In the vast, boundless desert, where golden sands dominate the landscape, fierce winds carry grains of sand in a relentless sweep across the heavens and earth. The howls of the wind never cease to echo in one’s ears. Upon a dune, Xiao Yan, bare-chested, was furrowing his brows as he scrutinized a map in his hand. He had already been in the Tagel Desert for over ten days, traversing on foot. According to the map, he should have neared the area marked with the fire symbol by now, but after a day of searching since entering this area, there had not been a single trace of the elusive flame.
“Nothing at all? Could we have been deceived by that old man?” With a map in his hand, Xiao Yan looked up at Pharmacist Elder, who was hovering mid-air, and gave a bitter smile.
“I… I’m not sure. This terrain looks no different from other places, and I don’t sense anything unusual,” Pharmacist Elder slowly descended, looking rather helpless.
“If the map is correct… then perhaps there are no traces of the strange flame here…” Shaking his head, Xiao Yan let out a sigh.
“Maybe.”
“Sigh… damn it, we walked all those days for nothing.”
With a frustrated swipe of the parchment map, Xiao Yan cursed under his breath.
“Well, it wasn’t entirely in vain. At least, over these ten or so days, you’ve grown closer to becoming a one-star Dou Shi. If you continue to cultivate, advancing to a two-star Dou Shi would be inevitable,” Pharmacist Elder consoled him, smiling.
Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan remained somewhat reluctant. He pointed at the fire symbol on the map and mused, “Let’s keep searching. The symbol covers quite a large area. We’re not familiar with the terrain, and if we miss it, we’ll regret it for sure.”
“Yes, the coverage is indeed broad. That old fellow is really lazy… Sigh. Let’s search for another two days. After that, we’ll head north. Going back and forth, it will take us at least a month,” Pharmacist Elder glanced at the flame symbol, frowned slightly, and then nodded.
With a wry laugh, Xiao Yan sighed again, absentmindedly caressing the large heavy black ruler on his back before striding into the endless expanse of the sandy ocean beneath his sight.
Bathed in the scorching sun, Xiao Yan, drenched in sweat, trudged through the heat for nearly half an hour. Just as he was about to take a break, his brows suddenly arched, and he turned his head toward a nearby dune.
There, a figure was fleeing in utter disarray. When he attempted to descend the dune, he stumbled, tumbling down the sand slope. Watching the figure roll right up to his feet, Xiao Yan shook his head helplessly, walking over to retrieve a bag of water from his ring and pouring it onto the unconscious man’s face.
The man, stimulated by the water, gradually opened his eyes, startled upon seeing Xiao Yan, but relaxed once he saw no hostility.
Glancing indifferently at the man, Xiao Yan casually pulled out a few bottles of water from his ring, tossed them beside the man, and turned to leave. In his heart, he did not consider himself a good-hearted person. Finding a stranger wounded in the desert and offering some water was the limit. Expecting him to escort the stranger out of the desert? No can do…
“Little brother…”
Seeing Xiao Yan turn to leave without a second thought, the man paused, then hastily called out, “Little brother, wait! Our mercenary group was ambushed by the Serpent People. We are in grave peril. Please, go to Stone Desert City and seek reinforcements!”
“Sorry, I don’t have time,” Xiao Yan replied without turning, waving his hand dismissively.
It was not callousness, but a harsh reality. Countless people died daily; could he rescue everyone?
“Little brother!” As Xiao Yan moved further away, the man gritted his teeth and shouted with all his might, “Please, lend a hand. If our squad is saved, the Mo Tie Mercenary Group will richly reward you!”
At his desperate cry, Xiao Yan, who was about to disappear in the distance, suddenly stopped. A moment later, he turned around and approached the man.
“Mo Tie Mercenary Group? The Mo Tie from Stone Desert City?”
Xiao Yan blinked, surprise flickering in his dark eyes. Such coincidence?
“Yes… you know our group?” the man inquired, uncertain if Xiao Yan’s intentions were good or ill.
“The name of your leader…?”
“Xiao Ding, Xiao Li…”
The man licked his dry lips, speaking cautiously.
“Oh…”
Nodding, Xiao Yan’s face softened. He squatted, inspected the man’s thigh, and tossed him a pill, “Take this. It’ll neutralize the snake venom.”
“Thank you, little brother.” Grateful, the man quickly took the pill and swallowed it.
“This is a healing potion. Apply some. Once you’re done, lead me to your group,” Xiao Yan threw the man a small bottle from his ring, stood, and patted his hands, smiling.
“Er… go there?” The man was shocked, “Little brother, that’s too dangerous. There are eight Serpent People surrounding us, and three of them are nine-star Dou Zhens!”
“Little brother, please go to Stone Desert City and alert our group. The captain will come at once. It’s not far!”
“Don’t waste time. Apply the medicine and lead the way. I wouldn’t offer to help if I wasn’t sure. By the time they get here, your people will be dead,” Xiao Yan kicked the man’s thigh lightly, rolling his eyes in impatience.
Hearing this, the man scrutinized Xiao Yan, who, in short pants and wielding a peculiar black ruler, remained a mystery. Shaking his head, the man applied the medicine and shakily stood, pointing toward the dunes, “They’re not far from there.”
Glancing at the dunes, Xiao Yan nodded, grabbed the man’s arm, and, with a sudden stomp, shot upward like a black bolt, landing atop the dune.
Scaling the dune, Xiao Yan sprinted and stopped on a high point, placing the awestruck man on the ground. Peering down, he saw a cluster of mercenaries surrounded by eight Serpent People—human-headed serpents with powerful tails. Their movements caused chills to run down his spine.
“Are these the Serpent People of the Tagel Desert?” Astonished, Xiao Yan marveled at the sight, having never seen such creatures before.
“Little…sir, that’s our Mo Tie group. We were hunting when we were ambushed,” the man, now reverent, realized the boy, though young, was a formidable fighter.
“Mm.”
Nodding, Xiao Yan surveyed the ten mercenaries—eight men, two women. His gaze finally rested on a lithe, beautiful figure. The woman, about twenty, had a sharp, arrogant expression, suggesting a proud and prickly personality.
Her bold attire barely covered her chest and waist, leaving her bronze, curvy midriff and long, slender thighs exposed. Xiao Yan noticed several lewd gazes from the Serpent People raking over her form.
“Kill them, spare the woman!”
The Serpent leader, eyes scanning the woman, ordered coldly, lust dripping from his voice.
His subordinates snarled, their tongues flicking eagerly.
“Everyone, be cautious. Dàn is fetching reinforcements. Hold on a little longer,” the woman commanded, her tone cool.
The mercenaries perked up slightly, but their hands, gripping weapons, were still sweaty. The highest rank among them was a seven-star Dou Zhen, while the enemy included several nine-star ones. The gap seemed insurmountable.
“Attack!”
The Serpent leader sneered, and his subordinates lunged, fangs bared.
“Whoosh!”
As the battle commenced, a sharp whistle split the air. A black shadow streaked across the sky, crashing between the mercenaries and the Serpent People.
Gradually, the sand settled, revealing a lean figure holding a large black ruler, standing in plain view.
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