The Dao Sovereign of Shennong

Li Feng's defeat happened so quickly that it left everyone in shock.

Even though Li Feng wasn't considered weak—he was ranked seventh in both the fourth and fifth trials—he still lost in an instant?

"The gap in Straw Puppet Techniques is growing larger and larger."

"Zhao Xing's mastery of the Straw Puppet Techniques might be on a completely different level, just like how Shi Yong would defeat his opponents with a single move."

"Just how far has Zhao Xing's Straw Puppet Techniques advanced?"

The spectators whispered among themselves as they watched the scene unfold.

Li Feng's quick defeat didn't even give the audience much of a chance to observe what had happened.

Zhao Xing had combined his technique with the Invisible Straw Puppet, and the moment the attack landed, it disappeared, leaving everyone clueless about how he had done it.

"The second match, Cai Jin versus Fang Yi."

Liu Tianning quickly announced the second match.

Zhao Xing stepped off the arena.

Currently, among his mid-tier Straw Puppet Techniques, the Flying Puppet had reached perfection, and the Explosive Detonation Puppet was also perfected.

Divine Strength, Sacred Shield, Invisible, and Illusory Form were all at the ninth transformation, with Guardian and Soul Binding being the weakest at only the third transformation.

After successfully achieving a perfect fusion of the Flying and Explosive Detonation techniques, Zhao Xing found the fusion of other techniques becoming much smoother.

Having already mastered one perfect dual-technique fusion, he now had valuable experience to apply to other combinations.

Thus, Zhao Xing could maintain a high level of mastery when combining any two techniques. For example, when he combined Divine Strength and Invisible, the fusion still kept both techniques at the ninth transformation.

When it came to three-technique combinations, however, Zhao Xing prioritized practical combat effectiveness, which produced terrifying results.

Even Liu Tianning had concluded that Zhao Xing's talent for the Straw Puppet Techniques far surpassed everyone else's. His victory over Li Feng appeared effortless.

"If it were anyone else, Li Feng could have easily entered the top ten, but unfortunately, he faced Zhao Xing. It's just bad luck."

Lu Bang shook his head.

"Luck? I arranged this match on purpose," Liu Tianning said nonchalantly.

"What?" Lu Bang was taken aback.

"That guy kept muttering during his training by the rock garden about wanting to fight Zhao Xing. I was reading nearby, and he was so noisy that I just decided to grant his wish."

"..."

Lu Bang was left speechless. Li Feng had basically begged for this defeat.

In the second match, Cai Jin defeated Fang Yi.

In the third match, Zhuang Zhiqing triumphed over He Yuan.

In the fourth match, Feng Qiu emerged victorious against Chao Yun.

The first four matches had clear winners, as the strength difference between the opponents was significant. Fang Yi had barely made it through the last round as the twentieth-ranked contestant, while Cai Jin had consistently held second place. He Yuan was ranked eighteenth, and the same logic applied to Feng Qiu and Chao Yun.

The winners all secured their victories with absolute dominance.

However, from the fifth match onward, upsets started to occur!

In the fifth match, Guan Junyang lost to Qian Guang.

In the sixth match, Cao Shuang was defeated by Che Shihai.

In the seventh match, Jiang Tianming lost to Wei Chen.

In the eighth match, Han Bing was defeated by Wu Yue.

One after another, top ten contenders from the fifth trial were defeated by lower-ranked opponents!

Even top-ranked talents like Cao Shuang and Guan Junyang, who had already reached the fourth transformation of the Profound Ream, lost!

The arena was in an uproar. More and more people gathered to witness these unexpected outcomes.

Many highly favored talents had been defeated.

Even some contestants with higher-level Straw Puppet Techniques—who seemed to have the upper hand—ended up losing.

"What's going on?"

Lu Bang was equally baffled as he watched the matches. Though he didn't know much about the Straw Puppet Techniques, the results surprised him.

"This is the difference between theory and practical experience," Liu Tianning explained. "The Straw Puppet Techniques are different from other techniques; they're an 'external incarnation.' While they don't offer the same level of control as the Self Straw Puppet, control is still a key factor."

"Controlling a puppet and giving it commands creates a connection between the practitioner and the puppet. The stronger the puppet, the stronger this connection."

"If you master the Self Straw Puppet, it's like having a second body. Imagine having one brain trying to control multiple bodies—it becomes increasingly difficult. That's why the Self Straw Puppet is known as the ultimate form of the Straw Puppet Techniques."

"But why don't I feel that way when I use the technique?" Lu Bang humbly asked.

"You're at the fifth rank, and your mental strength is immense. These subtle influences don't affect you much, and your understanding of the technique is shallow. You've only grasped the basics."

Liu Tianning's statement about Lu Bang only scratching the surface wasn't met with any argument—Liu had the authority to make such a claim.

Liu Tianning continued, "There's a connection between the puppet and its practitioner, and this connection influences the practitioner."

"Fighting with a puppet is more disruptive than suddenly growing a third arm or leg. The impact is even greater."

"If you only issue simple commands like 'move forward' or 'attack,' then it's not as disruptive. It's like growing a third arm but not using it—you feel the discomfort, but it's not overwhelming."

"But once the battle demands more precise control, the influence on these novices becomes very noticeable."

"That's why I said earlier that experience is crucial to winning."

"The victors are those who are more attuned to this 'external incarnation' technique."

"Some people are born with a better sense of spatial awareness or visual perception. Similarly, those who excel in the Straw Puppet Techniques have an innate talent for controlling their puppets."

Hearing this, Cao Shuang, Han Bing, and Jiang Tianming—who had lost their matches—stood beside Zhao Xing and Zhuang Zhiqing with confused expressions.

Even now, they could hardly believe they had lost.

"How could I lose?"

Cao Shuang looked at his hands. "Che Shihai was clearly weaker than me! He used four eighth-transformation Black Tortoise Straw Puppets combined with a Sacred Shield Puppet, and yet they destroyed all six of my ninth-transformation puppets?"

"Could it be due to technique fusion? Or was it just a fluke?"

Jiang Tianming also reflected on his match, finding it similarly baffling.

"Impossible. When it comes to technique fusion, Cao, myself, and Jiang are definitely stronger than our opponents. Even if the gap isn't large, we should still have the upper hand. There's no way we lost because of technique fusion."

Han Bing, usually a man of few words, said at length, his perpetually stoic face now showing clear confusion.

"So why did we lose? Are we really just not good enough? Did we crumble under pressure?"

"Zhao Xing, do you have any insight into what happened?" Cao Shuang turned to Zhao Xing. After all, Zhao Xing had dominated the last trial with his superior Straw Puppet Techniques.

After pondering for a moment, Zhao Xing replied, "It's not that your mental state failed, or that your techniques were too weak."

"The issue is that while you know how to summon puppets, you're not adept at using them."

"The Straw Puppet Techniques are different from other techniques. You've seen martial artists practicing swordplay, right?"

"Being skilled with a single sword doesn't mean you'll be just as skilled with dual swords. And those who can wield multiple swords simultaneously without merely carrying them on their backs are even rarer."

Zhao Xing elaborated, "Sword masters among martial artists are strong, but true sword cultivators are few and far between because controlling more than one sword greatly increases the burden. The same applies to the Straw Puppet Techniques—there's a distinction between those who can control one puppet and those who can control many."

"Most people can easily train a single puppet to the ninth transformation, but the burden increases with each additional puppet in battle."

"Some people are simply more naturally suited to using such techniques, while others are not."

"Technique fusion was invented to address this weakness, allowing a single puppet to serve multiple functions while reducing the burden. However, mastering fusion is no easier than controlling multiple individual puppets."

In the end, it came down to talent.

Han Bing, Cao Shuang, and Jiang Tianming realized that their potential with the Straw Puppet Techniques had reached its limit.

As for Zhao Xing? Judging by his performance, he was likely one of those with a "natural talent" for Straw Puppet Techniques.

While they chatted, the ninth match between Yu Hao and Li Jian ended with Yu Hao's victory.

In the tenth match, Shi Yong faced off against Yin Yang.

Zhao Xing watched Shi Yong's battle.

In the end, Shi Yong emerged victorious, and like Zhao Xing, he achieved a quick win.

"Both of his techniques have reached the ninth transformation, and he has fused them perfectly. His Divine Strength Sacred Shield Puppet displayed power close to the ninth transformation for both abilities."

Zhao Xing observed, "But is that really his full power?"

Shi Yong walked off the field, frowning as if deep in thought about something.

The first round concluded quickly, with the ten defeated contestants receiving the fifth-tier reward of 5,000 points.

Including their initial basic point earnings, the ten had accumulated over 6,000 points each—quite a substantial sum.

As for the remaining ten, Zhao Xing, Cai Jin, Zhuang Zhiqing, Feng Qiu, Wei Chen, Qian Guang, Wu Yue, Che Shihai, Yu Hao, and Shi Yong—they advanced to the second round of head-to-head combat.

Once again, the matches would be decided by a single round.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh...

The selection tokens flew out, and the other nine contestants quickly made their picks.

Zhao Xing, however, waited patiently until the last token came to him on its own.

"This kid..." Lu Bang chuckled. "Everyone else is eager to find out who their opponent is, but Zhao Xing is as relaxed as ever."

"He's confident and composed. That's exactly the mindset you need when facing an opponent." Liu Tianning's appreciation for Zhao Xing deepened. "This one could lead an army someday. No wonder Fang Wu spoke so highly of him."

Zhao Xing's token once again bore the number one.

As soon as he held it, Qian Guang—standing off to the side—sighed.

"Looks like I'm destined for a fifth-to-tenth place finish."

Qian Guang had beaten Guan Junyang in the previous round, but in his eyes, Guan Junyang's Straw Puppet Techniques weren't that formidable.

Though Guan Junyang was skilled in the Nine Peaks Battlefield and had reached the fourth transformation of the Profound Ream, the competition now was focused on the Self School's Straw Puppet Techniques.

Qian Guang was naturally talented in this discipline, comfortably controlling six puppets in battle. He had bested Guan Junyang by having superior control, even if his puppets weren't as advanced.

But now, facing Zhao Xing, his newfound confidence was wavering.

After all, Zhao Xing had dominated the fourth and fifth trials.

In the single-puppet competition, Zhao Xing had controlled eighteen puppets and ranked first.

In the multi-puppet fusion competition, his perfect dual-fusion puppets secured him first place again.

His swift defeat of Li Feng showed that Zhao Xing was an expert in puppet combat.

"Still, I've already secured at least 8,000 points."

"I should forget about winning or losing and just treat this as training."

With Zhao Xing's overwhelming record weighing on him, Qian Guang closed his eyes and quickly regained his calm.

"First match, Zhao Xing versus Qian Guang, begin!"

Buzz!

The barrier rose, and as the match began, both Zhao Xing and Qian Guang pointed toward the materials on the field, initiating their spells.

The materials vanished, but no puppets appeared.

It was clear that both were starting with Invisible Straw Puppets as the base for their puppets.

Qian Guang kept his eyes fixed on Zhao Xing, knowing he had to watch his every move to avoid being blindsided by a stealth attack.

When Qian Guang's first puppet was complete, he felt a bit more confident—his puppet was an Invisible Sacred Shield Puppet.

The large frame of the Sacred Shield Puppet gave Qian Guang a sense of security.

But as he glanced at Zhao Xing again, his heart sank. Zhao Xing was consuming materials at an alarming rate—twice as fast as Qian Guang!

That meant Zhao Xing's puppets were forming much more quickly. By now, Zhao Xing might already have two puppets completed!

"Invisible Puppet, go!"

After completing his first puppet, Qian Guang immediately began creating his second Invisible Straw Puppet and sent his first one to attack.

In this battle, he decided to abandon his usual strategy of amassing numbers, opting for a sneak attack instead.

He knew he couldn't win in terms of quantity or quality of puppets against Zhao Xing.

Ten steps, twenty steps, thirty steps... only one hundred steps separated the two.

His Invisible Straw Puppet crept closer to Zhao Xing, who seemed unaware of its approach as he continued focusing on the materials before him.

"Could it be that he's all show?"

Qian Guang's heart raced as his Invisible Straw Puppet drew near.

Bang!

The Invisible Puppet struck Zhao Xing, sending him flying off the platform.

"Did I win?!"

Qian Guang's face lit up with joy, but the next moment, he realized something was wrong. Zhao Xing's figure disintegrated as soon as it hit the ground.

"Damn, it was an Illusory Form Puppet!"

"When did he summon an Illusory Form Puppet?!"

Qian Guang's stomach dropped. He instinctively tried to move away from his current position.

But before he could react, a pair of hands grabbed him tightly from behind, holding him in place and growing hotter by the second.

"Shit! I surrender! I surrender!"

Qian Guang immediately yelled out in panic.

His reaction was understandable—he was being held by a perfected Explosive Detonation Puppet. Anyone would panic when hugged by one of those!

With a Shennong's fragile body, getting caught in such an explosion would be devastating. Of course, Liu Tianning's arena had protective measures in place, so nobody would actually die, but why go through the pain if it could be avoided?

"Zhao Xing wins." Liu Tianning's voice echoed, and the fiery glow around the puppet dispersed into scattered materials around Qian Guang's feet.

Crackle, crackle, crackle...

The firecracker-like sounds from the scattered materials made Qian Guang shudder, and he quickly jumped off the platform.

His comedic retreat drew a burst of laughter from the crowd, but the remaining competitors weren't laughing.

The Qian Guang who had defeated Guan Junyang was utterly helpless against Zhao Xing. He couldn't even last a single round. Who could possibly stand up to Zhao Xing?

...

In the second match, Cai Jin swiftly defeated Wu Yue.

In the third match, Zhuang Zhiqing quickly bested Che Shihai.

The fourth match between Yu Hao and Wei Chen was a long, drawn-out fight lasting two full rounds, with Yu Hao emerging victorious.

Looking at the matchups, it seemed like the "random" selection was anything but random. Liu Tianning had clearly made sure that no top contenders faced off against each other too early, ensuring that stronger fighters advanced fairly.

But just as everyone thought this trend would continue, the fifth match—Shi Yong versus Feng Qiu—shocked the audience.

Shi Yong faced off against Feng Qiu, and the unthinkable happened.

Feng Qiu won!