Looking at the new scenery around her, Bai Cha immediately felt helpless.
She had just said that the desert was fatal to Cang Liu, but now this place was the most suitable for Cang Liu, wasn't it?
This was an endless sea, with scattered islands distributed on the sea. This world was also a strange one, looking as if the sea level had risen and drowned the entire world.
For now, there didn't seem to be any danger here. Only then did Bai Cha have the leisure to examine the crystal she had obtained.
The crystal had distinct angles and a faint cyan color. From it, Bai Cha seemed to be able to feel the color of the sky. Holding it in her hand made her body feel lighter.
This crystal was quite suitable for Yun He.
Bai Cha mused, resting her chin on her hand. The next moment, her body tensed up. A strange sensation made her hair stand on end. It was the feeling of being approached, of having someone get close to her body without her realizing it.
This sensation sent a cold sweat down Bai Cha's back. Could it be that there was something peculiar about this world that lowered her vigilance to such an extent?
Bai Cha's heart jolted, and she immediately prepared to defend herself. The next moment, she was suddenly enveloped in warmth.
"Lucifer?" Feeling the familiar aura, Bai Cha finally breathed a sigh of relief.
It seemed that it was because Lucifer and she were too familiar with each other that she had not been vigilant. No wonder her muscles had not reacted defensively subconsciously.
"You..." Bai Cha relaxed. Having another strong person was a good thing. Just as she was about to say something, she turned her head and sensitively noticed that something was wrong with Lucifer.
Lucifer's mental state seemed somewhat abnormal at the moment. Bai Cha could vaguely sense the intense emotions suppressed within Lucifer's heart, and his hand seemed to have been severely injured, bloody and mangled.
He closed his eyes and embraced his master from behind, breathing heavily as if startled. His face was slightly pale, and Bai Cha could even feel Lucifer trembling.
"Lucifer? What's wrong?" Bai Cha asked in surprise. "Did you encounter any danger?"
Lucifer remained silent, burying his head in Bai Cha's shoulder. It took a long time for him to open his eyes, his bloodshot pupils making Bai Cha start. Before she could speak, she heard a low, gentle voice muffledly say.
"I apologize, my master. I have failed in my duty." His voice was soft and deep, like a nocturne played on a cello, low and melodious. The world seemed to fall silent, the sound of the waves fading away. Bai Cha stared at Lucifer dazedly, her heart beating a little fast.
Lucifer released Bai Cha, took her hand, knelt on one knee, and placed a kiss on the back of her hand, almost reverently. "I apologize, I did not stay by your side at all times without your command."
Bai Cha was speechless. She hadn't expected Lucifer to blame himself for their separation. She could only pull Lucifer up and say helplessly, "This was caused by spatial chaos, it has nothing to do with you. Besides, I wouldn't be in danger."
"But other people's danger is your danger." Lucifer lowered his head, seemingly due to intense emotional fluctuations. He even contradicted Bai Cha, his chest heaving, his tone filled with suppressed emotions. "Those trash need your protection. What's the difference between them encountering danger and you encountering danger!"
Bai Cha fell silent. She was stunned by Lucifer's sudden defiance but had no words to refute him. Lucifer was right, but she was really bad at comforting people and didn't know how to respond to Lucifer's accusation.
"I apologize, I lost my composure, my master." Lucifer lowered his head and bowed slightly, as if apologizing, but it was more like expressing his helplessness towards Bai Cha's actions. He could only propose his so-called suggestion once again, even cautiously. "Next time, I hope you can prioritize your own safety, for everyone's sake."
He even dared not say "for your own sake." Lucifer seemed to fear that if he were not important, what would become of him?
Bai Cha did not share Lucifer's complicated thoughts. She just smiled and readily agreed, "Okay, next time."
Lucifer fell silent. He vaguely remembered that Bai Cha had said such things more than once. Of course, she wouldn't change next time either; she would still do as she pleased, and all he could do was remain silent.
"Alright, don't be so dejected. I sensed that this world bubble had no inhabitants, so I came here." Bai Cha pointed to a semi-transparent pale blue barrier in the distance and said with a smile, "Let's go."
"Don't you need to find this world's crystal?" Lucifer released Bai Cha's hand, and as soon as he let go, the wound on his hand began to heal slowly at a visible rate.
After all, a dragon's physique was much stronger than a human's, with extremely strong regenerative abilities. In terms of physical strength, dragons possessed innate advantages.
"This world is just a simple stepping stone, used to help us return to the branches of our original world. There is no crystal." Speaking of this, Bai Cha's mood immediately improved significantly, and she winked mysteriously at Lucifer.
Lucifer was puzzled and didn't understand why Bai Cha was so certain. Looking at Bai Cha's expression, he knew she wasn't lying. Although he had doubts, seeing Bai Cha's mysterious demeanor, he didn't ask further.
His master, only in front of him, would exhibit many small actions absent in front of others; she would be lazy, playful, and occasionally joke. In the past, Bai Cha was always indifferent, as if nothing could make her relax. Now, his master finally showed the shadow of the cheerful little girl in the old photos.
And she only acted like this in front of him.
Lucifer thought this, and his mood improved considerably. His lips finally returned to their usual gentle smile.
Lucifer might not realize how much his appearance boosted his charm. He was gentle and handsome, yet not effeminate at all. Instead, he was more defined than Mo Ziye.
The beach, the sun, the smile, it all suited him perfectly. Bai Cha could hear her own heartbeat and the faint, unusual flutter in her heart.
This smile was truly beautiful.
Lucifer seemed to be in a good mood, and his voice also softened, his tone gentle and deep. "Then, what should we do next?"
Bai Cha: "..."
She felt like she had been flirted with by a dragon.
"Let's go to the barrier and rest for a while. No need to rush."
It was a rare sight of an oasis in the desert.
Even this small oasis was found by Xiang Nan after he released all his insects and animals and searched for three days and three nights without rest.
This also seemed to be the end of this world. A semi-transparent light screen blocked the way. Beside Xiang Nan and his group stood two other groups of people, with rather unpleasant expressions.
One group was Gu Zitan's group. They had successfully entered this world bubble, and several people led by Mo Ziye were worried about Bai Cha's safety.
The other group was full of animosity. A delicate man in a moon-white long gown, exuding scholarly aura, faced off against a fiery red woman with a displeased expression.
"Brother Zi Yu, let it go. Don't bother with unimportant people." Li Rong walked over and patted Yan Zi Yu's shoulder. He seemed nonchalant, appearing calm and composed.
Although Bai Cha and Meng Qinghuan, ranked first and second, were not present, Yan Zi Yu, Xiang Nan, and the others from the "Shadow" group, ranked third to sixth, were all gathered in this world. In terms of combat power, they had an advantage compared to facing Bai Cha and Meng Qinghuan alone in the unknown. Therefore, Li Rong was not worried at all.
"Unimportant? Who do you think you are!" Zhi Yue spat proudly and said dismissively, "You rats crossing the street really think you're so powerful? Cang Liu is a student of Jun Yao, why can't I look?"
"Isn't it embarrassing enough for a teacher to be defeated by a student? Why can't our people be looked at by you?" Su Qing immediately retorted.
"Is it your place to interrupt?" Zhi Yue was furious. Cang Liu's extreme cold had made her curious last time. She originally intended to inquire about Cang Liu's situation, but not only did Cang Liu not welcome her, but even the small fry from "Shadow" dared to confront her?
The more she thought about it, the angrier she became. Zhi Yue raised her head, and a ball of flame transformed into a fire phoenix, lunging towards Su Qing's face.
Su Qing's expression tightened. He was a long-range mage, extremely fragile in close combat. During battles, he was usually protected by others, either controlling the field by playing music or kiting his opponents from a distance. This time, Zhi Yue's attack was too sudden, and Su Qing was caught off guard.
"Fairy Needle!" Wei Chen's voice rang out. The air seemed to become a canvas in an instant, and ink smudged, like a magnet, attracting the charging fire phoenix.
It was Yan Zi Yu who made the move. He held a brush, and ink magically appeared on it, guiding the fire phoenix away from Su Qing's direction.
Yan Zi Yu's expression was not grim. With a wave of his hand, he flung the fire phoenix into the air. With another wave, a long ink dragon appeared out of thin air. The dragon, like an ink painting, was pleasing to the eye, but its danger was immense. It easily strangled the fire phoenix and transformed into wisps of black ink, returning to Yan Zi Yu's brush tip.
"Not bad," Yan Zi Yu said, twirling his Judge's Brush and putting it back into his sleeve with the air of a scholar.
"Phew, thanks." Su Qing's face was not good.
Yan Zi Yu smiled smugly. "It's nothing. I guessed this woman would lose her temper."
While Yan Zi Yu might not be comparable to Li Rong and Xiang Nan in terms of overall strategy and cunning, he was still among the top. Therefore, Yan Zi Yu had been prepared from the beginning.
"You! You guys are deliberately opposing me, aren't you!" Zhi Yue felt like she was about to explode, her flames somewhat uncontrollable. Her words became even more aggressive, "Do you believe I'll kill you all if I get serious!"
"You can try."
A somewhat sickly voice, devoid of any fluctuation, sounded among the crowd. Xiang Nan's eyes were cold, and his face was tinged with sickly paleness. Although he was not tall and looked listless sitting on a rock, the "Shadow" members clearly regarded him as their backbone, surrounding him like stars around the moon.
"Zhi Yue, if you really mean it, do you really think you can survive against us?" Xiang Nan's expression was very cold, and his words were even colder. "Here, I have the final say."
Xiang Nan's strength might not be the strongest, but his intellect was. While others were learning martial arts from Bai Cha, only Xiang Nan had learned ninety percent of Bai Cha's intellect, strategic planning, overall vision, and methods. He was as decisive as Bai Cha, which was the main reason why he was ranked lower on the sacrifice list.
Not only could he not be sacrificed first, but he also had to be protected with all his might.
Here, the most people were gathered. More than half of "Shadow's" top ten powerhouses were present. Even if Gu Zitan and Zhi Yue teamed up, they wouldn't have a significant advantage. Moreover, the two of them were not from the same faction, making the possibility of them teaming up greatly reduced.
Zhi Yue was choked with anger. She turned to find Gu Zitan, only to discover that Gu Zitan was lost in thought and not paying attention to her. This made her even more furious, and she slapped a tree beside her, turning it into ashes.
Zhi Yue felt relieved after her outburst, but the people around her suffered.
This was a desert, and there were very few trees in this oasis. After Zhi Yue's slap, a patch of open ground was exposed to the sun. The scorching sun made everyone feel uncomfortable. However, other shaded spots were already occupied, and the people with Zhi Yue dared not blame her. They could only silently lower their heads, complain in their hearts, and silently endure the scorching sun.
[How is Cang Liu?]
Bai Cha's voice came from the communicator.
"The damage is relatively severe, but it can be healed within a few hours." Xiang Nan carefully examined Cang Liu, who was lying with his eyes closed in the clear spring, and reported truthfully. "There is water in the oasis, and your cooling device is very useful."