AFK Panel

"Little San was the one to be pitied. Looking at that drunkard father of his, he definitely wouldn't let him go to school." Old Jack sighed, secretly relieved as well. The village only had one work-study student slot. If Tang San wanted to attend school too, it would really put him in a difficult position! After all, Tang San had been very well-behaved since childhood, and Old Jack quite liked him.

Beside him, Hu Jiu was happily plotting what methods he should use to win over Xiao Wu when the time came. From what he knew, Tang San seemed to have won Xiao Wu over with nothing more than a new set of bedding.

How about trying that method too? He quietly made a mental note, deciding to have his mom prepare new bedding later.

"Xiao Jiu, Grandpa will first introduce our family treasures to you."

To Old Jack, the two secret manuals truly were treasures. From the moment he took them out until now, he had not even let Hu Jiu touch them. He only allowed him to lean closer and look, refusing to let him lay a finger on them.

Hu Jiu recognized the names on the books. One was called the Soul Power Meditation Method, while the other was called the Five Senses Strengthening Technique.

There was no need to explain the Soul Power Meditation Method—it was used to cultivate soul power. However, this was a cultivation method left behind by a Spirit Sage, so it was surely far better than ordinary cultivation methods.

As for the other book, the Five Senses Strengthening Technique, Hu Jiu only understood its purpose after Old Jack's introduction.

It was the self-created soul skill that Old Jack's Great Ancestor had relied on to make his name. Its effect was to strengthen the human body's five senses: Taste, Hearing, Vision, Smell, and Touch. It enhanced them in every aspect.

Once this soul skill was successfully cultivated, it would be tremendously helpful. Even that ancestral Spirit Sage had only cultivated it to the second level over the course of his life.

Merely reaching the second level had already helped him greatly. With his five senses enhanced, he could avoid many dangers in advance. Whether in daily life or battle, it had given him enormous advantages.

The moment Hu Jiu heard the introduction, he was already looking forward to it. He wished he could learn it immediately and then use his Golden Finger to improve it.

At the thought of his Golden Finger, Hu Jiu's mind stirred. A translucent azure panel immediately appeared in his field of vision. The panel was extremely simple, square-shaped, and somewhat like an inventory bag in a game. It was divided into small slots. The first three slots were already available for use, while the fourth would probably be unlocked in a few days.

He had already figured out this panel's function. It had only one purpose: AFK farming—AFK farming with no side effects. As long as he placed a skill or cultivation method that needed to be AFK farmed into one of the small slots, it would continue improving twenty-four hours a day. The insights and improvements gained through AFK farming would be applied to him with no side effects.

This was the Golden Finger every lazy person needed, the gospel of Transmigrators!

So far, he had not had any skills he could AFK farm. That was why he had stared longingly at the panel for three months without ever truly using it.

Now, his chance had come. The Soul Power Meditation Method and the Five Senses Strengthening Technique both sounded like skills, perfect for use with his Golden Finger.

Old Jack seemed to regard these two skills as more precious than his own life, and he had no intention of teaching them to Hu Jiu today. The only reason he had taken them out now was to let Hu Jiu have a look in advance.

"Alright, Xiao Jiu. If you want to learn the skills in these books, come to my place early tomorrow. It's getting late, and you should go home. Your father and mother must be getting worried!" Old Jack carefully put the books back into the Black Box. After locking it, he hugged it tightly to his chest as though afraid Hu Jiu might snatch it away.

Hu Jiu reluctantly withdrew his gaze from the Black Box. "That old man really knows how to keep people hanging!"

After grumbling, Hu Jiu obediently said to Old Jack, "Alright, Grandpa. I'll head back first. I'll come find you tomorrow morning."

"Mm!"

After leaving Old Jack's house, Hu Jiu headed home.

His home was not far from Old Jack's house. He could see it at a glance.

When he returned home, his father Hu Rui and his mother Emma had already come back from the fields.

"Xiao Jiu, how was it? What spirit did you awaken?" Hu Rui, who was chopping firewood in the yard, looked up and asked. He was only asking casually. In Hu Rui's heart, he had never imagined that Hu Jiu would possess the talent of a soul master. The odds were about the same as winning the grand prize. The fact that he even asked what spirit Hu Jiu had awakened was already pretty good.

"Just like yours, it's a carrot!" Hu Jiu said with a grin. "But I have soul power, Dad. I'm going to make it big from now on!"

"What did you say?"

"I said my spirit has soul power. I can cultivate and become a soul master!" Hu Jiu repeated. He understood this feeling very well. Having soul power meant possessing extraordinary power. How could anyone not be happy? Hadn't Old Jack been incredibly excited too?

"You have soul power? Really? What level? Tell Dad, quickly!" Hearing Hu Jiu's words, Hu Rui could hardly believe his ears. He rushed over to Hu Jiu with an excited expression and shouted his question, startling Emma, who was cooking inside.

"Carrot Spirit, Innate Soul Power Level 2," Hu Jiu answered patiently.

"Haha, good son!" Hu Rui scooped Hu Jiu up, happily lifting him high into the air. Then he turned to Emma, who was standing behind him in stunned silence, and said, "Emma, did you hear that? My son has soul power! He's going to become a Lord Soul Master in the future!"

The news that Hu Jiu possessed soul power made Hu Rui and Emma grin from ear to ear. Even after dinner, they continued excitedly talking about his spirit and soul power.

That night, Hu Jiu lay alone in bed. He summoned his Carrot Spirit into his hand and stared blankly at it beneath the faint moonlight.

Extraordinary power... he had it now!

Even now, he still felt dazed.

After all, he had the mindset of an adult. As time passed, he gradually calmed down and began considering the future development of his spirit and the direction of his life.

A carrot was a plant, but it was also food. Since he had encountered very little knowledge about spirits, it was hard to say exactly how it should develop. However, one thing was already certain: his spirit was basically useless in combat. If he wanted combat ability, he would need to think of other ways.

After all, he possessed modern ways of thinking, and his mind was filled with countless novel ideas. The minor problem of an auxiliary spirit being unable to fight was no problem at all.

There was only one troublesome point: his Innate Soul Power was only Level 2. Innate Soul Power was one's cultivation aptitude, and the maximum level was Level 10. Therefore, his cultivation talent was actually not very good.

There were always more solutions than difficulties. Since his cultivation aptitude was poor, he first needed to solve that problem.

Physical strength, soul power cultivation methods, Soul Rings, Immortal Herbs, and so on could all increase cultivation speed.

In just an instant, a string of methods for increasing his cultivation speed flashed through Hu Jiu's mind. That was the advantage of knowing the plot in advance.