Zhu Haichao left upon finishing his questions, stepping away on the tide. Zhao Xing wasn't the least surprised by his actions.
Back then, Liu Tianning had managed to subdue Pang Xianyun through sheer force, making the man abandon his original sect and even change his name to join the Self School. Now, Zhao Xing was holding a Dao Assembly and using doctrine to conquer a lord-level Shennong spiritually—that was far superior to what Old Liu had done.
"Shenhai Alliance's territory is in the southern part of the Xuanling Star Domain. This Heavenly Timing faction excels at handling calamities caused by void turbulence. They're going to be very useful. The only drawback is their location—it's too far, not convenient to reach the Starfall Corridor." Zhao Xing thought to himself.
Zhu Haichao returned to Jiang Tiansu, Baili Yang, and the Lord of Xiye, immediately contacting his faction.
At the same time, the three lords were stunned and curious.
"Brother Zhu, how could you just…" The Lord of Xiye looked utterly confused.
He almost blurted out, "How could you be so spineless?"
Zhu Haichao cast him a glance but didn't reply, focusing instead on contacting the Shenhai Tower members.
In the southern cosmic space of the Xuanling Star Domain, there floated an ocean amid the stars—affected by the New Generation's Chaotic River Epoch. This was a unique area and the Shenhai Tower's main domain.
That ocean had multiple layers.
The Manifest Layer contained real liquid water, rich in spiritual energy.
The Dao Manifest Layer was made up of void ocean currents and was the source of void rivers in the southern spiritual domain.
The Dao Ancient Layer also had 'seawater' and was said to be the closest to the original ocean!
Like the Overlapping Realms Mountain, it spanned the material world and two abstract Dao Realms.
The original ocean secret realm of the Primordial Domain was modeled after the Chaotic River Sea in the southern part of the Xuanling Star Domain. That's where the theory of the Original Ocean came from.
Affected by the Chaotic River Sea in the south, the Earth Veins there did not condense into planets, but into floating star lands and sky islands. Mutations were frequent—it was one of the eight great wonders of the Xuanling Star Domain. Shenhai Tower mainly raised void sea beasts for a living.
The Shenhai Alliance had originated from the Shénhé Sect and Shènghǎi Sect of the Five Emperors Era.
The Shénhé Sect controlled both the real and void rivers of the Manifest and Dao Manifest layers. The Shènghǎi Sect controlled the deepest Dao Ancient Layer.
These two sects had long been neighbors and rivals. After the Five Emperors Era ended, both collapsed into tens of thousands of factions.
Entering the Ancient Kingdom Era, under the influence of the six major human superpowers, those thousands of factions merged into the current Shenhai Alliance.
Zhu Haichao held a high status in the Shenhai Alliance. The force under his command controlled nearly half of the alliance.
Any force within the Xuanling Star Domain couldn't avoid the threat of Barren Domain erosion.
Zhu Haichao kneeling wasn't just mindless worship of Zhao Xing—it was a strategic move to find a way out for the Shenhai Alliance.
To a Shennong, the acceleration of barren domain erosion was especially obvious. The southern seas of the Xuanling Star Domain were drying up, and the date could almost be calculated. Where would they stand in the future?
If Zhao Xing could construct a stable Yin-Yang Star System model in an extreme environment like the Starfall Corridor, that was equivalent to creating a new territory of survival. Such a miraculous transformation was, in Zhu Haichao's eyes, pure divine skill.
Before the questioning, the Six Qi Theory of Starfall was worthless to him.
Afterward, it had become divine doctrine in his mind!
Zhao Xing was still only at the Life-and-Death Dao Domain Realm. If he didn't cling to such a leg, then when?
"You don't understand," Zhu Haichao said calmly. "None of you understand the Six Qi Theory of Starfall."
"?"
The Lord of Xiye was full of doubts.
Jiang Tiansu asked, "Brother Zhu, could you enlighten us a little?"
"No," Zhu Haichao shook his head. "But I advise the three of you not to go and embarrass yourselves."
"Zhu Haichao, have you lost your mind?!" the Lord of Xiye couldn't help but shout. "You're a powerful lord—how could you kneel to a junior so easily!"
"Pfft~"
Zhu Haichao let out a chuckle, turned his head, and ignored this blockhead.
He had no idea how great Zhao Shennong truly was!
The less they understood, the better—let me cling to this leg by myself!
Seeing Zhu Haichao like this, the Lord of Xiye, Jiang Tiansu, and Baili Yang didn't dare take the stage rashly.
The three of them fell into deep thought.
Zhao Xing had already proven himself extraordinary through debate, but not to the extent of making Zhu Haichao behave like this.
The key must've been the Dao demonstration in the Enlightenment Realm.
But they couldn't fathom what kind of Dao could sway Zhu Haichao this completely.
Could Zhao Xing be a demon Shennong?
Had he used some heretical external doctrine to bewitch Zhu Haichao?
It wasn't impossible.
Ancient records noted that during the Feather Emperor period, a demon Shennong once held a Dao Assembly on the edge of the Black Heaven Barren Domain and bewitched nearly half the Shennong from the northern territories.
That demon Shennong created the Spirit Seed Method school, blending Earth Palace techniques, parasitic methods, and Food Supplement Methods under the framework of the Spirit Seed Method. Using the physical body as the base and soul as nourishment, he ensnared both the Earth Palace Stream Shennong from the Primordial Hill and the Mother Tree Extreme Path Shennong from the Primordial Domain.
Then, using the Food Supplement Method of the Heavenly Timing school, he bewitched many Heavenly Timing Shennong.
No taboo was off-limits in his doctrine. He believed one could enhance themselves by devouring other cultivators—no different in essence from the "enlightening touch" of scholars.
That Black Heaven Assembly caused numerous Shennong to defect from their sects and follow him into the Black Heaven Barren Domain—never to be seen again.
The Spirit Seed Method was henceforth classified as demonic.
Dao Assemblies weren't just collisions of cultivation ideology—they were duels of entire magical systems. The three lords believed Zhu Haichao had likely been ensnared.
"I'll expose his true nature!"
With the mindset of rescuing his friend from danger…
The Lord of Xiye left the meteorite platform and rushed toward the Dao venue.
"Don't act rashly!" Baili Yang and Jiang Tiansu had no time to stop him. All they saw was the Lord of Xiye stepping on fiery clouds, storming into the venue—the second to enter the Dao debate.
Zhao Xing saw a red-haired burly man riding a blazing arc of fire toward him, full of aggression, and raised a brow.
Security at the Starfall Assembly wasn't lax—was he planning to cause trouble?
"Elder of the Chiru Blazing Fire Sect, Lord Xiye, seeks to question the host of this assembly!"
Lord Xiye's robe bore the insignia of his sect, a flaming millet emblem, with a landmass and a sun star below it.
Though the Chiru Blazing Fire Sect was now merely a top-tier force, it once thrived—rumor had it that during the Five Emperors Era, it had numerous Godhood-level beings.
However, times had changed. Now, their strongest was only at the Emperor level, and their last Demigod could be traced back to over fifteen epochs before the Barren Domain era.
Zhao Xing remembered this sect didn't hold any strong factional preferences. They practiced Heavenly Timing, Earthly Advantage, and Self Path altogether, but none to exceptional degree.
As for Lord Xiye himself, his combat ability wasn't bad, but his legal theories held little merit—just like his sect's lackluster foundation.
"Please ask," Zhao Xing extended his hand calmly, both inviting the question and signaling the Five Venom Emperor not to lash out over Xiye's rude entrance.
Lord Xiye had noticed this gesture too. Seeing the Five Venom Emperor itching to act, he immediately sobered up.
"You say the starshift of the Annihilation Star Corridor is due to a disorder of the Six Qi, causing imbalance in Yin and Yang. But during the Blue Ice Starshift, why did only Fire Qi become catastrophic?"
When Xiye raised the question, Jiang Tiansu and Baili Yang both glanced at Zhu Haichao.
That was because this question originally came from him, though he hadn't managed to ask it.
It had an empirical basis. Among the Four Great Families, the Blue Ice Yang Clan once shifted a star into the Annihilation Star Corridor, creating a "Blue Ice Series" of life star-rings.
During the anomalous collapse of the Annihilation Star Corridor, the twelfth Blue Ice life star-ring was partially rescued due to timely discovery.
Zhu Haichao had originally intended to use this example to rebut Zhao Xing's Six Qi Theory of the Annihilation Star Corridor.
Because the observed results contradicted Zhao Xing's descriptions, it had seemed like a solid weakness.
So Xiye stepping up was just a continuation of Zhu Haichao's strategy. He knew his own argumentative skills couldn't compare with his three friends', and he wouldn't be able to beat Zhao Xing alone.
He also hoped this could shake Zhu Haichao out of his trance.
But he was bound for disappointment.
Zhu Haichao didn't even glance his way, showing no reaction.
That was because after coming out of the Enlightenment Realm, he already knew the answer—this issue still fell within Zhao Xing's theoretical framework!
Xiye was just embarrassing himself!
Zhao Xing, upon hearing the question, summoned a Star Mirror.
Since the question stemmed from a real-life case, the explanation would need to follow the example.
Thus, the Star Mirror began replaying the destruction of the Blue Ice life star-ring.
First came a standard-speed reenactment.
Then a slow-motion replay.
As the slow replay started, Zhao Xing's voice echoed gently: "During the Blue Ice Starshift, moonlight surged skyward. While the physical body of the Taiyin Star remained unchanged, its moonlight had diminished by thirty percent. The lunar dials across the seven stars and eight continents of Blue Ice shifted from seventy marks down to between forty-nine and thirty-two, which is proof."
Meanwhile, in a distant imperial territory…
Within the Yang Clan—one of the Four Great Families—the clan head Yang Bochang was watching the Dharma Assembly, accompanied by his younger brother Yang Shuchang.
Yang Bochang was a Mechanist Lord, while Yang Shuchang was a Shennong Lord.
The Blue Ice life star-ring in the Annihilation Star Corridor had been entirely built by Yang Shuchang. When the Blue Ice anomaly struck, he was right there on site. His presence had allowed part of the assets and many lives to be rescued.
"Shuchang, is what Zhao Xing said accurate?"
"Not a word wrong!" Yang Shuchang recalled. "When the Burying Star anomaly hit, both the Seismic Compass and the Sun-Moon Dial glitched at once. That's exactly why I acted in time to save people—we evacuated three stars and two continents."
"I was on Blue Ice Star then, and I saw with my own eyes the Taiyin Star dim and rise, while the Sun Star brightened and sank. The void collapsed."
"I didn't know the reason then—just saw it happen."
Back at the assembly, Zhao Xing continued:
"When Yin wanes, Yang waxes. Next came the solar incineration phase. Those on the Blue Ice ring would've seen the Taiyin Star dim and rise, the Sun Star blaze and sink."
"The boundary-defining formation first collapsed in the east, destroying the Metal Continent. Then the Void River surged, and the Water Continent froze over."
"After one hundred eight thousand immeasurable moments, the vile vapor rose, preventing Shennong from casting projections."
"After fifty-four thousand immeasurable moments, dusk Qi turned into a blazing sun, destroying the Seven Treasures Tree."
"After twenty-seven thousand immeasurable moments, the Yin-Yang dual-track device shattered—thus, the Blue Ice anomaly."
"…"
Yang Shuchang listened intently, unwilling to miss a single line. The slow-motion reenactment made him feel like he was back in that catastrophe, reliving it all.
More importantly, Zhao Xing's analysis gave him sudden clarity—he finally understood where he'd gone wrong.
"The Six Qi each correlate with a Five Element nature. The Ju Yin correlates with Wood-Wind. The Taiyin's force was drawn away by void winds, which is why it ascended and dimmed."
"Yang's waxing leads to Metal-Dryness. The Time-Weather formations failed on the Metal Continent because I had moved the Sun's trajectory."
"The Water Continent was meant to be an escape route via the Void River. The ring's formation could've teleported people, but was disrupted by Yang influence. The Earth Veins lost their dampness—how could we flee through the void? I see now! My judgment caused the Water Continent to freeze, and broke the teleportation of the ring."
"These two survival paths were completely cut off. That's why so many of our Yang Clan's young ones perished… sob sob… it was all my fault."
By the end, Yang Shuchang's voice was choked.
He had once thought he'd preserved part of the family in that crisis. But now, he realized just how wrong he'd been.
Yang Bochang watched his grieving brother, unsure how to console him.
Even the strongest cultivators have emotions and loved ones.
Three of Yang Shuchang's most beloved children had died in that disaster.
After a long silence, Yang Shuchang raised his head. "Brother, I… I'm going to the Annihilation Star Corridor!"
At the front of the Dao Inquiry Platform during the Yin Star Dharma Assembly, Lord Xiye stood atop clouds of fire, continuously deducing. In the end, he found that what Zhao Xing had explained was still well within the framework of the Yin Star Six Qi Theory.
By following Zhao Xing's on-site reanalysis of the Blue Ice Star Disaster, he also discovered many details he hadn't noticed before. When viewed through the lens of the Yin Star Six Qi Theory, many hidden truths of the catastrophe were revealed.
Why did the lunar radiance rise into the sky? The rising radiance was actually void wind. Since this occurred in an extremely short span of 108,000 immeasurable moments, it couldn't be seen clearly—only inferred. Until now, no existing theory could explain it completely.
Why did the sun intensify and scorch the Gold Land? Again, it was due to the violent shifts of the Six Qi. The Solar Burn was a tornado-like storm that could be observed, but the overwhelming solar force concealed it.
It was like a "technique within a technique" used in magical duels—this was a calamity within a calamity.
Lord Xiye's tone changed. "Dare I ask, fellow Daoist, was there a way to resolve this disaster at the time?"
Zhao Xing shook his head. "There was a solution, and yet no solution. 108,000 immeasurable moments exceeded the reaction limit of even a Lord-level."
In theory, of course it could be solved—like not building the life star ring in that location, or simply spending more resources.
But for a small to mid-sized base, it was impossible to have an Emperor-tier Shennong on-site, let alone deploy costly Dao weapons or complex formations.
Cost and scale had already predetermined that the Blue Ice Star Disaster was effectively unsolvable.
Unless, from the beginning, the life star ring was never built in that location.
From Zhao Xing's perspective, at the 27,000 immeasurable moments mark, the means of the Three Factions—Heavenly Timing, Earthly Advantage, and Self—were all rendered useless. The time was just too short. Yang Shuchang, though a Lord-level, needn't blame himself so much. The catastrophe was beyond his capacity.
Though Lord Xiye had already been convinced by Zhao Xing's explanations, he stubbornly clung to his last shred of resistance and requested permission to enter the Enlightenment Realm.
Bowe was already out of words.
Normally, during a Dharma assembly, a scholar wouldn't even need to intervene—much less invoke the Enlightenment Realm.
But at Zhao Xing's Yin Star Dharma Assembly, he'd made this feature a standard condition.
The scholar had become his full-time assistant—and couldn't even refuse, given the rarity of such events.
"Feng Chen, you go," Bowe said, unwilling to do Zhao Xing's job again.
"Yes."
...
When Lord Xiye walked out from the Enlightenment Realm, Baili Yang and Jiang Tiansu instantly realized they were doomed.
Because Lord Xiye was muttering, "So that's how it is."
Then, just like Zhu Haichao, he bowed deeply to Zhao Xing and respectfully addressed him as "Zhao Shennong."
The Red Abundance Calamity Fire Sect already practiced all three Dao factions. Once inside the Enlightenment Realm, there was no way Lord Xiye could escape Zhao Xing's "clutches."
Thanks to the Enlightenment Realm's confidentiality, Lord Xiye said nothing upon exiting.
In fact, he still hadn't recovered from Zhao Xing's demonstration.
"Brother Xiye, did you forget what you went in there to do?" Baili Yang asked cautiously.
Lord Xiye's red hair practically stood on end, his soul brimming with energy.
If not for the physician nearby, Baili Yang might've thought he had gone mad.
Lord Xiye shook his head. "I was too shallow to understand Zhao Shennong's Dao earlier. If you two don't go ask him yourselves, you won't understand."
Baili Yang's mouth twitched.
Damn it, that same line again. Zhu Haichao said the same. Now Lord Xiye too.
You've all been "enlightened," huh?
Seeing no answers coming, Baili Yang decided to try it himself.
He said with grim resolve to Jiang Tiansu, "Brother Jiang, when I come out, if I end up the same way, feel free to beat me. I won't blame you."
Jiang Tiansu smiled wryly and shook his head. "Brother Baili, you've said as much… I fear your Dao heart's already shaken."
"You mean you're not?" Baili Yang gestured to the two dazed men nearby. "I've never seen them like this."
"I'm going not to discuss the Yin Star Six Qi Theory, but to challenge him with my Moonwatch Valley's Moon Shennong Prophecy. I don't believe he can ensnare me with that too."
Baili Yang muttered to himself, strengthened his Dao heart, and floated into the Dao platform.
He became the third person to question the Dao.
Having witnessed the fate of the two before him, Baili Yang had already adjusted his attitude.
He respectfully addressed Zhao Xing as "Fellow Daoist," maintaining full etiquette.
After all, even if Zhao Xing was deceiving them, he had real skills.
Zhao Xing was quite interested in Baili Yang too.
Because Moonwatch Valley was a very unique Shennong faction.
They were a fusion of Fate Officers and Shennongs. Baili Yang practiced both the Dao of the Shennong and the Dao of the Fate Officer.
Of course, their main focus was still Shennong, but they used Fate Officer techniques to predict disasters and find prime cultivation lands—including planetary relocation.
Their most famous doctrinal text was the Moon Shennong Prophecy.
It used lunar phases to guide where and when to sow seeds, predict disasters, and build life star regions to resist the Wasteland Domain. That was the central idea of the Moon Shennong Prophecy.
For example, before planting a tree, they'd first screen out the saplings with "ill-fated destinies."
Or choose geomantically auspicious locations to plant.
Fengshui theory could be considered a crossover between diviners and Shennongs.
In the Fate Officer's theoretical system, every star in the universe had "stellar fortune."
They radiated a kind of fortune light invisible to ordinary perception.
Based on this theory, Fate Officers classified stars into "Auspicious Stars" and "Inauspicious Stars."
Moonwatch Valley combined this theory, believing that by mainly observing the moon's soul, lunar halo, and phases of the Moon Star, they could better detect signs of impending disasters.
It could also change the moon phase by moving the moon, creating a region full of auspicious energy ideal for plant growth.
"Yue Po governs sprouting, growing, harvesting, and storing. For planting grains and sowing seeds, the new and full moons are the key: plant at the first quarter, fallow at the last quarter.
"Yue Po gives rise to the lunar wheel, and the lunar wheel shows the phase. The phase determines the flow, and thus guides the planting."
"Moonwatch Valley's Yue Nong Chen is a classic authored by a Dao Tree. I'm not here to teach—just offering some humble opinions."
Zhao Xing invited Baili Yang to enter the Wudao Realm.
Feng Chen had no choice but to once again support the Wudao Realm.
A long time later, Baili Yang emerged, face full of shock.
"Main Qi explains the norm, guest Qi explains the change. The five Qi add in turn. Guest and host come together. That's what Six Qi Harmony is."
"I never expected that the Annihilation Star Six Qi Theory also contains a model for predicting celestial timings."
"It can reduce variables without disturbing the major celestial flow."
Baili Yang finally understood why the other two had been so shaken.
In the predictions of Yue Nong Chen, the biggest variable was Heavenly Timing Variance.
This "variance" was the same one fate masters often referred to as "unpredictable variables."
Annihilation Star Six Qi Theory didn't reject Yue Nong Chen—it actually added to it.
Even the slightest addition was a major achievement.
Books authored by Dao Trees were unchanged for millions of years—unchanging in even a single word. That was the measure of their value.
For Zhao Xing to add to such a doctrine, how could Baili Yang not submit?
After thinking it through, he respectfully performed a grand bow to Zhao Xing—just like the other two had.
When he returned,
Baili Yang saw Jiang Tiansu's pale face and couldn't help but laugh.
Though he was sincerely impressed, he wasn't like Zhu Haichao or Lord Xiyeling, still fully consumed by the doctrine, with their minds overwhelmed.
Baili Yang digested it quickly, so his demeanor hadn't changed too drastically.
"Brother Jiang, the pressure's on you now. Let's see if you can handle it," Baili Yang joked.
Hearing that, Jiang Tiansu actually felt relieved.
At least Baili Yang didn't act like Zhu Haichao or Lord Xiyeling, whose changes were far too dramatic.
"What's there for me to handle?" Jiang Tiansu shook his head. "His Yin-Yang Zhou Tian Theory and our Ziwu Zhou Tian Theory overlap a lot. It's definitely helpful for my Ziwu Celestial Temple."
After seeing the previous three ask their questions, Jiang Tiansu reevaluated Zhao Xing's theory.
Even before stepping in, he already felt inspired.
"You've got to experience it yourself," Baili Yang said. "The ones most affected by the Six Qi Theory are your Ziwu Celestial Temple."
"Mm." Jiang Tiansu nodded. "Let me observe a bit more."
The first Dharma Assembly lasted a total of seven years.
In the first half of the Annihilation Star Dharma Assembly, Zhao Xing presented his Dao.
The middle portion was dedicated to answering questions.
Besides Baili Yang, Lord Xiyeling, and Zhu Haichao, who were critical in tone, other forces like Primordial Hill, the Primordial World, and the Palace of Four Seasons all approached it with more cordial discussion.
The final questioner was Jiang Tiansu, and once he was done, the first assembly concluded.
After it ended, it caused an uproar.
"I knew investing in this was the right move." Yang Baihe of Star Lord lay on a beach on Hongyue Starland, reading intel from the Star Mirror. "Even without knowing what's coming, the current state of Annihilation Star Corridor is way better than it was during the Four Great Families' time."
"With my current shares, could I actually end up marrying an Empress-tier Dao companion someday?"
...
"What the hell? Is this real? Four Domain Lord-level cultivators went to gang up on Zhao Xing, and now they've all become his die-hard fans?" Wu Yanlin was completely stunned. What the heck did he miss?
Those four were top-tier leaders known for their legal expertise!
"Can't make sense of it? Me neither," Daoist Miaosong laughed. "All I know is, investing in Annihilation Star Ancient Path paid off."
"Totally. Not just profit—massive profit!" Xu Youling slapped the table. "Even if we don't fully understand the spell system, the before-and-after differences in Jiang Tiansu, Baili Yang, Lord Xiyeling, and Zhu Haichao are huge!"
"They were criticizing him for 135 years straight, and then after just seven years of the Dharma Assembly, they completely flipped sides and now support Zhao Xing full force."
"No doubt Great Zhou's development is about to hit a crazy growth spurt!"
"Forget the profits. I just want to know what happened in the Wudao Realm," Tuosen pondered.
This was a partner gathering—they hadn't been at the scene but had been closely watching.
"Do you think Zhao Xing's a demon Shennong? Maybe his theory isn't even that great, he just bewitched those three?" Pu Tianrui speculated.
"Hey, hey, hey, cut it out. Don't badmouth our junior brother," Wei Lan and Ai Miaomiao immediately objected.
"What demon Shennong? That kind of nonsense might fly with the ignorant, but don't spread that garbage around."
"Yeah! Our junior brother's theory is the real deal. It was certified by semi-divine scholar Bowe!"
Wei Lan and Ai Miaomiao were disciples of the Five Venom Emperor.
They had already arrived at Annihilation Star Corridor and joined Star Lord, taking on the job of monitoring chatter.
That order came straight from the Five Venom Emperor. The mission was simple: if anyone dared slander their junior brother behind his back—destroy them!
"Hahaha, of course it's legit! If it wasn't, the project wouldn't even be off the ground."
"Hahahaha!"
...
Although Jiang Tiansu, Baili Yang, Lord Xiyeling, and Zhu Haichao now revered Zhao Xing, they never once revealed the specific spell details—because it was classified.
Zhao Xing had planned for thirty-four sessions of the Annihilation Star Dharma Assembly. There was no way he'd give everything away in the first one.
Within the Annihilation Star Six Qi Theory, the most crucial and core spells and solutions hadn't even been disclosed yet.
The whole point of the Dharma Assembly was to support the development of the Annihilation Star Ancient Path. That was the centerpiece of his grand strategy.
Also because of this, after the first Annihilation Star Dao Conference ended, tons of people came asking when the next one would start, and when the Yin-Yang section and Earth Shift techniques of the Annihilation Star Liuqi Lun would be released.
Zhao Xing replied, "The techniques will be secretly tested under supervision by the Great Zhou Shennong Office in the Annihilation Star Corridor. They won't be publicly revealed until the last ten conferences."
No set date? Gradual release?
That answer was enough to make people crazy with impatience!
But soon after, another piece of news came out.
If you want to learn the techniques early, then join Great Zhou and participate in the experiments. Work together with them!
And so—
In the ten years after the conference ended, not only did the population of the Annihilation Star Corridor not decrease, it actually kept growing.
Great Zhou's strength also entered an explosive growth phase.
In just ten short years, Ji Che broke through into the Lord Realm!
Too many top-tier cultivators came to join Great Zhou!
Especially the Shennong Office—
In both number and quality, its cultivators far surpassed the other four offices.
Because factions like Mirage Sea Alliance where Zhu Haichao came from, Ziwu Celestial Master Manor of Jiang Tiansu, Chiru Blazing Fire Sect of Lord Xiye, and Moonwatch Valley of Baili Yang all sent tons of people to Great Zhou, becoming guest officials.
"Originally our Great Zhou only barely had the minimum qualifications to manage the Annihilation Star Ancient Path, but now we've got the strength to lead development!"
"If Grand Shennong's theories and techniques are truly valid, then the development speed of the Annihilation Star Ancient Path will far outpace the Four Great Families!"
"Your Majesty… we're about to get rich!"
Tong Wensheng was fired up as he gave his report.
He was excited, but Ji Che remained calm.
"Great Zhou's strength may be expanding quickly, but right now it's still a castle in the sky. Guest officials can come and go as they please. In the end, what really matters is the growth of our own people."
"Prime Minister Tong, draft a decree: all departments in Great Zhou will raise the bar for recruiting guest officials and tighten the issuance of Great Zhou citizenship…" Ji Che issued a series of policies.
He implemented many adjustments, especially in key departments like the Martial Division and Heavenly Works Division. If someone hadn't firmly tied themselves to Great Zhou's ship, they wouldn't be given any important posts. But on the business side, he loosened many restrictions.
Great Zhou was thriving, and good news kept rolling in.
In the forty-eighth year after the Annihilation Star Dao Conference, Liu Tianning emerged from seclusion and became the second Reincarnation Stage cultivator after Ji Che.
If you didn't count the boost from the Martial Emperor's destiny, Liu Tianning could be considered Great Zhou's first homegrown Reincarnation expert.
By the eightieth year, the Martial Emperor turned the inflated national strength into practical results. He refined a large amount of Destiny Golden Pills, rapidly elevating the power of native Great Zhou officials.
Grand Artisan Lu Ying broke into the Reincarnation Realm.
Grand Marshal Luo Hou broke into the Reincarnation Realm.
Grand Medical Minister Cui Chengzhi broke into the Reincarnation Realm!
By year one hundred sixty, Zhao Xing's thirteenth Annihilation Star Dao Conference concluded.
That same year, Ye Yukong, Long Xiao, and Xia Jing all broke into the Reincarnation Realm.
By year two hundred fifty-two, Liu Tianning advanced further and became a senior-grade cultivator. The Martial Emperor had firmly stabilized at the Lord level. The number of native Reincarnation cultivators reached thirty-four!
…
Time flowed. In the blink of an eye, three hundred years had passed.
Annihilation Star Corridor, somewhere in the northern star region.
Zhao Xing flew swiftly. After passing through a corridor in a multi-layered boundary mountain, over a hundred realm ships were already waiting ahead.
Zhu Haichao stood on a jade-like ship at the forefront. When he saw Zhao Xing arrive, he quickly flew over.
"Greetings, Grand Shennong."
"No need for formality," Zhao Xing said, eyes fixed ahead. "Speak. What did you find?"
"Grand Shennong, please look." Zhu Haichao waved his hand. The hundred-plus realm ships pulled back, and Zhao Xing felt like the asteroid belt ahead had been disturbed.
As countless fragments were cleared away, the starry sky revealed neatly arranged slabs of green stone.
"Hm?" He opened a star mirror to observe.
Then he noticed the green stone slabs were exactly 1 astronomical unit in length, width, and height.
There were about three thousand of these smooth, perfectly flat slabs.
They looked long hidden under star debris, but once cleared, they gave off a gentle green glow.
"This is…" Zhao Xing stared at the giant green stone slabs floating in space. Faint glowing patterns appeared on the surface, forming a lotus-like shape. At the center of the lotus were vague markings, hard to make out.
But one thing was certain—this was no natural formation. It was clearly artificial!
"Did you send anyone to investigate?" Zhao Xing asked.
"We did," Zhu Haichao reported. "But as soon as they got close, the slabs vanished. We didn't dare send more. We could only invite Grand Shennong to see for yourself."
"Vanished?" Zhao Xing acted puzzled, but inside his heart was pounding.
Connecting all the signs, he realized—after three hundred years, he had finally uncovered a major find on this ancient path!
"Immediately seal off the news. No one is allowed to explore further!" Zhao Xing ordered. "Not even using a clone."
"Yes." Zhu Haichao quickly flew off.
At this moment, Baili Yang came over and asked quietly, "Zhao Shennong, do we need to…"
Seeing Baili Yang's eyes, Zhao Xing shook his head. This man was good at everything, but he had one bad habit—he actually suggested killing to keep it secret.
Did he really take Zhao Xing for a "Demon Shennong"?
Or was he testing Zhao Xing's character?
"Baili Yang, stop making suggestions like that," Zhao Xing said, shaking his head. "These are all Great Zhou people. No matter where they came from before, once they've joined Great Zhou, they're one of us. I won't kill my own just to keep wealth secret."
Baili Yang nodded and said no more.
But soon, someone else flew over from the boundary corridor behind.
It was Yang Baihe.
"Captain, what brings you here?"
Zhao Xing wasn't exactly pleased to see him. Yang Baihe showing up meant Star Lord had probably sent others too.
And having Star Lord watching was never a good sign.
"Someone reported that Great Zhou violated imperial development laws," Yang Baihe said bluntly. "Star Lord is here to investigate."