Thorned Strange Black Tree

[Shelter: Blazing Sun]

[Level: 1 (100/100) [Energy full, upgrade available]]

[Upgrade requirements: Provide materials yourself. The shelter will upgrade automatically based on the materials provided. (Note: The current amount of energy only allows the use of ordinary materials.)]

[Function: Regional trading]

[Structure: Martial Arts Space]

[Effects: Door God Protection · Tier 1, Purification · Temporary]

As Tang Zhixue chanted, the shelter once again gained the temporary Purification effect.

[Purification · Temporary: Dispels dark energy, slays evil and strange entities, and purifies the spiritual energy of heaven and earth. A temporary effect from the Pure Heaven and Earth Divine Mantra that lasts one hour.]

"Too bad it only lasts an hour."

Tang Zhixue looked at the temporary effect on the shelter panel, feeling somewhat troubled.

Although relying on the shelter allowed the Pure Heaven and Earth Divine Mantra to perform to its fullest potential, it could still only last an hour for now.

If it could remain effective for a long time, or even permanently, those special plants outside would not be enveloped by the Silent White Fog, nor would they undergo such strange changes.

Tang Zhixue recited the divine mantra again, found that he could not stack the duration of Purification, and shook his head as he walked out of the wooden cabin.

Sure enough, no exploiting loopholes.

When he stepped outside, the Silent White Fog shrouding the area had once again been driven back beyond a certain range, but the first place Tang Zhixue looked was where he had originally planted the special plants.

"Tsk, what a waste."

All that remained of those plants was a scattering of dark brown ashes on the ground.

Tang Zhixue looked at the surrounding white fog, troubled. Good thing I saved some seeds earlier, but the question now is, where do I plant them?

He did not actually have many seeds left-only fifteen White Melon Vine seeds, seven Water-Gathering Grass seeds, and five Jade Flower seeds-but that was still better than nothing.

The biggest problem, however, was where to plant these seeds.

Outside was definitely out of the question. He had to sleep at night and could not renew Purification in time.

After thinking for a while, Tang Zhixue went over to the trading chest and opened the trading interface.

His current idea was to fill some containers with soil and grow those special plants inside the shelter for now, then plant them outside once he solved the problem of the plants being corrupted by the Silent White Fog.

"Tsk, does nobody have any containers?"

Tang Zhixue pursed his lips, then closed the trading interface.

Although there were only a little over two hundred people left in this region, he did not believe that not a single one of them had a container.

Unfortunately, everyone was probably keeping things hidden for now and would most likely not offer them for trade anytime soon.

That much was clear from the items on the trading interface. There was not a single useful item, only basic materials such as small stones and thin branches.

Tang Zhixue felt rather helpless too. If the original special plants had not been corrupted by the Silent White Fog, he might still have been able to trade items such as White Melons, but now he had to solve the planting problem first.

Better to rely on myself than ask others for help!

Shaking his head, Tang Zhixue set those worries aside for the moment, picked up the iron axe again, and walked outside.

"Now this is much easier on the eyes."

Looking at the area around the shelter where the white fog had been dispelled, Tang Zhixue immediately felt his somewhat heavy mood lighten a little.

Although the outside was still shrouded in Silent White Fog, at least the white fog near the shelter had been dispelled, and his sense of security soared for a moment.

Arriving at the edge of the area shrouded in Silent White Fog, Tang Zhixue recited the Pure Heaven and Earth Divine Mantra once, temporarily dispersing the surrounding white fog and revealing bizarre-looking trees.

Their once-verdant leaves had all turned grayish brown, while their formerly vibrant branches and trunks were now covered in black spikes of varying sizes, looking hideous and terrifying.

Looking at the terrifying trees before him, which remained completely unharmed, Tang Zhixue began reciting the divine mantra again.

Yet the trees remained just as they were, without the slightest change.

Tang Zhixue glanced back at the ashes in front of the wooden cabin, deep in thought.

It seems the shelter not only extends the duration of the Pure Heaven and Earth Divine Mantra, but also strengthens its purifying effect.

Thud!

With a thud, the sharp iron axe lodged firmly in the tree.

Tang Zhixue had come out this time to cut down the surrounding trees.

First, he wanted to stockpile firewood; second, he wanted to gather materials to upgrade the shelter.

He had originally planned to use stone as the basic material, but after the special plants were corrupted, Tang Zhixue had no choice but to change his mind.

Using stone as a building material required far too much of it. Even before, he had been unable to buy much, let alone now, when he had yet to replant even a single special plant.

Moreover, the appearance of the Silent White Fog left Tang Zhixue feeling vaguely uneasy, which was what prompted him to change his original plan.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

Crack!

Crash!

Under the blows of the iron axe in Tang Zhixue's hands, the tall, bizarre tree toppled heavily to the ground.

"Whew..."

Tang Zhixue wiped the sweat from his forehead and let out a long breath. "Cutting down trees is much harder than I imagined."

Despite having now reached the so-called Tier 1, he did not feel much different from before.

After taking a short breather, Tang Zhixue used the axe to chop off all the other branches of the fallen tree, leaving only the main trunk, and cut off its gradually tapering upper section as well.

Then he dragged the trunk toward the shelter.

Just as the entire trunk entered the area covered by the shelter's Purification effect, a data panel quietly appeared.

[Item: Thorned Strange Black Tree · Trunk]

[Tier: 1]

[Description: The trunk of a Thorned Strange Black Tree. Originally an ordinary pine tree, it underwent a bizarre, sinister transformation after being corrupted by the Silent White Fog. The entire tree contains Thorned Strange Black Poison, but it is only released when burned.]

???

!!!

Just as Tang Zhixue had expected, information panels for items belonging to him only appeared within the shelter's range.

But the contents displayed on it now gave Tang Zhixue a huge headache.

He could safely say that cutting down this tree had been a complete waste of effort.

There was no way he would dare use a poisonous tree as firewood or building material.

With a sigh, Tang Zhixue turned around and began searching along the edge of the white fog while reciting the Pure Heaven and Earth Divine Mantra.

He had no intention of keeping the branches of the Thorned Strange Black Tree left in the woods. What he needed now was to find trees that looked different from the black trees.

As he searched, Tang Zhixue could not help grumbling inwardly.

If only I could see these trees' information directly. Then I wouldn't have to worry about cutting down the wrong tree.

Although there were many Thorned Strange Black Trees, fortunately, Tang Zhixue still spotted some different trees at the edge of the white fog.