Oh My Gosh, a Crystal Palace!

Bibi Dong narrowed her eyes and glanced sideways at Hu Liena without saying a word.

Yet the smile on her lovely, creamy-white face was already enough to exert immense pressure.

Hu Liena fell silent as a cicada in winter, swiftly wiping away her smile. She bashfully ran to Ye Tian's side and linked her arm through his sleeve. "Brother Ye Tian, didn't you say you were taking us somewhere nice? Let's hurry."

Teacher was far too scary.

Running away was the priority~

Ye Tian turned back, took Bibi Dong's hand, and chuckled. "If we're going, we have to bring my sister too."

Bibi Dong's fair face froze slightly. Her movements stalled for a moment before she allowed Ye Tian to lead her forward on her long legs.

This made Hu Liena puff out her cheeks in annoyance.

...So she was the extra one...

The "nice place" Ye Tian had mentioned was actually Butterfly Valley on the farm.

Butterfly Valley lay deep within the farm, stretching north to south as though Sea Soul Mountain had been cleaved open with a gap.

Flowers and grass flourished within it.

It was nearing evening.

Graceful butterflies flew in swarms through the air, dancing up and down in a spectacular sight.

Hu Liena followed Ye Tian into the valley, seeing it for herself.

At once, she was drawn in by the scene before her.

Yet what caught her attention was not the dancing butterflies, but a massive wooden waterwheel resembling a Ferris wheel.

The enormous waterwheel stood beside a stream. The force of the current lifted the water, sending it through a dense network of bamboo pipes toward every corner of the valley.

Beside the waterwheel stood a tall wooden tower.

Several huge blades at the top of the tower were particularly conspicuous.

A breeze swept through the valley, and the blades slowly turned.

The power they generated passed through a set of bent connecting shafts made of Iron Thorn Wood, linking to the waterwheel and becoming another source of force for its rotation.

"What is that...?" Hu Liena stared unblinkingly at the great waterwheel with her large, doll-like eyes.

She had never seen water flow upward before.

She clearly understood the principle: the water and wind drove the great waterwheel.

Yet seeing it all laid out before her still felt utterly unbelievable!

It was too marvelous!

Chen Jian, the farm manager who had silently followed behind Ye Tian and the others, pointed ahead. "This is the Waterwheel Irrigation System invented by Young Master Ye Tian. It consists of a waterwheel, windmill, and bamboo pipes that transport water."

"An irrigation system? It's used to irrigate farmland?" Hu Liena's expression shifted slightly.

Chen Jian nodded. "That's right."

"That's amazing!" Hu Liena exclaimed in surprise. "Who would have thought such a small device could carry water so far away? How much effort would that save?"

Bibi Dong looked astonished. "Coming to the farm this time, Xiao Tian, you've given me far too many surprises."

Ye Tian chuckled. "They're all simple things, nothing worth mentioning. Sister, after seeing them, you could make them too."

There truly was nothing difficult about it.

On Blue Star, the ancient and wise people of the East had long ago invented waterwheels.

He had merely had craftsmen recreate them according to his memories.

Bibi Dong shook her head. "It is indeed simple, but learning and creating have always been two different things. And the simpler something is, the greater its value."

As the Pope of Spirit Hall, Bibi Dong possessed extensive knowledge of the geography of the Douluo Continent.

Every year, much farmland across the continent became impossible to cultivate due to drought.

This was especially true in the continent's northwest, where fierce winds carried sand and rain was scarce.

The fields there were exceptionally dry, and farmers had to carry water from distant rivers to irrigate their crops.

They toiled from the beginning of the year to its end until their shoulders were nearly crushed, yet they still saw little harvest.

The people lived in hunger year-round, and starving to death was commonplace.

If those places had windmill irrigation systems, things would be different.

They could transport water from low-lying rivers to higher ground, solving the irrigation problem.

It was foreseeable that once windmills and waterwheels were promoted across the continent, tens of millions of mu of uncultivable land would become fertile fields.

This would bring immense benefits, both to the local commoners and to Spirit Hall through increased tax revenue.

Moreover, windmills and waterwheels were extremely simple to build. They did not even require professional carpenters; a few people could complete them.

Windmills could be built almost anywhere there was wind.

Wherever there were rivers, they could be fully utilized to establish waterwheel irrigation systems.

At that moment, in her eyes, the waterwheel and windmill irrigation system before her were no longer just a few simple pieces of wood. They had become rare treasures.

This made her happier than obtaining a Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring.

However, Ye Tian interrupted Bibi Dong's racing thoughts.

"What's so interesting about a windmill? At the end of the irrigation stream lies a great secret."

Ye Tian said mysteriously.

His words did not stir much emotion in Bibi Dong. Ye Tian sounded exactly like he was trying to lure a child somewhere.

She was practically immune to it.

She continued pondering just what benefits the waterwheel could bring to Spirit Hall.

If Spirit Hall fully promoted waterwheels and windmills throughout the continent, it would undoubtedly greatly increase the people's support for and trust in Spirit Hall.

That was an effect Spirit Hall could never achieve even after years of effort.

Unlike Bibi Dong, Hu Liena beside them could not remain so calm in the face of Ye Tian's tempting words.

Covering her little face, she stepped forward and asked curiously, "Brother Ye Tian, what's at the end?"

Ye Tian smiled mysteriously and pointed ahead. "Go take a look, and you'll know."

His words completely aroused Hu Liena's curiosity. She no longer even had the mind to admire the dancing butterflies.

She skipped along the water pipes made of bamboo, passing through the grass as she searched for the mysterious place Ye Tian had mentioned.

"Teacher, hurry and follow us." Hu Liena turned around and called out with a sweet smile.

Unable to refuse, Bibi Dong helplessly shook her head and followed.

Na Na had never smiled so happily before.

It seemed the environment of scheming and intrigue in Spirit City had truly been too stifling.

She had usually been somewhat too strict with Hu Liena.

They had come here to enjoy themselves today, so she should simply have fun to her heart's content. Everything else could wait, Bibi Dong thought.

As the group continued onward, the stream and windmill gradually faded into the distance.

Beside them, the bamboo pipes extending from the stream still carried the sound of babbling water.

They continued forward.

A transparent building came into view.

At the sight of it, both Bibi Dong and Hu Liena were stunned.

Hu Liena even cried out.

"Oh my gosh, is this a crystal palace? Isn't this too extravagant? Even Spirit Hall's main hall doesn't have a building this luxurious! It's truly magnificent!"

Bibi Dong's eyes were also full of reproach. "Xiao Tian, how much did this cost? Try not to make such flashy, impractical things in the future."

Hearing his sister's reprimand, Ye Tian immediately felt wronged.

It seemed his sister had truly been frightened by poverty; she could not stand the slightest waste or extravagance.

He could not help pointing at the transparent building in the distance as he explained, "This is a greenhouse made of glass, used to grow fruits and vegetables. Glass is refined from sand, so it isn't expensive."

"Brother Ye Tian, are you trying to fool me? How could sand be refined into something so transparent? This is obviously crystal!" Hu Liena stretched out her neck and puffed her cheeks.

Though she usually remained in Spirit City, focusing on cultivation,

she was not entirely ignorant of the outside world.

She still possessed basic common knowledge.

She could tell sand from crystal.

Sand consisted of tiny particles and was not transparent at all.

Only high-quality crystal could be polished into such clear, translucent crystal panels.

Ye Tian was truly rich. Earlier, he had spent fifty million Gold Soul Coins developing rockets capable of dealing with Super Douluo.

Now, he had spent another huge sum building an enormous, extravagant crystal palace in this quiet valley.

What a squanderer!

Ye Tian: "..."

He said irritably, "Do I need to deceive my sister and Na Na Meimei?"

Chen Jian, who had been following at the very back, stepped forward with a cheerful smile and explained for Ye Tian. "Everything Young Master Ye Tian said is true. The buildings ahead are indeed made of a material called glass.

The workshop that makes glass is not far from the farm. You can visit it when you have time. To be honest, when I first saw how glass was made, I was just as shocked as you two.

It really is remarkable. Ordinary sand can be washed and dried, mixed with other materials, then forged in intense fire until it becomes transparent!"

"Really?" Hu Liena still wore a doubtful expression. She seemed to believe Chen Jian, yet also not completely.

"If Na Na and Eldest Miss still don't believe it, you can take a look around inside the greenhouse."

"I'm not bragging when I say that even top-quality crystal cannot match the transparency of glass."

"And the greenhouse is planted with many precious fruits and vegetables, things you've absolutely never heard of or tasted before. You're in for a treat."

2,500 words, full of sincerity—please vote~