"Whew, whew..."
Waves of hot wind swept past, rolling up scorching heat.
The sea of sand beneath their feet was a strange dark gold, gleaming with a metallic luster beneath the blazing sun.
The heat haze twisted the air, making the distant scenery ripple like water.
"Over there," Qinghe said softly.
Hearing this, everyone followed her gaze.
Then they saw a solitary figure sitting cross-legged in the very center of the desert.
He was an ascetic dressed in coarse hemp robes, his clothes long since bleached white by wind and sand.
Barefoot, he sat atop a flat black rock, his hands forming an ancient Buddhist seal.
Most eye-catching of all was a completely golden banner planted in the sand beside him, utterly motionless in the hot wind.
When Han Xing and the other two hovered in the air, the ascetic slowly opened his eyes.
They were as clear as those of a newborn infant, yet as profound as the vast starry sky.
His calm gaze swept over the three of them before finally settling on Han Xing.
"You've come."
Those simple three words made Han Xing's heart jolt.
The voice seemed to ring directly within his mind, carrying a force that pierced straight to the heart.
The ascetic slowly rose, his movements as gentle as a breeze brushing over the dunes.
He reached down and pulled out the Golden Banner, casually resting it on his shoulder. Only then did Han Xing notice the heavy shackles around his wrists and ankles, yet they made no sound at all as he moved.
"I have been waiting here for quite some time." The ascetic smiled faintly, the wrinkles on his face relaxing. "Are you three here to take this banner?"
His tone was as peaceful as if he were asking about the weather,