The teleportation array came to a stop.
Before anyone could take the first step, Mimi, already disoriented from the turbulence, leaped out. Zanxing called out, “Mimi!” and hurried to catch up. As they stepped out of the teleportation array, they were momentarily stunned.
In the vast expanse, undulating sand dunes shimmered gold under the midday sun. Desert winds carried sand grains that brushed roughly against their faces, causing a coarse discomfort.
Following behind, Tian Fangfang spat out, “Pah, pah, pah,” and asked, “Why does it feel like I’ve swallowed sand?”
“This place is…” Men Dong stared around in astonishment.
There were no demon lairs or sinister monsters plotting. Just endless desert, devoid of any signs of life, under a blazing golden sun and dry winds blowing from afar.
The sky here was remarkably blue, like a deep, vibrant gemstone. Underneath the expansive blue sky were golden sand dunes, the contrast creating a pure brightness that felt both passionate and lonely.
“This isn’t a demon lair, right?” Tian Fangfang scratched her head. “Where are we?”
Meng Ying said, “The teleportation array is useless now. I’ll inform Master using my spirit crane…” She suddenly stopped.
Mu Cengxiao asked, “What’s wrong?”
“…I can’t open my Qiankun Bag,” Meng Ying said, looking at him.
Upon hearing this, Gu Baiying lowered his head to inspect the Qiankun Bag at his waist, but his expression immediately stiffened. Seeing his reaction, everyone else hurriedly tried to open their own Qiankun Bags, but the openings seemed sealed shut as if stuck by something, refusing to budge.
“This place is strange,” Gu Baiying withdrew his hand, looking serious. “My qi seems significantly restrained here.”
As he spoke, everyone tentatively circulated their qi and indeed found it diminished.
“I told you those demonic beings had ill intentions,” Men Dong exclaimed angrily. “This place not only prevents us from using the spirit symbols and contacting our sects, but it also weakens our techniques so much. Surely they are plotting something big. Are they planning to trap us while we are vulnerable?”
“Demons are ruthless. If they wanted to deal with us, they wouldn’t go through such trouble,” Mu Cengxiao pondered. “Given this situation, either there’s a deeper motive behind this, or these demons are not as strong as we thought and need external help to deal with us.”
Listening to their discussion, Zanxing interjected, “Regardless of who brought us here, our priority should be figuring out how to leave this place.” She glanced into the distance. “I don’t see any footprints. Is there really no one living here?”
“It doesn’t look like anyone lives here,” Tian Fangfang rubbed his chin. “Should we continue forward? We can’t open our Qiankun Bags, the teleportation array won’t take us back. We can’t just stay here.” He spat out some sand, grimacing. “The sandstorm is too intense, it hurts.”
With no other options, they reluctantly pressed forward. However, the direction was unclear, and the desert stretched endlessly in all directions, making them feel insignificant amidst its vastness. Following the direction of the sun, Zanxing and the others walked onward, but saw no signs of life—not even a blade of grass or the shadow of a tree.
The desert seemed untouched by human footprints, silently existing in the most inconspicuous corner of the maps of Duzhou, as it had for thousands of years.
Initially, Tian Fangfang tried to lighten the mood with jokes, and Zanxing listened to Men Dong’s complaints along the way, but gradually, everyone fell into silence.
Time passed slowly. Despite walking for nearly two or maybe three hours, the golden sunlight showed no signs of weakening, and the desert remained endless. They were beginning to feel tired and thirsty.
The perception of hunger and fatigue among cultivators has always been somewhat less noticeable than in ordinary people. However, this place weakened their qi, in a way making their bodies more akin to those of ordinary people.
Men Dong, being young, felt it most keenly. The two pink hairbands now drooped listlessly on his lotus bun, and his bangs were soaked and sticking together in strands. Wiping the sweat from his forehead, he complained, “We’ve been walking for so long, and there’s nothing here but sand!”
“Aren’t you thirsty?” Tian Fangfang licked his dry lips, attempting once again to open his Qiankun Bag. “I still have a watermelon in my Qiankun Bag that I haven’t finished eating, but unfortunately, I can’t open it.”
As soon as he mentioned it, Zanxing felt even thirstier, her throat feeling parched.
“It would be better to be in Li’er Country,” Tian Fangfang muttered as they walked, “where you can fish for tail fish in the sea when you’re hungry, and pick fruits from trees when you’re thirsty. If I could have a cup of ice sugar syrup right now, I’d be willing to give up my cultivation for it.” He continued rambling, “How can there be deserts in this world, wasting such a large piece of land where nothing grows? It’s frustrating to look at.”
Mimi refused to move ahead and lay motionless on the sand dune. Despite calling out several times, there was no response, as she was probably too tired to move.
The fat cat, which had slimmed down since joining her on the trial in Li’er Country, had been running and jumping along the way. Zanxing had no choice but to bend down and lift her onto her shoulders. Now, she regretted her foolish promise to Xuan Lingzi before leaving for Li’er Country, about ensuring the cat’s Silver Moon Lion bloodline to be activated.
While the cat was comfortable, she was more tired. Zanxing’s Panhua staff had become her crutch, each step becoming more arduous.
Tian Fangfang continued to muse, “If I had such a large piece of land, I would find a way to make it grow things, planting vegetables and fruit trees on it. When cultivators get tired walking here, they could easily pick a watermelon to eat. Doesn’t that sound nice?”
Zanxing couldn’t help but admire Tian Fangfang’s progressive and environmentally friendly idea of afforestation.
However, continuing like this was not a solution. They feared that even after another day and night of walking, the situation wouldn’t change. Adults could still hold on, but Men Dong, being just a child, clearly couldn’t endure much longer.
Just as she was thinking this, Mu Cengxiao suddenly stopped ahead, pointing in a distant direction, “Look!”
In the vast desert, where the blue sky met the horizon, large chunks of clouds, like white cotton, hung heavily over the sand dunes. In the far distance, barely visible yet distinctly there, was the silhouette of a city. There seemed to be movement within it, lively and bustling.
Men Dong’s eyes lit up, “There are people!”
Zanxing was momentarily stunned, instinctively saying, “Could it be a mirage?”
Gu Baiying asked, “A mirage?”
“Yeah,” Zanxing replied, “Isn’t there often talk of travelers in the desert becoming lost after seeing rivers ahead, running desperately towards them, only to find nothing but an illusion?”