The sudden appearance of the young man with a red back sent both parties momentarily startled. However, within a short while, the mercenaries gradually calmed down, believing that since the visitor was human, he would at least not side with the serpent people. As for the serpent people, they were deeply annoyed by the unexpected arrival of Xiao Yan. The leading serpent scanned Xiao Yan with a cold, triangular-shaped gaze, then, without further words, raised his hand. Two serpent warriors of approximately five-star combat strength immediately surged forward, their tails whipping with fierce expressions, charging directly at Xiao Yan. As their bodies barely intersected, Xiao Yan's figure suddenly halted abruptly. The two snake-men, their faces blazing with fury, were struck hard—shaking violently and collapsing against the sand, shooting backward. As they fell, they spewed out thick streams of blood. Gently loosening his grip on the handle of the Xuanzhong Scale, Xiao Yan licked his lips, glancing at the two snake-men who had been knocked at least thirty meters away. Under such a powerful blow, even if they survived, they would surely suffer severe injuries. "Heh..." The entire sequence—from the initial collision between Xiao Yan and the snake-men to their subsequent spitting of blood and falling backward—had lasted barely a dozen seconds. In that brief span, the outcome of the battle was already decided. The dozen or so mercenaries stared in open astonishment, their mouths slightly agape, their faces filled with awe, eyes fixed on the young man's back. It was hard to imagine how such immense strength could be concealed within such a slender frame. "This guy... is incredibly forceful." "Gazing at Xiao Yan, who was diligently swatting the two Serpent People like flies, the graceful woman couldn't help but softly murmur. 'Hey, Xue Lan, are you two all right?' On the dune, the man, still excited despite his injured leg, hurried down, carefully stepping around several Serpent People and approaching the mercenaries, smiling warmly at the woman. 'Danzai... you didn't return to Shidemo City to recruit reinforcements, did you? How come you're still here?' Looking at the man, the attractive woman known as Xue Lan raised her brows and scolded. After being scolded, Danzai sighed and pointed to Xiao Yan's back. 'Look, isn't that your reinforcements?' 'He?' Xue Lan blinked, turning her gaze back to Xiao Yan, furrowing her brows with cautious inquiry. 'Isn't he one of our Mofeitong Mercenary Corps members? How did you manage to convince him? What conditions did he propose?" "I didn't know him either. We first met by chance, and I had originally intended to invite him to Stone Desert City to deliver a message..." At this point, Danzi's face slightly flushed with embarrassment. "He didn't pay any attention to me at first. But as soon as I mentioned that I was from the Mo Tie Mercenary Corps, he suddenly became enthusiastic and even offered me tonic pills and healing medicines..." "Could it be that he has some connection with our Mo Tie Mercenary Corps?" Xue Lan gently brushed a strand of damp, fragrant hair from her forehead. Her effortless grace unintentionally stirred a lustful glow in the eyes of a nearby Serpent person. "Yet I've never heard the团长s mention that they've known a warrior of his age before. From the strength of his initial attack, he must be at least an eight-star warrior, if not higher," Xue Lan said, frowning slightly with curiosity. "I'm not sure either," Danzi replied, shaking his head with a wry smile. "But I think he probably has no intentions toward us. Otherwise, why would he have risked coming to save us?" "Ah... whether we can actually save everyone remains to be seen. Among these snake people, there are three Nine-Star Combatants. If we fail to save them, we might end up losing him too." Xue Lan shook her head, expressing her concern. Xue Lan furrowed her brows, pondered for a while, and finally, with a sigh, shook her head in resignation. The current situation could only rely on the young man before her delivering an unexpectedly outstanding performance. "Rejected by Xiao Yan, the leading Serpent Person's face, slightly adorned with fine scales, instantly flushed with anger. With a wave of his hand, he spoke coldly, 'Come together and kill him! Capture the woman and treat her well!' 'Hiss!' Hearing the leader's command, the surrounding Serpent People hesitated briefly before flicking their tongues and wielding sharp serpent spears, charging toward Xiao Yan. 'Wounded personnel remain in place; the rest follow me!' Seeing that the Serpent People intended to advance as a group, Xue Lan raised her brows, then waved her hand with a cold command. 'No need. Just stay put—don't get in my way.' Listening to the commotion behind, Xiao Yan furrowed his brow, turned slightly with a sigh, and spoke calmly. "You...?" Hearing this, Xue Lan's steps halted mid-stride as she bristled with indignation, her brows furrowed high. It was the first time someone had treated her this way. Though she intended to shout a rebuke, she suddenly recalled that the person before her was their very last hope. With a sigh of frustration, she stomped her foot, glared fiercely at Xiao Yan, and then stepped back, arms folded across her ample chest, watching him coldly, murmuring to herself, "So young, yet already showing off!" However, Xue Lan's composed, detached expression didn't last long—gradually, it was replaced by a wave of astonishment, one that also spread among the other mercenaries. Near the back, a young man stood holding a heavy staff. After a brief silence, a soft, silken purple aura of qi slowly enveloped his entire body. Beyond this aura, a gentle, swirling purple flame occasionally rose and danced, appearing quite unusual. "Whoa..." Looking at the violet energy robe covering the young man's body, everyone present gasped in astonishment. "This... the Spirit Qi Robe? He's actually a Spirit Master?" With her beautiful eyes fixed on the silhouette wrapped in purple spirit qi, Xue Lan's face was filled with disbelief. "... "The others exchanged glances, all at a loss for words. "What a strange kid! He's already achieved the rank of Spirit Master at such a young age—consider that even the two commanders this year are only five-star Spirit Masters." Danzi opened her mouth wide, her expression as stunned as if she'd seen a ghost, murmuring in a dazed tone. "I see now why he dared to charge in alone—he must be a Spirit Master after all." One of the mercenaries sighed, offering a wistful smile, a mix of admiration and relief in his voice. "Where did this youngster come from? I've never heard of such a remarkable young talent emerging from this region before." Xue Lan furrowed her brows, speaking softly. "I don't know..." Everyone around her nodded in unison, shaking their heads. Seeing this, Xue Lan sighed with a helpless smile and said, "Well, let's just forget about his origins. It seems we've managed to survive today—good fortune, at least." With the Qi robe summoned, Xiao Yan exhaled softly, tightly grasping the Xu Cheng Chi, observing the startled Serpent People across from him with a cold smile. He then forcefully planted his feet into the ground, and as a thunderous explosion erupted, Xiao Yan surged forward, gliding along the sand surface. In an instant, Xiang Yan eliminated a nine-star warrior serpent, then swiftly shifted his stance and positioned himself among several serpent warriors with only four- or five-star strength. His heavy staff, now acting like a mallet, delivered powerful blows that sent the fleeing serpents tumbling, each one gasping for breath and spewing blood. … Watching how swiftly the battle had unfolded, with such heavy losses already sustained, the leading Serpent-human, with his triangular eyes now blazing with fierce, bloodthirsty intensity, locked gaze with the other nine-star Duelist Serpent-human. Both faced each other with a gleaming aura of menace, gripping their sharp Serpent spears tightly. Their serpentine tails twisted unnaturally across the sand, forming a V-shape as they launched a coordinated assault directly at Xiao Yan. "Be careful of the venom!" Observing the movements of the two serpent people, Xue Lan's face slightly changed, and she quickly shouted. As soon as her voice fell, the aura robe surrounding Xiao Yan surged rapidly, swiftly enveloping every part of his body. Any green toxic gas that came into contact with the purple-hued robe was instantly incinerated, turning into nothingness and gradually rising into the air to dissipate. With a calm expression, Xiao Yan absorbed this wave of toxic assault. Then, with a sudden foot press, he materialized instantly in front of the leading serpent person, raising his heavy staff and forcefully striking it against the man's head. The sudden close-range approach of Xiao Yan, who had pierced through the toxic gas, caused the leading serpent person's face to pale in alarm. At the critical moment, the serpent's tail began to move in an odd, rhythmic manner, producing a strange, rustling sound. As a result, his body seemed to glide like a snake, retreating several meters and narrowly avoiding Xiao Yan's deadly blow. After evading Xiao Yan's attack, the leading serpent still felt uneasy, its tail rapidly sweeping back and forth as it swiftly retreated. However, just a few seconds into the retreat, an unusual, powerful suction suddenly surged from Xiao Yan's palm at a distance, and the startled serpent leader was instantly drawn once more toward Xiao Yan. Gazing up at the leader, now flying in sheer fear, Xiao Yan let out a cold laugh. He then planted his foot firmly on the ground, rising swiftly like a great phoenix, and darted to the position directly above the serpent's head. With a resounding crash, he brought his heavy staff down. "Boom." Blood and brain matter sprayed through the air, and a section of the serpent's body fell, crashing into the yellow sand. Moments later, the sand pit gradually vanished as the flowing sand filled it in. Gazing at the fallen leader, the last nine-star snake warrior, a surge of fear washed over his face, and he emitted several sharp hisses before arching his tail and swiftly retreating toward the deep desert. After eliminating this leading snake warrior, Xiao Yan hovered in the air, slightly rotating his body, and using the momentum of the spin, launched his Xu Zhong Chi—his heavy bamboo ruler—toward the fleeing creature. "Plunging..." The ruler sliced swiftly across the sky, swiftly closing the gap, and finally pierced the snake through the neck, sending a streak of crimson blood into the yellow sand, leaving only the ruler's handle exposed. With a firm step, Xiao Yan pressed his foot deeply into the sand, sinking it halfway before drawing it out with a light breath. He then slowly advanced to the ruler, grasped the handle, and pulled it free with a single motion. Wiping the blood from the ruler's body with a cloth, Xiao Yan casually inserted it into the back ruler sleeve and then slowly walked toward the dozen or so mercenaries who had already turned to stone. "Hey, are you all okay?" As he approached, Xiao Yan stood in front of the attractive woman, smiling and asking. "Um... we're fine." Her gaze swept over Xiao Yan's bare upper body, yet Xue Lan showed no sign of embarrassment. In this desert, women generally held a more relaxed demeanor, and since she frequently mingled among the mercenaries, she didn't exhibit the reserved, delicate shyness typical of noble ladies. A glance at a man half-naked wasn't enough to make her blush. "You...," Xue Lan blinked, then offered Xiao Yan a gentle smile, "no matter what your intentions are, you still owe us a sincere thanks. Otherwise, our fate would have been quite different. I'm Xue Lan, the team leader of this group, and also a sub-unit of the Mo Tie Mercenary Corps." "Xiao Yan," Xiao Yan nodded warmly. "Xiao Yan? I seem to have heard this name before—where exactly?" Listening to the name, Xue Lan slightly furrowed her brows, pondering for a while, but still couldn't recall where she'd heard it. With a sigh of resignation, she shook her head and smiled up at Xiao Yan, "Where do you plan to go next? If you have the time, I'd like to invite you to Shidemo City. Our Mo Tie Guild is known for clear and well-defined obligations—since you've helped us, we'll certainly repay your kindness." "Shidemo City isn't far from here—only about thirty minutes by journey, so it shouldn't take up too much of your time." Seeming eager to ensure Xiao Yan wouldn't decline, Xue Lan added this promptly. Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan smiled and nodded. Since he had arrived in Shishemo City, it was natural to meet up with his two elder brothers, whom he hadn't seen in years. Though in recent years they had been busy with their own careers and had returned to the family infrequently, the youthful brotherly bond remained strong in Xiao Yan's heart. Among the family, aside from his father and Xun'er, it was these two brothers who had always shown the greatest care and attention during his childhood. "I wonder how Xun'er is doing these days... it's already been a year." As he recalled, the graceful, young girl dressed in green suddenly appeared vividly in his mind—her gentle frown and smile stirred deep emotions within him. For a year, his life had been consumed by rigorous cultivation, and only now, with this sudden surge of thought, did he truly begin to feel the weight of his longing. Exhaling slowly, Xiao Yan lifted his face. In the slightly distorted air, the girl stood with her hands behind her back, her graceful posture sparking a sudden, strong urge within him to immediately end his rigorous training and head straight to the Galen Academy. The moment this thought arose, Xiao Yan shivered, shook his head vigorously, and firmly suppressed it deep within his heart—she had so many secrets! If he didn't work hard to strengthen his own abilities, he would surely feel inadequate and fall far short in her presence. "Oh, I wonder how she's doing at the Canaan Academy. But with her appearance and grace... surely there must be quite a few suitors? And with her carefree, indifferent nature—how could any man possibly win her heart?" Touching his nose, Xiao Yan smiled to himself, a touch of self-admiration in his eyes. Every time he found himself pondering these questions, he felt a deep sense of relief—relieved that, by sheer chance, he had somehow managed to capture this girl's affection back then. "Though... heaven help me, when I was a child, I had only wanted to test whether the concept of Qi cultivation was real. At my age, I had absolutely no idea what pulse nourishment even meant. Yet, why did it take me so many years to begin experimenting?... Did I, back then, harbor any particular intentions toward Xun? Impossible!" A series of unexpected thoughts suddenly surfaced, making Xiao Yan speak in a rather nervous, murmuring tone. Xue Lan turned her head to gaze at Xiao Yan, who had suddenly gone silent and whose face kept shifting expressions, and was momentarily stunned. After a while, she gently tapped him on the shoulder. "Hey? Are you okay? Didn't you get poisoned?" "Oh? Ah... Heh, sorry, I was distracted. I'm fine." As he regained awareness from his thoughts, Xiao Yan blinked, looking around at the group of people now staring at him, and shook his head with a sense of apology. "If everything's all right, shall we start heading back to Shishuo City now?" Xue Lan asked Xiao Yan. "Heh, yes, that sounds good." Xiao Yan nodded with a smile. "Fei Gao, go fetch the camel-drawn carriage." Seeing Xiao Yan agree, Xue Lan turned to one of the mercenaries and waved her hand, giving the order. "Right away." A mercenary nodded with a smile, then darted swiftly into the nearby dune, pulling out a camel-drawn wagon from within. Once the wagon was brought close, Xiao Yan realized that inside the rear compartment of the wagon lay the bodies of two first-tier beast creatures—evident from the still fresh, unclotted blood on their bodies, which must have been the prey of Xue Lan's small team. The wagon, though modest in size for the desert terrain, was now fully occupied by the bodies of the beasts, making it clearly unsuitable as a means of transport. Looking at the carriage swiftly disappearing at the horizon, Xiao Yan smiled and casually took out a set of clothes from his storage ring, donning them before stepping forward and quickly heading in the direction of the carriage. Seeing Xiao Yan move, Xue Lan promptly urged her subordinates. "Captain, don't you think Xiao Yan seems a bit like the two commanders? A bit like them?" Staring at Xiao Yan's back as she packed up her things, Dan Zai suddenly spoke. "Hm?" Xue Lan was taken aback, turning her gaze toward Xiao Yan's silhouette. After a moment, a sudden realization struck her, and she said lightly, "I recall the commander mentioning that they have a younger brother, right?" "Ah... I remember too—the one who has always been unusually strong, hovering just below the warrior level, isn't it? Hm." "The commander's younger brother... seems to be... also named... Xiao Yan?" Xue Lan blinked her long lashes, gently licking her full lips as she recalled the details, her face gradually becoming filled with growing astonishment.