Lu Feng and the others had no idea what had happened behind them. By now, following the general direction of the Profound Extremity Mountain Range, they had arrived southwest of the Floating Sand Snail Capital.
The surrounding landscape was now almost entirely devoid of ancient ruined walls. As far as the eye could see lay an endless sea of sand, so empty it inspired fear.
Since the place Fourth Uncle intended to visit lay in the deepest part of the Floating Sand Snail Capital, it was not in the same direction as Lu Feng and the others' destination. After traveling together for a while, he left the group on his own.
Without Fourth Uncle occasionally introducing the customs of Nan Gu Town, the group became much quieter. As they walked, the wind around them gradually weakened. Without that howling gale, this empty sea of sand seemed especially desolate. For an instant, it felt as though heaven and earth alike had fallen silent.
The silence was frightening.
Dusk drew near.
The sun sank low.
The golden-red afterglow of the setting sun spilled across the boundless desert. The endless yellow sands seemed veiled in a thin layer of pale gold, beautiful enough to refresh the spirit.
The group walked across the endless sea of sand, their feet sinking into its fine, soft grains with every step, leaving behind a long trail of footprints upon the smooth sand surface—another trail that stretched beyond sight.
With no raging winds to scour them away, those footprints seemed branded into the sand surface, remaining unburied for a long while. They stretched farther and farther, lending a strange hint of life to the dead-silent desert.
The group continued onward for quite some time.
Zhu Yizhong's patience was gradually worn away. His face was filled with anxiety as