After sensing Gu Yue's seal vanish, Guang slowly poked his head out. Looking at the surrounding scenery, he finally felt at ease.
It seemed they had already set off.
One day later.
"Are we just going to walk there?" Guang had held it in for a long time but finally couldn't help but ask in a low voice.
Arthur shook his head slightly. "In the past, I was always busy with Cultivation, Forging, and dealing with various troubles. I haven't had a good look at this World yet."
He raised his hand and brushed past the weeds by the roadside; frost melted at his fingertips, turning into a drop of crystal-clear water.
From the bustling Shrek City to the Blood God Legion in the Far North, one had to pass through several major cities, sandy plains, and the Blazing Basin before crossing the snow-capped mountains.
On such a long journey, perhaps he could gain some insights.
It was like a cultivation of the state of mind.
"I don't know if it's useful, but I've heard that calming the mind like this helps improve Spiritual Power."
"Is that so?" Guang said thoughtfully. He was born a god and hadn't gone through the process of growing from weak to strong.
He still knew too little about the slow-paced cultivation of humans.
Arthur traveled to Mingdu.
This was one of the most prosperous areas on the Douluo Continent.
Entering a restaurant, Arthur found a seat by the window and sat down.
Perhaps because there were few people and the owner was a chatterbox, seeing that Arthur was incredibly handsome, he proactively struck up a conversation: "You're not a local, are you?"
"Just passing through. I'm planning to go to the Endless Mountain Range," Arthur replied cheerfully.
The owner was a bit confused upon hearing this. "Where is that?"
Arthur smiled and didn't explain much.
He knew that in the World of ordinary people and low-level Soul Masters, they wouldn't know about the Endless Mountain Range, nor would they know there was a defensive line called the 'Blood God Legion' there, holding back those terrifying existences from the abyss for them.
Seeing that he was unwilling to say more, the owner didn't press further. He cheerfully served two small side dishes, a bowl of hot soup, and stuffed a freshly baked wheat cake into his hand. "Since you're traveling, eat more to warm your body. Looking at you, you must be going somewhere very far, right?"
"Yes, very far." Arthur picked up the wheat cake and took a bite. The aroma of wheat mixed with the fragrance of meat spread in his mouth. "Thank you, Boss."
"Don't mention it!" The owner waved his hand and leaned in closer, lowering his voice. "Young man, I see your temperament is unusual, not like an ordinary traveler. Be careful on the road."
"Things haven't been peaceful lately. Even in a big city like Mingdu, right under the Federation's nose, there have been troops patrolling the city recently."
"I don't know what happened."
Arthur's eyes paused slightly, and he nodded. "I understand. Thanks for the warning."
He finished eating quickly, settled the bill, and walked out of the restaurant.
The Federation had finally come to its senses; the Holy Spirit Cult had at least three Quasi-Gods, which was completely beyond their expectations.
It would be one thing if they continued to bomb Shrek City.
But if they bombed other cities, those cities wouldn't have any countermeasures.
Of course, the probability was small, since bombing Shrek City yielded the highest returns.
The Holy Spirit Cult, the abyss, god slaying missiles... Arthur suppressed his stray thoughts and continued walking.
Passing through Mingdu, he entered the western region of the continent.
A few days later, Arthur stepped into a vast desert.
This was the necessary path to the Endless Mountain Range. After crossing this great desert, it would be the Far West.
During the day, the sand was as scorching as charcoal.
At night, the temperature plummeted like ice. Even more lethal were the various dangers lurking beneath the sea of sand.
Arthur didn't deliberately speed up his pace. Like an ordinary traveler, he trudged along with uneven steps.
The sandy ground reflected the piercing sunlight, and the air was distorted by the high temperature.
The Soul Power inside his body flowed extremely slowly, maintained at a level just enough to resist the intense heat, while his Spiritual Power seeped into the sand layer beneath his feet like thin wisps of mist, sensing the subtle vibrations within a radius of several hundred meters.
This was a habit he had developed after traveling alone in the desert for three days.
Creatures like Sand Demon Worms were as annoying as flies.
At noon, he climbed a sand dune, intending to take a short break.
An abnormality came from the edge of his Spiritual Power perception.
It wasn't the dull, rhythmic digging vibration of a Sand Demon Worm.
It was a denser, more cluttered sound.
Metal friction, the low growl of engines, and human footsteps—about a hundred people were moving toward this direction from the northeast. Their speed wasn't fast, and they maintained a strict formation.
Arthur slightly expanded the range of his Spiritual Power.
About a kilometer away, a small convoy was laboriously advancing through the sea of sand.
Three armored transport vehicles bearing the Federation military emblem led the way, their heavy carriages pressing deep ruts into the sand.
Over a hundred soldiers dressed in desert camouflage combat uniforms were scattered in protection, their movements efficient and their eyes scanning the surroundings alertly.
"Why would there be troops here?" Arthur was puzzled for a moment before shaking his head.
He had no intention of making contact, so he kept his distance and continued on his way.
However, the army's route seemed to coincide with his.
Half a day later, they weren't much further apart.
Right at that moment—
"Boom!!!"
The sand dune beneath his feet collapsed without any warning!
It wasn't a natural collapse.
A terrifying suction force came from deep within the sand, like a giant mouth sucking fiercely.
The sand surface within a radius of dozens of meters instantly sank and swirled, forming a rapidly expanding quicksand vortex!
The yellow sand boiled like water, accompanied by the tooth-aching sound of sand friction from underground—a sound so dense it made one's scalp tingle.
It wasn't just one Sand Demon Worm. It was a small swarm, attracted by the heavy vibrations of the convoy, choosing this location—closest to both the convoy and Arthur—to launch a simultaneous attack!
"It's a Sand Demon Worm swarm! All units on alert, act according to plan, protect the transport vehicles!" A clear shout pierced through the wind and sand, reaching them instantly.
The well-trained soldiers reacted quickly; the vehicles stopped abruptly, the guards tightened their formation, and the light of Soul-Guided Shields lit up one after another.
This was within expectations; they already had experience.
However, what they didn't expect was that there was someone else nearby.
They were still over a hundred meters away from the center of the quicksand, with the violently fluctuating sea of sand in between.
And Arthur was right at the edge of the quicksand vortex!
The yellow sand had already submerged his calves, and the suction force continued to increase, threatening to drag him into the abyss.
Beneath the sand surface, several huge shadows were rapidly approaching, and the sound of sand rubbing against carapaces was heart-pounding.
A look of helplessness appeared on Arthur's face.
Why did they have to pick him?
All of this was seen by the people in the distant convoy.
"Someone is trapped over there!" a team member shouted.
A female soldier's gaze was like lightning, instantly locking onto Arthur's position.
The quicksand was expanding extremely fast, and the Sand Demon Worms were about to burst out. It would be difficult for the long-range Soul-Guided Weapons to strike accurately without hurting that person.
"Group three maintain formation, group two follow me to save him! Sniper ready, fire at the worm joints on my command to delay their emergence!"
She spoke extremely fast, her orders clear. Before her voice had even faded, she had already rushed out first.
It wasn't a reckless charge; every step she took was precisely on areas where the sand was firmer, clearly showing she was extremely familiar with the desert environment.
The four team members behind her struggled to keep up, spreading out in a fan shape to provide cover.
Arthur's struggle continued... or so they thought.
They completely failed to notice that Arthur was stepping onto solid ground with every pace.
The suction force suddenly intensified, and the swarm was about to break through the sand. Arthur was getting annoyed and prepared to give them a harsh lesson.
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