The Luminescent Stone Grass, a strange plant formed by the fusion of luminous stones and wild grass, showed an astonishing ability to be controlled?
Yu Hong held the reinforced grass stalk in his hand, pondering for a moment before looking up at the sky outside.
The glow of the setting sun in the dusk seeped through the gaps of the door, casting a warm red hue onto a small area near the entrance.
He exhaled deeply, stood up, and with the Luminescent Stone Grass in hand, he opened the door and stepped into the courtyard outside.
After days of arranging the stones, the courtyard had begun to take shape.
At first, he had merely arranged stones into a large circular ring.
Gradually, he mixed the stones with black clay, compacting them to form sturdy mounds.
Now, the gray mounds, each about ten centimeters high, enclosed an area of approximately two hundred square meters.
The ground was filled with lush green grass over a layer of black mud, and a few large stones poked through the surface.
In one corner stood a large tree of unknown variety, with a sprawling canopy casting a shade nearly six meters wide.
Yu Hong glanced at the sunset, squatted down, and casually picked up a twig to thrust into the ground as a makeshift time marker.
After standing back up, he wandered around the simple courtyard, considering where to plant the Luminescent Stone Grass.
After some deliberation, his gaze fell upon a small, sloped hollow near the entrance to the cave.
One side rose with a white stone wall, while the other sloped down into the black mud, where only sparse wild grass grew.
"This will do!" he exclaimed, stepping forward to pull up the few wild grasses before taking a chisel to dig out the roots.
Once he had created a small hole, he carefully placed the Luminescent Stone Grass roots in and packed the soil tight before giving it some water.
Upon finishing the task, he straightened up, satisfied, and returned to the cave to wait for the planting results.
Soon, the sky darkened outside.
The solar power generator at the entrance displayed two bars of stored electricity on its LCD monitor.
The solar unit was composed of two parts: a folding solar panel, and a control console, akin to a small plastic box the size of a book, complete with buttons and a square display for checking battery levels.
Additionally, the generator featured multiple dedicated power outlets for charging other devices.
There was a row of over ten ports on the side, all capable of charging various items.
Yu Hong took out his radio and fished out a half-meter power cord from a hidden compartment at the bottom.
He plugged it into the solar unit.
"At last, I can charge it," he sighed in relief.
He had been hesitant to use the radio frequently for fear of draining the battery.
Now, the solar generator could at least provide a modest solution.
After verifying that the charging was working properly, he calculated the time it would take.
The radio, with about half its battery remaining, was fully charged in just a few minutes, and the solar unit showed there was still a bar left.
At this time, the sun had already set, leaving the world submerged in darkness.
"It seems the enhancements are essential, but in what direction should I reinforce it?" Yu Hong pondered.
"I previously only focused on durability, which may have been shortsighted. Since I can enhance functionality, I need to carefully consider how to reinforce it."
He pulled up the door panel, ignited the fireplace, and sat down to turn on the radio.
Soft, flowing music floated from the device.
It seemed to be some kind of string instrument, long and delicate, resonating like a woman softly weeping.
Occasionally, there was a crisp piano accompaniment that was pleasing to the ear.
His gaze fixated on the solar generator as thoughts raced through his mind.
"First, durability is a must. Second, I need to increase the total battery capacity to avoid issues during cloudy weather."
"Third, the conversion efficiency must improve; otherwise, if the days get shorter, I might run out of power."
"Fourth, it must be sturdy; I won't even know where to fix it if it breaks."
With these four points established, he reached out and pressed on the solar generator, starting the reinforcement process.
He silently recited his reinforcement direction, and soon the black imprint responded, officially initiating a countdown.
'2 days, 7 hours, 15 minutes.'
"Not too long," Yu Hong nodded with satisfaction before getting up to drink some water and resume his daily training routines.
In this dull environment, having the radio to listen to music while practicing was an improvement over being alone in this remote mountainous area.
With the music playing repeatedly, Yu Hong gradually focused, entering a state of deep practice.
Time slipped by quietly, day by day.
The solar generator was quickly reinforced, rejuvenated in appearance and greatly enhanced.
Yu Hong positioned it outside the cave to absorb sunlight during the day and bring it in at night.
Every morning, he would clean, exercise, gather firewood, fetch water, and dig for vegetables while trading for supplies at noon.
In the afternoons, he created large Luminescent Stones and practiced, then listened to the radio at night, continuing his training and reinforcing the symbol arrays.
And so, three weeks passed unhurriedly.
In the early morning, green grass with spots began to sprout in the stone courtyard outside the cave.
The scattered little grasses, when illuminated by the sunlight, reflected faint glimmers.
Click.
The wooden door of the cave opened, and Yu Hong stepped out, fully equipped in his reinforced gray lizard armor, gripping a freshly cleaned Luminescent Bone Club and with a multifunctional knife sheathed on his back.
He descended the stone steps and squatted down to inspect the Luminescent Stone Grass.
As he drew near, the LCD display on his collar rapidly began showing the red value data of the nearby environment.
After a brief flicker, the value stabilized—'-24.'
Yu Hong exhaled, his helmet revealing a hint of relaxation.
He pulled out a thin wooden board from his pocket and recorded the date, data, and amount of Luminescent Stone Grass using a charcoal pencil.
The board was already filled with records.
From top to bottom, the notes revealed how the single grass had spread, scattering seeds, and giving rise to numerous new plants.
In the span of just a couple of weeks, it had multiplied from one into over ten.
At first, the grass only affected the nearby red value by a single digit.
Now, astonishingly, it registered above twenty.
Yu Hong stood up and backed away, continuously testing the readings on his collar's red value detector.
One meter, two meters, three meters.
As he increased the distance, the red value dropped steadily.
Finally, he halted at the boundary of the stone courtyard, standing still.
The LCD screen on his collar displayed a stable reading: -2.
"This is it; just right, this is the limit," Yu Hong murmured as he walked around, confirming the red value range and limits of the Luminescent Stone Grass.
Returning to the entrance of the cave, he gazed at the clusters of little grasses in the mud, placing his hand on the black imprint, silently envisioning controlling the Luminescent Stone Grass.
Soon, an intriguing feeling of connection blossomed within him.
It was as if a point of light, a green glow, drifted deep within his chest, representing the Luminescent Stone Grass.
'Would you like to catalyze and accelerate it using internal energy?' As his consciousness touched the light point, a cold mechanical voice from the black imprint echoed in his ears.
Yu Hong's expression sharpened.
This was exactly the function he intended to test.
Allowing the grass to grow naturally was merely to compare the before and after, as he couldn't measure the effects of internal energy on growth without knowing the normal speed.
He steadied his resolve and silently chanted, 'Yes.'
Instantly, one strand of internal energy within him began to stir, as if wanting to rise towards the point of light symbolizing the Luminescent Stone Grass.
Yu Hong focused on that strand of energy, maneuvering it upwards towards the light point.
In a moment, the internal energy collided with the point.
Sizzle.
A faint sound echoed near his ears.
That strand of internal energy vanished in the blink of an eye, seemingly entirely consumed by the point of light representing the Luminescent Stone Grass.
At the same time, the light point brightened significantly, its brilliance at least fifty percent more than before.
Then it seemed to hold that brightness, glowing as though it was burning, consuming the internal energy it had absorbed.
Yu Hong observed for more than ten minutes to ensure no issues arose before breaking his focus, returning to inspect the small area of Luminescent Stone Grass on the ground.
However, regardless of how he looked at it, he could not discern any differences compared to before.
Disappointed after fruitless observation, he reluctantly set it aside and continued with his daily routine.
As night fell, silence enveloped the surroundings, settling over the sky.
Inside the cave, Yu Hong quietly tended the firewood in the fireplace, using a stick to push aside the excess ashes, ensuring enough oxygen entered for a thorough burn.
The firelight danced over his face, revealing little beads of sweat and oil on his forehead.
Long hours of physical labor and exercise had sculpted his muscles more prominently, making his physique increasingly well-proportioned.
Suddenly, a rustling sound of insects began to emanate from outside the door.
Before long, swarms of black bugs streamed like a river into the cave through the crevices of the door.
Before they reached the ground, the swarms were swiftly vaporized by the firelight, turning into black smoke.
Yu Hong stood, quietly watching this scene.
In the past, he may have panicked at the sight of the swarms, but he had grown used to it now.
As moments trickled by, roughly half an hour passed.
The black bugs began to trickle in less continuously than before, their influx slowing.
Yu Hong's expression shifted slightly as he rummaged through a corner for a spare candle, lit it, and slowly approached the entrance.
With a swift motion, he drew back a side of the glass window of the large door.
Using the candlelight, he illuminated the surroundings.
Instantly, those nearest black bugs dissolved into black smoke, clearing out a small safe zone.
At the same time, the candle's flame shrank noticeably, as if suppressed, burning much faster than usual.
Yu Hong ignored these typical changes, instead using the candlelight to cast his gaze outside.
What he saw startled him significantly.
Outside the cave, in the dark stone courtyard, the Luminescent Stone Grass was radiating a gentle soft white light.
The Luminescent Stone Grass is glowing?!
Yu Hong blinked, looking closely again.
He confirmed he wasn't mistaken.
The Luminescent Stone Grass was indeed glowing, and this white light perfectly matched the red value range he tested during the day, covering the entire stone courtyard.
With the candlelight, he could clearly see the black bugs moving toward the cave, guided by the faint white light of the Luminescent Stone Grass.
Yet, only a small portion approached; the majority seemed repelled by the light, scattering toward the far corners of darkness, like water diverted by rocks.
(End of Chapter)