1207 Man-Eating Sand (2/2)
Zhang Xiaohou was only aware of how terrifying the sand was after casting the Advanced Earth Spell. He finally understood why the sand was referred to as Man-Eating Sand. It was like each sand particle was alive. They rapidly gathered around anything that had sunk into the sand like starving beasts and held onto it with remarkable strength!
The Man-Eating Sand was pulling Li Sichong down while Mo Fan was trying to drag him out. Mo Fan did not dare apply a stronger force, as it might simply tear Li Sichong in half. The Man-Eating Sand was trickier to deal with than he first thought!
When Zhang Xiaohou drove the Man-Eating Sand away with the Eyes of the Rock Demon, Mo Fan immediately took hold of the opportunity and dragged Li Sichong out from the sand.
Crack!
Everyone heard the sound of bones breaking the moment Li Sichong was dragged out of the sand. The man fainted instantly...
”This...”
The team was dumbfounded. No one had expected the ordinary-looking sand to be so deadly. If Mo Fan had not happened to possess the Space Element, they had no idea how they could have dragged Li Sichong out!
”It's only some dislocations, he's fine. The strength of the Man-Eating Sand is over five tons, and the force increases exponentially the further you sink. Make sure you're above the surface at all times. If the force is greater than ten tons, even if I try to drag you out, it will tear your body in half!” Mo Fan told the others.
Everyone had witnessed what happened just then, so none of them dared to doubt Mo Fan's words. They immediately quickened their pace to prevent themselves from sinking into the sand!
---
”Why aren't we there yet? Why do I feel like my legs weigh around five hundred kilograms?” Zheng Tong gasped.
Even maintaining the speed to prevent them from sinking into the sand was costing a lot more stamina than usual. The team would eventually be worn out if they never stopped running. Some were already struggling to keep up.
”Same here, I can't move anymore!” Feishu who had yet to fully recover from his injuries spoke up.
”Aren't we there yet? Leader?”
Ge Ming had a grim face. According to the map, there were still five hours worth of journey left in the river. The team would be in great trouble if someone was already at their limits!
The river was not particularly wide. They only needed to travel around two kilometers to reach the edge. The only problem was... both sides of the sand river were occupied by Sandstorm Demon Locusts, a kind of catastrophic demon creature. They always showed up in tens of thousands, and they did not feed on crops or plants, but living creatures!
These Sandstorm Demon Locusts were a pain to deal with. Once they found their prey, they would pursue it relentlessly. Even if there was another Super Mage on the team, they would still struggle to guarantee the safety of their members. As such, leaving the river bed was not an option. They would just deliver themselves to the Sandstorm Demon Locusts as their lunch!
As a matter of fact, the military had established its base in the Tarim Basin mainly to keep an eye on the Sandstorm Demon Locusts. Every invasion from the Sandstorm Demon Locusts would end up as an S-rank calamity. Many cities in the west had been wiped out by the Sandstorm Demon Locusts over the past few decades. It was basically Hell on Earth, as not a single human, livestock, plant, or even building remained when the Sandstorm Demon Locusts swept past like a gust of wind!
The horde of Sandstorm Demon Locusts had occupied a huge area. The meandering sand river was the only way through it, but it turned out that the team had underestimated the difficulty of traversing it!
”We are all going to die if we keep going. We have to go ashore now,” Lu Fang said.
Not everyone had outstanding stamina, like Mo Fan and Zhang Xiaohou. Jiang Shaoxu and Mu Nujiao were struggling to keep up too!
Mo Fan was carrying Lingling in his arms while taking turns carrying Mu Nujiao and Jiang Shaoxu on his back. He was as strong as an ox, mainly because of the passive abilities of his Demon Element. However, some of the aged Hunters were already at their limits!
”Should we just go ashore? I feel like we will be feeding ourselves to the sand if we keep going,” Wang Jiuming said.
”Going ashore is even worse. As soon as we set our foot on the shore, the Sandstorm Demon Locusts will immediately notice our presence...”
”Then what are we supposed to do? Are we seriously going to wait for our deaths here!?” someone cried out impatiently.
”We can't afford to provoke the Sandstorm Demon Locusts. Let's take turns laying down a path. It's no use preserving our energy any further. Our first priority is to make it out alive. I'll use my Ice Element and Plant Element to lay down a path, and the Wind Element to speed everyone up...” Mu Nujiao said.
The others looked at Ge Ming.
If they were to use their magic here, it meant they were putting their lives at risk. No one knew if there was a huge battle waiting for them at their destination. How were they supposed to fight if they already used up all their energy?
”It's the only choice we have. Those with the Ice, Earth, and Plant Elements will lay down a path, and those with the Wind Element will speed us up. Quick, don't slow down now. Pick up your pace!” Ge Ming said.
Mu Nujiao began to emit frost. The little ice crystals sprang forward and laid down an icy bridge ahead. Ge Ming led the way and sprinted along the bridge.
”Let's go!” The Hunters sighed, but they had no other choice but to continue on their journey.