What the hell, a cheat?
Before Xu Ping's astonished eyes, the light twisted a few times, and a screen suddenly emerged.
[Name: Xu Ping]
[Lifespan: 28/98 years]
[Realm: Qi Cultivation Level Three: 71/100]
[Cultivation Technique: Five Elements Skill Proficient (Level Three): 143/200]
[Skills: Spirit Rain Skill Entry Level: 12/100; Geng Metal Finger Entry Level: 78/100]
Staring blankly for a while, Xu Ping saw no other anomalies, and his stiff body gradually came back to life.
He repeatedly summoned and closed the panel several times.
"It's not an illusion!"
He was thrilled.
Golden Finger!
Without a doubt, this belonged to his own Golden Finger!
Xu Ping felt secure, as he finally had a sense of safety in this dangerous world!
"Whew..."
He took a deep breath, suppressing the excitement and agitation in his heart.
Xu Ping carefully examined the virtual interface.
The attributes were clear and straightforward.
No matter how he tried, he couldn't find anything he could operate.
The game panel had no interactive intelligence or recharge options.
"Is it simply displaying my data?"
Xu Ping was troubled; what use was this Golden Finger?
If he could rate it, he would definitely give it a one-star review.
"Wait, why did I see an experience prompt when using the Spirit Rain Skill?"
"Could it be..."
Xu Ping's eyes lit up, thinking of a possibility.
He suppressed his hidden excitement and flicked his fingers.
A sharp golden beam shot from his fingertips, instantly burrowing into the soil, forming a small finger-width, 6-inch deep hole.
[Geng Metal Finger · Experience +1]
A message popped up in his vision.
Xu Ping's gaze quickly fell on the panel.
The "Geng Metal Finger Entry Level: 78/100" had turned into "Geng Metal Finger Entry Level: 79/100".
"Whew, just as expected!"
His heart began to beat rapidly, continuing to experiment.
Each flick of the finger increased the panel's proficiency by one.
He kept activating it until his Spiritual Power was nearly half exhausted before he stopped.
And now, the "Geng Metal Finger" proficiency had become "90/100".
"Whew... whew!"
Xu Ping breathed heavily, looking at the panel with surprise and joy.
"Every practice forcibly adds one point to proficiency?"
"Effort meets reward!"
Xu Ping couldn't help but grin widely.
"With this proficiency."
"What do I have to fear then..."
"No, no, I still have many fears, like the possibly sinister Old Sun."
Thinking of Old Sun's pale, somewhat eerie face, the excitement on Xu Ping's face gradually faded.
Be humble, be humble, again be humble.
Even with a Golden Finger, he's still a novice in this dangerous world.
Xu Ping calmed down and began to ponder how the proficiency panel could assist him.
"Can I make money with the proficiency panel?"
His first thought was whether he could use the proficiency panel to earn Spirit Stones and move to the market center.
The market center is protected by arrays, with security far superior to that of the slum areas.
Yet, after thinking it over, he still couldn't find a way to make money with the proficiency panel.
The idea of earning proficiency for Spirit Rain Skill to become a spirit plant farmer was unlikely to work short-term.
Even if he became a spirit plant farmer, it would take time to cultivate spirit medicine to earn money.
By then, it would be too late.
As for other cultivation skills, they either require investment of Spirit Stones, or he simply has no access.
"How come having a cheat still makes earning money so hard!" Xu Ping sighed helplessly.
At this moment, a tall and burly middle-aged man approached with a proud-looking elderly man in luxurious attire.
Xu Ping recognized them.
The middle-aged man's surname was Chen; the proud-looking elderly man was Elder Yan, both were spirit farmers.
However, Elder Yan differed from ordinary spirit farmers; his proficient Spirit Rain Skill made his life particularly prosperous.
Each level of Spirit Rain Skill was another world.
If Spirit Rice was constantly irrigated with proficient Spirit Rain Skill, its yield would more than double that of the entry-level skill's irrigation.
Especially during the critical fruiting period of Spirit Rice, irrigating once or twice with proficient Spirit Rain Skill would yield at least twenty percent more Spirit Rice.
According to Xu Ping, his annual Spirit Rice yield was about a thousand pounds, which meant an extra two hundred pounds.
This was 4 Spirit Stones more.
Even if sixty percent had to be submitted, there were still 16 Spirit Crystals left.
So every year around this time, spirit farmers would spend Spirit Stones to invite Elder Yan to irrigate their fields.
Thus, within the surrounding fifty miles, he was considered quite the figure.
"How did I not think of this!" Xu Ping slapped his forehead, annoyed.
He had not interacted with Elder Yan before and hadn't thought that proficient Spirit Rain Skill could also earn money.
However, realizing this was still not too late.
With the proficiency panel, Spirit Rain Skill could break through in just a few days!
Moreover, the fruiting period of Spirit Rice lasted a whole month.
Xu Ping thought for a bit and followed the two.
...
In the spirit field.
Elder Yan was using the Spirit Rain Skill to irrigate the Spirit Rice.
It should be said that the proficient Spirit Rain Skill indeed gathered double the clouds Xu Ping could, and the Spiritual Qi within the rainwater was astoundingly rich.
Xu Ping's eyes brightened, watching with great interest.
After one incense stick's time, Elder Yan finished irrigating five acres of spirit field and was about to rest and recover his Mana when he noticed Xu Ping on the embankment.
No, he must have noticed earlier.
He just didn't pay attention to Xu Ping while irrigating the Spirit Rice.
"What, do you want to learn to irrigate others' spirit fields like me?" Elder Yan eyed Xu Ping for a moment and chuckled.
Xu Ping was surprised; Elder Yan had seen through his thoughts.
Seemingly aware of Xu Ping's confusion, Elder Yan straightened his back and smiled calmly:
"There have been many with your thoughts, believing they could learn proficient Spirit Rain Skill just by watching me. Unfortunately... this thing mainly relies on talent!"
"Young man, take my advice, following me in irrigating spirit fields leads to a dead end! Being a spirit farmer has a very promising future." Elder Yan looked as if he had profound knowledge.
Xu Ping was utterly perplexed; if he weren't a spirit farmer, he would have believed Elder Yan's nonsense—that being a spirit farmer was a very promising career.
"I won't stop you; nowadays, young people won't turn back until they hit a wall." The elder chuckled and continued to irrigate the spirit fields.
...
...
Evening.
After a day of work, Xu Ping returned to his house.
He pushed open the door and entered.
The wooden house provided by Dongwu Market was quite simple.
There was a small yard at the front for drying grains, a small backyard with a well, and... that was it.
The interior was even simpler.
Except for the kitchen, which at least had a pot and stove, the bedroom only had a bed, a clothes rack, and nothing else.
The living conditions needed improvement!
Xu Ping shook his head.
He filled water from the backyard well to bathe, then started a fire in the kitchen to cook.
He took some Spirit Rice from the rice jar, washed it clean, and put it in the earth stove pot.
Ignited the fire.
As the pot boiled, white steam lingered in the small kitchen.
It diffused the unique aroma of rice.
Sitting in front of the stove, Xu Ping took a deep breath.
He felt even hungrier!
Finally, cooking the Spirit Rice was done; he eagerly lifted the pot lid and scooped a big bowl of steaming rice.
Time to eat!
Without caring about the heat, he picked up his chopsticks and impatiently shoveled a bite of rice.
"Delicious!"
Minutes later, Xu Ping had finished a big bowl of rice cleanly.
He leaned back in his chair, feeling his belly with satisfaction, lazily unwilling to move.
"Wait, don't waste time." He remembered something and quickly returned to the bedroom to meditate and train.
After meals was the best time for cultivation, allowing maximum absorption and digestion of the Spiritual Qi and nutrients from the Spirit Rice.
Nourishing oneself and enhancing Mana.
Xu Ping was currently at Qi Cultivation Level Three, far from Level Four.
If relying on absorbing external Spiritual Qi to cultivate, the efficiency was very poor.
Neither could he afford Pills or a Spirit Gathering Array.
Thus, he could only rely on Spirit Rice for daily cultivation support.