On the map, the entire desert was divided into nine sections.

“This desert has strong sandstorms, and each area moves with the sandstorms. The entrance to the ancient secret realm is within this section.” Elder Zhou Li from Danhe Sect held a rolled map in his hand, pointing to a circular area on the map. “This map only roughly copies the general layout and cannot move according to patterns, so it’s not very useful. But I’ll still explain some of the markings on the map to you. If you accidentally get separated, you’ll at least understand which area you’re in.”

Flying was forbidden in the desert. Once airborne, it would easily trigger lightning and sandstorms, which was why this place was called Thunder Waste Desert. Everyone here was a powerful cultivator, but in Thunder Waste Desert, they had to honestly and obediently walk forward on their own two legs.

“It’s said that this place is arranged according to the Nine Palace Flying Stars pattern. The flying star trajectory starts from the central palace, then moves according to the Luoshu numerical sequence, therefore…”

Zhou Li pointed and drew a route on the map. The first star was called One White Greedy Wolf Star, the second star was called Two Black Giant Gate Star, the third star was called Three Green Wealth Storage Star, the fourth star was called Four Green Literary Star, the fifth star was called Five Yellow Integrity Star, the sixth star was Six White Military Star, the seventh star was called Seven Red Army Breaking Star, the eighth star was called Eight White Left Assistant Star, and the ninth star was called Nine Purple Right Assistant Star. After introducing all nine stars, Zhou Li then pointed to a visible cluster of shrubs on the map: “We are currently here. Four Star Literary Star, Zhen trigram, wood element.”

“The place we’re going is here, Nine Purple Right Assistant Star, Li trigram, fire element. It will be even hotter there. Even late Golden Core stage cultivators will find it quite difficult to endure. You should keep an eye on these two young people when the time comes.”

When he reached this point, Zhou Li suddenly realized that the surroundings seemed somewhat different.

He had been to Thunder Waste Desert before. Every time he entered, he had to tightly lock himself with spiritual energy barriers. Even so, he could feel heat waves hitting his face. Although it wouldn’t injure him, it was still uncomfortable. However, now he didn’t feel hot at all.

Danhe Sect disciples were also unconsciously crowding this way. Even Dan Ruyun, who had originally stayed by the sect leader’s side and needed constant supervision, had already come over to walk beside them. This made Zhou Li frown slightly before saying, “Gujian Sect cultivators are truly extraordinary in strength. In this Thunder Waste Desert, not only can they keep themselves cool, but they can also create cool breezes around them.”

Su Zhuyi silently glanced at Qin Jianglan ahead. Because there were many people around, Qin Jianglan was no longer walking beside her. After all, everyone just couldn’t see him, but he wasn’t a phantom—he could be touched and felt. When people came over, he had to move aside a bit. As more and more people crowded closer, Qin Jianglan simply rode the Songfeng Sword and flew above her head.

Perhaps because he was flying very low, no lightning appeared.

After walking for about half an hour, Qin Jianglan suddenly transmitted his voice: “A sandstorm is coming. Go west.”

Above their heads was the scorching sun, with not a trace of wind around them. Although Su Zhuyi felt curious, she had never thought to doubt Qin Jianglan. After hearing his words, she instinctively changed direction and headed directly west.

“Su Zhuyi!” Elder Mei saw Su Zhuyi suddenly change direction and called out to her with some concern.

Su Zhuyi then said, “Elder Yi, Elder Mei, we can’t go forward. There’s a sandstorm coming from ahead. This direction is safe.” When she spoke, her voice was loud, and she didn’t avoid the Danhe Sect cultivators. As she pushed forward, she didn’t forget to add: “Elder Yi, you know I have a little companion who can sense heaven and earth very well.”

Yi Lian immediately understood.

Su Zhuyi’s spirit beast—no, that ghostly creature she kept was half a mountain and river spirit. Being sensitive to these things was only natural, so he immediately said to Zhou Li: “Elder Zhou, Little Su’s words are credible.”

Danhe Sect had brought over a hundred cultivators. Zhou Li heard Su Zhuyi’s words, but he was just an elder—the sect leader was the one who made decisions. He was currently communicating with the sect leader through voice transmission when he saw that Su Zhuyi from Gujian Sect was walking very quickly and had already gone quite far. When she moved, not only did the Gujian Sect not stop her, but the remaining three directly followed. Their movement disrupted the Danhe Sect’s formation.

After all, it was cool around Su Zhuyi and her group, so many Danhe Sect cultivators had been walking close to them. When that moving source of coolness changed direction, six or seven disciples had already unconsciously followed before the sect leader gave orders, including Dan Ruyun…

At this moment, the sect leader shouted: “The west is the Kun trigram, the Black Star Giant Gate among the nine stars—extremely inauspicious! Come back!”

Even if there was a sandstorm ahead, they couldn’t go west. The most ominous among the nine star trajectories was the Black Star. Everyone had to avoid the inauspicious stars according to the map changes. Knowing there was an inauspicious star area nearby and still heading there—wasn’t that seeking death?

Sandstorms were certainly terrifying, but despite facing sandstorms, they still had the power to resist. Once they entered an inauspicious star, there would be no return.

The sect leader’s angry shout finally awakened the Danhe Sect disciples, who stopped in their tracks. But despite his shouting, Su Zhuyi, who was walking at the front, still didn’t stop and sped up. Elder Yi Lian weighed the situation briefly in his heart and directly followed.

Elder Mei transmitted his voice, asking: “That’s an inauspicious star!”

“Su Zhuyi is now the only inheritor of Luoxue Peak. How can we let her face danger alone?”

Elder Mei was slightly stunned, then turned and said, “Ruhua, you go with Danhe Sect.” Unexpectedly, after hearing this, Mei Ruhua not only didn’t stop but leaped forward. Her toes touched the quicksand, drawing several beautiful arcs on the ground. Her speed was no slower than Su Zhuyi’s Shadowless Steps technique—she even caught up to the front, leaving only three feet between her and Su Zhuyi.

“There’s an inauspicious star ahead. Su Zhuyi, if you’re being willfully reckless and leading us into danger, I…” She frowned, and her threatening words were cut short, as if suddenly stuck, not knowing what to say to intimidate others.

Su Zhuyi: “…”

Just as she turned her head, wanting to mock her a few times, she suddenly heard terrible howling sounds from behind. She saw a giant dragon formed of yellow sand descending from the sky. The dragon was so powerful that it directly swept several unprepared cultivators into the sky. Fortunately, the Danhe Sect powerhouses acted extremely quickly, directly restraining and catching them. But just then, whirlpools appeared one after another on the sandy ground, as if forming funnel after funnel in the desert, trying to suck people into the depths underground.

At this moment, casualties appeared. A pair of golden pincers emerged from one of the funnels, suddenly clamping onto a cultivator and directly shattering his spiritual energy barrier. Under the person’s resistance and his fellow disciples’ help, the pincers didn’t kill him but released their grip and quickly sank back under the quicksand, taking away one of the cultivator’s arms.

“This area is the Green Star, also called Literary Star—it’s an auspicious star. How could this happen?” According to the map markings, the safest among the nine major areas was the Green Star. So they hadn’t encountered any danger along this route, but unexpectedly, even this Green Star had such crises.

…

Seeing the second, third, and fourth giant dragons formed of yellow sand rolling over, Dan Ruyun looked toward the four Gujian Sect members gradually running away and shouted: “If even auspicious stars aren’t auspicious, what’s the point of caring about auspicious or inauspicious stars? Follow them!”

Dan Qingshan gritted his teeth and said, “Follow them!”

After speaking, he billowed his sleeves in the wind, using the power of those yellow sand dragons to push the hundred-plus Danhe Sect cultivators forward at high speed for a long distance, shortening the distance between them and the Gujian Sect cultivators.

There was a stone tablet ahead in the desert.

The tablet was half a person’s height, tilted in the yellow sand, completely black, somewhat whitened by the sun’s exposure, looking quite glaring from afar.

After Su Zhuyi and the others crossed the boundary of that stone tablet, they immediately disappeared without a trace. The Danhe Sect disciples following behind watched them vanish with their own eyes, but at this moment, no one hesitated. One after another, they crossed the stone tablet. Sect Leader Dan Qingshan stayed last, shouting: “Quickly! If we’re too slow, the other side will be a different area.”

The sandstorm areas here changed frequently. Now the Green Star connected to the inauspicious star, but when the time came, crossing the stone tablet would take them to another area. If they got separated because of this, it would be dangerous. Fortunately, he reacted quickly. After stepping past the stone tablet and seeing that all his disciples were there, he finally breathed a sigh of relief. At this time, Dan Qingshan shook the map and saw several red dots appear on it: “Yunxiao Sect is in the White Star, which is the sixth star marked by our predecessors. Dong Fushang Sect is in the Eight Star Left Assistant Star. Xundao Sect is in One White Greedy Wolf Star. They’re all still in auspicious stars. Only we are in an inauspicious star.”

They could see others’ positions, and presumably other sects also knew that Danhe Sect cultivators had entered an inauspicious star—the most inauspicious Black Star Giant Gate among them!

Probably, people from other sects would think Danhe Sect cultivators were completely wiped out. When they reached the ancient secret realm entrance, they probably wouldn’t wait for the appointed time and would enter the ancient secret realm early. But now that they were already in, they could only act according to circumstances and try to bring everyone out of this place alive.

He held the map, wanting to find the boundary with auspicious stars as quickly as possible according to the nine star trajectory. He had planned to pause briefly to let him see the map’s trajectory changes clearly, but unexpectedly, the disciples ahead started moving again. When asked, it was because Gujian Sect had moved.

Dan Qingshan felt a trace of anger in his heart. He had indeed had a solid friendship with former Gujian Sect leader Duan Linshu, so he had shown considerable care for the Gujian Sect. Notifying the Gujian Sect this time was also his idea. Knowing that the Gujian Sect didn’t get along with other sects, he had brought these people into his sect’s group. If they could obtain some good things in the ancient secret realm, he would have done right by Duan Linshu’s spirit. But unexpectedly, his good intentions had attracted several troublemakers who wouldn’t follow orders.

His expression was displeased as he stepped forward quickly, saying: “This place is extremely dangerous. We must avoid rash actions. Let’s wait for the star trajectory to appear on the map, find our direction, and then make plans.”

As if to support Dan Qingshan’s words, the scorching sun overhead suddenly disappeared, and the surroundings instantly became pitch black. However, though the sun above had disappeared, the temperature hadn’t dropped—it was still unbearably hot, even hotter than before.

Dan Qingshan had just exerted force to block the yellow sand dragons, consuming considerable spiritual energy. Now he also felt the heat, with sweat beads on his forehead. But seeing the four Gujian Sect members who seemed unaffected by the extreme heat, Dan Qingshan softened his tone somewhat: “Previously, several late Nascent Soul stage powerhouses entered this area and never came out again—their soul lamps directly extinguished. We don’t know what’s actually in here. Everyone must be careful.”

“There are ghostly creatures here.” At this moment, Su Zhuyi suddenly said.

She was quite skilled at raising corpses. Upon entering, she felt this area was unusual. Little Skull was now hugging her thigh, his jawbone almost shaking off, further confirming Su Zhuyi’s guess.

This area was a natural corpse-raising ground.

She had a considerable understanding of the nine stars. The Giant Gate Star itself attracted yin spirits, so it wasn’t strange for this to be a natural corpse-raising ground. What was strange was that in such extreme heat with intense sun exposure and heavy yang energy, according to common sense, this couldn’t become a corpse-raising ground. What exactly was wrong?

Su Zhuyi was good at thinking. She liked to contemplate and analyze problems.

But today she was too lazy to think.

She looked at Qin Jianglan sitting steadily on the Songfeng Sword and asked: “Hey, you old dog Qin, why did you bring us to an inauspicious star? Could it be that there are some long-lasting primordial spirits in this corpse-raising ground that can be collected into the Liuguang Mirror?”

“How do we go now?”

Everyone’s looking at me!

The surroundings were originally pitch black without light. The cultivators used spells to cast illumination techniques, suspending a six or seven-foot-long small white dragon overhead that emitted a ghostly bright light. With light, everyone felt much more at ease.

Just then, a full moon appeared in the pitch-black sky above. The moon was very large, as if it were very close to them, close enough to reach out and pluck it down. They were standing in the desert, insignificantly small, yet it felt as if they were standing on mountain peaks, just one step away from the moon and stars.

After the moon appeared, some very subtle but bone-chilling sounds emerged in the silent night. White bones appeared one after another in the desert, along with mummified corpses. They crawled out from the sand and moved toward the direction of the living…

Only then did Qin Jianglan say: “They’re all dead things, no primordial spirits.”

No primordial spirits meant they were just ghostly creatures—ghostly creatures without spiritual intelligence. This kind of ghostly creature was only interested in living human flesh and blood. In other words, once they encountered a living human aura, they would pursue relentlessly until the end of time, never stopping until death!

Until the living died, they wouldn’t stop.

Qin Jianglan had come here looking for primordial spirits!

What to do now?

Seeing countless ghostly creatures drilling out from the sand, the Danhe Sect cultivators felt their scalps tingle, but they didn’t panic. Instead, they quickly formed defensive formations. Gujian Sect was skilled in attacks, so at this time, except for Su Zhuyi, the other three had already taken initiative to stand at the outermost perimeter, their sharp swords unsheathed, gleaming with cold light under the moonlight.

“Su Zhuyi, come here!” Mei Ruhua nervously called out in a low voice. Originally, everyone was holding their breath, using spiritual energy barriers to protect their life force, and communicating through divine consciousness transmission. But in her nervousness, Mei Ruhua spoke directly. Even though she lowered her voice, it sounded exceptionally clear in this deathly silent night. Like a flood breaking through a dam, those dead creatures slowly crawling out from the sand suddenly came alive.

They surged toward the source of the sound like a tide.