A large convoy roared down the road, stirring up a cloud of dust. Laughter and curses echoed along the way. At the rear of the convoy, there were people pushing carts and carrying flags, dressed in different attire from the mercenaries ahead. They were just servants responsible for washing clothes, cooking, and setting up tents. Among this group of dusty servants, one man, pushing a cart and wearing a tattered sun hat, suddenly looked up. His face was covered in dust, and only his black eyes were visible. He looked no different from the other dull-faced servants. “This is indeed a fortress that guards the border. Its scale is astonishing, far beyond what can be found in the inner cities of the empire…” As he gazed at the towering city walls, which grew larger as they approached, he let out a low sigh. It was Yan Xiao. It seemed he was using this mercenary group to sneak out of the empire’s last fortress. The convoy approached the city wall, and when they were just a few hundred meters away from the huge gate, Xiao Yan narrowed his eyes, looking up at the sky above the wall. There, he could faintly sense some invisible energy fluctuations. “So there are energy detectors. Good thing I didn’t try to jump over. If I had, those invisible detectors would have immediately exposed me. And if I were discovered, with the special ballista weapons in this military stronghold, I would be a sitting duck…” Xiao Yan frowned slightly. Although he could resist ordinary arrows with the help of the Pharmacist Elder, the specially crafted rare metal crossbows could still pose a significant threat, especially when caught off guard. After all, while the Pharmacist Elder’s power enhanced Xiao Yan’s strength, it did not make him strong enough to withstand a direct hit from a powerful crossbow. Moreover, it was hard to believe that such a vast empire lacked countermeasures against high-level experts. Xiao Yan had heard of specialized weapons like the Three-Linked Energy Breaker, the Divine Flame Bow, and the Soul Piercing Arrow, but these exotic weapons were extremely difficult to forge, so only a few elite units possessed them.
As the convoy neared the gate, Xiao Yan’s gaze fell on the imposing entrance. Seeing the strict defense, he frowned again. When the convoy was about a hundred meters from the wall, the galloping horses finally slowed down. Two men walked out from the front of the mercenary group and led the group towards the gate. The two men seemed to be the leaders of the mercenary group. From their laughter and conversation with the guards, it appeared they were familiar faces, likely not first-time visitors to this “Ghost Guard” fort. After a lengthy chat, the stern-faced guard finally nodded, seeming to have received something from the mercenary leader. He gestured to the others, and the barriers blocking the entrance were moved aside. “Phew…” Seeing the guards did not search the convoy, Xiao Yan breathed a sigh of relief. His tense body relaxed, and he tightened his grip on the cart handle, lowering his head and following the group towards the gate. Just as they were about to enter the gate, a cold, harsh shout suddenly rang out, causing the convoy to stop abruptly. “Who gave them permission to enter so easily?” As the shout echoed, the sound of clashing armor came from the dark gate. Moments later, dozens of fully-armed elite soldiers, with long spears, blocked the gate again. A young man with a sullen expression stepped forward, his cold gaze sweeping over the mercenary group. “Haha, it’s young Master Mengla. You seem more and more impressive each time we meet.” Seeing the convoy halted, the mercenary leader hurried forward. When he saw the sullen young man, he forced a smile and flattered him. “Banu, cut the crap. In the past, I let you pass, but today is different. My father said that anyone who wants to enter ‘Ghost Guard’ must be thoroughly checked.” The young man sneered, pulling out a piece of white paper from his pocket and tossing it to the guard. “Check everyone. If you find anyone matching the portrait, kill them on the spot!” The guard carefully took the paper, gave Banu a helpless smile, and then waved his hand. Almost a hundred guards raised their spears and began checking the convoy. “Damn…”
Xiao Yan cursed inwardly as soon as the young man appeared. It seemed that the wanted notice from the Yunlan Sect had already reached the imperial border. The guards searched the convoy one by one, comparing the portraits. Though the mercenaries were annoyed, they dared not act rashly. They knew that provoking this young man would mean they couldn’t leave the fort. The heavy troops here, even a Dou Wang, would have to retreat. Legends of one against ten thousand were rare exceptions. The young man, named Mengla, placed his hands behind his back, his gaze cold as a snake. He walked slowly along the convoy. Suddenly, he stopped, his gaze sweeping over the servants, who reeked of mildew and had their faces covered in dust. “Clean their faces!” “This young man is quite cunning, without any of the arrogance of the nobles inside the empire,” Xiao Yan thought, frowning. Mengla didn’t care about his status and came straight to the lowly servants. This made Xiao Yan feel uneasy. If the search continued, he would be exposed, and being exposed here would be very dangerous. Hearing Mengla’s order, the dull-faced servants hurriedly lowered their heads, using their sleeves to wipe the dust from their faces. Mengla’s cold gaze swept over the servants, and after a moment, he shook his head, somewhat disappointed. But then his gaze suddenly hardened, and he turned his head to stare at the last servant in the line, who was still keeping his head down. “You, raise your head.” At his command, everyone’s gaze turned to the servant, and the mercenaries looked at him in shock. The gray-robed servant sighed and raised his head, revealing a pair of black, calm eyes beneath the dust-covered face. When Mengla’s gaze met those black eyes, he was startled. The black eyes in the portrait flashed in his mind, and his expression changed. Years of battle had honed his reflexes, and he instantly retreated, shouting, “Seize him! He’s Xiao Yan!”
Though Mengla reacted quickly, he was only a Dou Shi. Before he could retreat fully, Xiao Yan snarled, and in a flash, he closed the distance, striking Mengla’s chest with a claw-like hand.
Blood spurted from Mengla’s mouth, and his face turned pale. Xiao Yan was about to strike again, but Mengla quickly dodged behind the soldiers. A Dou Shi with such agility was rare. “Hiss, hiss…” Dozens of sharp spears, glowing with slight Dou Qi, stabbed towards Xiao Yan’s head. The fierce and skillful attacks showed why these soldiers had survived the battlefield. Their aura was not that of ordinary soldiers. Twisting his head, Xiao Yan avoided the spears, but his attack was halted. Seeing the soldiers closing in, he frowned and retreated a few steps.
At the gate, the crowd watched in shock, especially at the sight of the talented young Mengla, severely injured. “Xiao Yan?! Is he Xiao Yan? The one who killed the Dou Wang Yun Leng from the Yunlan Sect?” Suddenly, someone in the mercenary group shouted, drawing heated gazes. The voice, though excited, held a hint of admiration. As the shouts died down, a commotion erupted. Everyone’s eyes fixed on Xiao Yan, who had recently caused a stir by breaking into the Yunlan Sect. With the Yunlan Sect’s wanted notice, almost everyone in the Gama Empire knew that providing information about Xiao Yan would earn them a Xuan rank Dou Qi cultivation technique, worth tens of thousands of gold coins. Such a reward tempted many to take risks. “Xiao Yan, with the heavy troops of ‘Ghost Guard,’ you can’t escape!” Mengla’s face turned purple, and he glared at Xiao Yan, his voice hoarse. “Young Master Mengla, I’d like to know, when did the heavy troops of ‘Ghost Guard’ become the dogs of the Yunlan Sect? If this gets to the Gama royal family, even your father will be punished, right?” Xiao Yan wiped the dust from his face and glanced at the elite soldiers, laughing coldly. Hearing Xiao Yan’s laughter, the soldiers hesitated. Officially, they belonged to the imperial army, not the Yunlan Sect. The wanted notice was not recognized by the official authorities. Capturing Xiao Yan was illegal.
“Haha, what a sharp-tongued little brat!” As the soldiers hesitated, a cold laugh came from the gate. A middle-aged man in silver armor strode out, his gaze cold. “I am Meng Li, the deputy commander of ‘Ghost Guard.’ By entering the city, you have broken the law. Surrender now, or suffer the consequences.”
“You’re Meng Li, the dog of the Yunlan Sect?” Xiao Yan scanned Meng Li, feeling the subtle aura emanating from him. “From his aura, he should be around a two to three-star Dou Ling.”
“Seize him!” Meng Li sneered, giving the order. Hundreds of elite soldiers flooded out of the gate, surrounding Xiao Yan, their spears gleaming in the sunlight. “Infiltration failed, time to force my way out…” The overwhelming killing intent around him made Xiao Yan’s face turn cold. He summoned his Heavy Dark Scale and swung it, creating a whistling wind. “Kill!” Seeing Xiao Yan draw his weapon, Meng Li laughed coldly. A few days ago, he had received a message from Yun Shan, stating that Xiao Yan, due to injuries from the recent battle, could no longer fight with his previous terrifying strength. That’s why Meng Li dared to intercept Xiao Yan. Otherwise, he wouldn’t dare to confront Xiao Yan at full strength. A Battle Sect-level fighter could not be restrained even by all the soldiers in this fortress. “Stop!” Just as the bloodthirsty soldiers were about to charge, a roar echoed, and a figure, like an iron tower, descended from the sky, crashing onto the ground and shaking the earth. He scanned the surroundings and then glared at Meng Li, laughing coldly. “Meng Li, my ‘Silver Armor Army’ does not belong to the Yunlan Sect. If you want to curry favor with the Yunlan Sect, do it yourself. Don’t use my men as stepping stones.”
“Mu Tie, you…” Seeing the burly man, Meng Li’s face turned ashen, and he bellowed.
“Hmph, Silver Armor Army, stand down!” Ignoring him, the burly man, Mu Tie, turned to the soldiers surrounding Xiao Yan and ordered.
“Yes, sir!” The soldiers, without hesitation, sheathed their spears and quietly retreated to the gate, standing still like wooden stakes. It was clear that Mu Tie’s reputation far surpassed Meng Li’s.
“Are you Xiao Yan? Haha, kid, you’ve got guts. You’re the first to make the Yunlan Sect so embarrassed. If it weren’t for my position, I’d invite you for a drink.” The burly man, Mu Tie, laughed like thunder.
“Thank you, Commander Mu Tie.” The sudden turn of events left Xiao Yan a bit stunned, but seeing Mu Tie’s friendly face, he smiled and replied politely.
“Don’t thank me; I’m just doing my job. If the Yunlan Sect’s wanted notice were officially recognized, I’d have to capture you. But since it’s not…”
Mu Tie waved his hand, glancing at the ashen-faced Meng Li, and smiled. “If you can leave through this guy, no one in ‘Ghost Guard’ will stop you.”
“Thank you, then.” Xiao Yan’s face turned grim, and he turned to Meng Li, smiling. “Deputy Commander Meng Li, if you want my head, do it yourself…”
“Little brat, you’re pretty bold. I don’t believe I can’t take you down in your current state!” Meng Li’s face turned from ashen to red, realizing he had been drawn into this. He was afraid of Xiao Yan’s abilities, especially since he had defeated Yun Leng, a formidable fighter. But backing down now would damage his reputation in “Ghost Guard,” so, despite his apprehension, he had no choice but to confront Xiao Yan.
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