Chapter 177: Zhao Xing Receives Command of Grain City 92, Encountering a Fat Sheep!
"He's out?" Long Xiao looked expectantly at the pale blue vortex, watching as a tall figure slowly flew out.
"Zhao Xing!" Long Xiao waved and called out.
Zhao Xing nodded at Long Xiao before bowing to Lu Bang. "Thank you for your guidance, Master Lu."
"No need for thanks, you achieved it yourself," Lu Bang smiled and then gestured toward Long Xiao. "This kid's been waiting impatiently. Go on."
Zhao Xing cupped his hands in thanks and quickly flew out of Taicang Academy with Long Xiao.
"Zhao Xing, you seem different," Long Xiao remarked, observing Zhao Xing. Although his appearance remained the same, his demeanor had completely changed from when he was in Cloud Gate City. Back then, Zhao Xing exuded a sharp, lethal aura, like an unsheathed sword brimming with killing intent.
Now, however, there was a certain ethereal quality to him. His presence was entirely restrained, but when Long Xiao focused, he could sense an astonishing vitality within him, like a volcano on the verge of eruption.
"There have been some changes," Zhao Xing nodded. He was well aware of the differences. Previously, after just entering the Earth Fiend Stage, his physical and spiritual energies hadn't fully assimilated the fiendish aura, giving him a fierce and aggressive demeanor.
However, after over a month of training and comprehending the Dao, especially after leaving the Original Dao Field, he had gained complete control over the fiendish energy, perfectly fusing it with his own essence.
The hidden dangers of advancing too quickly had finally been resolved.
"Lu Bang said you were comprehending the Dao. What exactly did you learn that took you so long?" Long Xiao asked curiously.
"I mastered an advanced Self School technique, Primordial Instant."
"I've never heard of it."
"It's a high-level technique for nurturing elemental energies, not many people know it," Zhao Xing explained. "It allows plant life to break through growth barriers."
Long Xiao nodded, only half understanding. "I hope it's as powerful as you say. You've spent a lot of time on it— the Pacification Merit Rankings have been open for over half a month!"
"No rush," Zhao Xing smiled. "Sharpening the axe doesn't delay the chopping of wood. How far could they have advanced in half a month?"
Battles below the fifth rank could drag on for years, so missing half a month wouldn't make much difference.
"How far? You're underestimating the strength of Great Zhou."
"Fifty thousand li of borderland, full-scale advancement, and in half a month, the battlefront has already pushed forward ten thousand li. The closer segments to the border are just four thousand li away now," Long Xiao explained. "South of the Canglan River, excluding the Nine Heavens Yingyuan Prefecture, over three thousand cities have been newly constructed!"
"They've already conquered territory equivalent to five prefectures of Yingyuan!"
Long Xiao expected Zhao Xing to be anxious upon hearing this, but Zhao Xing remained calm.
Ten thousand li sounded far when Zhao Xing had just entered the Ninth Rank, but now that his mobility had greatly increased, he knew that distance wasn't much.
Moreover, the three thousand new cities were mostly "Emperor Jing-style" reports.
The numbers were likely accurate, but Zhao Xing estimated that more than half of these cities were supply depots or garrison forts, or perhaps they were cities under the control of the Southern Barbarian King's court.
This initial victory was more of a morale booster for the Pacification War.
It was far from the point where Zhao Xing needed to be concerned.
If large numbers of sixth or seventh-ranked soldiers started dying, then Zhao Xing would indeed need to hurry, as that would mean the window of opportunity for earning merit was closing.
"Where was I assigned?" Zhao Xing asked. "What's my new appointment?"
"You were in seclusion, so how could they assign you yet?" Long Xiao replied. "The Marquis didn't want to disturb you, so they waited for you to come out."
"Now that all the battle formations have been distributed, there aren't many positions left that suit your seventh-rank status. The Ninth Section Commanders are all fully staffed. I'd guess you won't have many chances to fight."
"One doesn't need to be a Ninth Section Commander to earn merit," Zhao Xing replied casually. In this Pacification War, there were no shortage of opportunities to earn merit.
Bringing along his Mountain Cat, Long Xiao and Zhao Xing boarded the Swordfish Airship and quickly headed for Xi'er City, the headquarters of the Shenwei Army.
Zhao Xing was now officially part of the Shenwei Army, and his purpose was to report to Yang An.
After six hours of travel, they arrived at Xi'er City.
Yang An resided in a grand mansion within the city, which he had named Boping Mansion.
Boping Mansion was heavily guarded, spears lined up like a forest. The two men made their way to the military hall, where the general usually handled military affairs.
Outside the hall, the training grounds were filled with weapons like swords, spears, and halberds. Every soldier was donned in battle armor, iron helmets on their heads, with expressions of stern determination.
At the top of the palace stairs, Jia Pu stood holding a precious sword, its hilt inlaid with gemstones that gleamed faintly under the sun.
He stood motionless, like a statue. The soldiers passing by couldn't help but glance toward the gate.
They knew the military advisor was waiting for a certain Shennong Officer named Zhao Xing and had already been waiting for three hours.
They couldn't understand what kind of ability Zhao Xing possessed to warrant such attention.
"They've arrived," Jia Pu suddenly lifted his head as Long Xiao and Zhao Xing appeared at the gate.
He descended the steps just as they reached the bottom.
"Greetings, General Shenwei," Zhao Xing bowed upon seeing Jia Pu. Since Yang An had temporarily demoted himself to the rank of a common soldier, Jia Pu was now acting commander of the Shenwei Army.
"Zhao Xing," Jia Pu smiled, making a gesture of respect. "No need for formalities. You've been in seclusion for many days—did you gain anything?"
"Yes, I've made some progress," Zhao Xing responded modestly.
"That's good," Jia Pu said. "The Marquis is currently away from Xi'er County, so I'll be issuing your new appointment in his place. Is there anywhere in particular you'd like to go?"
"At your command, General. I'll go wherever you need me," Zhao Xing answered.
"The Marquis specifically told me that you're versatile, skilled in both warfare and agriculture. He said I must hear your preferences first." Jia Pu pulled out a Misty Pearl. "This records all of the Shenwei Army's camps in the Southern Wilderness. You can choose freely."
"Choose freely?" Long Xiao murmured. He thought the battle formations had already been filled. Were they going to create a new camp for Zhao Xing?
Zhao Xing didn't hold back and began to seriously review the information.
Currently, many Sixth Rank officers were leading battles on the front lines and building cities as supply and rest points deep in the Southern Wilderness.
The fastest-moving commander was Commander Liao Rulong, who led over twelve thousand soldiers across eight battalions, including the Five Elements Battalion, Divine Machine Battalion, and Ninth Section Commanders. Both Long Xiao and Chen Shijie were under Liao Rulong's command.
Liao Rulong was currently stationed in a place called Machang City, six thousand li deep into the Southern Wilderness. He was engaged in combat with the "Wolf God" tribe under the Golden Feather Royal Court, as Machang City had originally been the Wolf God tribe's territory.
"General, I would like to join Commander Liao Rulong's unit," Zhao Xing answered. If he were to join, it would be with the strongest team. With Chen Shijie and Long Xiao already there, joining a familiar group would be much better than entering a completely foreign unit.
"Commander Liao Rulong only has one seventh-rank position left: the Junshu Commandant. Other units have openings for Ninth Section Commanders," Jia Pu explained. "If you'd like to lead a unit, I can arrange for you to be the main commander."
Zhao Xing shook his head. "I am not yet skilled enough. It's better to first familiarize myself with the environment."
Chen Shijie and the others had pushed far into hostile territory. Although Military Shennong Officers could cultivate grains, it was only a temporary measure. In such harsh conditions, most supplies could not be quickly produced.
That's why the military built supply cities in the Southern Wilderness. The Junshu Commandant was responsible for creating and delivering critical supplies like medicinal herbs, mechanical parts for the Artificers, and recovery supplements to the frontline soldiers.
It was a crucial role. The Southern Wilderness strategy involved luring the enemy deeper and stretching the front line to wear down Da Zhou.
Junshu Commandants had numerous opportunities for merit, possibly even more than those fighting on the front lines, as Southern Barbarian tribes often raided supply cities.
Moreover, Zhao Xing wanted to back up Chen Shijie, ensuring his old friend didn't perish in the Southern Wilderness.
"In that case, follow me!"
Jia Pu led Zhao Xing inside the palace, where a statue of a deity stood tall.
"Zhao Xing, receive your orders!"
"Present!"
"By the decree of the military, I appoint you as Junshu Commandant of Commander Liao Rulong's division in the Shenwei Army, overseeing Grain City 92! You are now responsible for supplying provisions to the army, effective immediately!" Jia Pu gestured, and a golden document appeared from the fire pit beneath the deity's statue. Jia Pu then stamped it with the Shenwei Army's seal of authority.
"I accept!" Zhao Xing knelt before the statue and respectfully received the document.
After the formalities were completed, Jia Pu sternly said:
"Zhao Xing, Long Xiao, head to the Southern Wilderness and do not disgrace the name of the Shenwei Army."
"Understood."
On the 20th of June, after receiving his appointment in Xi'er County, Zhao Xing and Long Xiao immediately crossed the river, heading for the Southern Wilderness.
"The Cloud Gate City is now completely part of the Nine Heavens Yingyuan Prefecture's heartland."
As the Swordfish Airship soared through the sky, Zhao Xing gazed down at the land below.
During his month and twenty days of seclusion, the Pacification Merit Rankings had been active for eighteen days, and the changes were considerable.
Originally, Cloud Gate was a border city of the Nine Heavens Yingyuan Prefecture.
Now, however, one hundred and twenty mountain cities had been newly built to the south of Cloud Gate, with powerful cultivators altering the climate in the surrounding areas.
It seemed they were planning to turn this territory into a fertile land.
"The area south of Cloud Gate now includes six counties, and they're not messing around. They've even moved the boundary markers and begun constructing county-level shrines."
When Da Zhou expanded its territory, whether the land was newly acquired or already developed depended on whether shrines had been erected.
If no shrine had been built, or if it was of low rank, it meant the land was still new and might be prone to reversals or might be abandoned due to harsh conditions in the future.
"Three thousand new cities, and 30% of them are already developed. Moreover, the expansion is accelerating," Zhao Xing thought. "The Southern Barbarian strategy of luring enemies deeper to stretch the front lines is being countered by Da Zhou slowly but surely building cities and shrinking the supply lines. No one's stupid here."
"Let's check the merit rankings."
Zhao Xing pulled out his Earth Mirror and opened the merit ranking list.
[Shenwei Army Zhao Xing: Seventh Rank]
[Merit: 0]
[Rank: 5,518,712]
The merit rankings were constantly fluctuating, and in the next moment, Zhao Xing's rank dropped by several hundred spots.
"I haven't earned any merit yet, so I'm at the very bottom," Zhao Xing mused. "Even a common soldier outranks me. But once I arrive at Grain City 92, I'll quickly climb up."
His starting point was the seventh-rank Junshu Commandant. As soon as he began performing daily military duties, he could easily jump up hundreds of thousands of ranks in no time.
"Let's see who's in first place."
Zhao Xing scrolled to the top of the list.
[First Place in the Merit Rankings: Shenlei Army's Lu Yuanwei; Sixth Rank; Merit: 1,041,015]
"He's already earned over a million merit points?" Zhao Xing marveled at the speed. "Lu Yuanwei… That name sounds familiar. The Shenlei Army… Is he a prince from Luliang Prefecture?"
"Long Xiao," Zhao Xing pointed to the top of the merit rankings, "do you know who this Lu Yuanwei is?"
"Isn't it written there? He's from the Shenlei Army."
"…"
Such insightful commentary.
"Is he from Luliang Prefecture?"
"How would I know? I don't follow that stuff," Long Xiao shrugged. "Probably. The Shenlei Army ranked 116th in the last military drill. Anyone who can serve as a commander in a top-tier army like that is no small fry."
"Alright, you can go pet the cat now," Zhao Xing said, realizing it was pointless to ask. He continued examining the rankings.
He skipped past the sixth-rank officers and went straight to the seventh-rank category.
Promotions followed the merit rankings, with the top candidates being promoted first.
Therefore, as long as Zhao Xing ranked near the top of the seventh-rank list, he could be promoted to the sixth rank in the next round of honors.
The same process applied to all other ranks.
In addition, the merit system was tied to land, titles, and other honors.
Officers ranked seventh or higher, with outstanding merit, could earn titles that even benefitted their families.
For example, if Zhao Xing ranked first in the seventh-rank list, his wife or mother could be granted the title of Seventh Rank Wu Hua Lady.
Such honorary titles also extended lifespan, enhanced fortune, granted cultivation rights, and even helped advance their elemental essence ranking.
First to fifth-rank titled ladies were formidable fighters themselves, their ranks linked to their husband's status.
"Why are there so many unfamiliar names among the seventh-rank officers?"
"Even Xia Jing is ranked over two thousand."
Zhao Xing was surprised.
Xia Jing was also at the seventh rank, but his current ranking was 2,800.
However, Xia Jing's rise was swift, and in the blink of an eye, he moved up three spots.
"The competition is fierce."
"The new generation of seventh-rank officers is competing against the veteran seventh-rank officers."
Zhao Xing noticed Long Xiao's ranking, and everything made sense.
Long Xiao was ranked 500 places higher than Xia Jing, holding the title of a formidable Valiant Officer of the Seventh Rank.
Additionally, battle prowess and merit rankings weren't always directly correlated. Bad luck could land someone in an area where they couldn't make much progress, leading to no merit gained after weeks of fighting.
Merit wasn't permanent either.
If a battle was lost or there were heavy casualties, merit could be deducted.
"The military rules state that in any battle where casualties exceed 50%, no merit is awarded. Depending on the circumstances, merit may even be reduced, with exceptions for special cases."
Zhao Xing glanced at the top ten of the seventh-rank merit list.
Beyond the fiftieth position, the rankings fluctuated frequently.
But in the top twenty, the rankings were much more stable, sometimes remaining unchanged for several days.
[Seventh-Rank Merit Rankings:]
[1st: Zhaoyuan Army's Qi Yuangu, Seventh Rank Upper, Merit: 272,142]
[2nd: Yuanhua Army's Yi Yue, Seventh Rank Upper, Merit: 250,145]
[3rd: Huan You Army's Nangong Ye, Seventh Rank Upper, Merit: 242,514]
[4th: Zhaoyuan Army's Pang Zheng, Seventh Rank Upper, Merit: 240,211]
[5th: Yuanhua Army...]
...
[10th: Hujiao Army's Wei Hong, Seventh Rank Upper, Merit: 215,475]
[20th: Lieyang Army's Helian Lie, Seventh Rank Upper, Merit: 172,451]
It wasn't until he reached the tenth position that Zhao Xing saw a familiar name.
"Wei Hong, the fourth son of Wei Yuan, also in the Hujiao Army."
"Helian Lie and Wei Yuan both tried to recruit me before."
Zhao Xing recalled both individuals. Wei Yuan, in particular, was an old acquaintance of his teacher, Lord Tian. Naturally, Zhao Xing knew a lot about him. Wei Hong was Wei Yuan's fourth son.
Wei Yuan's first three sons had died during the early expansion of the Nine Heavens Yingyuan Prefecture.
"The other four armies from the various cave-heavens rank higher than the eight armies from the Ten Sun Cave-Heaven. Only the Hujiao Army is on par with the strong armies from the other four cave-heavens. The Xuanjia Army, Lieyang Army, and Zhenhai Army rank lower."
"Shi Yong and Zhuang Zhiqing are doing well in the Hujiao Army, almost cracking the top ten thousand in the seventh-rank merit list," Zhao Xing noted.
"Considering how many seventh-rank officers there are, getting into the top ten thousand is quite good."
As for the sixth rank, based on the total number of officers from the five major cave-heavens participating in the war, there were about fifty thousand sixth-rank officers.
Most of the elite armies had many sixth-rank officers. In weaker armies, a sixth-rank officer could be the main commander, while in stronger armies, even sixth-rank officers might only serve as section commanders. For example, in the Shenwei Army, section commanders were typically eighth-rank officers.
As they crossed the river, the Swordfish Airship maintained its swift pace.
The Southern Barbarian army was conducting a full retreat. The military wasn't in a hurry; the battle lines were being pushed forward steadily.
Beyond four thousand li from Cloud Gate, the area was mostly safe.
The dangerous regions began four thousand li beyond that.
Each army's advancement varied, so it was possible for the Southern Barbarian Royal Courts to bypass the stronger armies and target weaker sections of the front lines.
After about four hours, Zhao Xing crossed the "four-thousand-li" safety line.
The weather began to change unpredictably.
Long Xiao emerged from the cabin. "Anything unusual?"
"Not yet."
Zhao Xing shook his head.
"If something comes up, let's stop for a while," Long Xiao said. "I've already lost several days chasing after you. If we run into a small enemy force, don't let them go. That's easy merit right there."
"Don't worry, I'm keeping an eye out," Zhao Xing laughed.
The duo made a formidable pair. Even if they encountered a full squad of seventh-ranked soldiers, as long as it wasn't more than five hundred men, it would be an easy victory.
Of course, if the enemy had their own genius-level fighters, that was another story.
However, in the four-thousand-to-eight-thousand-li stretch of the front line, that seemed unlikely.
The Southern Barbarian Royal Courts were using a retreat strategy, so they wouldn't risk sending their elite geniuses, as their losses would be too painful.
Another thousand li passed without incident.
By now, Zhao Xing had lowered the Swordfish Airship to an altitude of three thousand meters.
Above that, fierce winds occasionally howled. At such altitudes, seventh-rank Earth Fiend cultivators would struggle to fight effectively.
The environment in the Southern Wilderness was harsh, not just due to natural causes but also because of deliberate weather manipulation by the Southern Barbarian sorcerers. These sorcerers purposely disrupted the weather to create obstacles for Da Zhou's advance.
The Swordfish Airship was a fifth-grade lower-tier ship, and flying through these winds would reduce its speed and cause the ship's core energy materials to deplete faster.
After another half-hour, Zhao Xing lowered the ship's altitude to one thousand meters.
They were now five thousand five hundred li into the battle lines.
Where Zhao Xing had previously been able to see numerous Da Zhou cities along the route, the number of cities was now decreasing. It took longer to spot one, even with a map.
Just when Zhao Xing thought they would safely arrive at Grain City 92 without incident…
"Hmm?"
Zhao Xing suddenly felt something and looked toward the distant horizon.
"Long Xiao, get out here!"
"Whoosh~"
Long Xiao immediately rushed out.
"What's going on?"
"We have a situation."
Zhao Xing pointed in a direction.
"Look southeast, raise your sight by a hundred meters. There are enemy traces."
Long Xiao looked up but saw nothing.
Zhao Xing didn't explain further. He immediately adjusted the airship's course, flying southeast for another ten li and raising the ship's altitude by a hundred meters, reaching the "gale wind layer."
"Whoosh~"
Zhao Xing used his Cloud Summoning technique to create a long, narrow cloud path, fixing it in the sky at a certain location.
"Change!"
Zhao Xing commanded the cloud to transform into a blood-red color—this was the Blood Cloud Mimicry from his Devouring Cloud technique.
"Do you see it now?"
Long Xiao's eyes lit up with excitement. "I see it! It's the tail trace of a Underworld Flame Warship!"
"Exactly," Zhao Xing nodded. "The Southern Barbarian's Underworld Flame Warships are modeled after Da Zhou's Crackling Flame Warships. Their wind sails, fire cloud sails, and Five Elements flags allow the ships to hide their traces, even in the gale wind layers."
"However, the Southern Barbarians use Underworld Rock as their core material. Its flaw is that it leaves behind faint cloud trails at the ship's rear, like a boat leaving ripples in water— it's quite conspicuous."
"Even though the Southern Barbarians have made multiple improvements, reducing the cloud trail to just twenty meters wide, within an hour it's still detectable."
"If more than an hour passes, I wouldn't have noticed this disturbance in the gale wind layer, as the trail would have been blown away by the wind."
Long Xiao, having fought many battles with Chen Shijie, immediately understood Zhao Xing's explanation. "So, an enemy ship passed by less than an hour ago?"
Zhao Xing observed the long trail, then pondered, "Judging by the width and density of the cloud trail, it passed by half an hour ago."
Long Xiao immediately pulled out a map and traced his finger across it. "There's a supply city within three hundred li to the southeast, one belonging to the Zhenhai Army."
"Further ahead, within eight hundred li, there are three more supply cities, belonging to the Zhenhai Army and Xuanjia Army."
"Wow, these supply cities are high-tier. We've stumbled upon a big haul!"
Zhao Xing nodded. "Indeed. If they dare to attack these three cities, there's surely a seventh-rank leading them. The Underworld Flame Warship is a fifth-grade upper-tier ship, capable of carrying three thousand men and deploying giant siege weapons. Long Xiao, are you in?"
Long Xiao laughed. "You've already set the ship on course, and now you're asking if I'm in? Of course, I'm in! But can we catch up?"
Zhao Xing replied, "The Swordfish Airship is a lightweight model, known for its speed, and the Underworld Flame Warship can't be going too fast if it's trying to stay hidden. I estimate we'll catch up just as they reach the Zhenhai Army's supply city."
Nearby, the Mountain Cat, Long Aotian, let out a roar: "Meow-oo!"
Long Xiao unsheathed his giant sword from his back. "Hahaha! Look, even Aotian is telling us to charge! Let's go! Don't hold back on the fuel, this could be a big score! Speed up the ship!"