Time flowed by and very soon, half a month passed.
The Yin Yang Flower Sect's wanted notices were still in place, but the wanted people remained elusive, disappearing as if into thin air. Meanwhile, the emergence of another major event caused people to instinctively overlook this ongoing pursuit.
This major event was so shocking that the entire Moon Worship Region was in an uproar.
The divine son was heavily injured!
The cause of this matter was hidden very well at the start. Other than the Red Moon Shrine's headquarters, no one else knew. They only knew that there had been a drastic change in the northern ice plains and that a phenomenon had appeared on the Heavenly Fire Sea. They also sensed the energy fluctuations in that area that had lasted for more than a month.
Although there were many guesses, there was no real information after all.
It wasn't until several months had passed that the true nature of this matter was widely disseminated. Moreover, it was not the Red Moon Shrine but individuals associated with the Moon Rebel Hall who spread the information across various locations.
They told the world that the phenomenon in the Heavenly Fire Sea was formed by the ruler's heir breaking free of confinement.
As for the drastic change in the northern ice plain, it was because the heir saved Princess Mingmei, the daughter of the ruler.
These two astonishing existences attacked the Red Moon Shrine's headquarters immediately after escaping.
An astonishing battle broke out there.
This was the reason why the energy fluctuations in that area lasted for a month.
As for the outcome of this battle, the heir and Princess Mingmei went missing, while the Red Moon Shrine's divine son was heavily injured.
This matter revealed a key point, which was that… Crimson Goddess didn't descend.
This didn't make sense. This was because if the divine son was heavily injured, he would definitely activate the divine technique. However, from the fluctuations of the world during this period of time, that didn't happen!
Hence, two more rumors spread at the same time.
The first rumor was about the true identity of the Red Moon's divine son and the souls he had been extracting from his suppressed brothers and sisters over the years. It was said that these souls were taken away during the great battle.
These souls were the reason why the ruler's sealed descendants had lost their minds.
It was said that the moment they were snatched away, countless inhuman wails rang out from the Red Moon Shrine.
This revelation created a sensation, and some people analyzed that the Crown Prince's plan was not merely a straightforward showdown with the divine son, but rather had deeper motives.
Perhaps these souls were only one of his goals.
As for the details, no one knew.
The second rumor tugged at the hearts of all living beings.
"Crimson Goddess fell into a deep sleep due to matters in the foreign region and won't be able to wake up for some time!"
The information contained in this rumor was too shocking. The sky of the Moon Worship Region seemed to have changed.
Some believed it, while others didn't. However, no matter what… the entire Moon Worship Region began to tremble because of this series of events.
It was like waves had appeared in a pool of stagnant water.
In an instant, various local organizations emerged in the various counties and provinces like a spark.
They promoted the slogan of the Moon Rebel and called for people to rise up in resistance in an attempt to turn this spark into a blaze.
However, the Red Moon Shrine, all the forces dependent on the temple, as well as a large number of divine envoys, divine servants, and divine slaves, quickly went out and suppressed them.
Furthermore, the temple's high priest, after the severe injury of the divine son, awakened from a long slumber and took charge of the overall situation.
His style was iron-blooded, stirring up a storm of flesh and blood that swept through the large region.
However, in the end… the wind still blew in the Moon Worship.
At that moment, in Qingsha[1] County in the western part of the Moon Worship Region, a green-colored sandstorm had arisen, seemingly connecting the heavens and obscuring the line of sight.
Qingsha County was one of the seven counties in the western part of the Moon Worship Region, and was close to the center.
The name of this place came from the fact that the entire county was made up of deserts.
The deserts here were quite special. The sand wasn't yellow but green.
Hence, the wind that blew was also green sand wind that didn't dissipate all year round.
The people who lived here had to adapt to the climate here, dwelling and reproducing in this endless expanse of green sandstorms.
There were also many legends about the green sandstorms here, and one of them was the most recognized.
Legend had it that this place wasn't a desert a long time ago but a huge basin with countless tall mountain peaks.
At that time, the soil on the ground was black and fog would rise from the ground, forming a sea of fog here.
One day, a strand of green hair fell from the sky. This strand of hair floated here and turned into dust that filled the basin, forming green sand.
This also caused this place to turn into a desert from then on.
Back then, most of the tall mountain peaks were drowned because of this. The exposed parts were connected to each other, forming mountain ranges of various sizes.
Among them, the largest mountain range was called Bitter Life Mountain Range.
This desert was also known as the Green Hair Desert.
Due to the harsh climate, there weren't many residents in the Green Hair Desert. However, due to some special reasons, there were many outsiders here.
As time passed, this area gradually transformed, giving rise to one earthen city after another.
These cities were built on mountain peaks and didn't exist on the sand. The Red Moon Shrine also specially built a stronghold here.
At that moment, in the green sandstorm, the world was hazy. In this blurriness, there was a figure moving forward.
The wind was very strong and let out a whimpering whistling sound. When it landed on his body, it was as though countless hands were pushing him, obstructing his advancement. It also caused his robe to flutter and shake continuously.
However, they couldn't stop the figure in the sandstorm. His speed didn't seem fast but every step he took covered an area of dozens of feet. Occasionally, he would stop and take out a jade slip to determine his direction.
"There's still some distance."
Xu Qing murmured softly, his face covered by a scarf, and his hair as well, leaving only his eyes exposed as he gazed into the distance.
[1] It means green desert.