White Ape Child Cave-Evolution Diagram

As if sensing Lu He's intent.

The Golden Book suddenly let out a sharp tremor.

The next moment, the page that had recorded the principles learned by his former self scattered amid the trembling into countless spiritual Dao patterns resembling tadpoles.

The Dao patterns intertwined, giving rise to countless wondrous visions.

There were vast rivers of stars that reshaped heaven and earth, and spiritual apes guiding bodhi as branches and leaves dripped the six qi...

All manner of divine and radiant phenomena seemed to be brewing an astonishing transformation.

Time slowly passed.

Before his eyes, the visions faded, and the Golden Book returned to calm.

Deep within Lu He's consciousness, an abstruse Dao diagram of a white ape reclining beneath bodhi rose and fell uncertainly.

The white ape bore some resemblance to Lu He. A layered treasure wheel hung behind its head, and as it turned, it seemed to nurture the Dao, scattering threads of spiritual radiance.

[White Ape Child Cave-Evolution Diagram]

[Level: 1 (0/100)]

[Rank: White]

[Talent: Immaculate Heart Ape (First Rank)]

"White Ape Child Cave-Evolution Diagram..." Lu He had a vague realization. With a thought, a phantom image of the Dao diagram appeared deep within his eyes.

In an instant, the world around him slowly receded.

Lu He's mind seemed to transform into a wondrous white ape that fed on wind and drank dew, leaping over mountains and ravines. All his tangled thoughts melted away like ice and snow, and his mind became clearer than ever, as pure as an unstained child's.

He swept his gaze across the room.

Light, smells, sounds... all sorts of information entered his mind. Perceptions that had once seemed veiled in dust were now as clear as a bright mirror reflecting objects. At the slightest thought, understanding arose as if by instinct.

The air is half a degree more humid and stifling than yesterday. It should rain in the next few days.

Old Huang on the next bunk is breathing unevenly, with rattling sounds. It should be from inhaling dust over a long period, compounded by exhaustion and illness.

Wait, the person next to Old Huang still isn't asleep...

This state was somewhat like the so-called "flow state" from his previous life, but it was undoubtedly far more mystical. Was this the state of enlightenment from the myths and legends of his previous life?

Lu He pondered inwardly.

More importantly, he could clearly feel that after activating the Dao diagram's talent, [Immaculate Heart Ape], and entering this state of enlightenment, his thinking and comprehension had increased by roughly fifty percent.

That was rather terrifying.

Generally speaking.

Being twenty to thirty percent more perceptive than an ordinary person already made one an elite. Being fifty percent stronger, or even more... whether in his previous life or in this immortal cultivation world, seemed to be a domain reserved exclusively for geniuses.

Yet the mere Level 1 [White Ape Child Cave-Evolution Diagram] had allowed him to step into a realm beyond the reach of ordinary people!

"So this is... a talent Dao diagram?"

Lu He murmured inwardly, his emotions surging.

Then, as if suddenly recalling something, he hurriedly looked toward the corner of his vision and focused on the sole blank page remaining in the Golden Book.

It could still evolve another talent Dao diagram...

A trace of anticipation arose in his heart.

Even with his limited knowledge, Lu He could roughly tell that white rank was nothing particularly high. Based on the various Daoist theories from his previous life, there should at least be azure and violet ranks corresponding to immortals and gods above it.

His thoughts returned to reality.

Considering that he still had work tomorrow, Lu He forcefully calmed his excitement and intended to catch some more sleep before dawn.

However.

The instant he withdrew the White Ape Dao diagram—

Lu He's face turned pale. An intense wave of discomfort suddenly surged through him, and it felt as though shackles had been placed upon his mind. Even turning his thoughts became extraordinarily laborious.

Gurgle—

His stomach rumbled. A powerful hunger mixed with exhaustion, crashing into his mind like floodwaters bursting through a dam.

Was his mortal body incapable of bearing the immense consumption of activating the [White Ape Child Cave-Evolution Diagram]?

Lu He quickly thought of the reason, but could only sigh helplessly. His longing to visit the Enlightenment Pavilion and comprehend the immortal technique stele grew even stronger.

Perhaps once he cultivated the legendary mana...

At that moment, a nearly imperceptible hum sounded in his mind.

[White Ape Child Cave-Evolution Diagram]

[Level: 1 (1/100)]

"Activating the Dao diagram accumulates experience?"

A glimmer of delight flashed through Lu He's eyes.

He had heard that some geniuses could use a single Leaf Talisman Token to comprehend an immortal technique to the beginner level, earning great esteem from the medicinal garden. Now that he had a Dao diagram at his side, even if he was lacking, he could not be too far behind. At worst—

If he raised the White Ape Dao diagram to Level 2, that should work, right?

All he lacked now was a Leaf Talisman Token.

He touched the money pouch in his robes.

When he had come here, his elder sister had stuffed five taels of silver into his hands. Added to what he and his former self had painstakingly saved over the past half year, he had a total of five taels and nine qian.

"Four taels and one qian! I'm still four taels and one qian short of buying a Leaf Talisman Token!"

Dawn was just beginning to break.

By the small river beside the dwelling area, hundreds of tenant farmers who had risen early were already squatting there to wash up—men and women, young and old alike.

Squeezed among the crowd, Lu He stirred the coarse cloth in his basin, wrung it dry, and wiped his face.

Beside him.

"Little He, how have you thought over that matter I told you about the other day?"

Old Huang rubbed his sparse scalp, spat his mouthwash into the river, then turned to Lu He. "If you've got no objections, I'll take you to meet Fairy Liu next time we get a break and settle on a date."

Lu He froze. A mountain-like figure of flesh surfaced in his mind, and his eyelids twitched wildly.

"Not well. She's old enough to be my mother." He turned and stared hard at the other man in warning. "Old Huang, don't go matchmaking for me again, or else—"

"Or else what?

"You little brat, you've never seen the world and only care about appearances. She's only a little plump, but her talent is quite high. She's already begun cultivating immortal techniques and isn't far from becoming a steward.

"Damn it, if it weren't for the fact that she once bought us drinks, how would such an opportunity ever fall to you?"

Old Huang spat, then held up five fingers.

"Do you know how much betrothal gift she's willing to offer? A full five Leaf Talisman Tokens!"

Lu He said nothing. He picked up his basin and walked away, his pace growing faster and faster.

Behind him came Old Huang's intermittent voice, full of frustration at his failure to live up to expectations.

"Ah, fate's right in front of you, yet you don't know to seize it. Are you really going to end up like this old man, wasting your entire life guarding this medicinal garden..."

"Forget it, forget it. You're still young, after all. You don't understand how cruel reality is."

"Um, Old Huang, do you think I'd qualify? Don't misunderstand, I simply admire Fairy Liu." Someone eagerly chimed in.

"Young man, take a piss and look at yourself. Fairy Liu has standards when it comes to looks..."

The moment those words came out, waves of laughter erupted.

The air was filled with cheer.

Amid the bustle of work, time flew by, and another month passed in the blink of an eye.

The Blackleaf Spirit Wheat in the fields showed faint signs of ripening, and the scent of grain in the air was more than a hundred times richer than usual.

Lu He stared at the wheat, practically drooling, yet his hands never stopped moving.

The hoe in his hands now moved as naturally as an extension of his arm. Every time it came down, it struck precisely at the weakest part of a weed's roots, never missing by the slightest margin. It was effortless.

Even veteran tenant farmers who had worked the fields for decades would have been left sighing in admiration at the sight.

After working for half a quarter-hour.

Lu He put away his hoe and wiped his sweat. A phantom image of the Golden Book flashed through his eyes.

[Weeding · Proficient (53.12%)]

"In just over a month, I've practiced the memories of farming and weeding to the proficient level. The Golden Book can reflect my mastery of knowledge in real time. Combined with the White Ape Dao diagram, the two together are truly terrifying!"

He could not help clicking his tongue in amazement.

When he had fused with the lingering remnant thoughts of his former self and awakened the Golden Book, Lu He had focused entirely on the newly evolved talent Dao diagram.

It was only after several days of exploration.

That Lu He discovered the Golden Book's ability to reflect his mastery of all kinds of knowledge was just as terrifying. In some respects, it was no less remarkable than the White Ape Dao diagram it had evolved.

Over the past month.

Perhaps because he now had hope, Lu He remained exhausted as ever, yet his eyes were always filled with light.

As he rested, a sudden burst of commotion caught Lu He's attention.

He followed the sound and saw several dozen people gathered in a noisy crowd not far ahead. At the center stood an especially striking figure clad in a white robe embroidered with golden patterns.

Steward Liu was there as well.

Something happened?!

Startled, Lu He hurriedly set down his hoe and ran toward the crowd.

Through the gaps, he could clearly see a corpse curled up on the ground. The exposed skin was purple-black, and the entire body had swollen considerably. At a glance, it was obvious that the person had died from the bite of some venomous creature.

As he drew closer.

Steward Liu's distinctive, cool voice sounded beside his ears.

"The Blackleaf Spirit Wheat will soon mature. Based on previous years, the spread of its spiritual aura will attract quite a few spirit creatures. Be careful. If you discover any traces of spirit creatures, report them to me immediately."

"We understand, Steward!"

Everyone answered in unison.

"Disperse and get back to work!"

Steward Liu waved a hand, bent down to retrieve a money pouch from the corpse, then stood up and formed a hand seal. A ball of crimson flame suddenly leaped from his fingertips.

The fire landed on the corpse as though oil had been poured over it, crackling loudly.

In just a few breaths, nothing remained on the scorched ground but a pile of white ash. When the wind blew, it scattered into the fields as fertilizer, revealing the carcass of a beetle that gleamed with a bluish-purple luster.

It was about the size of a finger.

Steward Liu beamed as he picked up the beetle carcass and tucked it into his sleeve, then headed briskly toward the outskirts of the spirit fields.

In but a moment, he had vanished from sight.

The onlookers also dispersed in twos and threes, their mud-stained faces carrying lingering fear.

In the same spot.

"Old Huang... died just like that?"

Lu He stood there blankly, chills running through his heart.

The ripening of Blackleaf Spirit Wheat would attract deadly spirit creatures? And judging from Steward Liu's tone, it seemed that the further things progressed, the more spirit creatures would be drawn here.

Working the fields was tiring enough, but no one had told him people could die too!

For the first time, Lu He felt the urge to flee the medicinal garden.

What good was possessing the White Ape Dao diagram? What good was talent comparable to a genius? Faced with such dangerous spirit creatures, he was ultimately still nothing but a mortal of flesh and blood.

At that moment, immortal techniques and longevity meant nothing to Lu He compared to staying alive.

Yet the instant the thought of escape arose, the reality that followed was like a basin of cold water poured over his head, swiftly calming him down.

Leaving aside whether he could even escape.

The crucial point was that his indenture contract was still in the medicinal garden's possession.

That thing was no more than a scrap of paper to immortal cultivators, but for Lu He, who was still merely a mortal, he could not take a single step without it.

"Running away won't work. The only path now is to comprehend the Dao stele and cultivate immortal techniques as soon as possible. The sooner, the better!"

"Leaf Talismans—right, Old Huang seemed to have hidden Leaf Talismans!"

He suddenly recalled that when he had first arrived at the medicinal garden, he had taken the initiative to buy Old Huang drinks in hopes of learning farming experience from him. Yet after getting drunk, the old man had let something slip and revealed everything he had hidden away.

When Old Huang had still been alive.

Lu He naturally would not have entertained such thoughts.

But now that the man was dead, Lu He was no rigid pedant.