*Two weeks earlier *
Desert of Forgotten Souls
Hu Qinling had been advancing through the arid desert for days. The heat was overwhelming, an unrelenting furnace that would have reduced any ordinary being to ashes. Even with her level, she felt fatigue accumulating, her endurance tested by the incessant attacks of desert creatures. But it wasn't the monsters that annoyed her the most.
"Hu Zhen! You have nothing better to do than follow me? Damn it, you should get lost, you're getting in my way!"
She shot a furious glance at her older brother, who, unperturbed, continued to walk beside her.
"No need to shout, Ling'er. I'm here to protect you."
"I don't need it!"
