Unlike the ever-changing nature of other spells, Cloud Law has always walked the path of dominance.
The internal strife among the cultivators of Agricultural Affairs Bureau, fighting for air supremacy, is the top priority.
Zhao Xing gathered the cloud Qi once more, quickly organizing a second attack before Cao Qiushui could counter.
The layers of clouds piled up at the edge, forming a cloud mountain, resembling a massive boulder blocking the way. Cao Qiushui's flowing clouds were split apart, indicating a sign of division.
This move truly astonished Cao Qiushui.
Among the cultivators, those daring enough to ascend the mountain were the least in number, and even fewer dared to compete for the first incense.
On the first night, Cao Qiushui had not encountered any worthy opponents of his profession.
Now he realized he had met a formidable rival!
Just as the thought crossed his mind, in the very next second, as Cao Qiushui's flowing clouds were separated by the cloud mountain, the clouds on both sides swirled like rivers of Qi, rapidly rising, climbing over the mountain peak, and before they were completely separated, they rejoined above the cloud mountain.
“Flowing Clouds ‘Suspended River’ style, Cao Qiushui's reaction is truly quick.” Zhao Xing observed this scene and knew his plan for a swift attack had fallen through.
He had absorbed the cloud Qi of four individuals, originally intending to quickly cut Cao Qiushui down while he was still stabilizing after dealing with the others.
He aimed to emulate his previous strategy, using a smaller force to defeat a larger one, and devour Cao Qiushui's cloud Qi as well.
But Cao Qiushui reacted swiftly, not only resolving the crisis but also forming a cloud mountain as he climbed to the top, intending to crush Zhao Xing's cloud layers.
In the battle of spells, the situation changes in an instant.
The mid-tier Cloud Law, in terms of spell intensity, is indeed stronger than the initial tier. Seeing this, Zhao Xing had no choice but to disperse the cloud layers below, breaking them into smaller parts, taking advantage of the situation to retract a portion, and then recondense.
“What? This…” Cao Qiushui was stunned.
He thought he had crushed Zhao Xing's cloud layers, but he did not expect the opponent's cloud control technique to be so formidable, that under heavy pressure, he had hardly lost anything.
Breaking the cloud Qi into smaller parts is easy, but recondensing it is far too difficult; it is akin to feigning a retreat on the battlefield, a maneuver that only high-ranking generals can execute, as a misstep could lead to a real rout!
Simultaneously controlling countless portions of cloud Qi, making them swiftly evade enemy attacks and regroup, how arduous is that?
Cao Qiushui believed it was difficult to achieve, especially considering the gap in their realms.
Zhao Xing had indeed showcased his skills!
“I feel his Flowing Clouds has not truly reached mid-tier power, but his control technique is far superior to mine.”
“A master, this is a true master!”
When an expert makes a move, one can immediately tell the difference.
In the blink of an eye, they clashed three times, and Cao Qiushui understood that his opponent was not simple.
In a short time, relying solely on Cloud Law, he could not defeat the other.
Zhao Xing, however, had noticed this much earlier, as his Flowing Clouds was merely Initial Tier Nine Turns, while Cao Qiushui's Flowing Cloud Law was Mid-Tier Four Turns.
Although he had stronger control techniques and richer experience, using a smaller force to defeat a larger one required quick advantages; otherwise, it would be detrimental to himself.
Thus, Zhao Xing once again employed an ‘external maneuver.’
“Yin Wind, arise!”
Zhao Xing pointed, and the underground Yin Wind arrived in an instant.
The Yin Wind rises at midnight, swift and effortless.
The nature of the Yin Wind is concealed; other professions could not detect it at all, not even the defeated cultivators on the Tian Tan Square.
A gust of Yin Wind swept through the crowd, accurately blowing towards Cao Qiushui.
At that moment, Zhao Xing's brow twitched.
He exerted force with his legs and immediately jumped aside.
His original position suddenly collapsed into a pit half a meter wide and two meters deep.
“Earthly faction's Earth Splitting Law?” Zhao Xing stared at the pit, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes, but he quickly realized.
Cao Qiushui also thought of using an external maneuver; he was a descendant of True Lord Cao Xi, who excelled in the spells of the Earthly faction.
Cao Qiushui was casting a spell when suddenly he shivered, his spell interrupted and unable to unleash the full power of the Earth Splitting Law.
Immediately afterward, his vision began to blur, and he felt as if he had labored for three days and nights.
“Buzz~” The gray cloak on him shone with a burst of light, and the jade pendant on his chest also glimmered, transmitting a wave of heat into his body.
Only then did Cao Qiushui awaken.
“This is… Yin Wind Law?”
Cao Qiushui's scalp went numb.
He never expected that among the cultivators ascending the mountain, there would be someone who mastered the Yin Wind spell!
Moreover, the spell's intensity was extraordinary, far beyond the level of one or two turns.
He wore a Third Tier Upper Grade Soul Jade, and the originally smooth jade pendant was now riddled with cracks, dull and lifeless!
“Cao, Cao certain… humbly bow to you!”
Cao Qiushui trembled as he uttered these words, hastily withdrawing his cloud layers, leaping out of Tian Tan Square in a few steps to indicate he no longer dared to compete.
“What? Brother Cao, why is this?” The members of Cao Qiushui's team looked at him in disbelief.
Cultivators do not come alone to compete for the first incense; even if Cao Qiushui won the incense, as long as a warrior guarded the stone steps, he could not ascend. Thus, many people on Tian Tan Square formed small groups to compete for the incense.
Cao Qiushui's team had three warriors at Gathered Essence Seventh Level, with cultivators assisting and warriors charging. Last night, they had competed for two sticks of incense, with two of them being the fifth and seventh to enter the temple.
After offering incense, they sought guidance from the True Lord, receiving significant insights during the day.
Unexpectedly, on the second night of competing for incense, Cao Qiushui displayed such behavior, completely different from his valiant performance the previous night!
He was even trembling!
“Don’t ask why, trust me, this time, do not compete.” Cao Qiushui looked at the seven floating golden lights, murmuring, “We cannot compete, at least it’s the Yin Wind of seven turns.”
Cao Qiushui's retreat left everyone dumbfounded.
“What? The Cao family descendant actually lost?!”
“Who, who defeated him?”
“Cao Qiushui is already at Gathered Essence Ninth Level, is there someone stronger than him? Why didn’t they appear last night?”
“Cao San can use mid-tier spells, and they all have the power of four or five turns; that is already quite rare. Ordinary Gathered Essence Ninth Level cultivators wouldn’t dare to confront him head-on, yet he still lost?”
“Is there someone whose spell tier is higher than his?”
In the darkness, countless people were astonished.
But everything happened too quickly, from the opening of the temple door to the golden light appearing.
To the warriors soaring into the air and landing, it was merely the span of three breaths.
And Zhao Xing and Cao Qiushui, from dealing with their respective opponents to the clash yielding results, the process took only a dozen breaths.
During this time, the clash of their Flowing Clouds produced countless thunder and lightning, causing no one to dare to ascend to snatch the incense.
Gathered Essence Ninth Level cultivators are not to be trifled with; Cao Qiushui and another were evenly matched, and the two Gathered Essence Ninth Level cultivators were vying for the advantage of timing; who would dare to approach and receive heavenly lightning?
Mid-tier spells are not to be taken lightly!
Based on Cao Qiushui's performance last night, everyone was waiting for him to win before sending someone to take the two sticks of incense, which matched the strength of his group. If they wanted to greedily take more, someone would stop them.
But no one expected that Cao Qiushui would actually lose, and to an unknown cultivator at that.
“The Cao family descendant still has some skill.” Seeing Cao Qiushui decisively retreat, Zhao Xing thought to himself.
Being able to withstand the Nine Turns Yin Wind and retreat unscathed, realizing he could not match strength, is quite commendable.
Those who know the times are wise, especially since Cao Qiushui had made an effective counterattack in Zhao Xing's hands.
Unfortunately, he encountered Zhao Xing.
“Zhao Xing, you, you actually defeated Cao Qiushui?” Zong Shichang was utterly shocked.
At this moment, Zhao Xing's cloud layers had completely enveloped Tian Tan Square, lightning brewing within the clouds, ready to unleash, exuding terrifying power.
Gusts of wind blew, lightning crackled, warning everyone on the square not to act rashly.
“Just luck, just luck.” Zhao Xing casually brushed it off, “Young Master Zong, how many sticks of incense were you originally planning to take?”
“Two sticks.” Uncle Cang chimed in, “At least send two people into the temple.”
“I’ll help you snatch these two sticks of incense, and we’ll settle it for two hundred taels, are you willing?” Zhao Xing looked at Zong Shichang.
“Sure, that’s more than enough!” Zong Shichang slapped his thigh, “Quick, quick, Uncle Cang, Uncle Hu, you hurry and jump! Go grab two sticks of incense!”
“Wait, let’s take four sticks.” Zhao Xing said calmly, “I want one stick for myself, and I’ll give you one more, five hundred taels, how about that?”
“Deal!” Zong Shichang immediately replied, “But can this work?”
There were only seven sticks of incense left, and so many people were watching; if they tried to grab four sticks at once, would they be surrounded?
“Whether it works or not, we’ll know when we try.”
Zhao Xing waved his hand, his voice carried by the wind: “Young Master Zong and I will take four sticks of incense; the remaining three sticks, you all can share.”
“I’ve said my piece, who agrees, who opposes?”
His tone was calm, but it revealed a powerful confidence.
Beside him, Zong Shichang looked at Zhao Xing's back, wishing he could rush up and kiss him.
Zhao Xing was so generous, showing off while bringing him along.
Zong Shichang had never felt that a few hundred taels could be spent so worthily!
What a thrill, what a thrill!
“Right, right, who dares to disagree?!” Zong Shichang also raised his voice and shouted.
Unfortunately, once they descended the mountain, he wouldn’t remember it; otherwise, he could boast for a year!
I and Brother Zhao wreaked havoc on Tian Tan Square! Dominating the crowd!
“Who are you, to dare to claim four sticks of incense?!” In the darkness, someone sneered, “Zong Shichang is just a waste; the three experts he invited are merely Gathered Essence Eighth Level.”
“Your Cloud Law is indeed impressive, but if we all rush at you, can you still hold your ground?”
Some questioned Zhao Xing's strength, as Cloud Law has no real lethality; at most, it serves as support.
Cao Qiushui's Cloud Law and Earth Splitting Law were both Mid-Tier Four or Five Turns, exerting significant pressure on warriors, but they merely suppressed.
Ultimately, it still required the cooperation of the warriors in his team to unleash their collective strength, yet he only dared to claim two sticks of incense.
Who are you to emerge and dare to claim four sticks?
“Boom!”
Zhao Xing pointed, and a bolt of thunder descended from the cloud layers, heading straight for the source of the voice.
Mid-tier spell, Seven Turns Summon Thunder!
The person who had just spoken let out a scream, collapsing to the ground, charred all over and unable to rise.
In the midst of the thunder and lightning, everyone witnessed his tragic state.
Zhao Xing directly answered his doubts with a spell!
Unfortunately, the cost of this doubt was a bit heavy; this person was struck down and lost all combat ability.
Zhao Xing demonstrated with action that he was not Cao Qiushui; he was even more powerful!
Cao Qiushui's spells leaned towards support, while he possessed offensive spells, and his spell tier was higher than Cao Qiushui's!
“Seven Turns Thunder?” Wen Zhao shook his feather fan, looking at the sky, his pupils involuntarily constricting, “Boran, with my assistance, can you withstand it?”
Zhang Boran rolled his eyes: “Even if you give me two more layers of spells, I might not be able to withstand it.”
“He absorbed the cloud Qi of eight people; at the very least, he can summon dozens of thunders; how many layers of spells can you give me?”
“Unless your ritual can disperse his cloud layers, I can forcefully charge through to him. Even if the two Gathered Essence Eighth Level warriors from the Zong family join forces, I am confident I can win.”
Wen Zhao was taken aback: “Oh no, I burned his straw man; he won’t hold a grudge, will he?”
Zhang Boran helplessly replied: “Let’s take it one step at a time.”
“Who else dares to disagree?” Zhao Xing spoke again.
This time, no one on the square dared to utter a word.
The one who had just been struck down was a Gathered Essence Eighth Level warrior; though he was tough-skinned and not dead, he had lost all combat ability.
Due to Yang Junxiong's reasons, the number of Gathered Essence Ninth Level cultivators had decreased by three; now, the number of experts willing to compete was even fewer than the previous night.
Just this one move of Seven Turns Summon Thunder could easily claim four sticks of incense! Not to mention that there was still a group of warriors gathered around Zhao Xing.
“Damn it, this bastard is too arrogant!” Lu Qian, though she did not see the person, recognized the voice; the speaker was the one who had previously tied her up.
“Qian'er, you seem quite strange today; why have you lost your composure three times? What exactly happened?” Liu Muqing noticed something was off, “Did you have an encounter with this person?”
“No, no.” Lu Qian's gaze darted away.
“Then where is your Feathered Cloak?” Liu Muqing pointed at Lu Qian, “Surely you didn’t lose it while bathing?”
“... This, well, there’s a reason.” Lu Qian's face turned red, stammering and unable to articulate.
“Zong Shao, send someone to fetch the incense.” Seeing no one dared to oppose, Zhao Xing gestured to Zong Shichang.
The latter found Zhao Xing increasingly agreeable, as he spoke directly to him rather than discussing with Uncle Cang or Uncle Hu.
What Zong Shichang wanted was this sense of importance!
“Alright, fetch the incense!” Zong Shichang excitedly waved his hand.
Two Gathered Essence Eighth Level warriors leaped up, each grabbing four sticks of incense.
Then they spun and landed, easily dissipating the momentum from their descent.
“Brother Zhao, thank you.” Uncle Cang handed one stick of incense to Zhao Xing, the golden light emanating from it.
“Too polite.” Zhao Xing accepted the incense for worship.
In total, there were four sticks of incense; Uncle Cang and Uncle Hu each took one.
The third portion was taken by Zong Shichang himself.
“Uncle Yuan, I’ll rely on you to bring it in.” Zong Shichang looked at the middle-aged man beside him, who had been silent; he was the third expert.
At this moment, when Zong Shichang asked, he merely nodded.
Zhao Xing glanced over and happened to meet the other’s gaze, causing his heart to skip a beat.
In the other’s eyes, there was a hidden deity!
This was actually a divine official!
“How wealthy is Zong Shichang's family to be able to invite a divine official?”
This time ascending the mountain, many officials participated, from various departments, but the officials from the Temple of Divinity were particularly few.
Because the officials from the Temple of Divinity are quite special, they do not require spiritual talents; their spells and skills are not achieved through normal advancement. Moreover, divine officials are notoriously ascetic, indifferent to fame and fortune.
With more contact with the Yin Gods, their distractions become fewer, and various desires greatly diminish.
“We’ll wait over there.”
“Let’s go.”
Having taken four sticks of incense, Zhao Xing also withdrew the Flowing Clouds.
Having more incense is useless; there is only one opportunity in a night.
Moreover, there will be a second and third wave of incense offerings.
There are still many experts on Tian Tan Square, but they did not act immediately. If he did not withdraw, he would be making enemies of everyone, which was unnecessary.
“Yang Junxiong and Du Jiaojiao have yet to determine a winner?”
Descending from Tian Tan Square, he saw two figures ahead still entangled in battle.
Yang Junxiong wielded a spear, and Du Jiaojiao also used a spear.
One red, one silver-white.
They blocked the entrance to the temple.
“Bright Eyes observe meticulously, yet cannot see their movements clearly; I can only see the shadows. These two have likely both entered the tier.” Zhao Xing thought to himself.
He had his own fortuitous encounter; others might have theirs as well.
Yang Junxiong had taken the first incense last night, while Du Jiaojiao was the second stick; offering incense to worship the gods, they could at least obtain information about ‘mid-tier spiritual talents’ or methods to gather spiritual talents, and it might even involve high-tier spiritual talents!
Both were originally at Gathered Essence Ninth Level, and obtaining spiritual talents afterward, entering the tier, is quite normal.
After Zhao Xing left, a fierce competition broke out on Tian Tan Square.
Only three sticks of incense remained, but there were still dozens of people.
Entering the temple to worship the gods, the first ten sticks of incense yield the best effects.
All can receive the True Lord's manifestation, revealing the location of spiritual talents or obtaining methods for spiritual talents.
The latter only provides vague hints, not explicit guidance.
Zhao Xing quietly watched the square, activating his Bright Eyes spell to observe.
Among the pairs, one caught his attention.
“Liu Qin paired with music, performing the War Dance of Da Shao?”
In the square, amidst the chaos, two individuals stood out; one was Lu Qian, whom Zhao Xing had previously tied up.
She was dancing a wildly passionate dance, while another girl supporting a Liu Qin accompanied her with music.
This duo of dancer and musician was performing one of the Six Songs, the “Da Shao.”
It is said that “Da Shao” was composed by the ancient music official Kui, using dance and music to express the laws of heaven and earth, attracting all beasts to worship, and the phoenix to nest, to praise the achievements of the ancient ‘Xia Emperor.’
Da Shao is both a war dance and a musical piece.
“Forest of beasts, the sun witnesses the law’s formation. To hear my beginning, the mysterious seal is dark and obscure…”
Liu Muqing played the Qin and chanted, while Lu Qian danced.
With their performance, half of the warriors in the square suddenly began uncontrollably attacking their own.
The other half joined in the dance, further enhancing the power of the “Da Shao.”
Only two or three individuals managed to maintain their clarity, but whether in spellcasting or combat techniques, they were severely distorted.
In the end, they had no choice but to let these two sisters each take a stick of incense.
Proving their strength, after obtaining the incense, Lu Qian and Liu Muqing ceased their performance.
They bowed towards Tian Tan Square, not out of politeness, but as required by the “Great Music Ritual,” which mandates this process.
Ritual and music are inseparable in the Great Zhou Dynasty.
Without this concluding ritual, their performance would not enhance their cultivation (i.e., proficiency must follow this process).
“Single music and single dance, able to perform ‘Da Shao,’ and possess such power, is indeed rare.” Zhao Xing remarked.
“I’ve known them for a long time; how come I didn’t know they were this powerful?” Zong Shichang asked curiously.
Zhao Xing explained: “One of the Six Songs, Da Shao, is the best of war dances because it requires many participants and instruments, followed by ‘Yunmen,’ ‘Dajuan,’ ‘Weimu,’ ‘Daqing,’ and ‘Dazhang.’”
“I’ve seen Da Shao too; why didn’t it seem as impressive as you say?”
Zhao Xing teased: “What I said is the proper way; what you heard was it being performed properly?”
(End of Chapter)