After ascending to a certain height, the Eight-Angle Earth Palace suddenly broke through into a sea of flames. The ground beneath the mountain was engulfed in fire.
"Hissssss..."
The flames seemed to possess a life of their own, furiously trying to infiltrate the Earth Palace, searching for any crack or crevice.
"Bring the fire!"
Zhao Xing continued to cast spells, attempting to counter fire with fire. It was impossible to extinguish the flames with water at this moment, especially considering the Drop of Water Technique he knew wasn't designed for large-scale fire suppression.
"Hissssss..."
The Earth Palace trembled violently and could no longer ascend further. The reason was that Zhao Xing was using Heavenly Fire, which was a mid-level technique at the pinnacle level, but it couldn't withstand the intense Earth Fiend Fire.
However, due to the powerful defense provided by the Divine Travel Guard technique and the resistance of Yin Wind Fiend, the Earth Fiend Fire couldn't penetrate the palace either.
With these two high-level techniques, Zhao Xing could hold his ground at the Fire Fiend Trial, but it wasn't enough to continue climbing.
"I don't know any high-level fire techniques, so I can't pass this trial." After holding on for a while, Zhao Xing quickly came to this conclusion.
With the Wind Fiend feeding the Fire Fiend, it was only a matter of time before he'd be forced to give up.
"Abandon."
Zhao Xing silently recited the word in his heart, and in the next moment, he returned to the portal outside.
"You have passed the Earth Fiend Trial of the Six-Harmony Yin-Yang Formation. You may now claim a Fourth-Rank top-grade treasure. You can choose between an elixir or a weapon," the voice of the mechanical beast Xiezhi rang out.
"Elixir," Zhao Xing responded without much enthusiasm.
The reward of a Fourth-Rank top-grade treasure was better than nothing, but it wasn't particularly exciting for him.
The Grand Dream Academy was designed for elite cultivators, and obtaining rewards wasn't easy.
Still, Zhao Xing wasn't discouraged.
"Based on my calculations, to pass the Six-Harmony Yin-Yang Formation, I only need to master a high-level fire technique."
Although the Volcano Technique was classified as an earth-based technique, at its core, it was still an earth-element spell, not a pure fire-element technique.
The Fire Fiend Trial required a pure high-level fire spell.
"If I can pass the Fire Fiend Trial, the Thunder Fiend Trial shouldn't be a problem for me." Zhao Xing thought to himself.
The Earth, Wind, Fire, and Thunder Fiend Trials—he was confident about the final Thunder Fiend Trial because he had mastered pure high-level thunder techniques.
Having passed the Earth Fiend Trial, Zhao Xing was rewarded with three Fourth-Rank top-grade Earth Fiend Pills, which would aid him in tempering his body in the Earth Fiend Stage.
Wasting no time, he left the Heavenly Craft Hall and headed for the Heart-Testing Platform to take on another challenge.
"The Lust Trial of the Heart-Testing Platform has ten levels. I cleared this trial a long time ago. Now that it has reappeared, it means I can take on a new challenge. I wonder what kind of trial it will be."
Taking a deep breath, Zhao Xing stepped onto the stairs of the Heart-Testing Platform.
"Boom!"
As soon as Zhao Xing set foot on the stairs, his mind was shattered by a sudden thunderous sound.
His entire body was thrown backward, and the impact was so severe that it injured his Soul Essence, forcing him to exit the Grand Dream Academy entirely.
"How can it be this difficult? The current version of the Heart-Testing Platform is so much more powerful?"
Zhao Xing thought to himself, sensing that something was off. A vague sense of unease crept into his mind.
However, he chalked it up to the fact that the Great Li Dynasty's version of the Heart-Testing Platform was simply more challenging than the one he was familiar with.
After activating the Divine Travel Guard, he floated back to the surface.
Upon reaching the surface, he received a message from Chen Shijie.
"Zhao Xing, there's an emergency at Fire Dragon Pass. Wen Shaoyang and Jiang Ming have reported that the Golden Feather Court has dispatched a large army to reclaim Fire Dragon Pass! We need to return immediately!"
"What?"
Zhao Xing was taken aback, but with Liao Rulong, Xia Jing, and others hurriedly boarding their ships, he had no choice but to follow them and head back toward Fire Dragon Pass.
Sitting on the warship, Zhao Xing stared blankly at the map and intelligence reports.
He hadn't expected the Golden Feather Court to be so determined to retake Fire Dragon Pass. This was far beyond his expectations.
Yue Haisheng had fled not long ago, and the forces holding Fire Dragon Pass numbered only a little over 100,000. Yet, the Golden Feather Court had mobilized an 800,000-strong army to attack!
"Zhao Xing, you will now take command of a battalion. I've assigned you 3,000 troops drawn from the Fire Crossbow Battalion, Valiant Battalion, Nine-Section Battalion, Divine Mechanism Battalion, and Five Elements Battalion."
"Your task is to head to the fortress and reinforce Wen Shaoyang's forces."
After disembarking, Liao Rulong immediately issued orders and took off with his elite warship, leaving Zhao Xing with his mixed battalion of 3,000 men.
Watching Liao Rulong's warship fly away, Zhao Xing couldn't help but frown. Something didn't feel right.
But events kept spiraling forward, giving him no time to think.
"Let's go!"
With his 3,000 troops, Zhao Xing boarded the Underworld Flame Warship and set course for the fortress.
Liao Rulong had also assigned Han Bing, Wang Ji, Che Shi Hai, and other familiar faces to assist him. The 3,000-strong battalion quickly departed Fire Dragon Pass, heading to reinforce Wen Shaoyang's besieged forces.
After flying for 500 miles, Zhao Xing spotted a force of demon soldiers.
They were marching toward Fire Dragon Pass in great numbers. Han Bing immediately asked, "Commander, should we intercept this ape-demon army?"
Zhao Xing shook his head, "No, our mission is to reinforce Wen Shaoyang. This flanking ape-demon army will be dealt with by the main army behind us."
The Underworld Flame Warship flew through the Wind Layer for an entire day and night, eventually arriving at the fortress's boundary.
On the ground below were the White Bone Golden Claw Army, and in the sky were the Flying Bear Barbarian Army, swarming like ants as they besieged Wen Shaoyang's fortress.
"How are there so many of them?" Zhao Xing stared at the battlefield in shock.
"Commander, should we engage?" Wang Ji asked.
As Zhao Xing pondered what felt off, a warrior from outside the cabin reported, "Commander, we've been surrounded by the Feixiong Army's warships!"
"Wang Ji, order the Mechanists to prepare for battle!"
Zhao Xing quickly stepped out onto the warship's deck, where he saw five Flying Bear Warships looming in the sky.
In addition, many flying beasts resembling giant bears with wings hovered nearby. Each beast carried a barbarian soldier clad in silver-feathered armor.
"The Golden Feather Court's Feixiong Army... Their combat strength is ranked among the top 30 of the court's forces. Instead of attacking Lü Yuanwei in the west or the strong forces of the Zhao Yuan Army and Danxia Army in the north, why have they come to attack our Shenwei Army?"
Zhao Xing felt an ominous chill.
It seemed that events were slipping out of his control, much like when the three kings had unexpectedly intervened in his trial.
But there was no time for reflection now.
The battle had already begun!
"Boom boom boom boom boom!"
The five Flying Bear warships unleashed a barrage of attacks on the Underworld Flame Warship—crossbows, spells, blood sacrifices, and all manner of techniques were unleashed in rapid succession.
"Devouring Cloud!"
Zhao Xing cast a cloud-based technique, hoping to create favorable conditions for his troops.
But before he could fully cast the spell, the ship's barrier shattered.
"Commander, the barrier is down!" Wang Ji shouted. "There are too many of them! We've fallen into an ambush!"
"Zing~"
Massive crossbow bolts rained down onto the deck, and Zhao Xing had no choice but to abort the Devouring Cloud spell and order the ship to retreat.
"Retreat!"
With its barrier broken, the Underworld Flame Warship turned and fled.
"Five Elements Mist Concealment!"
Zhao Xing quickly transformed his cloud technique into a mist-based spell, creating a smokescreen to cover their retreat.
With the barrier down, they were sitting ducks. The only option was to flee.
After half an hour of frantic flight, they finally managed to shake off their pursuers.
Exhausted, Zhao Xing returned to the cabin, having used his high-level techniques to confuse the enemy.
But there was no way to reinforce Wen Shaoyang's forces. His 3,000 men couldn't stand against an enemy force numbering over 100,000. How could they possibly provide aid?
Everything was happening too fast. Why had the Golden Feather Court come to attack Fire Dragon Pass?
Just as Zhao Xing tried to catch his breath and think things through, the warship let out a groan, and the entire vessel began to shudder.
"Wang Ji, what's going on?!"
"Commander, the warship has sustained too much damage. We need to make an emergency landing!"
When Zhao Xing stepped outside, he saw that the warship was riddled with holes, one of its cabins sporting a massive gash.
The fact that it had lasted this long was a miracle in itself.
"Boom~"
The warship's tail burst into flames as it plummeted toward the forest below.
Zhao Xing leaped out of the cabin, ordering all Shennong Officers and Mechanists to fly below the ship and use wind techniques to slow its descent.
They needed to soften the landing. The warship carried many crucial devices, and without it, they'd be left with nothing but hand-to-hand combat. Besides, not everyone in the crew could fly, and crashing into the ground would mean heavy casualties.
"Boom!"
The Underworld Flame Warship crashed into the forest.
Luckily, it didn't explode, and the explosives onboard didn't detonate.
Zhao Xing let out a sigh of relief and immediately ordered his men to evacuate the ship, carefully unloading all the explosives and valuable items.
"Zhang Quan, send out men to stand guard."
"Han Bing, assess the casualties."
"Yuan Yang, go with Han Bing to assist."
Zhao Xing issued orders with furrowed brows, his unease growing. Without their warship, their mobility was severely diminished.
They didn't even know where they had crashed or how many enemies were nearby.
"Scout Straw Puppets, rise!"
Zhao Xing waved his hand, transforming the surrounding vegetation into straw puppets, which he sent out to scout the area.
It didn't take long before he discovered traces of a barbarian army.
They had crashed not far from the camp of an ape-demon army.
"Hiss! So many tents! Just how large is this force?"
Zhao Xing knew they couldn't linger here for long. They'd be discovered in no time.
"Wang Ji, how long will it take to repair the warship?"
"Fourteen hours."
"Fourteen hours? That's too long!" Zhao Xing said. "We'll have to abandon the ship and move on foot."
"Han Bing, give the order. We'll rest for half an hour and then march out."
"Understood."
After Zhao Xing and his troops left, the ape-demon army discovered their tracks and began to pursue.
But in the dense forest, Zhao Xing's home turf, they could always stay one step ahead of their pursuers.
Whether it was using straw puppets to confuse the enemy or employing Five Elements Mist Concealment, Zhao Xing's 3,000-strong battalion continually evaded the enemy's encirclement.
Time passed swiftly, and in the blink of an eye, seven days had gone by.
By this time, Zhao Xing and his men had completely broken out of the ape-demon army's encirclement, but the prolonged combat and large-scale use of spells had left Zhao Xing utterly exhausted.
Seeing that they had finally escaped, Zhao Xing handed command over to Han Bing and said, "Go meet up with Liao Rulong. From here on, you and Wang Ji will lead. I need to rest..."
Under Zhao Xing's leadership, they had survived the most dangerous period. Han Bing and Wang Ji took over command and successfully returned to Fire Dragon Pass, where they reunited with Liao Rulong.
When Zhao Xing woke up, they were already in retreat.
At that moment, Liao Rulong's forces had abandoned Fire Dragon Pass and fallen back to Zhiyou City.
Fire Dragon Pass had once again fallen into the hands of the barbarians.
They had suffered a devastating defeat.
"What happened? How did we lose so quickly? Why did the Golden Feather Court send Prince Yanda to retake Fire Dragon Pass?"
Zhao Xing stared at the reports, his heart filled with unease.
But he had no choice but to follow the Shenwei Army and continue fighting.
In the remaining two months of the Jingxin Era, Year 17, the Shenwei Army suffered a series of defeats.
Yet, Zhao Xing's military achievements continued to grow.
Even without control over future events, Zhao Xing remained a high-level player, relentlessly pursuing his goals.
In the spring of Jingxin Year 18, Emperor Jing did not hold a phase of awards as Zhao Xing had expected.
But Zhao Xing still returned to the Ten Sun Cave-Heaven to rest, awaiting the upcoming Revival of Spiritual Fortune.
However, even after waiting until June of Jingxin Year 18, there was still no sign of the Revival of Spiritual Fortune.
In June, Zhao Xing returned to the battlefield.
But in October of Jingxin Year 18, during the catastrophic event known as Ten Suns Rising, Chen Shijie, Long Xiao, and Lord Tian all perished.
When Zhao Xing rushed back, the cave-heaven had already closed. Upon receiving news of their deaths, his head began to throb in pain.
By Jingxin Year 19, at the Palace of Myriad Techniques, Zhao Xing's head was in unbearable pain. It was at this time that he developed a chronic headache.
He consulted many military physicians, but none could diagnose a specific illness. They only told him that his worries were weighing too heavily on him and that he needed more rest.
It felt as if multiple scenes were playing out in his mind simultaneously, causing his head to split with pain. To relieve this, Zhao Xing went to the Palace of Myriad Techniques and sought out Liu Tianning, asking him to teach him how to cultivate the Myriad Straw Puppet technique.
During his practice of the Myriad Straw Puppet technique, Zhao Xing's headaches eased.
He continued practicing until Jingxin Year 19.
It was then that he finally overcame the mysterious interference plaguing his mind and focused his thoughts.
At the same time, the first Self Straw Puppet appeared before Zhao Xing.
Seeing this, Liu Tianning approached Zhao Xing and said, "It seems you've had some sort of realization."
Zhao Xing nodded. "Yes, I've finally figured it out."
Liu Tianning asked, "What have you figured out?"
Zhao Xing pointed to his head and said, "The military physicians were right. I don't have any illness. The reason I couldn't focus was that my own power was attacking me."
"What power?"
"Fear."
Zhao Xing stared at the Myriad Straw Puppet in front of him, his expression tense and filled with terror.
At this moment, the puppet could be called a Fear Puppet.
"Fear of the unknown, fear of the future, fear of losing my foresight."
Liu Tianning looked at Zhao Xing in astonishment. "What are you talking about?"
Zhao Xing didn't respond but muttered to himself, "If I'm afraid of the road ahead without my advantages, then I don't deserve immortality."
"You're crazy," Liu Tianning said. "Immortality, the future—what are you even talking about?"
Zhao Xing raised his hand, forming his fingers into a sword, and struck the Self Straw Puppet before him.
"Thud~" The Fear Puppet collapsed.
"No matter how the future changes, I will always move forward without hesitation. My heart for immortality remains unshaken!"
His voice boomed like thunder, echoing across the heavens. It grew louder and louder until everything before him began to shatter.
Looking down, Zhao Xing realized that he was still standing on the steps of the Heart-Testing Platform within the Grand Dream Academy.
"So, it was like this all along." Zhao Xing sighed with emotion. Unknowingly, he had climbed to the twentieth step.
He had randomly drawn the Fear Trial of the Heart-Testing Platform.
"It magnified the slightest fear in my heart, gradually building it up and creating an elaborate illusion."
"It made me struggle within the illusion of fear, unable to break free. If I hadn't overcome my inner fear, I would have been trapped in that illusion forever."
In the illusion, he had lost his status panel and his foresight of the future.
But in the end, Zhao Xing broke through the chains of fear and solidified his resolve, escaping the illusion.
"Student Zhao Xing, your willpower is strong. You have passed the Fear Trial and are rewarded with one Life Soul Pill."
Two thousand meters underground, in the cave covered by the Eight-Angle Earth Palace, Zhao Xing opened his eyes.
In his hand lay four pills.
Three of them were the Fourth-Rank top-grade Earth Fiend Pills, which he casually put away.
The fourth pill, however, radiated a faint golden light.
As Zhao Xing gazed at it, a deep desire arose from within his soul, an urge he couldn't suppress.
"The Life Soul Pill? The reward from the Heart-Testing Platform is truly generous," Zhao Xing couldn't help but exclaim in surprise.
Both the Dao Embryo Pill and the Life Soul Pill were categorized as unique treasures without specific ranks because so few had ever been made, and their effects were not immediate but varied from person to person.
If Zhao Xing had to estimate, the Dao Embryo Pill and the Life Soul Pill were equivalent to Sixth-Rank top-grade or even Seventh-Rank low-grade pills.
"Ingesting the Life Soul Pill can nourish the Life Soul, which is often hindered by the constraints of the physical body. Typically, the soul's cultivation lags behind that of the physical body."
"But the Life Soul Pill can help nourish the soul, allowing it to surpass the physical body's cultivation level," Zhao Xing thought.
He was currently at the Seventh Rank in terms of body cultivation, but his soul was only at the early stages of Seventh Rank.
"According to the teachings of the Great Dream Spring and Autumn, in ancient times, the Earth Fiend Stage involved not only tempering the body with fiendish energy but also tempering the soul."
"The same goes for the Heavenly Gang Stage—cultivating the body with Heavenly Gang Energy and the soul as well."
"The soul and body should be equally cultivated to achieve true perfection."
"Only then can one exude the aura of a true expert, able to scare off evil spirits with just a shout."
"Strengthening the soul has countless benefits." Zhao Xing was overjoyed and immediately swallowed the Life Soul Pill.
Upon ingestion, he felt no immediate effect, as if he had swallowed air.
But a trace of golden light spread throughout his body, enveloping every inch of his skin.
Zhao Xing felt a surge of vitality, his entire body warming up.
Countless insights flowed into his mind.
As soon as he ingested the pill, his high-level Yin Wind Fiend technique broke through, reaching the Fifth Turn of high-level mastery.
Next, another of his techniques reached the high-level stage.
It was the Sleep Bug Technique from the Great Dream Spring and Autumn.
The Sleep Bug Technique involved capturing parasitic bugs from the soul.
As his soul grew stronger, his understanding of soul-related techniques deepened, making his cultivation of these techniques faster.
After reaching the high-level stage, the Sleep Bug technique's range greatly expanded. Originally, it required close proximity to cast, but now it could be used from thousands of meters away to capture or release the bugs!
Zhao Xing's soul cultivation soon experienced a transformation.
From the early Seventh Rank, it climbed to the mid-Seventh Rank, then the late Seventh Rank, and finally reached the peak.
Two hours later, as the golden light faded away, a piercing gleam shot from Zhao Xing's eyes.
He checked his status panel.
His soul cultivation had now reached: Sixth Rank, early stage!
"My soul cultivation has surpassed my body cultivation, advancing to the Sixth Rank!"
"And with this breakthrough to the Sixth Rank, another technique has advanced."
Having a Sixth Rank Soul meant stepping into the second stage of cultivation, beyond the lower realms of the Seventh, Eighth, and Ninth Ranks.
The soul, representing one's spiritual power, had now reached the Sixth Rank, and as a result, Zhao Xing's Clear Eyes Spell had evolved.
The panel no longer displayed Hawk Eye.
Instead, it now showed the high-level technique: Heavenly Eye.