Based on her calculations, the Basic Algae should sprout today.
Basic Algae was the cornerstone of seed breeding.
Its biological structure was simple, but its adaptability was extremely high.
Almost all artificially cultivated algae required Basic Algae as a foundational material.
Whether generating new species through crossbreeding or intervening in its growth through artificial means to induce mutation, it was essential for achieving cultivation goals.
Take Snow Vine Algae, for instance.
It was a controlled variant with an internal starch content of up to seventy percent.
Once dried and ground into powder, it could be used as flour, and fermenting it could even yield Algae Wine.
If this batch of Basic Algae was cultivated smoothly, she could proceed to the next stage and begin mass production.
However, Ling Shuying shook off the mud clinging to her.
It had just rained a couple of days ago.
The wild environment was a far cry from a laboratory.
Moisture, temperature, humidity, and sunlight—along with the microbial composition and pH levels within the substrate—were all variables born of natural conditions, and every single one could affect the cultivation results.
Growing algae seedlings in purely natural conditions would likely be no easy task.
Yet, as long as even a single algae seedling could sprout, Ling Shuying was confident she could turn that one seedling into an entire field—relying on her years of research experience, and with the help of Qing Ling.
Arriving at the Sea Erosion Cave, she found over a dozen vessels made of oyster shells arranged evenly.
The few plates closest to the sea had already been overturned by the waves, their substrate entirely washed away.
Ling Shuying shook her head with a bitter smile; this was to be expected.
The substrate in the middle few vessels had turned black and emitted a rotten odor.
They had clearly lost viability, showing no signs of Life.
And the ones furthest inside…
Ling Shuying shifted forward for a closer look.
Those furthest inside did not fare much better.
The substrate was somewhat blackened.
However, at the very edge, the two most inconspicuous portions still retained their original substrate color.
Ling Shuying focused her gaze and could not help but feel a surge of joy.
From the slightly grayish, pale white substrate, a tiny brownish-green sprout had emerged.
It was translucent, with a tiny drop of water still clinging to its leaf.
The first stalk of Basic Algae was a success!
Out of the seventeen petri dishes, four were overturned by the waves, five lost their viability, and six showed no growth response.
But successfully sprouting were two seedlings.
While two was not a lot, it was already the limit of what could be achieved under natural conditions.
Ling Shuying had initially prepared herself for total annihilation, but she never expected a full two seedlings to actually sprout!
It seemed that, aside from external interferences like waves and wind, the environment in this Sea Erosion Cave was relatively suitable for cultivating Basic Algae.
Of course, the microbes carried within the purely natural materials might have also been a crucial factor in the successful cultivation.
Ling Shuying pondered, conducting an experimental analysis on the cultivation of these two algae seedlings.
Qing Ling circulated within her body, acting like a top-tier biological co-processor installed into an already high-end computer.
She observed the morphological expressions of the seedlings, analyzed the potential causes, detailed the experimental results and improvement measures, and simultaneously formed a rough estimate for the experimental design of her next cultivation.
After removing the petri dishes that were completely unviable or overturned by the waves, she numbered and grouped the remaining ones.
The two sprouted ones were labeled A-1 and A-2.
She did not rush to throw away the several unviable ones either; she marked them B-1 through B-6 to serve as a simple control experiment.
The natural fluctuations were too vast, and the variables too numerous.
She still needed more data to support her work.
Only after replenishing the nutrient solution in the remaining petri dishes did Ling Shuying leave.
It had been some days since she arrived on the island.
Although the wooden house and its owner had left Ling Shuying quite a few tools, many had rotted or broken and were unusable.
As production advanced, more tools would inevitably be required.
The weeds near the house needed clearing, the algae crops growing in the sea would have to be harvested, and there were also terrestrial algae to plant.
Relying solely on her bare hands would be far from enough.
Hammers, hoes, axes, shovels, knives, and the like all needed to be crafted.
Ling Shuying contemplated the necessary materials as she foraged through the forest and along the beach.
The materials were simple, consisting of nothing more than Shi Tou and wood of suitable shapes and sizes.
Additionally, the whale bones she had discovered earlier on the beach could also be utilized.
Relying on her memory, Ling Shuying returned to the burial ground.
She picked out bones based on their shapes, pulled them apart at the joints, and wrenched out one fan-shaped bone and one arc-shaped bone.
After grinding their edges sharp and binding them securely, she crafted a simple Bone Shovel and a bone sickle.
Lightweight and sharp were the greatest advantages of bone tools.
She also wanted to make a batch of knives.
However, thinking of the bone spike dagger she had made herself, it was too crude to even look at.
Ling Shuying then recalled the Fishbone Dagger tucked into Hai Yao’s waist.
It was hard in texture and gleaming with sharpness, looking as though it could effortlessly slice through flesh and hide.
Perhaps she could strike a trade with her?
And simultaneously investigate the identity of that mysterious refugee.
Ling Shuying glanced at the sky; it was still early.
Gathering the pile of tools she had just made, she carried them back to the house and hid them away.
She strapped on her throwing belt as a backup, grabbed a thin wooden stick about one and a half meters long, and headed out to the seaside. You are reading on g.com, the official source.
The fish Hai Yao had delivered a few days ago had a chewy texture, making it perfect for grilling.
But Ling Shuying had her own preference: the brown rabbitfish.
They lived in shallow, algae-rich coastal areas, boasted sweet meat with no fishy smell, and could be caught right near the shore.
Scouring the beach, Ling Shuying found a suitably sized, hard-textured seashell.
She split one end of her wooden stick into a cross, inserted a small twig to wedge the gap open and form a barb, and then used vines to bind the seashell to the fork as a spearhead, creating a makeshift fishing spear.
Carrying the fishing spear to the nearby shallows, where algae drifted in the seawater, Ling Shuying moved slowly and cautiously.
Several dark shadows darted through the algae clumps.
Ling Shuying had found her target.
She raised the wooden spear, took aim, and adjusted her angle based on the calculation of light refraction.
SPLASH!
The fishing spear shot forth, plunging into the water.
Several fish fled in panic, stirring up a flurry of sea spray.
Ling Shuying pulled out the spear.
Lifting it out of the water, she saw it was a perfectly sized brown rabbitfish.
Tossing the fish back onto the shore, she waited for the water’s surface to calm down and the school of fish to return.
Ling Shuying then repeated the trick.
After several strikes, she speared three more brown rabbitfish and even managed to coincidentally spear a moray eel out of the mud.
It was a bumper harvest, and she returned fully loaded.
She wrapped and packed the fish, then, as usual, gutted and cleaned them by the stream.
She stuffed them with spices and bound them tightly.
Afterward, carrying them entirely raw, she followed the residual tracks in the forest to search for Hai Yao’s trail.
This time, the tracks were remarkably obvious.
As long as one observed carefully, they could find Hai Yao’s trail even without making calculations or constructing models.
It was as if they had been left behind on purpose.
Ling Shuying followed the trail, parting the dense foliage of the jungle, until a small hill came into view.
Starting from here, large footprints appeared once again.
They perfectly matched Hai Yao’s shoes.
The hill wasn’t large.
Ling Shuying followed the footprints all the way to their end, where they turned into a certain spot in the mountain.
Ling Shuying rounded the corner and looked up, their eyes meeting.
It was Hai Yao, munching on some unknown fruit that let out a loud CRUNCH CRUNCH sound.
Behind her was a mountain cave—though calling it a cave was generous, as it could only fit a single person and barely provided shelter from the rain.
As their eyes met, Ling Shuying felt a bit awkward, unsure of what to say.
Instead, it was Hai Yao who spoke first, asking in a muffled voice, “Have you switched to eating raw fish today?”