Chapter 1193: Tracks of Wolves in the Desert

The scorching sand danced in the wind; the days in the desert were always suffocating and unbearably hot. The air one breathed seemed to evaporate one’s internal energy, leaving the body sticky and uncomfortable!
That’s why during the day, it was almost impossible to see any players in the desert. Aside from some necessary special missions, few would willingly venture deep into the desert to endure such hardship.
That day…
Deep in the desert, many people gathered near an ancient ruin buried under yellow sand—some in groups, others in small clusters—hiding in the shadows behind dunes to escape the scorching sun.
Even so, the dense crowd in the desert still suffered greatly, constantly sticking out their tongues to expel the fiery heat from their bodies.
“It’s so hot…”
“Damn it! They sent me to this damned place. At night, my urine freezes and I can’t pee; during the day, it feels like I’m soaked in urine… What a hell of misfortune!”
Many people in the crowd complained bitterly under the scorching sun, cursing endlessly, but none of them wanted to leave.
Because this was the Longmen Inn!
Of course!
The original Longmen Inn had been completely destroyed by the Black Storm. All that remained was a large mound of earth as a remnant.
These people had come here from all over after receiving system announcements a few days ago!
As news of the Desert Palace spread, martial artists from the Central Desert and many strong warriors from western kingdoms flocked to the area around the Longmen Inn…
Unfortunately!
Most of them arrived just as the Black Storm hit. By the time it passed, the Longmen Inn no longer existed!
As a result, many people voluntarily cleared the yellow sand outside the Longmen Inn—but sadly, the sandstorms hadn’t fully subsided. Even after digging, it was quickly covered up again, and it took ages to restore the inn to its original state.
Some time passed, and more and more martial artists traveled thousands of miles to arrive here. Thus, the spectacular scene of tens of thousands of people gathered around the Longmen Inn emerged!
The Black Storm had passed, but there was still no news from the Desert Palace. Yet, those who had arrived here showed no intention of leaving—until they received definite news from the Desert Palace, no one wanted to leave right away.

The people gathered at Longmen Inn from all corners of the world came from all walks of life, forming a highly diverse group. Yet, unbeknownst to them, they naturally divided into two major camps: those from the Central Plains and those from outside, each occupying the east and west sides of Longmen Inn, respecting strict boundaries and avoiding conflict.

On the east side of Longmen Inn, the forces from Xifeng Tower stood out the most! After Mirage sent the message, troops from nearby branches rushed there almost overnight from southern cities, arriving in a state of exhaustion—numbering over two thousand, making them the closest group to Longmen Inn.

In contrast, Jinxiu Heshan, the most powerful force in the Central Plains at the time, sent only a small number of people, with less than fifty members gathered together.

Seeing this, the forces from Xifeng Tower and those from the Central Plains all breathed a sigh of relief! Although Jinxiu Heshan operated with integrity in the Central Plains under the systems introduced by Kai Xin and Ji Feng, its approach was gentle, many factions still preferred not to oppose it in the struggle for power. Even Xifeng Tower and Mirage didn’t want a tense or confrontational relationship with Jinxiu Heshan.

So…

This time, Jinxiu Heshan didn’t send any prominent representatives or take the initiative to contact other factions, which secretly relieved many people, who assumed Kai Xin was too busy with other matters to deal with this issue. Some believed Jinxiu Heshan might have overlooked Longmen Inn due to its geographical location. Whatever the reason, it was good news for them.

The factions from the Central Plains grew reassured, with many considering Xifeng Tower their main rival!

…

On the west side of Longmen Inn, although many strong fighters from different countries arrived and were highly vigilant toward each other, since the area was part of the Central Plains, the local strongmen were their greatest rivals. Everyone uniformly turned their attention outward toward the Central Plains, allowing the diverse forces on the west side to coexist peacefully.

On the west side, the Brahmins from Persia, the Dragon- Elephant School from Mongolia, and some scattered strong fighters from Thailand and Vietnam held significant influence.

However!

Behind a sand dune further north on the west side, there were nearly a hundred men and women dressed in yellow clothes and pants. Their attire matched the color of the desert, making it difficult to spot them from afar. Instead of hiding in the shade of the sand dune, they remained exposed to the scorching sun. Yet none of them showed the slightest sign of discomfort, allowing sweat to roll down their faces onto the hot sand. They sat, lay, or closed their eyes in silence—eerily calm.

Whoosh…

I don’t know how much time passed before a faint sound of something cutting through the air, along with the rustling of the sand, came from the wind. On the basin-like dunes, nearly a hundred people opened their eyes one after another. Swish! Pairs of gazes, like icy arrows, focused on a dark yellow figure. With just a glance, most of them removed the coldness from their eyes and resumed closing them to rest. “Good news.” The person rushed into the crowd, came to the two men and two women, took off the mask that protected them from the sandstorm, revealing a sharp-faced appearance, and spoke in a cold, firm tone: “Someone saw that there seems to be a big disturbance in the east, possibly related to the Desert Palace.” If Happy were here, he would surely recognize the speaker. It was Jin Luosha, a master of the Wild Wolf Organization! In front of Jin Luosha, the two men and two women were also familiar faces from the Wild Wolf Organization—Xiao Taohong and Xian Er, who used twin swords, as well as Yan Lang and Xueyu Dao. “What’s the general situation?” After months apart, Jin Luosha, Yan Lang, and Xueyu Dao exuded an even greater sense of icy coldness and composure. They replied coldly after hearing the question. “An insider from Yipin Tang confirmed that elite members of the Jinyiwei have launched a large-scale campaign to suppress a group of rebels who escaped from Longmen Inn.” “Our mission is the Desert Palace—a regular quest. Do you think it’s worth risking all ninety-nine of us, the Wild Wolves?” This time, it was Xian Er who spoke, her cool voice carrying a hint of menace and a condescending tone. Jin Luosha frowned slightly but didn’t react immediately. He patiently continued explaining: “According to the insider from Yipin Tang, the leader of the operation is Cao Shaoqin, a true master of the Heavenly Dao, accompanied by eighteen secret guards. There are also thousands of elite Jinyiwei members, including some at the Mythical realm…” “…What does that prove?” Although Xian Er’s tone remained cool, there was less menace in her words, replaced by an indescribable mood. Jin Luosha’s tone stayed unchanged: “The rebels led by Zhou Huai’an have only two at the peak of the Mythical realm and a few ordinary Mythical-level experts. Even without Cao Shaoqin, the gap in strength between them is still huge! Zhou Huai’an and his group are doomed… If I’m not mistaken, something will happen over there.” Hearing this… The two men and two women exchanged glances. Yan Lang spoke up: “You need to understand that our goal is the treasures of the Desert Palace and the secrets hidden deep within it. The boss won’t allow us to put all ninety-nine of us, the Wild Wolves, in danger just because of your speculation.”

“Although this is Central Plains territory, don’t forget that the only ones who can pose a threat to us are Happy and Emperor Yi… and those two aren’t here! Are we, the Wild Wolves, supposed to become hesitant just because of a few failures?”
Jin Raksha couldn’t hold back anymore!
Yan Lang retorted as usual, “We’ve lost track of Happy since half a month ago. How can you be so sure she’s not in the Desert?”
“If Happy never shows up again, does that mean we, the Wild Wolves, will have to live in hiding from now on?”
Jin Raksha sneered, “Since when have we, the Wild Wolves, become so weak?”
The four of them paled at these words.
“Raksha!”
Xiao Taohong couldn’t help but scold, “The leader has his own considerations!”
“That’s right,” Blood Prison Blade also spoke, frowning deeply and in a serious tone. “We’ve all seen the footage of Happy’s battle against the Evil King. Her strength has improved rapidly. Moreover, Jinxiu Heshan and Xifeng Tower haven’t infiltrated each other as we expected, leaving no chance for conflict. Now that Central Plains is united, it’s difficult for us, the Wild Wolves, to act. If we’re not careful and Bai Xiaosheng catches wind of our plans, it will surely ruin the leader’s strategies.”
“…”
Jin Raksha fell silent.
“Even if there’s something suspicious about the mission at Longmen Inn, it’s too far from here and shouldn’t intersect with the Desert Palace… Raksha, stay here from now on and keep quiet. I’ll arrange for someone else to take over the subsequent intelligence gathering,” Yan Lang ordered.
But just as he was about to reassign personnel, a messenger pigeon rushed through the air!
Many people around them opened their eyes again, their gazes fixed on the messenger pigeon in Yan Lang’s hands…
“The leader’s message?”
Xian Er and Xiao Taohong both looked at him with questioning expressions.
Yan Lang quickly tore open the note, glanced at its contents, and his eyes lit up! He shot a quick look at Jin Raksha, who sat aside in disapproval, then said, “Raksha! It’s the leader’s order!”
“…”
Jin Raksha was stunned, then heard an order that filled him with joy:
“Immediately gather thirty of our brothers and head to Longmen Inn. At the same time, find an insider in Yipin Hall and tell him…” He paused, his lips moving but no sound coming out.
After a brief exchange, the insider’s eyes lit up!
“I told you! There must be something suspicious over there. I was right, wasn’t I? Hahaha!!!” With wild laughter, Jin Raksha stood up excitedly, gathered a group of people, and led them over the dunes toward Longmen Inn not far away.

Yan Lang and the others stood up together, watching as Jin Luosha’s group walked away.
Xian Er finally couldn’t contain her curiosity:
“Did the boss give us any instructions?”
“Of course… The boss said that once the people at Longmen Inn are stirred up, we must keep an eye on Hu Po’s movements at all times. The boss also said that this ancient weapon… must not be lost!”