Having eaten and drunk their fill, despite drinking the despised mineral water and eating the criticized compressed biscuits, the group continued their arduous trek through the increasingly dark mountain forest.
Exhaustion surged like a tide, wave after wave crashing against the two powerful figures' bodies, which had long been accustomed to the nourishment of spiritual energy but were now extremely fragile.
Ling Qingxue felt as if her legs were tied to two heavy sandbags. Every step she took was weak and sore, and her breathing became rapid. The stray hairs on her forehead were wet with sweat and stuck to her smooth forehead, making her very uncomfortable.
She tried her best to maintain a cool and aloof demeanor, but her slightly trembling legs and the occasional need to use trees to steady herself betrayed her weakness.
Night Enchantress wasn't much better off; in fact, she was in a worse situation.
The backlash from her previous attempt to use demonic fire had not yet fully subsided, and she felt a dull ache in her internal organs. Coupled with the heaviness and exhaustion of her mortal body, she became extremely irritable.
She kicked aside the rubble blocking her path and muttered a curse under her breath:
"What a wretched body! It feels as heavy as if it were filled with lead! I'm out of breath after just a few steps! Is this how ordinary people suffer every day? No wonder their lifespan is so short!"
Listening to her complaints, Zhang Shaozhong couldn't help but mutter under his breath:
"Sister, this is called lack of exercise...Even an ordinary person would get tired walking this many mountain paths..."
"Um?!"
Ye Meier's ears perked up, and she abruptly turned her head to glare at him, her alluring eyes filled with murderous intent.
"Who are you calling 'big sister'?! You stinking brat! You think I won't..."
"I believe you! I believe you! Heroine! Your Majesty! I was wrong!"
Zhang Shaozhong immediately backed down, quickly raising his hands in surrender, and secretly pointed to the hiker walking in front, signaling her to be mindful of her behavior.
Ye Meier's chest heaved with anger, but in the end she just snorted coldly, turned her head away, too lazy to bother with this "ant," mainly because... arguing was too tiring, and she was short of energy right now.
Ling Qingxue watched the interaction between the two, her lips twitching slightly, and she let out a barely audible snort:
"vulgar."
Ye Meier immediately bristled like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, and said:
Pretentious! Who are you calling vulgar?! If you're so capable, shut up! Stop pretending!
Someone's stomach was growling louder than thunder just now!
Ling Qingxue's pretty face instantly turned frosty, her eyes shooting towards Ye Meier like ice daggers:
"Witch! Don't talk nonsense!"
If I hadn't been entangled with you, this scourge, how could I have ended up in such a state, suffering this mundane torment!
Yo yo yo!
They're quick to shift the blame!
If you hadn't been chasing me relentlessly, would I have fallen into that godforsaken place? Would I have run into that broken bottle?
"Would that little piece of trash get away with it?!"
Ye Meier retorted without backing down, and also brought Zhang Shaozhong along.
Zhang Shaozhong:
"..." What the hell did I do to deserve this?
He quickly squeezed between the two, lowering his voice to try and reconcile them:
"Gentlemen! Gentlemen! Say less! Save your energy! The mountain road is still long!"
"Even if you win the argument, you won't get the prize money!"
"Shut up!"
"None of your business!"
Both bigwigs turned their fire on him at the same time.
Zhang Shaozhong shrank his neck, realizing he was caught in a bind.
At this moment, the hiker leading the way turned around and shouted:
"There's a small pond up ahead. The water looks alright. Would you like to take a break and wash your faces?"
Everyone was already exhausted, so they naturally agreed.
Reaching the pool, the water was indeed crystal clear. Several hikers squatted down to scoop up water and wash their faces, exclaiming with delight:
"Wow! That feels so good! This mountain spring water is so refreshing!"
Ling Qingxue and Ye Meier stood to the side, watching others scoop up the "wild water" with their hands and splash it on their faces, their faces once again showing expressions of disgust.
"The water in the pool is cold and has a foul odor. Washing your face directly with it may damage your skin and attract evil spirits."
Ling Qingxue crossed her arms and offered her professional commentary.
"Hmph, ordinary mortals, with thick skin and flesh, are naturally unharmed."
Ye Meier agreed, but seeing how refreshed others looked after washing their faces, she couldn't help but touch her own face, which was covered in sweat and dust, feeling sticky and uncomfortable all over.
Zhang Shaozhong ignored them and rushed to the water's edge, washing his face thoroughly. The icy mountain spring water gave him a jolt, instantly making him feel much more energetic.
"Awesome! You two, really not going to give it a try? It'll be better than your cleaning skills... uh..."
He stopped mid-sentence, remembering their miniature version of magic.
But it was too late.
Ling Qingxue and Ye Meier's eyes dimmed simultaneously, clearly remembering their current predicament of not being able to even perform the simplest Clear Water Technique.
Once upon a time, they were spotless and needed no ordinary water to clean themselves.
The overwhelming sense of disappointment struck again.
Ultimately, perhaps they couldn't stand the stickiness on their bodies, or perhaps the cool spring water was simply too tempting.
Ling Qingxue, with a stern face, walked to a spot a little upstream from the pool, squatted down with great elegance, and carefully dipped her fingertips in the water, gently patting her cheeks and wrists.
The movements were so restrained, it didn't seem like washing one's face, but rather like performing some kind of sacred ritual.
Seeing her like this, Ye Meier pouted and walked to the other side, scooping up a handful of water in a relatively unrestrained manner.
She haphazardly smeared the water on her face and neck, the droplets splashing onto her collar and bringing a refreshing coolness that made her sigh with relief.
"Tsk, how rude."
Ling Qingxue caught a glimpse of her action and couldn't help but whisper a sarcastic remark.
"Fake cleanliness!"
Ye Meier immediately retorted.
"What good is that little bit? Feed it to the mosquitoes?"
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