The God Burial Desert lay between the Vast Sea Gobi and the Western Extreme Desert. The farther west one went, the more desolate it became. Beyond that lay the Abyssal Sea, with no road onward.
It was one of the places hardest hit by the aftermath of the Ancient Heavenly Court's fall. Who knew how many gods had fallen from the Nine Heavens like stars, only to be buried deep beneath the earth? They had destroyed the land's former abundance and turned it into a dead zone. Not until countless ages later did life gradually return, giving rise to a few scattered oases.
The gods buried here had seen their inner worlds shattered and spilled into the open, creating ruin after ruin, secret realm after secret realm. This made the desert's terrain incredibly complex. These immortals often clung to their obsessions, and mingling with the peculiar nature of this dead land, they became—or gave rise to—terrifying resentful spirits and evil ghosts. They were born and destroyed, destroyed and born again, never vanishing even after countless ages. Even beneath the blazing sun, one could still hear their shrill, chilling wails.
For this reason, the God Burial Desert was dangerous even for Outer Scenery Experts. Those who lacked sufficient strength could only travel along the routes linking its oases.
Within one such oasis, water was abundant and the air pleasantly humid. Towering buildings, each as tall as a giant pagoda and unmistakably in the style of the Mohists, rose throughout the city. Together with the many local residents and the Sand Riders and travelers coming and going, they made it a city nearly as prosperous as the Central Plains' heartland.
Tian Wanzhe had a local sweet-juice grass root between his teeth. On his day off, he wandered through the bustling streets, his