If Zhu Yu'er and her group hadn't encountered them, their fate would have been certain death.
Could there be a connection between these two places?
The thought flashed through Shen Xiaoyan's mind before Zhu Yu'er's next words captured her attention.
"For the past month, we've been relentlessly traveling, hoping to escape this place. We never expected that although there are no towering mountains here, it's vast and boundless, so large we can't see the edges. We've walked for a month and still haven't found a way out."
"Moreover, there are hardly any edible plants or water sources. The only reason we're alive today is purely due to our own means."
Shen Xiaoyan didn't entirely believe Zhu Yu'er's words.
Their experience was certainly true, but the last sentence seemed specifically tailored to gain favor.
It was obvious that it wasn't meant for her, but rather for one of the men present.
After all, even though they were no longer in mortal danger, they had no idea when they would be able to leave.
Zhu Yu'er wanted to curry favor, hoping one of the men would take pity on them and bring them along, which might save their lives.
Unfortunately, she was completely mistaken.
Regardless of whether her words were true, their ending would be the same.
Seeing that no one spoke, Zhu Yu'er became somewhat anxious.
Why was everyone so silent?
Didn't they want to know what other dangers this place held?
Little did she know, from her words, Shen Xiaoyan and the others had already understood that something was amiss.
Even if this wasn't an illusion, the conditions within this space must be different from the outside.
Regardless of the reason.
Even if they couldn't use spiritual energy or spatial rings here, they could still survive and successfully leave.
Song Sheng had also recovered. Seeing Zhu Yu'er looking at Lu Taobao with hopeful eyes instantly ignited his anger.
The four of them had been together for a long time. While Zhu Yu'er wasn't a stunning beauty, she was quite attractive. Her temper was a bit willful, but overall, she was decent.
The three of them had always liked her; otherwise, they wouldn't have kept her with them, despite her low cultivation.
It was a pity that Zhu Yu'er's ambitions were always grand, and she never bothered to spare them a second glance.
However, due to her background, if she fancied someone, they didn't fancy her; if someone fancied her, she didn't fancy them.
This cycle had continued for years, leaving Zhu Yu'er still single.
Although the three of them never voiced it, they were inwardly delighted.
After all, it meant they still had a chance.
Zhu Yu'er seemed to have accepted reality. In the past year or two, she hadn't pursued higher connections.
Yet, now, as Song Sheng looked at Zhu Yu'er, a shadow flickered in his eyes.
Whether this woman was attracted to his looks or thought following this man could save her life.
Either way, it had crossed a line for him.
In their eyes, whoever Zhu Yu'er chose, she would belong to one of them.
Now, their own possession was trying to get close to someone else.
How could this not make him angry?
"Yu'er, you should rest well and recover your energy. We need to continue our journey later," Song Sheng said gently.
But as soon as she heard Song Sheng's voice, a hint of madness flashed across Zhu Yu'er's face, and she finally said indifferently, "We have no food, and we don't know when we can get out. Do you think we can really survive if we keep going?"
"Since we've met others now, we should all stick together. Perhaps in this way, we can find a way out faster."
Zhu Yu'er felt her words were perfectly reasonable, as she was considering the lives of herself and the other three.
But she didn't expect that not only did Song Sheng not appreciate it, but he also sternly said, "Yu'er, that's where you're wrong. We're strangers who met by chance. It's already a great kindness for others to be willing to help us. How can we be so audacious as to cling to them?"
Song Sheng's words made Zhu Yu'er blush furiously.
Of course, it wasn't out of shyness or shame, but out of anger.
He clearly saw her trying to curry favor, and not only did he not help, but he also dared to undermine her.
She knew what Song Sheng and the other two were plotting.
Precisely because she knew, she found it amusing.
Why did this man assume that because she couldn't find anyone else, she would definitely end up with one of the three of them?
Such a thought was not only wishful thinking but also absurd.
"Brother Sun, I'm only doing this for everyone's benefit. They've just arrived here and are unfamiliar with everything. With us here, we can guide them. And with their help, we can save our lives. This is clearly a win-win situation. Why would you say that, Brother Sun?"
If others heard such a righteous speech, they would surely stand up and applaud.
Unfortunately, among those present, Song Sheng and his group looked displeased, while Su speed and the others watched them with indifferent expressions, showing no intention of getting involved.
"We've said all that needs to be said. We'll take our leave now," Song Sheng said, slowly getting to his feet.
As he stood up, the remaining two also got up from the ground and swayed towards Zhu Yu'er.
Seeing that the three were about to drag her away, Zhu Yu'er struggled and asked, "What are you doing?"
After asking this panicked question, Zhu Yu'er turned to Lu Taobao and said, "Young Master, save me."
Lu Taobao looked at the scene with a bewildered expression, "What does it have to do with me?"
Not to mention Lu Taobao's utter confusion, even Shen Xiaoyan, who had already seen through Zhu Yu'er's intentions, widened her eyes in surprise when she heard Zhu Yu'er speak so directly.
Having ulterior motives was one thing, but speaking directly was another.
If you want someone to save you, you should at least establish some rapport first!
Seeing Zhu Yu'er acting so familiar, as if she wasn't an outsider, Shen Xiaoyan also felt a bit speechless.
Song Sheng and the other two heard Zhu Yu'er's words and were instantly enraged.
How long had the four of them been together?
They just wanted to take Zhu Yu'er away from this place, but she clearly didn't trust them.
That was one thing, but Zhu Yu'er not trusting those she had known for years, yet begging for help from a young man she had just met and didn't even know the name of, was simply too much.
To Song Sheng and the other two, Zhu Yu'er's behavior was a slap in the face, trampling their dignity underfoot.
Song Sheng never expected that Zhu Yu'er would see them in such a light.
With a gloomy look at Lu Taobao, Song Sheng turned back to Zhu Yu'er, his tone becoming somewhat sharp, "Yu'er, we are strangers. If you speak like this, it might cause misunderstandings. Moreover, we've known each other for many years. How can you say such things? Doesn't that deeply hurt our feelings?"
Song Sheng's words seemed innocuous.
If an uninformed person heard this, they would only think that Zhu Yu'er was being excessive and hurting his feelings.
But only Zhu Yu'er could sense the hidden anger in his words.
She even wondered if, had Shen Xiaoyan and the others not been present, Song Sheng and the other two would have attacked her.
Thinking this, Zhu Yu'er couldn't help but show a look of fear. She glanced at Song Sheng and the other two, then quickly averted her gaze and turned back to Lu Taobao.
Lu Taobao met Zhu Yu'er's pleading gaze and felt a surge of confusion.
He didn't know her, so why was she always asking him for help?
Seeing such a look, others might be okay, but Song Sheng and his group were furious.
Zhu Yu'er's actions were a harsh slap in their faces, clearly telling Shen Xiaoyan and the others that she did not trust them!
Out of extreme anger, Song Sheng spoke without thinking.
"Zhu Yu'er, don't be ungrateful. Do you think we don't know what you're like? A few months ago, you saw a young boy who was good-looking and shamelessly threw yourself at him. The way you acted like a lovesick fool, I still feel disgusted thinking about it."
Song Sheng sneered at this, while Shen Xiaoyan and the others stared at Song Sheng.
Shen Xiaoyan had directly told her, so Song Sheng saying this must have something to do with Shen Xiaoming.
As expected, Song Sheng continued, "You threw yourself at him because he was handsome. Did you ever consider the age difference between you? Aren't you afraid people will say you're an old cow eating young grass!"
Hearing this, Shen Xiaoyan's eyes widened. Her guess was indeed correct; Song Sheng was referring to Shen Xiaoming.
However, the information in these words seemed overwhelming, and she found it difficult to accept for a moment.
Old cow eating young grass, it shouldn't be what she was thinking, right?
Thinking this, Shen Xiaoyan suddenly felt a shiver of revulsion.
Someone like this dared to harbor thoughts about her little brother.
Most importantly, this woman was so much older than her younger brother. While it was undeniable that someone liking you was a good thing, sometimes, such good things weren't desired by everyone.
But what she wanted to know most was, if she liked him, why did things turn out that way later?
Shen Xiaoyan suppressed her eagerness and continued to listen to Song Sheng.
Song Sheng didn't disappoint her. After a few sneers, he continued, "Why aren't you admitting it now? Are you afraid this handsome young man will have a bad impression of you?"
As his voice fell, Zhu Yu'er's face turned somewhat pale.
It had to be said that Song Sheng's words had hit Zhu Yu'er's core.
"Song Sheng, don't talk nonsense," Zhu Yu'er still insisted.
As long as there was a slight chance, she didn't want to give up just yet.
Although she knew that even if Song Sheng and the other two took her away, they wouldn't do anything excessive, she still didn't want to let go of the opportunity that was within reach.
Her own aptitude wasn't great, and neither was Song Sheng and the other two's.
Reaching their current cultivation was already not easy, and she never dared to hope they could reach higher realms.
However, the Sacred Spirit Continent was a place where strength spoke volumes. Without strength, they could only strive to search for rare items to sell at auction houses.
One was to exchange for good items, increasing their trump cards, and the other was to build good relationships with the Sacred Word Auction House, as they might need their care in the future.
And in Zhu Yu'er's new world, there was a small secret that Song Sheng and the other two didn't know.
That was, she actually hoped to meet a handsome, wealthy, and highly cultivated man at the Sacred Word Auction House, so that her future life could be comfortable without struggle.
In fact, she had long been tired of such a toiling life. If she could improve her life, no matter what effort it required, she would be willing.
Unfortunately, after all these years, this wish had never been realized.
Until a few months ago, when they encountered that young boy in the forest.
Although he was very young, his appearance was outstanding, and his strength was also extraordinary.
At his age, possessing such strength was enough to imagine how great his future achievements would be.
Therefore, even though the age gap between them was considerable, she had unhesitatingly approached him, only to not expect what happened later.
Fortunately, although she couldn't successfully be with that young man, she had, at least, saved her life because of him and earned a large sum of crystal coins.
She didn't feel she had done anything wrong. In this world, it was said that without self-preservation, one would perish. Everything she did was for the sake of living well.
As for that young boy, he could only blame his own misfortune, for running into such a situation.
With a sigh in her heart, Zhu Yu'er's face showed extreme grief and indignation, "Song Sheng, we've known each other for so many years..."