August waned, and the weather began to cool down gradually.

Even at high noon with the blazing sun, the scorching sensation on one's skin had dissipated.

Xuan Du strolled slowly through the woods by the bank of the Huai River, purposely choosing the shades where sunshine couldn't reach.

The rippling river water flowed eastward ceaselessly, and the sky above appeared vast and high, dotted with a few white clouds only in the far distance.

Perhaps due to the lesser heat, the chirping of cicadas also became less frequent.

Up ahead was Linhuan Pass.

Xuan Du walked forward, lifting his eyes to look ahead.

A winding path stretched into the depths of the forest, flanked by farmland on one side and a water channel on the other.

Xuan Du paused, his face showing some hesitation.

Since the day the Great Shang's mystic bird cried sorrowfully and was deprived of its fortune, his master had asked him to travel around.

So, following his master's instructions, he bid farewell to his master, the golden and silver boys, and the horned azure ox, traveling light out of Daluo Mountain.

But where should he go next?

His master didn't tell him, so he wandered aimlessly.

He was very familiar with the Southern Continent and the Human Race, being the chief disciple of the Human Sect and also the primordial Human Ancestor created by the Nuwa Saint.

No one understood the Human Race better than him.

He had personally witnessed the Human Race, from a small valley in the Ancient Era, step by step expanding in all directions, leaving their traces in every corner of the Primordial Continent!

Even now, he frequently traveled through the territories of the Human Race.

A Daoist robe of blue fabric, a pair of hemp shoes, accompanied him through countless springs, summers, autumns, and winters.

They also accompanied him from the Barbaric caves to the bustling cities, from barbaric ways of consuming raw meat to civilized dining, from the era of the Three Emperors and Five Emperors to the Great Shang Dynasty…

And now, he must continue on.

Having left Daluo Mountain, he had planned to visit Qi Mountain, but on the way there, he heard that there was some turmoil downstream of the Huai River, so he detoured southeast to check out the excitement.

However, the more he traveled, the deeper his frown became.

The Human World had changed.

The cause and effect were chaotic, and karmic obstacles were numerous.

The gods of worship acted recklessly and coercively, forcing the Human Race to offer sacrifices and worship, treating them as tools for refining Incense Bronze.

Officials, wealthy families, and witches within the city gates mostly became helpers of these gods.

One side gathered wealth, the other amassed Incense Bronze.

Both took what they needed, achieving mutual gains.

But for the ordinary people, life became increasingly difficult.

"Western Sect has gone too far," Xuan Du muttered to himself: "After this trip, I must discuss this thoroughly with my master."

With that said, he continued to move forward.

Further ahead was Linhuan Pass.

It is said that the Water God there was chosen by the people themselves.

This indeed seemed very intriguing.

Xuan Du walked towards Linhuan Pass, full of anticipation.

Though called a pass, the place was not actually defensible; it was merely a settlement established during the pioneering days.

Apart from that city gate, there were neatly tilled farmlands in all directions, with rice nearly ready for harvest.

Xuan Du stopped to observe, only to see densely packed rice stalks in every field.

Plant by plant, their roots interconnected, branches and leaves dependent on each other.

An endless view at a glance.

Moreover, almost every rice stalk was hanging with incredibly full and large grains of rice.

The rice ears were heavy, displaying a greenish hue, vibrant and dripping with freshness.

"How could the rice here be so dense?"

A trace of confusion flashed through Xuan Du's eyes.

Although most parts of the Southern Continent do not cultivate rice, he knew that near the water-rich southern region, the commoners mainly consumed rice.

However, rice prefers water and is intolerant to drought. After planting, it is crucial to ensure there is ample water in the fields; otherwise, it easily withers from the sun.

Thus, even in water-abundant areas, the success of growing rice depended on the temperament of the Water God.

Despite this, rice is a more delicate crop compared to others like hemp, millet, sorghum, wheat, and beans.

Pests, birds, and weeds all pose deadly threats to rice crops.

As a Human Ancestor who has lived through the history of the Human Race, Xuan Du knew all about this and had even "borrowed" rice grains from Earth Emperor Shennong in the Fire Cloud Cave.

The rice grown from Shennong's grains was so plump and full, known as Jiahe.

But at this moment, he saw Jiahe everywhere!

Looking into the distance, mists hovered over the banks of the massive Huai River.

Tall wooden devices stood by the bank, resembling wheels slowly rotating, lifting water from the riverbed and channeling it into the shore's irrigation canals.

Xuan Du studied these wooden devices with a curiosity in his eyes.

Eventually, he confirmed that these devices neither used Divine Skills nor required Daoist Skill.

They rotated with the water flow, continuously drawing river water from the Huai River into the canals.

As long as the Huai River didn't dry up, this device could work day and night.

This was much more reliable than the Water God!

Intrigued, Xuan Du went around asking several locals working in the fields.

These locals were guarding the rice fields against birds and beasts while simultaneously having the leisure to chat with him.

From the mouths of these locals, he learned about a name—Immortal Wen Zhong.

It was this Immortal Wen Zhong who instructed the locals to chop down trees, drag them to the riverbank, and create these huge wooden machines called "Water Wheels."

He also taught the locals to build canals, excavate silt from river beds and banks for fertilizing fields, improve farming tools, and select better rice varieties...

Thus, the locals near Linhuan Pass, even though they did not worship the Water God, never lacked water in their fields, and the crops were thriving, indicating an unprecedented grand harvest was imminent.

After hearing all this, Xuan Du was immensely impressed and grew curious about Immortal Wen Zhong.

An old man, unable to hide his smile and showing his missing teeth, enthusiastically said, "If you're looking for the Immortal, you can definitely find him now in the southern town's forest."

Xuan Du thanked the old man and quickly headed to the small forest in the town's south.

In the forest, a thatched cottage stood with hundreds of children sitting in the shade of the trees, making a large circle in the center.

Surrounded by these children, a square-faced, broad-foreheaded young man with thick eyebrows and large eyes was explaining something.

The children listened intently, but Xuan Du, who considered himself well-versed in all matters related to the Human Race, found himself somewhat unable to understand.

What are bacteria?

Why must water be boiled before drinking?

What is immunity?

...

Before he could grasp these concepts, he heard the young man say, "After talking about hygiene, let's learn some mathematics... As I've told you before, mathematics is a tool that helps us understand and study the world.

It's not just simple arithmetic... With it, we can also explore space, time, information, mechanics, and much more..."

As the young man spoke eloquently, Xuan Du's eyes gradually widened in amazement.

He knew—he was in the right place!

Why even bother going to Xi Qi!

Were it not for the fear of disturbing the children, he would've burst out raising his hand, shouting, "I want to learn mathematics!"

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