Chapter Summaries

Su Mo and Qi Jie sold water and water collectors to Xi Ruyue, Guan Mao, and Zhang Jun, earning enough points to buy two modular items. Su Mo planned to upgrade the items and keep trading with contestants as they crossed the wasteland.

• Barry and Basha decided to follow Su Mo through the desert, then spotted his group giving Xi Ruyue bottles of water.
• Qi Jie sold Xi Ruyue two bottles of water for two hundred points and offered Guan Mao and Zhang Jun water collectors and bottled water.
• Guan Mao persuaded Zhang Jun to pool their points and buy two collectors and two bottles of water.
• Su Mo counted the points earned from the sales and had Qi Jie transfer him twelve hundred points.
• Su Mo spent 1,400 points, and two new modular items began to appear.

Su Mo tested the Modular Food Processor and Modular Micro-Studio, discovering their basic functions and the studio’s weight-reducing storage module. As his group continued through the desert, a figure in a Daoist Robe offered desperately thirsty competitors water for 250 points a bottle.

• Su Mo examined the Food Processor and Micro-Studio, then tested them and learned that the processor handled basic food preparation while the studio could store up to five hundred kilograms and reduce stored weight to one-tenth when shrunk.
• Qi Jie collected Earth Fire Reed, and Su Mo packed the supplies into the studio before having Qi Jie carry it as the group set out again.
• Su Mo led his companions through the evening desert, while Xi Ruyue and the others recovered after replenishing their food and water.
• At night, five exhausted competitors reached the log-stake merchant and discovered that its wares included no water.
• A figure in a yellow Daoist Robe approached the five competitors with five bottles of Nongfu Spring, and Ke Ximu asked the price.
• The figure named the price as 250 points per bottle.

Old Daoist and Yu Ao sold water to Ke Ximu’s group at a steep markup, then gambled on finding another merchant in the First Stage. After surviving the worsening sandstorm, they found one selling water for the usual price, leaving them relieved and ready to buy supplies.

• Old Daoist sold five bottles of water to Ke Ximu’s group for 1,250 points, and Ma Er withdrew after transferring his points to Ke Ximu.
• Old Daoist and Yu Ao split their black bread and planned to search for a merchant in the First Stage before deciding whether to withdraw.
• Old Daoist and Yu Ao walked more than thirty kilometers toward the First Stage but found no merchant at eight o’clock.
• Old Daoist and Yu Ao headed back as the Small Natural Disaster intensified into a violent sandstorm.
• Yu Ao and Old Daoist spotted a merchant standing unharmed in the sandstorm and found freshwater listed for fifty points.

Su Mo upgraded his Food Processor into a Modular Food Disassembler and used it to turn Earth Fire Reeds into rice, easing the group’s food shortage. As the sandstorm continued outside, he began planning a vehicle to cross the competition’s nine terrains.

• Su Mo stayed in his Studio through the sandstorm and told Qi Jie to gather more reeds while the other contestants sheltered nearby.
• Su Mo upgraded the Food Processor into a Modular Food Disassembler and discovered it could extract food components from Earth Fire Reeds.
• Su Mo synthesized rice from the reeds, cooked it in an Iron Pot, and let Qi Jie watch the pot while he studied the machine.
• Qi Jie, Xi Ruyue, Zhang Jun, and Guan Mao rushed back after seeing smoke, then watched Su Mo’s rice cook and returned to eating reeds when they could not afford a share.
• Su Mo considered the sandstorm’s steady wind and the firm dunes, then began planning a practical vehicle for crossing the nine terrains.

Su Mo used the Food Decomposition Synthesizer to turn poisonous reeds into food and began making a wind-powered sandboard for crossing the desert. As he tested its upgraded design, several nonhuman contestants watched and debated approaching him to trade for food and water.

• Su Mo confirmed the synthesizer could make rice, plant meat, flour, and Energy Bars from reeds, then agreed to let Qi Jie recruit three others to gather more reeds in exchange for food.
• Su Mo wove a reed sandboard and sails, tested them in the desert, and used the system to upgrade the board for better movement and durability.
• Barry, Basha, Tietta, and Abei watched Su Mo travel across the dunes and argued about whether to trade with him for supplies.
• Abei decided to approach Su Mo, while Tietta objected and Barry worried that Su Mo might demand an unaffordable price.

Su Mo tested his improved Wind Sail Sandboard and made a trade deal with Catwoman Abei, who teamed up with Barry and Basha to resell his goods to aliens. As a dust storm kept contestants sheltering, Qi Jie and his companions counted their reed-harvesting earnings and arranged to buy rice and water collectors.

• Su Mo confirmed that the upgraded Wind Sail Sandboard could travel about two hundred kilometers, then met Catwoman Abei waiting outside his workshop.
• Abei offered to broker sales to aliens, and Su Mo set prices for food, water, and sandboards while refusing to grant exclusive rights without ten thousand points.
• Abei, Barry, and Basha formed a contract to buy goods from Su Mo and resell them, agreeing on how to divide their profits while leaving Tietta out of the plan.
• As the third day’s dust storm kept most contestants from traveling, the survivor count fell from 1,435 to 1,321.
• Qi Jie counted the Earth Fire Reeds gathered by Guan Mao, Zhang Jun, and Xi Ruyue, then agreed to provide rice and sell them water collectors in exchange for their points.

Su Mo rewarded his companions for gathering Earth Fire Reeds, then prepared to make up lost distance before the Major Disaster. The group chose to continue together, bought Wind Sail Sandboards, and set out toward Phase Three.

• Su Mo had Qi Jie cook the gathered rice with plant meat and crushed Energy Bars, rewarding the reed gatherers while the aliens watched hungrily from nearby.
• Su Mo counted his points and resolved to gather them faster, while Qi Jie warned the three workers that they needed to travel 120 kilometers a day to reach the next terrain in time.
• The three workers chose to follow Su Mo, and he sold each of them a Wind Sail Sandboard for four hundred points.
• The group tested the sandboards, found they greatly reduced the effort of traveling, and confirmed Catwoman Abei's group could keep up.
• Su Mo put away the miniature workshop, and the group set out on their sandboards toward Phase Three.

Su Mo and his companions reached the Third Stage of the desert, where he discovered a merchant selling Rare Routes and other valuable goods. A refresh revealed a Legendary Qi Refiner route and related items, sparking a frenzy among the viewers and leaving Su Mo wary of the consequences.

• Su Mo led the group across the desert on Wind Sail Sandboards, covering about 120 kilometers before reaching the boundary of the Third Stage.
• Su Mo ordered the group to camp by a boulder at the boundary while his companions explored the new plants and searched for an oasis.
• Su Mo inspected the Third-Tier Merchant’s sales list and found Rare Routes, advancement tickets, oasis information, facilities, and a thruster blueprint.
• Su Mo spent 50 points to refresh the list, revealing a Legendary Qi Refiner route, a cultivation cave, an Aptitude Completion Ticket, and a Flying Sword.
• Viewers watching Su Mo erupted into excited discussion about cultivation and Flying Swords, and some began pursuing power beyond technology.

Dragon Flag Territory's leaders feared that the newly revealed Qi Refiner route would fracture large territories, especially after a nearby lord named Gonggong claimed to possess a similar Legendary-Class route. Meanwhile, Su Mo pushed his group across the Earth Fire Desert, reaching its volcanic fourth stage and spotting a small oasis as they continued toward the exit.

• Long An Guo convened Dragon Flag Territory's managers to discuss the Qi Refiner route, and Zhang Quan warned that competing paths of power could divide territories into factions.
• Ruan Bo warned that another territory might obtain the route first, and a report revealed that Gonggong was recruiting near Dragon Flag Territory with a Legendary-Class path to similar abilities.
• Su Mo reflected on the route's implications and the mysterious purpose of the game, then resolved to accelerate his journey through the desert.
• After trading with Catwoman Abei, Su Mo's points rose to 6,600, and his group traveled 120 kilometers to the Earth Fire Desert's volcanic fourth stage.
• Su Mo led the group onward through the volcanic terrain, where they covered more than seventy kilometers and spotted a small oasis before nightfall.

Su Mo found that the oasis’s harmful spring water could be purified by his upgraded Food Processor, giving him a plentiful source of freshwater to sell. He discounted water and food to the centaurs Barry and Basha, while Abei proposed expanding their trade network before Su Mo reached the desert finish line.

• Su Mo appraised the Earth Fire Spring and learned that drinking it permanently weakened living creatures, but his Food Processor could remove its harmful substances.
• Su Mo and his companions collected more than four hundred liters of spring water and began purifying it for their own use and trade.
• Barry and Basha reached the oasis, and Su Mo offered discounted water and food while announcing that his group planned to rest before reaching the finish line the next day.
• Barry and Basha bought fifty bottles of water and thirty portions of food for more than three thousand points, then returned to Abei with the goods.
• Abei suggested revealing that Su Mo supplied their goods so they could recruit their customers into a much larger trading network.

A devastating sand tremor forced participants to flee toward the fourth stage, while Su Mo watched safely from his oasis and prepared supplies. By afternoon, Abei returned with a much larger group of otherworlders, offering seventeen thousand points for fresh water and food.

• Tietta sensed danger just before a sand tremor struck, and he, Basha, Barry, and Abei fled the towering waves toward the entrance.
• Abei realized the sand waves were sweeping toward the earlier stages, and the group escaped the first wave after changing direction.
• Su Mo observed the tremor from the fourth stage and concluded that its advancing waves would drive more participants toward him.
• Su Mo recovered spring water, prepared pancakes, and assigned Qi Jie, Xi Ruyue, Guan Mao, and Zhang Jun tasks to help prepare supplies and build a freight cart.
• Qi Jie reported that at least forty otherworlders had arrived, and Abei led the group to offer Su Mo seventeen thousand points for water and food.

Su Mo completed the Earth Fire Desert, expanded his profitable trade in water and food, and reached the entrance to Rolling Stone Canyon. He learned the canyon’s rules and found that its toughest challenge required crossing it in under eight minutes.

• Su Mo’s trade with Abei’s alliance raised his points to 24,500, and Barry later bought more supplies for 32,000 points.
• Barry explained that the alliance had sold its supplies at a profit, and Su Mo sold it another large order of water and food, bringing his total to 56,585 points.
• Su Mo prepared the workshop and supplies for the journey, then traveled with Qi Jie, Xi Ruyue, Guan Mao, and Zhang Jun to the final stage of the Earth Fire Desert.
• The group reached the desert exit and received completion rewards; Su Mo chose Terrain Awareness and a Merchant Discount Coupon.
• Su Mo read the rules for the four-star Rolling Stone Canyon, where contestants had to evade growing, speeding stones and could earn 2,000 points for finishing within eight minutes.

Su Mo and the other contestants reached an oasis before the Rolling Stone Canyon, where they learned the canyon demanded a dangerous pace and met Gong Manting’s group. After Su Mo’s party established a camp and began selling oil cakes and water, Gong Manting and his companions were left stunned by their preparations and prices.

• Su Mo assessed the fifteen-kilometer Rolling Stone Canyon and realized contestants had to cross it within fifteen minutes, while Qi Jie and the others considered whether their sandboards could manage it.
• Gong Manting and his two companions met Su Mo’s group and explained that they had crossed the desert using modified kites as low-altitude gliders.
• Gong Manting offered to sell water and bread, but Qi Jie refused, and the two groups settled in separate parts of the oasis.
• Gong Manting and the Gu brothers later approached Su Mo’s camp with water and bread to apologize, then discovered a house, sleeping sheds, and Xi Ruyue frying oil cakes.
• Guan Mao told Gong Manting that Su Mo had hired the group to make oil cakes and that they could buy them for ten points each, while water cost thirty points per bottle.

Su Mo explored Rolling Stone Canyon, then spent his competition points on a Doctor route, a Wilderness Marching Camp, Tiger Style Combat, and a Territory Area Upgrade Ticket. His purchases earned him a map revealing the names and difficulty ratings of upcoming terrains, and he left planning how to profit from contestants’ progress.

• Gong Manting realized he had overpaid for water and apologized to Guan Mao with a bottle and fifty points.
• Su Mo tested Rolling Stone Canyon, found that its stones grew larger farther inside, and exited when he concluded the canyon required tools to cross.
• Su Mo refreshed the merchant’s sales list and bought the Rare Doctor route, the Modularized Wilderness Marching Camp, and Tiger Style Combat.
• Su Mo spent twenty thousand points on a Territory Area Upgrade Ticket and used a deduction ticket to reduce its cost by one thousand points.
• The merchant gave Su Mo a map that revealed the names and difficulty ratings of the upcoming terrains.
• Su Mo decided to investigate daily missions in the terrains before Lost Forest and seek a profitable industrial cycle.

Su Mo deployed a large Military Camp at the oasis and began preparing a fast vehicle to help participants clear Rolling Stone Canyon for points. He put Qi Jie in charge of the camp, and Qi Jie started organizing its residents and services as more competitors were expected to arrive.

• Su Mo calculated that he needed millions of points and decided to explore Rolling Stone Canyon and the coming terrains more thoroughly.
• Su Mo unfolded the Military Camp, stunning the nearby participants and spectators with its size and facilities.
• Su Mo ordered Qi Jie to bring wooden frames to the storage room so he could build a vehicle for crossing the canyon and let Qi Jie set dormitory rental prices.
• Qi Jie let Guan Mao, Zhang Jun, and Xi Ruyue stay in the dormitories for free, while Gong Manting and the Gu brothers paid three hundred points for beds.
• Qi Jie recruited the group to help manage the camp and proposed turning it into a service facility for participants arriving at the oasis.

You Li learned that the upper half had suffered far more eliminations because fresh water was sold much more cheaply in the lower half, where contestants cooperated with alien races. He traced the supply to Su Mo and switched his view toward the final oasis, where a vast, bustling camp left him stunned.

• You Li watched Old Daoist auction water from a Small Water Well and regretted that Ke Ximu had once forbidden their team from buying water.
• You Li compared both halves of the desert and saw that their terrain and oasis distribution were similar, but the lower half had far fewer eliminations and much larger traveling groups.
• You Li learned that alien contestants were selling water for forty points per 500 milliliters, far below the upper half's prices, and realized this explained the survival gap.
• You Li learned from spectators that Su Mo was behind the lower half's water supply and changed his view toward the desert's final oasis.
• You Li saw a huge camp filled with humans and aliens entering and leaving, and froze in shock.

Competitors reached the end of the Earth Fire Desert and discovered Su Mo’s thriving camp in the oasis. Xi Ruyue reunited with Chu Chaofei, explained the camp’s opportunities, and brought him to join Qi Jie’s staff.

• A group of competitors crossed the final volcano after hiring Spirit Fox Clan guides, and Chu Chaofei reunited with Xi Ruyue at the oasis entrance.
• Xi Ruyue led Chu Chaofei into Su Mo’s camp, where he was astonished by its crowds, affordable supplies, and air-conditioned cafeteria.
• Xi Ruyue explained how she had met Su Mo and benefited from his camp, while warning Chu Chaofei not to investigate the device producing food and water.
• Xi Ruyue told Chu Chaofei that Qi Jie was recruiting people to develop camp services, and Chu Chaofei agreed to join after their meal.

Su Mo unveiled a powerful off-road vehicle and planned to use it to lead contestants through Rolling Stone Canyon for profit. After waking to news of the Earth Fire Desert disaster, he learned the camp had 601 contestants and that other races were already paying to secure market agency rights.

• You Li watched the lower camp unveil Su Mo’s off-road vehicle and left the viewing page, convinced the contestants there had gained an overwhelming advantage.
• Su Mo explained that the vehicle could reach 150 kilometers per hour, then left market arrangements to Qi Jie while he went to sleep.
• Su Mo woke after eleven at night and learned the camp was protected from the Major Disaster, though its separated region could not complete the Desert Legend Challenge Task before the Earth Fire Desert was sealed.
• Qi Jie reported that the camp had 601 registered contestants and had earned 90,000 points from supply sales, while other races offered 50,000 points for exclusive agency rights.
• Su Mo calculated that taking contestants through Rolling Stone Canyon could earn far more than keeping them in the camp and said he would inspect the disaster before testing the canyon in the vehicle.

As a major volcanic disaster erupted in the Earth Fire Desert, Su Mo watched alien competitors resist the magma, then drove an off-road vehicle through Rolling Stone Canyon and continued toward Giant Creature Plains. After reaching the plain’s far end in under three hours, Su Mo and Qi Jie arrived at Beast Mountainous Land.

• Su Mo observed the volcanic eruption and saw a centaur’s jade armor withstand splashing magma, then ordered Qi Jie to have Xi Ruyue and the others record the aliens’ abilities.
• Su Mo took Qi Jie in the off-road vehicle and sped through Rolling Stone Canyon, clearing its four challenge tasks in under eight minutes.
• Qi Jie received the canyon rewards and chose the mandatory Terrain Awareness reward, revealing Giant Creature Plains’ rules and farming challenges.
• Su Mo drove across Giant Creature Plains at high speed, reaching the fourth terrain, Beast Mountainous Land, in under three hours.

After crossing Giant Creature Plains, Su Mo entered Beast Mountainous Land and discovered that its beasts were generated according to participants’ points. With 101,850 points, he faced an armored Tyrannosaurus Rex and left the terrain to plan how to defeat it.

• Su Mo reviewed Beast Mountainous Land’s rules and learned that its beasts varied with points, while a challenge task could reward a Legendary Sales List item.
• Su Mo entered the mountains with 101,850 points and encountered a heavily armored Tyrannosaurus Rex.
• Su Mo tested the terrain boundary, transferred his points to Qi Jie, and found that the Tyrannosaurus Rex still appeared when he reentered with only 1,000 points.
• Qi Jie entered the mountains and fled from the charging Tyrannosaurus Rex, whose appearance cured his motion sickness.
• Su Mo concluded that the beast could not leave the terrain, decided to find a way to defeat it, and drove away for the night.