Da Ming: The system granted me immortality; I clock in every day.

Time flies like an arrow.

For ordinary people, twenty years is enough time for a child to grow into a tall, imposing man, and for a beautiful woman to grow gray hair.

But for that secluded valley deep in the snow-capped mountains of the new continent...

Twenty years is nothing more than twenty cycles of peach blossoms blooming and fading in the valley.

On the blue stone by the deep pool, Li Changqing, dressed in a worn blue cloth robe, was lying on his side, flipping through a tattered bamboo scroll.

For the past twenty years, he has never stepped out of the secluded valley.

He didn't care about the ongoing wars outside, how the Ming Dynasty was conquering that vast new continent, or what amazing formations the students of the Imperial Academy of Immortal Cultivation had devised.

Every day, he keeps company with the white apes in the valley. When thirsty, he drinks from the clear spring. When hungry, he uses a few crude tricks to catch two plump wild rabbits in the nearby forest and roasts them over a fire until they sizzle and drip oil.

With the monkey wine offered by the old white ape, he lived a life more carefree and leisurely than even the most immortal immortal.

"Squeak, squeak,"

An old white ape, its physique growing ever stronger and its golden hair on its forehead now a dark gold, approached the bluestone, holding a stone bowl.

The stone bowl was filled with freshly brewed fruit wine, the liquid clear and exuding an intoxicating aroma.

Li Changqing put down the bamboo slips, sat up, and reached out to take the stone bowl.

"Your old friend, your brewing skills have improved more and more in the past few years."

He tilted his head back and took a big gulp.

The mellow liquor flowed down my throat, transforming into a warm and gentle energy that spread throughout my stomach.

A contented smile appeared on Li Changqing's handsome face, which showed no signs of aging.

The old white ape grinned and affectionately rubbed against Li Changqing's knees before pointing to the misty mountain peaks outside the valley.

Li Changqing looked in the direction the old white ape pointed.

His deep, far-reaching eyes pierced through the thick fog, revealing the earth-shaking changes taking place in the atmosphere above this new continent.

Twenty years ago, the spiritual energy of this continent was wild and scattered, like a herd of wild horses running rampant deep within the major spiritual veins.

But now, the boundless spiritual energy is converging towards those massive human cities in the east in an extremely regular and powerful manner.

In mid-air, an invisible, gigantic array of formations even faintly formed, obscuring the sky and the sun.

"Gathering spiritual energy to form an array, encompassing heaven and earth. It seems that Shen You and the master craftsmen of Qintian Pavilion have thoroughly mastered the array of the Taixu Ancient City and have even innovated upon it."

Li Changqing drank the monkey wine in the stone bowl in one gulp and casually placed the stone bowl on the bluestone.

He stood up and patted the fallen flowers off his blue robe.

After twenty years of quiet cultivation, the energy within him has become increasingly pure and natural.

Standing in this secluded valley, the surrounding plants, trees, birds, and beasts could not even perceive that he was a living person.

It was as if he were a stubborn rock in this world, or a gentle breeze.

"The fate of the world has been decided, and the wildness of this new continent has run its course. It's time to return to the Central Plains and see what kind of fruit the tree I planted with my own hands has borne."

Li Changqing turned his head and looked at the old white ape that had been with him for twenty years.

He reached out and gently stroked the old white ape's head twice.

A gentle, nourishing energy, powerful enough to cleanse the marrow and bones, silently entered the old white ape's body.

"Our acquaintance is a blessing. Stay here in this valley and guard this peach grove. The outside world is too noisy and not suitable for you."

After saying this, Li Changqing tucked the Xiangfei bamboo folding fan into his waistband and waved his sleeve.

Amidst the curious and reluctant gazes of a group of white apes, the upright figure in the green robe, like an ink painting melting in the spring breeze, slowly disappeared into the deep pool.

In the autumn of the forty-ninth year of peace and prosperity of the Ming Dynasty.

Tianjin Wei is now the largest and most prosperous port in the Ming Dynasty and even the whole world.

On the sea, sails obscure the sun, and thousands of sails race against each other.

One after another, massive ocean-going treasure ships, as large as sea fortresses, were moving in and out of the harbor in neat formation.

Compared to twenty years ago, the treasure ship has changed its appearance.

The ship's hull was made entirely of ironwood soaked in spiritual herbs, and its outer layer was covered with thick spiritual patterned steel.

On the towering mast, the huge cloth sails that once required manpower to raise and lower have been replaced by a special translucent silk that is engraved with the dual formations of "Wind Control" and "Spirit Gathering".

Even on windless days, as long as a few low-grade spirit stones are filled into the array hub at the bottom of the ship's hold, the massive warship can cut through the waves and travel a thousand miles a day.

Li Changqing mingled with the passengers of a merchant ship returning from Xinzhou, laden with medicinal herbs and animal hides, and stepped onto the docks of Tianjin.

As soon as you step off the ship, a wave of bustling, vibrant worldly energy washes over you.

On the dock, laborers chanted in unison as they carried heavy cargo back and forth.

On their bare backs, sweat glistened with a healthy sheen.

When each person exerts their strength, their breathing becomes long and deep, which is in line with the "First Chapter of Body Strengthening and Breathing in the Great Ming Dynasty" that has already been popular throughout the world.

"Make way! Make way, everyone! The Guangling Trading Company's Thunderfire Patterned Chariots are about to cross the harbor!"

A clear, crisp sound of a copper bell, accompanied by the dull rumble of machinery, came from behind.

Li Changqing turned to the side.

A large, four-wheeled steel cart, three zhang long and loaded with tens of thousands of kilograms of goods, was slowly driving down the pier.

Instead of harnessing animals to pull the cart, a bronze array plate the size of a watermelon was inlaid at the shaft.

A driver dressed in short clothes sat behind the cart, his hands gripping the control lever. With just a few flicks now and then, the heavy cart moved steadily forward along the bluestone road.

The "floating" and "gathering" array patterns unearthed in the ancient city of Taixu have been thoroughly transformed by the craftsmen of the Ming Dynasty into powerful tools for civilian commerce.

As Li Changqing watched this scene, the smile on his lips deepened.

"Using the formations that gods use to move mountains and overturn seas to transport goods and run businesses."

This practical approach, ingrained in their very being, truly reflects the character of Ming Dynasty craftsmen.

He walked slowly and steadily along the wide official road toward the capital.

Everything along the way was bustling and prosperous.

In the fields beside the road, farmers are busy harvesting autumn crops.

The sickles in their hands, engraved with tiny "sharp gold patterns," cut wheat stalks as easily as slicing tofu.

Several wooden waterwheels inscribed with "water-gathering arrays" were set up along the edge of the field, continuously pumping river water into the ditches to irrigate the thriving crops, which even seemed to exude a touch of magic.

This is a vast empire that has completely secularized and popularized the cultivation of immortality.

Immortal arts were no longer a secret passed down from a high tower, but became a tool for millions of people to make a living, providing them with enough food in their bowls and winter clothes to wear.