A flash of white light appeared before his eyes, and in an instant, Yu Xiangnan found himself in a void.

The surroundings were empty, and all was silent.

Suddenly, a whooshing sound came from above, and a heavy object fell straight down.

Yu Xiangnan dodged to the side, simultaneously raising his hand to catch it steadily. Upon closer inspection, he realized it was an ancient bronze compass.

The compass face was densely engraved with the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches.

————

(★★★★) [Qian Yuan Seeking Spirit Plate]

Using the mysterious power of the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches runes, the user can silently recite another player's name and ID, and the compass needle will rotate, indicating the direction and locating the player's exact position (Note: The maximum distance cannot exceed ten kilometers, otherwise it will be ineffective) (Cannot be used when in a different instance from the player).

(Usable times: 50 times, valid time: 3 hours)

————

Yu Xiangnan glanced at the item description of the [Qian Yuan Spirit-Seeking Disc].

It's a good product!

As long as they are in the same instance and less than ten kilometers apart, it can continuously track for three hours, making it an absolute godsend for tracking and hunting down prey...

She placed the [Qian Yuan Spirit Seeking Plate] into the card album, and then the mechanical sound rang out again.

The top scorers on each leaderboard will be announced and rewards distributed in one hour.

[Since the dungeon ends relatively early, the top performers on each leaderboard and the rewards will be announced and distributed after all dungeons have finished.]

[Tip]: Congratulations, Yu Xiangnan (ID: H00). As the player who has gained the most favor with NPCs in this story-driven survival dungeon, you will now receive a reward.

Do you wish to enter the [Bonus Dungeon]? (The timeout will automatically default to "No".)

【whether】

Yu Xiangnan suddenly remembered Gong Mo, whom he had encountered at the top of the hidden map [Giant Tower], and the seemingly ordinary seed in his card album.

A strange idea suddenly popped into my head.

Could it be that this reward instance wasn't created by the system, but rather is the Eight Reversed Cardinal Signs?

Looking at the huge three-second countdown above, she frowned and quickly pressed "Yes".

[Entering the bonus instance...]

[Hint]: You have entered the bonus instance "Lone Smoke in the Desert".

Yellow sand filled the sky, and a howling wind swept in, the scorching heat like a raging heat wave, relentlessly pounding against Yu Xiangnan's face.

Yu Xiangnan opened his eyes and found himself in a desolate and lifeless desert.

The sand beneath our feet was scorching hot, and the distant, undulating dunes presented smooth yet strangely varied lines.

She had just swiped the panel to see if there were any rules for this reward dungeon when a melodious camel bell sound drifted from afar.

Ring ring—

Yu Xiangnan looked up and gazed into the distance, where he saw a large caravan heading in his direction. The camels' coats shone brightly against the yellow sand, and they carried ornate and exquisite chests or large and small packages steadily on their backs.

The man at the head of the group had a weathered face, his bronze skin gleaming from the sun, but his eyes shone with a boldness and enthusiasm.

He saw Yu Xiangnan standing alone beside the sand dune in the distance, so he raised his thick arm, waved vigorously at Yu Xiangnan, and shouted at the top of his lungs, "Hey! Friend, this desert is not easy to walk through, come with us!"

Yu Xiangnan did not respond immediately, but instead squinted and sized up the caravan.

Most of the caravan members wore worn-out but brightly colored robes, their faces showing the weariness of long hours spent in the open, but their eyes were full of friendliness.

It's not strange.

Friendly NPCs?

This was completely different from the rules in another bonus instance, "Candy World." This bonus instance had no countdown timer, no special panels, and not even any rules—it was really strange...

Where are you planning to go?

The leading merchant replied, "To the ancient ruins city."

"What are you going to the ancient city of ruins for? The journey there is not easy, and there might be considerable risks involved in delivering goods." Yu Xiangnan stared at the leading merchant, trying to glean more information from his expression.

The merchant replied again, "You don't know? My friend, this ancient city is now famous far and wide, rumored to hold many unknown treasures. Everyone who comes to this area is drawn by the ancient city."

After he finished speaking, he laughed heartily.

“Friend, don’t worry about that. We’re doing legitimate business. We have an agreement with the people in the ancient city to regularly send them supplies in exchange for local specialties. It’s tough, but it’s profitable.”

As he spoke, he patted a large bundle on the back of a camel beside him, which appeared to contain grain and textiles.

Yu Xiangnan's gaze swept across the vast, boundless desert once more, stretching to the horizon. She tilted her head slightly, nodded gently to the group in front of her, and said in a deep voice, "Alright, I'll go with you."

Even if this reward instance is indeed arranged by the second reversed card, just as she suspected, so what? She'll meet force with force and water with water. She wants to see what the second reversed card is so eager to see her for.

She had previously learned from Fedor that, compared to the other reversed cards, the second reversed card had a relatively mild and friendly style of behavior and personality... The key point is that she and the third reversed card do not get along.

Yu Xiangnan approached the camel, nimbly mounted its back, and grasped the reins.

The camel slowly stood up, its body swaying slightly. She quickly adjusted her posture and, as the camel moved forward with steady steps, gradually adapted to the undulating rhythm.

Wow, besides riding horses and elephants, I've now successfully ridden a camel in my lifetime.

Braving the scorching sun, Yu Xiangnan and his group trekked through the endless yellow sand for about half an hour.

Just as everyone was exhausted from the monotonous desert, someone suddenly shouted, "Look! It's right ahead!"

Everyone looked up and saw a magnificent ancient city lying quietly behind a huge sand dune.

The ancient city walls are made of massive sandstone blocks, and the tall city gates are tightly closed. The gates are inlaid with bronze decorations, which, although somewhat rusted, still reveal their exquisite craftsmanship and shimmer faintly in the sunlight.

Yu Xiangnan followed the caravan through the city gate.

The man at the head of the group stepped forward and struck the brass ring on the door with a distinctive rhythm.

In an instant, the patterns on the door began to glow faintly, and as the creaking sound grew louder, the city gate opened automatically to both sides.

The heavy door moved smoothly and slowly without any visible external force pushing it.