Leaving the Great Desert of Death

Had the remnants of Loulan not acted ahead of time, Ning Xiu might genuinely have chosen to launch a direct assault on the headquarters of the Moon Wheel Temple.

In fact, he was already on his way to the temple that very day. Even separated by a distance of over a thousand miles, he could still feel the terrifying magnitude of that cataclysmic battle.

Despite it being daytime, a crimson moon had actually manifested in the sky.

This time, it was no mere illusion.

A colossal phantom even towered in the heavens, its long crimson hair fluttering in the nocturnal wind.

That battle could only be described as a natural disaster. The blade technique of the Seven Limits that Ning Xiu had unleashed at the edge of the Death Desert paled into insignificance when compared to it—it was like a minor wizard meeting a grand wizard.

A mere aftershock was enough to induce a sense of dread deep within the heart.

Under such circumstances, those Loulan survivors stood absolutely no chance of survival, at least in Ning Xiu's eyes.

After weighing the pros and cons, Ning Xiu ultimately decided not to press forward.

It was not that Ning Xiu was afraid of taking risks; rather, he refused to take risks that were completely beyond his control. No one possessed a halo of immortality, and he would never entrust his life to so-called luck.

Given his current strength, he was fully capable of holding his own even against experts of the Ninth Heavens of the Mortal Shedding Realm, and he could be said to have no remaining rivals within that realm.

His rate of progress was nothing short of miraculous. Coupled with the fact that he was entirely free of bottlenecks, no one could predict just how formidable Ning Xiu might become, provided he was given sufficient time and wealth points.

One day, he would drag all these so-called deities down from their divine thrones.

.......

The second spring following Ning Xiu’s rebirth, which was also the thirtieth year of the Longshuo era of the Great Qian Dynasty.

Yun Prefecture of Great Qian, Guanhai Commandery, Ancient Maple City.

Due to its proximity to the Death Desert, generations of inhabitants had worked tirelessly to carve out a trade route connecting Ancient Maple City to an oasis town on the periphery of the vast desert.

Whether they were desert wanderers or local merchants of Ancient Maple City, almost all of them relied on this very passage.

At this moment, along this trade route, a trading caravan numbering several hundred people had halted by the roadside to rest, many of them partaking in a meal. Judging by the direction the procession faced, it was a caravan returning from the depths of the Death Desert.

"Uncle Qi!"

Beside a carriage, a young man bowed respectfully to a middle-aged man approaching him, and then smiled, saying, "We've made a fortune on this trip. You mustn't forget the promise you made."

"Haha." The middle-aged man let out a hearty laugh, his good mood quite evident. "You rascal can rest easy; am I the kind of person to renege on a bit of money? But you shouldn't squander every penny you earn at the Spring Breeze Tower. You're not so young anymore; it's time to build up some savings and start thinking about settling down and getting married."

"I have to find someone whose appearance and personality suit my taste first. This is a lifelong decision, after all—I can't just rush into it so carelessly."

The young man chuckled evasively, then suddenly asked, "Oh right, what is the background of that beautiful woman who joined our caravan halfway through the journey?"

"You'd better keep your eyes in check and behave yourself. That is the daughter of Master Ouyang from the Azure Heaven Martial House." The middle-aged man glared at the youth, perfectly aware of the little schemes stirring in his junior's heart.

"Is there any harm in just thinking about it?" The young man pouted, looking displeased.

Watching the youth's aggrieved expression, the middle-aged man burst into a happy laugh.

"Uncle Qi, look! Someone is walking out of the Death Desert!"

Noticing the youth's excitable and jumpy demeanor, the middle-aged man frowned slightly. He had originally intended to entrust him with heavy responsibilities in the future, but it seemed the boy still lacked composure.

Their trade route was not the only one exclusive to their caravan; there was nothing unusual about someone emerging from the Death Desert. Just as he turned to look toward the desert, however, the middle-aged man's pupils contracted slightly.

A man, clad in azure robes, with a long sword hanging from his waist.

The scabbard was archaic and worn, clearly not a weapon of any renowned make, and generally speaking, those who carried such swords were never famous swordsmen.

Yet, a person like that had emerged from the Death Desert entirely alone.

One had to understand that the Death Desert presented two major perils to them: the first was natural disasters, and the second was desert bandits.

Merchants like them almost always traveled in massive caravans, led by desert wanderers intimately familiar with the terrain, before they ever dared set foot into the Death Desert.

They had seen solitary individuals enter the Death Desert from Ancient Maple City before, but those were mostly desperate men fleeing pursuit. Someone walking out of the Death Desert completely alone, however, was a genuine rarity.

Furthermore, judging by his trajectory, the azure-robed man was heading straight toward their caravan.

"Everyone, heighten your vigilance!" the middle-aged man commanded in a deep voice.

Without needing his reminder, the guards within the caravan had already noticed Ning Xiu's presence. Every single one of them placed their right hand upon the weapons at their sides, ready to strike at a moment's notice.

.......

Originally, Ning Xiu had intended to return directly to Lingnan, but in the end, he ultimately refrained from doing so.

Having witnessed the events at the Moon Wheel Temple, Ning Xiu had truly come to comprehend the terrifying nature of these "gods" lurking in the shadows. To Ning Xiu, Shen Sanqian was no longer a threat; the true threat was the deity enshrined within the "Pixiu" Temple.

Moreover, he had no intention of lingering any longer in this desert. Following the map, he had locked onto a single direction and walked straight ahead until he arrived here.

Seeing a caravan resting ahead, Ning Xiu naturally stepped forward to inquire about the route. Although he had learned from the previous oasis city that the nearest town was Ancient Maple City in Guanhai Commandery, he was, after all, unfamiliar with the exact paths.

"This is the trading caravan of Ancient Maple City. May I ask what business brings you here, brother?" asked the leader of the guard unit, a burly, bearded man, shouting loudly toward Ning Xiu.

With a smile on his face, Ning Xiu replied, "I would like to ask, does this road lead to Ancient Maple City?"

The bearded man hesitated for a moment, nodded, and said, "That's right."

"I am indeed heading to Ancient Maple City. Might you be able to take me along with you?"

This time, the burly bearded man clearly could not make the decision on his own. He turned back to murmur a few words to a slightly plump middle-aged man standing nearby before turning back to say, "Twenty taels of silver, and we'll take you along."

For a trading caravan, this was also a routine way to supplement their income.

"Then I thank you kindly, old brother." Without a hint of hesitation, Ning Xiu reached directly into his robes, retrieved a silver ingot, and handed it over.

Accepting the silver, the middle-aged man called out toward the rear, prompting a young man to walk over.

"Xiaobai, come here and lead this brother to get some rest. Let him ride in your carriage for a while," the middle-aged man instructed.

"Understood, Uncle Qi." The young man addressed as Xiaobai acknowledged the order, turned to face Ning Xiu, and smiled. "Let's go."

As he led the way forward, the young man spoke in a friendly manner, "My name is Lin Mubai, you can just call me Xiaobai. You'll be riding in that carriage over there; it's mostly loaded with heavy cargo. Oh, you haven't eaten yet, have you? I'll go fetch you a couple of steamed buns right away."

"My thanks," Ning Xiu replied amiably.