The banquet held for Zhao Xing by Lords Peng Ao, Niu Hong, and Yiner was originally planned to last a full year.
But Zhao Xing didn't intend to stay that long.
His mind was still on the Great Zhou and the Northern River Army—how could he indulge in pleasure for so long?
After connecting with Fate Officer Marquis of Destiny, Yuan Xin, and demon historian Marquis Li Qing, he just made a brief appearance at the departments he also oversaw, then left.
Outside Jiachen Fourteenth Pass, aboard the Mountain Cat-class realm vessel.
"Grand Shennong, our dynasty has dispatched a total of five thousand two hundred sixty-five individuals at the Third Realm, and three at the Dao Domain Realm this time."
"We'll be operating under the name of the Northern River Legion's Wuye-Fengdu Army, led by the Grand Marshal, Ji Si, and King Luohou, heading to Wangliang Upper Star Region via the Langping Route."
"There are three primary objectives."
"First, to explore and occupy or bring back for trade any life-type realm stars with Spiritual Qi Index values between 10 and 100."
"Second, to excavate high-value mineral regions."
"Third, to establish the Great Zhou Chamber of Commerce through a joint initiative by the Shennong External Office and the Maritime Commerce Bureau. Ling Tianchen and Meng Kun will be in charge, focusing primarily on cooperation with the Northern River Legion's Wuye Military Market Division, though the concrete charter hasn't been finalized yet."
"In addition, the Grand Marshal wishes to expand combat missions. His Majesty refused but asked me to get your opinion."
After reporting, Shennong Officer Chen Yu stood aside and waited.
Zhao Xing sat calmly in his chair, lifted a finger, and motioned for a minor official nearby to start taking notes.
"Great Zhou is acting in coordination with the Northern River Legion. In the Suyue Arid Domain, Spirit Qi zones are scattered—some here, some there. Places with life-type realm stars are few and far between. If we aim too high, we'll end up in conflict with the rest of the legion."
"We can't wield favors like weapons."
"Lower the target for the exploration plan. Realm stars with Spiritual Qi Index values between 10 and 50 are fine."
"If the Northern River Legion gets to eat meat, we should be content with some soup. And if danger arises, Great Zhou won't suffer serious losses."
"The development has only just begun—it's all danger right now, not much opportunity. Focus on safety. Pass that word to King Luohou."
Zhao Xing nodded toward Chen Yu as he spoke.
"Understood." Chen Yu recognized that the Grand Shennong was tactfully curbing King Luohou's ambitions to expand military operations.
"As for business, whatever the Wuye Military Market Division assigns, Great Zhou accepts. No picking and choosing. As long as there's work and profit, that's enough."
As for valuable mineral excavation, there wasn't much worth discussing.
In the early stages of the Suyue Arid Domain, there simply wasn't much good stuff to dig up.
Besides, in many parts of the Arid Domain, items couldn't be stored within internal worlds or standard storage Dao weapons.
So Great Zhou planned only to act as a middleman.
The Mechanisms and Constructs Office under Lu Ying had prepared law formations and puppet war spirits geared mainly for transportation and logistics.
Great Zhou currently had three specialized and highly valuable realm vessels: the Broad Domain, Wu Ji, and Boundless—all massive vessels built to boost carrying capacity.
Seeing Zhao Xing had no further instructions, Chen Yu withdrew to begin arranging the operations in detail.
After passing through the border and entering the Suyue Arid Domain, the functions of the Star Mirror weakened considerably. Formation signals became spotty, with significant delays. So Zhao Xing went to the archives room aboard the vessel.
"As Haitong Envoy, I have great authority—but the responsibilities are just as heavy. That strange event at the Overlapped Realm Mountains... won't be long before it shows up on the merits list."
"Completing missions earns merit points, which can be exchanged for resources."
"And these merit points are used across multiple factions—far more valuable than those in my past life."
Back then, only the Red Star Empire and Primordial Hill had cooperated. So merit points could only be exchanged within those two powers.
Primordial Hill's members could redeem for divine weapons, techniques, resources, or even noble titles held by the Red Star Empire—and vice versa.
Now, however, the superpowers involved included not just the Empire and Primordial Hill, but also the Ancient Kingdom Alliance of the Barren Domain, Reincarnation Divine Palace, Origin Heaven Palace, and the Academy City.
A single type of merit point could be used to exchange for top-tier treasures across all major forces!
Of course Zhao Xing wouldn't miss such a golden opportunity.
"According to the calendar system established by the Heavenly Timing faction of the Xuanling Star Domain..."
"This is currently the 1,194th Solar Year of the Second Epoch of the Arid Domain. In six Solar Years, we'll enter the Third Epoch."
"Based on realm star years—that is, the Xuanhuang Calendar—it's still 5,985 years away."
"The project to open the Haitong Ancient Path faced many challenges. Among them, the terrain alteration at Overlapped Realm Mountains left the deepest impression on me."
"The issue was originally expected to appear in the 1,195th Solar Year, but due to increased participation by multiple factions, progress accelerated—so it might've been triggered ahead of schedule."
Zhao Xing flipped open ten thousand Dao books simultaneously. Then he brought out one blank Dao book and placed it in front of him.
"As I expected, what Primordial Hill encountered probably wasn't something mysterious or supernatural, but a case of Earth-Record Terrain Alteration."
Natural disasters and geological shifts—these were environmental calamities caused by Heaven and Earth.
Commonly referred to as natural disasters.
When Shennong manage the environment, they often face wind plagues, insect swarms—these are considered heavenly disasters.
Earthquakes, disruptions of subterranean Qi, shifting mountains and rivers—those are classed as terrain alterations.
In a cosmic context, disasters haven't disappeared—they've just grown more complex.
Mountains now grow in the void. As environments become more intricate, so too do the disasters.
"Earth-Record Terrain Alteration is a rare disaster. Current Earthly Bureaucrat theories barely explain its true nature. There are very few effective solutions recorded in the Dao books."
"I copied quite a lot of books before leaving the Primordial Realm—but even then, I've only got a little over seven million volumes."
Whoosh—whoosh—
Pages fluttered rapidly.
These theoretical Dao books didn't improve one's combat power, but Zhao Xing had always loved reading them—both in this life and his last.
Partly because he enjoyed it, and partly because they made doing missions smoother.
Right now, he was reviewing the knowledge he'd acquired in his past life.
And something as enjoyable as learning naturally had to be shared with a good brother.
Not long after, Chen Shijie appeared in the archive room.
"Chen Shijie greets the Grand Shennong."
Zhao Xing opened his eyes, a smile playing at the corners of his lips. "Chen Shijie, you greet the Grand Shennong with just a cupped hand and no bow? You sure have some nerve!"
Chen Shijie adjusted his sleeves and rolled his eyes. "That's enough. What, should I kneel next?"
"Hahaha, come in already." Zhao Xing chuckled and waved him over.
"What did you call me here for?"
"To invite you to a feast of knowledge!"
Chen Shijie glanced at the Dao books floating mid-air.
Titles like "On the Earth Records," "Mid-Age Geomantic Shifts," "Atlas of Star-Lands," "Scripture of Realm Mountains"—each and every one was from the Earthly Bureaucrat school—flashed before his eyes.
"Huh? This many?" Chen Shijie's eyes lit up. "So many—I haven't read most of them!"
"Hahaha, I knew you'd love this." Zhao Xing was very satisfied with Chen's reaction.
"Where'd you get them?" Chen Shijie picked one up gently, eyes full of fascination, his hands careful and reverent.
"Of course, from the Primordial Realm."
"Too bad, though. Books on theoretical principles are rare. Niche ones are even harder to find—I only managed to get a few million."
"You haven't seen them because the Star Mirror doesn't catalogue them."
"Why not?" Chen Shijie asked instinctively.
"First, because niche books are hard to collect."
"Second, it's a matter of sectarian bias."
Zhao Xing pointed to the books and said:
"The Primordial Realm did include a good number of Earthly Bureaucrat techniques. But when it comes to books explaining theoretical doctrines, there's barely any."
"When it's about debates over philosophical principles, both Primordial Hill and the Primordial Realm have the same attitude—use your spells, but don't study your ideas."
Chen Shijie nodded in understanding, then said, "To be fair, the Primordial Realm is already relatively open-minded. At least you managed to find this many."
"The dispute between Great Daos is really a battle for interpretive authority over the Dao."
Zhao Xing nodded. "Exactly. Each branch of the Shennong has its own interpretation of the universe."
"The Self School divides the cosmos into four stages: Primordial, Origin, Myriad Phenomena, and Silence. Through cosmic observation, they derive the manifestations of different Dao stages."
"From there, they built the Self School's cultivation system—refining Pure Essence Soil, nurturing Origin Space, and eventually opening one's Inner World."
"To many, this kind of inner-world cultivation is considered nonsense."
"You're being too nice—it's straight-up heresy," Chen Shijie joked. "No reliance on Heaven or Earth—just creating an inner world yourself. That slaps the faces of both the Heavenly Timing and Earthly Bureaucrat schools!"
Zhao Xing raised an eyebrow. "With that logic, my unification of all three schools back home was for nothing?"
Chen Shijie didn't even look up. "Not completely. I still respect the Primordial Realm and admire the seniors who made achievements there."
"But deep down, I believe it's Earthly Bureaucrat theory that truly explains the essence of the universe."
"Heavenly Timing and Self School? Just side paths at best!"
Zhao Xing was multitasking—reading while chatting casually. "Then go ahead, explain how Earthly Bureaucrats interpret the cosmic Dao."
Chen Shijie closed his book and replied solemnly, "The Earthly Bureaucrats divide the universe into three primary eras: the Taigu Era, Yuangu Era, and Daoxian Era."
"Beneath those are levels like Realm, Epoch, Record, World, and Period."
"The name Primordial Hill comes from the idea of the 'Taigu Era.'"
"Legend has it that Primordial Hill contains one of the oldest micro-worlds, inside of which is a single earth vein believed to have existed since the birth of the universe. It's called the Primordial Earth Vein."
"That 'Primordial Vein' contains infinite mysteries of the cosmic Dao."
"From it came the development of various systems like Soil-Cleaving Method, Mountain Method, Mystic Earth Method, Earth Palace Method, Earth Channel Method, and Earth Repository Method."
"The Extreme Land Method was created by a great figure from Primordial Hill, based on that primordial vein. The first step of cultivating that method is to 'draw the vein into the body.'"
Speaking of this, Chen Shijie looked a bit regretful. "Too bad I'm too dull. Even after reaching Third Realm Perfection, I still haven't completed the first stage of the Extreme Land Method. So I've never gotten the chance to see Primordial Hill myself."
"Don't be too down. You'll get there." Zhao Xing smiled faintly. "Look at me—I mastered it in just a few years."
For a moment, Chen Shijie didn't know whether to feel happy or miserable. It didn't feel like comfort at all!
"For the sake of all these books, I won't argue." Chen Shijie said, "Now shut up and let me read in peace."
"Yes, Master Chen!"
Shifts in earth veins could move mountains and rivers, turn seas into mulberry fields, and destabilize the Six Qi.
If changes in earth veins that would normally take an epoch, an era, or even a record to complete happened in a short time, the resulting Terrain Alteration would be called a "Earth-Record Terrain Alteration."
Even the tiniest variable, multiplied by endless time, becomes terrifying.
Once an Earth-Record Terrain Alteration occurs, even the Dao itself gets affected.
New-generation cultivators can no longer adapt to the old era's Dao. Upon entering such a zone, they'll find that many of their cultivated techniques become extremely unstable, distorted in effect—or even rebound on them!
An Earth-Record Terrain Alteration can trigger a "Marquis-Scale Mutation" across an entire star system!
It can also release terrain qi that shatters the mind—or even poison gas!
Based on Yuan Xin's description, the events at Diejie Mountain along the Haitong Ancient Path—blood rain from the sky, cultivators going mad, corpses surfacing—were highly likely caused by an Earth-Record Terrain Alteration.
That's because Diejie Mountain is a special case. Its base extends into the void's Dao-Ancient Layer and can convert void energy into actual mountain stone.
This already satisfies the conditions for an Earth-Record Terrain Alteration to take place.
The only issue is that most people at this stage still have a shallow understanding of such phenomena.
What they don't understand, they mystify.
"Research on Terrain Alteration has, for the most part, stayed in the Mesozoic period—namely, the third geologic age of the Daoxian Era."
"There are barely any countermeasures. Go back even earlier, and there's nothing at all."
After spending a few months finishing all the relevant books, Zhao Xing organized what he had learned.
The reason for this lack of material was simple—no one needed it. Even Shennongs at the Reincarnation Realm within the Earthly Bureaucrat school rarely encountered a full-blown Earth-Record Terrain Alteration.
In the Spirit Domain, large-scale terrain changes of this level were incredibly rare.
No demand means no motivation. If the problem seldom arises, no one bothers to study it.
Worst case, people just avoid the place and mark it as a Forbidden Zone.
After all, if there's one thing Shennongs are good at, it's opening up new territories and building habitable zones. Why waste time poking around in "Forbidden Zones"?
"Old Qing once said that the Barren Domain is a graveyard for those at the Reincarnation Realm. Add this situation on top, and it makes sense that things have been passed around as strange and spooky."
"Now that we've identified the problem, it's time to research a solution."
After thinking for a moment, Zhao Xing wrote a bold title on the blank Dao book in front of him:
"Theory of Terrain Alteration in the Daoxian Era"
He hadn't even arrived on-site yet—so how could he already determine it was from the Daoxian Era and not the Yuangu or Taigu Eras?
The reason was simple—the Siyue Barren Domain hadn't existed that long.
"Siyue Barren Domain used to be part of the Spirit Domain. Its terrain changes were slow and gentle."
"From this, we can judge that this Earth-Record Terrain Alteration occurred between the Late Mesozoic and Early Cenozoic."
"As for exactly which periods in between, we'll have to examine the site."
The Mesozoic was one of the geologic ages in the Daoxian Era and consisted of three major periods:
The Triassic Period, named for the proliferation of trifold realm mountains.
The Chaotic River Period, when an influx of realm mountains turned vast primal void oceans into flowing rivers.
And the Baiwei Period, named after someone called Baiwei.
The Baiwei Period marked the end of the Five Emperors Era—a time that stretched across all three periods and even traced back into the Paleozoic era before the Mesozoic.
Sorting out this timeline was a bit troublesome, since an era unit was 1.2 million Realm Star years, but the terrain age units—like the various "Periods"—were measured in the hundreds of millions of Realm Star years. A single Baiwei Period lasted several hundred million years.
While writing, Zhao Xing suddenly remembered someone—Fan Daoyou, whom he had met in Ice Star Prison.
"That guy was great at deciphering ancient arrays from the Baiwei Period. I wonder if he'll get released earlier in this life."
Zhao Xing had picked Fan Daoyou to train because of his rare skills.
But with the problems on the Haitong Ancient Path surfacing ahead of schedule, that guy needed to get out of prison sooner too. If he's late, the opportunity will be gone.
"Forget it. No point worrying. Just because I lost the butcher doesn't mean I have to eat pigs with hair on them."
"Right now, your lord here is a First-Class Haitong Emissary. My status isn't what it used to be."
"I should be giving commands from thousands of li away, not doing every little thing myself."
Humming to himself, Zhao Xing continued inscribing the Dao book.
Time passed. It had been three months since the Mountain Cat Realm Vessel left the Fourteenth Gate of Shenshen.
Thanks to the Primordial Hill's star-ring routes along the way, each segment could be transmitted via teleportation, so after three months—
The Mountain Cat, along with the North River Legion's realm vessel fleet, had arrived at the second forward base along the Haitong Ancient Path—Taoyang Star-Land.
It was named after Taoyangzi, disciple of Emperor Hongshan.
"Zhao Xing, the North River Legion has arrived at Taoyang Star-Land. On behalf of our entire legion, I thank you." The one speaking was the lead general of the North River Legion—Duan Ye.
Duan Ye was a veteran Reincarnation Realm cultivator. One step below the Lord tier, but with combat strength that rivaled any elite.
After scanning Duan Ye's data through the detection panel, Zhao Xing realized—this guy definitely had Lord-tier strength.
He was the second most powerful figure in the entire North River Star System.
"Senior Duan, you're too kind." Zhao Xing cupped his hands. "It's an honor to contribute even a tiny bit to my homeland."
Duan Ye wasn't one to waste time. His next words were straightforward: "The Great Zhou's troops entering the Wuye Corps will be well taken care of. You can rest easy."
"The frontlines are pressing—we'll head out first."
"Wishing you a victorious campaign, Senior."
As soon as the North River Legion's realm vessels arrived at Taoyang Star-Land, they immediately used a Star-Moving Array to teleport the entire fleet to another Dao field along Langping Path. From there, it was a short distance to the Wangliang Star Zone.
This meant that Qiao Song and Yang Zhuo's worries would soon be resolved.
And Great Zhou? They could finally hitch a ride on this momentum—and begin their own development.
The Great Zhou delegation was led by Liu Tianning and Yun Tiandao, both at the Dao Domain Realm. Among those at the Third Origin Realm were King Luohou, Ling Tianchen, Long Xiao, Xia Jing, Lu Ying, and Grand Physician Cui Chengzhi.
Ji Che remained stationed at the Fourteenth Gate of Jiachen as a strategic liaison between domestic and foreign fronts.
Ji Si, Chen Shijie, and several others stayed behind with Zhao Xing at Taoyang Base.
Upon landing at Taoyang Base, only Daoist Miaosong came to receive them—and it was just a Straw Puppet clone.
A full-fledged First-Class Haitong Emissary, someone with status higher than many Reincarnation Realm officials, yet only a Second-Class Haitong Emissary like Daoist Miaosong showed up?
Were they seriously brushing him off like this?
"Brother Zhao, don't take it the wrong way. All the department heads are currently in a meeting at Central Polar Hall, and they couldn't get away," Daoist Miaosong explained the moment he appeared.
"No problem. Then I arrived just in time—take me to the Central Polar Hall," Zhao Xing said calmly.
Since they had been flying and teleporting across the Barren Domain, communications via the Star Mirror were delayed. Zhao Xing's arrival could've been early or late. With timing so uncertain, it was impossible to organize a proper welcome.
Otherwise, Taoyangzi would've at least come out to show some respect.
Zhao Xing's authority had been officially recognized back at the Fourteenth Gate of Jiachen. After landing at Taoyang Base, everything went smoothly, and he soon arrived at the Central Polar Hall.
Daoist Miaosong brought Zhao Xing inside and casually led him to an empty floating platform to sit. No one even noticed.
That was because at that moment, the hall was filled with heated arguing.
"Hold the line? How?! Qiu Zishan, you Earthly Bureaucrats can't even drive a stake into the ground, and now you expect us from the Mystery Division to hold the front?"
A bald man pounded the table as his voice boomed like thunder, shaking the entire space within the hall.
"One Earth Bureaucrat versus ten Mystery Division officers—you okay with that deal?"
"Gu Ming, what kind of crap are you spewing?! I didn't ask you to risk your lives! I just told you to reinforce the seventh mountain pass for fifteen days! Why are you slamming tables?!" On another floating platform, a brown-haired youth in a Void Traversal robe—Qiu Zishan—stood up angrily, waving his arms. But he didn't exactly radiate authority.
"If the five mountain passes of the Seventh Realm Mountain get sealed, my people will be trapped and die in there."
"Oh, so now you're begging?" Gu Ming sneered. "Begging the Mystery Division to risk their lives climbing that cursed mountain to bring back your Earth Bureaucrats—is that it?"
Qiu Zishan was furious but also felt helpless. After a moment of hesitation, he swallowed his pride. "Fine! You're right! I'm begging you. Will you go save them now?!"
Zhao Xing turned to Daoist Miaosong beside him and sent a quiet sound transmission. "Brother, I know Qiu Zishan—he's Taoyangzi's disciple and head of the Earth Bureaucrats here at Taoyang. But who's that other guy?"
He'd just arrived in this sector, so things were unfamiliar. The Star Mirror didn't help either, since personnel at forward bases changed often.
For example, Zhao Xing's Star Mirror still listed Taoyangzi as the commander at Taoyang Base. But in reality, Taoyangzi was now stationed at the First Expansion Base alongside Emperor Hongshan and Emperor Bisu.
"That's Gu Ming, a mechanist from Tianque Island of the Origin Heaven Palace. He's also the chief of the Mystery Division here."
"Oh, no wonder he's got such a temper," Zhao Xing murmured.
Mechanists trained on Tianque Island were famous across the realm.
In fact, much of the current Moonluo Cemetery within the Illusion God Star System had already been taken over by Origin Heaven Palace, slowly becoming the version Zhao Xing remembered.
The complex arrays there had been constructed by mechanists from Tianque Island.
If Zhao Xing hadn't shown up in this life, the transmission tomb tied to the Xuanling History Scroll's Time Page would've been sealed by those very same people.
He also happened to know another mechanist from Tianque Island—Zhanze, a close friend of Du Yun.
"So what are they even arguing about? Something about the Seventh Realm Mountain?"
Daoist Miaosong's expression grew solemn. "Brother Zhao, you must've heard some rumors about Diejie Mountain along your journey, right?"
"I did," Zhao Xing nodded. "But nothing's been announced via the Star Mirror. Street gossip tends to exaggerate."
"It's not exaggerated," Daoist Miaosong shook his head. "If anything, the reality is even worse."
"Whether they're stationed at the first, second, or third Dao Fields, combat personnel or non-combatants, there have been casualties."
"The engineers from the Earthly Bureaucrats couldn't even cut through Diejie Mountain's stone. They couldn't drive a single stake into the ground."
"Not long ago, there was a rain of blood at the First Dao Field. Corpses of Yao clan creatures emerged. Some even said Emperor Hongshan himself was injured."
"And he's still stuck at the first mountain. Officially, it's said he's looking for the root cause... but many believe he's been trapped."
Zhao Xing's eyes narrowed. Even Emperor Hongshan got injured and trapped? That rumor was downright terrifying.
"The First Dao Field is the vanguard unit. It's one thing if Diejie Mountain hasn't been broken through yet... but why are there casualties at the Second and Third Bases, which were already opened?"
Daoist Miaosong shook his head. "That's exactly what they're arguing about."
"Originally, several Diejie Mountains between the first and second Dao Fields suddenly began sealing up faster than before."
"And the same bizarre events occurred there too."
"We don't know what exactly went wrong, but now tens of thousands of people are trapped inside the Seventh Realm Mountain. They can't go forward... and they can't go back."
Chen Shijie and Ji Si were completely confused by this point, but Zhao Xing quickly understood what Daoist Miaosong meant.
Diejie Mountain had two defining traits—it regrew after being excavated, always returning to its original form, and over time, it grew larger and taller.
And more importantly, its mass was anchored in the void layer.
That's what made it such a formidable roadblock.
Standing in front of Diejie Mountain, whether you looked up or down, or to either side—it was all walls, stretching endlessly.
To get through, you had to dig a tunnel and reinforce it. Otherwise, the only option was to go around.
And if you tried to go around, there was no telling how far that would be.
The multiple realm mountains were arranged like the carriages of a train, and the bases were like people living inside those carriages.
If the passage between the mountains couldn't be stabilized, then travel between those "train cars" would become impossible.
What was even scarier was—if the growth rebound of the realm mountain accelerated too fast, it'd be like the train cars themselves started crushing together!
The explorers living between the realm mountains would either be trapped to death—or crushed alive!
The problems in the three foremost bases along the Haitong Ancient Path had arisen because the construction was staggered, with each segment progressing at a different pace.
Since the digging at the front had gone smoothly and there had been plenty of manpower, once the first mountain was broken through, a batch of people immediately advanced to establish the base, while another batch stayed behind to reinforce the passage—like how every train carriage has guards at its doors.
One base after another was linked together and gradually expanded into the cosmos, forming what became the Haitong Ancient Path.
"Yes, Zhao Xing, your train analogy fits perfectly," Daoist Miaosong took a deep breath and said:
"Now, not only is the space between the carriages being compressed, but there's also poison gas, Yao creatures, and blood rain that corrodes the golden bodies and Dharma bodies of cultivators."
"Back when Emperor Hongshan and Emperor Bisu were around, they kept everyone calm. No one thought much of it. But now that even Emperor Hongshan is injured, people are starting to panic."
"Gu Ming refuses to risk his people for a rescue, because as a mechanist, he's not responsible for combat operations. Meanwhile, calls to reroute are growing louder."
"I don't think they can keep a lid on this much longer…"
"Damn it, what bad luck. I've only been here a few years, and I'm already caught in this kind of mess!" Daoist Miaosong couldn't help cursing.
Power and responsibility go hand in hand. If the Haitong Ancient Path were to be rerouted—or worse, completely abandoned—then what meaning would the role of Haitong Emissary even have?
Getting demoted or losing merit was the least of it. Daoist Miaosong just prayed he wouldn't end up thrown in prison.
"It's actually gotten this serious?" Zhao Xing realized he had been a little too optimistic.
"I get it now. Back in my previous life, when I came to the Haitong Ancient Path, the power of the Earth Cycle Landshift had already been suppressed to the minimum by formation arrays. Occasionally, there were flare-ups, but they never triggered chain reactions. That gave me the false impression that it was easy to handle," Zhao Xing quietly analyzed.
"Brother Miaosong, share everything you know and all the relevant data with me."
Daoist Miaosong tapped his Star Mirror against Zhao Xing's, completing the transfer.
Then, watching Zhao Xing deep in thought, he asked, "Brother Zhao… don't tell me you plan to wade into this mess?"
"I'm telling you, before any official missions fall onto your lap, just find an excuse and get out of here. Go talk to Emperor Hongshan—you've still got the title of Star Obliteration Emissary, don't you?"
"If you file for a reassignment now, I doubt the emperor will make it difficult for you."
"I don't have that option. I've already been stuck here for over a decade…" he sighed.
These were heartfelt words from Daoist Miaosong. From his perspective, running now was Zhao Xing's smartest move.
"I'm not leaving," Zhao Xing shook his head. "Retreating when things get tough—that's not my style."
"You're really staying?" Daoist Miaosong was surprised. He had clearly explained all the risks—why wouldn't Zhao Xing listen?
"Even if no blame lands on you, you shouldn't stay either. Who knows how long this issue with the Haitong Ancient Path will take to resolve? Wouldn't it be better to—"
"No need to keep persuading me, Brother Miaosong," Zhao Xing smiled. "The will of a Shennong is to reshape the land and change the heavens. Now is the time to live that ideal and fulfill that mission."
At some point, the argument in the Central Polar Hall had ended. It was now so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
Everyone turned their eyes toward Zhao Xing, clearly drawn in by his words.
"Well said!" Qiu Zishan exclaimed excitedly. "The will of a Shennong is to reshape the land and change the heavens—now is precisely the time to put ideals into action!"
"That's right! People of the Primordial Hill have never been stopped by a mere mountain!"
"If the Mystery Division won't help, forget them! Never counted on that bunch of freeloaders anyway!"
"Those Martial Artists just drink porridge—they can't even lift the peak of a realm mountain—"
There were quite a few who echoed Qiu Zishan's sentiment, though many remained silent.
Gu Ming looked over at Zhao Xing and cross-referenced his profile on the Star Mirror. Then, he gave a cold chuckle. "Ah, so it's you. The infamous Original Saint has arrived."
Faced with mockery, Zhao Xing didn't mind. He rose, clasped his hands, and said, "The so-called Original Saint is just a laughable title. I'm First-Class Haitong Emissary Zhao Xing. I greet Chief Gu and humbly request your cooperation in discussing rescue operations."
Gu Ming, born of the Origin Heaven Palace, had always been annoyed by Zhao Xing for defeating Du Yun.
He wasn't buying into Zhao Xing's polite tone one bit. "No need for flattery. This mess is entirely the fault of your Shennong Division. It's got nothing to do with us in the Mystery Division."
"You want a rescue? Fine!" Gu Ming pointed at Zhao Xing, a sly grin on his face. "You and your Void Straw Puppet go in first—dare you?"
He figured Zhao Xing, a combat-type Shennong, knew jack about tunneling through mountains. Wasn't this just a roundabout way of using others as cannon fodder?
But Gu Ming wasn't having it. He turned the tables, publicly challenging Zhao Xing.
Didn't you just give a righteous speech? Then as a First-Class Haitong Emissary—do you dare to charge in first?
Gu Ming was certain Zhao Xing wouldn't agree. He figured this would end the pointless argument and let him walk away.
What he didn't expect… was that Zhao Xing bowed solemnly and replied, voice firm:
"Very well. I'll be the first to go in this rescue operation. I only ask that you lend your aid, Brother."