As they approached the city, Xiao Yan gradually slowed down his flight. His body trembled slightly, and the purple cloud wings on his back began to emit a faint purple light, slowly retracting and finally transforming into a tattoo that adhered to his back. In mid-air, he flipped and landed steadily on the ground. After lightly brushing off some dust from his clothes, he looked up at the massive yellow city in the distance, smiling and breathing a sigh of relief. Perhaps due to the proximity to the desert, the weather here was extremely dry and hot. The scorching sun blazed down, baking the earth and causing it to emit a stifling heat. The rising hot air even caused the vision to become somewhat distorted and blurry. By all accounts, under such harsh conditions, no one should feel any sense of comfort. Yet, to Xiao Yan’s surprise, since he set foot on this land, the purple fire energy flowing within him had become much more lively. Startled for a moment, Xiao Yan stretched out his hand and grabbed at the air in front of him. He pursed his lips, and after a while, he muttered softly, “No wonder, the air here is almost eighty percent infused with earth and fire attributes…”
“Indeed, due to the terrain, the Tager Desert is most suitable for those who practice fire and earth attribute cultivation techniques. The purple fire in your body is a special flame closely related to the blazing sun, so naturally, you would be more sensitive to it than others,” came the Pharmacist Elder’s faint laughter from the ring.
“And this is precisely why I wanted you to come here for training. The harsh conditions here are perfect for tempering one’s will,” the Pharmacist Elder added.
Xiao Yan nodded slightly, exhaling lightly. He patted the alchemist robe he wore, which was as exquisite as a work of art, and then walked towards the nearby yellow city. As he neared the city, the number of people around him increased. Most of the men were bare-chested, with tanned, muscular skin, exuding a rugged charm. Occasionally, women passed by, their skin also dark, but with a seductive bronze hue. Unlike the reserved and shy women in the inner empire, these women wore tight leather clothing that barely covered their chests and waists, while their shapely thighs were boldly exposed, giving off a unique allure.
As he walked, Xiao Yan enjoyed the sights. He smacked his lips and looked up at the increasingly visible yellow city. Above the city gate, two large, pale red characters were carved, giving off a faintly bloody feeling when viewed from afar.
“Desert City…” Xiao Yan murmured, smiling as he walked towards the city gate.
At the city gate, several armored soldiers were yelling at the incoming pedestrians to pay the entry tax. Seeing the soldiers’ fully armed and unbothered demeanor despite the heat, Xiao Yan was slightly surprised. How could the defense here be even stricter than in large cities like Black Rock City?
Perhaps due to the scorching heat, the soldiers seemed irritable. They shouted at the pedestrians, urging them to hurry. As Xiao Yan approached the city gate and heard the soldiers’ yells, he frowned slightly, shook his head, and walked straight into the city.
In the Jia Ma Empire, alchemists enjoyed almost noble treatment, and they were exempted from such fees. Though an alchemist wouldn’t care about such a small amount of money, the respect they received was indeed appreciated.
“Hey, kid, didn’t you see the sign? Pay the…” A soldier’s eyes widened as he saw Xiao Yan walking right past. But before he could finish his reprimand, he noticed the intricately designed alchemist robe. His angry expression instantly changed to a fawning smile. “Sir, are you entering the city?”
“Yes,” Xiao Yan replied, not stopping his pace. He glanced at the soldier and, passing by the now trembling guard, walked into the city.
“Phew, close call. If the higher-ups knew I offended a Second Rank Alchemist, I’d be thrown to the dogs,” the soldier sighed, wiping the sweat from his brow. Turning, he respectfully called out, “Sir, the Snake People in the Tager Desert have been acting up lately. Be careful if you leave the city.”
Xiao Yan slowed his pace, nodding at this unexpected information, and then disappeared into the darkness of the city’s entrance tunnel.
“Damn, almost done for. If the higher-ups found out I offended a Second Rank Alchemist, I’d be in trouble,” the soldier sighed, wiping the sweat from his brow and returning to his post. The scare had calmed him, and he dared not yell at the incoming pedestrians anymore.
Walking out of the dim tunnel, Xiao Yan’s vision brightened as he saw the unique desert architecture. The peculiar buildings fascinated him. Standing on the street, he scanned the bustling crowd and asked, “Teacher, where do we go now? Should we head straight to the Tager Desert?”
“Wandering blindly in the desert, you’ll either get lost in a sandstorm or die of thirst,” the Pharmacist Elder’s voice echoed from the ring.
Embarrassed, Xiao Yan laughed, “This is my first time in the desert… what should we do next?”
“First, buy the most accurate map of the Tager Desert. There should be shops selling maps here. It’s crucial! Also, prepare enough water and visit the local apothecary to buy some snake-repellent herbs. The Snake People in the Tager Desert are experts at using venomous snakes to attack, so it’s best to be cautious,” the Pharmacist Elder advised.
“Preparing these things, we won’t have time to enter the Tager Desert today, so we’ll rest in the city tonight. Oh, and your Qi-restoring pills are all used up. This is essential for cultivation, but luckily, we collected enough medicinal herbs in the Magic Beast Mountains. I’ll make you a batch tonight. Once we’re done, we’ll head into the Tager Desert tomorrow morning,” the Pharmacist Elder continued.
Listening to the Pharmacist Elder’s instructions, Xiao Yan nodded resignedly. Sighing, he pulled aside a passerby and asked about the location of a map shop. Initially, the passerby was slightly annoyed, but upon seeing Xiao Yan’s alchemist badge, he quickly became polite and pointed out the shop’s location. Before leaving, the man even gave Xiao Yan a rundown of the map prices.
Thanking the passerby, Xiao Yan touched his alchemist badge and shook his head. This identity was truly useful. With a sigh, he quickly turned the corner and headed to the map shop.
After a short walk, Xiao Yan arrived at the “Ancient Map” shop. Scanning the store, he was slightly surprised; it wasn’t as luxurious as others and had a faint, ancient air about it. Entering the shop, he found it modestly lit by moonlight stones. Only a few customers were inside, making it seem rather quiet. Xiao Yan wondered if he was in the right place.
Approaching the counter, Xiao Yan noticed an elderly man carefully drawing a map. The old man, though aged, had steady hands. Without disturbing him, Xiao Yan examined the maps on the counter, impressed by the clear routes. After a while, noticing the old man was still busy, Xiao Yan walked to an old wooden rack in the corner. The rack, filled with yellowed, defective maps, had a musty smell. Xiao Yan casually flipped through them, and a small, tattered map fell out. Not paying much attention, he put it back, but his gaze lazily fell on the small, tattered piece. His eyes widened, and his hand froze.
“This…” Trembling, Xiao Yan carefully picked up the tattered map. His heart pounded as he recognized the familiar, mysterious route. After a long moment, he closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and whispered, “It really is it…”
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