The Dao Sovereign of Shennong

The last match in the top ten.

Shi Yong from the Hujiao Army versus Feng Qiu from the Lieyang Army.

Shi Yong was a top-tier genius from the Tianshi Academy, while Feng Qiu was only a mid-tier talent from Taicang Academy.

Given Shi Yong's undefeated reputation, everyone assumed that Feng Qiu would lose to Shi Yong. After all, in the previous trial, Shi Yong had taken third place, pushing Feng Qiu aside.

However, from the start, the battle turned out completely different from what everyone expected!

Shi Yong was completely suppressed from the beginning!

Both started by summoning their Straw Puppets. Shi Yong summoned two ninth-transformation puppets—one Black Tortoise and one Sacred Shield.

But Feng Qiu also summoned two ninth-transformation puppets—Divine Strength and Flying!

The difference in their summoning speed was minimal, with Shi Yong being slightly faster.

However, Feng Qiu immediately launched an attack with his first puppet!

Shi Yong sent his puppets to attack as well.

In the battle between their initial puppets, Feng Qiu's Divine Strength and Flying Puppets faced off against Shi Yong's Black Tortoise and Sacred Shield.

The Black Tortoise Puppet, lacking a weapon and requiring intricate manipulation, was at a disadvantage in close combat against Feng Qiu's Divine Strength Puppet.

Meanwhile, Shi Yong's Sacred Shield Puppet was unable to keep up with the speed of Feng Qiu's Flying Puppet and could only take hits passively.

Overall, the two were evenly matched since there wasn't a huge difference between their individual techniques.

Feng Qiu took a slight advantage and continued summoning more puppets for his assault.

Though his summoning speed was three breaths slower than Shi Yong's, Feng Qiu had a superior mastery of puppet manipulation. Combined with the innate strengths of his puppets, this allowed him to nullify Shi Yong's speed advantage.

As the puppets kept coming, Shi Yong was forced to defend passively.

Moreover, his summoning speed wasn't significantly faster than Feng Qiu's, so he didn't have time to perform a dual-technique fusion.

Both sides continued using single-technique puppets to fight.

When they reached their fifth puppet, Shi Yong's speed slowed, allowing Feng Qiu to catch up.

By the time they summoned their seventh puppet, Feng Qiu surpassed Shi Yong, summoning his seventh puppet five breaths faster than Shi Yong.

When they reached their tenth puppet, all of Shi Yong's puppets started to weaken.

This was because controlling so many ninth-transformation puppets simultaneously placed an enormous strain on his mind.

Feng Qiu, on the other hand, was less affected and maintained his advantage in puppet manipulation.

When Feng Qiu summoned his twelfth puppet, Shi Yong was defeated.

"The fifth match: Feng Qiu, victorious!"

Liu Tianning's voice rang out, causing a stir in the crowd.

"Shi Yong lost!"

"He had two ninth-transformation puppets, capable of fusing their techniques, and still lost to Feng Qiu?!"

"Feng Qiu also had two ninth-transformation puppets! Did he hide his strength in the previous round, or did he have a breakthrough in the last few days?!"

"I think Feng Qiu's puppets were more agile! Shi Yong's puppets started out fine, but as the fight progressed, they became clumsier."

"That battle was so intense that Shi Yong didn't have the chance to perform a dual-technique fusion. Feng Qiu's aggressive fighting style gave him the advantage."

"The difference in their techniques wasn't huge, but Feng Qiu had better control over his puppets!"

"I can't believe Shi Yong didn't even make it into the top five."

"Feng Qiu really turned out to be the dark horse."

"Judging by his control over the puppets, this ranking might change by the end."

Inside the main hall of the Palace of Myriad Techniques.

"Feng Qiu? I didn't realize he had such talent," Lu Bang said, clearly surprised.

"It's certainly unexpected." Liu Tianning nodded. "In terms of technique fusion, Feng Qiu is slightly inferior to Shi Yong. His two ninth-transformation puppets, when fused, can only exhibit the power of an eighth transformation, whereas Shi Yong's dual-technique fusion comes much closer to the ninth transformation."

"But Feng Qiu's puppets are more flexible in combat, and he can control more of them simultaneously."

"While controlling nine puppets, Feng Qiu's combat strength only decreased by ten percent, but when Shi Yong controlled nine, his strength dropped by twenty percent."

"By the time they reached the tenth puppet, Feng Qiu's puppets had lost only twenty percent of their strength, while Shi Yong's had lost forty percent."

Lu Bang nodded. "Shi Yong is very skilled when he uses his own techniques, but when it comes to Straw Puppet Techniques, he seems less comfortable."

"Yes, based on his previous performances in training, Shi Yong may be an outstanding general, but he lacks the qualities of a great commander," Liu Tianning remarked. "If he leads an army, his limit will be commanding ten thousand men unless he has some transformative opportunity for growth."

After Shi Yong's defeat, he left quietly, but the others remained. With Feng Qiu emerging as a dark horse, they were eager to see who the final victor would be.

"Old Zhuang, Old Cai, are you two hiding your strength as well?" Cao Shuang asked. "Damn, I'm starting to think Zhao Xing's position at the top isn't as secure as we thought."

"Take a guess," Zhuang Zhiqing laughed.

"Cai Jin, is that Feng Qiu's full strength?" Han Bing asked.

"Feng Qiu is rather low-key. Even though we share the same master at Taicang Academy, I haven't interacted with him much," Cai Jin shook his head.

"You can't blame him for being low-key. You've been so focused yourself, you hardly have time for others." Han Bing gestured at the jade pendant hanging around Cai Jin's neck.

"..." Cai Jin stayed silent.

After Shi Yong's loss, the sixth to tenth positions were confirmed.

This rank earned 8,000 points.

There was still the matter of deciding fourth and fifth places.

Both ranks also earned 8,000 points.

Now, only five contenders remained: Zhao Xing, Zhuang Zhiqing, Cai Jin, Feng Qiu, and Yu Hao.

Based on Zhao Xing's previous performance, Liu Tianning granted him a bye. This meant Zhao Xing was guaranteed a top-three finish with the associated rewards.

No one objected to this decision, given Zhao Xing's impeccable performance so far.

The remaining four competitors were relieved. At least they didn't have to worry about facing Zhao Xing in the first round and dropping to fourth place.

For the remaining four:

Zhuang Zhiqing faced Yu Hao, while Cai Jin fought Feng Qiu.

The losers wouldn't have to fight again since fourth and fifth places shared the same reward tier.

The first match was Cai Jin versus Feng Qiu.

It was a drawn-out battle, with Cai Jin and Feng Qiu fighting evenly until both had summoned their fifteenth puppet.

In the end, both chose to fuse their puppets.

Cai Jin narrowly lost to Feng Qiu.

Cai Jin's fusion created a Sacred Shield Explosive Detonation Puppet, while Feng Qiu's was a Flying Divine Strength Puppet.

Before Cai Jin's puppet could explode, Feng Qiu's Flying Divine Strength Puppet kicked him off the platform.

The second match was Zhuang Zhiqing versus Yu Hao.

Zhuang Zhiqing lost!

He lost in a manner similar to Shi Yong.

Both struggled with their puppet control limits, but Yu Hao surpassed Zhuang Zhiqing in this regard.

While Zhuang Zhiqing excelled at using individual puppets and performing dual-technique fusions, he couldn't keep up with Yu Hao's superior control of multiple puppets.

As the level of combat increased, the unique demands of Straw Puppet Techniques became more evident.

The spectators realized that being strong in other areas didn't guarantee success with Straw Puppet Techniques.

Even talented individuals like Shi Yong and Zhuang Zhiqing struggled. It seemed that Straw Puppet Techniques required a distinct type of talent.

Choosing to pursue this path required careful consideration.

Could Zhao Xing stand up to the geniuses from Taicang Academy?

With three remaining competitors—Zhao Xing, Feng Qiu, and Yu Hao—there was no need for more random draws. Each would face the other two.

First up was Zhao Xing versus Yu Hao.

Both Yu Hao and Feng Qiu had defeated Zhuang Zhiqing and Shi Yong with their relentless attacks, giving them no time to perform dual-technique fusions.

However, Yu Hao had clearly picked the wrong opponent this time.

He had honed his combat control skills, but Zhao Xing had focused on combat control from the fourth trial onward.

When it came to combat experience, Zhao Xing's experience from his previous life far surpassed Yu Hao's. Starting from the fourth trial, his past life's memories had gradually merged with his present self.

As for mental endurance, Zhao Xing had mastered the Grand Dream Chronicle and received personal praise from Liu Tianning, who even invited Zhao Xing to seek him out for guidance. This clearly demonstrated that Zhao Xing's talent for Straw Puppet Techniques was in a league of its own.

Thus, from the start of the battle, Yu Hao was at a disadvantage.

And he was being pressured by Zhao Xing using his own preferred methods!

"The tenth puppet!"

Yu Hao gritted his teeth and summoned his tenth puppet, but his exhaustion was palpable, and his puppets' combat strength had significantly decreased.

By now, Yu Hao couldn't precisely control his puppets.

At speeds of three to four tenths of the speed of sound, each combat action required reactions in milliseconds!

One or two puppets were manageable, but trying to control a dozen puppets at such speeds? That was nearly impossible!

"Even in terms of puppet variety, I have no advantage. He can use everything I can, and he's stronger. His Flying Puppet is perfect, and so is his Explosive Detonation Puppet. His Divine Strength, Sacred Shield, and Illusory Form Puppets are all at the ninth transformation."

"As for puppet numbers... does he even have a limit?"

Yu Hao knew he was going to lose. Nine of his puppets were already damaged, while Zhao Xing's puppets remained mostly unscathed except for one Explosive Detonation Puppet that had been sacrificed.

But Yu Hao wouldn't surrender. He would rather be knocked out than admit defeat. For a soldier, not surrendering was a basic tenet of faith!

"Explosive Detonation Puppet, charge!"

Yu Hao gritted his teeth and summoned another Explosive Detonation Puppet, but it was only at the sixth transformation.

He had no choice. The pressure from Zhao Xing was too immense, and by the time he summoned his tenth puppet, he could only manage a puppet below the seventh transformation!

"Go!"

Zhao Xing pointed his finger, and his Sacred Shield Puppet immediately moved to embrace Yu Hao's puppet.

Zhao Xing now had fourteen puppets on the field, completely dominating the battle, but Yu Hao stubbornly refused to give up, barely hanging on.

Boom! Before Yu Hao's Explosive Detonation Puppet could reach Zhao Xing, he was knocked out of the arena, leaving the puppet to explode uselessly in midair.

"Zhao Xing, victorious!"

Yu Hao was carried off for treatment and rest.

Feng Qiu, watching the scene, felt a chill run down his spine.

Zhao Xing's techniques and skills were beyond extraordinary.

Feng Qiu knew that in this competition, he could only aim for second place.

After all, he wasn't much stronger than Yu Hao, and his victory over Cai Jin had been a narrow one.

Zhao Xing had defeated Yu Hao with such ease.

And Zhao Xing hadn't even used his perfect dual-technique fusion right away. If he had, the battle would have ended even faster—Zhao Xing had been giving Yu Hao some face by not finishing him off too quickly.

"I thought beating Shi Yong meant I could finally compete for first place, but it turns out there's always a higher mountain to climb."

Taking a deep breath, Feng Qiu jumped into the arena.

Two rounds later, Feng Qiu was sent flying out of the arena as well.

With that, Zhao Xing won both his matches, securing first place and earning 50,000 points.

Feng Qiu and Yu Hao, after recovering, fought one last match. Feng Qiu won, taking second place with 30,000 points.

Yu Hao finished in third with 10,000 points.

This training course, though routine, caused quite a stir.

Zhao Xing's dominance in Straw Puppet Techniques had even surpassed the geniuses of Taicang Academy.

Neither Shi Yong nor Zhuang Zhiqing made it into the top three, while Zhao Xing stood at the summit, claiming first place and the 50,000-point reward.

For a time, the Straw Puppet Techniques training became a hot topic within the Shennong Division, attracting many to the Palace of Myriad Techniques to study.

As for Zhao Xing, he quietly returned to his Huailiu Courtyard.

Thump, thump, thump~

The familiar sound of bamboo horses echoed as they stopped in front of Huailiu Courtyard.

"Ah!"

Thump, thump, thump~ The bamboo horses then galloped away into the distance.

Whoosh

Zhao Xing appeared at the courtyard gate and carried the box into his cultivation room.

"The first layer of the Drop of Water Domain technique."

Zhao Xing opened the box to reveal a fifth-rank teaching scroll.

Purchasing it had required 50,000 points, but with a 30% discount, it had only cost him 35,000 points.

"Mastering the Drop of Water Technique will help me better comprehend the Seasonal Qi Command."

He took out the scroll and placed it to the side. Inside the box were two other scrolls.

"Divine Travel Guard and Mysterious Earth Guard teaching scrolls, worth 20,000 points."

Having saved 10,000 points from his initial rewards, Zhao Xing had spent his newly earned training points to purchase the Drop of Water Domain, along with Divine Travel Guard and Mysterious Earth Guard teaching scrolls.

"The Divine Travel Guard is also a high-tier technique. Once I reach the tenth transformation, it will aid my comprehension of the Earth Vein Return Secret Scripture. Learning this technique will allow me to better understand the Earth Vein's essence."

In the Earth School, the most important technique was the Earth Vein Return, where a grain of sand within the dantian would grow into 'Pure Earth Soil' as one's understanding of the Dao deepened.

As for the techniques of the Self School? Zhao Xing would devote no more than 20% of his focus to them, and he wouldn't need to buy extra treasures. He could visit Taicang Academy to study at the Original Dao Field and improve his 'Self Four Techniques'. Alternatively, he could consult Liu Tianning at the Palace of Myriad Techniques and use Straw Puppet Techniques to comprehend the Self School's Yin-Yang Self Scripture.

"It's already mid-August, and the military Shennong training is becoming more intense. The final six months will involve real combat," Zhao Xing mused.

In the last half-year, training would no longer take place within the Ten Sun Cave-Heaven but would move to actual battlefield combat since the Datong Prefecture bordered the frontier.

According to tradition, the recruits would participate in real combat!

"The last six months for military Shennong are akin to an internship. Whether I can directly become a seventh-rank official will depend on this final stage."

Zhao Xing shut the door and began adjusting his self-study plans based on the information provided by Lord Tian and Chen Shijie, along with the various training and required courses from the Shennong Division.

"My focus remains on the Three Great Scriptures, as well as on various theoretical books. This is the Dao."

"The Drop of Water Technique and Divine Travel Guard, along with the Three Sect techniques, will remain my priority, with a focus on the Earth and Heaven Schools, while the Self School takes a supporting role. I won't expand my range of techniques further but will instead delve deeper."

"Technique mastery involves refining both spellcasting skills and practical experience. As my techniques develop, I'll need to constantly reflect on the differences between theory and practice, blending them together."

"I'll strive to acquire more resources and use the Sleep Bug to minimize downtime, aiming for just one hour of sleep a day."

"I must make the most of this opportunity during Emperor Jing's Great Barbarian War," Zhao Xing thought. During Emperor Jing's reign, the largest war occurred in the early years of the Jing-Xin era.

Afterward, there weren't many opportunities for military merits. The reign titles that followed—'Great Peace' and 'Eternal Peace'—made it clear there wouldn't be much fighting.

"Let's begin training!"

Time flew by. Days turned into months, and as the Shennong training progressed intensely within the Ten Sun Cave-Heaven, Zhao Xing, like a small plant, firmly rooted himself in this world, absorbing every bit of resource and nourishment he could.

In the blink of an eye, half a year had passed.