This ancient castle in the Demon Realm is surrounded by the vast desert. However, if you can stand in front of the castle before sunset, you will find that it is worth the trip.

Morning and dusk are times of magic here. The castle and the dwellings are all made of yellow sandstone, and even the doors and windows are carved from locally produced yellow sandstone. Despite its singular color, the city is instantly turned into gold in the morning or sunset, like a treasure that emerges after a sesame seed opens its door, shining with a mesmerizing golden light. This is how the "City of Gold" got its name.

As a city in the desert, it has a rugged and distinct outline. Its landmark is the medieval Lord of the Rings-style castle, surrounded by a zigzag wall that resembles a giant crown on a hill. Under the crown, there are large patches of village dwellings, and the castle is high above the stars and the moon.

The castle perched on the top of the hill is so striking that no matter where you look around, you will never forget the majesty of the castle that will be admired by all passers-by.

It is reported that the big devil who built this castle has a soft spot for yellow sandstone, which not only gives the castle the main color of gold, but also names the city-state he established "Desert Oasis".

Due to its strategic location, this desert oasis served as a post station to several major city-states and was once a popular camel caravan. It is not difficult to imagine how many rich and famous people gathered in the castle during the prosperous period. Among them may be masked gods, wealthy goblins, fierce demons, and valiant monks...... With the passage of time, this desert oasis gradually declined under the impact of maritime trade, and the demon world has been in a state of demon masterlessness, and the city-states have surged between them, and finally lost their status as a trade center.

The desert oasis that has lost its former glory still attracts many demons. There is no other reason, just because there is such a rumor that is widely spread in the Demon Realm: the one who controls the desert oasis will have the possibility of becoming the king of the Demon Realm.

Still, life in a desert oasis remains the same.

Ning Xiao fell in love with this place at first sight. She fell in love with the quaintness, tranquility and ease that characterize the city-state. The streets and alleys of the city are criss-crossed, and most of them are narrow walking paths, which are difficult for four-headed animal carts to pass, so it is particularly quiet. Walking and wandering here every day has become the most pleasant thing for Ning Xiao and others.

The winding laneway can always bring passers-by a different light at the next corner.

"Master," the system asked in a low voice as he followed Ning Xiao's side. "Will the old demon eventually return to his companions, or will he remain in the desert?"

"What do you say?" Ning Xiao replied casually. At this moment, she noticed that the system was still quite handsome, coupled with the strong bookish temperament, which made many young people passing by can't help but cast admiring eyes. So, she had to pay attention to the little incense burner that was still dressed as a little girl.

"You're stupid!" The small incense burner has no sense of crisis at all. She also put her hands on her waist and scolded the system: "If that ancient demon doesn't return to his companion, can the master still come here to find us?" That ancient demon will definitely pester his master to find a way to help him get out of that desert!"

"Oh!" The system has quietly come to its senses.

In the desert oasis, there are no more eye-catching buildings than palaces and mansions. They are all masterpieces of yellow sandstone architecture. The walls are covered with exquisite reliefs. In particular, the rounded balconies, lintels and bay windows that lean out of that floor are carved with delicate and delicate lace patterns, which are so ingenious that they are jaw-dropping.

This style of carving is said to be a traditional technique of a certain sect of craftsmen. But a few hundred years ago, due to a dispute among the lords, the craftsmen fled en masse, so that there was no similar perfect carving in the area. These buildings thus bear witness to the legendary history of this desert oasis.

"Not bad, not bad!" When Ning Xiao saw this, he was also full of praise.

"Master," the system saw this, and stepped forward to sell it. "I've copied all of these buildings. When we return to the divine realm, we will find someone to copy it. Don't worry about leaving this village, you won't have this shop. ”

"You did a good job!" Ning Xiao also gave praise without hesitation.

Compared to the lavish palaces, most of the dwellings here are unpretentious, but there are always surprises in the details. The local natives seem to love beauty and are keen to decorate their homes. The corners of the doors and windows were dotted with flowers and fabrics. Even the rough adobe walls are depicted with beautiful patterns. It is said that most of these painted pigments are extracted from local minerals and plants, but the origin of the golden yellow pigment is the most peculiar - it is cow urine.

It is said that extracting the golden pigment from the "magic cow" is not a simple task: first of all, the cow must be fed mango leaves for more than half a year before the cow's urine will turn yellow, and then the cow's urine is collected in a container to dry, and finally this magical pigment can be obtained.

"Master, why do you keep looking at me?" The system finally spotted Ning Xiao's strange appearance and couldn't help but ask.

"How do I think you're a bit like an adult version of the villain king?" Ning Xiao thought for a long time, and finally spit out this sentence.

"Haha!" The little incense burner burst out laughing. "Master, you can finally see it! Yes, since the birth of the little master, Xiaoyanagi has been interested in everything about the little master. As a result, he has been imagining what the little master will look like when he grows up, and after he becomes a human form, he unconsciously becomes like this!"

"Oh-hehe!" In this way, Ning Xiao couldn't help but laugh.

Walking through the streets, you can feel the slow pace of life of the locals. Most of the houses here have been converted into inns and shops. It is also famous for its handicrafts. Specialty crafts such as camel leather goods, wooden toys and tipped-off slippers have become the biggest selling points of the shops along the street.

Some traditional artisans also perform handicrafts on the streets. Their calm expressions and skillful techniques are more like expressing a love for life.

The place where Ning Xiao lives is the family hotel of Manu, a friend that the system has made here. However, from the perspective of the system, it seems that the fun of this Manu is not to open a small shop and do business, but to live a leisurely life.

When the system first met him, he was sunbathing in the castle's leisure square. When we first met, he naturally talked about the weather. The sky in the desert oasis is always so blue and the sun shines all year round. In his words, because the wind and sand have polished the sky into a crystal light, so smooth that it can't hang a dark cloud, so the rain here is as expensive as oil, and the most important thing is sunshine.

He also systematically them, and because of the severe punishment for the lack of water, pure sand plays a substitute role here. The local aborigines are accustomed to grabbing a handful of sand and scrubbing it on their bodies, which is used to cleanse their skin.

He left the inn to other demons, and spent a lot of his time worshipping demons, chatting with tourists, and serving as a volunteer tour guide for the system.

Under his guidance, the system followed the local aborigines to ride camels into the desert and visit the small tribes in the desert. A few days of strolling isn't enough to go deep into the heart of the desert, but it's definitely a special experience.

That night, they camped in the desert. Looking up at the sky, the sky is densely packed with stars, as if you can reach out and grasp it. Sleepless nights that were cold and unbearable also became romantic. A few days later, the sun sets on the way home, the desolate desert turns a dreamy golden yellow, and the castle looms in the distance like a mirage.

It is said that the desert oasis was originally the palace of the ancient gods, but due to the spell of a sorcerer, it descended to the demon world overnight and turned into a mirage in the desert.

"Master," the system whispered as he stood next to Ning Xiao, admiring the view in the distance. "Actually, the beauty of the Demon Realm is no less than that of the God Realm!"

"Really?" Ning Xiao turned his head to look at the system. "Hearing you say that, I think you like the Demon Realm very much. Why don't you try this king of the demon world? It just so happened that it saved me a lot of trouble. ”

"No, no, no!" The system hurriedly waved its hand and vetoed it. "Master, I'm okay with reading, as for managing this aspect, I'm a complete layman, you better spare me! I don't have this diamond, I can't do this porcelain work!"

"Oh, that's it!" Hearing this, Ning Xiao didn't insist anymore, so he asked. "Forget it. Let's talk about some of the news you've been searching for lately!"

"Yes!" The system answered, and explained to Ning Xiao in detail: "There are several forces gathered around this desert oasis. Among them, there are only three forces that can control this castle. ”

"One force is local. Due to a mistake in the inheritance, their strength is the weakest, and they will not be able to win the Demon King throne. The remaining two forces are from the family city-states that are very close to here. Obviously, most of them came for the throne of the Demon King. ”

"Because as long as they control this desert oasis and contact the city-states they have mastered before, they will be able to master this part of the Demon Realm. Because the conditions in this area are the most difficult, and the demons who can cultivate the most profoundly. Therefore, the powerful demons or demon kings in the demon world have always come from this. In other words, mastering this area is equivalent to having the strength to win the throne of the Demon King in a sense. ”

"Oh," Ning Xiao raised an eyebrow as he listened. "And what are the old guys' plans for this?"

"They really hope that there will be guys in the Demon Realm to take the lead and end this situation where the dragons are leaderless!" The system tells you the truth.

"If it weren't for that catastrophe," Ning Xiao shook his head after thinking about it. "I don't care if there are any demon kings in this demon world. It's just that in order to deal with that catastrophe, I can only let the demon world continue to be in a state of leaderlessness. Because only in this way can a team be pulled up quickly and effectively. This is our only mission in the Demon Realm!"