Chapter 128: Fame Spreads, Taicang Academy's Selection Training

At the start of the training, within the first quarter of an hour, a large number of warriors were eliminated, including some of the top talents from the four martial academies.

"The effect was actually this good?" Zhuang Ziqing glanced at Zhao Xing, "His soundwave technique has gotten stronger."

"Purely in terms of soundwave techniques, even Shi Yong and I can't compare to him."

Indeed, during the earlier charge, it wasn't only Zhao Xing who attacked; Zhuang Ziqing and Shi Yong also made their moves.

In such a chaotic battle, soundwave techniques were particularly effective.

They had large destructive power, wide range, and could also boost morale.

However, both Zhuang Ziqing and Shi Yong noticed that their own soundwave techniques didn't have the same power as Zhao Xing's.

How noisy was the battlefield?

Yet Zhao Xing's shout still managed to cut through the chaos.

The results were astonishing.

"Could we actually win?" Next to them, Guan Junyang, Cao Shuang, and Jiang Tianming began to get excited.

To be honest, if they could eliminate all the warriors, they would be making history.

Since the inception of "Martial Training Without Techniques," there had never been a situation where the Shennong team won.

Zhuang Ziqing and Shi Yong, however, remained clear-headed.

They knew that the possibility of winning was very slim.

But at this moment, they didn't care much about victory or defeat—who would be content with being beaten down by warriors over and over?

After another quarter of an hour, the turning point came.

After a period of chaos, two individuals stood up from the martial academies.

To be precise, they leaped into the air.

"Roar!" "Growl!"

One of them had the silhouette of an azure dragon appear behind him, glaring coldly at the ground below.

The other had a roaring lion's head emerge behind him.

"It's Xia Jing!"

"And Fu Ying!"

"Ah, my ears!"

"It's over, I can't hear anything."

Zhao Xing felt a tightness in his chest. Around him, many Shennong trainees clutched their heads, writhing on the ground. The source of this attack was Xia Jing's soundwave technique, retaliating in kind.

"Shush, shush, shush, shush!"

Behind Xia Jing and Fu Ying appeared twenty-three figures, all charging directly towards Zhao Xing's group.

The two strongest talents of the martial academies had organized a small team amid the chaos, beginning their counterattack against the Shennong trainees.

Although the warriors were outnumbered, Xia Jing, Fu Ying, and their companions vastly outclassed the Shennong trainees in terms of martial prowess.

The people behind Zhao Xing, Shi Yong, and Zhuang Ziqing, while somewhat weaker, had mostly trained their techniques to at least the seventh transformation. After all, Zhao Xing had initially called for only those with techniques at the seventh transformation or higher to join him.

"Boom, boom, boom, boom!"

The clash between these two elite teams caused a tremendous surge of energy, sending violent waves through the battlefield. The battle had now entered its most intense phase.

"Yinxun Nine Explosions!"

"Sound of the Deer Beast!"

"Fiery Fist Rush!"

"Breaking Yuan Finger!"

"…"

Everyone was hit by multiple martial techniques, attacks coming from all directions, making them nearly impossible to dodge.

Zhao Xing used Kui Niu Thunder Roar to counter the two martial geniuses, but it only managed to balance the scales in the realm of soundwave techniques.

In just a few moments, his bamboo hat and cloak were already showing signs of damage.

"Boom, boom, boom, boom!"

The battlefield was consumed by a storm of energy, with sand and stones flying everywhere. The two elite teams were completely enveloped in this violent tempest.

The rest of the Shennong trainees and warriors were also swept up in the frenzy, crashing into each other with wild abandon.

As energy became increasingly chaotic, the fight devolved into hand-to-hand combat, but the tide of the battle was beginning to shift.

"Ugh!"

"Ah—"

"My leg!"

"Damn it, you warriors better die!"

"Get lost, you Shennong bastards!"

"Damn, who just shattered my pants with their shockwave?"

"…"

The "Martial Training Without Techniques" on May 19th started at the fourth hour of Mao (between 5:00–7:00 AM).

But by the beginning of the Si hour (between 9:00–11:00 AM), it was already over!

The battle was much shorter than the previous ones, but the intensity and chaos far exceeded earlier fights.

And the rankings had been completely overturned!

As the training ended, the martial masters on the floating ship couldn't help but express their shock:

"Half of the top talents from the four martial academies didn't even place within the rankings corresponding to their ratings."

"Even Fu Ying was eliminated early, not even making it into the top thousand."

"You can't blame Fu Ying. Shi Yong, Zhao Xing, Zhuang Ziqing… all the famous talents from the Shennong academy went straight for him. He was surrounded by more than a dozen people. Under those conditions, we had to remove him before they killed him."

"This battle was truly unexpected."

"Yes, while the warriors technically won, it was a pyrrhic victory. In the previous battles, our casualties never exceeded 1,200, but this time, we were left with only 800 survivors."

"The battlefield is just too small. There's no room to maneuver, and not enough time to react."

"But the most critical factor," Chen Min sighed, "was Zhao Xing's opening shout. Without that, the outcome wouldn't have been nearly as bad."

The other martial masters nodded in agreement.

Kui Niu Thunder Roar, Sun and Moon Obliterated, had caused massive disruption to the warriors' formation.

Although the martial masters identified various contributing factors—such as the limited battlefield size, the short reaction times, and the positioning of stronger warriors in the back—the most undeniable factor was Zhao Xing.

Even Fang Wu agreed that the warriors' hard-fought victory was largely due to Zhao Xing: "I think this kid had this plan in mind during the previous battles."

"He waited until today, when his Kui Niu Thunder Roar advanced, to put his plan into action."

"His timing was impeccable. After the previous victories, the warriors were feeling complacent, while the Shennong trainees were full of pent-up frustration."

"And more importantly, he seized the initiative, organizing the charge instead of waiting to be attacked."

Fan Zhaoliang, hearing Fang Wu's praise, smiled. "Even so, the Shennong academy's talents paid the price. They were all eliminated early."

"Not the same," Fang Wu shook his head. "The rules are different. If the Shennong trainees were also judged on the number of knockouts, Zhao Xing would undoubtedly be ranked among the top. After this battle, we'll have to properly train our overconfident students."

...

"Damn, that felt so damn good!" Cao Shuang's hands were both broken, and as the healer treated him, he winced from the pain but still grinned widely. "Finally, we gave them a taste of their own medicine!"

"Hahaha, Fu Ying knocked me down three times and broke my ribs every time. I finally got to break one of his bones this time." Jiang Tianming's face was swollen like a pig's, yet he laughed heartily.

Most of the top talents from the Shennong academy, including Zhao Xing, Zhuang Ziqing, Shi Yong, Han Bing, Feng Qiu, and Guan Junyang, had all been eliminated early and were receiving treatment.

But the atmosphere was filled with exhilaration, and there was only one reason: sweet, sweet revenge.

"Zhao Xing, you've got guts, being the first to charge!" Cao Shuang called out to the figure lying on a mat nearby, bandaged up. "I, Old Cao, salute you!"

"Zhao Xing was indeed ferocious," Jiang Tianming added with a laugh. "His Kui Niu Thunder Roar caused a lot of trouble for the other side. If it weren't for him, our charge wouldn't have had such a big impact."

"Zhao Xing, are you still alive? Make a sound; everyone's praising you," Zhuang Ziqing joked.

"I'm alive. Even if you, Zhuang Ziqing, died, I'd still be kicking... Ouch…" Zhao Xing's voice emerged from his bandages.

The chubby healer beside him glanced over. "Still showing off, huh? Keep talking, and I'll stop treating you."

"Hahahaha!" Laughter echoed around them.

After this event, Zhao Xing's name began to spread throughout the Shennong academy. Even the martial academies learned of a "Zhao Xing" from the Shenwei Army, who had nearly overturned the warriors in "Martial Training Without Techniques," forcing the Azure Dragon Martial Academy's top talent, Fu Ying, to rank at the bottom in this battle.

...

On May 20th, Zhao Xing opened the door of his residence in the Grove of Eighteen Willow Trees, heading out to participate in the Taicang Academy's selection training.

Although he had dropped in the rankings once, as long as it didn't happen three times in a row, he wouldn't be downgraded.

Zhao Xing also wasn't worried about being targeted in the future. He held the initiative in his hands, and with the ninth-transformation mastery of Folded Sound techniques—both Sound Blade and Sound Thorn—plus the seventh-transformation Kui Niu Thunder Roar, he had plenty of options in battle.

"Zhao Xing, where are you going?"

"Brother Zhao, have you recovered?"

"Brother Zhao, want to join us for some insight meditation?"

As he walked, many people greeted him.

Although Zhao Xing didn't recognize many of them, they all knew him.

Seeing all the friendly greetings, Zhao Xing smiled and nodded in return.

"The fight wasn't for nothing. After this, I've become familiar with the top talents of the four major academies, especially the ones from the Dili Academy. I've strengthened my relationships with several of them." Zhao Xing thought to himself.

"We're all stationed in the same Ten Sun Cave-Heaven Realm. When we start serving our posts, having connections with other members of the same pre-reserve class might come in handy."

Zhao Xing checked his Earth Mirror: "With the first session of mandatory training done, I don't feel much pressure now. The next step is to focus on selection training courses to improve myself."

"Let's check out what Taicang Academy has to offer."

In the Taicang Academy, on a patch of fertile, flat land, Lu Bang hovered in a Flowing Cloud Flying Boat, descending low over the ground.

Below, many Shennong trainees had already gathered, waiting to participate in Lu Bang's training course.

"My training is simple."

"That is, farming."

Lu Bang pointed to the land ahead: "This entire area is the cultivation zone, and it has been specially treated. The soil is exceptionally fertile, and you may use any method or spell you wish."

"The seasonal conditions here have also been adjusted to perfect farming conditions for two full days of continuous daylight."

"The heavenly timing and earthly advantage factors have both been optimized, and everyone's starting conditions are the same."

"You can freely choose from the seed and sapling bags in the cultivation zone. The lowest rank is third-tier, and the highest is fourth-tier."

"You may choose to plant whatever you wish."

"I only have one requirement: speed!"

"Whether you plant seeds or saplings, you must find a way to make them reach maturity and bear fruit as quickly as possible."

"If you want to pass with a Low-level rating, you must make a third-tier seed or sapling reach maturity and bear fruit within six hours. For a fourth-tier, twelve hours."

"To receive a Middle-level rating, a third-tier must mature within three hours, and a fourth-tier within six."

"For an Top-level rating, a third-tier must reach maturity within one hour, and a fourth-tier within two."

Lu Bang smiled as he finished, then added sternly, "Don't even think about cheating. If you're caught cheating, no matter what level of talent you are, you'll be expelled."

"You have one year to complete this training. As long as you pass within that time frame, it counts."

"If you want a better rating, spend more time studying the All Things Growth Diagram at Taicang Academy, diligently practice the Yin-Yang Self Sutra, or visit the Original Dao Field for insights."

Zhao Xing stood below, listening to Lu Bang's instructions before running over to the seed and sapling area to make his selection.

"The land is indeed fertile, and since this is training, there's no competition."

"No need to fight over clouds or snatch resources."

Lu Bang, being a member of the Self School, had removed the factors of heavenly timing and earthly advantage from the equation. This training was purely about using the sect's methods to cultivate the seeds and saplings.

"They're testing for speed. With the soil infinitely fertile, this is an exercise in how quickly a military Shennong officer can produce provisions."

"In military campaigns, supply chains are a significant issue, but with Shennong officers, the logistical burden is greatly reduced. You only need to carry a small amount of seeds or saplings, and you can start farming wherever the battle takes you."

"If you can make crops mature in a short time, without worrying about the earthly advantage or heavenly timing, the army will never starve, no matter where they are."

Of course, this was just training. In reality, factors like heavenly timing and earthly advantage still needed to be considered.

The Great Zhou was continuously expanding, and during the campaigns, they didn't have to worry about exhausting the land because it wasn't theirs yet. They could worry about nurturing it into fertile land after conquering it.

"To get an Top-level rating, I have to make a third-tier plant or sapling reach maturity within an hour. That's incredibly difficult."

Zhao Xing tried it out, but found that his Earth Vein Consolidation Spell was already at its limit and couldn't make the soil any more fertile.

The only Self School spell he had left to use was Wild Growth.

The initial Wild Growth spell had no noticeable effect.

"Wild Growth has reached the ninth transformation at the intermediate level, but it still can't make the plant mature within an hour."

"With only this one spell, I can probably only achieve a Middle-level rating in Lu Bang's course."

A Middle-level rating was still excellent, but for Zhao Xing, it wasn't enough.

Since he was being trained as an A-rank talent, only Top-level ratings counted towards his required training.

"So be it, I'll need to master more of the Self School's techniques."

From Zhao Xing's perspective, Self School techniques might not be the strongest in the grand scheme of things, but at his current level, they were still very useful and necessary to learn.

"In any small squad, if there's a Shennong officer proficient in the Self School's techniques, they won't starve. Even if trapped or surrounded, the team could hold out much longer."

"The Self School's techniques can make plants stronger, and they can even be applied to extreme environments, allowing you to grow food even in places like volcanic areas."

With the Martial Training Without Techniques temporarily over, there weren't many selection training courses available yet.

Lu Bang's course was relatively simple, focused on just one sect's techniques, and Zhao Xing didn't want to miss out on the opportunity to score well.

"The Original Dao Field at Taicang Academy—I have two free access attempts. I wonder if I can comprehend that mysterious technique from the Self School."

Zhao Xing recalled some memories from his past life. "If I can gain insight into that technique early, it would greatly benefit my future growth. It might even help me cultivate Pure Essence Soil ahead of time!"