On the streets of Black Rock City, Yan Qingshan gathered his thoughts, circled a few times to make sure he wasn't being followed, and headed for another bustling area in the heart of Black Rock City.
Black Rock City wasn't his final destination, but rather a transit point. He'd gone to the Miter Auction House because it was larger, presumably with more authority and resources, but he still returned disappointed.
Large cities like Black Rock City were equipped with civilian air transport fleets by the Empire. This was the ideal means of long-distance travel in underdeveloped areas like the Gama Empire. Places like Zhongzhou used wormholes, which were much faster.
The air transport company in the city center was considered an official organization, with its offices located in a spacious square. Within the vast plaza, a dozen or so large flying birds were stationed.
These birds were called Thick-winged Birds. They weren't magical beasts, but rather giant flying birds. They were extremely gentle and easily tamed by humans. However, due to their small numbers, only the Empire could afford to operate such air transport fleets.
These Thick-Winged Birds are military assets. During Imperial Wars, they would be forcibly reclaimed by the Imperial Army and would not be released to civilians until the fighting subsided. Therefore, many of them have experienced the ravages of war.
Yan Qingshan made his way to the front desk, where a smiling woman greeted him. "Sir, where are you going?"
"The Tagor Desert, Stone Desert City!"
Yan Qingshan pulled out a map of the Tagor Desert he had purchased. On it, he had marked a place: Stone Desert City, a small city in the Tagor Desert, not particularly unique or prosperous.
The receptionist's smile faltered after examining the map, but she remained calm as she pointed to another landmark. "Sir, our Thick-Winged Birds generally have fixed routes. To reach the Tagor Desert, you can only reach Stone Desert City. Alternatively, you can transfer there." "
I'll charter one Thick-Winged Bird for myself to Stone Desert City. Ten thousand gold coins, is that enough?"
Yan Qingshan said nothing more, simply paving the way with money. Having inherited the entire estate within the cliff cave, he was now a wealthy man, and any problem that could be solved with money was no problem.
No matter the world, having money comes with certain privileges. After he presented the gold coins to clear the way, the waitress immediately beamed again and ushered him into the VIP room to await the dispatch of his exclusive flying mount.
Along the way, attractive waitresses walked ahead, casually flaunting their voluptuous figures and curves, even hinting that dispatching the flying mount would take some time and suggesting there were VIP rooms where he could rest.
...
Black Rock City is quite far from the Tagor Desert; even at the speed of a first-tier flying beast, it would take at least three days to reach.
Stone Desert City, where Yan Qingshan specifically wanted to go, was not on the original route, requiring an altered route, adding at least five days of flight time.
The flying beast soared steadily in the sky, its back atop a giant bird with a wooden cabin built for passengers and crew on the long-distance flight, akin to an otherworldly airplane.
Yan Qingshan watched the blue sky and white clouds outside the window gradually darken, until a crescent moon finally appeared in the horizon. Beneath the moonstone, Yan Qingshan shook his head, his eyelids aching.
"Sir, here's dinner for tonight. Is there anything else you need?"
A sexy and beautiful, otherworldly stewardess approached Yan Qingshan, dressed in revealing, even suggestive clothing. One of them was the waitress he had met during the day.
"No, I need some quiet time to cultivate. You all may leave! I'll call you if I need anything!"
Yan Qingshan wasn't particularly interested in certain things. It wasn't that he'd become a saint or anything like that. In his current body, he hadn't even celebrated his fifteenth birthday yet. In his previous life, he'd only been a junior high school student. It was too early to lose his virginity.
And for that kind of thing, while not being particularly demanding, he at least expected some respect for his first time! Isn't Xiao Yixian attractive? Why rush for lust at this moment?
The waitresses were naturally disappointed by Qingshan's refusal, but after seeing the tip Yan Qingshan casually left, their faces brightened again. After receiving the favor, they naturally satisfied their sponsor. They left one after another and took turns guarding the door for Yan Qingshan.
He had reserved the entire flying mount, and everyone on board served him alone. Naturally, no one would bother to cause trouble. The five-day journey was quite peaceful.
...
Six days later, in the eastern part of the Jiama Empire, within the Tagor Desert. Stone Desert City was a small city, even smaller than Wutan City. The integrated city was built of black stone mined nearby, creating a striking contrast in the mostly loess-clad Tagor Desert.
Five hundred meters outside the east gate of Stone Desert City, in an open area, a massive flying monster slowly descended. It carried a wooden house on its back—a rare flying mount in Stone Desert City.
A young boy leaped from the room on the back of a flying monster, feeling the comfort of ground beneath his feet. Ten meters after the boy took a step, the flying monster ascended again and flew off into the distance.
Yan Qingshan frowned and pulled up his hood. It was midday, and the desert weather was dry and scorching. The blazing sun streamed down from the sky, baking the ground beneath his feet until it emitted a suffocating heat.
The heat rose, so intense that even vision was blurred and distorted. Nearly 80% of the spiritual energy in this environment was fire and earth. Aside from those with earth and fire Dou Qi, those with other constitutions would find it uncomfortable.
Local climates and soils shape the people they inhabit. The natives of the Tagor Desert are primarily fire and earth. This environment naturally suppresses wood elements, and of course, water elements are suppressed most severely. It's rare for a local water element to flourish in such a place.
Yan Qingshan gathered his robe around him. It provided shade and ventilation, keeping the heat at bay and offering a comfortable feeling. He had purchased it the previous night when his mount stopped in Desert City. Flying mounts aren't designed for long-distance flight, requiring constant resupply along the way.
...
Shimo City isn't large, constructed entirely of locally mined black stone. The desert isn't entirely sand; there are also mountains and rocks.
However, due to the scarcity of rain and the severity of desertification, the sand has practically obscured the entire surface, hiding many rocks and mountains beneath the sand. Mountain ranges like those surrounding Shimo City, where the black stone can be mined directly, are rare.
Shimo City is inconspicuous among the numerous cities of the Gama Empire in the Tagor Desert, its overall strength far surpassing even that of Wutan City.
Shimo City's structure resembles that of Qingshan Town. Beyond the lineage of the city lord, there are no major families. Beyond the city lord, numerous mercenary groups, large and small, rule the city's territory, the most powerful of which is the Sand Mercenary Group.
The leader of the Sand Mercenaries, Sha Luo, reigns supreme in Stone Desert City with his Grand Fighter Master cultivation, a figure feared even by the city lord.
However, this information held little sway for Yan Qingshan, as he wasn't out to dominate or cause trouble, and with a little caution, he wouldn't cause any trouble.
Desert cities are typically built around waterways, surrounded by oases or underground rivers, and Stone Desert City is no exception.
Beneath the Black Stone Mountains, the source of the black stone used in its construction, lies an underground river, flowing silently through the mountains for countless years, nourishing everything around it.
The ancestors of Stone Desert City discovered this underground river, built the city with stone, and diverted its waters through the city, creating a man-made desert oasis. Their understanding of how to manage water resources effectively allowed the city to take root and thrive in the Tagor Desert.
To the north of Stone Desert City lies the canal's main outlet, serving as the city's laundry district. Some struggling laundry women survive by washing mercenaries' clothes in exchange for money.
Of course, beneath the bright lights, there are also dark corners. This is also where some men seek pleasure, and some laundry women also engage in prostitution.
In the northeast corner, where the canal's water is least dense, a thin figure silently washes a pile of clothes. The men and women passing by quicken their pace upon seeing her, their eyes filled with a hint of disgust.
Even the mercenaries whistling for the young woman are no exception. The occasional stranger, upon inquiring about the little girl, their expressions change.
Perhaps exhausted from her long labor, the girl unconsciously pulls up her sleeves to reveal her snow-white wrists. On these wrists, dense green scales gleam, and when she reveals her arms, she sees them.
The smiles of those still chatting around them gradually faded, and a hint of disgust lingered in some of their eyes. The crowd gradually dispersed, and those who were already walking quickened their pace.
A girl sat on the cool black stone, wiping her sweat with a handkerchief, a smile still lingering in the sunlight. But when she noticed the situation around her, it suddenly disappeared, and she looked extremely lonely.
A few tears fell on her delicate face. The girl silently pulled down her sleeves and resumed her work. This time, even though her sleeves were wet from the river, she did not pull them up, and her hands moved faster.
It was obvious that she wanted to finish her work quickly and leave this place quickly. Although the eyes here were familiar, the disgust she saw was simply unbearable.
The poor, despised girl finished her work silently, not noticing that a figure had appeared behind her.
After washing and wringing out each piece of clothing, the girl folded them neatly and placed them in the basin. She lowered her head, carried the basin, stood up, and turned around to leave.