Shennong Dao Master
Chapter 104 - 83: Re-entering the Scholar Palace, Continuous Treasures Found!

Chapter 104: Chapter 83: Re-entering the Scholar Palace, Continuous Treasures Found!

Endless dense clouds enveloped the left, right, and rear, leaving only the path ahead visible.

On a towering archway dozens of feet tall, ancient script carved out four characters: Dream Palace

"Entering this time, it feels different."

"It seems I can see further, and my perception is clearer."

"This time, there should be something within my reach, right? Better be a treasure directly, don’t go for that Heart Inquiry Platform again..."

Thinking silently to himself, Zhao Xing strolled within the clouds, crossing the grand entrance of the academy.

Just like the first time, many treasured places flashed before his eyes.

[Reincarnation Hall], [Heart Inquiry Platform], [Martial God Tower], [Magic Secret Storage], [Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion], [Holy Beast Palace], [Fate Palace]... Pavilions, towers, palace complexes, galleries, and sky bridges were scattered elegantly, layer upon layer of mountains, wrapped in clouds and mist, as if one were in a realm of immortality.

However, as he approached, these places each disappeared into the clouds.

Waiting, silently waiting.

In anticipation, a palace magnified before his eyes, shining with golden light, and finally stabilized.

"Hmm? Not the Heart Inquiry Platform, this is... the Heavenly Craft Palace?"

Zhao Xing sized up the palace, not expecting that after entering, what appeared was not the Heart Inquiry Platform but the Heavenly Craft Palace.

"The Heavenly Craft Palace has many treasures, but they are divided across many places, let’s see which annex hall I enter."

Zhao Xing muttered to himself, then stepped into the palace.

As soon as he entered, a burst of clouds spewed out around him, then dispersed, slowly revealing the reality.

"Disciple Zhao Xing, welcome to the Mystic Palace."

A deep voice came from the clouds ahead, and soon a strange beast slowly emerged.

It was as large as a bull and resembled a Qilin, its body covered in thick, dark fur, with brilliant and spirited eyes, a silver horn on its forehead, and spoke the language of humans.

Upon seeing the strange beast’s form, Zhao Xing was momentarily taken aback.

A Mechanical Beast Xiezhi? Had he actually arrived at the Mysterious Pavilion?

"I’ve seen the guardian." Zhao Xing swiftly bowed in salute.

He was not unfamiliar with the Mysterious Pavilion; this Xiezhi was the guardian, known by another alias: Magic Beast.

The Xiezhi was highly intelligent, understood human language and nature; throughout many dynasties, national treasures varied between Qilins, Xuan birds, true dragons, and phoenixes. But the Xiezhi’s status never changed, in every dynasty, it was a national treasure.

It was also the protector of the country. Although the creature before him was not a true Magical Beast Xiezhi, merely a Mechanical Beast, its inside held the spirit of a Magic Beast, and its body was crafted from ninth-grade materials, hardly any different from a real one.

The Magic Beast Xiezhi appraised Zhao Xing with a glance: "You are only at the Mid-stage of Gathering Essence, and the only place suitable for you to brave the challenges is this Mysterious Pavilion."

Zhao Xing listened quietly.

"The way of the Heavenly Craft is multiplication and division, exploration and elucidation, striving to grasp the origins of creativity. The arrays inside primarily test a disciple’s wisdom and calculation abilities, combining the Five Elements, Heavenly Stems, and Earthly Branches."

"With each level, the difficulty will double, but so will the rewards."

"If you can make it to the end of the Mysterious Pavilion, you can obtain a ’rare treasure of the ages’."

The Magical Beast Xiezhi explained.

Zhao Xing couldn’t help but feel his heart race.

Rare treasures of the ages!

Apart from the ranks one to nine, the treasure levels went up to ’Rare Treasures of the Ages’ and ’Peerless Treasures.’

The so-called ’Rare Treasures of the Ages’ refer to treasures that were extremely rare within a dynasty over a millennium, numbering no more than a handful.

As for ’Peerless Treasures,’ those could not be found in the present world and were passed down from ancient times.

Why was Zhao Xing excited?

Because at this time, the Dream Palace had not yet been scoured by Emperor Wu, and these challenges had hardly changed!

These challenges, he had braved them in his past life!

"Just ahead is the first challenge, the Mysterious Gate."

The Xiezhi lightly exhaled, and the fog in front cleared to reveal a wooden door with an unusual design.

"The Mysterious Gate, it has three Mechanical Locks. Open the locks, and you shall pass the first challenge."

Suppressing the excitement in his heart, Zhao Xing bowed and then walked over.

The wooden door was five meters tall and eight meters wide, it was said to be unusually designed because it was entirely embedded in the wall with no gaps whatsoever.

It was seamlessly smooth everywhere except for three components at the height of one meter.

Two of which were protruding.

One shaped like the head of a bull, the other resembled a serpent.

The third was embedded within the door, forming a pattern of a plum blossom.

"Zhao Yang Mei Hua Lock, Chongguang Bull Head Lock, Huangluo Snake-shaped Lock." Zhao Xing looked at the three mechanical locks and couldn’t help but smile.

Although he was not an expert in the way of mechanisms, he knew the solutions.

He even knew there was more than one way to solve them.

He had remembered them from his time as a player, and now they were still applicable, as these types of locks did not involve the use of his own essence.

The Xiezhi had said it, the test was of the disciple’s wisdom and calculation abilities, as well as the understanding of the knowledge of the Five Elements and Heavenly Stems.

"Both the Zhao Yang Mei Hua Lock and Chongguang Bull Head Lock are Heavenly Locks, while the Huangluo Snake-shaped Lock is an Earth Branch Lock."

"These most basic components, combined in a unique manner into locks, each component needs to be moved to its corresponding position in order to be unlocked."

Zhao Xing first tackled the Bull Head Lock.

With one push of his left hand, he adjusted the position of the Bull Head Lock, moving one bull head down and the other to face him.

The wall seemed soft, the bull head lock moving within it without any restrictions, yet it was completely impossible to pull open forcefully.

Zhao Xing kept his left hand steady, using only his right hand to operate. He pulled the right-hand bull head back until it reached the ’Upper Chapter’ position, one-third of the way into the Kun Position.

Then he gently bent the right-hand bull head upwards, causing the downward bull head to rotate accordingly; at this moment, forming an arrangement of one above and one below.