The Dao Sovereign of Shennong

To save time during the free consultation session, clerks would typically gather in groups of three or five with friends who had similar questions and seek advice together.

Xue Wenzhong moved through the crowd, explaining things here and there, and sometimes letting the clerks practice the techniques themselves.

In the courtyard, the atmosphere gradually became lively, with gusts of wind, rolling clouds, rumbling thunder, and drizzles of rain filling the air.

During the wait, Chen Ziyu and Qian Dong couldn't resist making fun of their colleagues who were practicing spells.

"Brother Zhou, why does your Wind Summoning always seem to blow right into people's pants? You must have used that trick on quite a few young ladies, huh?"

"Brother Ye, your Thunder Summoning is rather weak. The sound is quieter than your snoring. You better keep practicing!"

"Wow, look at Brother Cao's Rainmaking! It looks like a woman squatting to relieve herself... and it's even spraying in all directions. Hahaha!"

"..."

The crowd erupted into laughter, and even those being teased weren't upset. Instead, they joined in the banter, bringing some much-needed humor to their otherwise tedious training.

However, as the conversation continued, the young men's chatter began to drift toward topics of men and women, growing more animated as they went on.

"Speaking of, during this year's Spring Festival, I passed by a village and heard some strange noises coming from inside a house. A man was whispering, 'Darling, it's almost out, just a bit more!' and then a woman responded in a sweet voice, 'Father-in-law is on top, I'm on the bottom. How am I supposed to put in more effort? Let's switch positions!'"

"Curious, I snuck closer for a peek. Guess what I saw?" Qian Dong wiggled his eyebrows at the group of boys surrounding him, then paused deliberately, keeping them in suspense.

"Ew! Father-in-law and daughter-in-law? Sounds like some dirty old pervert! Qian, stop talking before you pollute our ears!"

"Brother Cao, you were the one listening the most intently just now. Don't act innocent! If you don't want to hear it, go somewhere else. I, for one, enjoy a good story."

"Hurry up, Qian! What did you see?"

As they joked and laughed, Zhao Xing shook his head in disbelief. It wasn't because of their banter, but because Old Shennong Xue Wenzhong had quietly walked up behind Qian Dong without anyone noticing.

"What did you see?"

The elderly voice suddenly cut through the chatter, causing the boys to jump. Qian Dong turned around, his face going from pale to red, stammering, "N-nothing, really."

Xue Wenzhong's wrinkled face creased into a half-smile. "You think they can listen, but I can't? Well, I want to hear it too! If not, you can all go to the back mountain to cut grass."

Qian Dong fumbled for words, and Chen Ziyu avoided eye contact, while the others looked away awkwardly. Only Zhao Xing stood there watching the scene unfold, as if it had nothing to do with him.

Seeing this, Xue Wenzhong pointed at Zhao Xing. "Zhao Xing, since they won't say, you tell me."

Without hesitation, Zhao Xing replied, "Old Shennong, what Qian Dong was talking about is nothing special. It was just a father-in-law and daughter-in-law digging up an ancestral silver box from a dried-up well. Qian Dong just made it sound more dramatic."

"Quick thinker, aren't you?" Xue Wenzhong chuckled.

Qian Dong, seizing the opportunity, hurriedly chimed in, "Yes, yes, that's what I was going to say!"

"That's right, we all heard it the same way," the other boys echoed in agreement.

Satisfied that Xue Wenzhong hadn't pressed them too hard, Qian Dong quickly changed the subject. "Old Shennong, lately when I cast Cloud Movement, it feels unstable—sometimes it's strong, sometimes it's weak. Could you offer some guidance?"

"Show me the spell," Xue Wenzhong instructed.

Without hesitation, Qian Dong pointed upward, and about two meters above his head, a gray-white cloud appeared, wobbling like a drunken umbrella.

After observing for a moment, Xue Wenzhong waved his hand, signaling for Qian Dong to stop. "Your Gathering Essence is not yet fully stabilized, which causes the fluctuations in your spell."

Qian Dong listened attentively.

"But don't worry, this is normal." Xue Wenzhong gently held Qian Dong's wrist, feeling his pulse for a moment before releasing it. "You're just a step away from breaking through to the second level of Gathering Essence."

"You all are likely in the same boat—close or already encountering this stage. But don't rush; focus on stabilizing your essence, and it will soon pass."

"Thank you, Old Shennong."

"Hmm?" When his gaze landed on Zhao Xing, Xue Wenzhong paused and pulled him aside, taking Zhao Xing's wrist in his hand.

Curious, the others looked over.

After a few moments, Xue Wenzhong's brows relaxed, and he smiled.

"Well done. You've already broken through to Gathering Essence Second Level, ahead of the others."

The others looked at Zhao Xing with envy, while Chen Ziyu smiled with pride for his friend, and Qian Dong nudged his shoulder with a "I knew it" expression.

Zhao Xing remained calm. With the help of his status panel, he had known he broke through at the exact moment it happened, unlike his fellow clerks, who were still uncertain about their own progress.

After the others took turns asking their questions, it was Zhao Xing's turn. He told Xue Wenzhong about the three new spells he had learned at the temple and asked for guidance.

"Wind Summoning is similar to Cloud Movement. Both involve gathering essence and channeling it along a predefined spell route to manipulate the forces of heaven and earth. However, Wind Summoning is slightly more difficult as it involves controlling the direction of the wind. When casting, try using only a third of the energy required for Cloud Movement and start by summoning the north wind."

At these words, Zhao Xing immediately began casting.

He directed his essence northward, and soon enough, a breeze started blowing.

At first, it was a gentle wind, but gradually it picked up strength, blowing the hair of everyone in the courtyard straight back.

Xue Wenzhong looked surprised. Zhao Xing's control over the wind was stable and strong, not what one would expect from someone casting the spell for the first time.

Normally, for a beginner, the wind would be erratic, making hair fly wildly in all directions—not blow it perfectly straight.

"Why didn't I notice this talent in him before?"

Xue Wenzhong was intrigued. "Now try the other directions."

Zhao Xing nodded and pointed in turn to the east, south, and west. Although other clerks were casting spells in those directions, causing some interference, Zhao Xing's control over his essence—bolstered by the effects of the Dao Embryo Pill—was much stronger than the others'. His wind completely overpowered the others' spells.

In the courtyard, only Zhao Xing could summon wind at will, while the others were left confused by the sudden gusts.

"Good, that's enough," Xue Wenzhong said, satisfied, as he instructed Zhao Xing to stop.

The other clerks, noticing the strange wind, looked toward Old Shennong's direction but quickly went back to their own practice when they realized it was nothing to worry about.

Next, Xue Wenzhong had Zhao Xing attempt Thunder Summoning.

"Cloud Movement consists of two types of energy, yin and yang, clean and turbid. Using essence to control these energies, heavy clouds bring rain, and when combined, they produce thunder. The key is to…"

Before he could finish, a deafening clap of thunder echoed through the courtyard.

The thunder was so loud it felt like it exploded right next to everyone's ears.

Now, the entire courtyard stopped what they were doing to look over.

Above Zhao Xing's head, a mass of gray-white clouds had appeared, with gray and white colors rolling toward each other like chariots colliding in battle.

In the next moment, a flash of purple streaked through the clouds, and another thunderclap followed!

"Ziyu, Brother's thunder spell seems… a bit too loud, don't you think?" Qian Dong stared dumbfounded at the sky.

"I agree. Can the gap between Gathering Essence First Level and Second Level really be this huge?" Chen Ziyu was equally shocked, though he suspected it was mostly due to the intensity of the thunder.

Xue Wenzhong opened his mouth, but no words came out.

That whole explanation had been unnecessary.

If Zhao Xing hadn't shown him his approval documents, he would've thought Zhao Xing had been practicing for a long time.

Based on his proficiency in those two spells, Zhao Xing didn't seem like a beginner at all!

"Old Shennong, please guide me," Zhao Xing said, waiting for instruction. But Xue Wenzhong just smiled and said, "You've got a natural talent for Wind Summoning and Thunder Summoning. You're already proficient. What I would have told you is no different from what I've explained before. Just keep practicing, and you'll soon master them."

"As for Soldiers of Grass and Wood… follow me."