Chapter 1

In the southwestern border of the Zhaoyao Empire.

Here, the mountains are vast and the peaks stand like a forest, earning the ancient title of "Three Thousand Great Mountains, a Natural Barrier."

The evening glow was like fire.

In the distance, a wisp of smoke could already be seen rising.

Lin Xun's eyes lit up. He wiped the sweat from his forehead and exhaled a long, heavy breath: "Finally, I see a place where people live..."

He had been trekking through this desolate and harsh land for seven days, living off wild fruits, enduring many dangers and hardships, and nearly losing his life to fierce beasts several times.

At this moment, seeing a wisp of smoke, though it was far away, still lifted his spirits, and his exhausted body was reinvigorated.

He continued forward.

Soon, a neatly cultivated spirit field came into view, further confirming that if there was a spirit field, there must be a village nearby.

This spirit field was planted with spirit grain, which was clearly almost ripe. The ears were heavy, and a gentle breeze made the green spirit grain sway like waves, carrying a fresh scent of grass and trees.

"According to this growth, the spirit grain should be ready for harvest in ten days... Hmm? That's not right."

Lin Xun seemed to notice something and approached the spirit field by the road. After a careful inspection, he indeed found that although the spirit grain was growing well, the situation was not optimistic.

The spirit field was moist and fertile, not lacking in spirit energy, but the green stems of the spirit grain showed signs of decay and withering, which were hard to notice without careful observation.

Lin Xun pulled out a stalk of spirit grain, examined it for a moment, and gently peeled back the green outer layer of the stem with his fingertips. His eyes widened in surprise.

Inside the stem, there were many tiny, translucent white insects, no larger than grains of sand, wriggling and devouring the life force within the spirit grain.

Sand Spot Worms!

This spirit grain was being ravaged by a pest infestation.

According to Lin Xun's judgment, if these Sand Spot Worms were not eliminated in time, the nearly ripe spirit grain would wither and lose all its spirit energy. By then, even if harvested, the loss would be severe, and in the worst case, there might be no harvest at all.

"It seems there is no Spirit Pattern Master in this village, otherwise, they would not have let the nearly ripe spirit grain deteriorate to this extent."

Lin Xun pondered, then shook his head. In such a desolate and harsh place, it was unlikely that any Spirit Pattern Master would be willing to live here.

After all, as Lin Xun knew, Spirit Pattern Masters were a very prestigious group of people.

At that moment, a sigh suddenly came from nearby.

Lin Xun turned his head and saw a middle-aged man, dressed in animal skins, sitting on the edge of a spirit field, staring at it with a troubled expression.

This middle-aged man had a frowning face, his rugged and dark features filled with worry.

Lin Xun's heart stirred, and he walked forward and said, "Uncle, are you worried about this spirit field?"

"Yes, sigh, this damned weather, it hasn't rained for a whole month. If this continues, the three acres of spirit grain I planted will be completely ruined."

The middle-aged man in animal skins, who seemed to have been troubled for a long time, immediately vented his frustration.

However, when he turned his head and saw Lin Xun's face, he was startled and asked, "Kid, where are you from?"

In his eyes, Lin Xun was wearing a coarse linen robe that had been washed to a pale white, his body was thin, and his slightly youthful and pale face looked frail.

He was carrying an old, weathered wooden box on his back, which seemed to be heavy, causing his back to bend slightly.

Judging by his age, he was at most twelve or thirteen years old.

For such a young boy to suddenly appear at the edge of Feiyun Village was indeed strange.

After all, within a thousand miles in all directions, there was only one Feiyun Village. Everywhere else was a vast expanse of mountains, rarely visited by people.

In the middle-aged man's memory, in the past ten years, no stranger had come to Feiyun Village.

And today, a thin, twelve or thirteen-year-old boy suddenly appeared in front of his spirit field, which was indeed strange.

"Uncle, it doesn't matter who I am. What matters is that I can help you solve this problem."

Lin Xun said with a smile.

He knew that if he revealed his name, he would inevitably be asked more questions, which would waste time. He was already so hungry that he could hardly walk.

The middle-aged man in animal skins stood up abruptly and said, "What did you say?"

Lin Xun smiled and said, "I said I can help you solve this problem and ensure a bountiful harvest of this spirit grain."

The middle-aged man in animal skins frowned, looking at Lin Xun's slightly youthful and pale face, and asked suspiciously, "Kid, are you just boasting?"

It seemed too absurd for such a frail-looking boy to make such a claim.

Lin Xun smiled and pointed to the spirit grain stem he had peeled open, saying, "Uncle, look, the problem with your spirit grain is not a lack of water, but a pest infestation. These insects are called Sand Spot Worms, which feed on the spirit grain stems. If they are not eliminated in time, your entire field of spirit grain will be destroyed."

The middle-aged man in animal skins was startled and stared at the cluster of translucent white Sand Spot Worms in the stem, gritting his teeth. "Damn it, no wonder all the river water I poured didn't help. It was these damned pests! But..."

His expression turned troubled, and he scratched his head, saying, "These pests are inside the spirit grain stems. I don't know how to kill them."

Lin Xun smiled but said nothing, his eyes squinting, his smile as bright as the sun.

The middle-aged man in animal skins sighed for a long time, then suddenly realized something and exclaimed, "Brother, since you recognize these pests, you must have a way to get rid of them, right?"

Lin Xun nodded, his eyes clear and composed.

"Great!"

The middle-aged man in animal skins was excited, his face flushed, and his doubts about Lin Xun had largely dissipated.

Seeing the middle-aged man's willingness, Lin Xun seized the opportunity and said, "Uncle, if I help you with this, can you agree to one condition?"

The middle-aged man in animal skins replied without hesitation, "If you can help me, Iron Mountain, with this, I'll agree to ten conditions, not just one!"

Then, he realized he had spoken too much and added, "Of course, the conditions must be something I can do. If I can't, I can't help it."

Lin Xun smiled and said, "My condition is simple. I just want to find a place to live in the village."

Iron Mountain was surprised, "You mean you want to settle in Feiyun Village?"

Lin Xun nodded, his eyes clear and sincere. He was not joking; when it was necessary to be serious, he never showed any frivolousness, a habit he had developed since childhood.

Iron Mountain hesitated, scratching his head, and said, "Wait here. I'll go ask the village chief. I can't make this decision alone, but I think it shouldn't be a problem."

Saying this, he turned and ran toward the distant village, moving quickly and decisively.

Lin Xun was taken aback, then realized a problem and shouted, "Uncle, remember to bring some food back. Without enough strength, I can't help you."

"Sure thing!"

From a distance, Iron Mountain's rough voice echoed back.

"Such a simple and honest uncle."

Lin Xun smiled, put the old wooden box on the ground, and rubbed his slightly sore shoulders. Then, he turned and entered the spirit field to examine it carefully.

Spirit grain is an essential food for cultivation, containing traces of spirit energy, but it is very difficult to grow.

From the moment the seeds are sown, one must constantly guard against pests, natural disasters, and regularly weed and maintain the field. Any mistake can lower the quality of the spirit grain or even cause it to lose all its spirit energy.

The spirit field in front of him was facing a pest infestation. If these pests were not thoroughly eliminated, the consequences would be serious.

However, for Lin Xun, this problem was not difficult to solve.

Before long, Iron Mountain returned from the village, but he was accompanied by a large group of villagers.

The setting sun dyed the vast mountains red, and Iron Mountain and his group came in a grand procession, dust flying.

Lin Xun was taken aback, shrugged, and realized the situation had changed.

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