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Chapter 190: Rival in the Same Field? Teach Him There's Always Someone Better!
🕑 Added 2024-10-31 16:42:54 +0000 UTCThe eruption of Dongshang Volcano left the tens of thousands of soldiers under Jiang Ming in awe.
The night had suddenly turned into day, and it wasn't until noon the next day that the light and tremors gradually subsided.
The surrounding area within a thirty-mile radius was covered in thick layers of volcanic ash, with the air filled with scorching heat and fire toxins.
"This dormant volcano has fully awakened, and it’s now in its most vigorous and active state!"
"You said your high-level Volcanic Technique was only at the third transformation. This doesn’t seem like something a third transformation of a high-level technique could achieve."
The next day, Chen Shijie and Zhao Xing returned to observe the now active volcano.
Since the first wave of the volcanic eruption had passed, it was no longer as dangerous as it had been the previous day.
Jiang Ming had learned his lesson too. The defensive arrays of his Overturning Sea Warship were activated to their maximum capacity.
Whether they were near the volcano’s crater or not, as long as Zhao Xing was on his ship, the defense barrier was fully engaged.
"I already told you it’s kind of a gamble," Zhao Xing said. "This time, it worked out better than expected."
It wasn’t just "better"; it was extraordinary.
Zhao Xing’s system logs showed several notifications:
[You have used the high-level Volcanic Technique on a dormant volcano, triggering 'Fortune's Blessing,' increasing the technique’s effectiveness by 80%.]
[You have used the high-level Volcanic Technique on a dormant volcano, triggering 'Fortune's Blessing,' doubling the technique’s effectiveness.]
And the final notification after the eruption was this:
[You have used the high-level Volcanic Technique seventy-two times in total on a dormant volcano. This casting triggered 'Fortune's Blessing,' increasing the technique’s effectiveness fivefold!]
[You have activated a Grade 5 Fire Vein! The ground fire will erupt for thirty miles, with its effects radiating up to a hundred miles!]
What did a Grade 5 Fire Vein mean?
When Zhao Xing had caused the earth veins to erupt back in the Ten Sun Cave-Heaven, the damage was only a Grade 3 disturbance.
But a Grade 5 Fire Vein eruption had reached a magnitude that caused widespread chaos in an instant.
In a military campaign, many troops like to set up their camps near mountains.
If no large-scale magical equipment or divine soldiers were used for protection, within a ten-mile radius of the volcano, no one would survive.
Even Jiang Ming, a sixth-rank cultivator, would have perished.
Within the ten to twenty-mile range, only seventh-rank cultivators would have had a chance of survival.
Only beyond thirty miles was considered a safe distance.
Zhao Xing's Volcanic Technique wasn't a single casting, either. It utilized the natural geography, using the dormant volcano as a base, and involved seventy-two separate castings, each enhanced by extraordinary luck.
The destructive power far exceeded that of a regular high-level spell.
The Volcanic Technique could now be seen as a natural disaster-level attack method.
It was akin to the shamans of the southern barbarians, who could use the Canglan River to unleash natural disasters upon the Great Zhou.
When favorable geographical conditions were met, high-level techniques could unleash terrifying and unparalleled power.
"There are many volcanoes in the southern barbarians' territory, both dormant and active. In the future, using this technique to destroy enemies would be terrifyingly effective," Chen Shijie evaluated.
"You said 'in the future.' For now, it’s still very challenging to use it in battle," Zhao Xing replied.
The Volcanic Technique was indeed powerful, but the preparation time was far too long.
It had taken him three full days and nights to create this effect.
By the time it was ready, the enemy would have already fled.
Furthermore, the build-up to the eruption took one or two hours, making it even easier for enemies to escape.
That said, while it wasn’t particularly effective for killing enemies, it was excellent for demolishing buildings and destroying vegetation.
Cloud-based and rain-based spells couldn’t compare to the destructive scale of the Volcanic Technique.
As for the current location, no fragile plant could survive, and any fifth-rank construction or mechanisms would be incinerated.
Unless Zhao Xing reached the fourth rank, achieving mastery in high-level techniques, he wouldn’t be able to silently cast spells.
At that level, he could activate a volcano with just one casting.
The eruption time, range, and power would all be under his control.
It would be an instantaneous explosion, impossible to defend against.
For now, though, it was only good for tasks like... farming.
"Nothing else can survive here, but the Earth Fire Lotus thrives in this environment."
"Old Chen, you go ahead and have the third and fourth-rank seeds planted around the perimeter and get them to grow."
"Call me when they’re mature. I need to rest for a bit."
Zhao Xing was utterly exhausted. Three days and nights of continuous high-level spellcasting had taken a significant toll, and no amount of sleep could easily shake off the mental fatigue.
"Rest assured, leave it to us," Chen Shijie nodded. "We’ll take care of the rest."
The seeds of the Earth Fire Lotus, stolen from the lava caves of Fire Dragon Pass, amounted to only a few hundred, most of which were third-rank, a few fourth-rank, and none at the fifth-rank level.
Since the Shenwei Army had no Shennong capable of high-level techniques from the Self School, breaking the growth limitation of the seeds was still Zhao Xing’s task.
However, cultivating and spreading the third and fourth-rank seeds on a large scale didn’t require Zhao Xing’s involvement.
Once they were fully grown, Zhao Xing could use his "Moment of Origin" technique to break the growth limitations of the Earth Fire Lotus.
But not all the work could be left to Zhao Xing. After all, if they needed to equip tens of thousands of troops with fifth-rank materials, he’d work himself to death.
Chen Shijie arrived on the Yunyu Warship, having brought most of the Jiu Jie battalion, and had also pulled in numerous seventh-rank Shennong, such as Han Bing, from the rear support.
With the volcano now active, it was their turn to shine.
With each of them responsible for a seed, they were more than capable.
The first batch was handed out, and the Shenwei Army’s Shennong began planting the Earth Fire Lotus seeds in the volcanic ash.
The third-rank Earth Fire Lotus seeds sprouted within an hour, entered the growth stage in three hours, and reached maturity after five hours.
The fourth-rank seeds sprouted within two hours, entered the growth stage after six hours, and matured in twelve hours.
This growth rate met the requirements of the Ten Sun Cave-Heaven for military Shennong.
But it was still a bit slower than ideal. If they hadn’t been planted near the volcano, the growth rate would have been significantly slower, and survival rates wouldn’t have reached 100%.
At this point, Zhao Xing’s intervention wasn’t needed yet. The first batch of new seeds could be harvested and replanted to increase production.
Thus, Chen Shijie ordered the seeds to be harvested and replanted.
When they harvested the third batch and began replanting it, Jiang Ming arrived at the Yunyu Warship, piloting a flying boat and bringing along a group of Shennong from the Zhenhai Army.
"Chen Shijie, could my people lend a hand?"
Chen Shijie glanced at the Shennong behind Jiang Ming and immediately understood his intention.
Jiang Ming must have figured something out and now wanted to get involved.
"Commander Jiang," Chen Shijie addressed him, "your people can help, but they must follow my orders."
"Additionally, if you’re looking for deeper cooperation, I suggest sending a letter to General Lan."
"Beyond this, neither of us can make decisions."
Chen Shijie was being very straightforward. Joining the attack on Fire Dragon Pass wasn’t something Jiang Ming could decide on his own.
As a mere commander with only thirty thousand water troops, Jiang Ming wasn’t very useful in the campaign.
Besides, the Shenwei Army already had plenty of potential partners. Just two days ago, Xia Jing had shown up.
Wasn’t the Xuanjia Army far stronger than the Zhenhai Army?
There was no need for the Zhenhai Army.
"Brother, I understand. I’ve already informed General Lan, and I believe we’ll have a response soon," Jiang Ming said gratefully. "For now, I just want to help out."
"They’re all under your command."
"Alright." Chen Shijie nodded. After all, it was just helping to plant some Earth Fire Lotus, which wouldn’t steal any major credit.
Right now, there was a huge demand for fire-repellent materials in the military, far more than the Jiu Jie battalion could produce on their own.
Helping others was also helping themselves.
Zhao Xing woke up two and a half days later, his spirit rejuvenated.
He was pleasantly surprised to find that he had reached the thirty-ninth stage of Essence Gathering.
"Just one more stage, and I’ll break through to the Heavenly Gang realm at the sixth rank."
"Since I received my title, my cultivation has finally stabilized today," Zhao Xing mused.
Previously, after reaching the upper seventh rank, his cultivation level hadn’t moved.
This was mainly because his speed of advancement had been too fast, and his understanding of techniques and Dao needed time to catch up.
Now that his level had increased, it showed that his seventh-rank foundation was solid.
Exiting his room, Zhao Xing crossed the corridors of the warship and came to the front deck.
There, he saw Chen Shijie in discussion with several Shennong commanders.
As soon as Zhao Xing approached, Chen Shijie ended the meeting. "Awake?"
"Yes. How’s everything going?"
Zhao Xing peered down, noticing that many of the lotus flowers had already bloomed.
"We now have one hundred and twenty thousand Earth Fire Lotus plants," Chen Shijie reported. "I’ve ordered a halt to replanting to maintain this scale."
"One hundred and twenty thousand? That’s impressive," Zhao Xing said, a bit surprised.
"The Shenwei Army has over a thousand Shennong, and the Zhenhai and Xuanjia Armies sent some people to help."
"Growing one hundred and twenty thousand plants wasn’t difficult. The fifth-rank fire vein made replanting the third-rank Earth Fire Lotus quite easy."
"We even have ten thousand fourth-rank plants now."
As long as the environmental conditions were right, a thousand military Shennong could easily cultivate a hundred thousand third-rank plants in a day.
The Shenwei Army’s Shennong were no amateurs.
Chen Shijie had brought a portion of elite forces from Wen Shaoyang’s unit, and when Xia Jing arrived, he had brought some elite Shennong from the Xuanjia Army as well.
The Zhenhai Army had sent over dozens of people, and they had also pulled in talented Shennong from the rear, such as Han Bing.
"Has Wang Ji arrived?" Zhao Xing asked.
"Yes, one-fourth of the Earth Fire Nourishing Array is already set up," Chen Shijie pointed to a corner of the volcano.
"I wasn’t sure about the difficulty of planting fifth-rank Earth Fire Lotus, so we’ve set up some arrays at the base and the mid-slope."
"I didn’t have anyone go to the summit; I was waiting for you to wake up before proceeding."
"Wang Ji is currently working on a formation at the mid-slope."
Zhao Xing nodded. Old Chen was indeed thorough in his work.
When Zhao Xing woke up, everything had been prepared; all he needed to do was cast his spells.
No wonder Zhao Xing liked working with Chen Shijie—his execution was flawless. A perfect second-in-command.
"Then I’ll go and cast the spell."
"Wait," Chen Shijie stopped him. "Before you go, there are a few people you need to meet."
"Who?"
"Xia Jing brought some people over. He said the cooperation needs you present. Liao Rulong and Pu Zhong also came along."
Zhao Xing smiled.
Good brothers, indeed! Always so loyal!
No wonder he had gotten along so well with Xia Jing in Yun City. Xia Jing understood the ways of the world.
Xia Jing had the confidence to propose cooperation with the Shenwei Army because the Xuanjia Army was stronger than the Shenwei Army.
Moreover, the Xuanjia Army had two Shennong who could perform high-level Self School techniques, while the Shenwei Army had none.
Xia Jing, being both a military genius and the heir to a noble house, had every right to represent the Xuanjia Army in the Fire Dragon Pass campaign.
He specifically requested Zhao Xing’s presence because he intended for Zhao Xing to be part of the high-command decision-making process.
Why?
Because in the Great Zhou's collective merit system, commanders received the largest share of military achievements.
For example, if Fire Dragon Pass was captured, the greatest merit would go to Liao Rulong.
Even if Liao Rulong sat back and watched the battle from Zhiyou City, the merit would still go to him.
Of course, rights and responsibilities went hand in hand. If the siege failed with heavy losses, Liao Rulong’s merits would be heavily docked.
In severe cases, he could even lose his head.
Xia Jing wanted Zhao Xing present so that when Fire Dragon Pass was captured, Zhao Xing could claim his share of the merit as one of the joint commanders.
Zhao Xing understood these nuances, and so did Xia Jing.
"Besides Xia Jing, there’s someone else you need to meet," Chen Shijie added.
"Who?"
"A strategist sent by Tantai Ming. How did you get involved with this fourth-rank Water Officer?"
"What’s going on?" Zhao Xing asked. "Why did he send someone?"
"Jiang Ming of the Zhenhai Army wants to join the Fire Dragon Pass campaign," Chen Shijie explained. "Lan Hongming and Lord Tian don’t have much of a relationship, but Jiang Ming asked Tantai Ming to act as a mediator."
"When Tantai Ming spoke to Lord Tian, he mentioned you. Lord Tian, not knowing your connection to Tantai Ming, passed the decision to you."
Chen Shijie looked at Zhao Xing closely.
"Lord Tian is letting you decide, figuring that if Tantai Ming had done you a favor, this could be your way of repaying him."
Zhao Xing couldn’t help but feel a bit speechless. Tantai Ming was supposed to be the backer his teacher had found for him.
Yet now, before Zhao Xing even needed to call on Tantai Ming, the man was already calling on him.
The commander of the Zhenhai Army, Lan Hongming, indeed had a lukewarm relationship with Yang An, but it wasn’t hard to find intermediaries in the military.
Somehow, it had all come back around to Zhao Xing.
However, since he had discovered the Earth Fire Lotus and had to cultivate it to the fifth rank himself, it wasn’t unreasonable for Yang An to leave the decision to him.
After thinking for a moment, Zhao Xing said, "Tantai Ming was my direct superior when I was serving in Yun City. He gave me a lot of support when I was clearing up the city’s administration and consolidating the Five Offices."
"He and my teacher, Lord Tian, have a strong friendship."
Zhao Xing didn’t mention the details of their past.
Though Tantai Ming owed his teacher his life, Zhao Xing doubted Tantai Ming wanted that fact broadcasted to everyone.
"Should we meet, then?" Chen Shijie asked.
"How would having the Zhenhai Army with us affect things?"
"The strategist says it makes little difference. The Zhenhai Army isn’t particularly strong, and even if they join the battle, how much merit they earn is up to us."
"Right now, we’re the ones on the frontlines, and Xia Jing has already designated you as the negotiator for the biggest partnership, so you can decide."
"Well, we might need a navy at some point. We’ll cross the Canglan River eventually… Alright, I’ll meet with him first," Zhao Xing nodded.
He decided to meet with Tantai Ming’s representative before meeting Xia Jing.
Based on rank and the relationship between his teacher, Lord Tian, and Tantai Ming, it was only appropriate to see Tantai Ming’s person first.
On the Yunyu Warship, Zhao Xing met with Tantai Ming’s representative, Zhu Xinwen.
Since they didn’t know each other well, there were few pleasantries. They got straight to the point.
"Zhao Xing, Lan Hongming sought out Tantai Ming to make contact with the Shenwei General, but General Shenwei left the decision to you."
"When Tantai Ming learned this, he sent me to speak with you discreetly."
Zhao Xing asked, "And what does Lord Tantai think?"
"Tantai Ming’s opinion is that if you find this too difficult, pretend I never came," Zhu Xinwen replied. "Just treat it as a diplomatic brush-off from General Shenwei."
After careful consideration, Zhao Xing replied, "Please inform Lord Tantai that I am willing to speak on his behalf. However, how effective the Zhenhai Army will be in battle is beyond my control."
Zhu Xinwen smiled. "That’s all we need from you."
After finishing his meeting with Zhu Xinwen, Zhao Xing headed to meet Xia Jing.
Xia Jing had recently been promoted to a temporary rank of Sixth-rank General.
Seated next to him was a Sixth-rank Shennong official.
At a glance, Zhao Xing could tell this was a military Shennong. The fact that he was seated to Xia Jing’s left showed that Xia Jing held a dominant position, with the Shennong official serving in a supporting role.
Xia Jing’s status as a noble’s son was fully apparent.
"Zhao Xing, you’re finally awake," Xia Jing said. "How did the conversation with Tantai Ming’s man go?"
"You know about that?" Zhao Xing was surprised. Hadn’t Zhu Xinwen said he came in secret?
"You can pull strings with a fourth-rank official, but I’m not supposed to know that Lan Hongming asked Tantai Ming to act as a mediator?" Xia Jing smiled.
"What do you think I should do?" Zhao Xing didn’t reveal the outcome, instead seeking Xia Jing’s opinion.
"Of course, agree. Why wouldn’t you?" Xia Jing said. "It’s a small favor, and it’ll help you build ties with Tantai Ming and Lan Hongming. It’s beneficial for you."
"I’m asking if you think the army’s getting too crowded. Jiang Ming’s unit is clearly here to grab some credit," Zhao Xing clarified.
"The credit they’ll grab is insignificant. If we can take down Fire Dragon Pass, the real prize lies beyond that," Xia Jing said casually. "There’s no reason to be petty. Besides, the Zhenhai Army isn’t entirely useless."
"Once we get past Fire Dragon Pass, we’ll have to cross the river at some point. And that’s Lan Hongming’s domain."
"Thanks," Zhao Xing nodded.
"We’re brothers; there’s no need for thanks," Xia Jing smiled. "Let me introduce you to someone. This is Master Dong He from the Xuanjia Army, a Sixth-rank Military Shennong."
"He specializes in Self School techniques and high-level spells."
"Greetings, Master Dong," Zhao Xing cupped his hands. "We’ll be relying on your expertise in planting the Earth Fire Lotus."
Dong He responded indifferently, cupping his hands in return, "Likewise, I’ll need your assistance as well."
Hearing Dong He’s words, Zhao Xing raised an eyebrow.
They say that people in the same field often clash. Dong He’s tone suggested he might be here to compete with Zhao Xing for credit.
Zhao Xing glanced at Xia Jing, whose eyes carried a hint of helplessness, as if saying, I couldn’t stop him from coming to steal your thunder.
"Master Dong, Zhao Xing and I have some private matters to discuss," Xia Jing said. "Would you mind resting for a while?"
"Of course," Dong He nodded indifferently and left the room.
"What’s his deal?" Zhao Xing asked, watching Dong He leave.
"The Xuanjia Army wants to speed up the planting of the Earth Fire Lotus, so they sent a Shennong over to help," Xia Jing explained. "Two are better than one."
"So, you’re sending someone to outshine me, huh?"
"Not at all."
"Come on, spill it!"
Xia Jing sighed. "He’s been acting like a big shot in my camp. Since I’ve just started commanding, it’s hard to rein him in."
A Sixth-rank Shennong, especially one proficient in high-level Self School techniques, naturally had some pride.
Zhao Xing looked at Xia Jing. "So you’re saying…"
Xia Jing nodded. "Exactly. I specifically brought him along for a reason."
"He struts around my camp like he’s my father. Brother, I can’t stand it anymore."
"Zhao Xing, you’ve got to help me out."
"You need to show him what it means to always have someone better!"
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