Chapter 73 The Strange High Temperature in the Bamboo Forest

The return journey should have been easier than the way there, but the rising temperatures slowed the group's pace considerably.

Lin Nanxing was wearing the high-level protective suit he received as a reward for upgrading his territory. Under the protection of the constant temperature system, he did not directly feel the drastic changes in the outside temperature.

But seeing her teammates drenched in sweat and looking exhausted, even the heat-resistant mutant camels were showing obvious signs of heatstroke, she couldn't help but ask with concern, "Can everyone keep going? Should we find a place to rest?"

Upon hearing this, even the most resilient Wen Zhiming shook his head with a wry smile: "Let's hurry back. Summer is coming, and the temperature will only get higher and higher. It'll only take another half a day to reach the territory. There's no need to linger."

Seeing this, Lin Nanxing didn't say anything more. She looked up at the sky, where the blazing sun made it feel like it was always midday in summer, or even a plus version.

This world was already in a state of extreme heat, but now the temperature is even more abnormally high. Looking into the distance, the scenery is distorted and deformed by the heatwave, and the sand and stones underfoot are so hot they could cook an egg.

Yuan Chengping, who had caught up earlier, wiped his sweat. His voice sounded a little dry through the thick heat-resistant clothing: "This year's seasonal changes are indeed abnormal. Winter has arrived a month early. In previous years, the high-temperature period would not start until at least early April."

But it's only the beginning of March.

Upon hearing this, Lin Nanxing pursed her lips. She had originally thought that the fact that the swamp hadn't completely disappeared and wild vegetables were growing was a good sign, but now she didn't know whether the situation was good or bad.

Summer in this world is a true apocalypse of extreme heat. As the season progresses, the perceived temperature can reach as high as 150 degrees Celsius. At that point, even metal will soften, and any creature exposed to the elements will dehydrate and die within minutes.

This is why various territories retreat underground and build underground cities. Even so, countless small territories perish every year in the high temperatures, not because they are breached by monsters, but because they are baked alive by the sun.

Realizing the temperature was abnormal, Lin Nanxing took out all the remaining iced fruit tea from her backpack to cool down the people in the team.

Once everyone's expressions had calmed down a bit, he immediately said, "We're only a dozen kilometers away from our territory. Let's all hang in there and speed up our pace to get back as soon as possible. We'll feel much better once we're back in our territory."

This summer will probably be more difficult than anyone expected.

When the group finally reached the border of the Star Territory, Lin Nanxing was so startled by the unfamiliar scene before her that she subconsciously tightened her grip on the reins. Only when the camels below snorted in dissatisfaction did she reluctantly loosen her grip.

The most impatient Yuan Chengping spoke first, his eyes wide with disbelief: "We've only been gone for less than a month, how did the territory become like this?"

Suddenly, a lush bamboo forest appeared out of nowhere around the Star Territory. The bamboo grew densely along the edge of the barrier, and the green bamboo stalks stood tall and straight like swords, displaying a vibrant green against the backdrop of the swirling yellow sand.

Even more surprisingly, this bamboo forest broke through the barrier and spread outwards, covering the muddy land that was originally a swamp and later became a wild vegetable garden.

"Where did these bamboos come from? In such high temperatures, they can actually survive outside the barrier. Their vitality is truly remarkable." Yuan Chengping pointed to the bamboo branches extending beyond the barrier and exclaimed in amazement.

Everyone instinctively turned to look at Lin Nanxing, their eyes asking what had happened.

Lin Nanxing was initially a little panicked, her first reaction being that new magical plants had invaded. However, after carefully checking the territory panel, she found that the system had not issued any warnings about any trouble in the territory, and there were even players leisurely enjoying the cool air in the bamboo forest within the barrier. Only then did she breathe a sigh of relief.

"Nothing serious happened. It's just that someone in the territory made some new gains while we were away."

Out of curiosity, instead of choosing the usual entrance to the territory, they decided to go through the bamboo forest.

The bamboo forest forms a natural green barrier, keeping out the scorching heat. Walking under the bamboo shade, the temperature is at least ten degrees lower than outside.

A gentle breeze rustles through the bamboo grove, bringing a refreshing coolness. The fragrance of the bamboo leaves soothes the heat in the air.

As soon as they entered the territory, the communication signal was restored, and Lin Nanxing's private channel started ringing incessantly. She glanced at it and found that most of the calls were from Shu Yifa.

This guy is incredibly quiet in person, but I never expected him to be so lively online.

Lin Nanxing read quickly and understood what was going on with the bamboo forest.

After sending two messages to Shu Yi and Zhou Qisheng, she looked up at the group that had not yet left and said, "You've all worked hard these past few days. Go back and get some rest today. I'll cover all your meals for the week. The Xingxing Hotel will be open to you for free."

"The boss is so generous!"

"Mr. Lin is so generous!"

Amidst the compliments of the crowd, Shu Yi and Zhou Qisheng, having received the news, rushed to greet them.

Both of them clearly had a lot to say, but Lin Nanxing was covered in sticky sweat and desperately needed to wash off.

“Brother Zhou, things in Fuguang Town are a bit complicated. If you want to know in advance, you can talk to Brother Wen about it. We can discuss the details after I’ve rested.”

Zhou Qisheng understood that she was tired from the long journey, so he didn't force her to do anything, but simply told her to get some rest.

Lin Nanxing nodded in agreement, and naturally took Shu Yi's hand: "Come back with me to take a shower, I'm so hot."

Looking at her sunburnt cheeks, Shu Yi felt a pang of heartache in his eyes: "Why didn't you wait until evening to continue your journey?"

Although the daily temperature is extremely high, the nights are slightly cooler than the days because there is no direct sunlight.

"If you don't come back soon, I'll be fine, but everyone else will be roasted alive. The temperature outside is almost 120 degrees Celsius." Lin Nanxing joked, but apart from holding Shu Yi's hand at the beginning, he now wished the two of them were as far apart as possible.

She had been away for more than half a month, and there were no facilities for showering outside. Although the high-level protective suit had the ability to clean itself, she still felt that she was about to smell bad.

Back at the villa, after taking off her protective suit, Lin Nanxing breathed a sigh of relief in the cool air. As she walked towards the bathroom, she asked Shu Yi, "What's this about the bamboo spirit you mentioned in your message? That bamboo forest on the edge of the territory is its creation, isn't it?"

Shu Yi leaned against the bathroom door, his tone tinged with amusement: "I found it in the mine. When I rescued it, it was on its last breath. I never expected it to be so resilient. Once it recovered, it multiplied into so many branches."

"That's a good thing. I just walked through the bamboo forest, and the temperature there was much lower than outside. Since the magical plant is controllable, let it stay in the territory."

"Yes, I've measured it. This bamboo forest lowers the temperature around the territory by at least five degrees, but it would be safest for you to contract it."

The sound of running water came from the bathroom. Shu Yi paused, then softened his voice, "You should rest first. We can talk about other things when you've recovered."

In the bathroom, Lin Nanxing let the cool water wash over her tired body. Although going out was fun, she probably wouldn't want to go out again for a long time. It felt best to be back home.

Lin Nanxing lingered in the bathroom for a full hour, until every inch of her skin was infused with the scent of gardenia from the shower gel, before finally emerging satisfied, wrapped in a towel.

She dried her wet hair and went to the living room, only to find Shu Yi sitting upright on the sofa. His tense posture made her laugh and say, "Why are you so nervous? There are no outsiders here."

Shu Yi turned around upon hearing the sound.

The moment their eyes met, Lin Nanxing was startled by the emotion revealed in his eyes and stopped in her tracks. His gaze was so intense that her fingers, which were gripping the towel, tightened involuntarily.

Seeing her stop in place, Shu Yi suddenly reached out and put his arm around her waist. In a dizzying moment, Lin Nanxing straddled his lap.

"Wait a minute..." The unfinished words were cut off by a passionate kiss.

Feeling her boyfriend's passion, Lin Nanxing's body went limp. She obediently wrapped her arms around the man's neck, her fingertips plunging into his thick black hair, while the towel she used to dry her hair was carelessly tossed on the floor.

As the saying goes, absence makes the heart grow fonder. Counting the time, the two had not seen each other for almost a month, and Lin Nanxing actually missed him very much.

Her response gradually became more proactive, and the already loose bath towel came undone as the two of them pulled on it. Shu Yi felt the slippery touch on his hands, and his breathing became even heavier.

After their passionate encounter, Lin Nanxing lay languidly in Shu Yi's arms, her cheek pressed against his sweaty chest, listening to his strong heartbeat gradually subside.

"Tell me about your experiences lately. Weren't you supposed to be mining? How come you brought back a magical plant?"

In fact, Shu Yi had already mentioned these things in the message, but Lin Nanxing wanted to hear his voice at this moment.

Shu Yi's fingers gently combed through her loose, long hair as he spoke softly in the dim light.

Lin Nanxing listened intermittently, her fingertips unconsciously drawing circles on his chest. When Shu Yi finished speaking, she said with a hint of smugness, "Your experience isn't as interesting as mine."

Shu Yi raised an eyebrow, signaling her to continue.

"Speaking of which, the mayor of Fuguang Town is really inhuman. He actually built a secret room in his house, which was full of bones. If he lived in a peaceful society, he would definitely be a serial killer who has already been caught."

Shu Yi's attention wasn't on the old man; he hugged the person in his arms tighter and asked, "Were you scared at the time?"

Lin Nanxing was silent for a long time before saying, "At first I was a little disgusted, but time was tight and I didn't have a chance to adjust my mood. Fortunately, in the end I still punished evil and killed that murderer."

As she retracted the operating teleportation array, the system also informed her of the identity of the person she had killed.

Speaking of this, Lin Nanxing sat up, her eyes sparkling as she looked at Shu Yi: "To be honest, I didn't come away empty-handed. I did manage to get a teleportation array in Fuguang Town, and I even got three reputation points for my act of bravery."

"I just don't know how to use the teleportation array."

Lin Nanxing was somewhat troubled. Although the teleportation array she had looted was intact, she had been studying it on her way back but had not been able to find a way to use it.

All the other props she had were things that could be used simply by paying money; this was the first time she had encountered a special prop.

Shu Yi had a clue: "It might be because the teleportation array wasn't purchased from the in-game store, so the triggering conditions are different."

"That's what I think too." Although Lin Nanxing cared about how to use the teleportation array, the territory was currently developing well, so it didn't matter whether she used the teleportation array whose purpose she didn't know. She was quite easygoing.

"I'm going to do a gacha pull tomorrow, so let's see if my luck will be better this time and I can get information related to teleportation arrays."