zhao Xing, if you can't give a solid reason, we won't agree. Without a Fate Officer and a Historian, it's extremely dangerous for you to enter a Void History event."
Representing both the Fate Palace and the Sparks Unit, they had missions to carry out and couldn't easily agree.
Zhao Xing hesitated. In the final glimpse he had seen, neither Jing Yue nor Fan Hua appeared. He didn't want any more accidents, but he also didn't want to draw suspicion from two of the Empire's most critical factions.
While Zhao Xing was weighing his options, Five Venom Emperor laughed. "If that's the case, you two can hide inside Zuo's avatar."
"That way, you can still play your role without risking your lives."
"Fate Officers and Historians are too fragile. With an Origin Envoy protecting you, there's no risk to your lives."
Five Venom Emperor really knew how to smooth things over. If things reached a sensitive moment, Zhao Xing just needed to give a look, and Zuo Qiyu would handle it.
"…Fine." The two had no choice but to accept. Five Venom Emperor's logic was sound.
Time passed second by second. On Tianye Star Continent, the three of them stood in the center of the formation while Zhao Xing continuously checked the timing.
At a certain moment, the long-dormant formation suddenly activated. Zhao Xing quickly pressed golden light into the ground, inputting precise coordinates.
Whirr—
Space and time twisted.
In the blink of an eye, the three disappeared from the teleportation array and reappeared in another spacetime.
Whirr—
The clear scenery before Zhao Xing's eyes began to blur, quickly turning into a vast field of gray. A strong pulling force came from above, signaling a clear shift—he had arrived somewhere else.
Gray mist swirled like flowing water. Below was a void river where many plant-like lifeforms floated and sank.
Through a gap in the gray mist, Zhao Xing spotted a new scene ahead.
Roughly 0.5 astronomical units away, the ashes of a giant catfish-shaped void beast scattered, revealing three figures!
"This is the moment! Complete the closed loop of the Transmission Realm Tower's spacetime causality!"
Zhao Xing pointed forward and instantly unleashed the Five Finger Mountain, pushing the plant life below toward the figures ahead.