Star Journey: Destiny Returns

After leaving the Frostwind Peak, Yunxuan and Yaoyue continued on their journey, carrying the "Ice Soul Heart." The star map flickered faintly once again, as if urging them to embark on the next leg of their journey. The star map's light took on a warm golden hue, guiding the two toward a vast desert. That desert, known as the "Desolate Sands of Flame and Shadow," was a desolate place that countless people trembled with fear. Legend has it that the sands here were not only blazing hot but also harbored mind-bending illusions that could cause intruders to completely lose themselves.

Yun Xuan looked at the star map in his hand and frowned slightly. "This place is full of dangers. I'm afraid it's not just because of the heat, but also because of the phantom puzzles. We need to be prepared."

Yao Yue nodded, a serious look in her eyes. "Not only is the climate here extreme, but there are also many legendary psychedelic plants and creatures. If your resolve wavers, you could be trapped here forever."

Following the star map's guidance, the two stepped into the desolate desert. The air was filled with a scorching heat, a wave of heat that felt as if the sand and rocks around them were ablaze. A faint red glow shone on the horizon, like the afterglow of the setting sun. But they knew there was no true day or night here, only ever-changing light and shadows and the endless desert.

Not long after they began their journey, Yunxuan noticed the surroundings blurring. Sand dunes crisscrossed their field of vision, sometimes rising, sometimes falling, seemingly trying to lead them astray. Yaoyue concentrated for a moment and warned, "Be careful! The desert here possesses a phantom power that may be trying to confuse our sense of direction."

Yunxuan nodded, his sword gently splitting the dust in front of him, his sword energy carving a clearer path. The two of them advanced cautiously, trying not to be distracted by the ever-changing scenery around them. However, after walking for a while, they were still confused. The star map's light gradually dimmed, as if it too was suppressed by the maze of the desert.

"If we continue like this, we're probably going to get lost," Yao Yue said calmly. "The light from the star map won't be able to guide us. Why don't we try to use our spiritual power to sense the direction?"

Upon hearing this, Yunxuan concentrated his spiritual energy, attempting to sense his surroundings through its flow. However, the heat and dust in the air significantly interfered with his spiritual power's detection, making it nearly impossible to determine his position. At this moment, a few strange rays of light suddenly flashed through the surrounding sand and rocks. They resembled floating flames, yet were extremely faint, like shadows lingering in the desert.

Yao Yue looked at the strange lights and whispered, "These lights seem to have some kind of attraction, as if they are guiding us in a certain direction."

Yun Xuan looked around warily, gripping his sword tightly, and said, "Perhaps this is just one of Desolate Sand Flame's illusions. We must remain vigilant at all times."

As they cautiously advanced, the sand beneath their feet suddenly shook violently, stirring up vast clouds of dust and blurring their vision. From the dust, two blurry figures gradually emerged, emanating powerful spiritual energy and a fiery aura. The two figures took on a translucent form, as if condensed from flames, emitting a powerful pressure that blocked their path.

Yao Yue's eyes turned cold, and the silver blade in her hand flashed with a cold light. She whispered, "These phantoms are probably not just illusions, they carry real power!"

Yun Xuan nodded and swung his sword without hesitation, his sword energy slashing towards the flaming phantom like a rainbow. However, the flaming phantom nimbly dodged and then counterattacked. A blazing flame burst out from the shadow and rushed straight towards Yun Xuan's chest.

Yunxuan quickly dodged to the side, the flames brushing his shoulder, bringing a searing pain. He frowned and whispered, "These phantom attacks can actually harm us. It seems we must fight with all our might."

Yao Yue didn't hesitate, infusing her spiritual energy into the silver blade. A cold light sliced ​​through the dust and sand, striking the core of another flaming phantom with pinpoint accuracy. The flaming phantom growled, its body trembling slightly, as if trying to break free. Ultimately, however, it was weakened by Yao Yue's attack, gradually disintegrating into a ball of scattered sparks.

Seeing Yaoyue's attack was effective, Yunxuan once again channeled his spiritual energy into his sword, slashing at the remaining flaming phantom. However, this phantom seemed more tenacious than the others, deftly dodging the attack. Then, with its flaming arms outstretched, it gathered the surrounding dust into a fiery storm, sweeping towards the two of them.

Yaoyue quickly deployed her skills to dodge the flames, but Yunxuan was a step too slow, and the flames brushed against his shoulder, causing a searing pain. Seeing the fiery storm about to engulf them, Yunxuan gritted his teeth and mobilized his spiritual energy, forming a spiritual shield that barely blocked the storm's impact.

"We can't passively defend anymore!" Yun Xuan said in a deep voice, "We must find its weakness and quickly defeat it."

Yao Yue stared at the core of the flaming phantom with a sharp gaze. An idea flashed through her mind, and she said calmly, "I noticed that its attacks rely heavily on the surrounding sand and flames. Perhaps we can try to separate it from the environment."

The two men stood apart, each infusing their spiritual energy. The cold and hot spiritual energies intertwined in the desert, forming cyclones that gradually trapped the flame phantom. The flame phantom seemed to sense danger and began to struggle violently, but its strength was obviously greatly weakened the moment it left the desert.

Yunxuan took the opportunity to attack, and the long sword hit the core of the flame phantom with the force of thunder. The powerful sword energy tore the flame phantom apart. The phantom screamed under the impact of the sword energy, and then turned into a wisp of green smoke and disappeared without a trace.

Calm finally returned to their surroundings, the dust gradually settled, and the intense heat of the flames dissipated. The two rested briefly, their gazes turning to the depths of the flames in the desolate sands, where the faint glow of the star map still shimmered. Yunxuan and Yaoyue both knew they hadn't yet left this desert; the true test still awaited them.

They continued on, crossing stretches of scorching sand and precipitous dunes. Time slipped silently in the quicksand, their spiritual energy steadily drained, and their steps grew heavier. Finally, they reached the depths of the desert, where an ancient stone tablet stood quietly, engraved with strange runes and faintly emanating a mysterious power.

Yao Yue carefully examined the runes on the stone tablet, her eyes filled with doubt. "These runes seem to be ancient sealing runes, perhaps used to seal some powerful power."

Yunxuan gently touched the stone tablet and instantly felt a strong surge of spiritual energy. The power carried a hint of heat and oppression, as if warning them not to touch it lightly. He took a deep breath and said calmly, "This is likely the core area of ​​the Desolate Sand Flame Shadow. We must be careful and not act rashly."

At that moment, the runes on the stone tablet suddenly flashed with a fiery light, and the surrounding sand began to shake violently. The ground slowly cracked, and a scorching flame erupted from the ground, condensing into a massive flaming dragon, baring its fangs and claws and blocking their way.

The Flame Dragon's eyes, like flaming rubies, glared down at the intruder with boundless majesty and ferocity. Unfazed, Yunxuan and Yaoyue stood side by side in tacit agreement, their spiritual energy condensing into a glow on their weapons as they prepared to engage.

The fire dragon roared, lunging at them with a scorching breath. Yao Yue quickly dodged and thrust her silver blade into a streak of icy light, piercing the fire dragon's scales. However, the cold silver blade made a hissing sound when it met the fiery scales. The fire dragon remained unscathed, and instead fought back even more fiercely.

Seeing this, Yun Xuan quickly unleashed his sword energy, attempting to find a flaw in the Flame Dragon's attack. After several rounds of fierce fighting, Yun Xuan finally discovered a strange light flickering in the Flame Dragon's heart, suggesting it might be its weak spot.

"Yaoyue, its heart may be the breakthrough point!" Yunxuan shouted.

Yaoyue heard this and slashed her silver blade in an arc, aiming directly at the fire dragon's heart, while Yunxuan attacked from the side. Their attack was as swift as thunder, hitting the fire dragon's vitals before it could react.

The fire dragon roared, its massive body gradually crumbling under the impact, disintegrating into countless sparks that drifted through the air. As the fire dragon dissipated, the runes on the stele gradually lost their luster, revealing a shimmering red crystal deep in the desert, emitting a warm glow.

"This is the 'Flame Heart Stone,'" Yao Yue said softly, a hint of respect in her eyes. She knew that this Flame Heart Stone contained the essence of the Desolate Sand Flame Shadow, a symbol of supreme flavor and power.

Yunxuan and Yaoyue left the Desolate Sand Flame Shadow with the Flame Heart Stone and looked towards the direction of the star map with determination in their hearts. Their adventure had just begun, and the true path of destiny was waiting for them to embark on step by step.