This realm was filled with towering sand dunes and endless stretches of desert as far as the eye could see. Almost no one had ever encountered an oasis within this scorching desert. To travelers, the Desert Realm might appear to be just a small world, but for those who lived here, it felt vast and boundless endless, even.
Amid the blazing sunlight of the sun, the desert atmosphere was so scorching it seemed to burn everything in its path. The dry grass turned pale yellow, lifeless. Suddenly, a mysterious portal appeared, emitting a radiant glow of pinkish-purple light, resembling the delicate wings of a butterfly spreading out beautifully. Yet, its touch was far from gentle. As the light enveloped the bushes, they were crushed flat, leaving no trace behind.
At the center of the mysterious portal, the figure of Lian Yi suddenly appeared.
A young girl with jet-black hair fading into a fiery red at the tips, and eyes like glistening pink gemstones under the light. Her lovely, delicate face exuded charm. She stepped out of the dimension gracefully and slowly. Her gaze swept the surroundings, noting scattered cacti standing at intervals, with sharp thorns forming a natural defense line.
The atmosphere here felt like fire had descended to scorch the earth...
Lian Yi could feel the heat radiating from the sand beneath her. She quickly raised her hand to shield her face from the glaring sun. The heat of the Desert Realm gradually seeped into her body, making her realize just how oppressively hot this place truly was.
Lian Yi swiftly moved under the shade of a cactus and gracefully sat down, shielding herself from the sun's blinding rays. Her eyes glanced up at the cactus, feeling slightly relieved that it provided some shelter from the burning sunlight. She let out a soft sigh and raised her hand to fan her face, trying to alleviate the heat gnawing at her skin.
Then she turned her gaze toward the pinkish-purple portal.
"Xin Tingting hasn't arrived yet?"
She furrowed her brow slightly, wondering why. Her friend was notoriously slow and lazy. Lian Yi shook her head gently and sighed, but then suddenly something surfaced in her mind...
When exactly had her younger brother disappeared from her life? What happened before they were separated?
At this moment, she still didn't know the full truth. But she would do everything in her power to see him again... and with her fragmented memories, confusion lingered in her heart. Her face showed a thoughtful expression for a moment. This journey would not only improve her skills but might also unravel the mysteries of her past. After helping Xin Tingting collect all the magical treasures, she would search for the truth behind her lost memories.
It might take years to fully recover every part of her memory. If she had known for sure that the thing she lost was part of her memories, perhaps she wouldn't have chosen this path… And even now, there was a lingering resentment in her heart, an unresolved bitterness.
At present, she was only five years old a little girl still innocent and unaware of much. The outside world was daunting and full of unfamiliar experiences. She needed to learn many things to grow and mature.
But she believed that one day, she would understand the profound truths about herself. As for when that remained to be seen...
After a short while, the portal gradually revealed the slender figure of Xin Tingting, who slowly stepped out. As soon as her full form appeared, the portal that had brought her vanished into the air, disappearing as if it had never existed a fleeting illusion passing through time.
Xin Tingting hurriedly stomped over to Lian Yi, her voice rising and falling with irritation.
"At first, you said that the magical treasure we need to find is some ancient divine relic. I thought we'd arrive in a beautiful place full of colorful flowers. But why does it look like this?"
Xin Tingting sighed. "Look at this! It's nothing but sand, sand, sand~ everywhere! How are we supposed to find a magical treasure in a place like this? It's so hot, I'm about to faint! Prince! Where are you? Come save this delicate princess now!"
Lian Yi raised her hand to her forehead and shook her head gently. It seemed that Xin Tingting was once again daydreaming about handsome men. A moment later, Lian Yi lowered her hand from her fair forehead and spoke calmly.
"Since we're already here, we might as well begin our journey."
"Huh? It's this hot and we're still going to walk? I think I'll try to open a portal again. Maybe it'll take us somewhere else. If only there was a handsome man here, that would at least make things better. But there's nothing here. How hopeless!" Xin Tingting pouted, then lowered her head to look at the butterfly emblem on her wrist. She touched it gently with her other hand, her gaze deep and contemplative. But no matter how softly or firmly she pressed it, no portal appeared again. She let out a heavy sigh. It truly was as hopeless as she had said.
She had once lived a comfortable life like a princess, cherished by her grandfather, never having to face hardship or endure the burning sun that now scorched her delicate skin. She had always known gentle breezes and cool shade. Whenever she desired something, her grandfather would provide it. But now, she had to endure this harsh desert sun. The sunlight struck her fair skin like polished jade, and her whole body felt the intense heat. Even just lifting a hand to wipe away sweat made her sigh softly, as if lamenting her current state.
"Well, never mind. Since we're already here, why don't we try walking toward those mountains? I think they look interesting," said Lian Yi, before turning to walk slowly toward the hills.
Xin Tingting raised her eyes to look at Lian Yi's back, seemingly pondering her friend's words. Her beautiful eyes glanced toward the mountains in the distance. She pursed her lips slightly before quickly striding forward to walk beside Lian Yi, refusing to be left behind.
"Do you think the ancient divine treasure is really here?" Xin Tingting asked, turning her lovely face toward Lian Yi beside her.
"I don't know," Lian Yi replied, "but if the portal brought us here, we can at least guess that the divine treasure resides somewhere in this realm."
"Pfft! This realm is so huge! How are we supposed to find a divine treasure in a place like this?" Xin Tingting whined, brushing sand from her clothes. Her face clearly showed fatigue and frustration.
"I should've just stayed home being lazy, eating cool fruit, listening to birds sing by the lotus pond! Instead, I'm dragging myself through this blazing desert looking for some magical treasure buried who-knows-where under the sand…"
She turned to her companion and frowned. "What if we really do run into a monster out here? How are we supposed to escape? We can't fly. We can't dig underground. There's nowhere to hide just sand, sand, and more sand! I haven't even seen a single rock or dead plant!"
"But I think it's kind of fun," Lian Yi smiled faintly. Her lips curved slightly, her demeanor calm and serene. Despite the intense desert heat, her face seemed gentle, as if nothing could disturb her spirit. She raised her hand to shield her eyes from the glaring reflection off the sand, then turned to look at Xin Tingting with sparkling eyes.
"Fun? In this heat?" Xin Tingting lowered her eyelids slowly and exhaled a soft sigh. She felt sweat trickling through her hairline despite the occasional desert breeze. Her eyes revealed a mix of weariness and incomprehension. She pouted slightly, unable to help herself.
"Hmm… yes. It is kind of fun. Think about it if it weren't this hot, how would we build our endurance? Maybe your grandfather planned this on purpose so we could experience hardship, so that one day, we'll be able to withstand the heat much better," Lian Yi said with a confident smile. Her voice carried conviction, and her eyes shone with determination, as if she were ready to face any obstacle ahead. She stepped forward firmly, without a trace of hesitation.
"You've got a point, but right now I'm so hot I can't take it anymore. My skin feels like it's burning…"
Xin Tingting panted softly, sweat soaking her back and neck. Her delicate hand fanned her face, but it barely helped. Her breathing grew slightly quicker from the stifling heat surrounding her.
"Xin Tingting, look over there. That guy what tribe is he from? His outfit looks weird," Lian Yi said, seemingly not hearing a word Xin Tingting had just said. She turned and pointed leftward. Over there, two middle-aged men were riding camels one brown and one dusty white heading in their direction.