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As players go throughStardew Valley, they may eventually start the Mysterious Qi questline. After playersreplace the Battery Packin the roadway tunnel by the bus stop, they will be given a variety of strange requests from Mr. Qi that they must complete.
One of the requests for players is to"give the sand dragon his last meal.“WithStardew Valleyplayers mostly seeing anything dragon-like as enemies in Skull Cavern, they may think that the sand dragon is an enemy they need to defeat. However, players don’t need to face off with any kind of dragon boss for this request. The only things players will need for this part of the quest are oneSolar Essenceand access to theCalico Desert. Here’s how to give the sand dragon his last meal and complete Mr. Qi’s quest.
Updated May 30, 2025, by Michael Christopher:We’ve refreshed this guide to make it as readable and helpful as possible.
How To Get Solar Essence
In order to finish this quest, players will need to get their hands on a Solar Essence.Solar Essence is an item dropped by the following enemies:
Blue Squids
Metal Heads
Players can also purchase them fromKrobusfor 80g. If players have a Fish Pond with ten Sunfish in it, there’s a chance they’ll produce aSolar Essenceeach day, too. The easiest way, especially early on in the game, is to travel to the icy mine levelsbetween levels 51 and 79, which can spawn ghosts.
Ghosts are nearly a guaranteed source of Solar Essence, and the most accessible to players who may have yet to gain access to Skull Cavern, Krobus, or invest into a Sunfish Fish Pond. Solar Essence can also be farmed in Ginger Island’s volcano dungeon if players happen to be playing on the island and need some Solar Essence quickly.
How To Gain Access To Calico Desert
The sand dragon is actually located in Calico Desert, which is an area outside of Stardew Valley. In order to get access to the Desert, players will need to complete the vault bundles in the Community Center.
2,500
5,000
10,000
25,000
1Crystalarium
In total,this will cost players 42,500g,but will repair the bus and allow players to buy bus tickets to the Desert. If they take the Joja Route, they’ll just need to pay for the"Bus"option on the Development Form. This costs 40,000g.
How To Travel To Calico Desert
Once players have everything they need, they need to take the Solar Essence to the desert. The bus line starts at around 10:10 am inStardew Valley’s in-game time. Players can only buy tickets once Pam gets to the bus.She will leave her station at 5:00 pm, but players can still go home if they are in the desert past 5:00 pm.
It’s also possible totravel to the Desert and back using Warp Totems, which saves players from having to buy a bus ticket. Taking the bus back to the Valley doesn’t actually cost any money, so players can simply consume a Desert Warp Totem and then return on the bus when they need to.
How To Find The Sand Dragon And Feed Him His Last Meal
After getting off thebus in the Desert, players need to head west on the road until they see a large animal skeleton on the south side of the road.This is the sand dragon that players need to “give his last meal” to.
Once players approach the sand dragon’s skeleton, they need touse the Solar Essence on the skull’s mouth. This will unlock the final request forthe Mysterious Qi questlinethat players need to follow, in which they need to check the lumber pile next to the player’s farmhouse. Doing this will give players the Club Card, which will allowfull access to the Casino inside Calico Desert.
The Casino is located in the Oasis store that’s south of the sand dragon’s skeleton. Going inside with the Club Card will allow players to get into the secret back room where the Casino is. There, players can participate in multiplegambling games.
Stardew Valleyis available now on Mobile, PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One.
