Desert of Despair.

This desert was not known as the Desert of Despair just because of its boundless size, numerous beasts, and poisonous life forms. Its true source of despair originated from its super sandstorms. Sandstorms existed in all deserts, and generally, cultivators would be able to survive them.

But the super sandstorm in the Desert of Despair was extremely terrifying. Kings would face sure death before one, while Emperors could only flee. Not even Sovereigns would dare to clash against one head on.

It was precisely such a sandstorm that had suddenly appeared not far away just when the Overlord Legion was about to depart.

A tornado could be seen approaching from far away. It looked like a furious yellow dragon, roaring and wreaking havoc. It also looked like a berserk wave of sand that swallowed and destroyed everything in its path. The pupils of all the disciples constricted at its sight.

"Th-This is the legendary super sandstorm! It's like the world is ending. How fearsome."

"Stop looking. It seems to be coming our way. We need to flee."

"There are still some spirit crystals left in the vein. Should we dig them all out first?"

"You can stay if you want to die. This super sandstorm is not something we can stop."

...

The Overlord Legion members were flustered. The super sandstorm might look like it was still far away, but with its speed, it would reach them in no time. Many of them looked at Xiang Shaoyun, waiting for him to make a decision.

Unhesitatingly, Xiang Shaoyun commanded, "We will abandon the remaining spirit crystals. Everyone, retreat immediately."

With his command, they started flying away at top speed. Xiang Shaoyun and Ouyang Chuanqi stayed behind to watch their backs, showing their sense of responsibility as leaders.

The Overlord Legion had just undergone a major battle. Many of them were still injured. It wouldn't be easy for them to escape. Commanding the uninjured and lightly injured ones, Zhuge Zhantian had them assist the badly injured ones as they fled. But doing so, their escape slowed, further intensifying their crisis.

"Looks like we're tight on time. I'll go stop this super sandstorm for a bit to give everyone more time," offered Ouyang Chuanqi during the moment of crisis.

Just as he was about to make a move, Xiang Shaoyun stopped him. "Let me deal with this. You should go lead everyone and leave."

"Your Nether Soul Domain is scary, but it won't be much help against a sandstorm like this," said Ouyang Chuanqi.

"You underestimate me. I cultivate nine powers, and I am proficient in both wind and earth. I will have no problem stopping this sandstorm," said Xiang Shaoyun confidently. "Also, I am the actual commander of the Overlord Legion. You need to listen to me. Go and protect everyone on the return trip!"

He then dashed forth without giving Ouyang Chuanqi a chance to reply.

Looking at Xiang Shaoyun's back, Ouyang Chuanqi shook his head. "Remember not to overexert yourself." He then looked at the others and said, "Help the injured brothers and flee at your fastest speed. Also, change the direction so the sandstorm won't have a chance to catch up with us."

Not many of them noticed Xiang Shaoyun's departure, and when they heard Ouyang Chuanqi's command, they started helping the injured and fled in a different direction. As for Ouyang Chuanqi, he followed behind them, not forgetting to look back at the sandstorm.

At this moment, Xiang Shaoyun had already arrived before the sandstorm. Standing on the sand, he used the profundity of earth with all his strength, trying to snatch the sand from the sandstorm. If he succeeded, the might of the sandstorm would be halved, and it would be much less dangerous.

Gravity Field!

With the profundity of earth, he created a gravity field and tried forcing the sandstorm to stop. Sure enough, the super sandstorm was slightly obstructed. But just as Xiang Shaoyun was about to snatch the sand from the sandstorm, it started advancing again with a greater might as though it had been angered.

Xiang Shaoyun had underestimated the super sandstorm. Before he could snatch the sand away, an incomparably powerful force dragged in his entire person. He was sent flying about, and his gravity field was torn apart.

A vast amount of sand struck his body, putting him in extreme pain. He felt like he was facing a rain of arrows. Gnashing his teeth, he resisted the pain and used the profundity of wind, trying to first stabilize himself within the sandstorm.

He once faced the storm created by the yin devil wind. The two storms shared similar characteristics, and he was able to stabilize himself quickly and move alongside the wind. But immediately after, two massive boulders suddenly shot toward him.

Xiang Shaoyun was already exhausted from the earlier battle. He had also sustained some injuries. In his current unfavorable environment, even his reaction time had dropped greatly. Thus, the two boulders struck him.

Xiang Shaoyun did not expect to encounter such large boulders amid the storm. The impact was akin to a Sovereign's attack, causing Xiang Shaoyun to spit out a mouthful of blood and lose consciousness.

Ouyang Chuanqi was protecting the retreating disciples while waiting for Xiang Shaoyun to rejoin them after delaying the sandstorm. However, he found that Xiang Shaoyun had completely vanished after the sandstorm swallowed him. Furthermore, the sandstorm was not showing any signs of stopping. He guessed that a mishap might have happened.

"Don't tell me something really happened to that fellow?" Ouyang Chuanqi muttered under his breath.

Even after fleeing far away from the sandstorm, Xiang Shaoyun was still nowhere to be seen. Finally, he was sure that something had happened to Xiang Shaoyun.

At this time, Tang Longfei went to the rear of the group and asked, "Brother Ouyang, where is the overlord?"

Earlier, he was too busy helping the others, so he hadn't been paying attention to Xiang Shaoyun. The others also looked at Ouyang Chuanqi curiously, noticing that Xiang Shaoyun was not with them.

Ouyang Chuanqi sighed, "He went to block the sandstorm to give us more time. A mishap might have happened to him."