Chapter 136: The Results and Gains from the Second Mandatory Training

"Boom~"

The ground suddenly shook near a group of warriors sparring nearby, and they immediately halted their practice.

"What happened? An earthquake?"

"The ground is splitting? Could it be Zhao Xing's doing?"

"Hey, look! There's a seedling sprouting from here."

"The ice is a foot thick, and it's completely cracking. Look over there!" Chen Fang pointed eastward, his face filled with surprise. "That area was flat just now, but a thirty-meter-tall mound has formed."

Everyone turned to look, and sure enough, five hundred meters to the east, a small mound had appeared. The mound was entirely made of compacted dirt, with two large layers of earth pressed together by immense force, forming an upward arch, resembling a human-shaped formation.

"There's a massive crack near the airship!" Hu Bing leaped into the air, scanned the surroundings, and landed back down, eyes filled with astonishment. "That crack is ten meters wide and bottomless. There are eight major fissures around it, with hundreds of smaller cracks... How did this happen?"

"Is the ground here this fragile?" Zhang Jie also looked around in disbelief.

Xia Jing shook his head. In the dark, his eyes flickered with a strange light. "It's not the ground that's fragile, it's the power of Zhao Xing's earth-splitting technique."

"Look, the ice and snow are already melting. He must have used some fire-element earth-splitting method to draw up the underground fire."

"You're right." The group marveled at the sight.

However, Xia Jing was slightly mistaken. Zhao Xing hadn't used a simple earth-splitting technique but rather the Five Elements Earth-Splitting Technique! But as the saying goes, each field of expertise is like its own mountain; Xia Jing could only recognize it as an earth-splitting technique.

"What are you all standing around for?!" Liu Yongli hurried over, reprimanding them. "The purpose of training in various environments is to adapt to different conditions. Now you've all stopped training. Everyone will lose 10 points!"

Swoosh~

Liu Yongli's eyes landed on Xia Jing. "Xia Jing, as the leader of the Azure Dragon Martial Division and the first to stop, you'll lose 20 points!"

"Understood, I accept my punishment." Xia Jing admitted fault; the 20-point loss was insignificant to him.

"Resume training, and no stopping! Even if the sky falls, you must remain unfazed! Got it?"

"Got it!"

The ten warriors resumed their practice.

The middle-aged physician plucked a flower from the ice layer and murmured in surprise, "How did a second-rank ice lotus seedling grow here?"

Liu Yongli turned to look, "What do you mean?"

The physician took a bite of the snow lotus and explained, "It's complicated, but all you need to know is that Zhao Xing's spell was unexpectedly powerful."

Liu Yongli was puzzled. How strong could an eighth-rank Shennong really be to even impress a sixth-rank physician? ...

[You cast the Five Elements Earth-Splitting Technique, triggering a Tier-3 Luck enhancement. The earth-element effect is doubled, splitting the ground for a hundred meters.]

[You cast the Five Elements Earth-Splitting Technique, triggering a Tier-3 Luck enhancement. The fire-element effect is tripled, drawing up underground fire.]

[You cast the Five Elements Earth-Splitting Technique, triggering a Tier-3 Luck enhancement. The wood-element effect is quadrupled, flourishing life.]

[You cast the Five Elements Earth-Splitting Technique...]

...

As Zhao Xing watched his interface continuously update, a smile crept across his face.

Just now, he had cast the Five Elements Earth-Splitting Technique forty-five times around the planting area.

Out of those, he triggered a luck-based major success thirty-four times!

And thus, the explosive scene before him had taken shape.

"Underground fire surging up and life flourishing… The gamble method really works!"

In his previous life, Zhao Xing had little interest in this strategy because, at that time, his luck was too low. Whether farming or fighting, he rarely used it because of its unpredictability. One wrong gamble could have cost him his life.

But now, in this life, his luck had already reached Tier-3, and using this method felt entirely different.

In one word: exhilarating!

"Whoosh~"

Zhao Xing descended from the sky, landing on the airship.

Then he noticed Zhou Ming looking at him with a strange expression.

"Did I break any rules?" Zhao Xing cautiously asked.

"No."

"Did I cross the boundary?"

"No."

Then why are you staring at me like that?

Zhao Xing sat at the table and started eating.

Shennong had their own separate meals, so whatever Zhou Ming ate, Zhao Xing also ate.

After expending a lot of energy, Zhao Xing didn't hold back. He nodded at Zhou Ming, then dug into the meal.

Meanwhile, the ground could stay in disarray for a while longer.

"How did you do it?" Zhou Ming asked as he sat at the table, pouring Zhao Xing a cup of wine.

Although Zhou Ming was a sixth-rank Shennong from the Tianshi Academy, this didn't mean he was unfamiliar with earth techniques.

Zhao Xing's earth-splitting spell had left Zhou Ming astounded.

Forty-five spells, and thirty-four were major successes. What kind of concept was that?

For every four spells, three triggered additional effects!

With this kind of success rate, the Five Elements Earth-Splitting Technique could easily rival higher-tier spells!

Even a sixth-rank expert would be envious!

"Luck."

Zhou Ming's eyes widened, and he began to pull back the poured wine.

Seeing this, Zhao Xing quickly explained, "I'm serious! It was pure luck!"

"You know that the Five Elements Earth-Splitting Technique essentially disrupts the balance of a region's earth energy."

"It's like throwing a stone at five tightly clustered balls. There are six holes around them. Once you hit them, whether they fall into the holes or bounce away is entirely out of your control."

"If it's not luck, then what is?"

Zhou Ming poured the wine back and sat down thoughtfully. "Your analogy is strange. Why six holes? Shouldn't it be seven for the Five Elements plus wind and thunder?"

"Slip of the tongue." Zhao Xing didn't want Zhou Ming to take back the wine again, so he quickly took a sip of the purple jade nectar.

"Every four spells yield three major successes. Are you telling me that's luck?" Zhou Ming asked. "You didn't figure out some secret technique?"

Zhao Xing chuckled, "If I had that ability, I'd be applying to become a Grandmaster at the Li Fire Academy! Creating a high-tier technique? You're giving me too much credit."

Zhou Ming nodded, realizing he had overthought it.

In the end, he had to accept Zhao Xing's explanation.

Luck was not something that could be taught.

Although the Great Zhou Dynasty revered luck, there was no official method to cultivate or measure it. Even terms like Tier-1 and Tier-2 were just ways certain sects described it.

Just like how the royal almanac only marked ominous days without giving any advice for lucky ones.

When the Great Zhou's first emperor established the dynasty, he eliminated professions related to fate, luck, and feng shui, cutting off their very lifeblood.

Otherwise, why would anyone bother cultivating when they could simply follow the predictions of fortune-tellers?

Thus, the topic was laid to rest.

Zhao Xing quickly finished his meal, replenishing his energy. He then hopped off the airship and resumed stabilizing the earth veins.

Drip, drip…

The underground fire had risen several times, causing the snow to start melting.

Zhao Xing used the techniques Earth Vein Consolidation, Earth Palace Foundation, and Boundless Earth Palace to reorganize the earth's energy.

This impressed Zhou Ming even more.

Combining Earth Vein Consolidation with Earth Palace Foundation to harmonize the earth energy was standard practice.

But to also use Boundless Earth Palace for regulation? That required the expertise of a seasoned Shennong!

"Using Boundless Earth Palace to suppress the water veins and manage the five elements' water force..."

"Balancing the wood element with the fire element, gradually raising the fire energy to the same level as the water energy."

"Huh? Is that… the Divine Travel Guard technique?"

Zhou Ming leaped onto the ground to feel Zhao Xing's technique.

Not only was there a Boundless Earth Palace underground, but there was also a second earth palace, shaped like an octagonal cage, moving back and forth underground.

It was like plowing the earth, channeling the excessive water energy into Songxue Lake.

"Zhao Xing is using Boundless Earth Palace as a wall to prevent the water force from Songxue Lake from spreading... And he's using Cloud Summoning to block the snowfall, absorbing the water vapor and redirecting it back into the lake. At this rate, it won't even take a day for this barren land to turn into fertile soil."

"This kid not only has a deep understanding of earth techniques but also has a remarkable grasp of the five elements. I feel like I'm learning something just by watching him," Zhou Ming thought, feeling impressed.

As a sixth-rank Shennong from the Tianshi Academy, Zhou Ming was well-versed in earth techniques. Yet watching Zhao Xing, he felt as if he was gaining new insights.

Though he was more experienced, Zhao Xing's innovative methods were impressive.

"Pah! The likes of Ge Jinsong and Cheng Qingming from Tianshi Academy are blind fools!"

...

Zhao Xing once again jumped back onto the airship, exhausted and sprawled out, unwilling to move.

If there was one word to summarize the different sect techniques, it would be this: Earth School meant hard work.

Following the Earth School meant constant, heavy labor. There was no such thing as a small project.

Zhou Ming heard Zhao Xing complain and casually fed him some motivation, "Hard work leads to success."

"Yeah, well, if you're willing to suffer, you'll have endless suffering to enjoy," Zhao Xing shot back, earning a laugh from Zhou Ming.

Zhao Xing eventually crawled back to the table and started wolfing down his food again. Seeing him so hungry, Zhou Ming poured him another bowl of Purple Jade Nectar. After watching Zhao Xing gulp it down in one go, he asked, smiling, "So, training at Dili Academy must be tough, huh? Ever think about switching academies? The Tianshi Academy seems a lot more comfortable, doesn't it?"

"Comfortable? In what way?" Zhao Xing asked casually while chewing.

"Opening up the Ten Sun Cave-Heaven, the heavy work goes to Dili Academy. The menial tasks are handled by Taichang Academy and Pinghuai Academy. As for us at Tianshi Academy, we just show up to adjust the seasonal changes, and we often end up getting most of the credit. How's that for comfort?"

Zhao Xing blinked, "Are you even allowed to say that?"

Zhou Ming smirked and took a sip of his wine, "Whether I say it or not, that's just how things are."

Having filled his stomach, Zhao Xing didn't feel like heading back down to work since his seeds were already planted. Now, it was just a matter of waiting for them to mature. Seeing how open Zhou Ming was being, Zhao Xing asked about the situation in the Ten Sun Cave-Heaven, "I've heard that only less than a third of the Ten Sun Cave-Heaven has been explored?"

Zhou Ming shook his head, "That's incorrect. We haven't even fully mapped out the area, so how could we say one-third?"

Zhao Xing asked again, "Could you tell me where the boundary markers have been placed?"

"To the north, they've reached the Extreme Night Sea. To the east, they've gotten to Inverted Peak Mountain. Westward, they've mapped as far as Penglai Marsh, and southward to Crimson Lake."

"The Extreme Night Sea is perpetually dark, bitterly cold, and covered in shadow. The Songxue Lake area, where we are now, is just five thousand miles south of it."

"Inverted Peak Mountain is where your fellow Shennong from Dili Academy, Fan Nongzheng, just finished exploring. That place has numerous mountains hanging upside down in the sky like floating islands due to a reversal in the earth's energy flow. It has naturally formed a reversed Earth Palace, but we still don't know how far its influence stretches."

"Penglai Marsh is dense with miasma that never disperses, filled with ferocious beasts. Most of the strange creatures imprisoned by the Xuantian Sect's jail were captured by the Nine Divisions Army from that area."

"Lastly, Crimson Lake gets its name from the surging magma that turns the water red. The Earth Fire Lotus grows there and is the best auxiliary herb for anyone cultivating the Earth Fiend Stage. It's highly sought after by Seventh Rank cultivators."

Zhao Xing poured Zhou Ming another cup of wine in return for his knowledge.

After taking a drink, Zhou Ming continued, "Right now, the primary areas of focus for Dili Academy are Inverted Peak Mountain and Crimson Lake. Meanwhile, the Tianshi Academy is responsible for Penglai Marsh and Extreme Night Sea."

"Of course, in more developed areas like the Ten Thousand Li Thunder Pool, Lava Plains, Gale Mountain Range, and the Heaven Fire Dao, there are still some valuable missions to take on."

"Naturally, for fifth-ranked cultivators, those missions are just minor skirmishes. They won't bother with them. They'd rather do what Fan Nongzheng did, earning ten billion points in one go by discovering something in Inverted Peak Mountain."

Zhao Xing pondered for a moment, then asked, "I've heard that when a single sun rises in the sky, it brings spiritual energy and blessings. But if ten suns appear simultaneously, it's a cataclysm that not even fifth-rank cultivators can withstand. How often has such an event occurred? When was the last time?"

Zhou Ming thought for a moment before replying, "The last single sun event happened in March of the eleventh year of the Jingxin era. And in October of the same year, we experienced a ten-sun event. Fortunately, the range was limited, and it didn't reach Yangcheng. Why are you asking?"

"Just curious. I've never seen anything like that and was wondering what it's like."

"You might still get a chance to witness a single sun, but a ten-sun event? That's not going to happen again."

"Why not?"

"Thanks to the efforts of the Shennong Division, we've steadily transformed the environment within the Ten Sun Cave-Heaven. The ten-sun phenomenon is now a thing of the past. Take Yangcheng, for example. The sky there never sees more than three suns at once anymore."

Zhao Xing nodded but knew better. He was aware that another ten-sun event would happen again in the Jingxin era's eighteenth year.

That would be two years from now.

The second ten-sun event would be even more destructive, covering a wider area and with much greater power. Many powerful cultivators would lose their lives during that disaster.

Before that, the Shennong Division would experience a false victory, thinking they had completely stabilized the environment within the cave-heaven. They would mistakenly believe they had turned the cave into a blessed land because of a large-scale spiritual blessing that would precede the ten-sun event.

"Right now, it's the sixteenth year of Jingxin, June. There are still two years left. I haven't heard anything about Chen Shijie. Could he have died in the disaster of Jingxin's eighteenth year?"

"There's still time to make a difference," Zhao Xing thought to himself.

Military training for a Shennong typically lasts a year and a half, though it can be extended. But it will never be shorter than that.

In other words, Zhao Xing would be here until at least the latter half of Jingxin's seventeenth year.

By that time, if there were no external assignments for the Shenwei Army, Zhao Xing would still be stationed here in the cave-heaven.

Either way, Zhao Xing wouldn't just stand by and let things happen. He was part of the Shenwei Army now and couldn't bear to see someone like Chen Shijie die.

"Buzz~"

Just then, Zhao Xing's thoughts were interrupted by a vibration from his Earth Mirror.

When he took it out, he saw that it was the latest ranking report, listing the point standings for the thousands of cultivators in the Shennong Division.

"The results from the first three days of training have been tallied," Zhou Ming said, taking out his own Earth Mirror. "Not bad, kid, you're ranked third."

"Third?" Zhao Xing checked the ranking list.

[First place: Shi Yong – Training Points: 35,550]

[Second place: Zhuang Zhiqing – Training Points: 35,330]

[Third place: Zhao Xing – Training Points: 35,150]

[Fourth place: Feng Qiu – Training Points: 35,030]

[Fifth place: Cao Shuang – Training Points: 34,980]

[Sixth place: Jiang Tianming – Training Points: 34,920]

[Seventh place: Han Bing – Training Points: 34,850]

[Eighth place: Guan Junyang – Training Points: 34,770]

...

[Twenty-first place: Meng Song – Training Points: 33,280]

"Shi Yong is ahead of me by 400 points, and Zhuang Zhiqing by 180 points," Zhao Xing noted. Although the difference wasn't huge, it still reflected a gap in their abilities.

It showed that even with the same training environments, there were differences in how effectively they utilized them.

"Feng Qiu is really impressive, managing to climb to fourth place," Zhao Xing thought, somewhat surprised. Feng Qiu was from the Tianshi Academy and only had mid-level A-tier resources, yet he had still managed to place so high.

In addition to him, there were two other surprising names in the top twenty-one: Lei Feng and Cai Jin.

"The gaps between ranks are starting to widen. By the third day, only the top three have more than a hundred points separating them," Zhao Xing mused.

For the first three days, it was relatively easy to rack up high points.

A thousand pounds of second-rank provisions earned 100 points.

A thousand pounds of third-rank provisions earned 1,000 points.

A thousand pounds of fourth-rank provisions earned 10,000 points.

Zhao Xing had managed to grow 5,000 pounds of third-rank Horse Fish Fruit, 1,500 pounds of second-rank provisions, and 3,000 pounds of fourth-rank Fire Brilliance Cactus. This had netted him 35,150 points.

"In terms of third-rank and fourth-rank provisions, I'm likely on par with Shi Yong. The difference is probably in the second-rank provisions," Zhao Xing reasoned. "Shi Yong and Zhuang Zhiqing must have optimized their resource production more efficiently than I did."

"I have to step up my game."

Zhao Xing put away his Earth Mirror and jumped off the airship, refocusing his mind on the provision training.

June 26th, the fourth day of provision training, hour of the dragon.

The sky over Songxue Lake remained a perpetual gray, with three moons still hanging high above, creating a cold, dim atmosphere. The area's proximity to the Extreme Night Sea ensured that the light levels never rose much beyond twilight.

Zhao Xing had arrived at Songxue Lake during the hour of the rat. After using his gambling strategy, he spent nearly an entire hour adjusting the terrain and environment. By the hour of the tiger, he finally managed to complete the terrain adjustments.

At the hour of the tiger's fourth quarter, he began planting. Every quarter of an hour, he cast Wild Growth and Wasteland Essence Convergence alternately.

By the hour of the dragon's seventh quarter, he had successfully cultivated third-rank provisions—10,000 pounds in total, earning him a hefty 10,000 points.

At the hour of the snake, Zhao Xing delivered the provisions to Liu Yongli and his squad.

Liu Yongli halted the ongoing training session, and when Xia Jing, Chen Fang, Hu Bing, and Zhang Jie saw the massive pile of third-rank provisions, they were left speechless.

"We still haven't finished the Fire Brilliance Cactus from yesterday, and now there's another 10,000 pounds of provisions?" Zhang Jie muttered under his breath. "We're going to spend this entire month stuffed to the brim."

"It's not more Horse Fish Fruit or Fire Brilliance Cactus, so count your blessings," Xia Jing replied. "What else are you hoping for?"

"That's true, I'd rather be a bit overstuffed than tortured with extra punishment," Hu Bing commented, glancing toward the military physician.

Zhao Xing quickly dropped off the provisions and hurried back to his cultivation area. The warriors began their rapid-eating training, and fortunately, this time the provisions were far more manageable in terms of taste and texture.

June 27th, the fifth day of provision training.

Zhao Xing produced another 5,000 pounds of third-rank provisions, earning 5,000 points.

June 28th, the sixth day of provision training.

This time, Zhao Xing cultivated 4,500 pounds of fourth-rank provisions, adding 45,000 points to his total.

June 29th, the seventh day of provision training.

The squad moved to a new location for training.

Around the hour of the rabbit, the ranking on the Earth Mirror was updated.

[First Place: Shi Yong – Training Points: 95,450]

[Second Place: Zhao Xing – Training Points: 95,150]

[Third Place: Zhuang Zhiqing – Training Points: 85,330]

[Fourth Place: Feng Qiu – Training Points: 80,200]

...

"I managed to gather 60,000 points at Songxue Lake, bringing my total to 95,150." Zhao Xing was satisfied with the results. "I've closed the gap with Shi Yong, and I've overtaken Zhuang Zhiqing."

The gambling strategy had worked wonders in the second location, allowing him to pull ahead. Without it, he wouldn't have achieved such a high score.

"From the second training location onward, the differences are becoming more pronounced. Scores are starting to vary by tens of thousands of points," Zhao Xing observed.

Meanwhile, elsewhere, Zuo Lixu was also looking at the ranking board.

"How did Zhao Xing suddenly jump by 60,000 points?!" Zuo Lixu was incredulous. "He's now at over 90,000 points, and I'm still sitting at only 60,000."

"How could the gap between us be so huge?"

Zuo Lixu gripped his Earth Mirror tightly, his knuckles white.

"I've climbed to 13th place, a five-rank improvement," thought Lei Feng. He had ranked 18th after the first rankings were posted. "But despite that, the gap between me and the top has only widened."

"Shi Yong, Zhuang Zhiqing, Zhao Xing—they've all pulled ahead by a large margin. How did Zhao Xing jump to second place, surpassing Zhuang Zhiqing by nearly 10,000 points?"

Looking at the name that kept rising, Lei Feng grew more and more frustrated.

"I'll have to push even harder in the third location if I want to catch up with them!" he vowed.

Zhuang Zhiqing was also staring at the rankings on his Earth Mirror.

"I earned 50,000 points at the second location, while Shi Yong earned 59,900 points. But Zhao Xing… he collected 60,000 points?"

Zhuang Zhiqing was taken aback.

"How did he end up with 10,000 more points than I did?"

He began reviewing his performance in detail.

Everyone was working in the same environments. If Zhao Xing was at Songxue Lake, then the others must have been there too. It was just that they hadn't crossed paths due to the sheer size of the area.

Zhuang Zhiqing had assumed that he could leave Zhao Xing in the dust. Instead, it turned out Zhao Xing had left him behind.

"Interesting… Zhao Xing somehow managed to beat me by 10,000 points," Zhuang Zhiqing thought, a fiery determination igniting within him. "Hmph, in this third location, I'll surpass him again!"

Meanwhile, Fu Ying glanced at his friend, Shi Yong.

"Still ranked first?" he asked.

"I didn't check," Shi Yong replied calmly, crouching down as he turned over the soil with his fingers, deeply inspecting it.

"You didn't check?" Fu Ying exclaimed. "You really don't care at all?"

"I only compete with myself," Shi Yong said indifferently. "There's no need to look at the rankings."

"Haha, you're confident, alright," Fu Ying laughed. "Are you saying there's no one who can catch up with you?"

"You should focus on your training," Shi Yong replied, not lifting his head.

June 29th, Double Sun Day.

When Zhao Xing stepped off the airship and surveyed his surroundings, he saw seven towering peaks encircling a vast basin that was to be their next training site.

According to the Earth Mirror, the current seasonal period was Lesser Heat. Zhao Xing submerged into the ground to inspect the terrain. After a single lap around the area, he let out a groan of frustration.

"Good grief," Zhao Xing muttered.

The terrain was incredibly stable. The five elemental forces of the environment—earth, water, fire, metal, and wood—were perfectly balanced, and the seven peaks completely suppressed any fluctuations in the earth's energy.

In other words, the terrain was unalterable.

It was the perfect "anti-gambling-strategy" location.

"They're targeting me, huh?" Zhao Xing grumbled under his breath.

He had just enjoyed great success with his gambling strategy, but only three days later, it seemed the training was designed specifically to counter his favorite tactic.

Still, Zhao Xing knew better than to think this was a personal attack. The training locations had all been predetermined. It was simply a coincidence that this particular area prevented him from using his usual methods.

"If the effects of earth-based cultivation methods are reduced, I'll just have to rely on Self School and Tianshi Academy techniques," Zhao Xing concluded.

After thoroughly scouting the terrain, Zhao Xing began adjusting the local climate using Seasonal Qi Command - Start of Summer, modifying the region's seasonal energy. He then chose the appropriate seeds for planting.

During the three days in the Seven Peaks Basin, Zhao Xing managed to earn 50,000 points.

July 3rd, the tenth day of provision training.

The Earth Mirror rankings were updated once again.

Zhao Xing glanced at the new rankings.

[First Place: Shi Yong – Training Points: 155,450]

[Second Place: Zhao Xing – Training Points: 145,150]

[Third Place: Zhuang Zhiqing – Training Points: 140,330]

[Fourth Place: Feng Qiu – Training Points: 120,200]

"The gap between me and Shi Yong has widened to 10,000 points," Zhao Xing assessed. "I earned 50,000 points in the Seven Peaks Basin, but Shi Yong managed 60,000."

"Even Zhuang Zhiqing earned 55,000 points, which means the difference probably comes from their more advanced mastery of the Seasonal Qi Command."

Zhao Xing reflected on his recent progress.

His Wasteland Essence Convergence had reached the seventh transformation, while Wild Growth had already achieved its perfected state. This gave him a slight advantage in Self School techniques.

But when it came to the Seasonal Qi Command, the lack of experience and training was still a disadvantage.

Both Zhuang Zhiqing and Shi Yong had spent years in military training as Shennong, mastering these techniques well before Zhao Xing had even started his training.

Zhao Xing only began training in the Seasonal Qi Command after entering the Ten Sun Cave-Heaven. Despite his talent, the Tianshi Academy's techniques took time to master, and that was reflected in the differences in their scores.

"Shi Yong and Zhuang Zhiqing's lead is an indication of their experience. I'll need to refine my techniques even more if I want to catch up."

Having reflected on his own shortcomings, Zhao Xing refocused on his training in the Seven Peaks Basin.

July 3rd to July 13th

During this period, the provision training involved three different locations, each with its own challenges and varying weather conditions. Zhao Xing, along with the other Shennong, continued adapting to these changing environments as they moved from place to place.

The first location presented scorching conditions under the oppressive influence of Triple Sun in the Sky, an extremely hot environment where the heat was nearly unbearable. Despite this, Zhao Xing managed to push through, using his cultivation techniques to manipulate the environment and grow provisions under extreme conditions.

Next, they encountered an environment plagued by relentless Howling Winds, a place where the noise from the wind never ceased, making it difficult to focus on cultivation and cultivation techniques. Despite the mental strain caused by the constant barrage of sound, Zhao Xing adapted his approach, using wind-based techniques to not only protect his crops but also to channel the winds to his advantage.

The third location was a Deserted Area with very little water, which added the challenge of creating a sustainable growth environment in such harsh, dry conditions. Zhao Xing had to rely heavily on his Wasteland Essence Convergence technique to extract the bare minimum of moisture from the land and nurture his crops, managing to harvest enough to keep up with the other top-ranking participants.

Additionally, they encountered Beast Interference at one of the locations. These beasts would constantly harass and destroy any progress made in planting or cultivation, forcing the Shennong to not only cultivate their crops but defend them as well.

For ten straight days, Zhao Xing and Zhuang Zhiqing traded places in the rankings, sometimes Zhao Xing would claim second place, and other times Zhuang Zhiqing would push ahead to retake it. Despite this constant back-and-forth, Zhao Xing wasn't too concerned with the daily rankings. Instead, he remained focused on the bigger picture—improving his techniques and preparing for the tougher challenges ahead.

The provision training, which had started as a practical exercise, had become a valuable experience in how to properly balance the various cultivation techniques. The varied environments forced Zhao Xing to adjust his approach and develop a deeper understanding of how to balance earth, weather, and elemental forces while competing against some of the strongest participants in the Ten Sun Cave-Heaven.

As the days passed, Zhao Xing began to immerse himself more fully in the challenges of each location, allowing him to refine his methods and adapt his Self School and Tianshi Academy techniques more efficiently.

July 14th to July 24th

The final ten days of the provision training saw a sharp increase in difficulty, and by this time, techniques like the Seasonal Qi Command became mostly ineffective. This was due to the increasingly extreme and erratic weather conditions, such as the emergence of Triple Sun in the Sky, making it nearly impossible to manipulate the environment through regular means.

Both Tianshi Academy and Self School techniques started to show their limitations in these more challenging environments. The provision training locations for these ten days were all located near the outer regions of some of the most treacherous areas in the Ten Sun Cave-Heaven.

The first of these locations was the Outer Region of the Gale Mountain Range, where the wind was so fierce that it wasn't just coming from the surface—it blew from beneath the ground as well. The windstorms in this area lasted for an entire day and night, and no one could rest for even a moment. The wind was unrelenting, with the Shennong constantly battling against it to protect their crops and secure whatever provisions they could.

Using his mastery of wind-based techniques such as Minor Nine Heavens Gale and Yin Wind, Zhao Xing was able to defend his plants from the brutal gales. Thanks to his quick thinking and constant vigilance, he managed to earn 20,000 points at the Gale Mountain Range.

The second location was the Outer Region of the Lava Plains, where the environment was dominated by searing heat and lava flows. The area was unsuitable for Zhao Xing's usual gambling strategy, as the fire and water forces in the area were too extreme for him to manipulate effectively. As a result, Zhao Xing could only gather 10,000 points in this location, far less than what he had achieved earlier.

The last location was the Outer Region of the Ten Thousand Li Thunder Pool, a perilous zone where both weather and the environment were completely uncontrollable. Here, Zhao Xing planted all the seeds he had, hoping that at least a few would survive. In the end, only two types of plants managed to survive, yielding just 3,000 points.

The Final Day of Provision Training

With the final day of the provision training behind them, Zhao Xing and his assigned warrior squad were finally able to head back to the base. The warriors, who had been subjected to Zhao Xing's constant production of provisions over the past month, were completely worn out, both physically and mentally. Lying motionless in the cabin of the airship, they showed no signs of enthusiasm for the journey home.

For nearly a month, they had been eating constantly—day in and day out—without a moment's reprieve. Zhao Xing had been diligent in producing an endless supply of provisions, leaving the warriors no choice but to keep consuming them while undergoing rapid-eating training. By the end of the first week, some of the warriors had reached the point where the mere thought of eating made them nauseous, yet they still had to continue the training.

The last nine days of training, spent in three highly challenging locations, had been particularly brutal. Zhao Xing's provision output had decreased significantly due to the harsh environments, but even so, the sheer volume of food was still overwhelming for the warriors.

By the time the airship returned to Yangcheng, the entire squad was on the verge of collapsing from exhaustion. When the familiar sight of Yangcheng's city walls came into view, the first words finally escaped from one of the warriors' mouths.

"It's finally over... thank heavens!" Wang Meng clung to the window of the airship, tears streaming down his face.

"I never thought I'd be so happy to see Yangcheng again. It feels like home!" a fellow warrior commented.

"I've eaten more food in this one month than I've eaten in the past two years," another warrior grumbled, sniffing his hands. "I don't think I'll be able to eat fish for the rest of this year."

"Ugh!" The mere mention of fish caused Xia Jing to react immediately, his face turning pale as he gagged.

"Shut your mouth! Don't say that word!" Xia Jing growled, grabbing the warrior by the collar. "If you say it again, I'll cut you down right here!"

"Hic!" The unfortunate warrior let out a hiccup, and the foul smell of fish drifted out, causing the entire squad to gag.

"..."

Standing at the airship's entrance, Liu Yongli couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy for his squad. Even as an observer, he couldn't help but pity the warriors for enduring Zhao Xing's relentless provision training.

"Can you imagine? Lava Plains and Ten Thousand Li Thunder Pool... those aren't places where anyone should be growing food! For an entire month, these guys did nothing but eat and train with the Devouring Technique every single day. What a nightmare..." Liu Yongli muttered to himself, shaking his head at their misfortune.

With a soft whirring sound, the airship finally docked at the Shennong Division headquarters.

Zhao Xing jumped off the airship and waved at the ten warriors.

"Let's keep in touch, brothers!" he called out.

"Goodbye!" came the collective shout from the warriors as the airship immediately took off, speeding away.

"Why are they in such a hurry? They didn't even stick around for a cup of tea," Zhao Xing mused aloud, watching the airship disappear into the distance. He couldn't help but feel a bit nostalgic about the month-long training, especially since Xia Jing had eaten the most provisions by far.

Most of the food Zhao Xing produced over the past month had gone straight into Xia Jing's stomach. The other nine warriors combined hadn't consumed nearly as much as he had.

"Those last three locations were tough, and I couldn't grow much, plus I didn't have much choice when it came to flavors either. I guess I can't blame them for running off so quickly," Zhao Xing said to himself with a wry smile as he entered the Dili Academy.

The moment he stepped through the gates, his Earth Mirror began to vibrate.

Zhao Xing pulled it out, revealing the final rankings for the second round of compulsory training.