Chapter 428: Chapter 426: Arrival
The Camel Peak Bird was incredibly fast. The journey from the Celestial Spirit Sect to the Desert Land, which would have normally taken half a month on foot, was covered in a mere two days before the vast, golden desert came into view.
Below, the Desert Land and the oasis formed a stark dividing line. This line acted like a barrier; no matter how violent the storms or how potent the Energy within the desert, anything crossing it from the desert side would simply vanish. You could live right on the boundary and feel no threat from the Desert Land whatsoever. It was truly miraculous.
The Celestial Spirit Sect disciples on the Camel Peak Bird’s back were all amazed by this dividing line. A sharp glint flashed in Shen Haoran’s eyes. He thought he might know the reason. ’The formation of the Desert Land is likely related to the Earth Spirit Profound Nether within the Desert Ancient City,’ he mused, ’and this boundary line was probably its creation.’
WHOOSH...
The Camel Peak Bird seemed to pay it no mind. With just a few beats of its massive wings, it instantly shot across the boundary and flew deep into the Desert Land.
The moment they entered the Desert Land, a scorching heat wave blasted them, and turbulent Energy pressed in on the group from all sides. However, these were no ordinary Martial Artists. Energy of this level had little effect on them; they didn’t even need to release their Protective Spiritual Power, enduring it with their physical strength alone.
Upon entering the Desert Land, the Camel Peak Bird grew excited. It was born for this place; the desert was its paradise. Its flight speed surged, and the group could only watch as the sea of sand below blurred and retreated. It covered vast distances in the blink of an eye!
However, even at the Camel Peak Bird’s terrifying speed, they still couldn’t see the end of the Desert Land. Their view in every direction was an endless golden ocean. It made sense. The Desert Land took up more than half of the Northern Domain’s territory; its sheer size was difficult to comprehend. Even with the Camel Peak Bird’s speed and endurance, crossing it completely was not a guaranteed feat.
The deeper they flew, the denser the turbulent Energy became. Even the Camel Peak Bird, which considered this place paradise, had to slow down. A faint golden Spiritual Power materialized around its body to resist the corrosive Energy. Likewise, the disciples on its back began to channel their own Spiritual Power, forming suits of Spiritual Armor to block the scorching heat and violent forces of the desert.
However, among the eleven people on the bird’s back, two stood out in particular: Shen Haoran and Xue Shitian. By this point, even the Grand Elder had manifested a thin layer of Spiritual Power for protection. Yet, there was no change in Shen Haoran or Xue Shitian. They remained perfectly calm and composed, as if the scorching heat and turbulent Energy had no effect on them whatsoever.
Everyone couldn’t help but stare at the two, secretly astonished. ’At the bird’s current speed, we’ve already entered the heart of the Desert Land. The heat and turbulent Energy here are already incredibly powerful. Without using Spiritual Power to resist, it would continuously corrode your body. If this energy invaded your meridians, it could cause them to stagnate, and in a severe case, your cultivation could be completely destroyed! Even the Grand Elder, at his level of Spirit Aspect Peak, wouldn’t dare to face this with his physical body alone. How can those two just ignore it?’
What shocked them even more, however, was Shen Haoran. It wasn’t surprising that Xue Shitian, the top genius on the Northern Domain’s Hidden Dragon List, possessed such strength. But for Shen Haoran, a mere Tier Five Spirit Marquis, to be able to do the same... this forced them all to re-evaluate their perception of him.
"Hmph, he’s just putting on an act. What’s so special about that? Risking his own body and cultivation just to grab attention... what a fool. Does he really think getting a spot to advance directly puts him on the same level as Senior Brother Xue? That’s a joke!" a female disciple in the group muttered with disgust, shooting Shen Haoran a resentful look.
This female disciple, Gao Xuan, was the only other woman in the group aside from Murong Wanqing. She was an ardent admirer of Xue Shitian. Her hostility toward Shen Haoran stemmed from the competition for the advancement spots, where she had been soundly defeated by Murong Wanqing. And since Murong Wanqing was associated with Shen Haoran, Gao Xuan naturally transferred her resentment to him.
No one heard her muttering. As the Camel Peak Bird pressed on, they drew ever closer to the heart of the Desert Land, and the surrounding Energy grew increasingly terrifying. Eventually, even someone as powerful as Xue Shitian was forced to release his Spiritual Power to ward off the oppressive forces.
Shen Haoran, however, remained completely unaffected. Out of the eleven disciples, he was the only one who still hadn’t released his Spiritual Power. The faces of the other ten were all extremely grim. The searing heat had turned their faces red and brought beads of sweat to their foreheads. Some were even panting heavily; the journey had consumed an immense amount of their Spiritual Power just to resist the surrounding turbulent Energy.
Shen Haoran, by contrast, looked completely at ease. His aura hadn’t weakened in the slightest; if anything, it seemed to have grown stronger. His breathing was steady and powerful, showing no signs of discomfort. His relaxed state earned him a sidelong glance from even the Grand Elder. A cold glint entered Xue Shitian’s eyes as he looked at Shen Haoran, and Gao Xuan’s expression turned even uglier. She had assumed Shen Haoran was just faking it, but now even her idol, Xue Shitian, couldn’t withstand the corrosive Energy, while Shen Haoran remained completely unbothered. It felt like a stinging slap to her face.
Shen Haoran simply responded with a faint smile. ’Any other Martial Artist in this environment would have to use Spiritual Power to resist the corrosive Energy, but not me,’ he thought. ’This scorching heat is nothing compared to the Fire Spirit Black Obsidian. It might be unbearable for others, but to me, it’s just a warm breeze. And as for this turbulent Energy... in the face of my Chaos Divine Body, a physique that can devour and perform Refinement on any type of Energy, it’s nothing more than nourishment...’
"We’ve arrived. The Desert Ancient City!" the Grand Elder announced from the front, looking ahead, just as the others were still marveling at Shen Haoran.
Hearing his words, everyone snapped back to reality and looked forward. The sight that greeted them left them utterly stunned.
"So this is the Desert Ancient City..." Shen Haoran murmured, his face a mask of astonishment.
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