After a full day of travel, Shen Feng and his group arrived in the desert. As soon as they entered, everything felt new. Under the setting sun, the sand dunes seemed to be dyed red, appearing vibrant everywhere. Once the sun set, the desert instantly plunged into darkness.
Before the pickup truck ventured deep into the desert, there was still some rainfall here annually. The surrounding car headlights illuminated dark figures in the desert. These figures were quite tall, and upon closer inspection, it was clear they were all cacti. Only in such arid regions would cacti grow so abundantly, with some even reaching heights of ten meters!
Shen Feng found a relatively sheltered spot, got out of the car to cook. The car was equipped with solid fuel, and once lit, it could be used to cook food. It was impossible to find wild vegetables in the desert, so Shen Feng could only make meat porridge, simmering it with luncheon meat and dog meat. The taste was just so-so, not particularly delicious, but it was enough to fill their stomachs.
Having traveled all day and needing to continue their journey, Shen Feng felt a bit tired, especially since he had a teenager in his car whose physical condition wasn't great. At fourteen years old, he was only 1.4 meters tall, likely due to malnutrition, and hadn't grown for the past two years. Considering this, Shen Feng spoke up, "Let's all rest for a bit. We'll depart in an hour."
After speaking, Shen Feng spread a cloth on the sand, lay down on it, and prepared to sleep.
Yue Hengyi was helpless. He had wanted to continue their journey after eating, but since Shen Feng had already said so, he had no choice but to comply.
Yue Hengyi walked over to the car and touched the hood, finding it very hot. After all, they had been driving continuously for over a day, and the friction generated a lot of heat. If they continued driving, it would definitely not be good for the car's lifespan.
"I'm going to the restroom, I'll be right back!" Lu Zhengqi quickly said. 138 Reading Network
Lu Zhengqi had been holding it in all day. He had been afraid to say anything earlier for fear of delaying their progress, but now that they had a break, he was ready to find a place to relieve himself.
After speaking, Lu Zhengqi walked towards a sand dune on one side. Yue Hengyi quickly said, "Kid, what are you doing? That's upwind. Do you want us to smell your stench downwind?"
Lu Zhengqi also realized his mistake and quickly turned to walk towards another sand dune.
If one were to relieve themselves upwind, the wind would carry the stench downwind. Lu Zhengqi, lacking experience in outdoor travel, didn't understand this. It was only after Yue Hengyi reminded him that he understood.
Shen Feng lay on the ground, his eyes open, gazing at the starry sky and thinking of his family back home. He wondered how they were doing and if they were being deceived.
Shen Feng hadn't slept all night and had just gone through a day of tense travel. Now, feeling disoriented, he unknowingly fell asleep.
However, at that very moment, a cry for help echoed from the distance: "Help! Help! There's a monster!"
Both Yue Hengyi and Shen Feng had sharp hearing. The moment they heard the cry, they sprang into action. Shen Feng, in particular, was instantly awakened by the distant call and immediately used "As the Wind Follows" to rush towards the downwind direction.
Shen Feng's speed was incredible; he vanished from his spot in the blink of an eye. Yue Hengyi then instructed Slothco, "Old man, you stay here and guard the car and supplies!"
Afterward, without waiting to see if the old man understood his instructions, Yue Hengyi turned and followed Shen Feng.
When Shen Feng reached the location of the distress call, he saw Lu Zhengqi sinking into the sand, completely submerged except for his head and hands. The sand had already risen to his chin.
"Mr. Shen, hurry and save me! I don't want to die!" Lu Zhengqi, still a child, cried out for help, tears streaming down his face as he was about to be pulled under the sand.
Seeing the scene, two words came to Shen Feng's mind: "Quicksand."
He had heard before that the most terrifying thing in the desert was quicksand. When there was an underground river beneath the desert, and it began to flow, stirring the sand, the seemingly solid ground would immediately turn into a fluid-like substance. Anyone or any animal caught in quicksand was doomed.
Shen Feng quickly used "Water Walking," using the wind to support his body. He stepped forward and grabbed Lu Zhengqi's hands, saying, "Where is the monster you mentioned? I don't see anything."
When Shen Feng arrived, he only saw Lu Zhengqi trapped in the quicksand and no monsters around. Therefore, Shen Feng was worried that the monster might be hiding.
Lu Zhengqi quickly explained, "It's under the sand. This monster is still holding my feet; it hasn't let go yet!"
Shen Feng found it hard to believe. What kind of monster could hide beneath the sand? A sand worm? But weren't those only found in games?
Shen Feng grabbed Lu Zhengqi's hands and tried to pull him up, but he couldn't succeed. Lu Zhengqi remained motionless. Despite his small size and seemingly frail appearance, he couldn't be pulled onto the ground.
Lu Zhengqi cried out in pain, "Mr. Shen, you're going to tear me apart! Stop pulling so hard, or I'll be split in two!"
Faced with this situation, Shen Feng became somewhat helpless. The enemy was hidden beneath the sand, holding Lu Zhengqi's feet, making rescue extremely difficult.
The moon had already risen, casting a silvery glow over the desert. Shen Feng looked around but saw nothing but cacti. At this point, Shen Feng didn't know how to find the enemy. Fortunately, Yue Hengyi arrived.
As he ran, Yue Hengyi shouted, "Brother Feng, I'm here! Where is the enemy?"
With Yue Hengyi's running, the sand began to vibrate. Suddenly, there was movement beneath the sand, and bulges appeared in the sand. These bulges were continuously approaching Yue Hengyi, as if something was moving underground. The sand where these bulges passed also rose in a line.
Seeing this, Shen Feng quickly warned, "Watch out below! The enemy is underground! Change your path quickly!"
Yue Hengyi looked around blankly. Suddenly, he saw the trajectory extending from afar and became cautious. When the bulges from beneath the sand appeared beside him, Yue Hengyi dodged them with a "Lazy Donkey Roll."
However, the bulges on the ground seemed to have a mind of their own. Suddenly, one bulge changed its course, turned on the ground, and approached Yue Hengyi again.
Yue Hengyi continued to dodge, evading the bulges on the sand. Shen Feng watched this scene, his confusion deepening: "What is this monster underground?"
"Lu Zhengqi, what monster did you see just now? Tell me quickly, or I won't be able to save you either!" Shen Feng urgently asked Lu Zhengqi. Only Lu Zhengqi had seen the monster with his own eyes, so he could only provide an answer.
Lu Zhengqi said with a crying tone, "Mr. Shen, I didn't see it clearly. I only saw several tentacles waving in the air, like an octopus. When I saw the monster, I wanted to run, but it immediately burrowed underground and extended its tentacles to grab my feet."
"Tentacles? How many tentacles?" Shen Feng quickly inquired.
Lu Zhengqi couldn't remember much. When he saw danger, his first reaction was to escape. The number of tentacles in his memory became uncertain: "About a dozen. No, it should be more than twenty! Still not right, it should be more than thirty!"
Shen Feng listened to Lu Zhengqi's uncertain memories, frowning, unsure what to say. He didn't know what these things were, nor how many tentacles the enemy had. How could they handle this?
Meanwhile, Yue Hengyi was in a precarious situation. He was focused on dodging the sand bulges in front of him, unaware of two dark tentacles that suddenly appeared behind him.
Two tentacles suddenly emerged from the sand and wrapped around Yue Hengyi's legs. Yue Hengyi struggled forcefully, but it was useless. He couldn't break free from the restraint of these two tentacles, which began to pull him down, his legs uncontrollably sinking into the sand.
If this continued, not only Lu Zhengqi would be pulled into the sand, but Yue Hengyi would also be in danger.
Yue Hengyi became anxious, gritting his teeth and shouting, "Brother Feng, be ready! I'm going to use my ability! Five times gravity zone!"
Yue Hengyi had no intention of dying. However, he couldn't free his legs and was being continuously pulled down. Seeing that he would soon be pulled under the sand, he panicked and, in his desperation, gritted his teeth and activated five times gravity.
"Boom!" Within a kilometer radius, gravity instantly increased, and dust billowed from the ground. Shen Feng, warned by Yue Hengyi, was somewhat prepared. He spread his legs, slightly bent his body, ready to withstand the immense gravity. However, the moment the gravity field appeared, Lu Zhengqi was the first to be unable to withstand such gravity and fainted.
The tentacles immediately stopped pulling Yue Hengyi, seemingly affected by the gravity. Yue Hengyi wiped the sweat from his forehead, feeling a sense of relief. He had finally stopped falling and now only needed to find a way to escape.
However, suddenly the tentacles began to move again, grabbing Yue Hengyi and continuing to drag him down.
Yue Hengyi's legs sank into the sand again. Gradually, Yue Hengyi's calves were covered by the sand.
"Brother Feng, save me! That kid isn't important anymore. There will always be translators, but I only have one brother! We're sworn brothers, you can't abandon your true brother for a brat!" Yue Hengyi was at his wit's end and could only cry out to Shen Feng for help.
Shen Feng looked at Lu Zhengqi in his hands and then at Yue Hengyi in the distance. He knew clearly who was more important. Firstly, Yue Hengyi was an ability user, and he shared the same goal as Shen Feng: to return to China. To prove his true identity, Shen Feng also needed Yue Hengyi to explain the truth of the matter. From any perspective, he should choose to save Yue Hengyi.
However, Shen Feng became confused, muttering, "Why wasn't I attacked by the tentacles? Was the monster kind? Impossible, absolutely impossible! A monster wouldn't let any prey go. So, what's different about me compared to these two?"
"Brother Feng, what are you hesitating for? Come and save me quickly, and then we can run away together! Don't hesitate. If that kid dies, I'll burn incense for him every year, okay? You kind benefactor, don't hesitate, I'm more useful!" Yue Hengyi saw Shen Feng spacing out and quickly called out for help.
Yue Hengyi thought Shen Feng was being overly kind and unwilling to abandon the young translator in his hands. This was no time for sentimentality; survival was paramount!
Shen Feng frowned and thought carefully, suddenly realizing the reason why he hadn't been attacked: "Water Walking!"
"Little Yue, deactivate your ability, then lie flat on the ground to increase your surface area!" Shen Feng quickly instructed Yue Hengyi.
Yue Hengyi didn't know why Shen Feng was saying this, but he trusted that Shen Feng wouldn't give advice without reason. He deactivated the gravity field and lay down on the ground.
Shen Feng continued to instruct, "Slowly lift one foot off the ground."