Chapter 238: The Dune Kingdom
The forest’s edge gave way to barren grasslands, and beyond the grasslands lay a vast, desolate desert. This was the largest desert in this world, stretching for millions of miles. Beneath the two, endless golden sand dunes extended as far as the eye could see, undulating like giant dragons winding their way across the landscape.
The sun beat down mercilessly on the desert, heat waves shimmering like a veil, blurring their vision. Even flying high above, they could feel the waves of heat rising. It was hard to imagine that life or civilization could exist in such a place.
“How long have we been flying?” Zhanyue was getting tired. “I’m a bit worried we might get lost.”
“Lost? Not likely. The Bird Clan has an innate, keen sense of direction. We’ve been flying north the whole time, so we haven’t lost our way. It’s just that this desert is truly vast; we haven’t reached the so-called center yet,” Yunyao explained.
“It’s hard to imagine how outsiders manage to reach that supposed oasis on foot. No wonder the Dune Clan is so isolated. This natural barrier is the best great wall,” Zhanyue mused.
As they spoke, a sandstorm approached. It was overwhelming, like a colossal beast, making it hard to breathe. Though it was high noon, the sky suddenly darkened as the sandstorm blotted out the sun.
“Should we find a place to take shelter?” Zhanyue asked, looking at the approaching sandstorm that seemed to topple mountains and overturn seas. They were flying high, but would still be affected. Flying any higher might make it impossible to see the ground, especially given the poor visibility in the heat-shimmering desert.
“It’s fine,” Yunyao said as she drew her sword. Terrifying sword qi directly tore the sandstorm apart. It was another sword qi corridor, but this time Yunyao didn’t manifest the Heavenly Emperor’s form. The sword qi formed two walls of energy, splitting the sandstorm and allowing them to pass through quickly.
“You’ve grown stronger again,” Zhanyue remarked. This woman was already powerful, and this period of trials had elevated both her realm and her mental state.