Shennong Dao Master
Chapter 174 - 3: Ten Suns Cave Heaven, Military Minister of Agriculture Officer’s Training Regulation (third update)_3

Chapter 174: Chapter 3: Ten Suns Cave Heaven, Military Minister of Agriculture Officer’s Training Regulation (third update)_3

"Everything has been prepared for you." Fang Hong beamed as someone brought forward a box. "This is the standard configuration for a Ninth-grade Minister of Agriculture, and it’s all here."

Zhao Xing opened the box and examined each item.

Besides the familiar Calendar of Evil and the bamboo box, there were four new pieces of equipment.

[Golden Raincoat]

[Quality: Third-tier top-grade]

[Effects: Made from Five Elements materials, it wards off water and fire, blocks sharp objects, and enhances earth vein perception.]

The Golden Raincoat got its name because the weaving materials had a bright yellow color.

The Five Elements materials, combining metal, wood, water, fire, and earth, could ward off water, insulate from heat, resist swords and knives, and enhance earth vein perception, thereby improving the spells of the Self Sect.

[Flowers Fighting Umbrella]

[Quality: Third-tier top-grade]

[Effects: Made from hundreds of flowers and plants corresponding to the twenty-four solar terms, it could enhance all spells of the Heavenly Time Sect.]

...

[Cloud Rain Pearl]

[Quality: Fourth-rank Treasure]

[Effects: Capable of collecting a large amount of rainwater and cloud qi.]

...

[Stepping Cloud Boots]

[Quality: Third-tier top-grade]

[Effects: Allows for divine movement on clouds and mist.]

The Stepping Cloud Boots enabled the Minister of Agriculture to fly short distances. When using the boots, clouds and mist would rise underfoot.

It wasn’t just for flying; in times of danger, the mist could also obscure the enemy’s vision.

...

Zhao Xing was not unfamiliar with the four new pieces of equipment, so he briefly looked at them before putting them into the bamboo box.

The new bamboo box was also a third-tier top-grade treasure.

Besides the function of constant temperature storage, its internal space could expand to a certain degree. Although it appeared to be only half a person’s size, if forced, it could stretch to three meters high and two meters wide.

Additionally, the four sides of the bamboo box were engraved with Mechanical School formations to help reduce the burden on the carrier.

"How is it, do you need some time to familiarize yourself?" Chen Shijie asked.

"No need." Zhao Xing swiftly packed everything into the bamboo box. "When does the training start?"

"It starts at the beginning of the You hour on March 1st." Chen Shijie replied.

"Today is March 1st, and it’s already noon." Zhao Xing looked around in surprise, "We haven’t arrived at the Ten Suns Cave Heaven yet, have we?"

"No, but the training starts from the camp outside the cave." Chen Shijie explained, "We can only escort you to the outside. Entering the cave and finding the training camp is part of the training process for the Military Minister of Agriculture Officer."

"We rushed here from Nanyang County and arrived late; you now have only two hours to review the small map." Chen Shijie pulled out a roll of maps and handed them to Zhao Xing, "At the start of the You hour, you and all the participating officers from the nine garrisons will enter the Ten Suns Cave Heaven together."

"You need to report to the Minister of Agriculture Supervision inside the cave on your own."

"The environment inside the Ten Suns Cave Heaven is complex. Here’s a booklet; it records the characteristics of the terrain and the special weather phenomena."

Zhao Xing nodded, "I’ll read it now; you can continue."

Chen Shijie continued, "To motivate the various armies, the Military Department has set up a point-based reward system for participating officers."

"For instance, this time, any officer who is first to report to the Minister of Agriculture Supervision will be awarded ten thousand points."

"That much?" Zhao Xing was a bit surprised. He knew there were rewards for training in the Military Realm, but the Ten Suns Cave Heaven offered an incredibly high reward; ten thousand points for the first place?

It was known that military points were very valuable; even fourth-rank treasures were only worth two to three thousand points each.

Just for being the first to report, you could earn ten thousand points?

Long Xiao laughed, "The Ten Suns Cave Heaven is a new grotto heaven in the Military Realm. Besides serving as a training ground for troops, each army also has tasks to explore and develop it."

"Without substantial rewards, no one would be willing to do the work."

"Honestly, in some areas of the Ten Suns Cave Heaven, I’d rather battle against barbarians for three days and nights outside than stay inside for half a day."

Why is it called the Ten Suns Cave Heaven? Because this small world contained ten extraordinary existences similar to ’suns’!

Some places could truly heat a person to death. In such extreme environments, if the reward wasn’t high enough, no one would be willing to undertake such tasks.

Of course, Zhao Xing was merely a ’new recruit’ at the moment; the exploration tasks in the most extreme and brutal areas wouldn’t fall to these reserves just yet.

"How many Reserve Army Ministers of Agriculture are there among the nine garrisons?" Zhao Xing asked without looking up, still engrossed in the book.

"There aren’t many Reserve Army Ministers of Agriculture; together, the nine garrisons have about ten thousand people." Chen Shijie said.

"..."

"That’s quite a number indeed!"

"Not every reserve will ultimately become a Military Minister of Agriculture Officer." Chen Shijie noted, "If, after this round of training, the Military Department deems you unsuitable, you won’t be given the position of Military Minister of Agriculture Officer."

"Traditionally, about one-tenth receive positions. The rest have to endure another year of training."

...

The two hours flew by quickly. When it was nearing the start of the You hour,

Zhao Xing followed Chen Shijie and Long Xiao, aboard the Cloud Flying Boat, arriving above the vast lake.

"Can you lower it a bit? Aren’t you afraid he has a fear of heights?" Long Xiao said to Chen Shijie.

"I’m not afraid of heights." Zhao Xing stated.

"In a moment, when you jump down, don’t close your eyes; upon plunging into the lake, you’ll enter the Ten Suns Cave Heaven. You need to quickly stabilize yourself with the Stepping Cloud Boots." Chen Shijie instructed. "Rapid adaptation to unfamiliar environments is a basic quality of a Military Minister of Agriculture Officer."

"Understood." Zhao Xing licked his lips, a bit excited. This was far more thrilling than the assessment in Gucheng, and there were so many people involved.

"Hmm? Isn’t that the two scoundrels we encountered at the ninth fire pit before?" Long Xiao suddenly looked in one direction. "They are here to send people off too?"

Not far away, there was also a Cloud Flying Boat hovering, with Helian Lie and that Ritual Repairer standing beside two men and a woman.