The Dao Sovereign of Shennong

After seizing the three treasures from the cave, Zhao Xing immediately retreated.

Since the combined presence of the three treasures was overwhelming and not something that could be digested quickly, he chose Tian Tan Plaza.

Tian Tan Plaza, located on the outskirts of the temple, is a restricted area where fighting is prohibited during certain times. If you enter during these periods, you are guaranteed safety.

Otherwise, officials would have to compete with each other and face the dangers of the mountain, which would be too challenging.

After Zhao Xing entered the plaza, although he was under watch, no one dared to take action, nor could they. The straw puppets continued to come in one by one.

"There are only thirty-four straw puppets left."

"But the Mighty Vajra Straw Puppets still make up half."

The greatest losses occurred while exploring the mountain cat's cave.

Some were due to the expiration of spell effects or damage, and Zhao Xing did not replace them.

"There were originally thirty-nine, but I lost five more when entering the temple's area, including three Mighty Vajra Straw Puppets." Zhao Xing's gaze turned cold as he looked in several directions.

Standing atop a large tree was an archer. He held a silver bow, and his arrows shone with a brilliant light beside him.

His attire was also extraordinary, able to change with the environment. If not closely examined, it was easy to overlook him. This person was responsible for the loss of three Mighty Vajra Straw Puppets.

"I remember you." Zhao Xing looked at the archer.

"Oh? Then wait for me to find you." The archer snorted coldly in response and then disappeared into the forest.

Although Zhao Xing was somewhat surprised that the archer had not fully pierced the Mighty Vajra Straw Puppets, this person was merely a land official and posed no real threat to him.

In another direction, a middle-aged scholar with a headband and a feather fan smiled and clasped his hands in greeting when Zhao Xing looked over. He didn't seem annoyed at all, as if he hadn't just burned the straw puppets.

"This is a man of courtesy," Zhao Xing thought to himself. The etiquette system of the Zhou Dynasty, with its practitioners like Lu Qian, was part of what was known as 'civil cultivation,' where civil officials mastered the laws of etiquette.

When the man told Zhao Xing to put down the spiritual essence, Zhao Xing felt an impulse to comply, but fortunately, he used the Yin Wind to shake the man's soul, preventing the latter part of the flames from burning him.

Others in various directions had also made moves, but Zhao Xing's actions were swift and timed perfectly. Some missed their shots, and others had missed their opportunity to act.

"A fellow, if you could..." Someone, seeing Zhao Xing's youth, tried to strike up a conversation to see if they could gain some advantage.

"Get lost!" Zhao Xing rudely interrupted.

He controlled the straw puppets to form a protective circle around him, preventing those with ulterior motives from approaching, and created a wind wall to avoid being disturbed by the noise.

Because discussions about him were becoming quite loud.

"Who is that person? His straw puppets seem different from what I've seen; they appear very formidable."

"Can actually block Gu Feng's three shooting stars. Do straw puppets have such high defense?"

"I recognize him, Zhao Xing from Gu City(Gucheng), an official of the Shennong Division."

"I've heard of Li Chengfeng from Gu City, known as a gentleman. This person seems to have extraordinary luck, as he obtained the thirteenth incense stick last night."

"Friend, if you know him, could you introduce us? I would like to befriend him."

"Befriend? Are you interested in the spiritual essence he possesses?"

"I advise you not to approach. He's not someone to be trifled with. When he roared earlier, I felt my scalp tingle, as if I was doused with a bucket of ice water."

"I felt the same. It's as though the surrounding wind had blown into my bones. No matter how I circulate my vital energy, it still feels off."

"Geez, there are more and more experts these days. Even an official of the Shennong Division has become such a formidable figure, with three spiritual essences and so many magical straw puppets!"

"It seems tonight's competition for the first incense stick will be even more lively than the first day."

"Too bad I didn't see it. I wonder what happened last night?"

"I know a bit. Last night, Yang Junxiong swept through the same level of opponents alone with a bamboo horse, claiming the first incense stick. The successor of the Du family's spear from Nanyang, Du Jiaojiao, came late and only obtained the second stick."

"As a fellow official, I wonder how this person compares to the true disciple Cao Qiushui?"

"Probably incomparable."

Using wind to encircle himself and block out the external noise, Zhao Xing took out the treasures obtained from the mountain cat's cave.

A purple stone, a yellow paper, and a blue lotus pod.

"All three are mid-grade spiritual essences."

"It seems the mountain cat was so concerned with the high-grade spiritual essence, the Fortune Golden Cup." Zhao Xing thought to himself.

He did not regret; acquiring three spiritual essences at once and leaving safely was already quite rare.

When fortune erupts, as long as one is not greedy, one can secure benefits.

If greedy, one might end up with nothing and be unable to escape safely. Zhao Xing had seen too many such examples.

"If there is progress on the third day, I will try again for the Fortune Golden Cup. If not, I won't force it and will just head down the mountain."

Clearing his thoughts, Zhao Xing focused on the task at hand.

He did not dare to touch the purple stone with his hands but used the wind to hold it, as even the Mighty Vajra Straw Puppets were scorched by the electric force; his own flesh might be ruined.

It was called scorched by electricity rather than burned because the purple stone was a Thunder Law spiritual essence.

Wind counters lightning in the Five Elements, so using a gentle breeze to support it would prevent harm.

"What intense thunder power!" Zhao Xing brought the stone close to his eyes and observed it carefully. The stone was translucent, with rampant lightning visible beneath a thin layer of stone skin.

It was a stone formed by the gathering of thunder!

"I wonder how the silly cat managed to carry it into the cave. No wonder I always felt that the mountain cat moved as fast as lightning; it's not an illusion. It must have gained significant benefits from this stone."

Undoubtedly, this Thunder Stone was a Thunder Law spiritual essence, containing pure thunder power that could help one comprehend Thunder Law spells!

"Buzz~" Zhao Xing slowly approached with his other hand, a wisp of vital energy emerging from his fingertips, gradually probing into it.

A slightly tingling sensation traveled from his fingertips, and Zhao Xing's gaze was involuntarily drawn to the Thunder Stone, his eyes completely immersed in the stone's world.

"Boom!"

The world within the stone was entirely a realm of thunder, as if Zhao Xing were in a thunder pool, observing the flashing thunderbolts.

The Thunder realm was reflected in Zhao Xing's pupils.

He couldn't help but deeply comprehend, and his mastery of Thunder Law spells increased rapidly.

[You have comprehended the mid-grade spiritual essence 'Thunder Stone.' Thunder Law proficiency increased by 1000 points!]

Just beginning, [Thunder Summoning] immediately broke through to the eighth transformation, and [Lightning Summoning] also naturally advanced to the second transformation.