Finding Suitable Planting Soil

The entire drainage system in front of the Shelter has been completed.

Lu Heng walked slowly along the neatly arranged trench, his fingertips tracing the compacted soil and the fixed log fence, checking every slope, joint, and drainage outlet at the far end. The potential for snowmelt water leakage was completely eliminated, and the foundation of this stone Shelter was finally truly stable.

After quickly preparing for his trip, he stored the Bronze Hunting Blade in his Wristband Space. Today, he planned to venture into the forest, collecting any usable supplies along the way, and also checking for traces of the shadowy figures recorded by the Spy Bug last night. His main objective was to find fertile soil to prepare for planting vegetables and building a long-term food reserve.

As soon as I stepped out of the open space in front of the stone cave, a gentle thought suddenly flashed through my mind.

There was no sound, no fluctuation; it was a spiritual sensation unique to the Purifying Water Lotus, faint yet clear.

Lu Heng paused, then turned back to the puddle inside the Shelter.

Upon entering, the growth of the Purifying Water Lotus was visibly much stronger. The lotus leaves were spread out and thick, and the overall watery sheen was even more pronounced. The underwater rhizomes spread out and stretched, and the vitality was far richer than before. That wisp of thought was straightforward and pure, without any complicated thoughts, only a persistent sense of lack—it desperately needed a large amount of energy to nourish itself in order to continue growing.

A sense of helplessness welled up in Lu Heng's heart.

This Purifying Water Lotus is an absolute powerhouse of energy from beginning to end; ordinary beast cores and common energy resources simply cannot fill the gaps in its growth.

He raised his wrist to light up the Wristband, took out the Paranormal Crystal he had obtained from slaying the Night Ghost the previous night, and bent down to place it into the accumulated water at the base of the Purifying Water Lotus.

As the dark spirit crystal entered the water, it slowly released a cold and pure energy, which spread rapidly with the water flow and was instantly absorbed by the lotus root. Almost at the same time, a gentle and soft thought returned to the mind, carrying a sense of security and dependence.

Lu Heng gazed quietly at the lotus leaves unfurling on the water's surface and sighed softly.

He was always ruthless and decisive in his survival in the forest, never showing any leniency towards anyone or anything, with a cold and firm bottom line. But he was unusually tolerant of this spiritual plant that had been silently by his side, which could be considered as him being too soft-hearted.

Having confirmed that the Purifying Water Lotus was absorbing energy stably and required no care, Lu Heng set off again, officially entering the Frost Forest.

The snow is currently being melted, and there isn't a single dry patch of ground in the entire forest.

The remaining snow on the branches continued to melt, and fine meltwater dripped down the branches, soaking the forest floor below. The once firm forest floor was completely softened by the icy water, the surface becoming a sticky, runny mud mixed with rotting withered grass, broken twigs, and bits of ice. Stepping on it was soft and sinking. The mud covered the soles of the feet, making each step noticeably difficult, and before long, the soles of the shoes were covered with a thick layer of mud.

The frozen ground beneath the soil has not completely thawed, and there are many hard protrusions hidden beneath the surface, so you can easily slip if you're not careful.

Melted snowmelt flowed down the slopes, carving shallow gullies through the trees, the murky icy water blocking the way. Without any established forest paths, one had to constantly maneuver around puddles and fallen tree trunks, slowing progress considerably. The air was thick with the earthy smell of damp soil, mixed with the faint musty odor of Withered Branch, a heavy, oppressive weight pressing down on the forest.

Lu Heng did not rush on his way, his eyes constantly scanning the bushes on both sides, paying attention to every subtle movement around him.

Following his most basic experience, he headed towards the river, intending to try his luck near the riverbank.

The riverbanks are constantly eroded by the water, which should theoretically make it easier for fertile soil to accumulate. However, upon closer inspection, it was found that the riverbed is mostly sand mixed with fine silt. The soil layer is shallow and loose, and nutrients cannot be retained. It is only enough to support the sporadic growth of weeds and is far from meeting the standards for growing vegetables.

I walked back and forth along the riverbank for a long distance, checking several river bends, but I still couldn't find suitable soil.

Lu Heng stopped beside a tree trunk and looked up into the deeper part of the forest.

Ordinary alluvial soil from riverbanks does not meet expectations. In this Frost Forest, the edges of swamps, where fallen leaves and decaying wood accumulate over time and continuously decompose and settle, are most likely to accumulate fertile, mature soil.

Having made up his mind, he changed direction and headed towards the swamp area.

The deeper you go, the more humid the surroundings become, the trees gradually thin out, and low, dense shrubs slowly increase. The chill in the air intensifies, and the wind sweeps through the vegetation, carrying a damp, cold mist.

Once you reach the edge of the swamp, the environment is completely different from that in the forest.

The ground was no longer the soft, uneven mud of the forest; almost the entire surface was submerged in water. A thin layer of stagnant water floated on the silt, making it more than just slippery to step on; your foot would sink right in, the soft mud reaching above your ankles, the suction gripping your calf tightly, requiring more effort with each step. The depth of the silt beneath the water was unclear, leaving no clue as to whether there were deeper mud pits hidden below. Once you stepped into one, it was difficult to extricate yourself.

Large patches of low shrubs grew along the perimeter of the swamp, their branches intertwined. As Lu Heng approached for a closer look, he saw that many branches had already borne clusters of small, unripe wild fruits, their skins still hard, and they would have to wait several more days to ripen.

He silently memorized the location of this shrub patch, so he could come back to collect the fruit when it ripened.

Passing through the tangled bushes, a sheltered, low-lying area came into view.

This area is filled with a large amount of fallen leaves and debris, and the soil is a dark blackish-brown. If you grab a handful and squeeze it in your hand, the soil is loose and moist, and it will not clump or stick to your hand. It is mixed with a lot of decaying plant debris.

Lu Heng raised his left hand, Wristband lit up with a faint blue light, the beam of light falling on the soil.

[Humus Marsh Soil]

Grade: Black Iron Tier

Features: High organic matter content, contains trace amounts of natural bacteria, retains water and fertilizer well, and has excellent breathability.

Introduction: The fertile soil unique to the Frost Forest swamp region is formed by the decomposition of fallen leaves and vegetation over the years. It is suitable for planting most vegetables and is a very high-quality planting substrate at present.

After confirming that the soil quality met the standards, Lu Heng did not immediately let his guard down.

Swampy areas are inherently high-risk zones; lurking predators may be hiding beneath the mud and grass at any time.

He remained in a half-squatting position, his mind constantly on edge. Every few seconds, his gaze would sweep over the surrounding bushes, puddles, and shadowy corners, while his ears listened for the subtle sounds of bubbles on the water and the swaying of the vegetation.

While keeping an eye on the surrounding risks, he used stones to dig up the fertile soil bit by bit. Once he dug it up, he immediately put it into the storage space of his Wristband. He never dared to completely bury his head in digging for soil, always leaving enough room to react and be ready to get up and draw his sword to defend at any time.

Pieces of fertile black soil were continuously peeled from the ground and collected one by one.

Just as the last clod of earth was overturned by the stone.

The mud beneath my feet trembled very slightly.

The tremors were shallow and fleeting, almost immediately masked by the movement of the swamp water. The surface mud swelled up slightly for an extremely brief moment, then flattened again in the next instant, as if nothing had happened.

Lu Heng's hands suddenly stopped moving.

He was quite certain that what he had just experienced was not an illusion.

The vibrations came from deeper within the silt, not from being caused by external objects stepping on it.

Something is lurking beneath the dark swamp mud beneath our feet.

He slowly straightened up, ceasing his digging. His gaze was fixed on the seemingly calm swamp beneath his feet, his muscles tensing subtly as he entered a state of alert, staring intently at the dark, murky mud.