The others naturally believed Old Man Qian; after all, anyone capable of turning a dried corpse back into a living person must possess considerable skill. Old Man Qian trailed behind the pair, looking exceedingly reluctant, clearly loath to go there. It seemed that place perpetually cast a shadow over him, an impression so profound that only two things could cause such an effect: either he owed a romantic debt there, or he had encountered something that ought not to exist.

Ma Xiong was desperate to save Lu Zong at this moment, making his judgment slightly reckless. It couldn't be helped; the man was simply too loyal. Old Man Qian followed Ma Xiong with drawn-out sighs. After walking a while, Ma Xiong turned back to look at him and said with a mixture of indignation and sorrow, "Old Man Qian, you're leading the way now. You should be pointing out the path. Why are you always trailing behind us? Get up front! We'll follow you. Hurry up, don't waste time."

Old Man Qian had no choice but to step ahead of the two. He surveyed the drab, gray desert surrounding them, feeling his mood even bleaker than the desolate landscape. He sighed, "It seems we are destined to undergo that ordeal of life and death once more. I wonder what we will encounter this time. What will he have to say to us?"

Ma Xiong didn't quite understand. He glanced at Ge Mei, only to find Ge Mei wearing an equally grim expression—the same look of dread and apprehension as Old Man Qian. His curiosity deepened. Why were they both so sorrowful? If Old Man Qian knew of the danger, sorrow was understandable. But why was Ge Mei so heavy-hearted too? Wait—looking at his expression, it seemed as if he had personally survived an ordeal there before, otherwise, such a profound fear wouldn't be etched on him.

He asked Old Man Qian, "Old Man Qian, where exactly are we going?"

Old Man Qian glanced slightly back, not meeting his eyes directly, just a slight side-glance, before replying coldly, "We are going to a tomb. That place buries our immortal. There, we can learn everything about our future. Let's hurry. Words fail to explain it; you will know when the time comes."

With that, he quickened his pace. Ma Xiong behind him hurried to keep up, shouting for Ge Mei to catch up as he ran. Ge Mei, for his part, said little, appearing markedly quieter since they left the tent. Suddenly, he spoke up, "Old Man Qian, why would Lu Zong end up in that place? Those two locations are entirely unrelated. How could he possibly have ended up there?"

Old Man Qian turned back and stared intensely at Ge Mei, a flash of hatred appearing in his eyes before he ground out through gritted teeth, "I don't know. Perhaps because the spatial fluidity is too great, that's why he ended up there. Stop talking now, let's move! We are almost there; everyone put some effort in, we'll reach it soon enough." Saying this, he took the lead, increasing his pace so rapidly that Ma Xiong had to break into a light run just to keep up, let alone Ge Mei. Despite his long legs, Ge Mei couldn't match the speed and took a long time to catch up.

After walking for what felt like an eternity, Ma Xiong's impression of the wasteland consisted only of sand in his mouth and the occasional massive, shimmering mirage. Though called mirages, they weren't the true phenomenon, as the sights they saw were entirely real—places that had been accidentally pulled into this location due to spatial currents. It seemed they weren't the only victims; seeing other buildings or structures sharing a similarly unfortunate fate offered some small comfort. But they encountered no living creature throughout the journey. Their dry rations were running low, and the water they had was what they managed to grab from the tent earlier. It was all their fault for leaving in such a hurry, forgetting to stock up properly, leaving them critically short of supplies. Now, turning back was too late; the tomb was sealed tight, and even if it weren't completely locked, they likely wouldn't have the stomach to scavenge food there—it was a tomb, and taking food from the dead felt profoundly immoral.

By this point, the corners of their mouths were cracked and dry; they only carried two gourds of water between them. They had to reach their destination before dawn. They couldn't march during the day; without even a resting tent, they would die of dehydration.

Perhaps this impending doom was the necessary fuel. Soon, Old Man Qian's pace seemed to hit its limit, settling into a steady, linear, constant movement. Ma Xiong and Ge Mei struggled behind him, chasing breathlessly, shouting for Old Man Qian to wait up. But the stubborn old man, even close to collapse, refused to stop for rest, marching forward relentlessly. Ma Xiong’s teeth ached with suppressed anger. He thought that if he ever got the chance, he would cut off the old man's legs and roast them over a fire, turning them into jerky—the only snack available on this journey. The thought of jerky made him look at Old Man Qian's spindly legs, and a wave of nausea washed over him.

He suspected that even roasting Old Man Qian's legs as something akin to roast goose legs wouldn't attract any buyers; those legs were far too thin. He doubted he could even find enough meat on them.

After another stretch of relentless walking, they realized they had been groping their way through darkness for so long they had no idea where they were, yet Old Man Qian continued to march forward with unwavering confidence. Ma Xiong began to suspect Old Man Qian had actually taken a wrong turn. Navigating a desert without a compass made turning around easy, and Old Man Qian’s behavior perfectly matched that scenario. Anxiously, he asked, "Old Man Qian, have you perhaps turned around? Why can't we find the way back?"

Old Man Qian nodded, answering with certainty, "Yes, I have turned, but I feel we are close to finding the destination."

Ma Xiong became irritated. "What? You've lost direction? You can't even tell North from South, so how can you lead us there? Don't treat me like I'm joking; if I die, none of us live."

Old Man Qian sternly rebuked him, "Don't speak nonsense if you don't know. Do you think that thing stays in one fixed location? Let me tell you, it drifts along with the spatial currents; there is nothing fixed here. That thing is also floating, just like something in the sea. In truth, we have crossed dimensions countless times without us realizing it, jumping from place to place. Even in a straight line, the distance covered must be dozens of kilometers by now."

Ma Xiong was still fuming. "Then at least describe its general shape to us so we can help you look. Tell us."

Old Man Qian said reluctantly, "It's useless. I remember everything about that thing perfectly; I can sense it. We won't miss it. Even if I described it, it wouldn't help you much. Just follow me. Don't worry, we will find Lu Zong. But as for the rest of us making it out alive, that’s another matter entirely. Don't blame me if I'm not polite then."

With that, he strode ahead. Ma Xiong noticed Old Man Qian's head swiveling left and right; it seemed he truly was searching for the thing. But why wouldn't he tell Ma Xiong? Was it really as he claimed?

Ma Xiong instinctively felt the answer was no. But was there some other secret involved?

It was nearing dawn. If they didn't find their destination soon, they were likely doomed here. Ma Xiong looked towards the east, where a vast sphere of fire was beginning to ascend, feeling a profound shock. That massive crimson expanse in the distance was no earthly sight; it was like looking up at the heavens. Neither the scene of "a lonely smoke straight in the vast desert, a round setting sun over the long river" could adequately describe the spectacle before him. That pattern of flame-like radiance spread across the entire desert, evoking nothing in their hearts but awe. He stared, dumbfounded, at the grand scene, momentarily forgetting the true purpose of their journey.

Suddenly, he felt a tap on his head. He whipped around to see Ge Mei, a smile playing on his lips. Ge Mei chuckled, "Congratulations, Ma Xiong, we hit the jackpot. Looks like today we leave this place to report for duty."

Ma Xiong couldn't comprehend Ge Mei's words and hastily asked, "Ge Mei, what do you mean by that? We're leaving this place? Has Old Man Qian found the exit? Are we saved?"

Ge Mei shook his head, then looked at Ma Xiong with regret, sighing, "Ah, what a pity for such a handsome fellow to depart this place so quietly. It’s almost saddening to think about."

Ma Xiong knew there was an underlying meaning to his words and pressed, "Ge Mei, what exactly do you mean by that? Why would you say that? Am I leaving this place? Won't you leave with me? I promise I won't abandon you, don't worry. I'm not that kind of person."

Ge Mei shook his head. "Ah, forget it, forget it. I know you're not that kind of person, but I’d rather you didn't take me along. I might not adapt well to the illusionary realm over there. I think I’ll end up in another place—a place even better than yours. I guarantee it'll be ten million times better than yours. Never mind, I won't tell you anymore. Let's just sit here and wait slowly. They will come for us, won't they?"

Saying that, he found a cool spot, squatted down, and began panting heavily. Old Man Qian, looking dejected, walked over to Ge Mei, squatted down beside him in a small patch of ground, and sat in silent sorrow. Ma Xiong, somewhat energized, asked, "Old Man Qian, Ge Mei said we are about to leave this place. Why are you unhappy? If you are attached to us, you don't have to leave me behind."