In the middle of the vast desert, with the sunlight of dusk slowly fading into night, Xiao Yan and El walked side by side.
The wind was blowing strongly, blowing away the sand grains and forming small storms that occasionally obscured the view.
Xiao Yan walked with a slight intake of breath, his skin feeling dry from the intense heat, while thirst was increasingly tormenting his throat.
Sweat flowed profusely on Xiao Yan's temples, even as the desert wind tried to cool his body.
On the other hand, El strode calmly, showing absolutely no signs of fatigue or thirst.
As a Beyonder who focused on increasing VIT, his body condition was far superior in surviving in an extreme environment such as this.
Two months had passed since their journey began. In that span of time, El managed to reach 8-Star Dou Shi.
However, to break through 9-Star and reach the next realm, he needed more energy.
This meant that El could not break through any further before finding a place rich in energy to support his cultivation.
On the other hand, Xiao Yan experienced a rapid surge in his cultivation, far surpassing even his original path, a development that had never happened in the previous timeline.
If following the original path, Xiao Yan should have only reached 1-Star Dou Shi at this time.
However, due to El's existence in this world, Xiao Yan had now reached 5-Star Dou Shi and experienced an increase of two full realms in just two months.
El thought to himself, it seemed that Xiao Yan was using his as a stepping stone to progress faster, besides of course his burning grudge as fuel for his motivation.
Other than the realm increase, their journey was also far from calm.
At least, within two months of this journey, El managed to acquire three Rank 4 Magic Cores, all thanks to Xiao Yan's natural talent in attracting trouble, be it from humans or Magic Beasts.
From clashes with bandits, which El took advantage of to rob them first, to incidents with Magic Beasts that were disturbed by their presence, trouble followed Xiao Yan's every step.
Of course, this long journey also had an impact on their dwindling supplies, making the situation even more challenging.
Xiao Yan, who was already feeling exhausted, finally patted El's shoulder in a bit of despair.
"Ji Lan, do you still have some water?" he asked, his voice a bit hoarse. "I'm out of water, give me a few sips."
El stopped his steps, turned to Xiao Yan, and reached for the water pouch hanging at his waist.
However, when El opened it, only empty air came out. "Ji's water has also run out."
Xiao Yan let out a long sigh, his eyes slightly dimmed, before finally taking another step in the hope of finding a water source in the middle of this arid desert.
A while later, as they walked past a high sand dune, Xiao Yan's gaze caught something in the distance, a streak of green amidst the vast yellowish sand.
Xiao Yan's eyes widened for a moment, confirming that what he saw was not just an illusion due to fatigue.
There, amidst the barren sea of sand, was an oasis, a small patch of green with palm trees waving gently in the wind.
Xiao Yan rubbed his eyes several times to confirm that this was not a mirage. When Xiao Yan realized that the oasis really existed, his spirits rise again.
"Ji Lan! Look at that! Water Source!" he exclaimed in an enthusiastic tone, before speeding up his steps towards the oasis, as if forgetting his fatigue.
El stood still in his place, letting Xiao Yan run towards the oasis excitedly. However, instead of joining the rush, El closed his eyes for a moment, breathing in the air around his.
Vaguely, El caught the distinctive scent of the Snake-People scattered around the oasis. The odor was subtle, mixed with the moisture of the water and the fragrance of the leaves, but it was clear enough to his keen sense of smell.
El's eyes narrowed slightly as she recalled the various versions of the original storyline she had known.
If it followed the Novel or Manhua, then Xiao Yan would have met Yue Mei bathing in the middle of the oasis lake.
However, if following the Donghua plot, then Xiao Yan would have met Queen Medusa who was performing a blessing ritual at the sacred pool.
Unfortunately, the world in this timeline does not simply follow either version, but rather a mixture of Novel, Manhua, and Donghua.
This means that even though El had insight into key events, she could not be sure exactly who Xiao Yan would meet at the oasis.
El sighed softly, shrugging his shoulders as if he had resigned himself to whatever would happen. "No matter who is there, Xiao Yan is still unlucky in the end."
El muttered casually, the corners of his lips slightly raised and said, "At least then this Yan of Strange Genesis will meet Dajie Yun Yun. No matter, it is interesting."
Just as El was preparing to step after Xiao Yan, suddenly...
Ding!
Right in front of him, a side mission notification appeared, floating in the air with a dim light that only he could see.
[A Beyonder with Serial number 120,000 has triggered a C-level Side Mission -Whistle-]
________________
Title: Whistling
Description: Whistle to the Queen, after completing the Blessing Ritual at the Sacred Pool.
Reward: 5,000 points
Punishment: Unable to ascend the Great Realm for 10 years.
________________
El's face instantly hardened as soon as his eyes caught the contents of the newly appeared side mission notification.
"Doesn't this mean I've just been given Queen Medusa's personal ticket to kill me with a vengeance?!" El complained in thought. "Ruo Ling is enough, now Queen Medusa?"
El took a deep breath, suppressing the urge to berate the system, if not giving missions with high risks, then definitely absurd missions that were thrown.
It felt as if the system, or the Reincarnation Room God, was deliberately playing a trick on him. However, the longer El read the details, the more his irritation peaked.
"Why does there have to be a punishment?! And what's worse, the reward is only 5,000 points?! It's really not worth it!"
His voice of protest echoed in El's mind, but the system remained silent, as usual.
With a flat face full of mental exhaustion, El finally turned his gaze towards Xiao Yan, who had now left his far enough behind.
"Haaah..." El let out a long sigh and closed the notification screen of that absurd mission with a lazy gesture.
However, despite his annoyance, his resolve remained strong. If the system had given a mission, it meant that there was something that could be utilized. "It feels like the system tricked me again... but never mind."
Quickening his pace, El immediately rushed to catch up with Xiao Yan. "I'll do it!"
Actually, El could have fought to a draw against a Peak Dou Huang, especially with his physique as a VIT-focused Beyonder, plus the enhancement effects of his Skills, Title, and Profession as a current 8-Star Dou Shi Practitioner.
Clearly, El's strength far surpassed that of an average practitioner.
Unfortunately, the opponent faced this time was not just any Peak Dou Huang, but Queen Medusa.
As one of the most dangerous existences in this Tager Desert, although her strength was "only" at Peak Dou Huang, there was no guarantee of an easy victory.
Hai Bodong who was the peak Dou Huang alone had been defeated easily in the past by Queen Medusa, let alone El who was only an 8-star Dou Shi?
The reason was simple, Queen Medusa's blood was not ordinary human blood.
Queen Medusa possessed a strong bloodline from the snake race, giving her far superior physique and Dou Qi, sharp fighting instincts, as well as absolute control over the Snake-People tribe.
Not to mention, at her side are trusted generals who are in the realm of Dou Wang, ready to fight at any time to protect their Queen.
Fighting against a single Dou Huang was already difficult, let alone having to face several Dou Wang at once on the enemy side.
Clearly, this would be a difficult battle to win in the current El Realm. So, El had to be extra careful.