Foreign Land Reclamation By a Vegetable-growing Skeleton
Chapter 1608 - 1169: Are You Here to Find the Divine’s Ship?

Chapter 1608: Chapter 1169: Are You Here to Find the Divine’s Ship?

The sunlight isn’t just warm; it’s downright deadly. Direct exposure to the human body can roast an ordinary person alive. In the Void, without various equipment and magic enhancements, being directly exposed to sunlight raises the surface temperature of the body to two or three hundred degrees, akin to being shoved into an oven.

Of course, this kind of temperature has no effect on Ange and the others. Even before Little Fat Dragon turned silver, his own scales were enough to block the sun’s damage. Still, it has no effect on them. But calling it ’warm and cozy’? Now that’s just too much.

Under the so-called ’warm’ sunlight, Ange activated the Teleportation Array and transported everyone to the Sand Bay Plane, landing directly at the center of an Oasis.

The entire Oasis was sparsely adorned with a few date palm trees. The large leaves on top had almost all fallen off, leaving only some stubs that barely provided shade for the dates below.

The trunks themselves secreted a resin, which appeared to have been purposely coated with sand. The sand adhered to the resin, forming a thick shell of sand that protected the date palm trees.

Beneath the date palms, clusters of mound-like buildings were scattered in the shadows of the trees. They resembled the Chaotic Burial Mound, except these mounds all had doorways. At the moment, faces peeked out from those doors, filled with curiosity and doubt, as if wondering why anyone would come here under such a blazing sun.

Yet, as soon as Ange and the others set foot on this land, the entire Oasis seemed to erupt in celebration. The date palm trees began swaying slightly without any wind, rustling softly as if welcoming their God of Tree.

Sprouts emerged from the sand and stopped growing upward, instead extending downward. They developed a vast network of roots that burrowed deep into the sand and intertwined. Without anyone realizing, this root network gradually consolidated the sand throughout the entire Oasis.

Life will always find a path to survival; it only needs a small amount of power. Now, its divine father, the Tree of Ten Thousand Realms, had personally descended upon this Plane, bringing it an endless stream of life force.

"Who’s in charge here? Who can speak for everyone?" Anthony shouted loudly under the blazing sun.

After a few shouts with no response, Anthony continued, "If no one answers, I’ll start dismantling buildings... smashing your mound houses one by one until someone responsible comes forward. I’m counting to three. One..."

Negris listened with great interest, exclaiming, "Wow, you’re so fierce! That’s terrifying. But do you think it’ll work?"

Anthony lowered his voice and replied, "Of course it’ll work. Look around—it’s clean, not littered, everyone has shelter, and no bodies are exposed out in the wild. Clearly, order is maintained here. To keep order in such a harsh environment, there must be someone strong in charge. I don’t have time to ask one by one, so I’ll just force them to come out. Two..."

When Anthony raised his voice to count to two, a voice came from one of the larger mound houses not far away: "We have no leader here, but I’m a bit older than the others, and they’re willing to listen to me. I can take responsibility. Honorable guests, may I ask what brings you here?"

Anthony turned toward the mound house from which the voice came. This particular mound was twice the size of the others, with a noticeably larger doorway. Inside, a burly man was hunching as he slowly draped himself in a cloak made from date palm leaves.

Protecting oneself from the Light Disaster is actually quite simple. As long as every inch of the body is covered thoroughly, there won’t be any sunburn effects. The real problem with the Light Disaster is its impact on agriculture—it causes crop failure, leaving everyone to face starvation.

"Wear this." Anthony tossed over a lightweight black cloak.

This cloak had two layers, with a skeletal support structure sandwiched between them. It kept the outer layer of fabric from sticking to the wearer’s body. The inner layer, made of silk, was designed to wick sweat and allow ventilation. Once worn, the inner layer rapidly emitted sweat and removed heat, feeling like a layer of icy fabric against the skin—exceedingly comfortable.

Lisa had designed these new cloaks using the concept of silk innerwear to combat the Light Disaster. They were extremely popular and had become a must-have item for travelers, mercenaries, and nobles.

Without these cloaks, no one ventured out during the day. Ordinary cloaks were too thin to block the Light Disaster properly and too thick to prevent overheating, which could make someone faint from heatstroke.

However, farmers working in the fields only needed thin cloaks. They received blessings from the World Tree while laboring, the crops imbued with life force. In return, the World Tree conferred blessings from the God of Life, ensuring that they remained energetic, healthy, and free from ailments.

No matter what, this cloak was an expensive item. One glance or touch would make that apparent. The burly man took it with a mixture of astonishment and doubt, glancing between the cloak and Anthony.

Anthony’s earlier tone might have seemed unfriendly, but standing effortlessly under the searing sun revealed the group’s extraordinary strength. The burly man, steeling himself for the worst outcome, was caught off guard by the generosity of receiving such a valuable item from someone who now seemed genuinely kind and far from hostile.

After hesitating, the burly man donned the cloak and stepped out of the mound. He straightened himself up.

"He’s pretty tall, must be two meters at least. Those people listen to him—could it be out of fear of a beating?" Negris quipped. In such a barren Plane, growing such a robust human wasn’t normal. Perhaps his bloodline held other secrets.

Anthony spoke kindly, "Time is short, so I’ll be direct. I have two questions. First, what’s the situation here? The Light Disaster has recently intensified—have you noticed any changes? Second, are there any injured or sick people? Take me to them; I can heal them."

The burly man’s body visibly trembled, his face filled with disbelief as he looked at Anthony. Once he was certain Anthony wasn’t joking, his joy was uncontrollable. He urgently gestured, "This way, sir—this way, please."

Distributing food and treating illnesses have always been the quickest way to win people’s hearts after a disaster. Anthony’s use of such tactics quickly won over the burly man, who promptly forgot the earlier perceived hostility.

As they headed toward the area where the injured were located, Anthony abruptly stopped, causing the burly man to halt as well. Together, they looked toward the edge of the Oasis.

There, in the sands surrounding the Oasis, Ange stomped down firmly, leaving a deep footprint. Around him, various crops began growing wildly. Battling against the intense sunlight of the Light Disaster, the plants competed fiercely to sprout and flourish.

The tender tips of the shoots quickly withered and fell, but new green shoots persistently emerged below them, continuing to grow.

In the face of such boundless life force, the entire Oasis’ date palm trees began to grow rampantly as well. They stretched out more large leaves, shielding the ground from the sunlight. In no time, the entire Oasis was shrouded in shade.

As the light dimmed, the people peeking out of the mound houses hesitated before stepping out further. Their faces turned to astonishment as they stared at the leaves above.

With a thud, the burly man dropped to his knees, his legs trembling. In awe and disbelief, he asked, "Are... are you gods? Have you come in search of the Divine’s Ship?"