Since he didn't wish to continue staying in Mo City as a merchant selling maps, the very next morning after finalizing their discussions, Hai Bode followed Xiao Yan out of the city. He hadn't taken a single thing from the small shop where he had lived for several decades, as he mentioned—perhaps one day, when weary of the constant struggles, he might return here to live quietly and peacefully for the rest of his life. Standing atop a tall dune, Hai Bode last gazed at the grand city situated at the edge where the desert met the land, sighed softly, and looked slightly melancholy. His decades of quiet retirement had warmed his otherwise reserved nature, giving him a sense of genuine attachment to this place. Turning gently toward the black-robed youth beside him, he asked, "Where shall we go next?" "I'd like to visit Shidemo City first—my two elder brothers reside there." Xiao Yan directed his gaze toward the northwest, where the city of Shishemo stood, and smiled, saying, "Last time we were in a hurry and didn't manage to settle some matters. Now we have over two months of free time. I'd like to go there and make everything sorted out. What about you?" "Fine with me. I haven't really anywhere to go these days, so I'll just accompany you for now," Hai Bo Dong frowned and pondered for a moment before smiling. "Of course," Xiao Yan nodded with a smile, naturally appreciating having a free, Dou Huang-level companion at his side. "Then let's go. At our pace, we should reach Shishemo city within a single day." Hai Bo Dong smiled, and a faint cold mist radiated from his body, eventually solidifying into a pair of translucent, shimmering ice wings that formed behind him. "Hmm." Xiao Yan nodded slightly, and as his back trembled, the purple cloud wings that had been affixed to his back slowly unfurled. After a moment, they expanded into wings larger than Sea Wave Dong's icy dual wings. With a gaze filled with wonder, he scanned the purple cloud wings on Xiao Yan's back—though Sea Wave Dong had seen them before, he still couldn't help but marvel, murmuring in admiration, "A flight technique—something I've only heard of, never witnessed. Truly fortunate for you to have secured such a rare gift." "Heh, compared to your icy dual wings, mine are rather slower. What's there to envy?" Xiao Yan chuckled, lightly patting the massive, ancient jade measuring rod on his back. With a powerful beat of his wings, his body shot upward into the air. "Then let's go—time to set off!" "Lightly exhaled, Xiao Yan rapidly vibrated his wings, utilizing the lift to propel his foot against the void, his body transforming into a streak of light and shooting swiftly toward the distant horizon. Watching Xiao Yan streak ahead, Haibo Dong smiled and also vibrated his aura wings, quickly closing the distance. ... Naturally, the speed at which Xiao Yan and Haibo Dong were flying far surpassed that of walking or riding. When Xiao Yan first began his cultivation journey, it had taken him nearly ten days to cover the same distance. Yet, under their nearly unceasing pace, they reached their destination in just one day. As the blazing sun in the sky gradually set, the outline of a city, slightly smaller than Mo City, finally emerged steadily in the distance. Gazing at the yellow earth city standing firm amidst the wind and sand, Xiao Yan slightly relaxed, then gestured behind him. Instantly, their speed surged dramatically." Two streaks of light, like two meteors in the dark sky, swept directly through the sky of the Stony Desert City. Within the city, on a towering building, two figures suddenly materialized, gazing down with an elevated perspective upon this city rich in desert charm. Standing on a wall pillar, Xiao Yan gently brushed the yellow dust from his robe. Though he had traveled tirelessly, a faint, quiet joy lingered on his face. After this prolonged journey, he finally clearly felt the benefits brought by the evolution of his cultivation technique. In the past, to travel from Mo City to Shi Moshi City, he would have had to frequently rest and occasionally take Restorative Pills just to reach his destination. But now, after the evolution of Burned Decree, he had journeyed swiftly with only occasional shortness of breath—his inner Qi remained abundant and never felt depleted. This sense of fullness and surplus filled Xiao Yan with genuine delight. "The Xuān-stage cultivation technique and the Huang-stage technique truly are two entirely different levels..." Xiang Yan silently admired the gap between these two techniques, his heart once again filled with growing anticipation for the even more advanced ones. If Xuān-stage techniques were already so powerful, what about the Di-stage? And the Tian-stage? Surely, by then, they would possess the power to utterly destroy the heavens and the earth. "Hehe, let's go, Sea Master," after a moment of reflection, Xiang Yan smiled at the man behind him, shoulders bearing the heavy Xuān-stage ruler, and simply leapt down from the towering building. Wandering through the city, Xiao Yan scanned the street, which should have been bustling with mercenaries. Yet, his brows furrowed slightly—he couldn't help but feel that the street had grown noticeably quieter lately. Not only had the number of passing mercenaries decreased, but many of them now wore the same emblem on their chests. Xiao Yan, who had spent some time in Shidemo City, knew well that this emblem belonged exclusively to the Sand Mercenaries' Corps. "Something's off," he thought. "When did the Sand Mercenaries become so numerous?" "Softly murmuring, Xiao Yan slightly narrowed his eyes, slowly walking through the street, lifting his chin to gaze at the grand manor at the far end—this was the headquarters of the Mo Tie Guild. Once bustling and lively, it now felt scattered and quiet. The shops around had closed early, and a gentle breeze carried a sense of desolation. "Something's happened?" With his palm lightly rubbing his cheek, Xiao Yan suddenly chuckled softly. The cold, sharp edge of his laughter made Hai Bo Dong slightly turn his gaze—this was the first time, since he'd known Xiao Yan, that the once calm, composed youth, who had remained unruffled even when he'd been played several times, had shown such a demeanor. Clearly, in Xiao Yan's heart, his so-called elder brother held a significant place. Gently caressing the heavy ruler against his back, Xiao Yan walked slowly toward the end of the street, expression unchanged. After a while, he reached the outer gate of the Mo Tie Mercenary Corps, slightly tilting his head. Outside the gate, where once the mercenary banner had hung proudly, it now lay lifeless on the ground. Numerous clear footprints on the banner pierced his eyes, causing a slight ache. Taking a deep breath, Xiao Yan turned his head and hurried toward the gate, his hand slowly pushing it open. As the creaking sound grew, the gap between the gate widened. When the gate was nearly halfway open, a long spear, streaked with blood, suddenly burst forth from behind, striking fiercely at Xiao Yan’s throat. The sharp spear, upon reaching merely half a foot from Xiao Yan's body, began to strangely melt from its tip. Within a blink, the long spear transformed into a thick, molten iron stream. The sound of the man's voice halted Xiang Yan's initial intent to crush his skull into fragments. The cold gleam in his eyes gradually faded as he lowered his gaze upon the man, whose face was streaked with blood, and furrowed his brows. "Are you from the Mo Tie Guild?" "Cough, cough," the man said, bowing slightly. "I'm Non Li, captain of the Eighth Squad of the Mo Tie Guild. The团长 actually instructed us to investigate the underground caverns of the desert last time—just for you..." He coughed violently, blood flowing from his mouth. With a broad, toothy smile, he revealed his white teeth, now stained with blood, and offered a humble chuckle. As Xiang Yan's expression softened, he carefully lifted the man from the opening and swiftly pressed a healing pill into his mouth. He glanced over the man's numerous injuries, ready to begin treating them, but was stopped midway. "Master Xiang," the man said, "you should hurry to the training grounds. I fear the团长 and the others may not be able to hold on much longer. The Sand Guild has sent far too many people this time." "After swallowing the healing potion, Nonli's complexion improved somewhat, and he pointed toward the training grounds inside the camp, his voice hoarse. 'The Sand Company? Robb, that brat, must have some nerve!' Upon hearing this, the healing potion bottle clenched tightly in Xiao Yan's hands was suddenly crushed into a fine powder. His voice, sharp and cold, carried an unmistakable aura of murderous intent. 'Recently, without any clear reason, the Sand Company has begun systematically eliminating other companies in Shidemo City. Robb, relying on his strong Dps-level strength, swiftly absorbed several smaller companies. Originally, we at the Mo Tie Company weren't particularly afraid of them—though we lacked Dps-level fighters, our number of Dps-level fighters was significantly greater than theirs...' Nonli, seemingly concerned about time, spoke quickly and urgently. 'But just a few days ago, the Sand Company's Dps-level fighters suddenly increased by nearly seven or eight, and even more remarkably, a new Dps-level fighter has emerged!' Their strength had surged to such an extent that nearly all the mid-tier mercenary companies within Shishuo City had been wiped out within just a few days—today, precisely, was the day they delivered their final ultimatum to us, the Moshi Mercenary Company. "Seven or eight Duels, and one Grand Duelist?" Xiang Yan was slightly astonished, frowning, "The Sand Mercenary Company surely doesn't possess such formidable strength!" "Where is Qinglin? Didn't she have a combat companion of Duels level?" Suddenly remembering the little girl with the jade serpent three-color eyes, Xiang Yan asked urgently. "Earlier, before the Sand Mercenary Company's clean-up operation, Qinglin hadn't returned from an outing since then. The team leader dispatched someone to investigate. From the traces found, it appears Qinglin has been taken captive..." Nonli said with a wry smile. His eyes rapidly twitching, Xiang Yan slowly exhaled, surprised that in just two or three months since his departure, so many events had unfolded here. He patted Feng Li's shoulder and spoke softly, "Alright, from now on, it's up to me. As long as I'm here, the Mo Tie Guild Brigade will be safe." Feng Li nodded firmly, gaining a quiet confidence in the young man—always enigmatic—due to the influence of the two senior captains. On the field, a figure was completely enveloped in lightning, silver serpents leaping and flashing across his body. As he swung and thrust his long spear, a continuous roar of thunder echoed throughout. Yet despite the intensity of his attacks, his opponent seemed largely unimpeded—each time the assault approached, he effortlessly dodged the sweeping strokes of the silver spear. The ease with which the figure evaded the attacks clearly indicated a significant gap in their levels. Yet the yellow figure chose not to hasten the battle, instead maintaining a mocking demeanor—much like a cat playing with a mouse. Along the sidelines, a large crowd of Murai Iron Guild members stared at the scene, their eyes blazing with fury. They well understood the subtle mockery and derision conveyed by the yellow figure's actions. At the forefront of this group, Xiao Ding stood motionless, his expression calm, though a fierce rage shimmered within his gaze. "Sir, even the back entrance has been surrounded—now we have no way out," said one of the mercenaries, pushing through from behind, his voice low and somewhat breathless. "Indeed... absolutely brilliant!" Clenching his fists tightly, Xiao Ding drew a deep breath of cool air, striving to keep his composure steady against the rising tide of anger, and spoke calmly, "Since we can't escape, then we shall fight to the last man. If they wish to wipe out our entire Murong Iron Mercenary Corps without making them pay with blood, that simply won't do." "Second brother is going to lose. Though his lightning-based attack is powerful, the opponent is truly a top-tier battle master..." Gazing upward at the concluding moments of the fight, Xiao Ding's body trembled slightly, his growing rage slowly eroding his composure. "Lightning Arc Triple Dance!" The two collided, and the yellow figure's fist crushed three electric arcs with the force of a falling tree, then continued its momentum, crashing heavily onto Xiao Li's chest. "Plugh!" Struck hard, Xiao Li's face paled instantly, and he spat out a gush of blood. His body plunged into the ground, leaving a trail of十余 feet before finally slamming into a massive stone at the edge of the training field. "Ha! With such meager strength, do you dare boast against me?" The middle-aged man, his body enveloped in swirling yellow ki, sneered. With a single foot press against the ground, he surged forward like a tank charging straight ahead, his fist gathering an even more powerful surge of force. Clearly, he had no intention of letting Xiao Li live. "Ha! Die!" As the man closed in, a look of cold determination settled on his face. He drove his fist down with full force. "Clang!" Just as the massive pair of fists was less than one meter away from Xiao Li, a silhouette materialized before him like a flash of lightning. The enormous black ruler was plunged into the ground, while the charging fists struck squarely against it, producing a crisp, resonant sound that echoed throughout the arena. With his feet firmly planted in the ground, the middle-aged man was driven several steps backward by the powerful force, his face darkening as he glared at the towering black ruler, coldly demanding, "Who?" The ruler trembled slightly before being lifted, revealing the slender figure of the black-robed youth to the gathered onlookers. Xiao Yan raised the ruler over his shoulder, his gaze calm and composed as he looked steadily at the middle-aged man. The black ruler suddenly pointed directly at him, its cold, bone-chilling voice reverberating continuously across the square.