Chapter 179
Wen Qian, wrapped in a tattered cotton coat, stepped out of the small house.
The temperature outside, more than 20 degrees below freezing, made her shiver uncontrollably. It took all her courage to leave the warmth of her tiny shelter.
What greeted her was a completely barren yard.
The snow had vanished…
She stood there in stunned silence for a moment before snapping back to reality in the biting wind. Noticing a burlap sack in the middle of the yard, she quickly approached it.
Without pausing to check its contents, she hurriedly dragged the sack inside.
The only source of warmth in her small home was a heated brick bed (kang bed), but the coal fueling it was nearly gone. Wen Qian had just used the last piece of coal in the house.
In the freezing temperatures of Ice Flame Fortress, usable firewood was scarce. Fortunately, there was a coal mine nearby with decent-quality coal, enough to keep the residents from freezing to death.
But after decades of mining, the coal reserves were dwindling, forcing the fortress management to ration its distribution.
This winter, even more people had succumbed to the cold.
Sitting by the heated bed, Wen Qian warmed her frozen hands before finally opening the mysterious sack that had appeared in her yard.
She recalled the voice from her dream—a self-proclaimed “mysterious merchant”—offering food and something called “Flame Stones” in exchange for the snow in her yard.
When she woke, the snow had indeed disappeared. Could it be…
Opening the sack, she first saw small, yellow beans. The merchant had called them soybeans, explaining they had to be boiled before eating.
Then, her eyes fell on two fist-sized objects wrapped in what seemed to be foil.
Reaching out, she barely touched one before yanking her hand back—it was scorching hot!
After the initial sting faded, she hesitated but stretched her hand toward the foil-wrapped Flame Stone again.
This time, she stopped short of touching it, instead hovering her hand nearby. A wave of warmth radiated outward, enveloping her chilled fingers.
How comfortable…
Wen Qian sighed in relief and quickly grabbed the coal tongs, carefully lifting one Flame Stone and placing it in a metal basin.
As she moved the stone, the foil tore, revealing a glowing red core. The heat intensified as she peeled away the foil entirely, and warmth flooded the room.
She quickly retrieved the second stone, and together, the two Flame Stones raised the room’s temperature to a tolerable level—around ten degrees Celsius. For someone as cold as Wen Qian, it felt like a luxury.
Once her stiff limbs softened from the heat, she took some soybeans from the sack, collected some snow by the window, and put them in a pot over the Flame Stone.
Before long, the water began to boil.
She scooped some of the water into her hands, letting it cool slightly before drinking. The warmth spread through her body, reviving her spirits.
Next, she tried the soybeans. Soft and tender, they tasted even better with a pinch of salt.
Wen Qian ate a full bowl, her hunger finally sated. Staring at the glowing red stones still radiating heat, she felt like she was dreaming.
To make sure it wasn’t a dream, she pinched her thigh. The sharp pain confirmed the reality of her situation.
Who was this mysterious merchant, possessing such incredible power?
As this thought crossed her mind, Wen Qian glanced out the window.
After some hesitation, she cooked more soybeans and poured them into a thermos with hot soup.
Wrapping herself tightly again, she stepped back into the yard, thermos in hand.
Instead of leaving the yard, she went to the side of her neighbor’s house and knocked on the window.
Thump, thump, thump!
A shadow quickly appeared on the frosted glass. The window cracked open, revealing a pair of wary eyes.
A teenage boy peered out, his caution melting into surprise when he saw her.
“Aunt Wen, is something wrong?”
“This is for you.” She handed him the thermos. “Share it with your mom.”
The boy took the thermos, feeling its warmth even before opening it. “Is Qingqing back?” he asked in disbelief.
“No. Stop asking questions and close the window. I’m leaving.”
Watching Wen Qian walk away, the boy felt something was off. It wasn’t until he closed the window that he realized what it was.
The Wen family’s yard… was completely clean. Not a single trace of snow remained.
Had Aunt Wen gone out in the middle of the night to clear it?
Meanwhile, Tang Yu’an tossed Wen Qian’s bottle back into the Dream Sea, hoping it would reach her again.
Then, he opened his map.
Far to the north of the desolate city, a golden dot of light glowed—it marked the location of Ice Flame Fortress.
He labeled the fortress with Wen Qian’s name and examined it closely.
This new fortress was much farther away than the Flame Dragon Fortress to the south. Based on the map, the distance was at least twice as far.
By his rough estimation, it would take three to four months to travel there.
Tang Yu’an shook his head and closed the map.
It was impossible for them to head there for now, so they decided to first focus on reaching Lanhu Town.
After closing the Dream Sea interface and preparing materials for Round Head to continue producing temperature-stable cloth, they used the teleportation array to travel to the alternate dimension.
From 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. in their original dimension, only 16 hours had passed, but 20 days had gone by in the alternate dimension.
Outside, the snowstorm had ceased, and the temperature had slightly risen.
Zhou Qi pulled up thick curtains to block out all light before he and Tang Yu’an climbed into the same bed.
Both were exhausted, leaving everything else for after their rest.
The two teenagers, bundled under the covers, fell into a deep sleep. By the time they woke, it was already noon in the alternate dimension.
The sun had emerged from the clouds, beginning to melt the snow.
However, as the snow melted, the temperature dropped further. After lunch, Tang Yu’an, now wrapped snugly by Zhou Qi, ventured outside.
Their first stop was the chicken coop.
As soon as they opened the door, they were greeted by soft chirping.
Wow! The chicks had hatched!
The domestic robot in the chicken coop, powered by solar energy and resembling the one from the swimming facility, had been nicknamed “Little Gold Head” by Tang Yu’an.
When the cold wind entered through the open door, the temperature inside the coop dropped immediately.
Little Gold Head quickly retrieved a Flame Stone to maintain the indoor temperature at over 37°C. Once the door was closed and the temperature exceeded 39°C, it promptly put the Flame Stone away.
“Chirp, chirp!”
A fluffy yellow chick curled up in the nest, its feathers still partially damp from recently hatching.
“So cute!” Tang Yu’an exclaimed, pulling out his AI-brain device to snap a series of photos.
They had only used three eggs for this experiment, and by evening, all three had hatched.
After feeding the chicks some water and millet, they decided to send the chicks back to their original dimension.
Although the chicks grew relatively quickly in the alternate dimension, the cold weather posed a significant risk to their survival. It was safer to transfer them to the original dimension, where A’Mu could take care of them.
They placed the three chicks in a warm box, which Zhou Qi carried back to their original dimension.
Despite spending a long time in the alternate dimension, only half an hour had passed in the original one.
When Zhou Qi arrived at Lin Zhen’s door with the chicks, she hadn’t gone to bed yet. Seeing Zhou Qi holding three yellow chicks at her doorstep, Lin Zhen was visibly confused.
“Sister Lin, I’d like to entrust these three little ones to A’Mu,” Zhou Qi said.
“When did you hatch them?” Lin Zhen asked, examining the chicks and noting that they had only recently broken out of their shells.
“We tested artificial incubation, and it worked.”
Lin Zhen nodded, unsurprised. After arriving at the Desolate City Haven, she had witnessed so many new things that nothing surprised her anymore.
In the past, she would bargain with Tang Yu’an over getting a hen after they successfully incubated eggs. But now?
She no longer cared about raising her own chickens. The Desolate City Haven eliminated food worries, and with her daily trading tasks done quickly, she had plenty of time to dedicate to her research.
Recently, she had become engrossed in studying the 12-year compulsory education curriculum, often losing sleep over her intense focus.
That was why she hadn’t gone to bed yet when Zhou Qi visited—she was burning the midnight oil to study.
“Alright, I’ll take them to the chicken coop tomorrow,” Lin Zhen said.
The three chicks from an earlier batch were already over 20 days old. She had set up a chicken coop near the sheep pen, also lined with temperature-stable cloth.
However, A’Mu had noted that the temperature was still a bit cold for the chicks, so she had acquired a Flame Stone from Old Li.
The three older chicks enjoyed staying in the coop, and once the sun rose, they could roam freely in the fields.
Zhou Qi nodded. “Thanks for your help.”
“It’s no trouble at all,” Lin Zhen replied with a wave of her hand. As Zhou Qi was about to leave, she suddenly remembered something.
“Zhou Qi, you’ve started studying high school material, right?”
“Yes,” Zhou Qi confirmed.
“There are a few questions I don’t understand. Can you explain them to me?”
“Of course.”
By the time Zhou Qi finished explaining the questions and left, half an hour had passed. In the alternate dimension, at least 15 hours had gone by.
He hurried back to find Tang Yu’an in the teleportation room on the ninth floor.
“Brother Qi, what took you so long?” the boy grumbled.
Having waited two hours in the alternate dimension without Zhou Qi’s return, Tang Yu’an couldn’t help but come looking for him.
Zhou Qi chuckled and ruffled Tang Yu’an’s hair. “I was delayed explaining questions to Sister Lin.”
“Alright then.”
While Zhou Qi was away, Tang Yu’an had placed a mutant egg in the chicken coop for incubation. Not knowing whether the mutant egg required the same hatching temperature as regular eggs, he decided to experiment.
Little Gold Head had been tasked with recording the details.
During the wait, Tang Yu’an had also claimed a 100m x 100m plot of land outside Store No. 1, using concrete walls to enclose it. The project cost him 30,000 points.
Then, Tang Yu’an began shuttling between the alternate dimension and the original dimension, transporting iron ore from the alternate dimension.
Since his personal storage had only about 20 cubic meters of capacity and was already filled with other items, they discussed and decided that Zhou Qi could use the Cabinet to expand the storage.
The Cabinet, with external dimensions of 2×1×0.5 meters, could fit into a 2×1×1-meter combined space within Tang Yu’an’s personal storage.
As a Lv 2 super-capacity container, the Cabinet boasted 100 cubic meters of internal storage.
This upgrade increased Tang Yu’an’s personal storage capacity from 22 cubic meters to an impressive 121 cubic meters!
“Brother Qi, you’re a genius!”
Of course, after testing, they discovered that while the Cabinet could be stored within the personal storage, items inside it could only be accessed after removing the container itself.
“This is probably because the two spaces are layered,” Zhou Qi analyzed.
It was similar to how they needed to take an insulated water bottle out of storage before using the water inside.
“But it’s still super convenient!”
Tang Yu’an went to the alternate dimension, retrieved the Cabinet, transferred the iron ore into it, and returned to the original dimension.
In just two trips, he managed to transport over 100 cubic meters of iron ore.
With the current workforce and production efficiency at Store No. 1, this supply would last them for a while.
Afterward, they returned to the alternate dimension to resume their long routine of study and training.
As the climate gradually warmed, the snow melted, and new life began to emerge on the land.
Even the dormant Green Gem, which had been in a state of division, sprouted new shoots, slowly awakening to bask in the bright spring sunlight.
A few days later, the riverside was covered in green, and the forest was alive with burgeoning vitality.
Early one morning, Tang Yu’an and Zhou Qi ventured into the forest. They trained their abilities while collecting wood and earth elemental crystals scattered on the ground.
With the snow melted, these crystals were now exposed, easily found like stones on a riverbank.
Moreover, most plants were just waking from dormancy and were less aggressive, while the bothersome insects had frozen to death during winter. It was the safest time to explore.
For several days, they visited the forest daily to gather crystals.
Since they no longer urgently needed points, they decided to keep the crystals for themselves rather than selling them in the dimensional store.
Tang Yu’an picked up two wood elemental crystals from beside a rock and suddenly gasped.
“Brother Qi, come look!”
Zhou Qi approached, and Tang Yu’an pointed at a plant. “It’s a Southern Pulp Flower!”
The Southern Pulp Flower was one of the ingredients for crafting physical enhancement eggs, and a single flower sold for 1,000 points in the dimensional store. Tang Yu’an had previously purchased one.
To his surprise, the forest had them, and this plant had already developed flower buds.
If not for the buds and the identification skill’s prompt, Tang Yu’an wouldn’t have recognized the plant.
“Great, we’ll soon have all the materials to improve your physique!” Zhou Qi said.
Tang Yu’an marked the plant and planned to return in a few days to check on the blooming buds.
As they prepared to leave and head back to Store No. 4, the Shadow Umbrella hovering above them began to tremble.
Tang Yu’an froze.
“Umbrella?”
The Shadow Umbrella spun in the air, stirring up a breeze.
“Shhhhhh—”
The sound of wind brushing through leaves filled the forest, like whispers from countless tiny spirits.
In Zhou Qi’s view, waves of green wood-elemental energy converged on the umbrella, which absorbed them.
Even though Tang Yu’an didn’t have wood-element affinity, he could feel a faint green mist around them.
After an indeterminate amount of time, the phenomena ceased. The Shadow Umbrella slowly descended and returned to Tang Yu’an’s hand.
Both of them immediately felt a difference. A subtle, pleasant scent of grass and trees surrounded them, making them feel refreshed and comfortable.
Looking up at the umbrella, they noticed that its originally pure black canopy now bore faint green patterns.
From certain angles, the black fabric appeared dark green, giving it a richer, more refined texture.
[Congratulations! The Artifact Spirit’s Wish has been fulfilled. “Shadow Umbrella” restrictions partially lifted, and it has been upgraded.]
Tang Yu’an remembered the Shadow Umbrella’s wish to have its canopy turned green. He hadn’t expected it to be achieved this way!
So, the dye that could affect the Shadow Umbrella was actually wood-elemental energy?
He quickly checked the item’s details.
[Shadow Umbrella]
Description: Standing beneath the umbrella conceals all traces of one’s presence, calms the mind, and protects against illusions. While in a forest, it blends seamlessly with the environment.
Limitations: Usable 20 times per day (Restrictions can be lifted by fulfilling the Artifact Spirit’s wish).
Uses remaining today: 18.
“Wow, Umbrella, you’re amazing!” Tang Yu’an exclaimed after reading the description.
As for the remaining restrictions…
To be honest, Tang Yu’an hardly felt any limitations from the Shadow Umbrella because most of the time, it would follow him automatically.
As long as the umbrella’s canopy remained open and not folded shut, its usage count wouldn’t decrease.
After hearing Tang Yu’an’s praise, the Shadow Umbrella happily spun in the air before returning to his hand, even nudging him gently with its ribs.
Tang Yu’an smiled warmly.
Meanwhile, Zhou Qi pondered the description of the umbrella that Tang Yu’an had just read: “Calms the mind and shields against illusions. Could this mean that standing under the umbrella would protect us from being affected by illusions in the future?”
As soon as Zhou Qi spoke, the Shadow Umbrella proudly bounced slightly in response.
Perhaps it had developed this ability after their encounter in the mutated lizard’s nest, where they were still affected by hallucinogenic spores even while under its protection.
Regardless of how it happened, this new ability was incredibly useful!
Tang Yu’an praised the umbrella again. As he gazed at its canopy, he suddenly noticed that the umbrella’s wish had changed.
[Shadow Umbrella: Wishes for a small red flower.]
After turning its canopy green, it was now longing for a red flower?
With the experience from last time, Tang Yu’an realized that fulfilling this wish likely wouldn’t involve ordinary dyes. He made a mental note to keep an eye out for a solution in the future.
“Don’t worry! I’ll definitely help you fulfill your wish!”
Hearing Tang Yu’an’s promise, the Shadow Umbrella rubbed against him again, radiating a sense of joy.
Afterward, Tang Yu’an and Zhou Qi left the forest.
During the past few days, they had accidentally discovered a coal mine in the forest. With coal, they could begin refining steel!
The high school curriculum provided detailed instructions on steelmaking, so they only needed to follow the steps and experiment.
While Tang Yu’an attended classes, Zhou Qi worked on this project.
A few days later, they successfully crafted a small metal box. Though its insulation couldn’t compare to that of mutated metals, wrapping it with temperature-stable cloth and adding ice made it an effective cooler.
They decided to test this small cooler with Hai Jing, who lived by the sea where daytime temperatures were high.
If the cooler worked well, they could sell it to the villagers in Guan Yu Village, allowing them to keep their catch fresh longer when fishing offshore.
The cooler wouldn’t be a one-time sale, as the villagers would need to purchase ice regularly, creating a recurring demand.
This would provide a market for Lan Lin’s ice and make use of the ice and snow from Ice Flame Fortress.
Meanwhile, the Southern Pulp Flower they had found bloomed, yielding twelve flowers. Tang Yu’an harvested all of them and stored them in his personal storage.
Now, the only material left for crafting the physical enhancement egg was Phoenix Perch Wood.
“If we can’t find it, we’ll just buy it from the dimensional store!” Tang Yu’an was eager to try the enhancement egg, hoping it would protect him from extreme heat and cold.
However, prompted by his AI-brain, they set aside their tasks for now and prepared to return to the original dimension.
As they stepped onto the teleportation array, Tang Yu’an suddenly sensed something and turned toward the doorway.
A vine had stretched inside.
“Green Gem, you’re awake!”
A small piece of the green vine wrapped around Tang Yu’an’s finger before detaching itself—it was a new offshoot from the Green Gem.
Most of its consciousness had shifted to the newly split vine, making the new growth livelier than the main plant.
The small vine nuzzled Tang Yu’an’s finger, radiating joy.
After playing with it for a while, Tang Yu’an let it wrap around his hair, while the first offshoot rooted itself in the soil of the alternate dimension and began to grow.
With the favorable environment of the alternate dimension, the new offshoot might one day surpass the main plant.
Tang Yu’an and Zhou Qi then prepared to leave.
Wang Cai sat at the doorway, gazing longingly toward the forest. At his master’s call, he reluctantly tore his eyes away.
During this season of renewal, Wang Cai and Yin Bi often ventured out to play.
Wang Cai particularly enjoyed digging up unhatched insect eggs to eat—though it didn’t spare the larvae either. Yin Bi, having followed Wang Cai’s lead, also began eating insects, but only if there were no other options.
When they returned to the original dimension, it was only 7 a.m.
The long time interval between dimensions forced them to consult their to-do list to recall their plans.
First, they moved limestone from the Cabinet to the newly developed land. Then they found Old Li and explained how to make cement, leaving him to organize the labor.
Next, they traveled to Jufeng Town to visit the guard post and pitch Flame Stones to Hei Xiong.
Hei Xiong studied them, noticing that these two kids seemed even stronger than just two days ago. Was it his imagination, or were they growing ridiculously fast?
Regardless, Hei Xiong was impressed by the Flame Stones. Feeling their heat, he immediately decided to buy 10 of them at the price of 5 kilos of soybeans per stone, totaling 50 kilos of soybeans.
Tang Yu’an earned over 2,000 points and had Hei Xiong issue a receipt for the soybeans, allowing him to later exchange the receipt for more points. Hei Xiong, on the other hand, felt like he’d gotten the Flame Stones for free and was very pleased.
Everyone walked away happy!
After they left, Hei Xiong took the Flame Stones to Hong Li, thinking they might help the mountain lord recover from his injuries.
Tang Yu’an and Zhou Qi, meanwhile, left Jufeng Town and headed down the mountain to search for Mo Ke at their base.
On the way, Tang Yu’an discovered Mo Ke had left the base and ventured deeper into the mountain. Without much thought, they decided to follow his trail.
The mountain path was rugged, and the dense trees made progress difficult. Even with their mastery of the flight technique, their speed wasn’t much faster.
To make matters worse, Mo Ke was constantly on the move and wasn’t slow himself. By the time they tracked him down, the sky had already begun to darken.
The setting sun hung on the horizon, painting the sky in shades of orange.
Ahead of them, Mo Ke’s figure flickered in the dim light before vanishing into the forest once again.
Zhou Qi was about to rush forward when Tang Yu’an held him back.
Instead, Tang Yu’an walked straight toward a nearby thicket. The ground was blanketed with fallen leaves, blending seamlessly into the dim orange hues of dusk. It was hard to discern anything unusual.
Mo Ke, confident in the perfection of his camouflage, believed he was completely hidden.
However…
He heard steady, purposeful footsteps approaching him. Moments later, the boy squatted down right in front of him, staring directly at him.
“Brother Mo Ke, what are you doing here?” Tang Yu’an asked bluntly.
Mo Ke: “…”
