Returning to hometown to farm: The apocalypse system arrived ten years earlier?

Chapter 340 Snow Maiden Bears Gratitude, Golden Cicada Blooms (Please Subscribe)
At Panda Mountain, three panda cubs are playing in the snow. They are naturally unfazed by the cold.

These are three extraordinary babies with immense potential, one male and two females. The male baby, "Dundunxia," has Saint-level potential, while the female babies, "Lamemeng" and "Yunduoduo," both have 18th-level potential. It can be said that they will surpass their parents, truly surpassing their predecessors.

In a short time, the three adorable babies had each formed two vortexes of spiritual energy. Li Xiang had also already formed a soul contract with them. Since Tuan Tuan called Li Xiang "Dad," they called him "Grandpa."

After playing for a while, the three cubs started fighting over the bamboo. There were plenty of tender bamboo shoots and delicious, crisp winter bamboo shoots on the ground, but when they saw "Dun Dun Xia" gnawing on a harder, older bamboo, "La Me Meng" and "Yun Duo Duo" insisted on snatching it, as if the older, harder bamboo tasted better.

"DunDunXia" was the older brother, well, it was only born a minute or two earlier, but Li Xiang said it was the older brother, so it gave way to its two younger sisters and gave them the old bamboo.

As a result, it was a "tragedy".

"Lame Meng" and "Yun Duoduo" were vying to nibble on the bamboo. They were nibbling too hard, and before they knew it, "Mengmeng" (Lame Meng's nickname) got bamboo fibers stuck between its teeth. It tried to pry them out with its paws, but the bamboo fibers were too small and it couldn't get them out no matter what it did.

Mengmeng had never encountered a situation where her teeth were stuck like this before, and she panicked for a moment, squeaking and jumping around in a panic.

Dundun and Duoduo came to help it, but they couldn't get it out either. After all, pandas' paws are furry, short, and chubby, unlike humans', and they were cubs.

"Let's go find Dad for help." So "DunDun Hero" took his sister to find TuanTuan, but unfortunately, TuanTuan wasn't there.

They wanted to find their two aunts, Huanhuan and Lele, but they weren't there either; only their mother, Yuanyuan, and grandmother were home. However, these two pandas were ordinary pandas and couldn't help.

Just then, Li Xiang came over, and the three of them rushed over, crying, "Grandpa, help! Help!"

"What's wrong?" Li Xiang asked.

Having formed a soul contract, under the power of "Beast Taming: Azure Scale Guide," Li Xiang can communicate with extraordinary spirit pets through "soul communication," or "soul telepathy," within a certain range. Currently, this communication distance is three kilometers; it won't work beyond that.

The reason Li Xiang was able to come over just now was because he sensed that the little ones were in some trouble and came to check on them.

The three cubs' voices were so cute and adorable, especially Mengmeng, who was now in tears, looking so pitiful.

"A bamboo stick is stuck in my teeth!" Mengmeng hugged Li Xiang's leg, looked up at him, and had tears in her eyes.

"Oh, I see." Li Xiang was immediately relieved. He had thought it was something serious, but it turned out to be just something to chew on. It's no big deal, why are you so anxious?

"It's okay, Grandpa will help you." Li Xiang comforted her, then asked Mengmeng to open her mouth wide. He checked her mouth, then reached in and easily pulled out the bamboo fibers stuck between her teeth.

Crisis resolved.

"Grandpa, Grandpa, you're amazing!"

"Thank you grandpa!"

"Thank you, grandpa."

"It's nothing, just a small matter. Don't gnaw on the old bamboo anymore. Wait until you're older and your teeth are stronger before you start gnawing on it, okay?" Li Xiang said.

"Okay, okay, we'll never do it again." The three panda cubs were quite remorseful.

Just as Li Xiang was about to leave, Mengmeng called out, "Grandpa, wait!"

"What?" Li Xiang turned around.

Under Li Xiang's curious gaze, Mengmeng turned around and went into the cave to bring out a few good things: "Grandpa, Grandpa, these are for you."

Upon closer inspection, Li Xiang realized it was "Golden Cicada Flower".

This is a treasure from the bamboo forest; it's actually a complex formed when cicada larvae are infected with fungi, and it's known as the "Southern Cordyceps." It has the effects of dispelling wind-heat, promoting rash eruption, extinguishing wind and stopping spasms, and improving eyesight and clearing away corneal opacity. It's a precious traditional Chinese medicine, expensive and in high demand.

"I found this while I was digging for bamboo shoots, it's so delicious." Seeing that Li Xiang wouldn't take it, Mengmeng still held her paws, trying to stuff it into Li Xiang's mouth.

"Why are you giving this to me?" Li Xiang asked, patting its head.

“My dad said we should be grateful. Grandpa helped me pull the bamboo out of the hole today, so I have to do something to show my appreciation. It’s a matter of courtesy and it also represents my feelings.”

"Oh my~" Li Xiang was immediately surprised. This little thing was quite eloquent and had a high EQ. So, he immediately took away its "Golden Cicada Flower", picked it up and kissed it a few times, gave it some pointers on its cultivation, and rewarded it with a spiritual fruit.

Dundun: "..."

Duoduo: "..."

Dundun blinked, and a sudden realization dawned on him. He thought to himself, "No wonder both Dad and Grandpa love Mengmeng so much. I thought it was because of the 'So Cute' trademark, which could make money for Grandpa. But it turns out that's not the case!"

The "La Me Meng" hot pot chain is quite profitable, and Mengmeng is also the most popular character online.

However, Li Xiang's favorite thing about Mengmeng is definitely not because of this.

Although Mengmeng may not have the greatest potential, she is the most well-behaved and adorable. Today, she even said these words, showing that her emotional intelligence is on par with Yao Yao, Zhao Xueqing, and Lei Xiaohui.

Moreover, its voice is cute and sincere, it's definitely not an act, and at such a young age, it doesn't have that much scheming.

How could anyone not love such an adorable panda cub?
After playing with the three panda cubs for a while, and checking on the condition of the other two ordinary pandas, Li Xiang left with peace of mind.

With the world frozen and the weather frigid, Li Xiang built them warmer nests and stocked them with plenty of food, piled up like small mountains, so much so that they couldn't finish eating it every day.

He arrived at Elephant Mountain, where the elephants lived in spacious caves, with only a few mischievous ones venturing out to play. But it was too cold, and they would return to their nests after a short while.

Inside, there were mountains of food, so the elephants had no worries about food and drink, and they were all very satisfied.

In addition, several calves were born in the herd, three of which also possessed extraordinary potential, but they were only recently born and had not yet begun their cultivation. Li Xiang took special care of them, feeding them first-tier spiritual herbs from time to time. To increase genetic diversity, Li Xiang personally went to Southeast Asia to capture some more female and male elephants to prevent inbreeding.

With food and water readily available, the newly arrived elephants quickly adapted to life here.

The baby white elephant was not home, but its mother, the leader of the herd, remained guarding Elephant Mountain, keeping the other elephants in check. To Li Xiang's surprise, perhaps due to the extreme cold, or perhaps due to her improved cultivation level, the mother elephant had grown long black fur all over her body, showing signs of the revival of ancient mammoth blood. Moreover, her tusks were growing longer and longer, gleaming silver and radiating a precious aura.

It truly lives up to its name as the "Silver-Toothed Mammoth".

Several other ordinary elephants have also grown dense downy hair, though not as long as the head elephant's. With ample food, the elephants' subcutaneous fat is becoming thicker and thicker, which is probably a normal phenomenon due to the extremely cold weather.

When Li Xiang arrived at Tiger Mountain, he witnessed a lively scene.

Tuan Tuan, Little White Elephant, and Little Golden Tiger were locked in a fierce battle, while Huan Huan, Le Le, and several other tigers watched the spectacle from the sidelines.

Huanhuan waved bamboo sticks and cheered loudly, encouraging the group.

Little Golden Tiger also had its mother and sister cheering it on, while Little White Elephant was all alone and at a disadvantage. However, relying on its size advantage and its "mountain-moving" strength, it unleashed the "Diamond Whip Technique" with a thunderous roar, splitting rocks and making it look the most mighty.

Noticing Li Xiang's arrival, the three beasts became even more spirited and fought fiercely, each displaying their best skills. In an instant, the roars of tigers, the bellows of elephants, and the howls of pandas echoed through the mountains and forests.

Ten miles away, in a mountain valley, a litter of wild boars trembled with fear, and several of them even urinated.

However, the villagers in the surrounding area were not surprised at all; they were used to it.

Everyone knows those are Brother Xiang's pets, currently sparring. As the world's most powerful armored warrior, what's wrong with keeping a few ferocious beasts as pets? The country supports it.

They will also be the backbone of protecting their hometown in the end times. Therefore, the villagers are not afraid, and often come to watch when the weather is good, and they will take the initiative to explain to tourists.

Of course, with roads blocked by ice and snow, and the bitter cold unbearable, scenic spots are closed and employees are on holiday, so there are no tourists visiting.

……

The tunnel and underground commercial plaza centered around Lijiacun have become popular in China because of the internet age and the prevalence of short videos.

Many locals braved the snow and ice to come and take photos, resulting in a significant increase in visitors inside the tunnel.

With more people, there are even more stalls and businesses, offering all kinds of food and creating a lively atmosphere.

As for people from other places, due to inconvenient transportation, they can only look on their phones and feel envious.

"I really want to live in Lijia Village. Is it too late to relocate now?"

"That's definitely not going to work. Do you think the household registration system is just for show? Unless you're very rich, no, even if you're rich, it won't work. You have to be very talented, or have a great talent for cultivation."

"Lijia Village is now a hot commodity."

"Exactly! That's where the world's most powerful armored warrior resides. I predict it will become a global holy site and a new center in the future."

Due to the large daily flow of people, security guards alone could no longer keep up, so the county deployed police (including traffic police) to assist in maintaining order.

In addition, lighting and ventilation equipment are being installed throughout the tunnel.

In fact, Li Xiang had designed a hidden ventilation opening, which could have been maintained if there were few people. However, the popularity of the place exceeded his expectations. With more people, there was more smoke and people smoking, so the air was not fresh enough. Therefore, the county government took over and installed large exhaust fans.

Li Xiang also used his earth-based abilities to add some new air vents.

Meanwhile, the fire department was also dispatched to deploy various fire hydrants and strengthen training and safety education for the public to prevent potential disasters.

In addition, several public toilets have been added. A new septic tank has been built in the distance.

With Li Xiang's help, the relevant departments of the county government carried out these tasks quite smoothly.

Li Xiang's name appears in various county government work reports. Of course, given Li Xiang's current status and position, he doesn't really care about these things, and it doesn't matter whether his name is included or not. But the county insists on including it; well, mainly because the county feels it's an honor to have Li Xiang's name on their list.

Even the county wanted to change its name to "Li Family County," but Li Xiang rejected it.

Then Li Xiang was invited to attend various meetings in the county, but he didn't have that much time. He only selected a few important ones to participate in, but he tried not to speak during the meetings.

But sometimes, it's hard to refuse such hospitality, and I can't help but say a few words. Often, after only a few words, thunderous applause erupts.

Li Xiang: "..."

Later, he simply stopped participating altogether.

He had a perfectly legitimate excuse: his wife was about to give birth and he needed to stay home to take care of her.

In fact, Jiang Cai'er was indeed close to giving birth. A month in advance, Li Xiang took her to the provincial capital, checked her into the best hospital, and booked the most expensive suite.

All expenses incurred during childbirth are fully reimbursed by the province. In addition, there is a substantial maternity allowance.

Within days of moving in, numerous leaders from the county, province, and even the capital came to visit. Tsinghua University, needless to say, received many leaders, teachers, and students.

The room was filled with all sorts of gifts, and it was impossible to refuse them. Fortunately, Li Xiang had a dimensional warehouse, so he took them all in.

Wow, once the news spread, no one was surprised anymore; they felt it would be abnormal not to receive these benefits.

(End of this chapter)