The sky suddenly darkened, and yellowish clouds obscured the sunlight. The surrounding ice and snow disappeared, replaced by endless yellow sand.
A wide river descends from the distant clouds and surges across the land, splitting the desert in two. The river is turbulent and powerful, resembling a stampede of horses up close. Pyramid-like structures are scattered along the riverbanks, varying in height and seemingly following a certain pattern.
Huang Liang knew this wasn't real. He had fallen into a vast dream, but he didn't know which of the two monsters' consciousnesses was responsible for it. Perhaps it was both.
He saw Itjenetjer spread his arms wide, his black robe billowing in the wind, and a black line appeared on the horizon behind him, slowly moving toward him.
The black line moved closer and closer, accompanied by howling winds and swirling black sand.
A massive sandstorm swept in, the immense pressure making it hard for Huang Liang to breathe. Fortunately, the main target of this pressure was not him, but Horemheb Horemheb, who suddenly vanished into thin air.
Where he disappeared, the sand on the ground suddenly rose up and piled up into a monster with the head of a lion and the body of a human. The monster roared angrily at the front, and the roar was accompanied by howling, which stirred up a gale and the yellow sand on the ground, forming a sand wall swirling in the wind.
The black and yellow sand walls collided, creating a deafening roar as immense Mental Power exploded outwards. Huang Liang staggered back a few steps, his spirit nearly giving way.
Some black sand hit his left cheek, causing a cold, sharp pain. The dark aura carried by the sand penetrated his skin, passed through the muscles of his cheek, and made him feel as if even his teeth were being crushed. Meanwhile, some yellow sand hit his right cheek, causing a burning pain, as if it were sparks from a steel furnace.
He saw Howard across from him stagger back several steps as if he'd been hit by a car, clearly also struggling under such mental pressure. The other man in black, however, was noticeably stronger, only swaying slightly.
He then looked at Hong Kui.
Hong Kui didn't move at all, but he looked very weak. The Soul of Ice in his hand emitted a faint, visible spiritual light, becoming a transparent, invisible energy shield that slightly blocked some of the external mental pressure for him.
Huang Liang knew that with this item in hand, Hong Kui could at least withstand the opponent's mental attack in the short term without being in any danger. However, under such circumstances, it would be very difficult for his already weakened Mental Power to recover.
The standoff between Itjenetjer and Horemheb seemed endless. Judging from the sandstorm swirling in the sky, their strengths were roughly equal, or if there was a difference, it was beyond Huang Liang's comprehension. He naturally hoped Horemheb would win, regardless of whether he was an ancient demon or some other monster; at least for now, he seemed to be on his side.
But one cannot rely on luck. Huang Liang was a cautious man; he knew that the biggest variable now lay with him. If he could quickly eliminate Howard, he could then free up his hands to help Hong Kui. Once he and Hong Kui jointly eliminated the man in black, the score would become three to two. At that point, Horemheb's chances of winning against Itjenetjer would greatly increase.
With that thought, Huang Liang no longer hesitated. He focused his mind intently, and the invisible scalpel in his hand condensed into light. He struck with a deadly move; a dazzling red light flashed, and the blade's energy cleaved through the dust before him, pointing directly at Howard's neck.
But Howard was no ordinary man; he was a veteran of the organization and Huang Liang's mentor.
He shrank his neck and his body disappeared into the black cloak and trench coat. Then he escaped from the trench coat, leaving it empty, like Ghost floating in the air, only to be cleaved in two by Huang Liang's blade energy.
Of course, all of this was done within his consciousness, a mental attack, and there was no physical scalpel. The trench coat that was shredded by the scalpel also disappeared into thin air as Howard's mind departed.
Howard appeared three steps away, still wearing his black cloak and trench coat, but there was a slight gap in his aura, a wound left on his spirit from Huang Liang's attack.
"You're not bad, kid," Howard sneered. "Have you improved too much under that old woman's tutelage these past few years, or did you hide most of your strength from the beginning?"
Huang Liang didn't answer. His first strike missed, and he immediately unleashed a second slash. Another flash of crimson light passed before Howard's eyes. This time, Howard was prepared. He leaned back and waved his hands, conjuring an invisible shield that blocked the incoming blade.
They vaguely heard the sound of metal clashing. This was not a hallucination; it was part of a dream constructed by their consciousness and memories.
A flash of light appeared, and the clanging sound of swords clashing against shields echoed in the air. Huang Liang unleashed more than a dozen strikes in one breath. Howard struggled to maintain his balance, seemingly powerless to retaliate, but Huang Liang's sword energy did not harm his core. However, cracks had appeared in the invisible shield in front of him, and the sword energy seeped in through the cracks.
Huang Liang could have continued his attack; if he could have landed a dozen more strikes, Howard would have been unable to withstand it. However, the mental pressure emanating from Itjenetjer and the Horemheb was simply too terrifying. Under this pressure, Huang Liang had to exert all his strength with every swing of his sword, as if he were in the deep sea, the surrounding water pressure making it difficult for him not only to breathe but also to lift his arm.
The wind grew stronger, and Horemheb, now a lion-headed, human-bodied monster, slowly swayed its massive body and took two difficult steps forward. It opened its enormous mouth, aiming at Itjenetjer, intending to swallow him whole.
Itjenetjer's figure disappeared into the black sandstorm, causing Horemheb to miss his target.
A sharp whistling sound suddenly rang out from the dark sandstorm. The sound was particularly piercing, like ten thousand people scratching glass with their fingernails at the same time.
Then, the weather changed dramatically, and a distorted black face appeared in the swirling black sand—it was Itjenetjer, who had hidden in the sandstorm.
Horemheb stopped abruptly. He covered his ears with both hands, shook his Lion a few times, and looked pained.
The black sandstorm seized the opportunity to surge forward, and the yellow sand walls, like waves crashing against reefs, rolled back and buried Horemheb in the sand in an instant.
Huang Liang inwardly cried out in alarm, knowing that if Horemheb lost, he and Hong Kui would have no chance of winning against Itjenetjer.
Just then, the yellow sand dune suddenly rose up, and a giant beast emerged from the sand. The beast's body looked like Lion, but it had a human head.
Huang Liang immediately thought of the Great Sphinx in the Egypt desert.
Horemheb, now a sphinx, lay prostrate on the ground and roared at Itjenetjer in the black sand. The heavens and earth trembled, and the yellow sand surged forward once more.
Then, the Lion suddenly leaped into the air, extending its huge, sharp claws, and pounced towards Itjenetjer's face.