Chapter 34: Chapter Thirty-Four: Arrival at Desert City

He lightly exhaled, put away the pill, walked to the window, looked outside at the sky, and saw that the sun had just risen not long ago.

He then quickly checked out of the room and strode toward the flight transport service located in the city center.

The reason he had been staying in Hei Yan Cheng during this period was his worry that Stone Desert City, where Qing Lin was, lacked the materials he needed to refine the Breaking Qi Pill.

Now that he had successfully refined it, there was naturally no need to stay here.

As for Qing Lin, that genius with Dou Saint potential, he naturally believed the earlier he made contact, the better.

As long as he could secure an important place in Qing Lin's heart.

After that, with this mountain to rely on, would he still lack cultivation resources?

After all, he himself did not know how far he could cultivate...

After passing several streets, ten-odd minutes later, Lin Feng saw for the first time the flight transport service towering over a spacious square.

On the vast square, more than a dozen fairly large flying beasts were resting there.

These bird-beasts are called thick-winged birds; they are not magic beasts but genuine birds, extremely docile and easiest for humans to tame.

However, due to their small numbers, only the empire generally has the strength to build such a flight transport fleet.

Although these thick-winged birds are slower than other magic-beast flying birds, they have exceptional endurance.

After a full meal, they can fly at a steady speed for nearly four or five days, and their carrying capacity is also quite excellent.

An adult thick-winged bird can easily carry more than five to six times its own weight for long-distance flight.

However, during imperial wartime, these thick-winged birds will be forcibly reclaimed by the imperial military.

Only after the war ends will they be returned to civilian transport services.

Thus, many of them have experienced brutal warfare.

After casually asking a passerby, Lin Feng followed the person's directions to the ticket counter beside the hall and bought a flight ticket to Desert City.

Then, passing through a corridor, he came to an open space, gazed at the huge thick-winged birds before him, and Lin Feng couldn't help but recall the airplanes and airports of his previous life.

After a while, Lin Feng snapped back to awareness amid the ticket inspector's urging, checked his ticket, and entered the room marked on it.

After cultivating briefly in the room, Lin Feng let out a loud, clear cry; subsequently, the thick-winged birds, under the beast tamer's command, shot straight up into the sky.

Toward Stone Desert City in the empire's east, they began a swift flight.

Stone Desert City.

Perhaps due to its proximity to the desert, the weather here is rather dry and hot.

The scorching sunlight poured down from the sky, baking the ground beneath their feet so that it continuously emitted waves of scorching heat.

That slowly rising heat even caused people's vision to become distorted and blurry.

"Puff~"

With the sound of a strong gust striking the blue bricks, the thick-winged birds that had flown for several days steadily landed on the prepared open ground of the Desert City flight transport service.

After dismounting the flying magic beast and taking a deep breath, Lin Feng felt for the first time that his battle qi was exceptionally lively.

His cultivation technique ran faster than usual by about half; after sensing it carefully, he murmured, "No wonder, nearly eighty percent of the air here consists of earth- and fire-attribute energy."

Walking the streets of Stone Desert City, Lin Feng's curious gaze continually swept over the passersby.

Among these passersby, most men had bare chests, their skin darkened to a healthy black, giving an impression of robustness at first glance.

While the occasional passing women, though similarly slightly dark-skinned, tended toward a sensual bronze hue.

The women here are not as reserved and shy as those inside the empire.

A set of tight-fitting leather clothing merely covered the chest and a little below.

Yet their slender waists were boldly exposed, their long, taut legs likewise only covered by short skirts or shorts.

As they walked, their waists twisted like water snakes, exuding a distinct charm and allure.

All along the way, Lin Feng feasted his eyes.

Fortunately, Xiao Yixian had gone to the Outcloud Empire; otherwise, seeing this scene, he would probably not have a good day.

After a moment, Lin Feng hastily shook his head, grabbed a passerby at random, and asked, "Old sir, how do I get to Stone Desert City?"

"Stone Desert City?"

The old man listened, thought for a moment, pointed his cane to the west of the city, and said, "Go that way; in the open space beside the west gate there are many caravans heading to Stone Desert City. You can spend a little money to have them take you along, and you'll be much safer."

"Thank you, old sir."

After hearing that, Lin Feng thanked him and then hurried westward.

Not long after, as Lin Feng proceeded, he saw a map shop named 'Ancient Map' beside the street.

He paused to think for a moment, then continued forward.

He was merely an ordinary Three-Star Alchemist now, lacking the ability to unseal Hai Bo Dong.

Let alone obtaining that fragment of the Pure Lotus Demonic Fire diagram from Hai Bo Dong...

Since Desert City itself is not large, within less than half an hour Lin Feng had already seen the open space the old man mentioned ahead.

Looking out, on the distant open space lay camels, estimated to number in the hundreds.

Moreover, many mercenaries and caravans were shouting here, seeking companions.

"The Flame Leopard Mercenary Group is recruiting one four-star Dou Fighter or above to jointly enter the desert to hunt magic beasts."

"A mercenary squad entering the desert is still missing one person; interested parties, come quickly!"

"Our caravan has a Dou Master‑level expert holding the fort; we are currently seeking a customer heading to the imperial capital, guaranteeing your safety without worry!"

Just fine from a distance, but as he approached, the countless shouts made his head feel slightly swollen.

After adapting briefly, the recovered Lin Feng began to wander about inside.

After searching a while, he then heard a shout seeking customers for Stone Desert City.

He immediately turned and followed the voice over.

He stepped up and asked the burly man soliciting customers, "Uncle, how many gold coins to go to Stone Desert City?"

One thousand gold coins.

The shouting was interrupted; that person glanced at Lin Feng, saw he was dressed plainly, and gave up on making an exorbitant demand.

Hearing the price, Lin Feng immediately bargained: "One thousand? That's too expensive, uncle—can we do five hundred?"

"Eh, one thousand is already cheap, you kid—how can you cut it in half? That's too low. Our caravan has an eight-star fighter guarding it. How about this: I'll let you have it for eight hundred—what do you think?"

"Uncle, even a fighter guarding it only charges this price; five hundred isn't low at all."

After some haggling, Lin Feng finally knocked the price down to seven hundred gold coins.

Seeing that person agree, Lin Feng pretended to be painful as he pulled out half the deposit, then followed that person to the caravan.

As for the bargaining, it wasn't that Lin Feng couldn't afford the one thousand gold coins; it's just that these caravans might normally do that.

However, if they discover you're just a fat sheep, they could at any moment turn into bandits, killing and robbing.

Although he could easily defeat those fighters, spending a few minutes bargaining could save a lot of trouble—why not?

What's more, he had never entered the desert before; his experience was zero.

To be safe, it's still better to walk with those experienced old people.

After all, getting from here to Stone Desert City, even with camels, if you don't get lost, you still have to trek through the desert for several days to arrive.