The Dao Sovereign of Shennong

As soon as Zhao Xing stepped into the mechanism labyrinth, the two walls behind him closed, sealing off his retreat.

He pointed a finger toward the sky, and golden light shot upward, but as soon as it passed over the four-meter-high walls, it disappeared.

"As expected, using the cloud-summoning spell won't help with something that high."

Zhao Xing jumped a couple of times, realizing no matter how high he leaped, it was impossible to surpass the height of the walls.

Of course, this didn't mean he couldn't use spells within the labyrinth. It just meant he couldn't rely on cloud-summoning to get an aerial view and cheat his way through the maze.

"Let's see if there's anything I can make use of."

Zhao Xing chose a random path and started walking.

The mechanism labyrinth tested strength, intelligence, willpower, and even social skills. It was an all-encompassing challenge designed to develop the elites of the Dali Empire, emphasizing well-roundedness.

Thus, pure strength alone was rarely enough to get through the maze—unless you were so strong that you could break through everything by brute force. That, of course, would require a Fourth Rank cultivator or higher.

"Buzz~"

As Zhao Xing rounded a corner, he came across a dead-end. At the base of the wall, a red-furred, goat-like mechanical beast stared at him.

The goat's eyes were also red, and the moment their gazes met, Zhao Xing's entire body shivered, and he fell into a strange state.

"Baa~" The goat jumped lightly and disappeared into the distance.

"Am I really this unlucky, running into a 'Reversal Goat' right at the start?" Zhao Xing couldn't help but smile wryly.

The Reversal Goat was a type of illusionary mechanical beast.

Once affected by its illusion, the victim would enter a state where everything they intended to do would reverse.

For instance, if you wanted to step forward, your mind would think so, but your body would step back instead. If you intended to summon wind, the result would be summoning lightning. If you aimed to strike right, you'd end up attacking left.

"Bang!" Zhao Xing tried to turn around, but mistakenly moved in the wrong direction, crashing straight into the wall.

The impact was just strong enough to daze him but not cause any real harm.

"Ouch." Zhao Xing wanted to hold his head but ended up covering his lower abdomen instead.

The sensation of doing everything backward was incredibly disorienting. But there was something strangely comforting about it, reminiscent of his past experiences running through dungeons in his previous life.

"Encountering the Reversal Goat? Excellent! This means the sixth-rank treasure is practically mine!"

Zhao Xing quickly adjusted to the illusionary state and pressed onward.

"Clank, clank, clank~"

After just a few more twists and turns, he heard the sound of mechanical gears whirring. Looking down, he realized he had triggered a trap.

The stone beneath his foot had sunk into the floor, and on the wall ahead, a lightning-imbued needle was already aimed straight at him.

"Hmph, a mere trick."

Zhao Xing crouched down, tapped a few tiles around him, and soon pried loose a specially-shaped piece of stone. He wedged it underneath his foot where the trigger had been.

When he lifted his foot, the lightning needle remained inactive.

Zhao Xing strolled forward unhurriedly.

Over the next quarter-hour, Zhao Xing encountered a variety of traps—flamethrowers, falling rocks, poison darts, and even more illusionary beasts.

The entire labyrinth was designed with one goal: to delay and obstruct anyone attempting to pass through.

"They say the mechanism labyrinth was created by the geniuses of Dali's Engineering Institute. They kept adding new ideas, contributing fresh creativity to make the labyrinth more challenging."

"Every time someone successfully added a new mechanism, they were rewarded. So, naturally, everyone wracked their brains to come up with more traps, even trying to put a hundred tripwires under a single brick."

"How they loved to torment people... Truly diabolical."

Zhao Xing rubbed his red and swollen hands, sighing in frustration.

Despite his "rich experience," he still fell into many traps along the way.

His vision had become blurry, and everything around him was dim.

Earlier, to avoid a set of six linked traps, he had accidentally leaned against a wall, triggering a seventh hidden mechanism that sprayed his face with a disorienting powder.

"But the more traps there are, the closer I am to what I'm seeking. Once I find the right tool, it'll be much easier from here."

Descending a flight of stairs, Zhao Xing noticed that the surrounding walls became shorter.

Though blinded, it didn't hinder his movement. Using the wind-summoning spell, he sensed his surroundings through the airflow, which painted a clear mental image in his mind.

"Got it!"

A smile crept across Zhao Xing's face as he stepped back and hid in the shadow of the stairs.

The wind-summoning spell rushed toward a desk ahead, sending a yellow piece of paper fluttering.

"Oh-ho-ho!"

The desk seemed to come to life, letting out strange cries. Its four legs scrambled like they were stepping on hot coals, bouncing around erratically.

"Table monster, don't run!"

Zhao Xing shouted as the desk-like mechanical beast charged toward him.

As it neared, it morphed, sprouting spikes along its legs and top.

"Bang!"

The mechanical beast slammed into the wall, missing Zhao Xing, who had ducked into the corner between the steps and the wall. The spikes on the beast stopped just a finger's width from his body.

"Hmph, such a simple mechanism. Laughable."

Zhao Xing reached out and peeled the yellow paper off the top of the mechanical beast.

"Clatter~"

The beast immediately collapsed into a pile of parts.

"A hybrid talisman-mechanical beast? Whoever made this is quite talented," Zhao Xing muttered as he rummaged through the debris.

Soon, he found a silver-white bead among the parts.

[Transformation Bead: Special Item]

[Allows transformation into one of the last ten people you came into contact with.]

[Transformation Limit: Spirit Bridge Full Stage]

"You'll do."

Zhao Xing smiled, crushing the bead.

As it shattered, light projections of several people flashed before his eyes: Xue Wenzhong, Chen Shijie, Zhao Ruide, Zhao Zheng, Madam Cai… Wait, not Madam Cai!

The light paused over Madam Cai's image, startling Zhao Xing.

He quickly forced himself to focus on the image of Chen Shijie.

Luckily, the projection moved on, settling on Chen Shijie's form.

"Buzz~"

The light solidified, and a version of Chen Shijie appeared before him.

"Phew~" Zhao Xing breathed a sigh of relief.

The figure created by the Transformation Bead would reflect the user's relationship with the person in their mind.

This meant that if all ten of the last people you interacted with were enemies, the transformed figure would hinder you, even attack you.

Among the ten people Zhao Xing had recently encountered, only the real Chen Shijie was a suitable choice.

Now, he needed someone with enough combat power to help him navigate through the maze's traps.

If he had been left with Madam Cai's form, he might as well have declared his attempt a failure.

"What's going on, kid? How'd you end up in such a weird place? Hmm? What's wrong with your eyes?" the conjured Chen Shijie asked as soon as he appeared.

"Don't ask. Old Chen, I need your help."

Of course, this wasn't the real Chen Shijie but a version based on Zhao Xing's impression of him.

"What did you just call me?" Chen Shijie frowned.

"I mean, Lord Chen," Zhao Xing quickly corrected. "Please, Lord Chen, lend me your assistance."

"Hmph, that's better," Chen Shijie grumbled, but he took the lead, clearing the path ahead.

The conjured Chen Shijie displayed the strength of an upper Eighth Rank, and with his help, Zhao Xing's progress through the maze sped up. This version of Chen Shijie knew multiple mid-level perfected spells.

His reactions, intelligence, and adaptability were all top-notch.

As for whether the real Chen Shijie was actually this powerful, Zhao Xing wasn't sure. But he suspected that the real Old Chen might be even stronger than this conjured version.

From their conversations alone, Zhao Xing knew that the knowledge Chen Shijie displayed far exceeded that of an ordinary Ninth Rank official.

Though Chen Shijie claimed to be a Shennong officer specialized in land management, his understanding of other spell disciplines was impressive, and his versatility made him stand out.

"If the real Old Chen is this strong, then why is he serving as a minor official in Nanyang County?" Zhao Xing wondered as he watched the conjured Chen Shijie push forward.

At that moment, Chen Shijie triggered a series of seven consecutive traps, each one firing off in quick succession.

"Cough, cough... What kind of lousy place is this? Why are there so many traps?" Chen Shijie stumbled out of the smoke, hair in disarray, coughing violently.

Zhao Xing patted Chen Shijie on the shoulder as he passed. "Thanks, Old Chen."

"You brat! What did you just—"

Before Chen Shijie could finish, he dissolved into light and vanished.

Zhao Xing stepped into a circular chamber ahead.

The light dimmed, and doors appeared all around him.

"Five-element alignment: Enter through the Qian position, exit through the Kan position."

After observing for a moment, Zhao Xing stepped into the door aligned with the Qian position and emerged from the door aligned with the Kun position, returning to the room.

One of the doors disappeared, but another quickly took its place, changing the setup.

Some doors crackled with lightning, arcs of electricity extending into the room like claws.

Another door slowly extended golden swords, pressing Zhao Xing back.

He glanced at a door spouting flames.

"Plucking chestnuts from the fire, I'll seize this chance."

Without hesitation, he charged through the fire door.

Moments later, he was back in the room.

This time, the rotating doors were accompanied by the growls of beasts behind them.

Zhao Xing carefully listened for a while, then smiled.

"A qilin's roar. A lucky beast awaits."

He stepped into the glowing door.

Moments later, he was back in the room again.

Now, only four doors remained, their aura much softer than before.

"Spring, summer, autumn, and winter—the Four Seasons Doors."

"This is the final challenge."

"Enter through the Spring Door, exit through the Autumn Door."

"One thought spanning spring and autumn, a dreamlike passage."

Zhao Xing stepped into the green-glowing door and emerged from the golden one.

"Buzz~"

The strange visions around him disappeared, and the fog churned. When Zhao Xing looked up again, he was standing before the mechanical beast, Xiezhi.

"Student Zhao Xing, you passed the mechanism labyrinth in less than an hour. You are rewarded with a sixth-rank 'Soul Armor' divine weapon."

The guardian beast Xiezhi opened its mouth, and a jet-black suit of armor emerged.

The armor gleamed as it flew toward Zhao Xing, flowing over his skin like liquid and covering his entire body.

"The sixth-rank Soul Armor is a child piece of the supreme divine weapon, 'Sun Shines Across the Sky.' Though it's only of the sixth rank, its soul-protection abilities rival a seventh-rank item, and it cannot be damaged. It reduces the power of Fourth Rank attacks by 90 percent."

"It also reflects any soul-based spells and secret techniques below the Fourth Rank."

Xiezhi explained.

"Thank you for the gift," Zhao Xing replied, sensing the unique properties of the Soul Armor. His body felt warm and safe, as though his very soul was being soothed.

"The sixth-rank Soul Armor comes with the first chapter of the national secret art. You must not reveal it."

"If anyone detects the existence of the armor and leaks its secret..."

"Rest assured, unless you die, no one will ever know about the Soul Armor," Xiezhi said calmly. "And if you do die, the imperial court will avenge you, reclaim the armor, and eliminate anyone who knows about it."

Zhao Xing nodded silently. Even though this mechanical guardian beast had a sense of self, its awareness was limited to the Heavenly Works Hall. It didn't know that the Dali Empire had long since fallen.

"Dawn approaches. Your soul is too weak to remain. You should leave."

With a soft breath, Xiezhi sent Zhao Xing out of the Heavenly Works Hall, all the way back to the entrance of the Great Dream Academy.

When he opened his eyes, he saw the familiar sight of his bed canopy.

Zhao Xing reached into his robes and found the items he had acquired: a pair of pendants and three pills.

Of the four-rank pills, one was the Five Viscera Calamity Expulsion Pill, and the other was the Giant Whale Pill. The third-rank pill was the Earth Fiend Pill.

As for the sixth-rank Soul Armor, it had fused into his body, directly protecting his sea of consciousness.

Sixth-rank treasures were still considered worldly items. While powerful, they didn't typically possess magical effects like melding into one's body. But since this was a piece of the supreme divine weapon "Sun Shines Across the Sky," it shared properties similar to a seventh-rank divine item, allowing it to be stored within.

"Sun Shines Across the Sky... I wonder if this divine weapon is still somewhere in the Great Dream Academy." Zhao Xing mused.

During the era of the Fortune Dynasty, there were several treasures that were ahead of their time, relics passed down from the ancient past. These treasures, having lost much of their power when spiritual energy waned, would only reveal their full potential when the era of revival arrived.

If given the chance, Zhao Xing certainly wanted to find the parent piece of the Soul Armor.

"Xiezhi mentioned that at the end of the Heavenly Works Hall lies a rare treasure. It's probably not the parent piece of the armor. I wonder where it's hidden."

Undoubtedly, the greatest gain from this trial was the sixth-rank Soul Armor.

And with it came the secret techniques of the Dream Sect, encapsulated in the ancient art "The Great Dream of Spring and Autumn."

Of course, the Giant Whale Pill, Earth Fiend Pill, and Five Viscera Calamity Expulsion Pill were also valuable, as they could be immediately put to use.

Every time Zhao Xing entered the academy, he gained significantly. Reflecting on this, he couldn't help but marvel:

"This truly is a treasure trove. If I can fully leverage these riches and survive until the revival era, it might not be as difficult as I once thought."

After the autumn equinox and the completion of the Spirit Mountain trials, civil officers were given a two-day holiday.

Zhao Xing didn't have to work, so he stayed at home to fully absorb the benefits he had gained.

The Earth Fiend Pill and the Five Viscera Calamity Expulsion Pill were set aside for later use since their effects would be maximized when paired with specific refining techniques. But the Giant Whale Pill took Zhao Xing an entire day to fully digest.

"After consuming that pill, it feels like I ate an entire whale," Zhao Xing joked as he paced around his courtyard, looking refreshed.

Zhao Zheng watched his older brother in awe. Running and jumping around all day without needing to eat, his brother was amazing!

Zhao Ruide, on the other hand, was perplexed. He could sense that Zhao Xing had undergone significant changes throughout the day, especially in terms of his energy.

In the morning, Zhao Xing's breathing and Essence Gathering were still normal.

But by the evening, his breathing had become exceptionally long, and the speed at which he absorbed energy had noticeably increased.

"I've seen plenty of Essence Gathering warriors with strong physiques after breaking through. But for a Shennong officer to possess such a body? This is a first. I wonder what kind of experience he had in the mountains," Zhao Ruide thought, assuming his son had encountered some fortuitous event during the trials.

Saying Zhao Xing was now as strong as an ox would be inaccurate. He was more like an elephant.

"If he trained in martial arts, he might even reach the ranked realm." Zhao Ruide sighed. By comparison, Zhao Zheng, nearly eight years old, still showed no talent for martial arts and was quite lazy, much to his father's frustration.

That evening, Zhao Xing lay in bed and began studying "The Great Dream of Spring and Autumn."

"The Dream Sect was Dali's national religion, and 'The Great Dream of Spring and Autumn' was their most renowned technique." Zhao Xing remembered this art vividly, as it made expert use of dreams in its methods.

While many of the techniques from the sectarian era had lost their full potency in the current age, "The Great Dream of Spring and Autumn" was an exception.

Techniques like 'Killing in Dreams' and 'One Dream, One World' still retained their power, making it a reliable skill set even in the present day.

"Humans possess three souls: the Heavenly Soul, the Earthly Soul, and the Life Soul."

"The Heavenly and Earthly Souls often wander outside the body, leaving only the Life Soul anchored within."

"The Life Soul resides in the fetus, and its potential spreads throughout the body, forming the seven spirits."

"The Heavenly Soul is the Soul of Past Lives, while the Earthly Soul is the Soul of Causality."

"When the Heavenly and Earthly Souls drift outside, they connect with the Life Soul, creating what we call 'dreams.'"

"This is why people often dream of places they have never been to but feel familiar, or dream of people to whom they are karmically linked. Sometimes, these dreams even trigger extraordinary sensations."

"For example, someone might dream of a loved one dying far away before any news of the death has reached them."

"Or they might recall conversations with childhood friends in a dream."

As Zhao Xing studied the introductory chapter of "The Great Dream of Spring and Autumn," he came across several intriguing concepts.

"The entry-level chapter of 'The Great Dream of Spring and Autumn' is divided into two stages: Dream Interpretation and Dream Entry."

"If one can freely enter dreams at any time and even guide others into dreams, they are considered to have truly grasped the basics."

"After mastering this, the next chapter is called 'Dreamwalking.'"

"At that point, one will be able to walk through others' dreams and, by severing the connection between the three souls during their intersection, obliterate someone's soul."

"Once the three souls are destroyed, the body's seven spirits lose their leader, turning the person into a walking corpse, leaving them not far from death."

As Zhao Xing perused the introductory section of "The Great Dream of Spring and Autumn," several of its dream-related techniques caught his attention.