Jiang Fan's body was in the best condition, but even he couldn't help but have dry, cracked lips, and his breathing became labored as he walked.
Yao was agile, but long treks weren't exactly his forte.
Gradually, even the wolf-child began to pant after every three steps, his back bending lower and lower.
Zhou Niannian needed a walking stick just to move through the desert. Fortunately, they hadn't thrown away their trekking poles, which now served as canes.
Dai Xiaomei could no longer walk at all, suffering from severe dehydration. Her lips were cracked, and her eyes were bloodshot.
If Jiang Fan hadn't been supporting her, Dai Xiaomei wouldn't have been able to move an inch.
"How... how much further is it?"
Dai Xiaomei asked, her eyes vacant.
"Not much longer!"
This time, Jiang Fan wasn't lying. His [Humidity Detection] talent indicated they would reach a new oasis in about an hour.
He pointed to the sun overhead, its position already shifting.
It looked like the sun was about to set.
"I think we'll definitely reach the oasis before dark."
Encouraged by Jiang Fan, Dai Xiaomei regained a little strength and struggled forward with his support.
After about an hour, a new oasis finally appeared before their eyes.
Jiang Fan, carrying Dai Xiaomei on his back, quickly walked into the oasis.
Suddenly, he noticed that Yao and Zhou Niannian had stopped behind him.
"Let's hurry, or we'll be dried into jerky by the sun."
Jiang Fan urged them on.
"But, this, this looks like the original oasis."
"Identical!"
Zhou Niannian's face contorted in disbelief. Even Yao wore a look of horror.
After all their hardship, after walking so far, they had returned to the same oasis.
It was truly like being caught in a ghost trap.
Jiang Fan sighed.
"At least this oasis has water to drink, and we can find water vine tendrils to shield us from the heat."
"This means the oasis itself is harmless. Let's go in."
"We need to replenish our water supply too."
He carried Dai Xiaomei into the oasis and found the river, drinking large gulps of water.
In reality, drinking excessively in a state of extreme thirst is harmful to the body's organs.
But Jiang Fan was so parched that he could no longer care.
He still cupped his hands to drink, while Zhou Niannian and Yao were already on their hands and knees, lapping water directly from the river like wolves.
The Green Haired Lizards reappeared, sprinkling water on Jiang Fan and the others to cool them down.
Their little eyes darted around, as if to say, "See, you still have to come back and keep us company."
Jiang Fan submerged Dai Xiaomei entirely in the river. Her listless state made her look like a mummy.
Then, he placed her on the bank to dry.
Everyone collapsed on the ground, spread out like starfish. Even if dinosaurs or death flies appeared, they had no intention of running.
They were utterly exhausted. Wandering in the desert again and again had completely crushed their fighting spirit.
Zhou Niannian saw the pit she had dug with her marking machine and was too tired to dig it again.
She knew it would only contain the same old bandages.
As if to confirm Zhou Niannian's suspicion, several Green Haired Lizards surrounded the pit and, in a flash, dug out the bandages.
One of the Green Haired Lizards deliberately tied the bandages around its head.
"Get lost, you scoundrels!"
Zhou Niannian cursed weakly.
The Green Haired Lizards blinked their little eyes, thinking, "You're the real scoundrel for constantly digging holes."
Just then, Dai Xiaomei suddenly opened her eyes and woke up.
She had suffered heatstroke and a mental breakdown earlier, but her body was otherwise unharmed.
As soon as she opened her eyes, she saw the lush green forest and broke into a smile.
Then she saw the Green Haired Lizards around her, and her smile vanished.
Finally, she saw the pit Zhou Niannian had dug, and Dai Xiaomei wailed, her spirit completely collapsing.
"Waaah, why are we back here again?"
"We can't stay here, we can't stay! There are ghosts!"
"Let's leave, quickly!"
With that, Dai Xiaomei, drawing on some unknown reserve of strength, grabbed Jiang Fan and tried to pull him up.
Jiang Fan, of course, was unwilling to get up. Even if they had to leave, they needed to consolidate their supplies first.
In her delirium, Dai Xiaomei's strength became immense, and she dragged Jiang Fan across the ground.
Yao rushed over and firmly grabbed Dai Xiaomei. To his surprise, Dai Xiaomei was so strong that she dragged both Jiang Fan and Yao across the ground.
"She's lost it. Completely lost it."
Zhou Niannian murmured to herself.
Yao hesitated for a moment, then suddenly brought his palm down on the back of Dai Xiaomei's neck. Dai Xiaomei slumped down.
As an expert in combat techniques, this strike was just enough to knock Dai Xiaomei out without causing her any harm.
Seeing Dai Xiaomei in this state, Zhou Niannian also began to feel afraid.
Jiang Fan scrambled to his feet and looked at the sky.
It was getting dark, and the heat was no longer as oppressive as before.
Should they resupply and travel through the desert at night?
Jiang Fan's intuition told him that the desert at night was even more dangerous.
Many people were unaware that while the desert could reach over fifty degrees Celsius during the day, it could plummet to minus ten degrees Celsius at night.
Many who ventured into the desert for the first time inexplicably froze to death in the desert night.
Their strength was insufficient to endure an unknown night journey.
Zhou Niannian, feeling a little scared, tugged at Jiang Fan's sleeve.
"What do we do? Should we stay or go?"
Jiang Fan was silent for a moment, then stood up and declared with conviction.
"Since Heaven insists that we stay in this oasis, as the saying goes, 'If Heaven wants you to stay, you must stay.' We will stay!"
"I want to see what will happen in this oasis."
"For now, we are eating well, drinking well, and living well here."
"The oasis has not harmed us, has it?"
As he finished speaking, the nearby Green Haired Lizards suddenly gathered around Jiang Fan and applauded enthusiastically.
Zhou Niannian sighed, realizing they had no other choice.
In fact, all their fear of the oasis stemmed from their inner dread. As Jiang Fan had said, the oasis had not harmed them.
Jiang Fan glanced at the sky.
At this hour, no one could withstand another ordeal, and the sky was about to darken.
What they needed now was to resupply here and spend the night.
Yao, however, seemed hesitant, his eyes filled with fear.
As a wolf-child who had survived in the wild, Yao trusted his instincts more than the immediate reality. His intuition told him there was danger here.
Yao had always harbored a deep respect for the mysterious forces of nature.
"I know you trust the power of nature more."
"But I believe in the triumph of human will over nature. Trust me."
Jiang Fan guessed what Yao was thinking and clapped him on the shoulder.
With Jiang Fan's firm and strong pat, the restless Yao calmed down and nodded.