Silence.
A deathly silence enveloped this small patch of shadowed land.
Only the desert's hot wind stirred up fine grains of sand, producing a faint rustling sound.
Zhu Yu stood where she was. Her moon-white gauze dress swayed gently in the wind, her bare feet still spotless and untouched by dust.
But her entire being seemed frozen by Lin Xia's calm yet earth-shattering words.
Her mind had gone completely blank.
After a long while, Zhu Yu slowly took a deep breath, as if trying to suppress all the shock and turbulent emotions within her.
Her expression returned to calm, but deep within her star-like eyes, there was now an unprecedented complexity—shock, disappointment, confusion, and above all, a heavy seriousness.
Her voice carried a faint trace of hoarseness, though it remained elegant:
"I… understand."
Zhu Yu did not try to persuade him any further.
Lin Xia's words had been so clear, his rejection so absolute, continuing would only make the Star Luo Empire and the Zhu family seem lacking in dignity.
Moreover, he had even refused recruitment from Spirit Hall, what more could she possibly say?
Could the Star Luo Empire offer better terms than Spirit Hall?
Clearly impossible.
Of course, giving up was also not an option. A talent like this left outside was simply too great a waste.
At worst, she could discuss it with Lou Gao later.
"Little Xia you truly are special. So special that even I feel at a loss."
Zhu Yu revealed a self-mocking, bitter smile. On her stunning face, it carried a striking sense of sincerity.
"Grandmaster Lou Gao has taken in a fine disciple. No, it would be more accurate to say, a monster."
With a flick of her wrist, a warm jade token engraved with an exquisite star-crown pattern appeared in her palm.
The token was neither metal nor jade, warm to the touch, and emitted a faint fluctuation of soul power.
"This is my token."
Zhu Yu extended the jade token toward Lin Xia. Her tone grew more sincere, less like a deliberate attempt to recruit him, and more respectful.
"When Grandmaster Lou Gao returns, please pass this to him and inform him that Zhu Yu came seeking him, with important matters to discuss. Upon seeing this, he will understand."
Lin Xia did not refuse. He accepted the token with both hands. It felt warm and had a certain weight, clearly no ordinary item. He nodded solemnly.
"Alright. I will personally deliver it to my teacher."
Seeing him accept it, the last trace of regret in Zhu Yu's eyes turned into relief.
She knew that the shock this young man had brought her today would take a long time to process.
"Then…"
Zhu Yu straightened her posture, returning to her cool and ethereal demeanor. Her gaze swept over Lin Xia and Larvitar.
"This is not a place to linger. You should leave this area as soon as possible. The depths of the Extreme Western Desert hide many dangers we have yet to uncover."
She cast a meaningful glance at the massive quicksand pit.
"I should be leaving as well. Little Xia, I look forward to meeting you again in Gengxin City, or somewhere else on the continent. I believe that by then, your name will already resound across the land."
Her blessing was sincere.
Lin Xia gave a slight bow, performing a proper junior's salute.
"Thank you for the reminder and blessing, Sister Zhu Yu. Please take care on your journey as well."
Zhu Yu said nothing more, merely nodding slightly to Lin Xia and Larvitar.
Her figure was like ink dissolving into sunlight. As her moon-white dress fluttered, she drifted back lightly for several meters. Her bare feet touched the sand without leaving a single trace.
In the next moment, her figure turned into a faint streak of white light, shooting toward the southeast at astonishing speed. Within a few breaths, she disappeared beyond the rolling dunes, as if she had never appeared at all.
The desert returned to its dead silence, with only waves of heat rising.
Lin Xia stood where he was, lowering his gaze to the warm jade token engraved with the star-crown in his hand, his eyes deep in thought.
He gently rubbed its surface, feeling the pure soul power mark contained within.
"Zhu Yu the Zhu family of the Star Luo royal family…"
He murmured softly, a faint, unreadable smile forming at the corner of his lips.
"Trouble never comes alone, does it? But… if I've already handled Spirit Hall, why should I fear adding the Star Luo Empire to the list?"
With a casual motion, Lin Xia stored the jade token deep within his soul tool.
"Larvitar!"
Larvitar tugged at his pant leg with its little claw, its crimson eyes looking toward the northwest, filled with a hint of longing and urgency.
The dark-gold dragon-mark imprint on its chest grew slightly warm, clearly pointing toward the depths of the desert, that was the direction of the Dragon Graveyard's coordinates!
Lin Xia crouched down and firmly rubbed the little one's head, which had become tougher and faintly carried a dark-red dragon-blood sheen. Feeling the vast power hidden within its body, slowly fusing, his gaze turned incredibly sharp and blazing.
"Got it, you little glutton."
He smiled, but his voice was filled with fighting spirit.
"Don't worry. The Dragon Graveyard is right there, it's not going anywhere! Those big bones, and that 'egg' sooner or later, they'll all be ours!"
Lin Xia stood up. His gaze swept past the direction where Zhu Yu had disappeared, before finally settling firmly toward the northwest desert.
"But for now, it's not the right time. We can't afford to spend a huge amount of time chasing a coordinate, especially since that coordinate is constantly changing!"
His eyes remained calm.
"We need strength, greater strength! Strength enough to protect those treasures when we finally find the Dragon Graveyard!"
"Larvitar…"
Larvitar let out an unwilling yet helpless whimper. Its small tail drooped, but it still nodded its little head heavily in understanding.
It cast one last reluctant glance toward the rolling dunes in the northwest, as if trying to engrave that invisible coordinate into its memory. Then it rubbed itself against Lin Xia's leg, signaling that it was ready to leave.
Lin Xia let out a breath of relief, feeling a trace of warmth and comfort in his heart.
He crouched again and rubbed Larvitar's hardened armor, now carrying a faint dark-red dragon-blood luster and said softly:
"Don't worry. That egg and those bones will be ours eventually. For now, let's head home."
"Larvitari!"
Larvitar responded, regaining its spirit. It leaped onto Lin Xia's shoulder, standing firmly, its small claw pointing toward the east—the direction of Gengxin City.
The journey home was long.
They left behind the scorching heat and lifeless silence of the far western desert. The landscape gradually shifted from a pure golden sea of sand to rocky wastelands and plains, and finally to sparse vegetation and traces of human habitation.
After more than half a month of travel, Lin Xia was covered in dust and fatigue. Larvitar had also grown much quieter, spending most of its time resting in Lin Xia's arms or on his shoulder, silently digesting the changes brought by that trace of dragon-blood essence it had absorbed in the Dragon Graveyard.
The dark-red sheen on its armor had become more restrained and profound. Occasionally, the aura leaking from the gaps in its armor carried a faint yet heavy sense of majesty.
Meanwhile, Lin Xia made use of their travel time to meditate briefly at safe campsites, familiarizing himself with his soul power, which had surged to Level 25.
At the same time, within his soul tool, he repeatedly "observed" the several dragon bones radiating terrifying pressure with his mind.
Even mere mental contact allowed him to sense the vast energy and ancient will contained within them.
They were not only peerless materials.
They were also his and Larvitar's key to returning to the Dragon Graveyard.
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