Chapter 1368: Small City

The last spiritual fruit unexpectedly fell into the hands of the white-robed maiden.

Without hesitation, she took out an astonishing amount of rare materials from her possession, divided them into four portions based on value, and let the others choose freely.

Her generosity was such that even Long Dong and the black phoenix woman couldn’t match it, forcing them to reluctantly concede the fruit to her.

Among the materials Han Li selected was a small piece of ten-thousand-year-old Emerald Spirit Wood.

Light as air and impervious to fire and water, it was one of the best materials for inscribing formations. Moreover, as its age increased, it could even develop certain elemental defensive properties.

Thus, this wood was typically used for crafting large-scale magical artifacts, making it the ideal material for spirit boats, flying shuttles, and beast-drawn carriages.

Han Li toyed with the wood for a while before storing it away, then raised his head to glance around.

The flying carriage had been provided by Long Dong. Though it wasn’t as comfortable or stealthy as the previous Spirit Cloud Boat, its speed surpassed it.

That said, when facing powerful ancient beasts, the concealment formations of the Spirit Cloud Boat would likely be ineffective. In such cases, this faster carriage was the more suitable choice.

For minor troubles, they could simply rely on its speed to shake off pursuers.

At the moment, the carriage streaked through the sky as a faint blue shadow, moving at an astonishing pace.

The others, aside from Long Dong who was piloting the carriage, sat silently in their respective corners.

Han Li’s gaze shifted and suddenly settled on the white-robed maiden nearby, his eyes narrowing slightly.

Among their group, she was the one he found most enigmatic and unsettling—despite appearing to be of similar cultivation level to him.

Though she seemed young and spoke simply, Han Li, having mastered the Great Development Art to its peak, possessed senses sharpened to an almost supernatural degree. He couldn’t shake the feeling that she exerted the greatest pressure among the four, even more so than the so-called blood-marked youth from the True Spirit lineage.

Just as Han Li was lost in thought, the maiden, seated cross-legged in another corner with her eyes closed, suddenly opened them and met his gaze.

A chill ran down Han Li’s spine, but before he could react, she pursed her lips and chuckled lightly.

Flustered, Han Li let out an awkward laugh and quickly averted his gaze.

Thus, he missed the playful glint that briefly flashed in her eyes.

Over the next half-month, their journey proceeded with surprising smoothness, encountering no further obstacles.

This eased the worries of Long Dong and the black phoenix woman, who now hoped the rest of their journey would remain as uneventful.

A few days later, the scenery shifted abruptly as a vast golden desert stretched before them, a scorching wind blasting their faces.

“A desert? Have we reached the Southern Gen Gorge?” The white-browed youth’s eyes flickered with surprise.

“Indeed, this is the Southern Gen Desert—the easiest route into the Wood Tribe’s territory,” Long Dong replied gravely.

“I’ve heard of this place. Is it truly impossible to bypass, as the rumors say? Given how often Wood Tribe and Shadow Tribe members appear here, it seems far too dangerous,” the black phoenix woman remarked, frowning as she surveyed their surroundings.

“Lady Xiao, while the environment here is harsh, it’s far safer than the other two routes. As for bypassing it—impossible. To one side lies the infamous Beast Mountain Range, teeming with high-tier ancient beasts. Even Void Refinement cultivators who enter rarely return. The other side is the even more perilous Flood Dragon Abyss, home to hundreds of malevolent flood dragons at or above the Void Refinement stage, including dozens of Body Unity-level dragon kings. Not to mention the countless weaker ones. Neither our races nor the others dare provoke them lightly. How could a few Nascent Soul cultivators like us hope to cross? These regions are vast—detouring would take us over a year. With the war looming, the Celestial Abyss City won’t allow such delays,” Long Dong explained with a wry smile.

“I see. But I’ve also heard this desert serves as a trial ground for both tribes,” the white-robed maiden interjected.

“My elders warned me of the same before I departed,” the white-browed youth added cautiously.

“In that case, we should abandon the carriage. It’s too conspicuous. We’ll proceed stealthily on foot. Even if all goes well, it’ll likely take us a month to cross,” Long Dong suggested after a moment’s thought.

“Agreed,” the black phoenix woman said after exchanging glances with the white-browed youth.

“I have no objections either. The carriage is indeed too noticeable,” Han Li chimed in with a smile.

Only the white-robed maiden appeared indifferent.

With their decision made, they exited the carriage, allowing the blood-marked youth to store it away. Then, concealing their presence, they cautiously ventured into the desert.

Not long after entering, Han Li sensed something unusual about this desert.

The heat was far more intense than any he’d experienced before.

Even flying at low altitude, the scorching waves rising from the ground made it feel as though they weren’t above a desert, but a massive volcanic crater.

Han Li glanced up at the seven blazing suns overhead, then down at the ground. With a flick of his wrist, he shot an ice spike downward.

Before it could even reach the sand, the spike vaporized into mist and dissipated.

Witnessing this, Han Li sighed softly.

“Brother Han, did you know? The Southern Gen Desert was once a vast volcanic region!” A flash of white light appeared beside him as the white-robed maiden materialized, smiling.

“Is that so? I wasn’t aware,” Han Li replied neutrally.

“Legend says a heavenly phoenix, possessing dual wind and earth attributes, once battled a True Spirit-level fire alligator living beneath these volcanoes for over a month. Using its divine powers, it summoned endless sandstorms to bury the entire volcanic range, forming this desert,” the maiden explained leisurely, as if well-versed in the tale.

“No wonder this place feels so unnatural. The might of True Spirit beings is truly beyond belief,” Han Li murmured, half to her, half to himself.

“Indeed. Even if we humans reach the Great Ascension stage, we might contend with ordinary True Spirits, but against beings like heavenly dragons or phoenixes—the pinnacle of their kind—we can only look up in awe. I wonder what it would feel like to wield such power,” the maiden mused with a light laugh before darting ahead without another word.

Han Li watched her retreating figure, a flicker of unease crossing his face before he resumed his usual expression and pressed onward.

Ten days later, the group continued their low-altitude flight. Despite their Nascent Soul cultivation, the relentless heat and prolonged travel had left them weary.

“Let’s rest after half a day’s journey,” Long Dong called from the front.

“Yes, we should recover some energy,” the black phoenix woman agreed, fatigue evident in her voice.

“Wait—what’s that?” the white-browed youth suddenly exclaimed in surprise.

Han Li instinctively followed his gaze.

At first, the distance seemed empty. But as he extended his spiritual sense, his expression turned peculiar.

Long Dong and the others did the same, their faces mirroring Han Li’s bewilderment.

“A town? With humans? Are we seeing this right?” Han Li muttered, his tone odd.

Their senses had detected a sizable oasis dozens of miles away, housing a small settlement—half-village, half-town—populated by humans and cultivators.

“How could humans live here, so close to the enemy tribes? Something’s not right,” the black phoenix woman said suspiciously.

Long Dong frowned, remaining silent as he weighed the situation.

“Let me send a clone to scout first,” the white-browed youth proposed, focusing on the oasis.

He reached behind his head, and a shadowy figure emerged—a foot-long black eagle that soared toward the distant town.

Closing his eyes, the youth linked his consciousness to the eagle to monitor its findings.

The black phoenix woman and Long Dong exchanged glances but didn’t object, deeming caution necessary.

Han Li stared at the town, equally puzzled. The white-robed maiden watched with keen interest.

The eagle returned swiftly. As it vanished back into the youth’s head, he reopened his eyes.

“It’s true. The town is indeed inhabited by humans, including many high-level cultivators—seven or eight at the Nascent Soul stage. I didn’t spot any Void Refinement cultivators outside,” he confirmed.

The others exchanged astonished looks.

“Let’s stick to our original plan and avoid unnecessary complications,” Han Li said flatly.

“That’s unwise. This situation is too strange—there might be major developments in the desert. We should investigate before proceeding, lest we stumble into danger,” Long Dong countered, shaking his head.