Danzhu puffed out her little nose and continued proudly, "This kind of character design, with an innocent and adorable appearance that inadvertently reveals maturity, is definitely going to become popular in the future!"
"Right!"
Danzhu's eyes lit up as she said to Xu Yanwu, "Uncle Xu Yanwu, add some color to the clay figure! Paint the hair a passionate fiery red! It'll definitely be charming that way!"
"Hey..." Chi Yuan wanted to stop her, but Xu Yanwu cut her off.
"No problem!"
Xu Yanwu gave a thumbs-up. "Brother Xu's skills are top-notch! Don't worry!"
"Here we go! ┏(*￣3￣)=? Clay figure!"
Xu Yanwu tapped a finger against the clay figure's brow. Color spread from the spot his finger touched at a visible speed, covering the entire clay figure in merely seven or eight seconds.
"Wow! It really is very charming!"
Danzhu praised it aloud.
"Beautiful long hair, a sexy figure... This image of Chi Yuan is sure to spread far and wide! Chi Yuan, you should try developing in this direction too."
"...No way."
But Danzhu clearly had not listened. She continued with a grin, "Hehe, the clay here is really suitable for making clay figures. I want to go deeper inside and take a look. Uncle Xu Yanwu, Chi Yuan, could you help me gather some clay ore first?"
"You really know how to order people around."
Chi Yuan was somewhat helpless. Danzhu had always been like a child who never grew up.
"Sure, no problem. But Danzhu, you'd better be careful. This cave has traces of Honkai too. If some stronger Honkai Beast or deadwalker suddenly pops out, remember to call for help right away." Xu Yanwu smiled. "We'll come find you after we finish gathering the clay ore."
"Xu Yanwu, you..."
"Thank you, Uncle Xu Yanwu! I'm off, then!"
Watching Danzhu run off into the distance, Chi Yuan could not help asking Xu Yanwu, "You're just letting her go deeper into the cave alone?"
"Hm? What's wrong?"
Xu Yanwu raised an eyebrow. "Is there something wrong with that?"
"Aren't you afraid Danzhu will run into danger?"
Xu Yanwu was speechless. "Chi Yuan, aren't you underestimating Danzhu too much? She's a survivor from the previous Civilization Era just like you. Even if she isn't good at fighting, she can still protect herself. At the very least, holding on until we get there would be easy for her."
"All right..." After hesitating for a moment, Chi Yuan decided to trust Xu Yanwu.
Xu Yanwu and Chi Yuan began mining...
As Xu Yanwu dug through the soil, he suddenly spoke. "Chi Yuan."
"Hm? What is it?"
"I heard Cang Xuan say that you can live for a very, very long time?"
Xu Yanwu looked as though he was asking casually while mining, but in truth, all his attention was on Chi Yuan.
"This..."
Chi Yuan's hand, which was mining clay ore, stiffened for a moment before continuing. Without raising her head, she said—
"Yes, Cang Xuan was right. Because of my special constitution, I can indeed live for a very long time."
"I see..." Xu Yanwu slowly put away the many chunks of clay he had already mined. "Then, Chi Yuan, have you ever thought about the future..."
"Thump—"
As Xu Yanwu mentioned the future, his heart suddenly pounded violently for no reason. A wave of palpitations seized him, as if something terrible were going to happen in the future.
"Xu Yanwu, what's wrong? Why do you look so pale?"
Chi Yuan asked with some concern.
"...I'm fine. I'm very well." Xu Yanwu spoke in a low voice, temporarily setting aside the matter of his heartbeat. "Have you ever thought about how long you'll guard the Land of Shenzhou alone in the future?"
"That..." Chi Yuan smiled. "Probably a very, very long time?"
"Aren't you afraid?"
"I won't be afraid.
That is my mission."
"..."
A complicated expression appeared on Xu Yanwu's face. "Then, if one day, these moments we have now, and Ji Lin, Danzhu, Cang Xuan, Lianshan, me... everyone in the tribe..."
Xu Yanwu looked at Chi Yuan. "...if the memories of us are slowly washed away by time, until... you no longer remember them at all, what would you do?"
Chi Yuan asked, "Why are you asking me that?"
Xu Yanwu slapped his own mouth and cursed inwardly, Damn it, I killed the conversation again.
"All right, I'm overthinking it. Don't take it to heart, Chi Yuan."
Xu Yanwu turned around.
After a period of silence, Chi Yuan's voice came from behind him. "Actually, I probably won't guard the Land of Shenzhou alone, will I?"
"Hm?"
"Won't you be there too?"
"..." Xu Yanwu slowly covered his face and curled up in a corner of the cave.
"Xu Yanwu! What's wrong?!"
Chi Yuan panicked a little. She hurriedly threw down her iron pickaxe and clay ore, then ran over to pull Xu Yanwu up.
"Don't pull me!" Xu Yanwu's exposed ears had turned bright red. "Let me be shy for a while."
Chi Yuan's outstretched hand froze in midair.
She had thought Xu Yanwu had suddenly suffered some kind of episode. Instead, he was embarrassed?
Yet Xu Yanwu, curled up on the ground, was overjoyed beyond measure.
Ah... How did I forget about myself? This is the first time I've been so happy to have this immortal body... Xu Yanwu thought.
"Chi Yuan, don't worry."
Only after Xu Yanwu finally calmed himself did he lower the hand covering his face and declare solemnly, "No matter how many years pass, I'll stay with you... Where did she go?"
Xu Yanwu stared blankly. No, where had that mining young lady from just now gone?
Come to think of it, while he had been embarrassed, he seemed to have vaguely heard someone calling for help...
Damn it! Danzhu!
Xu Yanwu sprang up from the ground and charged toward the sound of battle with long strides. At some point, his spear had returned to his hand.
"You bastard deadwalker! If you dare lay a hand on either Danzhu or Chi Yuan, you're dead today!"
Xu Yanwu's protective roar echoed throughout this stretch of cave.
"Phew..."
Chi Yuan struck the approaching Annihilation Spirit back with a palm strike, shielding Danzhu behind her.
"Why hasn't Xu Yanwu arrived yet? If this keeps up, the aftermath of the battle will cause the cave to collapse."
With a grim expression, Chi Yuan watched the Annihilation Spirit charge at her again. She gritted her teeth and clashed with it once more, covering Danzhu's escape.
The already unstable cave walls began to crack and crumble beneath the Annihilation Spirit's unrestrained wash of Honkai Energy. Rocks fell from the ceiling, as though the entire cave would collapse the next moment.
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