A Thousand Treasure Pills in Hand, Auspicious Snow Descends Upon Dajiang

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!

With a wave of Jiang Tu's hand, the thousands of premium-quality treasure pills suspended around him flew into his sleeve like a flock of birds returning to the forest.

They fell one after another into empty medicine bottles, clinking and clattering without end.

He roughly counted them. There were no fewer than 1,027!

Before entering seclusion, he had brought quite a few premium pills with him—the entirety of his accumulated stores from many years. He had originally thought he would have to scrimp and save on this trip, and that not using them all up would already be fortunate. Who would have thought that not only had he suffered no losses, he had returned with a full haul instead!

These pills were vastly different from those refined by the furnace fire of him and his wife. Every single one had been condensed through the Pill Pinching Technique. Their medicinal properties were rich, their quality flawless, blessed by nature itself. They were formed from the purest medicinal power, without the slightest impurity.

Yet he also knew perfectly well that this forceful devouring of the earth's spirituality to stabilize his realm had surely caused no small commotion.

Those premium fields whose spirituality he had extracted had likely withered over vast stretches!

But when he thought of how those premium crops had originally been paved with the flesh and blood of Agricultural Path Cultivators by the Daoist Sect, he accepted them with a clear conscience, without the slightest guilt!

What he had done today was the most outrageous thing he had done in more than twenty years since transmigrating. Before this, every action he took had placed keeping a low profile above all else. Yet this time, by accident, he had siphoned away a huge portion of New Dajiang County's spirituality underground.

Seventh Grade really brought disaster!

"Herbal Scholar," you truly had me suffering bitterly!

This was no place to stay for long!

Before long, the Daoist Sect would surely react and begin investigating. When that happened, they would definitely discover traces of him!

He immediately activated Earth Escape. The Seventh Grade Great Earth Escape Art could not only be used four times a day, but also traveled farther and could carry up to two people at once. It was far more formidable than before.

Whoosh!

His body sank, burrowing straight into the earth. In the blink of an eye, he had traveled dozens of miles away.

After he departed, the spell art that had already transformed into the Seventh Grade Earth-Shifting Art rippled. The surrounding earth and stone at his seclusion site surged and closed like flowing water, completely restoring themselves to the appearance of ordinary ground. Every trace of his breakthrough vanished into thin air.

For a long time to come, he would have to lie low completely and could not make any more eye-catching moves.

As for the true method of breaking through to Seventh Grade, it remained unresolved, an unsolved mystery... The difficulty he had faced in stabilizing his realm after this breakthrough, along with the outburst of devouring spirituality, happened to prove that the Seventh Grade breakthrough was still incomplete!

New Dajiang County.

Whoosh!

Rumble, rumble, rumble—

Just as the farmers and Field Stewards were panicking over the mass withering of fertile fields and searching everywhere for the cause—

A magnificent sword light tore through the clouds, parting them to reveal the sun as it crashed down outside the county seat.

He was a Daoist who appeared to be in his thirties, his face solemn. His brows carried the pressure of one long accustomed to a high position, and his aura was deep and vast as an abyss. Astral winds swirled around him. He was none other than Situ Zhang, the strongest guardian stationed in New Dajiang County and second among the Daoist Sect disciples.

When he landed, his Sword Qi had yet to disperse. His robes snapped in the wind, Daoist resonance concealed within him.

After sweeping his gaze around, he asked in a deep voice.

"What happened? What exactly occurred just now? Why did a spring tide surge forth, sending all things into frenzied growth? And why did thousands upon thousands of premium crops wither and die in the span of a few moments...?"

Rustle!

A Field Steward emerged from underground and bowed.

"Reporting to Second Senior Brother, this disciple suspects that some change occurred underground. But after going below to investigate, I found nothing at all. There was no abnormality whatsoever."

The others chimed in as well, all speaking at once as they reported.

"Second Senior Brother! This disciple followed the direction in which the spirituality of the premium seeds dissipated, but the trail completely vanished upon reaching an underground water vein. I suspect that the underground water vein may have devoured the spiritual opportunity? Or perhaps that spiritual opportunity had already merged into the earth here?"

"Second Senior Brother, before the Strange Calamity erupted in Dajiang County more than ten years ago, were there similar abnormalities? Could this be a sign that strange creatures are gathering in secret?"

All manner of theories flew about, yet not one could stand firm.

Situ Zhang listened expressionlessly from beginning to end without offering an opinion. He bent down and picked up a pinch of ashes from the withered premium seeds.

His fingers formed a hand seal as he closed his eyes and concentrated. He swiftly formed Daoist Sect seals while silently reciting an incantation.

Whoosh!

A wisp of faint golden Daoist Sect True Astral Force emerged from his fingertips and slowly revolved around the ashes.

Traceback Technique!

This spell could trace lingering remnants, follow the vine to find the melon, and observe their echoes. It might not reveal the whole picture, but so long as it caught even a trace of aura, he was confident he could determine whether this was a man-made disaster or a natural calamity...!

Yet the instant that True Astral Force touched the ashes, it shook violently.

Thump, thump!

Situ Zhang's brow twitched sharply. He vaguely sensed a dense, heavy earth Daoist resonance pressing down at the source of the trace. It was neither the aura of the Daoist Sect nor that of strange creatures, but a majestic existence that nearly left him unable to breathe. It seemed inseparably bound to the earth, pointing directly toward the origin of the Great Dao.

In that instant alone, he felt the sky spin and the earth turn. Shocked beyond measure, his scalp went numb!

Pfft!

The next moment, he abruptly opened his eyes. The backlash from his Daoist art made him spray out a mouthful of blood, and his body swayed as he dropped to one knee!

"Second Senior Brother!"

Several Daoist Sect Field Stewards hurried forward to support him. Situ Zhang waved them off and wiped away the blood from the corner of his mouth.

"...Heaven's secrets are impossible to predict. The cause behind this matter actually points straight toward the Great Dao of heaven and earth! Could it truly be a natural calamity rather than a man-made disaster!? Quick! Report to the Daoist Sect at once, and have the temple send more great cultivator True Persons to investigate!"

The Field Stewards immediately took out secret whistles. Their piercing cries joined into one and scattered in every direction.

Daoist Sect messengers within a hundred miles were all startled by the news and gathered toward this place like clouds—

Just then, the sky changed abruptly as wind and clouds surged!

The clear winter sky was suddenly covered by roiling clouds. They were not dark rainclouds, but instead glimmered with a dusky golden sheen, as though golden wheels lay hidden within. Layer upon layer, they gathered high above, forming an enormous swirling cloud mass.

Immediately afterward, goose-feather snowflakes drifted down from the sky, fluttering and scattering over the earth.

They brought not the slightest biting chill. Instead, they carried a gentle warmth that spread through the wilderness. Snow drifted between heaven and earth, and for a time Dajiang County was clad in silver while warm as spring.

—Phenomenon: Auspicious Snow!

The moment those snowflakes touched the soil, they melted away. New tender shoots actually broke through the earth, swiftly unfurling their leaves and bringing fresh life everywhere!

Within the premium fields that had withered from depleted spirituality, fresh sprouts emerged in endless numbers, breaking through the soil one after another and spreading into wide patches.

Even ordinary crops and medicinal herb fields underwent immense changes as the snow fell. They were infused with a measure of heaven and earth's spirituality, along with a full decade or more of growth. It rather resembled pulling seedlings up to help them grow!

Quite a few ordinary medicinal herbs and crops transformed into premium crops and premium seeds on the spot! The gains exceeded the previously withered losses by far!

This sudden change shocked every corner of Dajiang County. From top to bottom, everyone was dumbfounded and awestruck!

Even many Agricultural Path Cultivators gained immense benefits from it. Their cultivation surged by a large margin, and many Eighth Grade Field Stewards even faintly touched upon the threshold of Seventh Grade.

Many people who had already stood on the verge of the Seventh Grade boundary also sensed a rare flash of enlightenment from heaven and earth. They settled their realms and cultivation, considering methods of breakthrough.

"What kind of phenomenon is this? A great snowstorm was born, yet it brought the revival of all things and the stirring of a spring tide! Unheard of—this is simply unheard of!"

"Look at the fields! Those dead premium crops have actually grown back!"

"An auspicious omen! This is an auspicious omen! Auspicious snow foretells a bountiful year. This is the grand flourishing of our Agricultural Path! May the Agricultural Path endure for a thousand years! Long live the Daoist Sect!!"

The snow descending from heaven thoroughly overturned the fear and unease throughout New Dajiang County. All prior speculation about strange creatures gathering and spirituality drying up was cast behind them. Everywhere rang with cheers and wild jubilation over the auspicious snow.

The news spread without wings, traveling in all directions. Within only a few days, the Auspicious Snow phenomenon in New Dajiang County had spread throughout northern and southern Jiang Prefecture.

Some said an Agricultural Path Cultivator had attained great cultivation and drawn down heaven's favor. Others claimed that Dajiang County's old disaster had stirred heaven and earth, brewing such an auspicious sign. Still others swore they had personally seen the crops shoot up a foot the moment the auspicious snow fell!

Crowds from all four directions rapidly converged upon New Dajiang County.

The Daoist Sect also took the opportunity to increase its stationed forces, intending to elevate this place into a sacred birthplace of the Agricultural Path and draw more farmers to join willingly... Thus, a calamity of withering premium crops was lightly brushed aside by a snowfall from heaven.

Several days later.

In a desolate, uninhabited area outside the city.

Whoosh!

Green light flashed.

An Insect Spirit emerged from the earth and landed in Jiang Tu's palm, opening its mouth to spit out a sealed secret letter.

He unfolded it and his brows stirred.

It was clearly an internal communication sent by a Daoist Sect disciple below the mountain back to Lingjiang Temple. It recorded in detail the entire course of events on the day of New Dajiang County's auspicious snow: first the spring tide had surged and all things revived, then premium crops had withered in great quantities, and finally auspicious snow descended from heaven, stirring all directions.

The investigation's conclusion read: "This disciple suspects that the disappearance of the premium seeds' spirituality was in truth a precursor to the auspicious snow descending from heaven, caused by changes in the spiritual opportunity of heaven and earth."

Jiang Tu froze for a moment, then could not help laughing aloud.

Well, damn.

The Daoist Sect investigators had actually linked two utterly unrelated matters together?

The death of the premium seeds was a precursor to the auspicious snow. It looked utterly reasonable, seamless as heaven's robe, with cause and effect following their proper course.

So in the future, whenever an Auspicious Snow phenomenon descended, he could reasonably go to New Dajiang County, follow the season's will, and harvest another wave of premium crop spirituality?

That was what this meant, right?

Withering was the prelude to auspicious snow. No one would suspect him.

This round had not been a loss!

He put away the letter, released the Insect Spirit to continue carrying messages, then used Earth Escape beneath his feet. His body melted into the earth.

It was time to go home!

He had concealed himself outside these past few days precisely to observe the Daoist Sect's subsequent movements and confirm that no trace of pursuit would lead to Xiaopei County.

Now that the uproar had passed and the conclusion had been reached, he could return in peace.

Come to think of it, the first Auspicious Snow phenomenon in this native world had actually descended upon New Dajiang County? What a waste. It had done nothing but pull up the Daoist Sect's Agricultural Path seedlings to help them grow. Why had it not descended upon the Green Mountain Lake Qin Household instead?

A one-percent chance! Who knew when he would encounter it again next time.

It was somewhat regrettable.

New Year's Eve.

Locust Tree Village, Xiaopei County.

A large red lantern hung on either side of the Jiang Residence's main gate, its light illuminating the door lintel and Spring Festival couplets.

The sounds of firecrackers occasionally drifted through the courtyard, while children's laughter and shouts sometimes passed through the alley.

The main hall was warm and cozy, with the stove fire burning brightly.

The table was covered with lavish dishes, steaming hot and complete in color, fragrance, and taste. All had been cooked personally by Zhou Ning'e. In the more than ten years since marrying Jiang Tu, she had gone from a delicate young lady who never touched household work to someone equally capable in the reception hall and the kitchen, leaving Xueli and Xianggua marveling in amazement.

The only people seated at the same table were Big Household Zhou and his daughter, the adorably guileless little Jiang Liu, and the two personal maids who had been permitted to dine at the main table.

Big Household Zhou, already nearing seventy, sat in the seat of honor with a wine cup in hand, looking utterly puzzled.

"I say, Ning E, your husband has been nowhere to be seen for months now. Just where has he gone to make his fortune? He will not even come home for the New Year? Does he still know that an entire household is thinking about him?"

Zhou Ning'e sat beside him and was just about to explain—

"To have my honored father-in-law remember and worry over me, this son-in-law is deeply honored."

A light laugh came from outside.

The thick cotton door curtain was then lifted, and Jiang Tu strode inside. Snow still clung unmelted to his shoulders. He breathed out white mist, rubbed his hands together, and moved close to the stove to warm them, a bright smile on his face and calm steadiness in his eyes.

"On this New Year festival, as the old gives way to the new, has Father-in-law been well?"