Vast and endless, the desert is dominated by golden sand, carried by fierce winds that sweep across the heavens, their roaring gusts echoing without cease. On a rising dune, Xiao Yan, bare-chested, furrows his brows, gazing intently at the map in his hands. For over a dozen days now, he has been traversing the Tagoer Desert, steadily approaching the region marked with flame symbols on the map. Yet, since yesterday entering this zone, despite a full day of searching, he has found no trace of any unusual flames. "How come? Could it be that the old man has simply been playing us for a while?" Xiao Yan lifts the leather map, looks up at the elderly physician hovering in midair, and shakes his head with a pained smile. "This... I don't know either. The terrain here is no different from other areas, and I feel no unusual activity anywhere." The physician slowly descends, speaking with a touch of resignation. "If this map is accurate...then there should probably be no traces of the strange flames here..." Shaking his head, Xiao Yan sighed. "Perhaps that's true." "Ah well...man, we've been walking for over ten days, all for nothing!" With a frustrated motion, Xiao Yan waved the leather map. "Heh, it's not entirely wasted, though. Over these past ten years of cultivation, you've steadily approached the level of a one-star Combat Specialist. With a bit more persistence, reaching two-star status should be a natural progression." Yao Lao smiled and offered reassurance. Hearing this, Xiao Yan still looked somewhat dissatisfied, brushing his lips with a slight frown as he pointed to the flame symbols on the map, murmuring thoughtfully, "Let's keep looking. After all, these symbols are quite large and cover a broad area. Since we're not familiar with the local terrain, we naturally need more time to search. Otherwise, if we miss anything...we'd regret it for the rest of our lives." "Indeed, that range is quite extensive. The old man is quite lazy, isn't he? Well, then, let's just spend a few more days. After two days, we'll head north. With back-and-forth travel between these two directions, it's impossible to reach the destination within less than a month." The Elder Pharmacist glanced at the flame emblem, furrowed his brows slightly, then nodded. With a wry smile, Xiao Yan sighed once more, habitually running his hand along the massive, heavy jade ruler on his back, then lifted his foot and stepped forward into the sandy sea. Frowning slightly at the figure that had rolled down the path and now stopped just a few paces away, Xiao Yan shook his head in resignation and stepped forward, retrieving a bag of clear water from his storage seal and pouring it over the man's face. Stimulated by the water, the man who had been unconscious gradually opened his eyes, gazing at Xiao Yan with surprise. When he realized that Xiao Yan had no ill intent, he exhaled in relief. With a casual glance, Xiao Yan took out a few bottles of water from his storage seal, placed them beside the man, and then turned to walk away. Xiao Yan had never considered himself a soft-hearted, overly kind person in his heart. Meeting a stranger injured in this desert, offering him just a bit of water—was already his absolute minimum. If he wanted him to continue on, escorting him all the way out of the desert, then he would have to be sorry... "Young sir..." Seeing Xiao Yan turn and walk away without a single hesitation, the man was momentarily stunned, then quickly gasped, his voice hoarse, "Young sir, please stay. Our mercenary squad has been attacked by serpent people and is now in dire straits. Could you kindly go to Shidemo City and request reinforcements for us?" "Sorry, I don’t have the time." Without turning around, Xiao Yan raised his hand and spoke calmly. It wasn’t that he was indifferent—every day, countless people died across the world. Should he personally go and fetch rescue forces for everyone? As a mercenary operating in the Tagoer Desert, he had naturally accepted that this was part of the job. "Young sir!" As he watched Xiao Yan gradually fade into the distance, the man gritted his teeth, strained his body, and shouted with all his might, "Young sir, could you please help us? If our squad is saved, the Mo Tie Guild will surely reward you generously!" As the man's words settled, the young boy, who had nearly disappeared into the wind and sand, suddenly paused. Instantly, he turned around and walked back, arriving at the man's side under the man's delighted gaze. "Mo Tie Guild? The Mo Tie Guild of Shiduo City?" Xiao Yan blinked, his dark eyes reflecting a touch of surprise—such a coincidence! "Yes... have you heard of our guild before?" Seeing Xiao Yan's hesitation, the man himself was uncertain whether Xiao Yan held a negative or positive sentiment toward the Mo Tie Guild. In this situation, he had no choice but to press on. "What is the name of your guild's chief?" "Xiao Ding... Xiao Li..." The man, his dry lips slightly moistened, spoke with care. "Oh…" With a gentle nod, Xiao Yan's smile softened, and he crouched down, using his fingers to examine the injuries on the man's thigh. Then he handed him a pill. "Take this—first, dissolve the snake venom." "Thank you so much, young sir!" The man gratefully accepted, quickly swallowing the pill. "This is a healing tonic—apply it yourself. You should be fine. Once it's applied, take me to your mercenary squad." Xiao Yan retrieved a small bottle of healing tonic from his storage ring, handed it to the man, then stood up, patting his hands and smiling. "Huh? To your squad?" The man was startled, urgently saying, "Young sir, that won't work at all! There are eight snake people attacking our squad, and three of them are nine-star duelists!" "Listen, young man—go immediately to Shishem City and inform your mercenary company. Their captain will come right away. We're not far from there!" The man urged, with growing persistence. "Stop wasting time—get the medicine on, then show me the way. I know what I'm doing. Otherwise, when they send their people over, yours will be gone by then." With a light kick to the man's thigh, Xiao Yan rolled his eyes and urged him on. Hearing this, the man remained skeptical, studying Xiao Yan once again—the bare-chested youth, wearing only a short pants and holding a strange black ruler. All these details made it hard for the man to grasp just how strong the young man truly was. With a wry smile, the man applied the healing medicine to his thigh and then stood up, his body trembling slightly, pointing toward the area behind the dune. "Just a little further there." Xiao Yan glanced at the dune and gave a slight nod. Then, he grasped the man's arm firmly and planted his foot firmly into the sand. A deep, resonant explosion followed, and the sand beneath them was violently displaced, forming a massive depression. Using the rebound force, Xiao Yan and the man surged upward, rising swiftly onto the dune. Rising up the dune, Xiao Yan once again darted forward with lightning speed, and finally came to a halt on a towering sand elevation, setting the man who had been staring at him in awe on the ground below. He stepped forward, gazing at the large gathering of people now appearing in the desert below. "Little brother... Sir, these are a small squad from our Mo Ti Guild. We originally planned to hunt the beast-wolves, but unexpectedly, they ambushed us..." With reverent eyes, the man scanned the back of Xiao Yan, already impressed by the speed he had displayed—this young man, though seemingly not much older than a youth, clearly concealed a formidable strength. "Hm." Nodding slightly, Xiao Yan's gaze swept across the ten guild members. Eight men and two women. He glanced briefly at several of them before settling on a graceful figure. The woman appeared to be in her twenties, with a refined face, yet her slightly arched, light brows carried a subtle, boldness reminiscent of a small female leopard in the desert—like a desert blossom that was beautiful, yet bristled with spines throughout her being. This woman was bold and fiery—her short dress barely covered her chest and the area below, revealing her supple, bronze-toned waist to all onlookers. With her short leather skirt, her long, slender legs were also exposed, and even from where Xiao Yan stood, he could see several lustful glances sweeping over her delicate waist and taut thighs among the serpent people. "Kill them and leave the women!" A leading serpent scanned the woman with triangular pupils, his voice cold and hoarse, laced with a distinct sense of lust. By nature, the serpents were inherently sensual, deeply greedy and yearning for women. Upon hearing the leader's command, several of the surrounding serpent people instantly flushed with bloodlust, their mouths slightly open, and their bright red tongues protruding. "Stay alert," said one. "Danzai has already returned to summon aid. As long as we hold on a little longer, we'll be safe!" Observing the serpentine warriors' movements, the attractive woman pressed her rosy lips together, her voice cool and crisp as she commanded. Upon hearing this, the surrounding mercenaries stirred with a slight boost in morale, though their hands still trembled with sweat. Though their highest rank reached only seven-star warriors, the enemy included several nine-star warriors—such a gap in strength—could they possibly hold out until reinforcements arrived? "Kill!" the serpent leader sneered, then waved his hand. Instantly, the serpentine warriors who had been glaring at the mercenaries charged fiercely, their faces contorted with fury. "Whoosh!" As the serpentine assault began, a sharp gust of wind suddenly erupted from the sky. A dark silhouette surged across the heavens, then crashed like a bolt of black lightning, striking squarely between the serpentine warriors and the mercenaries. Dust began to rise, and gradually, a slender figure holding a massive black ruler emerged into view, clearly visible to all.