As the Innate Talent for skeleton summoning took effect, the familiar phenomenon appeared before Shen Xingyan—the earth began to stir. Under the observation of both Shen Xingyan and Wangcai, two new skulls slowly emerged from the soil.
However, unlike previous times, the area where the ground moved had noticeably increased. Shen Xingyan wasn't surprised by this; the small skeletons with attributes equal to two points were certainly larger, and now two were being summoned instead of one—naturally, the commotion was greater.
When the summoning incantation was complete, two skeletons, slightly bigger than the previous ones, appeared before him.
Seeing this, Shen Xingyan couldn't suppress a smile: "This feeling of double joy is truly satisfying!"
He placed his hands on the skulls of the new skeletons, greeting them while simultaneously marveling at the power of his improved Innate Talent. The new skeletons weren't as cute as the former ones, but they were noticeably sturdier.
Among those present, after Shen Xingyan, the most excited was Wangcai. Seeing that his master had summoned him two subordinates at once, he began swaying slightly in anticipation. Wangcai instinctively turned his head toward his master; a dark-blue light briefly flashed in his eye sockets. Had Shen Xingyan noticed it, he would have been more than just surprised—he would have sensed in that glow a rhythm full of joyful excitement.
After checking the two new skeletons' attributes, all equal to two points, Shen Xingyan nodded in satisfaction and handed them over to Wangcai's command. Although the newcomers looked sturdier than Wangcai, the position of captain wasn't for them—orders are orders.
Sending the skeletons off to work in the field, Shen Xingyan happily watched them from the edge. Only now did he realize that his skeleton army had subtly grown to 18 members. Looking at the five mǔ of land, he suddenly understood that he now had too many small skeletons.
What's more, their attributes had doubled compared to the previous skeletons, and their movement speed and work efficiency had increased significantly. Shen Xingyan recalled how, when he first acquired this summoning skill, he had instinctively felt contempt, not valuing these little guys with their low attributes.
But comparing that to the current situation, he couldn't help but exclaim: "How things have changed! First impressions aren't always right; only time reveals true value."
"Still, how was my former self supposed to know it would turn out this way!" thought Shen Xingyan with a satisfied expression, heading toward the field to check the potato growth.
According to his calculations, by the end of today, the potatoes would have reached 18 days of growth, or 90% progress. As soon as he applied his professional skill this evening, the 20-day potato growth cycle would instantly be completed, and it would be time to harvest this Level 2 crop.
Considering that the experience gained from the potato harvest would be quite significant, likely raising his professional level to about 10, he didn't need to worry too much about the exact time of the harvest—it would be enough to apply the skill just a little later than he had yesterday.
Pondering this, Shen Xingyan measured the size of the plants with his fingers and observed the various signs of potato growth, comparing them with the descriptions he had studied earlier.
The more he analyzed, the more certain his smile became. Every metric for the potatoes in his field significantly exceeded the characteristics listed in the reference guides, reinforcing his certainty that he would be able to break the record.
"If I think about it, it's logical. The best yield indicators recorded in the reference guides for long-term crops always suffered from 'task stagnation.' This negatively affected plant growth at all stages, which significantly reduced the final yield. But thanks to my skeletons, I have not only avoided all punishments from the Star Source but, under Wangcai's and my meticulous guidance, using intensive farming methods, maintained the fields in perfect condition. No wonder my plants' characteristics surpass those listed in the guides!"
Following this analysis, Shen Xingyan, feeling increasingly confident, walked happily over to Wangcai and thoroughly informed him about the newly summoned skeletons. Without considering whether Wangcai understood him, he also shared his plans for the future.
Previously, Shen Xingyan's telling of such "castles in the air" might have only provoked contempt, but the simple-minded Wangcai seemed to listen intently. His empty eye sockets seemed to become even emptier, as if he were imagining the future alongside his master.
After chatting with Wangcai for a while and seeing that there was still plenty of time before the potatoes matured, Shen Xingyan decided not to linger and returned to the real world for training.
Today, facing the patrolmen, he had feigned fear and submission, but in reality, he understood that with his current attack power, he would barely be able to scratch their defense, let alone inflict serious damage. This feeling of powerlessness intensified his thirst for self-improvement. However, without the money to transfer attributes from the Star Source world to reality, all he could do was use every free minute to slowly improve his stats.
In this determined mood, his training time flew by. Shen Xingyan felt as if he had barely started when the alarm he had set suddenly rang, pulling him out of his state of concentration.
After a short rest, Shen Xingyan returned to the cultivation space.
Opening his attribute panel and seeing that his professional skill was ready for use, he did not rush to apply it—the longer he waited, the higher the chances of breaking the Star Source record.
Shen Xingyan opened the Star Source Store to check the prices for potatoes. The difference in price between potatoes of various qualities was quite substantial, sometimes several times over.
Having studied the prices and helped the skeletons address the last maintenance prompt for the crop, Shen Xingyan decided not to wait any longer and activated his professional skill.