Chapter 10: First Hearing the Legends of the Desert

Ji Yao remained bewildered all the way into the North An City Lord’s residence. What kind of absurd luck was this? She’d randomly rescued someone, and it turned out to be the eldest daughter of the City Lord himself.

Was Heaven finally taking pity on her after so many years of hardship?

No sooner had they entered the residence and before they even reached the main hall, a thunderous roar erupted from afar.

“You wretched girl! You’ve got some nerve! Sneaking out for so long—how are you not dead out there? And you even dare to come back! I’ll break your legs myself!”

The next instant, as Ling Ru was about to make a run for it, a tall figure swooped down and seized her without mercy, as if catching a wayward chick.

Even as the two disappeared into the distance, Ling Ru’s piercing voice could still be heard, her neck craned as she shouted, “I nearly didn’t make it back, and you’re still yelling at me! If someone hadn’t saved me, if I hadn’t heard the news, I wouldn’t have come back to this wretched place!”

Ji Yao was left standing in confusion, battered by the wind. What on earth was all this?

The old steward beside her offered an apologetic smile and explained, “Please forgive the spectacle, Miss Ji. This is always how my master and young miss are. Once the master has finished scolding her, they’ll return.”

The scolding lasted until the next day. Under the steward’s arrangement, Ji Yao had already settled into the residence.

When Ling Ru finally appeared with her father, Ling Siyuan, Ji Yao at last understood the whole story.

Who would have thought that the seemingly talkative Ling Ru was in fact so hot-tempered, running away from home at the slightest provocation? Still, her temper was much like her father’s, as their interactions made clear.

Irritated with her father, Ling Ru had sneaked out of North An City through the little-used west gate. Before she knew it, she’d wandered far from home. Suddenly, she saw a flash of spiritual light in the northwest and, thinking some rare treasure had emerged, curiosity led her to follow.

Unexpectedly, she wandered straight into the Mirage Desert. She couldn’t even recall exactly when she’d entered—it was as if she’d merely blinked, and upon awakening, found herself amidst endless sand.

It was sheer luck that she’d emerged from the infamous Mirage Desert unharmed, especially since she’d gone in completely unprepared. Perhaps it was because she hadn’t ventured very deep.

There were many legends about the Mirage Desert. Some said a shapeshifting demon beast lurked within, while others claimed an ancient sect’s treasure vault was hidden there. Still others whispered of a secret realm left behind by immortals. In short, something of great power or significance lay within, but whether it was alive or dead, no one could say for certain.

The Mirage Desert had existed since the dawn of life in the Realm of Micang. Over millions of years, a few had entered and returned, but none had come back unchanged.

Some spent decades inside, only to find that mere days had passed in the outside world. Others wandered for a day, yet returned to find centuries had slipped by. Some spoke of hellish flames and madness; those who emerged were often insane or witless. Yet there were tales, too, of wondrous immortal groves that healed body and mind.

But these were only the stories of mortals.

Within the world of cultivators, it was generally accepted that the Mirage Desert was the burial ground of an ancient race of illusionists. The sands were riddled with countless lost illusions; once trapped, one might never escape for a lifetime.

“You really are a fool, girl! What spiritual light? Where do you think such treasures are just waiting for you? Even if there were, you’d never be the one to find them!” Ling Siyuan’s tone made it clear he didn’t believe a word, prompting Ling Ru to stomp her feet in frustration.

“Why would I lie to you? I’m your daughter! Ever since I was little, I’ve always told the truth. When have I ever lied?”

This was true—Ling Siyuan knew his daughter’s nature better than anyone. He agreed inwardly, but his face remained stern. This time, she needed to learn her lesson.

He’d nearly gone mad when his spiritual sense, powerful as a Nascent Soul cultivator, failed to detect any trace of his daughter. Yet he’d had to conceal this from her mother to spare her further worry.

In fact, the moment Ling Ru re-entered the city’s domain, Ling Siyuan had sensed her presence. Seeing she was unharmed, he’d decided not to make a scene by fetching her immediately.

“Besides, who am I? Where is this place? I grew up here in North An City—I know every corner, every forbidden area. Why would I be foolish enough to rush into the desert just because I saw a light?”

Ling Siyuan had considered the Mirage Desert when her trail vanished, but the spot where she disappeared was far from its edge.

Now, Ling Ru’s voice wavered with grievance, on the verge of tears. “The light I saw definitely wasn’t in the desert. I’m sure others saw it too. Father, send someone west to ask around—you’ll find out.”

“Wait,” Ling Siyuan said, his tone suddenly grave. “Describe again in detail everything that happened the day you saw that light.”

Ling Ru paused, and after a moment’s thought, recounted the events step by step.

“So, you’re saying that when you reached the spot where the light appeared, you suddenly lost focus, and when you came to, you were already in the desert?” Ling Siyuan pressed her once more.

She nodded.

“Very well. There are matters I must attend to, so I’ll leave you two. Take Miss Ji around the city—be a proper host.” Ling Siyuan, ever decisive, left in haste once he had his answer.

Though others might not know, as the city lord—and a member of the Ling family—Ling Siyuan understood the truth. The crux of the Mirage Desert lay in the mirage-beast itself, and this beast was still alive. As for how or why, only the ancient sects and old noble families still kept records; to everyone else, it was a mystery.

According to the annals, one hundred thousand years ago, when the great war between immortals and demons erupted, strange phenomena swept the Realm of Micang, and the core of the Mirage Desert blazed with spiritual light.

Cultivators, believing that an earth-shaking treasure had emerged, flocked to the desert in search. Fierce battles ensued, and many high-level cultivators fell, only to discover that it wasn’t a treasure at all, but a colossal mirage-beast that had appeared out of nowhere.

The mirage-beast was a creature of the sea, so for such a massive specimen to appear in the desert was extraordinary. What’s more, it never left the sands. All realized that the desert itself was the mirage-beast’s domain.

Thus, the treasure-seeking cultivators withdrew, the illusions faded, and the mirage-beast ceased its pursuit.

From then on, the elders of every sect forbade their disciples from entering the Mirage Desert without cause. The strange light in the desert gradually died down over the following month.

Among cultivators, it was said that the mirage-beast had fallen into slumber, and left countless illusory realms within the sands to deter intruders and guard its rest.

A hundred thousand years had passed without another eruption of spiritual light, yet now, suddenly, it had returned—and once more was linked to the Mirage Desert. Ling Siyuan could not help but wonder:

Had the mirage-beast awakened again?