Wandering Swordsman |

A month later, the two finally arrived at the heart of the vast desert.

The sandstorm was like a knife, cutting my face painfully, and even my eyelashes were stinging from the sand grains.

The air was so hot it was suffocating; every breath felt like swallowing scalding hot iron filings.

And the sky was indeed as Hua Tianyou had said—extremely eerie.

At noon, two blazing suns hung in the sky.

One sun, a blazing white like molten gold, hangs high in the sky; the other, slightly dim and yellowish, is located in the southeast, casting a double shadow as light and shadow intertwine.

As people walk through it, their shadows split, twist, and overlap, instantly shattering their sense of direction. Shen Mo closed his eyes to regulate his breathing for a moment, then opened them again, only to find himself momentarily unable to distinguish which way was east or west.

"Watch your step," Hua Tianyou whispered. "According to my father, the quicksand area is just a hundred paces ahead. It looks like ordinary sand on the surface, but there are whirlpools underneath. If you slip, you'll be swallowed up within three breaths."

Shen Mo nodded, his gaze sweeping forward.

Just then, he stopped in his tracks.

Beneath the gentle slope of the sand dunes ahead lay the weathered remains of a caravan.

The camel skeleton was half-buried in the yellow sand, its ribs broken like a snapped string, whistling softly in the wind; broken pottery jars were scattered around, their insides dried like blood, perhaps once holding clear water, perhaps once holding fine wine, now only cracks and dust remained; most heart-wrenching was a human skeleton—still kneeling with its head raised, its empty eye sockets gazing at the sky where two suns shone, its right hand tightly clutching a rusty copper coin, its finger bones long since petrified, yet still firmly holding onto that token symbolizing "returning home".

Shen Mo slowly squatted down, his fingertips lightly touching the copper coin. It was icy cold, as if it still retained the last trace of warmth from the person who died a thousand years ago.

In that instant, he seemed to see: a caravan of thirty men, banners fluttering, camel bells jingling, laden with silk, porcelain, and spices, setting off from Chang'an, vowing to open a new trade route to the Western Regions and bring the prosperity of the Central Plains to the ends of the earth. The leader was a young merchant, handsome and dashing, carrying immense wealth and boundless enthusiasm, who promised his wife and children before departing: "When I return, I will bring you the rarest treasures from the far west, in exchange for a lifetime of peace and security."

But in the end, they were defeated by this merciless yellow sand.

The scorching sun beat down, the water source dried up, and one by one, his companions collapsed. The last man knelt there, using his last ounce of strength to gaze at the sky, clutching a copper coin tightly in his hand, murmuring, "My wife... I can't go back..."

Ambition, dreams, flesh and blood, vows—all swallowed up by the wind and sand, leaving only bones and coins, silently enduring for a thousand years.

Shen Mo slowly stood up, gently placed the copper coin back into the man's palm, and said in a low voice, "Although you were unable to return home, I must go back."

He turned around, his gaze sharp as he looked towards the forbidden zone of death shrouded by two suns deep within the desert.

The wind rises, the sand surges, and the heavens and earth seem to rage.

Two figures resolutely stepped into the vortex of quicksand, like two specks of dust, challenging the desolation of the entire world.

The moment you step into the quicksand forbidden zone, the laws of heaven and earth seem to change abruptly. The sand beneath your feet is scorching hot, every step feels like walking on a furnace, and even your most basic sense of direction collapses instantly.

Hua Tianyou tried to find the location he remembered, but repeatedly misjudged it due to the refraction of the two suns.

He had barely taken a hundred steps when he lost his footing. The sand surface suddenly collapsed, and the quicksand surged like boiling water, instantly submerging his calves!

"Don't move!" Shen Mo shouted, his figure flashing like lightning as he grabbed the man's shoulder blade and channeled his true energy into his meridians to stabilize him.

He closed his eyes and concentrated, his aura becoming as deep and restrained as an abyss. In an instant, the aura of the Beast King and the aura of the Heavenly Demon merged and flowed, extending his perception to a hundred feet away—he heard the faint pulsation of water deep underground, detected the subtle differences in the swirling wind as it swept across the sand dunes, and even felt the tremors of the earth caused by the movement of a swarm of worms in the distance.

"Take thirty steps to the left and proceed slowly." Shen Mo opened his eyes, his gaze sharp.

Hua Tianyou was deeply shocked. As the Heavenly Demon Lord, he could barely move an inch in this sea of ​​sand; while Shen Mo, relying solely on his spiritual perception, had unraveled the mystery set up by nature. This clearly demonstrated that Shen Mo's martial arts skills far exceeded his own understanding.

After Hua Tianyou escaped danger, the two continued their journey, venturing deeper into the heart of the desert. The place was eerily silent; even the wind seemed to hold its breath. Suddenly, the ground trembled violently, and the sand surged like a raging torrent!

"Watch out!" Hua Tianyou warned sharply.

Before the words were even finished, a loud-roaring worm burst out of the sand!

It was over ten zhang long and as thick as the trunk of an ancient tree, its entire body covered in black scales that resembled black iron, each scale gleaming with a cold, hard, eerie light. Its mouth split open, revealing three rings of serrated fangs, and a foul stench wafted towards the two of them.

Hua Tianyou drew his sword and roared, pushing his demonic energy to its limit. The sword light, like a blood rainbow piercing the sun, fiercely slashed at the worm's head.

However, when the sword struck the scales, it only produced a string of sparks and left a shallow mark before it could go no further.

"Its internal energy is thinner below its seven-inch mark! Attack there!" Shen Mo warned in a deep voice.

But the worm was enraged, and its giant tail swept across like a mountain collapsing.

Hua Tianyou hastily parried, but was blasted dozens of feet away by an overwhelming force and crashed heavily into the sand dune.

To make matters worse, the water pouch at his waist was torn by the splashing scales, and the clear water seeped into the yellow sand, evaporating instantly.

At the critical moment, Shen Mo arrived. His toes touched the sand, his figure soaring like a crane into the sky, the Green Ox Sword in his hand unleashing a sword strike imbued with demonic energy! It tore through the air!

"laugh--!"

The sword energy pierced through its body, and the worm let out a mournful cry, its huge body twisting wildly, stirring up clouds of yellow sand.

Finally, the worm let out a piercing, almost mournful cry, its massive body convulsing violently before crashing into the sand like a collapsing mountain. Blood gushed from its wounds, rising in wisps of crimson mist from the scalding yellow sand, staining the entire area a dark red, as if the earth were weeping blood.

The sandstorm subsided, and deathly silence returned.

Only two blazing suns hung high in the sky, coldly overlooking this desolate wasteland that devoured life.

Shen Mo landed lightly, the hem of his black robe stained with sand and blood. He didn't immediately sheath his sword, but quickly scanned his surroundings—only after confirming there were no more signs of worms appearing did he slowly walk towards Hua Tianyou. His gaze swept over the other's pale face, then fell on the puddle of water on the ground being greedily absorbed by the yellow sand, and his brows furrowed tightly.

"Did the water bag break?" he asked, his voice low but carrying an unavoidable urgency.

Hua Tianyou struggled to sit up, looked down at the leather pouch at his waist that had been torn open by scales, nodded with a bitter smile, his voice hoarse and almost broken: "My lord... there's only half a pouch left... and the environment here is harsh... I can only muster one-tenth of my martial power..."

He spoke casually, but a hint of despair shone in his eyes. In this scorching, water-scarce place, half a sack of water was nothing more than an illusion that would prolong death.

Shen Mo remained silent for a moment, then turned his gaze to the endless sea of ​​sand to the west.

The skyline twisted and swayed in the heatwave, like an entrance to hell.

He knew that even though Hua Tianyou had reached the state of returning to simplicity and truth, and his true energy could circulate internally and his internal organs could close their breath, if he were to completely cut off his water supply, he would ultimately be unable to escape the fate of dying from water—no matter how strong human power is, it is difficult to defy the will of Heaven.

But he couldn't back down. He took a deep breath, suddenly untied the water pouch from his waist, and handed it to Hua Tianyou.

"Use mine first." His tone was calm, yet carried an undeniable determination.

Hua Tianyou was taken aback, and hurriedly refused, "My lord, you mustn't! You are the core of this mission. If you fall, none of us will get out!"

Shen Mo had already placed the water pouch in his hand, his fingertips slightly cool, his gaze piercing: "With my skill, I can go without food or water for half a year without any problem. You just suffered internal injuries, and your true energy is unstable. If you lose water again, your heart meridian will definitely be damaged."

He paused, gazing at the surging sands in the distance, his voice as soft as a soliloquy yet as heavy as a vow: "Besides... I promised them I would return alive."

Hua Tianyou held the water bag, his fingertips trembling slightly.

The leather bag still retained warmth, as if it still held the warmth of Shen Mo's palm, the rhythm of his heartbeat, and even that calm and unfathomable will. The rough texture of the leather now burned his palm like a branding iron—this was not a bag of water, but a life, a path to survival handed to him by Shen Mo's own hands.

His throat tightened, and he couldn't speak for a moment.

He knew that Shen Mo's words were not untrue, given his strength. But that was under normal circumstances. This place, however, was a death zone where even the wind was poisonous and even shadows could evaporate.

"My lord..." his voice choked with emotion, "What virtue or ability do I possess..."

Before he could finish speaking, Shen Mo raised his hand to stop him.

"Stop talking." Shen Mo turned to look west, the two suns casting overlapping shadows on his shoulders, his black robe gleaming with a cold, frosty sheen in the blazing light. His back was solitary, yet as steady as a mountain, like a silent sword drawn from its sheath, piercing towards the end of this vast desolation. "Save your energy for the journey. There should be a hidden spring a hundred miles ahead—I sensed the water veins vibrating when I fought the worms earlier."

Having said that, he strode forward, his steps steady, each step crushing the quicksand and the shadow of death.

Hua Tianyou stood there, watching the figure gradually disappear into the distance, his heart churning like a surging tide.

Shen Mo could have gone alone, could have let him fend for himself, or even sent him to scout ahead and die—after all, he was merely Shen Mo's subordinate. But Shen Mo didn't. He not only saved his life, but also, at the critical moment, offered him the chance to live with both hands.

This kindness is not merely a matter of master and servant, but almost a rebirth.

He took a deep breath, suppressed his surging emotions, and quickly followed the lone figure.

The wind and sand remain, and the two suns blaze like fire.

But at this moment, he was no longer afraid. Because what he followed was not only the Heavenly Demon God, but also the one he was willing to follow with his life—his lord.