I started on a rocking horse and relied on watching ads to dominate the highway survival charts.

"That's a fake dragon, and the dragon tendons aren't of very high purity. I'll help you improve the purity, and you can have them, along with this bead, as payment for running errands for me."

Huo Yunzhi hesitated for a moment, but still took out the dragon tendon that had been pulled from the fake dragon from the hidden pocket in her sleeve.

The transparent tendon, which was originally only as thick as a little finger and emitted a faint golden light, suddenly straightened the moment Ao Ling touched it, and a layer of watery light appeared on its surface.

Ao Ling rubbed his fingers back and forth on it a couple of times, and the color of the dragon tendon slowly changed from transparent to milky white, and then gradually revealed a light golden base color. It was noticeably thicker than the one Huo Yunzhi had obtained before.

"Alright." Ao Ling handed the reinforced dragon tendon to her: "You can use this as a bowstring or weave it into your... your red silk ribbon, it's better than the previous one that broke so easily."

Huo Yunzhi reached out and took it.

The dragon tendon felt warm to the touch on my palm, and I could vaguely feel something slowly flowing inside.

She rolled it up and put it in her sleeve pocket, then turned around, holding the scale in her hand, pausing for a moment before leaving.

Turning his head to look at the bead still floating above Ao Ling's head, he seemed to be trying to memorize its appearance.

Huo Yunzhi walked back along the same path. The grayish-white filling in the cracks of the stone slabs made a rustling sound underfoot, a little more subtle than when she came.

Since Ao Ling brought the Tide Sound Pearl back, it has been hanging quietly on Huo Yunzhi's waist, showing no signs of struggling to leave. Even the golden threads on its surface are flowing much more slowly than before.

As we walked out of the narrow passage in the rock wall, light streamed in from the cave entrance, carrying the salty smell of the sea breeze.

Huo Yunzhi narrowed her eyes and saw that Li was still standing in the spot where she had left.

She was facing away from the cave entrance, her eyes lowered, as if counting the pebbles on the ground.

Hearing footsteps, Li excitedly looked up: "You got the key?"

Huo Yunzhi shook her head and held Ao Ling's scales side by side in her palm, handing them over: "I didn't get the key, but she told me to give you this."

Li's gaze fell on the pinkish-blue dragon scales, and her pupils suddenly contracted.

She took a few shallow breaths, then snatched the scale and rubbed it between her fingertips for a moment.

"...Did she give this to me herself?"

Huo Yunzhi nodded.

Li's knuckles turned white as she gripped the scales, and it took her several breaths before she loosened her grip.

She carefully tucked the scales into her inner pocket, and when she looked up again, the strange emotion in her eyes had been suppressed, as if it had never existed.

She pulled out a palm-sized seashell: "Here you go."

"What is this?"

Huo Yunzhi took the seashell with a puzzled look, shook it gently, and then...

"Splash!"

A white pearl mountain, as tall as a person, appeared before Huo Yunzhi.

"So many?"

"You deserve it," Li said, then turned and left the mine.

Going back to the mining site was much smoother than coming here.

Huo Yunzhi followed the rocky beach exposed after the tide receded, winding her way back to the mine filled with broken seashells. She spent most of the day collecting seashells, before being teleported back to her vehicle with a bountiful harvest.

By the end of the third day of mining, Huo Yunzhi felt like a ruthless pearl miner, while the number of white pearls in her hands was approaching 10000+.

After resting in the vehicle, Huo Yunzhi took out the summoning item that Watermelon Head had given her from the tool bag on her waist.

A thin layer of water mist slowly rose around the vehicle. The mist grew thicker and thicker, its color changing from transparent to bluish-gray, and finally condensing into a water curtain as tall as a person.

A crack appeared in the middle of the water curtain, and a hand emerged from the crack.

The hand had a dark blue skin tone, with translucent webbing between the fingers, and long, sharp nails that shimmered with a dark purple light.

Then the entire arm squeezed out, followed by the shoulder, neck, and head.

After emerging from the water curtain, the merman shivered, and the deep blue scales on its head quickly turned into a layer of white frost in the dry air.

His golden pupils darted around and locked onto Huo Yunzhi.

"Did you call me? What do you want to buy?"

What do you have?

The merman grinned, revealing two rows of fine, needle-like teeth. He reached down and touched the base of his tail, pulling out a clump of grayish, sponge-like substance.

"Deep-sea breathing algae, a palm-sized piece stuck to the back of your neck, can keep you underwater for half an hour, perfect for someone like you who lives on land."

Huo Yunzhi took it and felt its soft texture, then squeezed it hard, and a thick, clear liquid seeped out, smelling like seaweed.

"Is there anything else?"

The merman rummaged under the scales of his tail for a while and pulled out several items.

A coral polyp the size of a fist can absorb the fishy smell in the air and keep the vehicle dry.

The transparent tube, about the length of a little finger, is made from constant-temperature algae collected from deep-sea hydrothermal vents. When wrapped around the water supply pipe, it keeps the water temperature in the vehicle within a comfortable range.

A strange dark green powder, when applied to the vehicle's outer shell, can prevent sea salt corrosion and does not require cleaning for three months.

Finally, he pulled out a crumpled ball of dark purple fabric, which unfolded into a thin, translucent cloak. When he shook it open, a very faint, sweet, fishy smell filled the air.

"A water-repellent cloak keeps rain and waves away from your body, but it only protects against fresh water; seawater will still seep through if you soak it for too long."

Huo Yunzhi laid out the items in a row, considered the stock in her bag, and then bought everything with a wave of her hand.

The merman was surprised by Huo Yunzhi's magnanimity, and his expression became obsequious.

Before leaving, he even gave Huo Yunzhi a large handful of pink and white scales, which were said to be able to transform into a mermaid in the sea for half an hour.

After Huo Yunzhi accepted the gifts, the merman merchant disappeared into the water curtain, vanishing into the bluish-gray mist as if dissolved in ink.

The water curtain quickly thinned and faded, eventually leaving a small wet ring on the floor, which disappeared after a few breaths.

The vehicle fell silent, with only the low hum of the air circulation system remaining.

Huo Yunzhi put the remaining white pearls back into the shell and sealed them. She then unwound the constant temperature tube and wrapped it around the water supply pipe interface. The transparent tube automatically tightened as soon as it touched the pipe wall, and a layer of warm, soft light shone on its surface.

The spongy respiratory algae were strung together with a thin rope and hung on the seat back, while the coral polyps were placed near the air vents, which looked rather sanity-degrading.

The dusty little thing slowly unfolded its tentacles upon contact with the airflow, with pale blue filaments emerging from its tips.

She put the anti-salt powder into her toolbox, planning to take it to Shen Chilie's place tomorrow to experiment and see if it could be used in combination with waterproof coating.

After finishing, she leaned back in her chair and let out a long sigh, glancing down at the communication panel. A red dot was lit up on the group chat icon, indicating a message notification in the smaller group.

After Huo Yunzhi opened it, Wen Zhaoye's question immediately caught her attention.

[I Have a Logic Cat]: Have you guys encountered any service areas in the last couple of days?