Shennong Dao Master
Chapter 280 - 43: Zhao Xing is shocked; it turns out to be him, the unparalleled Grassman Skill!

Chapter 280: Chapter 43: Zhao Xing is shocked; it turns out to be him, the unparalleled Grassman Skill!

Following the Grassman to the halfway point of the mountain, the terrain became flat, and a palace appeared ahead. Several plots of land were developed around it, filled with flowers, plants, and trees, ranging from Second to Fourth Rank.

The benefit of being a Minister of Agriculture Official was that large-scale construction was relatively easy. As long as one was slightly capable, whether their residence was luxurious or not was another matter, but it was certainly expansive.

Walking along the bluestone path, there was a plantation outside the palace.

Some Grassmen were digging the ground with hoes, some were cutting trees with saws, and others were swiftly passing by with bundles of firewood on their backs.

Entering the palace walls, there were Grassmen on the training ground wielding swords and spears in combat.

Passing by a pond, there was a Grassman fishing by the water.

Walking through a corridor, a Grassman suddenly emerged from the ground, holding a piece of golden stone in its hand.

A Grassman was sitting in a distant pavilion, reading a scroll.

Even Zhao Xing, who had seen much, felt a bit of a shiver down his spine at this scene.

Because all these Grassmen, without exception, looked like Liu Tianning!

Moreover, some "Liu Tianning" looked quite strange. Missing limbs were a common occurrence; some didn’t even have heads but were still walking.

Although they looked the same, some "Liu Tianning" had a cold demeanor, some were sunny, some appeared foolish, and some were even mad.

"A Fifth-rank Minister of Agriculture, reaching the Pure Essence Realm, with abundant Primordial Energy to support so many Grassmen isn’t surprising, but how obsessed is Liu Tianning with the Grassman Skill to make all of them in his own likeness..."

Zhao Xing suspected that this big shot had some mental problems.

If not a genius, then a madman, or perhaps a genius-level madman!

Arriving in front of a palace, a crowd of about a hundred people had already gathered on the square.

Zhao Xing’s arrival did not draw any attention at all.

Because these people were all watching the Grassmen.

"This place is called the Ten Thousand Skill Palace. I demonstrate endless skills through the Grassmen, year-round without rest."

"On the Demonstration Square, there are eighteen Intermediate Grassman Skills not promoted by the court."

"You may observe and learn here on your own, or you may examine different parts of the palace."

"If you want to earn rewards, you need to master an intermediate Grassman Skill and practice it to the Fourth Transition."

"Passing the third test will earn you eight hundred points."

"A month later, there will be a competition using the Grassman Skill to determine rankings. The first place will receive fifty thousand points."

"Do you have any questions?" the Grassman asked.

"None," Zhao Xing shook his head.

"If you have questions, you can come here and ask. If you’re just asking for directions, find the Grassman with the character ’Liu’ on it," Liu Tianning smiled and said.

"Yes," Zhao Xing cupped his hands in salute.

Then the Grassman turned and left, blending into the vast crowd of Grassmen, making it impossible to distinguish which one had just guided him.

Zhao Xing did not immediately start comprehending but first observed his surroundings.

Most of the Grassmen moved according to fixed trajectories; for example, those digging the ground kept digging, and those watering flowers kept watering.

These were Repeating Grassmen, only acting according to fixed commands. However, they were quite different from the ones Zhao Xing knew; the operation of the Five Elements within them was quite intricate.

Some Grassmen had a high degree of freedom, not only able to speak but also capable of seeing and hearing.

Each of their clothes had a ’Liu’ character attached to it.

"The Ten Thousand Skill Palace, the Ten Thousand Skill Palace... So he was Liu Banfeng from the early Emperor Wu Period."

"So many Self Grassmen, no wonder he went mad. He started creating so many ’Self Grassmen’ from now already..." A flash of shock crossed Zhao Xing’s eyes.

He had encountered a familiar figure.

Liu Tianning now looked similar to how he did later, but his current demeanor was far from that sinister madness.

So Zhao Xing hadn’t recognized him.

He didn’t remember Liu Tianning’s name but recalled his nickname and characteristics.

Hearing about the Ten Thousand Skill Palace reminded him.

Liu Tianning, renowned for his Grassman Skill during the early Emperor Wu Period, was once a Second-rank Transmission Envoy responsible for supplying provisions to the Ten Forbidden Armies.

He wasn’t responsible for one Forbidden Army’s logistics but for the provisions of all ten of them.

Additionally, Liu Tianning was the ’Three Armies Inspection Envoy,’ personally granted the Nine-Section Staff by the Emperor. If any third-rank or lower Military Minister of Agriculture Officer committed illegal acts, Liu Tianning had the authority to execute them before reporting.

At his peak, Liu Tianning was responsible for more than ten thousand troops, with power extending to the four major Barbarian Conquest Corps.

His Marching Hall was called the Ten Thousand Skill Palace, and his Grassman Skill was unrivaled.

No other Minister of Agriculture had so many Grassmen under their control; no one could match him.

Therefore, Emperor Wu granted him vast authority and responsibility.

"During the first Barbarian conquest, Liu Tianning became the Grand Minister of Agriculture, and then he started to go mad. In the latter stages of the conquest, he killed over a million Ministers of Agriculture and more than two hundred Marquises."

As for Players? They were countless. Zhao Xing himself had been killed by Liu Tianning’s Grassmen several times.

Why were they killed? Mostly for non-existent crimes, framed or implicated. By the end of the first Barbarian conquest, Liu Tianning had earned the nickname Liu Banfeng, which indeed reflected his deteriorating mental state.

Later, he was dismissed and transferred to the Creation Dao College, where he was occasionally lucid and occasionally mad.

Unable to carry out normal teaching, Emperor Wu had to send him to Spirit Mountain’s Blessed Land for seclusion and recuperation.

Mi Fei was appointed to replace Liu Tianning.

"Liu Tianning must have practiced the Internal Cultivation of Seasonal Transformation Method and obsessively researched the Self Grassman. He is now a fifth-rank Minister of Agriculture Official. Even if he self-cultivated, influenced by the Fortune Dynasty’s system, his realm would not exceed the Fourth Grade Primordial Soul Realm, not even the Third-rank ’Primordial Soul’ Realm, yet he’s made so many Grassmen... If he’s not mad, then who would be."