The Vast Desert

Just as they were about to set out, Qian Dan, with the last of his cultivation power, transformed his armor into several multi-purpose shovels and handed them out. He then glanced at Shaheluo. "These should work for digging in sand, right? Later, we can find some planks for support. If we squeeze together, we probably won't get buried alive."

Shaheluo gave a nod. "The sand is soft, though. Digging a hole big enough to shelter nine people from sun and cold won't be easy. A natural sand pit is best. Stay near the edge and be careful, and you'll usually be fine."

A loud rumble echoed from Chi's stomach. Scratching his head, he looked at Shaheluo. "Limiting our cultivation has left us needing food like mortals. How do we handle this, Lao Sha?"

"Wait for nightfall!" Shaheluo patted Chi's shoulder. "There's no shortage of tasty things here once dark!"

As night approached, Shaheluo led the group forward at a brisk pace. The moment a slight chill touched the air, he organized a search for large rocks or natural caves. Fortunately, their luck held, and they found a reasonably sized cavern.

"Don't go too deep, everyone. Use the nearby rocks to block the entrance, but leave space for air!" Shaheluo instructed calmly.

"Lao Sha, I'm starving!" Possessing an innate Fire Spirit Root, Chi's digestion and metabolism were naturally faster, so hunger gripped him sooner than the others.

Shaheluo shook his head. "Not yet. Yun Feng, you collected a good amount of dry wood along the way, right? Time to put it to use!"

Yun Feng somehow produced a pile of wood from somewhere, more than enough to keep them warm through the night.

"Brother Chi, light it up!" Shaheluo pointed at the woodpile, looking excitedly at Chi.

"Ah, alright!" Gritting his teeth, Chi walked over, selected a thick stick and a sharp one, then began drilling to make fire. Still, being innately Fire Spirit Root, even his primitive method was faster than anyone else's.

"Lao Sha, we have fire!" Chi completely collapsed onto the ground afterward, not wanting to move an inch.

"Brother Yan, let's go find some food!" Shaheluo grabbed Yan, and each took a torch and a basket before heading out to forage.

The desert wind at night cut to the bone. If Shaheluo hadn't reminded Yan to wear thicker clothes earlier, he would have been miserable.

They returned very late, well into the early morning hours. Their expressions were somewhat strange, though perhaps it was just exhaustion. After all, in half a night they had caught two large worms, dozens of scorpions, a few Sun-blocking Spiders, and numerous antlions—yet it was barely enough to stave off hunger.

Though disgusted, everyone forced the food down, suppressing their nausea. They knew that without strength, collapsing in the desert could very well cost them their lives.

After eating his fill, Shaheluo called everyone over and shook hands with each in turn. This wasn't an attempt to bond; he could use his own Spirit Root to absorb and convert the sparse energy within the food into his own. The amount was minuscule, and what little he could distribute was even more negligible, but it was just enough for them to open their storage pouches.

Soon, everyone managed to open their storage pouches. They took out some Qi Nourishing Pills and consumed them, but the effect was far from ideal. Their recovered cultivation power was less than one percent of what they could restore outside. Wordlessly, they quietly put the pills away and took out some water and rations instead.

At the very least, they had survived the first day.

Early the next morning, right after sunrise, they set off. The temperature climbed steadily until, by mid-morning, the heat outside became unbearable. Unable to find a cave, they had to rely on Shaheluo, Qian Dan, and Dun to dig a deep hole to hide in.

"Three of us will stand guard: first, to prevent the hole from collapsing; second, to keep out any uninvited desert guests. We'll rotate shifts." Shaheluo picked up an iron shovel and took the first watch with Yan and Yun Feng.

Next were Lan Jinxi, Qian Dan, and Chi; the final shift was Mo Wenxi, Fan Cang, and Dun.

That night, they again failed to find a cave.

The second day passed without incident.

Finally, on the third day, with Mo Wenxi's help, the group not only found a cave but, crucially, a water source inside!

Everyone wanted to drink their fill, but Shaheluo stopped them. "In the great desert, water is precious. A source like this must be guarded by a formidable beast. Using a reasonable amount is fine, but reckless waste invites disaster. Without our cultivation, we can't fight it!"

Hearing this, they obediently fetched their waterskins, filled them, and abandoned any further thoughts about the pond.

Seeing they had finished collecting water, and as it wasn't too late yet, Shaheluo organized their departure. "At night, many creatures will come here to drink and ward off the cold. They won't fight each other there, but we can't replenish our energy. If we don't leave before dawn, we might be surrounded!"

With water in hand and thanks to the safe spot Shaheluo picked, they had a relatively comfortable night. The next day, after taking enough water, they set off once more.

The next few days followed a similar pattern. With a diviner and a water-attribute cultivator in the team, things remained stable as long as they were careful.

However, the desert's moods were as fickle as a woman's. They entered a quicksand zone, then ran into a sudden sandstorm. Thankfully, they found some camels nearby and, tempted by a sack of water, endured the ordeal.

But surviving it drained nearly all of Mo Wenxi's mental energy, forcing her into a state of 'Dharma Ending' and leaving the group to rely on luck once again.

To make matters worse, Lan Jinxi was stung by a desert golden scorpion that night. Though treated quickly, it left her severely weakened.

The next day, while fending off a swarm of worms several meters long, Yan was bitten on the abdomen, Qian Dan lost an arm, and Fan Cang exhausted his strength. Mo Wenxi, forcibly suppressing the 'Dharma Ending', divined the best spot for the group to regroup—then collapsed unconscious.

The group was forced to hole up in a cave for several days without making progress. Shaheluo and Chi hunted at night; Dun and Yun Feng held the fort. Qian Dan and Yan's injuries stabilized, Fan Cang regained consciousness, and Lan Jinxi improved slightly—the alchemical pills prevented the worst. Only Mo Wenxi, her mind force utterly depleted, remained unresponsive.

Several more days passed. Staying put was no solution. Their nightly hunts only gathered enough spiritual energy to open a storage pouch for minimal supplies. They were prodigies, but even their stocked provisions were running dangerously low. They were running out of everything.

Forced by desperation, Yan and Chi decided to hunt some of the giant worms. Dun, feeling uneasy, joined them.

That night, fortune favored them, and they returned with several large white worms. No one was injured, thankfully. The meal was disgusting but nourishing.

"We can't keep going like this! This barren desert deprives us of essential nutrients. Staying here only prolongs the inevitable decline!" While checking their wounds, Shaheluo discovered everyone showed signs of scurvy and other deficiency symptoms to varying degrees.

Over the past few days, Lan Jinxi's poisoning had grown worse.

"One advantage of the desert is that wounds don't easily fester. But once they do, they're notoriously hard to treat! Without proper supplies, we can't treat them in time, leading to tissue necrosis! Thanks to Brother Chi, we can at least disinfect things promptly to keep the situation from worsening." Shaheluo realized they had to press onward.

They didn't abandon anyone, but with time pressing, they lengthened their daily travel time.

Unfortunately, Mo Wenxi still hadn't woken. Moreover, as Lan Jinxi weakened and the pills' efficacy waned, the toxins spread through her body. In this desert, that was a death sentence.

"Amputation? That's practically suicide! Never mind that Lan-jiejie was stung on the ankle. The microbial life here isn't like in the Central Plains—it's more virulent and resilient! In this brutally dry environment, long-term survival means poor nutrition and weakened immunity. How could we handle such a large, open wound? The pathogens here are anything but fragile! And losing significant mobility would be like throwing yourself into a fire pit!" Shaheluo argued, as if pleading beyond the page.

Though reluctant, the others had long advised Shaheluo to abandon the two women. Shaheluo remained silent, unable to decide, while Yan, as always, vehemently opposed the idea.

During this period, Yan had tried more than once to communicate with the jade slip, but received no response.

Watching as Shaheluo was nearly convinced, Yan gritted his teeth. He bit the tip of his tongue, damaging his foundational vitality, borrowed a surge of Qi from Shaheluo, and made one final attempt.

This time, it worked. However, the voice that answered sounded weak. "Little one, what's wrong?"

"Senior, help me! Please, save her!" Yan pleaded, his voice thick with emotion. "She's my friend. I don't want to lose any more friends!"

The voice was silent for a moment before replying gently, "You are still the same as ever. I will help you, but I won't be able to respond for a while after this. You'll have to rely on yourself."

With that, a familiar Mind Force enveloped Yan's entire body. He placed his hand on Lan Jinxi's wound, and she recovered. However, this surge of Mind Force dissipated greatly. Using the remaining force, he gave everyone a minor restorative boost. Finally, channeling all his residual Mind Force—imbued with his own mental energy—into Mo Wenxi's body, he managed to awaken her as well.