The Dao Sovereign of Shennong

Zhao Xing's choice of plants was quite meticulous.

The Green Vine, Fragrant Lotus, and Diamond Bamboo were all second-rank, but varied in quality: low, mid, and high, respectively.

Selecting plants that were too low in rank would yield few points, while those too high would be difficult to cultivate within the short three-day time limit.

There was also a practical consideration. Three days might be too short for the plants, but for the clerks, it was a long stretch. The exam provided no food or drink, and energy would need to be spent cultivating the plants, making endurance a key factor.

The Green Vine, once matured, would bear fruits that could fill Zhao Xing's stomach and restore his energy.

The Fragrant Lotus was an aquatic plant. Both its seeds and roots could be eaten, and since Zhao Xing had secured a well, it would be easier to cultivate.

These two plants would help Zhao Xing survive the three days and secure a decent ranking. They were his "safe bets." The Diamond Bamboo, a second-rank top-grade plant, was the one he chose to push for a higher score.

Cultivating a second-rank top-grade plant would make him stand out and compete for the A-list.

Moreover, the Diamond Bamboo was an excellent material for using the Soldier of Grass and Wood technique. If anyone tried to cause trouble later, Zhao Xing would have more tools at his disposal.

The soil in the planting area had been cultivated but was quite dry. To draw more nutrients from the earth, Zhao Xing needed to dig deeper.

Once again, Zhao Xing activated his Wind Summoning technique. Under his careful control, the wind connected with the cloud above, forming two small tornadoes, each about the height of a person.

"Whooosh~"

The tornadoes glided over the ground, precisely plowing the earth deeper.

"Huh?" Wen Nanxing, who had just returned to his own territory, was momentarily stunned by the sight. "What remarkable control!"

Though they were using the same-level spells, some clerks could execute them with far greater finesse. Just as some people's Cloud Summoning spells resembled mere fluff, while Wen Nanxing could shape his into a sword, and Xiao Ze could mold his into a tiger. The more refined the technique, the stronger its power and versatility.

Mastery of technique depended entirely on personal insight. At this stage, clerks were like schoolchildren—some only memorized facts, others couldn't remember them at all, and a few had already learned to apply their knowledge in creative ways.

Without a doubt, Zhao Xing belonged to the last group. Wen Nanxing watched, becoming so absorbed in observing Zhao Xing's spellwork that he lost track of time!

It wasn't until Zhao Xing retracted the tornadoes that Wen Nanxing snapped out of it.

"Next year's promotion exam... this person will be my strongest competitor!"

Wen Nanxing refocused his mind and concentrated on his own tasks.

Zhao Xing had no idea that Wen Nanxing now viewed him as his primary rival. What others found impressive, Zhao Xing saw as basic operations. He wouldn't consider himself truly skilled until he reached the level of Mastering Clouds in the Palm or Three-Foot Thunder, techniques used by the old Shennong Officer.

"Damn, why is this well so deep?" Zhao Xing muttered.

Planting the Green Vine and Diamond Bamboo seedlings was easy—just bury them in the soil.

However, the Fragrant Lotus was an aquatic plant and needed to take root in water.

When Zhao Xing looked at the well, he realized it was at least 60 meters deep!

There were no tools nearby to draw water. If he wanted to water the plants, he would have to find another way.

"Chen Shijie, you crafty fox, always thinking of ways to torment us." Zhao Xing shook his head and gave up on the idea of planting the Fragrant Lotus directly in the well.

Without tools, how could he draw water?

Naturally, with Cloud Summoning.

Zhao Xing lowered his cloud, bringing it closer to the ground. At this point, the cloud could begin to absorb moisture from the well below.

Chen Shijie's intent was clear—he wanted the clerks to find a creative way to access the water.

Feeling that the process was too slow, Zhao Xing summoned a much larger tornado this time.

The tornado connected the cloud above with the well below.

Moisture surged upward, quickly filling the cloud with water.

"Impressive! A proper Dragon Drawing Water technique!" Chen Shijie had been keeping an eye on the clerks who had claimed wells and was once again impressed by Zhao Xing, who was the first to solve the water problem and did so with great efficiency.

"Old Shennong Officer, you really weren't exaggerating. He's not just a good talent—he's a treasure! You've taught him well!"

"I didn't teach him that," Xue Wenzhong said, surprised as he watched. He truly hadn't taught Zhao Xing this technique, at least not any specific tricks involving Wind Summoning.

"Could it be that he managed to grasp it just from watching my Three-Foot Thunder and Mastering Clouds in the Palm?" Xue Wenzhong thought to himself, growing more convinced of an idea forming in his mind.

Despite the heat of the Start of Autumn, the sweltering weather was even more intense than during the Great Heat period.

Under the blazing sun, getting rain to fall was a daunting task.

Many clerks found that even after summoning clouds, their Rainmaking spells had no effect. Spells below the third transformation were highly affected by extreme weather!

Sighs and complaints filled the air.

"Without water, and in this kind of heat, the cultivation spells lose most of their effectiveness."

"Guess I'll have to wait until night to plant."

"Planting will still be pointless; tomorrow's heat will kill everything anyway!"

"Sigh, if only I had Rainmaking at the third transformation..."

"Screw this, I'm out. I'll wait for the makeup exam."

Within the first hour of the exam, many clerks had already given up. Some failed to secure territory, while others found that even with land, they couldn't keep their plants alive.

These two factors alone eliminated about a third of the participants. One by one, people exited early, giving up on the exam. Since there were no penalties and they had no hope of promotion, why suffer through the ordeal just to be background noise?

"Drip... drip..."

Throughout the planting area, rain began to fall.

However, everyone controlled the rain carefully, ensuring the water only fell on their own seedlings. The examiners had planned for this; if you helped someone else by sharing your rain, you'd only end up dragging yourself down.

Moreover, those capable of helping didn't need help, and those who needed help wouldn't benefit from it anyway.

Zhao Xing summoned a small cloud, only five meters across and two meters high.

He guided the cloud to the well where he had dug a small pit for planting the Fragrant Lotus.

"Whoosh~"

The dense, inky-black cloud wasn't just sprinkling rain—it was pouring water!

In no time, the pit was filled to the brim.

The bottom had already been lined with ash. Once mixed with water, the soil and ash formed a thick, muddy layer.

"Twenty sets of Fragrant Lotus seeds should be enough."

Zhao Xing took out the seed bag and carefully spaced the seeds as he planted them.

Since the lotus seeds were fragile, he refrained from using Wild Growth. Instead, he started with Vigorous Growth.

Channeling his energy continuously, Zhao Xing watched as, within half an hour, the Fragrant Lotus seeds sprouted and broke through the surface.

"A 100% survival rate, whew..." Zhao Xing sighed in relief. The seedling and seed stages were the most delicate, and one couldn't afford any mistakes.

But now that this phase had passed, the rest would be much easier.

"Time for a drink." Zhao Xing called down his cloud, burying his face in it as he gulped down water.

"Two more hours should do it. Once the three types of plants are well-rooted, I can start using Wild Growth. But for now, there's no time to rest."

Zhao Xing glanced around. What was once a dry, yellowed area was now filled with greenery.

"If I want to rank on the A-list, I need to be fully prepared." Eyeing his fellow clerks, Zhao Xing grinned mischievously. "Sorry, but the nutrients in your soil... are mine."