On the desolate Gobi, Zhao Xuan wandered alone without any clear destination. The Evil God's movements were unpredictable; neither the places nor the times of his several attacks followed any pattern. Finding him would be extremely difficult.
Zhao Xuan searched for an entire day, crossing a thousand li of territory, but found nothing.
As the sun set, the entire land was enveloped in orange-red clouds. The enormous crimson sun sank beneath the horizon, leaving only half a fiery red disk visible above the earth. The vast Gobi carried an air of desolation.
Zhao Xuan stopped and watched the entire sunset. Only after the last lingering ray vanished did the world suddenly change color.
Night fell like a curtain, and the sky brimmed with brilliant stars.
"Let's head back."
Zhao Xuan glanced around. Once the sunlight disappeared, even the breeze across the Gobi seemed to turn violent. The wind howled fiercely, carrying a chill.
After finding his bearings, Zhao Xuan sped toward the horizon.
Yellow Sand City was an extremely important border stronghold in the southwestern frontier. It stood only two hundred kilometers from Spirit Hall territory, with nothing but flat Gobi between them. A troop of light cavalry could enter Spirit Hall territory in merely two or three hours.
After the incident involving the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, the Empire had devoted considerable effort to developing this place. Not only had the city expanded to twice its former size, but its garrison had increased by half. A hundred Royal Soul Masters had even been stationed here.
As a border town, Yellow Sand City's economy was not particularly prosperous. Its gates closed as soon as night fell. Zhao Xuan crossed the city walls from the air, landed inside the city, and headed toward the City Lord's Manor.
When he arrived