47: Chapter 47 The Spirit Spring Opens, All Races Drink Together

The noon sunlight spilled over the Spirit Spring Plaza of the Eastern Wasteland Chen Family. Three palm-sized bronze purification machines were lined up neatly, blue light flowing like living water.

Chen Wuwang stood in the center of the high platform, his translucent spiritual armor glowing faintly. His Mechanical Prosthetic Eye scanned the crowd, data scrolling silently: body temperature, Spiritual Qi fluctuations, emotional index—all stable.

He tapped his fingers lightly on the armrest, da, da, two sounds, neither light nor heavy.

"It's open," he said.

Chen Tiezhu, leaning on a makeshift cane, limped to the first machine and flipped open the transparent cover with a click.

The rune array was clearly visible, the chip embedded in the center, the blue light as stable as if it had never been disturbed in the slightest.

"Watch closely!" His voice was deafening. "Insert the Spirit Stone here, press the button, and water comes out in three breaths. No need for chanting, no need for rituals, no need to burn incense to pray for rain—it just gives you clean Spirit Spring water!"

A group of old Cultivators below the stage frowned. A white-bearded old man stroked his beard and muttered:

"Water from a machine? How can that be as pure as what is nurtured by heaven and earth... Our ancestors drank Mountain Heart Dew and Earth Vein Marrow; can this thing compare?"

A middle-aged man beside him also shook his head: "They say it's purification, but who knows if there are hidden tricks? What if we get implanted with a Soul Control Talisman after drinking it..."

Before he could finish, Chen Xiaodao walked over from the east side. A miniature laser sword was held between his fingers, its cold gleam appearing and vanishing instantly.

He stood at the entrance of the queue, his voice not loud but piercing through the entire crowd: "Whoever wants to try, I'll drink first."

The crowd fell silent.

He walked straight to the machine, took out an empty jade pot, and aligned it with the water outlet.

With a soft hum, blue light flashed, and clear spring water gushed out.

He tilted his head back, took a large gulp, wiped his mouth, and handed the jade pot to the accompanying physician.

"Test it."

The physician took out a detection compass, injected spiritual power, and the needle spun wildly. Ten breaths later, the compass chimed clearly.

"Spiritual Qi absorption efficiency increased by twelve percent, cultivation base slightly increased, verdict: 0.3 grade Breakthrough threshold."

The crowd exploded.

"It really increased?!"

"Did I hear that right? One sip and we're half a step away from a grade increase?"

Several young disciples immediately rushed forward: "I want to try! I want to try too!"

Chen Wuwang raised his hand, stopping the commotion. He didn't speak, just nodded toward the backstage.

Three children were led out by their clansmen, coming from the Zhao, Wang, and Li Families—the very families that had raided the spring seven days ago.

They were only seven or eight years old, their faces still showing timidity, but at the Clan Chief's signal, they walked forward one by one, took the jade cups, and drank the water in public.

Ten breaths later, the three physicians simultaneously revealed their compasses; the results were identical.

The entire crowd was in an uproar.

An old Clan Chief walked out trembling and bowed deeply to Chen Wuwang: "Head of the Chen Family... it was us who were narrow-minded. This water is not only harmless, but it is also highly nourishing. Your honorable estate possesses such heaven-defying skills, yet you do not keep them to yourselves; this is truly a blessing for all families."

Chen Wuwang nodded slightly, his voice spreading across the entire plaza:

"The Spirit Spring does not belong to the Chen Family; it belongs to the Eastern Wasteland. But clean water must rely on clean technology. Starting today, from the Hour of the Dragon to the Hour of the Horse daily, water will be provided here for free. Each Family is limited to three pots, with priority given to the elderly, the young, and those at critical stages of cultivation."

He paused and scanned the crowd: "At other times, you may rent portable purification machines to process your own water sources. The rent is very low; one meal of spiritual food can be exchanged for one day of usage rights."

The crowd began to stir.

"We can rent them?"

"Then our village can use them too?"

"Can the dry well at my home also turn into a Spirit Spring?"

Chen Xiaodao was already standing at the eastern passage. Seeing a few children unable to squeeze into the queue, he walked out ahead of the crowd, picked up a water pot with one hand, and drew water for them personally.

A little girl stood on tiptoe but couldn't reach. He squatted down and looked her in the eye: "Don't worry, everyone will get some."

The girl nodded, hugged the water pot, ran back to her mother, and grinned.

Order gradually took shape.

Those who arrived first stood at the front; those who finished drinking consciously made way; those who came later did not fight for position.

A small Family with few members was at the end of the line, looking disappointed.

Chen Xiaodao noticed them at a glance, stood up, and walked over to them: "The next wave will have priority; no need to queue again."

The man looked up abruptly, his eyes reddening, his lips moving, but in the end, he only managed to choke out: "Thank... thank you."

Chen Tiezhu patrolled the equipment area. Every time he passed a machine, he would lean over to listen to the internal running sounds and touch the temperature of the outer shell.

The old injury on his leg throbbed, sweat seeping from his forehead, but he never stopped.

A young apprentice couldn't help asking: "Uncle, do we really not need to add Talismanic Incantations to prevent people from stealing the technique? This technology... it's something we risked our lives to create."

Chen Tiezhu sneered, pulled out a carving knife on the spot, and dismantled the casing of a purification machine with a few clicks, revealing the internal structure.

"Look closely!" He pointed at the rune array. "No tracking patterns, no spiritual imprints, no secret circuits. Every stroke I carved with my own hands can stand up to inspection!"

He looked up and scanned his surroundings:

"If the Chen Family wanted to control you, why wait until today? When the insect tide destroyed the village three years ago, who opened the city gates to save over four hundred people? During the drought last year when the water supply was cut off, who worked through the night to set up diversion pipes to send water to every village? What are we after? Do we just want you to have to live in fear while drinking a mouthful of clean water?"

The crowd was silent for a moment, then someone suddenly shouted: "The Chen Family is just!"

Then came a second voice: "The Chen Family saved my son's life!"

A third voice was even louder: "I am willing to sign the Mutual Aid contract; I will acknowledge this spring for the rest of my life!"

Cheers gradually rose.

Chen Wuwang stood on the high platform, not moving an inch.

His Mechanical Prosthetic Eye was still scanning; the feedback data showed: Trust level rose to 87%, group hostility dropped to zero, and twenty-three people were spontaneously assisting in maintaining order.

He knew that this round was won.

It wasn't by mech bombardment, not by System predictions, but by a cup of water—a Spirit Spring that everyone could drink.

Chen Tiezhu walked back to his side, panting, and whispered: "One hundred units... sixty have been installed, and the rest will be ready by tonight. The portable units have also been modified; they can be sent out tomorrow."

"Mm," Chen Wuwang nodded. "Don't forget to add a simple manual, the kind with drawings. Not everyone is literate."

"It's already prepared." Chen Tiezhu grinned, revealing a gap where a tooth was missing. "I even had the apprentice draw a smiley face on the machine casing."

The two stood side by side, watching the orderly flow of people in the plaza, children laughing, and old people holding water and sipping it, their eyes shining.

At this moment, there were no enemies, no schemes, only the sounds of water, laughter, and footsteps interwoven together.

In the distance, the last ray of sunlight fell on the copper shell of the purification machine, reflecting a tiny forged symbol—it was the ancestral mark of the Chen Family, and also a pattern his late wife loved the most.

Chen Xiaodao stood at the end of the eastern passage, his right hand still gripping the laser sword, but it remained sheathed.

He watched one clansman after another leave with water, their backs relaxed, their steps vigorous.

Suddenly, a little girl ran back, stood on tiptoe, and placed a wildflower in front of the purification machine, saying in a milky voice: "Thank you for giving my daddy water to drink."

No one laughed at her for being silly.

Chen Tiezhu saw it, turned his head away, and wiped his face hard.

Chen Wuwang remained standing, his fingers no longer tapping the armrest.

He watched everything before him quietly, like a mountain standing in the light.

The crowd was still moving, and the water was still flowing.

And he knew that the real change had only just begun.

In the center of the plaza, the third purification machine hummed slightly, and a drop of spring water dripped from the outlet, spreading a small circle of dampness on the stone slab.