C7 Touched by the Godly Power of Thunder!

It was clearly impossible. If it had been a concrete pool, no matter the size, one could simply pump out all the water. But with no water visible on the surface and all of it seeping into the soil, how could it possibly be extracted?

Yet, as this thought crossed Zhang Xiaolong's mind, a wisp of misty, earthy-yellow light emanated from his palm and burrowed into the ground. The scene that unfolded next was astonishing. As the yellow light penetrated the earth, it actually began to drive out the water that had been absorbed.

What puzzled him even more was that this phenomenon, normally invisible beneath the earth's surface, was clear to him. He watched as the yellow glow methodically expelled the moisture from his own fields.

"This yellow light is the divine power of the immortal energy from the Shennong Cauldron. Since I've practiced the Dragon Controlling True Spell, it seems I can now harness the light that was once confined to the cauldron!" Zhang Xiaolong thought, his excitement growing.

With this divine power, what seemed an insurmountable issue now appeared easily manageable.

Understanding the full picture, Zhang Xiaolong set about controlling this strand of divine energy. Initially, the immortal force acted on its own accord, indiscriminately pushing all the water outward. But under his guidance, it softened, retaining just the right amount of moisture and redistributing the excess to the neighboring fields.

In mere moments, the cornfield that had been a muddy mess firmed up, resembling land that had dried for several days after a downpour. Fortune smiled upon him as the persistent rain of the past three days ceased just as he withdrew his power.

Gazing upon the transformed landscape, Zhang Xiaolong allowed himself a contented smile. This time, his father would surely have no more worries.

...

Zhang Daniu was anything but willing when his son pulled him from the house. But as he took in the transformed field, his eyes nearly bulged from their sockets. The land, which had been a quagmire that he dreaded to step into for fear of getting stuck, now felt solid underfoot. Though still damp and soft, it was a world away from the sloppy mess it had been.

Even more astonishing was that not only had the ground firmed up, but the cornstalks themselves were dry. Peeling back the husks revealed large, plump kernels that were not only well-formed but as dry as if they had been sunbaked for days.

"Oh my goodness, it's like a miracle has happened!" Zhang Daniu exclaimed, clutching a corn cob in amazement.

"Xiaolong, what in the world is going on?" Liu Mei was also struggling to comprehend the situation. "How come when your dad checked, it was still a muddy pit, and now after your visit, not only has the water in the field dried up, but the corn is dry too? Could it really be a miracle?"

"There's no miracle here," Zhang Xiaolong earnestly clarified. "This is science, involving complex geographical principles. Such seemingly miraculous changes can only occur under very specific coincidences. You and Dad haven't had formal education, so it might be hard for you to grasp the details I could explain. Just remember, we got lucky this time. Moreover, this dry condition might not last. The moisture could return in a few days, so we need to harvest the corn quickly, or we'll be too late."

"Is that true?" the elderly couple asked, half-convinced.

"Absolutely," Zhang Xiaolong assured them with conviction. "If you're still skeptical, we can wait a couple of days and see, but there's no telling when the water might rise again. If it does, our corn crop will be ruined."

Convinced by his urgency, the couple sprang into action, knowing that even with the three of them working at full speed, it would take at least two days. If the water did rise again, they would be back to square one.

So, without wanting to waste another moment on conversation, they threw themselves into the work with fervor.

Watching them, Zhang Xiaolong felt a twinge of regret for possibly overstating the urgency, but the words were already out there. He couldn't take them back now, so he too picked up the pace.

As he worked, a warm energy flowed gently through his body, leaving him feeling tireless. Zhang Xiaolong recognized this as the divine strength from the Dragon Controlling True Spell and the Shennong Cauldron, which had transformed him.

With time, he found this power easier to manage than before. His movements grew increasingly rapid and fluid, so much so that he was almost leaving a trail of afterimages without even realizing it.

Liu Mei, drenched in sweat from the effort, looked up to find Zhang Xiaolong facing her. She wiped her face with her sleeve, about to suggest her son take a break, when she stopped short, astonished. "Are we done already?"

Zhang Daniu paused in his work, not out of fatigue, but because he realized the field was now empty. Large piles of corn had been amassed in the center of the field.

"Wow, we got through that pretty quickly!" Zhang Xiaolong commented nonchalantly.

Zhang Daniu looked up at the horizon, where the sunset had just peeked through the clouds. "How odd, what sort of science is this?"

"Ahem, it's all about human potential. It's said that in a pinch, people can summon several times their normal strength. You both heard we were short on time and picked up the pace. It's quite normal, actually," explained Zhang Xiaolong.

Liu Mei cast a glance at her son and then behind her, as if something had occurred to her, but she chose not to inquire further.

Zhang Xiaolong breathed a sigh of relief. He had been deeply focused on harnessing his strength and was grateful he hadn't been caught by his parents, who were also engrossed in their work. Nevertheless, there wasn't much left to do. The three of them had managed to harvest the entire field of corn in just two hours—a feat that was somewhat extraordinary. Thankfully, his parents didn't delve too deeply into it.

Father and son began loading the corn onto the flatbed cart. After three trips, they finally brought all the corn back to the house. Zhang Xiaolong's strength was so formidable that Zhang Daniu hardly had to lift a finger to complete the task.

As night fell, Liu Mei had already finished cooking. When the men returned, she brought them water to wash up and served the porridge.

"Try the porridge made with this year's fresh cornmeal," Liu Mei said with a smile, placing the bowl in front of her son. "We haven't measured it out exactly yet, but judging by the size of these kernels, we're in for a plentiful harvest this season."

Typically, newly harvested corn would need to dry for several days before it could be ground into meal. But this batch, despite having been soaked in the rain for three days, dried out incredibly fast, so Liu Mei had gone ahead and ground it into cornmeal.

"Fresh cornmeal? I've got to try this." Zhang Daniu, intrigued, grabbed a bowl and eagerly took a sip.

"Are you going to keep drinking? Is it good or not?" Liu Mei awaited an answer, but instead, Zhang Daniu just kept sipping the porridge, seemingly lost in the taste and not inclined to utter a word.

"Sweet..." Zhang Daniu's eyes sparkled. "It's not just sweet, it's aromatic, too... You've got to try this. Actually, hold on, pour me another bowl first. I just can't get enough."

"Look at you, acting like a kid over some fresh corn porridge. You're treating it as if it's some kind of imperial offering," Liu Mei teased, ladling out another serving for her husband.

"Offering? Ha! I'm not exaggerating, but even the emperor himself might not have had the chance to taste porridge this fragrant!" Zhang Daniu retorted, a bit defensively, as he grabbed the bowl and gulped down the porridge as if it were refreshing water.

"Mom, you should give it a try!" Even though Xiaolong hadn't tasted it himself, he had a hunch. When he used his divine power to remove the moisture from the corn, he had also induced a wondrous transformation within it. The flavor was surely incomparable to any ordinary corn, especially since it had been touched by divine essence.

"You're becoming more and more hopeless!" Liu Mei chided with a chuckle before finally bringing her own bowl to her lips. But after just one sip, she was momentarily transfixed, quickly followed by a second sip, then a third...