Chapter 62

"What is the Inner Qi Realm like?"

At night, in the desert, Hao Qi lay on the sand, looking up at the sky, his hands behind his head, muttering to himself.

Beside Hao Qi, Zhang Heng and Lan Ling'er were roasting meat by the campfire. After hearing his muttering, Lan Ling'er wiped the grease from her mouth and said, "When inner strength condenses into visible qi, that's the Inner Qi Realm, Brother Hao Qi."

Hao Qi smiled and still lay on his back, saying, "That's what they say, but how does one condense inner strength? How can an invisible force become visible? What's the secret? And what kind of power does the Inner Qi Realm have, and how is it different from the Inner Strength Realm? I don't know these things, and that's what I'm confused about."

Lan Ling'er shrugged and said, "I don't know these things. Aren't you a martial artist, Brother Hao Qi? Shouldn't you seek answers to your martial arts questions? Even if you ask me, I wouldn't know."

"Rubbish!" Hao Qi said irritably, "I was just talking to myself, and you just chimed in!"

Lan Ling'er stuck out her tongue and giggled without answering. Instead, Zhang Heng said, "Speaking of which, Lan Ling'er, you haven't practiced martial arts, right? Your physical condition is about the same as an ordinary person's."

"That's right," Lan Ling'er said with a smile, "I have a congenital deficiency, so I can't practice martial arts."

Zhang Heng exclaimed, almost standing up in shock. Hao Qi immediately sat up and asked, "What do you mean? Is it a terminal illness? Zhang Heng, explain what a congenital deficiency is."

Zhang Heng chose his words carefully, seeing that Lan Ling'er didn't seem to mind. He sighed and said, "A congenital deficiency is similar to your innate Dao body, but in reverse. You have a natural inner strength circulation system, and once you master a martial art to its peak, you can sense the energy of the universe and gain inner strength. A congenital deficiency, on the other hand, is a condition where it's impossible to develop an inner strength circulation system. It's extremely rare, almost a legend... I never thought I'd see both legendary conditions in my lifetime."

"Oh, really?" Lan Ling'er became interested. She walked over to Hao Qi and examined him from side to side. After a while, she said to Zhang Heng, "He doesn't look like it. Are you sure this uncle has an innate Dao body? Isn't the legendary innate Dao body supposed to be graceful and handsome? He doesn't look like it."

Hao Qi's forehead veins bulged, and he gritted his teeth, "Hey, Little Lan Ling'er, I'm only nineteen, not even twenty. Calling me 'uncle'... didn't you just call me 'brother' before?"

"Hehe," Lan Ling'er stuck out her tongue and sat back by the campfire. The firelight reflected in her dreamy eyes as she slowly spoke.

"My congenital deficiency is absolutely certain, so I can never practice martial arts. The person who examined me told me that the more I practice, the shorter my lifespan will be. If I don't practice, I can live a normal life for several decades. That's why I never practiced martial arts from a young age..."

Zhang Heng sat down, looking at Lan Ling'er with a sad expression. He asked, "I don't believe it. Just like the innate Dao body is hard to detect, you say someone examined you and found a congenital deficiency. I don't believe it... Lan Ling'er, did you encounter a quack doctor?"

"No, I didn't," Lan Ling'er smiled, showing no sign of sadness. She pointed into the depths of the desert, "It was the elder from Sutuka who examined me. He's in the Inner Qi Realm, far beyond what the Inner Strength Realm can imagine. He wouldn't lie to me. I definitely have a congenital deficiency."

"Inner... Inner Qi Realm?" Zhang Heng said dejectedly, giving up.

Hao Qi looked at Lan Ling'er deeply, though he didn't say anything, he was extremely curious about her background. On one hand, her mannerisms were innocent and lively, yet refined, indicating she wasn't from an ordinary family.

On the other hand, her knowledge and insights were far beyond those of an ordinary person. Besides that, the fact that she was alone in this Death Desert was also suspicious, not to mention the mention of an Inner Qi Realm expert. Being able to interact with an Inner Qi Realm expert, and apparently knowing one who could examine her injuries...

Lan Ling'er's background was not simple.

That night passed without incident. The next day, Lan Ling'er began leading the group deeper into the desert. By now, they had been in the desert for twenty days, which was already very deep inland. If they continued deeper, once they crossed the end of the underground river, they would enter the endless sand sea, the Death Desert, a place where even Inner Qi Realm experts couldn't escape, a forbidden zone for humans.

Three more days passed quietly. On the fourth day, at noon, they encountered a sandstorm, a very intense one. The sand was whipped by the hurricane, making it almost impossible to see more than ten meters ahead. The entire world seemed to be filled with nothing but sand and wind.

"Don't get separated. This is a very special place, with sandstorms year-round. Once we pass this sandstorm, we'll be close to Sutuka."

Lan Ling'er sat on a dromedary, leading the group. She shouted to the others behind her and quickly covered her face with a silk veil, even covering her eyes. The others also put on the silk veils they had prepared, a necessity for all merchants and travelers entering the desert.

With visibility already low, the veils made it even worse. The group moved forward almost blindly, but fortunately, they all had martial arts skills. Even Lan Ling'er, who didn't have martial arts, was quickly joined by Su Shiyuan, who rode the same dromedary with her. Thus, no one was left behind, though their speed was not forced. The sky was pitch black, and they didn't know how long they had been moving forward, perhaps it was dusk, or even night, but they persevered.

Suddenly, the sound of the sandstorm gradually weakened, and the sandstorm slowly dissipated. After a while, when the sandstorm had completely disappeared, everyone removed their veils and looked ahead. In the distance, a green oasis with many buildings appeared.

However, most people didn't know that at the moment they saw the oasis, Hao Qi, Su Shiyuan, and the four other Inner Strength Realm experts from the Su family all felt a sudden, inexplicable, and unanticipated sense of foreboding. In that instant, the six Inner Strength Realm experts all felt the same thing...

Danger, death, terror, threat...

In that oasis, there was something that could kill all of them, something that could kill six Inner Strength Realm experts...

It was a sign of death!