The scorching sun made heads spin, and those who could see nothing could only follow Jing Minghe and walk blindly forward. This aimless feeling amplified the despair in their hearts.
Ke Wuwen supported Tong Zheng, raising the simple fan in his hand with all his might to shield Tong Zheng from the blazing sun overhead.
You Mi followed closely behind the two, supporting Ban Sheng, who limped forward with difficulty. You Mi had wrapped Ban Sheng's injured foot with thick bandages. Even so, the piercing pain was unbearable. Ban Sheng felt as if he could suffocate at any moment. Every step he took was driven by instinct, and he was already teetering on the edge of losing consciousness.
Ding Chang walked at the very back, unhurriedly following. He was only feeling a bit dazed from the sun, and he kept feeling as if the six people ahead of him were actually seven.
He counted silently in his heart: Jing Minghe and Chi Hao, Tong Zheng and Ke Wuwen, You Mi and Ban Sheng. No matter how he counted, there should only be six. But why did an extra person appear?
That person was walking right beside Jing Minghe, yet he couldn't recall if anyone like that was among them. After all, that person didn't seem to be anyone he knew.
That person's gait was incredibly relaxed and carefree, as if they weren't walking on a vast, scorching desert at that very moment, but in a place that was incredibly refreshing and pleasant.
Who was it?
Ding Chang tried hard to recall as he walked. Had he forgotten something important? He wanted to step forward and confirm, but he also didn't want to get too close to Jing Minghe and Chi Hao.
"Hao Ge."
Jing Minghe called out softly. Chi Hao grasped Jing Minghe's hand and tapped his palm, signaling that he didn't need to worry and should continue forward.
After walking for an unknown duration, the scorching sun overhead remained unchanged.
Among those following Jing Minghe, some were gradually losing patience. Ban Sheng was the first to break and ask, "Jing Minghe, how much longer until we arrive? I, I can't go on."
Jing Minghe paused his steps. To his relief, although the destination wasn't within immediate reach, it was noticeably closer. So, he turned his head slightly and replied, "Soon, just hold on a bit longer."
Whether Jing Minghe's words were true or not, they at least offered a small measure of relief to everyone.
Ding Chang continued to stare intently at the extra person beside Jing Minghe, as if he wouldn't rest until he figured out who it was.
With hope, there came the motivation to continue. At this moment, everyone just needed to walk forward and not think about anything else, as thinking would be useless anyway.
Wen Sha looked at Ban Sheng with concern. He was dragging his other leg forward, and Ban Sheng was leaning on her for most of his support, which made You Mi feel a bit strained. Despite this, she gritted her teeth and endured. Although she cared deeply about the deaths of Wen Sha and Yue Di, that wasn't a reason for her to abandon Ban Sheng. She could only hope they would reach their destination quickly.
As they walked, almost everyone's consciousness began to blur, including Jing Minghe.
Chi Hao pulled Jing Minghe along, nearing the destination. But for some reason, a sense of unease surged within him for no apparent reason, as if they shouldn't have come here.
As if connected by telepathy, the moment Chi Hao had this thought, he heard Jing Minghe ask softly, "Hao Ge, do you feel something is wrong?"
Just as Chi Hao was about to speak, Jing Minghe suddenly stopped and asked, "We're here?"
Simultaneously, a flicker of surprise flashed in Chi Hao's eyes. There had clearly been a long distance just moments ago, and now it was right in front of them.
Regardless of whether it was a question or not, upon hearing Jing Minghe's words "We're here," the near-death individuals instantly came back to life. They looked up and finally clearly saw the "oasis."
The scorching sun had not moved from its position, but a cool breeze blew from the "oasis," bringing everyone back to their senses.
Seeing Jing Minghe and Chi Hao standing still, You Mi called out, "What's wrong? Aren't we going in?"
"This isn't an oasis," Jing Minghe said, taking two steps forward. "It's an island, an island trapped in the desert."
Hearing Jing Minghe's words, and looking at the "oasis" that stretched as far as the eye could see, with a lake shimmering with green light within it, short plants, and sand covering the ground, it didn't look like an island at all.
"Then..." You Mi asked cautiously, "Shall we go in? Can we go in?"
Ding Chang walked over, a mocking expression on his face, and said, "If we don't go in, do we have anywhere else to go?"
With that, he was the first to walk in. However, after only a few steps, he slowed down, cautiously testing the ground.
"Ding Chang is right," Jing Minghe shrugged slightly. "Indeed, there's nowhere else to go."
"Then, let's go in," Tong Zheng strained to speak. "It's good to take shelter from the sun."
Jing Minghe nodded. He and Chi Hao walked ahead, soon catching up to Ding Chang.
Tong Zheng and the others were injured and walked a bit slowly, gradually falling behind. Jing Minghe looked back from time to time, feeling that the distance wasn't too great, and continued forward.
As they walked, Jing Minghe suddenly had a strange sensation. At the same time, he heard Ke Wuwen's voice.
"Brother Tong!"
Everyone quickly looked in the direction of the sound and saw Tong Zheng being sucked into a strange vortex that had appeared out of nowhere.
"Brother Tong?"
Jing Minghe immediately ran back. Tong Zheng had already been completely sucked in. He didn't know if he could pull Tong Zheng out.
However, before he could reach them, an even more shocking scene unfolded. Ke Wuwen directly jumped in after him. And, after Ke Wuwen entered, the vortex suddenly disappeared, as if it had never existed.
"No! Wuwen! Brother Tong! Don't!"
Jing Minghe watched in disbelief as Ke Wuwen followed and jumped in, watching as two living people simply vanished before his eyes for no apparent reason.
Why? Jing Minghe stood frozen. Tong Zheng and Ke Wuwen had disappeared, and he hadn't even seen clearly what had happened.
"What should we do?" Jing Minghe snapped back to reality and rushed to where the light circle had disappeared, but there was nothing there.
"Hao Ge," Jing Minghe grabbed Chi Hao, who had followed him, "They're gone, what should we do?"
Chi Hao held Jing Minghe's hand and said in a deep voice, "Calm down, Minghe."
"I..." Jing Minghe froze for a moment, then took a deep breath. "Right, I need to calm down. How can I be so flustered? This isn't like me at all."
Jing Minghe took a deep breath and muttered to himself, "They must still be alive. They must have been sent to some space in the instance. I have to be calm to save them."
"Yes," Chi Hao replied. "I believe we will find them."
Jing Minghe stared at the spot where the light circle had vanished for a while, then turned to look at You Mi.
You Mi was biting her cracked lips tightly, trying to pull herself out of the shock and convince herself that Tong Zheng and Ke Wuwen were definitely still alive.