The Dao Sovereign of Shennong

[Name: Zhao Xing]

[Realm: Lower Ninth Rank (Unable to advance)]

[Profession: None]

[Fortune: Derivation Three]

[Essence Gathering: Thirteenth Level (6/10000)]

[Additional Lifespan: 53 Years]

"Increased lifespan by fifty-three years, and fortune level rose to Derivation Three?!" Zhao Xing was incredibly surprised.

He had known that his gains this time were substantial, considering he had already broken through to Essence Gathering, so an increase in lifespan was expected. But he hadn't anticipated the gains would be this significant!

What he didn't know was that, even when descending the mountain, he had not yet broken through. It was only after his fortune rose to Derivation Three that he discovered a few pure essence treasures along the way, enabling his breakthrough, which delayed him somewhat.

"Compared to the additional lifespan and fortune, breaking through to Essence Gathering is the smallest gain," Zhao Xing mused to himself.

As for why his realm section was marked "Unable to advance," that required looking back at the system of the Fortune Dynasty and the legacy of the Great Ancestor of the Zhou Dynasty.

The Great Ancestor of the Zhou Dynasty spread cultivation among the people, and Essence Gathering was a method refined through generations to absorb elemental energy and strengthen the body.

The Essence Gathering stage indicates the strength of one's energy and physical body.

To break through into the ranked realm does not only involve the Essence Gathering stage but also requires understanding of the "Dao," "Techniques," and "Skills."

Martial Dao professions focus more on improving the Essence Gathering stage.

Other professions, such as Shennong officers, dancers, musicians, mechanists, and ritual cultivators, focus more on comprehending the Dao.

The Fortune Dynasty allows people to improve their Essence Gathering stage and understanding of the Dao. Conversely, it also has the power to prevent people from advancing! It can even cause one's cultivation level to fall!

Officially, the explanation is that the common people naturally have a slow cultivation speed and encounter numerous bottlenecks. It was the Great Ancestor of the Zhou Dynasty, in his infinite wisdom and power, who discovered the means for his people to cultivate and use elemental energy for spells.

Want to extend your lifespan? Become an official!

Want to learn magic? Join the dynasty!

Want to quickly improve your cultivation? Serve the dynasty!

Want to break through your cultivation limits? Work for the government!

The essence of the Fortune Dynasty's system can be summed up in four words: Act on Heaven's Behalf!

Zhao Xing, now a civil officer, could only reach the "Lower Ninth Rank," equivalent to the mid-ninth rank in the ancient cultivation system, through self-cultivation.

Once he becomes an official, this limitation will be lifted. In fact, if he is talented enough, his personal strength could exceed his official position.

However, if one refuses to become an official, they will never be able to reach the late ninth rank or perfection within the Zhou Dynasty's territory.

There are a few exceptions:

Noble descendants or those who have made significant contributions to the country may be granted an honorary or nobility rank. Though they are not officials and hold no responsibilities, they can still cultivate.

With a royal decree, non-officials and even foreigners who have contributed to the dynasty can cultivate in the Nineteen Provinces and enjoy the same benefits as citizens of the dynasty.

Outside the Zhou Dynasty's borders, one is no longer restricted. However, without the Fortune Dynasty's support, advancing through cultivation to the ninth rank would be incredibly difficult.

If you refuse to serve the dynasty with such high cultivation, what are you planning to do with that strength?

Are you rebelling?

The Fortune Dynasty system, while not unique to the Zhou Dynasty, reached its peak under the Great Ancestor of the Zhou. Earlier dynasties with fortune-based systems never had such centralized control, even over individuals' cultivation realms.

Since the Great Ancestor, the creation of entirely free and overly powerful individuals has been curtailed to minimize instability in the Fortune Dynasty.

As a result, religious sects like the Xuanyuan Sect, which favor primitive Daoism and unrestrained cultivation, despise the Zhou Dynasty's Great Ancestor. They curse his name eight hundred times a day, stab straw puppets representing him, and constantly plot to overthrow the dynasty.

Zhao Xing's Spell and Ability List:

[Basic Spell: Cultivation]

[Low-Level Spells: Vigorous Growth, Rainmaking, Cloud Summoning, Thunder Summoning, Wind Summoning, Night Vision]

All of these have reached the peak of low-level spells, and the system no longer displays their progress since they're fully mastered.

Zhao Xing continued to review the details:

[Soldier of Grass and Wood: Five Transformations]

[Liu's Compiled Eighty-One Techniques (Six Spells)]

[Reviving Straw Puppet (Six Transformations), Binding Straw Puppet (Five Transformations), Swift Straw Puppet (Five Transformations), Thorny Straw Puppet (Three Transformations), Mighty Vajra Straw Puppet (Seven Transformations), Scout Straw Puppet (Four Transformations)]

[Five Elements Perception (Seven Transformations)]

[Earth Meridian Rejuvenation (Six Transformations)]

Mid-Level Spells:

[Wild Growth: Seven Transformations (7245/9999)]

[Lightning Summoning: Nine Transformations (9955/9999)]

[Yin Wind: Nine Transformations (9978/9999)]

[Ice Rain: Nine Transformations (Complete)]

Mid-Level Spells (Self-Created):

[Lightning Chains: Eight Transformations (8214/9999)]

[Thunder Palm: Seven Transformations (7854/9999)]

Sub-Profession: Talisman Creator

[Soothing Soul Talisman (Basic Max Level)]

[Guiding Talisman (Basic Max Level)]

Treasure (Third Rank):

[Calamity-Repelling Almanac, Thousand-Mile Transmission Token, Bamboo Horse, Sparrow Feather Armor, Tiger Soul Dagger X4, Minglou Soft Armor X3]

Treasure (Fourth Rank):

[Frost Pearl (Lower Grade)]

Pet:

Mountain Cat (Late Ninth Rank, as a beast not part of the Fortune System, equivalent to a human's Lower Ninth Rank).

Plant:

Heavenly Origin Pear Tree (Seedling Stage).

His natural-element techniques had significantly progressed. Not only had low-level spells reached their peak, but mid-level spells had also reached the ninth transformation, with Ice Rain being completely perfected. Moreover, he had created two new spells of his own!

"A self-created spell must have been derived after I perfected the Thunder Summoning spell," Zhao Xing thought.

"Hmm? My water element spell comprehension has also increased significantly?"

"And Yin Wind—it's reached the ninth transformation?!" Zhao Xing's eyes widened in disbelief.

Creating spells wasn't surprising, but Yin Wind was notoriously difficult to train. Its training speed was usually accelerated only during particular seasons, like the Cold Dew or Great Cold, or in places with high-quality meridian lines.

When he entered the mountain, his Yin Wind spell had barely reached the first transformation, yet now it had somehow jumped to the ninth transformation by the time he descended!

This was beyond expectations!

Zhao Xing continued reflecting on his gains:

"My gains from the mountain are far more substantial than expected—not just in spell breakthroughs, but in treasures as well. No wonder the Bamboo Chest is so heavy. It's likely filled with soft armor and Tiger Soul Daggers."

Zhao Xing didn't need to think too hard about why he had seized those items—they were valuable and compact, easily stored in the Bamboo Chest without taking up too much space.

These third-ranked treasures were likely items prepared by warriors for the climb, and they would be in high demand, making them easy to sell.

"I've accumulated over two thousand taels this time?" Zhao Xing calculated the value of his treasures: Sparrow Feather Armor, Bamboo Horse, Tiger Soul Daggers, Minglou Soft Armor, along with a thousand taels in silver notes, would indeed fetch a sizable sum.

"Robbery really is the way to make money."

"To do it the proper way would take ages to save up this much."

Indeed, robbery proved far faster than earning through traditional means.

However, seizing opportunities like this wasn't without risks. Such chances, like ascending Spirit Mountain to gather essence, were rare and mostly available to lower-ranking officers. Once someone became a higher-ranked official, there would be different, less hazardous competitions to participate in.

Suddenly, two bell tolls echoed from the mountain, signaling the official end of the essence-gathering event. The Eastern Lake Army would soon enter the mountain to harvest the accumulated resources from the past half-year, leaving behind only ordinary beasts and low-tier treasures.

As the bells faded, a sixth-rank officer from the Surveillance Division, Ji Ming, appeared in the Earth Altar Plaza. The Surveillance Division belonged to the county-level spiritual temple, making Ji Ming the highest-ranking official present. Even Fan Dongping, the sixth-rank official of the Shennong Division, had to defer to him.

"By decree of Lady Bixia, all officials of Eastern Lake, present the list of those who gathered essence!" Ji Ming announced.

Hearing this, Ji Ming began chanting incantations, while Chen Shijie whispered an explanation to Zhao Xing:

"Bixia is the Daoist title for the Yin Spirit Lady. 'Lady' refers to a female Yin spirit."

"Sometimes Shennong officers also need to invoke spirits, so it's important not to confuse the titles."

Zhao Xing nodded, acknowledging the importance of proper respect for such figures.

"I recall that Lady Bixia is the highest-ranking Yin Spirit in the Pinghai Prefecture, correct?" Zhao Xing asked.

Chen Shijie nodded. "Yes, Nanyang County falls under Pinghai Prefecture, which borders the sea to the east."

"Pinghai Prefecture was originally called Canghai Prefecture, as half of its current territory was once part of the Canghai Sea."

"Lady Bixia was a second-rank figure during her lifetime, a member of a Daoist sect at the time of the Great Ancestor. She specialized in water-element techniques."

"When the Great Ancestor founded the dynasty, some sects were exiled, while others submitted. Lady Bixia belonged to the latter group."

"She helped the Great Ancestor subdue the raging Canghai Spirit and control the flooding. As a reward, after her death, she was titled Lady Bixia and given authority to oversee human virtues and vices."

Zhao Xing mulled over this information:

"I remember Lady Bixia left behind a spell manual called Water Script, which became a required text for Shennong officers. Is that right?"

Chen Shijie raised his eyebrows in surprise.

"You have quite the breadth of knowledge. You even know about the official spell books for sixth-ranked officers?"

Zhao Xing modestly smiled, inadvertently showing off his knowledge. In truth, not only was he familiar with the manual, but he had also served as a Shennong officer on an island, where farming practices differed greatly from those on land.

Back at the Earth Altar Plaza, a document floated down from the mountain into Ji Ming's hands, marking the official end of the Spirit Mountain event.

"County Magistrate of Gucheng, step forward!" Ji Ming called out.

Li Wenzheng quickly stood up and bowed.

"This humble official is here."

Ji Ming smiled.

"Gucheng has produced a fine talent under your guidance."

Not knowing exactly which person Ji Ming referred to, Li Wenzheng politely responded,

"It's all thanks to the county's leadership; this humble official has only followed regulations."

Ji Ming handed him the document, tapping on it.

"The top scorer gathered forty-two portions of essence. He should be your top candidate for promotion, so ensure Gucheng's safety and security to avoid losing this talent."

"Yes, sir." Li Wenzheng respectfully received the document. Ji Ming's words essentially guaranteed that Zhao Xing's name would appear on the county's upcoming winter evaluation list.

Upon hearing someone had gathered forty-two portions of essence, the surrounding officials couldn't contain their curiosity.

"Li, who is this talent from Gucheng who managed to gather so much essence?" one of them asked.

"Yes, Li, do announce the name!" echoed another.

"Patience, gentlemen, let me first take a look," Li Wenzheng said, standing tall with a slight smile as he slowly examined the document.

The fact that Ji Ming had singled out Gucheng for the top candidate meant the document in his hands held the most significant results of the event.

Li Wenzheng finally read aloud the first name from the list:

"Gucheng Shennong Division, Officer Zhao Xing, ascended Eastern Lake Spirit Mountain, secured the first offering of incense, gathered forty-two portions of essence, including two portions of top-grade essence, and received a top rating!"

The plaza erupted in astonishment.

Two portions of top-grade essence!

What unbelievable luck!

Top-grade essence typically involved fortune essence, meaning this person would likely rise to at least Derivation Two in fortune.

Being a successful official in the Zhou Dynasty required good luck above all. Zhao Xing's future was bound to be bright, and his entry into the official ranks was all but guaranteed.

Congratulations filled the air.

"Follow my lead," Chen Shijie said, nudging Zhao Xing with his elbow. Zhao Xing quickly understood and followed closely behind Chen Shijie, offering respectful bows and greetings to the senior officials from the county.

This was an excellent opportunity for Zhao Xing to make an impression. Just getting his name known among these officials would make his future endeavors much smoother.

As Zhao Xing humbly followed Chen Shijie in silence, acknowledging the congratulations, he couldn't help but compare the experience to his time as a player. It felt like gaining a major favorability boost from the powerful figures in the Nanyang County bureaucratic system.

While others, such as Yang Junxiong, Zong Shichang, Li Chengfeng, Lu Qian, Liu Muqing, and Cao Qiushui, looked on with envy, Zhao Xing reveled in the acknowledgment of his achievements.

"Such elegance and fortune, a very auspicious sign," said a delighted Xue Wenzhong.

As for the other officers of the Shennong Division, they forced smiles of envy.

Such talent from Huailiu Courtyard—it was enough to make others green with jealousy!