Faced with Zhao Xing's sincere question, Yu Ying was at a loss.
She had only refined a little over eight thousand units and had felt quite pleased with herself before coming. Yet this guy had refined one hundred eighty thousand and still asked if that was a lot?
Yu Ying began to question life itself. Could the gap in talent between people really be this wide?
They had both received the Earth Refining Method at the same time. She had even practiced a different earth method earlier. And yet, she couldn't even reach a fraction of his progress?
"Chen'an, what level have you reached in the Earth Refining Method?" Yu Ying asked cautiously.
"Third level," Zhao Xing replied. In truth, he had already fully mastered the third level, but there was no need to go into detail.
"Oh my god…" Yu Ying's pupils practically turned into lightning bolts from the shock.
She had seen geniuses before, but none like this—just twenty years and he was already at the third level!
In comparison, she was just beginning the second level. The difference was so outrageous it was almost criminal.
"Chen'an, that speed of yours is unreal. Can you teach me?" Yu Ying's tone turned respectful.
Zhao Xing nodded. He had nothing better to do anyway. Might as well boost his reputation with a few kind gestures.
"Is there something you're not understanding?"
Yu Ying immediately opened her palm, and streams of magical power formed her model of the Earth Refining Method in the area east of Moonwatch City.
"This is my actual model from the east of the city. I'm not sure where I went wrong. Please take a look."
Zhao Xing only glanced at it once before seeing the problem—her model was rough and lacked finesse.
"The Earth Refining Method includes five techniques: Earth Palace, Mysterious Earth, Land-Splitting, Earth Repository, and Vein Guiding. They're all unified."
"The spells themselves don't change, but you need to adapt them to local conditions."
"Your model is way too rigid—copied straight from the manuals. That's never going to work."
"Forget the variability in earth veins. Even now, your 'Treasure Refining Earth Palace' isn't accounting for the strength and fluctuation cycle of the earth veins."
"You've brought in ten thousand units of Nine Yin River Water, but probably only about twenty percent is actually being used."
"Only twenty percent?" Yu Ying asked, confused. "I felt like at least half was utilized."
"Nope," Zhao Xing shook his head. "The unused Nine Yin River Water ends up clashing with the Earth Palace, weakening the spell overall. It might feel balanced to you, but can a major yin-yang cycle be treated the same as a minor one?"
"You should be producing five thousand bone spirit crystals per month, but now you're getting just one hundred every three days. And you think that's fast?"
Yu Ying was clearly ashamed. "Then how do I fix it?"
"The 'Treasure Refining Earth Palace' in the six techniques is like a cauldron for alchemists or a furnace for smiths."
"I haven't been to your actual site, so I don't know the details. But you could try adding one or two Vein Guiding layers outside the palace as structural supports, something like this."
Zhao Xing reached out and made a mark on her model.
Yu Ying felt a curved stick-like structure appear through the Earth Palace, almost like a skewer rotating on a grill.
"That might balance your refining a bit. Still, like I said, I'm not sure whether your issue lies with the 'Treasure Refining Earth Palace' or the 'Returning Origin Vein Guide.' You'll need to figure that out yourself."
Yu Ying studied the strange rod of magical energy Zhao Xing had inserted and fell deep into thought.
A long while later, she suddenly came to her senses and bowed deeply. "Thank you for the guidance, Daoist friend. If you ever need anything from me, just say the word."
You could always tell a real expert when they made a move. Zhao Xing hadn't even seen her terrain in person, yet he was already able to improve her Earth Refining Method. She was absolutely convinced.
Now she truly believed he had refined one hundred eighty thousand units over the past twenty years.
No wonder those three disciples from the Divine Fire Sect followed him. With that kind of talent, even she wanted to tag along.
'With the Chen'an Emperor's talent, he'll probably become a regional god officer soon… If only he didn't already have a Dao companion…'
Zhao Xing had no idea Yu Ying's imagination was running wild. He'd just offered some tips casually and didn't expect anything in return.
"Seventy percent of the one hundred eighty thousand has to be handed in. That leaves me with only thirty percent—not even sixty thousand bone spirit crystals. Even if the offering banquet improves the rate to fifty percent, it'll still be hard to gather enough to break through to Demigod anytime soon…"
"No. I need to find a faster way to make money."
Zhao Xing looked at Yu Ying and asked casually, "You got here earlier than me. Know any spots worth gambling on? Any legends about getting rich overnight?"
Yu Ying thought for a moment. "The Secret Realm of the Ten Thousand Soul Wells is a place where people say you might get lucky. I heard someone dug up a god-grade soul crystal there."
"But I don't know where it is or how to enter it. Only Earth God Officers or holders of second-tier Flame Seeds from the Flame Origin Temple would know."
"There are also some outrageous rumors from the Wildfire Dao Barrier on the eastern side of Yu Shen Zhou."
"Some say a person broke into those blazing flames and found ancient bone cities with powerful skeletal bodies just lying around."
"But the Wildfire Dao Barrier is a restricted zone. Even Demigods have their true spirits burned up in there. I once entered the edge of it and could only go five hundred li before I had to retreat. Didn't see any treasures either, so I think those rumors are mostly fake."
Yu Ying mentioned it casually, but Zhao Xing took it seriously.
He had the palm bone of the Fortune God Xuerui, which let him briefly reach Fortune Derivation Thirty. If he didn't use that to hunt treasure, it'd be a waste.
'Secret Realm of the Ten Thousand Soul Wells… Wildfire Dao Barrier…' Zhao Xing kept the names in mind.
Soon, the two of them arrived at the site of the offering banquet, located in the center of Moonwatch City.
There, a flaming vajra ring stood in the middle of the square.
It had a radius of two hundred meters. Passing through it would bring you into a starry sky.
In that sky, seven rainbow bridges extended from the ring to a majestic palace surrounded by stars—Yu Shen Palace.
This tribute banquet was presided over by one of the High Divine Officials—Ji Yuan, the God of Mechanism and Freedom.
His style was unique. At the end of the rainbow bridge stood the palace gate, flanked by two mechanized beast heads with their mouths wide open.
Zhao Xing saw that those in line were tossing things into the left beast head, and then retrieving some items from the right one before stepping through the gate into the Yu Divine Hall.
Each time someone entered, golden light bloomed above the hall from the clouds—sometimes strong, sometimes weak.
When Zhao Xing got closer, he noticed that the left beast head spat out bone-made torches, each burning brightly at the top like oversized incense sticks.
"Is the Yu God perhaps a priest deity?" Zhao Xing paused in surprise.
Receiving incense offerings immediately brought to mind the role of a priest.
'Then again, not necessarily. Plenty of gods can lend their power to believers—it doesn't have to be a priest thing,' Zhao Xing thought.
He himself had borrowed Lao Qing's power before. Like that time at the Transmission Realm Tower, when he used Qing Yuzu's divine power to acquire a god-tier technique from the Void Ancestor's Molting Bone.
"Sky Patrol Divine Guard Zhao Xing, please submit your tribute," reminded Venerable Jin Yue, who stood beside the right beast head.
"Yes." Zhao Xing took out the storage ring holding his Bone Spirit Stones and respectfully extended it into the beast's mouth. The ring instantly vanished.
Then, the left beast head spat out eighteen bone incense sticks, each with an unusually large flame.
Venerable Jin Yue hadn't paid much attention to this newcomer at first, but the moment he saw Zhao Xing receive eighteen Bone Spirit Incense sticks, his eyes showed a flicker of surprise.
"Eighteen Bone Spirit Incense? That's tribute from one hundred eighty thousand units! And he managed that in just twenty years?" Venerable Jin Yue now viewed Zhao Xing with newfound respect.
In contrast, Yu Ying only got a smaller incense stick—and just one.
"You may proceed to offer your tribute," Venerable Jin Yue's tone had softened noticeably.
Being able to refine that many Bone Spirit Crystals was a sign of real potential.
He could very well become a Ground Divine Official in the future.
"Yes."
Zhao Xing held the incense sticks and walked forward solemnly. Past the palace gate was a long staircase.
At the top, once he crossed the threshold, he entered the Yu Divine Hall.
Everything went silent.
Only a divine statue overhead radiated light.
The incense burned away fast, and the golden glow grew more intense. A faint humanoid outline appeared within it.
Zhao Xing couldn't see it clearly and didn't dare to lift his head. He followed protocol and respectfully bowed. "Your subordinate pays respect to the Yu God!"
"Buzz—"
A flicker of golden light, and something floated toward him—his reward.
What Zhao Xing didn't know was that, as the blurry figure handed down the reward, it gave him an extra glance.
At that very moment, something inside his internal world trembled slightly.
The whole thing lasted only a moment. Zhao Xing felt something appear in his hand, and then the golden light shifted him away.
In the next instant, he found himself seated in a brightly lit hall.
The atmosphere was clearly more relaxed. People were chatting and eating.
Sitting next to him was Venerable Lanchuan.
When Zhao Xing appeared, Lanchuan glanced over and raised his brows.
"Zhao Xing? What are you doing here?"
"You even got the Ten Thousand Souls Token?"
His gaze landed on the token in Zhao Xing's hand, and he looked even more surprised.
Zhao Xing snapped back to himself. "Venerable Lanchuan, after I offered my tribute, I was moved here."
Lanchuan immediately asked, "The Ground Refinement Method I gave you—how many layers have you reached?"
Zhao Xing replied, "Third layer, perfected."
"Hiss—"
Lanchuan sucked in a breath, his eyes filled with disbelief.
"I gave you that technique just twenty years ago, and you've already perfected the third layer?"
"No wonder you were invited to sit in here."
Zhao Xing looked around. The hall was filled with twelfth- and thirteenth-tier demigods. As an Emperor-level cultivator, he stood out like a sore thumb.
Many noticed his presence and began probing with divine sense. But Lanchuan quickly waved his hand, casting an Earth Qi barrier to block all prying.
"Lanchuan, don't be stingy. Let us take a look."
"A mere Emperor showed up at the Divine Officials' banquet? He's one of Lanchuan's subordinates?"
"Interesting. Looks like Lanchuan picked up a gem."
"…"
Voices rang out from around the room.
Lanchuan chuckled proudly. "Get lost. What's there to see? Go stare at your own subordinates."
Inside the barrier, Lanchuan stared at Zhao Xing with appreciation.
"Zhao Xing, you're really something. I underestimated your potential."
"You flatter me, Venerable. It's all thanks to the Dao books you left behind," Zhao Xing replied modestly.
"Haha! I've given that Ground Refinement Method to so many subordinates, and only one other besides you has reached the third layer. No need to be modest." Lanchuan was clearly pleased.
This hall was filled with Ground Divine Officials, even Heavenly Divine Officials. Zhao Xing's presence gave him serious bragging rights.
"Come, eat up. Everything on this table is precious for you," said Venerable Lanchuan, pointing at the dishes that kept appearing on the table. "Digest this meal well—it's worth a hundred years of bitter cultivation. You can have my share too."
"Thank you, Venerable," Zhao Xing replied and dug in without hesitation.
The meal was pure joy. Every bite made his true spirit stronger, his mana denser, and his spell-body evolve toward a higher form.
Zhao Xing focused fully on digestion, not even noticing how much time passed.
Eventually, the dishes stopped appearing.
"You really got lost in it, huh?" Lanchuan teased as Zhao Xing finally looked up.
"Forgive me, Venerable," Zhao Xing said, glancing around and realizing the banquet had already ended.
"Thanks to your offering, you were awarded the Ten Thousand Souls Token. Twenty years from now, I'll take you into the Ten Thousand Souls Well secret realm," said Lanchuan. "Also, here's the fourth layer of the Ground Refinement Method. If you work hard, you might break through before we go."
"Yes, I'll train diligently," Zhao Xing replied, accepting the Dao book.
He left the way he came. Once he stepped out of the golden ring, the tribute banquet—held once every twenty years—was officially over.
Back in Wangyue City, even Venerable Jin Yue looked at him differently.
"Emperor Chen'an, you've been here in Wangyue City for twenty years, and I haven't properly welcomed you. I'm good friends with Venerable Lanchuan. These one hundred thousand high-grade soul crystals should help with your breakthrough. Just a little token of mine."
Zhao Xing froze. One hundred thousand high-grade soul crystals?
Yu Ying stood nearby, green with envy. One hundred thousand! She'd been in the city for twenty years too. Why didn't she get anything?
She kept staring hopefully, but Jin Yue didn't even glance at her.
Jin Yue glanced at her briefly, thinking, 'What kind of tier do you think you are? You're not worth a greeting gift.'
Zhao Xing had entered the Divine Officials' banquet. That meant the Yu God had recognized his talent. Barring any mishaps, he was basically guaranteed to become a Ground Divine Official—maybe even a Heavenly Divine Official.
If things went well, Jin Yue could say he'd invested in a future High Divine Official.
A hundred thousand soul crystals? Just pocket change to him.
Yu Ying, on the other hand, had zero investment value. Not even worth a second thought.
"Many thanks, Venerable Jin Yue. I'm honored by your generosity," Zhao Xing said modestly, though he was clutching the bone ring tightly.
'That's right. I want you to feel honored…' Jin Yue smiled. "Like I said, it's just a little something. If you ever need help in Wangyue City, come to me anytime. I'm close with Lanchuan. You're his guy, so that makes you mine too."
'Yeah right, close friendship my foot,' Zhao Xing thought. 'You're just looking for an excuse right now.'
He didn't argue and accepted the crystals, thanking him again before leaving.
"You're so lucky, Dao-bro," Yu Ying sighed with envy. Jin Yue casually gave him one hundred thousand soul crystals and didn't even look her way. 'Ugh, comparing people really is the path to misery…'
"Yu Ying, do you really need those crystals? You're a demigod. I'm just an Emperor."
"Who doesn't need high-grade soul crystals?" Yu Ying gave a bitter smile. "But it's your blessing. Even if he offered them to me, I probably wouldn't be able to handle it."
"Hop in, Dao-bro. I'll give you a ride."
"Huh? Aren't you stationed in the east? How's this on your way?"
"It's the path of friendship. Come on, give me some face."
"Hahaha, then I won't say no."
…
Back at the barren plain with his ten Soul Wells, Zhao Xing returned to his farming-and-cultivation routine.
The fourth layer of the Ground Refinement Method was way harder than the third. Even Venerable Lanchuan didn't expect him to master it anytime soon.
Because of his outstanding performance, Zhao Xing now only needed to offer thirty percent of his future tribute.
"That means in ten years, I'll have nine hundred thousand high-grade soul crystals and about three hundred thousand Bone Spirit Crystals," Zhao Xing thought. "I can consider splitting off the soul-body and letting the main body break through to demigod first."
Since his body was restored, the Fate Palace had returned too. His Primordial Straw Man clones re-separated into individuals. Merging was only temporary—splitting was their natural state.
Now he could upgrade the main soul first. That way, he'd have better control over the clones and wouldn't risk any lingering side effects.
"Twenty years from now, Ai Yisuo will probably finish his trial. Will he go straight to Ground Divine Official?"
He was a thirteenth-tier Medicine Sovereign and had taken sixty years for the test. If he only aimed to become a Sky Patrol Divine Guard, it wouldn't take that long.
Clearly, Ai Yisuo wanted to go all in. If he stayed at the lower rank, he'd never get a shot at harming Zhao Xing. But at a higher position? That would open doors.
"I'm racing against time now. If I break through after Ai Yisuo becomes a Ground Divine Official, I might still be in danger. I'd need pills to deal with it."
"But if I become a demigod first, I could handle him without pills—according to the Divine Mirror's calculations."
…
Time passed.
Zhao Xing's daily life in the Soul Well Plain was full of cultivation, treasure refining, consuming advancement resources, strengthening his true spirit, studying the fourth layer of the Ground Refinement Method, and improving the Nine Marsh God Marquis transformation.
He occasionally chatted with Yu Ying to stay in the loop on Divine Official affairs.
Meanwhile, Bai Lanjun and the others gathered intel outside Yushenzhou.
Just like that, eighteen years flew by.
Spring sunshine warmed the Soul Crystal Plains. Life flourished. The barren wasteland it used to be was now completely transformed.
It felt like there was a sun underground. Using the three earthly qi to guide the three heavenly qi, it created its own seasonal cycle—spring, summer, autumn, and winter.
"This is the fourth layer of the Ground Refinement Method—Earth Commands Heaven's Timing."
"Venerable Lanchuan really is a genius."
Zhao Xing couldn't help but sigh.
Because of the nature of the White Bone Divine Domain, there was no sun, only a lunar star. Laws related to time and seasons were extremely suppressed here.
But now that he'd cultivated the fourth layer, the Soul Well Plains had become a world of its own.
'If given enough time, could Venerable Lanchuan also seize heaven's fate and establish his own Dao?'
Zhao Xing thought it was very likely. If Lanchuan completed his great Dao trial, he might reach achievements similar to Yu Shen or Yue Shen.
Maybe not quite at their level, but creating a small pocket realm didn't seem impossible.
'Refining the heavens through the earth—is this the Earth faction's path to divinity?' Zhao Xing wondered.
If he ever aimed for godhood, maybe this would be the road. A minor Dao proof could still lead to becoming a god general, right?
'I still don't know what seizing heaven's fate really gives you.'
Pushing away stray thoughts, Zhao Xing took the final step.
"I eat!"
He swallowed a total of three hundred thousand high-grade soul crystals and Bone Spirit Stones in one go.
His True Spirit Fire Seed flared like it had been doused in oil, blazing fiercely.
His true spirit began to evolve. It crossed the threshold of the ninth tribulation, but since he was in the White Bone Divine Domain, there was no tribulation lightning to undergo.
Zhao Xing checked his status screen. It now showed he was a Nine-Tribulation Demigod.
"Yin-Yang, Five Elements, Life, Destruction, Cause and Effect, Darkness, Time and Space… all these origin Daos are so clear now."
His true spirit had never felt sharper.
His spells advanced naturally. Mana gushed forth from his cyclone core.
Even the distant Dao barriers in the mist looked a little thinner now.
'Cutting through the illusion of knowledge, grasping truth from the void… this is what a demigod's true spirit is like.'
"Law Domain—form!"
He casually cast Five-Finger Mountain. But now it wasn't a solid construct.
With a single thought, countless leyline forces surged in like threads weaving a net, forming a miniature world. Inside it, mountains resembling the Five-Finger Mountain were born again and again, expanding outward.
"Now I can either borrow the power of the land or use just the Extreme Land Mustard Seed Mountain alone. The range and strength of this spell are nothing like before."
"Even though it's only a first-stage Law Domain, it's way stronger than any Ninth-Level Samsara secret art. My use of origin Daos has taken a huge leap."
"No wonder the Eightfold Divine Mirror said my odds against Ai Yisuo would increase after becoming a demigod."
"If I hadn't broken through, I'd have needed way too much external help. Even throwing out everything, I'd still suffer backlash just to match Ai Yisuo."
Zhao Xing felt the surging power in his body. His confidence soared.
Over the next two years, the breakthroughs kept coming.
Seven more soul clones advanced to the Nine-Tribulation True Spirit level.
Thanks to the passive split ability of the Primordial Straw Man, Zhao Xing could now temporarily fuse these seven clones, boosting his spells to new heights.
Or he could let the clones operate independently in Straw Man bodies. Since his internal world was now open, he effectively had seven demigod-level clones at his command.
'Fusing the clones gives my spells extra punch. Keeping them split is better for complicated situations—chasing, fleeing, reconnaissance…'
Zhao Xing quickly put his clones away because Yu Ying had arrived in her chariot.
"Dao-bro, the tribute banquet's starting soon. I figured I'd swing by and pick you up," she said with a gentle smile.
She was dressed simply, with clear eyes and a soft, calm aura.
Nearby, Fu Mengzhen watched her with jealous hostility. 'This shameless woman has been coming here so much these last twenty years. No wonder His Majesty barely dual cultivates with me anymore—it's because of her!'
Fu Mengzhen wanted nothing more than to tear Yu Ying's clothes off and expose her in front of Zhao Xing—to show that this "pure and gentle" persona was all fake.
But she held back. She didn't want to upset Zhao Xing. After all, even if Yu Ying's gaze wandered, she hadn't actually broken any rules.
With her current role being to invite him to the banquet, Fu Mengzhen couldn't afford to ruin Zhao Xing's business.
"Thank you, Yu Ying," Zhao Xing said with a smile.
"It's no trouble. These past years, thanks to your guidance, my territory has had a way better harvest than the last twenty years." Yu Ying looked at him with admiration.
Over these twenty years, she had visited Zhao Xing's territory often to ask for advice. Zhao Xing never held back. Teaching someone else also gave him insights, and Yu Ying's territory's geography worked as a testbed. Some experiments he didn't want to risk at home could be trialed there instead.
"It's no trouble at all. Shall we head out?"
"Sure."
Just as Zhao Xing was about to get on the carriage, Fu Mengzhen suddenly leapt into his arms. "Your Majesty, go quickly and come back quickly~ I'll be waiting at home~"
"Okay, now go on back," Zhao Xing nodded. After so many years, he was used to her dramatics. If he resisted too hard, it would only weaken the medicine's effect.
Yu Ying simply smiled and watched, appearing totally supportive.
…
As usual, the offering ceremony began in Wangyue City.
But this time, Zhao Xing received way more 'incense'.
His results stunned both Yu Ying and Jin Yue. His gains this twenty-year cycle had increased tenfold compared to the last.
"This guy's a prodigy among farm officials. I've never seen anyone improve so fast," Jin Yue muttered. "Output reflects ability. He's probably in the top ten among all the Sky Patrol Divine Guards now."
…
After worshipping, Zhao Xing's reward this time was a Dongjun Token.
It meant he could visit the Dongjun Shrine again and undergo another Divine Power Baptism.
Then came the usual banquet for the divine officials—a chance for them to mingle and network.
But this time, Zhao Xing saw a familiar face.
"Ai Yisuo. He's a terrestrial divine official now."
Ai Yisuo was sitting beside a celestial divine official. The badge on him confirmed his new status.
When Zhao Xing arrived and sat next to Venerable Lanchuan, Ai Yisuo even smiled at him.
He thought Zhao Xing had no idea who he really was. He didn't realize the Eightfold Divine Mirror had long since stripped him bare.
Now that he had risen to terrestrial divine official, Ai Yisuo smiled as he looked at Zhao Xing, mind already scheming. 'It's been sixty-one years. That guy's already a Sky Patrol Divine Guard and even attended the divine official banquets twice.'
'He's improving too fast. He must've inherited something—the very thing the master wants.'
'I have to act fast. If he becomes a terrestrial divine official, I won't know when I'll get another chance to complete the mission.'
Dan Ye Free God had ordered him to capture Zhao Xing and bring him back, completely drained and stripped.
Ai Yisuo had never forgotten that plan. He'd been following Zhao Xing's progress all this time.
Since Zhao Xing's battle record was impressive and there weren't many farm-type cultivators, Ai Yisuo had already flagged him forty years ago.
'Judging from his aura, he's a Nine-Tribulation Demigod now,' Ai Yisuo thought. 'I really need to move soon.'
…
Meanwhile, Zhao Xing was also planning. Sitting around waiting to die wasn't his style. He wanted to deal with Ai Yisuo fast. Having someone gunning for him all the time made it impossible to relax, let alone cultivate in peace.
But just then, something unexpected happened.
The high god official Qi Yuan suddenly appeared at the banquet. Beside him stood another man—and this man's presence made Zhao Xing's pupils shrink.
"Ladies and gentlemen, by the decree of Yu Shen, I announce an important matter!"
Shua shua shua—
All the divine officials stood and stopped eating.
"Five years ago, a Venerable arrived at Moyuan City and completed the 'Withered Seed Rebirth' trial. He earned Yu Shen's recognition and was gifted a divine weapon of the Great Dao. He has now become the fifth High God Official!"
"This is the man beside me—Venerable Luo He!"
Zhao Xing's gaze landed on the man next to Qi Yuan. He wore a robe embroidered with a giant tree, its leaves faintly swirling with the origin of time.
[Name: Gu Luohe]
[True Spirit: Fifteen Tribulations]
[Primal Dao Body: Sixteen Tribulations]
[Age: Eight thousand five hundred twenty-one]
[...]
…
As Zhao Xing stared at Gu Luohe, the man seemed to sense it and looked back.
His eyes were proud and confident, his aura sharp and dominant.
"Lord Luo He, these are some of the most outstanding divine officials from the last twenty years—and one Sky Patrol Divine Guard."
"You may select some to become your subordinates," Qi Yuan said with a smile.
Gu Luohe nodded slowly and pointed directly at Zhao Xing.