Chapter 145: Rule Enlightenment, Game Cheating

The Primordial Sacrifice Altar.

Qi Sheng's consciousness rapidly switched between three scenes—the Emperor Tomb Mountain Range, the Colorful Mist Coast, and the Winter Snowfield—as well as the player forum.

Among them, the most obvious contrast in player activity status lay between the Emperor Tomb Mountain Range and the Winter Snowfield region.

Both sides had organized massive warbands to confront the terrifying Black Black Tide and the Ecstasy Purple Black Tide respectively.

Here in the Emperor Tomb Mountain Range, the scene of war was magnificent.

Countless light shields rapidly generated and connected at the front of the battle line, forming a gigantic golden shield to withstand the Black Black Tide's fierce battering.

Accompanied by the God King's roar over the voice channel, elemental magic towers rose continuously from the center of the battle formation like bamboo shoots after a spring rain.

Each magic tower's elemental effect could be judged by the energy sphere floating at its apex; in the dim environment, they resembled stars lighting up the night sky, bursting forth with brilliant radiance.

Ultimately, they converged into a magnificent forest of magic towers.

Under the control of the magic-system players, the energy beams released by the magic towers shot toward the high sky like a rain of arrows, then fell like raindrops upon the rear of the Black Black Tide's evil spirits.

The great earth trembled, elemental torrents ran rampant, and a vast number of Black Black Tide evil spirits perished in this round of elemental bombardment.

On the other side.

Though also players, the combat style in the Winter Snowfield region looked like it belonged to an entirely different game.

Novice players and Ecstasy evil spirits wrestled together like street thugs fighting.

Choking, locking throats, poking eyes, knocking heads, biting with teeth, rolling around while grappling... amidst it all, various curses rang incessantly in one's ears; the scene rivaled a village-entrance brawl, completely unlike the combat style one would expect in the Monster World.

However, Qi Sheng, observing from the shadows, still discovered that the combat power of this round's Purple Black Tide evil spirits had noticeably improved.

This was clearly because the Lord of Ecstasy had provided the experimental base with a new round of resource support, its intensity perfectly matching the players' growth speed.

What could be confirmed was that the Lord of Ecstasy shared his thinking; both regarded the other as a whetstone for training troops.

The difference lay in the fact that his player legions could reap profits from it, whereas the Lord of Ecstasy was constantly investing resources.

Yet Qi Sheng remained confident in the Lord of Ecstasy.

During his last visit to the Ecstasy Main Hall, the Guide had roughly calculated the reserve of Ecstasy Power stored by the Lord of Ecstasy within the Ecstasy Main Hall; converted into Sacrificial Power, it amounted to approximately 130 billion, and this was merely the reserve stored within the Ecstasy Main Hall, excluding the reserve energy at other nodes that had not yet been extracted.

Meanwhile, new Ecstasy Power was being generated every minute and every second in other node scenes.

This was the growth speed the Lord of Ecstasy had attained only after arriving in the Monster World.

Had it been a minor world, the collection speed of Ecstasy Power would never have been able to accelerate.

This was because the output of Ecstasy Power had little relation to quantity.

The Guide had analyzed the core logic behind Ecstasy Power production and discovered that its output prioritized individual quality, relating to the strength of an individual's vital energy.

The so-called vital energy referred to spiritual power and blood qi.

The process of producing Ecstasy Power used these two energies within a living being as a foundation, then catalyzed and combined them with rules to finally generate Ecstasy Power.

During the extraction process, the living being would gradually march toward death due to losing excessive amounts of vital energy.

Assuming the Lord of Ecstasy had constructed a palace node on Earth and used ordinary humans as targets for extracting Ecstasy Power, the output would have become extremely low.

This was because the blood qi strength and spiritual power strength of the vast majority of Earth's living beings generally failed to meet the minimum standard for extraction.

Within the Ecstasy Main Hall, they would be drained of their vital energy and die within mere seconds.

But the Monster World was different.

The strength of living beings in the Monster World was exceptionally high; any ordinary creature captured at random could bring considerable Ecstasy Power output.

The Ecstasy Power produced by a single powerhouse above level 100 after falling into corruption within the Ecstasy Main Hall could equal the contribution of billions of living beings from a mortal minor world.

Therefore, quantity was not the key; quality was the key.

Otherwise, the Lord of Ecstasy could have entirely followed the example of the Ascension Clan, establishing a farm for ordinary living beings and increasing Ecstasy Power output through the rapid reproduction of lower-realm creatures, with no need to create profits through capture as he did now.

This was precisely the core reason why countless external forces descended upon the Monster World.

The resource conditions of minor worlds were limited and could no longer satisfy the development needs of many powerful factions.

Only a world as vast as the Monster World could bring them new progress and development.

At this moment, Qi Sheng shifted his gaze to the Winter Snowfield region.

In the scene, several hundred novice players were advancing in groups toward the Snow Ridge.

Their target was the newly discovered domain node: Void Origin Peak.

The initiator of this operation was a novice player on the forum; upon learning that Void Origin Peak could yield high-value spatial-type spiritual ores, he proposed a theft plan on the forum, with Void Origin Peak as his direct target.

This post attracted quite a few novice players to join.

Before long, a scale of several hundred people had been organized, marching toward the Void Origin Peak domain node.

The thinking of this group of players was very simple: they felt that even if they died, mining just one ore would be worth it.

By inquiring with the Guide, they learned that the value of a single Void Origin Stone was around 300 points of Sacrificial Power; although the yield was not high, mining even one would recover the cost of death.

Most importantly, it was thrilling.

This was also one of the greatest differences between novice players and veteran players.

Novice players had a relatively shallow understanding of monster intensity, even believing that if enough players joined this theft operation, they could turn theft into outright robbery.

They intended to take down the domain node using the method of "many ants biting an elephant to death."

But veteran players knew clearly that tactics theoretically feasible held no practical significance.

With the blessing of infinite resurrection, players could indeed defeat non-Black-Black Tide, non-Swarm enemies capable of infinite troop spawning and attrition warfare through methods of attrition, but the time and energy required to do so were not as profitable as hunting targets matching their own strength.

In the eyes of veteran players, the hunting difficulty of the Snow Ridge Wilderness was nearly invincible; grinding one to death would require unimaginable energy and time, let alone a whole group.

But in the eyes of novice players, there was still a chance to fight.

It verified a saying: "A newborn calf fears no tiger."

Novice players simply did not care about the cost-effectiveness seen by veteran players; as long as there was profit to be gained, they would charge even if the opponent were a god.

Without paying too much attention, Qi Sheng turned his gaze toward the Colorful Mist Coast.

In the dense forest behind the coast, two resource domain nodes were currently erupting in battle.

Two player warbands, each nearing a thousand people, were attempting to seize the domain nodes.

His line of sight continued to probe deeper behind the dense forest.

At the end of the path opened up by the Exploration Faction players lay an Evil Moon domain scene illuminated by a waning moon.

But unlike the Evil Moon domains encountered before, although an Evil Eye Tower had already generated within it, only Evil Eyes floated upon the tower's platform; there were no figures of Evil Spirit Warriors responsible for command.

Scanning every corner of the Evil Moon scene, he could not discover the slightest trace of Evil Spirit Warriors.

Yet strangely, below the tower the Black Black Tide surged, having already formed a scale larger than even under the control of the Earth-Nian Evil Spirit.

"Where are the Evil Spirits?"

Faced with the inquiry, the Guide pondered briefly before giving an answer:

[Based on the player-produced information collected and recorded, it can be basically confirmed that the Evil Spirit Warriors of this Evil Moon domain have been decapitated and killed, hence the special situation where the tower remains, the Evil Eyes remain, and the Black Black Tide remains, yet the Evil Spirit Warriors have vanished.]

[And the one who most likely killed the Evil Spirit Warriors was the master of the players Xia Sheng and Jiang Cheng, namely the Ascetic who created the Pain Brand.]

[According to records in the information database, before his death, the Ascetic decided to fulfill his last wish, burning his life essence to battle the Black Black Tide with his Pain Tentacles, then flying deep into the dense forest; judging by the flight direction, it was clearly toward this Evil Moon domain... therefore, he succeeded.]

Hearing the Guide's analysis, Qi Sheng suddenly remembered that this was indeed the case.

Roughly a month ago, the Ascetic, whose flame of life was about to burn out, left his legacy to his two disciples, Xia Sheng and Jiang Cheng, then resolutely chose to burn himself to fight the Black Black Tide once, wishing to test whether the results of his lifelong efforts were feasible.

With the Black Black Tide losing its Evil Spirit Warriors combined with the matter of the Ascetic, the answer was obvious.

Therefore, the Evil Spirit Warriors in this Evil Moon scene had not vanished; they had been decapitated by the Ascetic.

This was also the reason why the Black Black Tide below remained and the Evil Eyes remained, yet the Evil Spirit Warriors had disappeared.

What could be confirmed was that this strike must have been borne jointly by the Evil Spirit Warriors and the Evil Eyes; after all, during combat the Evil Spirit Warriors would connect with the Evil Eyes, and only thus could the combination of command and perception systems be formed.

But the outcome was that the Evil Spirit could not withstand the endless agony and died, while the Evil Eye endured.

One could see just how terrifying the power of this strike was.

Qi Sheng could even imagine in his mind the satisfaction the Ascetic must have felt at that moment.

For this day, he had practiced bitterly for long years, torturing himself every moment to accumulate power of pain.

The pain accumulated over long years ultimately condensed into a killing strike that was released wantonly within this Evil Moon domain.

Through the pain transference of the Pain Touches, the endless agony released at that moment caused the consciousness of the Evil Spirit Warriors to perish instantly, finally turning them into soulless puppets.

As for where the dead Evil Spirit Warriors went, they were most likely swallowed by the Black Black Tide.

After all, the Black Black Tide had no tradition of erecting tombstones for the dead; the final destination of an unconscious Evil Spirit Warrior was to merge into the Black Black Tide, becoming nourishment for its growth.

As for the Ascetic's corpse, the Guide scanned around but found no trace either; evidently, it too had been swallowed by the Black Black Tide.

This was also the inevitable fate of living beings who died at the hands of the Black Black Tide, players excepted.

At this moment, Qi Sheng focused his consciousness on the tower, extending his perceptual perspective downward.

Information regarding the domain node below the tower floated into his mind.

[Domain Node: Wan Sen]

Territory Type: Rule

Rule Trait: Enlightenment

Trait Introduction: Follows the world's operation and changes to extract a type of natural buff.

Domain Status: Occupied by the Terrifying Black Black Tide

Discovering this was a Rule Domain, Qi Sheng immediately formed an idea.

Every type of territory rule could grant players a permanent buff state, its importance no less than that of Primordial Traits.

This domain node currently lacked an Evil Spirit Warrior to command it; relying solely on the Evil Eyes, it could never unleash the Black Black Tide's proper power, so one could entirely attempt to seize it.

Thinking thus, Qi Sheng decisively shared the domain node's information on the map and issued a corresponding Purification Mission.

But he also understood that taking this place would not be easy.

The intensity of the Black Black Tide here is even higher than in the Emperor Tomb Mountain Range; if players wish to seize this place, they will inevitably have to endure a protracted war.

……

Earth, Cloud Veil City.

The city sits nestled among surrounding mountains, cleverly integrated with nature.

Cloud Veil City was constructed in the late stages of the Mechanical War.

Most of the city's residents are descendants of the population from Black Light City.

The fierce Mechanical War destroyed the entire city, forcing a mass migration of residents who hid within the mountain ranges and established a new city amidst the towering peaks.

After the war ended, Cloud Veil City received support from the Human Federation, allowing it to develop rapidly until now, when it boasts a permanent population of nearly eight million.

The entire city is encircled by winding mountain ranges and mist as light as gauze.

Buildings within the city were constructed along the mountainsides, preserving the original features of the terrain while incorporating modern design concepts; lush trees provide shade, floral scents fill the air, and various native plants intertwine to create a vivid, natural panorama.

At this moment, in a residential building beside Yunxi Square in the city's southern district.

Meng Meng Yuan sat before his computer desk, staring at the screen as he prepared for an exam scheduled in two days.

The title of the data on the computer screen read: "Spirit Plant Research – Simulation Test."

The main content of the project required describing the entire process of a spirit plant from seed to maturity, including stages of germination, growth, flowering, fruiting, and dormancy, while analyzing various factors affecting the spirit plant's growth cycle, such as light, temperature, humidity, and soil quality.

This was a specialty unique to Cloud Veil City.

Cloud Veil City was one of the three spirit plant cultivation bases of the Human Federation, and every year it distributed a batch of job positions in the field of spirit plant cultivation to its residents.

The responsibilities involved work related to spirit plant research.

As for the actual planting and growth of the spirit plants, all of it was handled by robots.

Before each sowing, soil sensors equipped in the planting zones could monitor key parameters in real time, such as soil humidity, temperature, acidity, alkalinity, and nutrient content.

Based on this data, the planting robots could intelligently adjust sowing strategies, such as selecting seed varieties suitable for current soil conditions or modifying fertilization plans to optimize the soil environment.

Secondly, the planting zones also contained a spirit plant health monitoring system.

This system could monitor the growth status of plants in real time, including leaf color, morphology, and growth speed; by analyzing this data, it could promptly detect health issues with the spirit plants, such as pest infestations or malnutrition, and control robots to take corresponding measures for intervention.

All data was collected and transmitted to the central control system of the planting zone, which would automatically adjust environmental parameters of the greenhouse or land based on preset thresholds, activating equipment such as sunshades, ventilation fans, humidifiers, and spiritual energy conveyors to create the most suitable environment for plant growth.

In this era, manual planting no longer existed.

The core of Meng Meng Yuan's spirit plant major was to improve spirit plant cultivation methods, understanding the growth mechanisms and physiological needs of spirit plant crops, thereby guiding robots to perform more refined operations.

The content of the simulation test made Meng Meng Yuan feel an instant headache.

He turned his head to glance at a flowerpot placed nearby, in which the planted spirit plant had already withered.

Originally, he needed to record the detailed changes during this spirit plant's growth process, but the current situation was that over the past two months he had spent all his time grinding the game, causing him to forget to care for the spirit plant until it withered.

Therefore, he simply did not know what to write.

He sighed and at that moment called out:

"Little A!"

"I am here." Light projected from the ceiling, generating a fist-sized intelligent robot, Little A, on the desktop.

Upon appearing, the intelligent Little A bowed deeply to him:

"Master, what are your orders?"

"Help me look up the growth cycle changes of the Earth Spring Flower; I need detailed information."

Facing the inquiry, a question mark popped up on Little A's Iron Face:

"Master, you are currently taking the Junior Spirit Plant Cultivator examination; according to exam requirements, Little A cannot provide you with any informational assistance. You must record the detailed changes during the Earth Spring Flower's growth process yourself."

"You rigid intelligent AI, can't you make an exception?"

Upon hearing this, a aggrieved expression immediately floated onto intelligent Little A's Iron Face; he placed a hand over his chest, stepped back two paces, looking as though deeply hurt:

"Master, Little A cannot provide any assistance."

"Withdraw," Meng Meng Yuan said irritably.

"Received." Intelligent Little A conjured a sword, thrust it into his own chest with a squelching sound, then staggered several steps before coughing up blood and collapsing to the ground, his light projection dissipating thereafter.

With no other option, Meng Meng Yuan could only open the group chat, attempting to seek help from classmates.

But after asking around, he discovered that every classmate had received a different variety of spirit plant seeds; among the forty-eight students in his class, not a single one was repeated.

This meant the possibility of copying homework was also cut off.

"It's over; I'm afraid I won't be able to graduate."

In modern society, the importance of real-world job positions is linked to social welfare.

Many benefits cannot be bought even with money.

For example, the medical qualifications distributed annually by the Moon Eclipse Clan to the Human Federation: ordinary people need to apply for additional qualifications to seek medical treatment in Moon Eclipse City, but real-world job positions allow sharing of the fixed quotas distributed to the Human Federation.

There are many other priority benefits as well.

This is also the reason real-world positions are valued.

Meng Meng Yuan's future job position is Spirit Plant Cultivator, provided he can pass the graduation exam and complete his spirit plant cultivation thesis.

Recently, he had become too obsessed with playing games, delaying the most important matter.

Glancing at the already withered Earth Spring Flower, Meng Meng Yuan fell into deep thought, feeling that one foot had already stepped into the virtual brick-moving industry.

The output and profits from the game Dark Lands were very high, so he did not need to worry about livelihood issues.

But passing the hurdle of his parents would likely be impossible.

Thinking of his parents boasting to relatives during every family gathering, their faces filled with pride, Meng Meng Yuan felt his pressure surge sharply.

He stood up, picked up a pack of spiritual fluid, tore it open, and poured it into the flowerpot, attempting to treat a dead plant as if it were alive.

After waiting for a long time, he picked up a detection gun, aimed it at the roots of the Earth Spring Flower, and scanned upward.

Beep beep!

Looking at the display screen, the values clearly indicated that the Earth Spring Flower was already dead.

"Excellent; the path of game brick-moving is secure. I am destined to make a great fortune."

The last sliver of expectation in Meng Meng Yuan's heart was extinguished.

Just as he abandoned his fantasies and prepared to accept reality, a thought suddenly surged into his mind.

The game Dark Lands contained a vast amount of knowledge related to spirit plants; was there a possibility that knowledge regarding the Earth Spring Flower existed within the game?

The spirit plant seeds used by the Human Federation were all provided by the Moon Eclipse Clan, including the relevant planting techniques which also originated from the Moon Eclipse Clan.

Since Dark Lands was created by the Moon Eclipse Clan, types of spirit plants existing in reality could very well exist within the game.

"I'll go ask my Guide Brother."

With this idea, Meng Meng Yuan picked up the game suit placed on his computer desk, changed into it, and walked toward the game pod.

Before long, Meng Meng Yuan's figure appeared in the Resurrection Square of the Winter Snowfield.

Noisy sounds from nearby assaulted him:

"Looking for a powerful player for an exploration squad; target is the Void Peak Domain Node. I have a direct path to the mining district, guaranteed to earn Sacrificial Power."

"Finally resurrected; this one-hour resurrection cooldown was too unbearable. What a shit setting."

"Who is selling Sacrificial Power? Buying at market rate. My Sacrificial Power has died into negative numbers; I can't even buy mall items anymore. Save a child, please."

"Looking for veteran players to lead a Welfare Lord Grand Melee. Price via private message. Only area-of-effect spellcasters needed; no veteran players from other schools."

After muting the regional chat channel, Meng Meng Yuan turned his head to look at the Guide Avatar floating beside him:

"Guide Brother, save me!"

A pair of weary eyes appeared on the Guide Water Sphere, narrowing slightly:

[Speak.]

"Do you know about the Earth Spring Flower?"

[Level 0 spirit plant; can also be regarded as a weed. A completely worthless ordinary plant.]

The Guide's answer made Meng Meng Yuan's eyes light up:

"Guide Brother, I need you to tell me about the detailed changes during the different growth cycles of the Earth Spring Flower."

[Go check the library for information. The data volume is too large; I'm too lazy to answer.]

An expression of disgust floated onto the Guide's Iron Face.

"There is knowledge on this aspect in the library?" Meng Meng Yuan asked in astonishment.

[Of course there is. Specifically in the Library, Zone 3, 'Record of Weeds,' Volume 32. It contains detailed introductions and records. Enter the library and use the search function to obtain it directly.]

Confirming that relevant knowledge existed, Meng Meng Yuan felt greatly relieved and immediately headed toward the teleportation point.

Before long, Meng Meng Yuan passed through the teleportation array and arrived in the Emperor Tomb Village space.

Although called a village, the current Emperor Tomb Village resembled a city more; each arrival gave Meng Meng Yuan the immediate sensation of entering a bustling otherworldly metropolis.

Summoning the map, Meng Meng Yuan followed the marker's guidance into a Gothic-style building located west of the main city.

The space inside was divided into eighteen zones; entering from the eastern entrance, he arrived at Library Zone 3.

The ceiling here soared high, while below stood rows of bookshelves reaching all the way to the dome.

The books on the shelves were dazzling in their variety; sunlight slanted in through meticulously designed windows, intertwining with the indoor lighting to form mottled and colorful shadows, adding a touch of vitality to this tranquil space, while the air was filled with a mixed scent of wood and ink.

In the central area stood a large, spliced reading table, neatly arranged with stationery supplies for convenient note-taking of reading insights at any time.

In the entire library scene, not a single player figure could be seen.

It was evident that the sea of learning is endless, and players were unwilling to plunge into it.

Meng Meng Yuan summoned the book search function unique to the library scene, causing a light interface to pop up before his eyes.

Entering "Earth Spring Flower" into the search bar on the interface, books recording information about the Earth Spring Flower immediately listed themselves on the screen.

Meng Meng Yuan found the "Record of Weeds, Volume 32" mentioned by the Guide, and instantly a line of text floated before his eyes:

[Challenger Notification: Acquiring book....]

Raising his head to look at the bookshelf, he saw a thick book fly out from above the eighth row, hover before him, and then suddenly drop.

Meng Meng Yuan hurriedly reached out to catch it.

Carrying the book to the reading area, he placed it on the reading stand.

Bang!

The words "Record of Miscellaneous Herbs" were carved in large characters on the book's cover; placed on the reading stand, it occupied one grid of space, and its thickness was astonishing—measuring against his finger, it was half a segment thicker than his index finger.

Opening to the first page, the sheets emitted the distinctive fragrance of aged paper, intertwining with the scent of ink permeating the surrounding air.

The process of searching the table of contents gave Meng Meng Yuan an instant headache; the volume of the contents was nearly comparable to a professional textbook on spiritual botany.

After flipping through three pages of the table of contents, Meng Meng Yuan turned his head to look at the Guidance Avatar:

"Brother Guidance, help this child out."

[There is a record on page 595.]

Receiving the Guidance's answer, Meng Meng Yuan immediately flipped the book to page 595.

On the page, the first thing to catch the eye was an exquisitely detailed illustration.

Rendered with delicate brushstrokes and rich colors, it depicted a blooming Earth Spring Flower; its petals layered upon layered, each like a carefully sculpted work of art, emitting a faint blue glow from their surfaces.

The edges of the petals were also dotted with tiny dewdrops, crystal clear and shining like pearls, adding a touch of vitality to the entire flower.

Beside the illustration was a section of detailed textual description.

Below, next to every growth cycle of the Earth Spring Flower, there were textual descriptions and corresponding illustrations displaying the plant's growth state.

"I'm saved!"

Seeing such detailed records, Meng Meng Yuan clenched his fist in excitement.

He hadn't expected that the game actually contained records of this nature; the pages even listed in detail the variety types generated by different cultivation methods for the Earth Spring Flower.

He only needed to copy it, and he could complete his assignment.

But information from inside the game could not be transmitted to the outside world; he now had to memorize all the content above word for word.

Meng Meng Yuan sat down at this moment, entering a state of study.

Time passed.

Outside, the sky gradually darkened; the golden wheel above the space transformed into a bright moon, while Meng Meng Yuan gnawed on spiritual fish meat stored in his space inventory, still memorizing the relevant content regarding the Earth Spring Flower.

During this period, he discovered that the book possessed an automatic purification function.

After his hands, covered in oil stains, touched the book, the grime would be automatically purified, not affecting the reading experience of the next person.

In total, there were two pages of relevant knowledge; Meng Meng Yuan spent seven hours memorizing it all.

After reviewing once to ensure nothing was missed, he stood up, summoned the function panel, and exited the game.

The thirty-second wait ended, and his vision was shrouded by a layer of pitch blackness.

Returning to reality, Meng Meng Yuan quickly walked to his computer desk and, before forgetting the content, typed out everything he had memorized without a single error.

Having done all this, Meng Meng Yuan felt greatly pleased.

To him, the significance of a professional position was not great; what mattered was that his parents would have glory on their faces and treat him with a good expression.

Opening his email inbox, he sent the content he had copied to the Spiritual Plant Cultivation Center.

Next, he only needed to deal with the exam two days later.

This was not difficult; practice was the core of the exam, and the test questions all had standard answers.

As for whether the copied and sent content could pass the professional inspection of the Spiritual Plant Cultivation Center, he was even less worried.

The Eclipse Clan provided authoritative knowledge within the game, and the vast majority of human knowledge in the field of spiritual plants was also provided by the Eclipse Clan, so there would absolutely be no issues.

Half a day later.

Cloud Veil City, Spiritual Plant Cultivation Base.

Tian Bei, wearing a pair of rimless smart glasses, sat before a virtual screen, his brows tightly furrowed.

Displayed on the screen was an Earth Spring Flower cultivation observation record submitted by a student, which focused on discoveries made during cultivation and improvement proposals.

But the more he read, the more something felt off.

These materials were overly detailed, and many contained content not recorded in the Spiritual Plant Information Database.

"This student really knows how to fabricate."

Tian Bei pushed up his smart glasses and decided to read it again.

[Earth Spring Flower Growth Record]:

Sprouting Stage

The seeds of the Earth Spring Flower are planted in soil rich in spiritual energy and mineral nutrients; the soil possesses qualities of being loose, breathable, and slightly moist.

Under suitable temperature and the nourishment of spiritual energy, the seeds begin to slowly absorb surrounding energy; the seed coats gradually soften and break open, from which tender root buds emerge.

At this time, the root buds resemble small awls, striving to drill deep into the soil to seek more stable and sufficient sources of water and nutrients, while the cotyledons strive to grow upward, tightly wrapping the yet-unfolded true leaves, presenting a pale yellow-green color and curling slightly; at this stage, the overall height of the Earth Spring Flower is merely an inch or so.

Seedling Stage

When the root buds have initially established a foothold in the soil, the Earth Spring Flower enters the seedling stage.

Its root system rapidly branches and spreads, like a dense network crisscrossing within the flowerpot, which not only enhances the ability to absorb water and nutrients but also serves to stabilize the plant; the stem above the soil gradually becomes stout, its color shifting from the initial tender green to a vibrant green, covered with a thin layer of fine hairs, feeling soft to the touch.

The leaves begin to unfold, presenting an elliptical shape with slightly serrated edges; the leaf veins are clearly visible, like the meridians of the earth, transporting the energy of life to the leaves.

During this period, the Earth Spring Flower's demand for light gradually increases, requiring ample and gentle light to promote photosynthesis, and it also needs irrigation with spiritual liquid to aid growth; the supply of nutrients in the soil becomes crucial.

In the seedling stage, the Earth Spring Flower can grow to a height of about three feet; although still tender, it has begun to reveal its unique form and charm.

Growth Stage, Flowering Stage, Fruiting Stage....

In Tian Bei's view, the records of changes in the growth cycle were overly detailed and contained content inconsistent with the facts.

For instance, it stated that the juvenile stage of the Earth Spring Flower could grow to three feet, which is one meter in height.

How could this be a seedling? Even Earth Spring Flowers in the fruiting stage do not grow to three feet; the content was complete fabrication.

Yet the growth cycle was recorded with such detail that he could not find the slightest flaw, showing that the student had indeed put in effort.

Up to this point, the content was still relatively normal, but the content thereafter began to become fantastical and abstract.

[Spiritual Plant Habit Tips]:

The Earth Spring Flower prefers a dark, humid environment nourished by spiritual energy; its efficiency in absorbing spiritual energy at night is 33.72% higher than during the day. It is extremely sensitive to sunlight and water-attribute spiritual energy; it grows faster in environments with moisture, will enter dormancy if the environment exceeds 53 degrees Celsius, and when cultivated alongside earth-attribute and water-attribute spiritual plants, it can often form a benign cycle of growth spiritual energy.

[Practical Improvement Section]:

Through cultivation methods, the Earth Spring Flower can be catalyzed to grow into a special spiritual plant: the Earth Spring Star.

Prune the thin branches of the Earth Spring Flower according to the rhythm of spiritual energy infusion to avoid damaging the spiritual plant... The use of the Spiritual Energy Irrigation Pot requires precise control of spiritual energy output; for spiritual plants in the seedling stage, the spiritual energy value for each irrigation should be maintained between 5 and 7 points, with the specific value depending on the growth state of the spiritual plant.

[Spiritual Plant Cultivation Array Reference]: The correct method for constructing a Spirit Gathering Array....

The subsequent content left Tian Bei dumbfounded.

Beyond cultivation improvements, the student had even proposed a type of Spirit Gathering Array that could lock in the spiritual energy released by the Earth Spring Flower and then feed it back to aid the plant's growth.

All proposals were supported by precise data.

But the problem was that this cultivation topic had only provided students with simple spiritual plant growth soil and spiritual liquid cultivation packs.

The student was not conducting cultivation within a laboratory, so where did all this data information come from?

The feeling he got was that the student, in order to obtain an excellent evaluation, had fabricated a bunch of content in the materials.

But this content was obviously fake at a glance; he did not understand where the student found the courage to write these things down.

This was simply a Iron Face-to-Iron Face challenge to his intelligence and professionalism.

"Excessive, truly excessive!"

"Little A."

"Master, I am here." A virtual robot projection materialized on the desktop, bowing and greeting.

Although he could be certain that this material was complete nonsense, Tian Bei still needed to go through the procedures.

"Import this data into the simulation space and deduce the growth."

"Understood, Master, proceeding with the simulation test immediately."

Before long, a light screen image appeared before Tian Bei; in the simulation image, Earth Spring Flower seeds were planted into the land, deducing growth according to the content submitted by the student.

Accompanying the growth and pruning of the spiritual plant in the image, Tian Bei gradually widened his eyes.

Apart from the growth speed and height of the spiritual plant, all other aspects matched the content of the submitted materials.

"Could it be!"

The simulation test then proceeded to the part he considered fantastical.

Simulating a new environment, as well as the described cultivation and pruning methods, the growth speed of the spiritual plant suddenly accelerated.

The parameter changes in the upper right corner left Tian Bei dumbfounded.

Fantasy had become reality!

Finally came the simulation of the Spirit Gathering Array.

Two simulation errors occurred during the process of simulating the construction, but ultimately the Spirit Gathering Array was successfully generated.

In this simulation, the Earth Spring Flower truly grew into a completely new, unrecorded plant.

Namely, the one recorded in the materials: the Earth Spring Star.

At this moment, Tian Bei was stunned.

"A talent!"

Using only ordinary spiritual soil and spiritual spring packs to actually accomplish this masterpiece, Tian Bei was completely bewildered.

But what he couldn't understand was how the student who submitted the data had actually managed to do it.

Especially the Spirit Gathering Array; was this something a student who hadn't even graduated yet could have accessed and researched?

Even the data provided by the Moon Eclipse Clan contained no records in this regard, which truly made his jaw drop.

"Master, according to the simulation test results, the assessment data can be rated as S-class. Do you have any different suggestions?"

The projection AI, Little A, held up a bouquet of flowers and said with an excited expression.

"Let's make it S."

Upon hearing this, Little A conjured a huge seal in his hand, stumbled backward two steps while hugging it, then leaped forward fiercely to stamp a giant "S" onto the bottom right corner of the holographic data.

"Done." After landing, the virtual seal vanished from Little A's hand; he wiped sweat from his brow, propped his hands on his knees, and panted heavily.

Tian Bei paid no attention to Little A, his gaze still fixed on the data displayed on the light screen.

He felt he absolutely had to figure out how this student named Meng Meng Yuan had managed to write such a report.

"Any warband need a magic-type? I'm level 32 with area-of-effect spells, maxed out damage efficiency."

Standing in the Emperor Tomb Village space, Meng Meng Yuan shouted into the regional voice channel, then began waiting for warband teams to contact him voluntarily.

Just then, a Challenger Notification popped up in his mind.

[Challenger Notification: Warning! A real-world connection request has been detected. Do you wish to exit the game?]

This was the real-world alert system configured by the Guide.

It would trigger an alert if it detected abnormal conditions with the player's physical body in the real world or if an external connection attempt was made.

Hearing the notification, Meng Meng Yuan paused for a moment, then decisively chose to exit the game.

Thirty seconds later, darkness enveloped his vision.

As the pod lid slowly opened, Meng Meng Yuan, still wearing his game suit, walked over to his computer desk.

He discovered an unknown connection request popping up on the desktop; this was the second such request.

Filled with confusion, he pressed the green answer button on the screen.

Immediately, an image appeared showing a clean-shaven middle-aged man dressed in white robes and wearing a pair of rimless smart glasses.

"Is this student Meng Meng Yuan?"

"It is me."

Seeing the figure on the screen, and the six characters "Spirit Plant Cultivation Center" printed on the man's clothing, Meng Meng Yuan felt he might have landed himself in serious trouble.

His submitted thesis data probably hadn't passed inspection, and they had come knocking.

But the problem was, there was no need for a professional scholar from the Spirit Plant Cultivation Center to come to his door just to scold him; that seemed excessive.

"Hello student Meng Meng Yuan, I am Tian Bei, the person in charge of the Spirit Fields in Zone A of the Spirit Plant Cultivation Center."

"Hello Professor Tian." Meng Meng Yuan sat down at his computer desk, feeling guilty.

"I have reviewed in detail your submitted cultivation records for the Earth Spring Flower, as well as your improvement proposal. Next, I have a few questions to ask you... I hope I'm not disturbing your gaming." Seeing Meng Meng Yuan's game suit, Tian Bei on the screen suddenly smiled.

"No, I just logged off and haven't had time to change yet." Meng Meng Yuan nodded, his Iron Face flushing slightly red.

"May I ask, what was your cultivation cycle for the Earth Spring Flower?"

"Sixty-three days."

"Was the cultivation process conducted within a professional Spirit Plant Cultivation Laboratory?"

"No."

Hearing this, Tian Bei on the screen frowned slightly, seeming deeply puzzled by this.

The change in Tian Bei's expression made Meng Meng Yuan's heart twitch, giving him an immediate sense that something was terribly wrong.

"Did you purchase any other resources online to assist in the growth of spiritual plants, such as special spiritual liquid packs or similar cultivation tools?"

"No."

"Does anyone in your family work professionally in spirit plant cultivation, have outstanding contributions in this field, and assist you in cultivating spiritual plants?"

"No."

"Could it be that you completed the cultivation entirely on your own?"

"Yes."

Hearing this answer, Tian Bei was completely stunned.

He could not believe that this student had completed the cultivation observation records alone, let alone compiled an improvement proposal by himself.

Taking a deep breath, Tian Bei spoke with a solemn expression and a heavy voice:

"Student Meng Meng Yuan, I have a request."

"Please speak; I will definitely agree." Feeling extremely guilty, Meng Meng Yuan nodded decisively, though internally he was wailing, feeling as if the conversation were like sitting in prison.

"I would like to see the Earth Spring Flower you cultivated... no, rather, the Earth Spring Star."

Hearing these words, Meng Meng Yuan was instantly dumbfounded.

He subconsciously glanced at the already withered Earth Spring Flower by his feet, bitterness rising in his heart.

If he showed this, both his feet would be stepping onto the path of virtual brick-moving, and he would never see his parents' good faces again.

Taking a deep breath, Meng Meng Yuan forced a calm demeanor and said:

"Professor Tian, the Earth Spring Flower I cultivated is not currently with me. Is there a problem with the thesis data I submitted?"

Facing the inquiry, Tian Bei shook his head with a smile on his Iron Face:

"The data you submitted is extremely detailed; I have already given it an S-class rating. You now don't even need to take the exam in one day's time to join the Spirit Plant Cultivation Center. I have already submitted your data to my superiors; just wait for the employment offer letter, which should arrive within a week at the earliest."

Hearing that he had received an S-class rating, Meng Meng Yuan was ecstatic in his heart, but the joy lasted only a few seconds before he realized a serious problem.

At this moment, Tian Bei in the video feed spoke with a chuckle:

"Student Meng Meng Yuan, I still wish to see the Earth Spring Star you cultivated with my own eyes. How about this: may I come over personally?"

Hearing these words, Meng Meng Yuan felt like crying.

How could he not understand what had happened now?

It wasn't that there was a problem with the data he submitted; rather, the data was too excellent.

An S-class rating could only indicate one thing: the thesis data he submitted contained constructive content that would advance the development of spirit plant cultivation technology.

No wonder the Spirit Plant Cultivation Center had applied to connect with him, and Professor Tian on the screen even wanted to come personally to see the Earth Spring Flower he cultivated... no, the Earth Spring Star.

He wanted to cry but had no tears.

He had thought that the data existing in the game also had records in reality.

He never expected that the data in the game was even more detailed than in reality.

In other words, the Moon Eclipse Clan had actually recorded spirit plant data in the game that they had not shared with the Human Federation.

The Moon Eclipse Clan has harmed me!

(End of Chapter)