572: Chapter 567 Are you leaving?

The men were bare-chested, dancing a rough war dance around the bonfire.

Their footsteps were heavy and powerful; every stomp seemed to make the earth tremble.

Their roars were deep and desolate, as if imitating the fierce winds of the desert.

The women began singing ancient ballads.

The singing was melodious and winding, recounting the tribe's migrations, struggles, and proliferation.

Shen Yan watched and listened quietly.

He wasn't admiring the scenery.

He was observing.

Observing the tribe's cohesion, observing their organizational structure, observing the spirit of every single person.

These people would all be a part of his plan in the future.

They were not just miners; they were the cornerstone upon which he would build a new order in this lawless land.

An aged figure sat down beside him.

It was the priest, Sang Mu.

"Outsider, do you not like our song and dance?"

Sang Mu's voice was no longer filled with the wariness it held before.

"No, I like it very much," Shen Yan said. "I was thinking, what kind of melody it will be when your songs sing not of migration and suffering, but of harvest and abundance."

Sang Mu froze.

He looked at Shen Yan with his cloudy eyes for a long time.

"You... are different from every outsider we have ever met."

"They either wanted to steal our things or offer us some scraps."

"But you want to change us."

"Change is not necessarily a bad thing," Shen Yan said lightly.

Sang Mu fell silent for a moment, then pulled out a palm-sized black stone covered in strange patterns from his embrace.

"This is the raw ore of the 'God Stone'."

"The legend in the tribe says that a very, very long time ago, a burning star fell from the sky and landed in Moon Lake."

"The core of the star is these stones."

"They possess the power of a god."

Sang Mu handed the stone to Shen Yan.

"Wu He's decision was correct."

"The sand god has indeed given us a trial."

"What He tested was not our resolve to cling to the past."

"But whether we dare to grasp the hand of the future."

Shen Yan took the raw stone.

It was icy cold in his hand, yet it seemed to contain some strange energy.

The system's voice sounded in his mind right on schedule.

A faint glimmer flashed in Shen Yan's eyes.

He placed the raw 'God Stone' into his pocket.

He looked up at the myriad stars overhead.

The desert night sky was as pure as black velvet.

The stars were exceptionally bright.

His journey was never just this desert.

It was the broader starry sky above his head.

The hangover headache woke Shen Yan as the sky began to lighten.

The after-effects of the Cacti fruit wine were stronger than he had imagined.

He sat up and rubbed his temples.

The system's prompt tone was perfectly clear in his mind.

[Detected High-Energy Unknown Mineral Sample: Stardust Core.]

[Preliminary Analysis: Contains ultra-high-density stable energy, viable as ideal fuel for Fourth Generation Fusion Reactors, and a key material for constructing the Genesis Artificial Intelligence server matrix.]

[Intelligence Value: SSS-rank.]

[Mission Triggered: 'Cornerstone of the Desert'. Host is requested to assist the Sand Viper Tribe in establishing the first stable mineral extraction base.]

[Mission Reward: Artificial Intelligence Underlying Architecture Blueprint.]

A curve formed on Shen Yan's lips.

The Genesis server matrix.

The final and most crucial piece for his venture into the field of Artificial Intelligence had been found in this barren land.

He stood up and walked out of the stone hut.

The desert air in the early morning was cold and fresh.

The bonfire from the previous night had died down, leaving only ashes on the ground.

The tribespeople had already started their day's labor.

He found Kade distributing food.

"Kade, take me to the nearest city."

Shen Yan's voice wasn't loud, but everyone nearby heard it.

Kade was startled, and the piece of dried meat in his hand dropped onto the sand.

"Mr. Shen... you are leaving?"

His tone carried a trace of imperceptible panic.

Shen Yan glanced at the suddenly wary eyes around him.

"What I promised you won't grow out of the sand."

"I need to go purchase equipment and mobilize personnel."

Kade picked up the dried meat and hesitated, looking toward Wu He's stone hut not far away.

"This... I need to ask the Elder's permission."

"Go ahead."

Shen Yan stood with his hands in his pockets, his expression calm.

He knew this hurdle had to be cleared.

Trust was never built just by sharing a drink.

Not long after, Wu He walked out.

Behind him followed Ge Shan and the strong man named Batu.

Wu He's eyes, sharp like an eagle in the desert, fixed intently on Shen Yan.

"You want to leave?"

"I am going on an errand," Shen Yan corrected.

"What if you don't come back?" Ge Shan asked gruffly, his hand already resting on his knife hilt.

"Then you can consider last night as having had a good drink, eaten good meat, and had a good dream."

Shen Yan's tone was as placid as if he were talking about someone else.

"You..." Ge Shan's face turned bright red from being choked off.

Wu He raised a hand, stopping Ge Shan.

He stared at Shen Yan for a long time.

"You can go."

"But Batu must go with you."

"He will watch over our 'future' for us."

Wu He emphasized the pronunciation of the word 'future'.

Shen Yan glanced at Batu, who was like an iron tower.

Batu's eyes held no emotion, only absolute obedience and vigilance.

"Fine."

Shen Yan nodded.

"Kade, prepare the vehicle."

Half an hour later, a modified desert off-road vehicle, resembling a giant lizard, stopped at the edge of the tribe.

The people called it the 'Sand Lizard'.

Kade sat in the driver's seat, his face still etched with unease.

Shen Yan opened the co-pilot door and got in.

Batu wordlessly opened the back door and sat up straight, like a stone statue.

In his arms, he held a brightly polished scimitar.

His eyes never left Shen Yan through the rearview mirror.

"Let's go," Shen Yan said.

The 'Sand Lizard' let out a low roar, kicked up a cloud of sand, and drove off in the direction where the sun was rising.

Inside the cabin, there was silence.

Only the sound of the engine and the friction of the tires grinding over the sand.

Batu's mission was simple: keep a tight watch on this outsider.

If he showed any sign of escaping, Wu He's order was—he was allowed to bring him back to the tribe by any means necessary.

Whether alive or dead.

Batu looked at Shen Yan's profile.

This man had his eyes closed since getting into the car, as if feigning sleep.

He carried no weapons on him.

He looked like one of those pampered young masters from the city.

Batu could not understand why the elders would stake the tribe's fate on such a person.

The things he promised—the God Armor, the Spear of Thunder... they sounded as illusory as the stories the priest told by the fire pit.