The two soared through the vast Xingluo Desert, an endless sea of sand stretching far beyond the horizon.
Under the glaring sunlight, the desert landscape appeared desolate and lifeless. Countless fine grains of sand covered the earth like an infinite golden ocean, as if one could never reach the end. Distant sand dunes shimmered and twisted under the scorching sun, blurring the line between desert and sky.
From above, one could occasionally spot a few towering cacti, each several dozen meters high, standing silently amidst the endless sands—adding a trace of life and hope to the barren wilderness.
Seeing such endless desolation, Yu Tianming couldn't help but ask, "In a desert full of nothing but yellow sand, how are we supposed to find any trace of the Thunderflame Jiao?"
Yu Yuanzhen calmly took out a compass-like instrument, glanced at it, and said, "Just follow me. We'll find it in a few days."
Seeing his grandfather so composed, Tianming, who had been a bit uneasy, relaxed as well. After all, his grandfather was a Titled Douluo—how could he possibly get lost in a desert?
As time passed, the scorching sun dipped below the western horizon, and a bright moon rose into the sky.
The once burning desert had turned frigid. Temperature changes here were far more extreme than those on Earth.
During the day, the surface temperature could reach 70 to 80 degrees Celsius. At night, it dropped straight down to around zero.
An ordinary person without proper clothing would easily freeze to death out here. But with one being a peak-level Douluo and the other having undergone the refinement of fire and water, the two were naturally immune to the extremes of temperature.
Beneath the starry night sky, apart from the dazzling stars above, all that could be seen was the boundless yellow sand in every direction.
But as the two flew on, a fiery glow gradually emerged amidst the golden dunes.
Yu Yuanzhen pointed toward the light and smiled at Tianming. "That's the place we're looking for."
As they approached, Tianming saw several large pits scattered across the desert, each one blazing with fierce fire. The pit walls had been scorched into solid black stone.
Not far from the fire pits were dozens of simple huts dotting the sandy ground. Upon closer inspection, one could see these huts were actually built atop giant camel-like beasts.
One man standing atop a beast seemed to notice them and quickly ran off.
These beasts lay docilely on the ground, their flat backs carrying not only huts but also several massive bundles. Despite their size, the creatures rested peacefully with closed eyes.
Yu Yuanzhen explained, "This place is known to traveling merchants as the Gate of Hell. Legend says the Thunderflame Jiao tore through the earth veins here centuries ago, releasing underground heat and igniting the eternal flames. Some even claim this place leads directly to Hell."
Tianming asked, puzzled, "Then why would these people dare to camp in the Thunderflame Jiao's territory?"
Yu Yuanzhen chuckled. "That tale about it tearing through the earth veins is just a rumor. This place is merely a landmark in the desert. The true territory of the Thunderflame Jiao lies far to the north of here."
"These people are merchants from the southern regions of the Xingluo Empire. They travel across the western edge of the desert to Barak Kingdom in the Heaven Dou Empire. Along the way, they stop here to collect Flame Oil."
Flame Oil was the Douluo Continent's version of crude oil. The desert's crust was thin here, and in some spots, digging just ten meters down was enough to find it.
Lacking modern refining techniques, the people of the Douluo Continent mainly used oil for outdoor lighting and military use.
Tianming grew even more confused. "Why don't they just ship it across the ocean to the west?"
Yu Yuanzhen replied, "The sea west of this desert isn't like the peaceful waters near Dragonhide City. Even in the shallows, thousand-year sea soul beasts can capsize ships. Not to mention, Flame Oil is abundant here. Coming to collect it is basically free profit."
Tianming nodded thoughtfully. After all, Seagod Island lay to the northwest of this desert. Traveling by sea meant a high risk of encountering powerful soul beasts. Trading along the shore, on the other hand, provided supplies, customers, and a much lower risk.
The two descended and set up a tent not far from the merchants, closing their eyes in meditation to prepare for the upcoming battle while remaining alert for any sudden attacks.
Not long after, someone rang the bell outside their tent. Tianming opened his eyes and stepped out, only to see an elderly man.
The old man had dark skin and a weathered face, dressed in a coarse but clean white robe, with a small cap on his head. He held a large basin of meat soup shimmering with golden oil and said:
"Sirs, this is a bowl of meat soup we prepared ourselves. Please don't mind the humble offering—it's a small token of this old man's goodwill."
Tianming thought to himself: This old man is probably here to test us. They're wary of us just as we are of them. He must've seen our giant wings while flying—anyone crossing the desert alone can't be ordinary. Compared to a caravan of merchants, we are clearly the more dangerous ones.
Thinking this, and tired of days of dry rations, Tianming didn't hesitate. He tossed the old man a gold soul coin and took the basin. Ignoring the man's grateful bowing, he returned directly to the tent.
Yu Yuanzhen and Tianming—one a rank 96 beast-type Soul Master, the other immune to all poisons—ate heartily without fear of being poisoned.
After the meal, Yu Yuanzhen said, "Tianming, the spirit beast's ring we're targeting has already reached five thousand years—beyond the limit of a fourth ring. Rest well tonight and save your strength for absorbing the spirit ring."
Tianming didn't argue. He climbed straight into his sleeping bag and quickly fell into a deep sleep.
By the next morning, the merchant caravan was already gone without a trace.
Yu Yuanzhen laughed, "After giving us the soup last night, they probably got scared and slipped away in the middle of the night."
"In a desolate place like this, seeing the two of us dressed well and traversing the desert, who wouldn't be afraid?"
After a few more idle exchanges, the two took to the skies again, flying north past the burning Gate of Hell.
After several hours, Yu Yuanzhen withdrew his aura and slowly descended. He pointed at a wide sunken area in the sand up ahead.
"That's the trace of the Thunderflame Jiao."
The two landed, and Yu Yuanzhen instructed, "From here on, we proceed on foot. If the Thunderflame Jiao senses us, it will definitely burst from underground to attack. Make sure you stay within three meters of me."
Tianming nodded quickly and thought to himself: This Thunderflame Jiao sure behaves like the desert worms from movies in my past life.
(End of Chapter)
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