Rise of the Wasteland in Cultivation

Back home, Chenxi immediately went to the east wing and moved tomatoes, potatoes, carrots, and other vegetables to the yard so they could dry in the sun before sunset.

Leng San was very pleased, thinking that the girl was quite diligent. As a result, she immediately picked two of the thickest carrots and handed them to him, apparently because she was craving them.

Leng San couldn't help but chuckle. He opened a bottle of Grade B cleaning water, washed the carrot until it was bright red and translucent, and then handed it to Chen Xi, saying with a smile, "Eat up, you little glutton."

Chenxi immediately beamed and began to eat with relish. Leng San also happily took a bite; it was crunchy and slightly sweet, truly delicious.

In this apocalyptic world where nuclear contamination is everywhere, being able to eat fresh fruits and vegetables is undoubtedly a great happiness and luxury.

Moreover, the seeds, nurtured and sprouted by the blood of dawn, are not only radiation-resistant but also free from pests and diseases, eliminating the need for pesticides. Furthermore, dawn's body purifies the soil daily with spiritual energy for the crops to absorb, resulting in exceptionally delicious fruit—truly green and pollution-free products, unavailable even before a nuclear war.

At that moment, Chenxi suddenly stared blankly at one of the tomato trees, her gaze seemingly filled with doubt.

Leng San's heart skipped a beat, and he subconsciously looked at the tomato plant. His expression slowly turned serious because he discovered that two tomatoes were missing from the plant.

Leng San has a good memory and wouldn't make a mistake. He hadn't noticed before, but now that he counted, he realized there were indeed two tomatoes missing. He looked at Chen Xi questioningly, and the latter shook her head, indicating that she hadn't stolen any.

Leng San immediately became alert and quickly walked into the east wing. He did not see the tomatoes that had fallen to the ground, nor did he find any signs of rats or other small animals stealing them.

So where did the two missing tomatoes go?

Leng San frowned as he returned to the courtyard. Looking around, he found that the glass roof of the courtyard was intact, the lock on the gate had not been touched, and the two tomatoes on the tomato tree had disappeared into thin air. It was truly unbelievable!

However, this post-apocalyptic wasteland is home to many strange and unusual superhumans, so Leng San dared not let his guard down. After all, these crops were too precious, and if the news leaked, it would inevitably attract covetousness, especially Dawn's abilities. If exposed, the five major powers would likely scramble for them.

At that time, with his own strength, let alone protecting Chenxi, he probably wouldn't even be able to protect himself.

Thinking of this, Leng San's brows furrowed even deeper. He sat down at the octagonal table, took out the remaining ancient jade artifacts and coins, and placed them all on the table.

Leng San's biggest gain from this trip to Shelter A-08 was his natal magic weapon—the ten-thousand-year-old Golden Thunderwood—and the ancient jade artifacts and coins.

The lone cultivator named A-Liao had somehow acquired these ancient jade coins, all of which had been nurtured by the spiritual energy of the auspicious cave for hundreds of years, transforming them into semi-magical artifacts. Leng San had traded a Desert Eagle pistol and a submachine gun for these items, making a huge profit, especially since the other party had also included three beast crystals as a bonus.

Among these ancient jade coins, the best quality is Chenxi's bracelet, followed by Ye Wenrou's bracelet. The rest are of slightly lower quality, but they are still more than enough to set up a magic array.

At that moment, Leng San selected nine items from these ancient jade artifacts and coins: six jade pendants and three ancient coins. According to the number nine palaces and six directions, he set up a Nine Illusions Spirit Trapping Array in the courtyard.

When Leng San placed the last ancient coin into the array's core, the illusion array activated with a hum, and an invisible energy enveloped the entire courtyard. The courtyard appeared unchanged, but any outsider who entered would be affected by the illusions and trapped within the array, unable to escape.

The key to this Nine Illusions Spirit Trapping Array lies in a mirror, which hangs above the main house's doorway, directly opposite the courtyard gate. Simply flipping the mirror over will close the array, and flipping it back over will activate it—it's incredibly convenient.

Only after setting up the Nine Illusions Spirit Trapping Array did Leng San's unease lessen slightly.

He guessed that the two missing tomatoes were most likely picked by the infiltrator, who only picked two and did not steal the entire crop. They must have a bigger plan, so they would definitely come back.

Leng San has now set up this Nine Illusions Spirit Trapping Array, just waiting for the other party to come to him so he can catch them like turtles in a jar.

"Xiao Xi, I'm going to cultivate for a while. You can play in the yard by yourself." Leng San gave the order and went back to his room to cultivate. Setting up a magic array was quite mentally taxing.

As Chenxi tended to the crops alone in the courtyard, there was a knock on the door of the courtyard house, and Ye Wenrou's gentle voice came in: "Xiao San, Xiao Xi, open the door."

The little girl stood up and walked to the door. She looked through the peephole and saw that besides Ye Wenrou, Bi Lang, Zhou Chen, and the fat man were also there. She then turned around and ran back to move all the crops back to the east wing before opening the courtyard gate.

Bi Lang and the others walked in laughing, but the scene before them suddenly changed. The courtyard house was gone, the eight-immortal table was gone, the display cases were gone, and when they looked back, even the door behind them was gone. All around them was a thick white fog.

Everyone was taken aback. Zhou Chen yelled, "Holy crap, what the hell? Fatty, where are you?"

"Brother Chen, I'm here, where are you?" The fat man frantically searched around. Everyone else who had just been beside him had vanished, and all he could see was mist.

Ye Wenrou and Bi Lang both drew their weapons, cautiously looking around as they groped their way forward.

Seeing Ye Wenrou and the others spinning in circles, Chenxi suddenly remembered something. She quickly moved a stool to the door of the main room, stepped on the stool, reached out and flipped the mirror hanging above the door, turning off the Nine Illusions Spirit Trapping Array.

The fog in Ye Wenrou and the others' eyes immediately disappeared. Looking at the familiar courtyard in front of them, the four of them were a little confused and couldn't help but look at each other.

"Xiao Xi, what just happened?" Ye Wenrou looked at the little girl still standing on the stool with disbelief.

With a flick of her wrist, Chenxi turned the mirror over, and Ye Wenrou and the others were immediately plunged into an illusion, surrounded by layers of mist, unable to distinguish east from west.

As Chenxi flipped her little hand again, the illusion vanished, and everyone suddenly realized what had happened.

"Holy crap, that's so cool! Just how many amazing tricks does this mistress have up her sleeve?" Zhou Chen exclaimed in shock.

The fat man rubbed his eyes and muttered, "Am I dreaming? Is Brother San some kind of god?"

Fortunately, everyone was now used to Leng San's endless skills, and after the initial shock, they let it go without digging deeper.

Ye Wenrou stepped forward, lifted Chenxi off the stool, and asked in a low voice, "Where's the mistress?"

As soon as she finished speaking, Leng San came out of the room, looking somewhat tired. Ye Wenrou said a little apologetically, "Xiao San, did I wake you up? Go back to sleep, we'll come again tomorrow."

Leng San shook his head and smiled, "It's alright, I've been sleeping for a while. Is there something you need?"

Bi Lang hurriedly said, "It's like this, we plan to repair that fighting robot for our own use. What do you think, Xiao San? If you don't agree, then we can sell it and split the money."

Zhou Chen stared longingly at Leng San. He really liked the fighting robot and was still wearing the mind-control helmet.

"Let's keep it then, it can be considered an aid." Leng San nodded and said. This thing is thick-skinned and tough, making it perfect for charging into battle. This way, Fatty and Zhou Chen won't have to be at the forefront, greatly reducing the risk.

Zhou Chen was overjoyed and said, "Little Third... no, Third Brother, I will call you Third Brother from now on, you are my brother."

The fat man chuckled and said, "I've been calling him 'Third Brother' for a long time."

Bi Lang laughed and said, "Alright, since Xiao San agrees, let's take the robot to be repaired. Xiao San, we'll head out now, you can continue to rest."

After Bi Lang finished speaking, he left with Zhou Chen and the fat man. Ye Wenrou glanced at Leng San, hesitated, and finally said, "Xiao San, you should rest. I... I'm leaving now."

"Okay!" Leng San nodded. In his previous life, he was a wealthy bachelor who had never been in a relationship. In this life, he was still a naive and clueless girl. He had no idea what a girl's feelings were.

"Hmm!" Ye Wenrou walked out of the courtyard in a sullen mood. Actually, she wanted to stay a little longer, but someone wouldn't listen.

At this moment, a man wearing sunglasses passed by the courtyard gate. His eyes, hidden behind the sunglasses, were round and darting around. He glanced casually into the courtyard before quickly walking past.

Ye Wenrou closed the courtyard gate and looked at the man in sunglasses from behind. She felt that the way he was swinging his hands was a bit strange, like two noodles.

The man in sunglasses was none other than the superhuman Lao Zhang. He turned into an alley and entered a nearby shipping container.

"Sister Qin, the facial recognition just confirmed it's that boy named Leng San. When are we going to make our move?" Old Zhang asked Sister Qin inside the house.

Sister Qin said calmly, "What's the rush? It's broad daylight. Let's wait until dawn to make our move. Once the sacks are loaded onto the truck, we can transport them away at daybreak without anyone noticing."

Old Zhang chuckled, "Sister Qin is so thoughtful. But that kid seems to have companions. Should we kidnap them all?"

Sister Qin shook her head and said, "Apart from the little girl who lives with Leng San, the others are fine. Bringing so many people, are you trying to exhaust me?"

"Hehe, the capable should do more, how about I give you a massage?" Old Zhang joked.

"Get lost, go find your female octopus for a massage. You want to take advantage of me? Look in the mirror and see if you're even worthy," Sister Qin scolded.

Old Zhang awkwardly retreated to the side and closed his eyes to rest, daring not to speak out. There was still a strict hierarchy among superhumans; he was a C-level, while Sister Qin was a B-level.