Free Web NovelChapter 267: Chapter 266: Raising Wind into Clouds, Calling Thunder for Rain
"The drought is actually quite severe."
"It’s a good thing technology is so advanced. We have all sorts of ways to reduce the losses from drought. If this happened back in ancient times, this would have gone down in the records as a year of great famine."
"Actually, there are localized droughts and floods every year, but the overall grain yield remains stable and has even seen steady growth."
"But for the farmers who suffer from reduced yields, the losses are very real."
"Since we have the ability, let’s give them a bountiful year."
"Every single year from now on will be a bountiful year!"
"Hahahaha..."
Inside the Taoist Research Institute, several old Daoists were gathered in a courtyard pavilion. They chatted casually while looking over a map of the drought, letting out hearty laughs from time to time.
"Southern Ji Province, western Lu Province, and most of Yu Province. Altogether, it’s no more than 200,000 square kilometers."
"Let’s divide up the areas and also figure out the sequence for the rainfall."
"I’ll take southern Ji Province."
"I’ll take western Lu Province."
"I’ll take..."
Just then, a transmission from Taoist Yan Ling entered their Seas of Consciousness. "How come you guys didn’t call me?"
Taoist Yan Song awkwardly stroked his beard. "Aren’t you in Bai Shi Prefecture? It’s far away and your duties there are important, so we didn’t call you."
"Bai Shi Prefecture has been stable for a while now. What’s the big deal if I leave for two days?" Taoist Yan Ling transmitted.
Taoist Yan Song chuckled, not denying it. "Too many monks and not enough porridge. We’ll call you next time."
"Next time? What next time!" Taoist Yan Ling wouldn’t have it. "The next chance won’t be until next year at the earliest, and who knows if there will even be one? We can’t exactly hope for a drought, can we? You didn’t call me for such a great opportunity. Are you even my junior martial brother?!" ƒreewebɳovel.com
Taoist Yan Song said helplessly, "Fine, fine, you can come!"
Taoist Yan Ling accepted ungraciously. "I’m going to the Sect Leader!"
The old Daoists in the research institute laughed heartily before continuing to divide up their respective areas. "Forget it, forget it. Let’s just call everyone who can fly. It’ll be a good chance for everyone to apply what they’ve learned and give back to their hometowns."
And so, Taoist Yan Song, Taoist Yi Hong, Taoist Ming Yu, Taoist Jing Feng, Taoist Yan Ling, Taoist Qingyuan, and Taoist Shen Hao, who had just achieved a Realm Breakthrough—seven in total—took on this mission.
Although some of the others grumbled—after all, one didn’t need to fly to perform the Rain-Seeking Skill—their Cultivation was ultimately lacking. Besides, the mission to Call the Wind and Summon the Rain truly didn’t require that many people. In the end, they remained in the Otherworld, continuing their work of Exorcising Demons and Evil Spirits to accumulate Evil Qi.
...
"That’s about 30,000 square kilometers of rainfall area per person."
"Roughly a circle with a radius of 100 kilometers."
"It’s not a combat Technique. You just spread your Magical Power along with the atmospheric moisture to gather the clouds and make it rain. It should be able to extend over 100 kilometers out."
Taoist Qingyuan shook his head. "I can’t quite reach that far—not a full 100 kilometers."
Taoist Shen Hao smiled. "I can go a bit farther. Let’s team up."
Both Taoist Qingyuan and Taoist Shen Hao had only recently achieved their breakthroughs. Taoist Qingyuan had entered the Dao through the Martial Dao path, whereas Taoist Shen Hao practiced the Contemplation Technique. Furthermore, Shen Hao cultivated multiple disciplines; his Sea of Consciousness was vast and his Divine Sense was condensed, making him on par with even some of the top-tier senior Daoists.
"In that case..."
"Let’s set out!"
The old Daoists walked out of the pavilion and soared into the sky. They concealed their forms in mid-air before flying straight north.
In the guard booth, two security guards saw the seven Daoists soar into the air. They watched as the figures vanished the moment they cleared the courtyard.
"They flew off?"
"Invisibility Skill?"
"This world is getting more and more like a fantasy novel!"
"Captain, do you think we have a chance?"
"How’s your practice with that book going?" the security captain glanced at his partner.
The young, crew-cut security guard scratched his head. "Taoist Ming Yu gave me a rough explanation of the *Supreme Meridian Breathing Technique* and the *True Qi Eight-section Brocade*, but I still don’t really get it. I haven’t even developed any Qi Sensitivity yet."
"Just keep practicing!" the security captain snorted, then returned to his seat. He took a book titled *Supreme Sensing Chapter* from his drawer, but after glancing at just a couple of lines, he started to feel drowsy.
"Shouldn’t we report this to the higher-ups?" the crew-cut guard asked.
"No need." The security captain struggled to keep his eyes open and waved his hand. "They’ll know soon enough, once it starts raining in the drought-stricken areas."
Meanwhile, the seven Daoists who had just departed flew together to the skies above the Central Plains, then split up according to the drought map.
This wasn’t some secret operation, so they didn’t need to act in perfect sync. The Daoists who arrived at their destinations first simply hovered in mid-air, spread out their Divine Sense, and began performing the technique to gather the clouds.
Taoist Yan Song had the highest Cultivation of them all. He served as Observatory Master at neither the Daluo Temple in Changping Prefecture nor the one in Bai Shi Prefecture. Instead, he spent his days roaming the mortal world, Exorcising Demons and Evil Spirits. His travels had long taken him beyond the borders of those two prefectures, reaching as far as Qianshan Prefecture to the west and even Pingjiang Prefecture.
He was currently positioned over the most arid part of southern Yu Province. Looking around, he saw the rolling hills, vast farmlands, and sprawling cities and villages below, as well as the crisscrossing network of highways and high-speed railways.
It was midsummer, and the hills and farmlands were a lush green. Cars streamed along the highways while high-speed trains zipped back and forth—a scene of modern harmony.
WHOOSH!
Not far away, an airplane streaked across the sky, passing close in front of Taoist Yan Song. He could even see a small child pressed against the window, looking down with curiosity.
However, Taoist Yan Song was concealed by his Invisibility Skill, so of course, he couldn’t be seen.
Watching the plane fly into the distance, Taoist Yan Song looked around again. There were some white clouds high in the sky, but with too little water vapor and no wind, there was no chance of rain.
But little water vapor didn’t mean no water vapor. Under these conditions, natural rain was impossible, and the requirements for cloud seeding weren’t met either. However, a magical technique for stirring the wind and creating rain could concentrate this existing moisture.
Taoist Yan Song floated in mid-air, formed a Seal Technique with his hands, and chanted a Magic Spell: "By the faith of the four seasons, with beneficial power and truth. I turn the adverse into the favorable, manifest reality and drive the wind."
He cultivated the *Taiyin Fire Mansion Secret Technique*, condensing the Taiyi Wind and Fire, so he was naturally skilled in the Wind Technique. With but a stir of his True Qi, a gentle breeze arose between heaven and earth. As it caressed the air, it began to move the water vapor, which started to condense according to a specific pattern.
At that very moment, in the farmlands below, workers were still busy. They braved the hot sun, some diverting water for irrigation, others setting up shade to spray fertilizer.
But as they worked, they suddenly noticed the sunlight had dimmed.
They subconsciously looked up to find that a layer of faint dark clouds had formed in the sky. Moreover, this layer of clouds was thickening and lowering at a speed visible to the naked eye.
"Is it going to rain?" a young agricultural student asked curiously. "Didn’t the weather forecast say clear skies?"
"That’s not right... Looking at the sky, there shouldn’t be any rain," an experienced farmer said, completely bewildered.
"Whatever the case, rain is a blessing!" more people rejoiced.
At the same time, across the lands of Yu, Lu, and Ji Provinces, masses of dark clouds began to gather, concentrating mostly above the vast stretches of farmland.
In the meteorology bureau, the staff stared at the bizarre weather map on the display screen, then glanced at the unidentified personnel who had rushed over to observe the situation. They all remained silent, but their eyes flickered with a wild, unspoken excitement.
