Chapter 20: Clear Vision at Night, Five Elements Perception
The flickering light illuminated Zhao Xing as he stared at the dimming book, his vision gradually becoming clearer.
Initially, he thought it was just a normal fluctuation, but the brightness became stronger and stronger until it resembled broad daylight.
"Huh?" Zhao Xing raised his head, set down the book, and scanned his surroundings.
He found that it was still deep in the night outside. The almanac showed it was still the hour of the Rat, with no significant changes.
Looking again at the panel record, he suddenly realized.
【You read "The Herbal Classic" at night. The Qi entered your eyes, and you comprehended the spell ‘Clear Vision at Night’.】
【Clear Vision at Night: Basic spell】
【Proficiency: 20/9999】
【Effect: See clearly at night and observe up to a kilometer away.】
"A general-purpose spell, and I actually unlocked it."
Zhao Xing smiled slightly. He didn't expect to gain something so useful after just a short reading session.
"I'm also close to advancing in Gathering Essence, so it’s about time to acquire this spell."
Clear Vision at Night was an adaptive spell, both passive and actively usable, adjusting to the surrounding environment.
Those in the Ninth Rank typically had this as a standard ability, and even unranked individuals had a chance to gain it. It was most easily acquired by warriors, as they enhanced their physique with Qi, while those in the Agricultural profession obtained it later.
"It's very practical. Later, it can evolve into ‘Keen Sight’, which not only allows for the observation of subtle movements and Qi fluctuations but also lets one grasp the mental state of others, though it only works on those of lower cultivation levels." Zhao Xing mused.
If faced with someone of equal or higher level, their Qi would be too unified to leak out, making it difficult to detect their thoughts or emotions.
"An even stronger ability is ‘Inquiry of the Heart’, used by the Ministry of Justice to interrogate criminals."
With Clear Vision at Night, Zhao Xing found reading much more convenient.
He continued studying The Herbal Classic, The Grand View of Wood, and The Outline of All Things.
In the Agricultural profession, the ultimate goal was crop cultivation, and these three books introduced and classified plants from the heavens and earth.
They categorized plants by use: medicinal, edible, or for livestock.
There were further classifications like family, order, class, phylum, and species.
For instance, Zhao Xing read a page in The Herbal Classic about a miraculous plant called 'Selaginella', also known as the "Resurrection Grass", which could heal damage to the soul and was categorized under the herbaceous class.
Turning another page, Zhao Xing saw a familiar name.
"In the mushroom family, it mentions a plant from a strange mountain in Mingdao Province called the 'Chameleon Mushroom', which changes color to blend into its surroundings. When touched, it explodes, releasing toxic gas that blinds, poisons, or knocks people unconscious, with severe cases leading to death."
Zhao Xing had cultivated many Chameleon Mushrooms in his previous life. They grew quickly, were easy to maintain, inexpensive, and had excellent effects, making them a must-have for any Agricultural profession player looking to play dirty.
Plants were also categorized by their origin: native (naturally existing) or derived (man-made).
There were also elemental attributes such as the Five Elements, Wind, and Thunder, like the 'Purple Lightning Bamboo' Zhao Xing had planted in his past life.
This bamboo, aligned with the element of Thunder, could fire purple lightning bolts, making it one of the strongest offensive plants in the bamboo family.
A weakness of the Agricultural profession early on was that players could only fight defensive or positional battles, needing to set up in advance, as plants couldn't move.
But once they reached the fiftieth level in Gathering Essence, this limitation disappeared.
They could then cultivate plants in their dantian, creating a small patch of pure elemental soil, effectively serving as a mobile reserve.
When encountering an enemy, they could perform a "pure essence projection," making the plants instantly take root in the real world, enabling rapid deployment.
A single wave of the hand could summon an army of plants!
In later versions of the game, players could even cultivate plants in their inner worlds, growing miraculous plants that could root in the void, completely freeing themselves from terrain and environmental limitations. That was when the Agricultural players reached their peak...
"Ah, those were the days. I wonder if I’ll live to see that era again."
"In the Fate Dynasty system, emperors lived up to a thousand years, and officials lived the longest, with Pengzu from the Yin Dynasty living 800 years."
"This limit was broken during Emperor Wu's reign. After that, officials lived longer than emperors, while emperors' lifespans gradually shortened. The dynasty was in decline, and people were stealing luck to prolong their lives."
Zhao Xing tapped his fingers and said, "I need to use the Fate Dynasty system to extend my life. Only then will I survive until the revival era. Emperor Jing, Emperor Wu, and fifteen more emperors... As long as I outlive the Wu Dynasty, the ones after that will be short-lived rulers."
"Each dynasty only lasted about a hundred years... After that, it’ll be easier to extend my life. As an Agricultural practitioner with abundant vitality, I shouldn't have any trouble outliving those short-lived emperors."
"The hardest part will be the Jing Emperor's reign. Not only is he a diligent ruler, but he’s stingy with extending the lives of officials. Emperor Wu, on the other hand, was generous, often giving generals full extensions with a single gesture..."
Drifting into thought, Zhao Xing continued reading, with his immediate goal being to change professions.
【You read The Grand View of Wood and comprehended the spell ‘Five Elements Perception’.】
【Five Elements Perception: Basic spell】
【Proficiency: 1/9999】
【Effect: Use the principles of the Five Elements to discern the vitality of plants.】
"Wow, lucky again, another practical spell." A profound spell knowledge emerged in Zhao Xing’s mind.
The world was full of countless strange plants, and even the Agricultural practitioners of past dynasties hadn’t cataloged them all.
Five Elements Perception was akin to an advanced detection spell for the Agricultural profession.
When encountering an unknown plant, one could observe its internal vitality from a distance, using the principles of the Five Elements to determine its properties.
Combined with other spells, one could make an accurate judgment.
Agricultural players also had other identification skills, such as the 【Body Fusion Identification Method】.
This involved cutting off a small piece of the plant and personally tasting it, using the body as a furnace to more finely perceive its effects.
However, this method was extremely unreliable, as many Agricultural players had poisoned themselves badly, with Zhao Xing often seeing complaints on forums about players dying from certain herbs.
"With this, there’s no need for Shennong to taste every plant; you can observe them directly."
Gaining two practical spells in a row put Zhao Xing in an excellent mood.
Even though it was past the hour of the Rat, he continued reading with tireless enthusiasm.
The imperial-issued books contained mysterious powers that could help one comprehend spells, typically allowing for two revelations per book.
After two revelations, the mystical effects would fade, leaving the book useful only for reinforcing previously learned spells.
Time passed unnoticed as Zhao Xing immersed himself in a strange and wonderful sensation.
Though the mystical power in the book was weak, it occasionally caused a brief moment of ‘insight’, like a flash of inspiration that, when grasped, brought great satisfaction.
"Cock-a-doodle-doo~" The rooster crowed outside. The oil lamp had long since burned out. Zhao Xing raised his head to see the sky brightening, and the faint glow from the book had completely disappeared.
"Quite the harvest tonight. With the Dao Embryo Pill and double fortune boosting me, I even managed to gain insights from these standard books."
Zhao Xing glanced at his panel.
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