The Dao Sovereign of Shennong

After robbing Qin Feng twice, Zhao Xing originally planned to continue wandering around.

Unexpectedly, as he walked, the little mountain cat grew hungry, wanting to eat the Vine Fragrance Berries and White Fragrant Grass it had eaten before.

So, Zhao Xing found this spot and began planting the two things the mountain cat loved to eat.

Since the straw puppet left at the temple had become too distant to remain effective, he planted some more Vajra Bamboo.

Even if he didn't need them for combat, using them to craft some swift straw puppet would make travel faster.

He thought it would take a while before he encountered more 'good luck.'

But when fortune arrives, it's unstoppable.

Here he was, planting in the secluded mountains, and yet he somehow stumbled upon Wen Zhao and Zhang Boran!

The two of them didn't seem to realize what they had gone through and failed to notice that someone had intentionally planted the bamboo forest.

They even failed to see the straw puppet hiding on both sides, lying in ambush.

"What's that Zhang Boran is carrying?" Zhao Xing's gaze fell on the bulging item in Zhang Boran's arms. It was clearly something valuable.

What piqued Zhao Xing's interest even more was the clay jar.

Its allure was immense, far greater than that of any ordinary mid-grade spiritual essence!

"Little mountain cat, stop eating. We've got something fun!"

Zhao Xing waved at the mountain cat, which was still gnawing on fruit.

"Meow~" The mountain cat seemed reluctant, as it wasn't full yet.

"Hurry up! They have more delicious stuff. You'll love it!" Zhao Xing urged.

"Meow!" The mountain cat's eyes lit up at the mention of more food.

With a push from its hind legs, it leapt onto the Vajra Bamboo, and with a few more swift jumps, it burst out of the bamboo forest.

"Boran, what did you find this time..." Wen Zhao was just about to ask what treasure Zhang Boran had found to make him even abandon his sword.

But before he could finish speaking, Zhang Boran's body was suddenly lifted into the air, bending like a bow mid-flight.

"Bang!" The sound echoed as Zhang Boran was knocked backward.

The golden chestnuts in his arms scattered all over the ground, and the clay jar fell to the ground as well.

Zhang Boran didn't make a sound before passing out.

The little mountain cat, after all, was a ranked beast and had devoured countless spiritual essences. Even a ranked warrior wouldn't be able to withstand such an attack.

Let alone Zhang Boran, who was only at the eighth stage of Essence Gathering.

He lay on the ground without putting up any resistance.

"What?!" Wen Zhao was stunned. He had no idea what had just happened. Instinctively, he reached for the clay jar and planned to flee.

However, at that moment, a small, adorable cat appeared in his view.

"Hiss~" The mountain cat softly hissed, arching its back and locking its eyes on Wen Zhao.

"Old man, drop the spiritual essence, or you'll face a great calamity!"

A mocking voice came from behind.

Wen Zhao froze—weren't those his words?

Turning around, he saw Zhao Xing walking out of the bamboo forest.

"You... Zhao Xing?!"

Wen Zhao recalled the scene from yesterday, just before Zhao Xing had entered the Heavenly Altar Square.

At that time, he had spoken those exact words to Zhao Xing.

Who would have thought the tables would turn so quickly?

Now it was Zhao Xing's turn to say those same words to him.

"What? Still can't bear to part with it?" Zhao Xing looked at Wen Zhao indifferently. "Have you read so much that you've gone stupid?"

Wen Zhao looked at the mountain cat, then at Zhao Xing, took a deep breath, and picked up a thorny branch from the ground.

He hunched over and slowly approached Zhao Xing.

"Master Zhao, I greatly offended you yesterday. I deeply regret it. Please whip me to relieve your anger." Wen Zhao bowed respectfully, his voice filled with sincerity.

It was as if he was genuinely remorseful, making one feel that he had truly realized his mistake.

This guy, being a scholar of etiquette, even played the "offering a humble apology with a thorn branch" card.

"Apology?" Zhao Xing sneered. "You sure know a lot. Besides your etiquette training, I didn't expect your apologies to be so polished. Do you think I'd fall for your trick? How does your 'apology' compare to the power of the yin wind?"

Wen Zhao's eyes flickered with surprise. He hadn't expected his trick to be so easily seen through.

Just as he was about to speak again, Zhao Xing suddenly rushed forward, grabbed the thorny branch from his hand, and harshly whipped it against the old man's back.

"I'll grant your wish!"

"Smack!" A searing pain spread across Wen Zhao's back, and he gasped in shock.

With his technique broken, and the mountain cat staring him down, he was powerless to retaliate and could only endure the whipping.

"Smack, smack, smack, smack, smack!"

The branch sliced through the air, delivering five swift strikes, forcing Wen Zhao to collapse to the ground in pain.

"You burned three of my straw puppet, so I'm whipping you six times!"

"W-why not three times?" Wen Zhao weakly asked.

"Because I always repay double for grievances." Zhao Xing, having broken Wen Zhao's 'apology technique,' stomped on his head. "According to your etiquette technique, you should thank me now. Otherwise, you'll lose a level in your cultivation."

"Mmmph~" With his head pressed into the dirt, Wen Zhao couldn't speak. His mouth was full of soil.

Under Zhao Xing's keen gaze, the golden light on Wen Zhao's body grew weaker, while the red light intensified.

This signified that he had failed to complete the cultivation of his 'etiquette' technique.

The apology spell had been triggered, but instead of receiving positive feedback, it backfired negatively.

"Boom!"

Zhao Xing stomped hard, shattering the golden light around Wen Zhao.

The red light engulfed Wen Zhao's entire body as the backlash from his technique caused him to twitch in the dirt before passing out.

If his apology technique had originally been at the fifth stage, it would now be reduced to the fourth stage.

"I can't stand you etiquette practitioners. You produce nothing and are an eyesore!" Zhao Xing kicked Wen Zhao in the stomach, sending him flying a bit farther.

Poor Wen Zhao, having just recovered recently, now found himself beaten up again and back in an injured state.

Zhao Xing clapped his hands and turned around.

His expression froze slightly.

In the short time that had passed, the little mountain cat had already devoured most of the golden chestnuts that had fallen to the ground.

"Crunch, crunch~" The cat munched loudly, enjoying every bite.

"You sure have a good appetite." Zhao Xing sighed helplessly.

"Meow~" The mountain cat raised a paw and pushed the last chestnut toward Zhao Xing.

"Sigh, you're too kind. As long as you're full, no need to leave one for me."

"Meow?" The little mountain cat tilted its head, as if asking, "Are you sure you don't want it?"

"I'm kidding, I'll eat it."

Zhao Xing quickly picked up the golden chestnut, brushed off the dirt, peeled the shell, and tossed it into his mouth.

The crunchy chestnut provided Zhao Xing with 500 points of energy.

He was now one step closer to the eighth stage of Essence Gathering.

It was a decent boost, progressing him by about one-twentieth of the way.

However, for the mountain cat, it didn't seem to have much effect.

Despite eating so many chestnuts, Zhao Xing didn't feel any significant change in the cat's aura.

"Pop~"

Zhao Xing picked up the clay jar and removed the layer of mud that sealed it.

The little mountain cat's nose twitched, its pupils dilating instantly.

A rich aroma of wine wafted through the air, and Zhao Xing immediately felt his essence energy become more active.

"Monkey wine?" Zhao Xing's eyes lit up. This was a treasure.

This jar of fruit wine, brewed with spiritual essences, likely took over a thousand golden chestnuts to produce!

Just by taking a sniff, Zhao Xing's essence energy had increased by 20 points!

Before Zhao Xing could act, the mountain cat almost teleported to the jar, plunging its little head inside.

"Hey, hey, little cat, you can't drink alcohol. You'll get drunk."

"Damn, leave some for me..."

The allure of the wine for the mountain cat was immense. In the blink of an eye, it had already consumed half of it.

However, upon hearing Zhao Xing's complaint, it graciously moved aside, gesturing for Zhao Xing to join in.

Moments later...

"Burp~" Both man and cat let out a contented belch.

The mountain cat, swaying slightly, lay on the ground licking its paws.

Zhao Xing sat cross-legged on the ground, meditating.

He wasn't like the mountain cat, able to drink so much. He had only taken a small portion before having to stop.

But even that small amount was enough for Zhao Xing to achieve a breakthrough!

Half an hour later...

Zhao Xing opened his eyes, the flush on his face having faded considerably.

He glanced at his status panel.

[Essence Gathering, Stage Eight: 7245/10000]

"Powerful stuff! Not only did I reach the eighth stage of Essence Gathering, but I'm already seventy percent of the way through it!"

Zhao Xing exhaled deeply. He used his Five Elemental Observation Technique to examine the little mountain cat.

He noticed that the cat's aura had also grown slightly stronger.

"You really can eat. If it weren't for me being a skilled farmer, I doubt anyone else could afford to raise you." Zhao Xing patted the mountain cat on the head.

Raising a ranked beast, especially one that had broken into the ranked realm, required a significant amount of resources.

It was only because Zhao Xing had confidence in himself that he dared to raise the mountain cat despite not yet reaching the rare grade himself.

After waiting for an hour, the Vajra Bamboo matured, and Zhao Xing spent some time crafting 20 powerful Mighty Vajra straw puppet and 10 swift straw puppet.

All of them were top-tier, second-stage quality.

He also made some scouting straw puppet out of ordinary vine branches and leaves.

"Lift the sedan!"

Zhao Xing waved his hand and continued to wander the mountain.

...

On the third day of climbing Spiritual Mountain, many noteworthy events occurred.

Someone found a powerful Pure Essence spiritual essence in a cave, instantly advancing three stages and reaching the ninth stage of Essence Gathering.

Someone else plucked an orchid, comprehending new movement techniques from its petals, instantly reaching the mastery of the Nine Transformations, becoming one of the top experts.

Yet another person encountered a top-grade spiritual essence but couldn't retrieve it, as if they had fallen into a 'ghost wall,' wandering in circles with a strong sense of its presence but unable to locate it.

There were also rumors that some areas of Donghu Mountain were guarded by terrifying beasts, making them inaccessible to the officials. These areas were filled with naturally-formed treasures that would only be opened in three days.

Some people fought over spiritual essences at the incense sites, even to the point of death.

Others, seeing no hope in the final night's incense contest, simply descended the mountain.

As night fell, everyone gathered at the Heavenly Altar Square, the safe zone, where they shared the day's stories as topics of conversation.

Among the most talked-about topics, one strange rumor stood out.

"Have you heard? A terrifying beast has appeared on the mountain."

"Are you talking about that cat? Of course, I've heard! They say it's the Mountain God's pet."

"There are many beasts in the mountain. What's so strange about a mountain cat?" someone scoffed.

"If that were all, it wouldn't be so strange. But this cat specializes in robbing people of their spiritual essences."

"Many experts have been robbed by that cat. They say Wen Zhao and Zhang Boran were among them."

"What? How strong must that cat be?"

"It's still young, but it already has ranked strength."

"And here's the strangest part: the cat doesn't kill people, but if you don't thank it after being robbed, it won't let you go. Isn't that bizarre?"

"..."

In one corner of the square, Du Jiaojiao, Liu Muqing, and Lu Qian were resting. Upon hearing this strange rumor, they couldn't help but join the conversation.

Lu Qian sneered, "These people must be crazy, spreading such ridiculous stories. Saying 'thank you' and the cat will let you go? Utter nonsense!"

Liu Muqing said, "Perhaps the pressure of climbing the mountain is too much, and some people are hallucinating."

As Du Jiaojiao polished her silver spear, she suddenly said, "Maybe someone owns that cat."

Lu Qian was surprised. "What do you mean, Sister Jiao?"

Du Jiaojiao spoke slowly, "Earlier today, while we were gathering spiritual essences halfway up the mountain, we sensed the presence of that mountain cat from a distance."

"There was also a human aura nearby. It was very close, as if observing us for a while."

"What?" Lu Qian exclaimed, "Is that possible?"

"Who could have tamed the mountain cat?" Liu Muqing asked, "Could it be Yang Junxiong?"

"If that's the case, it would be troublesome," Lu Qian frowned. "He might take the first incense again tonight."

"I don't think it's him," Du Jiaojiao mused. "It didn't feel like him."

"No matter who it is, if it's as Sister Jiao said, this person will surely show up tonight."

Halfway up the mountain, Zhao Xing leisurely ascended while being carried by his straw puppet.

Using his keen vision, he looked around and saw people climbing from various directions.

"Tonight is the last chance, and it's going to be the liveliest night."

Meow~ The mountain cat perked up its ears, seemingly triggered by the keyword.

"Hey, cat master, calm down." Zhao Xing grabbed its tail as it attempted to rush off again.

This silly cat was way too eager for excitement. Its stamina was astounding, and it was even harder to handle than a dog!

"We need to reach the mountain top soon, or we'll be late," Zhao Xing explained. "Don't worry, there's plenty of excitement at the top for you."

The mountain cat obediently settled back into Zhao Xing's arms.

This time, the journey to the top was peaceful.

No one dared provoke Zhao Xing along the way.

His reputation from the second night had spread. Though Zhao Xing hadn't announced his name, how could the ever-boastful Master Zong resist bragging?

Even if people didn't remember Zhao Xing's name after descending the mountain, Zong Shichang would surely have bragged about his achievements!

Besides the reputation, Zhao Xing's cultivation had also advanced greatly since the previous day.

After seizing so many officials' opportunities, he had already reached the ninth stage of Essence Gathering!

With the mountain cat snowballing his success, they had almost bulldozed their way through the mountain.

To rob more efficiently, Zhao Xing had stopped showing himself, letting the cat master do all the work.

"Zhao Xing, over here!"

As soon as he entered the Heavenly Altar Square at the summit, Zong Shichang waved at him.

There were also a few familiar faces in the square.

Like Wen Nanxing, Xiao Ze, and Li Chengfeng.

Though they hadn't met in the past two days, they had all made significant progress. Wen Nanxing and Xiao Ze had already reached the seventh stage of Essence Gathering.

Li Chengfeng had gained something the first night, and while he hadn't appeared on the second day, it was clear today that he had also reached the ninth stage of Essence Gathering!

Whether it was Essence Gathering spiritual essences or lifespan-extending spiritual essences, most were designed to boost essence energy, with only a few adding lifespan, so this wasn't surprising.

To Zhao Xing's eyes, most of the lucky ones in the square, despite their elevated realms, were 'hollow fat.'

Without proper techniques to match their cultivation, having a high realm was just for show.

What puzzled Zhao Xing was that Li Chengfeng wasn't hanging around with Zong Shichang. The two had each gathered their own groups, and their relationship didn't seem as close as before.

"Zhao Sange."

"It's Zhao Xing."

"Brother Zhao is mighty, the Huailiu Sect is mighty!"

As Zhao Xing entered the square, many people greeted him, primarily because he had made quite the impression yesterday.

He had defeated Cao Qiushui during the fight for the first incense! And Cao Qiushui was a descendant of a True Lord!

"Well, well, greetings to everyone." Zhao Xing couldn't keep up his aloof attitude once he reached the crowd, hopping off the sedan chair with the mountain cat in his arms.

"Huh, where'd you find that little cat? It's pretty cute." Zong Shichang, seeing the mountain cat, immediately wanted to pet it.

"Young Master, be careful!" Uncle Cang and Uncle Hu's faces changed dramatically as they immediately moved to block Zong Shichang.

Yuan Bo also looked grave, as if facing a formidable enemy.

"Hiss~" Zong Shichang felt as though he was being watched by a fierce beast. Looking into the mountain cat's eyes, he broke into a cold sweat, his legs turning weak.

Luckily, someone caught him, or he might have collapsed entirely.

"Brother Zong, better thank it quickly," Zhao Xing said.

"Huh? Oh, oh, thank you." Zong Shichang, not knowing why, hurriedly complied.

The mountain cat, hearing the thanks, retracted its hiss and snuggled back into Zhao Xing's arms.

"So, this is a mountain cat? And you're its owner?" Zong Shichang wiped the sweat from his brow.

"Yes." Zhao Xing nodded.

"What's the deal with this cat? Why do I have to thank it?" Now that Zong Shichang knew Zhao Xing was the cat's owner, he wasn't as scared anymore. Remembering the strange rumors he'd heard earlier, he became curious.

Zhao Xing sighed, "It's a long story. In short, after I fought a few battles with it, it developed this weird quirk. You know how cats are—they have all sorts of strange habits, and it's hard to correct them."

Zong Shichang agreed wholeheartedly. He loved playing with cats and dogs and knew they were hard to please. Sometimes, it was hard to tell who was really in charge.

After chatting for a while, Zong Shichang, having forgotten his earlier scare, couldn't resist asking, "Will you sell me that mountain cat? Name your price!"

Zhao Xing shook his head. "Brother Zong, a gentleman does not take what another cherishes."

At the mention of a gentleman, Zong Shichang's face darkened slightly, as if reminded of something unpleasant. "Forget it. I don't need that nonsense. Fine, if you won't sell, at least bring it to my place more often."

"No problem," Zhao Xing agreed casually, then glanced around the square. "What's the situation now?"

Zong Shichang knew he was asking for information and quickly replied, "There's been some new developments among the ranked experts. That Gu Feng, who knows what opportunity he got, managed to leap from the eighth stage of Essence Gathering to the ranked realm with just the eighth incense stick."

"On top of that, the number of ninth-stage Essence Gathering experts has increased as well. For example, Cao Qiushui has gathered seven ninth-stage Essence Gathering experts around him."

"Also, Lu Qian and Miss Liu from Du Jiaojiao's side have both reached the ninth stage of Essence Gathering."

"I've broken through to the seventh stage of Essence Gathering, and Uncle Cang and Uncle Hu have both reached the ninth stage."

"But among the top ten incense sticks, there are some who didn't fare well. Zhang Boran and Wen Zhao were severely injured for some reason."

"Hu Yang's mechanical beast is damaged, and he doesn't seem to have gained much."

"Yuan Bo says that Yang Junxiong's aura hasn't changed much, so we don't know how he's been doing with the first incense."

Zong Shichang pointed at various people around the square, as if he knew everything about everyone. "Overall, the number of officials has decreased. Some have descended the mountain, some have died or been injured, but the number of high-realm experts has increased. This is because the first fifty incense sticks all yielded some benefit."

"Tonight is the officials' last night on the mountain. By the hour of the dragon (7:00–9:00 AM) tomorrow, they all have to descend, so no one wants to miss this last opportunity. The competition will be fierce tonight... By the way, Zhao Sange, why do Zhang Boran and Wen Zhao keep glaring at you?"