Chapter 6

The surging sand was like a raging flood, and Gao Feng, holding Xiao Qin Nu, was tossed and rolled by the immense force. The tangible sand was more terrifying than a flood, hiding various traps, broken weapons, sharp stones, and sharp wooden fragments, as well as massive logs like battering rams.

At this moment, Gao Feng did not give up. If it were the old San Zhua, he would have only wailed and awaited death, but he was not San Zhua; he was Gao Feng. The closer he was to the brink of life and death, the more his deep-seated instincts became sharp. Danger squeezed out his potential like a juicer, and in the surging dust and sand, his strength continuously drained, fatigue crept into his mind, and the surging dust and sand repeatedly buried him. He repeatedly struggled free, like a fish rising and falling in a flood.

His ears could no longer hear any other sounds, only the roar of the surging sand. The immense roar was like millions of bees buzzing around his ears, making him dizzy. The sand hitting the walls was like shattered waves pouring down, and his skin and flesh were worn down by the sand, revealing fresh red muscles.

He had no time to focus on the pain in his body. The pressure of survival made him taut like a steel wire, with all his determination on the wire. As long as the wire did not break, he would continue to persist, regardless of danger or life and death, just focusing on facing death.

As his consciousness began to blur, countless sand and dust swept over his head in the fierce wind, from the sky to the ground, all was sand and dust, with no distinction between up and down, left and right. He felt as if he were in the depths of the sea, with the last bit of light disappearing. This was his most dangerous moment, and he had no choice but to entrust his fate to luck.

Holding Xiao Qin Nu, he rolled in the waves of sand, no longer hoping that Xiao Qin Nu would survive. He could occasionally emerge from the sand to breathe the air filled with sand, but Xiao Qin Nu in his arms had no such opportunity. His arms were already stiff, and he had no strength left to lift Xiao Qin Nu, allowing her to breathe.

He did not know if Xiao Qin Nu was dead, and he did not care. He just needed to do what he should. Who knew if he would be buried and suffocated to death like Xiao Qin Nu in the next moment? At the moment of death, a new image flashed in his mind. The indistinct figure was a lovely and beautiful girl, with large, crystal-like eyes that made him feel sweet inside. She wore a nurse's uniform, exuding a pure and untouchable aura.

Amidst the continuous gunfire and the flying sand, the girl looked at him, her bright lips like blooming flowers, whispering in his ear like the purest piano music, giving him a long-awaited peace amidst the endless roar of the sand.

"Hold me, kiss me..."

The world fell into pure silence, with only the nurse girl's melodious voice echoing in his ears, etched in his heart.

The flame in his heart spread, and the suffocating dizziness gradually made him lose his last bit of consciousness, like a small boat losing control and capsizing in the surging waves. Darkness, only darkness, Gao Feng was like a traveler without a compass, sinking into the darkness, gradually losing himself.

In this infinite darkness, the lively eyes that only appeared in his memory floated in his mind. "Hold me, kiss me..." The murmured words were like an endless loop of music, constantly playing in his mind. The blooming flower gently touched his lips, emitting a sweet fragrance, like pure spring water pouring into his dry heart, making even the suffocating pain disappear, and he wished to remain in this warm spring forever, never to wake up.

Suddenly, light reappeared, and the surging sand threw Gao Feng out of the sand layer. Opening his eyes, he realized that Xiao Qin Nu in his arms was hugging his neck, mouth to mouth, breathing fresh air into him. In the most dangerous moment, it was Xiao Qin Nu who saved him.

But the danger had not passed. It was the tail end of the sandstorm, with flying stones everywhere, scattered and dancing with the swirling wind. Gao Feng, carrying Xiao Qin Nu, involuntarily spun in the wind, with giant stones occasionally brushing past them. Gao Feng knew that if he did not find a way, he and Xiao Qin Nu would be swept away by the wind, perhaps flying thousands of miles away, and even with a hundred lives, they would be doomed.

With a sudden thought, he sharply turned to avoid a large stone, then kicked another stone, propelling himself and Xiao Qin Nu through the air in an arc, crashing heavily into the roof of a house. The roof was covered with hard soil like ceramics and bound with numerous wooden strips. The moment they crashed through, the immense shock made Gao Feng spit out blood, and they rolled down through the broken hole, being hit by tree-like wooden beams countless times during the process.

The pillar of the house was a huge log, with dozens of beams like large branches nailed to it. Some beams were broken, while others bounced Gao Feng back. He crashed heavily into the solid wall and slid to the ground with Xiao Qin Nu, hearing a panicked shout and then a familiar voice.

"Why didn't you die?"

Da Zhua stood in front of Gao Feng, his face unfriendly, his eyes burning with anger. Besides Gao Feng, there was a bald tribal warrior with a scar that split his face in two, looking particularly terrifying. If Huo Ya were here, he would recognize this man as the son of the Great Elder, Da Zhua's cousin, Kui Tu.

Gao Feng spat out the sand in his mouth, lying on the ground and looking up at Da Zhua, whose eyes were almost bulging out, and said with a grim smile, "Because you didn't die..."

As he spoke, his body tensed, ready to face the attack from the two men. However, to his surprise, the seemingly fierce and wild Kui Tu did not immediately attack, making him consider Kui Tu as the greatest threat here.

"Kill him..." Da Zhua jumped and shouted, his anger and shame burning away all his calm. He brandished the fang knife in front of him, and just as his emotions were about to explode, Kui Tu suddenly pulled Da Zhua to the side. A stone that had drilled through the roof hit the ground between them, and Gao Feng, with a reflex, hugged Xiao Qin Nu and flipped in the air, trying to align with the direction of the stone's split to minimize the area of impact.

Da Zhua and Kui Tu suffered greatly in the storm of stones. When Gao Feng landed heavily on the ground, both of them were covered in dust and dirt, and Da Zhua looked even more angry at Gao Feng, who had caused the roof to collapse, leading to their injuries.

"Do you still want to kill me?"

Gao Feng released Xiao Qin Nu, gripped the gun at his waist, then let go, and drew the serrated military knife. The dark serrated military knife in Gao Feng's hand was like a lively snake, coiling around his fingertips. His eyes, looking at Da Zhua and Kui Tu, were filled with naked mockery and disdain. The disdain was just a facade; his eyes were only on Kui Tu, not Da Zhua. A calm enemy was the most dangerous enemy, and he instinctively felt this way.

Gao Feng had experienced the confusion and fear of finding himself and the despair of nearly dying in the sandstorm. Now, there was no more weakness or fear in his heart, like a sharpened steel knife, emitting a chilling aura. Da Zhua was not affected, but Kui Tu's expression became serious. Iron weapons were not uncommon in the Black Claw Tribe, and various strange iron weapons could be found in the ruins of the wilderness, but they could not be used. A steel knife that could be repeatedly sharpened was far more valuable than a fang bone knife.

Not every warrior could use a steel knife well. The most important standard for becoming a warrior was the ability to extend their weapons as part of their body, feeling the distance and force of each strike. Gao Feng could wield a dagger like an extension of his arm, earning him respect, regardless of whether he was a tribal warrior or not, he already possessed the qualifications to become a warrior.

"Da Zhua, you and San Zhua don't have irreconcilable hatred. The things that happened when you were young are over. When I was young, I beat you too. I think this: San Zhua can withdraw from the competition for the successor. As long as San Zhua gets one less head than you..."