Soul Lock

Taishan: Blood, Sweat and Tears

The first step of the Taishan challenge started from Dai Miao. It was a huge temple located at the foot of Taihan. As they heard what to expect from Dong Qing, the duo stood restlessly in front of the majestic gate.

"I can already feel the intense Heavenly aura, can you really enter?" Ju Xin whispered and Wen Lan clicked his tongue with irritation.

"There is only one way to figure it out," he said with a grimace and passed through the gate a second before Ju Xin.

"Did you feel it?" Ju Xin asked while looking at his hands.

Wen Lan nodded, "I can even see it," he said, annoyed. Around him and Ju Xin, there were red auras, limiting almost all of their spiritual powers.

Only one step they made and the challenge already started.

Although it was extremely unpleasant for him as well, the main concern of Wen Lan was Ju Xin. As Ju Xin couldn't claim his temples back from Lei Gong yet, his Heavenly aura was already low, and now there was a barrier over that already low aura. As a result, Ju Xin was a bit more powerful than a normal human.

Feeling a strong sense of responsibility to protect Ju Xin, Wen Lan pulled the deity behind him and started to walk forward, his eyes checking all around the place. Luckily, nothing jumped on them nor there were hidden traps, so the duo exited from the back gate of the temple to Taishan.

"What..."

The duo looked around with agape eyes as the moment they left the temple, they found themselves in a desert!

A desert without a beginning or a visible end...

"Let's start walking then," Wen Lan grumbled and started walking with his hand above his head, trying to block as much sunshine as possible from his face. A ghost and the sun wasn't the best combination. Nope.

Behind him, Ju Xin heaved a sigh and followed the Ghost King. No matter what kind of difficulty they would face, Ju Xin knew that Wen Lan wouldn't give up from his goal.

Never-ending golden sand... scorching heat... and nothing more.

Wen Lan didn't know how long they continued to walk, but he was already exhausted and the ending wasn't nigh. The sun was burning his dead skin which was used to being cold and soon, it was Ju Xin who was leading and Wen Lan staggering behind him.

If he could use his spiritual powers, there wouldn't be any problem, but that annoying red aura stuck to him like a piece of gum, refusing to let go.

"Do you want to take a break?" Ju Xin asked concernedly, seeing Wen Lan was looking quite unwell.

"No need, just continue," Wen Lan urged him to continue so that they could leave there soon. He pushed himself until he was at a point of not grasping his surroundings. He felt his legs give out and he was about to collapse on his knees, but a pair of hands grabbed his arms and helped him to the sand ground.

"You should have listened to my suggestion," Ju Xin reprimanded him while giving him the leather canteen he was carrying around without a reason. Then he positioned himself in front of him, blocking the sun.

Wen Lan couldn't be happier. He washed his face and rested a bit under the shade Ju Xin created for him. He was genuinely touched in front of the kind act.

"Let's go," he uttered and stood up when he was feeling okay again. He handed the canteen back and they started to walk again. But this time, Ju Xin was beside Wen Lan, his arm lifted up so that his long white sleeve could block some sunshine from Wen Lan's face.

Luckily, before long, the duo saw a stone gate similar to Dai Miao', standing alone. Wen Lan was sure it was a mirage, but getting closer to it, they saw it was real!