The scorching sun over the Gobi Desert beat down like a giant furnace, scorching the yellow sand until it practically boiled. Waves of blistering heat rolled through the air, shimmering into layers of distorted mirages. The sandy ground beneath felt hot enough to melt the soles of boots, every step radiating intense heat straight up from the soles of the feet. Gu Jinghong’s dark armor was already soaked through with blood, the congealed scabs mixing with grit like countless tiny grains of sand embedded in his flesh. Every breath tugged at the wound beneath his ribs, a piercing pain spreading through his entire body like the bite of a poisonous snake. His breathing was heavy and ragged, every inhalation accompanied by a sharp pang as though countless needles were piercing his lungs. Sweat continually dripped from his forehead, falling onto the blood-stained armor where it instantly evaporated, leaving behind trails of white salt crusts.
He swung his sword to parry the attack of the seventeenth assassin, the blade clashing against a scimitar with a harsh metallic screech that left the web of his hand numb. Dark purple venom trails were slowly creeping up the meridians of his arm like countless tiny vines growing wildly within his veins; with every inch they spread, they brought a bone-chilling cold. Wherever the venom trails passed, his skin turned icy and rigid, as if losing all sensation. Gu Jinghong clenched his teeth, enduring the pain as he silently cursed the damned pois…
Chapter 72