Interstellar Farming: I Make Potions and Climb to the Top

Ning Xuan knew that although the newborn energy seemed capable of rivaling her Fire Element Energy, that wasn’t the case at all.

The Fire Spirit Vermilion Bird was suppressed by the rules of this world and couldn’t fully materialize, which also meant the power of her Fire Element Energy was drastically reduced.

It was only because of this that the newborn energy, usually held firmly in check, could now surface. However, she hadn’t been cultivating for long, and for this new energy to grow so quickly wasn’t necessarily a good thing.

But since things had already developed to this point, her only option was to deal with it.

Just as Ning Xuan was immersed in concocting medicine and her Cultivation, the dust storm season in the Red Sand Sea finally came to an end.

Inside the command center of the safe zone, Ning Xuan watched through a monitor as the Red Sand Sea, once shrouded in dust storms, gradually calmed. It transformed from a chaotic land blanketed in dust and smoke into a beautiful tableau of golden sand and a crimson sea.

Although it was only a small view of the outermost edge, it was enough to offer a glimpse of the landscape within the sea of sand.

The power of nature was astounding, and its scenery was even more captivating.

"Marshal Yun, the Red Sand Sea is too dangerous. I’ve sent out three separate exploratory teams, and not a single message has come back. Three teams, thirty people in total, and not one has returned," Qiao Yu said disapprovingly when he learned that Yun Han and Ning Xuan were planning to explore the Red Sand Sea.

Previously, Yun Han had ordered him to gather information on the Red Sand Sea. Although he hadn’t known the reason, it was an order from Marshal Yun, so he had carried it out without question.

But the Red Sand Sea was like a tomb: you only ever saw people go in, never come out.

"Miss Ning, our monitoring can only cover this outermost section. The Red Sand Sea is enormous, and we have no idea what it’s like inside. Rushing in would be incredibly dangerous. Why don’t you wait a little longer? Wait until we’ve investigated more deeply and have a more complete understanding. Wouldn’t it be better to explore then?" Seeing Yun Han ignore him, Qiao Yu turned to persuade Ning Xuan.

Ning Xuan waved her hand. "Thank you for the kind thought, but our itinerary was set long ago. It’s not something we can easily change."

Qiao Yu was about to try persuading them again when Yun Han suddenly reached out and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"You’re dismissed. Go prepare what I asked for." Yun Han didn’t want Qiao Yu to say any more and quickly sent him away.

"Yes, sir." Seeing the look on Yun Han’s face, Qiao Yu didn’t dare say another word.

After Qiao Yu left, Ning Xuan and the others began discussing their next steps.

Since they were about to enter an extremely dangerous place, they naturally had to be fully prepared.

Over this period, through various channels, Ning Xuan’s team had accumulated at least ten Magic Treasures left behind by the ancient civilization.

Among these Magic Treasures, all the defensive, storage-type, and support-type items were bound through blood. The offensive and even flight-capable ones, however, were bound using the energy born from that blood.

Just a few days ago, Ning Xuan had found a thumb-sized flying ship. This ship was powered by Ning Xuan’s Bloodline Energy. In its inactive state, it was only the size of a thumb, but once activated, it could instantly transform into a large, ten-meter-long flying vehicle.

Besides Ning Xuan, everyone else had made their own preparations. No one was backing out; even the Little Fox was going to enter the Red Sand Sea with them.

The next day, as planned, Ning Xuan headed for the Red Sand Sea, a place known as the Domain of Death. Staring at the endless expanse of sand before them, everyone was struck with a sense of awe.

As far as the eye could see, the land stretched out as vast as an ocean. Various shades of ochre and red refracted a metallic sheen under the sun. The distant dunes took on many forms; some resembled the spines of colossal beasts, thrusting toward the sky at impossibly sharp angles, every ridge looking razor-sharp.

They had initially set out to explore the Red Sand Sea for the generous reward offered by the officials. But now, Ning Xuan was ready to take a gamble. She had a feeling that the only thing that could solve the problem of the newborn energy inside her was the legendary spiral nebula.

The spiral nebula was said to be able to improve genes and bloodlines. ’Since my newborn energy is suppressed,’ she thought, ’if I just raise its Energy Level, won’t that solve the problem?’

Ning Xuan’s group had just stepped into the Red Sand Sea when a sandstorm erupted without warning. The sky, clear just a second before, was suddenly crushed under heavy, leaden clouds. Electrically charged grains of sand wove a crimson net through the air.

"Everyone, be careful! These sand grains are electrified!" Lin Mo shouted.

As if to prove his words, an electric current shot through them the very next second, enveloping the entire group. "AHH!" Cries of pain rose and fell. After a moment of chaos, Zhang Nan pointed at Chen Nan and burst out laughing, mocking how his hair had turned into a bird’s nest.

In reality, everyone’s hair looked about the same.

When they were all sporting afros, appearances didn’t matter much anymore.

This sandstorm didn’t pose any real danger, but it did cause a problem: they had lost their way.

The vast sea of sand was like a maze, making it impossible to tell which way was which.

Fortunately, Zhang Nan had a natural sensitivity to his surroundings. Under his guidance, Ning Xuan’s group quickly made it out of the sandstorm’s area.

Zhang Nan’s boot crushed a weathered, unidentifiable bone, its fine white fragments mixing with the red sand. He raised a hand, signaling the team to halt. His eyes, hidden behind wind-proof goggles, glanced at his watch: the electronic Compass used for navigation was spinning wildly.

"Magnetic field anomaly." He pulled down his scarf, revealing chapped lips. "Everyone, check your gear. There might be..."

A cry of alarm cut him off. Wang Teng, who was at the front, suddenly sank halfway into the ground. The quicksand, like a monster with a gaping maw, instantly swallowed him up to his chest.

"Don’t move! Don’t struggle, relax!" Lin Mo shouted, throwing out a climbing rope. "Grab on! We’ll pull you up!"

Lin Mo’s calm demeanor greatly eased Wang Teng’s panic.

Wang Teng’s rate of sinking slowed. This should have been a reason to celebrate, but at that moment, everyone’s eyes were fixed on his neck—three blood-red fire scorpions were crawling up his collar.

Di Youlin’s military knife whistled through the air. The flat of the blade accurately smacked the venomous fire scorpions away, resolving the crisis Wang Teng faced.

He grabbed another rescue rope and leaped into the quicksand, intending to pull Wang Teng out. However, a sticky sensation spread from the soles of his combat boots. It made him realize this wasn’t ordinary quicksand—some kind of gelatinous substance was clearly churning beneath the surface.

"Fall back! Everyone, spread out!" Zhang Nan commanded, directing them to retreat. Just then, dozens of moving mounds suddenly bulged from the sandy ground. These were not mounds of dust, but a black tide formed by tens of thousands of desert Marching Ants. The "bridges" they were building with their bodies were extending, their destination unknown.

These were social creatures. Individually, their combat strength wasn’t very high, but their numbers were immense. Unless absolutely necessary, there was no need to confront them.