Chapter Eighty-Four: The Boundless Desert

Far to the south of the Divine Summer Continent lay what was known as the Boundless Desert. As the name implied, it was a land of endless yellow sand and utter desolation. Everywhere the eye could see was a vast expanse of dunes, rolling on and on without end, with not a trace of green, no murmuring streams, no towering peaks, only bleakness and solitude. Beneath the blazing sun, the grains of sand seemed to give off wisps of heat; looking out across the land, it was as if a faint, persistent heat haze drifted above the earth. No one knew how large the desert truly was. Standing within it, one could only feel one's own insignificance and marvel at the greatness of nature and the uncanny wonder of its handiwork.

A lone plume of smoke rose in the desert; sand and grit flew on the wind.

A hot breeze came, turned gently, and drifted away into the distance. Where it passed, the yellow sand swirled softly, whispering in a rustling murmur.

Lu Zhe lifted his head to glance at the sun, a ball of fire overhead, then reached up to wipe the beads of sweat from his brow. With a flick of his hand, he shook them away; the droplets struck the sand and hissed as they sank in.

He drew a bottle of water from his storage ring and drank it down in a rush. Then, after shaking the bottle, he put it back. In a desolate and barren desert like this, water was unquestionably the most vital thing needed to survive.

"Master, where are we going? We've already been wandering around this godforsaken place for three days," Lu Zhe finally complained, unable to hold it in any longer.

At that moment, the Medicine Elder was dressed in a white robe and, like Lu Zhe, wore a hood to shield himself from the wind. He turned to look at Lu Zhe, then swept his gaze across the endless desert before saying, "To find that strange medicine."

"This desert is so huge. How are we supposed to find it?" Lu Zhe plopped down onto the sand, then quickly sprang back up when the heat of it burned too fiercely through him.

He and the Medicine Elder had already been in this uninhabited wasteland for three days. Three days earlier, the Medicine Elder had suddenly sensed a considerable fluctuation in the strange medicine within his body, and on the spot he had dragged Lu Zhe into this barren desert. Yet once they entered, the medicine's resonance had abruptly cut off, leaving the two of them wandering the blazing wasteland like headless flies, with no idea where to go.

Lu Zhe reached into his robes and drew out a green vial. He tipped out the thick, paste-like medicinal liquid inside, rubbed his hands together, and smeared it over his body.

The moment he finished, the unbearable heat outside seemed to drop at once, and Lu Zhe let out a small breath of relief.

The Medicine Elder still stood not far ahead of him, constantly scanning the horizon as though searching for something. But what could there possibly be in this boundless desert? Nothing but sand, and more sand.

"Damn it, why is it so hot?" Even the Medicine Elder could no longer endure the searing temperature.

Like Lu Zhe, he took out a vial from his robes and poured the thick medicinal paste onto his skin. Only then did he let out a faint sigh of relief.

Putting the vial away, the Medicine Elder looked once more at the endless and immeasurable desert and said, "Let's head south."

"What for?" Lu Zhe asked.

"I don't know," the Medicine Elder replied, glancing at him and shrugging. After a pause, he added, "But it's better than staying here to be roasted by this infernal sun."

Lu Zhe nodded weakly and rose to his feet. Together, the two of them began walking south. As for why, it was simply because they did not want to stand there foolishly and let the sun bake them alive.

Within this vast desert, endless dangers lurked unseen. One wrong step might mean never leaving this place again. And beyond those hidden perils, one also had to guard against the temper of nature itself. From time to time, sandstorms would howl across the wasteland, and those were no trifling matter; a single mistake could leave one buried forever beneath the storm's fury.

They walked across the boundless sands, leaving a trail of footprints behind them. They seemed like a tiny leaf fallen into the endless ocean—alone, helpless, and insignificant, able only to endure the surging waves, one careless moment away from being overturned and swallowed.

Lu Zhe and the Medicine Elder pressed on under the glaring sun. After cresting several dunes, Lu Zhe suddenly spotted a patch of oasis not far ahead. His face lit up, and he cried out in delight, "Master, look, an oasis!"

At his words, the Medicine Elder followed the direction he pointed and indeed saw a rather large oasis. Lush, green trees stood intertwined there. To encounter such a place in this barren, uninhabited desert was truly a rare sight.

The Medicine Elder was not as excited as Lu Zhe. Instead, his brows drew together slightly, and he stared hard at the oasis. After a moment, he muttered to himself, "Could that be a mirage?"

Watching Lu Zhe dance about in excitement, the Medicine Elder gave a faint smile and said to himself, "Well, it's not like we have anything else to do. Let's go take a look."

With that, he waved his hand and called out loudly, "Let's go."

Lu Zhe was so thrilled he could have leaped into the air. He hurried after the Medicine Elder and headed toward the oasis ahead.

This time, the two of them truly moved quickly, perhaps because they could not wait. After all, finding an oasis in a desert of endless yellow sand was no common thing.

They moved as swiftly as the wind, yet the oasis did not seem especially close. They walked a long way, and when Lu Zhe looked up again, he found that the distance between them and the oasis did not seem to have shortened at all. It still lay far away.

The Medicine Elder also lifted his head and looked ahead, tilting it slightly as if sensing that something was off. Yet the oasis did not look like a mirage. The lush green trees did not seem fake either. At such a moment, it was difficult to say anything. After a few low murmurs, he simply urged Lu Zhe onward.

Fortunately, Heaven did not fail those who persevered. After they had gone on for quite some distance, the oasis finally began to seem near.

Lu Zhe was delighted and quickly lengthened his stride, walking forward with the Medicine Elder.

They walked for about half an hour before finally reaching the oasis.

From afar, Lu Zhe had already felt that it was no small place. Now that he stood near it, he was astonished to discover that it was truly vast. The trunks of the outer trees were so thick that at least three grown men would be needed to encircle one with their arms. No doubt they had grown so large because they had spent year after year shielding themselves from the flying sand. The carved marks on the bark bore witness to the long passage of time these trees had endured.

Lu Zhe marveled quietly, then entered with the Medicine Elder.

The deeper one went, the smaller the trees became. It seemed they were protected by the larger trees outside and did not need to suffer the full force of the yellow sand. Moreover, beyond the trees there were many thorny shrubs and brambles—plants that seemed wholly out of place in such a barren desert. Seeing this, Lu Zhe could not help but admire the wondrous and unfathomable craftsmanship of nature.

Suddenly, Lu Zhe heard the sound of water—gentle, flowing water.

His face brightened at once. Could it be that there was a pool here as well?

He and the Medicine Elder exchanged a glance and immediately saw the same joy in each other's eyes. Without another word, they hurried toward the sound.

The water grew louder and louder, but alongside it came another sound... the voice of a woman?

At that instant, both Lu Zhe and the Medicine Elder stiffened. Then, very carefully, they slipped into the shrubs and quietly parted the branches.

When the greenery was pushed aside, the figure before their eyes stunned both Lu Zhe and the Medicine Elder into complete surprise...