In the vast, boundless plains of the northeastern Huang Kingdom.
Before the advent of mystery, this was the granary of the East Huang Kingdom, yielding countless harvests. However, with the arrival of the Grey Fog tide, the East Huang initiated a mass migration of its entire populace, and these fertile farmlands were consequently abandoned.
In just a few short months, they became overgrown with weeds. Clumps of black plants swayed in the wind throughout the fields, resembling withered arms sprouting from the earth.
"These are Black Hand Shrubs, a type of mysterious plant. Their utility value is extremely low, and they are also aggressive..."
Liu Shang, dressed in a flowing cyan floral dress, walked slowly through the fields.
Her attire was ill-suited for fieldwork, giving the impression of a young lady from a sheltered background seeking an experiential adventure. Yet, as she stepped onto the cluttered land, the plants parted as if commanded by a soldier, the ground smoothed and firmed beneath her feet, forming a neat path wide enough for two to walk abreast.
However, a few meters away, a peculiar Black Hand Shrub lunged towards her with bared branches, its movements like withered arms.
It was like a hand from hell, reaching out to drag a person into the abyss.
Liu Shang playfully toyed with the Black Hand Shrub and continued, "Black Hand Shrubs are aggressive towards all living beings, and these plants, while not covering every mountain and plain, are found everywhere."
"Based on my research during this period, I've discovered that these 'Black Hand Shrubs' are not normal plants but a residual influence of the Red Moon Calamity, a form of toxic vegetation."
Hearing this, Fang You frowned slightly.
He hadn't expected that even after such a long time since the Red Moon Calamity, its impact would still linger so deeply, not just here, but across the world, be it Black Hand Shrubs or similar poisonous flora.
Even though this area was already designated as a 'low-risk zone,' these plants showed no sign of self-diminishment; instead, they continued to propagate and grow.
"Is there no way to purify them on a large scale?"
Liu Shang shook her head.
"These are not aberrations; they are fundamentally still plants. They can only be cleared one by one. The only good news is that these Black Hand Shrubs are not strong. A robust ordinary person with a sharp weapon can eliminate them, and an awakened individual would be even more efficient."
With all the base cities now established and no longer requiring population migration, Blue Star currently had a sufficient supply of awakened power.
Especially low-level awakened individuals, who were perfectly suited for such tasks. The grey fog zones also required organized personnel to clear aberrations one by one, and while they were at it, they could also clear these Black Hand Shrubs... Well, upon reflection, it wouldn't require much additional manpower.
No need to add new tasks; they could simply edit the existing ones.
With this thought, Fang You asked, "What's the situation in the agricultural sector?"
"That's progressing quite smoothly. I've improved some seeds to make them more adaptable to Blue Star's current soil conditions, and I've conducted these... these... and these control experiments."
"I've also discovered that the fertility of Blue Star's soil is rapidly increasing. Some areas can now support the cultivation of low to mid-tier mysterious crops, evidenced by..."
When discussing her professional domain, Liu Shang's words seemed to flow endlessly. Her earnest demeanor while researching and working was captivating.
However, Fang You couldn't understand any of it!
He recognized all the words, but when put together, they were like an ancient script. Liu Shang's gentle and sweet voice, upon reaching his ears, sounded like a cacophony of demonic sounds, no less impactful than the mental assault of aberrations.
Yet, seeing Liu Shang's serious expression, Fang You couldn't bring himself to interrupt.
One couldn't dampen an employee's enthusiasm.
As she spoke earnestly and he listened with what approximated earnestness, they slowly walked into the agricultural sector.
The agricultural sector was not yet extensive at this time, merely a safe area carved out from the grey fog zone, with hundreds of mu of experimental fields being cultivated.
It had been a short time, and the season was not yet suitable for sowing, but lush green sprouts were already growing on these fertile plots.
Fang You gazed at them, a smile as wide as an old farmer's spreading across his face.
"Firstly, the soil fertility is continuously improving; secondly, Liu Shang has improved crop seeds, making them more adaptable to the environment and increasing yields; thirdly, Liu Shang has transplanted some branches from the 'Idora Tree of Life'."
The Idora Tree of Life possessed the function of 'prosperity.' However, this crimson-grade divine tree was still young, its functional radiation range limited. Thus, Liu Shang found an alternative by transplanting some of its branches.
These also provided an amplification effect. Although a significantly weakened version, the amplification effect was still immediate for ordinary crops.
"Once these agricultural zones are truly established, Blue Star will be able to produce a massive amount of grain."
And grain, among the oases, was a highly stable hard currency.
Moreover, Blue Star was undergoing sublimation, and in the future, it would be able to cultivate large quantities of mysterious crops – low-tier crops grown outside and mid to high-tier crops within the secret realms.
In the future, farming would undoubtedly be the pillar industry of Blue Star!
Thinking of this, Fang You felt a surge of excitement. The future was bright, and for now, more laborers were needed to work together to create a "white" (prosperous) tomorrow for Blue Star.
...
...
The Blue Star World.
The world's repulsion force had intensified, forcing many high-level oasis factions to disconnect. However, this instead increased the confidence of the oasis factions in Blue Star, believing that Blue Star could persist for a longer duration.
Consequently, the oasis factions doubled down, dispatching more personnel to Blue Star to vie for this massive market.
Prior to this, the standard for envoys from major oases was the cream of the crop among triple-awakened individuals, absolute elites with the potential to become non-human quadruple-awakened beings. But with increased deployments, there naturally weren't as many elites to assign. Given Blue Star's current world repulsion, dispatching triple-awakened elites also incurred greater costs.
The oases then shifted to dispatching minor double-awakened elites.
Led by one or two triple-awakened individuals, accompanied by a dozen or so minor double-awakened elites, or specialists in other fields, they entered Blue Star. For the major oases, this was not a significant investment.
Strong individuals beyond the quadruple-awakened were difficult to arrange, but minor double-awakened individuals were abundant. Even if they all perished in an accident, the oasis leadership would not feel a twinge of regret.
The number of visitors from the oases within the Blue Star world gradually increased. Shui Ze Base City, in particular, had become a grand metropolis where people from various realms converged, attracting the most individuals from the oases.
At this moment,
The Sword Blossom City outpost,
After assigning tasks to their double-awakened subordinates, a few triple-awakened squad leaders relaxed, lounging on soft sofas, sipping on sugary sodas, and scrolling through short videos on their phones, enjoying themselves immensely.
"Even setting aside power, this Blue Star is a rare sanctuary for entertainment."
"Isn't it? But without the protection of power, this sanctuary for entertainment and delicacies would hardly be preserved."
"Heh heh, it's fortunate we arrived before Blue Star underwent its changes. Otherwise, entering Blue Star wouldn't be so easy, and the quota might not have fallen to us."
When the repulsion and suppression forces of the Blue Star world first intensified, these three Sword Blossom awakened individuals found it quite difficult.
However, due to a request from the dean, they were compelled to remain and represent Sword Blossom in its cooperation with Blue Star. As they stayed, after a few days, they found themselves gradually adapting. Apart from some suppression of their power, they didn't find it too uncomfortable.
Power suppression? They could consider it as additional training.
In contrast, the living standards on Blue Star were truly exceptional.
Delicious food, abundant entertainment – they were almost reluctant to leave.
"But this kind of life is a bit too decadent. We are elites of Sword Blossom City, representing the image of Sword Blossom. We should still make time for cultivation... Tomorrow, we'll start exercising tomorrow!"
An elite from the 'Sword Academy,' though reluctant to part with his sugary soda and mobile games, felt a pang of guilt for this decadent lifestyle. After much hesitation, he finally made a resolution.
Tomorrow, he would definitely start!
The elite from the War Song Academy, wearing headphones, was displeased upon hearing this.
Why exercise? Why engage in internal competition? Isn't having fun together much more enjoyable?
"Our presence on Blue Star is our duty. Why train? Besides, no matter how much we train, we have no hope of reaching the non-human level. Since that's the case, why not spend our precious time enjoying ourselves? We don't know how long we'll be able to stay on Blue Star."
Saying this, the War Song elite picked up a bottle of sugary soda and chugged it down with a satisfied sigh.
The Sword Academy elite fell silent.
He knew that his companion wasn't making excuses; he was speaking the truth.
There were disparities among Sword Blossom elites. Only a very few direct descendants of great noble families, or top elites like Meidisha who had obtained envoy qualifications and descended into various worlds, had any hope of breaking through to the quadruple-awakening.
As for them? They lacked the resources for a quadruple-awakening ritual. Even if they had them, the chances of advancing to quadruple-awakening were slim, and failure could result in severe sequelae, leaving their future lives precarious.
Because of this, they had long since resigned themselves to their fate.
"Our previous cultivation wasn't in vain. It's precisely because of our past diligent efforts that we can enjoy life now, isn't it? If I had even a sliver of a chance at quadruple-awakening, I would grit my teeth and give it a try, but that's not the case."
The Sword Academy fellow wavered.
Perhaps they could have a few more days of enjoyment? Just a few days.
"Oh, right, where is Senior Meidisha...?"
He had intended to say "junior sister," as Meidisha was younger than all three of them. However, considering Meidisha's current strength and status, he quickly corrected himself.
Upon hearing his question, an elite from the Rose Academy, who was lying nearby with a facial mask on, replied, "Senior sister must have gone out to cultivate. As you know, senior sister is different from us. Not only is she a non-human quadruple-awakened, but the dean also said she has a high chance of reaching the six-awakened throne. Naturally, she has to cultivate diligently."
"Sigh, I'm so envious."
"Me too."
"Who isn't?"
The Rose elite said, then suddenly seemed to recall something, "Oh right, senior sister Meidisha left us a few special mobile phones, saying they were... mission phones. We can accept some Blue Star missions from them, and she said the rewards are generous, enough to exchange for many treasures that are hard to obtain even in our Sword Blossom City."
Although she said so, none of the three had paid much attention before.
They were already resigned to their fate, not even cultivating, let alone working for Blue Star?
Besides,
They were elites of Sword Blossom City, representing the prestige of Sword Blossom. This made working for others absolutely out of the question.
Absolutely impossible!
"But, senior sister Meidisha seems to have accepted orders on them before?"
"Uh... Senior sister must have her reasons for doing so. Perhaps she's assessing Blue Star's capabilities. Yes, that must be it. Senior sister Meidisha is just too serious. Unlike us..."
The War Song elite shook his head and sighed.
The Sword Academy elite, 'Ji Hui,' was the strongest of the three and still harbored some aspirations for improvement. Meidisha, hailed as the 'Flower of Sword Blossom's Future,' seemed to have become even more extraordinary on Blue Star. With this thought, Ji Hui searched and finally found the mission phone that had been tossed aside in a corner.
He took out the charging cable, plugged it in, and after waiting for a while, pressed and held the power button.
Soon, a rather monochromatic phone interface appeared before him.
There were only two apps.
One was for receiving missions.
One was for purchasing goods.
Ji Hui clicked on them one by one, and after a long time...
Seeing him staring at the mission phone for a long time, the War Song elite and the Rose elite looked at each other in confusion.
"Senior Ji Hui, what's wrong?"
"You guys take a look at the mission phone, quickly!"
"Oh, oh, why are you shouting like that..."
The two plugged in the phone and fumbled with it for a while, and a strange silence fell over the office.
It was the Rose elite who finally spoke.
"Senior Ji Hui, are the exchange items on here real?"
"They should be. Don't you remember the few vials of potions senior sister Meidisha gave us recently? She probably bought them from here."
Ji Hui paused, "Most of the items on here aren't actually rare. It's just that some of the precious ones we don't have access to, or rather, we don't have the qualifications to purchase in Sword Blossom, but it seems there's an opportunity on Blue Star?"
"Moreover, I've compared the mission rewards with the exchange prices and found that many of the items here aren't expensive. No, in fact, they're quite cheap!"
"Take this 'Blood Snake Body Tempering Bath Set,' for example. A set can be used for half a month, and if we take on some high-reward missions, with a little effort, we can save up the price for this set in half a month!"
The Blood Serpent Body Tempering Bath was not unfamiliar to Sword Blossom elites.
Sword Blossom City had it. The formula for this bath was simple and circulated among various oases. However, the main ingredient, the 'Blood Serpent Fruit,' was a high-tier material, rare and difficult to obtain. Their Sword Blossom had three Blood Serpent Fruit trees planted in their park, but even so, Blood Serpent Fruits were in short supply, and the yield was too low. It was a luxury enjoyed only by the descendants of important figures and great nobles.
They had no qualification to buy it, nor could they afford it.
But on Blue Star...
"If I can soak in the Blood Serpent Bath for two months, my physical fitness will definitely improve significantly, and the chance of advancing to quadruple-awakening will also... At that point, I might even be able to compete for an awakening spot."
"Two months, four sets of the bath, I think I can do it too!"
"And this Blood Serpent Body Tempering Bath isn't even the most precious treasure in the store; there are even more potent ones!"
Gulp~
Someone, perhaps, swallowed audibly. The three exchanged glances and fell into a sudden silence.
They were elites of major oases.
"The elites of Blue Star are no less capable than us."
Yet, they still felt a sense of embarrassment.
"Even senior sister Meidisha has worked before. Perhaps it was by working on Blue Star that she coincidentally broke through to quadruple-awakening."
But they represented Sword Blossom City.
"Blue Star is a terrifying world with mythical-level combat power. We can't judge it as a newly emerging world. If you think about it carefully, working for such a powerful figure isn't inappropriate; it's quite glorious!
"Whether you go or not, I'm going to start working."
"Senior Ji Hui, take me with you. I'm going too."
The Rose elite was the second to declare.
The War Song elite picked up his sugary soda, chugged it down, and then slammed it heavily on the table.
"Go, go, go! Who says I'm not going!"
The three exchanged glances, their eyes ablaze with passion.
...
...
"Flight to Agricultural Zone No. 36 is about to depart. Flight to No. 36... Passengers who have not yet boarded, please proceed to the boarding gate."
The airport terminal was bustling with activity.
There were those taking flights to other base cities, but more were workers preparing to head to low-risk zones, including not only awakened individuals but also a considerable number of ordinary people.
A father, his skin tanned dark, crouched down and patted his son's head, looking at his child and wife.
"Don't worry, the No. 36 Agricultural Zone I'm going to is very safe. Didn't you see on TV? The soldiers at the front lines have already cleared all the aberrations there, and there are patrols on duty 24 hours a day."
"When I return from the agricultural zone, I'll definitely enroll you in a basic martial arts class. Dad hopes you can become a strong and upright individual in the future."
"You don't need to see me off. When I come back, I'll ensure you all have a good life."
Agricultural zones require many ordinary people to cultivate the land, as well as a number of awakened individuals for guard duty and further exploration.
The three elites from Sword Blossom, Ji Hui, were accepting tasks for the exploration of low-risk zones.
These types of tasks offered the highest rewards, but naturally, they also carried greater risks.
The three did not impulsively accept the tasks. Instead, they carefully read the mission descriptions and scoured numerous guides online before teaming up to accept a mission to clear aberrations in a specific area.
"This low-risk zone, according to the description, has a relatively low frequency of aberration spawning, approximately in the second stage of erosion. However, due to previous infiltration by a significant number of aberrations, there are still quite a few Calamity-grade aberrations within the explored areas of the low-risk zone."
"Well, we're certainly not capable of dealing with these terrifying aberrations, but we don't need to worry too much. Blue Star seems to have a very sophisticated aberration detection technology, allowing us to bypass these dangerous areas. We only need to deal with aberrations below the Calamity grade."
Before them, many Blue Star elites had already undertaken similar missions.
The safety was guaranteed. As long as they remained cautious and careful during the mission and did not stray into unauthorized areas, they would typically not encounter insurmountable dangers.
"Low risk, high reward. Blue Star's benefits are too good!"
"No wonder senior sister Meidisha specifically gave us three mission phones. Heh heh, accepting these missions is pure profit. A few more missions and we can buy the Blood Serpent Bath!"
"Perhaps Blue Star is in a phase of rapid development, which is why the missions offer such generous rewards. There probably won't be any like this in the future."
With this thought, the three became even more determined to give it a shot.
Taking advantage of this period, they would take on more orders and work more, striving to accumulate all the resources needed for cultivation in one go. Perhaps they could truly compete for quadruple-awakening.
As for working for others being embarrassing? Not at all. They were essentially "fleecing" Blue Star! The mentor who provided these benefits to Blue Star's own people probably never imagined they would intercept some of them.
They were making a fortune!
"We need to keep a low profile, earn money discreetly, and not let the people of Blue Star discover us."
"Senior Ji Hui is right."
"Moreover, we're secretly slacking off work to earn extra cash, so we need to be even more low-key."
Therefore, the three did not wear their opulent Sword Blossom attire. Instead, they purchased some generic-style Blue Star combat suits from the awakened individual market. Dressed in them now, they looked no different from the other aberration hunters boarding the plane, completely blending in.
Perfect.
Their journey to earn extra income began today, and a "white" tomorrow awaited them.
Seated in the cabin, listening to the boisterous conversations of the aberration hunters and dreaming of their futures, the three couldn't help but smile.
Suddenly,
The War Song elite nudged his chin, subtly pointing at someone in the distance.
"Don't you find that person somewhat familiar?"
"I feel like I've seen them before."
As they whispered, the person in the distance happened to turn their head. Their eyes met.
This person was none other than the envoy from the Blazing Sun Great Oasis!
They had met him once when discussing business.
Noticing the surprise on the Blazing Sun envoy's face, the three also felt a bit awkward. They had just spoken about keeping a low profile, and now they had been recognized.
Wait, why was the Blazing Sun envoy here? This flight was carrying only people going to the exploration areas to work, right?
And they were wearing generic combat suits, similar to theirs.
The Sword Blossom trio suddenly understood.
The Blazing Sun envoy paused for a few seconds, his gaze sweeping over them. He also seemed to realize something.
"So you (all) are working too!" x4