With the magic earthworm clearing the way, aside from the windblown sand along the route, the Red Sand encountered no more uninvited guests.
Regia had no idea how Chen Rui had accomplished this. He only felt incredibly fortunate. Before such absolute strength, his schemes were nothing more than a joke. Whether he borrowed the power of sand bandits or the Magic Beasts along the way, none could withstand a single blow. If this lord had not noticed that tattoo—and if Her Highness the little princess's soul had not happened to be at his side—he would already have been reduced to bones, just like Redbeard and the others.
Naturally, this was the result of Chen Rui's Analytical Eye combined with the pressure of a demigod. After passing through this stretch safely, Chen Rui released his mental oppression over the magic earthworm. The enormous worm immediately seemed to have a weight lifted from its shoulders and burrowed back into the sand pit, disappearing moments later.
The journey through the desert was tedious and long. The initial delight of entering the desert had long since vanished; all that met the eye was monotonous, boundless sand.
Half a month passed, and the Red Sand had entered the desert's core region.
That was only thanks to having Regia as a guide. Regia's strength was not worth mentioning before Chen Rui, but even Chen Rui could not help marveling at his "nose" for the desert. To Chen Rui, those dunes all looked much the same, yet Regia could always spot the crucial differences and find the right direction.
Every foot has its shortness, every inch its strength. If Chen Rui had set out alone, then even after another half month, he would likely still be circling around the desert's outskirts.
The wind and sand in the