On the plaza, an unexpected change occurred.
The bamboo horse radiated brilliance, suddenly turning its head and charging towards Zhao Xing with the momentum of Mount Tai descending.
Two people on the scene instantly realized the true power of the bamboo horse.
The first was Hu Yang, who, as a mechanist, was naturally familiar with it, as the bamboo horse was a type of mechanical beast, and one of the most classic ones at that.
Ordinary bamboo horses, even at the third tier of high grade, rarely develop strong spirituality, but the bamboo horse ridden by Yang Junxiong not only developed spirituality but was also extremely formidable.
Having followed its master across battlefields for years, it had transformed into a "Battle Soul"!
Through countless battles, the bamboo horse's Battle Soul had also gained powerful combat instincts, with combat strength on par with its master!
Yang Junxiong had advanced on the mountain, and the spiritual Battle Soul within the bamboo horse had also been enhanced.
It was equivalent to both man and horse having advanced!
The second person who noticed something amiss was Du Jiao Jiao. Her bright eyes had reached the ninth transformation, and when Yang Junxiong left the bamboo horse, a phantom of Yang Junxiong appeared on the bamboo horse's back.
In her perception, two advanced auras emerged!
Yang Junxiong's separation of man and horse was clearly premeditated.
If the lynx tried to stop him, the bamboo horse would severely injure Zhao Xing, and if it went to save someone, he could take the incense into the Temple of Divinity.
On the last night, he finally stopped hiding and revealed his true trump card.
"Boom~"
The bamboo horse stepped into the air, as if carrying the momentum of thousands of troops.
Zong Shichang and the people around him felt their breath stifled, a heavy pressure descending upon them, causing his legs to tremble.
Fortunately, there was a clerk from the temple beside him who sensed the presence of the Battle Soul and instantly retreated with Zong Shichang.
However, the others seemed unable to react in time, or were simply pinned in place by the bamboo horse's imposing aura, unable to move.
Just when everyone thought Zhao Xing was doomed, a calm voice emerged:
"Don't come back to save me, focus on fighting that big guy."
"Hmm? Under the influence of the Battle Soul's murderous aura, he can still speak?" Yang Junxiong glanced over, finding Zhao Xing standing tall, completely unaffected.
"A mere soldier dares to call itself a Battle Soul?!" Above Zhao Xing's head, clouds floated, and his five fingers pointed to the sky, his body suddenly erupting with lightning.
"Zzzt zzzt zzzt~"
From his fingertips, purple lightning suddenly emerged, quickly forming into five strands following a mysterious trajectory.
It was his self-created spell, Thunder Bindings!
"Go!"
The Thunder Bindings danced like a nimble thunder snake, heading straight for the Battle Soul.
"Kill!"
The Battle Soul's phantom swept its spear across the army, but the Thunder Bindings were incredibly agile, not entangling with the Battle Soul but lashing at the bamboo horse.
"Boom!" Purple light clashed with red light, instantly weakening the murderous aura by thirty percent.
"Boom boom boom boom!"
Five consecutive lashes, so fast that it was hard to react.
The bamboo horse's Battle Soul was experienced, yet it only managed to interfere with two of the Thunder Bindings with its spear.
The other three were completely bypassed.
This was the subtlety of the Yin Thunder technique, different from the sheer force of the Thunder Palm, the Yin Thunder was incredibly fast and agile. When it encountered the spear, it didn't dissipate but instead lightly bounced and looped around the bamboo horse's neck.
"Zzzt zzzt zzzt~"
Where the lightning entwined with the bamboo horse, sparks flew, and the bamboo horse's speed was greatly reduced, its galloping momentum obstructed.
"What?!" Yang Junxiong was shocked. He had considered that the lynx might block his bamboo horse, but never expected Zhao Xing, a Gathered Essence Ninth Level Agricultural Affairs Bureau officer, to have a way to stop it.
In that moment of distraction, "Bang!" Yang Junxiong felt a heavy blow to his chest, involuntarily flying backward.
Lynx's secret technique, Wind Control Heavy!
The lynx had fiercely kicked his chest with its hind legs, borrowing the power of the wind, the force of this kick was astonishing!
"Beast!" Yang Junxiong's eyes turned vicious, no longer paying attention to the bamboo horse, focusing solely on dealing with the lynx.
The protective mirror on his chest already had cracks, if he got distracted again, he might be severely injured by the lynx.
"This..." Du Jiao Jiao stopped.
Though she was a woman, she had a chivalrous spirit and had known Zong Shichang since childhood, she couldn't ignore his danger.
But unexpectedly, the situation changed so quickly.
Yang Junxiong's bamboo horse Battle Soul failed to take effect!
Five Thunder Bindings locked the bamboo horse, and the murderous aura on the Battle Soul weakened significantly.
"Battle Soul Ignite!"
"Step on a Thousand Mountains!"
Seeing itself trapped, the rider's phantom on the bamboo horse raised its spear high, the bamboo horse lifted its front hooves, then slammed them down, creating a terrifying shockwave.
The Battle Soul and bamboo horse jointly unleashed a secret technique, the wild and unrestrained rider attempting to break free from the chains.
"Snap!"
One of the Thunder Bindings actually snapped!
"Let's see how many you can break!"
Zhao Xing's eyes flashed with lightning, raising his left hand as well.
Three more Thunder Bindings emerged!
Having seized so many spiritual essences, including those of elemental techniques, the Thunder Bindings had reached the eighth transformation!
"Zzzt zzzt zzzt!"
Three Thunder Bindings quickly locked onto the horse's head, forcibly pulling down the rearing bamboo horse.
The mid-tier secret technique, Step on a Thousand Mountains, was interrupted before it could be fully executed.
"Yin Wind! Rise!"
A gust of Yin Wind blew from the ground, heading straight for the Battle Soul on the horse's back.
Previously, the murderous aura had blocked it, making it difficult for the Yin Wind to directly reach the Battle Soul's body.
But now, trapped by the Thunder Bindings, the murderous aura was greatly weakened, allowing the Yin Wind to exploit the gap.
"Whoosh~"
Though it was just a gust of wind, the Battle Soul on the bamboo horse seemed to be doused with cold water.
The murderous aura flames surrounding the Battle Soul diminished by more than half, becoming dim and dull!
The Yin Wind technique targeted the soul, though it didn't directly severely injure the Battle Soul, its offensive momentum was completely obstructed, losing all its attacking potential.
"Thunder Palm!"
Taking advantage of the bamboo horse and Battle Soul being trapped, Zhao Xing once again unleashed a third spell.
A purple palm flew out from the clouds above his head, initially the size of a normal hand, but as it flew into the air, it expanded dramatically.
When it landed on the bamboo horse's head, it was four meters long and one meter thick!
The Thunder Palm slammed down.
It struck the Battle Soul's head.
"Bang!"
The bamboo horse fell, the Battle Soul howled, crashing heavily onto the plaza, leaving a large pit.
The seventh transformation of the Thunder Palm was incredibly fierce, shattering half of the Battle Soul's body.
Thunder techniques could also harm souls, especially the fierce Yang Thunder, which had amplified destructive power against such pure soul entities.
Zhao Xing first used the Thunder Bindings to weaken the Battle Soul's protective murderous aura, then used the Yin Wind to weaken the Battle Soul's strength, and now this strike had an immediate effect.
"No!" Yang Junxiong's eyes were bloodshot, madly rushing towards the bamboo horse.
That was the Battle Soul he had painstakingly nurtured over ten years of battlefield slaughter, now about to be destroyed, it was like taking his life.
"Meow!" The lynx flashed forward, kicking Yang Junxiong away again.
Its speed was too fast, its divine speed talent allowing the lynx to outpace even the ninth grade.
Yang Junxiong couldn't possibly get past the lynx.
"Boom boom boom boom boom boom boom!!!!"
The thunder roared incessantly, the purple palm frantically striking.
In the blink of an eye, the bamboo horse's Battle Soul took several heavy blows.
The thunderous sound on the plaza was terrifying, causing the spectators to involuntarily retreat.
In fact, many couldn't understand the battle, as without fully developed bright eyes, the Battle Soul was invisible.
But Zhao Xing's Thunder Bindings and Thunder Palm were visible.
Mid-tier thunder techniques reaching the seventh or eighth transformation were incredibly intimidating, ordinary thunder would startle people, let alone such fierce mid-tier thunder techniques.
"What kind of thunder technique is this, so domineering?!"
"I've never seen such a thunder technique, forming a palm?"
"Ah, I lost without regret."
Cao Qiushui watched this scene, a deep sense of powerlessness rising in his heart. He had thought his cultivation had greatly increased, perhaps closing the gap somewhat.
Now it seemed, the gap hadn't closed, but widened.
The strong remain strong, Zhao Xing's encounters on this spiritual mountain were far more numerous than his.
"Bang!"
The final strike shattered the Battle Soul.
The previous mystical aura vanished.
The bamboo horse's luster faded, dropping from third-tier high grade to third-tier low grade.
Chains locked the bamboo horse, thunder shattered the Battle Soul!
After Yang Junxiong's imprint was erased, Zhao Xing gently pulled, and the bamboo horse came to stand before him, now an ownerless object.
"Pu!" Yang Junxiong spat out a mouthful of blood.
He had been barely resisting the lynx, now in disarray, unable to resist any longer, the lynx's Thunder Claw tearing at his chest and abdomen.
"Pu chi~" The lightning-imbued claw tore through the chest armor, even leaving a bloody mark on Yang Junxiong's chest.
"Bang!" The lynx kicked with its hind legs, Yang Junxiong's body fell outside the plaza, unconscious.
The wind and thunder dissipated, leaving the plaza in silence.
Everyone watched this scene, eyes filled with shock.
For two consecutive nights, the invincible knight Yang Junxiong was defeated just like that.
And even with his trump card revealed, he lost so thoroughly.
"I can understand him losing to the lynx, but how could the Battle Soul bamboo horse lose to an unranked Agricultural Affairs Bureau officer?"
Hu Yang muttered to himself, looking at the bamboo horse that had lost its spirituality, feeling a sense of loss. He knew the strength of mechanical beasts, but the result was hard to accept.
Doesn't this mean Zhao Xing could easily defeat his mechanical beasts too?
"This guy..." Lu Qian's eyes flashed with astonishment, "How did he train, mastering all four elemental techniques?"
"Sister Jiao, do we still have a chance to claim the first incense?!"
Du Jiao Jiao's eyes flashed with a hint of excitement, eager to try.
But she quickly shook her head.
"Unless Qian Qian and Qing Er, you two, can elevate the power of the Great Shao to another level, cooperating with me, perhaps we could contend."
"Even if elevated, we can only contend?" Liu Muqing also shook her head, which meant there was no hope.
However, she still raised her spear and took to the air.
Though knowing in her heart she couldn't win, her martial spirit was fearless, how could she be intimidated before the battle? Du Jiao Jiao still wanted to try.
"Lynx, she's trying to take your toy, kick her!"
"Meow!" As Du Jiao Jiao took to the air, a black shadow flew over, its hind leg kicking fiercely, catching her off guard, she only had time to brace her spear in defense.
"Bang!" The silver spear bent, pressing against Du Jiao Jiao's conscience, she fell back to the ground even faster, her feet aching from the shock.
Wind Control Heavy was a mid-tier seventh transformation secret technique, and the lynx, being an exotic species, even as a cub, had astonishing strength after advancing.
"Meow!" The lynx strutted with cat steps, crouching in intimidation.
It seemed to say, whoever dares to ascend and take my toy, I'll fight them.
The lynx's fierce demeanor was somewhat comical, but the people on the plaza were filled with dread.
Two advanced experts were both kicked down by the lynx.
What kind of breed was this?!
"Can't beat it, the lynx's speed is too fast, Yang Junxiong couldn't defend, and neither can I." Du Jiao Jiao, having tried once, was open-minded, "It's not a matter of technique, but the innate advantage of the exotic beast."
Even Du Jiao Jiao gave up, naturally, no one on the plaza dared to compete.
Everyone retreated a bit, waiting for Zhao Xing, the newly crowned strongest, to speak.
Zhao Xing remained silent, and the others dared not ask.
The winner takes all, now he could claim as many incense sticks as he wanted, and everyone could only wait with him.
Not only the competitors, but even his "own people," Uncle Hu, Uncle Cang, and Elder Yuan, were intimidated, not daring to disturb him.
It was Zong Dashao who couldn't hold back and asked, "Zhao Sanjia, how do you plan to allocate the ten incense sticks? If you don't take them, no one dares to."
Zhao Xing pondered, "I'll take the first and second with Shen Zhui, the rest, Zong Shao, you can distribute."
At dawn, they had to descend the mountain, taking more incense sticks was of no use.
Zong Shichang had run out of silver notes, and it wasn't appropriate to exchange them for anything else, no need to be so petty, they had some camaraderie after all.
"Alright, then I'll speak for you?"
"Mm."
Zong Shichang seized the opportunity to show off, immediately striking a pose.
He stood with his hands behind his back, assuming a posture he thought was suave, and used the wind to spread his voice across the area.
"For the incense offerings, Brother Zhao and I will take eight sticks, the remaining two sticks are for the capable!"
With that, Zong Shichang used the wind to sweep eight incense sticks into his arms.
The others dared not speak.
While others dared not say anything, Du Jiao Jiao's side was displeased, Lu Qian shouted at Zong Shichang, "Zong Eighteen, it's not your achievement, why are you acting like a big-tailed wolf?!"
Unexpectedly, Zong Shichang ran over, smiling, "How could I forget you, here, three incense sticks, I got them for you, so you don't have to jump."
Lu Qian, seeing this, immediately said sarcastically, "Oh, you're so kind, thinking of me and Sister Jiao Jiao? Isn't it for Qing Er?"
Zong Shichang, exposed, blushed, sneaking a glance at Liu Muqing.
Du Jiao Jiao glared at Lu Qian, then cupped her hands to Zong Shichang, "Thank you, Brother Zong, what does Zhao Xing say about the order of entering the temple?"
Zong Shichang replied, "Naturally, he takes the first incense, the second is for Shen Zhui, oh, the warrior who pursued Gu Feng earlier."
"And after that?" Lu Qian asked.
"I'll arrange it."
"How do you plan to arrange it?"
"I want Miss Liu to go in third."
"Wow, Zong Shichang, you really have ulterior motives, and you say it's not for Qing Er!"
"..."
While Zong Shichang was conversing, Shen Zhui also returned to the plaza.
His iron ruler and body bore bloodstains, though not his own.
"Brother Shen, are you alright?"
Shen Zhui removed the bow from his back, "I didn't fail, I avenged that arrow for you."
Bow warriors regard their bows as life, now that Gu Feng's longbow was in Shen Zhui's hands, even if he hadn't lost half his life, he was close.
"Good bow, Brother Shen, you're formidable."
This person was worth befriending, Zhao Xing had only mentioned being ambushed by Gu Feng during the day, asking him to delay Gu Feng.
Unexpectedly, Shen Zhui was so diligent, directly taking Gu Feng's bow.
A bow warrior's bow being taken meant either death or being crippled.
Shen Zhui re-slung the bow, "How did the incense contest go, has it started?"
Zhao Xing smiled, "It's already over, just waiting for Brother Shen to enter the temple."
"Ah? It's over?"
In some astonishment, Shen Zhui accepted the incense stick Zhao Xing handed over.
"Brother Shen, please enter the temple and offer the first incense."
Shen Zhui shook his head, "No, I already missed the appointment, and didn't really help, the first incense should be yours."
Back at Chen Shijie's residence, Zhao Xing had been willing to share half of the pears, Shen Zhui remembered that, he felt indebted to Zhao Xing, unwilling to take the first incense.
"Alright, then I'll go in first, Brother Shen second."
Zhao Xing, the lynx, and Shen Zhui, two people and a beast, all had advanced combat strength, once the order of entering the temple was set, no one dared to oppose.
After descending the altar, the first eight entered the temple in order.
They were Zhao Xing, Shen Zhui, Liu Muqing, Du Jiao Jiao, Lu Qian, Zong Shichang, Uncle Cang, and Uncle Hu.
The remaining two incense sticks were claimed by Hu Yang and Cao Qiushui.
As for the rest, they could only honestly compete for the second wave of incense.
Inside the temple.
"Agricultural Affairs Bureau officer Zhao Xing, requests True Lord to manifest."
Whoosh~
Smoke swirled, the surroundings darkened, as if a giant's shadow appeared before Zhao Xing.
"You request this lord to manifest, what do you seek?"
Zhao Xing cupped his hands, "I seek a superior spiritual essence from True Lord."
"You have claimed the first incense, you are entitled to this opportunity, this lord will send you there, whether you can seize it depends on yourself."
"Thank you, True Lord."
Another gust of smoke blew, enveloping the lynx, bamboo horse, and other items, Zhao Xing felt he was no longer in the same place.
Looking again, he found himself on the edge of a cliff.
"Meow~" The lynx called out, eyes puzzled, how did they suddenly appear here?
"Is there a superior spiritual essence here?" Zhao Xing was also puzzled, he hadn't sensed any "premonition."
Looking around, a familiar feeling arose.
"This location... isn't it where Yang Junxiong was before?"
Back when Zhao Xing was farming at the foot of the mountain, he had seen Yang Junxiong riding the bamboo horse, leaping through the mountain stream.
Zhao Xing realized he had also arrived at this location.
"Could it be that Yang Junxiong was searching for that superior spiritual essence?"
The first incense seeking a superior spiritual essence didn't mean it was directly given to you, it might tell you the location or the method to obtain it.
Zhao Xing had found the Fortune Golden Cup because he first discovered the place, having found the superior spiritual essence but unable to obtain it.
The fifth incense asked for the method to obtain it, provided the test was passed.
"Yang Junxiong searched for two nights, did he not succeed?"
"It seems obtaining this superior spiritual essence is quite difficult." Zhao Xing thought.
In a few hours, they would all have to descend the mountain.
He had no more opportunities to seek incense for answers.
"Yang Junxiong was leaping through the mountain stream, relying on this bamboo horse." Zhao Xing mounted the bamboo horse, "I'll give it a try too."
The bamboo horse could assist in leaping into the air, though not capable of sustained flight, it could jump quite far.
Though its grade had dropped, its auxiliary function remained, only the Battle Soul was gone.
"Go!" Zhao Xing squeezed his legs, the bamboo horse's feet seemed to generate wind, running towards the cliff, and with a leap, they soared into the air.
(End of Chapter)