Small talk

He had only mentioned the life physique and fallen physique, not the specter physique. It seemed that even after living on this land for a hundred and eighty years, the Cat Clan still knew nothing of the concept of a specter physique.

After thinking for a while, Lin Shan asked again, "What is the Cat Clan's highest sequence?"

Zhang Zhonghua replied:

"They told us it was Sequence 9. Whether that's actually true, we don't know, but I feel it probably is."

"Many of their people died during material acquisition. Successfully making the first potion requires vast amounts of materials for trial and error. The entire Cat Clan is working on it, not just the group next to us. Their Clan Artifact allows them to communicate to a certain extent, bringing their scattered efforts together in potion research."

Lin Shan nodded. The stone tablet only told you what the materials were and which parts you needed, without a word about quantities or processing methods. He had the Parchment, which could provide precise formulas. He hardly dared imagine relying on trial and error alone. The first successful sequence potion of any race could be called a miracle.

"We can't trust everything the Cat Clan says, either. Remember, there's a kind of invasion called cultural invasion," Lin Shan said gravely.

The Cat Clan had approached them and offered help for no apparent reason. Friendliness might have played a part, but he would never believe they wanted nothing in return.

"Don't worry, we'll be careful," Wu Wang said earnestly. "But I feel this group of the Cat Clan just wants to secure protection in advance. After all, we hold the main body of the Human Race Clan Artifact. This place might become the Human Race's Holy Land someday."

"Let's hope so." Lin Shan nodded slightly. "Then that's settled. Those with fallen physiques will stay behind to organize the people who cross over. The other seven will come with me and return after attaining Transcendence. Only when you have strength will others be willing to cooperate with you in earnest. As for Transcendence for fallen physiques, I'll see if I can obtain a sequence later. Perhaps we can find an opportunity to trade for the Cat Clan's sequence."

Zhang Zhonghua smiled bitterly. "It feels like you're the Human Race's true Pioneer and leader now. Since crossing over, all we've done is build houses, farm, and raise animals..."

Wu Wang wholeheartedly agreed. "The Cat Clan said they sacrificed several generations before their first Transcendence appeared in the fiftieth year after crossing over. You became one in just half a year-two days, to be precise... And now you've come to help us..."

Lin Shan smiled and asked, "Is the Clan Artifact powerful?"

"Of course. Without it dispersing the ash fog, we'd have been done for ages ago," Wu Wang replied.

Zhang Zhonghua asked in confusion:

"What's wrong? Why bring up the Clan Artifact all of a sudden? It can only disperse the ash fog; it has no offensive abilities. And wherever it moves, the barrier moves with it. If you want it, you can play with it for a few days, but you can't take it away."

He thought Lin Shan was asking whether the Clan Artifact was powerful because he wanted to take it outside.

Lin Shan was speechless. That was hardly what he meant. "What I mean is, since the Clan Artifact is so powerful, have you ever thought about how all your names are on it? In the future, everyone in the Human Race will know those names."

"Do you still think you're ordinary?"

Wu Wang scratched his head. "Am I really that impressive? Even I didn't know..."

Lin Shan knew the horrors within the ash fog. A Clan Artifact capable of dispersing it was certainly no simple thing, and the people whose names were engraved on it surely would not remain ordinary forever. Perhaps Zhang Zhonghua and the others were still ordinary because the Human Race had yet to begin crossing over, leaving the Clan Artifact weak. He had gained a head start because of the Parchment. Otherwise, he would probably have been just like them, farming, herding, and living a leisurely life.

Rather than dwell on whether he was impressive, Zhang Zhonghua looked at Lin Shan and asked, "When are you planning to leave? I'll contact the others privately for you."

Lin Shan thought for a moment, then gave a definite time. "Seven days from now. I still need to gather materials, and it'll give me a chance to relax for a while. My nerves were stretched almost to breaking in the ash fog."

After leaving Zhang Zhonghua's house, he first glanced at the Red Lantern he had hung high in a tree, then went to Jin Tianzong's wooden cabin, where he found Jin Tianzong tinkering with his various tools.

"Do you have any spare clothes?" Lin Shan asked.

He was still wearing those ragged pajamas and looked as shabby as could be, but he had had no choice in his previous circumstances.

"There's a new set in the cupboard. Help yourself," Jin Tianzong answered without turning his head, continuing to tinker with his tools.

Lin Shan opened the cupboard and rummaged through it, finding a plain green robe without any patterns. The fabric felt wonderfully comfortable, better than anything he had worn on Earth.

"Why is everything green?" Lin Shan asked with a frown. Green was not a color he liked, yet everyone throughout the camp wore that same color.

Jin Tianzong raised his head and replied with a smile, "Go ask those Giant Green Silkworms in the vegetable garden whether they can spin silk in another color."

"This is silk? No wonder it feels so good. What a luxury." Lin Shan was rather surprised. He had not expected their standard of living to be so high after only half a year. Even their clothes were woven from silk.

"Hahaha." Seeing Lin Shan's reaction, Jin Tianzong burst out laughing. "Once you see those green silkworms fatter than pigs, you won't think that anymore."

At that, Lin Shan understood. Apparently, they were producing more than they needed. There were already chickens half as tall as a person. Silkworms fatter than pigs might be absurd, but they were hardly anything to be surprised about.

"I'm going out to wash up. I'll be back in a bit." Carrying the clothes, Lin Shan headed straight outside.

At the riverbank, not far from the Specter Thread Fish, Lin Shan stripped naked and jumped into the river. It was his first bath in half a year. A faint glow flowed across his skin as the spirituality of heart light shielded him from the chill of the water.

Lin Shan discovered that when he did not activate heart light, it was merely a faint, somewhat whitish glow. When he actively channeled it, it turned pale gold.

After washing, he climbed ashore, put on his clothes, and looked toward the Specter Thread Fish. A ring of fencing had been built around the area to keep anyone from wandering in by mistake.

He did not want to invite trouble today. There were still seven days, after all. He would go back, get a good night's sleep, and deal with it in a few days.

Returning to Jin Tianzong's wooden cabin, he found him still tinkering with his tools. One item among them caught Lin Shan's interest.

It was a round timepiece made of wood, small and compact, yet filled with intricate mechanisms. Various gears meshed together, and its hour, minute, and second hands moved steadily across its face.

Lin Shan was astonished. "You can even make a watch by hand?"

Jin Tianzong smiled. "It's just a little trinket. If you want it, it's yours. I'll make another tomorrow. But it's wooden, so it wears out easily. You'll have to replace the gears after a year at most."

"Thanks, then." Without standing on ceremony, Lin Shan picked it up and put it on his wrist.

Though made of wood, it could easily be adjusted to fit his wrist. The craftsmanship was truly incredible.

"Is this Cat Clan craftsmanship?" Lin Shan asked.

"No." Jin Tianzong said proudly, "I worked it all out myself. Ever since crossing over, I don't know why, but principles I never understood before become clear with just a little study."

"Impressive," Lin Shan said admiringly. "Maybe you could have done it before, too, but never looked into it. Now that you're focused on research, it feels that way."

Lin Shan then asked, "How did all of you suddenly acquire spirituality?"

"We got it after eating a few meals of Transcendence Creature meat," Jin Tianzong said, then added, "Courtesy of the Cat Clan."

Lin Shan frowned. The Cat Clan really had poured their lifeblood into this. Were they investing in advance, or did they have some other scheme...