Jing Yan's Art of Military Restrictions was divided into two types: Troop Restrictions and Formation Restrictions.
Troop referred to Dao Soldiers, while Formation referred to tactical arrays.
Zhao Xing had seen Jing Yan use this technique once before, and its effect was undeniably powerful. Even on a high-tier star continent, it could cover a range of 300 million kilometers. Given the constraints of high-tier star continents, achieving such a vast area of effect was already insanely overpowered.
Within the restricted range, only top-tier Dao Soldiers could still function. Anything below that—puppets, formations, Dao Soldiers, even talismans—would be rendered useless.
Jing Yan had relied on this ability to roam the universe and had survived countless dangers.
"Step aside, brothers, I'm about to show off," Jing Yan cracked his neck and stretched.
Zhao Xing chuckled, stepping back to stand behind him.
"Heaven and Earth without limit! All laws return to origin! Yin and Yang reverse! Primordial Source avoidance—Seal!"
Jing Yan's hands formed a flurry of seals. Rings of flame radiated from his shoulders and knees, sending ripples through space that expanded outward.
His aura quickly dropped, his spiritual energy fluctuations plummeting by nearly 30%.
Back when they had fought, even after exchanging countless moves, he hadn't expended this much energy. Clearly, even for someone at the Void Realm, using a divine ability was no small burden.
Seeing that Jing Yan seemed to have finished casting his technique, Zhao Xing couldn't help but ask, "Brother, I've been wondering about something for a long time."
"Go ahead."
"Every time you cast a technique, you have to chant a whole verse and perform all those hand seals. Isn't the pre-casting time too long? Can't you just skip that part?"
"Of course I can." Jing Yan grinned. "I just do it to look cool. The chanting and hand seals are just for show—otherwise, my divine ability wouldn't have as much flair."
Zhao Xing: "…"
As expected of you.
"All right, we can move now." Jing Yan waved his hand, recalling the orbs he had previously sent out, which reabsorbed into his body.
Zhao Xing followed as they flew forward, passing by towering structures where eight-hundred-meter-tall puppet warriors stood motionless. These constructs had fierce, grotesque designs, wielding stone axes, long swords, great sabers, and spears—a diverse array of weaponry.
Yet, as they moved past, none of the puppets reacted.
Jing Yan might have been showing off, but his ability was indeed legit—not a single one of these Second Stage Mechanized Puppets had been activated.
"How long will the seal last?" Zhao Xing asked. Since it was a divine ability, it had to have a time limit.
"About six months."
"Only six months?" Zhao Xing raised an eyebrow.
Jing Yan spread his hands. "Brother, don't underestimate six months."
"The puppet formation here is incredibly intricate. The natural forces of Heaven, Earth, and Void Essence constantly fluctuate, resisting my seal. Behind the scenes, the formation is automatically rearranging its foundational structures to break the restriction."
"I'm guessing the owner of this tomb was either a master mechanist or just filthy rich."
Zhao Xing nodded. Different fields had their own intricacies—he couldn't fully comprehend the depth of mechanist formations.
"Although it only lasts six months, we can just reapply the technique when we return. However, the duration will shorten each time." Jing Yan explained.
The underground space was eerily silent. Zhao Xing and Jing Yan flew cautiously, keeping their speed in check to avoid triggering any hidden mechanisms.
Jing Yan frequently sent out orbs to scan the terrain, identifying and neutralizing concealed formations. It took them seven days to traverse the long corridor of mechanized puppets.
As they neared the end, Zhao Xing asked, "Can we dig up a few of these towers and take them with us?"
Second Stage Mechanized Puppets, and ancient ones at that—they must be worth a fortune.
With at least a thousand towers lining the corridor, even if each one was only worth a billion, that was still trillions in total!
"No way," Jing Yan shook his head. "This formation integrates Void-Summoned Troop Arrays. The puppets you see aren't made of valuable materials—they're conjured from a combination of Earth Veins, Lunar Essence, and Void Matter."
"I can do it too." Fearing Zhao Xing wouldn't understand, Jing Yan demonstrated. With a wave of his hand, the ground gathered soil and Lunar Essence, instantly forming a massive replica of himself.
"See? This is Void-Summoned Troops. But these only have late First Stage combat power and don't last long. They can bully an ordinary Primordial Soul cultivator, but fighting a genius like you? That'd just be a waste of my spiritual energy."
Zhao Xing nodded. This was similar to his straw puppet techniques. It had great potential, but his current Straw Puppet Techniques were no longer enough for his combat needs. However, they were still useful for other tasks.
He had assumed the puppets in the towers were real. In his previous life, he had seen the towers empty, thinking someone had looted them. Turns out, it was just Void-Summoned Troops at work.
"Relax," Jing Yan said. "For someone who could set up such a powerful formation, they were definitely loaded. Their burial treasures will definitely be valuable."
"I'm not worried, just asking casually," Zhao Xing replied, already knowing exactly what treasures lay ahead.
After passing through the Second Gate's Puppet Formation, Zhao Xing and Jing Yan quickly reached the third challenge—The Corrosion Space.
The dark space before them was filled with a grayish-black mist, formed by the fusion of spiritual energy and an unknown vapor, stretching across their path like a massive cloud.
The ground was covered in a viscous, green corrosive liquid—neither solid nor liquid, resembling a swamp.
"Sssssssss~"
Jing Yan sent a scouting orb into the gray mist, but as soon as it entered, it sparked violently, producing flames and lightning, before falling into the swamp.
In less than a second, it was completely dissolved.
Jing Yan continued to deploy various orbs, each with a different structure—some spherical, some spindle-shaped, and some even forming giant puppet constructs.
After fifteen days, Jing Yan frowned. "Zhao Xing, we've got a problem."
"I sent in my toughest mechanized puppet—Tian Yi-Class Mechanized Troop, and even it couldn't withstand the corrosion. The longest it lasted was three days."
"The worst part? My Artifact Spirit still can't analyze what this mist is made of."
"Only Seed Storage Containers can hold back the corrosion."
"But the mist here is endless. I've already burned through three Seed Storage Containers, and yet the mist's density hasn't changed at all from half a month ago."
Zhao Xing's gaze fell on Jing Yan's hand, where a partially broken rectangular box lay. This Seed Storage Container was originally used to absorb the gray mist. The space inside it was comparable to a small star continent, but it couldn't fill up and eventually exploded. If Jing Yan hadn't noticed it in time, they would have been harmed by the leaked mist.
Zhao Xing nodded; the third level, Corrosive Space, was indeed tricky. He hadn't been idle for half a month either, constantly experimenting. His self-created Primordial Earth Concealment technique had now advanced to the Void Law stage, reaching the eighth-tier level. However, even so, he couldn't traverse the space. The protective barrier formed by his earth-escape technique could only last for two and a half days before it drained his spiritual energy.
He had tried Earth Fracture Star-Stepping as well, but it couldn't shake loose the viscous substance and failed to create a safe passage. Attempts on the ground and in the sky yielded similar results. His Blood Cloud Realm showed some effect in absorbing the mist, but the speed was painfully slow. By Zhao Xing's estimate, it would take an entire era to clear the path with Blood Cloud Realm, which was even slower than Jing Yan's Seed Storage Container.
"Brother, I'm really stuck here. Looking at this situation, even the Twelve Wandering Gods wouldn't be able to block it," Jing Yan sighed. A star-level Dao Soldier might barely resist the corrosion, but it wouldn't be enough to explore deeper without risk. A slight mistake could cost them their lives.
"Do you have any ideas?" Jing Yan asked.
Zhao Xing smiled calmly. "At times like this, I must mention my divine ability—the Eight Epochs of Purple Light."
Jing Yan's eyes lit up. "Show me!"
After all, the third level was an extreme environment, and a Shennong would naturally excel in dealing with harsh conditions.
"Stand aside," Zhao Xing nudged Jing Yan away. "Time for me to show off."
Jing Yan grinned and retreated behind Zhao Xing. With his hands forming a seal, Zhao Xing recited an incantation, "All forms are ants; only I reign supreme over Heaven and Earth! Eight Epochs of Purple Light, Reverse the Universe—activate!"
Brilliant purple light erupted from Zhao Xing's body, and the Forty-Eight Seasonal Qi Commands were transformed into a dazzling purple-gold hue. Starlight sparkled, as if a cluster of stars descended upon the Corrosive Space. The Sun and Moon Stars appeared simultaneously, while the surrounding star positions shone with purple brilliance: Heavenly General, Military Southern Gate, Heavenly Boat, Heavenly Kitchen, and others.
Jing Yan observed Zhao Xing's movements as he controlled the star positions, feeling that this divine ability was quite intricate. Curious, he asked, "Hey brother, is that incantation real?"
Zhao Xing replied, "I learned it from you. Made it up."
Jing Yan: "…"
Good brother indeed!
But this incantation was even more arrogant than his own. Saying it out loud might get someone beaten up.
Zhao Xing, while casting the minor divine ability, was also expending considerable energy. Even with the support of dual origin forces, his spiritual energy still dropped by more than 30% after executing the technique. At this point, the benefit of practicing the Self School became apparent. After finishing the spell, Zhao Xing immediately used the Yuanhai Realm to draw spiritual energy from his origin space for replenishment.
Within a few breaths, he had fully recovered.
"Your recovery ability is a bit too monstrous," Jing Yan noted in surprise, sensing Zhao Xing's spiritual energy fluctuations rise and fall. "Did you also cultivate the Self Dao?"
"Just practiced it for a few years," Zhao Xing said modestly.
"Impressive!" Jing Yan couldn't help giving a thumbs-up.
Zhao Xing had indeed pulled off a great feat! A Shennong who specialized in the Self Dao was already considered rare among their kind. To be able to dual-cultivate was even more exceptional.
Moreover, Zhao Xing was still young, just over a thousand years old. Jing Yan was genuinely impressed by his talent.
"If you return to the Empire, you might have a chance to enter the Primordial Realm," Jing Yan suggested.
The Primordial Realm was one of the sacred grounds of the Red Star Empire's Self School, with extremely high entry requirements, comparable to the selection standards of Ancient Hill.
"I'm still far from that," Zhao Xing shook his head. This wasn't modesty—he truly wasn't qualified yet.
The two continued chatting as they waited. The Corrosive Space was powerful, but Zhao Xing's Eight Epochs of Purple Light was no pushover. It could create an ecosystem even on a barren asteroid.
Gradually, the gray mist in the Corrosive Space began to clear, and the corrosive swamp on the ground started to solidify into stable soil after a month.
"It worked! It worked!" Jing Yan shouted excitedly.
"The Artifact Spirit detected that the corrosion coefficient has dropped to the strength of a perfected Second Stage. The toxicity has significantly decreased. We can pass through now!"
Though the corrosion and toxicity levels were still ten times that of a normal perfected Second Stage, both of them were far from ordinary Second Stage cultivators. With the reduced intensity, they could proceed safely.
"Let's move slowly," Zhao Xing reminded.
"Got it, you're in charge," Jing Yan agreed, collecting all his scouting orbs. Essentially, he entrusted his safety entirely to Zhao Xing. If Zhao Xing had any malicious intent, he could easily eliminate Jing Yan by consuming a single Earth God Pill to break their previous life-soul oath.
"Wait," Zhao Xing suddenly stopped after flying cautiously for two days.
"What's wrong?" Jing Yan asked.
"This place is pretty good. It has potential," Zhao Xing replied, waving his hand. A projection of origin appeared, and a massive mushroom emerged from the corrosive swamp.
"What kind of mushroom is that?" Jing Yan inquired.
"Illusion Star Mushroom," Zhao Xing answered. "It's a yin-aligned plant soldier type, suitable for regions with yin-aligned origin."
The Illusion Star Mushroom had four innate secret techniques: Illusion, Splitting, Camouflage, and Venom. At its mature stage, it was a First Stage Origin level plant; at its peak, it reached Second Stage Origin.
Third Stage plant soldiers, especially good ones, were prohibitively expensive. Additionally, the process of taming them involved resistance from the plant's will. Initially, one would need assistance from the Yuanhai Hall to subdue it. However, over time, there was still a risk of backlash.
It was like someone taming a wild horse under the pressure of an expert. While the horse would submit at the time, if the owner was weak, there was always a chance of being thrown off later.
Therefore, Zhao Xing's plant soldiers were still the Illusion Star Mushroom, Heavenly Sound Bamboo, and Nine Yin Demon Vine. These three were rare species, bought at their mature stage, First Stage. Their peak strength was Second Stage.
The environment of Moonfall Mausoleum was perfect for nurturing them. Zhao Xing calculated that allowing his three plant soldiers to take root here for a while would enable them to reach peak strength without spending a fortune.
A faint hum resonated as the Illusion Star Mushroom took root. Following that, Heavenly Sound Bamboo and Nine Yin Demon Vine also settled into the corrupted soil. Once they were firmly planted, Zhao Xing withdrew his Origin Soil.
"Let's go. The Heavenly Sound Bamboo can serve as an early warning system," he said.
With this setup, he essentially left three "watchdogs" in this place. Among them, the Heavenly Sound Bamboo could transmit sound over long distances, allowing him to detect disturbances early. As for the Illusion Star Mushroom and Nine Yin Demon Vine, they lacked such communication capabilities. Rare plant soldiers didn't have telepathic links, only vague sensing abilities. Now that they were detached from the Origin Soil and situated in the chaotic environment of the tomb, only the Heavenly Sound Bamboo would be able to send signals if something happened.
A soft sizzling sound filled the air.
All three plant soldiers were yin-aligned lifeforms. After being modified by Eight Epochs of Purple Light, the environment here became ideal for their growth. Zhao Xing spent a few more days monitoring them before continuing the expedition with Jing Yan.
After a month of travel, Zhao Xing and Jing Yan finally emerged from the Corrosive Space and arrived at the actual tomb.
Before them lay seven massive palaces hidden within a dense forest. Each palace towered three thousand kilometers high, half-covered in thick vines and unknown foliage. The seven palaces were distinct in color and shape, yet they shared common traits—illuminated by the Lunar Star and surrounded by void turbulence.
Seven colossal statues, each measuring ten thousand meters high, stood before the palaces, exuding an eerie and chilling aura.
"Zhao Xing, have we finally arrived?" Jing Yan asked, excitement in his voice. "But why are there seven tombs? After all this effort, is this some kind of trick?"
"It's not a trick," Zhao Xing shook his head. "This person likely had seven bodies."
"Huh? What do you mean?" Jing Yan frowned.
"From what I've observed along the way, this tomb looks like it belongs to a Self School Shennong," Zhao Xing explained.
"In the Third Stage, if a Self School Shennong practiced the Straw Puppet Techniques, both their main body and incarnations would be equally important. Even if they died, their incarnations wouldn't dissipate. That's why I say these seven tombs are real."
"A Self School Shennong? How can you tell? Just because there's a lot of plants?" Jing Yan asked, skeptical. "Zhao Xing, you sure know a lot."
He had traveled through numerous ancient nations within the Empire, yet he felt that Zhao Xing's knowledge was even broader than his own.
"A mere Purple Moon Mansion was able to cultivate someone like you? Who was your teacher?" Jing Yan asked.
"Qing Yuzi," Zhao Xing replied.
Jing Yan silently memorized the name. A master capable of teaching someone like Zhao Xing was undoubtedly an exceptional figure.
Since this was the tomb of a Shennong, Jing Yan didn't bother thinking too much about strategy.
"Brother, where do we start digging?" he asked.
"Let's try them all," Zhao Xing answered. "We'll see which ones we can enter."
A Third Stage Self School Shennong's tomb wouldn't be easy to loot. Zhao Xing didn't expect to claim everything. Even obtaining a single treasure would be a huge gain, considering they hadn't spent much effort.
"Jing Yan, don't act recklessly," Zhao Xing warned.
"Got it."
Jing Yan followed Zhao Xing toward one of the tombs positioned along the north-south axis.
A low hum reverberated through the air.
As they approached, one of the statues—a dog-headed humanoid—suddenly came to life.
Jing Yan was startled. He hadn't sensed any fluctuations from mechanical formations or puppetry arrays, meaning this wasn't an ordinary mechanized puppet.
"You two must be strong to have made it this far," the dog-headed statue spoke in an eerie tone.
"I have a small gift for you. If you swear a Heavenly Dao Oath, vowing not to disturb my eternal rest and to keep this place a secret, I will grant you this gift."
As it spoke, two beams of golden light emerged from its mouth, floating toward them.
"What is it saying?" Jing Yan asked, perplexed.
He couldn't understand because the dog-headed statue was speaking in the ancient language of Moonfall Mausoleum.
Even Zhao Xing only understood bits and pieces. The official deciphering of Seven Star Ancient Coins and Moonfall Mausoleum's scripts was still incomplete, and the reconstructed language wasn't entirely accurate.
However, with his past-life knowledge, even if he couldn't fully grasp the words, he understood what the statue meant.
"It's offering us a deal," Zhao Xing explained. "If we swear a Heavenly Dao Oath not to disturb this tomb, we can take two treasures and leave. The usual 'surrender and lose half' scenario."
The contest between tomb owners and grave robbers wasn't always a matter of life and death. Some tomb raiders were pragmatic—taking just a portion, swearing an oath under the Heavenly Dao, and erasing their entry records.
Although an Earth God Pill could dissolve such oaths, they were expensive. Many looters found it more cost-effective to honor their vows and move on.
Of course, there were also the greedy ones who thought they could cheat the system—only to end up dead.
"What do you think we should do?" Jing Yan's eyes gleamed as he gazed at the two golden treasures. "I can sense their aura—at least High-Grade Star-Tier Dao Weapons. There's probably more inside."
"Let's check the others first," Zhao Xing said. "All seven tombs likely have similar mechanisms. If the rewards are good, we'll take the deal."
"Sounds reasonable," Jing Yan agreed. He had his pride, but he wasn't reckless. A Third Stage Self School Shennong, especially one with divine abilities, wasn't someone to mess with lightly.
Greed could lead to disaster. You needed to live to enjoy your wealth.
At the fifth tomb, they encountered a tree-like statue.
It repeated the same speech and spat out two balls of light.
Zhao Xing's eyes lit up when he examined them.
One of the orbs contained a Celestial Stone Tablet—and inscribed upon it was the secret technique of Severing Origin Divine Ability!
"This is worth it! I'm taking the deal," Zhao Xing declared.
Self School Shennong Divine Abilities were never publicly sold. In the Yuanhai Ancient Kingdom, even if you had the money, you couldn't just buy them. To learn them, one had to join a faction, accumulate contributions, and bind themselves to an organization.
If they later left that organization, they would be forced to erase the divine ability from their memory.
This was because Self School Shennong Divine Abilities could alter life structures and break life-sealing restrictions, making them an essential source of wealth for the faction.
No one would sell their core technology so easily.
A fully unbound Self School Divine Ability was extremely rare and immensely valuable.
Zhao Xing had come to this tomb with one main objective—Severing Origin Divine Ability. If he could obtain it, this trip would already be a success.
"Zhao Xing, what is that?" Jing Yan asked, noticing his excitement.
"A Self School divine ability," Zhao Xing replied.
"What?" Jing Yan was taken aback. "They're just giving something like that away? This must be the tomb of a great divine ability user!"
"Jing Yan, my goal has been achieved," Zhao Xing said. "I'll take this technique and leave the rest of the treasures untouched. I'll focus entirely on helping you."
"Alright," Jing Yan nodded. "Take it."
Without hesitation, Zhao Xing swore the Heavenly Dao Oath.
As the Origin fluctuation swept through his body, he felt an overwhelming urge to leave, and his memory of this place began fading. However, within his Three Divinities Destiny Palace, his Life Soul, Karmic Soul, and Reincarnation Soul simultaneously opened their eyes, preserving his memory.
"Three Divinities Destiny Palace… unaffected by karma. If I wanted to, I wouldn't need an Earth God Pill to break the oath—I could simply resist and violate it," Zhao Xing mused.
The divine abilities from the Reincarnation Divine Palace were always hypocritical in this way.
"I should leave this area first."
Zhao Xing took the Celestial Stone Tablet and retreated to the Corrosive Space in the third trial zone. Meanwhile, Jing Yan was still selecting treasures.
"Jing Yan, if you need anything, just call me," Zhao Xing said. "But be careful. Even if you want to push forward, don't recklessly enter the eastern palace."
"Got it," Jing Yan nodded.
With the Celestial Stone Tablet in hand, Zhao Xing quickly returned to the Corrosive Space.
He settled himself between the three plant soldiers and sat cross-legged. The Celestial Stone Tablet floated before him as he began comprehending the Severing Origin Divine Ability.
A faint hum echoed.
A phantom projection appeared before Zhao Xing. It was a preaching image, storing the teachings of the tomb's owner before their death.
"The innate abilities of plant life are determined by their Innate Origin Essence."
"But not all Innate Origin Essences are beneficial. Some hinder a plant's growth—countless minute essences intertwine and impose restrictions, forming what we commonly call growth shackles."
"The Severing Origin Divine Ability removes these useless essences and amplifies the beneficial ones…"
The preaching image spoke in the ancient language of Moonfall Mausoleum, but that didn't matter. The Preaching Stone Tablet transmitted knowledge through Origin fluctuations, forming a series of images for comprehension.
Language barriers didn't matter because cultivation comprehension in the universe was never limited to words alone. Instead, it was preserved through objects that carried the Dao's Origin fluctuations.
This was why, despite remembering many secret techniques from his past life, Zhao Xing couldn't directly retrieve their core essence.
"Innate Origin Essence…" Zhao Xing carefully immersed himself in the technique. The Celestial Stone Tablet projected countless scenes, each resembling starlit structures of life itself.
"The abilities of plant life are determined by Innate Origin Essence."
"The Self School believes that all plants have the potential to become divine species. They all possess the innate potential to reach divine status, but due to their environment and generations of evolution, their divine essences have become fully suppressed and no longer manifest."
"Why does this happen? Because survival comes first."
"Powerful abilities often consume more spiritual energy resources. A simple weed, if placed in divine-grade soil, could develop formidable abilities. Conversely, if a divine species were placed in a desolate wasteland, it would degenerate. Over generations, its grade would decline."
"The accumulated influence of environmental factors creates invisible shackles, causing plant life to lose its most powerful talents. However, these abilities are not erased—they are simply hidden."
"The Severing Origin Divine Ability has two effects: one, amplifying a plant's innate abilities, and two, excavating hidden abilities."
In his vision, billions of stars flickered. Each star represented the building blocks of life.
"So essentially, this is like genetic editing," Zhao Xing realized.
The theory was simple. The execution, however, was the challenge.
Three months later, Zhao Xing attempted his first application. He chose Nine Yin Demon Vine as his subject.
Before him, a golden filament emerged, infused with spiritual energy, yin-yang origin, and soul power.
It resembled a needle, piercing into the Nine Yin Demon Vine.
"So this is the Severing Origin Divine Ability," Zhao Xing carefully controlled the filament. "This 'needle' is its external manifestation."
A microscopic vision unfolded before him. The life structure of the Nine Yin Demon Vine spread out like a starry sky.
From the outside, the needle seemed nearly imperceptible. But within the microscopic view, it appeared as a towering pillar, immense and overwhelming.
Zhao Xing guided the needle toward a particular star in the life structure.
With a boom, the star shattered, its essence dispersing and being absorbed by the surrounding stars.
"The shattered star was one of the Innate Origin Essences of the Nine Yin Demon Vine. Now, its essence has been absorbed by the rest," Zhao Xing observed.
Switching to macroscopic vision, he checked the Nine Yin Demon Vine for changes.
Nothing appeared different.
"Well, of course. I only removed one Innate Origin Essence. At this level, it doesn't even count as losing a single cell—it's far too insignificant to notice."
"I should stop experimenting on the Nine Yin Demon Vine. My best test subject is the Illusion Star Mushroom."
The Illusion Star Mushroom had the Splitting talent, making it perfect for repeated experiments.
"My problem right now is that I only have one divine ability needle—it's too slow. I need to refine my proficiency first," Zhao Xing thought.
According to the tomb owner's teachings, truly mastering the technique required controlling one trillion divine ability needles. Perfection would mean wielding ten quadrillion.
"Alright, let's do this. Time to train, Mushroom."
Zhao Xing forced the Illusion Star Mushroom to keep splitting.
Then, he went on a stabbing frenzy.
At this stage, his goal wasn't to help the mushroom grow—it was to practice needle control, so he didn't care where he stabbed.
A series of explosions erupted in the microscopic vision as the fragmented Illusion Star Mushrooms saw their Innate Origin Essences constantly shatter and be absorbed by other stars.
Meanwhile, the external world remained completely still.
Zhao Xing used his panel system to track his proficiency.
His stabbing frequency was high, and his proficiency skyrocketed.
To an outsider, this training would seem mind-numbingly tedious. But Zhao Xing thrived in solitude. With his panel system displaying progress, stabbing away felt rather satisfying.
By the first day, he had expanded to ten needles.
By the second day, he could control a hundred.
By the third day, he reached a thousand.
As time passed, three months had gone by since Zhao Xing obtained the Severing Origin Divine Ability.
Boom!
The first mushroom finally underwent a fundamental transformation!
Roar!
As if it could no longer bear Zhao Xing's repeated prodding, the Illusion Star Mushroom let out a beast-like roar before suddenly exploding!
Sizzle sizzle sizzle~
A layer of transparent liquid splattered onto Zhao Xing.
"Hmm… why does it smell like meat? Its toxicity is completely gone, and the explosive power has weakened by a factor of ten thousand, but its overall mass has increased by several dozen times."
Zhao Xing waved his hand to disperse the air and observed carefully. Before it exploded, the mushroom had completely changed shape, turning into an irregular lump of something unrecognizable.
"A perfectly fine Second-Tier plant, and I somehow knocked it down to a lifeform below Destiny Palace Tier…"
The split bodies of the Illusion Star Mushroom originally had a cultivation level equivalent to early Second-Tier, but after Zhao Xing's relentless modifications, they completely collapsed. By the time it exploded, its life essence had already regressed to about the level of Heavenly Fortune Tier.
"I hope I didn't create some kind of abomination…"
Zhao Xing muttered to himself. Shennong of the Self School were infamous for their reckless experiments, and unexpected incidents were common. There were even cases where someone accidentally created a monstrous lifeform and died because of it.
"I need to be more cautious from now on."
Instead of merely training his control over the Severing Origin Needle, Zhao Xing began targeted modifications.
"This region of the micro-star cluster represents the Toxic Origin Essence of the Illusion Star Mushroom."
"There are also some unknown Origin Essences mixed in around it and in the center."
"Let's try amplifying its toxicity first."
At this point, Zhao Xing had already gained control over tens of millions of Severing Origin Needles, meaning he could now conduct practical modifications.
Half a month later.
Zhao Xing sat in front of three split bodies of an Illusion Star Mushroom.
One of them was the experimental subject, while the other two were control samples.
"The control samples have a mix of green and purple hues."
"The experimental subject, however, has turned completely black."
"Its camouflage and hallucinogenic abilities have completely vanished, leaving only the singular trait of Extreme Poison."
"And its lifespan has become significantly shorter."
Zhao Xing carefully analyzed the changes.
"It will die within two hundred years."
"But the Extreme Poison trait has been amplified fiftyfold. This single experimental specimen, based on its toxicity alone, is now capable of threatening Third-Tier cultivators."
Zhao Xing's expression turned serious. He had to handle this carefully, or he might poison himself in the process.
There was a reason why Shennong of the Self School were ostracized by the Heavenly Timing School and Earthly Advantage School—their extreme methods often made them seem dangerously unpredictable.
A Self School Shennong was either a genius or a madman—or perhaps, there was never really a difference between the two.
"I'd better throw this thing far away."
Zhao Xing cautiously wrapped the toxic mushroom and flung it to the other side of the Corrosive Marsh.
"Now I need to keep testing. I need to fully understand the properties of the split bodies before I start working on the mother body."
Zhao Xing continued refining his control over the Severing Origin Needles, his proficiency skyrocketing.
More and more mushrooms were thrown away as his experiments progressed.
He lost track of time, completely immersed in cultivation.
Until one day, Jing Yan suddenly sent him a transmission: "Zhao Xing, I've run into some trouble."
"On my way."
Zhao Xing casually tossed aside the mushroom he was working on and swallowed an Earth God Pill.
As soon as the Earth God Pill entered his Sea of Consciousness, it suddenly transformed into a sword, which was then grasped by his Life Soul.
Buzz!
The oath restrictions he had sworn earlier were instantly severed.
Zhao Xing shifted his aura and altered his appearance before stepping into the Fourth Trial Zone once more.
At the same time, while Zhao Xing and Jing Yan were exploring the seven tomb palaces, something was happening at the outermost perimeter—the Starwheel Maze.
"Brother Zeng, we need to speed things up." Wang Yun looked at Zeng Zhuo. "A third of the three-year deadline that Steward Hong set has already passed, and we've barely broken through the First Trial."
"This tomb is truly tricky," Zeng Zhuo sighed. "Not easy to excavate."
The bigshots up above only had to give orders, but the ones below had to work themselves to the bone.
If their only goal was to forcefully break into the tomb, things would be much simpler.
As a mechanist, Zeng Zhuo had plenty of ways to brute-force a tomb, and the Marquis Residence of Yuetan had all the manpower and equipment necessary.
But no—Hong Qi wanted Lady Lu Yuehan to feel a sense of accomplishment.
So instead of simply breaking through the tomb, they had to half-open it—reducing the difficulty while still preserving the formation structures.
How was that supposed to make sense?
But even if it was unreasonable, they had no choice but to comply.
If Zeng Zhuo refused to do it, someone else would.
"I'll make sure my men speed up the process," Zeng Zhuo said. "But I'll be counting on your help, Brother Wang."
"I have limited strength and won't be much help to you," Wang Yun replied indifferently. "This is your responsibility, Brother Zeng. I'm sure you'll handle it just fine."
He refused to take any responsibility.
If progress went smoothly, he'd increase his involvement.
But if Zeng Zhuo looked like he was falling behind, Wang Yun would push all the blame onto him.
Zeng Zhuo cursed the shameless bastard in his heart, but he still had to maintain a polite smile.
As a Fate Officer, Wang Yun was not someone to offend. He frequently appeared before Hong Qi and Lady Lu Yuehan, and a few bad words from him could be disastrous.
Seeing that a third of their time had already passed, Zeng Zhuo had no choice but to personally step in.
He had studied formations, but his combat ability was mediocre.
It took him one year and one month, but he finally adjusted the Starwheel Maze to a reasonable difficulty.
With focused effort, Lu Yuehan should be able to break through it.
Then, Zeng Zhuo moved on to the Second Trial—The Puppet Pathway.
"Why is this trial just as difficult?"
Zeng Zhuo frowned.
Surrounding the Puppet Pathway were over a thousand towers, each containing numerous Second-Tier puppets.
Over a thousand puppets, combined with formation defenses, meant that Lu Yuehan wouldn't stand a chance.
Originally, this trial wasn't so hard.
But thanks to Jing Yan's strategic adjustments, the Puppet Array had evolved to a higher level—increasing its difficulty dramatically.
"Ugh…"
Zeng Zhuo sighed. He could feel his lifespan shortening just from dealing with this headache.
After another half a year of tireless effort, Zeng Zhuo finally managed to suppress the power of the Puppet Pathway to a level that Lu Yuehan could handle. Since he couldn't modify the Puppet Formation directly, he resorted to using the same sealing method as Jing Yan. He also crafted a few puppets identical in appearance to those in the towers, but they only had the combat strength of First-Tier Perfection.
"She won't notice the difference anyway, so this should be enough to fool her," Zeng Zhuo muttered to himself. With another six months passing, he dared not waste a single moment and pushed forward.
The Third Trial was the Corrosion Space. Since Zhao Xing had been away for some time, the effects of Eight Epochs of Purple Light had gradually faded. Now, the place had reverted to its previous state—dense gray fog filled the air, and the swampy terrain blocked the path ahead, preventing Zeng Zhuo's group from advancing. Of course, the difficulty had somewhat decreased compared to before, as Eight Epochs of Purple Light and Jing Yan's strategic seals had left some permanent impacts on this space.
"The first exploration team, head in. Return within one month at the latest." Zeng Zhuo gave the order.
"Yes!" The team responded and quickly entered.
One month later, Zeng Zhuo frowned. Why haven't they returned? Did something go wrong? Accidents weren't unusual here. Since communication was completely blocked, receiving no feedback was expected.
"Send in the second exploration team." He increased the number of explorers, refining their formation and equipping them with better gear. This time, nearly everyone was an experienced Second-Tier cultivator.
By the second month, strange roars began echoing from within the depths of the fog. In the end, only a single mechanized puppet managed to return.
Zzzzzzz— Sparks crackled as Zeng Zhuo inspected the puppet, its fragmented memory images flashing intermittently.
"Hm? The second team is still alive… but why haven't they come back?" His expression darkened. "This trial is even more bizarre than I thought."
"My people were equipped with top-grade Star Dao weapons, yet none of them returned? Just what is going on in there?" He took a deep breath. With Hong Qi's deadline rapidly approaching, Zeng Zhuo gritted his teeth.
"I'll go in myself." He turned to his men. "Report everything to Lord Hong—make sure he knows the situation here."
"Yes!" His subordinates quickly left to deliver the message.
Zeng Zhuo donned his mechanized battle armor and stepped into the Corrosion Space. He didn't bring any followers—after all, he was Third-Tier, and the fact that some of the second exploration team members were still alive suggested that the Third Trial's difficulty was between the Second-Tier and Third-Tier. He wasn't about to charge in blindly, but he was confident in handling this.
Gululu—Gululu— His giant puppet suit hovered just above the swamp's surface, the bog constantly bubbling as green vapors drifted through the air. Countless lines of data flashed across his visor.
"Average chaos index: 85."
"Toxin index: 75. Modes of toxin invasion detected: 76 types."
"Spirit Qi index: 9. All Spirit Qi is contaminated with toxins and cannot be absorbed."
"This doesn't add up." Zeng Zhuo frowned. Based on these readings, his first two teams shouldn't have had this much trouble.
"Scanning for lifeforms in the area…" He slowly maneuvered forward.
Suddenly—Boom! His mechanized battle armor jolted. It felt like he had stepped on something.
"Huh?" Instinctively, he pressed down with his foot. Soft. His eyes narrowed, and he immediately ascended higher.
That's when a strange scent hit his nose.
"Wait… What?!" Zeng Zhuo's face paled. He had a protective barrier active, so how had the scent penetrated his defenses?
He rapidly ascended, scanning below for anything unusual. However, before he could get more than a thousand meters up, his head collided with something.
Boom! A tremendous force sent him flying.
Something had exploded!
[Warning! The barrier of 'Pāo Yuè' has dropped to 50%!]
[Unknown toxin detected—]
"Analyze the attack source!" Zeng Zhuo shouted.
[Analysis complete. Attacker identified: Peak-Tier Plant Lifeform—'Illusion Star Mushroom' (75%).]
"Impossible!" His eyes widened. "Illusion Star Mushrooms are at most Second-Tier! How could one possess this much power?!" He began doubting his own hearing.
Boom! Another explosion sent him reeling from a different direction.
"Analyze the attack source—"
[Analysis complete. Attacker identified: Peak-Tier Plant Lifeform—'Illusion Star Mushroom' (65%).]
"Another one?!" Zeng Zhuo was dumbfounded.
He was a Third-Tier cultivator. While his combat ability wasn't exceptional, he was well-rounded and far from weak. Yet now, he was being tossed around like a rag doll by mushrooms.
"Pāo Yuè Celestial Illumination!" He activated his small divine ability, a detection-type mechanized technique.
[Regional map analyzed!]
Buzz! A three-dimensional terrain map of the entire surrounding area appeared in his vision, covering millions of miles.
Inside the dense gray fog, an entire forest of bizarre mushrooms spread out before him.
Some of the mushrooms were black with purple hues, hidden deep within Lunar Origin Essence. Others had arms—yes, actual arms—and gaping maws, feasting upon other mushrooms. Some were splitting apart, their spore-like offspring dropping like falling seeds.
What he saw was a massive, nightmarish mushroom forest.
His first thought: "What kind of place have I just walked into?!"
His second thought: "This mushroom forest was planted recently!" The soil beneath the mushrooms looked new, proving that someone had cultivated them here.
Boom! Boom!
A chain of explosions erupted in the distance. The Lunar Origin Essence detonations formed a black-violet firestorm, sending shockwaves sweeping toward his mechanized battle armor.
Zeng Zhuo gasped as his vision blurred, his consciousness fading into darkness.
His last thought before passing out—
"Who the hell has been planting mushrooms here?!"