For King Lin, this was also a rare opportunity. During the compilation of the Martial Arts Scripture, many masters gathered to exchange and discuss ideas. Even if he couldn't directly break through to the Martial Saint Realm, it would greatly enhance his chances of reaching the Martial Saint level.

Unconsciously, the wheel of the season slowly rolled into autumn. The Northern lands, after vigorously promoting high-yield crops, finally welcomed the joy of their first harvest.

…

…

In the Hexi Corridor of September, the vast Gobi Desert seemed to have been enchanted by nature. Southern Ocean potato vines sprawled like emerald pythons, freely covering this once barren land. They were full of vitality, showcasing tenacious life force.

Old farmer Zhao Tiezhu, this simple and honest man, was kneeling in the cracked field furrows. His hands, rough from years of labor, were trembling as they dug into the sandy soil.

As the sandy soil was gradually peeled away, tubers as thick as a baby's arm came into view, rolling into the willow basket beside him. The purple-red skin, covered with morning dew formed by Qilian Snow Water, glistened like pearls in the sunlight, exuding a captivating brilliance.

"The ancestors have blessed us!" Zhao Tiezhu's voice trembled with excitement as he broke open a tuber and stuffed it into his gap-toothed mouth. Milky juice ran down his dark face, dripping onto his worn sheepskin coat.

Twenty steps away, his newly married son and daughter-in-law were busily bundling the potato vines. These vines, which seemed too prickly to feed camels, could now be exchanged for three flatbreads at the Dunhuang market, a significant windfall for their struggling family.

…

…

Outside Yumen Pass, the ancient post road was carved with three-foot-deep ruts from the passing grain carts. On the shafts of the carts, the "Xu" character flags fluttered in the breeze, as if narrating the joy of the harvest.

Camel driver Ma Lao San flicked the whip with a red tassel, the crisp sound echoing in the air, startling the sandbirds pecking on the ground.

Suddenly, the lead camel knelt down, its hump weighed down by a five-foot-long Immortal Rice ear, oozing blood. "Unload two bundles! Let the beasts catch their breath!" Before the grain officer's words could fall, shabby refugees on the roadside swarmed forward.

Their eyes gleamed with longing, and a one-eyed old man, disregarding everything, tore open a grain bag and buried his face in the golden rice. The rice awns pierced his eyelids, but he remained oblivious, lost in the rare joy brought by the food.

…

…

East of Liangzhou City, in front of the newly built Xu Gong Temple, the scene was bustling. The bronze-cast five-foot rice ear sculpture exuded an ancient and solemn aura under the sunlight.

Farm women were carefully tying Qiang embroidery onto the sculpture, adding a touch of color to it. The centenarian shaman grandmother, her eyes full of devotion, removed her ancestral Wolf Tooth Necklace and gently hung it on the neck of the rice god's statue, murmuring, "The Immortal Rice ear bestowed by Lord Xu is more dazzling than the Snow Mountain Goddess's hair!"

Children happily chased one another nearby, tossing rice husks into the air, which fell like golden rain, landing in the incense burner, bringing people's hopes into the future.

For them, it was like a dream they had never dreamt of, now vividly unfolding before their eyes.

…

…

In the depths of the cellar of Zhangye's official granary, it was a busy sight. The new wheat was being ground into powder, as fine as the symbol of harvest.

The accountant of the Li family from Longxi, holding a string of beeswax prayer beads, each clear sound corresponding to a tempered Mo Blade in the secret chamber. "Young Protector Xu's Southern Ocean potato yields five percent more powder than barley," he said softly.

The Li family patriarch caressed the grain stack, and what his palm touched was not the fragrance of wheat, but saltpetre powder. With food and saltpetre, their border towns' strength would undoubtedly grow day by day.

…

…

In the Capital, within Prince Yu's Mansion.

Prince Yu sat in his study, joyfully reviewing the reports arriving like snowflakes from various northern regions.

His eyes shone with irrepressible excitement, like the brightest stars in the night sky, and at this moment, he felt strongly that he was under a divine mandate.

He pondered to himself, if not for heavenly protection, why would he be able to achieve such a significant harvest just as he took charge of the North and vigorously promoted high-yield crops?

"Prince, now that we have ample grain, many thorny issues can be easily resolved. We can finally undertake great undertakings!"

Beside him, Mr. Dai, usually calm and composed like a silent mountain, couldn't help but show a hint of excitement at this moment.

Although the road ahead was still fraught with thorns and challenges, the substantial grain supply gave Prince Yu the confidence to glimpse a glimmer of hope in continuing forward.

Prince Yu nodded heavily, a confident smile on his face, and said, "Teacher, based on the reports received so far, even if there may be some exaggeration, the grain yield has already far exceeded the highest records in the North in previous years. If nothing goes wrong, our reliance on transported grain this year will be significantly reduced."

If it were simply about not caring for the people's lives and only focusing on maintaining the supply of large towns and the military, this grain would be more than sufficient.

This was a rare opportunity since the Grand Ancestor Dynasty for the North to break free from severe dependence on transported grain.

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