Chapter Fifty: The Monster of the Desert Sea

On the road to the pyramid, the number of mummies and sand scorpions grew steadily. Though their combat strength was not particularly formidable, their sheer numbers posed a grave threat. One could not afford to linger in battle; to be entangled by them meant certain death.

Ye Bai and his companions took turns clearing away the virtual beasts that blocked their path. The mummies, while immortal and indestructible, required time to resurrect after each defeat. Ye Bai’s wood attribute proved especially effective against them.

The sand scorpions, though killable, repeatedly emerged from beneath the sands to ambush the trio. If not for Cao Xiao Monk, they would have suffered greatly; the sand scorpions’ resonant armor attribute could not be penetrated, but Cao Xiao Monk’s movement techniques and his self-developed acupoint-striking method made him adept at dispatching them.

Yao Ling acted as the observer, ever vigilant of their surroundings, keeping track of the numbers of sand scorpions and mummies, and identifying the most vulnerable points for breakthrough.

So far, Yao Ling’s physical exertion was minimal; Ye Bai and Cao Xiao Monk were careful not to let her deplete her attribute power here, for no one knew what awaited them inside the pyramid. When the time came, Yao Ling’s wood attribute—particularly its healing derivative—would prove invaluable.

As they drew closer, the pyramid loomed ever larger, its conical apex pointing skyward, sunlight spilling over it as if golden rays were radiating outward.

“The final wave is coming,” Yao Ling announced, watching the flashing red dots rapidly approaching on the watch formed by Little Wood’s transformation.

An aerial view would reveal mummies crawling out of the sand, kilometers from the pyramid, one after another. They had no physical form, merely bodies of sand, each trapping a restless soul that raced forward relentlessly.

Elsewhere, sand scorpions kept burrowing up from beneath the sand, their pincers snapping incessantly, the venom dripping from their toxic stingers. Some shadows had not yet surfaced, leaving only trails on the sand’s surface that stretched swiftly forward.

Ye Bai gauged the distance and said, “We’re less than ten kilometers out. The remaining lower-level virtual beasts will surge all at once; we can’t possibly kill them all. Even if we did, our stored attribute power wouldn’t suffice to deal with whatever awaits us inside the pyramid.”

“Exactly,” Yao Ling agreed. “If we run at our current pace, we’ll reach the Lord’s Domain in at most ten minutes—then we won’t need to worry about the virtual beasts. But getting there quickly is the challenge.”

Concern clouded Yao Ling’s face; she had been eliminated several times before, her attribute power drained before she could face the final gatekeeper beast.

The Lord’s Domain: a high-level area present in every low-tier virtual battle environment, home to the final gatekeeper beast. Its size varies according to the environment, serving as a protective zone for newcomers to prevent mass elimination by swarms of beasts and the gatekeeper together.

Ye Bai was well aware of the Lord’s Domain, but even so, their team had been wiped out several times. They had never fully passed the low-tier virtual test, their best attempt ending in mutual destruction—though Alya had ultimately deemed it a failure.

“As before,” Ye Bai commanded, “I’ll handle the sand mummies, Cao Xiao Monk will take care of the sand scorpions, Yao Ling will stand ready to support and watch for new virtual beasts. Remember, conserve your attribute power wherever possible.”

As their group leader, Ye Bai could not afford indecision; any hesitation could lead to irreparable loss.

He first had to believe he could lead them to victory. If even the leader lacked confidence, what hope could his teammates have?

“Let’s go,” Ye Bai declared, running toward the pyramid.

Yao Ling and Cao Xiao Monk exchanged glances, finding encouragement in each other’s eyes, and quickly followed Ye Bai.

Cao Xiao Monk rarely joined the discussion, but in battle he was ferocious—his hands struck acupoints, his feet moved in elusive steps, allowing him to cut a path through enemies unharmed, like a deity descended to earth.

Once combat ended, he reverted to a near-somnolent state, oblivious to everything, his sharp gaze dissipating. It seemed he could fall asleep at the slightest opportunity.

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“They’re coming!” Yao Ling’s voice called from behind. Ye Bai shaped a long blade of wood attribute in his hands.

“Monk, sand scorpion ahead left—get ready.”

“Mm.” Cao Xiao Monk’s hands formed claws, finger guards sprouting from his fingertips. He clenched one claw into a fist, extending his index and middle fingers—a martial arts master’s pose.

Ye Bai charged ahead, already engaged with the mummies. His twin blades slashed back and forth through their bodies, relying solely on strength and the devouring power of his wood attribute to cut them down.

Meanwhile, Cao Xiao Monk’s battle with the sand scorpions was in full swing. His dreamlike movement and formidable finger force thundered across the scorpions’ backs.

Yao Ling kept a close watch on both of them; if either encountered danger, she would instantly move to assist.

Their iron triangle formation was gradually taking shape in battle—Ye Bai the spearhead, Cao Xiao Monk the support, Yao Ling the ever-ready backup. The team still seemed immature now, but after enduring trials by fire and blood, they would mature in time.

Dozens of sand sea serpents slithered underground, flicking their tongues to sense the situation above. Their tongues darted in and out, constantly adjusting their direction, but none of them moved toward Ye Bai and Cao Xiao Monk.

Yao Ling watched the sand surface closely for any surprises, while Ye Bai led the way, continually running toward the pyramid. Now only two or three minutes remained. The virtual beasts grew more frenzied; even the mummies Ye Bai killed revived more quickly.

Suddenly, Yao Ling felt a sharp pain in her ankle. Looking down, she saw a yellow-black striped sand sea serpent biting firmly onto her pale ankle.

A flash of green light from her hand, and the serpent was sliced in two, its remains falling onto the sand. Her reaction was swift—less than five seconds from the bite to killing the snake. Yet in those few seconds, her pale ankle had already turned black.

Yao Ling frowned, channeling her attribute power to expel the venom. Thankfully, as a member of the Yao family, she had dealt with snakes and insects since childhood, enabling her quick response. An ordinary girl would likely have jumped away in fright.

“Ye Bai, Cao Xiao Monk, more sand sea serpents have appeared—be careful, these snakes are venomous,” Yao Ling called out as she ran ahead to warn them.

No sooner had she spoken than the sand beneath their feet began to churn, sand sea serpents surfacing and disappearing below.

“Monk, we can’t delay any longer. You handle the sand sea serpents, I’ll clear the path. Seize the moment, and let’s aim to enter the Lord’s Domain in one go.”

Cao Xiao Monk did not reply, but forcefully pushed aside the sand scorpion he was battling and retreated to Yao Ling’s side.

Ye Bai pressed forward, bearing the brunt of the mummies and sand scorpions. His left-hand wood attribute blade dissipated, replaced by a water attribute blade newly forged with his power, while his right hand still wielded the wood blade.

He widened the gap behind him, unleashing the full force of his dual wood and water attribute powers. The two blades blazed with attribute flames, the fire erupting from their edges.

“Break!”

Ye Bai gripped the blades, arms parallel, and swung fiercely toward the pyramid. Attribute fire surged forward, cutting down the sand mummies and sand scorpions ahead.

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The mummies were devoured by the wood attribute, leaving only sand crystals behind. The sand scorpions, thanks to their resonant armor, suffered little damage, but the first scorpion struck had its pincers severed.

The water attribute struck the resonant armor with a sharp patter, reminiscent of rain on tin. The water flowed down the armor, soaking into the sand and forming muddy ground, trapping the sand scorpions.

“Go!” Ye Bai glanced back; Yao Ling and Cao Xiao Monk had finished dealing with the sand sea serpents.

The sand sea serpents were thoroughly suppressed by Cao Xiao Monk’s water spirit thrusts. He pressed one hand to the ground, water attribute power flowing from his arm into the earth below.

Soon, he stood, snapped his fingers, and all movement beneath the sand ceased. Blood seeped from the sand’s surface.

Having just dispatched the sand sea serpents, they heard Ye Bai’s command and hurried after him toward the Lord’s Domain.

“Hoo—”

All three exhaled deeply, finally reaching the Lord’s Domain at the last moment. Behind them, mummies, sand scorpions, and sand sea serpents crowded around, watching them, uttering sounds of bitter frustration.

The trio exchanged smiles, but Ye Bai quickly reminded them, “Don’t relax—the pyramid ahead is the real challenge.”

“Monk, Monk, what’s wrong?” Yao Ling noticed Cao Xiao Monk’s complexion darkening, quickly grabbing his hand to see several bite marks in his palm, black-red blood still oozing.

Yao Ling closed her eyes, sensing his condition, carefully using her wood attribute to help detoxify him.

Venomous blood drained from the wounds. Ye Bai watched quietly, not daring to interrupt, until Cao Xiao Monk’s complexion returned to normal, and Ye Bai was finally at ease.

“Why didn’t you tell me? Poison this severe—you wanted to hide it, or just get yourself eliminated?” Yao Ling scolded Cao Xiao Monk sternly.

Cao Xiao Monk merely smiled, saying nothing. The situation had been urgent; Ye Bai had worked hard to clear a path, and had they been delayed, the next chance might not come so easily.

Yao Ling soon ceased her admonition, knowing the circumstances had been pressing, but still felt disappointed in herself. She was the team’s medic, yet she hadn’t noticed.

“All right, enough. Let’s rest and recover our strength—the real challenge is about to begin.”

Ye Bai drew Yao Ling and Cao Xiao Monk to his side, gazing at the pyramid looming before them.