Chapter 714 - Insights from the Desert
Chapter 714: Insights from the Desert
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
This was one of the five great deserts of the Tutankhamun Empire. It was also a place where mutated energy ravaged rather fiercely. There were some extremely tenacious oases in the desert that could provide supplies, but there were definitely more dead zones which put even Mu Zi out.
The surrounding sand was extremely hot under the sun, and even the occasional breeze in the air was extremely warm, carrying the smell of sand. But more often than not, the place was calm and still, as though the whole world was deathly silent. There was usually no wind or sound; there was only the boundless desert and the vicious sun hanging above his head.
A young sand lizard could be spotted lying on the golden sand, enjoying the sun leisurely. Mutated creatures had a much stronger ability to adapt, as compared to humans. Maybe they could not get rid of their need for water, but their living habits had already been completely adapted to the desert environment. The sand lizard appeared to be rather relaxed and carefree as there were no other mutated creatures nearby; thus, it was rather safe. All of a sudden, it rolled over as if it had sensed something. With all four legs on the ground, it scanned its surroundings to get a sense of what was happening.
Soon, it spotted a human silhouette closing in from a distance. Unlike ordinary desert travelers, he did not wear a large brim hat nor a mask to shield himself from the wind and sand. There were no large bags of extra equipment with him as well, and his clothes were extremely thin. The temperature in Tutankhamun deserts could fluctuate greatly. Even though it was extremely hot in the day, one could almost freeze to death at night. But that man obviously did not care at all. He only wore a thin shirt and carried a small backpack, but he did not look like a refugee who had been robbed either. His strides seemed strong and he walked at an extremely fast pace. The sand lizard was several miles away when it first saw him, but in just a few tens of seconds, he had already reached a position only a few hundred meters away from it, giving the lizard the shock of its life. The lizard immediately rushed to dig a hole and disappeared without a trace.
That silhouette was Wang Zhong. He had already entered the central part of the Morradis Pink Desert. It had already been 10 days since he left the Katchirda Village.
This was the place Mu Zi recommended to him.
He traveled with only a small backpack and had even left his Skylink behind. He felt as though he was back in his childhood where he was not burdened by anything. Although the surroundings were empty and silent, he felt inwardly enriched.
Was the desert as dead as a doornail? Wang Zhong had once thought so. Even when he was trapped in the desert with Gong Yi and the others for almost half a month previously, it had yet to make him change his mind.
However, after he calmed his mind and spent a few days in the desert alone, he realized that this seemingly empty world was actually full of vitality. Whether it was ordinary creatures, mutated creatures, or even desert plants, they all had tenacious vitality. Although they might not be spotted on the surface of the desert, they definitely existed. Wherever they might be — be it hiding under the surface, hiding behind sand dunes, or hiding in places that could have them stay unnoticed — they blossomed with the brightest vitality.
It was exactly like what Mu Zi said: the more he walked, the more he saw. Naturally, the more he saw, the more experience he gained. It was a completely different feeling and sensation. Mu Zi got his current power from having explored the whole of the Tutankhamun Empire.
It had only been 10 days and Wang Zhong already had an unshaven and unkempt appearance, but his eyes had also grown sharper. Everything around him appeared to have a different meaning. He was just like a newborn baby, greedily breathing in the air of the world, looking curiously at the different colors of the world, as well as learning and memorizing everything he had seen.
The desert was not totally dry although there was indeed a lack of water. Even after the environment had gone through certain changes, the desert actually remained the same. It was just that the vitality here had changed; it had become stronger, and this meant that water would be gathered by plants. However, ordinary people were not able to see them as they were kept underground, usually in the rhizomes of huge plants.
Therefore, it was extremely difficult for ordinary people to find water. However, it was a different case for Wang Zhong. He had the Great 5 Elements Constitution; thus, he could feel the existence of various elements.
Through unremitting practice, one’s intuition could lead him to find the resources hidden under the sand. As long as one tried to carefully feel the power of water flow in the air, he would find the source of water. No matter how subtle it was, it would still diffuse into the surroundings.
However, although this method was feasible, it required a lot of practice. In the beginning, Wang Zhong made many errors in his judgment. Although he could feel the power of the water element of the air, he would often dig for water in the wrong place. The power of the water element would often be diffused over a large area in the desert; thus, one would have to discern its source, direction, and also the range it was spread over. The requirement for being able to do that had reached an indescribably harsh level; one had to have a thorough perception and understanding of the 5 Elements.
However, through careful discerning and continuous practice, Wang Zhong gradually integrated himself into the desert, becoming more adapted and accustomed to the area. As such, his ability to identify the water element in the complex airflow became better and stronger, a state similar to the Mind’s Eye but at an even higher level. It was more natural now, and it allowed a deeper insight into the environment and seemingly integrated itself with the surroundings. The Mind’s Eye had transformed from an ability which needed to be activated into a seemingly passive ability which would automatically sense the surrounding elements.
Finding water was just one of the many prerequisites for survival in the desert. To survive and complete the journey, one would need more than just water.
Food, endurance, and ability to face danger were also necessary. The polarization of mutated animals in the desert was rather large. The weaker ones were really weak. Small mutants like sand scorpions and sand lizards were purely snacks for New Humans. They were basically at the bottom of the food chain in the entire desert. Even several mutated plants fed on them, not to mention powerful mutated beasts.
Wang Zhong never stopped observing, and he discovered a very interesting phenomenon. Perhaps people in the desert had not thought of it this way, but the phenomenon existed nevertheless. These small mutated animals — who were at the bottom of the food chain, specifically sand lizards and sand scorpions — had the largest population in the desert and appeared to be the most prosperous species, even though they had the most natural enemies.
As nature evolved, it endowed them with other abilities such as a rapid birth rate much faster than normal, in spite of creating so many natural predators for them.
One example would be the mutated iguana. Wang Zhong had studied them in biology class. They used to lay eggs once a year in the glorious era, and each ovulation could produce about three to six eggs. Since entering the dark ages, not only have they grown in size, they could now lay eggs six times a year, which was equivalent to once in two months, and around forty to one hundred eggs could be spawned each time. Their entire growth cycle was greatly shortened. It only took them six months to reach adulthood, which was definitely terrifying.