The flickering lights cast shadows as Zhao Xing stared at the book whose words danced in and out of clarity, his vision gradually brightening.
Initially thinking it was just a normal fluctuation, he was surprised to find the brightness intensifying until, at one moment, it was as clear as daylight.
"Eh?" Zhao Xing lifted his head, set the book down, and glanced around.
He discovered that it was still dark outside; the night had not yet broken, and the almanac indicated it was still the hour of the Rat, with no unusual occurrences.
Looking again at the interface, he suddenly realized.
[You are reading the "Compendium of Materia Medica" at night, vital Qi enters your eyes, and you comprehend the spell 'Bright Eyes and Night Vision'.]
[Bright Eyes and Night Vision: Initial Level Spell]
[Proficiency: 20/9999]
[Effect: See objects at night, gaze up to a thousand meters.]
"A common spell, and I actually managed to unlock it."
Zhao Xing smiled slightly, not expecting to gain something so useful after only a short while of reading.
"However, I am not far from the Gathered Essence Third Level; it is time to acquire this spell."
Bright Eyes and Night Vision is an adaptive spell, both passive and capable of active use. It can adjust to changes in the surrounding environment.
Most cultivators at the Nine Grades realm possess this as a standard feature, and even those below the rank have a certain chance of acquiring it, with martial artists being the most likely to obtain it at the Gathered Essence First Level, as their vital Qi primarily enhances their physical bodies, while those in the Agricultural Affairs Bureau acquire it a bit later.
"It is highly practical, and can later be advanced to 'Bright Insight', which not only allows for the observation of more subtle movements and vital Qi fluctuations but can also grasp the psychological activities of individuals, though it is only effective against those of lower realms." Zhao Xing thought to himself.
If the opponent is of the same realm or a higher one, their vital Qi becomes a unified whole, making it difficult to detect, and psychological activities are even harder to capture.
"An even stronger version exists for the Sike profession, known as Bright Realm Inquiry, which is exceptional for interrogating criminals."
With Bright Eyes and Night Vision, Zhao Xing found it much easier to read.
He continued to study the Compendium of Materia Medica, the Great View Wood, and the General Principles of Herbs.
For the Agricultural Affairs Bureau profession, the ultimate goal is to cultivate crops, and these three books introduce and classify the plants of the world.
They can be categorized by their utility into medicinal, edible, and livestock types.
There are also classifications of 'families', 'genera', 'species', 'orders', and 'types'.
For example, Zhao Xing saw a page in the Compendium of Materia Medica that mentioned a miraculous plant called 'Rolling Cypress', also known as Soul Returning Grass, which can heal the damage to the soul and is classified under the herbaceous family.
Turning the page, he saw another familiar name.
"In the Mushroom family, it describes a peculiar mountain in Mingdao Prefecture where a plant called 'Color-Changing Mushroom' grows. It can change color to blend in with its surroundings; when touched, it explodes, releasing toxic gas that can cause blindness, poisoning, fainting, and in severe cases, death."
Color-Changing Mushroom—Zhao Xing had grown many in his previous life. They grew quickly, were easy to cultivate, inexpensive, and had decent effects. They were a must-have for Agricultural Affairs players.
Plants can be classified into native species (those that originally existed in the world) and derived species (those created by human intervention).
There are also classifications based on the attributes of the Five Elements of Wind and Thunder. For instance, Zhao Xing had previously grown 'Purple Lightning Bamboo'.
Belonging to the Thunder element, its segments could launch purple lightning attacks, making it one of the stronger offensive plants in the bamboo category.
In the early stages, Agricultural Affairs players had the drawback of only being able to engage in positional and defensive battles, requiring prior deployment, as plants could not move.
However, after reaching the Gathered Essence Fifth Level, this concern would vanish.
Because they could 'cultivate in the Dantian', opening up a small area of pure vital soil, equivalent to a mobile reserve base.
When encountering enemies, they could perform 'pure vital projection' in the real world, allowing plants to appear in a certain location, taking root in reality, and essentially enabling instant deployment.
With a wave of the hand, a vast army of plants could be summoned!
As for the later revival version, it involved direct cultivation in the inner landscape, possessing even more miraculous plants, and could even take root in the void, completely free from the constraints of terrain and environmental influences. That would be the most powerful era for the Agricultural Affairs Bureau…
"How nostalgic. I wonder if I can live to see that time."
"The Fortune Dynasty system allows emperors to live up to a thousand years, while the longest-lived officials were from the Yin Dynasty, like Peng Zu, who lived for eight hundred years."
"This limitation was later broken by Emperor Wu, where officials lived longer than emperors, while emperors' lifespans became shorter, as the dynasty began to decline, and everyone was 'stealing fortune to survive'."
Zhao Xing counted on his fingers: "I must borrow from the Fortune Dynasty system to extend my life; only then can I hope to reach the revival era. Emperor Jing, Emperor Wu, and then fifteen more emperors—if I can survive the Wu Dynasty, the rest will be short-lived emperors."
"Each dynasty averages only a little over a hundred years… By then, extending life will be much easier. I am a vigorous Agricultural Affairs player; outliving those short-lived ones shouldn't be a problem."
"The hardest part is the Jing Emperor's dynasty. Not only is he a diligent emperor, but he is also stingy, very reluctant to grant officials longevity, while Emperor Wu is generous, often waving his hand to grant a general full longevity…"
Lost in thought for a moment, Zhao Xing continued reading, his current goal still being to change professions.
[You are reading the "Great View Wood Classic", comprehending the spell 'Five Elements Observation'.]
[Five Elements Observation: Initial Level Spell]
[Proficiency: 1/9999]
[Effect: Use the principles of the Five Elements to discern the vitality of plants.]
"Wow, my luck is really good; another practical spell." Zhao Xing's mind filled with the knowledge of the spell, mysterious and profound.
The world is filled with countless exotic flowers and plants, and throughout history, Agricultural Affairs practitioners have not been able to exhaust all of them, as many things remain unrecorded.
Five Elements Observation is akin to a high-level detection technique for the Agricultural Affairs profession.
If one encounters an unknown plant, they can observe its internal vitality from a distance and use the principles of the Five Elements to discern its utility.
When combined with other spells, one can accurately judge its properties.
Agricultural Affairs players also possess many other identification skills, such as [Body Melting Identification Technique].
By cutting off a small part and tasting it personally, using the body as a furnace, one can experience the specific effects in greater detail.
However, this spell skill can be quite treacherous; many Agricultural Affairs players have suffered severe poisoning, and Zhao Xing often sees complaints on forums about individuals being poisoned by certain herbs.
"With this, the Divine Farmer no longer needs to taste a hundred herbs; just observing is enough."
Having gained two practical spells in succession, Zhao Xing felt quite pleased.
Even though it was already past the hour of the Rat, he remained diligently reading.
The texts issued by the court carried certain miraculous powers that could aid in comprehension of spells, with each book typically allowing for two insights.
After two insights, they would lose their miraculous effects and only serve to solidify the knowledge of the spells already comprehended.
Time passed, but Zhao Xing was completely unaware, immersed in a wondrous feeling.
Though the miraculous power of the texts was weak, it occasionally sparked moments of 'enlightenment'—a fleeting sensation, like a shooting star, but capturing it brought immense satisfaction.
"Cock-a-doodle-doo~" Outside, a rooster crowed, and the oil lamp had long since extinguished. Zhao Xing lifted his head to take a glance, only to find that dawn was approaching, and the faint glow from the texts had completely vanished.
"What a fruitful night; with the Dao Embryo Pill and the second layer of Fortune enhancement, I actually managed to gain such insights from this standard text."
Zhao Xing glanced at the interface.
(End of Chapter)