Farming Games are All About Grinding

The owner is such a smooth talker!

Clearly it's magma barbecue!

And he secretly tricked the bird away!

So mean!

By the Magma River, Han Qiwu had no idea that Little Electric in the distance was imagining him as a bad guy. At this moment, he was indulging in the tender texture of the molten eel.

It's so delicious.

Maybe because its survival environment is so extreme, every muscle of the molten eel has developed to the limit. Its texture isn't as soft as regular eels outside; instead, it has a slight chewiness with a hint of sulfur aroma. It's vaguely reminiscent of that smell from hot spring eggs, but the flavor here is much richer.

"This stuff would be hard to share with Mr. Tang. If I take it out, it might taste entirely different." Han Qiwu sighed helplessly, with a smile.

Mr. Tang didn't sync up with me; how could I bring him into the mines?

After finishing the molten eel, a notification popped up.

[You have consumed the molten eel. You are immune to magma damage for 15 minutes.]

Han Qiwu took a deep breath, stripped off his clothes, and stood bare by the Magma River, cautiously stretching his hand to touch the magma.

Warm.

Glancing at the system timer, Han Qiwu didn't hesitate and directly jumped into the Magma River.

BAM.

A massive splash of magma echoed through the mine.

Little Electric, hearing the noise, curiously flew over to check. Instantly, the small bird's eyes were filled with big surprises.

The owner really didn't lie…..

In the Magma River.

Han Qiwu now felt like he was soaking in a hot spring.

Except, this hot spring was sticky.

Too thick.

No, no! Stop enjoying it. Time to start swimming.

Swimming in this state was incredibly exhausting.

He silently reminded himself that if he hadn't reached the stone pillar in six minutes, he'd need to turn back immediately.

The molten eel's effect only lasts for 15 minutes. Wasting time means losing it.

Swimming in magma isn't a joke. Timing is everything.

SPLISH SPLASH.

A glowing figure in the Magma River fought hard, swimming toward the stone pillar.

Five minutes later, a fatigued Han Qiwu fiercely grabbed the edge of the stone pillar, hoisted his leg over, and forcefully flipped himself onto the pillar.

Huff huff huff.

The scorching air entered his lungs, bringing an oddly sharp sting.

Exhausting.

Maximum workout effect achieved.

After catching his breath for over ten seconds, Han Qiwu stood up and scanned the mysterious scroll labeled Eight.

The mysterious scroll Eight showcased the same patterns as the other cryptic notes, except its scroll format made it slightly larger in size.

He cautiously stepped forward, picked it up, and stored it in his inventory, all while staying alert for any guardian creatures or sudden changes.

After waiting for a few seconds post-retrieval, nothing strange happened.

Alright, good, time to leave.

Just as he was about to dive back into the magma.

The stone pillar wobbled, then slowly tilted and descended into the magma.

Damn!

Han Qiwu quickly adjusted his posture, leaped toward the shore, and swam with all his might.

The collapsing pillar splashed magma all the way to the mine's ceiling, and the droplets landing on his head brought an unusual sense of dread.

Clearly harmless, but still nerve-wracking.

SPLISH SPLASH SPLISH.

Han Qiwu turned into a rowing machine, paddling madly with his arms.

Eight minutes later, Han Qiwu successfully returned to shore. Noticing the timer, he hurriedly scrubbed off sticky magma with ice chunks.

Just five seconds after reaching the bank, the molten eel effect wore off.

The searing magma's heat waves struck again.

Alright, alright, I'm leaving!

After running several dozen meters away, Han Qiwu finally stopped to put on his clothes and wind-fire wheels.

As he dressed, he glanced down and suddenly felt something unusual.

Why do my legs look unfamiliar?

How come they're so white and clean?

Wait.

Where's my body hair?

What's going on here?

Did the magma just give me a pain-free wax session?

Han Qiwu halted, grabbed an ice chunk to use as a makeshift mirror, and checked his face.

Thank goodness.

His eyebrows and hair were still intact; otherwise, stepping outside would've been impossible.

If his hair had been gone, what would Mr. Tang think?

Confess my feelings and then go bald like a monk?

What kind of joke is that!

Back in the tunnel, Little Electric saw Han Qiwu return and instantly flew over, inspecting him up and down in awe. The little bird bobbed its head vigorously in admiration.

The master is a beast!

Han Qiwu couldn't be bothered with it. He sat on a nearby rock and started examining the mysterious scroll Eight with the mysterious magnifying glass.

Once combined, the contents of the mysterious scroll gradually revealed themselves.

Content:

[Your diligence has unlocked partial plant gene editing abilities, including but not limited to modifying plant traits and defining growth conditions.]

[Current editing abilities activation status: [Strawberry (Activated)], [Cauliflower (Activated)], [Anise Grass (Not Activated)], [Potato (Not Activated)], and so on.]

[Work hard to delve into the mysteries of gene locks—change the world as you know it!]

Upon finishing the content, the mysterious scroll Eight transformed into vibrant rays of colored light, soaring into the air, circling Han Qiwu several times, and merging into his arm.

Han Qiwu was absolutely puzzled now.

What's going on?

Gene editing abilities??

Edit what, exactly? Kiwi fruits growing on peach trees?

Or mushrooms sprouting on strawberry vines?

After reviewing the already activated editing capabilities, Han Qiwu quickly deduced a few possibilities. Among all the plants he had grown, only strawberries and cauliflower were marked as activated. He had some theories as to why.

Probably planting volume or harvest quantity.

Strawberries were the most abundant both in planting and yield. Cauliflower didn't have high planting volume, but he did grow one giant cauliflower—maybe that had something to do with unlocking the gene editing capability.

He picked a single strawberry to test the new ability.

After waiting for a few seconds.

The strawberry wilted slightly under the surrounding heat.

Other than that, absolutely nothing happened.

Han Qiwu sighed and popped the strawberry into his mouth.

Forget it. I'll try this ability on seedlings back home. If it really involves gene editing, it probably needs time for the plants to grow and adapt, right?

For now, let's unlock the cable car access for the ninetyth floor.

Might as well make the most of the trip.

Let's get back to mining.

Han Qiwu happily grabbed the Flame Iron Cross Shovel and started chipping away at nearby mineral points.

Half an hour later.

[You've discovered a staircase.]

Alright, time to go.

[You've arrived at the eighty-ninth floor of the mine.]

After regaining his vision, the area seemed safe for now, though the surrounding temperatures climbed noticeably higher. Waves of scorching air kept hitting one after another.

Scanning the environment, Han Qiwu noticed several iron ore points ahead near the tunnel entrance. Around them roamed Cave Worms and Lava Rats.

"You guys handle the enemies—I'll focus on mining."

With the order given, Han Qiwu cheerfully spun his wind-fire wheels toward the ore points, resuming his hammering.

BAM BAM BAM.

BAM BAM BAM.

Up in the air, Little Electric had already figured things out and leisurely floated behind Little Ice, gleefully delivering finishing moves. Occasionally, it lured stubborn Lava Rats toward Little Ice to deal with.

Life's too good when you're taking it easy.