My father is the main character, but the female leads want to kill me.

"Yes, we started bickering the moment we met, but you'll get used to it!" The refined-looking man raised his wine jar and toasted Lin Ran: "I didn't like you much before, but you saved my life today, so you're a brother I've been through thick and thin with. Thanks!"

After saying that, the man tilted his head back, picked up the wine jar, and gulped it down. He drank very wildly, revealing a wilder personality hidden beneath his refined appearance.

Because there were two daughters of the Ye family present, there would usually be many people telling dirty jokes there, but today they didn't say much. They just drank and boasted to release the pressure of life and death they were facing today.

Lin Chong was invited by Ye Wanxi to sit together and drink some wine. The two young ladies, who usually don't drink much, also drank in this atmosphere. Their faces were a little red. The elder sister appeared even more charming and gentle, while the younger sister became more enthusiastic and wild, occasionally talking nonsense, which made her look a little cute.

This test was used to put the young Comrade Lin Chong to the test.

Comrade Lin Chong said that he was indeed a little overwhelmed by the sight, and his heart was racing. He couldn't help but want to take a few more glances. Lin Chong quickly thought that he should focus on his cultivation career and suppressed the romantic feelings in his heart.

"Young Master Lin Jiang, would you like some roasted mutton?" Ye Wanxi asked with a smile, pointing to the plump mutton leaning against the fire in front of her.

Her face, flushed red by the campfire, beamed with a beautiful, radiant smile, and her eyes, after drinking, held a captivating allure.

Lin Chong was momentarily stunned by what he saw, and quickly said, "I'll cut it myself!"

"No need, I'll do it!"

Ye Wanxi smiled, picked up the plate, and with her fair and slender hands, she wielded a sharp knife to cut a large piece of lamb leg meat from the fat lamb and gave it to Lin Chong. After taking the plate, Lin Chong quickly lowered his head and ate his rice, not daring to look at her for too long, for fear that he would be unable to resist the temptation of a woman and delay his cultivation plan.

Lin Ran, who had been listening to the burly men boasting, was also keeping an eye on her son Lin Chong's movements. She couldn't help but chuckle to herself: "Son, don't force yourself. If you can't resist such temptation, then so be it. Let me tell you, even the Jade Emperor would be tempted by this. What's wrong with men being lustful?"

Lin Ran is absolutely not making excuses for herself. Even the famous Brother Long said, "I just made a mistake that every man in the world would make." (No offense intended, haha~)

……

Chapter Fifty-Six: Strange Creatures in the Sandstorm

After eating and drinking their fill, some even becoming completely drunk, Ye Wanxi still felt a lingering fear when she thought about what had happened that day. She called Hong Sen over and whispered a few words in his ear. Hong Sen then went downstairs and instructed, "Come here, let's discuss who will be on night watch..."

The list of people on night watch was finally finalized, and Lin Ran was assigned to the first position. This was also Ye Wanxi's request, because today's battle showed that the cold and silent scarred man they recruited was...

Although he doesn't look very friendly, he plays a very important role in the battle. He is not only cautious but also very knowledgeable, so it is best to let him be the first to keep watch.

Because the cave was very spacious, the carriages and supplies were brought in as well. The two young ladies of the Ye family went back to their own carriages to sleep. The carriages that had been hit by stones today were patched with wooden planks to ensure the privacy of the two young ladies.

Lin Ran, being the first to keep watch, sat at the cave entrance. There were some guys who weren't sleepy, so Lin Ran chatted with them about recent events in the desert.

He naturally had no idea what would happen in the desert. Although these guys seemed rather amateurish in their survival and combat in the wild, they were still quite capable in terms of information gathering.

The chubby boy who had been bickering with her before was actually quite well-informed. He joined the Ye family's group because they were going to Nanshan Pass together, and he learned a lot about the strange things that had happened in the desert recently.

"Brother, let me tell you, if you see a sandstorm or something tomorrow, just run! Being swept away by the wind is better than being killed by those strange monsters."

"It was those strange monsters that caused the team that wanted to go to Nanshan Pass to suffer heavy losses. If it were just an ordinary sandstorm, what would that be?" The chubby boy lowered his voice and said to Lin Ran with a serious expression.

"Oh, are those monsters very strong?" Lin Ran asked curiously.

"They're not really that strong, just very strange. Those monsters aren't afraid of being cut or feeling pain; they're like unkillable chunks of meat."

Hearing the chubby boy's words, Lin Ran was taken aback. Wasn't this similar to a mummy? Did this kind of monster also require a specific attack to defeat?

"Have you found a way to deal with this yet?" Lin Ran asked curiously.

The chubby boy sighed and said helplessly, "If we had discovered it, this shortcut might not have been abandoned. Now, if you want to get to Nanshan Pass, you basically have to go to the capital and then go around from there."

"Then why did you decide to force your way onto this path?" Lin Ran couldn't help but find this a bit strange. Knowing this information and still insisting on taking this path seemed a bit irrational.

Upon hearing that, the chubby boy shook his head, glanced at the man he had bickered with that night and called "pervert," and said, "I'm accompanying this rascal back to Nanshan Pass. I heard his mother is critically ill, so I wanted to see him get married and fulfill a wish. If we go through the capital, I'm afraid it will be difficult to get back."

"It's okay, you'll all get back safely tomorrow!" Lin Ran said, her face showing some emotion, as she patted the chubby boy's shoulder.

The chubby boy thought Lin Ran was just comforting him; who knew if something might suddenly happen while walking in this desolate Gobi Desert for so long?

Nothing unusual happened that night.

The convoy set off towards Nanshan Pass early the next morning.

As noon approached, the sun hung high in the sky, and the scorching heat relentlessly baked this barren desert. Even the view in front of us seemed to become blurred and distorted, and the occasional sandstorms only added to the irritability.

The floor was like a heated iron plate; stepping on it felt like it would scald your feet, making you grimace every time you walked across it.

Geographically speaking, a desert is an arid region with little rainfall and sparse vegetation, which limits human survival.

There are desert areas covered with sand in the desert, but their convoy was heading in a direction that did not pass through desert areas. Nanshan Pass is at the end of this desert, a large oasis, and also the place where human activity is most concentrated in this desert area.

The convoy was traveling across the desert, everyone drenched in sweat, having to circulate their internal fighting spirit to resist the occasional sandstorms and the scorching heat that could make anyone faint.

Inside the carriage, the two young ladies of the Ye family, who usually didn't open the curtains much, were also feeling quite uncomfortable due to the sweltering heat. They opened all the curtains, and although hot air was blowing in, it was still much better than being stuffy inside the carriage.

Ye Wanxi wiped the sweat from her forehead with a handkerchief, gently smoothed her damp hair, picked up the water bag, tilted her head back and elegantly took a few sips, then handed the water bag to her younger sister Ye Qingyi. Ye Wanxi then took out another water bag, walked a little forward, leaned against the curtain, and looked at Lin Chong, who was covered in sweat, and said, "Young Master Lin Jiang, have some water!"

"it is good!"

Lin Chong was indeed extremely thirsty. He picked up the water bag and took several big gulps. When a person is thirsty, even plain water that is usually not considered precious tastes like nectar, fresh and sweet.

Ye Wanxi looked at Hun Sen driving and asked, "Hun Sen, how far are we from Nanshan Pass?"

"It should take a few more days of travel. The weather is a bit extreme now. It's never been this strange before. I wonder if it's related to the recent rumors about the anomalies," Hong Sen said curiously. They hadn't encountered such strange weather on their journey to Linshan City before. The temperature here is much higher than before, and it's almost impossible to withstand without cultivation.

Lin Ran, who was at the back of the convoy, had been keeping an eye on the front and overheard their conversation. He felt this was a bad sign. There were still many forbidden areas in this desert that no one from the Li Dynasty had ever set foot in. Could it be that his son, the chosen one, was coming here and a great treasure would suddenly appear in this desert?

Lin Ran thought this way, and then, sometimes what he thought about would actually happen...

Before long, without any warning, the sky suddenly darkened, and the previously gentle warm wind turned into a gale mixed with sand and dust, causing a stinging sensation on people's skin.

To their right, in the distance, a tornado of dust could be seen rising, the winds whipping up the carriage and making it sway violently. The frightened horses neighed and neighed uncontrollably.

Hun Sen, in the middle of the convoy, immediately shouted: "Everyone, quickly stabilize the wagons and supplies, stay firmly in place and lean against those heavy objects, try your best not to be swept away."

At this moment, the fat man who had a long talk with Lin Ran last night hurriedly said, "We can't use this method. There are some strange monsters in the sandstorm. If we stay here, those monsters and insects in the sandstorm will come and attack us. They will launch terrifying, burning slime!"

"What kind of monsters are there?" Ye Wanxi poked her head out of the central carriage and asked the fat man.

"You're right in that sandstorm, run!"

The chubby boy pointed into the sandstorm. After seeing what was inside, he quickly ordered the "pervert" and the sophisticated man to run away. He even took chubby steps and pulled Lin Ran behind him, saying, "Run, brother!"

"You guys run first, I'll cover your retreat!"

Lin Ran gave the chubby boy a push, and a wisp of spiritual energy gently propelled him several meters away, allowing him and his brothers to quickly unleash their full power and escape.

This surprised the chubby boy. His small eyes widened as he tried to say something, but when he saw Lin Ran wave at him, he quickly ran away with his two brothers.

When Lin Ran saw that the chubby boy had used all his strength but had disappeared without a trace, he couldn't help but laugh. He then looked at what the chubby boy had mentioned about the sandstorm. His eyes turned pale gold, which allowed him to see the things inside the sandstorm clearly. He stared intently and saw strange monsters covered in rotting flesh, with heads and wings that looked like flies.

"Holy crap, what kind of bizarre creature is this?" Lin Ran was filled with questions. It was the first time he had ever seen such a disgusting and abstract monster.

And in the sand, there seemed to be monsters lurking there, which made Lin Ran shiver. These unknown things were quite frightening.

He pretended to run away, but his attention was focused on his son and the others. He was afraid that his good son would be swept away by the sandstorm.

After being reminded by the chubby boy, Ye Wanxi decisively decided to abandon the vehicle and escape, which did indeed give them a chance to survive. However, the two Ye family heiresses, Lin Chong, Hong Sen and others who ran later were still swept up by the sandstorm, which blew them into the air.

Lin Chong was quick-witted. To prevent the Ye sisters from being blown away and disappearing without a trace, he held their hands tightly and refused to let go, fearing that if he let go, they would both disappear in the sandstorm.

"Lin Chong!"

Ye Wanxi, seeing the strange insect behind Lin Chong growing larger and larger, shouted at the top of her lungs, "Watch out behind you!"

"what?"

Lin Chong couldn't hear what Ye Wanxi was saying at all, and as soon as he opened his mouth, he got a mouthful of sand.

"Watch out behind you!"

"What did you say?" Lin Chong couldn't hear clearly and asked again, but it was too late. The strange insect had already come up behind them, spitting out purple mucus from its mouth.

At this moment, Ye Wanxi actually gritted her teeth and used all her strength and fighting spirit to switch positions with Lin Chong.

If things had gone as before, Lin Chong and his sister would have been attacked by the purple slime. But now, by doing this, Ye Wanxi caught all the purple slime. The moment her clothes on her back came into contact with the slime, they were immediately corroded. A burning, stinging sensation traveled from her back to her nerves, causing Ye Wanxi to cry out in pain and almost faint.

"Miss Ye!"

"elder sister!"

The two exclaimed in alarm, but a fierce wind arose, and all three were swept away by this terrifying natural disaster and disappeared into the sandstorm. After sensing Lin Chong's presence, Lin Ran followed the direction in which Lin Chong had disappeared and rushed into the sandstorm...

……

Chapter Fifty-Seven: The Dungeon

After Lin Chong and the other two were swept into the sandstorm, they fainted. The three of them were only at the Daoist Realm. One of them, Ye Wanxi, was also infected by the strange insect's slime and might be in mortal danger. Strangely, even though they were unconscious, the three of them were still holding hands tightly.

Lin Ran, who was following behind, noticed that Lin Chong and the other two seemed to have been drawn into a strange airflow. This airflow was actually suction-type, and the three of them were eventually sucked into a vortex of quicksand and disappeared.

"Why is there a quicksand vortex here?"

Lin Ran's golden eyes looked at the constantly flowing yellow sand below, and he sensed a powerful energy contained within it. Fearing that Xiao Chong and the others would be in mortal danger, he also rushed into the vortex of quicksand. Inside, there was a deep, dark tunnel leading to an unknown destination.

"Could this be some kind of strange ruin again?" Lin Ran thought to himself, because he felt something was off. This passage was so long, and he felt like he had been inside for several minutes, but he still hadn't reached the end. This was too exaggerated.

"Pfft!"

The long tunnel finally came to an end. As soon as Lin Ran stepped out of the tunnel, she saw that there was a vast sand river below. She quickly transformed into a stream of light to catch the three people who were about to crash into the sand river. With their strength at the Daoist Realm, if they crashed into the sand river, they would lose half their lives even if they didn't die.

Just before they were about to fall into the sandy river, Lin Ran finally caught up and lifted the three of them up like sandbags, only then did she have time to look at this strange place.

"There's such a huge sand river underground, where does it end?" Unable to find a place to rest, Lin Ran could only carry the three little guys and fly towards the end of the yellow quicksand river.

As Lin Ran ventured deeper, she became increasingly aware of the strangeness of this place. There were long rivers of quicksand, and every now and then, some abandoned items would float by below, including skeletons, wood, and discarded weapons. There were also some forks in the road, but Lin Ran still chose to go straight. At times like this, it was better to stick to one path and go straight. The air here was surprisingly not stuffy.

Moreover, it was extremely cold and eerie. As they went deeper, a strange sound seemed to faintly echo in their ears, but they couldn't tell where it came from. It felt like a hallucination or a ghost, which made Lin Ran's scalp tingle.

After flying for a while, Lin Ran finally saw a place ahead where they could rest. She sped up and flew over, casually dropping Lin Chong and the other two off on the ground beside her, and then began to observe the area.

This seemed to be the end of the sandy river. Even Lin Ran herself did not expect that there would be a square at this end. In the center of the square stood a stone statue with half of its body broken off. The other half was nowhere to be found. The base of the stone statue was hollowed out, and Lin Ran could see yellow sand surging inside.

A long staircase leads up to a stone gate, but the gate has been opened to create a passageway large enough for a few people to walk through.

"Has someone been here?" Lin Ran frowned.

He didn't think much about those things, but looked at the three little ones he had thrown on the ground. Their vital signs were relatively stable, except for Ye Wanxi, who was a little weak.

However, the three little ones were covered in sand, so Lin Ran took out several water bags and gave them all a cold shower.

"Cough cough!"