The Dao Sovereign of Shennong

Zhao Xing also looked over and saw that on the floating ship of the Lieyang Army, there were two men and one woman. One of the young men wore a raincoat and a hat.

As for the other man and woman, their attire was different. The man wore armor and carried a battle blade on his back, while the woman was dressed in a magic robe and carried a cloud-patterned bag on her back.

"It seems these three are a Shennong officer, a warrior, and a Weaver."

For the training, no one was allowed to have special privileges. The equipment distributed before the reporting was all standardized, with uniform grade equipment.

Of course, there were options to choose from, such as the eighteen types of weapons for warriors, where one could select their preferred weapon.

The range for mechanics to choose from was even broader.

However, the grade of equipment handed out was the same for everyone, ensuring no one received special treatment.

"Kid, if you encounter the Shennong officer from the Lieyang Army after you enter, beat him up! Beat him until he can't stand, as long as you don't kill him," Long Xiao grumbled, still holding a grudge.

"Why are you asking him to vent your frustration? You lost because you weren't good enough," Chen Shijie said. "Train well, and later you can challenge him from the Lieyang Army."

"Zhao Xing, don't listen to him. Once you get inside, the first thing you should do is find the location of the Shennong Monitor."

"The higher your rank, the more points you'll receive. If you can earn 10,000 points, your subsequent training will be much smoother."

"If you accumulate enough points, you can even request one-on-one guidance from the Shennong officers or commanders inside."

In the military world, the strong trained the weak.

Guidance from the strong was also a resource that could be bought with points.

"I know." Zhao Xing, like Chen Shijie, was a practical person.

What's the point of fighting when there's no benefit? With that time, I'd rather plant a few trees.

Helian Lie and Lei Huan were also giving instructions to the people on their ship.

"Today, at the hour of the rooster, the Shennong officer reserves will report in. The other military divisions will enter tomorrow and the day after."

"Zhuo Li, once you're inside, locate your position immediately and head to the Shennong Monitor quickly."

"There are rewards for those who rank in the top 100, but I expect you to achieve a better rank."

Helian Lie looked at the young man in the raincoat, Zhuo Li, a promising candidate he had selected from the local army.

Many of the Shennong officer reserves here had prior experience serving in the military.

Many had been chosen from auxiliary positions in lower-tier corps, such as assisting troops, granary keepers, transporters, or field officials.

However, the standards for Shennong officers in the Ten Suns Cave Heaven armies were higher.

Of course, there were also many selected from famous academies and Daoist institutes.

As for those promoted through the official assessment system? They were very rare.

"I will do my best," Zhuo Li nodded.

As time passed, it soon reached the hour of the rooster.

"Clang!!"

A melodious bell rang out, instantly spreading throughout the entire camp.

"Swish, swish, swish!"

Countless figures leaped from the air toward the lake's surface.

The large lake below was one of the entrances to the Ten Suns Cave Heaven.

"So many people jumping into the lake—there must be at least two to three thousand of them who dared to enter this way." Zhao Xing watched the scene below, which resembled dumplings being dropped into boiling water, and couldn't help but marvel at the spectacle.

Whoosh, whoosh~ He too leaped down, plummeting from a height of 100 meters.

The reason for jumping from midair was to save time.

Although the boundary wall of this small cave world was thin at the lake's entrance, it would take quite a bit of time to swim through the wall from the lakeside.

However, by jumping from the air, one could pass through quickly, a unique feature of this lake entrance.

Choosing this method meant enduring a strong impact when entering the boundary wall. Therefore, only those confident in their strength dared to jump from such heights.

"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh~"

Zhao Xing felt the lake surface getting closer.

Watching from the ship, Long Xiao couldn't help but admire, "He's really confident. His falling speed was already fast, but he even used the wind to speed it up."

"It's his first time here, yet he dares to do this—he's really fearless."

Chen Shijie said, "Confidence comes with skill."

Long Xiao watched as Zhao Xing plunged into the lake, "It's a shame we have to keep moving and can't wait here... I really want to know how he'll rank when he reports in. I hope he gives us a pleasant surprise."

"Whether we see it sooner or later doesn't matter."

Chen Shijie, seeing that Zhao Xing had already disappeared into the lake, lifted his head. "Let's go, we have to meet the Marquis in Xier County."

"Mm."

The moment he entered the lake, headfirst, the impact wasn't as strong as expected. This wasn't real water; the lake water was actually the external manifestation of the boundary wall of the cave world.

As soon as his whole body was submerged, a formless repulsive force surrounded him, slowing his descent.

Vital energy rippled on the surface of his body and was also infused into his cloud-stepping boots as Zhao Xing continued to dive downward.

After maintaining a rapid descent for about a quarter of an hour—

Suddenly—

The repulsive force reversed, becoming a powerful attraction!

"I've already entered the range of the cave world, and the repulsive force has turned into attraction. This prevents the cave world's material from being lost," Zhao Xing thought.

At this point, he no longer needed to use his cloud-stepping boots to accelerate, simply letting the pull guide him downward.

"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh~"

The speed of his fall increased, and Zhao Xing felt himself drop 20 to 30 meters with each breath, with the speed still increasing.

"The cerulean boundary wall is fading; I'm about to break through."

Zhao Xing prepared himself mentally.

Buzz~ In a moment, the light blue hue disappeared from his vision, replaced by a grayish-green color.

Zhao Xing felt his entire body lighten as he exited the boundary.

But his descent accelerated, and he felt a surge of heat.

Because he had now appeared in the sky.

The sky of the Ten Suns Cave Heaven.

"Wind, arise!"

Zhao Xing, who couldn't cast spells while passing through the boundary, was now able to do so again.

"Whoosh~"

A mid-tier wind spell, but it didn't have the expected effect. Zhao Xing realized that the wind power he had conjured was only half as effective as it would be outside.

He manipulated the wind to turn his body.

He had entered headfirst, but now he adjusted himself so his feet were facing downward.

"Cloud-stepping!"

The floating power from his cloud-stepping boots activated once again.

However, Zhao Xing found that he was still falling rapidly, and if this continued, the impact with the ground would be dangerous.

"The earth's energy is strong here. In the Ten Suns Cave Heaven, it's as if everyone entering is under the effects of the Earth Palace spell."

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh! Golden light shot from Zhao Xing's fingertips, hurtling toward the ground.

Since the earth's energy was so strong here, using the Earth Palace spell would be easier.

Boundless Earth Palace could absorb all external forces, and Zhao Xing could use it to counteract the force of his descent.

"Buzz~"

In the shallow ground below, an Earth Palace quickly formed, enveloping the space where Zhao Xing was falling.

"Wind, arise!"

Zhao Xing cast the wind spell again, and this time its power returned to normal.

A strong gust of wind supported Zhao Xing, and his body stabilized about 20 meters above the ground.

"Crunch~"

The dry branches beneath him cracked as Zhao Xing landed.

"Whoo~"

Zhao Xing took a deep breath, but his chest felt burning hot, and he quickly exhaled.

"The air is a bit scorching. What time of day is it now?"

Zhao Xing looked up and saw three light sources in the sky: one in the southeast, one in the southwest, and one directly to the north.

The one to the north was the brightest, like the blazing midday sun.

The light in the southeast and southwest was dimmer, to the point where even an ordinary person could look directly at it without issue.

"Three suns in the sky, but the heat isn't too overwhelming yet." Zhao Xing squinted his eyes slightly.

The Ten Suns Cave Heaven was named after these light sources.

"The rarest event is when all ten suns are in the sky at once. Since the cave world was discovered five or six years ago, this has only happened once, but when it does, it's a disaster. Unless you're in a building protected by a formation, even a fifth-grade expert won't last long. Anyone below the fifth grade would die in a very short time."

"Having a single sun rising from the east and setting in the west is also rare, with about the same probability as all ten suns appearing at once. But when it happens, it brings a strong vitality, reviving everything, and many treasures will be born, much like the mystical energy of spiritual mountains."

"In normal circumstances, the Ten Suns Cave Heaven typically has three to five suns in the sky, but not all suns are equally powerful." Zhao Xing recalled the information in his mind.

Some of it he had just read in the armory's documents, and some of it he had learned in his previous life.

"Right now, there are three suns: one in the southeast, one in the southwest, and one in the north. It's not too hot yet. Only when they reach their precise positions will the full effect of having three suns in the sky take place," Zhao Xing thought to himself.

Currently, it was equivalent to having two suns in the sky. While it was quite hot for ordinary people, it wasn't much of a problem for Zhao Xing.

"The timing on the Calamity Repelling Almanac is completely off." Zhao Xing pulled out the Calamity Repelling Almanac from his chest pocket.

He had set out at the hour of the rooster, and the process of entering the cave world should have only taken about two quarters of an hour, but now the almanac displayed that it was the hour of noon and three quarters.

After ten seconds, it changed again to the hour of the dog and one quarter.

"It's being affected by the chaotic time flow within the Ten Suns Cave Heaven," Zhao Xing thought, his eyes flashing with understanding. "There's a way to recalibrate it, so that the time on the Calamity Repelling Almanac always follows the position of the correct sun."

In his previous life, when half of the Ten Suns Cave Heaven had been explored, the Shennong officers had summarized a method called the Ten Suns Positioning Technique.

The Ten Suns Positioning Technique was quite complex, but the Three Suns Positioning Technique was relatively simple.

"I just need to use the cloud spell to block the light from the other suns and open a window in the clouds. Then, I can align the Calamity Repelling Almanac with the correct sun, and its time will return to normal."

"Once the time function is restored, the positioning function will also return."

Zhao Xing decided to give it a try because he realized that the southeast, southwest, and north directions were merely his assumptions based on his orientation and the intensity of the light.

But this judgment was unreliable. Different positions within the Ten Suns Cave Heaven, as well as changes in time, caused the intensity of the light sources to shift, making his current judgment prone to errors.

To ensure accurate positioning, he needed to rely on the almanac, a third-tier upper-grade treasure.

"Cloud Summoning!"

Just as Zhao Xing was about to form clouds above his head, he suddenly heard a voice two miles away, followed by a flash of golden light shooting toward the sky.

Someone else was also using the cloud spell.

"Hmm?"

Zhao Xing looked in that direction and saw a round-faced man with a reddish complexion reflected in his keen eyesight.

"Could it be that he's also trying to recalibrate his almanac?"

"Well, it makes sense. The Ten Suns Positioning Technique was only summarized later on, but it's not surprising that someone here already knows the Three Suns Positioning Technique."

He had expected that the person would remove the clouds after recalibrating their almanac.

But surprisingly, the person kept the clouds up and didn't even look at their almanac, simply walking in a certain direction.

The round-faced Shennong officer didn't know how to recalibrate his almanac, but he didn't want others to use the sun to determine their position either.

"He doesn't know how to recalibrate his almanac, so he's keeping the clouds up just to block the three suns? Just because he's bad at it, he wants to bring everyone else down to the same level… This is so typical of a Shennong officer."

Seeing this, Zhao Xing didn't hesitate.

Whoosh, whoosh!

Golden light shot up toward the sky.

Normally, using a certain amount of vital energy would be enough to cast the cloud spell, but now the energy consumption had doubled, and the effect had significantly diminished.

However, Zhao Xing's clouds formed in nine layers, creating a black vortex in midair.

"Cloud Devour!"

The domineering Cloud Devouring Technique began to absorb the other person's cloud energy, reducing Zhao Xing's own consumption.

The cloud layer rapidly spread across the sky.

It forcefully tore apart and devoured the cloud spell of the round-faced Shennong officer.

"Who?!"

The round-faced man was shocked.

He hadn't expected that his first-move cloud spell could be overpowered by a latecomer.

It should be known that his cloud technique was at mid-tier seven transformations, and he had mastered the military cloud techniques, making him one of the top experts among the reserves.

Sensing the disturbance, the round-faced man soon spotted Zhao Xing.

"To be able to tear apart and devour my cloud energy… What a domineering cloud technique! How come I've never seen this before?"

"Which army are you from? I'm Ouyang Song, from the Wupan Army in Lishui County of Pinghai Province. I'm now about to join the Zhenhai Army. How about we become friends and go to the Shennong Monitor together…"

Ouyang Song had intended to make friends with Zhao Xing and accompany him to the Shennong Monitor's office.

But before he could finish speaking, the clouds in the sky suddenly dissipated.

"Hmm?" Ouyang Song looked at the sky in surprise. The clouds had just formed, so why were they gone now?

When he turned back, Zhao Xing had disappeared as well.

"So many experts…" Ouyang Song looked in the direction Zhao Xing had vanished, and the pride in his heart faded. "I'm a genius in the Wupan Army, but here, who isn't a genius?"

"The title of local genius is just the entry-level qualification for this training camp. I'd better keep a low profile…"

Ouyang Song stopped forming clouds and obediently picked a direction to continue his journey.

Over ten thousand people had entered the Ten Suns Cave Heaven, but Zhao Xing found that there weren't many people landing near him.

Apart from the round-faced young man he had just encountered, he didn't see anyone else for a full quarter of an hour, nor did he detect any signs of spell activity.

"It seems I broke through the boundary earlier than most, which is good. It saves time and avoids unnecessary fights."

Zhao Xing looked at the map. He had arrived at a region of fragmented rocks where not a single blade of grass grew. The ground was covered with small, dark red gravel.

"The Lava Plains. According to the map, I'm on the eastern side of the Lava Plains, and the Shennong Monitor is to the west."

"I could take a detour, but it would be eight times longer."

"But if I pass through the Lava Plains, it's more dangerous. The underground fire is close to the surface. Even with the Golden Raincoat, I could still get injured. Plus, there are some low-ranked beasts in the Lava Plains."

Taking the detour wouldn't necessarily be slower because, according to the map and the information provided by Chen Shijie, the detour was less dangerous. Even if there were beasts, they wouldn't be of significant rank.

By not taking the detour, the speed would depend on his ability to navigate the dangers.

"The Lava Plains are designed to filter out the weak and the mediocre. This single terrain feature will eliminate seven or eight out of ten participants." Zhao Xing didn't hesitate and stepped into the Lava Plains.

He had enough confidence in his own abilities. With so many of his spells mastered to perfection, he was prepared to handle complex environments.

"The underground fire energy is surging, and not even grass grows here. Otherwise, I could have made a few straw puppets to scout ahead."

"Five Elements Earth-Splitting Technique!"

As Zhao Xing swiftly crossed a fractured lava rock using his cloud-stepping boots, he suddenly cast a spell behind him.

"Boom!"

The earth cracked open, and a massive fissure, stretching seven to eight kilometers, appeared behind Zhao Xing.

The dark red lava rock was exposed, and the violent underground fire surged up, quickly spilling over and forming a small river of molten lava.

"Rumble~"

The underground fire erupted, forming pillars of flame that looked like red ribbons. From above, the area now formed a barrier.

"Fortune smiles on me!" Zhao Xing smiled slightly.

He shared the same mindset as Ouyang Song.

While rushing forward, he also wanted to hinder others from progressing.

He had noticed the peculiar strength of the earth's energy in this area, which made it perfect for casting the Five Elements Earth-Splitting Technique.

So Zhao Xing didn't hesitate to use it.

"The Five Elements Earth-Splitting Technique has drawn out the underground fire energy. The cloud-stepping boots only allow for brief low-altitude flight. Even if someone behind tries to fly over, they'll have to think twice about getting burned by the underground fire."

Zhao Xing was satisfied with his handiwork and continued on his way.

Ten Suns Cave Heaven, Taicang Institute.

The Taicang Institute was part of the Shennong Monitor's office and was where the Shennong officer reserves were to report for duty.

At this moment, two Shennong officers sat in a palace within the Taicang Institute.

In front of them were dozens of mirrors, each more than ten meters tall.

The mirrors reflected various key areas from the entrance at the lake to the Taicang Institute's Shennong Monitor office.

"This year's group of reserves seems average. None of them really stand out," remarked one of the middle-aged officers, who was dressed in a qilin-patterned civilian robe, while casually flipping through a roster and sipping wine.

"Brother Lu, you say that every year." Another man, wearing armor with seven clouds embroidered on his chest, laughed. "Every year, you say it's the worst batch. Didn't the Zhenhai Army and the Lieyang Army produce a few good seedlings two years ago? In just two years, they've already risen to the rank of commander."

"Zizhi, I said they performed poorly during training, which has nothing to do with their later promotions," Lu Bang replied, glancing at Zuo Zizhi. "Besides, the ones you mentioned all had some family connections, which helped them climb the ranks quickly."

"That's true. I just hope this year's batch has a few promising ones that can catch your eye," Zuo Zizhi said.

"Whether they impress me or not, we still have to train them. I took this job, after all." Lu Bang tossed the roster aside. "I just hope it won't be too boring. I'm going to take a nap; Brother Zuo, can you keep an eye on things for me…"

"Buzz~~"

Suddenly, one of the mirrors, which was marked as showing the Lava Plains, began to shake. Beside the mirror were seven beads, representing metal, wood, water, fire, earth, wind, and lightning.

As the mirror trembled, the red bead lit up, indicating that something abnormal had occurred in that area.