Chapter 240 Extra - Moving Forward (2/3)

"All right……"

Ruan Tang completely lost interest in exploring. She drooped her head and simply draped most of her weight over Yan Yu's arm, letting him drag her along lazily.

"Everything here is so unfriendly," she muttered.

Yan Yu felt the soft touch and weight on his arm, and a smile he himself didn't even notice appeared on his lips.

He liked the feeling of her relying on him completely.

"We're almost there."

His mental power had already detected the distinct airflow and energy fluctuations at the edge of the dead zone.

Sure enough, after walking for about half an hour, the view suddenly opened up before us.

The oppressive dense forest was left behind, and ahead lay a vast expanse of Gobi Desert. The long-awaited sunlight streamed down, warming the skin. Although the air still lacked vitality, the deathly stillness and oppressive feeling had finally vanished.

Ruan Tang let out a long sigh of relief, feeling as if her entire body had come back to life.

"Finally out!"

Yan Yu looked around and, confirming that it was absolutely safe, finally relaxed his tense nerves. He looked at Ruan Tang's rosy face, which was flushed from the sun, and reached out to brush away a strand of hair that had been ruffled by the wind.

“Let’s take a break,” he said.

“Okay!” Ruan Tang nodded immediately, eagerly grabbing Yan Yu’s hand. With a thought, the two disappeared from the spot.

The next second, inside Yan Yu's space.

The immense power of the earth and the almost tangible spiritual energy rushed towards her, and Ruan Tang let out a satisfied sigh, feeling every pore on her body greedily breathing in the energy.

She pulled Yan Yu along, and they went to the newly formed oasis where the living spiritual vein was located.

The two sat down cross-legged, and Ruan Tang immediately activated the "Green Vine Cloud Dew Technique" to replenish the spiritual energy she had previously consumed.

Yan Yu did not cultivate.

He simply gazed quietly at Ruan Tang beside him. The little girl's eyes were closed, her long, curled eyelashes drooping peacefully like two delicate little fans, casting a faint silhouette beneath her eyelids.

Even when facing certain death, he remained highly focused, never letting his guard down for a moment. Only now, seeing her sitting safely beside him, did the lingering fear he had forcibly suppressed finally creep back into his heart.

He dared not imagine what her life would be like if she were alone in that place without him.

The thought flashed through his mind for only a moment before he extinguished it.

There are no "what ifs".

He will always be by her side and clear away all obstacles for her.

Ruan Tang quickly replenished her spiritual energy, and as soon as she opened her eyes, she was met with Yan Yu's unfathomable gaze.

It was filled with focused attention and a lingering gaze, as if the whole world had lost its color, leaving only her reflection.

Her cheeks flushed instantly, and she awkwardly looked away. "Brother, what are you looking at?"

"It's up to you," Yan Yu replied matter-of-factly.