That woman? Lucifer Flow's expression tightened. A sour taste filled his mouth, and his single eye gazed at the sky where the Golden Roc had vanished. She was indeed a beauty! But too cold… utterly devoid of human warmth… like… like… Lucifer Flow recalled the aura and expression of the girl on the Golden Roc, and a strange cold current suddenly surged through him. She was like the dead! Like the undead of the bards' tales!

"You’re still going deeper? Are you seeking death?" Duan Feng Bu'er caught up with Qian Jin, sighing. "Brother, I apologize. You should rest…" Qian Jin felt wind brush the back of his head, desperately trying to dodge, but his severely injured body wouldn't obey. A numbing, electrical shock hit his nape, his eyes slowly rolled up, and he cursed through gritted teeth, "Damn it…"

Lucifer Flow caught Qian Jin's body before he could fall, flipped him onto his back, and started walking toward the metal mine, muttering softly, "Ah, this is men…" Injured like this, yet he’s still thinking of women. See a pretty one, and he has to go up and ask, Beauty, haven't we met somewhere before? Ugh, how cliché could you be? (Baidu Chizha Ba, Lean Cat is Mighty)

Fen Tu Kuang Ge glanced at Chek Flit and nodded lightly, then turned and quickly followed Lucifer Flow toward the metal mine. In their small group, Qian Jin was the strongest; besides him, Chek Flit was the next strongest. Going with him to gather supplies would only slow him down.

"What was that just now?" Pan Hongji shook the sand off his body, staring at the sky where the Golden Roc had appeared. "How can there be someone in the Ancient Desolate Sand Sea? Was that truly a person? How come… I couldn't sense a single trace of living energy from her? Moreover, she could detect me? Even though I wasn't fully hiding myself, I shouldn't have been found so easily."

The swaying moonlight constantly shifted in the dark space.

That once-familiar delicate figure, under the swaying moonlight in the dark space, appeared so illusory and unreal, like a reflection in water, shattering at the slightest touch.

Qian Jin instinctively tried to raise his hand to touch the figure he hadn't seen in years, but he found that the figure suddenly turned and walked away with large strides, her indifferent attitude as if she didn't know him at all.

Qian Jin tried to speak but found his throat blocked; no matter how hard he tried, no sound escaped. That receding back exuded an ineffable solitude and despair.

The black space was like an unknown monstrous beast, opening its maw to slowly swallow that beautiful silhouette.

"No!"

In the empty cave, Qian Jin abruptly sat up from amidst the mutated flora. His body was wrapped in layer after layer of white bandages, a faint, pungent smell of medicine seeping out from underneath.

"Hmph, this…" Qian Jin stared blankly at the surroundings. The stinging pain in his body had significantly lessened. The powerful recovery ability of the Wind and Cloud Golden Body, combined with the medicinal treatment, had restored most of his injuries. However, the pain deep within his Dòu Vessels still lingered—the aftereffect of forcibly detonating his Dòu Qi using the Iron Smelting Breathing Technique.

Qian Jin instinctively raised a hand and pressed it against his chest, the warrior’s instinct checking his post-injury body. Although his Dòu and Dòu Vessels had suffered some heavy trauma, it wasn't entirely without benefit.

The powerful impact had forced an expansion of his body’s Dòu and Dòu Vessels. Without the medicine and the formidable regenerative power of the Wind and Cloud Golden Body, he might have been completely crippled. Yet, the medicine and the Golden Body had consolidated and expanded those Dòu and Dòu Vessels.

From now on, whether it was the circulation of Dòu Qi, the tolerance for Dòu Qi bursts, or even resisting Dòu Qi impacts from enemies, he would have a far greater capacity to withstand them.

"Hmph, awake?"

Lucifer Flow entered the cave carrying a damp towel, his single eye examining Qian Jin repeatedly. "Your recovery speed… is faster than many Bloodline Warriors…"

Qian Jin pushed up with both hands and stood. "That day, before I passed out, did you see the girl on the back of that Golden Roc?"

"Girl?" Lucifer Flow flicked the ice-cold towel onto Qian Jin's face. "Are you delirious from your injury? What girl? What Golden Roc?"

Qian Jin stared blankly at Lucifer Flow. Could it be he was truly confused by his injuries and hallucinating? How could Hai Qing'er possibly be in the Ancient Desolate Sand Sea? That girl who hadn't cultivated any Dòu Qi or magic at all—if she truly entered this place, she would surely die instantly.

A high-level magic beast like the Golden Roc possessed the honor and pride of a supreme beast; it certainly wouldn't allow just anyone to stand on its back. (Baidu Chizha Ba, Lean Cat is Mighty)

"But…" Qian Jin forcefully slapped his head, his face contorted in pain. "I clearly remember seeing her. It was so real, absolutely not a hallucination. Oh, right! Duan Feng Bu'er also struck me."

"I knew it…" Duan Feng Bu'er walked into the cave carrying his long spear. "You demoness, are you jealous? There really should have been a girl on the Golden Roc, but even I can't figure out why I felt a chilling sensation when I saw her. And for someone her age to stand on the back of a Golden Roc—don't you find that strange?"

Qian Jin looked silently at the ground. He hadn't hallucinated that day. Duan Feng Bu'er had also seen the woman on the back of the Golden Roc. But why did he immediately feel she was Hai Qing'er?

"Qian Jin, where are you going?" Duan Feng Bu'er stepped in front of Qian Jin to block his path. "To the deeper parts of the Ancient Desolate Sand Sea?"

"En," Qian Jin nodded heavily. "I need to find out if that really was Hai Qing'er! If it was her, I need to understand why she is in the Ancient Desolate Sand Sea. If she doesn't like it here, I'll take her out."

Duan Feng Bu'er raised a hand and touched Qian Jin's forehead. "Your head isn't hot; you shouldn't be mad from injury-induced fever. The deeper parts of the Ancient Desolate Sand Sea? You couldn't even beat the Flame Berserk Cactus, and you plan to walk further in?"

"I can avoid them." Qian Jin kept moving forward without stopping. "If it really is her, then she must have suffered a lot…"

"Alright, alright, alright…" Duan Feng Bu'er threw his arms up in surrender. "I'm starting to suspect the girl on the Golden Roc that day really did know you. Because…"

"Because of what?" Qian Jin looked anxiously at Duan Feng Bu'er. "Do you know something?"

"Because," Lucifer Flow said, his face nearly freezing over as he slowly walked up to Qian Jin, "that woman has been frequenting the vicinity these past few nights. She seems to be wary of something and won't truly approach this peak, yet she refuses to leave. Every day, when the three moons rise, she appears in the sand sea, gazing toward this place."

Gazing? Qian Jin frowned slightly. "How many days have I been unconscious?"

"Two days…"

Fen Tu Kuang Ge dragged his exhausted body slowly into the cave, collapsing directly into the patch of flowers and gasping heavily.

"Is it dawn now?" Qian Jin looked doubtfully at Duan Feng Bu'er. Based on Fen Tu Kuang Ge's usual Dòu Qi training schedule, when he was this exhausted and resting, it was usually around dawn.

"Yes…" Fen Tu Kuang Ge replied weakly from the ground. "If you really want to see that girl that badly, just wait until night falls. Otherwise, in such a vast Ancient Desolate Sand Sea, where would you look?" Qian Jin’s gaze shifted to Chek Flit, who had followed them in. The Fallen Angel Bloodline Martial Warrior nodded silently and took out a Dòucrystal from his Dòujiè, finding a corner to begin his training anew.

"Let's wait," Duan Feng Bu'er gently shook his Bu'er Spear, diligently practicing the spearmanship he learned at the Warrior Academy. A simple set of techniques in his hands resembled dozens of living silver snakes leaping up and down. "It’s good timing to recuperate some of our injuries."

"Recuperate?" Qian Jin reached up to touch the bandages on his body. The potions he mixed himself were effective, and the recovery speed of the Wind and Cloud Golden Body was indeed good. But this speed was still too slow! At least, before tonight arrived, he couldn't recover to his optimal state.

Endless World! Qian Jin slowly walked toward the outside of the cave. Only by entering the Endless World to find Teacher Adams and Teacher Ourala could he recover his injuries in a very short time.

"Qian Jin…"

"Don't worry, I have a plan. I won't mess around."

Qian Jin stepped across the water curtain. He surfaced in the cave’s water, lightly flicking the water droplets from his hair.

Leaving the cold, damp cave, he stepped into the dry Ancient Desolate Sand Sea.

The golden sand slowly parted on both sides under the control of his Dòuxin consciousness. Qian Jin jumped into the fifteen-meter-deep sand pit, controlling the surrounding sand to fill it back in completely. He took out the magic hat from his Dòujiè and placed it directly on his head.

Endless World!

Qian Jin stood on the village path, slightly flexing his arms, and immediately felt the stinging pain within his body transmit precisely into his brain.

In this physical condition, even if he went to Uncle Blake’s house, he would be told to see Teacher Adams first.

"Teacher…" Qian Jin pushed open Adams’ Potion Shop, looking awkwardly at Adams, who was currently mixing potions.

"Injured this badly?" Adams looked up at Qian Jin, shaking his head repeatedly and sighing. "You attract so much hatred? Getting beaten up every day?"

Qian Jin really wanted to say that he was quite likable, but these injuries didn't look like something a likable person would accumulate. (Baidu Chizha Ba, Lean Cat is Mighty)

"The medicine is on the cabinet; you should recognize it." Adams stared intently into the experimental container, sighing. "I’ve never seen a pharmacist as much of a failure as you—injured and unable to heal yourself. After your injuries are treated, go look at my notes over there! You are on the verge of challenging for the title of Potion Master; you should study more in your spare time. Do you really want to remain a rookie among rookies forever?"

Qian Jin climbed onto the high part of the cabinet, retrieved a jar of potion from a simple ceramic container that cost only a few copper coins, tilted his head back, and drank several gulps. Instantly, he felt his Dòu Vessels, Dòu, and organs become clearer, and the pain rapidly vanished at a perceptible speed.

"The injuries are treated; stop being amazed at the speed of the healing."

Adams waved his hand. "Go look at the notes quickly! Having an idiot like you as my student truly troubles me."