Chapter 1899 — 1899: Visiting the Desolate Continent

"Elder Sun, it's unfair that I'm the only one answering your questions. Let me ask you a few questions, as well," Yuan eventually said.

Elder Sun narrowed her eyes, clearly hesitant to have her background questioned.

'Since he is my first disciple…'

A moment later, she nodded, "Alright, you can ask me a few questions. However, you can't ask anything too personal."

"Then I will ask you questions that you've already asked me."

Yuan then asked, "Why did you join the Immortal Monastery?"

Elder Sun pondered for a bit before responding, "I joined the Immortal Monastery to escape my family. While it's not like I am running away from home, I just wanted to be away from them. The atmosphere is too suffocating for my taste."

"I see… then how long have you been at the Immortal Monastery? Did you start as a disciple?"

Knowing she most likely wouldn't answer, Yuan avoided asking about Elder Sun's family situation.

"I think I've been working at the Immortal Monastery for about half a century now. I was already qualified as a sect elder, so I went straight for that position."

"Half a century? How old are you?"

"You should never ask a young lady their age." Elder Sun sneered.

"Right… then where are you from?"

Elder Sun hesitated at this question, but she eventually answered, "The Holy Continent."

"What? The Holy Continent?" Yuan's eyes widened with surprise.

During the Primordial Era, there existed a revered land known as the Holy Continent, and it possessed the highest density of spiritual energy in all of the Divine Heaven. The very air shimmered with qi, and the land pulsed with boundless vitality, making it the ultimate haven for cultivation.

Such a paradise inevitably drew countless cultivators. However, entry was not a privilege granted to all. Only those from the most prestigious and powerful backgrounds, such as the Nine Immortal Clans, were permitted to set foot within its sacred grounds. To the rest of the world, the Holy Continent remained a distant dream, an untouchable utopia reserved for the chosen few.

"You must come from an extremely powerful family…" Yuan mumbled.

"Don't tell me… you're from the Nine Immortal Clans?" he swallowed nervously.

Elder Sun raised an eyebrow and said, "No, I am not from the Nine Immortal Clans. Do you have any grievances with them? It's subtle, but I can sense it in your tone."

"Something like that, I guess."

"This should be common sense, but you shouldn't mess with the Nine Immortal Clans. While they are influential, that's not the main reason. The Nine Immortal Clans are a vengeful bunch. Nothing good comes from messing with them."

Yuan smiled and said, "Don't worry, my issue with the Nine Immortal Clans was resolved long ago."

Yuan continued to ask Elder Sun questions. Since he had yet to fully regain Tian Yang's memories, he didn't have much information on her.

A week passed in the blink of an eye, and they arrived at their destination—the Desolate Continent.

"So, do you have any idea on how to find him?" Yuan asked Elder Sun.

"No… And as much as I want to just wander around, the Desolate Continent is massive. It'd take months if we searched randomly."

Yuan pondered for a moment before speaking, "How about we visit the Southern Stronghold first?"

"Why? Did Tian Yang mention where he was going to the other disciples?" Elder Sun asked.

"No, it's just a guess." Yuan shook his head.

However, according to his memories, Tian Yang should currently be in the Southern Stronghold, accompanying Huang Xiao Li in her search for her missing family.

"Alright. Now we just need to find the Southern Stronghold," Elder Sun nodded.

Since this was her first time visiting the Desolate Continent, Elder Sun had no idea where anything was. Fortunately, she came prepared and brought a map with her.

"The Southern Stronghold should be in that direction." Yuan pointed in a certain direction.

Elder Sun looked at him with raised eyebrows.

"How do you know? Have you been here before?"

Yuan shook his head, "No, but I have studied a lot about it. After all, I have always wanted to visit this place."

"Is that so?" Elder Sun didn't question him further and controlled the flying treasure to head toward the Southern Stronghold.

Sometime later, Elder Sun landed her flying treasure right outside the Southern Stronghold's gate, instantly attracting many gazes.

After putting away the flying treasure, Elder Sun and Yuan entered the city to look for Tian Yang.

A few hours into their search, Elder Sun suddenly spoke to Yuan using voice transmission, "We're being followed."

Yuan smiled and calmly responded, "I'm not surprised. You were essentially asking to be robbed by showing off your flying treasure."

"Showing off…? I did no such thing…"

"If it's out in the open, you're showing off—at least that's how things work within the Desolate Continent. Are you going to kill them?"

"If they try anything funny."

A day quickly passed, but they were still unable to find Tian Yang despite Elder Sun using divine sense the entire time.

"Looks like he isn't in this city," Elder Sun said.

'Did they already go to the Western Stronghold?' Yuan wondered inwardly.

"Let's try the Western Stronghold this time," he suggested a moment later.

"Alright."

Without lingering, the two of them quickly made their way to the Western Stronghold. Not wanting to waste money on the Teleportation Arrays, Elder Sun continued using her flying treasure.

However, the moment they left the city, a decently sized group of over a hundred individuals ambushed them, encircling them like a pack of hungry beasts. Their gazes burned with ill intent, their weapons gleaming under the light.

The air grew heavy with murderous intent as one of them shouted, "If you want to live, hand over all of your treasures!"

Yuan silently looked at Elder Sun and wondered how she was going to react.

"..."

"What the hell is that?" the group muttered in unison, their voices tinged with confusion and unease as they lifted their heads to stare at the hovering golden wheel.

Before they could even begin to comprehend its powers, the wheel began spinning, its speed blurring its intricate engravings into streaks of light. Then, as if ignited by an unseen force, it erupted into golden flames, radiating an overwhelming pressure that made the air itself tremble.

A moment later, without warning, a golden firestorm descended upon the bandits like the wrath of a celestial deity. Screams barely had time to form before they were silenced—their bodies consumed in an instant, reduced to nothing but ashes.