Chapter 2254: New City-State on the Old Site

Winnie kept flying, gradually flying from the pure desert to the desert terrain, which meant that they were closer to the water vein that runs through the Shurima Desert, which also meant that they would soon find intelligent creatures.

During the flight, Lin Jiu had already witnessed the danger of this desert, and sensed countless creatures under the sand along the way. Some were as huge as behemoths, while others were small and exquisite. Their forms were also different, some had ferocious faces, and some had strange bodies. Some monsters also had bodies covered with hard shells, like fortresses in the desert; others might be slender and able to flexibly shuttle between the sand dunes in the desert.

Their skin often blends in with the desert environment, showing sand-like colors, such as yellow, brown or gray. Even if they drill out of the sand and lie on the desert, they are easily overlooked.

"Finally saw a living person." Lin Jiu's perception locked onto a figure walking in the desert from a distance. The guy they found was wearing a piece of clothing made of various fabrics, a tattered hat to block the sun, his face was full of wrinkles and sun spots, and his eyes revealed a bit of numbness.

This guy was holding a wooden stick or an iron hook, walking hard in the desert, bending down from time to time to pick up supplies on the ground. He was carrying a heavy sack behind him, which was filled with things he picked up in the desert.

There is no doubt that this guy belongs to the group of scavengers in the Shurima Desert, which is also a permanent group in the Shurima Desert. These scavengers are often dark and thin, which is caused by long-term exposure to the sun and malnutrition.

Their clothes are tattered and often made of various discarded materials. They are draped over their shoulders or tied around their waists, both to block the sun and to keep warm when the temperature drops sharply at night. Their faces are full of wrinkles and their skin is rough, which is the result of wind and sand invasion and lack of water maintenance.

The life of these scavengers is very hard. They need to spend a lot of time every day looking for usable materials in the desert. These materials may be discarded metal fragments, plastic bottles and cans, or even animal remains.

They use these materials to exchange for meager income or to maintain their basic life. The residence is often a simple cave or a temporary shed. Although these residences are simple, they are enough to withstand the wind and cold in the desert.

This kind of life rhythm is monotonous and repetitive. Every morning and dusk are the best time for them to go out to find supplies, because the temperature in the desert is relatively low at this time, which is more suitable for human activities. The rest of the time, they hide in their residences to avoid the heat or cold, and save their physical strength as much as possible.

In Lin Jiu's eyes, these scavengers are simply the best source of soldiers. The tempering of the scavenging experience makes these guys very tenacious. Moreover, they are also staunch supporters of the Shurima Empire, looking forward to an emperor coming to Shurima and leading the empire to rise again. Isn't this the best supporter of Lin Jiu's creation of power?

You know, there are all kinds of forces in the Shurima Desert. If you are not a firm supporter of the Shurima Empire, you would have found a force to join. Although your life is in danger, at least you can live a good life. Being a scavenger, the danger you face outside is no less than the struggle of forces.

Even if you mine for those noble forces, your life is easier than that of a scavenger, at least you won't live a life of eating one meal and not the next. And scavengers can only survive by picking up the debris left by those outsiders who are active in the Shurima Desert.

Lin Jiu did not go down to communicate with this scavenger, but let Winnie fly in the direction he was going. If nothing unexpected happens, there must be a large gathering place for scavengers on the route in that direction. After the fall of the Shurima Empire and the division of resources in the Shurima Desert by various forces, the native residents of Shurima became scavengers, and they can still survive among many forces. The biggest reliance is unity.

At this time, the closest place to here can barely be called a city-state. A figure arrived here with a caravan. The things that scavengers pick up in the desert would not be worth much if there were no caravans.

They can pick up more than just sundries in the desert. If they are lucky, they can pick up treasures. There is a special terrain in the desert called Sand Falls, which, as the name suggests, is a waterfall formed by sand. The tide of yellow sand carves out a passage between the rocks and forms a magnificent sand waterfall on the edge of the cliff.

According to tradition, the Shurimans throw their beloved things into the sand flow as a gift to the Ascendants. As a result, Sand Falls has become the favorite paradise for treasure hunters.

Taliyah, who followed the caravan to the city-state, almost forgot how much she missed the furnace-like warmth of Shurima. Hundreds of people gathered together, joined hands, sweated like rain, talked and laughed loudly, bargained, swore, and so on at a very fast speed. Outsiders who saw this scene would always think that they were arguing all the time.

Taliyah landed in Bergen, the only port in Shurima, but she did not stay there for long. The several Noxian warships parked at the port reminded her of bad memories and made her nervous. It is believed that if the war-monger Noxus attacks Shurima, her hometown will probably be baptized by war again.

Vikora, once a tribal camp built on an abandoned old city, was just a place for passing travelers and planeswalkers to rest. But now this place has a different vitality as the number of residents increases.

The city’s bazaar was drowned in color and noise, and the air was filled with strong smells. The arched canvas awnings next to each other almost covered the entire street. The sound of fierce bargaining, mixed with the pungent smell of spices and roasted meat, could be heard everywhere.

Hundreds of people crowded the wide streets leading to the ruined city walls. The wizened old men who looked like wise men sat under the porch smoking pipes, and the fragrant smoke was steaming like mist.

Taliyah saw the marks of many different tribes. She could recognize Babe, Zagaya and Yeshenye, and she had never seen the other dozen or so. When she left Shurima, she still remembered that they were sworn enemies, but now they sat together peacefully like comrades on the battlefield. Unity is the last weapon of the Shurima people who still remain in the desert.

Vikora is special. The mother of the desert emperor Azir was born here, and the young emperor also generously bestowed grace on the people here. Gardens rose in layers, filled with flowers brought from across the empire, and surrounded by brilliant colors and wonderful scents. Towers were adorned with silver and jade, and cool water flowed from great temples and along aqueducts. People naively believed that the blessings here would never end.

But the past thousand years have stripped the city of its flesh and blood, leaving only a skeleton of stone, and much of its former glory has fallen into ruins. These ruins were built over the past few hundred years by people who still missed their homeland and stubbornly believed that their future lay in the restoration of the past.

The buildings designed by skilled craftsmen are obviously fraudulent imitations of Shurima's former glory. The walls were once famous for their squared granite, but now they are made of wood and roughly hewn stone.