Chapter 52: Fourth Stage of Gathering Yuan, Receiving the Technique Once More!

[Gathering Origin Third Stage: 9999/10000]

Beneath the Tianyuan Pear Tree, Zhao Xing sat cross-legged.

Origin energy flowed around his body, and the nebula-like qi vortex within his dantian spun faster and faster.

At this moment, his origin energy had reached the limit of the Gathering Origin Third Stage, lacking only a final trace of energy.

Yet this final trace was not merely a matter of quantity; it was the crucial catalyst that would trigger a qualitative change.

Seeing this, Chen Shijie turned as if to step inside. Because absorbing origin energy into the body and breaking through a tier required a considerable amount of time—ensuring that every inch of flesh and blood throughout the body adapted to the new level of origin energy—even the final step of transformation would take an hour or two.

Just as his right foot stepped into the study and before he could lift his left, Zhao Xing opened his eyes and stood up from beneath the Tianyuan Pear Tree.

"Hmm? Did he fail?" Sensing the movement, Chen Shijie turned back with a furrowed brow.

Yet seeing that Zhao Xing's blood and qi were abundant and his vitality flourishing, it bore no resemblance to failure.

Thus, he cast the [Five Elements Object Observation] spell, gazing toward Zhao Xing.

"The Five Elements are in equilibrium, Yin and Yang are appropriately matched, and he has surpassed his previous state. The breakthrough is complete! At such a speed, this kid's innate constitution and aptitude are extraordinary," Chen Shijie thought, pleasantly surprised.

He had originally assumed that while Zhao Xing possessed high comprehension regarding spells, his innate constitution and aptitude were merely mediocre. Now, however, it was clear that assessment had been mistaken.

"His innate constitution and aptitude, even viewed across the entire Nanyang Commandery, are of the upper-middle tier."

"Provided his luck is not too abysmal, within five years, reaching the Proper Eighth Rank will be entirely unproblematic."

"Should his luck be too poor—resembling my own 'bumpy path of fate' back then—one can only wonder how many trials he would have to endure. Not everyone is as kind-hearted as the General, who helped me alter my fortune." Thinking of the past, Chen Shijie felt a wave of emotion.

"What is the大人 thinking about?" Suddenly, a voice pulled Chen Shijie back from his thoughts.

"Now that you've broken through, I am thinking about how to punish you," Chen Shijie snorted.

"Since you wish to punish me, you might as well compound the offenses. Senior Brother Shen and I will pick a few more pears first," Zhao Xing said with a grin, reaching back to pluck several more.

Shen Zhui was left dumbfounded. Brother Zhao, you really dare to say it and actually do it!

Yet Chen Shijie happened to respond to this exact approach.

Coming from a military background and only in his thirties, he was not the stiff, old-fashioned type. Had Zhao Xing treated him with excessive reverence and courtesy, he would have disliked it instead.

As things stood, Chen Shijie felt as though he were dealing with a mischievous younger brother acting playfully, a sensation he rather enjoyed.

"You certainly have some nerve. Take your pears and get lost far away from me; I don't want to lay eyes on you again today," Chen Shijie scolded with a laugh.

"Then I shall come again tomorrow. Farewell."

..........

Not until they had walked quite a distance out of the Chen Estate did Shen Zhui, clutching two pears to his chest, fully recover his senses.

"Brother Zhao, you... share the surname Zhao?"

"Isn't that stating the obvious, Brother Shen?"

"Are you truly not surnamed Chen?"

"What, do I look like Chen Shijie to you?"

Shen Zhui examined him for a moment and nodded, "Somewhat."

Zhao Xing smiled, wiped off a pear, and took a bite. "You might as well say I look like this pear."

Giving it some thought, Shen Zhui decided he didn't resemble a pear either. Chen Shijie's face was slightly square, his brow lines faint, and his nose and eyes rather small—he certainly possessed no striking physical features, though his skin was fair, boasting the pale complexion common in Xishan Commandery.

Zhao Xing, conversely, had thick brows, large eyes, a high-bridged nose, and well-defined facial contours, besides being considerably taller than Chen Shijie. Had his skin not possessed a healthy wheatish tone, he could well have been called a handsome, elegant young scholar, yet that healthy wheatish glow gave him a much more sunny disposition.

Their temperaments differed as well; Chen Shijie carried the resolute tenacity born of trials and hardships, while Zhao Xing radiated a sense of relaxed ease.

At this thought, Shen Zhui could not help feeling a twinge of envy. "Are the superior-subordinate relationships in your Agricultural Office always this harmonious?"

"What, is your relationship with Director Wang Longwu not harmonious?" Zhao Xing countered.

"That's not it," Shen Zhui shook his head. "Lord Wang treats me very well, but he is relatively stern and rarely smiles."

Zhao Xing had no intention of elaborating further on his relationship with Chen Shijie. Having crossed Mansion Gate Street, he parted ways with Shen Zhui. "Brother Shen, having broken through to the Gathering Origin Fourth Stage, I plan to visit the Divine Temple to learn a new spell. See you at the Chen Estate tomorrow."

Shen Zhui tucked the pears against his chest, freed up his hands to cup them in a salute, and bid farewell. "See you tomorrow, Brother Zhao."

..........

The routine remained unchanged: file an application with the Agricultural Office, obtain approval from the County Yamen, and proceed to the Divine Temple to receive the Dharma.

Xue Wenzhong naturally granted approval with lightning speed, knowing that while Zhao Xing progressed rapidly, his foundations were rock-solid.

The four fundamental seasonal spells essential for an Agriculturalist—Calling Clouds, Summoning Rain, Striking Thunder, and Raising Wind—had already reached the ninth transformation, seventh transformation, seventh transformation, and eighth transformation respectively in Zhao Xing's hands.

While an veteran agriculturalist like Xue Wenzhong—capable of invoking 'Three-Foot Heavenly Thunder' and 'Cloud-Walking in the Palm'—was beyond Zhao Xing's current reach, Zhao Xing's control over these spells was already no inferior to that of newly ranked agriculturalists.

Naturally, Xue Wenzhong had no cause for concern.

Arriving at the County Yamen, he found the place rather crowded.

The reception hall bustled with people coming and going, leaving scarcely a place to stand.

"Strange, why are there so many people today?" Zhao Xing wondered aloud, yet he dutifully joined the end of the queue.

After waiting for a moment, he suddenly noticed someone walking toward his side—none other than his old acquaintance, Pang Fei.

"Brother Zhao, come speak over here."

"Very well." Abandoning the queue, Zhao Xing followed Pang Fei directly.

Pang Fei led him straight into a small parlor adjacent to the reception hall, then asked, "Brother Zhao, do you have any documents that need signing and approval? Just hand them over to me."

"Brother Fei, is this convenient?" Zhao Xing thought to himself that this was the textbook definition of cutting the line.

Pang Fei chuckled lightly. "Matters concerning Brother Zhao are handled with exceptional priority; the County Magistrate gave me specific instructions regarding this."

Ever since Zhao Xing achieved top-tier 'A' ratings three times in a row, his name had been firmly etched in the Magistrate's mind, and Pang Fei had effectively become Zhao Xing's 'dedicated customer service representative.'

While others had to wait in line for review and approval, Zhao Xing could bypass the queue entirely.

"Thank you for the trouble, Brother Fei." Zhao Xing handed over the documents and casually asked, "By the way, Brother Fei, why are there so many people handling matters at the County Yamen today?"

"Not just today; these past few days have been exceptionally busy," Pang Fei replied. "With the Autumn Equinox mountain-opening imminent, the number of people coming to procure treasures and learn new spells has surged."

"So that's how it is." Zhao Xing experienced a moment of realization. The Autumn Equinox mountain-opening could truly be considered a major event in Gu County; people even traveled all the way from Nanyang Commandery just to join in the excitement. Having been diligently studying and practicing lately, he had almost forgotten that the Autumn Equinox was fast approaching.

..........

Having secured the official approval from the County Yamen, he made his way over to the Divine Temple.

The temple, too, was far more crowded than usual.

The Hall of Caoxi True Monarch, in particular, boasted a long winding queue stretching out before it.

There were even tourists whose accents sounded distinctly like outsiders paying homage from afar in the square outside the hall.

"Back in the day, Caoxi True Monarch constructed the Thirteen Level-Plain Canals, deployed the Earthly Advantage spell 'Earth's Depository Origin Convergence,' and set up origin-gathering waterwheels, causing origin energy to grow increasingly dense and turning flood disasters into blessings. That little hill by East Lake grew ever higher, ultimately becoming a renowned spiritual mountain near and far."

"With the mountain-opening for the Autumn Equinox just around the corner, I wonder who will manage to seize the spiritual essence within the mountain..."

Having waited for quite some time, Zhao Xing noticed the crowd at the Hall of Caoxi True Monarch showed no signs of abating, the line stubbornly stationary.

"Since I'm merely receiving an elementary spell anyway, worshipping any deity amounts to much the same thing."

Changing course, Zhao Xing headed toward the Hall of All Saints, which possessed a much larger capacity.