Yun Luohe activated [Scanning Eye].The range was too far—she could only detect things within two hundred meters.It seemed Qin Sisi’s animal affinity skill had the stronger sensing ability.“I’ll move in closer and scan again. You can keep some distance from me,” Yun Luohe said toward Qin Sisi’s direction.She headed toward where Qin Sisi indicated. After about two minutes of walking, she could finally detect a dense mass of giant sandworms beneath the ground not far ahead.And there really was a spring—fresh water welling up from underground. The sandworms were clustered around it, tunneling back and forth beneath the surface, very active.But they didn’t approach the water itself, only moved around the surrounding area.In the middle of the swarming sandworms was something glinting in the dark. Focusing, Yun Luohe saw what looked very much like a treasure chest.Tempting as it was, with so little time left, there was no way they could secure it today. Better to return and plan.She turned back to the others and relayed what she’d found.“Given the situation, let’s head back for now.”——Back at the reef, Yun Luohe saw the Herbal Workshop had been completed. The new building gleamed under the night sky, conspicuous and bright.She hurried toward it.The workshop’s exterior was green, the roof made of High-Temp Glass capable of reflecting ultraviolet rays. Inside, the air was warm—around thirty degrees Celsius.A stone fireplace held a copper distillation pot. The wall opposite was covered in shelves, with two sides lined with hardwood grid racks holding dozens of potion bottles.Another two walls held cabinet-style storage racks with hanging sections divided into high-, medium-, and low-humidity zones, each labeled for its contents.The layering allowed for different drying results—The bottom, high-humidity zone was for juicy herbs like aloe and cactus flesh, taking up to eight hours to dry.The mid-humidity zone was for fibrous plants like mint and sage, needing about four hours.The top, low-humidity zone was for flower stamens and seeds, such as honeysuckle and sea buckthorn seeds, drying in two hours.Ingredients had to be sorted. Some needed distillation before brewing; others only drying before use at the alchemy table. The method affected the potion’s effectiveness.Yun Luohe immediately began producing a basic Cooling Potion—something she had promised Chu Ling.She prepped the ingredients, placing them in the appropriate drying zones. By her estimate, they’d be ready before she went to bed.——The next day, Yun Luohe and her teammates agreed to head to the desert early.Last night she had made a large profit selling Cooling Potions, gaining dozens of Desert Fragments. That, combined with what they already had, brought them to 200—enough to trade for the Oasis coordinates. And with the treasure chest they’d spotted near the spring yesterday, everyone was eager to move before someone else got there first.They set out just after eight in the morning. When they reached yesterday’s location, everyone was visibly excited.“So? Go straight in or what?”“Divide tasks. Yang Mian, Mu Zitang, and I will handle the sandworm swarm. You two gather nearby resources and collect spring water.”Water was scarce, and the heat intense. Even with seawater filtration, evaporation meant they got little fresh water each day. Agriculture, livestock, and cooking all consumed large amounts, so supply had been short since summer began.If they could collect hundreds of liters from the spring, it would last the whole group for days.The spring water shimmered faintly blue, hinting at higher quality than ordinary purified water—perhaps even more thirst-quenching.Yun Luohe already had a plan for the sandworms.Yúntūn had recovered, having eaten countless sandworms and undergone further mutation. Now it carried their scent and wasn’t targeted by them, making it perfect to infiltrate and use [Devour].It spat silk laced with sandworm gland mucus to attract them, weaving webs at incredible speed to trap them in one mass, then killing them all with its mechanical mandibles.Its mandibles were razor-sharp—slaughtering sandworms was no challenge.With Yúntūn drawing most of the aggro, Yun Luohe, Mu Zitang, and Yang Mian easily dispatched the rest.So many Sandworm Glands dropped that no one had time to pick up Desert Fragments.They thought the fight would be easy——until Yun Luohe, just about to dig for the chest, suddenly sensed something wrong. She immediately warned the others to stay alert.The ground began to tremble. The spring’s water burst upward; sand rose in a whirling storm.[Boss: Sandworm Queen][Reward: Desert Crystal Core ×10, Ice Crystal Stone ×10, Cooling Potion ×5 (one per team member)]The reward wasn’t bad——but first, they had to survive.Yun Luohe tightened her grip on her weapon, eyes locked on the shaking sand.Her teammates braced themselves, tension in every stance.A sandstorm whipped up, blinding them—until an enormous form erupted skyward from below.The creature’s bulk was like a moving dune, surging toward them.They all drew a breath and spread out, retreating slowly.Up close, the Sandworm Queen was even more daunting—its body armored in thick, rough scales, its eyes pure white under the harsh sun, gleaming with a chilling light.Spotting the humans, it opened its massive maw and let out a piercing shriek that seemed to tear into the soul. The sound made them all want to cover their ears.The sonic assault was strong enough to cause real harm—Yun Luohe’s head throbbed, her heartbeat erratic, her grip almost failing on her weapon.At the critical moment, Mu Zitang had the Nightingale sing.Its song quickly eased their pain and steadied their minds, as though nothing had happened.The Sandworm Queen hesitated briefly, then fixed on the Nightingale and screamed again before charging toward it.Mu Zitang would never let it harm his treasured pet. He hid the Nightingale away and moved in to strike.With the mission goal clear, everyone committed fully.Yun Luohe exhaled slowly, running tactics through her mind.A head-on fight was suicide against something this big.But she had an ace—she glanced at Yúntūn.“Draw its attention. Lead it away from the chest.”Yúntūn obeyed without hesitation, darting across the sand, spinning silk laced with sandworm scent to bait it.The Queen’s massive body twisted after it, gouging deep furrows in the sand.While it was lured away, Yun Luohe signaled to Mu Zitang and Yang Mian.They moved in a cautious triangle to surround it—but the Queen sensed their intent and whipped around, its tail lashing like a colossal whip.Yun Luohe dropped into a roll just in time to avoid the blow.Sand blinded them again, and when it cleared, the Queen’s gaping jaws were upon them.Desperate, Yun Luohe sprayed insecticide into its face. The acrid stench agitated it further, drawing another sharp, grating scream.She ordered Yúntūn to attack again.It leapt high, landed on the Queen’s head, webbed it down, and drove its mechanical mandibles deep into its skull.At the same time, Yun Luohe drew and loosed an arrow, aiming for its eyes.The Queen, beset on all sides, thrashed violently, Yun Luohe’s shot striking near the eye, sending it into a frenzy.It was the perfect chance—Yúntūn clung to its scales, targeting eyes and antennae. Yang Mian hacked at its belly with his axe; Mu Zitang stabbed its joints with his sword.Qin Sisi and Cheng Xuening, emboldened, rushed in to help.Blinded and gravely wounded, the Queen was vulnerable. Yun Luohe closed in with her hunting «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» knife, stabbing precisely into its head again and again.Its roars turned to a death thrash, the whole body rolling and smashing into the sand, raising waves of grit.“Hold on! It’s almost done!” Yun Luohe shouted.Finally, with combined force, they brought the monster down. It collapsed in a crash, kicking up a massive dust cloud.[Congratulations, team, for defeating the Sandworm Queen. Rewards: Desert Crystal Core ×10, Ice Crystal Stone ×10, Cooling Potion ×5 (one per team member)]The system chime rang in their ears.Yun Luohe figured this would boost their event score.No one stopped to rest—they sprinted for the chest.Qin Sisi found it first, carefully clearing the sand to reveal its glowing surface.She looked to Yun Luohe. “Captain, you open it.”Yun Luohe shook her head quickly. “No—you have the highest luck stat. You do it.”Remembering Yun Luohe’s terrible luck, Qin Sisi agreed. Between her and Cheng Xuening, she was only slightly ahead, so she took the lead.She did not disappoint—the chest held:[Ice Crystal Stone ×10, Desert Crystal Core ×10, Sea Buckthorn Antidote ×5, Sandstorm Eye Drops ×5, Compressed Ration Bars ×5, Windproof Goggles ×5, Heat-Resistant Rubber Tire ×2, Bronze Gear ×4, Desert Ruins Map Fragment ×1]Most items split evenly among the five. Smaller quantities went to those who’d contributed most—chiefly Yun Luohe and Yúntūn, then Mu Zitang for the Nightingale’s key support.Yun Luohe chose the Heat-Resistant Rubber Tires, useful for making vehicles. The bronze gears were divided among the rest.The Desert Ruins Map Fragment was kept as a shared resource—once complete, everyone would have access.“Let’s trade for the Oasis coordinates and head there now,” someone suggested.It had taken less than two hours—time to spare.Yun Luohe quickly combined the Desert Fragments, and a blueprint appeared in her inventory.When she used it, the map gained a star marker. Following it, they saw the location wasn’t far—half an hour’s walk at most.

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