Exploring the Transmission Realm Tower required the presence of both a Fate Officer and a History Officer.
The History Officer's job was to quickly lock onto the historical timeline corresponding to the Transmission Realm and verify whether any "Void Events" had occurred. They controlled the ship from a macro perspective, ensuring the team's safety.
The Fate Officer, on the other hand, excelled in the Dao of Karma, making them better suited to handle smaller, concrete incidents. When paired with a History Officer, they could significantly reduce the risks involved.
With Zhao Xing's status as a Six-Pillar Jade, in theory, the first six layers of the Transmission Realm posed no real threat to him.
However, this only accounted for the dangers inherent to the Transmission Realm itself. Competitors like Lord Sangyu, Lord Fengyang, and Ji Qiujun were another matter entirely.
Yang Baihe's brief clash with Lord Fengyang had ended quickly. Both sides feared that a confrontation between History Officers might trigger a large-scale "Historical Void Event".
Such an event could insert unrelated narratives into the Medicine King Realm's storyline, introducing uncontrollable variables.
Fate Officers didn't have such scruples.
So when Lord Sangyu made his promise, Ji Qiujun immediately launched an assault on Zhao Xing's team.
"Did it work?" Lord Sangyu asked with great interest as she watched Ji Qiujun, who had already ceased casting.
"Mhm." Ji Qiujun nodded calmly.
"A Fate Officer's casual remarks are like background noise in the universe. Outsiders hear them but let them pass."
"But in our eyes, those seemingly idle words from another Fate Officer…"
"They're like a silkworm spinning its thread. I've caught the causal thread he released and upgraded it to a 'Declaration' using the Dao of Karma."
"The so-called Declaration means something that is guaranteed to happen, the highest form of prediction in the Fate Officer's arsenal."
Lord Sangyu's eyes lit up with understanding. "So now, as long as the Fate Officer in the third team isn't completely clueless, they'll realize someone is attacking them."
"This will pit the other two teams against each other."
Ji Qiujun nodded again.
Lord Sangyu laughed. "Using another's blade to kill, redirecting the disaster eastward—so simple? Won't they see through this?"
Ji Qiujun said nothing. It was Lord Fengyang who answered instead.
"Of course they'll see through it. But this isn't just a scheme—it's a Fate Officer's Causal Spell Attack."
"The cause is fixed; the result is inevitable. Even if they want to reconcile or retaliate against us, it can only happen after the fact. As for when…"
"That depends on the other two teams' Fate Officers."
Lord Sangyu let out a long sigh. "Fate techniques truly are miraculous. Ji Qiujun, you don't need to speak further. Any more words might give the enemy an opening to counterattack."
Zhao Xing's world ring flashed, and his Void Clone appeared. This was the world ring gifted to him by the Five Venom Emperor.
Because of the True Soul Heavenly Poison, Zhao Xing's Void Clone didn't hide in his Origin Space but stayed in the world ring, making its appearances much faster.
He circulated his Blue Flower Mana and activated Heavenly Sight of the Soul.
Ji Si's figure flickered between illusion and reality, with countless threads of light emerging from his body.
Thanks to the Blue Flower Mana, Zhao Xing could partially observe the manifestations of the Dao of Karma, though he couldn't discern exactly which technique Ji Si was using.
Judging by the fluctuations, this was likely a confrontation at the Reincarnation Realm level.
The Void Straw Puppet took a step forward, giving Ji Si a glance as if to ask whether she needed help.
Seeing him shake his head, the clone moved to stand beside Yang Baihe.
A Fate Officer's battle of causality was a war without smoke.
Typically, outsiders couldn't intervene.
However, Zhao Xing could channel his Blue Flower Mana from the clone into Ji Si.
Born from a Godhood-level technique, Blue Flower Mana encompassed all Dao. Zhao Xing was confident Ji Si could make use of it.
But since she had declined, Zhao Xing didn't push. He trusted Ji Si.
Just as he himself could rival Reincarnation Realm warriors, he believed Ji Si's strength wasn't limited to his apparent Life and Death Dao Domain Realm cultivation.
"From raw jade to polished gem, from dust-covered pearl to radiant brilliance… After three hundred years of training in the Celestial Master Manor, Ji Si is no longer who he used to be," Zhao Xing thought, feeling genuinely pleased as he watched him handle the situation with composure.
"Being able to spar with a Reincarnation Realm Fate Officer for so long… Years of investment have finally paid off."
Among all the resources Zhao Xing had funneled back to Great Zhou, Ji Si had consumed the most—without question.
Back in the Xuanhuang Realm, Zhao Xing had already noticed Ji Si's remarkable Fate talent. After they reached the Phantom God Star System, he had provided him with significant support.
Then, in the Red Star Empire, he had even arranged for him to enter the Celestial Master Manor, the sacred ground for Fate Officers, for training.
Thirty billion merit points—with that kind of investment, Zhao Xing could have easily exchanged for three low-grade Reincarnation Dao Weapons!
After a while, the fluctuations around Ji Si subsided as he lowered his hands.
"How did it go?" Yang Baihe immediately sent a voice transmission.
"Grand Shennong, Lord Yang, it's settled," Ji Si replied through voice transmission.
"How did you resolve it?" Yang Baihe asked curiously.
"The Declaration couldn't be retracted, so I simply followed the causal thread and fought the other team's Fate Officer head-on. I solidified it," Ji Si explained his solution.
"The other party admitted defeat and accepted the fate I laid out for them. They won't challenge us anymore."
"Only the initiator remains—the female Fate Officer who calls herself Ji Qiujun from the other team. She might still retaliate, but for now, she's unaware of the situation."
Yang Baihe scrutinized Ji Si up and down with a look like he'd just seen a ghost.
"Zhao Xing, your Great Zhou Dynasty truly is a land of fortune. Not only did it produce a genius Shennong like you, but now also a genius Fate Officer."
"If I'm not mistaken, Lord Ji should still be in the Life and Death Dao Domain Realm, right?"
"Hahaha, that's right. Lord Ji is indeed only in the Life and Death Dao Domain Realm," Zhao Xing replied with hearty laughter upon seeing Yang Baihe's expression.
Yang Baihe was a genius himself, yet he still called Ji Si a genius. That alone showed how great Ji Si's progress was.
After all, Futu Tianzun was someone he had personally mentored. Of course, he was proud.
"One day, I must visit your Great Zhou territory to have a child," Yang Baihe suddenly declared. "I'll let my child grow up in Great Zhou."
"Lord Yang, are you serious?" Ji Si was momentarily stunned.
"Of course I'm serious," Yang Baihe nodded. "I already have fifteen children, but none of them have accomplished much. Their aptitude is mediocre."
Ji Si paused for a moment. "But Lord Yang… you don't seem to have a Dao partner?"
"No Dao partner," Yang Baihe casually replied. "In Sparks Unit, those below the Reincarnation Realm rarely take Dao partners. It's to prevent others from targeting their weakness."
"The first fifteen children, by legal standards, aren't really mine. I hardly see them."
Zhao Xing added, "The captain's first fifteen children were all born from noble widows. None of them bear his surname."
Ji Si hadn't expected Yang Baihe to have such a past. But thinking about it, it made sense. The Red Star Empire had been at war with the demon race for years. There were plenty of noble widows.
Those noble widows only sought to use Yang Baihe's status in Sparks Unit to their advantage. They had no intention of truly becoming his Dao partner. Naturally, the children born had little emotional connection to Yang Baihe.
"Now that I've broken through to the Reincarnation Realm and my true spirit has strengthened, I plan to find a proper Dao partner and raise a child of my own," Yang Baihe said. "And I think your Great Zhou is just the right place."
Zhao Xing grinned. "If Captain wants to come to Great Zhou to have a child, we couldn't be happier."
Yang Baihe laughed. "It's settled then. Once I find a Dao partner, I'll definitely come."
After a bit of small talk, the three returned to discussing business.
Yang Baihe said, "The Medicine King Realm was once the top medical power in the Xuanling Star Domain."
"I mentioned before that while the Transmission Realm Tower connects to historical timelines, what we've entered is ultimately a Record Realm."
"In other words, key historical events are unfolding."
"In the twenty-second era of the Barren Domain, in the ninety-fourth solar year, the realm lord of the Medicine King Realm, 'Ju', sought a breakthrough and held a small-scale 'Treasure Exchange Gathering'."
"He sent out invitations widely, hoping to exchange some of the Medicine King Realm's rare pills for strange and precious treasures."
"The top-tier guests were emperor-level figures from major superpowers. According to historical records, the Origin Realm, the Ancient Hill, and the Origin Heaven Palace all sent emperor-level experts to attend."
"Only the Reincarnation Temple ignored the invitation."
"The second-tier guests were royal families of ancient kingdoms and leading aristocratic clans. Although the Great Qian Kingdom's ruler didn't attend in person, he sent you, the thirteenth prince, with a congratulatory letter and treasures to exchange for pills."
"The third-tier guests were mostly unaffiliated cultivators of lower realms, many of whom came uninvited. Though they brought generous gifts, most likely they could only observe from afar and might not even get the chance to enter the Medicine King Realm itself. These guests were numerous and were generally entertained on the outer ring lands."
Zhao Xing nodded. He had just read through the records and confirmed that the Barren Domain Ancient Kingdom Alliance had not yet formed at this point in the timeline.
The Great Qian Kingdom, being among the top ten ancient kingdoms, was considered powerful enough.
"There weren't any major incidents at this Treasure Exchange Gathering, were there?" Zhao Xing asked.
"No, why do you ask?" Yang Baihe looked puzzled.
Zhao Xing had been traumatized by the incident at the Yuanhai Ancient Kingdom's gathering. He now carried a lingering suspicion toward all kinds of gatherings.
In reality, every era in the Xuanling Star Domain held numerous gatherings, each with different themes. Only the Yuanhai incident had ended disastrously.
Normally, such gatherings were relatively safe. After all, if chaos broke out, the hosting power would lose all credibility.
"I figured the Medicine King Realm must have had some significant event for it to be recorded in the Transmission Realm Tower," Zhao Xing explained.
"There was significance," Yang Baihe said. "After that generation's realm lord, 'Ju', the Medicine King Realm began to decline."
"This Treasure Exchange Gathering was the grandest in their history. Subsequent gatherings only got worse and worse."
"What caused the decline?" Zhao Xing asked.
"'Ju' died in the early period of the twenty-first era of the Barren Domain," Yang Baihe recalled.
"So after this gathering, the realm lord failed to break through?" Zhao Xing asked.
"Exactly," Yang Baihe nodded. "Most historical records say the same."
"'Ju' was at the Half-God Realm, attempting to advance to the God Realm."
"I heard that the Half-God Realm involves merging one's true spirit with their Dao, condensing divine patterns."
"Once you reach that stage, there's no turning back. You either succeed or you fail completely, with no chance of reincarnation or resurrection."
"After 'Ju' failed, the Medicine King Realm began its decline, ultimately dissolving in the twelfth era of the Barren Domain."
"What a pity," Ji Si sighed softly.
"Failing to advance to the God Realm results in death with no reincarnation or resurrection?" Zhao Xing pondered silently. "But what about my situation? It seems Yang Baihe's understanding might not be entirely accurate."
Returning to the main topic, Yang Baihe said, "I just checked your Tianfeng Palace. You have quite a lot of 'virtual wealth' there. I assume it was prepared by the Great Qian King for you."
"With this, you can smoothly enter the core of the Medicine King Realm for the exchange."
Zhao Xing nodded. There were indeed many treasures in Tianfeng Palace, but these treasures didn't belong to him, Zhao Xing.
They belonged to Zhao Changling, the historical prince.
Of course, he could spend Realm Spirit credits to make exchanges through the Transmission Realm Tower, bringing these virtual treasures back to the Barren Domain's second era. However, none of these treasures were what Zhao Xing truly wanted.
"What should I do next?" Zhao Xing asked.
"Just play your part as the Thirteenth Prince. You must act according to the historical record to avoid triggering a Void History Event," Yang Baihe warned seriously.
"Remember, if a Void History Event occurs, we must not hesitate. We retreat immediately because such accidents are extremely dangerous."
"The Transmission Realm Tower operates under strict laws. If we get trapped too deeply, we might not make it back. We could even be forcibly 'corrected' by the Tower's Realm Correction Mechanism."
Zhao Xing thought back to when he had first entered the Moonfall Mausoleum's Transmission Realm City. There was a woman named Taohong Shizi who had become a Script Puppet after losing the protection of the Grand Historian's Crown. She had been 'corrected.'
"I'll follow your lead," Zhao Xing agreed immediately. Professional matters were best left to the professionals.
If both Yang Baihe and Ji Si decided to leave, he would not hesitate to crush the Realm Jade in his hand and exit the Transmission Realm.
Tianfeng Palace departed from the Great Qian Kingdom and arrived safely at the Medicine King Star System.
This smooth journey was clearly because Ji Si had gained the upper hand in his confrontation with the other Fate Officer.
Her Declaration had already been reinforced once by Ji Qiujun's spell and then reinforced again by Ji Si.
The more a Declaration was manipulated by Fate techniques, the harder it became to alter.
It was like a widely circulated canonical text—changing even a single word became incredibly difficult.
Ji Qiujun had assumed her Fate techniques surpassed Ji Si's. She tried to use Ji Si's idle words as a foundation to stir up trouble and shift the situation in her favor.
She hadn't expected Ji Si to first subdue the other Fate Officer and then reinforce the Declaration again. By the time Ji Qiujun tried to reverse it, it was already too late.
[Reaching the Medicine King Realm will be smooth, saving half the travel time.]
[The two native teams of this era will move slower, spending extra time.] — Ji Si
In front of Ji Qiujun, the Dao of Karma revealed itself. A phantom river surged before her, displaying these words.
"Ji Si? Well played, Ji Si," Ji Qiujun admitted. She knew there was no way to change this now.
She and Ji Si had both participated in the Cause, but Ji Si had secured the Result.
This round of racing had been won by the other side.
Trying to reverse the Dao of Karma now would cost an astronomical price, equivalent to fighting both Ji Si and herself.
"I borrowed the cause to fix the result, but she stole the result and locked the outcome."
"This person must be from the Celestial Master Manor of the Red Star Empire," Ji Qiujun explained. "I was careless this time. I didn't expect that coward Tang Rumeng would dare face Ji Si in a Fate battle."
Lord Sangyu frowned. "Is the impact significant?"
Ji Qiujun snorted, "This was just the opening act. Letting them take the lead isn't a big deal."
"They're just half a month ahead of us in entering the Medicine King Realm."
Originally, the journey was supposed to take three months, but because of the confrontation between Ji Si and Ji Qiujun, everything along the way had gone smoothly for Zhao Xing's team. All the checkpoints had opened without resistance, saving half a month of travel time.
Ji Qiujun, Lord Sangyu, and Lord Fengyang's team arrived half a month later.
As for Tang Rumeng's team, due to various 'accidents,' they were delayed by at least six months before they could even enter the Medicine King Realm.
Fate battles left no visible bloodshed, as if fought in the void, yet they produced real consequences in the future.
"Ji Qiujun, I hope there are no more surprises," Lord Sangyu sounded displeased. "If you fail again, the reward I promised will be void, and you'll have to compensate me for my losses."
"Relax," Ji Qiujun's fat body jiggled as she spoke. "The Celestial Master Manor may be powerful, but I'm not some pushover either. Lord Sangyu, just focus on entering the Medicine King Realm and play your role as usual."
"From here on, you'll find everything unusually smooth."
Lord Sangyu took a deep breath and then guided the Realm Vessel toward the Medicine King Realm.
At this moment, Zhao Xing, Ji Si, and Yang Baihe had already been in the Medicine King Realm for half a month.
Boom—
Tianfeng Palace landed, and the main gate opened. Zhao Xing's royal procession emerged.
Drums and music played. Maidens scattered flower petals. Guards held star lanterns. The grand display was impressive.
Zhao Xing scanned the surroundings. He was currently located at the Xialing Blessed Land of the Medicine King Realm.
Below was a white jade plaza where people from the Medicine King Realm had already gathered, waiting.
"Thirteenth Prince of the Great Qian Kingdom, has arrived."
As the royal attendant announced, Zhao Xing's floral palanquin floated down the flower path.
A group of over thirty physicians came forward to greet him. They all wore matching Moon Star Robes and Jade Feather Belts.
Their attire differed from the Black Gold Robes and Glazed Jade Belts worn by the disciples of Ancient Physician Wei Tianchen.
That's because the Medicine King Realm mainly inherited the medical traditions of the Yu Emperor Era, which emphasized healing with pills—curing all ailments with a single pill, minimizing harm to the patient's body.
Ancient Physician Wei Tianchen's lineage, however, followed the methods of the Li Emperor Era, advocating entering the patient's body to locate the source of illness. They prioritized finding the best treatment plan, even if it meant disregarding the patient's feelings, using knives and medicine without much hesitation.
"Lord of Xialing, Ning, greets the Thirteenth Prince," the leading physician bowed slightly to Zhao Xing.
"It's an honor for Xialing to host Your Highness at our Treasure Exchange Gathering."
"Lord Ning, you're too kind," Zhao Xing replied from his floral palanquin, bowing slightly in return. "Please forgive me for not being able to perform a full ceremony due to my illness."
"Your Highness need not stand on ceremony. You've traveled a long way and must be weary. Please, come inside Fuliling Palace to rest."
Wang Shuning extended his hand to lead the way. A large group of guards and palace maids followed Zhao Xing along the cloud path.
"Zhao Xing, relax a little," Yang Baihe suddenly reminded him. "Don't tense up too much."
"History doesn't record every little detail. As the Thirteenth Prince, you have some freedom to act. Just don't go too far," Yang Baihe sent a voice transmission in secret. "I'm watching over everything. For example, you could chat with this Wang Shuning about your illness, maybe fish for some information on the items on the exchange list."
"Got it," Zhao Xing nodded slightly.
He glanced at Wang Shuning and quickly recalled what he had read in the historical records. Sure enough, this name sounded familiar.
So, he tried to strike up a conversation.
The Thirteenth Prince, Zhao Changling, suffered from a condition known as Brittle Bone Hunchback Syndrome. This disease made it impossible for him to become a martial artist because cultivating the Golden Body began with tempering the bones. But with this condition, his bones would deteriorate and crumble, making cultivation impossible.
Zhao Xing used this condition as a conversation starter with Wang Shuning.
"Master Wang, I've traveled countless miles to the Medicine King Realm to seek a miracle cure for my congenital illness."
"If Elder Ju has already come out of seclusion, and with all the talents the Medicine King Realm has produced over the years, is there perhaps now a pill that can cure Brittle Bone Hunchback Syndrome?"
It wasn't the first time Zhao Changling had visited the Medicine King Realm. When he was just born, he had been brought here once to seek medical treatment. But at that time, Elder Han had not yet come out of seclusion.
"Your Highness, your illness is one of those rare congenital terminal conditions. Prolonging life is easy; curing it is hard. I fear even my ancestor might find it difficult to fully cure you. However, I haven't seen my ancestor in thirty years, so who knows? Maybe he's made some breakthroughs. You'll know when he hosts the banquet at the Medicine King Palace."
The rules of the Medicine King Realm were strict. The Treasure Exchange Gathering was held in multiple stages, divided by rank.
Third-tier guests didn't even get to see Elder Ju's face. Second-tier guests like Zhao Xing could only be received by people like Wang Shuning.
Whether or not Zhao Xing would qualify to attend the banquet at the Medicine King Palace would depend on the value of the treasures he had brought and whether they were selected.
Only those selected were eligible to attend the Medicine King Banquet.
From Wang Shuning's words, it seemed they would have to wait.
But how could Zhao Xing let the advantage Ji Si had fought so hard to gain go to waste?
His thoughts spun quickly. He sighed, "Master, though I look young, I'm already over eight thousand years old. With the Emperor's help, I've barely reached the Life-and-Death Dao Domain Stage, but it's just hanging on to life at this point."
"I've never had the chance to fight freely, never experienced the joy of cultivation. All I've known is suffering."
"Forgive me for speaking so frankly, but after eight thousand years of living with this illness, my body may still be hanging on, but I'm on the verge of developing a heart demon."
Wang Shuning, with his healer's compassion, felt a pang of sympathy after hearing Zhao Xing's words. Though he felt sorry, he didn't offer anything concrete. He simply gave the standard comforting response, "Your Highness, please don't lose heart. Perhaps a cure is just around the corner."
Zhao Xing raised his head, his eyes a little red. "Master, I heard from the Emperor that when I was still a newborn, you were the one who first examined me. You even held me in your arms."
Wang Shuning paused. Did that really happen? He had treated countless patients over his long life, and he regularly purged trivial memories. He really couldn't remember.
But hearing Zhao Xing say that stirred a faint impression in his mind.
Before he could think further, Zhao Xing pressed on, "Master, the Emperor also told me that you are known as the most compassionate physician in the Medicine King Realm. It was you who created the Three-Spirit Diagnosis Method, which has prolonged my life all these years. I could say you are my second savior!"
Wang Shuning's memory was reinforced once again. The Three-Spirit Diagnosis Method was indeed his creation, though it was a rather obscure technique.
If Zhao Xing were just making polite conversation, how could he possibly know such details? After all, he hadn't even been officially designated to receive Zhao Xing beforehand.
Could it really be that he had cared for this child in the past?
Could they really have a karmic connection, one that he had forgotten simply because he had assumed the child wouldn't survive?
Taking advantage of the momentum, Zhao Xing spoke again, sounding utterly hopeless, "My second savior, over the years, I've squandered countless resources, angering the entire court. Even my mother and brothers see me as a burden now… wuuu wuuu wuuu…"
Ji Si, standing behind him, was stunned by what she heard. Even Yang Baihe was a little dumbfounded.
Bro, when we said you could play the role a bit, we didn't mean overact like this!
Yang Baihe was about to remind Zhao Xing not to go overboard when Wang Shuning suddenly lowered his voice and whispered, "Your Highness, before my ancestor came out of seclusion, I heard him mention a few obscure treasures. The quantities needed aren't large. If you happen to have them, perhaps you could—"
Yang Baihe couldn't hear the rest.
It was clear that Zhao Xing had successfully tugged at Wang Shuning's heartstrings, and the man had truly started leaking insider information.
"Tell me, is your Grand Shennong always this shameless?" Yang Baihe whispered to Ji Si, his voice filled with disbelief.
First, it was Master Wang, then it became Mister Wang, and now he was even calling him his second savior!
And the worst part was… this brat actually seemed to have made progress!
Ji Si replied admiringly, "You don't understand. This is called knowing when to hold on and when to let go."