Eastern Desert

As you pass through the edge of the Misty Forest, the land gradually becomes barren.

The Misty Forest is a special place, containing certain ' Dead Magic Area' —simply put, areas where Elemental Energy is chaotic and the Weave has gaps. Spellcaster are affected here, potentially failing to cast spells or even experiencing malfunctions. These places are mostly extremely dangerous due to strong energy radiation, which can easily lead to powerful Mutated Creature. Deep within the Misty Forest lies the site of a fallen Deity; a once Greater Divinity Deity perished here, and to this day, very few have been able to enter.

Even Avatar who are Avatar of Deity would find this difficult; only a few Legendary Druid can connect to it through dreams.

There were some scattered rumors back then.

There are rumors that the depths of the Mist Deity are connected to a certain God's Realm, a huge Demiplane directly embedded in the Material Plane.

Unfortunately, no one has been able to confirm this.

The sandstorm gradually intensified.

Upon entering the Gobi Desert, everything gradually became desolate. This Gobi Desert was the territory of the Gnoll, and a considerable number of Gnoll roamed here. Many of the half-baked Gnoll from the mainland had been transformed into professionals by the harsh environment. Furthermore, the area was inhabited by the Abyssal Lord, ' Gnoll King ' Yeenoghu, the Demon Lord of the 422nd Layer of the Abyss, and one of the most powerful Gnoll.

It may not be a particularly powerful Abyssal Lord, but no one should underestimate it.

Its nemesis is the Succubus Queen and the Minotaur King. The fact that it has been able to fight these two enemies for thousands of years without falling is either due to its incredible luck or because it is truly powerful.

The Gnoll King is not a very complex Abyssal Lord, since Soren once visited his territory.

Its lifelong goal was to make the Gnoll race prosper, and to this end, it hunted as many weak creatures as possible or plotted Intrigue its enemies.

Unfortunately Gnoll are born to hunt for food, which means their numbers are unlikely to flourish.

A gust of wind blew by.

The Gnoll' exceptional tracking skills led them to discover Soren traveling alone across the Gobi Desert. They cautiously lurked behind him, communicating in a unique way. Their intelligence allowed them to understand that a lone Travel was not so easy to deal with, but their thirst for flesh and blood still stirred within them.

Slurp!

An arrow shot out.

To avoid trouble, Soren simply took out his Elven War Bow. He then shot an arrow that struck a Gnoll in the shoulder. Due to the wind, the arrow deviated and should have hit its head instead.

A measured display of force can reduce trouble.

Awooo!

A scream rang out, Gnoll scouts finally realized that their target was beyond their capabilities. The creatures quickly retreated into the Gobi Desert.

The further you go into the Gobi Desert, the fewer traces of vegetation you find.

Finally, a desert began to appear before Soren's eyes, a desolate scene of endless yellow sand. There was almost no greenery to be seen.

This is a disaster brought about by the Arcane Empire.

Many once-glorious cities are now buried under the yellow sand, partly due to human activity, as severe deforestation in the past has led to soil erosion, leaving no trace of vegetation.

River Goddess have dried up, and land has turned to desert.

Humans migrated from this place after excessive destruction, leaving behind only other creatures to inhabit it.

Beyond this desert lies the Eastern Realm.

This is the largest desert in the Material Plane; even using Fly, it would take several days to reach it. Soren's target is inside the desert, so he needs to find a city within it first.

Oasis!

Since the environment began to deteriorate, some morally upright druids have come here.

They formed the legendary ' Tree Shepherd,' who have been creating greenery in this harsh desert for centuries. This is an extremely difficult task, as the degraded environment is hard to repair, and many areas still retain residual energy radiation. The Tree Shepherd are another branch of the Druids; they rarely interfere in the affairs of the continent, their task being to sow plants and establish Oasis in the desert. These Tree Shepherd enjoy extremely high prestige in the Desert Region; the Oasis along the Eastern Trade Route were established by them. (Note: Details are mentioned near the Elven Realm.)

Finding Oasis is not easy.

This was also an unfamiliar environment for Soren. He could only rely on his Fly to determine his location and then search for signs of Hit Points in this desolate place.

Day 1.

He had to spend the night on the dunes and then continue his journey at Morninglord.

As they ventured deeper into the desert, some dilapidated buildings came into view. These were once magnificent structures reminiscent of the Egyptian pyramids, but now they were utterly ruined, completely buried by the yellow sand. The only way to enter was to dig a narrow passage. This was extremely dangerous; Soren had nearly been buried by quicksand before. The land beneath his feet had once been a city, now an ancient ruin in the desert. Apart from the occasional Adventurer seeking wealth, no one dared to venture into it easily.

Because there are too many dangers involved.

This desert buries nearly a third of the cities from the Arcane Empire era, including Ancient Evil Creature. Exploring this place is like exploring an entire city—a massive undertaking. Often, you won't find a way out and will have to dig your own way through. The most dangerous places are in the Eastern Realm, where many such ancient ruins lie beneath the monasteries of Monk, many of which suppress terrifying Evil Creature.

Half a day passed just like that.

Finally, a patch of green appeared before Soren, for he saw a River Goddess, River Goddess in the desert.

The banks are lined with tall trees, neatly arranged all around. These are not naturally growing trees, but rather trees planted and planted by humans to create the area.

The work of Tree Shepherd.

Finding the River Goddess meant there was Oasis nearby, so Soren quickened his pace and sped forward.

A City Wall built of sand and stones emerged.

A tall flagpole stands at the city gate, offering a scene drastically different from the mainland. The entire town is surrounded by a flagpole, shielding it from the surrounding sandstorms. Travel no longer use horses, but rather camels, laden with heavy goods, alongside merchants dressed in what appears to be Arabic clothing. Many of the surrounding buildings are constructed of sand and stone, giving the area a rugged and desolate feel.

Soren entered the city in the desert.

...(To be continued~^~)