To perform the task well required more than just force. Farming required understanding and skill. It may look simple but if done wrong or poorly the harvest will be affected months later..

  "Mei," Li Yu said while rolling up his sleeves. "Bring me the plow."

  "You?" Mei blinked. "But you're a doctor."

  "I am also a gardener. It is a hobby of mine" Li Yu smiled.

  Mei showed him to the plow. It was a heavy and rusted iron thing meant to be pulled by an ox. Li Yu grabbed the harness with one hand. “Today I shall be an ox!” Li Yu said softly but cheerfully.

  He didn't use Qi to reinforce his muscles, he didn’t need to. His physical body was tempered by the Abyssal Leviathan Physique and was already stronger than steel. He simply lifted his own restrictions on his body.

  Then he pulled. The plow tore through the earth with a satisfying shhhhk sound. Li Yu looked behind and saw that it was working.

  Li Yu didn't just drag it. He fell into a rhythm. He treated the earth not as dirt but as a canvas. He used his understanding of the Earth Law to sense the density of the soil, adjusting his angle to turn the earth perfectly without compacting it. He crushed any large rocks or boulders that got in his way.

  Li Yu was using this opportunity to make the land better and easier for this family to farm in the future. He was scanning underneath the farm for any hidden dangers that might affect this little girl and her grandma.

  He used the precision of his Soul perception to ensure every furrow was perfectly straight, maximizing the sunlight exposure for the future crops. This will also allow for easier planting and weeding later on as well.

  Li Yu was a Soul Formation expert playing the role of a draft animal and he was finding a strange meditative peace in it. Others might mock him but he was having a good time and following his own heart. He didn’t need to do this, he could have easily paid to have this entire farm cleared and planted if he wanted to.

  Mei ran behind him and was tossing seeds into the ground. Li Yu was using his qi to make evenly spaced holes in the rows he was creating. He had asked her how far apart the plants should be and he was following that. Mei giggled as she tried to keep up with his steady pace.

  "Faster, Master Physician!" she cheered him on.

  "Patience, Little Farmer," Li Yu called back. "The Dao of Agriculture cannot be rushed. It’s better to do it right the first time then have to go back and fix our mistakes."

  In two hours the field was done. It would have gone faster but Li Yu had to go slowly so little Mei could keep up. They took several breaks as well so she could rest and not over exhaust herself. It looked like a work of art, the lines perfectly symmetrical.

  Li Yu didn't stop there. He walked to the leaning house and he saw the rotted support beam.

  "Do you have a spare log?" he asked.

  With a casual shove that looked like he was adjusting a curtain, Li Yu pushed the entire house upright. While holding the weight of the structure with one hand, he swapped the rotted beam for a fresh one with the other.

  He tapped the new beam. Thud. Solid.

  "Structural integrity restored," Li Yu nodded to himself. He then realized that he had been building a lot of houses or huts recently. “Rebuilding another house wouldn’t hurt.” He smiled as he made up his mind that he would help to rebuild this place so it was at least more sturdy.

  After another day he had made their home much more safe to live in. It should last for at least a few years without any fixes needed. The material they had on hand wasn’t great but it would do.

  He accepted a cup of water from the grandmother as his payment. It was indeed sweet and cool.

  "You have done more than just look at our beast," the grandmother said, her voice trembling as she heard the creak of the house settling into a stable position. "Who are you?"

  "Just a traveler passing through," Li Yu said. "Take care of the ox. Let her rest in the sun and enjoy her last days. She has earned it."

  He left a small pouch on the table. It contained mortal currencies such as silver and just a bit of gold. It was mostly useless to him but enough to buy a season's worth of supplies for this family. He knew that leaving them with too much wealth would only be a burden instead of help. They might get robbed or attacked for it.

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  "For the water," he told Mei with a wink. "It was very high-quality water."

  As he walked away from the farm, listening to Mei explaining to her grandmother that the "nice man was plowing the field like an ox," Li Yu felt a satisfying sense of lightness.

  ‘This was true cultivation. Not just meditating on mountain peaks or shattering enemies. Using power to fix the small and broken things in the world. Even if it is for mundane things. Helping just another person you see in passing.’ Li Yu couldn’t help but smile and look upwards at the sky.

  That night, Li Yu camped on a ridge overlooking the valley. He watched the lights of Spore Rest flicker below.

  He was roasting a few sweet potatoes he had bought in the market and was enjoying the simple meal.

  Buzz.

  The vibration startled him. It wasn't the gentle hum of a casual message. It was a sharp, insistent pulse from his sleeve.

  Li Yu frowned. He pulled it out and found that it was the communication token from the Alliance. The one that Theron uses to contact him and the one that calculated his merit points during the war. It was glowing a deep, urgent crimson.

  He injected Qi into it.

  "Li Yu."

  The voice was unmistakable. It was Commander Theron. But the usually calm and bedrock-steady voice of the Alliance Commander sounded tight and strained.

  "Commander," Li Yu answered while he got up. The playfulness of the day vanished and was replaced by the sharp focus of a warrior. "I hear you. What is happening? Has there been another occurrence in the South?"

  "No," Theron said. "Not here. It’s the East."

  "The Xul'Thar territory?"

  "No, not the East side of this Continent," Theron corrected grimly. "The Eastern Continent itself."

  Li Yu paused. He couldn’t help but say, “Grand Elder Theron, you need to be more clear with your words. You could have just said the Eastern Continent to begin with…”

  "The main unified force for the Eastern Continent has sent a distress signal," Theron continued and completely ignored his comment. "It is not a request for trade or diplomacy. It is a scream for help. They are under attack. Massive beast tides are rising and seemingly coming from no where. Places such as the depths of their forests and oceans but the source is thought to be rifts from the Beast Realm. But... the reports are disturbing."

  "Disturbing how?"

  "They say that some of the beasts are... twisted," Theron replied grimly. "Corrupted. More powerful and more vicious. Beasts that have merged with shadows or other things. Creatures that are not normal."

  Li Yu’s grip on the token tightened as the descriptions were similar to what he had been told before.

  ‘It matches the profile of the Howling Scorn and the Void-Shadow. Or perhaps something related to them. Could it be that they are taking actions indirectly on that continent? The divine beasts said they injured them greatly and that they would need a long time to recover. Could it be they are doing this now because they cannot take action themselves? This is my first clue towards them!’

  Li Yu felt the engine of his rage roar to life in his chest. It wasn't the wild and uncontrolled fire of before. It was now controlled, focused and directed correctly. He had learned how to deal with a lot of his rage, how to channel and use it. This was calling to him and he would naturally answer.

  "The Eastern Alliance has formally requested aid from us," Theron continued to say. "They need more help as the enemy is stronger than ever. They are asking for strong warriors that can help their forces as fighters or as commanders."

  "I'm going," Li Yu said instantly. There was no way he would miss this chance to get even a fraction of a revenge. What could be better than what seems to be spoiling the plans of his enemies when he can’t face them yet.

  "That is unexpected, I thought that after the last war you would have no interest. To have frank they need people but we are unable to provide much on our side," Theron said with a hint of relief in his voice.

  "I am assembling a meeting with the major powers here to see who is able to help. We cannot commit too much of our forces but we still have to help in some way. We are gathering at Aethelgard to discuss. And... I believe your friend, the 'Crab Champion,' has already started moving that way."

  "Jian Xuan?" Li Yu huffed a small laugh. "Of course he is." It made sense that Jian Xuan would go, that is his home continent after all. His master and senior sister are still there. He would go back to make sure they are safe and also to remind everyone of his name. Such is his dao.

  "We will meet in the High Council Chamber in two days." Theron concluded the conversation. His voice sounded tired. Even for such a hardened general, the constant war and conflicts have taken their toll on him.

  "I will make sure whatever plans you might have on that continent fail! And by doing so I will protect the people of that land. You bastards have made enough people suffer!" Li Yu promised.

  Li Yu stood alone in the darkness. His mind shifted instantly to one that was making preparations for war. He was thinking of who he would take on his side. Jian Xuan would definitely decide to go.

  ‘I will bring Kael with me as well, that is his home continent after all. He isn’t strong enough to get his revenge on his own yet but with us here he can still make his enemies bleed a bit. That will give him some relief from his pain.’ Li Yu thought.

  He looked East and toward the distant horizon where the new war awaited. The days of him living a relaxed and enjoyable mortal life was now over. It was time to stain his hands with blood once again but he was doing it to help others.

  ‘Who am I kidding, thinking that I am doing this just to help others. If there were no lives to be saved I would still be doing this. I must find ways to get stronger and faster. War and fighting have always gone hand in hand with increasing strength and power.’ Li Yu was honest with himself. He could see it as well, there was barely any motivational force to go when it came to just merely helping those of the Eastern Continent.

  ‘Of course once I am done there with the job at hand, I will give the continent a tour and see how people live. While they aren’t my main driving factor, I still want to help out where my powers allow me to.’ Li Yu concluded as he smiled to himself and let out a deep breath.

  Li Yu then simply took a step forward and he had already disappeared.