I don't want to come up with a funny book title anymore.

Its massive body crashed down, raising a cloud of dust that blotted out the sky.

"Not bad, Lao Zhong," Chu Jiaoyang said, covering his mouth and nose. "It feels much more dangerous here than inside the secret realm."

Xie Fengnan raised an eyebrow at Zhong Lizhuo's light-based superpowers. His stereotype of Hei Zhaigen was still limited to various kinds of magic.

However, it seems that their special abilities can also be considered a kind of magic.

It simply means that each person can only use one attribute.

(Xia, is there a signal here?)

After leaving the secret realm through the portal, you should be transported to one of the thousands of planets; this is part of the "rules".

"No, but a building resembling a signal tower was observed to the northwest of the host."

Upon hearing this, Xie Fengnan squinted and looked in the direction it was pointing.

Indeed, even under the cover of the swirling sandstorm, one could still make out the vague outline of something in the distance.

"Should we go this way?" Jiang Mo Ran also noticed the outline.

"Let's go." Zhong Lizhuo agreed after a quick assessment.

So the group trudged forward on the scorching sand, their steps uneven.

Whether it was an illusion or something else, Chu Jiaoyang felt that the distance between them and the outline was infinitely increasing.

He couldn't help but stop in his tracks. "Boss, do you sense anything's wrong?"

Xie Fengnan frowned; there was indeed a problem with this situation.

But if it's an illusion, he wouldn't fail to see it.

Out of the corner of his eye, Xie Fengnan glanced at the surrounding endless yellow sand and suddenly realized a possibility: a mirage.

He began to carefully examine the outline that seemed so close yet so far away.

Okay, we can see it's twisting and deforming.

If it really is a mirage, then that's a bit tricky.

Although a refracted virtual image must have a physical form, it is generally difficult to find.

Because the angle of refraction is not fixed.

Xie Fengnan told Jiang Moran and the others about his discovery.

Everyone's faces were solemn.

Xie Fengnan was pondering the theories of optical imaging when he saw Jiang Mozhan pull out a simple sundial.

"You still carry this thing with you all the time?"

"Just in case, here it comes in handy."

Do you know our current latitude and longitude?

"...Will this do? Or do you have a better idea?"

"Okay, let's try it first."

Although Xie Fengnan felt that this method was not very reliable, it did seem to be a feasible approach at present.

With his support, Jiang Mo Ran squinted at the sun and roughly estimated the latitude.

Zhongli Zhuo understood what they were talking about and spontaneously recorded the position and time of the sun's movement, thus obtaining the approximate longitude.

Chu Jiaoyang and Huodou listened to their conversation with blank expressions.

What's going on with them? Has knowledge entered their minds in such a strange way?

After the three of them determined the current time, Xie Fengnan began to draw a map and make calculations on the sand, based on the route they had taken earlier.

"Based on the current situation, the angle between the direction in which the mirage appears and the sunlight is roughly within this range."

Pointing to the image, he continued, "If we search along this direction in a certain fan-shaped area, we might find the actual entity of the mirage."

They brushed the sand off their clothes and continued on their way.

However, after walking for a long time, they still couldn't find even a trace of that outline.

“This can’t go on.” This time, it was Jiang Moran who was the first to voice his opinion.

Xie Fengnan, who had just withdrawn his mental energy, rubbed his temples.

Using his mental energy to perceive the environment over a wide area for extended periods was not an easy task for him.

But finally, there was good news.

"I just used my mental power to detect someone else."

"Someone's here!? Where? Where?" Chu Jiaoyang was instantly alert.

Xie Fengnan raised his hand to signal him to calm down, "They are not close to us, and they are moving."

"You mean they're also heading towards the physical location we're looking for?" Zhongli Zhuo deduced.

“That’s right, we can follow them.”

"But based on my observation just now, they should be from the theocracy."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Moran's brows furrowed instantly.

A theocratic state is a state that combines politics and religion.

They are not like empires or federations; they are places with a unified government.

Because the theocracy is essentially a collection of various churches, their internal strife is so exaggerated that it is known throughout the entire galaxy.

Even many well-known cults originated here.

Even under these circumstances, there is still an organization that can firmly control the discourse power in all aspects of the country.

It is the Vatican known as the Holy See.

Their Pope, Eld Kain, is at the pinnacle of power in the country, though he rarely makes public appearances now.

It is said that in order to communicate directly with the gods, he devoted himself to studying ancient religious texts in the holy land.

Below the Pope are several archbishops.

While they were in charge of different regions and important affairs of the theocratic state, there was also a delicate balance of power and competition between them.

Below that are numerous cardinals and white bishops.

Cardinals primarily assist archbishops in handling various affairs, as well as specific religious ceremonies and supervising lower-ranking clergy.

White bishops, on the other hand, are more involved in serving the public, listening to the needs of believers, spreading doctrine, organizing activities, and maintaining the image of the Vatican in the eyes of the people.

Then there are the clergy, such as priests and nuns, who constitute the basic strength of the Vatican.

Finally, there are the most numerous ordinary believers.

In theocratic states, fierce conflicts often erupt between churches vying for more believers, resources, and power.

Their struggles included both open debates and doctrinal disputes, as well as covert conspiracies, schemes, and armed clashes.

Sometimes, even a small conflict can trigger a turmoil that sweeps across the entire parish.

Xie Fengnan shrugged. "So, shall we change our clothes first?"

The three of them, dressed in the uniforms of the Empire's First Military Academy, were loitering on someone else's territory, making them easy targets who could be killed the moment they showed their faces.

"Boss, are you going to steal those guys' clothes to wear?!"

Chu Jiaoyang tried to figure out Xie Fengnan by imitating Zhong Lizhuo.

"...Didn't you bring any other clothes?"

They dare to put anything on themselves, aren't they afraid of getting dirty?

Xie Fengnan's eyes were full of this meaning.

"Boss, you've changed. You've lost touch with me."

Chu Jiaoyang shouted loudly as he changed into his casual clothes.

"I have indeed changed; I've become more handsome."

Xie Fengnan buttoned up the last button before picking up where Chu Jiaoyang left off.

Jiang Mo Ran, who had already changed his clothes, looked at the two of them and sighed helplessly.