Chapter 366 - 338: Advanced Resource: River of Spirits
After the farmland evolved, the next step was to choose which building to evolve.
But after much consideration, Qin Ziwen decided to put it on hold for the time being.
The main reason was that the other ordinary buildings were either too low-level, unsuitable, or redundant.
While there were no suitable buildings, there were plenty of resource points to consider.
Qin Ziwen led Jia Liangcai to the spring.
The spring in the Home was now Level 4 and was primarily responsible for its freshwater supply.
Several bamboo pipes had been constructed beside the spring. Water gurgled out from them, collecting in large wooden basins at the ends. People would come to collect the water from the basins periodically.
This greatly eased the pressure on their freshwater supply. Although others in the Gated Community also had spring resource points, their springs were mostly low-level, with the highest being only Level 2.
Jia Liangcai said, "My Lord, the Home doesn’t have a reliable way to desalinate seawater yet. If we upgrade this and it loses its ability to produce fresh water..."
Qin Ziwen fell silent. After careful thought, he decided to put the idea on hold.
However, the Advanced Resource Card he had obtained from Hongding Mansion, the River of Spirits, could now be used.
Arriving at the newly expanded area, he saw the River of Spirits required a 1000x50m space. Qin Ziwen directly marked out a long, straight path down the middle of this new, empty expanse.
Like a canal bisecting the land, it split the area in two.
He confirmed his use of the Card.
The sound of a rushing river filled his ears.
A straight curtain of light shot forward.
It stretched from his feet to the horizon, exactly one thousand meters long.
When the light faded, a fifty-meter-wide river was flowing gently in its place.
Just then, the Home’s small orb of light materialized.
Qin Ziwen’s expression shifted. The last time this had happened, it meant a synergy had been triggered between certain buildings.
[Resource Card of the same series detected. Do you wish to merge?]
"Yes."
The moment he spoke.
A streak of light shot from behind him, weaving through the sky like a fish before plunging into the new river at his feet.
At first, only a few unusual ripples disturbed the river’s surface.
Then, in the middle of the river, several hundred meters from Qin Ziwen, the water began to swell upward silently. It wasn’t displaced, but rather seemed to be lifted by an invisible hand, slowly taking the shape of a spring.
This lasted for a few seconds before slowly subsiding, returning everything to tranquility.
[Fusion complete: The Level 4 spring has been merged into the "River of Spirits".]
[The River of Spirits has gained the special effect: Self-Sustaining.]
[Advanced Resource · Level 1 River of Spirits: Level 2 River Eye, Level 2 River of Reproduction, Level 2 Ecological Hub] (Special Effects: ① Activated Water: The water quality of the entire river has undergone a fundamental improvement and now contains trace amounts of life energy. Long-term consumption can slowly improve one’s constitution, and using it for irrigation accelerates crop growth while slightly improving their quality. ② Self-Sustaining: The river possesses powerful self-purifying and circulatory capabilities. Even if the downstream portion becomes polluted, the water can purify and restore itself.)
First was the River Eye. Its effect was simple and similar to the original spring, continuously producing fresh water. However, it wouldn’t exceed the river’s capacity, preventing it from overflowing and flooding the surrounding land.
Although the River Eye was only Level 2, its water production rate far surpassed that of the Level 4 spring.
Next was the River of Reproduction. It allowed any aquatic animal, whether from freshwater or saltwater, to thrive within it. It also reduced reproductive barriers between species and increased the chances of successful breeding.
Finally, there was the Ecological Hub, a passive buff that covered the entire Home.
The river, the living spring, and all cultivation-related buildings and resource points within the Home would gain a permanent buff, creating a positive micro-ecological feedback loop.
The higher the Ecological Hub’s level, the more pronounced the buff would be.
As for the two special effects...
The benefits of the Activated Water were self-evident. The plants in the Treasure Garden already grew quickly, and irrigating them with this water would accelerate their growth even further.
With all these effects stacked, he could hardly imagine how fast the crops would grow now.
The Self-Sustaining effect was a safeguard for the river. As the Home’s industry and population grew, pollution would be inevitable, even with regulations. Traces of human activity would always have an impact.
This effect provided a failsafe.
He went to the riverbank. Perhaps because the river was a perfectly straight line, its surface was very calm.
But he could see the current flowing gently from upstream to downstream.
Qin Ziwen took off his jacket and jumped into the river.
The water wasn’t cold—much warmer than the sea.
He dove deep, swimming for a bit before his hands touched the riverbed.
The bottom was covered in a shallow layer of silt, with plenty of scattered stones that could serve as natural cover for aquatic life.
The riverbed was V-shaped. It was shallower near the banks, only about eight meters deep, but grew deeper toward the center, reaching a depth of twenty to thirty meters.
When he reached the downstream end of the river, he saw what looked like a blurry, dark cavern ahead. Qin Ziwen reached out and touched the boundary, only to be stopped by an invisible barrier.
The current, however, was unaffected. It passed right through the membrane, just like the river of lava in the Furnace Fortress. This was merely a segment of a larger river.
’So this river is alive, not just a pool of stagnant water.’
Back on the surface, Qin Ziwen was already wondering how many fish a river this large could support.
Given its width and depth, it was spacious enough to hold a whale.
But aside from the water, the river was completely empty.
He would have to stock it with fish himself.
That wasn’t a major issue, though. There was still plenty of time.
He shared his thoughts with Jia Liangcai, who dutifully recorded everything in a small notebook.
Unlike planning for the Treasure Garden, stocking the River of Spirits with fish and constructing an entire ecosystem was a massive undertaking.
Jia Liangcai unconsciously ran a hand through his hair, feeling like he was about to lose another clump from the stress.
The news that the leader’s Home had gained a river and a large, new, empty expanse of land couldn’t be kept secret for long. It quickly spread throughout the Qin Alliance.
At the same time, another announcement was made: the Home was launching a "Trade Dead for Live" event.
People could trade live fish for dead ones at a ratio of 1 to 1.2.
The ratio wasn’t huge, but many people still flocked to the opportunity.
That meant twenty percent more meat for every live fish you brought in!
This caused island exploration to instantly become the most popular job.
The reef where the Gated Community was situated had a limited area. Combined with the residents’ heavy fishing efforts recently, the seafood yield in the immediate vicinity had dropped sharply.
In contrast, many of the surrounding islands were undeveloped, untamed lands.
For those who were brave enough, a single day’s catch could be more than what they’d normally get in several days.
As a result of this increased efficiency in exploration, the ferry’s operating frequency also increased dramatically, from one trip every three hours to one every two.
Demand for boats within the Gated Community soared to an all-time high.
Amid this bustling atmosphere, Huang Tao, who had been lying low for a while, seized the opportunity to promote his small boats in the Gated Community.
"It might be a small boat, only five meters long, and it’s not fast since it uses oars, but it’s cheap! More importantly, this boat is for sale. Once you buy it, it’s yours! You can go out to sea whenever you want!"
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