“Done!”
Holding the Heavenly Fragrance Grass, Ling Xiao was thrilled, this herb fetched a steep price on the market, just one stalk cost ten taels of silver.
And crafting a single Vein-Protecting Pill required twenty stalks!
There were plenty around here, so Ling Xiao went all in, plucking every mature stalk and dropping them on the ground.
He entered the Mountain and River diagram.
He hadn’t forgotten his purpose for coming.
Heavenly Fragrance Grass retained peak potency only if used within an hour of picking.
After too long, it’d still work, but the effect would weaken significantly.
If the diagram could cultivate it, that’d be a game-changer.
“Welcome back, Mountain and River Sovereign, to the world of the Mountain and River Martial Soul, home to Mountain and River residents skilled in various trades, some excel at farming, others at herding, some at pill-making…”
Stepping into the diagram’s village, a voice suddenly echoed in Ling Xiao’s mind.
But when he looked around, no one was speaking to him.
“In short, there’s nothing they can’t do that you can imagine! As the Mountain and River diagram levels up, you’ll gain more assistance, currently at level two, you can recruit second-tier farmers and herders!”
“Also, reaching level two unlocks the shop, where the Mountain and River Sovereign can buy needed items—weapons, pills, treasures, tools, and more.”
“All goods are graded into five tiers: Common, Fine, Rare, Immortal, and Divine, with varying effects based on tier!”
“The diagram is now level two, the shop is open, and the first opening grants a free draw!”
“As your warrior level rises, the Mountain and River Martial Soul strengthens, and the diagram’s level follows suit! Generally, they align—for instance, at second-layer Martial Vein, the diagram is level two!”
“Higher diagram levels mean more item types and tiers available for purchase, and stronger residents to recruit! At the peak, you might even summon top-tier masters of every field—War Gods, Pill Gods, Craft Gods, and more!”
Dazed by the barrage of prompts, Ling Xiao snapped out of it after a moment and eagerly opened the shop.
It listed just twelve items, refreshing every two hours.
Currently, it mostly offered farming tools.
Like a Common Hoe—boosts weeding efficiency by ten percent, extends durability by ten percent!
Or a Fine Sickle—doubles harvesting speed, doubles durability, halves effort!
These were for use within the diagram, handing them to the residents would double efficiency.
But it didn’t stop there.
“Mountain and River Sovereign, for your first use of the recruitment function, you can summon second-tier farmers and herders, and purchase Common-tier goods!”
“The first recruitment costs nothing but is limited to two, please choose!”
With that, two cards appeared on the diagram, one depicting a farmer, the other a herder, rendered in a stunning mountain-and-river art style.
The cards detailed their benefits.
Second-tier Farmer—boosts farming efficiency and quality by ten percent each.
Second-tier Herder—boosts herding efficiency and quality by ten percent each.
So, growing herbs in the diagram would not only speed up output but enhance their quality.
Same for raising animals.
Excited, Ling Xiao selected one of each card.
He planned to grow herbs and raise a few animals, starting small to test the feature, if it proved effective, he’d scale up later.
“Greetings, Mountain and River Sovereign, please assign us tasks!”
After choosing, white smoke swirled, revealing two figures, one a human farmer in his thirties, the other a cow-headed herder, also around thirty.
The farmer was human, but the herder resembled the cow-headed folk Ling Xiao had seen in the diagram before.
Both spoke a language he understood, though he wasn’t sure if others could.
He told the cow-headed herder to rest, since he hadn’t caught any demon beast cubs yet.
Then he handed the Heavenly Fragrance Grass to the human farmer, instructing, “Plant these, be careful not to damage them, they’re precious.”
“Understood, Mountain and River Sovereign!”
The farmer took the order and got to work.
Ling Xiao followed at first, worried, but soon relaxed.
Professionals were professionals, if he’d planted them, half might not survive.
But the second-tier farmer got them all thriving, and fast.
Ling Xiao’s hopes for the future soared, at this rate, he might recruit pill-makers in the diagram someday.
No more begging others for pills or crafting.
Even weapons and tools could be made here.
He didn’t rush out, needing to dig deeper.
Recruiting help or buying items in the diagram required Mountain and River Coins.
These coins could be exchanged with real-world currency.
For example, a hundred taels of silver could be kept or swapped for coins.
The rate was ten taels per coin, and recruiting a second-tier farmer or herder cost ten coins—equivalent to a hundred taels, not cheap.
But the benefits were stunning, Ling Xiao didn’t feel shortchanged.
With the diagram at a low level, only two resident types were available, both second-tier.
As his cultivation rose and the diagram leveled up, resident types and tiers would expand.
Higher efficiency would follow.
This lit a fire in Ling Xiao, giving him another reason to grow stronger.
“Right, I almost forgot, it said the first shop opening gave a free draw, let’s see what I get, a pill would be perfect, I need those most!”
The draw was a classic wheel, offering tools, weapons, techniques, pills, and more.
Even consumable mystery rewards.
Ling Xiao spun it, eager to see his luck.
