"Qing Shui, do you really plan on taking them to the Blood Sand Tribe?" Shui Bo held a slightly charred piece of Sand Tiger meat.

The impromptu alliance of three tribes consisted of three leaders: Qing Shui with a great sword, Shui Zhu with a Sand Whip, and Shui Bo with a bow and arrow, all of whom were women.

Shui Bo's bow and arrows were inherited from her father, and the remaining arrows were few. She would not use them unless it was a matter of life and death for the tribe.

"Do you have any other ideas?" Qing Shui swallowed the meat in her mouth, and crushed a Sand Spirit in her left hand to replenish her water.

"If they defeat the Blood Sand Tribe, we can survive for a while, but if they fail, we'll be killed by the Blood Sand Tribe or enslaved."

"I'm asking you, do you have any other ideas?" Qing Shui tore at the flesh of the Sand Tiger while staring at Shui Bo.

Shui Bo's eyes dodged, aware that she hadn't made a move today and, coupled with the hostage situation by Earth people, Qing Shui was frustrated and somewhat dissatisfied with her.

"We could go to the Wind Sand Tribe. The Great Witch will surely defeat them, and we won't have to die," she said.

"But people will definitely die in the Wind Sand Tribe because of us bringing them there. Will the Great Witch let us off?"

"Is there really no other way?" Shui Bo frowned.

She held a sand crab, plucking its legs one by one, holding them in her palm, and absorbing the moisture through her skin.

The dehydrated Sand Spirits, all stacked on a piece of cloth, would later be placed in a spot where the wind could carry them away.

During the mealtime, the two tribal leaders had a meaningless conversation.

As Qing Shui returned to her tribe's Sha Tuo Beast...

"Water bowl, water tile, water jug." She carried the great sword, her foot half-stepping into the sand still warm from the day, "Hunt at noon tomorrow, you three play dead, leave the tribe, and your families will also be exiled by me. Go wherever you want."

"Leader!"

"I won't leave!"

"Leader, let's fight them! I'm not afraid to die!"

"Sweat, Blood Water, you two play dead during the afternoon hunt." Qing Shui was expressionless, "If five can escape, then five it is."

This was the last time; by tomorrow night, they would reach the Blood Sand Tribe.

Qing Shui raised her head, looking at the back of her own Sha Tuo Beast, where the best room lit up, housing the Earth people inside.

...

The sound of tea pouring into a cup.

"This tree translates to 'Sand Tea Tree' in Chinese," Yang Qinglan brewed the tea, "The Sand Tea Tree is a plant in the desert, with only three or four centimeters above the surface but roots that extend thirty to forty meters underground. Brewing tea from its roots produces a unique fragrance that is refreshing and can mitigate the desert heat, preventing heatstroke."

"If we could take this plant back to Earth, the desert could also generate economic value, and it would also help in sand prevention and forest stabilization," Li Qianxia immediately said.

"Assuming you can make it back to Earth." Li Changzhou took the tea cup that Yang Qinglan handed to him and took a sip.

It indeed had an inexplicable refreshing fragrance, very pleasant, reminding him of the time when the First Stage Desert instance ended, sitting on a bus—the bus fully air-conditioned, outside was a desert so hot that the air twisted.

It felt like using an air conditioner under a blanket in summer, or eating ice cream with heated floors warming your feet in winter.

"Are we being too lenient with Qing Shui?" Yao Chi blew gently on her tea cup, her lips pursed lightly, her demeanor still languid and luxurious even in this dilapidated room.

To them, who were only a step away from becoming immortals, hearing Qing Shui and the others' voices was as simple as the hearing tests during a physical examination.

Yang Qinglan gently sniffed the tea aroma: "The more she does this, the easier it is to control her."

"You all are so evil." Li Qianxia found the tea a bit bitter.

"Hiss~" The King Cobra's forked tongue tasted the tea, checking for poison.

"Sister Yao." The voice of 'Soda Crackers' came from outside.

"Come in."

Crackers lifted the old red curtain and walked into the room: "Here are today's reports from all the teams, I've already organized them."

She pulled out a folder and handed it to Yao Chi.

After Yao Chi read it, she passed it to Yang Qinglan, who took it, placed it beside her, and continued to drink tea as she read.

Li Qianxia leaned in, her face almost touching Yang Qinglan's, and said, "Sister Yao and Qing Lan seem to get along well. I thought you didn't like each other."

"Silly," Yao Chi smiled, "Qing Lan and I are both your brother's women; we at least need to get along in front of him."

"...Terrifying."

"Hmm?"

"I mean the other teams!" Li Qianxia pointed at the file, "Even people from the Special Warfare Bureau have killed so many, it's too terrifying!"

"Tomorrow we also have to make a move," Li Changzhou looked at his sister.

Li Qianxia's pretty oval face immediately fell into despondence, "I'll psych myself up, I promise I can do it tomorrow."

"You've been protected too well by your brother," Yang Qinglan's slender fingers flipped to the next page of the document, "The first time you joined the game with me, you didn't hesitate. After your brother arrived, you became indecisive."

"The first time, if I had died, I wouldn't have seen my brother, so of course, knife in hand, chop chop! All of it!"

"I don't even know whether to be nice to you or not," Li Changzhou sighed.

"If you dare not to be nice to me, I'll kill you and you'll never get Qing Lan's body!" Li Qianxia wrapped her arms around Yang Qinglan's slender waist.

"How terrifying," Li Changzhou responded emotionlessly.

"Qian Xia, do you have a problem with me, or do you look down on me?" Turquoise Pool asked with a smile.

"How could I possibly have a problem with you, Sister Yao? You are my ideal! I just want to be a woman like you!"

"So you do have a problem with my body."

"Not at all! I would love to have your figure! It's so scandalous!"

"It seems you really do have a problem with me."

"No, not at all, really! You can ask my brother, I've talked to him about it!"

New Year's activity, the second day.

The Sun had just risen from the horizon, casting knife-like beams of light, rapidly raising the temperature. The cool sand of the night warmed, emitting a faint sound as it steamed.

Li Changzhou called Qing Shui over.

"How much do you know about the Blood Sand Tribe?"

"I don't know much, anyone who has seen them has died, I only know it's a tribe that survives on violence and slaughter."

"Not even the famous warriors?"

"I don't know," Qing Shui answered, "But to survive by violence, they must be very strong."

Li Changzhou nodded, asking no further as he said, "Last night my sister discussed with me that since you work for me, I can't let your people be sacrificed for hunting. Starting today, I'll be in charge of your food."

"Wait..."

Before Qing Shui could finish, Li Changzhou gestured and a vast amount of vegetables, as well as countless rabbits, appeared on the desert ground.

This was a good opportunity to deal with the rabbits; otherwise, his "Honey Pot World" was about to become Australia, necessitating bombers for ethnic cleansing.

"If it's not enough, come back to me. From now on, the tribe moves at full speed, and you're not allowed to stop for meals either."

"Sha Tuo Beasts require a lot of water, they must...."

The volume of Qing Shui's voice dwindled, whether it was food or water, for these Earth people, it was not a problem.

"I'm a man who keeps his promises," Li Changzhou watched her, "I hope you are too, it's better for all of us."

Qing Shui looked at the Earth man in front of her, recalling her first hunt.

At that time she hadn't yet inherited the name 'Qing Shui' along with the great sword, and followed the previous leader with a spear and hunting knife.

That day she too was riding on the back of a Sand Tiger, but unlike today, she was thrown to the ground by the Sand Beast and watched it open its bloodied maw towards her.

She didn't feel fear, but instead roared back at it, without flinching.

Even the Sand Tiger was startled!

The great sword took the opportunity to chop off the Sand Tiger's head, the previous leader pulled her up, telling her, "From now on, you're the next leader. Anyone who dares bare their fangs at you or the Qing Shui Tribe, roar back at them!"

At that time she was only twelve years old.

Today, she was a warrior seasoned in countless battles!

Leading the tribe through numerous hardships and setbacks, having hunted countless Sand Tigers, and weathered sandstorm after sandstorm.

Qing Shui clenched her fist, staring at Li Changzhou, looking into his calm, clear eyes.

In her eyes, those eyes that could emit mysterious rays, were like the jaws of a Sand Tiger!

"...I understand, I will keep my promise," Qing Shui bowed her head.

She was no longer the twelve-year-old girl who didn't care if she died.

After the previous leader passed away, the weight of the Sha Tuo beast and the great sword burdened her alone, enough to bend her spine, forcing her to close her mouth that had roared at the Sand Tiger.

"Very good," Li Changzhou smiled.

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