That heaven-destroying, earth-obliterating sandstorm lasted over half a day before gradually receding like a giant beast that had vented its rage, departing with lingering unwillingness. Xiao Qi withdrew the spiritual power barrier, and the two plus the rabbit emerged from behind the rock. What met their eyes was a changed world. The originally rolling sand dunes had been completely reshaped. The massive rock they had hidden behind was half buried, and the surroundings were in chaos, as if kneaded by an invisible giant hand.
"Ptui ptui ptui!" Zhao Tiezhu spat out mouthfuls of sand, shaking his head, feeling his ears still buzzing. "This damn sand and wind almost buried me alive!"
Xiao Qi was also covered in dust but his eyes remained clear. He spread out that crudely simple Western Desert map purchased in Wangbei City and took out a directional compass, trying to re-determine their position. However, not only was spiritual energy chaotic in the Death Desert, but geomagnetism was also abnormally disordered. The compass needle spun aimlessly, unable to point in a fixed direction.
"We can only rely on the sun and stars, and the few fixed landmarks marked on the map." Xiao Qi put away the compass, frowning slightly. Long-distance travel in this environment without precise direction undoubtedly greatly increased risk and uncertainty.
They rested briefly, dealt with various sand fleas and poisonous insects that had burrowed into their clothes, and set out again. Over the next several days, they were even more careful, relying on the sun during the day to identify the general direction and observing stellar trajectories at night to correct their route. They encountered several more small-scale quicksand and poison scorpion attacks, all of which they survived without danger.
However, the Death Desert's most terrifying aspect wasn't these visible dangers.
On this day, at noon, the blazing sun baked the sand sea like a furnace, the air violently distorted from high heat. Just as they climbed over a tall sand dune, Zhao Tiezhu suddenly pointed to the right front, excitedly shouting: "Brother Qi! Look! It's an oasis! Such a big oasis! And water! Finally, we can drink our fill and take a bath!"
Xiao Qi looked in the direction he pointed. Indeed, several li away, a vibrant green woodland surrounded a clear lake like a blue gem, with water rippling. They could even see birds circling above the lake. The scene was so real, so enticing, forming a heaven-versus-hell contrast with the surrounding dead yellow sand. Days of thirst and exhaustion made this patch of green irresistibly attractive.
Even Xiao Qi, in that instant, had a momentary loosening of his mind. A strong impulse to immediately rush toward that oasis surged in his heart. He was about to take a step.
"Squeak—!!!"
Just then, the rabbit spirit, which had been quietly crouching on his shoulder, suddenly emitted a sharp, piercing, warning-filled screech! Its fur stood on end, ruby-like eyes stared fixedly at that "oasis," small claws desperately scratching Xiao Qi's collar, appearing extremely agitated.
Xiao Qi was instantly alerted! Not right! This oasis had appeared too suddenly, too perfectly! Moreover, given the rabbit spirit's keenness for treasures and spiritual energy fluctuations, if it were truly a water source and oasis containing vitality, it would never react this way!
He immediately forcefully suppressed his body's craving, circulating Purification Source to condense around his eyes, looking again carefully at that "oasis." This time, he saw the issue. The green woodland's edges seemed somewhat blurred and unclear. The water's ripples also lacked natural rhythm, more like a fixed phantom loop. More importantly, he faintly sensed that the area wasn't radiating vitality, but a hollow, twisted light wave fluctuation.
"It's a mirage!" Xiao Qi said in a low voice, cold sweat breaking out on his back. That was close! If not for the rabbit spirit's timely warning, they might have recklessly rushed toward that phantom, ending up exhausting their strength and water in this endless sand sea, dying of thirst and exhaustion, or directly stepping into some deadly trap hidden behind the illusion!
Zhao Tiezhu also realized, eyes wide, looking with disbelief at that still "real" oasis, fiercely spitting: "Damn it! This ghost desert, even shadows know how to lie!"
Xiao Qi took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. He closed his eyes, no longer deceived by vision, but slowly spread out his divine consciousness, carefully perceiving subtle changes in the surrounding environment, especially the flow of energy (spiritual energy, earth veins, etc.). At the same time, he also carefully felt the direction of that agitated and repelling emotion the rabbit spirit was transmitting.
The rabbit spirit had innate keen intuition for truly existing "treasure qi" (including spiritual veins, special minerals, spiritual plants and other breath containing pure energy). A mirage was only twisted light phantom with no substantive energy core. The rabbit spirit's repulsion precisely indicated that area was "empty," possibly even harboring some danger that made it uneasy.
After a moment, Xiao Qi opened his eyes, his gaze having regained absolute calm. He pointed in a direction completely different from that "oasis"—a direction that looked even more desolate, with only rolling sand dunes—and said in a low voice: "This way. The 'real' path the rabbit senses is in this direction."
Zhao Tiezhu had no doubt about Xiao Qi and the rabbit spirit's judgment, immediately nodding: "Good! Brother Qi, I'll follow you!"
The two resolutely turned, departing from that within-reach, temptation-filled "paradise" phantom, advancing toward the seemingly more arduous and desolate direction. Every certain distance, Xiao Qi would have the rabbit spirit confirm the direction again, ensuring they weren't unknowingly misled by new illusions.
Sure enough, after walking about ten-some li, looking back again, that realistic oasis phantom had disappeared without a trace, as if it had never existed. The original location was no different from the vast yellow sand elsewhere.
Zhao Tiezhu looked at the empty space behind him, patting his chest with lingering fear: "Luckily we brought the rabbit, otherwise us brothers would really have fallen into this phantom's hands."
Xiao Qi stroked the rabbit spirit's small head on his shoulder that had quieted down again, his eyes full of relief and appreciation. This experience sounded an alarm for him. In this Death Desert, any sense could be unreliable. He had to maintain extreme vigilance at all times and make good use of every means available.
He looked up at that gradually sinking sun in the west, dyeing the sand sea in gold and red, his gaze even more determined. The mirage's misleading hadn't made them retreat but instead made them more clear-headed. The path to Golden Sand City was destined to be filled with tests of truth and illusion, and they had to clear the fog to find that single real path.