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

Chapter 363 The Mid-Autumn Festival spectacle in City 03 was truly enviable.
The annual Mid-Autumn Festival has arrived, and under Li Xiang's instructions, City 03 held an exciting celebration.

The entire city became more vibrant because of this celebration.

Most notably, the dome's psionic matrix projects a virtual moon with a diameter of 100 meters, its surface with clearly discernible details of craters. The Jade Rabbit, in luminous form, is seen pounding medicine under the laurel tree, while the holographic Chang'e's robes flutter in the wind.

"Who can understand the significance of this bright moon?" Countless people cheered and were mesmerized. Even Li Xiang was slightly intoxicated. How long had it been since he had seen the moon? Only City 03 had such high technology and strength.

On both sides of the street, countless bright red lanterns are suspended, and the light ribbons meander like the Milky Way towards the underground farm. The "Guanghan Fragrance" scent molecules specially made by Jiang Cai'er's team are diffused through the ventilation system, mixed with the improved sweet fragrance of osmanthus cultivated by Zhao Xueqing.

The underground farm has a grove of osmanthus trees, more than 600 in total, which are in full bloom right now. There are golden osmanthus, silver osmanthus, red osmanthus and more. More than 70% of the trees are mutated plants, and the osmanthus flowers they produce are especially sweet. Many bees are buzzing around collecting nectar, and the honey they make is naturally sweet and delicious.

Undoubtedly, there are also a large number of bees kept in underground farms, but the number is not enough and they need to be bred for several more generations before they can reach a large scale.

This year's harvest of spirit honey was not much, only about 100 kilograms. Zhao Xueqing kept 10 kilograms for herself and gave the rest to Jiang Cai'er. Jiang Cai'er then shared some with her relatives and friends.

This is a wonderful thing; you can't buy it even if you have money. It can prolong the lives of the elderly and make young people strong and healthy with rosy complexions.

Yao Yao selected some spirit fruits from the underground farm's orchard, intending to use them to make wine. Li Xiang had previously enjoyed her persimmon wine, and now that there were more varieties of spirit fruits, she planned to brew an even more delicious wine to tantalize Li Xiang's taste buds.

Lei Xiaohui, however, was not good at these things; she could only do her best to help Li Xiang train the superhuman team.

City 03 has a total population of over 15 million, with nearly 200,000 superhumans, including 70,000 to 80,000 at or above the third rank. The number and quality of superhumans are among the best in all the underground cities in the world.

All superhumans must serve in the military, and those at the third rank and above must undergo special training.

In the central square, a nine-story psionic altar stood tall. Li Xiang and Jiang Cai'er, dressed in formal attire, presided over the moon-worship ceremony according to ancient rituals, with holographic images simultaneously displayed on screens in various communities.

In addition, there are free Mid-Autumn Festival benefits, with every household receiving five-nut mooncakes, beef mooncakes, and venison mooncakes delivered by drone.

The "So Cute" chain restaurant has also launched a series of lava-filled ice cream skins with a special "spiritual preservation" feature. Of course, this is not free, but there is a "Mid-Autumn Festival special" price. You can buy it with calorie coins or redeem it with "labor points".

In front of each store, queues stretched for several blocks. People chatted and laughed while waiting, showing no trace of the misery of the apocalypse. When the video was circulated to underground cities in other countries, many people questioned it, believing it to be staged or a virtual scene created by AI.

"How can they live so well?"

Ultimately, however, they had no choice but to believe him, since Li Sheng was in their city.
The dance drama adapted from "The Song of Rainbow Feathers" is currently being broadcast live by Yongye Media. The actors are dancing in the air on sword-shaped hovercraft, and the sword energy and moonlight intertwine to form talisman patterns.

Yao Yao, Zhao Xueqing, and Lei Xiaohui are now in high positions of power and it's impossible for them to perform on stage. However, City 03 is full of talent, with a population of over 1500 million, so selecting some beautiful women is still a piece of cake.

Old Zhou, a miner who had just finished his shift, redeemed a mooncake in a psionic preservation box using his labor points. The lid lit up with a holographic label that read "Crab Roe Lava Mooncake." His daughter, Xiaoman, was watching a live-streamed "Lunar Base Archaeology" course on her educational tablet when she suddenly pointed out the window and screamed, "Jade Rabbit Mech!"

In the community park, children are maneuvering rabbit-shaped engineering mechs to carry festive decorations. The red ribbons on the mechs' ears flutter in the wind. These are Mid-Autumn Festival limited editions modified by mechanical engineering students using alien beast parts.

In the underground farm, the Moonlight Epiphyllum cultivated by Zhao Xueqing's team bloomed at midnight. Technician Xiaolin was still on duty, wearing augmented reality glasses to record mutation data.

Suddenly, the smart bracelet vibrated, displaying a reminder of Li Xiang's global live-streamed moon-worshiping ceremony.

Xiaolin plucked a night-blooming cereus that emitted a pale blue glow and tucked it behind her ear. As she walked through the corridor illuminated by the floating lanterns, she bumped into a colleague carrying a box of five-nut mooncakes. The fragrance of osmanthus and the cool scent of the night-blooming cereus mingled in the airflow of the ventilation system: "Quick, let's watch Xiang Zong's live stream, he's so handsome!"

Without a doubt, Li Xiang is the heartthrob of every young woman in the city. Not just in City 03, but throughout the entire world.

Community volunteers helped retired teacher Grandma Chen put on a neural connection device. Her trembling fingers moved in the air, and the holographic offerings at her late husband's grave changed from traditional mooncakes to his favorite leek boxes.

The deceased husband's figure appeared as a virtual projection.

"Old man, the moon this year is much clearer than the one we saw in Kinmen." Grandma Chen's tears dripped onto the sensor table. She missed her family even more during the holidays and chatted idly with the virtual old man.

Of course, she knew it was fake, that it was modern technology, not the old "spirit possession".

After presiding over the moon-worshiping ceremony and delivering an inspiring speech, Li Xiang gracefully stepped off the stage and went home with Jiang Cai'er to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival with his grandmother, parents-in-law, and children.

Grandma is over eighty years old and still in good health, so Li Xiang naturally hopes she will live to be a hundred.

Although no one knows what the future holds, Earth will not be destroyed for at least two or three years. This is because in his previous life, he persevered for four years during the apocalypse, and during those four years, beings at the God-King level did not emerge.

Li Xiang anticipates reaching the God rank this year, at which point he plans to make another trip to the moon. Hmm, advancing to the God rank might give him a chance to vie for control of the moon.

Kanna, with her team and a large amount of supplies, is heading towards an underground city in Southeast Asia to provide support. She has no time to participate in the Mid-Autumn Festival celebration in City 03.

However, her people lived and worked in peace and contentment there, and experienced it firsthand.

Kanna's uncle Rajiv squatted beside the psionic irrigation canal in Block B of the underground farm in City 03, his fingertips caressing the leaves of the Moonlit Nights cultivated by Zhao Xueqing's team. Through the holographic protective shield of the dome, the hundred-meter-high virtual moon cast its silvery light on the automated harvesters. He suddenly remembered the incomplete crescent moon symbol he had carved on the drainpipe with the blood of alien beasts in his hometown's underground city—there, even the rust on the vents was called "a skylight that unworthy of the common people to look up to" by the high-caste guards.

In front of the floating stalls on the commercial street, fifteen-year-old Tanya clutched the "Guanghanxiang" mooncake voucher she had just redeemed, and her nose suddenly stung with tears. The sweet osmanthus fragrance molecules blended by Jiang Cai'er's team reminded her of the half-piece of moldy sugar cake her mother had stuffed into her hand before she was frozen into an ice sculpture by the Ice Claw Soul-Eating Beast.

The Mid-Autumn Festival is a traditional and very important festival for the Chinese nation. Meanwhile, other dungeons across the country also held corresponding celebrations, but none could compare to the scale of City 03's event.

WLMQ dungeon.

Retired military projectors project jagged images of the moon onto the central plaza, while power plants shut down every half hour to conserve energy. A food factory uses synthetic starch mixed with sheep bone meal, aided by City 03, to press "mutton-flavored mooncakes," the laser-engraved Chang'e pattern on the surface becoming blurred due to material expansion.

A popular post in the comments section reads: "The mooncake I just received smashed three mutated cockroaches. I suggest reporting it as a defensive weapon!"

"Why are the mooncakes from City 03 so tempting, even though they're both in China?"

Chang'an Underground City.

The Qinqiang opera troupe performed "Chang'e Cutting Down the Cassia Tree" using costumes sewn from the fur of exotic animals, and the stage lighting was supported by thirty modified miners' headlamps. Vendors selling "Moonlight Epiphyllum Tea" scurried through the audience, which were actually mutated dried jasmine flowers discarded by Zhao Xueqing's team.

A pinned post on a local forum reads: "The road's natural veins caused a transport team to drop a bag of flour, which I caught with my face! Tonight I made five pancakes to offer as a moon offering!"

Shanghai Underground City.

The remaining investment banking elites in the financial district held a "resource-for-moon appreciation party," using canned food labels to create a silhouette of Chang'e projected onto the ceiling of an air-raid shelter.

At the auction, half a psionic mooncake leaked from Jiang Cai'er's team fetched a high price of 1200 calorie coins. The winner posted on WeChat Moments: "The moment I took a bite, I was given the illusion of osmanthus fragrance. It was worth three months' worth of nutrient supplements!"

One person commented below: "In City 03, mooncakes like these have become a common sight in many ordinary households. We used to be the 'Magic City' of Shanghai, but times have changed, and its glory days are over."

"City 03 is now the trendsetter of the times."

Jiangcheng Energy Forum: "Their City 03's holographic moon dome can maintain uninterrupted power for 72 hours! We even have to limit the supply of artificial sunlight! If possible, I want to immigrate to City 03!"

In a certain underground city in Northeast China: "Did you see the holographic Hanfu worn by the kids in City 03? My mom meticulously sewed a 'Mid-Autumn Festival limited edition' with 'Fourth Batch of Anti-Beast Drug Test Volunteers' printed on the back—it's just a repurposed work uniform!" "The mooncake wrappers from City 03 brought by the Earth Vein Envoy are going crazy on the black market! It's said that the residual psionic particles can help low-level superhumans break through bottlenecks. I almost got an energy backlash when I tried to break through after licking three sheets of paper!"

"Is it really that exaggerated? Do their psionic particles smell sweeter?"

The Mid-Autumn Festival celebration and various videos from City 03 were also transmitted to other underground cities around the world via the internet, sparking much discussion.

A Vietnamese online forum posted: "My God, they even have electricity to release sky lanterns! We even had our water purification chips stolen... When was the last time I saw the moon? I've completely forgotten."

"My newborn child has never even seen the moon!"

Penang Underground City, Malaysia: "Grandma used the last half bag of glutinous rice flour to make Teochew-style mooncakes, but the patrol team confiscated them for 'illegal use of fire.' In the video, the little girl in Hanfu in City 03 has mooncake filling almost overflowing from her hand."

In Singapore, the Jurong Underground City has closed its holographic festival module due to the energy quota system, and the Mid-Autumn Festival is being symbolically distributed only with military-grade canned goods labeled with the character "moon".

In Yangon, in a slum undergoing underground drainage system renovation, a Burmese shaman attempted to use a beast skull to replace a statue of the Moon Goddess for blessings, but was dispersed by an armed group on charges of "inciting a gathering."

In a shelter converted from Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok, an old-fashioned mooncake mold, privately owned by a wealthy Chinese businessman, is being sold on the black market for the same price as a second-tier crystal core. The buyer commented, "Let the kids touch the patterns, and that'll be enough to celebrate the festival."

In Los Santos, on the dark web: "The Ice Soul Sect just took 30% of their resources to 'offer to the Immortal Master.' I opened the live stream of City 03 and saw a children's mech. My eight-year-old son asked why we can't keep mechanical pets."

Berlin Underground City Energy Forum: "We were just forced to shut down our artificial solar system for 12 hours to save electricity. Country C's City 03 is actually using Helium-3 fusion energy to power a holographic moon with a diameter of 100 meters? That's enough to keep our base running for three months! (Energy comparison chart attached)"

Engineer Hannah: "They've already started building starships. Jiang Cai'er's team publicly shared their research progress last year..."

"My God, are they going to carry out interstellar migration? Are they going to abandon us on Earth?"

Tehran, Shelter Communications Station: "Our brothers in Kandahar have sent word that the ley lines of City 03 in Country C have brought in cold-resistant wheat seeds, but they must be exchanged for a thousand alien beast cores... Wait, who's eating mooncakes?!"

Gunshots and Persian curses could be heard in the background audio.

Rio de Janeiro Underground City, Brazil: "Carnival? We even had our samba drum skins gnawed by monsters! We can still occasionally go online thanks to the help of City 03."

In Rome's underground city black market, counterfeit "floating lanterns similar to those in City 03" have appeared, but they are actually the wreckage of a drone with the spine of a glowing monster attached to it; in a London Underground shelter, an Oxford professor is secretly lecturing on "The Principle of Dark Matter Thrusters: A Case Study of Chang'e's Flight to the Moon," when a homeless man in the audience suddenly raises his hand and asks, "Can Li Xiang take us back to the surface?"

The professor paused for a moment, then said, "It should be possible. We must remain hopeful!"

In the South Asian subcontinent, many underground cities remain embroiled in war. Since Amir's rebellion, it seems a window has been opened, with low-caste rebels emerging one after another. In peacetime, they also had festivals like Diwali and Lunar New Year, but these are naturally impossible now.

……

Kanna arrived at an underground city in Thailand with a large amount of supplies and received a warm welcome. Upon entering the city, the crowds lined the streets to welcome her, and more than ten members of the management team were already waiting in front of the red carpet. Upon seeing Kanna and her entourage, they all knelt down.

When the management knelt down, the people followed suit.

Kanna: "..."

Not long ago, she was just a Dalit, a lowly person who had to kneel before everyone. Now, she works for her idol, and even these once-powerful Thai nobles have to kneel before her.

That evening, as the leader of the "special envoy" team, Kanna was treated as an honored guest and stayed in the most luxurious palace in the underground city. Six maids came to help her bathe and serve her daily needs.

Kanna had come from a life of hardship, so naturally she didn't need anyone to serve her.

She knew that if she drove the six maids away, they would definitely be punished, so she simply let them stay outside and move around freely.

Kanna didn't sleep. After taking a bath, she replaced sleep with cultivation, wanting to seize every opportunity to improve herself.

After becoming the leader of the Earth Vein Access Envoys, she received guidance from Li Xiang and was bestowed with many profound breathing techniques and physical skills, as well as some precious spiritual medicines. She did not need to participate in the advanced assessment for superhumans or apply for advanced breathing techniques, so she could be considered a privileged class.

Li Xiang's handsome figure often appeared in her mind, but she knew she could only dream about it. Being able to work for Li Xiang was already the greatest luck and blessing of her life.

After the Mid-Autumn Festival, Li Xiang once again mobilized to provide global aid.

In the past, he scavenged resources from all over the world; now, he is providing global support, which can be considered as repaying this favor.

His "Beast Taming - Azure Scale Guide" slots are full, all of which are Saint-level spirit beasts. Among them, domestic spirit beasts account for 80%, and almost every dungeon has a spirit beast force stationed there to help guard it.

In addition, China has various high-tech weapons, such as high-powered missiles and rocket launchers, which can help it hold out against the invasion of the alien beast army, but the situation abroad is terrible.

Especially the South Asian subcontinent.

When Li Xiang arrived, he saw countless wanderers under the Nine Netherworld Eyes.

As the former "Divine Messenger," Li Xiang built hundreds of shelters for numerous wanderers, scattered throughout the South Asian subcontinent.

These shelters were nothing more than a favor to him, but for these homeless people who were living hand to mouth, they were a godsend.

Of course, it's rather rudimentary; there's no electricity or internet, but there are sturdy, well-hidden fortresses for hiding. The underground city contains an unfrozen underground river that can be used.

Then Li Xiang also provided some supplies, such as food, clothing, medicine, and coal, which were distributed to every family or individual.

He brought Yao Yao out to do this because, firstly, Yao Yao was also a Saint-level being with considerable combat power, and secondly, she had hundreds of clones, making it convenient for her to handle these matters.

Otherwise, if Li Xiang were to settle so many homeless people all by himself, how long would it take?

Yao Yao was a great help.

She also brought many "mental image judgment instruments," handheld ones, used to distinguish between good and bad people.

Because not all homeless people are good; rather, they are a mixed bag, including some who are extremely wicked. If they are not identified and expelled, the supplies distributed to them will eventually be taken away by these people, or even lead to their deaths.

It would be unfair to the weak and good people to not punish the bad guys and help them all equally.

Some bad people, with their boundless lust, revealed their true nature under the "Mind Image Judgment Instrument" and actually tried to rape Yao Yao. How could they possibly lay a finger on Yao Yao?
Saintess Yao Yao's every clone is fully armed, wearing obsidian armor and carrying spiritual weapons. When those people have evil intentions and want to do evil, Yao Yao exudes a powerful Saint-level pressure, and all the bad guys are paralyzed on the ground.

Some were killed outright, and the other wanderers cheered, clearly having been bullied for a long time. As for the wicked superhumans among the wanderers, they were simply thrown into the beast lairs to fight to the death.

However, most of them were useless. They were ruthless when dealing with their own people, but when they entered the den of the strange beasts, they didn't even kill a single beast before being swallowed up without leaving a trace.

(End of this chapter)