Chapter 1163: Clash of Heavenly Paths

The confrontation among these top Heavenly Path experts was incredibly formidable. Though they made no unnecessary movements, their presence still stirred the air around them, causing sand to whirl wildly and clothes to flutter violently—almost as if a sandstorm had struck.
Kai Xin, who was in the periphery, was also caught in the impact…
Although the Face-Shifting Fox was Kai Xin’s attendant, under the pressure of these experts, his body seemed to stiffen, unable to activate his protective barriers in time. Trapped in a suffocating atmosphere, his mind strained between multiple forces as he barely held on.
“…”
Kai Xin frowned slightly.
Under the oppression of these experts, Kai Xin, whose willpower was strong, wasn’t directly affected, but he couldn’t help the Face-Shifting Fox either.
Thud!
At the critical moment, Osaaya, one of the true Heavenly Path experts in the group, finally stopped standing by idly. Unable to watch the Face-Shifting Fox struggle under the mental pressure of the others, she focused her gaze and slowly stepped into the circle where the experts were fighting.
The moment she appeared behind the Face-Shifting Fox, Osaaya instantly caught the attention of all the experts, and much of the pressure was distributed among them.
“…”
The Face-Shifting Fox kept gritting his teeth, teetering under the overwhelming pressure of the experts. But once Osaaya stepped in, the forces pressing on his body seemed to diverge and vanish instantly.
His body trembled!
Feeling a sense of relief as if a heavy burden had been lifted, he looked at Osaaya’s back with gratitude.
“Huh?”
Wu Zun Bi Xuan, Ye Gu Cheng, Old Master Qin, and Dong Fang Bu Bai, though each with their own distinct personalities, simultaneously shifted their attention from the Evil King and the Dark Queen to the newcomer, Osaaya, frowning slightly.
What was originally a direct confrontation between the four Heavenly Path experts and the Evil King and Dark Queen had now turned into a struggle among seven Heavenly Path experts, making the power struggles in this area even more complex.
The martial artists around them were deeply alarmed:
It was usually extremely difficult to even meet a Heavenly Path expert in the martial world. Yet, due to some mysterious celestial phenomenon and ancient legends, seven such experts had gathered here.
However…
The greater number of Heavenly Path experts only proved the authenticity of the astonishing treasures hidden in the Desert Palace. The player teams hidden among various factions grew even more excited.
Boom!
The aura of the seven experts surged in waves, hitting each person’s body in turn…
Clothes fluttered! They were sent flying backward!

Even Dongfang Bubai and Wu Zun Bi Xuan gradually showed solemn expressions, shifting from their initial carelessness to seriousness. The Mythical Realm experts within the range, though protected, dared not move casually, fearing that a slight mistake might attract the attention and attacks of the seven Heavenly Dao experts, their faces filled with tension and caution. Kai Xin was the only one in the area who remained relatively calm and composed. Since the seven Heavenly Dao experts entered a state of relative balance in their confrontation, Kai Xin felt that the pressure from them seemed to vanish, and his spiritual perception returned to clarity. What surprised Kai Xin even more was that his spiritual perception, covering the entire area, revealed an astonishing fact… The seven experts were not competing with internal energy or hidden forces, but rather with their own extremely profound mysteries. The powers of the seven experts circulated throughout the area—like brilliantly colored and distinct light beams, physically manifesting and rapidly moving between them! None of them consciously controlled their powers; instead, they allowed these multicolored forces to strike one of them at astonishing speed and intensity… Yet, the fusion of these Heavenly Dao powers seemed to grant them the ability to dispel and redirect attacks. When the power converged on Osa Ya, a vortex-like force caused it to circle rapidly around her body before swiftly escaping and heading toward the next target—the Evil King… After the Evil King came the Yin Queen, then Dongfang Bubai… and so on. The seven of them were in an extraordinary state of balance! But Kai Xin was deeply shocked by the strange scenes revealed by his spiritual perception. Watching the powers of the seven experts circulate through each of them, over and over again, he seemed to discern something over time. The Heavenly Dao experts… skilled at guiding the forces of heaven and earth—this was what Kai Xin knew. But there seemed to be something else hidden within it. Kai Xin frowned in contemplation, his gaze on the bizarre phenomenon before him becoming even sharper. … The confrontation between the seven experts lasted nearly ten minutes! Sand and stones flew everywhere, and dozens of tents were uprooted and buried under the yellow sand. The seven of them remained full of energy; none showed signs of weakness, nor did they wish to appear inferior in front of peers of equal strength. This was true for Wu Zun Bi Xuan, who had been in the Heavenly Dao for the longest time, as well as for the Yin Queen, who had just entered it! Kai Xin stood quietly behind Osa Ya from start to finish, not taking another step forward nor attempting to break into the balanced circle of the seven experts—this was no joke.

Although everyone in the “Jianghu” world is the protagonist, players often need to weigh their own capabilities carefully. Without sufficient strength, showing up in front of the top experts of the Heavenly Dao might not yield good results. Moreover, this time it’s a mutual test among the seven great experts—showing up could very likely attract their attacks, making one the first victim in this trial.

And so on…

Countless players endured in silence for over ten more minutes!

The expressions of the seven great experts grew increasingly stern, but their skills in using the power of the Heavenly Dao to counteract the combined forces of the seven also became more refined.

…

“Hahaha…”

A hoarse laugh emerged from beneath the lowered black cloak, carrying a strange metallic scraping tone: “Talented individuals do emerge in the Jianghu world—truly as expected! Who would have thought that after the Evil King and the Dark Queen, one could still encounter such a young prodigy of the Heavenly Dao in this desolate desert? I’m growing more and more eager for my journey to the Desert Palace.”

It was the mysterious old man surrounded by the group of barbarians—the expert who played the zither with six fingers—who broke the deadlock first. His hands, resting lightly on the worn zither, moved slowly as he spoke, producing a series of notes from the strings.

The seven figures trembled, and the tense atmosphere within a hundred meters suddenly transformed into a lively one filled with the sounds of birds and flowers.

A masterful performance on the zither shattered the deadlock created by the seven great experts and also calmed the swirling sand around them.

With the sound of the zither, all noises around ceased.

Whoosh!

The flames, suppressed to the point of almost disappearing, reignited and burned brightly, illuminating the calm faces of the group of mythic-level experts.

Wu Zun Bi Xuan’s expression had returned to normal!

Ye Gu Cheng merely gave the mysterious old man playing the zither a more serious look.

Dong Fang Bu Bai turned his face away and resumed eating the grapes handed to him by the servant, his leisurely demeanor and lazy posture giving the illusion that nothing had happened.

The Evil King and the Dark Queen found a spot by Ye Gu Cheng as he moved.

However, as Osaaya stepped forward to take the space vacated by the old man, Wu Zun Bi Xuan spoke casually, “The Evil King and the Dark Queen are leaders of the demonic forces in the Central Plains. It makes sense for them to intervene in the Desert Palace together. I certainly have no objections… But you two kids, bringing an old man along, also wanting a spot here to compete for the treasures of the Desert Palace?”

Except for Dong Fang Bu Bai, everyone else showed surprise.

In the recent confrontation, Osaaya’s strength as a Heavenly Dao expert had been proven to be at least on par with that of the Yin Queen. She should have qualified to enter the Desert Palace and had the ability to compete for its treasures. Yet, at this moment, the Martial Lord Bi Xuan created complications—was he trying to forge a formidable rival?

“…”

Osaaya stopped in her tracks.

The ever-perfect Holy Maiden of the Holy Flame Sect not only possessed extraordinary strength but also an unusual temper. Yet, being looked down upon by the Martial Lord Bi Xuan in front of so many equally powerful individuals made her frown involuntarily, anger flashing in her eyes.

“What do you mean by that, Martial Lord?”

“Which of us here isn’t a formidable hero striving to dominate the world? Our goals are all to seize the treasures of the Desert Palace and overthrow the Central Plains dynasty. You, a mere woman, with only a lover and an old servant at your side—entering the Desert Palace and engaging in real combat would only be a sure death.” The Martial Lord Bi Xuan spoke slowly and calmly, “I’m offering you this advice out of kindness—this is not a place for you.”

“Oh?” Osaaya retorted coldly, “So, I should thank you for that…”

“Hmph.”

As a grandmaster, how could the Martial Lord Bi Xuan fail to detect the subtle mockery in Osaaya’s words? Without getting angry, he said indifferently, “Since you insist on entering, I won’t stop you. But the Desert Palace is full of traps and complex paths. I don’t want anyone following behind… Don’t delude yourselves into thinking someone will clear the traps for you… If I see anyone following me, I won’t show mercy! No matter who they are!!” The last two sentences were clearly directed at Osaaya, but everyone present turned their gaze toward the Evil King and the Yin Queen.

Behind the Martial Lord Bi Xuan was an army-like force, with over fifty experts at the Mythical Realm level. Such a force was naturally beyond Osaaya’s ability to match.

However, the Demon Sect, which had two Heavenly Dao experts, made the Martial Lord Bi Xuan somewhat wary. The Demon Sect had sent few people this time—only Wanwan and Hou Xibai followed the Evil King and the Yin Queen. Once inside the Desert Palace, faced with traps, they might try to take advantage of others.

Although they were all Heavenly Dao experts, the Martial Lord Bi Xuan did not lose his vigilance!

The Yin Queen of the Demon Sect was notorious for using any means necessary, and the Evil King was a peerless hero of the Central Plains. After entering the Desert Palace, they posed the greatest threat, and Bi Xuan couldn’t afford to ignore them.

By bringing this up now, there would be no ambiguity or excuse if they ended up fighting each other once inside the Desert Palace.

Happy Row took their seats in the spot they managed to secure in Osaya, with the mysterious old man with the lute and the Invincible East as their neighbors. Glancing at the moon gradually swallowed by dark clouds in the distance, the Man with a Thousand Faces whispered, “The sandstorm will arrive at the darkest hour, no later than half an hour…”