Zhang Qingqing’s face turned pale, her heart full of shame and anger transformed into jealousy.
She looked at the Third Senior Brother, then at Jiang Lai, and with a flick of her sleeve, she turned around and left.
Du Furong quickly chased after her.
"Qingqing, why are you saying this? Jiang Lai hasn’t done anything wrong."
Zhang Qingqing cried like a weeping beauty, shaking off Du Furong’s hand.
"You grew up with her, so naturally, you speak for her. I’m the only outsider here, and the only fool kept in the dark is you!"
Du Furong frowned, puzzled.
"What are you talking about? Did I offend you?"
"Are you really oblivious or just pretending? The Senior Brother you like actually likes Jiang Lai?"
Once these words were spoken, the Senior Brother, previously calm even when being insulted like a dog, suddenly lost his composure and shook his head repeatedly at Jiang Lai.
"Nonsense, I think of you like my sister."
Zhang Qingqing sneered.
"Sister, huh? How hypocritical! You all are more hypocritical than the Eight Desolates Sect! Especially you, Jiang Lai, enjoying the protection of four men and still not satisfied, now ignoring our lives. Du Furong, just think, what have we gained along the way?"
Zhang Qingqing was convinced that all the good things had ended up in Jiang Lai’s hands. She became angrier and wanted to stir others to resist with her.
But Du Furong remained indifferent.
"We haven’t contributed much, so what benefits do we expect? Surviving is already good enough, don’t be greedy, okay?"
Zhang Qingqing’s face flushed with anger, unable to bear their gazes any longer after her thoughts were exposed, she turned around and left.
Du Furong looked back at Jiang Lai, shaking her head helplessly.
"What to do?"
"If she wants to leave, let her. What else can I do? Should I kneel and beg her to stay?"
Jiang Lai was too lazy to deal with it.
Du Furong glanced at her, suddenly feeling that this Jiang Lai seemed somewhat unfamiliar, as if something had changed, but she couldn’t pinpoint it.
It was getting dark now, and this was not a good place to set up camp and rest. They had to find a relatively safe spot to camp before dusk and continue their journey at dawn.
The trial had six more days, and indeed, they hadn’t had a proper rest for a long time.
After passing through the Netherworld Realm, the temperature around them noticeably rose. Looking at the only path leading into the mountains not far away, the Senior Brother suggested stopping to rest.
"The next place is the Desert Realm, the last one. Our trial still has a long time to go, so we shouldn’t hurry too much. Let’s rest."
With a mountain at their back, water and trees for cover, this place was relatively safer than the Netherworld Realm they just left.
The sound of birds chirping increased around them, but when they looked up, all they saw was a deep, vast space.
After resting for a night, the next day Jiang Lai had just emerged from her tent when she saw the Senior Brother meditating and cultivating at a high spot.
"Up so early, why not sleep a bit more?"
"Almost done, too excited to sleep."
Indeed, being able to complete the entire trial on the first try, while completing so many tasks, was rare even within the Tiangang Sect and across the Three Sects.
"I don’t mind what Zhang Qingqing said yesterday. Don’t overthink it. Focus on cultivating and don’t get influenced by external matters. You’re the Senior Brother and will need to protect the Tiangang Sect in the future; you must become stronger."
Jiang Lai often talked with the Senior Brother, mainly persuading him.
Among these brothers, the Senior Brother might not be the most talented, but he was always the most diligent and hardworking, undeserving of such an untimely end.
The Senior Brother curled his lips into an unprecedented smile.
"I know, rest assured I’ll work hard in my cultivation, protect the Tiangang Sect, and protect you all."
With the daily persuasion done, they continued their journey toward the final Secret Realm area.
As they passed through the mountain tunnel, where it should have been cool and dark, the deeper they went, the hotter it became. The heat emanated relentlessly from head to toe, making it unbearable.
Walking inside was like being in a steamer. Even with Spiritual Power protecting them, the heat was hard to bear.
When they finally emerged from the tunnel, the white light in front of them grew from the size of a coin to overwhelming brightness, rushing toward them so boldly that none of them could open their eyes right away.
The sound of wind "whooshing" around them accompanied countless hard, sharp sand grains driven by the dry wind, hitting their faces, necks, and arms, making breathing extremely difficult.
The harsh temperature differences momentarily made it hard for everyone to adjust until Jiang Lai tore a piece of cloth from her clothing and put it over her nose and mouth, shielding herself slightly while surveying the surroundings.
An endless sea of yellow sand stretched out, like a vast ocean of gold, the scorching wind carrying sand filled the air. With each breath, half was sand, the other half was wind.
Du Furong coughed heavily, covering her nose and struggling to breathe while leaning against Jiang Lai.
"I can’t, it’s too hot here, I can’t take it..."
Jiang Lai looked at her, then grasped her hand. A moment later, a small black snake slowly crawled onto Du Furong’s wrist.
The next second, the snake’s coldness permeated her skin, cooling her down considerably.
"You gave it to me, what about you?"
"I have higher cultivation than you, I don’t need it."
Indeed, compared to Du Furong’s difficulty, Jiang Lai was uncomfortable but not in pain, she just had to endure a little.
The blinding white light overhead terrified them, as if a huge sun was right on a distant sand dune, recklessly emitting heat.
"So what now? There’s sand everywhere; no way to tell the direction."
At this point, the Fourth Senior Brother silently took something from his bosom and handed it to the Senior Brother.
"Here, a compass."
"You’re so considerate."
The Fourth Senior Brother laughed sheepishly. He brought these items for treasure hunting and initially didn’t plan to share, but given the desperate situation, he took them out to save lives.
The map showed a path leading south to the Desert Realm’s end, and with the compass, the Senior Brother led them onward.
He walked ahead, blocking much of the sand and dust.
The Fourth Senior Brother quietly tucked away his Little Ginseng in his pocket. Aside from this, his space also held a pot of Mother and Child Fish, and fearing issues with the ginseng and the fish, he used most of his water supply to water the ginseng and replenish the fish’s water.
Initially thinking that following the direction would be problem-free, Jiang Lai soon realized something was wrong.
"This sand dune, I’ve seen it before."
"They all look the same; you must be mistaken."
Jiang Lai shook her head.
"My dog won’t make a mistake; it says we’ve been here already."