Chapter 159: Sand Worm

"I..."

Chu Ping was half-submerged in the pit, his voice sounding somewhat muffled as he said, "I'm looking for the other half."

Uh...

At this, Ye Da was also slightly taken aback, having no idea how to comfort him.

Ye Da tried using his analytical glasses to help Chu Ping search again, but unfortunately, there was no sign of the remaining egg.

Naturally, Chu Ping had even less chance of finding it.

Holding his damaged pouch of descendants, Chu Ping said with a sense of dejection, "Lord, I'm sorry for wasting so much of your time."

"It's fine, your egg is what matters." Ye Da patted Chu Ping's shoulder, attempting to offer some consolation.

Yet, Chu Ping's mood remained deeply depressed. "I suppose it can't be found anymore."

"Well, having just one doesn't really affect the function." Seeing that it was getting late and realizing he couldn't afford to let Chu Ping linger here wasting time, Ye Da could only say helplessly, "Why don't you try putting this one back first? Having one is better than having none at all, and who knows, maybe with one left, the other might grow back more easily."

"The Lord is right."

Chu Ping nodded repeatedly and said, "Zhang Ya, could you please... turn around."

Seeing Chu Ping looking down at his crotch, Zhang Ya naturally understood what he intended to do, so she simply made an excuse, "I'm going to take a walk over there."

"Thank you."

Once he waited for Zhang Ya to walk a safe distance away, Chu Ping took off his pants and began the procedure.

This was the first time Ye Da had ever witnessed how an earthworm-type ability handled severed limbs, and it was quite fascinating!

Though watching it made Ye Da's own crotch ache a little!

The first step was to thoroughly clean the severed limb until it was spotless.

The second step was to slice open the surface of the body, reopening the already healed wound, and then position the severed limb back into place.

Reopening that area required not only immense courage but also a high tolerance for pain.

Watching Chu Ping grit his teeth and groan in agony, Ye Da suddenly felt that this particular ability was quite self-torturing—it certainly wasn't as convenient as a high-defense petrification ability.

"Lord, I... I'm ready."

Chu Ping supported the area that had not yet fully healed, veins bulging on his forehead, presumably from the excruciating pain.

Still, at least he wouldn't have to live life as a grand eunuch, which could be considered a blessing.

"Can you walk?"

Ye Da looked at Chu Ping's awkward posture, harboring a lingering worry that the man's attachment might just fall off as he walked.

However, Chu Ping nodded and said, "No... I'm fine. I can't afford to delay everyone's time any further. Lord, aren't you still planning to head toward Dragon One and the others' gathering place?"

"It's quite a distance from here, and we have to cross a vast expanse of sandy terrain. If we don't set off quickly, we might not make it before noon!"

Hearing how considerate Chu Ping was, Ye Da knew time was running short. He could only nod and say, "If you feel any discomfort, let me know immediately!"

"Yes, Lord."

The group set off once more.

Yet, Ye Da noticed that as Chu Ping walked forward, he kept turning his head back to look at the scenery behind them, his eyes filled with a lingering reluctance.

Soon enough...

The group arrived at the boundary where the hot springs met the sand dunes.

This volcano was quite peculiar, positioned precisely at the center of several intersecting regions. It was likely formed during an ancient collision of tectonic plates.

Moreover, the geological compositions of these colliding plates were entirely different, resulting in a striking variety of environmental effects.

Sand dunes.

The gathering grounds of sand worms.

Ye Da remembered browsing through the monster encyclopedia and coming across the data entries for sand worms. Just to be safe, he decided to review them in his mind.

[Sand Worm: Resembling giant pythons in their youth, they grow to colossal proportions upon reaching adulthood. However, their juvenile and adolescent stages span up to a hundred years, making them creatures of exceptionally long lifespans! Their skin possesses unique spatial properties and serves as an essential material for crafting and upgrading magical storage backpacks!]

[PS: Sand worms love dry environments and fear water. The moment their skin touches water, it becomes rigid; if their entire body is submerged in water, they will die instantly! The only way sand worms obtain moisture is by hunting and consuming any creatures that happen to pass through the desert, thereby replenishing the water essential to their bodies.]

[PPS: In territories frequented by sand worms, a special plant known as the Thorn Fruit can be found. This fruit strengthens bloodlines, enhances physical power, and carries a certain probability of awakening a player's hidden bloodline.]

It seemed his memory had not failed him.

Sand worms were terrified of water. Earlier, when he was hunting the Macrophage Pitcher Plant, he recalled a particular sentence in its description. How did it go again?

Ye Da quickly flipped the monster encyclopedia back to the page of the Macrophage Pitcher Plant!

[PS: The Macrophage Pitcher Plant is the nemesis of the sand worm. Once the tough trap-sacs of the Macrophage Pitcher Plant are thoroughly cleaned, they can be used to craft water bombs!]

Those Macrophage Pitcher Plant sacs he had collected were finally going to come in handy!

However, because he had forgotten to fill them with water beforehand, Ye Da had to distribute the plant sacs to Chu Ping and Zhang Ya, saying, "Before we enter the dune territory, let's fill these Macrophage Pitcher Plant sacs with water."

"I brought drinking water," Zhang Ya said, looking puzzled. "How large is this desert? If we can cross it in a day, the water I brought should be enough for the three of us."

"Thoughtful," Ye Da said, giving Zhang Ya a thumbs-up. "However, the water I'm about to fill these with isn't meant for drinking."

"Then what is it for?"

Zhang Ya's heart was filled with a subtle delight because Ye Da had praised her.

Ye Da didn't keep it a secret. After all, hunting the sand worms ahead would require cooperation from both Zhang Ya and Chu Ping. The clearer and more understandable the overall plan was, the more advantageous it would be for team combat, with only benefits and no drawbacks!

"Sand worms are afraid of water; contact with water causes them to become rigid."

Ye Da widened the opening of a pitcher plant sac and submerged it into the hot spring pool. The sac, which had previously been dehydrated and shriveled, instantly expanded rapidly, gulping down the hot spring water with loud, rushing sounds.

While filling the water, he explained to the two of them, "Our battle plan for up ahead is to attack the sand worms with these water bombs, paralyze them once they become rigid, and then seize the opportunity to kill them!"

"Understood!"

The three of them filled a total of twenty-six plant sacs, stopping only when every single sac was packed to maximum capacity.

As he filled the Macrophage Pitcher Plant sacs with water, Ye Da continuously scanned his surroundings, hoping against hope that he might catch a glimpse of Zhang Ya's figure!

Unfortunately...

Ye Da saw nothing.

It seemed they were either in different regions or entirely different worlds.

Much like different servers in a game.

The servers were isolated from one another; even if people from two different servers stood in the exact same physical location, the differences in their underlying worlds prevented them from ever seeing each other.

...

The Desert.

The moment the group stepped foot onto the sandy terrain, they instantly felt the temperature soar by a dozen degrees or more.

They hurriedly stripped off their heavy down jackets, leaving themselves in single layers of clothing. Yet, even so, the billowing heat radiating from the sand made everyone pant like stray dogs.

As for the small furry creatures like Little Gray and Little White, needless to say, they were so hot that their tongues stayed lolling out continuously!

"Rumble—!"

As the group walked along, suddenly...

A sandstorm that blotted out the sky erupted in the distance!