Xi Xi stood at the edge of the Ice Crack Canyon, her gaze firm and calm. The synesthetic ring on her hand was slightly warm, and the scene inside the Ice Crack Canyon gradually became clear before her eyes.
"How's the temperature where you are?" Xi Xi asked Cheng Xu, who was wearing a synesthetic necklace, through telepathy.
"I have no idea, sis!" Cheng Xu's voice was more composed than expected. "You know what, these duck feathers are actually quite warm!"
Cheng Xu, who had been transformed into a feather by the , was now drifting down leisurely, even more so than if he were carrying a parachute.
The duck feather fell vertically to the bottom of the valley. Based on the time, wind speed, and the principle of free fall, Xi Xi roughly estimated the depth of the canyon, and the value was so huge that it was truly astonishing.
The water at the bottom of the valley was indeed icy cold, but fortunately, the duck feathers were water-repellent and had great buoyancy, so Cheng Xu was not completely soaked.
Beneath this layer of ice, the icy water emits a mysterious cold light, and schools of deep blue fish swim steadily in the frigid water, their bodies shimmering with a cold, austere light.
This fish looks so familiar! Xi Xi nodded knowingly. Sure enough, it wasn't an accident that her father had just caught that little blue fish from the ice cave.
The only difference is that the fish currently swimming in the water are obviously adults, while the fish that Xi's father caught earlier were much smaller, clearly just juvenile fry.
"I happen to know. It's a type of fish that can withstand freezing temperatures, with spines along its back. You must be very careful; if you get hit by the fish's spines, you'll be paralyzed on one side. In such an extreme environment, the consequences of losing the ability to move are unimaginable!" Coincidentally, Li Jinshao's voice came through the private message on the light screen at this moment, carrying an undeniable warning.
After seeing Xi Xi's private message, he immediately sent a voice message, seemingly busy with something and unable to type: "It seems we should be in the same area. I'm observing the geology here, it's very strange... Anyway, be careful, some places are really against common sense."
Upon hearing this, Xi Xi immediately became alert and sent a telepathic message to Cheng Xu, urging him not to let his guard down and to first investigate the surrounding situation.
"Sister, no... I'm lying sprawled out on the icy water, it's a little hard to turn around!" Cheng Xu's words trembled slightly. After a while, he could no longer feel how cold the place was, but he still tried to turn to the side, attempting to use the shift in his center of gravity to make the duck feather rotate once.
Just then, a faint golden light appeared between the ice layers in Xi Xi's field of vision, appearing and disappearing intermittently.
"What's that? Try getting closer!" Xi Xi shouted.
Unfortunately, time was running out and Cheng Xu had reached his limit. Cheng's parents timed it perfectly and vigorously turned the deep-sea fishing reel to reel in the line, successfully "fishing" Cheng Xu back before the expired.
Every breath carried a bone-chilling cold, and every step felt like dancing with death. As soon as Cheng Xu transformed back into his original form, Liu Enxi immediately brought him a cup of hot ginger tea.
Xi Xi and her group sat together in the warm camp, but the tension in the air was still palpable.
Everyone's face was solemn, and their eyes revealed their worry about the unknown dangers. Whether or not to risk going was a question.
“Going down to investigate is indeed very risky, but that golden reflective object might be the key to finding new resources.” Xi Zhongcang broke the silence first, his eyes revealing the composure that comes with years of experience.
“I think so too.” Xi Xi nodded, her voice calm but with an undeniable firmness. “This game is all about information asymmetry; seizing the initiative is equivalent to seizing future resources.”
"That's right! If we don't seize the opportunity now, we'll regret it when we get beaten up later!" Cheng Xu, young and energetic, waved his arms and encouraged, "What are we afraid of? There are so many of us!"
Mr. Cheng was relatively cautious. He frowned and thought for a moment: "Going down is fine, but we need to be fully prepared."
After a heated discussion, the group finally decided to send Xi Xi, Xi Zhongcang, Cheng Xu, and Cheng's father down to investigate.
To ensure they could find their way back, Liu Yunyan carefully placed a locator near the camp and handed it to Xi Xi.
Next, we need equipment to protect against the cold of ice and snow.
These past few days, Xi's mother and Cheng's mother have spent a lot of time studying the notes that Chu Zhiqin had previously recorded in the book "Dongli's Era: A Tutorial on Fabric Blending".
The notes record a series of unique textile materials of Dongli, similar to cotton, linen, and chemical fibers from the original world. These materials include those that are windproof and snowproof, waterproof and electrical-resistant, fireproof and fire-resistant, as well as some rare recycled materials.
These days, with snow and ice raging, it's like a forbidden zone for life. People no longer hide their materials in the trading hall, hanging them up in hopes of getting food and coal. Chu Zhiqin and Cheng Ma took advantage of this and managed to get a lot of textile raw materials.
The textile project was massive and complex, requiring considerable time to complete. The two mothers originally planned to surprise everyone by announcing the completion of the entire project, but plans have changed, and they have to reveal it ahead of schedule.
"I knew you two were always doing something so secretive together, I couldn't even get you to move. Turns out you've been working on something big!" Mr. Cheng put on his specially made thermal suit and excitedly looked at himself in the mirror.
This thermal clothing is not only lightweight, but also has excellent warmth retention.
Meanwhile, everyone's gloves and boots have undergone special anti-slip and warmth-retaining treatments, and the toe tips are also inlaid with micro-heating materials, which can restore the feet to a certain temperature in a short time.
"You can only warm your body if your feet are warm!" Chu Zhiqin said repeatedly as she helped Xi Xi put on her thermal underwear.
"It's a pity that we could only manage to make four sets despite our best efforts... Otherwise, we could have all traveled together. Sigh..." Cheng's mother looked troubled, seemingly quite reluctant to see her husband and son leave.
Cheng Xu quickly stepped forward and comforted his mother, then saw Liu Enxi hurriedly bring over a large pile of food.
Liu Enxi has been busy these days, preparing a large amount of pre-made meals that are easy to store, just in case of emergencies.
Xi Zhongcang praised it repeatedly and stuffed all the food into the lucky bag.
Seeing everyone else had prepared so much, Liu Yunyan felt emojied as she sat alone in a corner with her mermaid baby. It seemed like everyone was working hard for the team, while she was just messing around all day, offering nothing but a location marker...
Xi Xi noticed her mood, took off the synesthetic necklace and hung it around Liu Yunyan's neck: "You're the quickest-witted and most responsive person here. Keep a good watch over the camp, and contact me immediately if anything happens!"
Furthermore, Xi Xi also had Cheng Xu and the others wear snowmobile goggles and helmets. These accessories not only kept them warm but also provided excellent head protection, killing two birds with one stone.
With everything prepared, the four resolutely stepped into that perilous place, using the illusion talisman once again, just like parachuting, transforming into four light feathers.
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