"What's going on?"
When they rushed out of the house, they were immediately stunned by the scene in the western sky. Endless yellow sand surged upward like a vast ocean, rolling high into the sky. Even from such a distance, its terrifying pressure could still be felt, causing faint tremors throughout the entire oasis.
A deep roar echoed faintly through the storm.
Lin Yan caught it instantly. His gaze sharpened as he looked westward—the direction where the Thick Earth Giant Lizard tribe had been attacking. Could this disturbance be coming from Ember Passage Ridge? Were desolate beasts clashing within it?
The entire Shajing Oasis fell into unease. People feared a natural disaster, fearing destruction from forces beyond their control. Strangely, all the surrounding beast tides began to retreat, as if driven away by something far more terrifying.
Even the defending Gu Masters were left confused.
At the same time, far beyond Shajing Oasis, on Ember Passage Ridge itself, a massive female Gu Immortal stood high in the sky. Her body was broad and heavy, like a towering vessel of flesh, as she stepped upon waves of yellow sand, looking down at the enormous shifting ridge beneath her feet.
She placed her hands on her hips and laughed loudly. "I didn't expect this! There's actually a lone Ember Passage Ridge here, and it even carries a Thick Earth Evil Dragon, a desolate beast with a wild Immortal Gu on it. This is clearly meant for me."
Across the surface of the massive sand ridge, countless dark pits covered the ground. From them, huge earth lizards crawled out one after another, their bodies writhing as if disturbed. Their numbers were overwhelming, as dense as an ant colony, and within that mass lurked a terrifying aura.
If Lin Yan were here, he would immediately recognize her.
She was a Rank 6 Gu Immortal of the Mo Family—Plump Lady.
In the original timeline, when Fang Yuan came to Shajing Oasis to connect his luck with Han Li, he had accidentally crossed paths with her. Mistaking him for an enemy, she attacked without hesitation, leading to a direct clash between the two.
As a Righteous Path Gu Immortal of the Mo Family, Plump Lady was far from weak. She controlled two Immortal Gu, and her most powerful killer move, Buried Dragon Sand Coffin, had already slain more than one Evil Dragon Desolate Beast.
Although the Mo Family's territory in the Western Desert was some distance from Shajing Oasis, for a Gu Immortal, that distance meant very little.
It was precisely because of this that she discovered this lone Ember Passage Ridge, her greed stirred, and she decided to hunt the desolate beast to seize its resources.
Each migration of the sand ridge was a feast of resources. Gu Immortals of the Western Desert often targeted such events, but they had to be cautious. Larger clusters of moving dunes were extremely dangerous and not something one could approach recklessly.
At this moment, Lin Yan knew nothing of this. However, based on his memories of the original timeline, he could vaguely sense that a Gu Immortal was behind this sudden upheaval.
Before long, the surging yellow sand in the western sky began to settle. The ground gradually stilled, and the violent sandstorm no longer advanced toward the oasis.
Everyone in the Huang Family let out a breath of relief. The Gu world was far too dangerous—mortals were like ants, and no one knew when disaster would descend.
Even though Lin Yan knew that Shajing Oasis would remain safe for at least another twenty years, he still felt a lingering unease. What if something changed? What if a butterfly effect disrupted everything?
After all, while fate governed the paths of all beings, outsiders from beyond the world could alter what was meant to be fixed.
Just then, Lin Yan received a message— Family head Huang Ming had summoned all Family Elders for a meeting. As one of the Family's rising geniuses and the person in charge of the Flame Lake Gu Chamber, he just barely qualified to attend.
When he arrived at the assembly hall on the central island of Flame Lake, more than thirty people were already present. The three Rank 5 experts were there, along with over a dozen Rank 4 Family Elders. The rest were all Rank 3 peak Gu Masters who held important positions within the Family.
Most of the people present were injured, their faces tired, their auras unstable. It was clear the beast tide had taken a heavy toll on the oasis.
Lin Yan entered quietly and sat in a corner, listening without drawing attention.
As expected, Family head Huang Ming frowned and spoke first. "What are your thoughts on this sudden disturbance?"
Someone immediately replied, "The beast tide suddenly stopped and retreated, and the disturbance came from the direction of Ember Passage Ridge. I suspect some Heaven and Earth treasure has appeared, attracting the wild beasts."
No one present was foolish. Even if their perspective was limited, they could still piece together part of the truth from the signs in front of them.