The next morning, the first thing Yun Luohe did after waking was begin preparing the supplies she would need for the upcoming island landing.Since the island would be chosen at random, she had no way of knowing which one she’d end up on. That meant she had to bring a broader variety of supplies—but anything basic could be purchased at the [Trading Center] or exchanged with contacts, so there was no need to pack too much of those.Having plenty of prior experience with island landings, she already had a clear idea of what to bring. This was just a final check to make sure nothing was forgotten. As a result, the packing went quickly.In just over ten minutes, everything was packed.In addition to food, water, weapons, and a few mining and digging tools, Yun Luohe also brought:[Woven Bamboo Basket ×5, Wooden Crate ×10, Plastic Bucket ×10, High-Grade Animal Trap ×5, Boar Trap Device ×3, Fishing Net ×1, Bamboo Creel ×4, Hemp Rope ×10, Tent ×1, Agave Cloak ×2, Coconut Shell Condensation Canteen ×1, Insect-Repellent Gel ×2, Cooling Patch ×5, Foldable Fishing Cage ×5...]The pile of gear filled her Golden Crocodile Backpack completely—there were barely any free slots left.So Yun Luohe used five crystal stones to craft a [Spatial Stone].She upgraded her backpack again, transforming it into an advanced pack. It now had 40 slots—plenty of space.This time, Yun Luohe planned to bring both Yúntūn and Roubao along.Yúntūn hadn’t been outside since leveling up, and Roubao hadn’t left the reef in quite some time either. Its level progression had stalled. It was time for both of them to stretch their legs.She fed the chickens, ducks, and fish, ate a light breakfast herself, then pulled out her island landing token and set off.—This time, Yun Luohe arrived at a lush green island. The beach was narrow, and just beyond it rose a dense mangrove forest.[Welcome to Lotus Island…]Before starting her exploration, Yun Luohe took out a foldable fishing cage and a bamboo creel from her backpack and placed them in the crevice between large reef rocks near the shoreline. This spot was at a lower elevation—when the tide rose, fish would likely swim right in. By placing the cage now and returning at low tide, she might find a trap full of fish.The bamboo creel was for catching crabs. In places like this, there was a good chance of finding green crabs and octopuses.She had thought ahead and brought some fish intestines, fish bladders, and worms to use as bait in the fishing cage and creel.Once everything was set up, Yun Luohe entered the mangrove forest.The vegetation was chaotic and tangled. Countless aerial roots hung from the branches above, plunging down into the mud below, forming an impenetrable, woven mesh.Thick layers of foliage blocked nearly all sunlight. Even with the extreme heat, the water inside hadn’t dried out. The air was filled with a pungent, rotting stench—plant matter decomposing rapidly in the high-heat, high-humidity environment, mixed with the briny scent of seawater. The smell was overpowering.The soil was soft, soggy, and full of muck.It had likely been underwater once, but with the high temperatures, most of the seawater had evaporated, leaving behind only mud.The oppressive humidity and heat were physically draining. There was no other path—she had no choice but to walk through.Luckily, Yun Luohe was wearing rain boots—knee-high—so she wasn’t worried about stepping into the muck.Her first step sank deep, the mud rising past her calves. When she pulled her foot out, it made a loud squelch, and the mud inside was scalding hot.She didn’t let out her pets just yet—this wasn’t their moment to act.Carefully moving through the mire, she suddenly felt something hard underfoot.Thinking it was a rock, Yun Luohe reached down to check.Her fingers found a hard, textured shell. Digging with effort, she unearthed a plump clam, its shell slick with wet black mud.These clams, buried in thick mud, looked filthy—but they were actually a rare delicacy.Unbothered by the mess, Yun Luohe continued walking while groping through the mud, tossing each clam she found into a plastic bucket.It didn’t take long to fill half a bucket—heavy enough to be a burden. She stashed it in her backpack and swapped in a fresh bucket to keep collecting.Besides the clams, she also found two green crabs in a more waterlogged patch.One was a hefty three to four jin, the other closer to one.Green crabs typically lived in brackish water and were exceptionally tasty.This was Yun Luohe’s first time catching any.[Green Crab: A premium ingredient. Its meat is tender, sweet, and flavorful. The crab roe is rich and creamy, melting on the tongue. Can be cooked in a variety of ways.]Yun Luohe already knew how she wanted to cook them.The large one would be steamed whole to preserve its original flavor and highlight the tender texture. The smaller would be salt-baked for firmer, more intense flavor.Just thinking about it made her mouth water.At that moment, she emerged from the mangroves. She stood, took out clean water, and rinsed her hands and the mud off her boots.Beyond the mangroves lay a densely wooded area, and in the distance—She passed a banana tree, but there wasn’t a single banana left—they’d all been picked.There were also plenty of coconut trees on the island, but Yun Luohe didn’t want to waste energy climbing. She simply picked up some fallen coconut cores from the ground and skipped harvesting fresh coconuts.Coconut cores were valuable—they could be turned into shredded coconut or coconut juice. They were also delicious eaten as-is: soft, sweet, and refreshing.She planned to bring some back to make coconut jelly, coconut milk, or coconut candy.Just then, Yun Luohe noticed wild boar tracks on the ground, along with droppings from other wild animals.Seemed like a good place to set up a boar trap.Wild boars were omnivores and ate coconuts too. She took out a trap, set it up, and covered it with branches and leaves. Then she split a coconut core and placed the meat at the trap’s trigger.If a boar came to eat the coconut, the large net would spring shut and lift the boar into the air—no way it could escape.Yun Luohe tested the trap’s sensitivity by tossing a piece of coconut shell onto it—it triggered instantly.Not bad.She’d brought three boar trap devices this time. She planned to find two more promising spots to place the others.She also had a few [High-Grade Animal Traps] to deal with smaller prey—perfect for catching wild rabbits and chickens.Now that she was deep into the forest, Yun Luohe released Yúntūn and Roubao.With their help, they’d find wild animals quickly. Roubao, especially, was skilled at catching wild chickens.Catching a few would be ideal—even if she didn’t raise them, they’d make a fine meal.—Since the island was called Lotus Island, its specialty was most likely lotuses.Yun Luohe guessed there would be a lotus pond somewhere inland.It was midsummer now—peak lotus season.Harvesting lotuses to cultivate at home would also yield lotus roots and lotus seeds. Both were excellent ingredients: lotus seeds soothed the mind and cleared internal heat, while lotus root cooled the blood. They could update her recipe book with more gourmet dishes.Also, according to the Merfolk Priest’s Journal, purifying the Corrupted Merfolk Pearl required Moon Lotus Dew—lotuses were mentioned there too.So Yun Luohe kept her eyes open as she walked, hoping to find the lotus pond quickly.She sent Yúntūn ahead to scout while Roubao hunted for wild animals nearby.She moved more slowly, gathering any harvestable plants along the way to boost her [Gathering] skill.This island was rich in resources. She’d already found several edible wild plants.She even found wild pineapples.She only picked the ripe ones. The small, unripe ones she left behind.[Wild Pineapple: A tropical fruit with slight toxicity when wild. Must be soaked in saltwater before consumption. Can be used to boil water or make soup.]Yun Luohe planned to bring them back to make pineapple-flavored drinks.Like pineapple slush or pineapple-lemon tea.As she neared the end of the forest, she spotted a reed marsh in the distance.The reeds were three to four meters tall. Once inside, it would be impossible to tell direction. The area was vast—very difficult to navigate.While reeds were useful materials, Yun Luohe didn’t want to waste time harvesting them.She planned to go around—even if it meant walking farther.“Hiss hiss, Hehe, I found the lotuses.”Yúntūn suddenly descended from above, swinging down on a silk thread and landing in front of her.Yun Luohe: “Where? Take me.”Yúntūn: “Behind the reed marsh—just past it.”Yun Luohe: “…”So much for sticking to the plan.She glanced at the nearby path. Skipping the reeds meant circling a shallow lake. The water wasn’t deep, but it was full of aquatic plants—water hyacinth, sweet flag, pennywort.The lake probably connected to the lotus pond behind the reeds.But that would take longer. Cutting through the reeds would be a straight shot.Yúntūn could travel high above—no danger of getting lost.In that case, she’d have it lead the way.It was nearly noon. Yun Luohe decided to rest and eat.Roubao would be back soon—it’d definitely be hungry.Once it returned, they could move out together.The food was freshly prepared: a plate of conch sashimi and a bowl of chilled octopus tentacles. She squeezed some lemon over the conch—refreshing and appetizing.The octopus was mixed with spicy chili oil made from coconut oil—savory and fiery. After finishing the meal, she felt reinvigorated and drank two glasses of iced drinks. Her stamina bar was already halfway restored.Just as she finished eating, before she could even wipe her hands—“Meow! You ate without me!”Yun Luohe couldn’t help but laugh.She hadn’t even seen the cat yet, but she heard it loud and clear.Yun Luohe: “I saved some for you.”Roubao sprinted up, dragging a fat wild rabbit. It let out a sharp “meow” and dropped the rabbit at Yun Luohe’s feet, then sniffed her fingers intently.“You ate fish!” it declared.Yun Luohe: “It was conch. And octopus tentacles.”“Those are fish too!” Roubao insisted.To it, everything from the sea was a fish—and octopus definitely counted.“Where’d you catch the rabbit? It’s still alive.”To keep it from escaping, Yun Luohe quickly pressed down on its neck.“In the forest. There are more in the burrow.”Roubao had rushed back with just one.Yun Luohe: “Well done. I’ll give you a reward later.”Roubao: “Meow! We’re having rabbit meat tonight!”Yun Luohe shook her head. “No, this one’s female. Catch two more, and we’ll raise them. That way we can breed baby rabbits.”She remembered reading that rabbits bred like crazy—just popped out one after another. In a few months, she could have dozens.If she raised them, she’d never run out of rabbit meat. Better to skip the instant gratification and think long term.Roubao: “Can I eat one first? Then I’ll go catch more. If I get a few more, we can still eat one, right?”Yun Luohe considered. “That’s fair. If you catch more than five, I’ll cook one tonight.”Roubao: “That many?”It had only planned on catching three and keeping two.Yun Luohe: “We’ve got crabs and clams too, you know. You don’t want spicy crab and salt-baked clams?”Roubao: “Meow!!”It started drooling on the spot.Yun Luohe: “Later, Yúntūn and I are heading to the lotus pond over there. Can you go catch rabbits on your own and meet up with us after?”Roubao held out a paw: “Feed me a little first. I’ll go once I’m full.”

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