Across the boundless desert, golden sand was the only color. Fierce winds swept sand through heaven and earth, their howling ringing endlessly in the ears.
Atop a dune, Xiao Yan stood bare-chested, frowning deeply at the map in his hands.
Ten days had passed since he entered the Tagor Desert. After more than ten days of walking, Xiao Yan had finally approached the area marked by a flame on the map. Yet since entering that area yesterday, he had spent an entire day searching without finding any trace of Heavenly Flames.
"Why is there nothing? Did that old fellow take us for a ride?"
Xiao Yan waved the sheepskin map in his hand and looked up at Yao Lao, who hovered in midair, speaking with a frown and a wry smile.
"Well... I don't know either. The terrain around here is no different from anywhere else, and I can't sense any unusual activity."
Yao Lao slowly descended, sounding rather helpless.
"If there's nothing wrong with this map... then there probably aren't any traces of Heavenly Flames here!"
Xiao Yan shook his head and sighed.
"Perhaps!"
"Ugh... damn it, more than ten days of walking for nothing! If I find out that old man Hai Bodong was making a fool of me, I won't let him off!"
Xiao Yan furiously shook the sheepskin map, cursing in frustration.
"My disciple, even though you haven't found any Heavenly Flames, your cultivation has risen by two stars during these ten days in the desert. You've reached Five-Star Dou Zhe, so you haven't come away empty-handed!"
Seeing Xiao Yan's dejected expression, Yao Lao spoke with a smile. Xiao Yan's talent truly surpassed anything he had seen in his life.
Yao Lao's words offered Xiao Yan some comfort. He wiped the sweat from his forehead and