Beneath a dark red sky, the boundless desert shimmered with a scorching crimson-gold light. The air was so dry it seemed ready to catch fire, and every breath carried the roughness of sand.
Xiao Yan sat propped against a black rock baked scorching hot by the sun, his face as pale as paper. The fierce battle at Soul-Severing Cliff had left him badly injured and his Origin Qi nearly depleted. If the Heavenly Flames within him had not still been slowly repairing his meridians, he would probably have struggled even to stand.
He took out the few healing pills he had left and swallowed them without hesitation. They dissolved in his mouth into a gentle medicinal power, but it was far from enough to replenish the source he had depleted. It could barely keep him alive.
"Where exactly is this place...?" Xiao Yan stared at the identical dunes around him, his brow tightly furrowed. The black jade fragment's sudden eruption and the spatial transport had caught him completely off guard. The Origin Qi of heaven and earth in this desert was thin and mixed with impurities, carrying a wild and ancient air utterly unlike that of the Northern Region.
The distant roars drew closer and closer, and the tremors in the ground grew more distinct, as though some enormous creature were rapidly approaching.
Xiao Yan forced himself to his feet and circulated the last trace of his Origin Qi, summoning the Green Lotus Core Flame outside his body to form a thin barrier of fire. Though weak, his gaze remained as sharp as an eagle's as he watched the direction of the sound.
"Rustle... rustle..."
Amid the dense rustling of sand, a massive figure slowly emerged from behind a dune.
It was a lizard-shaped monster nearly ten zhang long, covered in crimson scales. Mysterious patterns covered its scales, which gleamed like metal under the dark red sunlight. Its head was flat, and its mouth was filled with dagger-like fangs. A pair of amber vertical pupils locked onto Xiao Yan, brimming with primal ferocity. Most peculiar of all were its four limbs: pads grew beneath its thick, sturdy feet, allowing it to tread silently on the sand. A long tail covered in bony spikes dragged behind it.
An Origin Emperor-level ferocious beast? Xiao Yan's heart sank. The presence emanating from this Crimson Sand Lizard was actually on par with the leader of the Blood Shadow Cult, far beyond anything he could handle in his current state.
The Crimson Sand Lizard had evidently taken Xiao Yan for an intruder. With a low growl, it abruptly opened its enormous mouth and fired a scorching crimson beam of energy straight at him, carrying the might to burn everything to ashes.
Xiao Yan's pupils contracted, and he dared not take the attack head-on. He rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding the beam. It struck the black rock behind him, instantly melting the hard stone into a pool of scorching magma.
What destructive power! Xiao Yan's heart shook. This ferocious beast's attacks were even more terrifying than those of an ordinary Initial Origin Emperor.
Having missed, the Crimson Sand Lizard grew even more violent. Pushing off with all four limbs, it lunged at Xiao Yan like an arrow loosed from a bow, its enormous mouth reeking of blood as it went straight for his head.
Xiao Yan used his movement technique, relying on his subtle perception of space to dodge with difficulty between the Crimson Sand Lizard's sharp claws. His Origin Qi was scarce, and his Heavenly Flames could barely maintain his defense. He had no strength to counterattack.
At this rate, it'll wear me down sooner or later... Anxiety rose in Xiao Yan's heart as his gaze swept quickly over his surroundings, searching for a chance to escape.
Just then, he noticed that when the Crimson Sand Lizard attacked, one scale beneath its abdomen was slightly lighter in color and had relatively sparse patterns-that was its weak point!
But to attack it, he would have to get close to its enormous body. It would be no different from pulling a tooth from a tiger's mouth.
The Crimson Sand Lizard seemed to have grown tired of the chase. It abruptly stopped, and its long tail swept toward him like a steel whip, cutting through the air and sealing off every avenue of escape.
There was nowhere left to retreat!
A flash of resolve crossed Xiao Yan's eyes. The last of his Origin Qi and Heavenly Flames erupted at once, and instead of retreating, he charged toward the sweeping tail. The instant before it struck him, he abruptly ducked and slipped beneath the Crimson Sand Lizard's belly like a loach. At the same time, he gathered the last trace of Fallen Heart Flame in his right hand and slammed it viciously against the pale scale!
"Hiss!"
Flame struck scale with a piercing sizzling sound. The Crimson Sand Lizard's scales were exceptionally tough, and the Fallen Heart Flame left only a scorch mark on them.
But the intense pain still drew a deafening roar from the Crimson Sand Lizard. Its enormous body arched violently, flinging Xiao Yan away.
"Pfft!"
Xiao Yan crashed into a dune and spat out a large mouthful of blood. His vision darkened in waves, and he had almost no strength left to maintain the flame barrier.
The Crimson Sand Lizard turned around, its amber vertical pupils blazing with fury. It opened its enormous mouth again, clearly intending to deliver the killing blow.
Xiao Yan closed his eyes, a trace of unwillingness welling up in his heart. Had he only just left Soul-Severing Cliff to die in the jaws of a ferocious beast in this nameless desert?
At that critical moment, an aged, hoarse voice suddenly rang out:
"Crimson Sand, stop."
The voice was not loud, but it carried a peculiar authority. The raging Crimson Sand Lizard abruptly froze, a trace of wariness flashing through its amber eyes. It slowly reined in its ferocity and retreated to the dune, where it lay down and gave two low growls, as if expressing its displeasure.
Xiao Yan's eyes flew open, and he looked toward the voice in startled uncertainty.
An old man in a tattered hemp robe slowly emerged from behind the dune, leaning on a deadwood walking stick.
The old man was hunched, his skin wrinkled like dried tree bark. His graying hair and beard were tangled together, concealing most of his face. He looked like a candle flickering in the wind, as though he might collapse at any moment. Yet the eyes visible through his hair and beard were as deep as the starry sky, holding the weathered look of someone who had seen through the ways of the world.
There was no fluctuation of Origin Qi about him, and he seemed like an ordinary old man. But the Crimson Sand Lizard's wariness of him kept Xiao Yan from daring to underestimate him in the slightest.
"Outsider, you should not have trespassed here," the old man said. His voice was still hoarse, but it carried a peculiar penetrating quality. "Not just anyone can set foot in the Crimson Sand Desert."
Xiao Yan struggled into a sitting position and cupped his hands. "This junior is Xiao Yan. I did not mean to trespass; I was transported here by accident. May I ask who you are, Senior?"
The old man's cloudy eyes studied Xiao Yan for a moment, pausing briefly on his injuries and the traces of Heavenly Flames lingering around him. Slowly, he said, "I am called the Sand Keeper, guardian of this expanse of crimson sand."
"Sand Keeper?" Xiao Yan's heart stirred. "Senior, do you know where this place is? How far is it from the Northern Region?"
The Sand Keeper shook his head. "The Crimson Sand Desert exists apart from the Northern Region, unconnected to any region of the Great Thousand World. As for the distance... in your terms, even hundreds of millions of light-years might not be enough to reach it."
"Hundreds of millions of light-years?" Xiao Yan drew a sharp breath. The distance was beyond his comprehension, and it meant he had almost no chance of returning to the Northern Region on his own.
A trace of despair welled up in his heart, but he quickly suppressed it. Having faced life and death countless times, he had long since learned to search for a chance of survival in desperate straits.
"Senior, since you are the guardian, why did you stop the Crimson Sand Lizard?" Xiao Yan asked. He could sense that the Sand Keeper meant no harm.
Leaning on his walking stick, the Sand Keeper approached Xiao Yan and pointed a thin finger at the Storage Ring on his waist. "It sensed the presence of the 'Space Fragment,' which is why it became so violent. That thing does not belong here, nor should it be controlled by evil beings like the Blood Shadow Cult."
Xiao Yan's heart jolted. "Senior, you know about the Space Fragment and the Blood Shadow Cult?"
"I have guarded this place for ten thousand years. Though I never leave the desert, I can still sense some unusual disturbances in the outside world," the Sand Keeper said calmly. "The Blood Shadow Cult's attempt to contact the 'Domain of Darkness' will bring about its own destruction, and it will also bring disaster to the Great Thousand World. You did a good deed by taking the fragment from them."
Only then did Xiao Yan understand that the old man before him was no ordinary person. He was probably an old monster living in seclusion.
"It is only that this junior lacked the ability to stop them completely, and even dragged my companions into it..." Xiao Yan thought of Li Xuantong and the others and could not help worrying.
"Every sip and every morsel has its appointed fate." A faint light flashed in the Sand Keeper's cloudy eyes. "Perhaps it was heaven's will that you survived. Has that black jade fragment acknowledged you as its master?"
Xiao Yan took out the archaic black jade fragment. It still showed no unusual reaction. "This junior does not know either. It suddenly erupted at a critical moment and saved my life."
The Sand Keeper looked at the jade fragment, a complicated expression appearing in his eyes. "This is a fragment of a 'Void Origin Stone.' It contains a trace of the source of space and can act on its own to protect its master in a moment of danger. It seems you have an affinity with it."
"Void Origin Stone?" It was the first time Xiao Yan had heard the name, and he grew even more curious about the jade fragment's origins.
The Sand Keeper did not explain further. Instead, he said, "Your injuries are severe, and your Origin Qi is depleted. If you are not treated in time, I fear you will not last three days. The Origin Qi in this desert is not suitable for your recovery. Come with me."
With that, he turned and walked deeper into the desert. His steps were slow but unusually steady, and the Crimson Sand Lizard followed docilely behind him.
Xiao Yan hesitated, looking at the Sand Keeper's aged back and then at the desert around him, where danger lurked everywhere. In the end, he gritted his teeth and followed. As things stood, this was his only choice.
The Sand Keeper seemed to know the Crimson Sand Desert like the back of his hand. He always managed to avoid the hidden quicksand and ferocious beasts' lairs, weaving through the maze of dunes as he advanced in one direction.
Xiao Yan followed behind, struggling to circulate his Origin Qi to heal his injuries while observing his surroundings. He discovered that the desert was not completely lifeless. Now and then, he saw unusual life, such as golden sandworms burrowing beneath the sand, blood-colored flowers that could bloom in the crimson wind, and ores that gave off a faint glow.
These living things and ores all contained an overbearing, scorching energy that faintly resonated with his Heavenly Flames.
"The energy in this desert is impure, yet potent. It is simply too violent for ordinary cultivators to absorb," the Sand Keeper said calmly, as if he had seen through Xiao Yan's thoughts. "But for you, it may be an opportunity."
Xiao Yan's heart stirred. Had the Sand Keeper seen that he could control Heavenly Flames?
After they had walked for roughly half a day, a strange oasis appeared ahead.
The oasis was small, with a pool of emerald-green spring water at its center. Wisps of white vapor rose from the water, which gave off a rich breath of life. Several plants Xiao Yan had never seen before grew by the spring. Their leaves were crimson-gold, and sap that resembled flames flowed through their veins. A pale golden screen of light encircled the oasis, keeping the crimson sand and heat outside.
"This is the 'Living Spring.' It can mend injuries and nourish one's source," the Sand Keeper said, pointing at the water. "Go and heal in the spring first. The dangers of the Crimson Sand Desert go far beyond what you have seen."
Xiao Yan looked at the spring water, which radiated vibrant life, and felt the gentle yet potent energy within it. Gratitude welled up in his heart. "Thank you, Senior!"
Without further hesitation, he stripped off his clothes and jumped into the Living Spring.
The spring water came just up to his chest and was a comfortable temperature. A warm, gentle energy instantly enveloped his entire body, like countless tender little hands brushing over his damaged meridians and bones. His depleted Origin Qi began to recover slowly, like parched land receiving long-awaited rain, and his Heavenly Flames also became active.
Xiao Yan closed his eyes and circulated his cultivation method with all his strength, guiding the Living Spring's energy to repair his injuries.
The Sand Keeper stood by the spring, watching Xiao Yan in the water. A nearly imperceptible glint flashed through his cloudy eyes as he murmured, "Heavenly Flames... the source of space... perhaps the person in the prophecy really is about to come..."
He raised his head and gazed at the dark red sky, as though he could see through the clouds to the distant past and future.
The wind still howled across the Crimson Sand Desert. But this little oasis had become Xiao Yan's first shelter from the storm in this unknown world.
He did not know that this accidental transport had not only allowed him to escape the Blood Shadow Cult's pursuit for the time being, but had also led him onto a wholly new path filled with unknowns and challenges.
And what changes would the mysterious Void Origin Stone fragment and the "prophecy" the Sand Keeper had mentioned bring to his journey through the Great Thousand World?
In the spring, Xiao Yan's Qi was steadily recovering, and the glow of the flames on the surface of his body grew brighter and brighter, as though gathering strength to soar once more.