Above the mage!

Chapter 258 Volcanic Land
"There's something wrong with Jinhui Mai," Gao De seemed to be thinking about something.

After a moment, he suddenly said softly, "When Catherine was in trouble, the only Elder Grant who could help was in charge of Jinhuimai, and he was also in trouble, so he was unable to take care of himself. Is it really such a coincidence?"

Roychi was so flustered that he didn't think about the details and was stunned when he heard this.

He quickly realized the hidden meaning of Gao De's words.

"You mean, this is also part of the conspiracy?!"

"What do you think?" Gao De asked instead of expressing his own opinion.

Luo Yiqi couldn't help but fall into deep thought, then raised his head, looked at Gao De and said, "It's really too coincidental. One accident is reasonable, but multiple accidents happened at the same time, so there must be some factors behind it."

"But." God thought for a moment and said, "You are at least high-level hunters of the Snowfield Guardian. Do the Snowfield Guardians have no face at all in Phoenix? Just capture Catherine like that?"

This is something that Gaode is very curious about.

According to Baruch, the Guardians of the Snowfields are one of the oldest sects in the North and have existed for who knows how many years.

In addition, over the years, the guardians of the sect have always taken protecting the snowfield as their doctrine, which can be regarded as doing good deeds and accumulating virtue.

Logically speaking, the Guardian of the Snowfields should be quite prestigious in the North and have some respect among the people of the North.

"The True Ice Tribe is one of the few tribes in the North that doesn't have to give too much respect to us, the Snowfield Guardians. In addition, they have lived in Phoenix for a long time, and the sect's guardians have hardly had any dealings with them."

The guardians guard those tribes that are already in danger, or the northerners who are already in danger due to the destruction of their tribes.

Obviously, this has nothing to do with the Zhenbing tribe.

"And the crime of killing the tribe's ice wizard is very serious. Even the identity of a hunter who is the guardian of the snowfield is not enough to face such a crime."

"If..." Roych paused, hesitated for a moment, and then continued, "If Catherine is willing to reveal her true identity as the Snowfield Guardian, then it would be of some use."

"It's just that Catherine obviously doesn't want to do that."

"Real identity?" Gao De's curiosity was aroused.

He could naturally see that Catherine's identity was not simple.

Whether it was the bronze mask on her face, or the implicit attitude of Loychi that Catherine was the leader.

"It's hard to say. In short, Catherine's identity among the Snowfield Guardians is not simple, but it is precisely because of this identity that she has to be more cautious in her actions." Roychi spread his hands and said helplessly.

"That's fine," since Loychi was unwilling to reveal it, Gao De did not hesitate to ask, "Since your sect cannot be relied upon for the time being, it seems that the only option now is to hope that Elder Grant can solve his own problems as soon as possible and then find time to help you, right?"

"That's right." Loitch was a little dejected.

Obviously, this state of relying on others and knowing everything is unknown is not what he is used to.

"Instead of just waiting, it's better to take the initiative." Gao De thought for a moment and said.

"What's the meaning?"

"First, find a way to help Elder Grant solve his problem," Gao De said confidently, "Although I am far inferior to you in fighting, I am a professional in planting."

It’s said to be professional, but it’s not.

At most, he had some experience in growing medicinal herbs in the Seda Medicinal Garden and had taken a magic plant cultivation course at Seres College. He was still far from being a so-called agricultural expert.

But what he said was indeed true, not bragging.

Although Gode doesn't have rich farming experience and knowledge, he has Lady Flora!

When it comes to planting, Flora says she is number one. Even if Shennong were to be resurrected, she wouldn't dare to object, right?
After all, one relies on knowledge and the other relies on instinct.

When you are in doubt, ask Flora for help.

"Really?!!" There was a mixture of doubt and expectation in Roychi's eyes as he looked at Godd.

Grant came home late again today.

Mrs. Grant had been waiting until now. Seeing her husband's exhausted face, she couldn't help but ask distressedly, "Hasn't the reason why the golden wheat died been found yet?"

“I can’t find it.” Grant was exhausted and sighed. “There are no diseases or insect pests. The soil, temperature, and water are all normal. But the golden wheat just started to die.”

"The roots of these dead golden wheats have turned black, and the roots are much thinner than normal golden wheat roots. Some roots even have small round lumps. There must be something wrong, but I just can't find the reason."

"What about the others?"

"Same thing, I can't find the problem, so what can they find?"

"We in the North have never had the habit of farming. After all, I have been in charge of planting golden wheat for so many years, so I have gained some experience. The others are just idiots and haven't even mastered the basics."

"What should I do?"

"If we still can't find the problem in a day or two, we'll have no choice but to report the news."

"But once it is reported, you will be punished," Mrs. Grant suddenly became worried.

"Although we will be punished, Golden Wheat is one of the important supplies for the tribe and we can't delay it." Grant let out a long sigh and said helplessly.

"If you ask me, although you have been in charge of the cultivation of Golden Wheat for many years and have some experience, you are not a professional after all. No one has taught you, and you have gained all the experience by yourself. When you encounter such a difficult problem, you want to solve it by yourself. Isn't that embarrassing for yourself?"

Mrs. Grant stepped forward and gently pressed her husband's temple, whispering in a soothing voice:
"I think we need to find an expert who is proficient in planting to handle this matter."

"Master, where can we find such a master? In our northern border, if you want to find a master who is good at hunting and herding, that's easy. But if you want to find a master who is good at planting, isn't that harder to find than a three-legged snow wolf?" Elder Grant was irritable and melancholy.

"It's not hard to find a three-legged snow wolf. If you catch a snow wolf and break one of its legs, you will get a three-legged snow wolf, right?" Mrs. Grant chuckled, then her expression became serious. "Today, your guest came to see you again."

"You came to me because of the Saint's matter, right?" Grant heard this and shook his head helplessly. "It's not that I don't want to help. After all, if it weren't for the Saint's help, I would have lost my life on the snowy plain. I, Grant, am not an ungrateful person."

"The problem is, if the Jinhuimai issue is not resolved, I won't be able to keep my position as an elder, so how can I help them?"

"No," Mrs. Grant shook her head, "they didn't come to you this time to ask for your help, but to help you."

"Help me?" Grant, who was originally slumped in the chair, sat up a little straighter and asked, "What do you mean?"

"That Loic hunter also brought a foreigner with him, claiming that the foreigner is proficient in planting and might be able to help you find the problem with the Golden Wheat."

"Outsiders are good at farming. They are far more professional than I am in this area." After hearing what his wife said, Grant's originally dull eyes gradually brightened up.

"It's just that." Mrs. Grant looked at her excited husband, hesitated for a moment, and finally said, "That foreigner seems to be a little..."

She considered it for a moment before continuing, "A little too young?"

"Young?" Elder Grant couldn't help but frowned.

Planting obviously requires experience. Can a young person, even if he is from another place, be much more professional than him?
"But it has come to this. We can't solve it by ourselves anyway. Why not give it a try?" Mrs. Grant advised again.

After hearing this, although Elder Grant's expectations had dropped a lot, he still felt that it made sense:
"We should give it a try. Let's invite them to help tomorrow morning."

Mrs. Grant stopped talking and rubbed Elder Grant's temples attentively.

The next morning, no rooster crowed.

Although many families in Phoenix raise snow pheasants, these snow chickens do not seem to be diligent and do not have the habit of crowing at the dawn.

It seems that chickens are similar to humans. When the temperature drops, they want to stay in bed.

Gao De had just gotten up when there was a knock on the door.

Before he could take any action, the more diligent Loichi had already opened the door.

The person standing outside the door turned out to be Elder Grant.

"Elder?"

"Please forgive me for visiting you so early in the morning." Elder Grant's expression was obviously a little anxious, but he still controlled his emotions and said.

"You're welcome, Elder. Please feel free to tell me what you want to say." Whether it was the timing of the visit or Elder Grant's expression, Roychi understood his anxiety. He stopped being polite and asked directly.

This was exactly what Elder Grant had in mind, so he quickly said, "My wife told me that you brought a stranger to visit me yesterday, saying that he was an expert in farming. Perhaps he could help me find the problem with the Golden Wheat?"

"That's right." Loichi nodded.

"Then could you please help introduce this expert to me? It's only been one night and the golden wheat in the field has withered and died again." Elder Grant was extremely melancholy.

"Take me to see it." While the two were talking, Gao De quickly put on his clothes, left the room and came to the door. He just happened to hear what Elder Grant said and took the opportunity to speak.

"You are..." Elder Grant's train of thought paused when he saw Gao De, and then his eyes widened, "You are the master?!"

"I can't be an expert, but I should be able to find out the problem with Jin Huimai." Gao De told the truth.

"This..." To be honest, when Elder Grant saw Gode, most of the expectations in his heart had dissipated.

It's nothing, Gao De is just too young and doesn't look like he is good at farming.

But now that I'm here and have said it, and I really have no other choice, I have to give it a try regardless of what's right or wrong.

Elder Grant didn't think any more and said, "Then follow me."

The two men left the house, locked the door, and followed Elder Grant through the city toward Mount Weskar.

Phoenix was built on the banks of Mount Vescar.

The majestic Mount Veskar shields Phoenix from the biting cold wind coming from behind.

And behind Mount Weiskar, there is actually a small volcano.

It's just completely obscured by the majestic Mount Veskar and cannot be seen from the front.

This small volcano is called Castella, and it is a dormant volcano that has been dormant for a long time.

Because of its long dormancy, the volcanic ash and lava in the surrounding soil have stabilized, making the land extremely fertile.

In fact, areas around extinct volcanoes have always been extremely suitable for agricultural development.

This is not only the case in the North. Even in Gode's previous life, it was not uncommon to develop agriculture around extinct volcanoes.

The more famous ones are the Pompeii region in Italy and Bali Island in Indonesia.

However, the significance of volcanic land in the North goes far beyond this. For the people in the North, volcanic land can even be called one of the very important "strategic resources".

Because the climate in the north is harsh and extremely cold, it is impossible to grow conventional crops under such climatic conditions.

Only on volcanic land can various crops grow miraculously.

Volcanic land is usually rich in minerals, including potassium, calcium, magnesium, etc., which are very beneficial to the growth of plants.

In addition, volcanic soil has very good results, with good water retention and air permeability, which is also important for crop growth.

Of course, the most important thing is that because the volcanic land is adjacent to a volcano, the surrounding temperature is no longer the extremely low temperature common in the north, but a rare temperature above zero.

This meets the basic conditions for crop growth, making this volcanic land the only "bread basket" in Phoenix.

Goder followed Elder Grant out of Phoenix and walked along the mountain road of Mount Weskar. After turning a corner, Goder could clearly feel that the temperature had warmed up a lot.

There was a warm and moist atmosphere in the air, which was completely different from the cold and dry air that was common in the north.

Castella volcano and volcanic land are just ahead.

The scenery before me is soul-stirring.

The Castella volcano stands quietly before our eyes. Although it has been dormant for a long time, the magma inside is almost exhausted and calm, no longer gushing out, but there are still flames, smoke and mist rising, and it is bright red.

In the northern region dominated by white, it is so eye-catching, like a burning heart embedded in the middle of the snowfield.

Under the sunlight, the fire and haze from the crater interweave together to form a magnificent picture.

The hillsides surrounding the Castella crater are volcanic land.

The color of the volcanic land forms a sharp contrast with the surrounding snow-covered fields.

The soil of volcanic land is dark brown with traces of volcanic ash, and the surface of the soil has a slight sheen, which is a symbol of fertility.

In the reclaimed volcanic land, you can see many green wheat seedlings with a hint of gold.

That is the golden wheat seedling.

These wheat seedlings are green with golden under the sunlight.

The golden part was shining brightly, but it was obvious that large areas of wheat seedlings looked wilted and very lifeless.

Seven or eight people from the Zhenbing tribe were moving back and forth in the fields, checking on the condition of the golden wheat seedlings.

Seeing Elder Grant coming, two armored Iceborn men from the Zhenbing tribe came forward to greet him.

"Elder."

Such an important place is naturally guarded by the Ice Clan for a long time.

Elder Grant was in no mood for pleasantries. He simply nodded at the two of them, then led Gode and Loich toward the fields.

The two Iceborn naturally didn't mind, but they glanced at Gaode, who was obviously a stranger, with a little surprise, wondering why Elder Grant would bring an outsider to the important place of the tribe.

Having arrived at the scene, Elder Grant seemed to be even more anxious and unable to contain himself, and his pace unconsciously quickened.

Gao De also took it seriously and followed him closely.

Soon, they passed through the fields and came to a piece of land.

“This is the field where the wheat seedlings were first found to have died,” Elder Grant said.

(End of this chapter)