The Dao Sovereign of Shennong

"You got first place?" Zhuang Zhiqing gritted his teeth. "Didn't you say you only had two seventh-transformation straw puppets?"

"Yes," Zhao Xing shrugged. "You asked about the seventh-transformation puppets, and there are only two."

"I'm going to strangle you!" Zhuang Zhiqing lunged, pretending to choke Zhao Xing.

"Brother Zhuang, calm down!" Cao Shuang laughed as he quickly pulled Zhuang Zhiqing back.

Cai Jin added, "Exactly. I'm from Taicang Academy, and I'm not this upset. Why are you so agitated?"

Han Bing interjected coldly, "Brother Zhuang, why don't you ask him how many of his other straw puppet techniques have transformed?"

Zhuang Zhiqing paused. "Right! What about the others?"

"Two more are at the ninth transformation."

"..."

"Damn it! Brothers, let's beat him up!" Cao Shuang, Zhuang Zhiqing, and Cai Jin immediately rushed at Zhao Xing.

Zhao Xing's rapid progress had astonished all the top-tier talents.

"I'll be heading to Original Dao Field for the next seven days to train!" Zhuang Zhiqing said. "I still have two free chances left. I can't let Zhao Xing grab that 50,000-point reward so easily!"

"I used to think Zhao Xing only slept one hour a day as a rumor, but now I believe it," Cai Jin remarked. "Brother Zhuang, let's go together!"

"Han Bing, you stay here and keep an eye on Zhao Xing. Make sure he doesn't sneak in extra training," Cao Shuang suggested.

"No need for that trouble. We can just beat him half to death now," Han Bing replied, still expressionless.

"Jeez, you Shenwei Army people are brutal! I was only thinking of locking him up in the Earth Palace technique," Zhuang Zhiqing muttered.

"..."

After the rankings for the fourth trial were announced, the geniuses rushed off to practice their Straw Puppet Techniques.

Even Shiyong had been motivated by Zhao Xing's performance.

Taicang Academy's students, in particular, were fired up!

Spring wind blows, and war drums beat! They wouldn't return without taking first place!

If a talent from Dili Academy, like Zhao Xing, claimed first place in a Taicang Academy training, how would they show their faces in the future?

One word: Train!

In the main hall of Palace of Myriad Techniques.

Lu Bang glanced at the rankings of the fourth trial and shook his head. "This is outrageous. Not one student from Taicang Academy claimed first place. Are they wasting their resources on other techniques?"

Liu Tianning smiled. "The students from Taicang Academy didn't perform badly. They make up half of the top ten, and more than half of the top twenty. Your students, Cai Jin and Feng Qiu, performed quite well."

Lu Bang scoffed, "Well enough isn't good enough! I still regret introducing him to Lord Tian back then. If I'd kept him in Taicang Academy, it would've been much better."

Liu Tianning laughed. "Forcing someone to stay wouldn't have made him willingly train in the Self School's techniques. It's better to attract them."

Lu Bang chuckled. "I know that, but I don't have your skill, Liu. Your mastery of the Straw Puppet Techniques is unmatched across the Nineteen States."

The Straw Puppet Techniques, after being refined by Liu Zonghai of Taihe County, were considered the most advanced straw puppet techniques in existence.

During the reign of the Great Ancestor, these techniques were widely promoted, but due to their complexity and the lack of wars during Emperor Jing's time, the Straw Puppet Techniques fell into obscurity. Eventually, only a simpler version was kept in the military.

As the technique declined, Emperor Jing chose to widely promote only nine basic techniques.

The Liu family had long sought to restore the prominence of the Straw Puppet Techniques, and Liu Tianning was their most outstanding representative.

Lu Bang had deep respect for Liu Tianning.

"After this course, I'm sure you'll attract a wave of military Shennong to train in the Straw Puppet Techniques," Lu Bang said.

"So many people have gone to Taicang Academy's Original Dao Field to train."

"Hmm? Even Shiyong went to Taicang Academy's most valuable training ground, Original Dao Field?"

As a Taicang Academy instructor, Lu Bang knew the movement in the training grounds and couldn't help but grin when he found out that even Shiyong had gone to the Original Dao Field for insight.

"Shiyong has always been first in every form of training. Ever since entering Ten Sun Cave-Heaven, he's never lost at anything. His cultivation might even be considered a bit lazy compared to others."

"Even the free training chances granted to top-tier talents, like those for the Original Dao Field and Thirty-Six Waterways, haven't been used by him."

"And now, four people have surpassed him. The first is Zhao Xing, who isn't even from Taicang Academy. Looks like Shiyong has finally been pushed."

Liu Tianning nodded. "Zhao Xing's talent for Straw Puppet Techniques is remarkable. If he keeps practicing, he'll undoubtedly achieve great success in this field."

Lu Bang raised an eyebrow, surprised at Liu Tianning's high praise. "That's good to hear. Let Zhao Xing continue to push these geniuses. We can't let them neglect their studies of the Self School's techniques."

The fourth trial had eliminated half of the participants.

However, this was only an elimination in terms of rewards; it didn't mean they were barred from further study.

The remaining participants could still train in the Palace of Myriad Techniques, and those still in the first and second trials could also come to the third trial and claim the base reward.

Some of the Shennong found the Straw Puppet Techniques promising and chose to spend more time studying them, even though no further rewards were available.

Most, however, claimed their points and moved on. After all, Heaven Techniques and Earth Techniques were the mainstream paths, and there were still other training courses with points to be earned, so they didn't want to waste too much time on straw puppets.

Meanwhile, the fifty people who passed the fourth trial rushed to practice Straw Puppet Techniques, eager to prove themselves in the fifth trial's "fusion of techniques."

"Combining techniques is something that should only be explored after reaching the seventh rank. But in Ten Sun Cave-Heaven, the Shennong here are the best of the best. Many have already begun combining techniques," Zhao Xing thought as he arrived at a square behind the main hall.

Unlike the single-technique demonstrations at the front square, the straw puppets here were demonstrations of multiple techniques fused together.

"A Flying Explosive Detonation Straw Puppet."

Zhao Xing's gaze landed on a patch of firecracker bamboo. A gentle breeze stirred the bamboo, and the materials quickly formed a straw puppet. Unlike the regular Explosive Detonation Straw Puppet, this one had a pair of thin, nearly invisible wings on its back.

The puppet suddenly shot forward like a blur, leaping tens of meters in an instant and appearing a hundred meters away after two jumps.

Boom!

The puppet exploded in a deep pit. Evidently, the pit had been hit countless times, as the blast left only a charred patch without even raising dust.

"While the Explosive Detonation Straw Puppet has great destructive power, its biggest flaw is its slow speed, making it hard to reach enemies. Even at the perfected mid-level, it struggles to get close to eighth-ranked opponents."

"Normally, the best way to use them is by deploying several at once for an encirclement and ambush."

"But that greatly reduces its cost-efficiency," Zhao Xing thought.

If it took dozens of Explosive Detonation Straw Puppets to kill an eighth-rank enemy, it would be too expensive, even if the Shennong could create the materials themselves.

This is why many military Shennong were reluctant to learn the Straw Puppet Techniques—the cost was too high.

Spending all that time on Explosive Detonation Straw Puppets? It would be cheaper to just buy a fourth-tier Destruction Crossbow from the Tiangong Workshop.

With a warrior close by, two shots from the crossbow could end it. The Tiangong Workshop specialized in such weapons, which brought equality to the battlefield.

Of course, not everyone saw it that way.

The weapons from the Tiangong Workshop were external tools that required consumable supplies.

Straw Puppet Techniques, on the other hand, could be sourced from the practitioner's own skills and didn't rely on external tools.

"If I can combine two techniques into one, a Flying Explosive Detonation puppet would be much more efficient."

"If it can get close enough to grab onto an eighth-rank warrior, without strong protective treasures, the warrior would be maimed, if not killed."

The Flying Puppet Technique was an advanced version of the Swift Straw Puppet.

Swift Puppets could only run on the ground, but Flying Puppets could not only move quickly but also fly at low altitudes.

Eighth-rank warriors could briefly hover in the air, and combining a Flying Puppet with an Explosive Detonation Puppet would leave them no place to hide.

"Unless they have some sort of earth-traveling technique, they're doomed to be caught and blown up."

Zhao Xing's mind spun with various tactical combinations.

A straw puppet with combined techniques would last longer in battle, and its power would increase. Even in modern times, it could be a viable combat strategy.

"When my Pure Essence Soil reaches fifty layers, I can store an entire army of straw puppets in my dantian. With that, I could easily take down fifth-ranked opponents."

"Someone like Liu Tianning, with his mastery of straw puppets, is untouchable—even lords must bow to him."

During the reign of Emperor Wu, Liu Tianning wasn't feared just because he had imperial favor. He was also incredibly powerful in his own right!

The key to his strength was his mastery of the Self Straw Puppet, which was especially fearsome—no matter how many of his puppets you destroyed, he'd always have more to attack you with.

Zhao Xing was wary of him for a reason. Liu Tianning had done many morally questionable things in the past, and numerous nobles wanted him dead. Zhao Xing had even participated in several assassination attempts.

But Liu Tianning, despite being half-insane, had lived on. Zhao Xing, on the other hand, had died several times trying to assassinate him, suffering agonizing deaths.

Later, Zhao Xing, having grown stronger, wanted to kill Liu Tianning once and for all. But before he could, the court announced Liu Tianning's death of old age in a hidden retreat.

He had lived to an old age despite all his enemies—a true miracle.

"I'm not going to follow him, and I'll avoid him in the future. But I will master his Straw Puppet Techniques!" Zhao Xing thought as he moved to another area to observe more Flying Puppets in action.

If he wanted to combine techniques, he needed to first master the Flying Puppet Technique.

Time flew by, and three days passed in an instant.

At the Tianshi Academy, Ge Jinsong was teaching students from Pinghuai Academy in his Seven Cedar Hills Courtyard.

These students were from Pinghuai Academy's B class, and for just fifty points, they could come and learn from him.

"Using Heaven Techniques to control flooding is best done during the solar terms from Start of Winter to Pure Brightness."

"Choosing other solar terms during flood season would only worsen the situation by increasing the power of the water elements between heaven and earth."

"However, each case requires specific solutions. If a flood has already formed and its force is unstoppable, Heaven Techniques would no longer be appropriate. In such cases, use Earth Techniques to strike hard. You either divert the flood or block it, and survival comes before anything else."

"The Thirty-Six Waterways of Pinghuai Academy can help you understand the nature of various water disasters. If you accumulate enough points, you can study there. If not, you can go to the Earth Hall in Dili Academy and study the Nine Provinces Water Map for reference."

"We'll also be opening a Heaven Disaster course in the future. That's all for today; go reflect on what you've learned."

"Thank you, Master!" the students from Pinghuai Academy bowed and left.

Ge Jinsong met with a few more students seeking guidance before nightfall.

"Strange, it's been three days, and I haven't seen Shiyong. What has he been up to?"

As the top talent of Tianshi Academy, Shiyong's courtyard was located among the Shennong Masters, where the elemental energy was much richer.

Ge Jinsong often saw Shiyong lazing around his yard, but he hadn't seen him for days.

He stopped a passerby and asked, "Do you know what Shiyong has been doing recently?"

The passerby almost slipped but quickly covered it up with a fake hiccup. "Master Ge, Shiyong has been attending the straw puppet training course at Taicang Academy."

"He's already passed several trials and is now training at the Original Dao Field."

"I see. You may go."

Ge Jinsong waved the passerby away and took out his ground mirror to check the results of the straw puppet training course.

When he saw the rankings from the fourth trial, his eyes narrowed.

"..."

"..."

Ge Jinsong was speechless.

Now he understood why Shiyong had been absent for the past three days!

Shiyong had always been first in everything since entering Ten Sun Cave-Heaven. He had never lost.

Now, with four people ahead of him—especially Zhao Xing, who wasn't even from Taicang Academy—it must have shaken him.

"Well, it's good for him. Shiyong has never been diligent. Having someone ahead of him might finally motivate him."

"But this isn't great for my reputation..."

Ge Jinsong couldn't help but think of the passerby's reaction and smiled bitterly.

Who would have thought that letting Zhao Xing slip through their fingers would come back to bite him and Cheng Qingming so hard?

He could already imagine this being brought up repeatedly during this round of military Shennong training.

Sigh...

"At least I gave him a middle-tier ranking. Poor Cheng gave him a lower tier."

Ge Jinsong put away his ground mirror and headed toward Cheng Qingming's courtyard.

If he was going to suffer, Cheng had to share in it too.

In the Palace of Myriad Techniques, inside a pavilion.

Smack!

A Flying Puppet shot toward Zhao Xing, slapping his shoulder.

Zhao Xing, sensing the danger, quickly dodged.

Smack!

The floor beneath the pavilion cracked under the puppet's force.

The Flying Puppet, seeing Zhao Xing awake, stood motionless.

Zhao Xing rubbed his face.

He had set this "alarm clock" for himself—except it was the Flying Puppet version.

Before he slept, he had ordered the puppet to slap him awake in one hour. It was also a way to train his reflexes.

"Has it already been an hour? Time flies."

Zhao Xing leaped onto a high platform and summoned a "basin-sized cloud," dunking his face into it to freshen up.

Unsatisfied, he pointed again, turning the "basin cloud" into a "pool cloud."

Rumble!

Lightning flashed, and the cold water turned hot.

He jumped into the cloud and took a bath.

Splash!

After thoroughly enjoying his bath, Zhao Xing dropped from the cloud.

A gust of wind dried his clothes as he fell, and by the time he landed, he felt completely refreshed.

"Time to get back to work!"

Zhao Xing summoned two straw puppets.

One was an Explosive Detonation Puppet, and the other a Flying Puppet.

The Explosive Detonation Puppet was perfected, while the Flying Puppet was at the eighth transformation.

Swish!

Both puppets quickly disassembled into their component materials, floating in midair. While they still vaguely resembled their original forms, they hadn't yet broken down completely.

"Flying Explosive Detonation—merge!"

With a gesture, the two puppet frames began to combine. The materials—firecracker bamboo, wind-spirit branches, and golden silk leaves—intertwined and reformed under the glow of his spell, creating a new, larger puppet.

Its wings were translucent, with golden lines running across them.

"Go!"

At Zhao Xing's command, the Flying Explosive Detonation Puppet flapped its wings and shot forward like a gust of wind, heading straight for the training target.

The target was a fourth-tier wood post made from Gold Rock Wood, reinforced with defensive formations and used by the Tiangong Workshop for testing purposes.

Whoosh!

The puppet crossed the hundred-meter distance in an instant, hugging the target with both arms.

Its body turned bright red.

Boom!

Debris flew in all directions.

Swish, swish, swish!

Shards from the explosion traveled over a hundred meters, even reaching Zhao Xing's position.

Clang, clang, clang!

Zhao Xing ducked behind a Guardian Puppet, and the shards clattered harmlessly against its wide chest.

Next to the shattered post was a crystal ball displaying the following information:

[Explosive Detonation Puppet detected]

[Overall damage: upper-tier eighth rank, peak damage: lower-tier seventh rank]

[Damage radius: 20 meters, diminishing to lower-tier ninth rank after 50 meters]

Zhao Xing glanced at the results, then turned to another crystal ball on the left side of the training ground.

This one was simpler:

[0.35]

This was a speed measurement, using sound as the base.

Typically, it took a sixth-rank warrior to break the sound barrier.

Eighth-rank warriors, at their fastest, reached about thirty to forty percent of the speed of sound.

The same applied to spellcasters.

Of course, geniuses were different, especially those using certain spells that allowed them to travel even faster for short bursts.

For example, Zhao Xing's Divine Travel Guard, now at the tenth transformation, could almost reach the speed of sound in short bursts.

This high-tier technique was usually only mastered by sixth-rank warriors.

"The speed of my Flying Puppet combined with the Explosive Detonation Puppet is decent but still not fully displayed. The added weight of the Explosive Detonation suppressed the Flying Technique."

"The puppet's speed is better than a solo Explosive Detonation Puppet but worse than a solo Flying Puppet—around the seventh transformation level." Zhao Xing reflected.

"As for the explosion's power, it's weaker than a perfected solo Explosive Detonation Puppet, about at the ninth transformation level."

"Still, overall, combining two techniques is more effective than using them individually. But to achieve true perfection, I'll need to bring the Flying Puppet to the ninth transformation as well."

Zhao Xing summoned more materials for the Flying Puppet and resumed his intense training.

By noon on the fourth day, he had achieved the ninth transformation for the Flying Puppet.

By the evening of the same day, the Flying Puppet reached perfection.

Zhao Xing then focused on perfecting the fusion of the two techniques.

By the fifth day, just before noon, he achieved a perfect fusion.

Back in the main hall of Palace of Myriad Techniques, Liu Tianning couldn't help but glance in Zhao Xing's direction.

Swish! Swish!

Several of his Self Straw Puppets also turned their attention to Zhao Xing.

Zhao Xing, always alert, felt a shiver down his spine. His reputation as a "Shennong-slayer" seemed to live on.

"Master Liu, is there anything I can assist you with?" Zhao Xing asked, his voice cautious.

"Relax, no need to be nervous." Liu Tianning smiled slightly. "I was just taking a look at you."

"You've done well. After this course ends, feel free to come to Palace of Myriad Techniques to visit me. No need to seek permission. If anyone in the military gives you trouble, you can come here."

Come here often?

Zhao Xing glanced around at the dozens of Self Straw Puppets smiling at him and forced a smile of his own. "Thank you, Master Liu. I'll be sure to visit more often."

"Good. Keep up your training. The Straw Puppet Techniques are vast and profound—a true path to greatness."

"Yes, Master Liu." Zhao Xing bowed respectfully, relieved that Liu Tianning's intentions were just out of admiration.

That night, Zhao Xing attempted to fuse a third technique but quickly gave up. His Flying Explosive Detonation Puppet was already perfectly balanced, and adding a third technique would only disrupt that balance.

Instead, he focused on combining Flying, Divine Strength, Sacred Shield, Invisible, and Illusory Form techniques, experimenting with different combinations.

After much trial and error, he found a method that worked best for him.

"The Explosive Detonation and Flying techniques combine perfectly, but for the others, combining three techniques produces better results."

"For example, combining Divine Strength, Flying, and Invisible yields better combat effectiveness, even though the individual levels of each technique are lower."

While the technique levels dropped, the practical effectiveness in battle improved because some techniques, like Invisible, were inherently more suited for support roles.

Thus, Zhao Xing stopped focusing on technique levels and instead aimed for better synergy in combat.

Time flew by as Zhao Xing immersed himself in training.

Soon, the fifth trial arrived.

The fifth trial followed the same format as the first.

Fifty participants gathered in the arena, competing for materials and demonstrating their Straw Puppet Techniques, with their results judged in the main hall.

In this trial, Zhao Xing only summoned one puppet before stopping.

From Liu Tianning's earlier attitude, Zhao Xing could tell that his perfect dual-technique fusion would be enough to rank him highly.

Since that was the case, there was no need to waste time on this trial. He would focus on preparing for the final, sixth trial.

The rankings were announced, with Zhao Xing maintaining his first-place position and Cai Jin remaining in second.

Shiyong had risen to third place, while Feng Qiu dropped to fourth.

Zhuang Zhiqing climbed to fifth, Guan Junyang to sixth, and Li Feng stayed in seventh, the same as before. Cao Shuang moved up to eighth.

There were few changes among the remaining ranks, with most of the top twenty being students from Taicang Academy.

However, Shiyong, Zhuang Zhiqing, Cao Shuang, and Guan Junyang—all of whom had mastered high-tier techniques—had made significant progress in their rankings.

In terms of understanding the Dao, these four had made the most significant leaps. With their talent and focus on studying the Straw Puppet Techniques, they had outpaced many others.

After the fifth trial, only twenty participants remained.

Those ranked twenty-first to fiftieth were finalized, each receiving 3,000 points.

The next seven days were for all participants to prepare for the final combat trial.

"First place will receive 50,000 points."

"Second place will receive 30,000 points."

"Third place will receive 10,000 points."

"Fourth through tenth will receive 8,000 points."

"Eleventh through twentieth will receive 5,000 points."

"If I work hard enough to break into the top ten, I'll get at least 8,000 points. If I can make it to third place, that's 10,000 points!"

"Techniques are one thing, but combat is another. If I combine my techniques well, I might beat those ahead of me."

"I've been focusing on combat-oriented straw puppets, and this final trial is all about combat!"

Among the remaining twenty participants, some were brimming with confidence.

After all, the fifth trial tested dual-technique fusions, and some of those ranked high had focused on non-combat techniques like Invisible, Illusory Form, Sacred Shield, or Flying.

For real combat? It would come down to techniques like Explosive Detonation, Divine Strength, Black Tortoise, and Guardian puppets.

But these geniuses couldn't help but sigh when they looked at Zhao Xing and his puppets.

In the end, they could only gaze at Zhao Xing's back as he led the way in the Straw Puppet Techniques course.

"A perfect dual-technique fusion... just one puppet, and he easily holds the top spot." Guan Junyang sighed. "First, we had to look up to Shiyong, and now, Zhao Xing... When will I ever get first place and have my moment?"

Since there were fewer participants in the fifth trial, everyone had time to observe the others' techniques.

Zhao Xing had only summoned one puppet yet secured first place, so it wasn't hard for people to guess that he had achieved a perfect dual-technique fusion.

Otherwise, there was no way Liu Tianning would have ranked him first.

"A perfect dual-technique fusion of wind and fire... No, it's not that simple," Shiyong murmured as he gazed at Zhao Xing's puppet.

Swish!

Shiyong flew off again, this time scouring the Palace of Myriad Techniques for a breakthrough.

"I've never seen Shiyong so busy before."

"He always seemed so laid-back."

"It seems he's truly taken Zhao Xing as a rival this time."

In the main hall, Lu Bang chuckled as he watched the scene unfolding in the arena.

"Shiyong's talent is quite impressive," Liu Tianning commented. "But in the field of Straw Puppet Techniques, he's still a step behind Zhao Xing."

"It seems all his effort is for nothing unless Zhao Xing's combat skills are weak."

"Zhao Xing hasn't had much experience as a military Shennong, but Shiyong has already been through many battles."

"In the Straw Puppet Techniques, that's Shiyong's only chance to win."

"In all other respects, Shiyong can't compare to Zhao Xing."

Lu Bang laughed. "My student is still in second place. You're not giving me any face, Liu."

"But in terms of combat, Zhao Xing might not be weak either."

"You might not know this, but during the first mandatory training, the martial division's Fang Wu praised Zhao Xing. He said that if he had to choose someone to lead an army, his first choice would be Zhao Xing, with Shiyong as his second."

"Although that training focused on martial skills, it still shows that Zhao Xing's combat ability isn't weak."

"Is that so?" Liu Tianning raised an eyebrow in interest. "Now I'm even more curious to see how this plays out."

The seven days passed in the blink of an eye.

Before anyone knew it, the final trial of the Straw Puppet Techniques course had arrived.

"The sixth trial will be the final test."

"The rules are simple: one-on-one battles, single elimination."

"Draw your opponents randomly."

"The first round's winners will secure the top ten spots. The losers will receive the 5,000-point reward for ranks eleven to twenty."

"The duels will take place in the arena."

After Liu Tianning finished speaking, twenty golden slips of paper flew into the square.

The slips were shrouded in golden light, obscuring the numbers on them.

Whoosh!

Everyone cast wind spells to pull a slip of paper into their hands.

Once in hand, the participants could immediately sense who held the same number as they did.

"Damn, such bad luck? I got Zhuang Zhiqing!"

"You think you have bad luck? I got Cai Jin!"

"Haha, Fang Yi, sorry, but you're out!"

"Hmph, we'll see who wins!"

...

After the draw, there were mixed reactions—some were happy, while others were dismayed.

Zhao Xing glanced at his slip. It had the number one on it, and the moment he held it, he immediately sensed the person holding the other number one slip.

"Well, isn't this a coincidence?" Zhao Xing chuckled. "This guy seems to be destined to clash with me."

His opponent was Li Feng.

"Zhao Xing?" Li Feng's face darkened when he saw Zhao Xing. During the fourth trial, he had still hoped to surpass Zhao Xing.

But after the fifth trial, he knew beating Zhao Xing would be nearly impossible.

"If my Black Tortoise Puppet has a combat power of 5,000, his Divine Strength Puppet must be at least 10,000!"

"Please don't let me draw this bad luck star..."

As he drew his number, Li Feng silently prayed. But what he feared came true, and worse, they were set to fight first.

"Those with the number one slip, please step to the east and west sides of the arena. The rest, please leave."

Whoosh, whoosh!

The arena quickly cleared, leaving only Zhao Xing and Li Feng as a barrier array activated.

"Damn, this guy really is my bad luck star!" Li Feng cursed inwardly, deciding that he needed to stay far away from Zhao Xing in the future. "Time to go all out!"

As the battle began, both Zhao Xing and Li Feng cast their spells.

By the tenth breath, Li Feng sneaked a glance and was somewhat relieved to see that Zhao Xing hadn't yet summoned a straw puppet.

But his relief quickly turned to horror as he was suddenly sent flying.

"It's an Invisible Divine Strength Puppet! How sneaky!"

Li Feng had just finished summoning his puppet when it was too late. Zhao Xing's Invisible Divine Strength Puppet knocked him unconscious.

"Battle over. Zhao Xing, victory."