Chapter 20: Bright Eyes Night Vision, Observing Objects Through the Five Elements

The lamp flickered as Zhao Xing stared at the pages of his book, his vision slowly brightening. What he initially thought was a normal fluctuation intensified, the light growing steadily stronger until, at a certain moment, it became as bright as broad daylight.

"Huh?" Zhao Xing raised his head, put down the book, and scanned his surroundings. He noticed it wasn't dawn outside; it was still the dead of night. The almanac confirmed it was midnight, with no unusual occurrences. A glance at the panel record brought sudden understanding.

You read "Classic of Herbal Medicine" at night, and spiritual energy entered your eyes, allowing you to comprehend the spell 'Clear Sight Night Vision'.

Clear Sight Night Vision: Entry-level spellProficiency: 20/9999Effect: See objects at night, gaze up to a thousand meters.

"To think I'd acquire a common spell like this." Zhao Xing smiled faintly. He hadn't expected to gain something so quickly, and a very practical skill at that. "However, I'm not far from the third stage of Core Convergence, so it's about time I acquired this spell."

Clear Sight Night Vision is an adaptive spell that can be used both passively and actively, adjusting to environmental changes. It's a standard ability for those in the Ninth Grade, and even unranked individuals have a chance to acquire it. Martial artists, whose spiritual energy primarily strengthens their physique, gain it most easily, often at the first stage of Core Convergence. Farmers, however, acquire it a bit later.

"It's highly practical," Zhao Xing mused. "Later, it can advance to 'Discern All Details,' which allows one to perceive even the most subtle movements, spiritual energy fluctuations, and even grasp a person's psychological state. However, this only applies to individuals with a lower cultivation level than oneself." For those at the same or higher cultivation levels, their spiritual energy is so perfectly integrated that it can be locked to prevent any outward leakage, making detection difficult. Capturing their psychological activities becomes even harder. "Even more potent is the 'Bright Mirror Interrogation' spell of the Sikou (Judicial Officer) profession, which is exceptionally effective for interrogating criminals."

With Clear Sight Night Vision, reading became much more convenient for Zhao Xing. He continued to study the "Classic of Herbal Medicine," "Great View of Woods," and "Compendium of a Hundred Herbs." For the Farmer profession, the ultimate goal is crop cultivation. These three books introduce and categorize plants throughout the world. By function, they can be classified into medicinal, edible, and animal-feed categories. They are also divided into categories such as 'Family,' 'Class,' 'Lineage,' 'Phylum,' and 'Species.'

For instance, a page in the "Classic of Herbal Medicine" mentioned a wondrous plant named 'Selaginella', also known as 'Resurrection Grass,' which could heal damage to the soul and was categorized under the herbaceous class. Turning a page, Zhao Xing saw another familiar name.

"Under the Mushroom Family," he read, "it details a plant called the 'Chameleon Mushroom,' found on a peculiar mountain in Mingdao State. This mushroom can change color to blend with its environment. When touched, it explodes, releasing a toxic gas that can cause blindness, poisoning, and unconsciousness, and in severe cases, death."

In his past life, Zhao Xing had cultivated many Chameleon Mushrooms. They grew quickly, were easy to maintain, inexpensive, and quite effective. They were practically a must-grow for Farmer players looking to set traps for others. Species are categorized as native (naturally occurring) and derived (artificially cultivated). Plants are also classified by elemental attributes like the Five Elements, Wind, and Thunder, such as the 'Purple Lightning Bamboo' Zhao Xing cultivated in his past life. Associated with the Thunder element, its bamboo segments could launch purple lightning attacks, making it one of the more potent offensive plants in the bamboo family.

In the early stages, Farmer players were limited to positional and defensive battles, requiring advance deployment, as plants could not move. However, once Core Convergence reached the fiftieth stage, this limitation vanished. This was due to 'Dantian Cultivation,' which allowed them to create a small patch of pure elemental soil within their Dantian, essentially a mobile reserve base. When facing enemies, they could project 'Pure Elemental Constructs' into the real world, causing plants to instantly appear at a chosen location and take root, effectively allowing for immediate deployment. With a wave of a hand, a vast army of plants appears!

In later revival versions, cultivators could directly breed seeds within their inner realms, gaining access to more wondrous plants that could even take root in the void, completely free from terrain and environmental constraints. That marked the pinnacle of power for True Self Farmers...

"How I miss it. I wonder if I can live until then."

"In the Destiny Dynasty system, emperors live for a maximum of a thousand years. The longest-lived official was Peng Zu of the Yin Dynasty, who lived for eight hundred years." "This restriction was later broken by Emperor Wu, after which officials often outlived emperors, whose lifespans grew increasingly shorter. This was because the dynasty began its decline, and everyone was siphoning off destiny for survival."

Zhao Xing tapped his fingers, calculating. "I must extend my lifespan through the Destiny Dynasty system if I hope to reach the future era of revival. After Emperor Jing and Emperor Wu, there are fifteen more emperors. As long as I can survive past Emperor Wu's reign, all subsequent emperors will be short-lived." "Each dynasty averaged just over a century... extending my lifespan would be much easier then. As a Farmer with vigorous vitality, it shouldn't be difficult to outlast those short-lived rulers."

"The most challenging era will be Emperor Jing's reign. He was not only a diligent emperor but also incredibly frugal, especially stingy with granting lifespan extensions to officials. Emperor Wu, on the other hand, was generous, often granting full extensions to generals with a mere wave of his hand..."

After a momentary distraction, Zhao Xing continued reading. His immediate goal was still to change professions.

***

You read "Great View of Woods Classic" at night, and comprehended the spell 'Five Elements Observation'.

Five Elements Observation: Entry-level spellProficiency: 1/9999Effect: Identify the vitality of plants and trees using the principles of the Five Elements.

"Oh, my luck is truly excellent! Another practical spell," Zhao Xing exclaimed as profound spell knowledge surfaced in his mind.

The world holds countless exotic flora, and even the Farmers of previous dynasties have not been able to document them all; many remain unrecorded. Five Elements Observation is equivalent to an advanced detection spell for the Farmer profession. Assuming one encounters an unknown plant, one can observe its internal vitality from a distance, using the principles of the Five Elements to discern its effects. Coupled with other spells, one can generally make an accurate judgment.

Farmer players also have many other identification skills, such as the Physical Assimilation Identification Method. This involves cutting off a small piece and personally tasting it, using one's body as a crucible to meticulously experience its specific effects. However, this skill is quite treacherous. Many Farmer players were terribly poisoned, and Zhao Xing often saw complaints on forums about individuals being poisoned to death by certain herbs.

"With this, Shennong doesn't need to taste a hundred herbs; observing them is enough."

Having consecutively gained two practical spells, Zhao Xing was in a very cheerful mood. Even though it was already past midnight, he continued reading diligently. The classics issued by the imperial court inherently possessed magical properties that aided in spell comprehension. A single book could typically be used for comprehension twice. After two times, they lose their magical efficacy and only serve to consolidate already comprehended spell knowledge.

***

Time flowed by, but Zhao Xing was completely unaware, fully immersed in a wondrous sensation. Although the magical power within the texts was subtle, it occasionally granted him 'flashes of insight.' This was the feeling of 'enlightenment,' fleeting like a meteor, but incredibly satisfying if grasped.

"Cock-a-doodle-doo!" The rooster crowed outside. The oil lamp had long since burned out. Zhao Xing, sensing the passage of time, looked up to find dawn approaching, and the faint glow emanating from the classics had entirely vanished.

"Tonight has been incredibly fruitful. With the Dao Embryo Pill and the blessing of the Derived Twofold Destiny, I've managed to gain so much even from these standard classics."

Zhao Xing glanced at his panel.