The Dao Sovereign of Shennong

"Got tired of waiting?" As soon as Long Xiao saw Zhao Xing, he knew why he had come.

"If I wait any longer, my family will get sick of me." Zhao Xing replied, "Who can bear all the emotional farewells for over a month?"

He had already had multiple farewell meals with the old Shennong officer.

And he had already said goodbye to his family many times, to the point that he was getting tired of it.

Whether things would work out or not, someone needed to give him a definitive answer. Waiting too long for deployment was not a good sign.

If something went wrong with the Shenwei Army's plans to bring him in, Zhao Xing would need to prepare for the military Shennong officer exam.

These exams were held annually, usually in the spring, and missing them meant waiting another year.

Given Zhao Xing's current state, he felt that he could pass the exam now. He just lacked the opportunity.

After all, his understanding of spells rivaled that of many senior eighth-grade Shennong officers. The majority of his Four Seasons Heavenly Techniques and Earth Techniques were at the eighth or ninth-turn level, with few below the seventh.

He even had his own original spells!

Compared to a true eighth-grade officer, Zhao Xing only lacked in Essence Gathering and Life Soul levels.

Long Xiao said, "It's slow crossing different territories for the process, and on top of that, you're being transferred across both civil and military systems. But rest assured, I bet my life it'll happen."

With Long Xiao's reassurance, Zhao Xing breathed a sigh of relief. As long as it was certain, he didn't mind waiting a few more days.

Just then, a gust of wind swept by outside the door.

Chen Shijie appeared in the main hall.

"No need to wait any longer."

"We leave the day after tomorrow."

Long Xiao looked up. "Got news?"

Chen Shijie nodded, "Yes, I just received a message. The Marquis has ordered us to arrive in Xier County by March 2nd."

Long Xiao said, "That's tight. We'll have to use the Lihuo Academy's divine altar to get there."

Chen Shijie replied, "I've already contacted the sub-academy in Dayuan Prefecture. The Lihuo altar will be activated the day after tomorrow, and we'll use it to reach Xier County."

Long Xiao pointed to Zhao Xing. "And what about his matter?"

Chen Shijie pulled out an official document from his sleeve. "I picked up your transfer order from the county office. You've been assigned to the Shenwei Army, but you'll need to undergo training in the Military World before assuming your post."

Zhao Xing took the document and read it. It was an official military transfer order. "Which cave heaven will I be going to?"

Chen Shijie answered, "The Shenwei Army's cave heaven station has been relocated to another area. This cave heaven is shared with eight other military units."

The Shenwei Army had ranked 587th in the last Military World Grand Tournament, so they didn't have their own exclusive cave heaven station and had to share with other military units.

Only eight units? That wasn't too bad.

Some places had over a hundred units sharing one cave heaven, which would feel incredibly cramped.

But there was no helping it; too many soldiers, too few resources.

Exclusive cave heavens were reserved for the top 300 ranked units in the Military World Grand Tournament.

Cave heavens weren't just training grounds; they offered numerous benefits. Being stationed there allowed troops to be the first to enjoy these advantages.

Long Xiao asked, "It's no longer Golden Courtyard or Danxia. What's the name of the new cave heaven? Any notable benefits?"

Chen Shijie said, "It's called Shiyang Cave Heaven. I'm not sure about the specifics; the Marquis didn't mention much in his letter. But we'll find out when we arrive in early March."

Shiyang Cave Heaven?

Zhao Xing's mind stirred.

While Chen Shijie and Long Xiao didn't know much about Shiyang Cave Heaven, Zhao Xing did.

"Shiyang Cave Heaven was discovered in the tenth year of Jingxin. It's now the sixteenth year, meaning it's only been known for about five years and is still in the early stages of exploration, with many areas yet to be uncovered."

"If the Shenwei Army is stationed in Shiyang Cave Heaven, their task likely isn't just training; they probably have exploration duties as well. I happen to know the locations of many valuable treasures there..."

Zhao Xing skillfully controlled his emotions, only briefly recalling these thoughts before restraining himself.

Ever since he mastered Hawk Eye, he had become especially mindful of these details. High-level experts using this technique were terrifying—they could not only detect lies but also discern the psychological state of lower-ranked individuals.

Knowing a bit extra was one thing, but if he appeared overly knowledgeable about a newly discovered cave heaven like Shiyang Cave Heaven, he'd have a hard time explaining it.

"I'll go make my preparations then." After expressing his appropriate level of curiosity about Shiyang Cave Heaven, Zhao Xing left Chen's residence and returned home to prepare.

At Kangping Alley, the Zhao Family home:

"The transfer order has been issued. I'll be leaving the day after tomorrow with Chen Shijie to head to Xier County." Zhao Xing informed his family during lunch.

"Xier County..." Zhao Ruide thought for a moment. "That's tens of thousands of miles from home."

Zhao Xing nodded, "Yes, it's still in Pinghai Province, but upstream on the Canglan River. The round trip is more than forty thousand miles."

Back when Long Xiao traveled by the Lihuo Academy's divine altar using fire teleportation, the straight-line distance alone was twenty thousand miles.

Traveling by land or water would be even farther.

Now that the Shenwei Army's station had moved, it might be even farther than that.

"Take care of yourself, and if you can, visit us often." Zhao Ruide gave simple advice. After all, over the past month, they had already talked about everything they wanted to say, many times over.

By now, everyone's emotions were much calmer.

Zhao Zheng, the younger brother, had gone from tearfully pleading "Brother, don't go, I'll train hard in martial arts!" to a more casual "Brother, when are you leaving? Hurry up, so you stop watching me practice."

"I'll miss you, brother!" Zhao Zheng said. "But Father says a man's ambition lies in the four corners of the world. I'll definitely think of you!"

"Stop pretending. Your grin is practically reaching your heels." Zhao Xing teased, pinching his little brother's cheek. "Don't think you can slack off on martial arts just because I'm leaving."

"Father, I've arranged with Zong Shichang for him to train Zheng'er daily. You won't need to worry about it."

Zhao Ruide nodded, while Madam Cai, opening her mouth to speak, eventually decided against it.

Although she was reluctant to see her son endure hardship, witnessing Zhao Xing's success over the past month gradually changed her mind.

Who wouldn't want their son to achieve greatness?

The only one who wasn't on board was Zhao Zheng. "No, brother! How can you do this to me? I object!"

"Objection overruled. Eat your meal!"

"Sigh..."

On February 25th:

Chen Shijie stepped down from his post, and the acting Shennong officer was now Xue Wenzhong.

Chen Shijie left all his property in Gucheng to Madam Gui, including the vast Heavenly Origin Pear Orchard.

Only then did people realize that Chen Shijie had a close confidant in Gucheng.

But no one dared covet the Heavenly Origin Pear Orchard.

Not only because of the strict laws but also because Chen Shijie had accumulated significant prestige in Gucheng over the past five years.

On top of that, he had connections in the prefecture, so despite his wealth, no one dared to harbor ill intentions.

Most importantly, Chen Shijie left behind the guardian grass figurines that once protected Zhao Xing.

On February 26th, during the Mao hour:

Zhao Xing strapped on his bamboo chest and left his home in Kangping Alley.

When he arrived at Chen's residence, there was already a floating Cloud Vessel waiting in the courtyard.

Chen Shijie piloted the Cloud Vessel, circling Gucheng three times in the night before heading straight to Dayuan Prefecture.

Dayuan Prefecture, located in the southern part of Pinghai Province, served as the governing body above Nanyang County, and its prefect was a third-grade official.

The Lihuo Academy's sub-branch was situated in the eastern part of the prefecture's city.

As one of Da Zhou's seventy-two academies, the Lihuo Academy had only a sub-branch in the prefecture's city.

Even so, its sub-branches were spread across the nineteen provinces, with its influence covering the entire Da Zhou.

Traveling by Cloud Vessel, it took only half a day to reach the prefecture city from Gucheng.

Once they entered the city, the three of them headed directly for the Lihuo Academy sub-branch.

"Lihuo Academy's predecessor was the Lihuo Sect, which once ranked ninth among the Divine Sects."

"After the old sect system was abolished, the Lihuo Sect submitted to Da Zhou and no longer called itself a sect. It was renamed the Lihuo Academy."

"The Taizu Emperor was named the honorary headmaster of all the academies, and later his descendants were gradually placed in important positions within the academies."

"The current vice headmaster of Lihuo Academy is a royal family member, Ji Changkong, who was made Prince of Liyang five hundred years ago."

"The head of this Dayuan sub-branch, Ji Qingshan, is also of royal blood, but he's still quite young—only 201 years old. He's the emperor's grandnephew."

"Two hundred years old and still considered young?" Zhao Xing asked, pretending to be surprised.

"A third-grade official who's two hundred years old is indeed considered young," Chen Shijie explained. "Third-grade officials can live up to five or six hundred years with extended life and Essence Gathering cultivation."

"A life only a third over—of course, that's young."

"That makes sense."

...

The Lihuo Academy covered more than five thousand acres, and the academy even had spiritual mountains and lakes.

Da Zhou's seventy-two academies had a unique recruitment system, with most of them only admitting children under the age of ten into their novice halls.

There were also special patrols searching for talented children with outstanding aptitude.

The academies were divided into inner and outer halls, with each having upper and lower divisions.

Top students from various local academies could take exams to be admitted into different levels of the academy for further study.

Years ago, the Taizu Emperor, in an effort to bring sects into the fold, established a system where academy graduates could directly enter official positions—essentially guaranteeing a job placement upon graduation.

In the old sect system, the master-disciple relationship was often deeper than blood ties. The phrase "a master is like a father" highlighted the importance of this relationship, where disciples were bound for life, forbidden from betraying their master or seeking other teachers.

In the modern academies, though respect for teachers remained important, the titles had changed. Now, it was just "teacher" and "student."

Teachers were no longer responsible for their students' futures, only for fulfilling the teaching tasks assigned by the court. Students weren't obligated to stick to one teacher's lessons, nor were they punished for learning from other instructors.

Of course, some academies still retained certain old traditions, such as accepting personal disciples.

As long as there were no "purging" incidents—where a teacher killed a disobedient student—the court had no interest in private relationships and followed the law.

...

The main gate of the Lihuo Academy was grand and imposing, and clearly quite old.

Since entry required credentials, Zhao Xing, Chen Shijie, and Long Xiao waited at the gate for someone to escort them inside.

"Academy instructors are ranked into five levels: Basic Art Teachers, Dao Transmission Masters, Classic Scholars, Vice Headmasters, and Headmasters."

"The Marquis knows a Classic Scholar at the Dayuan sub-branch, and he's sending someone to escort us inside," Long Xiao explained.

The Shenwei Army seemed to have a good relationship with the Lihuo Academy. Before long, a young man in yellow robes flew out and landed in front of them.

He held half a jade token, matching the one in Chen Shijie's hand.

"Are you Long Xiao and Chen Shijie?"

"Yes."

"My teacher sent me to take you to the Lihuo Divine Altar." The young man glanced at Zhao Xing. "Hmm? Who's this extra person? And a cat?"

"He's with the Shenwei Army as well."

"Can the cat endure the Dao of the True Monarch?" The young man looked at the mountain cat, puzzled. His vision wasn't sharp enough to discern the mountain cat's rank.

"This is a mountain cat, an eighth-grade beast," Chen Shijie explained briefly. "Don't worry about it."

The young man nodded and asked no further questions.

"Please, follow me."

The Lihuo Divine Altar was located in a mountain basin surrounded by five red peaks.

In the basin were several fire pits.

As Zhao Xing approached the divine altar, he felt an intense heat.

This place was not unfamiliar to him.

The Lihuo Divine Altar was a sophisticated teleportation array that combined elements of fire-based teleportation.

During the era of Da Zhou, the Lihuo Divine Altar's long-distance teleportation, with minimal side effects, was unrivaled.

Other academies had similar methods, but their side effects were substantial. In an era where spiritual energy was scarce, the cost of using such methods was either exorbitantly high, or the user faced severe consequences, or there were significant usage restrictions.

By contrast, the conditions for using the Lihuo Divine Altar were relatively low.

The technique involved "borrowing the path"—the farther one traveled, the more steps one had to take to "return the path."

After reaching the destination, users could simply take a stroll to repay the path, making the technique very user-friendly.

"We're here." The yellow-robed teacher pointed ahead. "This is the ninth fire pit. It will activate in two more quarter-hours."

"When it activates, just walk in. I see you've brought a cat—this must be your first time?"

Zhao Xing nodded. "It is."

The yellow-robed teacher warmly advised, "Then let me give you a few reminders. When borrowing the path, don't move recklessly, and don't try to comprehend the Fire Dao. After exiting, repay the path quickly—ideally within a month—or there will be some undesirable effects."

"Thank you," Zhao Xing cupped his hands in thanks.

"No need for thanks." The young man fell silent after speaking, waiting quietly for the altar to activate.

Zhao Xing observed his surroundings. Several fire pits were ablaze with red flames, with people occasionally stepping out of them or walking into them. Each time someone entered or exited, the flames would shrink considerably.

The shrinking flames would then transform into threads of light, winding around the user.

While waiting, more voices approached.

"Lord Helian, we've arrived. This is the ninth fire pit... huh? There are people here?"

Zhao Xing turned to see another yellow-robed youth leading five people to the waiting area of the ninth fire pit.

Among the five, two looked around forty years old, wearing armor and boots. The other three were younger—two men and one woman—all at the ninth grade.

Chen Shijie and Long Xiao exchanged glances, their brows furrowed.

"Hey, what's going on? The ninth fire pit is already occupied. Why are you leading them here?" the youth beside Zhao Xing asked.

"I don't get it." The tall, thin youth across from him looked puzzled. "I just checked the fire records two quarter-hours ago. The ninth fire pit heading to Datong Prefecture was empty at the fourth quarter of the Chen hour."

"Did you register it?"

"I... I think I did..." The tall, thin youth's face turned pale.

"Impossible. If you had registered it, I wouldn't have been able to register it an hour ago." The youth beside Zhao Xing replied, "You were careless. Hurry and find another suitable time for your guests."

"My apologies, Lord Helian, Lord Lei. This... this was my mistake." The tall, thin youth quickly apologized.

Helian Lie's deep voice rumbled, "Which other fire pits can accommodate five people heading to Datong Prefecture?"

"There's... there's..." The tall, thin youth stammered, clearly not quick-witted.

The youth beside Zhao Xing couldn't stand it any longer and answered for him, "The fourteenth, twenty-sixth, and forty-ninth fire pits can also accommodate five people traveling to Datong Prefecture."

Helian Lie looked over. "When do they activate?"

The youth thought for a moment, "The fourteenth fire pit activates at the Mao hour tomorrow, the twenty-sixth at noon tomorrow, and the forty-ninth, the day after tomorrow."

"That's too late." The middle-aged man named Lei shook his head. "It will take six more hours to reach the cave heaven entrance after arriving in Datong Prefecture. We'll miss the military deadline."

Helian Lie turned to the youth. "Is there any way to temporarily open another path?"

The tall, thin youth was almost in tears. "S-sir, I... I don't think that's possible..."

Helian Lie's gaze landed on Long Xiao. He pulled out a jade token from his sleeve. "I am Helian Lie, a Fierce Officer from the Blazing Sun Army. My team and I have urgent military orders and must reach Datong Prefecture swiftly. I kindly ask that the three of you let us go first. This Dragon Crystal Jade will serve as compensation for the inconvenience."

Blazing Sun Army? Long Xiao and Chen Shijie exchanged a glance.

The Blazing Sun Army was one of the other units stationed in Shiyang Cave Heaven and ranked higher than the Shenwei Army.

In terms of rank, Helian Lie, as a Fierce Officer, was actually higher than both of them.

This wasn't much of a coincidence either, since the military summons for the nine units stationed in Shiyang Cave Heaven all called for the same arrival date.

To avoid unnecessary trouble, Chen Shijie also introduced himself. "I am Chen Shijie, a Nine-Section Shennong Officer of the Shenwei Army, and this is Long Xiao, a Commanding Officer."

"Apologies, but we also have urgent military orders and need to reach Datong Prefecture as soon as possible."

"Hmph, so you're under the command of the Marquis of Boping County." The middle-aged man named Lei chuckled lightly. "Does the order of a third-class county marquis outrank that of a military marquis? Does the Shenwei Army outrank the Blazing Sun Army in the Military World Grand Tournament? I suggest you let us go first—our orders take precedence!"

"Watch your mouth! Do you think my military orders don't count?"

Long Xiao's eyes flared with anger, and the sword at his back began to tremble.

Insulting him was one thing, but insulting his marquis and the Shenwei Army was unforgivable.

He was ready to draw his sword and fight to the death!

Chen Shijie held Long Xiao back, shaking his head slightly. Then he said, "Please find another solution, or you will only waste your own time."