parentshiftbook Chapter 70 The Road Ahead
Chapter 70 The Road Ahead
After finishing his energy gathering, Xu Mo stood on the rooftop for a long time before finally coming down. He greedily savored the warm touch of the sunlight on his skin, a warmth that penetrated to his very bones and soul, completely different from the feeling of relying on fuel, clothing, and even his own vital energy to withstand the bitter cold.
The Sunlight Disc Machine radiates not only physical coldness, but also the heavy, oppressive feeling brought about by the pervasive darkness of the eternal night, which constantly tries to erode the mind.
Xu Mo tilted his head back, closed his eyes, and let the long-lost golden light shine through his eyelids, leaving a warm blush in his vision. The air he breathed in no longer seemed to be the cold, deathly air of the eternal night, but rather a mixture of the moisture of melting snow and some indescribable scent of "life".
"So... having the sun is such a blissful thing." Xu Mo felt a surge of emotions.
In the modern society before the time travel, sunrise and sunset, and sunshine, were commonplace natural phenomena, and sometimes the scorching sun could even cause irritability.
However, after experiencing a long period of darkness and witnessing the terrible impact of the eternal night on the spirit, the ecology, and the survival of civilization, Xu Mo finally understood what this sun hanging in the sky truly meant for life.
It is not merely a source of light and heat, but a symbol of hope, an anchor of rhythm, and the cornerstone that sustains life and the world's operation. Without it, the world teeters on the brink of chaos and madness; its return heralds the possibility of order and vitality.
This precious feeling of something lost and then regained filled Xu Mo with an almost devout gratitude and appreciation for the seemingly ordinary sunrise before him. He stayed on the rooftop longer than usual until the sun had completely risen above the horizon, showering the earth with its magnificent light, before reluctantly turning his gaze away.
After reflecting on his experience, Xu Mo recalled that he had previously placed a thermometer in a shady but well-ventilated room on the third floor to monitor the temperature. He quickly walked down from the rooftop and went to that room.
The thermometer was still in place in the room, but the glass tube was broken, leaving only a faint mark on the inner wall of the tube.
"When did it break?" Xu Mo frowned. It could be due to the extreme low temperature that exceeded the lower limit of the thermometer's measurement, or it could be due to a vibration. The exact time is now impossible to determine.
But one thing Xu Mo was certain of was that the temperature was about to rise, and it was likely to rise significantly.
This is not only due to the predictions made at the Jiangcheng Shelter, but also clearly evidenced by the ever-rising sun outside the window and the distinctly warm air, unlike that during the eternal night. The melting of the snow and the revival of all things are now unstoppable.
Suddenly, Xu Mo frowned.
"All things?"
"All things are reviving!"
Xu Mo murmured the word.
Shaking his head, Xu Mo cleaned up the broken thermometer and returned to the first floor. The eternal night was over, but his cultivation could not slacken in the slightest. He resumed his stance and began today's Thirteen Bodyguards external training. After the sun rose, Xu Mo felt his blood and energy seemed to become more vibrant and fluid.
During his training, Xu Mo habitually turned on the radio, and sure enough, broadcast signals from Jiangcheng Shelter and Panshi Shelter came through.
Besides the routine broadcasts reporting on the shelter's current situation, reassuring the survivors, and appealing for their assistance, both broadcasts simultaneously added a striking announcement: "We are urgently recruiting individuals with agricultural experience or related expertise from all survivors. Whether you have experience in field crop, vegetable, or fruit tree cultivation, or are proficient in soil and fertilizer management, irrigation, or pest control, Jiangcheng Shelter warmly welcomes you. We will provide stable accommodation, ample food rations, and corresponding contribution points as compensation, working together to contribute to the shelter's food self-sufficiency and sustainable development..."
As he listened to the recruitment information repeatedly emphasized on the radio, a look of understanding flashed in Xu Mo's eyes.
"Are we starting to prepare for spring plowing...?" he pondered while maintaining his stance.
The broadcasts from Jiangcheng and Panshi are undoubtedly a strong signal, indicating that a temperature rise is a certainty and may happen quickly, and the suitable season for farming is approaching or has already arrived; moreover, in both Jiangcheng and Panshi, the threats in certain areas should have been largely cleared, creating a basic safe environment for agricultural production.
Most importantly, the focus of these large shelters has begun to shift from "survival" to "sustainable survival" and even "development," at which point food production becomes the most crucial link.
This is undoubtedly a positive and hopeful trend for the entire survivor community.
The broadcast also gave Xu Mo a clearer outline of his future plans.
"Once all the snow melts and the roads become easier to travel on, perhaps I can really go and take a look at the Jiangcheng Shelter," Xu Mo thought to himself.
He did not intend to apply for a farming job, nor was he planning to settle there permanently.
Xu Mo's purpose was clear: first, to observe firsthand this important stronghold of post-apocalyptic human civilization, to see its internal operating model, order structure, technological level, and the real living conditions of ordinary survivors. This would help him better understand the current state of the world and its possible future direction.
There's also the exchange of information. The shelter inevitably gathers survivors from all directions and provides more information. He hopes to access more information about the apocalypse, mutated creatures, conditions in other regions, and even potentially existing special technologies and knowledge, which would greatly help his own survival.
Most importantly, it was to help Xu Mo understand the system of personal power in this world. Xu Mo wanted to know where "cultivators" like him stood in this world, and whether people had a systematic understanding and classification standards for extraordinary power.
Since transmigrating to this apocalyptic world, Xu Mo's strength improvement has been almost entirely achieved through "self-study." He relied on his childhood memories to cultivate the Thirteen Bodyguards external martial arts, and broke through to the Bull-skin Realm through his own exploration. However, he knew almost nothing about the personal martial arts system of this world.
"Besides ordinary people, zombies, and mutated beasts, are there other ways to improve one's strength in this world?" Xu Mo pondered as he trained. "Are there specially trained combat personnel in the official shelters? Do they have clear rankings of individual combat power? Where does someone at my level of 'Awesome Realm' fit in this world?"
These questions are crucial; knowing yourself and your enemy is the key to victory. Right now, I feel like I'm groping in the dark, knowing only that I'm getting stronger, but not knowing where I stand within the entire power system.
Are you just starting out? Or have you already achieved some success? If you encounter other highly skilled individuals who have undergone systematic training, what are your strengths and weaknesses?
This uncertainty about his own position makes Xu Mo always more cautious when planning for the future; he urgently needs to understand the "rules of power" in this world.
Of course, all of this is predicated on ensuring one's own safety and freedom of movement.
With this initial plan in mind, Xu Mo felt he had a clearer goal for the days to come. He focused his mind and devoted himself even more intently to his cultivation.