The Dao Sovereign of Shennong

The number of Shennong spells is countless, and they can be divided into three categories according to different schools of thought:

The Heaven School, The Earth School, and The Self-School.

The core idea of the Heaven School is to "understand the heavens, control the heavens, and change the heavens."

They believe that the most important factor for plant growth is the heavenly weather.

In ancient times, the Xuanhuang Continent experienced the "Era of Natural Disasters," where the weather was extremely unstable.

In a single day, one could experience all four seasons, and over a year, the land could undergo significant changes.

Even now, many places on the Xuanhuang Continent still suffer from chaotic weather patterns.

For example, there are mountains that are perpetually engulfed in flames or seas that never thaw.

In some places, the morning sun is so hot it can melt metal, while at night, temperatures drop so low that water instantly freezes, and people become frostbitten.

Other regions may not be as extreme, but they still experience "seasonal chaos" or "reversed solar terms."

Thus, the Heaven School of the Shennong Sect believes that the direction of spell research should focus on understanding, altering, and stabilizing the weather, creating a stable farming environment for the local people.

The most famous spell tome from this school is the Order of the Solar Terms.

After cultivating it, one can regulate the weather, set the solar terms for a region, and all the spells within revolve around these principles.

The core philosophy of the Earth School, on the other hand, argues that weather cannot be reversed, and celestial phenomena cannot be changed. Instead of spending energy on such endeavors, it's better to focus on improving barren land, transforming it into fertile ground.

By doing so, plants can be grown, and as the soil improves alongside the plants, the living environment can gradually expand and become more suitable.

As long as the soil is fertile enough, crops can still bloom and bear fruit, even in harsh weather conditions.

For instance, even the icy peaks can produce delicate snow lotuses!

The Earth School's classic texts include the Primordial Soil Return Method and the Earth Gate Formation. This school specializes in tools and formations and often collaborates closely with the Artisan Sect.

As for the Self-School, they scoff at the other two schools, claiming, "You're all garbage."

To them, factors like weather and soil are external influences, and true strength comes from within.

The Self-School believes that plants are already miraculous, full of resilient vitality, and capable of adapting to any environment.

By collecting rare and exotic plants, as well as sacred and celestial branches, and repeatedly breeding the best of the best over generations, one can obtain seeds that are strong enough to resist all external forces.

The Self-School advocates for spells that aim to make plants stronger and stronger.

Their most famous tome is the Diagram of All Things Growing.

"At this time, the Heaven School dominates and holds mainstream thought, while the Earth School and Self-School take a backseat."

"It won't be until the Revival Version that these two schools will truly shine. We'll even see plants that can root in the void, such as the Void Seed, and miraculous soil that can elevate plants several levels." On his way to the temple, Zhao Xing had already decided which school to focus on.

Mainly because, at present, he didn't have the conditions to follow the Earth School or the Self-School paths.

"My current mobility is too limited. If I gain the ability to travel later, I can search for rare treasures from this era, like the Lava Fire Lotus, the Bloodthirsty Vine, or parasitic and exotic seeds preserved in ancient tombs."

"But for now... I'll take whatever I can get."

The Gucheng Temple was a county-level temple.

The statues inside didn't depict abstract or mythical deities. Some represented famous historical figures, but most were deceased civil or military officials of the Great Zhou Dynasty.

These individuals were honored for their valor in battle or their efforts in governance, eventually being enshrined in the Great Zhou Temple.

Most of these honored figures came from the era of the Great Ancestor.

For example, the main hall Zhao Xing entered was dedicated to Lord Donghu, a hero from the time of the Great Ancestor.

Born in Donghu, Gucheng, Lord Donghu grew up as a fisherman. During the Great Ancestor's campaign to unite the warring kingdoms, he joined Duke Shao's forces as a charioteer and was later granted the title of Lord Donghu.

After returning to his hometown, he gave away his wealth, built roads and bridges, and revitalized the region. He even surrendered much of his land to refugees, allowing Gucheng to grow from a small town to a full-fledged county.

After his death, Lord Donghu was enshrined in the temple, receiving offerings as a yin spirit.

"Lord Donghu was a master of martial arts, but I'm here to request agricultural techniques, not martial ones. I've taken the Dao Embryo Pill, and if he sees my strong foundation and thinks I should practice martial arts, it would be a waste if I randomly receive some martial arts manual."

Zhao Xing didn't enter the hall. He only offered incense at the bronze furnace outside and prepared to leave.

"Boom!"

Suddenly, a bell rang from within Lord Donghu's hall, and a powerful intention echoed clearly in Zhao Xing's mind, as if urging him to stay.

Zhao Xing's face stiffened. He hadn't expected a simple offering from outside the hall to cause such a disturbance. Could it be that Lord Donghu himself was intervening?

Could the Dao Embryo Pill really be this powerful? Zhao Xing clasped his hands together, quickened his pace, and hurried away.

"Sigh."

After Zhao Xing left, a faint sigh seemed to come from the statue.

The temple's officiant, who had been meditating inside, looked towards the door with a puzzled expression but saw nothing. Glancing back at the statue and seeing no further signs, he scratched his head and resumed his meditation.

After this little incident, Zhao Xing didn't dare to randomly offer incense anymore.

He sped up his steps and arrived at a side hall—the Hall of Lord Caoxi.

"Caoxi was the agricultural minister of Nanyang County during the early years of the Great Zhou Dynasty. He widely promoted the Artisan Sect's 'Return-to-Origin Waterwheel' and constructed the thirteen canals of Pinghu, using artisan formations to control flooding. He was considered a prominent figure of the Earth School in the Shennong Sect."

"However, he was well-versed in various schools of thought and authored the Caoxi Agricultural Book. He was also a practical man of action. Praying to him shouldn't cause any issues."

"It's settled. I'll go with you, Lord Caoxi."

Zhao Xing handed over his approval documents from the county office to the temple officiant. The officiant, known as a Siyi, was responsible for overseeing the rituals.

This role, often called the Medium profession by players, was an early-game "divine profession" since the Siyi could invite spirits to possess them, summoning yin spirits to fight.

At one point, Zhao Xing had wanted to switch to this profession for the thrill of it. But after the downfall of the Luck Dynasty, its combat effectiveness greatly diminished, and in the Revival Version, strengthening it became increasingly difficult and complicated. Thus, he gave up on the idea.

Now, it was even less likely that he would abandon the Shennong profession just for some temporary excitement by choosing a divine profession.

"Your paperwork is in order. Once inside, sit cross-legged on the cushion and meditate. Remember, you cannot force the acquisition of spells. Consider yourself lucky if you gain anything. If not, it just means your strength isn't sufficient yet. You can always come back later, but don't harbor impure thoughts," the young officiant said with an air of authority.

This was a reminder that if Zhao Xing failed to acquire a spell, he shouldn't develop obsession or resentment, as yin spirits are sensitive to such emotions.

"Understood. Thank you, Siyi." Zhao Xing took a deep breath and stepped into the Hall of Lord Caoxi.