Staring at the six people leaping down from the magical beast, Yue Mei’s shocked face was tinged with a hint of terror. Her wary gaze swept over the black-robed figure, and without further ado, she retreated several dozen meters, coldly staring at the group, sneering, “What wind is blowing in this desert tonight? It’s rare to see such powerful figures, why are they all gathered here in a group?”
“Ha ha, I didn’t expect that we would encounter a Dou Wang level expert so soon after arriving in the great desert. I presume you must be one of the leaders of the eight tribes of the Snake People, right?” Among the group, the middle-aged man took a step forward, smiling warmly as he looked at Yue Mei in the distance.
Sitting on the sand dune, Xiao Yan’s shocked expression gradually faded. Blinking his eyes, he discreetly observed the eight people. He noticed that, apart from the mysterious black-robed figure whose depth was hard to discern, the others seemed to defer to the middle-aged man.
“Who is this person? How could he command so many powerful experts?” Realizing this, Xiao Yan felt a growing sense of surprise. After all, becoming a Dou Wang was no small feat; each of them was a renowned expert in their own right. They might have different personalities, but they all shared a strong, proud aura that made it difficult for them to truly submit to someone of the same rank.
Shifting his gaze from the others, he finally settled on the middle-aged man. With a cursory glance, Xiao Yan had to admit that the man had an indescribable aura. His sharply defined face indicated that he must have been a very handsome man in his youth. Though he was older now, the maturity he had gained from years of experience gave him an additional air of composure and resilience—qualities that seemed to have a certain appeal to some younger women.
“This man seems to be more than meets the eye…” Xiao Yan murmured softly, making this his first impression of the handsome middle-aged man. Of course, anyone who could become a Dou Wang was not to be underestimated.
Turning his gaze away from the middle-aged man, he focused once again on the figure wrapped tightly in a black robe. For some reason, Xiao Yan felt that since the appearance of this mysterious black-robed figure, a hidden, fluctuating gaze had been fixed on him.
“Who are you? Why have you come deep into our territory in the dead of night? Don’t you know that humans are forbidden from entering here?” The charming smile on Yue Mei’s face had completely vanished, replaced by a stern and chilling expression. Clearly, she was no longer in the mood for pleasantries in the face of this formidable group.
“Ha ha, we indeed have some important matters in the Tager Desert. May I ask if you could lead us deeper into the desert to meet your Queen?” The middle-aged man asked with a smile.
“You want to see Her Majesty the Queen?” Yue Mei’s beautiful eyes narrowed into a dangerous arc, and she sneered, “Our Snake People and your humans have been at odds for years, and both sides have bloodied hands. What could we possibly discuss? If you know what’s good for you, I suggest you leave immediately. Otherwise, if the eight leaders of the Snake People gather, the power hierarchy of the Jia Ma Empire will likely take a significant hit.”
“Old River, I told you not to think about negotiating with the Snake People. They don’t buy that kind of talk…” A burly man floating in the air spoke loudly to the middle-aged man below.
His voice boomed like thunder, reverberating in the air before gradually fading away.
“I know this woman. She’s the leader of the Charm Snake Tribe, one of the eight tribes of the Snake People. Hehe, back when the Jia Ma Empire went to war with the Snake People, Leina fought her, but it seems he got the short end of the stick,” the burly man glanced at the seductive figure of Yue Mei and chuckled.
“Leina? You mean the old man who practiced the lightning attribute skill during the great war? Is he still poisoned?” Yue Mei retorted with a cold smirk.
“Thanks to your kindness, the poison has been removed, but it left him with the equivalent of a disabled arm,” the burly man said coolly, his eyes flashing with a chill as he glanced at Yue Mei.
“Old River, let’s just capture her directly. Don’t waste any more time. If we’re late, you might lose what you came for. And if she escapes, the difficulty of our mission will increase significantly,” the burly man advised the middle-aged man.
Hearing this, Old River, the middle-aged man, pondered for a moment and then nodded slightly, saying with a sigh, “Since you won’t cooperate, don’t blame us for overwhelming you. Old Lion, Feng Li, please handle this.”
These last words were directed towards the burly man and a thin, elderly man floating in the air.
“No problem, I’ve been wanting to see the power of the Snake People’s experts for a long time,” the burly man thumped his chest and laughed confidently.
The thin, elderly man hesitated briefly, clearly reluctant to join in, but the hesitation was brief. He understood that a Dou Wang expert would add considerable difficulty to their later tasks.
Both men’s bodies quivered slightly, and then they transformed into two black streaks, appearing close to Yue Mei. Their sudden increase in speed caused a minor sonic boom.
“Yan Shi,” the burly man standing on the sand dune announced, giving a name out of respect between strong fighters.
“Feng Li,” the thin, elderly man stated calmly.
Upon hearing these names, Xiao Yan and Yue Mei both felt a jolt in their hearts.
“…Wow… These two are the Lion King Yan Shi and Windrunner Feng Li, two of the top ten experts of the Jia Ma Empire?” Stunned, Xiao Yan couldn’t help but gasp. Such high-ranking experts were rarely seen, but tonight, he saw two at once.
“So, it’s two of the top ten experts of the Jia Ma Empire who have the gall to intrude into our territory…” Yue Mei sneered sarcastically, but her expression grew even more serious. Though she hadn’t fought either of them, she knew their reputations. To be among the top ten experts of the Jia Ma Empire, they must have exceptional abilities.
With Yue Mei’s strength, she wouldn’t fear fighting either one alone, but against both, it would be much more challenging. Additionally, the silent, black-robed figure was the most intimidating. A Battle Emperor… that was a superpower that only the Queen could match.
“Why are these people suddenly gathering in the great desert? There must be something suspicious. Regardless of their intentions, I must report this to the Queen. Otherwise, with their lineup, none of the eight tribes can stand up to them,” Yue Mei thought rapidly, then, without further ado, she formed a strange hand seal, and with a light thump of her snake tail on the sand, a massive sand wave instantly rose in front of her, crashing towards the group.
“Attack!” Seeing Yue Mei take the initiative, Yan Shi wasted no time. With a low roar, he spread his arms wide, and a tangible, pale silver lion’s roar wave surged from his mouth.
The wave halted the incoming sand wave, which then crumbled and fell to the ground.
As Yan Shi neutralized the sand wave, Feng Li’s body trembled and he disappeared, reappearing behind the sand wave, where he unleashed a series of powerful energy waves.
Yan Shi, after breaking the sand wave, charged into the battle area with a fierce momentum, causing massive sand ditches to appear as energy flew.
Amidst the swirling yellow sand, Yue Mei’s face was cold as she summoned two dark green energy beams, which coalesced into a massive green snake. This snake, unlike the one Xiao Yan had seen earlier, was covered in hard scales, with sharp fangs flashing menacingly. The snake seemed to have its own life force, exuding a terrifying aura that barely held off Yan Shi and Feng Li.
“What a terrifying creature… Those strange energy snakes she summoned must be at least Dou Ling level,” Xiao Yan marveled, watching the two massive energy snakes fend off the attacks of the two Dou Wangs.
“It’s well known that some Snake People experts can extract the souls of magical beasts and use them to cultivate unique skills. These skills not only retain the original strength of the beasts but also make them fearless in battle, making them extremely troublesome. I see that it’s true,” the middle-aged man commented, somewhat impressed.
“Elder, it seems the two lords cannot handle her immediately. Should we assist them?” a man approached the middle-aged man, asking respectfully.
The middle-aged man turned to look at the mysterious, black-robed figure. Sensing his gaze, the black-robed figure shook his head, and his unseen eyes once again fixed on the stunned youth on the sand dune, with an unfathomable meaning.
Seeing the black-robed figure’s gesture, the middle-aged man nodded and mused, “No need. With Old Lion and Feng Li, she’s just barely holding on. It won’t be long before the outcome is decided.”
“Yes, Elder!” The man, a Dou Ling who once ruled a large city, cast a respectful glance at the black-robed figure before slowly stepping back.
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