Chapter 528 - 493: Demon Suppression City, Magnificent

Song Ciwan collected all the sand locust corpses from the ground. She then followed Zhou Mu and his group, walking for a full two days across the Mingqiu Desert before finally arriving at Demon Suppression City.

It took so long not because the group was deliberately slowing their pace, but because the Mingqiu Desert was vast and its terrain was treacherously unpredictable. Furthermore, various Demon Beasts frequently appeared along the way. With one delay after another, their journey back to the city naturally slowed down.

The sky above the Mingqiu Desert was also unsuitable for flight. Regarding this, Zhou Mu explained, "Not only do various flying Demon Beasts suddenly appear in the sky above the Mingqiu Desert, but hurricanes sometimes erupt out of nowhere. We already have difficulty withstanding some of these hurricanes while walking on the ground. If we were flying, it would be even more dangerous."

To this, Liu Tantan added, "Flying Demon Beasts have an advantage over the Human Race in aerial combat. For them, flying is instinct; it doesn’t hinder their fighting but actually enhances their combat strength. But if it were me in the sky, fighting while flying, I’d easily become flustered and clumsy, neglecting one thing for another."

She spoke earnestly, and as she did, a shy smile appeared on her face. Peeking through her smile was a pair of cute little fangs.

The sisters, Liu Tantan and Liu Qingqing, were an interesting pair. The younger sister, Liu Qingqing, had a lively personality but a demure and quiet appearance. Liu Tantan, however, was steady and mature, yet she just had to reveal a pair of cute fangs whenever she smiled.

That was why Liu Tantan often deliberately tried to smile without showing her teeth, afraid she might accidentally reveal her fangs.

To Song Ciwan, the two sisters were each vibrant and adorable in their own unique way.

Zhou Mu continued, "Sometimes, the Nine Heavens Xun Wind and the Limitless Astral Wind will appear within the hurricanes. If you encounter these winds, forget about us Human Race Cultivators—even ordinary flying Demon Beasts would meet with disaster."

In short, flying to get around in the Mingqiu Desert was a very dangerous affair.

Therefore, Zhou Mu and the others were deeply impressed that Song Ciwan had actually arrived by Riding the Clouds and Mist.

Qin Yan said, "Actually, as long as you’re strong enough, there’s nothing stopping you from flying. We don’t fly because we aren’t strong enough. The truly powerful leave no trace when they fly; ordinary people can’t even see them and just assume that no one dares to fly in the Mingqiu Desert.

Xing Lan Fairy, however, is able to fly. It’s we who are slowing you down."

Everyone then chimed in, showering Song Ciwan with praise.

They went on and on, either praising the Fairy’s exceptional Cultivation or her great compassion as a healer. Their flattery was so intense that Song Ciwan almost started to believe she really was some unparalleled, supreme figure.

Song Ciwan had originally thought that being flattered, treated with such cautious reverence, and put on a pedestal like this... would feel very awkward and uncomfortable.

But the truth was, she wasn’t uncomfortable.

Not only was she not uncomfortable, but to be honest, it was actually quite pleasant.

’Just think about it—a group of people cautiously surrounding you, constantly putting you on a pedestal. When danger strikes, they don’t even let you make a move; they charge in first. Even though they know you’re strong, they still insist on forming a circle to protect you.

After a battle, they let you take first pick of the spoils.

When it’s time to rest, they do their best to create the most comfortable environment for you, even in simple conditions. They cook over an open fire, and you don’t even have to say a word—a single glance is enough for them to bring you the tastiest morsels.

Whenever you talk to them, they always say the nicest things...

Under circumstances like these, who wouldn’t feel comfortable?

It’s not like there’s something wrong with me. Would I really feel more comfortable if I were surrounded by people who constantly opposed me, jabbed at me with their words, questioned my every move, and showered me with sarcasm?

It’s no wonder some people strive their entire lives to reach the top and be adored by the masses. There’s a good reason for it.’

Song Ciwan was used to walking her path alone. Though she loved solitude and had always savored her loneliness, she found that sometimes, stepping into the Mortal World, traveling with fated companions, hearing the world’s different voices, and experiencing what it was like to connect with others... was actually quite interesting.

’Pleasant words don’t get old. No matter how many times you hear them, they’re still pleasant.’

Along the way, besides encountering Demon Beasts, Song Ciwan, Zhou Mu, and their group also met other Cultivators who made a living hunting Demon Fiends in the Mingqiu Desert.

Among these Cultivators, there were both Cultivators and Martial Artists. The number of Martial Artists among them was generally greater than the number of Cultivators.

A team like Zhou Mu’s, composed entirely of Cultivators with not a single Martial Artist among them, was actually quite rare.

The Cultivators they met along the way were mostly heading back to the city, and most of these teams were accompanied by one or more Magical Artifact Vehicles.

These Magical Artifact Vehicles usually weren’t used to carry people, but rather to transport the carcasses of Demon Beasts!

Just as Zhou Mu had mentioned, if the Malice in an ordinary Demon Beast carcass hadn’t been purified, the Demon Corpse couldn’t be placed into a Storage Pouch. With Storage Pouches rendered useless, how else were people supposed to transport their spoils from demon hunting back to the city?

Naturally, they could only resort to primitive methods: either carrying the corpses themselves or transporting them by vehicle.

And when it came to vehicles, there were huge differences from one to the next.

Some were clearly luxury vehicles at a glance, with large frames made of refined gold, pulled by Puppets, and operated by Talismans. From a distance, they radiated wealth; up close, they were exquisite in every detail, truly a sight to inspire envy.

Other vehicles, however, were painfully ordinary—shabby and pitiful. Forget about being pulled by Puppets—

if you could afford a couple of extra Talismans on your hand-pushed cart to keep the blood-scent of the Demon Fiends from leaking out and attracting other Demon Beasts, you were already doing well.