Our neighborhood has been transported again.

Chapter 320 Weather Altar
"Do you know what kind of altar this is?" Qin Ziwen noticed Lorne's expression.

“Chief, this is our Merfolk’s weather altar, which can predict sea conditions and water phenomena,” Lorne said.

Qin Ziwen asked, "Is there such a thing as weather underwater?"

In his mind, the weather was something that happened on the sea.

Even with torrential rain, the impact on the deep sea is negligible, since the ocean doesn't rise much just because of a rain shower.

“Yes, Chief,” Lorne explained earnestly. “Changes in ocean currents can bring new schools of fish, and may also attract predators from unfamiliar waters; changes in water temperature can cause fish to migrate, and the tribe’s hunting grounds may also need to change; sometimes hydrothermal vents on the seabed can bring high temperatures and toxins, but may also be accompanied by minerals.”

Lorne spoke at length, saying that since he was a child he had loved reading the records of his ancestors' deeds on stone tablets, especially the records about the clan's sacrificial rites.

Back then, the fish-men were at their peak, and the thought of them always filled it with longing.

"So that's how it is." Qin Ziwen learned something new.

"So this altar can only predict changes on the seabed? What about the weather on the surface?"

“It should be fine.” Lorne hesitated. He hadn’t used it much before and was worried that if he didn’t do it well, it would displease the leader.

This altar was also a completely new and unfamiliar thing to it.

Qin Ziwen told it to give it a try, and Lorne agreed without hesitation, eagerly climbing onto the altar.

Standing on the altar, it circled around, unsure of where to begin.

Suddenly, the blue crystal pillar in the center of the altar began to glow faintly.

Then, inside, patterns of suspended, transparent water droplets formed.

Meanwhile, on the jade disc on the back, clumps of dark gray flocculent matter continued to spread and flow, while some translucent water droplets followed those dark gray flocculent matter on the disc.

Lorne stared blankly for a while, then excitedly rolled over on the spot and jumped off the weather altar.

"Chief! I understand! It will rain tomorrow, over there and over there!" It pointed to two locations on the jade disc, but couldn't quite pinpoint the exact locations, and became increasingly anxious as it spoke.

"Don't rush, take your time." Qin Ziwen asked, "How long will the rain last tomorrow?"

This problem stumped Lorne.

Its face scrunched up like a bitter gourd, and it turned back to look at the weather altar with a worried expression.

"It's normal to be unfamiliar with things when you first start, it's okay, just try more and get more familiar with them. By the way, you can go to the Hundred Schools Library to read more books in your free time, you can also record some of the merfolk knowledge you've learned there." Qin Ziwen comforted Lorne and gently patted its head.

It's round and plump, just like a small hard-boiled egg.

When Lorne heard that the leader didn't blame it, it secretly breathed a sigh of relief, but at the same time strengthened its resolve to figure out what was going on with this altar.

In this way, it will become the High Priest of Weather in the Abyss!

I've heard that in the old days, the high priest of weather held a very high position.

At this moment, Mogu approached from behind, stood quietly for a moment, and whispered to Qin Ziwen: "Master, tomorrow there will be a rain shower about 100 miles to the east that will last for 20 minutes and cover 4 miles; at the same time, there will be a rain shower about 30 miles to the southwest that will last for 140 minutes."

"???"

Having just made up his mind, Lorne slowly turned his head and looked at Mogu in despair.

My Weather High Priest.

It's over before I even got the position?
"Have you seen this before?" Qin Ziwen turned to look at Mogu.

If you haven't seen it before, it's hard to find any other explanation.

Mogu nodded. "How do you see this?" Qin Ziwen asked, intrigued.

Mogu explained, "The central pillar displays the main weather for the vicinity tomorrow, while the jade disc behind it shows the range and duration of different weather conditions. Inside the jade disc are small, light yellow squares, each representing ten li (approximately 5 kilometers). Our current location is assumed to be at the exact center, and the weather displayed on it is dynamic."

Lorne pricked up his ears and eavesdropped.

After listening to Mogu's explanation, Qin Ziwen suddenly realized that this thing was not actually that difficult; the key was to point out the crucial point.

For example, with modern TV remote controls, once you've used them once or twice, you can generally understand their purpose.

However, if it were given to an ancient person who had never used or even seen an electrical appliance before, it might require repeated, cautious attempts and a long period of trial and error to figure out how to use it.

Having understood the purpose of the altar, Qin Ziwen didn't need to explain its remaining special effects; he could guess their uses just by looking at the literal meaning.

One is that the Weather Altar can slightly suppress extreme weather near your home.

The other one is specifically for enhancing Lorne's Rain Prayer.

The torrential rain allowed the fishmen to march on land. After questioning Qin Ziwen, it was learned that even Mogu's abilities would inevitably be weakened to some extent when it was away from the seawater environment.

If it is during a rainstorm when the sacrificial fishmen pray for rain, it can maintain its combat strength level in the sea.

After settling the fishmen, Qin Ziwen left from the rear.

Mogu followed behind him.

Qin Ziwen said, "Actually, there's a question I was going to ask you last time, but I got held up by something. How should one develop their abilities and maintain progress after entering the extraordinary realm?"

Mogu said, “Master, as far as I know, there are two routes.”

The first method is to use cards to increase the maximum level of your extraordinary ability, and then continue practicing to improve.

The second method involves consuming or wearing special treasures to raise the upper limit of one's extraordinary level, followed by further practice to improve abilities.

"You're saying both require constant practice? How do I practice?"

Mogu replied without hesitation, "Use your ability! The more you use it, the stronger it will become!"

"Is it useful?" Qin Ziwen felt that many people were not afraid of hard work, but rather afraid of working hard in the wrong direction. If the direction is wrong, they will only go further and further astray.

Mogu said, "It's useful. If we can have the right special buildings, we can shorten the process."

"What qualifies as a suitable building?"

Mogu gave an example: "For instance, Lorne has the ability to pray for rain, and the Weather Altar helps it."

Qin Ziwen understood now.

He couldn't help but think about himself, and the other extraordinary beings in his home, and what buildings in his home could be of help at this stage.

His first thought was Cao Biansheng's [Weapon Mastery].

The Martial Arts Training Ground and the Heavenly Star Arrow Corridor are undoubtedly excellent venues for improving weapon proficiency, perfectly complementing that ability.

Then, he thought of his two abilities: Spirit Feeding and Spirit Absorption, and Meteorite Control and Blessing, one being a contract and the other being plunder.

It sounds rather mysterious—especially since the abilities gained through "plunder" are fixed and cannot be changed, with almost no opportunity for further practice.

Qin Ziwen turned to Mo Gu for advice.

Mogu pondered for a moment and said, "While your abilities are rare, they are not unique. In my opinion, you might try to refine the 'sub-abilities' you acquired after plundering. Their improvement might, in turn, drive the growth of your original 'plundering' ability."

(End of this chapter)