Ning Beichen and Linglong had been researching the area for over half a month. By the time their food and water ran out, neither of them had found the entrance to the ancient city buried beneath the desert.
Not only was there no sign of an entrance, but they hadn't found a single clue. The place felt like a forgotten ruin.
"Let's go," Ning Beichen finally conceded.
"Alright, we really should," Linglong replied. Though reluctant, she knew they’d starve or die of thirst if they stayed any longer.
"But it is strange, isn't it? We've been here so long, and Shen Zongting hasn't come after us. Did they give up?" Linglong suddenly mused as they descended a slope.
Ning Beichen had initially dismissed the idea, but Linglong's words made him pause. It was indeed odd; Shen Zongting wouldn't just let this go. This wasn't a minor grievance. Ning Beichen had plundered their treasury, stolen the Sacred Cup, killed many of their people, and even eliminated an Enforcement Hall master. He had utterly humiliated Shen Zongting. Even if they were the second coming of Christ with a heart of universal love, they wouldn't let him off the hook.
"Don't worry about them. Perhaps they just haven't found us," Ning Beichen said to Linglong.
As they walked out, not long after, Linglong let out another surprised exclamation.
"Ning Beichen, have you noticed? I think we've circled back."
Ning Beichen looked around and realized they indeed seemed to have returned to where they started. He even recognized a half-buried pillar in the sand, with scratch marks he had made on it.
"Did we take a wrong turn?" Ning Beichen felt confused. He then picked a new direction, designating it as the exit, and walked with Linglong.
However, shortly after, they found themselves back in the same spot. They repeated this cycle several times, leaving Ning Beichen utterly astonished. If it happened once or twice, it might be a mistake. But every single time? Ning Beichen couldn't convince himself there wasn't something wrong.
"Ning Beichen, I think we're trapped here," Linglong said, collapsing onto the ground, panting heavily.
Ning Beichen remained silent, his brow furrowed. He stared at the exit, so close yet seemingly unreachable. No matter which direction they chose, they couldn't leave. It was as if they were caught in a ghost illusion.
"Don't worry, I'll figure something out," Ning Beichen said, trying to calm the anxious Linglong. He then began to ponder the situation alone.
This place had felt eerie from the start. Ning Beichen had been to the no-man's-land many times, but he had never encountered this area before. It was as if it had materialized out of thin air. Especially in this modern era, where even the most secret locations couldn't hide from satellite surveillance, yet there were no records of these structures.
Then, Ning Beichen recalled the absence of any Shen Zongting members during their stay. Had they given up? Or were they unable to find him? If it was the latter, Ning Beichen was certain this place was problematic.
"Could it really be a 'ghost hitting the wall' phenomenon?" he wondered. "Causing outsiders to be unable to see us, and us unable to leave?" But a 'ghost hitting the wall' was merely a distortion of one's own senses and perception, leading to confusion and disorientation, causing one to wander in circles. Yet, Ning Beichen felt their situation was more complex than that. Moreover, with his master-level cultivation, he doubted his senses and mental state could be so easily affected. If it wasn't a 'ghost hitting the wall,' then what was happening?
Ning Beichen and Linglong tried a few more times, but the result was always the same. They couldn't leave. The exit was right in front of them, but when they reached it, it would still be ahead, as if their efforts were in vain.
Soon, darkness fell. Ning Beichen and Linglong gave up their attempts. Until they could solve this puzzle, any further effort would likely yield the same result. Linglong sat on the ground, weak with hunger and thirst. Who would have thought that after entering, they would be unable to leave?
"Ning Beichen, are we going to be trapped here forever?" Linglong asked, her voice tinged with despair.
"No, we'll get out. We managed to get in, so we can get out," Ning Beichen replied with forced calm. The most crucial thing now wasn't leaving, but finding food and water to survive. He could endure, but Linglong might not. Ning Beichen himself hadn't expected that his pursuit of the Jiugong Ce would lead him and Linglong into such dire straits.
The land was so dry that there wasn't a trace of moisture. Ning Beichen dug in several spots but found no water. Linglong, too exhausted to move, lay on the sand with her mouth open, like a lifeless salted fish. Ning Beichen knew she was dehydrated, but he was helpless. He was a master, not a deity; he couldn't conjure water and food. Seeing Linglong like this pained him.
Time trickled by, and the sky grew darker. There was no moonlight that night. For some reason, Ning Beichen felt a sense of unease, a feeling that tonight was different.
Linglong, dozing off, perhaps experiencing a hallucination, pointed at a sand dune ahead and whispered fearfully to Ning Beichen, "Ning Beichen, something's wrong. I saw the sand moving just now."
Ning Beichen hurried over and looked in the direction she pointed. He saw no movement and assumed she was just exhausted and hallucinating. He tried to comfort her.
"It's okay, you're just seeing things. Get some rest, and I'll take you out of here first thing tomorrow."
Linglong wanted to protest, but when she looked again, there was no movement. She began to wonder if she had imagined it. Seeing her state, Ning Beichen knew they couldn't just wait. He decided to have Linglong rest while he continued to search for a way out.
"Linglong, I'm going to look for water nearby. I won't go far. If anything happens, just call out loudly," Ning Beichen told her.