Thanks to their thousand-li horses, the journey north was swift. The group of twelve rode in grand procession toward the northern lands.
In less than two days, they reached the mouth of a vast desert that stretched endlessly out of sight.
"Ugh, so hot!" Clara Night couldn't help but wipe her sweat with her sleeve. What kind of hellhole was this? Not a blade of grass in sight—just staring at all this yellow earth made her feel irritable and miserable.
"This is the Hagen Dala Desert. Flame Valley is somewhere inside." As soon as Ivy Shen left the palace, she had the Shadow Guard investigate Flame Valley's whereabouts. Strangely, even the famed Shadow Guard couldn't pinpoint the exact location—only that it was somewhere in this so-called Hagen Dala Desert.
"Flame Valley? What's that supposed to be?" Clara Night asked irritably. The whole trip, she'd been plotting the perfect way to get rid of Ivy and win Adrian back, but so far, she hadn't come up with any plan that worked for both!
"Listen up," Ivy Shen turned to everyone, unusually serious. "This is your first time in the desert. Don't let its simple looks fool you—the dangers here are greater than anywhere else. If you're coming, be ready to risk your life at any moment. Water is precious. Don't waste a single drop. Supplies are strictly rationed, and if you ignore my warning and die of thirst, I won't lift a finger to help."
Ivy's tone was dead serious. She wasn't a stranger to deserts—she'd been playing in them since she was a kid. Back in the 21st century, nobody knew her dad's real job. He never bragged about being called an "archaeologist," since these days tomb raiders were everywhere. Even when desert rumors cropped up, they'd always arrive late—finding only the leftovers after others had looted the site. Eventually, her dad quit the business.
Even so, Dad loved deserts, so he took Ivy and her brother on trips there. The journeys were always risky, but honestly, those experiences are priceless now.
"Do you have to make it sound so scary?" Clara Night clearly didn't buy Ivy's warning. Danger? Looking at this endless desert, she saw nothing but heat—where was the danger supposed to be?!
Ivy didn't bother responding to her contempt. She knew Clara's attitude would come back to bite her.
"Don't worry, we've got it memorized," the seven men said seriously. When it came to Ivy Shen, there was just something magical about her—something that made everyone obey without question.
"Good," Ivy replied, then led them forward. Soon, they spotted a small waystation up ahead. Outside stood a huge fenced pen, and inside were desert essentials—camels. This was the rendezvous point the Shadow Guard had arranged for Ivy.
"What are those?" Clara Night stared wide-eyed, completely amazed. It was her first time seeing such creatures, and she was super curious.
Everyone looked over, a little stunned. Most of them were from the south, west, or east, and while a few had visited the north, none had ever come this far out. It felt like they'd reached the edge of the world.
So, this was their first time seeing such a massive desert—and naturally, their first time seeing these weird animals too!
"Miss Shen, you must be Miss Shen?" An old man hurried out of the waystation and bowed with a smile.
"Yes, sir," Ivy replied with a gentle smile.
"I've been worried you might get lost—so anxious! But that person said you'd arrive today, and wow, his prediction was spot-on!" the old man laughed.
"Thank you for your trouble. So, is everything ready?" Knowing the Shadow Guard had arranged it all, Ivy was completely at ease.
"Don't worry, everything's ready—see, all the camels are in the pen. But miss, I have to say, the desert weather's been wild lately, with signs of big sandstorms. You might want to wait a few days before heading in—it's safer that way," the old man advised, glancing at the hazy desert sky.
"Thank you, sir, it's no trouble at all," Ivy said with a smile, then joined the old man at the camel enclosure.
"Everyone, these are camels. In the desert, they're absolutely essential—think of them as your thousand-li horses here," Ivy explained.
"Camels?" Everyone crowded around, staring at the tall, weird-looking creatures, poking and prodding, faces full of curiosity.
Seeing this, the old man couldn't help but laugh. "To be honest, I've run this waystation for a lifetime, and this is only the second time I've seen people so dressed up come here. Usually, only rough folk cross the desert."
"Second time?" The old man's casual comment made Ivy frown. She hurried over and asked, "When was the first time you saw people dressed like this?"
"Hmm, that must've been over twenty years ago. A big group came, dressed just like you, saying they were going into the desert to look for something. I never saw them come back, and I don't know if they survived. Frankly, inexperienced folks like that probably didn't make it."
Ivy's frown deepened. So Cao Wan'er sent people here over twenty years ago—right around the time her older sister was born—to find Flame Valley and commission the chain that now imprisons Lacey. That explained everything.
"What's wrong, Xin'er?" Eli Crane, always by her side, noticed Ivy's face darken and couldn't help but ask, worried.
"Oh? No, it's nothing," Ivy quickly smiled at Eli, assuring him she was fine. Then she took a deep breath and gazed at the endless desert, silently vowing: If they could find Flame Valley, so could she.
"Let's go—it's time to set off. I'll organize our teams now. These camels have been specially trained, so each can carry two people. Liam Willow, you'll ride with me so I can keep you safe. The rest of you can pair up as you like, and the last camel will carry our supplies."
Colin Kerr clenched his fists in anger—why did that woman have to team up with Liam Willow?!
"Hey, Sixth Brother, let's pair up!" Butterfly Rogue grinned at Ethan Chu.
"I'll go with Little Seven," Lucian Vane said to Eli Crane, giving him a gentle smile. First, he wanted to take care of Eli's health, and second—well, spending more time together might just help him meet the legendary Living Buddha Sage someday.
"Hey, you better protect me," Caleb Miles said to Adrian Night, abacus in hand. Adrian's martial arts were way above his own, so sticking together was definitely the smart move.
'Miss...' Aiden glanced worriedly at Clara Night.
Just then, Ivy Shen led a camel over to Colin and Clara. "Brother-in-law, you two are together. Of course, big sister has to give you the best camel. Congratulations on your wedding!" Her words made it impossible for them to split up, and Clara—who'd wanted to ride with Nina—was left fuming. She was sure Ivy did it on purpose.
"Sorry, I guess I'll ride with you," Aiden said apologetically to Nina. He didn't know Nina liked women, so he felt a bit awkward about sharing a camel. Of course, he had no idea this was all part of Ivy's plan—maybe riding together would change Nina's mind about men.
"Here, everyone gets a water skin—tie it to your waist and drink only when you're really thirsty. The rest of the water is packed on the last camel. Also, each camel has a cloth bag underneath with ropes inside. The ropes are super important, so don't lose them!" Ivy said, as she helped Liam Willow mount up.
"Xin'er, what are the ropes for?" Butterfly Rogue asked, super curious. Everything here felt like a mystery, and Xin'er was the fairy who'd solve it all.
"You'll find out when the time comes," Ivy replied with a mysterious smile.
"What a show-off," Clara Night scoffed. "What's with all the ropes—planning to hang yourself?"
"Alright, everything's ready—let's head out!" Ivy looked at the endless desert ahead. She wasn't afraid; with her husbands and allies by her side, she knew they'd stick together no matter what—hell or high water.