The night passed uneventfully, and the dawn came once more.
Here, the cycle of day and night differed from that in Evernight. Day and night were each about half of the day. Under the faint morning light, Qian Ye stepped out of the wooden hut, standing by the river for a moment, then returned with several large fish. In terms of fishing, the Control Pupil was indeed much more useful than the Destruction Pupil.
After some basic preparation, he hung the fish outside the hut. Then, he took out the manual left by the knife and began to read it carefully.
Donghuang was close to the Eastern Sea, which was always rich in resources, and the Neutral Zone was no exception. In this little booklet, dozens of marine specialties were listed, occupying two-thirds of the entire content.
For example, there was a type of conch often found in the coastal reef areas, with several golden lines on its shell, not much bigger than a finger, yet with an extremely exquisite taste, making it a favored delicacy among the elites. This conch could only survive for a day after being removed from the waters of the Eastern Sea; it needed constant nurturing with origin power to stay alive. The farther it was transported, the more expensive it became. In the central area of the Neutral Zone, the price of these Golden Thread Conches could increase tenfold. If they were shipped to Evernight or the Empire, the price could skyrocket a thousand times.
In Donghuang, many new settlers relied on gathering Golden Thread Conches for a living. Working hard for just half a month, they could pay off their taxes for the whole month.
The more Qian Ye read, the more he felt that the Eastern Sea was a treasure trove. For instance, there were over a dozen rare shellfish in the shallow sea areas. Some species of turtles, as well as their eggs, could be used as medicine. Venturing deeper into the sea, one might even find Blood Soul Coral. A piece the size of a finger was worth half a year’s tax.
In addition, the deep sea floor had a variety of precious minerals, mostly lying on the seabed. One needed only luck to collect them. Furthermore, many ferocious fish in the near-shore waters were true beasts. Therefore, beast meat was plentiful and cheap in the Donghuang region. However, fishing for such fierce sea creatures required at least a Battle Captain’s level and the ability to utilize the surrounding environment’s origin power. Without those, one would likely end up as the beasts’ next meal.
The river also had a wealth of resources, and mineral deposits could sometimes be found at the bottom. To his surprise, Qian Ye discovered that the wood from the Black Forest was also on the list, and it was quite valuable. Three raw logs could cover a month’s tax, and if processed into planks, only two would be needed. Seeing this, Qian Ye realized that the Black Forest was far from as peaceful as it appeared; it must harbor unforeseen dangers, otherwise, why would such conditions exist?
Moreover, the interconnected roots of the trees in the Black Forest might serve other purposes, such as generating waves of monstrous beasts to clear out intruders, similar to the Mistswamp. Otherwise, why would there be such a significant difference in value between raw logs and planks, which did not require much processing?
However, Qian Ye had cut dozens of logs into planks last night, with hundreds more still waiting. Yet, the forest remained calm. Could the Black Forest be so intelligent that it knew Qian Ye was not to be trifled with?
Qian Ye pondered, stroking his chin. It seemed plausible. Using the mighty Mount Tai blade to chop down trees was indeed overpowering. Perhaps the sheer efficiency of his chopping had intimidated the Black Forest. Of course, it was also possible that the Black Forest was preparing a large-scale counterattack.
But Qian Ye was not particularly concerned about the Black Forest’s retaliation. As long as he did not venture too deeply into such strange territories, they posed little threat. Even adult beasts would likely quiver before Zhu Ji.
Flipping through the pages, he reached the final one, which listed several legendary treasures. Finding any one of them would immediately elevate one’s status, including eligibility to settle in the core area, employment by major factions, and possibly even gaining a floating island, where one could reign supreme.
Qian Ye had never seen or even heard of most of these items. However, to ensure no one missed out, the manual provided detailed descriptions. With nothing else to do, Qian Ye read them carefully.
The last two items caught his eye: “Heavenly Fire Thunder Crystal, similar to corresponding origin crystals but slightly inferior, originating from the Great Vortex, extremely rare.”
“Lotus of the Sea, miraculous effects, specifics unknown, originating from the Great Vortex, discovered only once.”
The term “Great Vortex” was not unfamiliar to Qian Ye, though he knew almost nothing about it. But given how both major camps highly valued the chance to enter the Great Vortex, it must hold significant opportunities, perhaps rivaling the Void Essence deep within the Floating Land.
Was there also a Great Vortex in the Neutral Zone?
If so, the resources here must be even richer than imagined. Why would the Empire and Evernight both abstain from coveting this place? There must be some hidden reasons.
Putting away the manual, Qian Ye rekindled the campfire, cleaned a large fish, and started boiling fish soup. Qian Ye’s cooking had a different flavor from the old man’s. Soon, the aroma of the fish soup wafted, enticing the sleeping Zhu Ji.
Ye Tián also came out, helping Qian Ye with the chores. Thus, breakfast was ready.
After breakfast, Qian Ye began making furniture. The bulk of the work involved cutting and shaping planks, while the finer tasks were left to Ye Tián and the old man. An old man capable of making “bullets” could easily handle furniture.
Qian Ye sent the little Zhu Ji to the river to catch fish or to the beach to gather Golden Thread Conches. She was not suitable for such delicate tasks, but Qian Ye wanted to keep her busy. Fishing and foraging were also ways to train in hunting.
By midday, the basic furniture was complete. Qian Ye built a workshop next to the old man’s house and a separate kitchen, giving their home a more organized appearance.
That night, everything was peaceful again, and everyone slept soundly—except for Qian Ye.
When dawn broke, Qian Ye set out for the town to exchange some tools and supplies. He hadn’t expected to build a complete home from scratch, so many small but necessary items were missing. There were still some supplies in Anduaya’s space, mainly ammunition, medicines, and spare battle armor, but ordinary food and water were only for emergencies, and it was wasteful to store daily necessities there.
On the way back, Qian Ye carried a bundle of planks, choosing a path along the edge of the Black Forest to test its reactions.
This time, perhaps because of the planks, as soon as he entered the Black Forest, Qian Ye sensed something amiss. The connections between the trees were tighter, and the swaying branches often went against the wind, seemingly pointing toward him. The ground trembled slightly, and the forest communicated through its roots.
Qian Ye’s intuition clearly sensed the forest’s hostility.
A self-aware forest? After experiencing the Mistswamp, Qian Ye was not afraid. The Mistswamp could suppress one’s senses to mere dozens of meters, distorting the environment so severely. That was truly terrifying. In fact, both Evernight and the Empire had suffered heavy casualties in the Mistswamp. Until now, neither side fully understood how the Mistswamp was formed.
No matter how strange the Black Forest, it couldn’t be that formidable.
As he walked, Qian Ye suddenly saw a shadow dart past, moving swiftly between the trees. It moved without a sound, adept at hiding behind trunks and leaves, making it hard to detect.
Using his True Sight Pupil, Qian Ye switched to origin vision and instantly traced the shadow’s path. Surprisingly, the origin nature left by the shadow leaned toward void origin, rather than dawn or dark origin. The Black Forest was permeated with dark origin, so Qian Ye had assumed the creatures here would also be dark-attribute. Yet, the shadow had traits of a void creature.
Curious, Qian Ye pretended not to notice, continuing at his steady pace. The shadow tested a few times, growing bolder and closing in on Qian Ye.
Once it got close enough, Qian Ye abruptly punched a nearby tree, sending shockwaves far and wide. The forest’s origin power resonated with the vibrations, causing chaos. The shadow stiffened, realizing the danger. It tried to escape, but Qian Ye grabbed its neck.
It was a woman, young and slender, like a girl. Her skin was slightly dark, glowing softly, and she wore animal hide clothes. Metal bands adorned her wrists and neck. Strangely, these bands made no sound when they clashed.
The woman struggled fiercely, surprising Qian Ye with her strength. It was far beyond what a human should have. But Qian Ye, who often wrestled with arachnids, paid no mind to such resistance. He swung her to the ground, disorienting her.
Struggling to sit up, the woman glared at Qian Ye. Squatting in front of her, he asked, “Can you speak?”
He repeated the question in Imperial, Bloodline, Common, and Demon tongues, but she showed no reaction. Just as he was about to give up, she clapped her hands, and the metal bands on her wrists rang with a crisp sound.
The origin power surged with the sound, causing Qian Ye’s head to spin and his vision to darken. Calmly, he supported himself with one hand and roared, activating the power of the Great Vortex. The air filled with a heavy pressure, the trees groaning under the strain.
However, Qian Ye felt a slight tremor at the edge of his domain, and the woman vanished. When he recovered and opened his eyes, she was gone.
But the forest’s hostility was even more palpable.
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