The train slowly approached the massive ochre shadow that abruptly emerged from the endless blue.

As the distance closed, everyone truly realized the sheer size of the island.

It was not an ordinary island, but more like a desert continent floating on the sea, its coastline winding to the edge of the horizon, meeting the sky.

Sand dunes undulated across the island, like solidified golden waves, radiating distorted heat waves under the blazing sun.

"Let's stop here." Bai Cheng made the decision in front of the control panel. "The scale of this island exceeds the scope of a regular island, and the energy fluctuations are unusually stable. It might hold the information we need."

The train hovered over the shallow sea, and everyone stepped onto the beach one after another.

Heat waves rushed forward; even as King-level powerhouses, they could clearly feel the oppressive heat enveloping them.

The air felt thick from the heat, and every breath carried grit and a burning sensation.

Lu Duo and Zi Yuan walked at the forefront, both barefoot.

Lu Duo's ankles were slender and fair with graceful arches, while Zi Yuan's feet looked longer and stronger, her toes as round as pearls.

As soon as the soles of their feet touched the sand, they simultaneously gave a slight shudder. The sand was scorching hot, the temperature penetrating their skin, as if they were stepping on freshly extinguished embers.

"This ground..." Zi Yuan frowned slightly. Although her long saber had not been drawn, a faint purple aura had already appeared around her.

She tried to mobilize energy to isolate the high temperature, but found that the heat was not purely physical; it contained a characteristic that continuously eroded energy fields.

Even with a King-level physique, it couldn't be completely blocked. The long-forgotten feeling of dry heat seeped into their senses like fine needlepoints.

"The temperature is strange; even energy barriers are slowly being penetrated."

Yu Nian, standing nearby, was already flushed red, her long pink wavy hair sticking to the side of her neck with sweat.

Being straightforward by nature, she simply raised her hand and ripped off her light-colored outer jacket, which was already soaked with sweat, revealing the fitted black sports tank top underneath.

The tank top outlined her full bust and slender waist, with her taut abdominal muscles faintly visible.

She then swiftly changed into a pair of light khaki shorts, exposing her straight, long legs.

She fanned herself with her hand and looked at her companions, unable to resist complaining, "You two are cheating! One relies on her ability to cool down, and the other's clothes have built-in air conditioning!"

Indeed, Leng Ningxue had not changed her clothes.

She simply stood silently on the beach, her ice-blue short hair motionless in the hot wind, surrounded by a visible layer of pale blue cold mist.

Where the mist reached, fine frost crystals condensed on the surface of the sand, and the scorching heat waves dissipated three feet away from her.

She used her Ice ability to construct a continuous low-temperature field, completely isolating the sweltering heat.

As for Bai Cheng, she was still wearing her signature light gray JK uniform, her white long hair tied back with a black hairband, falling behind her shoulders.

Her clothing looked ordinary, but it was actually Legendary Level quality, equipped with self-regulating temperature and energy effects.

Even with the overwhelming heat outside, she felt no dryness or heat. The fabric of her clothes was soft and breathable, making her figure appear slender and upright, her waist impossibly narrow, and her legs straight and fair beneath her skirt, radiating an aura of coolness in the scorching sunlight. 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

"Alright, let's get some shade first." Lu Duo's gentle voice came from behind.

She gently raised both hands, and emerald light surged from her palms. Several tough vines burst out of the sand, weaving and growing in the air.

In the blink of an eye, they formed a giant, layered plant umbrella, casting a cool shadow.

The temperature beneath the umbrella noticeably dropped, and everyone gathered there, finally getting a temporary respite.

Bai Cheng looked up, gazing into the depths of the island.

Beyond the beach were continuous sand dunes and Gobi Desert, and further away, the outlines of majestic city walls and architectural complexes were vaguely visible.

That was not a single city, but a kingdom composed of several massive cities, sprawling across tens of thousands of square kilometers, clearly a desert civilization.

"We landed precisely because of its scale." Bai Cheng withdrew her gaze, her tone calm,

"When viewed from the sea, its size was comparable to a small continent. An island like this appearing in these waters is inherently unusual."

After everyone finished preparing, they left the train in a safe area by the shore and strode toward the desert kingdom, venturing deeper into the massive, heat-churning island.

The sand beneath their feet was scorching, and the sun overhead was blazing, but no one in the team retreated. This unusually massive desert island might hold the key to the next clue.

After stepping onto the sand, as they proceeded deeper into the island, the heat became increasingly intense, even starting to affect visibility.

Heat waves distorted the air, making even the distant architectural outlines appear shifty and uncertain.

Although Leng Ningxue's Ice Mist Domain was reliable, its coverage was limited, only barely protecting the few meters around her.

Yu Nian wiped the sweat from her forehead and couldn't help but exclaim, "The temperature of this desert is completely abnormal... Even a normal desert shouldn't be so hot that energy barriers can't block it."

"Perhaps it's not natural high temperature." Bai Cheng raised her hand, and silver spatial energy flowed around her fingertips as she attempted to analyze the energy components in the heat waves,

"I sense a persistent 'Burning' attribute law permeating the air—it's /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ like the entire island is enveloped by solidified Fire Element, yet there are no visible flames."

Zi Yuan walked on the side of the group. Although her long saber was not drawn, a faint purple light emanated from the hilt, clearly indicating she was using her own energy to resist the heat.

She suddenly stopped, bent down, and grabbed a handful of sand, rubbing it between her fingers. "In the sand... there are faint emotional residues. Not from living beings, but more like they've been 'preserved' by some kind of power."

Clearly, this island was far from as ordinary as they had imagined.

Hearing this, Yu Nian also squatted down, and green light seeped from her palm into the sand.

A moment later, her expression changed slightly. "Indeed... deep within the sand, there are large deposits of fear and pain energy. Although sparse, they are widely distributed, covering almost the entire island."

"The aura is similar to that of the drained survivors on Chao Yin Island."

Leng Ningxue's voice remained cool and clear, but a sharp glint flashed in her ice-blue eyes,

"This island was likely also one of the harvesting grounds for Abyssal Echo."

Just then, faint, rustling sounds suddenly came from behind a distant sand dune.

Everyone instantly became alert.

Qingniao silently leaped into the air, retracting her Thunder Wings and relying solely on sight to look into the distance; Zi Yuan drew her long saber half an inch; Yu Nian's vines silently burrowed into the sand like lurking snakes.

However, what emerged from behind the sand dune was not an enemy, but a group of local residents, ragged and with cracked skin.

There were about a dozen of them, men, women, and children, all wrapped in tattered burlap. They walked barefoot on the scorching sand, yet seemed numb to the high temperatures.

Leading them was a white-haired, white-bearded elder, leaning on a crooked wooden staff. His clouded eyes looked at Bai Cheng's group, first showing astonishment, then an excitement he couldn't hide.

"Out... outsiders?"