Liu Yi spent a day compiling the knowledge from his past life and the results of his own deductions into an "encyclopedia of life," then uploaded it to the System Mall for free.
Afterward, he posted a task in the Mission Hall:
"To promote world development and improve people's livelihoods, we are now soliciting all kinds of innovative inventions.
Any achievement that actively promotes public welfare will be rewarded with 1 million to 100 million energy points, with the specific amount determined by the actual results."
The reason for setting such a high reward was to attract more people to devote themselves to research.
After all, under heavy rewards, there must be brave men; as long as the benefits are enticing enough, people can burst forth with amazing potential.
Sure enough, as soon as the task was released, it was like a giant stone thrown into a deep pool, causing a thousand ripples on the Forum.
Instantly, this task dominated the top of the trending list, and the comment section boiled over.
"Good heavens! This reward amount is simply ridiculous! The key is that there are no field restrictions; as long as you produce results, you can get a prize. Who could resist this!"
"Heaven never cuts off all paths! If an old craftsman like me can tinker with a new invention, I won't have to worry about food or clothing for the rest of my life!"
"What a coincidence! I've been farming for half my life and was just worrying about having no way to earn energy points!
That free 'encyclopedia of life' in the mall is full of novel ideas. Combined with my experience, I might actually be able to figure something out!"
"I really didn't expect the System to release this kind of task. I also plan to test the waters. If I succeed, I won't have to worry about the rest of my life! It might even be possible to Cultivate and achieve Immortal Ascension."
The lines in the comment section were filled with uncontrollable excitement and eager ambition... At this moment, Shennong Sect Elder Wen Ziqian was traveling the world with his Disciples Zhou Yuan and Shen Zhixia.
When they arrived at Changling County, the scene before them startled the Master and his two Disciples.
Full of curiosity, Shen Zhixia was the first to break the silence. "Master, this Changling County is so strange. Everyone on the streets seems to possess martial arts."
Zhou Yuan also frowned, his heart full of confusion. "I also find it peculiar. Along the way, I haven't seen a single beggar, and we haven't even encountered any Mountain Bandits. It's a picture of peace and tranquility."
"On the contrary, those wealthy people are shouting at the top of their lungs, offering high prices for energy points. Master, do you know what these energy points actually are?"
He paused, lowering his voice slightly. "Furthermore, there are many Martial Artists here, and many have cultivation levels even higher than mine. Is the Jianghu truly such a place of hidden dragons and crouching tigers? And then there's that System..."
Before he could finish, Shen Zhixia asked impatiently, "That's right, Master! Everyone on the street is talking about the System. Do you know what kind of Divine Artifact it is?"
Wen Ziqian was completely bewildered, so he could only act profound, stroking his beard and musing, "All phenomena in the world hide profound mysteries. Observe and realize as you go, and you will naturally see the Dao."
Before his voice had even faded, a scene in the fields caused his pupils to shrink suddenly.
Several farmers were swinging their hoes as if they were flying. In the blink of an eye, they had finished tilling a large area of land, shattering the soil and scattering it into the field.
Others tapped their feet on the ridges, their figures light as if walking on waves, their rice-planting movements as fast as phantoms.
Or, like a heavenly maiden scattering flowers, they precisely inserted the seedlings into the field.
"How is this possible? Am I seeing things? Farming can be done like this? We in the Shennong Sect have researched planting for so long, yet we've never seen such a scene!"
Zhou Yuan and Shen Zhixia widened their eyes, their faces filled with shock, completely unable to believe the scene before them.
In their understanding, once Jianghu Martial Artists gained skills, most would choose to become house guards or Escorts.
After all, they could earn much more money that way than by farming; very few were willing to settle down as farmers.
Yet at this moment, they saw a group of people with no weak martial arts skills—some had even reached the Xiantian Realm—actually busy farming in the fields.
Their Shennong Sect was already considered a special existence in the Jianghu, mostly researching the planting of medicinal herbs on a daily basis.
Even so, rough work like tilling the land was always left to the newly joined Disciples.
Who could have imagined that Xiantian experts would personally go down to the fields to work?
This scene completely shattered their inherent perceptions.
Wen Ziqian's exclamation just now brought the dazed Zhou Yuan and Shen Zhixia back to their senses.
The two looked at each other, their faces full of disbelief.
Shen Zhixia murmured, "Senior Brother, are we seeing things? What we just saw couldn't be real, right?"
Zhou Yuan rubbed his eyes, but the scene before him remained unchanged. He said helplessly:
"I also hope I'm mistaken, but Master saw it too. Since all three of us saw it, it must be true."
Hearing his Disciples' words, Wen Ziqian realized he had lost his composure and coughed awkwardly.
"Come, let's go over and ask what's going on."
Wen Ziqian walked toward a simple and honest middle-aged man with a restrained aura and a Xiantian Realm cultivation, unable to resist asking curiously:
"My friend, you possess such high martial arts skills. Why are you still willing to be a farmer here?"
"Huh? Are you talking to me?" The middle-aged man, Wang Tie, looked surprised, and the farm tool in his hand almost slipped.
Seeing Wen Ziqian nod in confirmation, he gave a simple smile. "You've misunderstood. I'm not a person of the Jianghu; I'm just a crop-growing Peasant."
These words left Wen Ziqian and his Disciples completely incredulous.
Clearly possessing martial arts, yet claiming to be an ordinary farmer?
Wasn't this just lying through his teeth?
Wen Ziqian frowned, stepped forward, and reached out to grab the man's shoulder, intending to lift him up to test him.
But when he applied force, he found that the other party didn't budge an inch.
He immediately circulated his Grandmaster-level cultivation and increased his strength.
Feeling the force on his shoulder, Wang Tie thought the other party wanted to compare strength. He grinned and circulated the force-exerting technique he had learned from the Martial Canon, and his whole body suddenly jolted.
A majestic force erupted, sending Wen Ziqian flying backward.
"How is this possible?"
Wen Ziqian stabilized himself and stared at Wang Tie in disbelief.
He had just exerted his Grandmaster-level cultivation, yet not only could he not move the other party at all, but he was also sent flying by a majestic force.
The other party was clearly only in the Xiantian Realm, a whole major Realm below him.
Could it be that the other party had hidden his cultivation and was not in the Xiantian Realm, but was actually a Great Grandmaster or a Martial Artist of the Celestial Being Realm?
Wang Tie stepped forward with a nervous expression and asked, "Are you okay? You weren't hurt just now, were you?"
Wen Ziqian came back to his senses and hurriedly asked, "You're really not a person of the Jianghu? Then where did you get this martial arts skill?"
Wang Tie smiled honestly and scratched his head as he explained, "I'm really not from the Jianghu. These martial arts were all learned from the System. I've only been Cultivating for a few months."
"Since learning these martial arts, farming has become much easier for me."
"You guys must be from out of town, right?"
Wen Ziqian asked curiously, "What exactly is the System? I've heard people mention it all along the way, but I just can't figure it out."
Wang Tie instinctively said, "The System is the System."
Only after the words were out did he realize that these three people hadn't encountered the System yet.
Thinking that helping them bind to the System could earn him 300 energy points, he immediately perked up:
"I have a system seed here. You'll understand once you've bound to the System."
"We can also have the System?" Wen Ziqian asked in surprise.
"Of course! As long as you can pass the System's approval."
As he spoke, Wang Tie exchanged for a system seed from the System Mall and handed it to Wen Ziqian.