Tilling the Soil

Lu Heng withdrew his gaze and did not venture any deeper.

Only one factory building was cleared today; the remaining silent structures still stand in the distance, their windows dark and gaping, like rows of expressionless faces. The Industrial Park is much larger than expected, and it contains far more than just a single Blood Banyan Tree.

But now is not the time to continue exploring.

My Mental Energy was depleted, my temples were throbbing, and my limbs felt heavy and sore, like they were filled with lead. The intense fighting of most of the day had pushed my body to its limit. If I continued to push myself, I might run into someone who could run away and was hiding in the shadows, and the outcome might not be so easy.

Lu Heng called to the Bone Demon, gathered all the spoils, and turned to leave the abandoned factory area.

He made his way smoothly out of the dangerous area of Industrial Park and arrived at the safe teleportation point. He stepped through the Portal.

The space trembled slightly, and the view shifted. The heat, the smell of smoke, and the stench of decay and pollution from the outside world were instantly shut out, replaced by the quiet, cool air inside the Shelter.

Lu Heng didn't rush to rest; he first took out the Mutation Treasure Chest he had brought back from the bottom of the sewage pool.

The blood-red box had a dark sheen and felt heavy in his hand. He crouched down and lifted the lid.

Inside the box, three items lay quietly on a dark red velvet lining.

The first item was a pair of dark red arm guards. The surface was woven from dense roots, with intersecting patterns that resembled the blood vessels of a living creature slowly wriggling beneath the skin. Lu Heng picked them up and weighed them in his hand; they were quite heavy and warm to the touch.

[Banyan Tree Bracers]

Grade: Bronze Tier

These are a pair of protective arms formed from the roots of the Blood Banyan Tree through a mysterious process, possessing strong defensive capabilities. They can automatically extend and retract a 5-meter-long root, which carries toxins; the root can also be used to absorb the toxins back into the body.

The second item was a dark brown seed, about the size of a thumb, with a rough surface and a faint, sweet-smelling, fishy odor.

[Blood Banyan Tree Seed]

A new Blood Banyan Tree can be replanted; its growth stage depends on how the survivor feeds it.

The third item was a grayish-white seed, slightly smaller than the Blood Banyan Tree Seed, with a smooth, jade-like surface and a faint shimmering light slowly moving within.

[Mutant Seed]

Both animals and plants can be used, giving lower-level creatures a chance to upgrade again. The stage they grow to depends on what the survivors feed them.

There are three things: two are seeds, and one is equipment.

Lu Heng put the Banyan Tree Bracers on his forearm to test it. The arm guard automatically contracted and fit snugly; the root veins twitched slightly before settling down, clinging to his arm like a second skin. He'd have to test its defensive capabilities another time; now wasn't the time.

After carefully storing the two seeds, Lu Heng stood up and walked towards the outside of the Fortress.

The Blood-Devouring Vine still twines around the cliff face, its thick, bluish-black tendrils extending along the rock face. Its leaves are dark red with fine serrations along the edges. It grows steadily, serving as a natural outer defense, and shows no signs of abnormality.

Lu Heng looked at the vines, calmly weighing his options.

The Plant Heart in the backpack is extremely valuable, but its energy is mixed and the risks are unknown. The Blood-Devouring Vine is a carnivorous mutated plant with ferocious habits. Feeding it the Plant Heart rashly will very likely cause it to go out of control and even turn on you.

It's not worth the gamble.

He withdrew his gaze. The Plant Heart was temporarily sealed away; he would deal with it later when a suitable use was found.

Lu Heng took out some of the plant ash left over from burning the Blood Banyan Tree, squatted down, and evenly sprinkled it on the soil around the roots of the Blood-Devouring Vine.

Blood-Devouring Vine is a carnivorous mutant plant, unlike ordinary green plants, and it doesn't necessarily rely on soil fertility. However, wood ash is pure and safe, without any toxic substances. Whether it works or not, you'll have to try it to find out.

After scattering the Blood-Devouring Vine, Lu Heng walked towards the open-air farmland of the Shelter.

Banyan tree ash is rich in nutrients and also has a weak insect-repellent and anti-deformation effect. It is harmless to all crops and even benefits them. He evenly spread the remaining large amount of ash throughout the vegetable garden. The grayish-white powder landed on the dry, hard soil surface and was blown up in a thin layer by the wind.

He made a mental note: He would later instruct the Puppet to go in and turn the soil, so that the fertilizer could be fully absorbed into the soil.

Lu Heng turned and walked into the temperature-controlled, enclosed Planting Room.

The Furniture Puppet were working autonomously—their movements were neat and orderly, picking ripe vegetables, sorting withered leaves, and straightening vines one by one. Lu Heng walked over, took a bag of wood ash from the side, and worked with the Puppet.

The Puppet was responsible for cleaning the withered leaves from the cultivation trough, while Lu Heng followed behind, sprinkling handfuls of wood ash into the planting pots and cultivation troughs—evenly covering the mature vegetable seedlings, the newly sprouted tea leaves, and the roots of the Purifying Water Lotus.

Dry, fine dust rose slightly, making the air a little choking. The man and the Puppet worked in perfect harmony, quickly finishing spreading the dust throughout the entire Planting Room. Lu Heng brushed the dust off his hands and glanced at the potted soil covered in dust.

Now for the main event.

Lu Heng set his sights on the most valuable crop in the Planting Room — the Purifying Water Lotus.

Gold Tier seeds have only grown to the Bronze Tier so far. Plant Heart, on the other hand, are top-tier materials specifically designed for plant advancement and level breakthroughs.

He took out the Plant Heart and squatted down to look at the Purifying Water Lotus in the pot.

The dark red wooden core is about the size of a fist, with vein-like patterns all over its surface and a faint light flowing inside.

"I hope this thing can help you break free from your constraints."

Without hesitation, Lu Heng directly attached the Plant Heart to the center of the rootstock of the Purifying Water Lotus.

The moment they touched, the leaves of the Purifying Water Lotus trembled slightly, and its green hue instantly subsided. There was no burst of bright light, no exaggerated special effects; the entire Purifying Water Lotus quickly entered a state of advanced dormancy, silently transforming itself.

The moment the leaves folded inward, the water in the basin suddenly became clear for a split second—as if some impurities had been drawn away, the water surface became crystal clear, and then it quickly returned to its original state.

Lu Heng stared at the water for two seconds.

interesting.

The advancement process is lengthy and automatic, impossible to intervene in or accelerate. He can only wait for the final result.

After handling all matters, Lu Heng was covered in dust and remnants of smoke. He quickly washed himself, straightened his clothes, and relieved the fatigue accumulated from most of the day's battle.

He then went into the Astrology Room alone and lay down on the bed.

The environment became completely quiet, and the tension of the battle outside gradually subsided. Lu Heng closed his eyes and lay flat, going through today's gains in his mind—materials, treasure chests, wood ash, and the advancement of the Purifying Water Lotus, sorting them out one by one.

Then my thoughts drifted to that Industrial Park.

Today, only one factory building was cleared. Who knows what else is hidden in the remaining silent buildings?

It could run away, hide in the shadows, or be even more troublesome than the Blood Banyan Tree —anything is possible.

But not going is not an option. Resources won't just come to you.

Lu Heng stared at the slowly pulsating, advancing state of the Purifying Water Lotus for a few seconds, then closed his eyes.