Chapter 27: Breeding

Zhao Xing was extremely meticulous in his choice of plants. The Green Vine, Fragrant Lotus, and Vajra Bamboo he selected were of Tier 2 Low, Mid, and High quality, respectively.

If the grade were too low, the score would be insufficient; if it were too high, the three-day limit would make it nearly impossible to hit the scoring benchmarks. The utility of the plants was another critical factor. While three days was a fleeting moment for plant growth, it was an eternity for the examinees. The assessment provided no food or water, and the constant consumption of vital energy to nurture the plants was a grueling test of endurance.

The Green Vine, once matured, would bear fruit, allowing Zhao Xing to stave off hunger and replenish his energy. The Fragrant Lotus was an aquatic species—both its seeds and roots were edible—and by securing the well, he gained a significant advantage. These two plants served as his safety net, ensuring he could survive the three days in good health while securing a respectable ranking. The Tier 2 High Vajra Bamboo, however, was his tool for chasing a top score. Successfully cultivating a Tier 2 High plant would allow him to stand out and contend for the top-tier ranking. Furthermore, the Vajra Bamboo itself was an excellent material for casting the "All Vegetation as Soldiers" technique, providing him with defensive measures should any unscrupulous rivals attempt sabotage in the latter half of the exam.

The soil in the planting area had been tilled, but it was exceptionally dry. To extract the nutrients from the earth, one had to dig deeper. Zhao Xing once again invoked a wind spell. Under his precise manipulation, the wind currents connected with the clouds above, forming two small, man-sized tornadoes.

"Whoosh!" The tornadoes skimmed across the ground, carving the furrows deeper with surgical precision.

"Hmm?" Wen Nanxing, having just returned to his own plot, stopped and stared. "What exquisite spell control!"

For spells of the same level, some were cast with greater finesse than others. While some practitioners’ "Cloud Walking" was as flimsy as cotton, experts like Wen Nanxing could "Walk Clouds into Swords," and Xiao Ze could "Walk Clouds into Tigers." These variations not only possessed greater power but also offered more versatile applications. The refinement of such techniques depended entirely on individual insight. At this stage, the junior agricultural officials were like school children; some relied on rote memorization, some struggled to learn, while others grasped the underlying principles and could draw inferences from a single instance. Zhao Xing was undoubtedly the latter. As Wen Nanxing watched, he found himself momentarily mesmerized.

It was only when Zhao Xing dissipated the tornadoes that Wen Nanxing snapped out of his trance.

"In next year's official appointment, this man will be my strongest rival!" Wen Nanxing collected his thoughts and returned to his own work.

Zhao Xing remained entirely oblivious to the fact that he was now viewed as a primary competitor. The spell control that others found exquisite was, to him, merely a basic operation. He didn't consider it worth mentioning; in his mind, only feats like the veteran official's "Cloud Walking in the Palm" or "Three-Foot Heavenly Thunder" were truly noteworthy.

"Damn it, why did they dig this well so deep?"

Planting the Green Vine and Vajra Bamboo seedlings was easy—they just needed to be buried. However, the Fragrant Lotus was aquatic and required deep roots in water. Zhao Xing ran to the well and discovered it had been bored to a depth of at least sixty meters. With no tools provided, fetching water was a challenge one had to solve alone.

"Chen Shijie, you are truly a cunning old fox, finding every possible way to torture us," Zhao Xing muttered. He abandoned the idea of planting the lotus seeds directly in the well. Without tools, how could he fetch water? Naturally, by using the "Cloud Walking" technique.

Zhao Xing lowered his cloud, bringing it closer to the ground until it began to absorb the water vapor rising from the well. Chen Shijie’s intent was clear: he wanted the officials to find a clever workaround to obtain water. Finding the pace too slow, Zhao Xing once again invoked a tornado, but this time, it was far larger, connecting the clouds above to the well below. Water vapor surged upward in a steady stream, rapidly infusing into the clouds.

"A magnificent 'Dragon Drawing Water'!" Chen Shijie had been watching the officials at the well, and he noted that Zhao Xing was the first to solve the water problem with remarkable efficiency. "Old Xue was wrong. He is more than just a 'good talent'—he is a precious gem! You have taught him well!"

"I never taught him this technique," Xue Wenzhong replied, visibly surprised. He hadn't taught Zhao Xing the nuances of the "Raising Wind" technique. "Could it be that he simply observed my 'Three-Foot Heavenly Thunder' and 'Cloud Walking in the Palm' and grasped the principles on his own?" A certain idea took firmer root in Xue Wenzhong's mind.

...

On the day of the Beginning of Autumn, the heat was even more oppressive than during the height of summer. In a sky so clear, conjuring rain was an Herculean task. Many officials realized that after "Cloud Walking," attempting to follow up with "Rainmaking" yielded no results; spells below the third level were heavily affected by extreme weather.

"Without water in this heat, the growth spells will be severely hampered."
"It seems I'll have to wait until nightfall to plant."
"What's the point? It will be the same tomorrow—everything I plant will just die!"
"If only I could master third-level rainmaking..."
"Forget it, I'm going home. I'll just wait for the make-up exam."

Less than an hour into the exam, many officials had already given up. Some failed to secure a plot, while others realized that even with one, they couldn't keep the plants alive. This alone screened out a third of the candidates. People began leaving one after another; there was no penalty for quitting, and since they couldn't secure a promotion anyway, why stay and suffer as mere background fodder?

"Patter, patter..."

Rain began to fall in various parts of the planting area. However, everyone kept their efforts tightly controlled, ensuring the water didn't spill over to others' plots. The examiners had calculated this perfectly: if you tried to help someone else, you would inevitably be dragged down yourself. Furthermore, those with true ability didn't need help, and for those without, any assistance would be futile.

Zhao Xing separated a small cloud, only five meters in diameter and two meters above the ground. He moved it over a small pit he had dug near the well for the Fragrant Lotus.

"Splash!"

The dense, ink-black cloud wasn't just raining; it was pouring water. In moments, the pit was filled to the brim. It had been lined with grass ash, and as the water hit, the mud and ash mixed into a thick, murky sludge.

"Twenty Fragrant Lotus seeds should be enough."

Zhao Xing scattered the seeds at appropriate intervals. Lotus seeds were fragile and not suited for the "Savage Growth" technique yet, so he began with "Sturdy Growth." His vital energy flowed continuously, and after half an hour, the seeds took root and sprouted, breaking through the surface.

"One hundred percent survival rate. Phew." Zhao Xing breathed a sigh of relief. The seedling stage was the most vulnerable, and he couldn't afford a single moment of negligence. Once past this phase, things would get much easier.

"Time for a drink." Zhao Xing summoned his cloud, lowered his head, and drank deeply from the moisture within.

"In another two hours, once the three types of plants are firmly rooted, I can trigger 'Savage Growth.' But I can't rest yet." Zhao Xing surveyed the surroundings. The once gray-yellow planting area was already beginning to fill with green.

"If I want a 'Grade A' rating, I must be prepared for any eventuality." Looking at his colleagues nearby, Zhao Xing revealed a sly grin. "Forgive me, but the nutrients in your soil are now mine."