The Dao Sovereign of Shennong

"The first rule: After learning the technique, you must report it to the military department at the provincial level. Whether for cultivation or application, within the Zhou Dynasty, all use must be specially approved by the military."

"The second rule: Even when outside the borders, during war or in the field, only a seventh-ranked Military Shennong can use the Soul Binding technique on the battlefield."

"The third rule: It must not be privately passed on, nor openly demonstrated unless absolutely necessary."

The straw puppet with the "Liu" character paused before continuing, "If you can master it, I can help you with the first rule. Afterward, you can come to the Palace of Myriad Techniques to continue your practice."

Zhao Xing cupped his hands in gratitude, "Thank you, sir, for the guidance."

"Go inside and observe the technique," the puppet instructed before resuming its wandering.

Zhao Xing stepped into the grand hall.

Strangely, the bright sunshine outside dimmed as soon as he entered. The skylight above was now filled with dark clouds, and an eerie atmosphere enveloped the place.

Zhao Xing couldn't help but shiver.

"Whoosh—"

A soft breeze blew through, and one of the two Soul Binding Straw Puppets dissolved into its base materials.

As the straw puppet disassembled into components floating before him, Zhao Xing quickly identified the materials.

"Cold pinewood, resurrection fern branches, five-star wood, ghost willow, yellow spring leaves, mulberry flowers... twin pieces of wood for the limbs, two branches for the chest and abdomen, one flower and one leaf to lock the soul."

"All of them are yin-aligned materials."

He silently observed.

The Soul Binding Straw Puppet required very specific materials, all of which had to be of the yin attribute. Without these, the technique couldn't be cast.

Other straw puppet techniques only dealt with the Five Elements, but the Soul Binding Puppet went a step further, involving the Dao of Yin and Yang.

"Whoosh—"

Another breeze blew through, emphasizing that even the wind used to reassemble the Soul Binding Puppet had to be yin-aligned.

Once the puppet was reformed, Zhao Xing used his Five Elements Observation technique to peer inside it.

He saw two distinct forces at work: yin wood and yin wind.

Whenever external forces approached, these yin energies formed a vortex, actively devouring and growing stronger.

As this occurred, Zhao Xing even felt as though his own focus was being drawn into the vortex.

However, for the living, the pull was weak—barely enough to affect a ninth-rank soul.

"Without balance, pure yin does not grow, and pure yang does not thrive. In the world, the forces of yin and yang are constantly in flux. When yin is abundant and yang is diminished, all things wither. When yang dominates, life begins anew."

"The Soul Binding Straw Puppet acts as a pure yin sinkhole, naturally attracting wandering souls into it."

Zhao Xing had a moment of enlightenment, and a scene unfolded in his mind.

It was as though the world became a flat plane before his eyes, divided between yin and yang. Stars of life twinkled upon it, flickering in and out of existence, representing the birth and death of living beings.

The stars were evenly spread, but suddenly, a vortex appeared on the flat plane.

As the vortex formed, the plane began to distort, pulling everything into it.

The vortex continued to absorb the stars, growing stronger, and the plane itself began to twist further and further.

"Hmm..."

Until, eventually, everything vanished.

Zhao Xing glanced down at his hand, where a wisp of golden light spiraled around his fingertip, a result of the enlightenment he had just gained.

Looking up again, he noticed that a third Soul Binding Straw Puppet had now appeared before him.

[You have observed the technique demonstration and comprehended the mid-level technique: Soul Binding Straw Puppet.]

[Soul Binding Straw Puppet: 151/9999]

[Effect: Draws spirits into the puppet, enslaving the captured souls.]

Silently, Zhao Xing cupped his hands in respect before exiting the hall.

The version of the Soul Binding Puppet that the old Shennong master had taught was an incomplete one—Chen Shijie likely only knew the basics of the Soul Summoning Puppet.

There was a higher-level version of this technique: the Soul Devouring Puppet.

This could trap multiple souls inside, forcing them to fight each other, effectively refining a stronger and more vicious spirit.

In essence, it wasn't too different from a Soul Reaping Banner, only in a different form.

Of course, in the Zhou Dynasty, such souls were no longer called "vicious spirits"—they became known as "battle spirits" for the Battlefield Straw Puppet technique.

This technique could be highly effective in warfare. As long as there were enough materials, the puppets could continuously multiply. Even at the first transformation, they had considerable combat power. After capturing a soul, the puppet could randomly access one of the deceased's special abilities for combat.

Zhao Xing had initially planned to leave, since there was little point in continuing—he had no souls to bind.

Could he use beast spirits?

No. This technique was called the Soul Binding Puppet for a reason—it specifically required human souls. Using other spirits wouldn't work and would just waste resources.

As Zhao Xing exited the hall, a Liu-marked puppet approached him.

"If you wish to continue practicing, there is a death row cell in the Palace of Myriad Techniques. You can go there and kill a few to train with."

"...."

Zhao Xing twitched at the corner of his mouth. It wasn't the idea of killing prisoners that disturbed him; it was the tone in which the puppet spoke, as though suggesting he slaughter pigs instead.

Combined with his previous life's knowledge of Liu Tianning, Zhao Xing felt an eerie sense of unease.

If he needed to practice later, he could always do so on the battlefield. He had already decided to avoid getting too involved with this half-crazy man, so he declined the offer.

"Thank you, sir, for your kindness, but I'll focus on one technique for now and aim to secure the points for this training session."

The Liu-marked puppet nodded. "Should you need anything in the future, feel free to return to the Palace of Myriad Techniques."

"Understood."

Zhao Xing quickly made his way out, walking faster than before.

Wandering around the Palace of Myriad Techniques, Zhao Xing mastered three more classic straw puppet techniques: Divine Strength, Sacred Shield, and Illusory Form.

Divine Strength was similar to the Mighty Vajra Puppet, but its strength was slightly higher, and it wasn't as clumsy. The puppet could dodge and maneuver, possessing some basic combat instincts.

The Mighty Vajra Puppet, on the other hand, was a simple brute—it would charge until death without retreating a single step.

The Sacred Shield Puppet was larger in size and specialized in defense.

Illusory Form was the foundation of the Self Puppet, specializing in creating nearly indistinguishable replicas.

"Practicing techniques like Guardian Puppet and Soul Binding Puppet is difficult, but these three are easy to train without needing external resources. These will be the best choices for passing the trials."

Other straw puppet techniques were more niche or advanced, and some high-level techniques were too obscure to even comprehend.

There would be plenty of opportunities to study later. For now, Zhao Xing's priority was securing points.

Returning to the demonstration square, he saw that the number of people had increased significantly.

"Shi Yong is here too."

In one corner of the square, Shi Yong was observing a straw puppet.

"Zhao Xing!"

Zhuang Zhiqing and Han Bing noticed Zhao Xing and walked over to him.

"You've arrived too? When did you get here?"

"We've been here for a while," Zhuang Zhiqing replied. "We just passed the third trial."

"Looks like everyone is here for the points," Zhao Xing said with a smile.

"What puppet did you use to pass the trial?" Han Bing asked.

"I haven't passed yet."

"You'd better hurry," Han Bing warned. "Lord Liu has already mentioned that nearly a hundred people have passed the third trial. If you're too late, you won't make it into the top hundred."

"Got it, I'll head over now," Zhao Xing replied, already aware of the situation.

"Go ahead, we'll talk later," Zhuang Zhiqing said.

"Alright."

Zhao Xing immediately sent a Explosive Detonation Puppet into the main hall for the trial.

The puppet stood within a containment circle.

After detonating, the protective barrier around the puppet flashed four times—signifying that it had reached the fourth transformation.

Zhao Xing successfully passed the third trial and earned 800 points.

With that, he had secured the full base reward of 1,250 points for completing all the required trials.

Finding a quiet place, Zhao Xing began to refine the progress of his puppets.

Though practicing techniques like Guardian Puppet and Soul Binding Puppet was difficult, techniques like the Explosive Detonation Puppet and Invisible Puppet could be trained extensively.

At midnight, on July 23rd, a voice echoed through the Palace of Myriad Techniques, as well as the first and second trials:

"A hundred people have now passed the third trial. These one hundred will receive the top rewards for this training session."

"Others may continue to learn and take the trials, and they can still earn the base rewards of 1,250 points."

"Passing the third trial will guarantee you an 'A' grade in this training session."

Zhao Xing opened his eyes as the announcement finished.

"I didn't expect a hundred people to pass the third trial so quickly."

"It seems many Shennong have studied the straw puppet techniques or have a natural talent for them."

The lesson had started at noon, and by midnight, a hundred people had already passed the third trial.

These one hundred people would now compete for the top rankings, while the others would have to be content with the base points.

Even so, the Straw Puppet Training Course was still much more rewarding than other courses. Even if someone didn't make it into the top hundred, with some effort, they were almost guaranteed to earn the base reward of 1,250 points. The course could be completed within a year, just like Lu Bang's training course, which had a similar time frame.

After repeating the message several times, Liu Tianning finally announced the next phase of training for the top one hundred.

"The one hundred Shennong who have passed the third trial will have seven days to train."

"After seven days, there will be a straw puppet technique test."

"After three rounds of trials, the final rankings will be determined. First place will receive 50,000 points."

Zhao Xing listened carefully to the details of the three rounds of testing.

"The fourth trial will test individual puppet techniques."

"Participants may focus on any single puppet technique. The higher the level of mastery, the higher the ranking in this round."

"The fifth trial will test combined techniques."

"Within seven days, participants must complete the fusion of at least two puppet techniques. If no one reaches the sixth trial, the top ten rewards will not be distributed, and only the second-tier rewards will be given."

"The sixth trial will be a combat test."

"Only ten participants will enter the sixth trial. In this trial, participants will engage in one-on-one combat using straw puppet techniques to determine the final rankings."

The Shennong who had passed the third trial were visibly excited—50,000 points were within reach!

However, the difficulty was also high. Anyone who couldn't keep up would be quickly eliminated.

The fourth trial tested mastery of a single technique, but the fifth trial required at least a two-technique fusion. Anyone unable to reach the fusion stage would be disqualified from the sixth trial.

Lord Liu had already mentioned that high rewards came with strict standards.

If everyone failed at the fifth trial, no one would be eligible for the top ten rewards.

"The high points rewards have attracted nearly all the top-tier Shennong talents."

Zhao Xing scanned the figures on the demonstration square.

"Shi Yong, Zhuang Zhiqing, Feng Qiu, Han Bing, Guan Junyang…"

Even if they hadn't practiced the straw puppet techniques before, the Shennong here were all prodigies. With their talent, even starting from scratch, they could make rapid progress.

Moreover, many of these top-tier talents had served as Military Shennong before, meaning they had a broad range of knowledge and were likely familiar with straw puppet techniques.

"Everyone needs points, so they all signed up for this course."

"Still, being strong in other areas doesn't necessarily mean you'll excel in straw puppet techniques."

For example, among the Shennong Division reserves, five individuals had reached the fourth level of the Seasonal Qi Command.

But these five might not necessarily excel in straw puppet techniques, as Seasonal Qi Command was a signature technique of the Heaven School, while straw puppet techniques belonged to the Self School.

"I need to train hard to secure as many points as possible," Zhao Xing thought.

Currently, the progress of his four techniques was as follows: Guardian Puppet had reached the first transformation, Soul Binding Puppet had not yet reached the first transformation, while both the Explosive Detonation Puppet and the Invisible Puppet had reached the fourth transformation.

For the fourth trial, which tested single techniques, Zhao Xing decided to spend the next seven days focusing on mastering one technique.

"These seven days, I'll study at the Palace of Myriad Techniques and visit the treasure grounds of Taicang Academy to contemplate the Yin-Yang Self Technique."

"The essence of straw puppet techniques lies in manipulating the internal Five Elements."

"Understanding the Yin-Yang Self Technique will undoubtedly enhance my straw puppet skills… Hmm? Who's watching me?"

Zhao Xing suddenly felt a strange sense of being watched, his sharp soul sensing someone spying on him. He glanced in a certain direction and saw a familiar face—Li Feng.

"Zhao Xing," Li Feng called out, walking toward him with a smile. "How's your progress?"

Previously, Li Feng had demonstrated four straw puppets in the square: a Black Tortoise Puppet, a Sacred Shield Puppet, an Explosive Detonation Puppet, and an Invisible Puppet.

The Black Tortoise Puppet wielded a spear and could perform complex attacks. Its defining trait was its ability to use weapons.

The Sacred Shield Puppet was much larger than a regular puppet, essentially a humanoid shield.

Li Feng's mastery of straw puppet techniques was impressive, earning him praise from many observers.

Li Feng assumed that Zhao Xing had seen his demonstration and eagerly approached to show off.

"I've made average progress," Zhao Xing replied calmly.

"Hahaha! I can summon sixteen different puppets, and I've mastered up to three technique fusions!" Li Feng boasted.

Who asked you?

Zhao Xing found the situation amusing. "Li Feng is a straightforward guy—his emotions are always on display. He never hides anything."

"But showing off to me is a bit much."

So Zhao Xing responded, "You lost the promotion battle."

Li Feng: "Give me one incense stick of preparation time! I'll summon my divine puppet, sacred shield, explosive puppet—at least fifteen of them! Even an eighth-ranked warrior would fall!"

Zhao Xing: "You lost the promotion battle."

Li Feng: "As soon as I entered the third trial, I passed it right away. How many puppets can you summon? What's their power like?"

Zhao Xing: "You lost the promotion battle."

"....."

Li Feng's face twitched. "Can you stop bringing up the promotion battle? Is that even relevant to this conversation?"

"Oh? What would you like to discuss, the branch division training? Or the registration training?"

"....."

Mentioning those topics only made Li Feng angrier. Realizing he wasn't going to win this verbal spar, he huffed and walked away.

"I'll let you have your moment now, but just wait until the final test. You'll see who's truly superior then!"

"This time, I, Li Feng, will reclaim my honor!"