I just broke up with my boyfriend and then I transmigrated into the world of "The Lost Tomb&quo

Ling Xiao grabbed two folding entrenching tools from the back of the truck and tossed one to Xie Yuhua. The latter caught it steadily, the cold metallic touch briefly dispelling the lingering warmth from Ling Xiao's palm on her wrist.

"The front left and rear right wheels are the deepest, clear those two first." Ling Xiao's voice was low, his eyes scanning the seemingly calm sand surface around him warily. He squatted down first, plunging his entrenching tool into the soft sand next to the wheel hub and digging forcefully outwards. The sand and gravel rubbed against the shovel, making a teeth-grinding "scratching" sound.

Jieyuhua moved swiftly and decisively to the right rear wheel. He didn't immediately dig in; instead, he first used the thin, dragon-patterned stick to quickly and precisely poke the edge of the area needing clearing a few times, the tip sinking a few inches into the sand, seemingly sensing the situation beneath. Only after confirming there was no disturbance did he swing the entrenching tool, his movements steady and powerful, each shovel kicking up large clouds of sand. His movements were extremely efficient, without any unnecessary flourishes; every shovel landed precisely where clearing was most needed.

Sweat instantly beaded on their foreheads and temples, evaporating almost instantly in the scorching air, leaving only a thin layer of salt on their skin. The illusion of coolness inside the vehicle was shattered, and the true torture of the desert began. Time seemed to stretch out, each second accompanied by the distant groans of wind-eroded rock pillars, the faint shouts of Aning and the others further away, and the heavy pounding of their own hearts and the sounds of shoveling sand.

"Almost there." Ling Xiao shouted in a low voice. He had cleared a noticeable dent in the sand around the left front wheel, exposing most of the wheel. He quickly glanced up at Xie Yuhua's side, where the right rear wheel was in a similar condition.

But right now!

As Xie Yuhua was shoveling away the last bit of sand covering the tires, the sand beneath his feet began to sink without warning! It wasn't the slow, gradual engulfing of quicksand, but rather as if a small section had been instantly hollowed out from beneath.

"Back up!" Ling Xiao's warning, which came almost simultaneously with Xie Yuhua's retreat, came as she felt the car sway slightly.

Jieyuhua reacted with lightning speed. With a light tap of his toes, he darted backward like a wisp of smoke, instantly escaping the sunken area. As instructed, he slipped into the car. Although the space was limited, he trusted Lingxiao and was willing to confine himself inside, regardless of whether the car would be swallowed by the insect swarm.

"Puff puff--"

The moment Xie Yuhua got into the car, the sunken sand pit suddenly exploded upwards! It wasn't sand, but a dense swarm of black and red insects! These were the mutated corpse beetles that had previously devoured Chen Yunjin! They were only the size of a thumbprint, their shells gleaming with a greasy, dark red sheen under the blazing sun. Their mouthparts opened and closed with a chilling "crackling" sound, like countless tiny metal pieces frantically rubbing together. A strong, putrid stench instantly overwhelmed the original smell of blood and rust, like a heavy punch to their olfactory nerves.

Like boiling black water, the swarm of insects surged out of the sandpit in an instant. Some rushed towards the spot where Xie Yuhua had just stood, while others, like sharks that had smelled blood, swarmed frantically toward the two people who were so close, radiating heat and the smell of sweat! They were incredibly fast, leaving tiny trails on the sand.

"laugh--!"

Ling Xiao didn't get into the car. Instead, he picked up a flamethrower and started firing it around the car. This was extremely dangerous, as the car could easily explode due to the high temperature.

"Zi la——!"

The swarm of insects crashed into the curtain of fire, instantly creating a chilling cacophony of burning and tiny popping sounds. A pungent, acrid smell, mixed with the odor of burnt protein, filled the air. The flames effectively deterred the insect horde from attacking the Flower of Understanding, temporarily forcing them back outside the ring of fire.