Live Streaming: Great Adventure in the Wilderness-Chapter 833 - 829: Ancient Path

The Egypt with a history spanning thousands of years uses the Sahara Desert as a boundary line, situated in northern Africa, and is part of North Africa on the African continent.

Geopolitically, it's also considered the easternmost part of the "Middle East." In terms of both its area and population, Africa is the world's second-largest continent, second only to Asia.

Yet such a vast land has become a forgotten area in international geopolitics.

When people discuss international situations, their focus is on Europe and America, the Asia-Pacific, the Middle East, and so on.

Mention Africa, and the first impression is poverty, conflict, hunger, AIDS, Ebola...

Throughout history, the majority of African countries have been colonial territories of European and American powers. After gaining independence in the 20th century, they fell into an endless cycle of poverty and conflict.

To this day, Africa remains the most economically backward and conflict-ridden continent among the seven in the world.

One reason Bi Fang didn't get close to human cities was to avoid these disputes as much as possible, because once involved, even his immense powers would be of no use.

However, insignificant as it may seem, Egypt was one of the early entities to enter into the advanced societal organization of a nation-state within human society.

Egypt's civilization appeared earlier than any other place in the world.

By 4000 BC, this area had formed two independent kingdoms: Upper Egypt and Lower Egypt, while the legendary Yellow Emperor would not emerge for another millennium.

In the midst of the desert, Bi Fang rode a camel on the ancient trade routes.

This is a peculiar desert, though part of the Sahara, it is utterly different.

Here, the desert is black in one place, white in another, clearly demarcated, with the Black Desert resembling the surface of Mars, and the White Desert pure as snow.

It seems extraordinarily unique.

"How come this desert is colored like this?"

"Both black and white, is that white part snow?"

"What is this dividing line!"

The audience in the live stream was astonished by the terrain that resembled an alien planet.

"It's pretty amazing, isn't it? This is Egypt's Black and White Desert, unlike any of the yellow deserts elsewhere in the world."

Bi Fang jumped down from his camel, crouched on the ground, and picked up a handful of mixed black and white sand.

He was precisely at the junction between the black and white sand, the two types mixing yet distinct at each grain.

"The Black Desert on the left is located in an area of ancient submarine volcanoes; hence, it's covered in a layer of black volcanic material, creating a black and yellow landscape."

"The black material, from volcanic eruptions, ranges from coarse like rock to fine like sand, forming what we now call the Black Desert."

"As for the White Desert, do you see those huge stones over there?"

Bi Fang pointed to white rocks not too far away.

Scattered throughout the desert, the various white rocks had very peculiar shapes. They could make one think of numerous animal figures, as if one had arrived at a massive sculpture exhibition.

"Here, you can see chalky rocks that have been sculpted into strange shapes by millions of years of erosion. Some resemble camels, others mighty lions."

"That's the origin of the White Desert, a kind of metamorphic rock."

"Over hundreds of years, with repeated ferocious Sahara Desert storms sweeping through, the sand grains from nearby dunes eroded these 'chalk-colored' boulders year after year. As a result, this place ended up littered with piles of white rocks and black stones."

"These ubiquitous 'white stones' are not really rocks, but a kind of metamorphic rock formed by the continuous accumulation of marine organism remains from tens of thousands of years ago."

"The vast, silent desert that lies beneath our feet was actually an ocean in prehistoric times before being covered by forests."

"Until around 6000 to 8000 years ago, this wide depression west of the Nile River became a great grassland where ancient people could roam freely. Now, however, it has become one of the driest regions on Earth."

The white fine sand stretches to the horizon, endless to the eye.

"For Egyptians in any era, the desert has always been a hostile presence."

"In the minds of ancient Egyptians, deep within the Sahara, all manner of evil spirits have always existed, stirring up sandstorms and committing all sorts of wicked deeds."

"The situation is much the same today; without substantial payment, Egyptian guides and tour guides will never voluntarily take tourists into the great desert of the west for an adventure."

"Don't think that the traditionally nomadic Bedouins, normally fearless and bold, don't exercise caution in the desert. Once they enter, they're as careful as a new driver just getting their license."

"Locals, in fact, also harbor an inexplicable fear of straying too far from the roads."

[When I come here, I'm scared too]

[With such a vast desert, not a single person in sight, anyone would panic]

[I feel the same, even if I'm confident about the direction, walking in such a place still makes me nervous, afraid]

[Has Master Fang never been afraid?]

"I was once,"

Bi Fang admitted without evasion.

Updated from freewёbnoνel.com.

Implying that he was not afraid anymore.

"Humans, as social animals, have a natural fear of straying from the group, but many things become less frightening with repetition, and the more skills you possess, the more confident you become."

"Just like someone just said, in the vastness of the desert, even if you are an expert at identifying direction and are absolutely certain of your direction, after walking for an hour, two hours, or even a day, two days, and seeing no change in your surroundings, even the most steadfast will slowly start to doubt themselves."

"But when you're not just an expert at identifying direction but also an expert at finding water sources, at hunting, at survival, then the panic will greatly diminish."

"With sufficient capability, plus plenty of experience, gradually you won't feel anxious anymore."

[I get it, it's about becoming a 'god', right?]

[Is Old Fang boasting about himself?]

[Getting more shameless, I like it]

"That's the truth, alright,"

Bi Fang said, scratching his head, two months

"The desert regions bordering Egypt, Chad, and Libya have five oasis areas suitable for human habitation: Bahariya Oasis, Farafra Oasis, Dakhla Oasis, Kharga Oasis, and Siwa Oasis."

"Our route this time is to pass by the furthest west, Siwa Oasis, then move from north to south through the other four oasis regions to ensure ample supplies."

The mission was just to cross the Sahara, and it did not specify a specific route, so naturally, Bi Fang chose the most prudent approach.

Furthermore, an oasis is a treasure in the desert, and he always wanted to take a look.

"Whether in ancient or modern times, this region connected by intermittent oases has always been the key lifeline for human survival in desert areas."

"Nowadays, from south to north throughout the entire Egyptian territory, the Nile River flows through the entire desert region into the Mediterranean Sea. If people wish, they can take a boat and travel all the way to Cairo along the Nile."

"Thousands of years ago, the Nile River wasn't the only route connecting Upper and Lower Egypt; hundreds of kilometers west of the Nile, there was an ancient desert path running parallel to the great river."

"On this ancient path, goods such as ivory, ebony, frankincense, rhino horn, leopard skins, and even giraffe tails from Sudan and Chad were continuously transported to the Mediterranean coast, and from there, they were exported to various European countries."

"This desert trade route is the very one beneath our feet, which, it is said, would take about 40 days to travel by foot."

The camera moved below Bi Fang, but, unfortunately, perhaps due to the passage of too much time, there were no recognizable traces of the road.

Only from high above, with a drone, could you vaguely discern some outlines, but they were not clear.

This road had been abandoned for over a century, and the fact that any trace of it could still be seen was remarkable.

"In the 19th century, there were still large caravans that frequently used this ancient path to transport goods."

"A scholar from Central Country, Wilkinson, encountered a caravan in January 1825 here that was transporting 600 African slaves. It is said that this caravan could complete the approximately 900 kilometers of the ancient desert trade route in 35 days."

"It sounds slow, only thirty kilometers a day, but remember, this was a caravan, not a lone wanderer like me; their pace would definitely be slower."

"French naturalist Frédéric Cailliaud also mentioned in his writings that in 1817, there was a caravan of 16,000 people on this desert route, more than 6,000 of whom were slaves."

"That size is not just a caravan; it's practically a veritable army."

"Back then, if people had to risk traveling this trade route through the vast desert, they would typically write their wills in advance and entrust their souls to Allah."

[I don't know this Allah, but I know about pearls]

[Pony Pearl, right?]

[How dare you! Is that something you can comment on!?]

[Allah, as described in the Quran, is the name of the highest and sole reality in the universe, the one who is worthy of worship.]

[He is the only ruler worshipped by Muslims worldwide, considered the creator of all things in the universe and the nurturer of the whole world. He sent many prophets to convey the truth to humans and will execute fair judgment in the afterlife, his status similar to that of God.]

[Quickly, say thank you to Karl with me.]

In the Agabat Valley, not far from the White and Black Desert, Bi Fang halted Alpha and found a large formation of crystalline stones in the process of formation.

This was Crystal Mountain.

Egypt is a world-renowned producer of crystals, and Crystal Mountain is one of those sites where vast natural crystals are exposed to the air, sparkling under the sunlight.

Bi Fang picked up several nicely colored crystals from the ground and stuffed them into his backpack, also as ornaments.

He also saw underground caverns where crystals grew like moss in the darkness, sprouting and forming in the rock layers, clean and shiny, alongside massive crystal columns, exposed on the surface like red corals in the sea.

Leaving Crystal Mountain, Bi Fang rode on for several days before coming to the first oasis.

It wasn't large, its waters just a small pond, but the surrounding vegetation was plentiful. Even with just a little water, life was tenaciously blooming here.

Even more pleasantly, Bi Fang discovered several cacti here!

Such invasions of species have become commonplace in today's globalized world.

"You may have all heard this, that when walking in the desert, you can eat cactus flesh to quench your thirst."

"Many cacti are indeed edible, but not all of them. There are over a thousand species of cacti, some of which are poisonous."

"With so many species, most of which look very similar, even I can't recognize them all. We need to be careful, so some tests for edibility are needed."

There are mainly two ways to obtain food in the wild for survival. One is by hunting wild animals, and the other is by gathering wild plants.

To hunt wild animals, one must first understand the habitat of the animal, master its living patterns, and then employ methods such as trapping, snaring, using animal clamps, and shooting to hunt it down.

This required prolonged training and practice under expert guidance to truly master.

By comparison, plant gathering is much simpler.

Although simple, correctly gathering becomes much more difficult, which also requires a certain amount of training under expert guidance to acquire this knowledge.

"I'll introduce the simplest method for identifying whether wild plants are poisonous or non-poisonous, for use in emergency situations."

"Usually, you make a small cut in the plant you have collected, add a pinch of salt, and then observe whether the original color changes; plants that change color generally should not be consumed."

Bi Fang sliced a piece of cactus flesh and sprinkled a thin layer of salt on it.

Salt is actually quite easy to obtain in the Sahara; most oases are brine lakes. In addition, there are many minerals that crystallize salt, which cannot be eaten directly but can be processed slightly.

"Of course, this is for the most, most, most urgent moments, when if you do not eat, you are going to die. Then you can use the method I just mentioned to identify it. If not, then follow the steps I do to conduct a test."

There are six steps to the test: one, sight; two, smell; three, contact; four, smear; five, chew; six, taste.

"If it changes color, has a tough texture, or is brightly colored, please look elsewhere for your dinner."

"Smell it. Does it give off a putrid or almond-like or pear-like odor? These are nature's warning signs, for they indicate the presence of hydrogen cyanide. Avoid anything with these smells, of course, unless it's an almond or pear."

"The cactus in front of us looks very normal and has passed the first two tests."

"Next, conduct a skin contact test. Crush the part of the plant you want to eat and rub its juices on a sensitive part of your skin: the palm, wrist, inside elbow, or armpit."

"Leave it for a few hours to see if your body has any reactions."

Bi Fang cut off a piece of cactus and smeared the cut part on his arm to wait for a reaction.

"If your skin turns red and swollen, think about what the plant could do to your insides."

"Testing is a lengthy process, but we have plenty of time. Alpha has lost a lot of condition, so I will stay here for a day and set off again tomorrow."

In the evening, Bi Fang, having no abnormal reactions, began to apply the cactus on his lips, again without any stinging or swelling.

"In case of any emergency, first rinse your mouth with clear water."

Then Bi Fang cut off a piece the size of a thumb and chewed it, then spat it out.

No adverse reactions.

Lastly, he had a small taste.

"Wait four to six hours to see what happens."

"Do not drink any water in the meantime, as this could dilute the plant's toxic effects and give you a false negative reaction."

"Of course, do not eat any other food during this period."

"If it is a team, have one person perform this task and let the others observe to ensure safety."

"The whole process takes more than half a day, which is why there is a need for the salt-sprinkling method I just mentioned."

"In a state of extreme hunger, it is impossible to spend hours to ensure safety."

Only when the moon rose did Bi Fang confirm that the cactus in front of him was edible.

He cut off a large piece for his evening meal and no longer stopped Alpha from approaching the cactus.