"Ever since ten-odd years ago—oh, no, it should have been twenty or thirty years ago—the situation gradually began to change! At first, the time when the rice seeds sprouted changed. Later, the time when they headed changed. Then, the times for ripening, harvesting, and even sowing changed as well. What pains this old man most is that the harvests have gradually dwindled too!" Fan Yunxiao said sorrowfully.
"Ah???" Xiao Hua nearly cried out in shock, immediately recalling the "aberrant changes in Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi" that a Foundation Establishment cultivator had mentioned at the Bidding Convention in Haoming City.
"True Person Xiao..." Fan Yunxiao immediately stopped, staring at Xiao Hua in alarm.
"It is nothing. This poor Daoist merely seems to have thought of something. Please continue, old sir," Xiao Hua said with a smile and a nod.
"Yes, farming has declined more and more over these past dozen years, and the climate has worsened in the same way. In this old man's humble opinion, even without this year's drought, these rice seeds will likely become unusable in a few more years," Fan Yunxiao said in profound grief. "We mortals... may all starve to death!"
"This poor Daoist understands what you mean, old sir." Xiao Hua nodded, then pointed with a finger and asked, "But how did you know these rice seeds were brought by this poor Daoist?"
"Hehe, how would we dare eat all the life-saving grain given by True Person Xiao in one go? Farmers all know that grain can be used as seed. Without seeds, how could we survive the following year?" Fan Yunxiao said with a smile.
"Seeds, survival..." Fan Yunxiao's simple words immediately gave Xiao Hua an insight, as though they contained the profound essence of the Way of Life and Death.
"When True