The Dao Sovereign of Shennong

"You're right, I usually listen while lying in bed," Zong Shichang said with no shame, feeling proud instead. "Is there more to this?"

Zhao Xing gestured toward the two who had descended from the Temple Square: "Anyone who watches their performance is considered a witness. If you return their gesture, it shows recognition, and the dancers and musicians will gain some improvement in their techniques."

"I'm guessing those two will come over to greet us. You can return the gesture if you want to give them face; if not, no big deal."

"The higher the level of the witnesses and their appreciation skills, the more feedback the performers will gain from their show. And if you offer something tangible, their gains will be even greater, though there is a limit."

This group of incense recipients was stronger than the others on the square, so it was natural that Liu Muqing and Lu Qian wouldn't pass up the opportunity.

Sure enough, after finishing, they walked over to Zong Shichang's group and gave a polite bow.

Zhao Xing, thinking their performance wasn't bad, cupped his hands in return, offering a small gesture of approval.

Lu Qian had been eyeing Zhao Xing and, seeing him return the bow, pouted slightly.

Although this guy was despicable, at least he understood proper etiquette.

If only he would return her Sparrow Feather Armor, that would be even better.

The others in the group also returned the gesture out of courtesy. After all, these two were from well-known families in the county and were acquaintances of Zong Shichang.

However, while most responded with a serious bow, Zong Shichang pulled out a silver note and waved it toward Lu Qian and Liu Muqing. "Great performance, ladies! Here's your reward!"

Lu Qian, seeing Zong Shichang approach, ground her teeth and barely held back the urge to punch him. She gritted her teeth and said, "Thank you, Zong Shichang!"

"That didn't sound very sincere, so no grand prize for you." Zong Shichang grinned and handed the silver note to Lu Qian. He then folded another note and tucked it into Liu Muqing's hair.

Liu Muqing bowed again and said, "Thank you, Young Master Zong."

"You're very welcome, Miss Liu." Zong Shichang replied seriously, his tone now much more polite.

After the two left, Zhao Xing nudged Zong Shichang with his shoulder. "You fancy Miss Liu, don't you?"

Zong Shichang turned his head and asked, "Is it that obvious?"

Zhao Xing chuckled as he walked away, "Your eyes were practically glued to her. Do you think people are blind?"

Zong Shichang muttered to himself, "Yeah, even you noticed, so why doesn't Miss Liu understand my feelings…"

Meanwhile, the last remaining incense offering on Temple Square was claimed by someone.

One of the recipients was a man named Gu Feng, armed with a bow that gleamed with silver light. He was accompanied by four or five others.

Upon meeting Zhao Xing's gaze, Gu Feng's expression changed slightly.

He was the archer who had attacked Zhao Xing earlier that day, attempting to steal his spirit essence. Little did he expect that Zhao Xing would progress so quickly, having absorbed three spirit essences and even surpassed Cao Qiushui.

After a moment's thought, Gu Feng chose not to press forward, opting to wait in line behind the others.

The final incense offering went to a machinist, who was accompanied by two mechanical beasts resembling tigers. Each mechanical tiger stood over two meters tall, their long tusks gleaming coldly, giving them an impressive and fearsome appearance.

Behind the tigers were four smaller mechanical beasts, resembling strange lizards.

"Upper-grade third-tier mechanical beasts, and there are six of them?" Zhao Xing was surprised.

The machinist's mechanical beasts were driven by formation arrays, and creating such beasts was one of the most difficult skills to master.

Unlike the straw puppets, mechanical beasts could exist indefinitely, possessed higher levels of intelligence, and could even use the spells embedded within their cores.

However, straw puppets were temporary, without the same level of intelligence, and they couldn't last long. Additionally, low-level straw puppets had no intelligence at all.

The advantage of straw puppets, though, was that they could be made quickly and easily, using readily available materials like dry grass, saving both time and effort.

Mechanical beasts, on the other hand, required expensive materials and a significant amount of time and energy to develop the formation arrays.

"That guy's name is Hu Yang. He's in his early twenties and can already make third-tier mechanical beasts. Quite a talent," Zhao Xing commented.

"Got to admit, the craftsmen's skills make you jealous. They can make such powerful mechanical beasts, which are far better than straw puppets," Zong Shichang said.

"I'm not jealous at all," Zhao Xing shook his head.

"Come on, Brother Zhao, don't be stubborn." Zong Shichang squinted at him. "Speak from the heart."

"How old did you say he was?" Zhao Xing asked.

"Early twenties. If I'm not mistaken, he's twenty-one," Zong Shichang replied.

"Does he look twenty-one to you?" Zhao Xing asked.

"..."

Zong Shichang stared at Hu Yang's pronounced forehead wrinkles, crow's feet, and dark circles under his eyes, speechless.

"And take a look at his head—does he even have any hair left?"

"..."

Zhao Xing shrugged, "Now you see why I'm not jealous?"

"These so-called extraordinary skills are all gained at the cost of one's health."

Zong Shichang was left speechless.

Zhao Xing chuckled and shifted his gaze away from Hu Yang.

There was no way he would ever study mechanical formations, let alone make mechanical beasts!

"Extraordinary skills gained at the cost of health"—this phrase wasn't just a joke.

The path of mechanical formations often required sacrifices, many of which involved depleting one's life essence to refine powerful artifacts.

For example, blacksmiths used the Heartblood Sharpening Technique to forge swords.

In essence, this technique consumed a portion of their lifespan to enhance the spirituality and power of their mechanical puppets or weapons.

Once someone had such a technique at their disposal, they couldn't resist using it—just a little today, a little tomorrow—and over time, even the blessings of a fortunate dynasty couldn't make up for the lost lifespan.

And that was considered a mild case. There were others—madmen who wanted to be famous at all costs—who sacrificed their entire lives in one go, leading even the greatest blacksmiths to praise their insanity.

Zhao Xing would never delve into the craftsman's path. He had no desire to cut short his life for the sake of these techniques. However, he did enjoy using the treasures made by the craftsmen.

While those in the Temple Square awaited the second wave of incense offerings, others watched as the battle between Yang Junxiong and Du Jiaojiao gradually slowed.

Suddenly, Zhao Xing noticed their movements becoming less intense, the light from their clash dimming.

"Clang!"

A crisp sound rang out, startling everyone, who instinctively took a few steps back.

The two figures finally separated, revealing their true forms.

The battle between Yang Junxiong and Du Jiaojiao had come to an end.

"Big Sister Jiao!" Lu Qian and Liu Muqing rushed forward.

"I'm fine," Du Jiaojiao replied, slightly out of breath, her hair disheveled.

Yang Junxiong, on the other hand, was still calm, his breathing steady, as if the battle had been nothing to him.

"She's gotten even stronger," Zong Shichang sighed. "Her lips may remain untouched, but one punch and a young man would be dead. Who'd dare marry her at this rate?"

"Brother Zong, experts of her rank have exceptional hearing. If you don't start minding your tongue, you might be the next young man she punches dead," Zhao Xing remarked casually.

"Ahem." Zong Shichang quickly changed the subject. "So, what do we do now? Should we make a move?"

"Let's wait and see."

Zhao Xing watched the scene unfold.

Yang Junxiong pointed his spear at the approaching Lu Qian and Liu Muqing. "If you continue to interfere, I'll find a way to seriously injure both you and your friend."

"You… despicable!"

"Shameless!"

Hearing this, both Lu Qian and Liu Muqing's expressions changed.

Du Jiaojiao stopped them and, after staring at Yang Junxiong for a moment, nodded and said, "I'll yield the first incense offering to you."

Yang Junxiong put away his spear, spurred his mount, and shot up the stairs in a flash, entering the temple.

"Who would've thought Du Jiaojiao is so sentimental," Wen Zhao said as he fanned himself. "She was willing to give up the chance for the first incense offering to protect her friends."

"It's rare indeed. Even though no one remembers what happens on the mountain, she still acts with a pure heart. No wonder her spear skills are so exceptional," Zhang Boran commented with admiration. "That said, she probably also realized she couldn't win the first offering, so she gave it up."

"Enough talk, let's get ready."

After Yang Junxiong entered the temple, Du Jiaojiao led Lu Qian and Liu Muqing inside as well.

No one dared object when an expert like Du Jiaojiao did this.

They could only watch as the three of them secured the first four incense offerings.

Now, the pressure fell on Wen Zhao and Zhang Boran.

The moment Du Jiaojiao's group stepped onto the stairs, Zhang Boran immediately began his sprint.

Wen Zhao recited, "Feet on the eastern horizon, energy sweeping the universe, extending far and wide."

Zhang Boran's speed surged, and his momentum spiked to the ninth stage of the Essence Gathering Realm!

The hundred stone steps were crossed in a flash.

Just as Wen Zhao thought Zhang Boran would be the fifth to enter, Zhang Boran suddenly turned around and sprinted back even faster.

"Brother? What are you doing?" Wen Zhao was dumbfounded.

Zhang Boran, expressionless, raised a fist and punched Wen Zhao.

"What? Ceasefire…" Wen Zhao's sentence was cut short as he was sent flying, teeth scattering, unconscious before he hit the ground.

This bizarre turn of events caused everyone ready to make their move to freeze, unsure of what to do.

What just happened?

Zhao Xing glanced over at Yuan Bo, who stood silently by Zong Shichang.

Just now, Yuan Bo, who had been so low-key until this moment, had made his move.

The deity in his eyes had disappeared and was now behind Zhang Boran.

Zhang Boran's limbs were spread out as if controlled by strings, moving like a puppet.

"Fujia spirit possession usually affects the summoner, but this Yuan Bo can summon a Yin God to possess someone else? Impressive," Zhao Xing thought to himself. He had been about to act, but upon seeing Zhang Boran's condition through his Night Vision, he decided to hold back.

"Young Master, you can enter now," Yuan Bo suddenly spoke, his tone eerily cold.

Zong Shichang turned to Zhao Xing, offering the opportunity to him. "Zhao Xing, you go ahead. It wouldn't be right for you to go last."

Zhao Xing glanced at Yuan Bo, who remained indifferent.

"Alright."

Without further hesitation, Zhao Xing shrouded himself in Yin Wind and glided toward the stairs like a ghost.

Behind him, Gu Feng tightened his grip on his silver bow but ultimately did not make a move.

Some had noticed Yuan Bo's peculiar abilities and realized that attacking now might not secure the fifth incense offering.

Hu Yang, standing between his two mechanical tigers, remained still.

He hadn't intended to fight for the top five anyway. The offerings after the fifth were all roughly the same, so there was no need for further competition.

Thus, after Zhao Xing entered the temple, Zong Shichang, Uncle Cang, and Uncle Hu followed without issue.

Next came the archer Gu Feng and the machinist Hu Yang.

Zhang Boran, once Yuan Bo released him, regained consciousness. Though confused about what had happened, he didn't dwell on it. Seeing the final spot still available, he hurriedly claimed it, leaving his unconscious cousin behind.

Inside the temple, Zhao Xing saw no sign of the four who had entered before him.

On the altar were the three ceremonial offerings of a pig, a cow, and a sheep. A statue of the deity holding a measuring ruler stood tall, gazing into the distance.

With a thought, the incense in Zhao Xing's hand ignited. After bowing three times, he placed the incense into the burner.

Murmuring under his breath, he prayed, "Zhao Xing, Shennong Officer, requests the manifestation of Zhenjun."

As the incense burned, a thin stream of smoke began to fill the hall, and soon the entire chamber was shrouded in a thick fog.

When Zhao Xing looked up again, the surroundings had changed. The light had dimmed, and the mist had thickened.

The deity statue had vanished, replaced by a towering figure, glowing with golden light, standing nearly ten meters tall.

This was the Yin God's manifestation.

"You have summoned this deity—what is your request?"

Zhao Xing bowed and said, "I request guidance from Zhenjun on how to obtain the golden goblet spirit essence guarded by the mountain cat."

He didn't need to explain further, as the Yin God oversaw all affairs on the mountain and naturally understood his request.

With the fifth incense offering, if the golden goblet were a mid-grade spirit essence, the deity would usually give a direct answer.

However, since the golden goblet was a high-grade spirit essence, it would require passing the deity's test.

"The golden goblet is a high-grade spirit essence. If you seek this method, you must first pass a test."

"If the incense burns out before you succeed, your chance will be wasted."

"If you seek a mid-grade spirit essence, I can directly reveal a location to you, requiring no effort."

"Are you sure of your decision?"

Without hesitation, Zhao Xing bowed and said, "I choose to undergo the test. Zhenjun, please proceed."

The massive deity nodded and spoke: "One day, a man came to Donghu Mountain to plant fruit trees. He offered the first incense to this deity, praying for no wind in the coming days, as his pear trees were in bloom."

"The second incense was offered by a boatman, praying for a strong river wind to sail his boat."

"The third incense was offered by a traveler, praying for clear skies and no rain during his journey."

"The fourth incense came from a farmer, praying for heavy rain to break the drought, so he could transplant his rice seedlings."

After speaking, the deity stared at Zhao Xing: "I promised to fulfill all their wishes. How should I resolve this?"

As a Shennong Officer responsible for matters involving weather, this test was clearly tailored to Zhao Xing's expertise.

But the four requests were contradictory—one wanted wind, another didn't; one wanted rain, another didn't.

If he couldn't answer before the incense burned out, his opportunity would be wasted.

However, Zhao Xing barely hesitated before answering almost immediately after the deity had finished speaking.

"I have a solution that may relieve Zhenjun of this dilemma."

The massive deity reminded him, "There is still time. You may want to think carefully before answering."

Zhao Xing smiled confidently and replied, "Rain at night, clear skies during the day. Wind only on the river, not in the pear orchard."

The deity's face broke into a smile, nodding in approval. "Well done."

Whoosh!

The dense smoke dissipated.

Zhao Xing snapped back to reality and found himself standing beneath a tree.

In front of him was the cave where the mountain cat lived.

In his hand was a wind chime.

"Thank you, Zhenjun, for your guidance," Zhao Xing said, bowing toward the mountain.

The test was complete, and to prevent unnecessary conflict after leaving the temple, those who passed were teleported directly to the location related to their request.

Holding the wind chime, Zhao Xing walked into the cave.

He hadn't gone far when—

"Roar~" A hiss echoed as a black shadow darted toward him like lightning.

But just as the attack was about to reach him, it stopped abruptly.

Ting-a-ling~

The wind chime in Zhao Xing's hand jingled, its sound clear and crisp.

"Meow?"

The mountain cat halted, looking curiously at the wind chime in Zhao Xing's hand.

At this moment, Zhao Xing got a clear view of the mountain cat.

It was quite small, no larger than an ordinary house cat.

Its fluffy little head had two pairs of sharp ears, its gray tail swished gently, and its large eyes gleamed with curiosity.

It seemed puzzled as to why Zhao Xing had the wind chime from the mountain temple.

"Good kitty, from now on, you'll follow me," Zhao Xing squatted down, waving the wind chime toward the mountain cat.

The cat hesitated, its head retreating slightly, but the soft glow of the wind chime drew it closer.

The wind chime, imbued with the deity's aura, was meant to subdue the mountain cat.

The mountain cat had been raised by the deity to guard the four spirit essences.

This was why the cat had reached the ranked realm despite being in its infancy.

It had consumed countless spirit essences from the mountain.

However, the deity had given the mountain cat the choice. If it refused to recognize a new master, Zhao Xing would only receive the golden goblet.

But if it accepted him, he could take the mountain cat along with the goblet.

"Remember the vine-fragrance berries and white herb I gave you last time? From now on, you can have as much as you want if you follow me," Zhao Xing coaxed softly.

"Meow~" After a moment's hesitation, the mountain cat approached, rubbing its head against Zhao Xing's hand.

Ting-a-ling~

The wind chime rang one final time before dissolving into specks of golden light that merged into both Zhao Xing and the mountain cat.

A bond had been formed between them.

[Mountain Cat (Juvenile)]

[Bloodline: Spirit Beast Variant (Evolved through consumption of various mountain spirit essences)]

[Rank: Mid-level ninth stage]

[Talents: Super Speed, Nine Healings]

[Secret Techniques: Thunderclap Slash (Mid-level eighth stage), Wind-Bound Leap (Mid-level seventh stage)]

Spirit beasts were not governed by the ranks set by the imperial system of the Zhou Dynasty, which followed the nine-rank, thirty-level structure. Instead, their ranks were categorized by ancient cultivation standards: early, middle, late, and perfection.

Humans within the Zhou Dynasty's imperial system were measured by the nine-rank, thirty-level hierarchy, a very different classification.

Looking at the data on the mountain cat, Zhao Xing grinned and hoisted the cat onto his shoulder. "Little one, you won't regret this decision."

"Meow~" The mountain cat meowed in response.

Zhao Xing patted his hands and proceeded deeper into the cave.

Since his straw puppets had already been here once, he was familiar with the area.

He arrived at the massive skeleton, speculating about what had happened.

There had likely been a fierce battle between the mountain cat's mother and another beast, resulting in both perishing, leaving only this young cub alive.

"Where did you hide the shiny golden goblet?" Zhao Xing asked when they reached four branching tunnels.

"Meow~" The mountain cat extended its paw, pointing to one of the passages.

"You hid it in the Ice Lotus Pool? Clever, you've been planning, huh?" Zhao Xing chuckled and gestured toward the tunnel. "Go, fetch it."

Whoosh~

Zhao Xing felt a weight lift from his shoulder as the mountain cat darted into the passage like a flash of lightning.

In the blink of an eye, the cat returned, carrying a goblet in its mouth that was larger than its head.

"Meow meow?" The mountain cat hopped back onto Zhao Xing's shoulder, rubbing against him.

"Yes, that's the one." Zhao Xing took the golden goblet and examined it closely.

The cup had a smooth, jade-like texture, and mysterious patterns faintly appeared on its surface, seemingly holding the secrets of the universe.

When Zhao Xing looked inside, the previously empty goblet filled with a rich golden energy, swirling like liquid.