Chapter 108: This Isn

"Lightfego!"

Standing before the temple, the priestess plugged the microphone into a slot whose purpose—whether a charging port or something else—was unclear. As she chanted her "incantation," lights flared across the square before the temple, instantly transforming the dim street, dimmed by dusk, into a brilliantly illuminated scene.

Feng Xue had been using his Qi Vision to detect new divine arts, but what he saw was the activation of motion-sensor lights; his brow twitched. Yet before he could react, the priestess spoke again:

"Lafontain!"

"Oh, is this the earlier Rainfall Art?" Feng Xue narrowed his eyes, gathering his spiritual energy—but all he detected was a faint fluctuation of the priestess's devotional power. Before he could ponder further, gentle music began to play, and from the "pond" at the square's center, a clear spring gushed upward, dancing and swaying to the rhythm of light and melody.

"Damn, a musical fountain?"

Feng Xue felt too drained to comment, but the villagers were already approaching with large and small buckets, lining up in orderly fashion. Some elders, accompanied by family members, walked to the temple's entrance to place their Offerings on the "altar"; once the "Messenger of the Goddess" retrieved them, vegetables and flour were distributed in return.

Watching the scene where what appeared to be a plant factory extended mechanical arms to collect fertilizer and organic matter, then dispense vegetables and starch, Feng Xue carried a water jug and pretended to join the queue for water—his real purpose being to approach the young man who had trailed him all day:

"Hello, mind if I ask? I heard that offering to the Goddess grants vegetables and grain—why don't you all just go and take it?"

The young man, clearly sent to monitor him, was momentarily stunned by Feng Xue's initiative. But remembering the priestess's instructions, he explained:

"Though the Goddess is merciful, we cannot squander her grace. Normally, we eat only food we grow ourselves or fish we catch. But according to the Goddess's teachings, eating only fish invites the Deep Sea Curse. So everyone visits the temple periodically to pray and offer Offerings; in return, the Goddess bestows food or medicine capable of lifting the curse."

"So the plant factory's output is limited—if you keep taking, you'll run out. Most Offerers are elders not because they're revered, but because receiving supplies comes with a health check—and they're the ones most prone to bodily decline…"

Feng Xue mentally translated the youth's words into terms he could understand, then filled his one-liter camping water jug. He didn't need the water—but since he was already in line, not taking any felt like a waste.

After collecting fresh water, Feng Xue walked toward the temple. Seeing him approach with two dried fish, the priestess standing upright wore a faint smile.

Under her gesture, a lower-ranking priest led him to the platform where other villagers had made their Offerings: "Place your Offering on the altar, then stand with your companion and pet. Do not resist the Goddess's gaze."

Feng Xue worried the dog might blurt out something absurd like "That guy is the pet," but thankfully, this AI seemed to possess a modicum of "emotional intelligence." It followed him quietly beside the doll-like Feina, behaving unusually well.

The dried fish, placed on a metal tray, were swiftly seized by a mechanical arm along with the tray. Up close, Feng Xue noticed the arm looked remarkably new. Unless this world's materials science had achieved millennium-long durability, the temple must possess some form of "self-maintenance" capability.

"Interesting. Looks like pure technology—but where did the divine arts come from?"

As Feng Xue mused, the mechanical arm extended again—but instead of the vegetables and starch given to other villagers, the tray now held several white pills sealed in glass vials.

The nearby villagers seemed surprised, but the guiding priest wore a look of pride:

"It seems you suffered greatly at sea. The Goddess has granted divine medicine. Take it according to the dosage instructions—you'll recover your health soon!"

Though the words sounded like a doctor's prescription, to Feng Xue they carried an unmistakable tone of condescension: "Is this the level of outside divine envoys?"

Feng Xue understood his physical condition paled beside these super-Terra people. He immediately stowed the vials and the paper that looked like a prescription into his Potian Bag. Then, amid the priest's stunned expression—"How did such a tiny bag hold so much?"—he returned contentedly to his tent.

But when he pulled out the prescription, his face darkened again—

"This is too much!"

Seeing Feng Xue's expression, the doll-like Feina, usually expressionless, showed rare curiosity—and even cracked a smile she couldn't suppress.

The content that made even this "Yu Yu Syndrome" break composure wasn't anything major—just two words on every medicine label:

"For beasts."

"Veterinary Nutrient Supplement, Veterinary Vitamin Supplement, Veterinary Stem Cell Activator…"

Staring at the drug names, Feng Xue turned to look at the dog. The dog replied solemnly:

"Don't look at me. These are for you."

"..." Feng Xue had a strong urge to throw the vials at the dog's face—but he couldn't deny he was tempted.

As a former cultivation novel writer, he knew modern veterinary penicillin—even if brought back to ancient China—would be divine medicine. But actually swallowing it? He hesitated.

He studied the dog carefully, weighing its reliability. The dog seemed to guess his thoughts and immediately said:

"Medically speaking, pre-collapse veterinary drugs are reliable. But given your condition, I do not recommend following the dosage on the prescription. Hmm—you could dissolve the powder in warm water and take small sips…"

"Who said I'm going to drink it?" Feng Xue rolled his eyes, but still tucked the medicine into his Potian Bag, thinking he might test it later when he returned to the normal world—on those semi-automatic ATMs (Note 1).

These tangled thoughts didn't last long—not because Feng Xue had begun cultivation so early, but because, as a rhythmically unremarkable yet unmistakably AI-synthesized female voice rose from all directions—calm, slightly playful, unmistakably artificial—

"Dear islanders, Little Bell's sensing system has detected an anomaly! The usual westerly trade winds have suddenly reversed direction. This abnormal airflow is carrying massive moisture toward us—expect a storm within 24 hours!"

"Even more concerning: a 'Twin Vortex' has appeared in the southwest sea. Cold and warm currents are pulling like a tug-of-war. Vessels planning to sail soon must be cautious!"

"Also, residents of Shell Bay's east shore: this time, the southeast storm corner has risen 12° higher than usual. Reinforce your seaward windows with fishbone stakes! I'll keep monitoring the data sea—keep cheering for Little Bell!"

As the voice cut off, a chorus of commotion erupted outside the tent—

"The Goddess has delivered a divine decree!"

"Thank you, Lady Bell, for the warning!"

"Shell Bay! Did you hear? The Goddess told us to reinforce Shell Bay—with fishbone stakes!"

(End of Chapter)