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**
This time's harvest was indeed a little hard to believe.
Its value… was truly difficult to estimate.
"Found the map, let's head out."
Suddenly, Lin Feng tossed a map in his hand — no one knew when it had appeared — toward Xiao Yixian as he spoke.
This map, he had only given a brief glance at earlier. He found that it was a rather detailed map of the Western Wasteland Desert.
Moreover, it seemed that the previous owner of this storage ring had been a cultivator from the Western Desolate Region.
Because among the many items Lin Feng found in that person's storage ring, there was actually a map of the Western Desolate Region.
And the quality… wasn't bad at all.
"In that case, let's set out now."
Seeing Lin Feng had found the map, Xiao Yixian immediately nodded with a smile.
Then, she casually wrapped up the cloth bundle on the ground containing a large number of storage rings and tucked it into her arms.
As for Lin Feng, he also quickly put away the things beside him. The two of them tidied up briefly, then once again altered their appearances. They transformed into an ordinary-looking middle-aged couple in their forties.
After that, they swiftly left the area. They shot away at high speed toward one direction in the desert!
Meanwhile, while Lin Feng and Xiao Yixian were racing through the desert at full speed, worried about any pursuers… on the other side, countless forces across the Western Region were thrown into chaos as though a magnitude-12 earthquake had struck.
Because ever since the strong experts from dozens of Western Region factions in Central Continent had gone to explore the Dou Zun Ruins in the Western Wasteland Desert, they had all… completely lost contact.
In the first few days, the various forces didn't notice this shocking situation.
After all, once inside the Dou Zun's space, both sides would be isolated by a spatial barrier set by the Dou Zun.
Even if a soul jade slip failed to connect to the outside, it was perfectly normal. Even later, when some factions' experts had their soul jade slips shatter, it still didn't cause much of a stir.
Because exploring a Dou Zun Ruin inherently carried significant risk. Even if their faction members perished inside, it was nothing surprising.
Aside from the grief of their relatives and the regret of those who knew them, everything remained calm.
However… after many factions' top experts perished inside the Dou Zun Ruin…their territories were quickly seized by other factions, and in some cases, entire clans were wiped out.
As time passed, people gradually began to notice something strange.
Because during this period, especially around Di Gang City in the Western Region of Central Continent…the number of factions whose strength had drastically weakened was simply too many.
In the end, after some sharp-minded individuals inquired around and compiled information…they discovered that anyone who had gone into the Dou Zun Ruin… had not a single one return alive.
At this point, the various forces finally realized something was wrong, and immediately launched investigations.
In particular, the Myriad Poison Sect and the Bone Transforming Gate were the most concerned.
After all, in recent times, the Myriad Poison Sect had first lost Granny Yin, their Grand Elder, along with the Second and Third Elders — all vanishing without a trace.
Later, their chief alchemist, Old Chan Chu — a peak seventh-tier alchemist and a Nine-Star Dou Zong — also disappeared within the Dou Zun Ruin.
In just a short time, they had lost four important experts, leaving the Myriad Poison Sect enraged from top to bottom. Even their greatest reliance, Wan Du Zun Zhe himself, was alarmed and personally stepped in to investigate.
He publicly declared that if he caught the culprit, he would make them beg for death without release. And to that end, he offered a High-Grade Earth Class Dou Technique as a bounty for any detailed information.
As for the Bone Transforming Gate… well, there was even less need to say. The Sect Master the strongest in the sect, and someone with the potential to step into the Dou Zun realm — had vanished.
Along with him, the Six-Star Dou Zong Second and Third Elders, a Three-Star Dou Zong Elder, as well as an inner-sect disciple and the young sect master, had all gone missing after entering the Dou Zun Ruin.
Now, within the Bone Transforming Gate, the only experts above high-level Dou Zong were the Vice Sect Master — at peak Dou Zong— and a Seven-Star Dou Zong Grand Elder. The loss could not be considered anything less than devastating.
After all, though the Vice Sect Master was also at peak Dou Zong, just like the Sect Master… the gap between one peak Dou Zong and another could sometimes be frighteningly large.
Someone like their Vice Sect Master — even with two of him together — wouldn't be able to do anything against their Sect Master.
And in the recent period without the Sect Master, the Bone Transforming Gate's territory had already shrunk by two-fifths, with its status plummeting sharply.
Naturally, they were desperate to get to the bottom of the sect master's disappearance. After the joint investigation by many factions, the results shocked everyone.
Although the traces at the scene had been deliberately erased, and with several days having passed the battle's aura had completely dissipated…from the faint clues left behind, and the damaged spatial barrier, they deduced…
It seemed that after the people inside had come out, they were ambushed right at the entrance of the Dou Zun Ruin.
Coincidentally, when those explorers went in, there had been quite a number of others waiting outside the ruin's entrance — hoping to pick up some spoils when the explorers came out.
But after those people had waited in the desert for a while, they were suddenly attacked by a group of mysterious individuals.
It wasn't until they had fled all the way out of the Western Wasteland Desert that they managed to shake off those attackers. Taking all these factors together, people speculated that after the explorers entered the ruin…
Some faction with an ancestor at the Dou Zun level first cleared away everyone outside. Then, when the explorers emerged, that Dou Zun Ancestor suddenly appeared, slaughtered them all, and took their possessions.
As the local host faction, the Earth Force Sect had also participated in the investigation and reached a conclusion. The most likely culprits were… the desperadoes from the Western Desolate Region!
And with such a heinous incident happening so close to their Di Gang City territory, they also felt ashamed. Thus, after the investigation results came out, they immediately dispatched experts into the Western Wasteland Desert to search for the "culprit."
Jie Xing City — located within the Western Wasteland Desert — lay between the Western Desolate Region and the cities outside the desert.
Because of this, the city was one of the many nodes along the route connecting the Western Desolate Region with the outside.
Within the city was a spatial wormhole leading to the Western Desolate Region.
And with so many people traveling daily between the Western Desolate Region and the outer cities of the desert, this city was fairly prosperous, with a lively atmosphere.
"Phew… finally, a human city."
Looking at the faint outline of yellow-brown walls emerging from the end of the sandy horizon, Lin Feng let out a breath of relief.
Hearing his words, Xiao Yixian beside him nodded in agreement. Since setting out, it had taken them five days to reach this point. And that was only because, three days ago, they had encountered a Rank 7 magic beast.
After asking the beast for directions, they had learned where they were.
Once Lin Feng and Xiao Yixian knew their position on the map, they had found the nearest city — Jie Xing City. After two more days of travel, they had finally laid eyes on the city today.
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