Chapter 184: Three Growth Cycles, the Fire Demon Tribe, and the Earth Fire Lotus!

Zhao Xing wandered aimlessly, sometimes pulling up a blade of grass to taste it, sometimes lying down in the grass, and then suddenly sprinting again.

Above him, the airship slowly followed, not disturbing him or waking him up.

Initially, Long Xiao was assigned to protect Zhao Xing, partly to prevent anything unusual from happening.

So far, there hadn't been any need for this protection, but now it had become necessary.

"He's been walking for a full day and night, and now he's almost out of our defense zone," Liao Rulong said. "Are you sure he's okay?"

"No problem," Chen Shijie responded confidently.

Liao Rulong didn't know where Chen Shijie's confidence came from, but in such matters, Chen's words carried a lot of weight.

"He's about to cross into the defense zone of the 88th City of the Lieyang Army. I'll go inform them."

"Thank you," Chen Shijie said.

Liao Rulong nodded, took to the air, and flew down, carried by his Heavenly Gang energy.

In the defense zone of the 88th City of the Lieyang Army.

At that moment, a small team had come out to check on the situation, led by a Military Shennong.

The disturbance caused by Zhao Xing wasn't significant in the eyes of other professionals.

But to a Military Shennong, it was like a beacon in the night.

Military Shennong Sun He, already at the peak of the Seventh Rank Earth Fiend Realm, sensed an abnormal fluctuation of plant growth and decay in a particular area.

"Brother Sun, should we go over and check it out?" a Seventh-Rank warrior asked Sun He. "It doesn't look like someone from Da Zhou, more like a wild man."

Indeed, Zhao Xing now looked like a wild man.

His hair had grown so long it nearly touched the ground, his shoes were missing, and he was filthy.

"Let's not go over just yet," Sun He said seriously. "It doesn't seem like he's from another race. No foreign race would dare pull a stunt like this in our defense zone."

"If they're pretending, this is a poor disguise."

"Then what's going on?" the Seventh-Rank warrior asked, confused. "He looks like a fellow Seventh Rank. Could he have gone mad?"

"Maybe," Sun He said, using his Hawk Eye technique to observe. "There's always a thin line between enlightenment and going mad."

"If it's the former, he should have a protector nearby. We'll just wait here."

Sun He was experienced and knew better than to act rashly. He kept his distance, watching closely.

However, if Zhao Xing didn't have a protector, or if he approached too closely and communication failed, Sun He would have no choice but to take him down.

But his judgment was correct—soon, a figure in azure armor descended from the sky. He was a tall, burly man with a thick beard, a high nose, and prominent cheekbones, making him easily recognizable.

When Sun He saw him, he was shocked and quickly stepped forward to greet him.

"Liao Captain?"

"Sun He of the Lieyang Army greets Captain Liao," Sun He saluted. Liao Rulong was currently one of the top 300 on the Sixth-Rank rankings, a fierce and respected figure.

The Shenwei Army had performed heroically in this campaign, with Liao Rulong and Wen Shaoyang's units standing out the most.

Originally considered the weakest among the Ten Sun Cave-Heaven forces, the Shenwei Army had risen to the second tier in terms of merit, just behind the Hujiao Army and the Xuanjia Army.

And the Shenwei Army had far fewer troops than those two forces.

On the battlefield, the strong are always respected.

"Sun He," Liao Rulong's voice boomed like a bell. "We need you to clear the way. A brother in my unit is currently gaining enlightenment in an advanced technique."

Sun He glanced at Zhao Xing, understanding the situation.

He was curious about who was important enough to make Liao Rulong personally clear the way.

Could it be Chen Shijie?

"Since Captain Liao is vouching for him, there's no problem," Sun He said quickly. "May I ask which brother of the Shenwei Army is gaining enlightenment? If it's confidential, please forget I asked."

Liao Rulong laughed. "It's no secret. He's the Equal Distribution Officer of the Shenwei Army, Seventh-Rank Military Shennong, Zhao Xing."

"Zhao Xing?" The name rang a bell, but Sun He couldn't immediately place it. Not wanting to press further, he decided to look into it later.

Instead, he offered a flattering comment, "So it's Brother Zhao from the Shenwei Army! I've heard of him but didn't expect to meet him today."

Liao Rulong smiled without saying more.

"Captain Liao, we won't disturb you any longer. We'll clear the way," Sun He said, bowing before retreating with his team.

Time passed, and Zhao Xing continued walking for another 13 days. It was now August 13th.

Liao Rulong's unit had initially planned to rest for only 10 days, but seeing Zhao Xing's state, they stayed an extra two days.

Zhao Xing aimlessly wandered through many cities.

Occasionally, small teams from other armies spotted him and came to investigate, only to be intercepted by Liao Rulong and his men.

A trail of flowers and grass grew in his wake.

From above, one could see that Zhao Xing's path formed a strange, tree-like pattern.

"Hmm?" Chen Shijie, observing from the air, couldn't help but be drawn in by the scene below.

"He's about to return to his starting point. This pattern..."

Chen Shijie felt a strange resonance, as if he were witnessing a teaching in the form of a painting!

More and more people in the southeastern war zone were becoming aware of this peculiar man named Zhao Xing. The plants that grew where he walked were all first and second-rank!

Many Military Shennongs who were resting had come to observe Zhao Xing's path from the sky.

However, most returned without any revelations, as Zhao Xing's insights were related to the high-level techniques of the Self School.

The Self School wasn't widely practiced, mainly because of its difficulty. In the current battlefield, excluding the Sixth-Rank, it was rare for even one in ten thousand Military Shennongs to comprehend a high-level Self School technique.

When Zhao Xing finally reached the gates of City No. 92, he suddenly stopped.

Everyone watched in silence, holding their breath, afraid to disturb this genius.

Chen Shijie, Long Xiao, and Liao Rulong all watched expectantly.

Suddenly, Zhao Xing squatted down, a smile spreading across his face.

"I get it now! Hahaha!"

"I knew I was amazing!"

"Hahaha!"

The abrupt laughter left everyone stunned. The way they looked at Zhao Xing became strange.

What exactly had he realized to make him laugh so maniacally?

"He..." Liao Rulong seemed about to say something but hesitated.

Even Chen Shijie's expression wavered.

Could Zhao Xing really have gone mad?

"Old Chen!"

At that moment, Zhao Xing suddenly turned and waved at Chen Shijie, who was floating in the air.

"Come down here!"

Liao Rulong wanted to stop him, feeling that Zhao Xing might be dangerous at the moment.

But before he could say anything, Chen Shijie unhesitatingly jumped down.

Seeing this, Liao Rulong and Long Xiao followed suit.

"Huh? They all jumped down—who's flying the airship?"

Liao Rulong was speechless and had to return to the airship to land it.

"I'm here," Chen Shijie said, running over to Zhao Xing. "What do you want to show me?"

Zhao Xing pointed at a vine on the ground. "What is this?"

"A first-rank Tough Vine, part of the vine family."

"Look again." Zhao Xing reached out, and a golden light touched the vine.

"Second-rank, Tough Vine, with dual toughness."

Zhao Xing cast another spell, and the vine began climbing up Chen Shijie's ankle, quickly wrapping around his waist.

"What about now?" Zhao Xing asked with a grin.

Chen Shijie was shocked. "It's third-rank now."

He tried to break free but found the vine unyielding.

"It's grown to the pinnacle of the third rank? Triple toughness—what incredible strength!"

Chen Shijie was amazed.

Tough Vine was one of the most ordinary vine plants, with a natural growth limit of the first rank.

Yet here it was, a third-rank Tough Vine!

No, this vine was practically a king among vines!

"Heh, impressive, right?" Zhao Xing grinned like a child who had found a treasure, eager to show it off.

Chen Shijie laughed and praised him. "Very impressive."

He sensed that Zhao Xing's laughter this time was the most genuine, and his demeanor was the most relaxed he had seen, free of the weariness of someone wise beyond their years.

At that moment, Chen Shijie could feel that Zhao Xing's trust in him had reached its peak—he had let down all his defenses and revealed his true self.

"Old Chen, do you want to learn this? I can teach you," Zhao Xing offered.

"Maybe next time," Chen Shijie laughed. "You're filthy right now, and you stink."

"Uh?"

Zhao Xing suddenly became self-aware.

He looked around and realized that many eyes were on him.

Although he had felt those gazes before, his focus had been entirely on his enlightenment.

"True." Zhao Xing collected himself, and as he did, Chen Shijie could no longer sense his presence. His aura had shifted, as if he had donned a veil, obscuring his true nature.

"Wind, come!"

A gust of astral wind swirled around Zhao Xing.

In the next moment, his hair returned to its previous length, and the dirt on his face and body vanished.

"Rain, come!"

A torrent of water poured over his head.

Yet his clothes remained dry, though all the dirt had been washed away.

"All done."

Zhao Xing cupped his hands toward the onlookers. "Sorry for disturbing everyone. You can go now."

Han Bing and Wang Ji began dispersing the crowd.

Wang Ji thoughtfully brought over a pair of Cloud Stepping Boots.

They had been lost during Zhao Xing's run, but Wang Ji had cleaned them and kept them ready.

"Boss, put your shoes on."

Wang Ji squatted down to help.

"Come on, Wang Gong, no need to be so formal," Zhao Xing laughed, reaching out to help him up. "I can put them on myself."

"No worries, let me do it," Wang Ji insisted, firmly putting the shoes on for him.

Liao Rulong observed the scene and nodded inwardly.

He knew who Wang Ji was—an A-grade genius from the Ten Sun Cave-Heaven.

Now, he was a Seventh-Rank officer.

For a genius like him to willingly do such a thing for Zhao Xing?

There was no need for showmanship here; Wang Ji genuinely felt that this task was nothing out of the ordinary.

This showed how highly Zhao Xing was regarded by his peers.

"In just two short months, Zhao Xing has united all of City No. 92 and climbed the merit rankings. No wonder both the Marquis and the Strategist told me to take special care of him," Liao Rulong thought.

Talented individuals are common, but truly exceptional leaders are rare.

In the Hujiao Army, for example, their top Military Shennong prospect, Shi Yong, hadn't made much of an impact. Despite his talent, his performance had been unremarkable—perhaps excellent by ordinary standards, but there were plenty of other excellent officers.

But Zhao Xing, no matter where he went—whether in Cloud Gate or now in City No. 92—could quickly adapt and take control of the situation.

"Officer Zhao Xing, greetings to Captain Liao." After putting on his shoes, Zhao Xing immediately bowed to Liao Rulong.

Technically, Liao Rulong was his superior officer, and this was the first time Zhao Xing had seen him since waking up, so it was only proper to show his respect.

Moreover, this Sixth-Rank warrior had been protecting him all this time. Both officially and personally, he deserved a bow.

"No need to be so formal," Liao Rulong chuckled, extending his hand. His protective astral energy formed two qi palms, lifting Zhao Xing before he could bow.

"We're all brothers here. In my unit, there's no rank outside of battle!"

"You can call me Old Liao if you want! Hahaha!"

Zhao Xing laughed as well. Every leader had their own style. Some were strict, while others were more approachable, treating their subordinates as equals and sharing meals and quarters with them.

Liao Rulong radiated a kind of bold, brotherly energy.

"Come on, don't just stand there. Let's go into the city and chat over a drink!"

Liao Rulong slung his left arm around Long Xiao's neck and placed his right hand on Chen Shijie's shoulder, nodding toward Zhao Xing. "Let's head back to the city and talk while we drink!"

"I've heard a lot about your exploits in the Ten Sun Cave-Heaven, especially those two characters, Ge Wuzhu and Cheng Xiazi. How did two proper Fifth-Rank Military Shennongs end up with nicknames like that? Hahaha, come on, let's hear all about it when we get back."

By the evening of August 13th, Liao Rulong had planned to call his other three Sixth-Rank deputies to City No. 92 for a reunion.

But recalling the fate of Li Que (Chen Lu's superior), he dismissed the idea.

Thus, the only Sixth-Rank officers in City No. 92 were Chen Shijie and Liao Rulong.

After all this time, Chen Shijie had finally advanced to the Sixth-Rank Heavenly Gang Realm. Long Xiao, the sword cultivator, had progressed more slowly.

Over drinks with Liao Rulong and the others, Zhao Xing gathered more detailed intelligence.

Liao Rulong's unit had started with 12,000 troops, divided into eight camps: the Five Elements Camp, the Divine Mechanism Camp, the Nine-Section Camp, and the Dragon Camp.

The Five Elements Camp consisted of metal, wood, water, fire, and earth magicians—magicians who also cultivated Dao techniques. They had been recruited from Da Zhou's 72 Dao Academies and 360 Schools.

The Divine Mechanism Camp was made up of mechanists, the Nine-Section Camp consisted entirely of Military Shennongs, and the Dragon Camp was composed of warriors.

In battle, the camps would work together in coordinated efforts.

"By now, my unit has grown to over 23,000 troops."

"We've been continuously reinforced, and we haven't suffered many casualties."

"We expect to add another 7,000 troops, but we won't exceed 50,000."

After a hearty meal and drinks, Liao Rulong began discussing the state of the army with Zhao Xing.

"That's why I've stayed here to rest for a bit longer. I've been waiting for the general to send reinforcements."

"A captain commanding more troops is always a good thing," Zhao Xing smiled.

Although Liao Rulong claimed there were no ranks among brothers, Zhao Xing respectfully addressed him as "Captain Liao" whenever they discussed military matters.

"Not really," Liao Rulong shook his head. "50,000 is my limit. Any more, and I wouldn't be able to command them effectively."

"The strategist trained me extensively, and we concluded that I'm best suited for leading elite troops."

"30,000 is ideal. 50,000 is the upper limit."

"Any more, and I wouldn't be able to maximize the army's strength."

Zhao Xing didn't argue. Not everyone was like Han Xin, who could command as many troops as possible.

On the battlefield, things changed in an instant. During a fight, a general had to process an overwhelming amount of information within seconds—some true, some false, some critical, some irrelevant.

Once that information overloads the brain, it becomes impossible to function effectively.

It was similar to the technique of controlling straw puppets. Some people could manage one puppet with great combat strength, but once they controlled more than ten, the strength of the puppets weakened instead.

"After defeating the Wolf God Tribe, the Marquis and the strategist said that Wen Shaoyang and I were advancing too quickly, so we've been ordered to slow our vertical push. That's why I plan to advance horizontally to the southeast, to fight the Fire Demon Tribe."

"That was my plan when I went from Machang City to Zhiyou City."

Hearing this, Han Bing and Wang Ji exchanged glances, their expressions somewhat strange.

"Hmm? What's wrong with you two? Did I say something off?" Liao Rulong asked, puzzled.

"Captain, it's not that," Han Bing and Wang Ji shook their heads. "We just thought of something."

"You don't seem surprised that I'm planning to attack the Fire Demon Tribe?" Liao Rulong asked. "I've heard that your divisions have already been preparing supplies, equipment, and medicine for fighting the Fire Demon Tribe?"

Upon returning to the supply city, Liao Rulong had naturally asked Chen Shijie to inspect the inventory.

He had immediately noticed that the quantities seemed off.

There was too much of everything—far more than what could have been prepared in just the past few days.

He had been meaning to ask about it but had been preoccupied with Zhao Xing. Now, it suddenly came to mind.

"Captain, about two months ago, when Officer Zhao first arrived here, the Shennong Division and the Engineering Division were already shifting their focus toward preparing for the Fire Demon Tribe," Wang Ji explained.

Liao Rulong looked at Zhao Xing in surprise. "Two months ago? I was still fighting the Wolf God Tribe at the time, and you already foresaw this?"

Zhao Xing modestly replied, "It's not as mysterious as they make it sound. Even a fool stumbles upon wisdom occasionally. Anyway, the Shennong Division had surplus planting capacity, so it didn't hurt to grow a little extra."

"Oh?" Liao Rulong's interest was piqued. "What do you suggest?"

After thinking for a moment, Zhao Xing decided not to hold back. He waved his hand, summoning a map and spreading it out.

"Captain, take a look. The Fire Demon Tribe's territory is being encroached upon from the east, west, and north by our forces."

"Because the Golden Feather Court is defending the Green Gang Crystal Mine, which is one of the few valuable places in the Southern Barbarians' territory, comparable to our Da Zhou's Cave-Heaven Blessed Lands."

"The strongest force is in the west—Lü Yuanwei's Shenlei Army, with 500,000 troops. They have the most men and the broadest front, and no one in the west can compete with them."

"In the north, we have the Hujiao Army, Xuanjia Army, Zhaoyuan Army, and Danxia Army—four powerful armies stationed along the northern defense line of the Fire Demon Tribe, with over a million troops between their forward units."

"In the east, we have the Shenwei Army, the Zhenhai Army, the Lieyang Army, and 18 other forces. However, despite the number of armies, the total number of troops is only about 200,000, because the eastern region is dominated by the harsh environment of the 'Flame Mountain Range.'"

"Above the ground lies the 10,000-meter-high astral wind layer, and the only passable route is through the Fire Dragon Pass."

"This is an easily defensible position, where even a small number of barbarian soldiers can hold off a million troops."

"It's nearly impossible to pass through here."

"But if we manage to break through, we can push straight to the Green Gang Crystal Mine because the main forces of the Southern Barbarians are stationed in the west and north."

Liao Rulong asked, "How do we break through?"

"Climb the mountains," Zhao Xing replied.

Liao Rulong frowned. "That would be difficult. Our army doesn't have enough Fifth-Rank superior-grade fireproof clothing. Without those, our soldiers can't make it through."

"The airships can't get through either. The astral wind layer there is too strong. If we tried to fly the airships below 1,000 meters, we'd be sitting ducks for the defenders at Fire Dragon Pass."

"They also have large siege engines."

Zhao Xing said, "That's true. If we had enough superior-grade fireproof clothing for our 40,000 to 50,000 troops, we could just storm the Fire Dragon Pass directly."

"But there are many rare treasures in the world, and the Flame Mountain Range of the Fire Demon Tribe doesn't necessarily require superior-grade fireproof clothing to pass. Even lower-grade clothing could suffice."

"Oh?" Liao Rulong looked at Chen Shijie.

Chen Shijie thought for a moment. "I don't recall any plant that could be made into clothing with such effects."

Zhao Xing replied, "Earth Fire Lotus."

"Earth Fire Lotus?" Chen Shijie was surprised. "Does that really exist? I've only ever read about it in books."

"It exists," Zhao Xing said confidently. "It's recorded in the Southern Barbarians' Compendium of Rare Items. It grows in the magma rivers beneath the Flame Mountain Range."

"Does the military have its seeds?" Liao Rulong asked.

"I'm not sure. Maybe they do, maybe they don't," Zhao Xing said. "But even if they do, there won't be many, and they'll be very expensive. At first, the price will skyrocket, and they'll prioritize supplying the stronger armies."

"That's because the Fire Demon Tribe's environment is extremely harsh. In the area surrounding the Green Gang Crystal Mine, on the western and northern borders, they've created two branches of the Flame Mountain Range to defend themselves. This massive project was engineered by the Golden Feather Court's Heaven Shamans."

Long Xiao asked, "So if the Shenwei Army can buy some, that means the other strong armies have already acquired it?"

"If we wait for the armies in the west and north to reach the Green Gang Crystal Mine, we won't even get the scraps."

"Buying the lotus is very expensive, but if we can get the raw materials ourselves, the cost will be much lower," Zhao Xing said. "That's why we need to act fast and seize the time gap."

Chen Shijie looked at Zhao Xing. "Don't tell me you've already prepared Earth Fire Lotus seeds. The military doesn't have them for exchange."

"You give me too much credit. I don't have them," Zhao Xing laughed. "But you do."

"I do?" Chen Shijie was confused. "I didn't know that."

Zhao Xing grinned. "You just need to sneak some out from the Earth's veins at Fire Dragon Pass. You're skilled in the Fire Prison Earth Palace techniques and know fire escape techniques, right?"

"But it'll be a bit dangerous. There will definitely be guards there."

"If it's too difficult, we can wait for the military to release the Earth Fire Lotus seeds or seedlings."

Chen Shijie stared at Zhao Xing. "After sneaking it out, how will we grow it? The conditions for its growth are extremely harsh."

"I can grow it. I've mastered advanced fire mountain techniques, and my Instantaneous Primordial technique has reached the Fifth Transformation. I can triple the growth of plants, including Fifth-Rank plants."

"If you can get it, I can grow it!"

"You... can even use fire mountain techniques?" Chen Shijie suddenly recalled Zhao Xing's recent enlightenment and felt a shock in his heart. "You've been planning to target the Earth Fire Lotus all along?"