The scorching sun hung high in the azure sky, releasing endless heat and light to roast the earth. Waves of heat rose from the ground. The entire landscape was covered in yellow sand and gray-brown rocks. Only a sparse handful of shrubs and a few withered patches of grass could be found in the desert, while hungry vultures circled overhead, searching for animal corpses. Occasionally, a gale howled across the ground, kicking up clouds of dust.
A caravan was making its way across the land—the very caravan Green was traveling with. Ever since they had encountered pursuers from the Saladin Kingdom, everyone in the caravan had been on edge. To reassure them, the baron could only urge them to keep moving. During that month-long journey, they never encountered another pursuer, only a few packs of wolves. The guards alone were more than enough to deal with such minor trouble.
During that month of travel, the caravan occasionally encountered other nobles who had chosen to leave as well, especially at the forest's exit, where a large number of nobles had gathered. Lacking the strength to cross the wasteland, these nobles hoped to increase their chances by forming alliances with others.
When Green's caravan left the forest, it was naturally noticed by those nobles. Although the caravan looked extremely bedraggled, the sharp-eyed nobles still discovered that while everyone in Green's caravan was exhausted, their eyes were filled with confidence. In particular, whenever the people in Green's caravan looked toward the carriage Green was riding in at the center, their eyes were actually filled with pride.
Seeing this, the nobles naturally did everything they could to gather information. After learning that Green's caravan had defeated five Knight Level opponents, the nobles waiting at the entrance to the wasteland were filled with disbelief. What followed were countless requests to travel together.
However, most of these nobles were weak, and their caravans carried few supplies. They would only hold everyone back. After discussing the matter with Green and Os, Baron Green ultimately chose to advance together with one of the caravans.
Baron Candia ruled a territory fairly close to the barony. Only its lord, Baron Candia, was a Formal Knight, while the captain of the guards was merely a Knight Apprentice. Their overall combat strength was nowhere near Green's group. However, Baron Candia had been very lucky and had not encountered any pursuers. Otherwise, given the strength of Baron Candia's caravan, they probably would not have made it out of the forest.
Baron Candia's caravan was of little help in terms of military strength, but it possessed a great deal of food and water. Baron Candia knew that he lacked strength, and that if he did not join a group quickly, Saladin's pursuers might catch up. If they were forced into the wasteland then, the situation would only become worse.
At the price of three wagons of food and water, Baron Candia successfully joined Green's caravan. With sufficient food and water, the caravan entered the Visas Wasteland.
"Lord Green, thank you for your guidance." Inside Green's carriage, two young men about his age were receiving his instruction. They were the baron's eldest son, Kahn, and the son of the captain of the guards, Okat.
"As for breaking through to Knight Apprentice, these are the only techniques I can teach you. I'm sure your fathers have told you as well that, in the end, it still depends on your own efforts." Green half-closed his eyes and waved a hand, sending the two away.
Seeing this, Kahn and Okat rose, bowed, and cautiously withdrew from the carriage.
"Lord Green explained it so thoroughly. It's completely different from the way Father explained it. After he finished, I only understood bits and pieces." Once outside the carriage, the two headed toward the carriage at the very front of the caravan, discussing the knowledge Green had taught them.
Golden-haired Kahn nodded along as he agreed with Okat, feeling that Okat made perfect sense. "Our fathers don't seem to know how they actually broke through to Knight Apprentice either. They can only describe the feeling instinctively, nothing like how clearly Lord Green explained it. I feel that following Lord Green's method will greatly increase our chances of success."
After the two left, Green opened his half-closed eyes and looked out through the carriage window. The view was still the same unchanging Gobi landscape, so he closed the window again.
After entering the Visas Wasteland, Saladin's pursuers could not possibly enter it. With their free time, everyone began looking for something to do. Baron Candia and Os had personally come to ask Green to teach Kahn and Okat, offering a carriage of valuables as payment before he agreed to instruct them.
There was basically no threat now, and crossing the Visas Wasteland was all but certain. The bandits on the Visas Wasteland would have a hard time posing any threat to the caravan. Green also needed to consider what he would do after reaching the Maslow Alliance. Having a sum of money would make things much more convenient, so he naturally did not refuse the offer.
[Beep, Life Seed Solidification has been completed. You can break through to Formal Knight.]
Green had naturally heard the Chip's notification. In this vast wasteland, there was nothing to do but travel onward. Green had consequently kept a constant eye on the tasks inside the Chip.
An apprentice's first meditation had to be conducted in a quiet environment, and Green had never had the opportunity to practice the Basic Meditation Method. He would probably have to wait until they reached the Maslow Alliance and settled down before he could formally begin.
After the Life Seed had solidified, Green wanted to break through to Formal Knight. Old Green's Storm Breathing Technique contained detailed records on how to do so.
According to the Chip's analysis, activating the Life Seed gave it a function similar to that of a heart. It could connect the energy channels inside and outside the body, allowing the Life Seed to absorb energy from the outside with every breath and then nourish the body in return. As time passed, the Life Seed would continuously store external energy. Becoming a Grand Knight meant activating that energy, allowing the Life Seed to take root and sprout so it could extract and manipulate external energy at a far greater power, ultimately forming a translucent protective shield.
The Storm Breathing Technique recorded the circumstances of every stage of a Knight's advancement in great detail. However, it contained not a single word about breaking through to Grand Knight. Green naturally knew why: no one who practiced the Storm Breathing Technique had ever broken through to the Grand Knight level.
As for the reason, the Storm Breathing Technique's fanciful breakthrough method made the risks increase with every advancement. The breakthrough from Knight to Grand Knight was especially dangerous. Few people practiced the Storm Breathing Technique in the first place, and with its high risks, naturally no one had been able to break through to Grand Knight.
Just as Green was considering when to attempt his breakthrough, someone suddenly knocked on his window.
"Lord Green, there's a river ahead. The caravan can set up camp here for the night and replenish our water. We can continue tomorrow. The two barons sent me to ask for your opinion." Wasn't this exactly like someone delivering a pillow just as he was getting sleepy? Green naturally had no objections.
"I have no objections. Everyone has been busy for so long. A little rest would be good."
"Yes, Lord Green." The person outside the window quickly left, their footsteps growing farther and farther away.
Before long, the caravan reached the river. After forming a simple circular defensive position according to the planned arrangement, they began setting up camp.
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