The period after the 'Jingxin' year was called 'Da Zhi,' with at least a few decades in between.
The Xuantian Sect, as a chaotic force, always aimed to subvert the order.
Zhao Xing first heard about them during the 'Da Zhi' period when Emperor Jing was in power. The sect lay dormant during the Emperor Wu Period, re-emerged in its final years, and flourished in the revival version.
He found them particularly memorable because this chaotic force loved to cause trouble, which was extremely unfriendly to players like Minister of Agriculture who preferred stability.
After contemplating for a moment, Zhao Xing decided to set the thought aside.
He currently had no task panel, only a personal panel. In his past life, he would involve himself in any task lead to gain whatever benefits he could.
However, in this life, he was just a small ant, without the function of resurrection. To this life's Zhao Xing, as long as nothing interfered with his farming and longevity, he would not get involved in any commotion.
"It's better to stay out of societal affairs. As long as they don't bother me, I don't care whether it's Xuantian Sect or Xuande Sect."
After receiving the government documents and saying goodbye to Pang Fei, Zhao Xing headed straight for the temple.
He did not bother paying his respects to Duke Donghu to avoid being persuaded to practice martial arts again. Instead, he went directly to the Caoxi True Monarch Temple.
The temple guardian was a bit surprised to see Zhao Xing again so soon.
"There's no problem with the documents, go ahead."
"Thank you."
Zhao Xing quickly entered the temple and sat cross-legged on a mat. At this time, there were still seven or eight people inside, from various occupations, but none made a sound, all silently receiving the spell with closed eyes.
The moment Zhao Xing closed his eyes, he saw a flash of golden light, followed by the sensation of being in a vast grassland.
The different scenes for imparting spells implied different spells being learned. Zhao Xing couldn't tell which spell this scene represented, and silently prayed in his heart, "I want to bring rain, I want to bring rain. True Monarch, please don't get it wrong. I beg you..."
As if hearing Zhao Xing's prayer, a dark cloud quickly appeared in the sky above the grassland.
"Boom!"
Thunder and lightning struck.
Rain began to drizzle.
A cool sensation enveloped Zhao Xing, and soon raindrops began to fall on him, or so it felt as if they were falling into his mind.
"Swoosh~"
The rain intensified.
Cloud-making, thunder, and bringing rain, three spells were cast in succession, repeatedly demonstrating in Zhao Xing's mind.
After an unknown period, Zhao Xing opened his eyes with newfound spell knowledge in his mind: [Bringing Rain]
[Bringing Rain: Initial Stage Spell]
[Progress: (0/9999)]
[Effect: Precisely control the amount of rainfall.]
After bowing to the True Monarch, Zhao Xing silently exited the hall.
The temple guardian glanced at Zhao Xing's departing figure, murmuring to himself, "Strange, this person prayed for rain and truly grasped it. The True Monarch actually granted his wish?"
......
Having obtained the [Bringing Rain] spell, Zhao Xing felt quite pleased.
What kind of Minister of Agriculture couldn't make it rain?
"The key to bringing rain lies in 'bringing,' which allows for precise control of rainfall. For any other occupation, the amount of rainfall would be left to fate."
Some occupations could also bring rain, but their spell effects and names were different and not as practical as a Minister of Agriculture's.
For instance, the temple guardians had a spell called [Rain Prayer], but it was difficult to control the specific amount of rainfall. To achieve this, they had to set up an altar and prepare sacrifices. Even with limited simplification, they still needed to carry some yellow paper.
"Teacher, I have newly grasped the [Bringing Rain] spell. Please guide me." After learning the spell, Zhao Xing eagerly returned to the Huai Liu Courtyard at the Minister of Agriculture Supervision.
The old Minister of Agriculture, Xue Wenzhong, smiled and said, "You certainly have good luck, getting what you wished for. Now, you've mastered the Four Heavenly Time Techniques."
Indeed, I was lucky. I inherited part of Da Li's qi fortune and had already advanced twice in succession. Throughout the entire city of Gucheng, how many had advanced twice? Perhaps only the County Venerable and heads of various organizations might have the potential.
"The bringing rain technique has no clever tricks, just requires practice. Create clouds, summon wind and thunder, and bring rain in sequence. By meticulously controlling the spell, you can naturally control the rainfall."
"The only thing to consider is external influence," Xue Wenzhong explained. "For example, in the Huai Liu Courtyard, which is always in the Start of Spring season with abundant moisture, the final rainfall from your [Bringing Rain] spell might exceed your expectations."
"If you go to the eastern suburbs where the climate is dry, bringing rain might yield less than you anticipated."
Zhao Xing knew this, perhaps even better than Xue Wenzhong. In his past life, Minister of Agriculture players faced harsher environments during the Age of Calamity, often suffering setbacks… it was a painful experience indeed.
Consequently, Zhao Xing developed a formula for 'influencing factors,' maintaining a minimal error margin even in the 'Primordial Qi Tide' version, infamous for being the most unfriendly to Minister of Agriculture players.
Whether it was still effective now was uncertain, considering he was no longer a player.
Next came the practice.
Zhao Xing practiced [Bringing Rain] in the courtyard.
During his first spell-casting, Xue Wenzhong stood by his side offering guidance.
By the third spell-casting, Xue Wenzhong had stepped onto the stairs.
By the tenth spell-casting, the old Minister of Agriculture sat on a stool.
After that... Xue Wenzhong reclined on a deck chair, closing his eyes in rest.
Because Zhao Xing needed no further instruction, Xue Wenzhong had never seen someone grasp concepts this quickly.
"If this boy doesn't become Minister of Agriculture, heaven would surely strike him down." After finishing practice, Xue Wenzhong sighed sincerely.
But verbally, he focused more on encouragement: "Though your bringing rain technique has many deficiencies, the environment can act as both an interference and an aid."
"Why don't you use the little puddle in the corner to conserve your Primordial Energy? Why do you always strive against it?"
Zhao Xing opened his mouth, wanting to explain but ultimately couldn't.
He couldn't tell Xue Wenzhong that the future environment would be too harsh to rely on such aids. Just maintaining resistance would be good enough. His current realm wasn't suitable for discussing such matters yet.
"Your criticism is valid."
........
He originally had another hour to practice other spells, but suddenly, a servant hurriedly approached Xue Wenzhong, whispering something urgent.
Although Xue Wenzhong's expression remained unchanged, his tone revealed unease: "Today's extra practice ends here. I may not have time tomorrow, so practice on your own."
With that, Xue Wenzhong left with the servant.
What could have happened?
Zhao Xing was puzzled.
However, since they said nothing, he couldn't ask.
That night, Zhao Xing tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep, feeling uneasy.
Although he disliked probing, the old Minister of Agriculture was crucial for his official appointment. If something happened to him, other Ministers of Agriculture might not be willing to recommend him.
"I still need to inquire tomorrow. If there's indeed a change, I should prepare early." With this decision, Zhao Xing posted two talismans and entered the Dream Palace. Finding no activity amid the clouds, he exited and slept peacefully.
Unexpectedly, the next morning, he heard bad news early on.