In this world, Zhongzhou is the center of the world.
It not only has a vast territory, but also the richest spiritual energy, as well as many famous mountains and rivers, and blessed lands.
Therefore, since ancient times, Zhongzhou has been the most coveted place for cultivators throughout the world.
Beyond Zhongzhou lies a vast expanse, divided into numerous large and small states.
Heading straight east, you'll see the vast ocean.
Heading north, there lies an endless ice field.
Heading south, you'll see continuous, deep mountains and dense forests.
As for heading west, what you will eventually see is a sky full of sandstorms and an endless desert.
The far west is a desert within a desert.
It's scorching hot here, like a furnace.
The air was so dry, it felt like scorching heat.
Even a single breath from an ordinary person would likely burn their lungs and internal organs.
Such a harsh environment should, in theory, be sparsely populated and difficult for any living creature to survive.
Yet, in this scorching, arid desert, there exists a place that appears lush and green in the distance.
There were also some simple houses scattered among them, which were obviously inhabited.
Suddenly, everything became perfectly calm, with not a cloud in the sky. Above the vast blue sky, a figure suddenly appeared, standing in mid-air.
Lu Qing looked at the small, lush oasis amidst the vast expanse of yellow sand below, his eyes filled with wonder.
"I never expected that in the depths of this scorching desert, which should be a no-man's land, there would be such a small, vibrant oasis. Is it the power of the Wood Spirit Pearl?"
Feeling the fluctuations of spiritual pearls emanating from below, Lu Qing had a sudden realization.
That's right, he came here this time to retrieve that Wood Spirit Orb.
However, the current situation is somewhat unexpected.
The Wood Spirit Pearl did not seem to have fallen silent; instead, it evolved into a miracle of life in this desert.
Lu Qing slowly descended, observing the situation of the oasis below.
This oasis is not large, only about two or three miles long.
There were dozens of simple houses inside, indicating that the population was not small.
Trees dot the landscape, and children chase and play among them.
In the center of the oasis, there is a shallow lake where fish can be vaguely seen swimming.
The entire oasis exudes an atmosphere of harmony and peace.
When Lu Qing landed, he did not conceal his figure or aura.
Among the group of children chasing and playing, one of them happened to look up and saw Lu Qing slowly descending from the sky.
Suddenly, he opened his mouth wide, his eyes widened, and he pointed at the sky, unable to speak for a long time.
After a long while, he finally managed to choke out a loud shout: "Immortal!"
The other children looked in the direction he pointed, and the next moment, they all widened their eyes.
News of the appearance of immortals quickly spread throughout the entire oasis.
Everyone who saw Lu Qing in the sky was utterly shocked.
Before long, an elderly man, looking very frail, slowly arrived at the oasis, surrounded by a crowd.
When the old man saw Lu Qing standing in mid-air, his cloudy eyes widened, and then he knelt down and bowed to Lu Qing.
"Greetings, Immortal! May I ask what brings you here?"
As the old man prostrated himself, the crowd behind him also knelt down.
"Are you the leader here?" Lu Qing asked calmly.
“The old man is the patriarch of the Qiu clan in Huangsha Village,” the old man replied.
"I've come here to find a strange bead, which is likely green. Do you have any clues?" Lu Qing asked directly.
Upon hearing this, the old man trembled violently.
The crowd behind him also stirred into a commotion.
The old man looked at Lu Qing, his heart filled with bitterness.
He knew that the only thing that could attract such a powerful immortal who could fly and disappear into the earth was the village's sacred object.
However, under Lu Qing's indifferent gaze, the old man dared not not answer.
"My lord, you are wise enough to know that there is indeed such a bead in my village, but it is a sacred object passed down through generations in our Huangsha Village."
This oasis exists in this endless desert only because of that divine object.
I hope the immortals will have mercy and not take away the divine object.
Otherwise, without the protection of the divine object, our Huangsha Village would probably be swallowed up by this sandstorm in less than three days.
All the villagers perished beneath the yellow sand.
As the old man spoke, he kept kowtowing to Lu Qing.
His tone was so sorrowful that it moved the listener to tears.
The villagers behind the old man also kowtowed to Lu Qing.
Faced with a mysterious being like Lu Qing who knew the art of flying, they dared not have any intention of resisting and could only pray that he would show mercy and spare their lives.
Lu Qing looked at the villagers kneeling below.
The vast majority of them didn't even have decent clothes; they simply covered their bodies with leaves or other rudimentary woven fabrics.
It's obvious at a glance that although these people live in this oasis, they are by no means living in peace and contentment.
Rather, it's more accurate to say they're just barely surviving.
However, there was no change in his expression.
He simply said, "That bead is quite important to me, and I am determined to take it."
Upon hearing this, despair appeared in the old man's eyes.
But Lu Qing's next words stunned him.
"However, I'll give you a choice: if you're willing, I can take you all out of this desert and find a beautiful place to settle down."
All the villagers who heard this were also stunned.
After a while, the old man said in disbelief, "Immortal, you said you could take us out of this endless desert?"
"Do you think I need to deceive you?" Lu Qing said calmly. "Of course, the choice is yours. If you want to perish in this endless desert along with this oasis, I have no objection."
The old man paused.
Indeed, someone like Lu Qing has no reason to deceive them.
If they really have ill intentions, they should just rob them by force; they wouldn't be able to resist.
“Immortal, this matter is of great importance, and I need to discuss it with my clansmen.”
Although he was very tempted, the old man remained very respectful.
“I can give you fifteen minutes,” Lu Qing nodded.
"Thank you, Immortal."
The old man kowtowed to Lu Qing.
Turning around, I was met with a sea of burning gazes.
"Clan leader, what are we still discussing? Quickly agree to the immortal's request!"
"Yes, it's rare to find an immortal willing to take us out. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!"
"If we miss this opportunity, we may never be able to leave this place again!"
"Chieftain, there's no need to hesitate any longer!"
...
Alright, hearing the urging from his clansmen, the old man knew there was no need for further discussion.
Clearly, these guys are even more impatient than I am.
However, he also understood why.
Over the years, the village's population has gradually increased, but the village itself remains only so big.
Although we can still support them, we are already struggling to make ends meet.
If this continues, their lives will likely become increasingly difficult.
Unfortunately, they were in the middle of an endless desert, where they could hardly find their way, let alone find their way out.
So now that Lu Qing is willing to take them out, it really is the most timely lifeline.
With that thought in mind, the old man no longer hesitated.
He turned around and knelt down in front of Lu Qing.
"Immortal, we have all discussed it and we humbly request that you take us all out of here."
"We humbly beg the immortal to take us all out of here!"
The other villagers also kowtowed to Lu Qing again.
Lu Qing smiled and said, "Take me there first to see if your divine object is what I need."
Before long, Lu Qing was led to an old tree that was not tall, but very thick and had an extremely developed root system.
The roots of the old tree have formed a small temple-like structure, protecting something within it.
It was a jewel gleaming with green light.
"Immortal, this is the sacred object passed down through generations in our Huangsha Village," the old man said somewhat nervously.
If he had previously worried that Lu Qing was there to steal the sacred object from his village...
Now, they desperately hope that this is what Lu Qing wants.
Only in that way could their people have any hope of leaving this endless desert.
Lu Qing examined the green gem.
In fact, he had already determined before he even arrived that this was the Wood Spirit Orb.
Unlike other spirit orbs that have remained dormant, this wooden spirit orb has clearly been in a state of revival.
Not a single mistake, not a single song, not a single post, not a single piece of content, not a single 6-9 book, not a single bar, take a look!
It's unclear whether the environment here stimulated its revival or if there were other reasons.
With a wave of his hand, the Wood Spirit Pearl trembled slightly in the small temple, about to fly out.
But the next moment, a strange force froze it in place, and the roots of the old tree suddenly contracted, firmly enveloping the Wood Spirit Orb.
At the same time, an angry thought emanated from the old tree, seemingly rebuking something.
"This, this..."
This sudden change startled the old man beside him, causing him to stumble backward.
He pointed at the old tree, his mouth agape, his face filled with shock.
They seemed to have never expected that this old tree, which their clan had worshipped for hundreds of years, could still move like a living being.
"Oh, so it has evolved spirituality?"
Lu Qing raised an eyebrow, somewhat surprised.
This old tree was extremely well hidden; even he was somewhat deceived just now.
Of course, this is also related to the fact that his attention was focused on the Wood Spirit Orb.
The rich wood element power of the Wood Spirit Pearl also concealed the old tree's spirituality.
However, how could an old tree that had just developed spirituality possibly cause trouble for Lu Qing?
A wisp of transparent flame suddenly appeared in his hand.
He said indifferently, "Release the Spirit Pearl, or I will burn you to death."
As soon as the Southern Bright Fire appeared, the branches and leaves of the old tree trembled.
It instinctively sensed that the flames in Lu Qing's hand were extremely terrifying.
If it were to fall on it, with its limited abilities, it would certainly be unable to withstand it and would probably be burned to ashes in an instant.
However, the old tree was very reluctant to let it give up the Wood Spirit Orb.
Finally, the old tree emitted a very aggrieved sound towards Lu Qing.
"You said that without this Wood Spirit Orb, you wouldn't be able to withstand the heat of this endless desert and would eventually wither away?"
Lu Qing sensed the fluctuations emanating from the old tree and had some realization.
He pondered for a few moments and said, "I am determined to take this Wood Spirit Pearl. If you don't want to wither and die here, then come with me."
I will find you a blessed land in a sacred mountain, where you can not only settle down and live in peace, but also better cultivate yourself in the future.
This place is, after all, a desert, where the earth's energy is scarce.
Even with the Wood Spirit Orb, your cultivation will ultimately be difficult to achieve.
The old tree trembled slightly upon hearing Lu Qing's words, as if it were pondering something.
Lu Qing was not in a hurry. He stood there quietly and waited, and the Nanming Li Fire in his hand did not go out.
He didn't act immediately, simply because he thought it was truly remarkable that this old tree, growing in this endless desert, could still develop spirituality.
But if this guy really doesn't know what's good for him, he wouldn't mind burning him as firewood.
Fortunately, although the old tree was a bit dull, it wasn't stupid after all.
After a moment's thought, it finally made a decision and emitted a wave.
Upon sensing this, Lu Qing raised an eyebrow: "You want to follow me and cultivate under my protection? That's easy, I can agree to it."
Among all things in the world, it is extremely difficult for wood, stone, grass, and insects to develop sentience.
This old tree possesses sentience. Although its combat power is negligible, it is still very useful for things like regulating the earth's energy, acting as the core of a formation, and consolidating the formation.
It's just a tree anyway; you can plant it anywhere.
Lu Qing wanting to take shelter is not a simple matter.
Upon hearing Lu Qing's assurance, the old tree emitted a wave of joy.
Without Lu Qing urging her, she took the initiative to loosen her roots and send the wood spirit pearl to Lu Qing.
Lu Qing didn't stand on ceremony and reached out to grasp it. He immediately felt an incredibly rich life force emanating from the Wood Spirit Pearl.
The power of the Wood element governs life.
The most peculiar thing about this Wood Spirit Pearl is the endless vitality it contains.
It is precisely because of this that this oasis has been able to survive for so long in this endless desert.
After the Wood Spirit Orb was sent out, a tremor came from the location of the old tree.
It slowly pulled out its massive root system that was deeply embedded in the ground.
At the same time, it is also gradually shrinking.
In the end, it turned into a small tree that was more than three feet tall and had countless tiny roots.
Then, with a light leap, he arrived in front of Lu Qing.
"You actually have this kind of ability?"
Lu Qing was somewhat surprised, then smiled, waved his hand, and a vortex appeared out of thin air, absorbing the old tree into it.
The old tree was shocked. The next moment, it felt itself fall into a strange space.
At that moment, Lu Qing's voice also rang out from above.
"You stay here for now. After we get out, I'll find a good place and let you out."
For now, just rely on the power of the Wood Spirit Orb to sustain yourself.
As soon as he finished speaking, a green pearl fell in front of the old tree.
The old tree felt somewhat relieved upon hearing this.
Since Lu Qing even put the Wood Spirit Pearl in, he must not have deceived it.
It immediately extended several roots, which landed on the Wood Spirit Pearl, drawing upon its wood elemental power to sustain itself.
After settling the old tree, Lu Qing looked at the village chief of Huangsha Village, who was already dumbfounded.
"Old man, go and tell your people to pack up and prepare to leave this place with me."
The old man seemed to wake from a dream and quickly replied, "Yes, yes! Immortal, please wait a moment, we'll go prepare right away!"
After saying that, he hurriedly walked out, feeling incredibly excited.
Lu Qing's incredible skills just now truly demonstrated his extraordinary abilities.
He no longer had any doubt that Lu Qing could lead them out of this endless desert.
The power of hope is always strong.
The villagers of Huangsha Village didn't keep Lu Qing waiting long before they all gathered in the center of the village.
"Immortal, we've all packed up."
The old man, carrying a small package, came up to Lu Qing.
"Mm." Lu Qing nodded.
He glanced around and realized that each villager wasn't carrying much.
Most of them are dried foods such as dried fish.
Furthermore, there was just a small wicker basket or something like that.
There were very few other items.
Even pots and pans were almost nowhere to be seen.
They were all pitifully poor.
But that's not surprising.
After all, this small oasis has a low output capacity and is extremely scarce in resources.
So even with generations of accumulation, these villagers still don't have much to take with them.
Lu Qing didn't say anything.
With a casual gesture, he created a vortex, drawing all the villagers into the Fire Cauldron.
Then his body transformed into a stream of light, soaring straight into the azure sky and flying beyond the endless desert.
