[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-vegetable-growing-skeleton-s-foreign-land-re":3,"chapter-the-vegetable-growing-skeleton-s-foreign-land-re-the-vegetable-growing-skeleton-s-foreign-land-re-chapter-116":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","The Vegetable-Growing Skeleton's Foreign Land Reclamation",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2351597,4600,"Chapter 116","the-vegetable-growing-skeleton-s-foreign-land-re-chapter-116",116,"\u003Cp>\"Stop thinking about it—you don’t have dragon breath.\" Lightning’s single sentence silenced Negrilis; no wonder he was called the Stinky-Mouthed Broken-Horned Horse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Six thousand cavalry—that’s a lot, but how are they supposed to kill a dragon? They can’t fly. Are your bronze dragons really this weak?” Lu Se asked, stroking his chin in confusion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Weak? Pfft! Adult bronze dragons are forty meters long—I myself grew to fifty! One stomp and I’d crush you flat. Just wait till you see me—you won’t piss yourself from fear?” Negrilis snapped angrily.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sigh… Can’t see Luo anymore. Almost extinct.” Lightning sighed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Negrilis suddenly shouted: “Aow! Aow-aow-aow, aow!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The angel skull and the little zombie, who had been idly crouching on the ground drawing circles, snapped their heads up, tilted them, and both stared at Lightning—the same expression as when the angel skull was about to unleash its ultimate technique.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lightning immediately felt a bad omen and yelled: “What did you tell them? Why do you know how to say ‘aow’? No… don’t come near! Ouch! Don’t hit my face, don’t hit my horn, oww!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The angel skull summoned holy gauntlets and pinned Lightning to the ground, pounding him. The little zombie activated its spectral armor, sprinted to the far end of the room, then charged into Lightning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Se shook his head in disgust and waved his hand: “Ugh, you two are ridiculous. I can’t watch anymore. I’ll go on watch.” Then he slipped out to stand guard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Going on watch under these circumstances was just the same as saying: “Go ahead, harder—I’ve got the outside covered.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lightning curled up in the corner, hugging his head, howling in pain. The space was too small—his maxed-out evasion couldn’t be used, so he had to take it head-on.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Negrilis had vented his anger and sneered: “You don’t even know who I am? Just hear me a few times and you’ll learn.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He turned to Ange: “Ange, there are too many desert raiders, and some are elite—they truly believe they can kill dragons. I can’t let my people die here. Please, help me find my kin before they do.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Alright.” Ange nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Put them inside you, then ride me and fly there—try to get ahead of them,” Negrilis said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lightning struggled to poke his head out: “Ride me, ride me! I run three times faster than your little wings flapping! Ouch! Don’t hit my horn, don’t hit my face, don’t hit that!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rather than be cornered and beaten, Lightning preferred to be ridden.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ange gave the order. Though reluctant, everyone else obediently returned to Zhigong. Only Negrilis and Ange remained, mounting Lightning and circling wide before galloping toward the distance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After covering some distance and confirming their noise wouldn’t reach the cavalry behind, Lightning spoke: “Hold on tight—I’m accelerating. Let you, little dragon, see the speed of the Thunder Child.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes yes yes, Thunder Child—I’ll make the Thunder ‘Lord’ spoil you more when we get back. I know how to build lightning generators. Zi Hai will love it.” He emphasized “Lord” with special tone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Negrilis now understood: I can’t beat you, but can’t I bribe others to beat you?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh no no no, Great God of Knowledge, you are loving and forgiving—please don’t hold grudges over minor offenses. Watch Lightning perform for you! Hold on tight!” Lightning’s tone turned sweetly obedient as he unleashed all four hooves in full sprint.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he ran, fine sparks crackled from his broken horn. The faster he ran, the fiercer the sparks became—until, at a critical threshold, a bolt of lightning shot forward, striking the ground ahead and splitting into dozens of tiny silver serpents, spreading like a spiderweb.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lightning’s next step landed squarely on this web of electricity—the lightning instantly wrapped around his hooves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, it was as if heaven and earth had been connected—Lightning’s hooves were electrified. Each step sparked with lightning; when he struck hard ground, sparks flew.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, sparks and lightning trailed behind him as Lightning’s form surged forward like a blur—his hoofbeats grew lighter, his movements more ethereal, as if he were about to take flight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Any competent cavalry unit, when setting camp, always posts forward sentries—some as far as dozens of kilometers out, to prevent enemy raids.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But here, in this endless desert, who would dare raid? One sentry, wrapped in a cloak, warmed himself against the leeward side—suddenly heard movement and a gust of wind. After spitting out the dust, he saw nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Did… did something just run past?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lightning’s speed was indeed far faster than Negrilis’s tiny wings. Before dawn, Ange spotted a patch of green on the distant horizon—the first oasis of the Desert of Despair: Hope Oasis.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hope Oasis was the first major oasis after entering the desert. Normally, caravans took over twelve days to reach it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, caravans moved slowly; a proper military column could arrive in five days. But a ragtag force? No guarantees—they might even be slower than the caravans.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Regardless, Lightning had covered in one night what took caravans twelve days—he deserved his name.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After finishing, he drank three full barrels of pure holy water, panting: “Alright… the lightning generator… don’t sell it to Zi Hai, got it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Negrilis felt guilty—he’d caused Lightning to collapse just by speaking a few words. Though he was usually harsh, even if he’d done no great deed, he’d at least endured hardship.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Fine fine, won’t sell, won’t sell. Honestly, didn’t need to run this fast… sigh.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Lightning had caught his breath, Ange released everyone else. The group walked toward the oasis.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The edge of the oasis was chaotic—everywhere were crude huts: holes dug into the ground, supported by branches and covered with leaves and debris, with only a small opening to crawl in and out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside, these huts were low and dark—couldn’t even stand upright. They blocked wind but not rain, had no drainage—when heavy rain came, they’d flood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But in the desert, if it rained hard, everyone would be happy even if their huts flooded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Most huts were empty. A few had people inside—when they heard the noise, they peeked out, wide-eyed with curiosity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All children—big heads, filthy. A few elderly, but not a single able-bodied adult in sight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Ange’s group passed, the children crawled out and watched from afar—curious but afraid to approach. Lu Se waved to some, pulling out his favorite dried beetroot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In an instant, Lu Se was surrounded by a swarm of children. The elderly tried to stop them, but couldn’t hold them back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Se broke the beetroot into small pieces, giving each child one. This sweet, honey-like treat was even better than regular candy—most children howled with delight, making the angel skull and little zombie howl along.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After calming the children, Lu Se waved to the elderly at a distance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The elderly hesitated, then approached slowly. From afar, they knelt and bowed deeply, then shuffled forward hunched over. When they reached Lu Se, they knelt again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Negrilis mused: “Looks like strict hierarchy here—even speaking requires staying bent over.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The elderly secretly lifted their heads, gave him a strange look, then quickly lowered them again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their strange expressions held curiosity and surprise—but no shock, as if they’d seen Negrilis before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing their expressions, Negrilis’s heart stirred—he asked: “Have you seen creatures like me? Have you? I’m here to find her—she’s my mother.”\u003C\u002Fp>",1222,"2026-06-21T03:18:43.177Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","fcf19be1565c74743b4aba62a70a11bb29c957e32bf504d843511c8134f18d0c","the-vegetable-growing-skeleton-s-foreign-land-re-chapter-117","the-vegetable-growing-skeleton-s-foreign-land-re-chapter-115",1000,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-vegetable-growing-skeleton-s-foreign-land-re-cover.jpg"]