Although the Undefeated Heavenly King was no longer the invincible force they once were, and this desert was not under their sole dominion, their status remained unquestionable, and they carried the pride of their past glories.
Leyton, though formidable, saw the faces of everyone around him darken at his words. The air was thick with unspoken tension, and battle was imminent. All eyes turned to Yao Hui; with a single word from her, every member of the Undefeated Heavenly King would spring into action.
Yao Hui hesitated. Leyton and his eighteen death warriors were all top-tier experts. If a fight were to break out, it would be of no benefit to their side. The likely outcome would be complete annihilation. Their numbers were dwindling, and fresh recruits were a rarity. Thus, their priority now was to preserve their strength as much as possible.
"I knew it. The Undefeated Heavenly King is all but a name, a hollow reputation. Chen Fan, look at the partner you chose. Is this the result you wanted?" Leyton boomed with laughter, clearly showing no regard for the Undefeated Heavenly King. To others, the Undefeated Heavenly King might have been renowned, but to them, they were merely a motley crew of incompetent freeloaders.
Chen Fan walked step by step towards Yao Hui, placing himself in front of her. He then continued, "He likes to mock you. Just bear with it. Fighting now would yield no benefits." It was evident that Leyton possessed his own capabilities, which explained his arrogance. Chen Fan also wished to minimize casualties, which would be greatly advantageous to them. However, Yao Hui's fists were clenched, clearly unaccustomed to such humiliation. After all, the Undefeated Heavenly King had always maintained its dignity.
Leyton let out a cold laugh, then glanced at Chen Fan. He continued, "Chen Fan, I'll give you one last chance. Are you going to cooperate with Yao Hui and her people, or with us, the people of the Thirteenth District?"
A faint smile flickered across Chen Fan's lips. After a moment, he slowly raised his finger and said, "No matter what you say, I will not stand on your side."
"In that case, it seems we have nothing more to discuss," Leyton said with a cold chuckle.
All eyes shifted back to Leyton. It was clear that a confrontation was about to erupt. However, just as the eighteen death warriors prepared for battle, a sudden gust of wind kicked up the surrounding sand. Moments later, fierce winds swept in, filling the air with a blinding sandstorm, reducing visibility to mere inches.
"What is this...?" Chen Fan had never been to the desert before and was unfamiliar with its weather.
Yao Hui beside him suddenly cried out, "Not good! A sandstorm!" In an instant, the swirling sand, like a colossal dragon, roared towards them.
At Yao Hui's command, everyone converged around her. Bai Zhannian also moved to Chen Fan's side. Simultaneously, Leyton and his group rapidly retreated. Continuing their fight was out of the question. Leyton immediately ordered, "Everyone, take cover!" Following his command, they quickly withdrew.
In an instant, the world was transformed. Yao Hui, leading her people, also retreated rapidly. The two groups quickly created distance between them. The sky remained choked with sand, and visibility was extremely low.
Bai Zhannian and Shalu remained close to Chen Fan, but they had lost sight of Yao Hui. In such harsh weather, finding companions was an incredibly difficult task. Shalu, familiar with the desert's terrain and weather patterns, decisively shouted, "We need to find shelter quickly to avoid being buried by the sand. Otherwise, it will be extremely difficult to even leave!"
Chen Fan nodded, and Bai Zhannian followed suit. At this point, everyone needed to follow Shalu's lead. In a moment, they reached a sand dune, and the three of them quickly took shelter.
Chen Fan asked, "Where are Yao Hui and the others?" The crisis was not yet over, but they were no longer in immediate danger. Chen Fan's thoughts then turned to the members of the Undefeated Heavenly King who had been with them. Recalling that the Emperor's Eye required Yao Hui's assistance, Chen Fan grew anxious.
Bai Zhannian shielded his eyes, doing his best to avoid the sand's abrasive assault. After a moment, he gritted his teeth and said, "I don't know. They've likely been separated from us."
Shalu added, "For now, we just need to protect ourselves. The Undefeated Heavenly King members are used to operating in the desert. This kind of situation is a walk in the park for them, so we don't need to worry about them!"
Chen Fan wasn't worried about them; he was worried about how they would find the Emperor's Eye without Yao Hui. Chen Fan's expression darkened. All their hopes were now pinned on the Undefeated Heavenly King, and unexpected trouble had struck. Damn it!
Bai Zhannian, who understood Chen Fan somewhat, said, "Let's wait for the sandstorm to pass, then we can figure out a plan."
"That's the only thing we can do now," Chen Fan's face grew even more somber. Time ticked by as they remained hidden behind the sand dune. Finally, the sandstorm subsided.
When the weather cleared, the surrounding paths were completely buried by sand. There was no sign of the Undefeated Heavenly King or the Thirteenth District anywhere nearby. Shalu explained, "I suspect they must have found another route and left."
"Left?" Chen Fan frowned. Recalling the scene just moments ago, he asked, "They were able to leave from here under these conditions?" They couldn't even see a meter ahead. Yet, the Undefeated Heavenly King and the Thirteenth District had managed to discern their direction and even lead their people away?
Shalu chuckled, "That's because they've been active in this area for years. To us, a sandstorm might be terrifying, but to them, it's merely a difficult journey."
"I knew the Undefeated Heavenly King couldn't be relied upon," Bai Zhannian suddenly chimed in. "I didn't expect them to abandon us and leave in this situation!"