"Alright." Ji Si seemed to have been prepared long ago, flipping his hand to produce a mechanical deck of cards.
The card box bore the image of Liu Tianning.
Zhao Xing: "..."
Previously, he had created a deck of Qing Yu cards, and Qing Yuzi had really become a big figure.
And even caused an earth-shaking event.
Now, Ji Si had made a deck of Tianning cards?
"You… you're not trying to scare me, are you?" Zhao Xing forced a smile.
Ji Si froze for a moment before realizing something. "No, this isn't like that. I practice both Fate Officer techniques and Stellar Historiography. Divination, reconstruction, they help me maintain self-awareness and refer to certain unspeakable matters, using this method as a reminder to myself."
"What's the name of this deck?"
"Shangluo Deck."
"Alright, deal the cards then." Zhao Xing nodded.
As long as it wasn't a Tianning deck, he was fine with it.
Ji Si waved his hand, first dealing Zhao Xing a card.
On the front was an image of Liu Tianning, while the back had three patterned lines.
The image was dynamic—Liu Tianning sat upon a throne, while dancers and singers performed below.
Then Ji Si dealt himself a card, which depicted Ji Yun (his niece) holding a whip.
Zhao Xing immediately understood—Ji Si was confirming the time and place.
And also verifying whether Zhao Xing still remembered everything.
These two cards now represented their identities—one hinting at himself, the other at Ji Si.
Clearly, Ji Si was starting from the point of Zhao Xing's "laziness."
"Grand Shennong, do you have any questions?"
"None."
"Then I'll continue dealing."
Zhao Xing nodded again.
Next, he received five cards:
The first card showed a yellow-gray planet, surrounded by wreckage, with Ji Si's figure among them.
The second card depicted someone holding a whip, lashing Liu Tianning.
The third card illustrated a celestial mountain rising from the sea.
The fourth card displayed Ji Si's back as he wrote a letter.
The fifth card portrayed a battle where over a dozen indistinct figures surrounded and attacked a single person.
Zhao Xing quickly understood—this was a recap of his and Ji Si's journey to Yuanhai Ancient Kingdom.
However, it was from Ji Si's perspective.
"Grand Shennong, any questions?"
"None." Zhao Xing shook his head.
Ji Si's face revealed a look of satisfaction—this meant Zhao Xing still remembered, at least matching his own recollections.
Next, Ji Si dealt cards for himself, but Zhao Xing couldn't make sense of them.
The first card he dealt himself was blank.
The second card depicted a river.
The third card showed a golden, faceless figure, one hand hooked over its shoulder as if carrying something, standing amidst an endless starry sky.
The fourth card still showed this golden, faceless figure, but now accompanied by two others, as well as a small square monument drawn beside them.
Zhao Xing's mind was blank—he had no idea what Ji Si was trying to express.
Aside from the river suggesting a timeline, the other four cards were completely incomprehensible. How had Ji Si's perspective included all this?
The fifth card finally provided some clues.
Beneath the vast cosmic sky, six golden figures surrounded a tiny black speck engulfed in golden light.
The sixth card was instantly recognizable—it depicted the Southern Barbarian Holy Mountain, shrouded in mist, resembling the scene when Great Zhou had attacked the Witch Moon God Mountain.
The seventh card was another river.
The eighth card was blank again.
Zhao Xing: "..."
Ji Si's abstract way of conveying information completely baffled Zhao Xing.
And why did this suddenly connect to the Xuanhuang Realm?
"Grand Shennong, any questions?"
"I do!"
Zhao Xing immediately asked a crucial question.
"Do you still remember Wang Tianzhi?"
Ji Si was taken aback. "Wang Tianzhi?"
He didn't understand why Zhao Xing suddenly brought him up.
But Ji Si still answered, "Of course I remember. Wang Tianzhi from Xuantian Academy—he was the one who exchanged Yun Tiandao's freedom and entered the House of Epochs."
"It's a pity his homeland was destroyed. Otherwise, he might have had a chance to break through to the Origin Stage and live well."
Zhao Xing took a deep breath. "Alright, Ji Si. Put the cards away."
"Grand Shennong, we…"
"Next, you should cultivate a Chronicle Avatar. I will find a native world to serve as your Chronicle Realm. Then… you will seal your memories and Chronicle Avatar inside that realm."
"Understood." Ji Si nodded.
Zhao Xing had given him a solution, though he didn't fully understand why. But at least someone was taking charge of the situation.
"I want some time alone to think."
"I'll take my leave then." Ji Si stood up.
Now, only Zhao Xing remained in the room.
After a moment, he took a sip of wine.
"Xuanhuang Realm…" Zhao Xing muttered in his heart.
Ji Si had no idea that the Xuanhuang Realm still existed.
When he broke through the illusion, he had only informed Yun Tiandao and Ji Che.
Even the plan to retrieve Wang Tianzhi three thousand years later was only known to Ji Che and himself.
Zhao Xing was already aware of Ji Si's experiences through his conversations with Qing Yuzi.
After delivering the message to Emperor Yuanding, Ji Si had passed out, then was placed inside a treasure to recuperate, before Qing Yuzi retrieved him and handed him over to Meng Wu.
In other words, Ji Si couldn't possibly know what happened afterward. So had he seen this in a dream?
What kind of dream could reveal a scene where gods were discussing matters?
And why did he suddenly dream of the Xuanhuang Realm?
Recalling Qing Yuzi's previous warning, Zhao Xing sighed.
The Xuanhuang Realm likely had gods.
And they were possibly involved in the resurrection of Yuanhai Ancient Kingdom.
"Wang Tianzhi was originally scheduled to be retrieved in three thousand years, and that time is almost here."
"But there's no way I'd dare to go right now. The Shenluo Barren Domain is still under investigation, and I, with my preserved memories of the past, would be too conspicuous."
"Sigh, I can only let Old Wang endure for a while longer... Seal!"
Zhao Xing forcibly suppressed any thoughts regarding the Xuanhuang Realm and the existence of godly beings.
There was no point in dwelling on these matters now.
He was too weak, and at this moment, there were undoubtedly godly figures monitoring the Shenluo Barren Domain.
Even retrieving Wang Tianzhi would be dangerous, let alone exploring any secrets.
After pushing these thoughts aside, Zhao Xing left the private room, putting on a cheerful expression.
"Come on, let's keep drinking."
"Tonight, we drink until we drop!"
"Drink!"
———
The legendary return of Zhao Xing was met with an extended celebration in the royal capital of Fengdu Realm Star.
For several years, Zhao Xing did nothing but drink and feast with those he was connected to.
His own memories remained unchanged, but the memories of others had been altered. He needed to adapt to the way people now perceived him.
"Zhao Xing, I'm sorry for coming so late this year. Say no more—I'll punish myself by drinking three vats of 'Lingxiao Brew'!"
Jing Yan, upon sitting down, immediately moved toward the massive wine vats placed at the center of the rock garden.
"You wish! A single vat of 'Lingxiao Brew' costs a million Red Star coins. If you drink it all, what's left for the captain and me?"
Chen Xuan yanked Jing Yan back. "If you're punishing yourself, you can just watch us drink instead!"
In terms of raw strength, Jing Yan couldn't compare to the mighty martial cultivator Chen Xuan at all. With a light tug, he was effortlessly pinned back onto his seat.
"Hahaha! Captain, Brother Chen, Jing Yan, Tianqing—please, have a seat!"
Zhao Xing laughed and welcomed the four to join him.
Beside Chen Xuan sat Bai Yang (Yang Baihe), both members of the Sparks Unit.
Zhao Xing had originally invited Yue Nu as well, but she was unavailable, so only Bai Yang and Chen Xuan came.
The destruction of Yuanhai Ancient Kingdom had surely dealt a heavy blow to the Sparks Unit, yet Zhao Xing noticed that Chen Xuan, Bai Yang, and Yue Nu had all survived.
Jing Yan and Yu Tianqing had arrived in the Red Star Empire long ago, so naturally, they had to reunite.
Thus, he invited them all together.
For Chen Xuan and Bai Yang, their memories of Zhao Xing had barely changed.
However, in their recollections, Zhao Xing was now a rogue cultivator, and the Sparks Unit had supposedly been stationed in the Phantom God Star System for seven thousand years, never having been in Yuanhai Ancient Kingdom.
This meant that the entire incident where Zhao Xing faked his death through a communication channel to deceive Marquis He Yin no longer existed.
As for Jing Yan, his first meeting with Zhao Xing was still at Nanluo 88, in front of a Self School tomb.
But Zhao Xing's identity had shifted—he was now seen as a rogue cultivator, while Lu Yuehan had become a descendant of a prestigious clan from Flame Moon Ancient Kingdom.
Similarly, all memories related to Yuanhai Ancient Kingdom had been substituted with Flame Moon Ancient Kingdom.
This also extended to figures like Du Yun—Purple Divine Mansion still had two branches, Purple Moon Mansion and Yellow Sand Mansion, both now considered part of Flame Moon Ancient Kingdom.
As for Yu Tianqing, his experiences remained unchanged.
He still remembered being imprisoned, only now it was not by Yuanhai Ancient Kingdom but by a military prison in Flame Moon Ancient Kingdom.
Leya and Cen Qionghua were also still alive, now living as rogue cultivators in Flame Moon Ancient Kingdom.
"This entire rewrite has left Flame Moon Ancient Kingdom as the ultimate winner. Every surviving citizen of Yuanhai Ancient Kingdom has been transferred to them—including prodigies like Du Yun."
"Even Qing Yuzi's origins have been anchored to Flame Moon Ancient Kingdom now."
"By altering memories in this way, it minimizes disruption, preserving people's original life trajectories and karmic debts."
Zhao Xing sighed internally.
Yu Tianqing still owed him a favor.
And he, in turn, still owed Jing Yan a favor.
Even though Du Yun hadn't come, Zhao Xing still had a way to contact him.
Du Yun still remembered opening a tomb together with Zhao Xing but had no recollection of resolving the crisis at the Three Divinities Destiny Palace.
"In other words, only Yuanhai Ancient Kingdom itself was erased."
"Oh, and the Reincarnation Realm cultivators who died."
From Zhao Xing's understanding, aside from a few Reincarnation Realm cultivators who had perished with their True Spirits, the rest had likely reincarnated of their own volition—losing an entire lifetime of cultivation.
They wouldn't remember their lost treasures or secret arts… to them, it was as if their previous life had never happened.
"In other words, the Xuanling Star Domain now has tens of thousands of reincarnated Reincarnation Realm cultivators... Who knows how many monstrous talents will emerge?"
Reincarnation Realm cultivators could regain their strength quickly—even some within a thousand years.
However, since this cycle was forced upon them without preparation, mistakes were bound to happen.
"I wonder how Wang Zhiyong is doing."
Zhao Xing pondered.
He had no way of knowing whether Wang Zhiyong was still alive.
As for the other nine great emperors, he hadn't tried to verify their fate either.
The reason was simple—there was no need to invite unnecessary trouble.
"Zhao Xing, now that you're in the Empire, what are your plans?" Bai Yang raised his wine cup.
Zhao Xing's thoughts returned to the present. "I want to enter the Primordial Realm, but there seem to be very few ways to gain access."
"The Primordial Realm?" Bai Yang was slightly surprised. "You're following the Self School's path?"
"Yes." Zhao Xing nodded.
The Primordial Realm was the ultimate sacred ground for Shennong cultivators in the Red Star Empire.
In the Empire, there were also powerful Shennong factions from the Heaven and Earth schools, each considered top-tier.
However, Zhao Xing had come to the Empire specifically to pursue the Dao of the Self School.
If he were pursuing another path, like the Earth school, he would have gone to the Primordial Hill instead.
As for the Heaven School's sacred ground? The Xuanling Star Domain didn't have a universally recognized strongest Heavenly Timing sanctuary. Several top forces had been battling over the top spot, practically fighting to the death over it.
The reason for this situation was simple. In terms of doctrine, the Self School had the Primordial Realm and Primordial Hill, along with cultivation techniques like Extreme Land.
But the supposed pinnacles of the Heaven School—Extreme Star and Dead Domain—had never been seen, nor did they have any corresponding supreme cultivation arts.
Primordial Hill was universally acknowledged as the strongest for its techniques, including Extreme Land.
Meanwhile, the Primordial Realm was recognized as the ultimate sacred ground for cultivating the Self School's Inner World Path.
Zhao Xing had meticulously planned every stage of his cultivation path. Since he had arrived at the Red Star Empire, he would do everything possible to enter the Primordial Realm and focus on the Self School's path, without wasting too much time or effort on other approaches.
"You want to enter the Primordial Realm? That won't be easy," Bai Yang mused. "The easier methods require waiting, and backdoor methods are even harder. The Primordial Realm is the Empire's elite training ground—even Reincarnation Realm cultivators struggle to get people in."
"It's definitely tough," Zhao Xing nodded, "but I still want to try."
"If you ask me, you should just switch to being a martial artist," Chen Xuan said, biting into a large piece of fish. "Zhao Xing, I have high hopes for you."
"Stop spouting nonsense and just eat," Bai Yang shot Chen Xuan a glance.
"Alright then!" Chen Xuan chuckled and began feasting.
Yu Tianqing curiously asked, "Captain, how many ways are there to enter the Primordial Realm?"
Bai Yang raised three fingers. "Three methods."
"First, through the Primordial Assembly."
"The Primordial Realm opens once every three thousand years, during which an assessment and selection process takes place—not just for Shennong, but for all other professions as well."
"The Red Star Empire governs millions of star systems and countless life-bearing planets. As long as someone has reached the Origin Realm, they can register to participate."
"Then, they'll undergo training inside for approximately three thousand years."
"As of now, the next Primordial Assembly will commence in 125 years."
"And the second method?" Yu Tianqing asked.
"The second method is merit exchange," Bai Yang explained. "Even if you miss the assessment, you can still gain entry by accumulating enough military contributions. For example, fighting on the Empire's borders against the Demon Race and earning enough merits can secure a spot."
"However, this method is typically reserved for Dao Domain Realm cultivators in the military. Origin Realm cultivators rarely accumulate enough merit for it."
"The slots are limited, and to redeem them, you first have to enlist in the military."
"Chen Xuan and I, as members of Sparks Unit, have enough merit to qualify—but it took us over five thousand years to accumulate."
Zhao Xing understood clearly—resources within the Primordial Realm were scarce, so entry was restricted to two groups: geniuses or heroes.
"And the third method?" Yu Tianqing pressed on.
Bai Yang glanced at Jing Yan.
The latter wiped his mouth and gave a composed smile. "That brings us to the royal family."
"As a prince, I have the right to enter the Primordial Realm, and my grandfather has a recommendation quota."
Yu Tianqing immediately looked at him with envy.
But aside from him, the others weren't impressed at all.
"Your grandfather? That won't do—it has to be your great-grandfather," Chen Xuan sneered. "You're one of over ten thousand princes. Your grandfather, King Beiye, probably doesn't even remember you, let alone your great-grandfather… Have you even met your great-grandfather?"
Zhao Xing didn't even bother asking—he knew there was no way Jing Yan could get his great-grandfather to act on his behalf.
Jing Yan had lived for over four thousand years, yet there was a good chance he had never even met his great-grandfather.
"I… I probably have seen him before," Jing Yan deflated. "Just… not very clearly."
"Looks like Brother Zhao can only go with the first method," Yu Tianqing sighed. "125 years isn't that long."
"What good is that?" Chen Xuan shook his head. "The real problem is whether he can pass."
"The Primordial Assembly is fiercely competitive—even making it through the first round is tough," Chen Xuan added. "Take Beihe Star System, for example. Last time, only a little over ten thousand people passed the first round."
"And how many Shennong among them? No idea—but definitely not many."
"What about Beiye Star System?" Zhao Xing asked.
"Beiye Star System is a bit better—around seven to eight hundred thousand made it through the first round," Jing Yan said. "But our population is a hundred times larger than Beihe, so the ratio is about the same."
"Some life-bearing planets don't even have a single person qualify."
"Also, anyone over ten thousand years old is automatically disqualified from entering the Primordial Realm."
That meant any Empire citizen looking to enter through the Primordial Assembly had at most three chances in their lifetime.
Zhao Xing was already over four thousand years old—realistically, he only had one chance left.
"I'll give it a shot. If it doesn't work, I'll look for another way," Zhao Xing said.
If he used his final wish with Qing Yuzi, he could enter guaranteed—but that would be too much of a waste.
Bai Yang had originally wanted to recruit Zhao Xing into Sparks Unit. Seeing that Zhao Xing had already made up his mind, he didn't press the issue.
Waiting 125 years wasn't long. If Zhao Xing failed, Bai Yang could try again then.
The conversation quickly shifted topics.
"Jing Yan, when are you inheriting the throne?"
"Oh, right—I forgot. You're ranked over 18,000th in succession. If you want to inherit, you'd have to surpass more than 18,000 of your brothers and sisters first."
"Captain, do you think we'll live long enough to see Jing Yan take the throne?"
"Who knows how many lifetimes that'll take."
"Hahahahaha!"
Chen Xuan and Yu Tianqing weren't that close, so Zhao Xing didn't want to joke at his expense—instead, they all took turns roasting Jing Yan.
By the time the drinking session ended, Jing Yan had been mocked at least twenty times, leaving him thoroughly frustrated.
"Damn it, Zhao Xing! When I inherit the throne one day, I'll have those two peasants executed!" Jing Yan fumed.
"What?! You're saying that once you inherit the throne, you'll have the Captain and Brother Chen executed?" Zhao Xing gasped dramatically.
Bai Yang and Chen Xuan instantly turned their eyes toward Jing Yan with unfriendly gazes.
At this point, the five of them had already begun their mental sparring match.
Hearing this, Chen Xuan immediately jumped out of the arena.
"You—you—you…" Jing Yan stammered at Zhao Xing, full of grief. Before he could finish, Chen Xuan grabbed him and threw him into the arena to get beaten up.
"Captain, have mercy—ahhhh!"
"Hahahaha!"
The laughter from outside the arena echoed loudly.
Zhao Xing quickly immersed himself in cultivation, preparing for the Primordial Assembly.
"I have now mastered seven divine abilities."
"Heavenly Sight of the Soul, Divine Fire Turtle Transformation, Severing Origin Divine Ability, Eight Epochs of Purple Light, Slaughter Mind Blade, Three Divinities Destiny Palace, and Juyang Straw Puppet."
"The Primordial Assembly does not allow the use of external equipment. It solely tests personal cultivation."
"The selection process consists of four rounds—mainly assessing techniques, domain control, soul strength, and mental fortitude."
"There are multiple registration categories, divided into support-based and combat-based paths."
"I definitely won't sign up for the support division—it's too competitive." Zhao Xing made his decision.
The Red Star Empire was a peaceful and secure place, leading to a much greater demand for support-oriented Shennong than combat-oriented ones.
If he competed in that category, he wouldn't stand out.
"For the next 125 years, I'll primarily focus on Juyang Straw Puppet, Heavenly Sight of the Soul, Three Divinities Destiny Palace, willpower-based divine abilities, and domain cultivation."
When it came to combat-focused divine abilities, Zhao Xing lacked any substantial advantages. Even Eight Epochs of Purple Light was supportive rather than offensive.
In terms of background and foundation, he was certainly weaker than the prodigies of great clans.
However, Zhao Xing had an unparalleled advantage.
"Before the Primordial Assembly begins, no one knows what the assessment criteria will be."
"But I do!"
"I remember that the first round of this year's selection is a willpower test—which means my top priority should be refining the Slaughter Mind Blade."
"To be fully prepared, I should also cultivate a defensive-type willpower divine ability."
Slaughter Mind Blade was an offensive willpower-based divine ability.
Having a defensive divine ability as well would only be beneficial.
"I still have two to three billion Red Star Coins—buying a mind defense divine ability shouldn't be an issue."
Zhao Xing immediately began searching for one. Before long, he locked onto his choice.
"This one—Mind Bell, sold by Ten Thousand Minds Island. It has multiple advanced branches that can eventually develop into a great divine ability."
Ten Thousand Minds Island was a famous force in the Red Star Empire, known for producing mental illusionists, soul masters, and similar professions.
"There's a branch of Ten Thousand Minds Island in Beihe Star System. Hiring one of their Dao Domain Realm scholars costs at least one billion Red Star Coins and guarantees a divine ability of first to third-tier proficiency."
"For ten billion, the training will directly push me to fourth to sixth-tier proficiency."
"For one hundred billion, I'd reach seventh to ninth-tier proficiency."
"Guaranteed learning, minimal effort—as long as you have the money."
"Mind-based divine abilities are ridiculously expensive. Other divine abilities can cost as little as ten million Red Star Coins."
Zhao Xing opted for the ten-billion-tier package. He placed the order through Star Mirror, and soon, a representative from Ten Thousand Minds Island appeared on the screen.
"Fellow Daoist, please provide the location for instruction. Within the Beihe Star System, Ten Thousand Minds Island will arrange for an appropriate scholar to deliver the teachings within ten years."
"If the location is outside Beihe Star System, the wait time will vary based on distance."
"Beihe Star System, Wuye Constellation, Fengdu Realm Star, Zhao King City."
"Please confirm once more."
After reconfirming, the Ten Thousand Minds Island representative replied, "We have assigned the scholar Xia Wenyuan to deliver the teachings. Estimated arrival: nine years and eight months."
Zhao Xing nodded and put away the Star Mirror.
In reality, Ten Thousand Minds Island had branches on the top-tier realm stars of Beihe Star System—a trip there would only take a few months at most.
However, these scholars needed time to prepare and had to follow a queue system. That was why the final wait time was over nine years.
"In those nine years, I can't sit idle—I should start refining Slaughter Mind Blade first." Zhao Xing contemplated.
With a thought, he teleported to the Shennong Bureau of Great Zhou.
"Greetings, Grand Shennong," Meng Kun immediately stood up.
Since Ji Che had once promised that Wang Tianzhi would succeed Zhao Xing as the next Grand Shennong, Zhao Xing still held the nominal title, while actual affairs were handled by several Shennong Ministers.
"Lord Meng, no need for formalities," Zhao Xing cupped his hands. "I came to ask—does Great Zhou currently breed any fierce beasts?"
"For food purposes, we breed quite a lot. But in terms of actual beasts of combat value, only three types—Phantom Void Serpents, Silverback Thorn Dragons, and Magha Beasts."
"How many of them have reached the Third Realm?" Zhao Xing asked.
"Not many, just a few hundred," Meng Kun responded. "Raising these creatures to maturity requires significant resources. This breeding initiative has only been going for about five hundred years, so progress has been cautious."
Great Zhou had improved significantly, but in terms of foundation, it still lagged behind the former Great Ye Dynasty.
Ji Che wanted aggressive expansion, while the senior officials preferred stability.
Even though the national treasury contained over ten billion Red Star Coins, many projects were handled conservatively.
"Only a few hundred…" Zhao Xing pondered before shaking his head. "Forget it… Who arranged the business deal for these beasts?"
All three of these beasts had locked life structures, meaning only authorized entities could breed them.
"Lord Jing Yan facilitated the deal. The supplier is Tianhe Ranch, a subsidiary of Green Wild Merchant Guild."
"Got it."
—
"Why do you need so many giant beasts?" Jing Yan asked, puzzled.
"For divine ability training," Zhao Xing replied.
"What kind of divine ability?"
"Willpower-based."
"Oh, I get it," Jing Yan nodded. "I'll check with Green Wild Merchant Guild."
"Alright."
Zhao Xing was sure that Green Wild Merchant Guild handled this business.
The Red Star Empire and many ancient kingdoms were generally safe and strictly prohibited internal killing.
However, cultivators still needed battle experience—so how could they train without killing people?
Battle arenas were one option, but they couldn't fulfill all training needs, especially since they forbade actual killing.
Certain factions specialized in breeding beasts solely to provide cultivators with combat experience.
Green Wild Merchant Guild had taken it a step further by categorizing these beasts into different combat tiers, such as ferocious beasts, battle beasts, intelligence-type, spell-type, and physique-type.
The highest-tier battle beasts were often sent to interstellar battle arenas for organized matches. In these large-scale arenas, it was common to see Dao Domain Realm level combatants.
In the distant past, there were even Reincarnation Realm battle beasts, but such cases were rare.
"Here, take a look," Jing Yan quickly forwarded a list.
Purple Flame Heart-Burning Bat, Greenwood Spirit Vine Python, Thousand-Eyed Star Spider, Star Mirage Phantom Fox, Ice Abyss Illusion Beast, Shadow Blood Insect, Eight-Horned Demon Turtle…
Since Zhao Xing was training willpower-based divine abilities, Jing Yan had specifically inquired about beasts with illusion-type talents.
"My willpower divine ability is currently at seventh-tier. If I want to improve further, I need to fight high-tier interstellar beasts with corresponding abilities."
Zhao Xing carefully examined the list.
Green Wild Merchant Guild truly lived up to its reputation—the details were meticulously recorded for each beast, including classification, divine ability tier, temperament, training duration, battle history, and combat strength.
"I'll buy a few of each to test their effectiveness before making a bulk purchase."
Zhao Xing immediately purchased over 100 different species, all at Third Realm, each possessing at least fourth-tier illusion-type divine ability talents.
Three of each kind, totaling over 300 Third Realm beasts.
"Order placed successfully. 6.3 billion Red Star Coins paid. The price is quite reasonable," Zhao Xing thought to himself.
The purchasing power of Red Star Coins was quite strong.
For comparison, in the Yuanhai Ancient Kingdom, the compensation for First Realm cultivators was merely 400, 600, 800, or 10,000 units of the local currency.
Converted to Red Star Coins, First Realm compensation was barely 11,000!
For Third Realm cultivators, compensation was just a little over 1 million Red Star Coins.
The beasts sold by Green Wild Merchant Guild were all premium selections, each costing at least 2 million Red Star Coins. As a large-scale breeding facility, their costs were minimized, allowing them to turn a profit.
Of course, there was a fundamental difference between humans and beasts.
Many interstellar beasts were naturally powerful. As long as they had spiritual energy and minimal sustenance, they could grow stronger. In contrast, human cultivators had a much harder time reaching the Third Realm.
It was precisely this innate advantage that allowed the demon race to control half of the Xuanling Star Domain.
"My personal accounts combined with Great Zhou's treasury still hold over 100 billion Red Star Coins in liquid assets. If I can push my willpower divine ability to ninth-tier within 50 billion, it'll be a great deal."
The scholar Zoren, who had previously imparted this divine ability to him, was already dead. This meant the ability had become a lost technique. Even if he wanted to find another scholar to advance it, it was impossible.
How could scholars teach something they themselves didn't know?
But if the cost exceeded 100 billion, it wouldn't be worth it.
With that amount, he could hire a scholar to directly teach him a new willpower divine ability, likely at seventh-tier proficiency or higher.
One year later—124 years until the Primordial Assembly.
The 300+ Third Realm mind-based beasts arrived at Fengdu Realm Star.
"Daoist Zhao, these are the beasts you ordered. 275 of them are four-star quality, while 38 are five-star quality."
"We're gifting you these 38 five-star beasts as a free trial," said the Green Wild Merchant Guild transporter, a mere Nascent Realm cultivator.
After all, transporting cargo was a labor job—as long as one knew how to operate a realm ship, there wasn't much skill involved. The procedure was simple: deliver the goods, read out the order details, and be done.
"Let me introduce the different species to you—"
"No need," Zhao Xing interrupted. "Just leave the cargo here."
"Understood." The transporter wisely shut his mouth.
Zhao Xing inspected the shipment before ordering the realm ship to transport the beasts to a cave-heaven world for unloading.
After signing the receipt, he let the Green Wild Merchant Guild's personnel leave.
Fengdu Realm Star replicated many features of the Xuanhuang Realm, including cave-heaven worlds.
Right now, Zhao Xing was inside Wind River Cave-Heaven, whose entrance was directly connected to his Zhao King's Estate.
As he stepped inside, he saw 300+ enormous beasts resting on the grasslands, like mountains in hibernation.
Each beast was sealed with a Primordial Law Binding Seal.
If Zhao Xing wanted to awaken them, he only needed to remove the talisman seal.
"Let's start with this bat-like beast."
Zhao Xing flew over to the Purple Flame Heart-Burning Bat.
This beast had a bat-like form, its body wreathed in mysterious purple flames that flickered as if sentient.
However, at the moment, its flames were dim.
It was small, only 1,000 zhang in length—making it a small-sized beast in the interstellar bestiary.
Its ears were sharp, mouth wide, lined with razor teeth, and its talons were curved and powerful.
As Zhao Xing tore off the talisman, the beast's eyes snapped open.
"Buzz—"
Its blood-red eyes glowed with flaming light, as if a miniature sun burned within its pupils.
The moment it saw Zhao Xing, it immediately attacked.
"Human! Damn human!"
Its savage gaze brimmed with uncontrollable fury, unleashing a terrifying willpower assault toward Zhao Xing.
"Hmph, this one has some skill. No wonder it's been trained by Green Wild Merchant Guild," Zhao Xing smirked, standing his ground.
Mind-based beasts had frail bodies and lacked other combat abilities.
He had no fear of close-quarters attacks—his sixth-tier divine ability Juyang Clone was no joke. He could slap these mind-based beasts to death with ease.
"Die! Die! Die!"
The Purple Flame Heart-Burning Bat launched a relentless assault.
The moment the talisman was removed, it had been stimulated into combat mode.
Many beasts possessed intelligence—they would rather die than be used as training tools.
Naturally, Green Wild Merchant Guild had accounted for this issue.
Slaughter Mind Blade!
Zhao Xing controlled his power, resisting the attack of the Purple Flame Heart-Burning Bat.
Two days later.
"Puchi!"
The Purple Flame Heart-Burning Bat was slain by Zhao Xing.
"Next."
Each species had three beasts, and Zhao Xing spent an average of ten days testing each type.
Greenwood Spirit Vine Python, Thousand-Eyed Star Spider, Star Mirage Phantom Fox, Ice Abyss Illusion Beast, Shadow Blood Insect, Eight-Horned Demon Turtle…
As he tested each species, two and a half years passed.
121 years before the start of the Primordial Assembly.
Inside Wind River Cave-Heaven, Zhao Xing killed the final beast.
"The results are in."
"Out of 105 species, the four that had the best effect on me are:"
"First, Thousand-Eyed Star Spider."
"Second, Ice Abyss Illusion Beast."
"Third, Purple Flame Heart-Burning Bat."
"Fourth, Eight-Horned Demon Turtle."
The effectiveness of the other species was noticeably weaker.
Since they all had similar effects, it came down to price.
Zhao Xing glanced at the price list and found that the Eight-Horned Demon Turtle was the cheapest among the four.
"Each one is 100,000 Red Star Coins cheaper. If I buy in bulk, I can save a billion easily."
A billion Red Star Coins was nothing to Zhao Xing personally.
However, since he was using Great Zhou's treasury, he needed to be frugal.
"Alright, Eight-Horned Demon Turtle it is."
Zhao Xing left Wind River Cave-Heaven and went to submit a request to Ji Che.
"Big brother, why did you wake me up?"
"Your Majesty, I'd like to withdraw some funds from the national treasury, about 3 billion Red Star Coins."
"For something this trivial, do you really need to ask me?" Ji Che said impatiently. "If not for the 50 billion Red Star Coins you gave back then, the treasury wouldn't have this much wealth, nor would Great Zhou be where it is today."
"Just take it, don't bother asking me again!"
"I'm extremely busy!"
Ji Che barely said a few words before his avatar shut its eyes again.
Zhao Xing was left speechless.
To be honest, he didn't contribute much to the current state of the Great Zhou treasury.
Back when Yun Tiandao became Ruo Hai Gong's disciple, he had obtained 100 billion Red Star Coins, splitting it half for himself, half for Great Zhou.
After a thousand years of development, with Jing Yan's network supporting it, and the relentless efforts of Great Zhou's officials, the 50 billion Red Star Coins had multiplied several times over!
Of course, Great Zhou had high expenditures too. Even Meng Kun had reached the Second Realm, and the total number of Third Realm cultivators in Great Zhou had surpassed 500. Infrastructure development had also advanced at a rapid pace.
Currently, the treasury held about 115 billion Red Star Coins.
Due to memory modifications, however, the original 50 billion had been rewritten as his own gains from looting Moonfall Mausoleum.
"Old Yun's contribution got credited to me… feels a bit shameful."
"But since he's already in the Dao Domain Realm, even if he knew, he wouldn't care."
"Still… what's Ji Che so busy with that he doesn't even have time to say a few sentences?"
"Could he actually be planning to establish a second territory?"
Zhao Xing felt that this was highly possible!
"After that calamity, many Reincarnation Realm beings were reincarnated. Even though the Divine Realm modified memories to minimize the impact, it still changed the power dynamics of the Xuanling Star Domain."
"Looks like I need to work harder."
"I can't be a parasite on Great Zhou."
Zhao Xing decided to work harder, and the Eight-Horned Demon Turtles were about to suffer for it.
From Green Wild Merchant Guild, he spent 3.5 billion Red Star Coins, purchasing 2,000 Eight-Horned Demon Turtles for training.
From that moment on, Wind River Cave-Heaven echoed with the enraged roars of Eight-Horned Demon Turtles.
Seven years later.
"Puchi~"
Zhao Xing slashed down, killing a black-purple Eight-Horned Demon Turtle with octagonal shell patterns.
In his mind's eye, the Slaughter Mind Blade became even sharper and more condensed.
"I'm halfway to reaching eighth-tier divine ability proficiency! And I've only used up half of the Eight-Horned Demon Turtles. This is an incredibly effective training method."
If Wu Tian were here, he would probably laugh uncontrollably.
The divine lamp's blessing had strengthened Zhao Xing's talent in willpower cultivation, but Zhao Xing himself was unaware.
The true reason for his rapid progress was not the Eight-Horned Demon Turtles, but the power of the divine lamp!
However, in Zhao Xing's mind, he just felt that he had a strange affinity with the turtle race.
While slaughtering Eight-Horned Demon Turtles, not only did his willpower divine ability grow stronger…
Even his Hou Transformation Technique—Divine Fire Turtle Transformation, originally at third-tier divine ability, had broken through to fifth-tier.
Feeling pleased, Zhao Xing hummed a tune as he left the cave-heaven.
His Star Mirror had notified him that the scholar from Myriad Mind Island, Xia Wenyuan, was arriving in half a day.
"I am Xia Wenyuan, a scholar sent by Myriad Mind Island to impart teachings."
"Please enter my 'Enlightenment Domain'. I will grant you an epiphany and pass down the divine ability 'Mind Bell'."
"You paid 10 billion Red Star Coins, so you are guaranteed to learn this divine ability and skip the introductory stage."
"Whether you reach fourth-tier or sixth-tier proficiency will depend on your comprehension."
100 years before the start of the Primordial Assembly.
Zhao Xing walked out of Xia Wenyuan's Enlightenment Domain.
"The Enlightenment Domain lasted a full 15 years, consuming six Dao Fruits. What a loss…"
Xia Wenyuan sighed.
The Enlightenment Domain was powered by a scholar's Dao Tree, consuming Dao Fruits to sustain it.
If Zhao Xing had only grasped fourth-tier proficiency, it would have only cost four Dao Fruits, and Xia Wenyuan would have profited.
But Zhao Xing had directly comprehended sixth-tier proficiency.
"Much appreciated."
Since this was just a business transaction, Zhao Xing simply nodded as thanks.
Seeing that his client wasn't offering a tip, Xia Wenyuan didn't linger and quickly left Fengdu Realm Star.
Zhao Xing didn't bother sending him off, heading straight to Tianhe Cave-Heaven to resume his training plan—slaughtering turtles, buying resources, and growing stronger.
Time passed swiftly, and soon, only three years remained until the start of the Primordial Assembly.