Chapter 1198: The Desert, the Blood-Red Sunset

“Hiss…”
When a large group of players rushed to the battlefield from the Dragon Gate Inn, they all instinctively gasped in shock at the scene before them:
“Is this the Desert Palace?”
“What a huge pit!”
“I heard that the experts of the Heavenly Dao emerged from beneath this pit. But it seems now that the Desert Palace has been completely submerged by the shifting sands. Trying to enter it again is nothing but delusion.”
More and more people appeared on top of the sand dunes, looking down at the giant swirling vortex of shifting sands, several miles in diameter and hundreds of feet deep. They could hardly suppress the chill and awe rising from deep within them.
So much time had passed since they heard the news, yet the shifting sands still hadn’t filled the palace beneath the desert, showing just how massive the complex hidden there must be.
Countless people imagined what lay inside the Desert Palace!
But how could they possibly guess the cruel and almost monstrous death traps within? At most, they could merely marvel at the huge pit before them and engage in pointless speculation.
“Look!”
“Quick! Look over there!!”
The temperature in the desert was extremely high, and visibility was limited. Distant landscapes were blurred, making it impossible to discern anything clearly.
But many people followed the direction of the sound and faintly saw something piled up on the sand across from the spectacular swirling vortex—dense clusters that resembled small mounds of earth, like graves…
“Let’s go take a look!”
“There’s light of blades over there. Maybe the Tiger Soul is there. Let’s go!”
Many in the crowd became restless immediately!
Even more people, without hesitation, used their light-footed skills to move across the soft, scorching sand, leaping seven or eight meters at a time from the dunes, approaching the swirling vortex.
Encouraged and spurred on by these people, a dense crowd rushed down from the dunes. Some, eager to get there first, ignored their companions’ warnings and plunged into the swirling vortex using their light-footed skills, heading straight for its core. Once they got close, a strange mist hit them, and they silently fell into the vortex one after another. Gradually, fewer people dared to think of doing the same.
…
“This is…”
The first group to step across to the other side of the swirling vortex was once again shocked by the scene before them, though this time their shock was mixed with fear.
The flat sand surface ahead, stretching for several miles, resembled a patchwork of red and yellow—yellow sand stained with blood, not yet fully covered. A strong, pungent smell of blood filled the air.

As for those dense clusters of graves stretching for miles, they were naturally the bodies of the Jinyiwei who died here… Thousands of corpses filled the sight! Many of the bodies were not even intact; severed limbs lay exposed in the desert, covered with a thin layer of sand, yet their still-unhealed wounds remained horrifying to behold. Walking among these corpses, which resembled a mass grave in the desert, would send chills down even the bravest souls. “Was all this done by one person?” Many observant people quickly noticed that many had been cut in half mid-body over a wide area, with others killed in a straight line as well. The sandstorm had not yet covered up the grooves left by the blades. The deep gashes, several meters wide and long, made it clear just how formidable those blades were. Further away, intricate networks of such gashes had altered the very landscape of the desert. Among the crowd, people whispered, “Tiger Soul! It must be the power of Tiger Soul!!” “It’s said even the greatest experts in the Way of Heaven can’t withstand a single strike from Tiger Soul. If we could seize this peerless demonic weapon, it would be more effective than any ultimate martial art.” “Exactly!” “If even the leader of the Heaven and Earth Alliance was shot down by a group of ordinary Jinyiwei and Tiger Soul changed hands, why can’t we take it from that dead demon?” “I refuse to believe that all of us together, with bows, arrows, and poison, can’t kill him!” “Charge!” As the saying goes, “Three make a tiger!” Once one fearless person appears, more follow, which is why people die for wealth. Seeing more and more groups heading toward the place where dazzling blades and swords shone in the distance, many realized that the piles of corpses could no longer stop them… Boom!!! With a loud explosion, a fifty-meter-long tiger-shaped blade scraped past the leader of the Heaven and Earth Alliance, dragging a magnificent trench in the ground. Dust billowed instantly! The two were once again obscured by swirling sand. Apart from the lingering waves of blade energy that occasionally swept through, most people gathered there couldn’t see clearly what was happening in their fight, and could only judge the intensity of their battle from the sounds. The clash between these two top experts in the Way of Heaven turned a hundred-meter radius into a dead zone!

The group led by Shadow, who had stayed nearby, had already been terrified by the killings and retreated behind sand dunes a kilometer away. They cautiously poked out half their heads to watch the battle between the two supreme martial artists, not daring to show themselves in Dong Fang Bu Bai’s line of sight. The tragic fate of the Jinyiwei and many players was still fresh in their minds, and they certainly didn’t want to be torn to pieces by Dong Fang Bu Bai again.
“Forum leader, look! Over there…”
At the reminder of the students from Xifeng Tower, Shadow quickly noticed a black line appearing on the horizon across the vast desert, growing thicker by the second!
“Someone’s coming.”
“They should have arrived by now. With such a big commotion here… quite a few of them, it seems.” The group had been hiding carefully to avoid being seen by Dong Fang Bu Bai, but now, seeing the large number of dark dots appearing in the distance, Wu Kuo’s eyes lit up, and his tone became more relaxed: “Now, Dong Fang Bu Bai is about to start killing again…”
“It’s good if he wastes more of his internal energy…” Shadow said, then ordered his men behind him, “Send messages to the others who are coming. Tell them to take a detour so they won’t be noticed by Dong Fang Bu Bai and can join us.”
“Understood!”
Everyone knew that only by gathering their forces and regrouping could they have a chance to profit from the situation and ultimately obtain the Tiger Soul.
…
The tens of thousands of players who rushed from Longmen Inn to the battlefield were clearly unaware of the deadly peril they were facing! They still hoped to let the supreme martial artists fight each other while they took advantage of the chaos for their own gain. But before they could approach the battlefield where Dong Fang Bu Bai, the leader of the Heaven and Earth Alliance, and Cao Shaoqin were fighting, suddenly a gust of fierce sand erupted from the swirling yellow dust.
Whoosh!!!
The wind blew strongly, carrying sand and stones. Many players didn’t understand what was happening; they only saw a wave of sand suddenly blowing from the opposite side of the battlefield, covering everything in a thick veil as it rushed toward them. Most of them were unaware of the situation; a few, though wary, were surrounded by experts from the Wuwei Realm and trusted comrades, so none of them immediately sensed the danger hidden in the sand. They simply activated their protective barriers and threw a few flying knives into the sand tentatively.
The result? The flying knives disappeared into the dust like mud cows in the sea, with no response. The wind carried the sand, closing the distance by hundreds of meters in an instant! It wasn’t until the sand reached them that some people finally realized the severity of the situation, as they saw the leader of the Heaven and Earth Alliance and Cao Shaoqin chasing closely behind.

“What the hell is this!?”
“Be careful!”
“Dongfang Bubai!”
“The Tiger Soul is in his hands!!”
Shouts of shock rang out one after another…
Unfortunately!
It took Dongfang Bubai less than a breath to leave the battlefield, break free from the two supreme experts, and charge at the group of players. There was simply no time for them to take further precautions.
Roar!!!
With a deep and ferocious beastly roar, an extremely cold and ruthless aura suddenly swept through the sandstorm!
Slash!!!
A bright sword light, carrying an oppressive and despairing force, sliced through the sand ahead as if cutting water, revealing the shape of a tiger’s head to the eyes of countless players.
“Be careful!”
“Ah!!!”
Amidst the brief warnings, many were terrified by the aura of the Tiger Soul sword light and, just as they tried to turn around, the sharp blade passed over them.
Players in the distance saw it clearly.
In the sand, a blood-red sword light cut through the bodies of hundreds of players without any resistance, passing through them all…
Thud! Thud! Thud!!!
Blood splattered, and lifeless bodies rolled into the sand after a few seconds, covered by a thin layer of sand blown by the wind. The moment the bodies hit the ground, a red cloud rushed over them, with sword energy slashing in various directions.
Cruel!
Brutal!
Bloody!
Ferocious!
With each strike, the eerie bloodlight within the Tiger Soul grew stronger. Dongfang Bubai seemed completely immersed in the pleasure of killing, continuously attacking and slashing recklessly toward crowded areas.
“Ugh…”
As the wind blew, countless souls wailed in agony!
The next moment, countless players from Longmen Inn from the Central Plains and Western Regions were utterly terrified by Dongfang Bubai’s cruel tactics. Their faces turned pale, and they turned around without a word, too afraid to face the red-robed figure soaring through the crowd like a red cloud.
“Run away!”
“No matter how strong he is, he’s just one person. What’s there to fear…”
“Let’s all use hidden weapons together! If we can hold him off for a while, once the leader of the Heaven and Earth Alliance and Cao Shaoqin arrive, I doubt he can withstand them!”
Someone in the crowd spoke up, reminding everyone.
As soon as the words fell, some people immediately took action, firing daggers and poisoned needles at Dongfang Bubai.
After all, Dongfang Bubai was only one person and could pursue only one direction at a time. Those not under threat followed suit, taking the opportunity to attack.

One person, ten people… perhaps not yet a threat to Dong Fang Bu Bai, but when hundreds of people attack at once, the scene becomes utterly spectacular! A giant hand full of murderous intent emerges behind Dong Fang Bu Bai, stretching endlessly.