Fortunately, he had ground the stone sharp enough, and it did not take him long to finish making the tools.
"Scrape~ scrape~"
As soon as the tools were ready, Tang Zhixue eagerly began using the Fire-Plow Method.
"Scrape~ scrape~"
The stick slid rapidly back and forth over the hardwood, and the hot wood shavings produced by the friction kept falling into the tinder.
Since the Shelter had a wooden floor, Tang Zhixue had used stones to build a simple fire pit outside the Wooden House.
"Whoosh~"
A wisp of white smoke soon rose from the tinder, growing thicker and thicker.
Seeing this, Tang Zhixue quickly lay down and gently blew into the tinder.
"Poof!"
Through Tang Zhixue's efforts, an orange-yellow flame suddenly rose from the tinder.
"It worked!"
Without hesitation, he placed the small, dry twigs he had prepared earlier into the burning tinder.
Before long, the scorching flames engulfed the small twigs.
Watching the flames rise, Tang Zhixue continued adding thicker dead branches.
The flames licked the branches, burning steadily at the Wooden House Shelter.
Watching the successfully lit fire, Tang Zhixue nodded in satisfaction.
But when his gaze shifted to the dead branches in the corner, he could not help frowning. "Will these branches be enough, though?"
Since these dead branches had fallen naturally from the trees, they were generally rather thin and would not burn for long.
"I should go find more dead branches in the woods before it gets dark."
Before heading out, however, Tang Zhixue listed ten White Melons for trade through the trading box.
[Item: White Melon ×10] [Grade: First Tier] [Price: Five jin of dead branches each (small twigs not accepted)] [Description: Rich in moisture and delicious. Long-term consumption can slightly improve constitution.]
For each trade, a buyer's offer did not result in an immediate purchase; the seller still had to approve it.
This put Tang Zhixue much more at ease. At the very least, he could weed out those trying to pass off inferior goods.
While Tang Zhixue went out to find more dead branches, the regional chat channel erupted once again over his sudden trade listing.
[That's Cousin Tang for you. Ten moisture-rich fruits in one go.]
[Five jin of dead branches for one White Melon? Isn't that just fleecing people?!]
[You call that fleecing people? Isn't this a normal trade? The price is clearly listed. If you think it's expensive, just don't buy it...]
[Hey, it's only five jin of dead branches. You can find that just by wandering around outside. Too bad Cousin Tang hasn't approved my trade yet.]
[I wonder what Cousin Tang is busy with. I made an offer too, but it hasn't been approved either.]
[I'm surrounded by the sea. Where am I supposed to find dead branches?! I want fruit too!]
[At least you have water. I'm in a desert, and have I complained?!]
[I just noticed a problem. After my Wooden House turned into a Shelter, the dirt floor became a wooden floor. How am I supposed to light a fire now?]
[How? Dig.]
[Dig?]
[Just dig up the wooden floor, then build a fire pit with stones. I'm already working on it.]
[Oh, that works too? Then I'll give it a try.]
[What if you don't have tools? Just smash it with a rock?]
[I'm suddenly jealous of that guy who got an Iron Axe. He doesn't have to smash things with rocks like us.]
[If you don't want to dig a pit, spread a layer of wet clay at least 15 centimeters thick directly over the floor. Pack it down, and once the clay dries, it'll form a hard insulating layer. Lay stones over that. This method is simpler than digging a pit, but it requires a lot of clay.]
[You need clay too? Then I'll just dig a pit.]
[Hehe, I happen to have clay here, so I won't have to dig.]
[I really don't want to say "I'm jealous" anymore...]
Tang Zhixue returned to the Wooden House carrying a fresh bundle of dead branches. After reading the messages in the chat channel, he had an idea too.
Naturally, he would rather build a fire indoors than outside.
But just as the others had said, he lacked tools, so he could only pound at the wooden floor with the stone he had sharpened.
Fortunately, practicing the Blazing Tiger Fist had slightly increased Tang Zhixue's strength, and Plant Vitality could help him recover his stamina.
Time ticked by as Tang Zhixue removed the floorboards from a square area about thirty centimeters across inside the Wooden House, exposing the soil beneath. He dug down about 20-30 centimeters to create a shallow pit, then compacted it with a stone.
There was no helping it. The Shelter's interior was too cramped, so Tang Zhixue could only make the fire pit smaller to avoid starting a fire.
He selected some smaller stones and arranged them tightly together, forming a low U-shaped or circular wall about 15-20 centimeters high.
His fingers had already gotten dirty while digging, so Tang Zhixue stopped worrying about it while building the fire pit. He simply grabbed handfuls of dirt and packed them into the gaps between the stones to prevent sparks from escaping.
"Right, I need to make a few holes too..."
Tang Zhixue did not want to die of carbon monoxide poisoning in his sleep.
However, after taking a closer look, he discovered that although the Wooden House had become more refined, it still had some tiny gaps, especially in its thatched roof.
"Never mind. I'd better make a few holes anyway."
Tang Zhixue was afraid of dying and did not dare take the gamble. He picked up the stone and began hammering at the wall opposite his bed.
Today, he would just make a few small ventilation holes. Later, if possible, he planned to put a window in this wall.
Fortunately, the level 1 Shelter's walls were not very thick, and it did not take Tang Zhixue long to knock out a few small holes.
By the time Tang Zhixue moved the fire from outside into the Wooden House, it had grown completely dark.
"I really want some meat..."
Looking at the gray snake's carcass and the Vine Hound Beast's carcass beside him, Tang Zhixue sighed.
He could not bring himself to eat the former. The latter had become a dried-out carcass, and eating it raw carried a risk of parasites, so he did not quite dare eat it either.
Thanks to his talent, Tang Zhixue had not yet been driven to desperation, so he could still afford to be somewhat picky about food.
"Forget it. I'll put them up for sale."
[Item: Ember Ash Snake carcass] [Grade: First Tier] [Price: First-tier item] [Description: The carcass of a first-tier mutant beast. Edible, but does not taste very good.]
[Item: Vine Hound Beast carcass] [Grade: First Tier] [Price: First-tier item] [Description: The carcass of a first-tier mutant beast. Edible. Eating it raw carries a risk of parasites.]
This time, Tang Zhixue did not specify the items he wanted in exchange, instead letting others make their own offers so he could hold out for the right price.
"Oh, right. I almost forgot."
Tang Zhixue suddenly remembered his earlier listing to trade White Melons for dead branches. He quickly opened the relevant trade details and began sorting through the offers.
"I wonder if there'll be any surprises..."
Before you continue