CHAPTER 173: CHAPTER 166: PLANNING THE TREEHOUSE COMPOUND!

Ji Chaoyang is finally back?

Xu Xin’s heart settled. He really hoped nothing happened to Ji Chaoyang.

The giant pangolin had already started digging a hole just a few meters away from the base of the treehouse. Because the ground here had already been loosened by the vines drilling back and forth, it was very soft, making it easy to dig.

The big guy used its tail, which looked quite like a weapon, to stab into the ground as a tool to fix its body, then began digging on the surface.

Xu Xin first sent Keke, Mimi, and Silver King up for a rest, then carried two baby pangolins down, watching the big one work while he opened the regional channel.

Ji Chaoyang: "I killed that heart too, Xu Xin, Wen Guixin, Wang Lei, including my heart fragments, we have four people and four hearts in total, which should be enough for the entire region."

Zhao Xiaochuan: "Holy shit, Boss Ji! Boss Ji is back!"

Wang Lei: "I told you, Boss Ji is definitely okay. He loves to disappear without a reason. But this time, I’m considered a big guy too, hahahaha!"

Qi Xuefei: "Where have you been? We were discussing the organization’s actions, and you, as one of the organizers, weren’t there."

Ji Chaoyang: "Just like when Xu Xin went last time, a place where the watch doesn’t have signal, just got back a short while ago."

Wen Guixin: "Boss Ji, where did you go? Last time Xu Xin was deep underground without signal, was that the same for you?"

Ji Chaoyang: "...Hmm, not easy to explain, but indeed a dangerous place."

Xu Xin noticed Ji Chaoyang’s somewhat ambiguous answer and felt a twinge in his heart.

This isn’t his style. Previously, if there was any information, he was always willing to share it with others, let alone now when the people in the organization are much closer than before.

His choice of concealment, in Xu Xin’s view, can only mean one thing: this matter involves the secrets of this world, involves that underground world, and is not allowed to be shared with those who are unknowing.

So Xu Xin helped to smooth things over: "Alright, where you went is not important, it’s good that you’re back. The vines might start attacking after six o’clock, our urgent task now is to split these heart fragments into twelve-kilogram pieces and distribute them to other survivors, how’s the progress of strengthening the vines on your side?"

Li Wenxi: "Only about the last ten percent or so haven’t lit up. It should be just under an hour until all the blood thorns of the vines fully light up. I divided your portion for them to help cut, and now including Sister Gui Xin and Wang Lei’s portions, all have been cut except for Ji Chaoyang’s part."

Ji Chaoyang: "I’ll distribute mine now."

Qin Yunlong: "Sister Wenxi is doing a nice job managing logistics, keeping our operation orderly."

Li Wenxi: "Hehe, my first year I was in the student union, busy all day with chores, got so commanded that this kind of thing became familiar."

Zhao Xiaochuan: "I get it, as a second-year becoming a department head, you command the first-years, right."

Li Wenxi: "First year was so busy I almost flunked. Second-year they wanted to make me a minister, I refused!"

Wang Lei: "Hey hey, stop reminiscing, chatting about things I don’t understand while we’re in the middle of survival, facing life and death, why are we gossiping?"

Wen Guixin: "Life and death situation? Doesn’t feel like it, it’s pretty relaxed actually. By the way, what clubs did you join in undergrad?"

Wang Lei: "Whoa, I’m leaving the group..."

Qin Yunlong: "I’m leaving too..."

Qin Yunhu: "Do you know about the diving club?"

The atmosphere within [Explorers] was really quite relaxed, making Xu Xin feel very relaxed.

The two baby pangolins suddenly squirmed in his arms, seeming eager to go down.

Xu Xin tried putting them on the ground, and they immediately ran to their mother, imitated her by inserting their tails into the ground using their little claws to help dig.

Soon after, just a few minutes later, a hole six to seven meters deep appeared below the treehouse.

Xu Xin gathered the soil they dug out. After all, it’s green-level soil, best to use on the fourth layer for planting.

Xu Xin glanced into the hole and asked, "Can I go down now?"

The giant pangolin called out that it was okay.

The hole was slanted, somewhat like the entrance to the previous underground caves, but much smaller, not walkable, you’d bump your head, so Xu Xin just slid down like a slide.

Below, a small space just over a meter high and less than ten square meters in area was dug out, sunlight from the hole above shone in, giving an overall loft-like feel.

Xu Xin discovered that, on the floor of this little space, the roots were now faintly visible. No wonder the giant pangolin stopped digging, it had already reached the roots of the treehouse!

It seems that the tree house’s roots are covered with about six or seven meters of soil, very thick, which gave him the opportunity to utilize the underground.

Xu Xin touched the soil in the cave, and found it very compact and hard.

Although the top layer of soil is very loose, below two or three meters, the soil is already compact and hard, completely capable of providing stability to the underground space. As long as the space isn’t too large, the ground won’t collapse because of digging.

The [Red Mist Flower Seed] he obtained in the first cave can be planted underground. He originally wanted to plant it in the tree house, but after some thought, it seemed inappropriate, since opening and closing the door would leak the Red Mist and fill his tree house with it, which would be troublesome.

He can have the large pangolin dig a small underground room, plant the Red Mist Flower Seed inside, then make a door to seal it, thus creating a Red Mist sauna room. Silver King, Mimi, Afu, and the large pangolin can come in to enjoy the baptism of the Red Mist and enhance their abilities.

Even if opening and closing the door might leak some Red Mist, it’s no big deal, since it’s outside and will disperse with the wind.

Steady!

At the moment, the large pangolin was lying at the innermost spot, while the two little ones were busy drinking milk.

No wonder these two little ones just struggled to get out of his arms, turns out they were hungry. Luckily, he brought the large pangolin out, otherwise, where would he find milk for these two unweaned little ones?

Though they haven’t been weaned yet, they can already help dig? Truly worthy of the beast bloodline, talented since birth.

Don’t be fooled by the pangolin being covered in scales; it’s not a reptile but a live-bearing mammal. They’re unique, just like bats; the former being the only mammal covered entirely in scales, the latter being the only mammal capable of flight.

Coincidentally, Xu Xin now has both of these animals, satisfying his collecting craze.

"So, will you take care of these two little ones, so I don’t have to bring them up to the tree house?" Xu Xin asked.

The large pangolin nodded. Since it had come out, it would naturally take care of them.

Xu Xin stroked his chin, looking at the nursing pangolin, and said, "I need to give you a name. You should be the spouse of that giant creature, or one of the spouses, right? Since that creature is like your emperor, why not call you... Consort!"

The large pangolin Consort slightly turned its head, without speaking, seemingly unimpressed with the name.

"These two little ones, the bigger one will be called Crown Prince, and the smaller one Little Prince." Xu Xin clapped his hands. These two might grow up to be giant pangolins, nobles by blood, so these names are fitting.

The two little ones ignored Xu Xin, still focused on drinking milk.

Xu Xin didn’t have a penchant for watching pangolins nurse, so he stopped bothering them and quietly exited the newly dug cave. As for the Red Mist Flower Cave matters, he planned to ask it for help after the current activity.

Crawling out of the cave, he stood by the entrance, feeling this cave seemed awkward.

Now under the tree house was a desolate piece of land, with a lonely cave exposed just like that. Although protected by the plant heart, Xu Xin still felt the cave entrance was too exposed.

He ran to buy some red berry seeds from the trading platform, scattered them around the cave entrance, and then bought several bags of green-grade fertilizer from the points store and spread it. Instantly, tiny sprouts started growing from the surrounding red berry bushes.

This way, by tomorrow morning, the area will be covered by red berry bushes and won’t look so abrupt.

Perfect.

Xu Xin clapped his hands, ready to remodel the empty area beneath the tree house.

The plant heart can protect a hundred meters around from harm, so he planned to turn the empty area underneath into his own backyard garden.

In his plan, he would fence off a ninety-meter range, leaving a ten-meter buffer zone.

This way, if wild beasts attack, they would be blocked outside the fence while being attacked by vines, maximizing the defensive effectiveness of both the fence and the plant heart. At the same time, beasts unable to reach under the tree house would be completely within the range of the tree house’s heavy crossbow.

Ninety meters in diameter might sound small, but it’s actually about thirty-eight acres, plenty enough for him to grow crops and raise animals!

The more he thought about it, the more perfect it seemed, which brought a smile to Xu Xin’s face.

If what he envisioned could really be realized, then the tree house would truly have a bit of a doomsday fortress vibe. Unless huge creatures like giant anacondas, crocodiles, or demons come to attack him, even if there’s a beast tide, he could lie in the tree house and vacation.

The area underneath the tree house needs to be utilized too. Although it won’t receive sunlight, he can plant shade-loving shrubs and fungi. Of course, only green-grade is needed.

Even though under the tree house can already defend against beast attacks, natural disasters are still somewhat out of his control, so unless they can’t be planted on the fourth floor of the tree house, blue-grade resources should still be planted on the fourth floor.

Today, let’s first utilize the shaded part under the tree house.

On the trading platform, he bought some red berry bush seeds, scattered them on the ground, and also found some fungal spores to spread. In a few days, under the tree house will be filled with these things.

As for other areas, once the beasts return, he’ll see how effective the vine protection is before making further plans.