Now the Palace Family’s caravan had departed in frustration, but fortunately, the opponent had no interest in the six ferocious beasts. Otherwise, the Palace Family would have suffered a significant loss this time.
Encountering such a situation while crossing the Death Desert, they felt helpless. The opponent was too powerful, and surviving was already a great fortune. They just wondered how the opponent would deal with the Fourteen Desert Bandits. If the opponent could eliminate the bandits within the Death Desert, that would be a good thing.
In the future, the Death Desert without the Fourteen Desert Bandits would be much safer.
Watching the Palace Family’s caravan leave, Lin Fan exhaled in relief. He thought to himself, this whole “Yin and Yang transformation” business, and the claim that gender didn’t matter, was all just his own nonsense. If that were truly the case, he wouldn’t have kept staring at Gong Bingye’s chest the entire time.
However, he couldn’t entirely blame himself for what had happened. After all, it was Gong Bingye who provoked him with words. How could a real man allow himself to be overshadowed by a weak woman? For someone like him, destined to become a figure of awe-inspiring power across the heavens, such an incident would be an indelible stain on his record.
Now, the Fourteen Desert Bandits were trembling with fear.
“Senior, can we leave now?” they asked nervously.
Outmatched in strength, they were treated like ants that could be crushed at any moment. They had accepted their fate, but for Sha Dulong, all he wanted now was to preserve his life.
Lin Fan looked at the Fourteen Desert Bandits, his eyes gleaming, and a faint smile curled his lips. The sight of that smile sent shivers down the bandits’ spines—could it be that he intended to kill them all?
“Brother, maybe we should fight back!” Though small in stature, Sha Mexue couldn’t stand the feeling of having his life controlled by someone else—it was extremely uncomfortable.
Lin Fan, meanwhile, was contemplating his own plans. His current objective was the Hell of Flames.
The Hell of Flames was the closest perilous forbidden zone to the Holy Sect among the Seven Sacred Treasures Map locations. According to records in the sect’s ancient texts, it was an extremely dangerous forbidden area—no sect dared to conduct trials there.
The region was perpetually shrouded in gray haze, and it was home to eternal, unquenchable infernal flames, like a living hell on earth.
Though the Hell of Flames was the closest among his intended destinations, the journey was still extremely long. At his current pace, Lin Fan had only completed about one-fifth of the trip.
What kind of dangers lay ahead, even Lin Fan couldn’t predict.
Moreover, this journey was nothing like staying within the sect. Outside, no one would know who he was, and he would have to handle everything—food, shelter, and daily necessities—on his own.
Seeing Lin Fan’s silence and the chilling gleam in his eyes, Sha Dulong felt despair. Perhaps today would mark the end of the Fourteen Desert Bandits.
Looking at the men who had followed him for years, Sha Dulong sighed deeply. He had been honored with their respect, becoming their leader. Now, it was his duty to fulfill the responsibility of a leader.
At that moment, Sha Dulong threw his weapon to the ground and looked at Lin Fan. “Senior, one must bear the consequences of one’s own actions. We Fourteen Desert Bandits may have killed many, but never the innocent. Life is about surviving another day and having a full meal. Senior, I beg you, spare my brothers. Whatever punishment you wish to give, I shall bear it alone.”
“Brother, no!” the bandits cried out in alarm.
“Brothers, no more words,” Sha Dulong waved them off.
They were desert wanderers—some were outcasts from sects, some were fugitives evading enemies, and others were simply victims of circumstance.
“What are you doing?” Lin Fan, lost in thought, snapped back to reality to find the Fourteen Desert Bandits caught in what seemed like a final farewell, clinging to one another and exchanging heartfelt words.
“Senior, please spare my brothers. I will take full responsibility for everything,” Sha Dulong said, his expression unwavering.
At this moment, Lin Fan looked at the Fourteen Desert Bandits and a thought formed in his mind. His expression turned serious, and his gaze sharpened.
“By rights, your crimes deserve death. But I am not heartless. From now on, you will follow me, reform yourselves, and prove your worth. When I deem you ready, I will allow you to leave freely. Any objections?” Lin Fan declared.
This journey to the Hell of Flames would certainly require some attendants to handle menial tasks. The Fourteen Desert Bandits, while not elite by his standards, were still decently skilled. Even if he killed them, it wouldn’t significantly boost his cultivation. It made more sense to keep them around and make use of them.
Sha Dulong and the others exchanged stunned glances. They hadn’t expected this.
“Your servant is honored to serve you!” Without hesitation, Sha Dulong immediately knelt and pledged his loyalty.
The other bandits followed suit, kneeling to the ground.
At this moment, Sha Dulong felt a surge of excitement. He never imagined that someone would take them in—it was like a miracle.
For them, it was like a blessing from the heavens. Though servitude meant losing their freedom, it all depended on who they served.
Serving someone of such profound strength was truly a blessing beyond measure.
“Hmph, rise,” Lin Fan nodded in satisfaction. Good thing these fellows knew how to act wisely—if they hadn’t, he might really have considered killing them all.
“I ask you—do you know of the Hell of Flames?” The sect’s records were detailed, but they were also ancient. He had no idea what it was like now.
These Fourteen Desert Bandits had been around for a long time. They must know more than he did.
“Senior, are you heading to the Hell of Flames?” Sha Dulong asked in surprise.
“Hmph. I have business there. What? Is there a problem?” Lin Fan noticed a flicker of panic in Sha Dulong’s expression, as if something ominous had happened.
“Senior, no one dares to enter the Hell of Flames deeply. Rumor has it that a year ago, a ferocious beast covered in flames descended into the Hell of Flames. Wherever it went, it left a trail of fire. Many sects sent people to investigate, but they suffered heavy casualties. No one knows if it has left yet,” Sha Dulong explained.
“Hmph. Walk and talk,” Lin Fan nodded. These details were important to him, though he was also quite annoyed. Why was the first place he intended to explore so damn dangerous?
A beast covered in flames—what kind of beast was that? The sect’s records didn’t mention anything like it.
As they walked, Sha Dulong continued to describe the situation at the Hell of Flames. Though he didn’t know everything, the information he shared was still useful to Lin Fan.
Lin Fan also learned about the past of Sha Dulong and his men. As for the head of the Palace Family who had died in the Death Desert, that was also a tragedy.
The Palace Family’s leader had been much stronger than the Fourteen Desert Bandits, but his arrogance had drawn the attention of a powerful beast in the Death Desert, ultimately leading to his demise.
Sha Dulong himself had lost an eye in that encounter, barely escaping with his life.
However, in their line of work, they needed to build a reputation. Thus, they had exaggerated the story, claiming the Palace Family’s leader had died at their hands.
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