readsfreenovel Chapter 38 The Land of Wind and Sand
Chapter 38 The Land of Wind and Sand
Tao Tao felt a chill run down her spine as Ye Lan stared at her. She turned her head sharply and saw Ye Lan walking towards them with a smile.
That smile was creepy; something just felt off.
"You all know the current situation. We can't get out anytime soon, and there's danger at any moment. Going alone is not a wise move. Why don't we travel together?"
Ye Lan suggested traveling together, which was unexpected for the three of them, but it was clear that Ye Lan had no other choice.
"Travel with us? No way." Tao Tao firmly refused, not even giving Song Chaofeng and the others a chance to speak, leaving Song Chaofeng and Linghu Xuan to exchange helpless glances.
Given Ye Lan's style of doing things, traveling with her might not be the best choice, but she is right about one thing: this place is fraught with danger, so having more people is naturally the best, in case anything happens, they can look out for each other.
That's why Song Chaofeng hesitated, but then Tao Tao did something that caught him completely off guard.
Ye Lan's lips twitched involuntarily, and the smile on her face immediately froze. She also disliked Tao Tao, who not only stole her things but also showed her no respect. Naturally, she was furious inside, but on the surface, she chuckled and said, "It won't do you any harm. Or do you think you can deal with demonic cultivators?"
Upon hearing this, Tao Tao suddenly looked up, her eyes sparkling like stars, appearing exceptionally bright. She blinked and said, "Yes."
"Tao Tao, listen to me." Song Chaofeng quickly pulled Tao Tao aside and coaxed her softly for a while before she finally nodded.
Song Chaofeng then said to Ye Lan, "We can travel together, but there are some things I need to make clear to you. If we encounter danger, survival is the priority. At that time, no one can take care of anyone else. Also, everyone has a share of the things in Xiaobietian, so we must ensure fairness and impartiality."
"So you overheard our conversation?" Ye Lan narrowed her eyes, her expression unfriendly. Linghu Xuan, standing to the side, smiled faintly. "I don't need to hear it; I know it with a little thought."
"Okay, I agree, but if you want to go in, you have to listen to me and not act on your own."
"make a deal."
After the two sides reached an agreement, Ye Lan began to prepare for battle. Everyone knew that Xiaobietian had good things, and she naturally did not want to miss it. Her desire to find out about the overseas demonic cultivators was just an excuse.
After experiencing this turmoil, the remaining people were even more hesitant to act alone, as they didn't know if another ice demon would appear. So they decided to continue following Ye Lan, and the seven of them set off after getting ready.
It was strange, really. They passed through the Black Mud Swamp but didn't see a single man-eating frog or ghost leech. These creatures that should have lived here seemed to have vanished. Could it be because of the Ice Demon's intervention?
No one knows exactly what happened, but the fact that they can pass through the Black Mud Swamp unimpeded without these ferocious monsters is a good thing.
After passing through the Black Mud Swamp, the group arrived at the Broken Rock Slope. The wind and sand were very strong here, making it almost impossible to fly across. They had to walk. So, when they arrived at the entrance of the Broken Rock Slope, everyone got off the flying artifact and walked in.
"The wind and sand are strong here, so be extra careful. Also, watch out for sand eels, and never go alone. Always stay with the group."
After giving her reminder, Ye Lan took the lead and walked inside, with the others following closely behind.
Tuantuan, who was perched on Tao Tao's shoulder, seemed a little uncomfortable and made whimpering noises, so Tao Tao had to put it back into the pet carrier.
"Be careful," Song Chaofeng whispered a reminder. Tao Tao nodded and went inside.
The ground of the cliff slope is all soft sand, and you can't hear a sound when you step on it. There is also a lot of wind and sand around, which covers up all the sounds.
When the sandstorms are strong, they have to set up defensive barriers, otherwise they won't be able to open their eyes and will easily lose their way. But this also consumes too much spiritual energy, which is not easy to replenish.
The sandstorm around them was getting stronger and stronger, and even with the defensive barrier, it was still quite difficult. Song Ling'er gritted her teeth and couldn't help but ask, "How much longer?"
"We're almost there. Ahead lies the Red Sun Grand Canyon, and we'll probably see the border of Demon Scale Valley in about another day's journey." Ye Lan flipped through the map scroll, roughly estimating the direction.
With the answer in hand, Song Ling'er breathed a sigh of relief, took out a spirit stone and pressed it to her forehead to restore her depleted spiritual power. "That's good. This place is strange, we shouldn't stay here any longer, we need to speed up our journey."
"Alright." Ye Lan nodded and immediately shouted, "Everyone, quicken your pace. We'll rest when we get to the Red Sun Grand Canyon."
The crowd echoed this sentiment and quickened their pace.
Tao Tao was so hungry she was dizzy. She tugged at Song Chaofeng's sleeve and said pitifully, "I'm hungry..."
Although he knew Tao Tao would get hungry quickly, this was the worst time. The food in his storage bracelet was already empty, so where was he going to get any for her?
"Let's be patient for now, we'll talk about it when we get to the Red Sun Grand Canyon," Song Chaofeng comforted her, afraid that Tao Tao might run away because she was too hungry.
"Okay..." Tao Tao nodded reluctantly, her nose red and her eyes full of tears. She was so hungry that she was dizzy and could no longer walk. She could only barely hold on by her last breath.
The sandy ground was difficult to walk on; it was soft and weak underfoot, making it impossible to muster any strength. The sandstorm was also intensifying, and many of them were on the verge of collapse.
"Luckily we didn't encounter any sand eels, or we would have been in serious trouble." Linghu Xuan couldn't help but purse his lips. This cliff slope was much more difficult to traverse than he had imagined, and the sandstorm showed no signs of abating, making it truly painful.
Song Ling'er, who was standing next to her, glanced around, frowned, and said, "Stop talking nonsense and let's go."
"Senior Sister Song has quite a temper," Linghu Xuan teased, only to be met with a glare from Song Ling'er, so he could only remain silent.
In order to reach the Red Sun Grand Canyon as soon as possible, everyone was carrying heavy loads and dared not slack off in the slightest. After all, their lives were at stake, and no one dared to relax at this critical juncture.
As they walked, Tao Tao fell behind the crowd. Song Chaofeng quickly turned around and found Tao Tao staring longingly to the northwest, looking like he was drooling.
"Tao Tao, hurry up and keep up, the sandstorm is getting strong, be careful not to get lost."
"Senior brother, there's food over there."
Where?
With sandstorms raging, where would they find food? They must be starving.
"Over there, I'll go check it out first!" Tao Tao pointed to the right and darted out as a white shadow before Song Chaofeng could speak.
“Wait…” Song Chaofeng sighed helplessly, preparing to chase after her, but the sandstorm instantly swallowed up the distance and he could not see anything. Linghu Xuan quickly reached out and pulled him back, “You are not as quick as her. If you go, you will only be buried in the sandstorm.”
"What about Tao Tao?"
"What can we do but believe her?"