The entire archaeological team was in high spirits. After such a long time of preparation, they were finally about to enter the desert. Plus, they had spent two days resting, bringing their physical condition to peak levels. It was natural for them to be excited now.
An Li Man simply pretended not to hear. He didn’t care about Chu Jian’s words at all. His thoughts were similar to Xu Lang’s, waiting to see Chu Jian’s embarrassed appearance.
Ye Yi Xin was entering the desert for the first time. Witnessing the beautiful scenery, she felt everything was new and wonderful. She couldn’t help but sing, her voice loud and clear, a youthful vitality that always brought a good mood to those around her.
Our motherland is a great place, north and south, good pastures, Gobi and beaches become fertile fields, melted snow irrigates the farms...
The chubby guy on the camel sang along. When he was in a good mood, he liked to belt out a few tunes. He did the same back in Gangzi Camp.
The atmosphere was great. Xu Lang even wanted to sing a song, but he didn’t know any songs from this era. If he were to sing "Desert Camel", the scene would be explosive. He thought about it and held back.
Although “Desert Camel” would be quite fitting, he still didn’t open his mouth. Listening to the girl’s singing voice and looking at the unique beauty of the desert, this was what he wanted to do most right now.
Old Hu sat on the camel, his back straight, as if this could highlight his leader’s authority.
But Xu Lang could see that Old Hu, the sly fox, was eager to join in. His outward authority was all an act.
This time, the archaeological team brought a lot of equipment, as well as a large amount of food and water. Each camel was heavily loaded, so An Li Man had them walk half the way and then ride camels for the other half.
It wasn’t like they would be riding camels all the way into the desert. The desert was not as beautiful as they imagined.
For the first two days in the desert, the younger ones felt a sense of novelty. They were full of excitement, but after two days, the freshness wore off, and they spoke less and less.
In the first two days, they could still see some lakes and ponds. Occasionally, they would see some special plants and animals unique to this area. They also encountered some oases, but as they went deeper and deeper into the desert, these things became fewer and fewer, leaving only barrenness.
Walking in the desert was even more physically demanding. Even wearing desert-specific military boots, it still didn’t feel easy.
Sometimes in the desert, the yellow sand would fly, obscuring the sun. Occasionally, some green plants would be encountered, bringing a touch of life to this sea of sand.
At noon, a few wisps of white clouds could be seen in the distant sky. The scorching and dazzling sun relentlessly baked the earth. The temperature in the desert was extremely high at noon, forcing people to wish they could turn into snakes and shed a few layers of skin just to cool down.
This feeling was truly unbearable. There was no cool breeze at noon like in the morning, and any wind that did come was mixed with fire, making people feel like they were dying.
The huge temperature difference was a great test of everyone’s physical fitness.
The scorching hot sand, the dry climate, the wind mixed with sand, all these things constantly tormented every one of them.
Once you see too much of the desert, the scenery naturally becomes monotonous. After a while, it will even become annoying, and your mood will become anxious.
The same scenery would naturally make people feel anxious. This is basic common sense.
The desert was cool in the morning, very hot at noon, and cold at night.
The day and night temperature changes and the environment of the desert had already made them realize that what Xu Lang and An Li Man said was true.
This made Xu Lang think of something. No wonder so few streamers in his previous life dared to challenge desert survival. Most of them chose to challenge island or ocean survival, because they simply couldn’t survive in the desert.
As time went by, An Li Man no longer had them travel during the day, and they basically traveled at night.
This was a true desert. In the desert, there was nothing but sand. Of course, there was also sand blown up by the wind. So everyone covered their faces, and in just a few days, those with weaker physiques started to show some discomfort.
Xu Lang didn’t laugh at them. It was already quite impressive that they could persevere for a few days.
Xu Lang was in great shape. The harsh environment of the desert had some impact on him, but not much.
Shirley Yang was also in great shape, even better than Old Hu and the chubby guy. This made Old Hu couldn’t help but complain, “Those who grow up eating steak and drinking milk are different.”
But they didn’t know that Shirley Yang’s good physique was largely due to her genes. She was the granddaughter of Partridge Whistle.
Next came Chu Jian and Sa Di Peng. Professor Chen and Xiao Ye were in the worst condition, but they were all silently persevering. For a short time, it wouldn’t be a big problem, but in a few days, who knows.
They rested for a day, and at dinner time, Xu Lang said, “Let Professor Chen and Xiao Ye ride camels all the way from now on. We will still walk half the way and ride half the way. To avoid affecting the camel’s stamina, let them two switch camels frequently, it won’t be a big problem.”
Old Man An Li Man was slightly taken aback, but then he nodded. Xu Lang’s arrangement was quite reasonable.
An Li Man was a very good guide. His survival experience in the desert was very rich. Whether it was identifying directions or various knowledge, he opened everyone’s eyes along the way.
After dinner, they continued on their journey, but their speed naturally slowed down when they walked at night.
Shirley Yang came over to Xu Lang and said, “You seem to be in good shape. You’ve barely drunk water these past few days. We still have access to water now. You don’t have to be so frugal.”
Xu Lang smiled, “I know you’re very concerned about personal hygiene, but we’ll have to save water in two days. Professor Chen and the others will have to too. We can’t wash our faces with water anymore. Now Old Man An Li Man can still take us to get water, but in a few days, who knows. Remind them later.”
“Honestly, you’re so concerned about me, do you like me?”
“Look, I drink so little water and eat so little. I’m so easy to take care of. With my conditions, you won’t find another one in the whole world...”
Shirley Yang burst into laughter, “If you could be more serious, you would be more likeable.”
Xu Lang laughed, “If a person is too perfect, it’s not necessarily a good thing. With this face, I’m invincible, there’s no shortage of people who like me. This guy is just that confident.”
Shirley Yang said, “I never noticed you were so glib. Where’s the aloofness from when we first met?”
Xu Lang said, “Instead of paying attention to me, you should pay more attention to Professor Chen and the others. The real test is coming. I can help you solve the crisis, but I can’t help them walk. And honestly, this thirty thousand dollars is not easy to earn.”
A few hours later, they ate some jerky and drank some water before getting back on their camels to continue their journey.
In the early morning hours, they set up camp, ready to eat something and rest.
Xu Lang went to check the surroundings first. When he came back, he saw Xiao Ye with a water bottle, helping Professor Chen wash his hands. Although the water flow was very small, it was indeed a waste of water.
Xu Lang frowned and stepped forward, “Xiao Ye, next time use sand to clean up. As we go deeper into the desert, water resources will become scarcer. We’re here to find the ancient city of Jingjue, not to travel here. We’ve used up a lot more water than expected these past few days.”
Hearing Xu Lang’s words, Professor Chen smiled kindly and nodded in agreement, not denying his mistake.
Xu Lang continued, “We need to adapt to the survival rules of the desert. Once we truly enter the depths of the Black Desert, every drop of water could be a life. I heard Old Man An Li Man say that there might be no water replenishment in the depths of the Black Desert, and even the saxaul trees may be absent. If you run out of water, you’ll just have to wait to die.”
An Li Man didn’t continue to persuade everyone. He had already persuaded them many times along the way, hoping they would go back and not continue to go forward. He also described the dangers of going further, but he underestimated their determination.
For example, Xu Lang never mentioned going back. He wouldn’t waste his time talking to a bunch of stubborn fanatics.
Sometimes, when you say the same thing over and over again, it loses its effectiveness and can even have the opposite effect.
PS: I planned to put it on sale tomorrow, but the results seem to be bleak. Then I thought about it and decided to put it on sale today. Along with today’s update, there will be at least fifteen chapters. I hope you bigwigs will subscribe. Your support is the author’s motivation.