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Chapter 131: So You're the One Called Xia Jing!
🕑 Added 2024-10-20 06:47:40 +0000 UTCThe person Zhao Xing had the deepest impression of during the Martial Arts Training was none other than Xia Jing.
The first time, it was Xia Jing who knocked him down, breaking four of his ribs with his Crushing Yuan Finger.
During the subsequent training sessions, Zhao Xing was defeated by Xia Jing four more times!
Having gone through such experiences, Zhao Xing naturally had a strong impression of this talented warrior from the Azure Dragon Division.
He also remembered Chen Fang, who he had sent flying in the first training session, and who later brought Hu Bing to cause trouble, only to be scared away.
As for Zhang Jie, he just remembered the name. He was from the Black Tortoise Division.
"Xia Jing, we meet again in this second round of training. What a coincidence. I’ll make sure to give you a proper ‘welcome’…" Zhao Xing smiled as he walked into the cabin.
Though smiling, all ten warriors inside the cabin couldn’t help but shiver. Why did they feel something ominous was about to happen?
The Flowing Cloud Airship was a small flying war vessel, with limited seating—just ten spots. Seeing that there was no seat available, Zhao Xing stood in the aisle, scanning the people around him.
Zhang Jie quickly understood the unspoken message in that gaze. He immediately stood up, "Officer Zhao, take my seat. I’ll step out for some fresh air."
Hu Bing also stood up with a grin, "Officer Zhao, you can take mine. It’s next to the window."
Zhang Jie shot a glare at Hu Bing, thinking, Really? You’re going to compete for this too?
Chen Fang was a bit late, half-rising from his seat, but he missed his chance.
"Thank you, you’re too kind," Zhao Xing said politely, but his actions weren’t polite at all. He plopped himself down into the seat Zhang Jie had vacated and then closed his eyes to rest.
The six other warriors watched this unfold with mixed feelings.
One of them nudged Chen Fang quietly and asked in a low voice, "Hey, who is this guy? He seems pretty important."
"His name is Zhao Xing," Chen Fang responded just as quietly.
"Zhao Xing? Never heard of him. Is he really that strong?" The curious warrior looked puzzled.
"You weren’t part of the training with the Shennong Division last month, so it’s normal you don’t know him," Chen Fang explained.
Last time, only three thousand people were selected for training. Many warriors had been sent to other places for their sessions. For the Shennong Division, it was a mandatory training, but for the warriors, it was just an optional course.
This time, things were different. Each division sent one shennong to train alongside ten warriors, so nearly all the reserve soldiers from the nine armies had been called up.
That’s why there were unfamiliar faces this time, people who had never heard of Zhao Xing.
Chen Fang glanced at the resting Zhao Xing and continued in a low voice, "Zhao Xing is a Top-level talent from the Dili Academy, and this guy is tough. During one of the training sessions, we were almost wiped out by a squad of shennongs he led!"
"You’re talking about the time Fu Ying got eliminated?" the curious warrior’s eyes widened. "I remember that! So it was him?"
"Yes," Chen Fang confirmed with a nod.
"What’s the story between him and Xia Jing? Their conversation just now didn’t sound very friendly," another warrior chimed in.
"Xia Jing knocked him down multiple times," Chen Fang replied. "And now they’re in the same team again. Do you think we’re in for an easy time?"
"Yikes, this doesn’t look good. My Devouring Technique is only at the second layer. How did I end up with someone this intense?" The other warriors’ faces turned grim.
If their assigned shennong was too weak, they would go hungry. But if the shennong was too strong, they could be in just as much trouble.
A capable shennong could ensure their own success while making life miserable for everyone else. Just as Chen Fang mentioned, messing with someone like Zhao Xing meant they’d likely be in for a rough time.
"It’s definitely going to have some poison in it," Chen Fang sighed softly.
The others, now more anxious, started to feel uneasy about what lay ahead.
Meanwhile, on another airship departing from the Tianshi Academy:
Shi Yong stepped into the cabin and immediately recognized a familiar face.
"Fu Ying."
"Shi Yong, come sit here," Fu Ying said with a smile, gesturing for Shi Yong to join him. A nearby warrior quickly vacated the seat.
Both of them were members of the Hujiao Army, so they were acquainted.
"Why are we grouped together?" Shi Yong asked, smiling. "Was this on purpose?"
"Who knows?" Fu Ying replied. His appearance was rugged, while Shi Yong had a sunny and handsome demeanor. Both of them exuded an air of confidence. "Maybe they did it on purpose. If they assigned me a weaker shennong, it wouldn’t really be a challenge."
"So confident, huh? What level is your Devouring Technique at now?" Shi Yong asked.
Fu Ying held up four fingers.
"Impressive," Shi Yong nodded. "That’s already a top-tier level."
The Devouring Technique was notoriously difficult to master. The first three layers weren’t too bad, as it mostly involved eating vast quantities of food, though it required a proper balance of the five elements.
But starting at the fourth layer, things became dangerous, as it involved consuming poisonous substances.
By the seventh layer, the practitioner would need to start ingesting non-food items like metals.
Although the Devouring Technique could be learned before entering the ranks, even reaching the fourth layer was a difficult feat for someone at the eighth grade.
As for the seventh layer? Only those at the seventh grade, who had begun refining their Earth Fiend Energy, would have a chance of mastering it.
Reaching the fourth layer meant Fu Ying was already at the top of his class.
"Shi Yong, how’s it going at the Tianshi Academy? I heard Zhuang Ziqing has been trying to catch up to you," Fu Ying said, curious. "And then there’s that rising star, Zhao Xing from the Shenwei Army… Do you still have a firm hold on the top spot?"
"I’m not sure," Shi Yong said with a warm smile. "I only compare myself to my own progress. I don’t care much about others."
"You’ve got a good mindset," Fu Ying said. "Personally, I’m itching to take on Xia Jing. I’ve heard his Devouring Technique is only at the third layer. I’m definitely going to beat him this time!"
"He’s only at the third layer?" Shi Yong was surprised. "Why so low?"
"He’s the heir to a marquisate, after all. It’s not surprising he’s been pampered a bit," Fu Ying remarked.
The Flowing Cloud Airship glided through the clouds. Lu Bang looked down at the list in his hand with a mischievous grin.
"Shi Yong is with Fu Ying."
"Zhuang Ziqing is with Ye Feng."
"Zhao Xing is with Xia Jing."
"…"
"And the seeds from the Taicang Academy are all carefully selected mutant species. Perfect."
Zuo Zizhi, watching his friend’s expression, couldn’t help but ask, "Lu, what exactly did you put in those seed boxes? You’re looking a little too pleased with yourself."
Lu Bang tossed the list aside, saying, "Relax, they’re all edible. We’re trying to train the warriors’ Devouring Techniques, after all. I picked these seeds very carefully, for their benefit, of course. Zizhi, how could you think otherwise? By the way, are the physicians and pharmacists ready?"
Zuo Zizhi: "…"
Under the scorching light of two suns, at the base of a rocky slope, Zhao Xing's airship slowly descended.
"Alright, we’ve arrived. Everyone off the ship," the official announced.
Zhao Xing stepped out and saw three people waiting for them.
Aside from the official piloting the airship, there were two others present, their clothing indicating their professions.
One was a martial officer, the other a physician.
The martial officer was clearly there to oversee the warriors’ training.
But why bring along a physician?
The warriors exiting the airship couldn’t help but feel an ominous sense of foreboding.
"Follow me," the martial officer ordered, waving to the ten warriors. "Your training ground is just ahead."
"Yes, sir," the ten warriors obediently followed the martial officer and the physician.
"Zhao Xing, your cultivation area is here at the rocky slope. You can plant wherever you like, as long as you don’t leave the boundary stones."
"Also, here are the seeds and saplings assigned to you," the official pointed to three Wenzhu Boxes.
"Whether you succeed or fail in planting them, that’s all you’re getting. Once these are used up, you won’t receive any more for three days. Understood?"
"Understood," Zhao Xing nodded, using wind magic to move the boxes off the airship.
"Come when it’s time to eat. Otherwise, don’t disturb me," the official said lazily, reclining on the airship. "And remember, don’t leave the area, or your results will be invalid."
"Yes, sir."
After bowing respectfully, Zhao Xing activated his Minor Nine Heavenly Gale technique and flew into the sky.
He wasn’t in a rush to start planting. First, he needed to survey the surroundings.
Soaring above, he flew a full circuit around the boundary stones, gaining a good understanding of both the weather and the terrain before landing.
"The first day of training isn’t too harsh."
"The weather is just a bit warm, with the temperature slightly elevated. It’s similar to the Start of Summer season in the outside world."
"There’s also water available, about a kilometer away, where there’s a small pond."
"Let’s check the terrain. Divine Travel Guard!"
With a thought, a faint yellow light enveloped Zhao Xing as he slowly sank into the ground.
From his vantage point on the airship, the reclining official, Zhou Ming, raised an eyebrow. "Earth arts, huh? Not bad."
Underground, Zhao Xing moved swiftly. The Divine Travel Guard spell protected him as he traveled through the earth, though using geomantic energy to travel would be ideal for efficiency.
But right now, he was just conducting a survey, so there was no need to combine spells.
"The earth veins are aligned with the five elements: fire is slightly strong, metal is abundant, water is balanced, earth is agitated, and wood is weak."
"Not bad, the earth vein conditions are moderate."
He quickly resurfaced.
"The weather and terrain are manageable, so the challenge must lie in the seeds."
Satisfied with his survey, Zhao Xing opened one of the large Wenzhu boxes marked as holding Third-Tier Seeds.
Naturally, he wasn’t going to plant second-tier supplies, which wouldn’t earn him any extra points—definitely not something a top-tier talent would settle for.
These three boxes were much larger than the ones individuals typically carried. These were military-grade, meant for a twenty-man unit.
Four people would carry it, with the other sixteen providing protection.
Since it required four warriors to lift, it was easy to imagine how big and heavy these boxes were.
"The seeds take up seventy percent of the space, and saplings the other thirty."
"But why are so many of these unfamiliar? So many hybrid species?"
As he examined the contents, Zhao Xing couldn’t help but feel a bit surprised.
Hybrid species were new, human-engineered variants.
Many of these weren’t listed in the Daguan Wood or Compendium of Materia Medica.
The saplings were all trees, which took longer to grow, and most of the seeds were unfamiliar, which made the challenge clear.
If he couldn’t produce food by the end of the day, not only would he lose the base score, but he’d also be penalized.
"Just as I thought, the difficulty lies here. But for me, this is no big deal. Let’s start!"
Soon, Zhao Xing picked a suitable seed.
[Horse Fish Fruit (Seed)]
[Species: Aquatic Thorn]
[Tier: Third-Tier, Upper Grade]
[Effect: Short growth cycle, edible for nourishment; absorbing the energy of the Horse Fish Fruit causes a tingling sensation; fishy taste, difficult to eat; mildly toxic in small doses.]
[Overall Rating: Third-Tier Supply.]
"Perfect, you’ll do."
With a flick of his finger, a batch of seeds floated into the air.
Using his Gale Wind, Zhao Xing carried the seeds toward the pond a kilometer away.
"Here we go," he murmured.
From a distance, Chen Fang watched as Zhao Xing flew off, wrapped in wind. "I wonder what he’s planting."
"Chen Fang, you’re still distracted? Take this punch!" Hu Bing shouted, landing a blow to Chen Fang’s eye.
"Dammit, you sucker-punched me! Take this!"
By the pond, Zhao Xing gently landed.
"Whoosh!"
A gust of wind swept through, blowing away the surrounding rocks.
Layer after layer, the wind stripped the land bare, exposing the soil beneath.
It stopped only when the rocky surface had been shaved down, leaving fertile ground around the pond for about a kilometer.
Earth Vein Consolidation!
Zhao Xing extended a finger, and streaks of golden light shot into the ground.
Underground, a complex, intricate formation appeared, adjusting the five elements of the earth. All the energy of the land began to gather at the pond.
"Now, plant!"
Zhao Xing sowed the seeds, using up all of the Horse Fish Fruit seeds.
Devouring Cloud!
Rainmaking!
In the sky above the pond, clouds quickly formed, drawing up water and then releasing it in the form of rain.
At first, it was a downpour, filling the channels in the earth, but Zhao Xing soon shifted the rain to Drizzle.
Gentle and warm, the drizzle soaked into the soil, nourishing the seeds.
Wild Growth!
The third-tier upper-grade seeds were tough. If he wanted to accelerate their growth, Wild Growth was the best choice.
"Rustle, rustle…"
Tiny sounds emerged from the soil as, in the blink of an eye, spots of green began to sprout.
In just a quarter of an hour, the plants had grown to half a meter tall.
Zhao Xing switched spells again.
Wasteland Essence Convergence!
By now, the energy was highly concentrated because Zhao Xing's Earth Vein Consolidation – Plant Version had reached the eighth transformation.
The roots had already driven deep into the earth, aided by Wild Growth.
Now in the mature phase, Essence Convergence was the perfect technique.
The green plants began to flourish rapidly, expanding outward in optimal patterns.
"My Essence Convergence is already at the seventh transformation. This speed is remarkable."
"In just half an hour, the plants have already entered the mature phase."
"In another half an hour, they’ll be bearing fruit."
Zhao Xing estimated the time.
For third-tier upper-grade seeds, the entire process took about one hour from planting to harvesting.
But Zhao Xing decided to wait an extra half hour.
Why?
Because waiting longer would allow the plants to absorb more energy, making the fruits bigger.
And absolutely not because the longer wait would increase the tingling sensation, make the toxin more potent, enhance the fishy odor, or make the fruit even harder to eat… Definitely not!
"I’ve used up all the Horse Fish Fruit seeds."
"With the size of the coverage area, I should be able to harvest at least five thousand jin of Horse Fish Fruit, which meets the third-tier supply standard."
A faint smile appeared on Zhao Xing's lips as he glanced in the direction of the warriors’ training ground.
"So you’re the one called Xia Jing, huh?"
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