Chapter 30: The Fifth Strawman Technique, the Mighty Vajra

Although surprised, the two men had no choice but to sit down, not daring to disrupt the order of the examination. Yet, they could not help but worry; at this rate, their own students would suffer a hidden loss.

"The 'Earth Pulse Synthesis' is highly covert. Even I didn't spot it until the second day; Xiao Ze is likely still in the dark," Tang Wanchun mused to himself. "Zhao Xing, what a Zhao Xing. The old Chief Minister was right; his insight is truly exceptional."

Spells of the Earthly Advantage school were the most difficult of the three major disciplines to master. Spells of the Heavenly Timing school dealt with celestial phenomena—things that could be seen, heard, and felt. Earthly Advantage spells, however, involved ley lines, geomantic phases, and complex array deployments, often requiring specialized tools. Not to mention anything else, ley lines were buried deep underground; how difficult was it to harness them? Though "Earth Pulse Synthesis" was a foundational spell, its difficulty surpassed many intermediate-level techniques. One of the reasons the Heavenly Timing school remained so dominant was precisely because the other two were far harder to pick up. Even these ranked agricultural officials possessed few Earthly Advantage spells, let alone mastery of them.

"What a pity, to be wasted under Xue Wenzhong's command," Pang Yuan thought, feeling a sense of regret. "Xue Wenzhong is old and frail; what does he need such a talented student for? It would be better if I taught him; he would have someone to look out for him in the officialdom later."

Gao Linong remained silent, secretly gloating. His own students, Li Chengchang and Zong Shichang, were unaffected and performing as expected. As for the students of other officials? Naturally, the worse they performed, the better.

...

If even ranked agricultural officials took time to identify the source of the disturbance, the low-level clerks on the field were even more confused. With the "Earth Pulse Synthesis" held in check during the day, the effects of the spells had returned to normal, leaving the minds of those affected in a complete muddle.

"Could it be that choosing plants that grow easily at night is seen as 'cheating' and results in special treatment?" Huang Tao stared at the patch of dead plants before him, his eyes reddening.

His friend Ma Wu wore a bitter expression: "If that’s the case, they shouldn't have given us these seeds to choose from! Isn't this just pure mockery?"

Huang Tao couldn't help but curse under his breath: "Damn Chen Shijie! I must have had the worst luck of my life to end up taking his examination."

Their discussion in the seedling area immediately resonated with the other clerks. Chen Shijie was notorious for playing tricks with exam questions—or, to put it plainly, he loved making things difficult.

"Brother Huang is right. Chen Shijie is used to these kinds of schemes; he did the exact same thing during the Minor Heat assessment."

"He even specifically brought over those turtle doves from West Mountain. You tell me, is that something a human would do?"

"I changed my seeds again and again, but after a whole night, I harvested nothing!"

"Exactly! Damn those West Mountain bastards!"

As the topic opened up, the victims found common ground and began to vent their frustrations at Chen Shijie. It was mainly because this high-ranking official was known for such antics. Although the exam questions were drafted by Xue Wenzhong, no one believed that such a kind-hearted old man would stoop to such underhanded tactics to make things difficult for them. This must have been Chen Shijie's doing! Even the Emperor himself couldn't convince them otherwise.

If Chen Shijie were present, he would surely have beaten them all up, shouting that it really wasn't him this time. But he was destined never to hear their complaints.

Did anyone suspect Zhao Xing? Some did. As Huang Tao turned to head back to his own planting area and looked at the golden bamboo forest, he couldn't help but feel suspicious.

"Could it be that someone cast an Earthly Advantage spell, causing us to fail?"

"Could it be him?" Huang Tao glanced toward the Seven-Star Sword Clouds and Tiger-Head Clouds to the north. "Or perhaps them?"

"Forget it, thinking about it is useless." Huang Tao shook his head. Even if it were them, what could he do? He couldn't beat them, and he certainly couldn't argue them to death.

...

"The clerks of this generation are truly pathetic. To accelerate the maturation of the Diamond Bamboo, I pushed my power to full capacity during the Hour of the Tiger, and yet, no one dared to come and confront me?"

"Peace really has lasted too long," Zhao Xing couldn't help but sigh. In his past life, the agricultural officials he encountered—aside from the players—were all capable of competing and daring to fight. There was a resilient, fearless spirit within them; without it, they could never have survived the terrifying natural disasters and the turbulent eras. But this period was truly different. Aside from the officials in the border counties and the military, those in the interior mostly gave him a sense of weakness.

Of course, Chen Shijie was an exception. He suited Zhao Xing's tastes quite well.

"There's no need to guard against the mediocrities below the 'A' rank; they neither can compete nor dare to. But I must be wary of those few who frequently achieve the 'A-plus' grade." Zhao Xing looked around and began to cut the branches of the Diamond Bamboo.

He always prepared for the worst; this did not conflict with his willingness to fight. Since he dared to use the "Earth Pulse Synthesis," he was prepared for retaliation. Long before the Diamond Bamboo matured, Zhao Xing had prepared the materials and crafted straw effigies.

"Currently, I know four types of straw effigies: Swift-Movement, Entanglement, Thorn, and Reiteration."

"The Reiteration effigy is of the third tier, while the others are all first-tier."

Zhao Xing looked at the dozen Reiteration effigies hidden within the bamboo forest. They were golden and imposing, looking like golden warriors.

"Using Diamond Bamboo materials to practice the other methods is a bit wasteful. Only the Reiteration effigies are barely worthy of this material, but there is something even more suitable."

"The Eighty-One Methods of the Willow Tradition: The Might Effigy!"

"The branches of the Diamond Bamboo are the perfect material for crafting it." Seeing that all was quiet for the moment, Zhao Xing began to attempt the creation of his fifth type of effigy.

The Eighty-One Methods of the Willow Tradition were an interpretation of the "Vegetation as Soldiers" doctrine. "Straw effigies" was merely a common term; any magic construct made from grass, wood, or bamboo was classified under the Effigy Law. However, for Zhao Xing, the effigies made from Diamond Bamboo were habitually called "Vajra-Might" effigies. Similarly, there were "Vajra-Swift" and "Vajra-Reiteration" effigies.

He had already memorized the crafting methods but had lacked the time to hone them. Now that he had encountered such convenient materials, Zhao Xing would naturally not let the opportunity pass. He recalled the crafting technique for the Might Effigy and began his first attempt.

...

[You have crafted a straw puppet (Might). You have gained insight into a new puppet technique.]

[Proficiency in "Vegetation as Soldiers" +25]

[Straw Puppet (Might)]

[Proficiency: 100/9999]

[Effect: Indestructible, possessor of immense strength.]

He succeeded on his first try, and because the materials were of such high quality, the proficiency gained was exceptionally high!

"100 points straight away, plus 25 points for the main "Vegetation as Soldiers" doctrine. Truly excellent stuff."

In this life, Zhao Xing had never fought such a wealthy battle. When practicing at Xue Wenzhong's place, he had to use withered rice stalks or ordinary willow branches. Who knew if these materials would be confiscated after the exam? Zhao Xing certainly wouldn't miss this chance to take advantage of the situation.

Ordering the Reiteration effigies to keep watch outside, Zhao Xing immersed himself in the joy of crafting Vajra-Might puppets.