Chapter 137: Shi Yong, You Better Hold On!

[First Place: Shi Yong, Training Points: 267,450]

[Second Place: Zhao Xing, Training Points: 238,850]

[Third Place: Zhuang Zhiqing, Training Points: 235,330]

[Fourth Place: Cai Jin, Training Points: 208,550]

[Fifth Place: Feng Qiu, Training Points: 180,200]

[Tenth Place: Li Feng, Training Points: 154,520]

[Fifteenth Place: Han Bing, Training Points: 125,580]

[Twenty-First Place: Guan Junyang, Training Points: 98,540]

[One-Hundredth Place: Tao Tao, Training Points: 56,780]

"Second place in the second round of compulsory training?" Zhao Xing looked at the rankings. "I only surpassed Zhuang Zhiqing by a little more than three thousand points. The gap isn't huge. In terms of four-tier provisions, it's only about 300 jin difference."

Indeed, the difference was minor. Producing similar amounts, a fluctuation in yield could easily result in a few hundred jin difference in the final tally.

"But with Shi Yong, I'm still nearly 30,000 points behind."

Thirty thousand points. If converted to three-tier provisions, that equated to 30,000 jin—enough to feed his team of ten warriors for three months while maintaining 60-70% combat strength.

"The gap makes sense. I'm improving, but so is he. It's hard to surpass someone who's been a military Shennong for several years in just a little over two months."

"But I managed to surpass Zhuang Zhiqing. I wonder what he's thinking right now," Zhao Xing chuckled softly.

"Zhao Xing," a voice called from behind. It was Zhuang Zhiqing, just stepping off the airship.

"Zhuang Zhiqing," Zhao Xing greeted him with a smile.

"I didn't expect it, but in the end, you won." A flicker of something strange crossed Zhuang Zhiqing's eyes. "You've improved really quickly."

The two were somewhat familiar, given that they both studied in the Dili Academy. Zhao Xing occasionally sought advice from Lord Tian, and Zhuang Zhiqing had been learning from his own teacher.

Zhuang Zhiqing also knew that Zhao Xing had been a mere officer before being selected for the Shennong Division of the Shenwei Army—without any experience as a Shennong. In just over two months, he'd caught up, despite only starting to learn the three core manuals after entering the Ten Sun Cave-Heaven?

"I must have been lucky," Zhao Xing smiled modestly.

"Lucky?" Zhuang Zhiqing shook his head. "We weren't far apart in scores, but there's no need to be so humble. In this round of training, you did indeed outperform me."

Zhao Xing simply smiled.

In truth, luck had played a significant role. The key to surpassing Zhuang Zhiqing and securing second place was his use of the gambling strategy. Without it, Zhao Xing estimated that he wouldn't have been able to surpass Zhuang Zhiqing—or even match Cai Jin and Feng Qiu.

After all, in just two months, Zhao Xing had been cramming a vast amount of knowledge. His training schedule was tight, especially considering how the Three Great Manuals significantly boosted the effectiveness of his techniques.

The Shennong Division's crucial strongholds were all tied to the mastery of the Three Great Manuals.

His second-place ranking had been a pleasant surprise to Zhao Xing. Initially, he had set his sights on simply staying within the top twenty-one to ensure his resources weren't downgraded.

Achieving second place was more due to his use of the gambling strategy, combined with the experience and insights from his previous life.

In the first ten days of the training, there was little room to widen the gap between competitors.

In the middle ten days, Zhao Xing had expected others to pull ahead of him due to his lack of time to fully master the Three Great Manuals. However, the gambling strategy and his accumulated knowledge from his past life helped him maintain second place.

In the final ten days, even though the gap between competitors couldn't be closed, Zhao Xing's Five Elements Earth Splitting Technique still proved useful enough to secure his position.

"You beat me this time, but next time, it might be a different story." A hint of competitive spirit flashed in Zhuang Zhiqing's eyes. "Now that the second round of training is over, we have a month of free elective training. I've decided to follow your example and only sleep for one hour each day."

Zhao Xing was surprised. He hadn't expected Zhuang Zhiqing to embrace the intense training regimen so readily.

How had word of his one-hour sleep schedule spread so fast?

Zhuang Zhiqing's eyes were burning with determination. As a noble family scion, with his natural talent and ample resources, Zhuang Zhiqing hadn't needed to train rigorously. He'd only spent four hours a day cultivating, and even then, his progress had been rapid.

However, after seeing Zhao Xing's meteoric rise, Zhuang Zhiqing felt compelled to push himself harder.

"Zhao Xing, let's see who comes out on top in the next training session!"

Zhao Xing looked at Zhuang Zhiqing, smiled, and replied, "I'll be waiting."

"See you later." Zhuang Zhiqing cupped his hands and left.

As for the others on the leaderboard, Zhao Xing took a quick glance.

Feng Qiu and Han Bing, who were previously only receiving mid-tier benefits, had now entered the top twenty-one and would be upgraded to high-tier resources.

Li Feng, who had been knocked out early during the entrance exams, had now climbed into the top ten, restoring him to a position more suited to his strength.

The most surprising result to Zhao Xing was the fourth-place finisher, Cai Jin.

Cai Jin, a student of Lu Bang from the Taichang Academy, had started with only mid-tier resources. Yet, he had surged into fourth place, scoring over 200,000 points.

Putting away his Earth Mirror, Zhao Xing made his way toward Fuchun Courtyard. As he walked, he adjusted his plans for the next phase of his training.

"My repertoire of techniques is nearly complete. I now have four Tianshi Academy techniques and four Dili Academy techniques. I only need two more from Self School."

"From here on, I need to focus on mastering the Three Great Manuals."

After all, relying on luck to win wouldn't always be sustainable. The Five Elements Earth Splitting Technique had its limits, as demonstrated when he encountered Seven Peaks Basin, which rendered his gambling strategy ineffective.

Taichang Academy, Lu Bang's Office

Lu Bang looked at the final rankings.

"As expected, Shi Yong took first place."

"But Zhao Xing managed to secure second place?"

"Could it be that his progress in mastering the Three Great Manuals has already caught up to the others?"

Since Lu Bang hadn't been present on-site, he hadn't noticed the unusually strong effect of Zhao Xing's Five Elements Earth Splitting Technique or its frequent success rates.

"It's truly astonishing that he's made up several years of study in just two months. It seems that Ge Jin Song and Cheng Qingming really..."

Lu Bang trailed off, holding back from scolding the two for their lack of foresight, especially since his student, Cai Jin, was sitting right there.

Turning his attention to Cai Jin, Lu Bang said, "Cai Jin, your leap to fourth place this time was unexpected, but you should realize that much of it was due to the inherent advantages of our academy. This doesn't reflect your true abilities, understand?"

Cai Jin, a young man with a tanned complexion and focused demeanor, quickly stood up from his seat. "Yes, teacher. I understand. This time, seven-tenths of the seeds and saplings used were derived species. Since I study at Taichang Academy, I was able to identify and leverage that advantage."

"Good," Lu Bang nodded approvingly. "Such knowledge can be easily matched by others in the future. You must continue working diligently. I've heard that Zhao Xing only sleeps one hour per day, dedicating the rest of his time to cultivation. This is how he was able to rank second in this round of training."

"You should take him as a role model."

One hour a day?

Cai Jin was momentarily stunned.

He had thought himself diligent by following his teacher at Taichang Academy, but hearing about Zhao Xing's extreme work ethic made him reevaluate his efforts.

That wasn't just diligence—it was borderline insanity!

"Yes, I will take him as my role model," Cai Jin responded.

Seeing his student's determination, Lu Bang smiled and waved his hand, sending a jade pendant flying into Cai Jin's hand. "This is a Fourth-Tier Yin Fiend Jade, which has the effect of clearing the mind and refreshing the spirit. With this, sleeping only an hour a day will be more than enough for you."

"..."

Cai Jin had only been paying lip service but now found himself trapped.

Damn it, Zhao Xing! What are you trying to prove?

"Thank you, teacher, for the gift," Cai Jin said, hiding his inner turmoil and gratefully accepting the jade.

From now on, whether he liked it or not, he would have to compete with Zhao Xing's insane schedule.

Feng Qiu's Residence

A cold-faced youth, Feng Qiu, looked at the Earth Mirror.

"Shi Yong has nearly 270,000 points. Zhao Xing also has close to 240,000… and I only have 180,000?"

"How did he improve so much?"

Feng Qiu clenched the Earth Mirror tightly, his eyes darkening.

He had always been driven by a strong desire to win. This time, he had trained harder than ever, hoping to achieve outstanding results. But his performance was still far from satisfactory.

"I didn't surpass Zhuang Zhiqing or Shi Yong, and now even Zhao Xing is ahead of me. And who is this Cai Jin who came out of nowhere?"

Taking a deep breath, Feng Qiu stored his Earth Mirror and retreated to his cultivation chamber, resuming his frantic training.

At the Tianshi Academy, several airships landed, and a number of promising students disembarked, their Earth Mirrors displaying the latest rankings.

"Haha! I've moved up fifty spots! I've gone from mid-tier to high-tier!"

"Sigh, I've dropped thirty-seven places. My resources have been downgraded."

"Phew, close call! I almost dropped a rank."

"It seems I still have a lot to work on with my technique pairing."

"I've been focusing too much on studying the Seasonal Diagram at the expense of my earth-based techniques, and that's why I only scored 3,000 points in the last ten days."

Many students discussed the outcomes of the second training session.

Even in the top-tier rankings, people were moving up and down, and this was even more common among the mid- and lower-tier ranks.

The second round of training had been comprehensive. Many students, due to poor time management in their cultivation, scored high in one area only to lose points in another.

"Zhao Xing is second? He even surpassed Zhuang Zhiqing." Guan Junyang looked at the rankings in surprise. "The Shenwei Army recruited a real talent this time."

Hua Zhilin also glanced at the Earth Mirror. "I heard he was an officer who was only recently promoted before being chosen for the Shenwei Army. I had a feeling he was special during the cloud and rain tests. Looks like I was right."

Guan Junyang nodded. "I've heard from Cao Shuang that Zhao Xing rarely shows up at the Dili Academy and spends almost all his time cultivating. I didn't expect his progress to be this fast."

Cao Shuang, Guan Junyang, and Hua Zhilin were all from the Xuanjia Army, and they kept in close contact with each other.

Hua Zhilin added, "Guan, you need to step up. You're just hanging onto the top-tier rankings by a thread. If you drop out, then Cao Shuang will be our army's only top-tier student."

Guan Junyang nodded, "I will. I heard from Cao Shuang that Zhao Xing trains for ten hours a day. That's not human! Back when we were in the Weikou Army, we never pushed ourselves like this. Being here is really eye-opening..."

"But if I'm going to push myself, I won't just aim to catch up to Zhuang Zhiqing and Zhao Xing—I want to surpass Shi Yong as well!" Guan Junyang said, glancing toward a tall figure in the distance.

Shi Yong, however, didn't seem to notice the looks he was getting. After stepping off the airship, he quietly left Tianshi Academy on his own.

In Tianshi Academy's Autumn Water Residence, several officials gathered to discuss the results of the second round of training.

"Ranking results are out. This time, two of our students from Tianshi Academy have been knocked out of the top tier." Mei Zhiru, a middle-aged man dressed in fine cloud-patterned robes, addressed his colleagues. He was the head Shennong at Tianshi Academy, overseeing the students' progress. The grand Shennongs typically didn't get involved with the training of new recruits, so Mei Zhiru held the highest authority here.

"Out of the top five, only Shi Yong remains from our academy."

"Overall, our academy's standings have dropped significantly compared to the last session."

"Over the past two months of training, why is it that the more they've trained, the worse they've gotten? What are your thoughts on this?" Mei Zhiru asked the gathered officials.

One of the officials responded, "Mei Daren, it's normal for rankings to fluctuate as the talents develop. We've been diligent in our teaching, and the students are working hard. I'm confident they'll reclaim their spots soon enough."

"Oh? Then why is it that the Dili Academy has so many students climbing the ranks, while so few have fallen?" Mei Zhiru asked, pointing to the rankings. "Take Zhao Xing, for example. He was rated as middle-low in potential during the division selection. Now, he's ranked second. Does that not prove that the teachers at Dili Academy are more dedicated and effective in their teaching?"

"Uh... cough, cough..." The official who had been speaking suddenly stopped, coughing nervously and casting a glance toward a particular seat in the room.

The other officials also looked in the same direction.

Sitting there were Ge Jin Song and Cheng Qingming.

As they noticed their colleagues' stares, Cheng Qingming's face twitched slightly, while Ge Jin Song tactically sipped his tea.

Mei Zhiru hadn't been involved in the original division assignments, but from the awkward atmosphere, he quickly understood the situation.

With a calm tone, he continued, "I'm not pointing fingers, but Tianshi Academy has traditionally led the other academies. We can't let our reputation slide just because we've become complacent."

"Shi Yong is still holding onto first place, but our overall rankings are weaker compared to the previous batch. Our responsibility to train Shennong for the imperial court is paramount. We should not rest on our laurels, and we certainly should not stagnate. Moving forward, we must all work even harder."

"Mei Daren speaks wisely," the other officials quickly agreed.

Cheng Qingming and Ge Jin Song also nodded in agreement, but internally, they felt far from pleased.

That speech about "resting on our laurels" was clearly directed at them, for not assigning Zhao Xing a higher rating when they had the chance. Mei Zhiru had practically said they had no foresight without outright saying it.

Cheng Qingming and Ge Jin Song exchanged glances, each feeling a sense of helplessness.

If Zhao Xing continued to excel, their teaching records for the year would take a hit.

"How could I have misjudged so badly?" Ge Jin Song lamented internally.

"Shi Yong, you better hold on," Cheng Qingming thought, hoping the first-place student wouldn't let him down.

Fuchun Courtyard

Lord Tian looked at the returning Zhao Xing.

Though he was pleased with Zhao Xing's results, Lord Tian couldn't help but feel puzzled. "You said your progress with the Three Great Manuals hasn't been extraordinary, so how did you manage to take second place?"

"Teacher, I've been using the Five Elements Earth Splitting Technique, and I've also made breakthroughs with the Wasteland Essence Convergence and the Root Strengthening Technique. In those complex environments, I relied on the Mysterious Earth Guardian technique to move underground and adjust the earth veins. I think those were the main reasons."

"I see," Lord Tian nodded. "For the next month of training, focus on studying the Three Great Manuals. It just so happens that there's an elective course related to the Nine Sections Battlefield."

"As you study the Three Great Manuals, if you gain any insights, you can head to the Nine Sections Battlefield to put them to the test."

"You haven't received a rating at the Nine Sections Battlefield, have you?"

"No," Zhao Xing shook his head. The Nine Sections Battlefield was a place for combat and sparring. Over the past few months, Zhao Xing had been too focused on cultivation to spend any time there.

"Shi Yong and Zhuang Zhiqing have both already begun their training there. Now that you're studying the Three Great Manuals, this elective course comes at the perfect time," Lord Tian said. "You can temporarily set aside Lu Bang's elective and focus on meeting the training requirements at the Nine Sections Battlefield."