Chapter 58

The dawn of the fortress, in the interweaving of thin sunlight and thick fog, beneath the figures of the two leaning on each other, was a sea of thorns that she completely controlled, vibrant yet lethally deadly, each vine becoming an extension of her will.

The two returned to the greenhouse; at this moment Li Feifei had already lightly slipped from his embrace, her feet stepping on the greenhouse's muddy soil, a faint tingling numbness still spreading up along her leg bones, causing her to unconsciously clutch the front of Li Qingxuan's clothing.

The body's memory still retained last night's intensity and the morning's focus on controlling the thorns; double fatigue piled up, and even the bone joints felt a lazy soreness.

Li Qingxuan steadily set her down, his strong arms not immediately releasing, still loosely encircling her waist, supporting her as she regained her bodily balance.

The warm, moist air inside the greenhouse wrapped around them, carrying the familiar scent of soil and plant sap, dispelling the gloomy, viscous pressure outside the city wall.

"No problem?" his low voice sounded from above, carrying a hint of barely noticeable concern.

Li Feifei took a deep breath, her feet planted firmly on the ground, steadying her body; she exerted a little force with her waist and abdomen, and that embarrassing soreness seemed to be faintly washed away by the surrounding warmth.

"Hmm..." she responded softly, trying to loosen her grip on his lapel, but her fingertips felt somewhat numb from overexertion, making the action a bit clumsy.

Li Qingxuan's gaze lingered briefly on her slightly whitening fingertips, then lightly shifted away; his hand still encircling her waist not only did not withdraw, but grew firmer, like a silent supporting pillar.

He led her, stepping toward the deeper part of the greenhouse.

The crops cultivated inside the greenhouse exuded vigorous vitality, lush greenery, forming a world starkly different from the eerie, lethal deep-purple thorns outside the city wall.

Li Feifei leaned against his side, moving slowly with his steps.

The bodily fatigue was real, yet another ineffable warm current wrapped around her heart.

It was not only because of the warm air permeating the greenhouse, but also because of the silent yet steadfast protection of the man beside her, and the steady, powerful heartbeat transmitted from his chest.

This sense of security was the most precious heater in this cold apocalypse.

Li Qingxuan handed the newly grown Bodhi Fruits of the day to Li Feifei, watching her eat them one by one; her Spirit Value rose again, reaching 159.

The two headed toward the Wheat Area; thanks to Li Feifei's continuous catalysis, the wheat shoots had already grown tall and formed ears, the heavy wheat heads glowing with a healthy golden hue, densely drooping like a miniature golden ocean, exuding a soothing grain fragrance.

Li Feifei, supported by Li Qingxuan, walked to the edge of the field.

She took a deep breath, trying to ease her bodily soreness, and focused her attention on the wheat field before her.

The Spiritual Power depletion from last night's intensity and this morning's control of the Shadowy Thorns left her fingertips still faintly trembling when touching the plump wheat heads.

However, the instant her fingertips brushed the wheat awns, a strange perception came over her like a faint electric current.

It was no longer the simple vigorous vitality felt during previous stimulation.

This time, she clearly 'heard' a low hum, as if countless tiny life cores within the wheat heads were beating rhythmically.

What further startled her was that every wheat stalk, every leaf, and even each wheat awn revealed vigorous vitality!

"Huh?" she couldn't help but utter a soft exclamation, her fingertips pausing on a particularly plump wheat head as she closed her eyes and focused.

Li Qingxuan immediately noticed her abnormality, the arm encircling her waist tightening slightly: "What's wrong? Are you uncomfortable?"

Li Feifei did not answer right away; she was striving to interpret the information coming from her fingertips.

In the darkness, a peculiar resonance arose with it, as if the vitality of the entire wheat field had merged into a single whole.

... Is this because my Spiritual Power has increased, making my perception of plants sharper? Or has my catalysis ability grown stronger?

She opened her eyes, her pupils flashing with incredulous joy and a hint of confusion as she looked at Li Qingxuan: "Li Qingxuan... these wheat feel different to me." She paused, thought for a moment: "They seem to be connected."

Li Qingxuan slowly loosened his embrace around her, waiting for Li Feifei to steady herself by holding the nearby support, then he bent down and carefully pinched off a wheat stalk.

He straightened up, his gaze scanning over the brilliant golden wheat field before him, and began to think.

He organized his thoughts, his eyes brightening: "This should be because your Spiritual Power has increased, allowing you to guide plant vitality more precisely, which is why you feel this way!"

Li Feifei gazed at his eyes, bright with the discovery of new possibilities, feeling the vibrant vitality transmitted from the land beneath her feet that nurtured miracles; her bodily fatigue seemed to be washed away by the surprise.

After Li Feifei completed the Accelerated Growth in the wheat field, the two proceeded to the Rice Field Area; the rice paddies that met their eyes were not the heavy golden hue of the wheat field, but a fresher, more vibrant green.

The rice seedlings in the paddy were neatly arranged, their leaves unfurled, shimmering with a watery sheen under the greenhouse's warm light.

A shallow layer of clear water lay between the field ridges, reflecting the lush greenery above; mist hovered, exuding the distinctive fresh sweet scent of soil and newborn plants, with a faint fishy note.

Li Feifei applied Accelerated Growth to the one mu of rice paddy before her.

Under Li Qingxuan's gaze, that rice seedling, originally no more than half a chi tall, began to elongate at a visible speed!

The stalks grew firmer and more upright; the tender leaves unfurled like spreading wings, quickly widening, the green deepening in richness, and the leaf tips astonishingly sprouting several fine, slightly downy husk primordia!

This speed far surpassed the performance when previously catalyzing the wheat field!

It seemed as if her Spiritual Power had found a more efficient resonance path in this rice field, each command amplified hundreds or thousands of times by an invisible giant hand and executed with perfect precision!

Li Qingxuan's heartbeat also quickened.

He stared intently at the frantically growing rice seedling, then scanned the whole paddy—only to see that, under Li Feifei's Spiritual Power covering it, the entire expanse of green seedlings underwent subtle yet uniform changes, as if being gently but firmly pushed by an invisible hand, racing toward maturity.

Li Qingxuan slightly tightened his arms, letting Li Feifei lean fully against the sturdy crook of his arm, to share her bodily fatigue and the massive spiritual drain.

Li Qingxuan, seeing the changes stop, held Li Feifei and began checking the control hub; he saw that the wheat would fully mature in 80 hours, and the rice could mature in 540 hours, then the two returned to the fortress.

After placing Li Feifei on a chair, she continued the previously unfinished transaction, re-posting the trade information, communicating and trading with it.

Li Feifei saw Li Qingxuan beginning to don his gear and said, "When you go out, stay safe; no matter what, remember that I'm waiting for you at home."

Li Qingxuan, having donned his clothes and armor, gently pressed a kiss to Li Feifei's forehead; as their lips parted, his handsome smile came into view.

He summoned the Black Goat lying beneath the Bodhi Tree to his side, and the person and beast walked toward the Steel City Gate facing the fortress.

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