A flicker of anticipation rose in Yi Tianxing's heart.When arriving in a strange land, the most important thing was to gather precise information about the surrounding area. Now was the perfect opportunity.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Yellow sand exploded into the air.Suddenly, three figures burst forth from behind the dunes.
Looking closely, they were clearly three human cultivators—two men and one woman. Judging by the aura they emitted, they were only at the Divine Sea Realm, not particularly strong, but not weak either. From their murderous aura, it was evident they had seen their fair share of battle.
Right now, however, the trio bore expressions of fear and dishevelment, clearly in a desperate flight for their lives.
Clambering over the sand dune and spotting Yi Tianxing standing not far ahead, they froze briefly. Then, the woman's face turned anxious as she shouted:
"Fellow cultivator, run! A massive swarm of Crimson Flame Bugs is chasing us! If they catch you, you'll be torn apart and devoured!"
Worry was evident in her voice.
"Quick! Run, or you'll be picked clean by those things!"
The two men echoed the warning.
RUMBLE!!
The ground trembled violently. As the trio sprinted forward, bugs began to surge from the top of the sand dune.
These bugs resembled giant beetles, but on a monstrous scale. The smallest were the size of water barrels; most were two to three meters long. Their bodies were entirely covered in a crimson-red exoskeleton that looked extremely tough and durable.
They radiated intense heat.
Unlike regular beetles, the Crimson Flame Bugs had front legs shaped like sharp blades—twin scythe-like limbs, gleaming with a cold glint that made one's blood run cold. Just imagining being slashed by them was enough to inspire dread.
"Crimson Flame Bugs... The aura—they're Tier-1 ferocious beasts... Some even have Tier-2 strength."
Yi Tianxing's eyes gleamed as he assessed them. It no longer mattered whether they were considered insects or beasts. The savage glint in their eyes said it all: these were killers.
But the worst part was their sheer numbers.
In the blink of an eye, tens of thousands poured from the dune, charging like a tidal wave. Their limbs were perfectly suited to traversing the desert sands, moving swiftly and smoothly.
Within seconds, they were almost upon the trio, rapidly closing the distance.
The three cultivators had no choice but to run straight toward Yi Tianxing, still calling out anxiously for him to escape.
"Damn it! What terrible luck—running into Crimson Flame Bugs! They swarm if you provoke even one. And they can fly, too!"
"We're screwed. We're not getting out of this alive."
"No! Why aren't you running? Are you out of your mind? Even someone in the Life Aperture Realm would die surrounded by them—they can breathe fire!"
Their expressions turned to horror.
Yi Tianxing, however, stood motionless.Not because he was frozen in fear—but because these bugs weren't enough to make him flee.
With a flash of light, his war sword vanished, replaced by the Meteor Bow in his hand. Reaching into the void, he pulled out a single Runic War Arrow.
He nocked it.Drew the bow to a half-moon.No true essence was infused—this was all pure physical strength.
Whoosh!!
The arrow tore through the air, glowing with a green light as it flew with terrifying speed.
The three cultivators felt only a blur zip past their ears. Their clothes fluttered violently from the passing shockwave.
It was too fast—so fast they couldn't even react before the arrow had already hit.
They instinctively turned to look—and what they saw left them stunned.
The arrow slammed into the head of one Crimson Flame Bug, punched straight through, and kept going, piercing into the bug behind it. The second bug's tough shell was also blown apart, and both collapsed in a heap of blood and chitin.
The power was overwhelming.Half the body of the second bug exploded into pieces.
"What the—?!"
"Such a fierce arrow! He just killed two Crimson Flame Bugs with one shot!"
"An arrow that fast… If it had been aimed at me, I'd be dead before I even blinked. That's terrifying!"
The trio's hairs stood on end.In that moment, they realized—under this man's archery, they had no chance of survival.
But then, something even more shocking happened.
Yi Tianxing drew the bow again—three arrows at once.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Three streaks of light flew out, and six Crimson Flame Bugs fell in the blink of an eye.
He didn't stop.
Arrow after arrow launched like a storm of meteors, streaking through the air. In just a few breaths, the sand was soaked in blood. Over a hundred Crimson Flame Bugs lay dead.
Hiss!!
The horrifyingly efficient slaughter stunned even the bugs.
With a high-pitched screech, the swarm suddenly began to retreat.They turned and burrowed back into the sand, vanishing rapidly.
All that remained were piles of corpses littering the dunes.
Yi Tianxing had literally scared off the entire swarm with his arrows.
It seemed the bugs had a cowardly nature—they attacked in packs but feared powerful enemies. Once morale was crushed, they scattered.
Of course, if faced with a united species, things might've turned into an all-out war.
"Incredible… Even though they're cowardly by nature, this kind of retreat is still unbelievable."
"He's too strong. He must be above the Divine Sea Realm—definitely in the Life Aperture Realm."
Awe and respect filled the trio's hearts.
"Thank you for saving us, fellow cultivator. Without your help, we would've been doomed. If Crimson Flame Bugs surround you, there's no escape."
They bowed together in gratitude.
"No need to thank me. Those bugs were coming for me too. I was just defending myself," Yi Tianxing replied calmly. "By the way, I arrived here by accident and have no idea where this is. Do you know what this place is called? Is there any settlement nearby?"
He made no effort to hide his newcomer status.In fact, being honest was the fastest way to get information.
"So fellow cultivator just arrived in the Golden Sand Desert? That explains it," one of the men said. "No one really knows how big this desert is—it's enormous. All you can see is endless sand."
"But it's not desolate," the other added. "There are humans here, and plenty of sand insects, desert wolves, ferocious birds, and even the Sandmen Tribe."
"There are oases scattered across the desert. They're the lifeblood of this land and the centers of activity. The most famous place is the Ancient City of Jingjue. But it's far from here—not easy to reach. Still, there is a human settlement nearby. We can take you there—it's not far."
The three of them were quite chatty.Seeing that Yi Tianxing was unfamiliar with the region, they began explaining enthusiastically. They clearly had no bad intentions and were easy to get along with.
In their conversations, Yi Tianxing learned their names: the two men were brothers, surnamed Zhang. The elder was Zhang Feng, the younger Zhang Shan. The woman was called Li Xue. The three formed a team and hunted beasts together in the desert. They worked well as a unit—though this time, they'd simply had terrible luck running into a swarm of Crimson Flame Bugs.
After cleaning up the battlefield and collecting the bodies, they led the way to the nearby settlement.
Along the way, they shared more details:Oases were scattered throughout the desert, each a source of life and a hub for various races. Fierce competition over resources was common. Death was an everyday occurrence.
Some built villages, others established towns.
And the most legendary location?Still the Ancient City of Jingjue.