Chapter 22: Blood-Red Clouds in the Sky! The Black Desert!
Straight up into the sky, a column of desert smoke!
The vast, rootless desert stretched endlessly, a monotonous gray-tinged expanse.
The group rode camels, a line of ants crawling across the sand, as seen from afar.
Their first leg of the journey started at Bosten Lake, heading southwest.
They followed the Peacock River westward for a while, until they found the ancient riverbed leading south.
Bosten can be translated as "standing", a name derived from the three peaks rising from the lake's center.
The lake was also known as "Fish Sea" in ancient times, the largest inland freshwater lake.
The Peacock River originated here, flowing deep into the Taklamakan Desert.
As they passed the lake shore, gazing out, the vast, deep blue waters were dizzying.
Unintentionally, a sense of reaching the end of the world arose.
"Didn't Uncle Anliman say the desert is dangerous? Where's the danger?"
Riding on a camel.
Seeing the beautiful desert scenery around him, Chu Jian laughed happily.
"The desert is so beautiful!"
Ye Yixin spread her arms and cheered.
The students, driven by their thirst for knowledge, found even the yellow sand captivating.
They were all young, entering a desert for the first time.
It felt both exciting and fun.
One moment they were mimicking Anliman's whistling to direct the camels.
The next, they were chasing each other, playing, and singing.
The setting sun illuminated the horizon, painting the clouds crimson, casting a rosy glow on the sand dunes.
The dried poplars and the undulating yellow sand were all bathed in a coppery hue!
The group sat down by their camels, eating a simple meal to replenish their energy.
"Professor, wash your hands before you eat." Ye Yixin said to Professor Chen, twisting open her water bottle and pouring out clean water.
"Water is precious, don't waste it!" Professor Chen urged.
But he couldn't stop Ye Yixin's enthusiastic care.
The water drops fell into the sand and were instantly swallowed.
Anliman watched the students who treated water with such disregard, and shook his head inwardly.
He sat alone by his camel, conserving his supplies.
Then.
He saw the guy who was clearly young but held a pivotal position in the group.
He took away a portion of his own supplies.
Though Anliman harbored resentment for Han Li's threats.
From his years of experience...
If something truly went wrong.
Han Li would be the one who survived the longest in this desert among the group!
He might even be the only one to survive!
The others couldn't comprehend Han Li's actions either.
The concept of "collectivism" was deeply ingrained in their minds.
"Why separate the supplies?"
Shirley Yang inquired curiously.
"This isn't the real desert yet. Wasting supplies is a matter of survival." Han Li responded calmly.
"It's not the desert now, so what is it?"
Over here, Hao Aiguo scoffed when he heard that:
"We've passed through oases along the way, meaning there are water resources!"
"Just replenish regularly and use it normally. Why act so high and mighty?!"
He seemed to be deliberately targeting Han Li, or perhaps it was a fearless disregard for nature.
Hao Aiguo even deliberately gulped down several large mouthfuls of water and even splashed some on his face.
Old Hu saw this and wanted to find Shirley Yang to tell her to be careful about wasting water.
But he discovered...
Shirley Yang was holding her camera, taking pictures all over the desert.
She was completely immersed in her own world, oblivious to the current situation.
"That young man is right."
At that moment.
Anliman appeared next to Old Hu.
"I know why you're going to the City of the Devil!"
"Legend says there's a lot of gold and silver treasure there, but no one has ever actually found it!"
"This isn't the real desert yet. After we pass the river bend, we'll reach the Black Desert, that's the real desert!"
"You won't last long like this, go back... go back."
The Black Desert?!
Old Hu's expression changed slightly.
If it were just Anliman saying this, he might have doubted it.
But Han Li had also expressed the same view...
This means!
The danger hadn't come yet!
"Old man, what do you mean by the Black Desert?"
Old Hu narrowed his eyes, his expression somewhat serious.
"There are many cities and treasures buried in the Black Desert, but no one has ever brought them out."
"Even if you bring out just a single gold coin, you'll get lost in the Black Desert!"
"Forever buried by the wind and sand, never to be found again!"
Anliman kept repeating "go back", "go back" at the end.
"That's a bit too spooky."
Old Hu frowned slightly.
"That's how the heavens punish those bad guys."
Anliman gave Old Hu a mysterious look and walked away.
"Fatty, just to be safe, we have to be careful." Old Hu finally found Wang Fatty and motioned for him to be mindful.
"Hee hee!"
"Han Xiaoge just divided up the supplies, and I secretly stashed away some too." Wang Fatty whispered, chuckling: "I, Wang Fatty, may not have any other skills, but I know how to spot a good person, I know who's capable."
Old Hu chuckled.
Suddenly.
A gust of wind whipped up the dust on the ground!
It blew off the round hat he was wearing!
The air became instantly murky.
A new day.
Early in the morning.
The group continued on their journey, and suddenly, the camels they were riding became restless.
The once clear sky darkened in an instant!
The horizon gradually became a dark yellow, the setting sun creating a beautiful yet eerie spectacle!
The distinctive mushroom-shaped landforms of the desert, previously visible in the distance, were no longer there!