Volume 3: Deep Blue Sea
Waking up in the early morning and witnessing such a scene, the impact goes without saying. This was no longer just rain; it was as if rivers were rushing. The torrential rain continued to intensify, and for a considerable period, a seamless water curtain formed along the edges of the lotus leaves. Shu Xun reached out his slender hand, lifting the transparent water curtain. The flow was interrupted under his palm, creating a brief space without water, which then scattered down through his fingers. Beyond the lotus leaves, a world of water unfolded. Under the gloomy sky, over the vast continent, it seemed to have transformed into a complete water world.
This kind of heavy rain was evidently unsuitable for traveling. Shu Xun and his companions could only continue to stay on the giant tree and wait. After breakfast, Big Bliss sat on the low table, organizing the small items it had collected along the way. As a treasure-seeking mouse, Shu Xun naturally had a strong desire to collect, but he concealed it well. However, Big Bliss had also inherited Shu Xun’s personality. Since the spiritual space was available, Shu Xun decided to give Big Bliss the system backpack he obtained in “Winter’s End”. Thus, Big Bliss embarked on its own collecting journey.
Compared to Shu Xun, who had a special love for various treasures, Big Bliss’s collection of items was entirely spontaneous. Anything it liked was placed into its small backpack, be it a stone or a leaf. At the moment, the not-so-large low table was neatly arranged with various strange little items. Little Bliss was very curious, examining each item on the table one by one. Big Bliss generously allowed Little Bliss to crawl around on its collected “treasures.”
After Big Bliss finished organizing its small backpack, the rain still showed no signs of letting up. Big Bliss and Little Bliss began to wander around aimlessly on the low table, then jumped off, strolling beneath the space under the lotus leaves. Eventually, the bored duo sat side by side on a branch, watching the rain curtain outside and communicating in a way only they could understand. The sudden torrential rain not only halted Shu Xun and the others’ journey but also seemed to bring a moment of respite to this world, granting it a brief tranquility.
A day passed while waiting, and Shu Xun completed the crafting of the small storage bag in his hand. The storage bag was deliberately dyed with blue silk flowers, featuring smooth lines outlined with golden flower stamens, simple yet elegant.
Ye Qian, who had been secretly observing Shu Xun’s actions, subconsciously straightened his posture and walked up to Shu Xun. However, before he could speak, Little Bliss, who had been sitting there watching the rain, flew over in an instant, firmly blocking Ye Qian’s face with its wings. It then landed in front of Shu Xun. And under Ye Qian’s gaze, Shu Xun tied the small bag to Little Bliss.
In the live chat, viewers who had spent the day watching the daily activities found themselves in a rare state of relaxation. Some observant viewers immediately noticed Ye Qian’s recent actions.
“Hahaha, I’m sure God Ye thought that little bag was made by Shu Xun for him, and he got slapped in the face!”
“What kind of experience is it for you to be jealous of your companion blue butterfly?”
“Shu Xun’s sewing skills have improved a lot. Do you remember how he looked the first time he sewed socks for himself? That sock looks similar to this little bag!”
“So, is this Shu Xun sewing socks for Little Bliss? But there’s only one, is it a one-legged pants? Why tie it behind like a backpack?”
The moment Little Bliss tied the small storage bag, it sensed something. Following Big Bliss’s guidance from earlier, it quickly learned how to use the storage bag. Excitedly, the butterfly flew around beneath the lotus leaves, and then to the low table. It touched the table with its antennae, and the table disappeared. Little Bliss then flew to a leaf, bit it off, touched it with its antennae, and the leaf disappeared. It continued this process, flying to the next target.
In the live chat: “…”
After a brief moment of distraction, Meng Muyu quickly regained his composure. Shu Xun had survived for twenty years in that magical space, mastering some special abilities, so it wasn’t surprising. However, he was indeed witnessing someone using a few pieces of fabric, a few stones, and unknown plants to create a storage space for the first time. Watching the excited Little Bliss fluttering around, Meng Muyu helplessly spoke, “Little Bliss, be careful. Don’t eat all the leaves; it’s easy to expose us.”
Little Bliss paused its wings and then swiftly flew in front of Meng Muyu. Before he could react, Little Bliss proficiently attached its antennae to Meng Muyu’s forehead.
Meng Muyu: “…” Did this silly butterfly think it could fit him into the storage space too?
The ability to store living organisms in space is naturally not something common, so ultimately, after maintaining a stiff posture for a few seconds, Little Bliss retracted its antennae. It fluttered away as if nothing had happened.
Meng Muyu, feeling inexplicably rejected by Little Bliss again, sighed in his heart.
For dinner that day, the group didn’t eat at the table. The low table, as the first item in Little Bliss’s collection, was successfully claimed by Little Bliss. The other three didn’t mind; in such limited space, a simple dry ration didn’t need a table.
After dinner, with the night deepening and the temperature dropping significantly due to prolonged rainfall, Ye Qian rubbed his fingers for a while. He hesitated whether to give Shu Xun the small sleeping bag he had made earlier. While Ye Qian was stuck in indecision with a poker face, Little Bliss, sensing Ye Qian’s inner thoughts, flew adeptly to Ye Qian’s shirt pocket. Extending its small legs, it was about to search inside. Ye Qian pinched Little Bliss’s antennae, lifted it from his pocket, and ruthlessly tossed it away, not showing any mercy.
No longer hesitating, Ye Qian took out a small sleeping bag he had made before. This sleeping bag was only the size of a palm. After making it, he felt it was too big and ended up being pressed at the bottom of the pocket. Unexpectedly, when he saw Shu Xun again, the sleeping bag was so small that it could be used as gloves. Fortunately, Shu Xun could transform into his beast form, a furry palm-sized ball.
Ye Qian handed the small sleeping bag to Shu Xun. “The night temperature is low; it’s better to sleep in the sleeping bag.”
Shu Xun held the small sleeping bag in his hand, glanced at Ye Qian, and smiled warmly. “Is there anything else?”
Expressionless, Ye Qian took out a small wooden table, also only the size of a palm. Shu Xun took it, checked it, and marveled at Ye Qian’s craftsmanship. Although the table was small, it was extremely delicate. Even the edges were carved with smooth patterns, and the tabletop was polished very smoothly, with a slightly darker color than the original wood. Shu Xun deliberately marked out an area in the spiritual space to store the small wooden table, continuing to stare at Ye Qian.
Ye Qian stood still, enduring Shu Xun’s gaze for a while. Finally, as if accepting fate, he took out a pile of things. Besides various dried fish, there were various miniatures, such as small beds, fishing rods, clothes, shoes, hats, and even a mini bow and arrow with a quiver.
Shu Xun (⊙o⊙)
So, following Big Bliss and Little Bliss, another collector enthusiast enthusiastically organized supplies. Then, with a satisfied face, he stored everything in the storage space.
At night, Shu Xun’s group gradually fell into a dream. Big Bliss was still wrapped in a small blanket, Little Bliss had already fallen asleep beside him, and Ye Qian and Meng Muyu also lay in sleeping bags to rest. Next to Ye Qian’s sleeping bag, a seemingly round little sleeping bag was slowly undulating. The furry ball inside the sleeping bag only exposed its head, resting it on a small pillow, and the entire small body was almost spread out like a pancake, showing a contented appearance.
The view in the live broadcast slowly darkened and finally became pitch black.
In the late night, after a day and night of continuous heavy rain, there was finally a slow trend of weakening. The next morning, the bright sunlight dispersed the last lingering dark clouds, spreading gently from the horizon, and enveloping the entire world.
On the continent, the verdant rainforest at this moment seemed to transform into a sparkling emerald green. The lush branches and leaves were still soaked with the raindrops from last night, scattering colorful rays under the sunlight. In an instant, miniature rainbows bloomed on the branches like flowers of seven colors, as if a blooming seven-colored flower had turned the entire rainforest into a picturesque masterpiece as it woke up.
Shu Xun and his companions stood quietly on the giant tree, gazing at the vast scenery of the rainforest and the miraculous rainbow flower. The glistening raindrops, swayed by the morning breeze, fell with a shimmering radiance in mid-air, cutting through the space and creating a sparkling spectacle. Instead of landing on the ground, the raindrops descended into the immensely clear water that had settled beneath the rainforest, creating ripples that expanded and then disappeared.
As Shu Xun initially mentioned, in just one day and one night, what seemed like a celestial river falling and seawater pouring turned the lush rainforest into a vast expanse of water. The location chosen by Shu Xun and the others was dozens of meters above the ground, and at this moment, the water surface was only about ten meters below them. Looking down, they could even clearly see various fish swimming in the water.
The terrain of this continent was higher in the middle and lower around the edges, but within one day and night, the torrential rain had submerged this area! If the rainwater receded, it would be fine, but if not, this world’s precious land would disappear before their eyes. As the continent rapidly shrank, how many terrestrial creatures would suffer from this catastrophic event?
In an instant, Shu Xun thought of the giant tiger they had encountered initially, the proud ruler patrolling its territory. Suddenly, a faint sense of sadness and helplessness surrounded his heart. This world was not only more dangerous than “Winter’s End”, but what made it even more challenging was their inability to find useful clues. There was a feeling of powerlessness as if someone had quietly erased all traces. This unsettling sensation was amplified by the fact that one of the planet’s few remaining lands seemed on the verge of being submerged by seawater. If one day and night of heavy rain could achieve such a degree, then time was indeed running out.
Due to the rainforest being submerged by rainwater, Shu Xun and the others transitioned from walking to traveling on bamboo rafts, surprisingly gaining some speed. These bamboo rafts were crafted by Shu Xun during his time-traveling adventures and happened to be suitable for their current mode of transportation.
With the water’s surface as the boundary, above the water stretched a lush and verdant sky, while below the water’s surface unfolded a clear view of the rainforest. The reflections on the water were occasionally disturbed by ripples but quickly restored to their original state. Among the branches, colorful flowers bloomed and gently fell, mirroring the magnificent but desperate attempt of the rainforest to shine. After the beauty, there was only the slow death and endless slumber. The raindrops falling between the rainforest’s branches, swaying with the wind, seemed like tears of sorrow silently merging into the vast water.
Author’s Note:
Meng Muyu: “I always feel like someone forcefully fed me something strange.”
Lao Xuan: “That’s called dog food.”
Meng Muyu: “I’m not a canine species. Isn’t that supposed to be the food for Ye Jian?”
Lao Xuan: “…” Seems fine, doesn’t it?
