The Dao Sovereign of Shennong

Yang Junxiong suddenly leaped up from the ground, then like a tiger or leopard descending a mountain, he charged fiercely towards someone five meters away.

"Bang!" The force of his punch shattered bones, penetrating through the shoulder.

The opponent screamed in pain, their body flung into the air, and they released their grip on their spear.

"Clang!" Yang Junxiong kicked the spear mid-air, and it spun before landing firmly in his hand.

Seeing Yang Junxiong holding the spear, the others quickly scattered, their greed fading from their eyes.

Even a starved camel is still bigger than a horse. Despite being injured, Yang Junxiong, a ranked realm cultivator, still possessed formidable combat power.

Moreover, his vitality circulated continuously, and his energy quickly recovered to 80-90% of his pre-battle state. His complexion appeared rosy, making it seem like he hadn't been hurt at all.

"Come closer if you want to die!" Yang Junxiong swept his gaze around.

"Let's go, quickly!"

"He's awake again!"

"Ranked realm cultivators truly are tough!"

"Ha, acting tough now, but didn't he still lose to Zhao Xing?"

The people coveting Yang Junxiong's treasures all backed off.

Even though Yang Junxiong had lost to the mountain cat and Zhao Xing, he was not an opponent they could contend with.

After everyone dispersed, Yang Junxiong let out a muffled groan, using the spear to steady himself.

He was injured, and it wasn't a minor injury.

The mountain cat's kick had caused internal chaos in his energy, displacing his organs.

"Just one step away from success," Yang Junxiong's face turned pale, his eyes filled with gloom.

It was already the third round of incense burning, and he no longer had the strength to compete. After resting for a bit, he began his descent down the mountain.

He headed straight for the cliff where Zhao Xing was.

When he saw Zhao Xing riding the bamboo horse across the ravine, Yang Junxiong's heart surged with intense anger.

"He really came here!"

"He stole my bamboo horse and even found this opportunity!"

"But... I still have a chance!"

Yang Junxiong silently hid behind a large rock, starting to meditate and restore his energy.

He still held onto a sliver of hope, wishing Zhao Xing would fail to find the method to harvest the spiritual essence. If Zhao Xing gave up, Yang Junxiong would have another shot.

However, he had barely sat down when his heart began to pound violently.

This fierce heartbeat was the same as when encountering a spiritual essence, a Heart's Stirring moment.

But this time, it was stronger than anything he'd experienced before, far surpassing all the spiritual essences he had obtained!

"What? He found it?!"

Yang Junxiong's eyes widened in disbelief as he stared ahead.

He saw Zhao Xing riding the bamboo horse, leaping through the ravine.

Above the ravine, mist swirled, and within it, a faint golden glow appeared.

Zhao Xing weaved through the mist, raising his arm. The faint golden mist was absorbed into his hand.

"So that's it... No wonder I felt such a strong sense of loss after leaving the mountain cat's nest, as if I had missed out on a massive opportunity."

Zhao Xing raised his hand, continuously absorbing the golden light, which eventually gathered into the 'stone cup' he held.

"The Fortune Golden Cup! So it has this function too. If I had discarded it, I really wouldn't have been able to harvest this spiritual essence."

At this moment, the stone cup regained its brilliance, radiating dazzling golden light.

Seeing this, Yang Junxiong's heart filled with unwillingness.

He had been the first to discover this opportunity in the ravine.

But back then, he wasn't certain how valuable this opportunity was.

On the first day, he had merely searched briefly before leaving.

After obtaining the first incense at night, he didn't opt for the uncertain superior-grade spiritual essence but chose two intermediate-grade essences instead.

Because he held the first incense, the temple's deity directly revealed the location and method for acquiring these two intermediate-grade essences.

This first incense allowed both him and his bamboo horse to ascend to the ranked realm.

After entering the ranked realm, Yang Junxiong's sixth sense became significantly sharper, leading him back to this place where he sensed the presence of an extraordinary superior-grade spiritual essence.

Though he knew the location, on the second night, when he obtained the first incense again, he asked for the method to acquire that essence.

As he suspected, it was indeed a superior-grade spiritual essence. With intermediate-grade essences, the deity would have directly revealed both the location and the method of acquisition, but with superior-grade ones, he still had to pass a test to obtain the answer.

This indirectly confirmed that his assumptions were correct.

However, his speed had been too slow. Just as the first incense was about to burn out, he barely passed the test.

By the time he arrived at the mountain cat's nest, Zhao Xing had already beaten him to it, taming the mountain cat. Realizing the cat's strength, Yang Junxiong had to wait outside the nest. But Zhao Xing had already taken the most crucial item—the Fortune Golden Cup!

Though the influence of Yang Junxiong's first incense had briefly caused Zhao Xing to drop the cup, in the end, Zhao Xing picked it back up.

When Yang Junxiong entered the nest, he found nothing.

Thus, on the third night, Yang Junxiong had revealed his trump card, ignoring both Gu Feng and Du Jiao, focusing solely on Zhao Xing to steal the cup.

But even then, he had failed.

"If I had decisively gone after this opportunity on the first night... maybe things would have turned out differently." Yang Junxiong felt a deep sense of regret.

But there were no ifs in life. Fate had decided that this spiritual essence wasn't meant for him.

"Whoosh~"

In the clouds, Zhao Xing harvested the spiritual essence until the cup was filled, and the golden mist had faded to the point of being barely detectable.

With a leap, the bamboo horse returned to its original position.

"Meow~~ Ha~" The mountain cat let out a yawn, stretching its mouth wide.

The feline lord had waited so long it was almost asleep!

"See, you're so impatient. If I don't grow stronger, how will I find you food in the future?"

"Alright, alright, it's my fault. Here, have a treat."

Zhao Xing pulled a Heavenly Origin Pear from the bamboo box.

"Swish~" The mountain cat leaped onto the bamboo horse and began gnawing on the pear.

Clip-clop, clip-clop~

The bamboo horse trotted forward slowly as Zhao Xing absorbed the fortune from the cup.

When he had found the Fortune Golden Cup in the mountain cat's nest, it had only been half full.

This time, it was filled to the brim!

After fully absorbing the fortune essence, Zhao Xing's fortune level finally advanced.

From Luck Level Two to Luck Level Three!

"This is rare indeed; my fortune level has finally reached Level Three," Zhao Xing mused.

Fortune levels were notoriously difficult to improve. It wasn't uncommon for someone to reach the fifth realm in cultivation while their fortune level remained at Luck Level Three.

In the royal court, fortune was easier to cultivate, but for those outside it, even a cultivator at the third or fourth realm might still be stuck at Luck Level Three.

Especially after the decline of fortune dynasties, opportunities to increase fortune became even scarcer.

"Clang! Clang!"

Suddenly, the sound of a bell echoed through the mountains.

All the officials looked up, their faces filled with reluctance.

"It's time to descend," Zhao Xing checked the time, knowing the temple was reminding them that it was time to leave the mountain.

They only had three days and three nights to compete for opportunities.

Whether or not they had gained anything, once time was up, they all had to descend the mountain.

"This time, the harvest was great. I wonder if I'll be surprised once I get out. I bet Old Chen and my teacher will be shocked too," Zhao Xing thought as he urged the bamboo horse to leap, quickly covering several meters in one bound.

Down below, the Earth Altar Square was still dark, but many officials and family heads were already waiting there.

Upon hearing the bells from the mountain, they knew the officials' journey up Ling Mountain was about to end.

Xue Wenzhong stood in the viewing area, looking anxious.

Chen Shijie noticed and offered some comforting words: "Old Xue, don't worry too much. That boy may only be at Essence Gathering Stage Four, but he's smart. Even if he didn't gain much, keeping his life intact shouldn't be a problem. Come, have a cup of tea."

Xue Wenzhong sighed and sat down, but didn't reach for the tea. "I just hope he didn't get too smart for his own good. What if he didn't heed the advice and went up the mountain on the first day..."

Xue Wenzhong could tell that Zhao Xing had a streak of pride in his bones and wasn't the type to strictly follow orders. Even though he had repeatedly reminded Zhao Xing to gather enough straw puppets before heading up the mountain, the longer Zhao Xing remained out of sight, the more uneasy Xue Wenzhong became.

He was deeply afraid of receiving bad news.

Chen Shijie said calmly, "He'll be fine. I have confidence in him. Just wait, maybe that kid will even give us a pleasant surprise."

"A pleasant surprise isn't necessary. I just hope he comes back safely."

As it was the third day, the hustle and bustle of the Autumn Equinox opening the mountain had died down, and fewer ordinary folk had come to watch.

However, Zhao Ruide still brought his wife and children, waiting at the foot of the mountain in the dark.

"Father, how long until Brother comes down?"

Zhao Ruide replied, "Soon, when the bell tolls at Mao Hour, he will be down by Chen Hour."

When he was young, Zhao Ruide had also participated in the spirit essence gathering, but he had only managed to harvest a low-grade spirit essence before descending the mountain. Yet, he knew the rules well.

When the time comes, you either see them alive or see their corpse.

"Mother, don't sleep! Big brother will be coming down soon."

"Wen Zheng, don't make noise. Let Mother sleep for a while longer…" Madam Cai, who had woken up early, was now exhausted. She found a chair in the viewing area and fell back asleep.

In the viewing area, a temporary tent had been set up. Inside one of the larger tents, a plump middle-aged man was pacing back and forth.

"My lord, please stop pacing. You're making me nervous," said a woman as she got out of bed. "Chang'er will be fine."

Zong Yonglong sighed. "I won't be at peace until I see Chang'er."

He had been waiting here for three days.

Originally, Zong Yonglong wasn't too worried, but on the first day alone, one of the four skilled guards he had hired to protect his son had died!

For the past few days, Zong Yonglong had hardly slept, constantly fearing bad news.

Fortunately, no further deaths had occurred, and as the end neared, his anxiety peaked once again.

"It's almost over," said two early-rising fishermen, chatting absentmindedly as they looked at the fish in their buckets. "I wonder which of these 'fish' will survive and which will soar to new heights."

"May the heavens bless them," said the second fisherman, showing off yellowed teeth as he fiddled with the fish. "Let's hope these fish survive so we can sell them for a good price."

"Keep an eye on them. We're not just watching fish; we need to watch those officials too."

"Yeah, yeah, I know."

Qin Feng and his group walked down the mountain path, listless and dejected.

Their mountain journey had been a complete waste of time.

They had harvested several spirit essences only to have them stolen, and to make matters worse, they had lost some money too.

"It's all that damned Zhao Xing's fault!" Qin Feng cursed angrily. "If it weren't for him, we would've broken through by now."

"And Zhou Gang and Fang Jie! They're just as detestable!"

If they hadn't gotten their hands on spirit essences at all, that would have been one thing, but after working so hard to gather them, only to have them stolen—it was truly infuriating.

"Senior Brother Qin, what are you talking about?" the seventh junior brother asked in confusion, turning back to Qin Feng. "Who's Zhao Xing?"

"Yeah, what are you talking about?" the other two also looked puzzled.

"You…" Qin Feng was about to explain but, after taking a couple of steps, he unknowingly passed by the stone stele at the base of the mountain.

"What was I talking about just now?" Qin Feng asked, his eyes clouded with confusion.

"You were saying something about Zhao… Zhao who? You also mentioned Zhou Gang and Fang Jie."

"Did I?" Qin Feng turned back, only to see nothing but swirling mist. "What happened to us up on the mountain?"

Once they passed the Forgetting Worries Stele, with each step they took, the memories of the mountain faded more and more. Everything about their experience up there began to slip away.

By the time they had walked a hundred meters from the stele, they couldn't recall a thing—just that they had walked the mountain and returned empty-handed.

Shaking their heads, Qin Feng and his group arrived outside the Earth Altar Plaza. The officer from the Lake City Martial Bureau who had been waiting there for them looked disappointed when he saw that their cultivation had not improved. He gave them a few cursory words of encouragement before setting them aside.

After exiting the tent, they bumped into Fang Jie and Zhou Gang.

"Brother Qin, any gains?" Zhou Gang asked politely.

"None at all," Qin Feng forced a smile. "And you two?"

"Strange thing, really. Yesterday, Brother Zhou and I came down the mountain without realizing it, didn't get anything at all, but found a hundred taels of silver notes in our pockets," Fang Jie replied.

"Huh? Did the mountain god leave you money? That is odd," Qin Feng muttered. Despite his confusion, a hint of envy crept in.

A hundred taels was quite the windfall.

Meanwhile, Zong Shichang, along with Cang Shu, Hu Shu, Yuan Bo, and a group of 17 or 18 others, emerged from the mist.

"Hmm? I've broken through!"

"Hahaha! I'm at Gathering Essence Stage Seven!"

"Wow, my secret technique, Thousand Layers Mountain, has reached the ninth layer!"

Three of them shouted in delight, while the others looked on enviously.

Luck had favored only a select few, as most returned with nothing.

"Uncle Cang, you've reached the ninth stage? Wait, I'm at Gathering Essence Stage Seven too. Hey, where's my money?" Zong Shichang exclaimed, rummaging through his Wen Bamboo box. "Two thousand taels of silver notes, and I've spent it all? Not a penny left?"

Yuan Bo glanced around and at Zong Shichang. "Young Master Zong, you've advanced to Gathering Essence Stage Seven, made significant progress, and you came down with us. Looks like our deal is complete."

Zong Shichang nodded. "Indeed, mission accomplished, and beyond expectations! Many thanks to all three of you."

The old official cupped his hands to the others. "In that case, I will take my leave. Uncle Cang, Lu Hu, farewell."

"Farewell."

Uncle Cang and Lu Hu cupped their hands to Zong Shichang. "Young Master Zong, we'll return to report as well."

"Alright, rest assured that your deeds won't go unnoticed by my family," Zong Shichang said as he bade farewell to the two.

"Thank you."

Zong Shichang's descent caused quite a stir due to the large number of people and his noticeable progress.

Before long, Gao Linong of the Shennong Division and Zong Yonglong appeared before Zong Shichang.

"My son, you've finally returned!" A middle-aged woman rushed over, grabbing his arm and examining him. "Chang'er, are you hurt? Do you feel unwell?"

"Mother, I'm fine," Zong Shichang reassured, holding his mother's hand.

"Are you hungry? Oh, look at your face, you've lost weight. There's food in the tent. Let me go get you some…"

Zong Yonglong frowned. "Alright, stop fussing. Lord Gao is here. Head to the tent first… Lord Gao, my apologies for the disturbance."

Gao Linong smiled. "It's touching to see Madam Zong's affection for her son. No need to apologize."

Zong Yonglong beckoned his son over. "Let Lord Gao have a look."

Gao Linong took Zong Shichang's wrist, then turned to Zong Yonglong with a congratulatory smile. "Congratulations, President Zong. He has reached Gathering Essence Stage Seven and is in excellent health, no hidden injuries."

"Good, good, good." Zong Yonglong finally relaxed, smiling. "This is all thanks to your excellent guidance, Lord Gao. I will make sure to pay my respects properly another day."

Gao Linong beamed. "It's all part of my duty. No need to be so formal, President Zong."

After a few more pleasantries, Gao Linong excused himself, leaving the father and son some privacy.

"Father, has Wang Dong descended yet?" Zong Shichang asked. "This time, my gains were tremendous. There's no way I could have done it alone."

It seemed that Zong Shichang had a realistic grasp of his own abilities.

"Wang Dong is dead," Zong Yonglong said flatly.

"What?!" Zong Shichang was stunned.

"He died on the first day. But don't worry, his family will be taken care of," Zong Yonglong assured. "You don't need to concern yourself with that. Rest for now, then go visit Gao Linong and show your face before the officials in the prefecture."

"Oh."

More and more officials were descending the mountain, and representatives from various departments of the Gu City government stood by, eagerly awaiting their return.

The happiest of all was Gao Linong.

His two most promising students, Zong Shichang, had gone from Gathering Essence Stage Four to Stage Seven, and although his techniques hadn't improved much, it was still significant progress.

Meanwhile, Li Chengfeng's advancement was even more astonishing. He had gone up the mountain at Gathering Essence Stage Five and came down at Stage Nine, with significant advancements in his techniques as well!

In contrast, the other shennong officers' disciples had yet to show anything particularly impressive.

"Congratulations, Lord Gao," said Tang Wanchun, though he didn't feel very pleased, as his own student, Xiao Ze, had made no progress at all.

Similarly, Huang Yuan's student, Wen Nanxing, had only advanced from Gathering Essence Stage Four to Stage Seven.

"Ah, no need to congratulate me. It's all their own fortune; I had nothing to do with it," Gao Linong responded, feigning modesty while grinning from ear to ear.

His arrogance grew as he added, "By now, most of the top students from the last assessment should have come down the mountain. I wonder if Zhao Xing from the Hualiu Courtyard has returned yet?"

"No, we haven't seen him," Huang Yuan replied.

"Could it be something went wrong?" Gao Linong mused aloud.

Unable to stand it any longer, Xue Wenzhong snapped, "Shut your filthy mouth!"

"You…" Gao Linong was startled and about to retort when Tang Wanchun stepped in to mediate. "Master Xue, no need to get angry…"

"You shut up too!" Xue Wenzhong roared, standing up as his beard and hair crackled with electricity.

Huang Yuan tried to deflect attention by sipping his tea, but when Xue Wenzhong's fierce gaze landed on him, he froze mid-sip.

What? I didn't even say anything!

Slowly, Huang Yuan lowered his hand to his lap. Given Xue Wenzhong's seniority and status, if he were slapped, he would have no ground to argue.

The normally mild-mannered Xue Wenzhong was a terrifying sight when angered. This was the first time anyone had seen him lose his temper, and the sheer pressure was overwhelming.

For a moment, all the lower-ranked shennong officers sat stiffly, like quails, not daring to make a sound.

Just as the tension reached its peak, a commotion erupted outside.

"Someone else is coming down! It's an official from Gu City!"

"Oh my, who is that? What a massive haul they've made!"

Chen Shijie's eyes lit up as he bolted outside.