Gale Bandit Group

Less than half a minute.

Three or four dozen well-equipped bandits were all put down.

[Time Value +7]

[Time Value +5]

[Time Value +10]

A series of system prompts sounded in Shen Che's mind.

[Total Time Value Gained: 200 points]

Shen Che retracted his killing aura and looked around at the mess.

These bandits had the blood of innocent people on their hands; death was too good for them.

Killing them was not only eliminating a menace but also replenishing his Time Value. Why wouldn't he do it?

He turned and walked towards the stunned Elder Bai and Bai Fengling.

Elder Bai's mouth was agape, wide enough to fit an egg. He rubbed his eyes, not daring to believe what he was seeing.

This is... the strength to kill a Primal Force Peak old demon?

How is this a True Meridian Realm martial artist?

This is clearly an ancient ferocious beast wearing human skin!

Bai Fengling's face was even paler, his legs weak. He held onto his camel to avoid collapsing.

He looked at the black-clothed youth walking towards him, not even stained with a drop of blood, and felt like he was dreaming.

The scene of overwhelming, god-like slaughter would be an indelible memory for him.

"Shen... Young Master Shen..."

Elder Bai's voice was hoarse.

He wasn't shocked by Shen Che's strength, but rather by a deeper concern.

"You... sigh."

Elder Bai sighed heavily, his face full of worry.

"Young Master Shen, you've likely stirred up a hornet's nest this time."

"These people were well-equipped and well-trained, definitely not ordinary stragglers."

"They are likely a branch of a major bandit group in this Forgotten Sand Sea."

"We killed their captain and so many of them; the other side will certainly not let this go."

Elder Bai's words made Bai Fengling, who had just recovered, nervous as well.

"Then what do we do? Grandpa, will they send more people to hunt us down?"

Before Elder Bai could answer, Bai Fengling refuted himself.

"But this can't be blamed on Young Master Shen! They attacked first, refused to accept the toll, and... and spoke rudely. Young Master Shen only acted to protect us!"

The young man's voice held a hint of urgency as he defended Shen Che.

In his opinion, in that situation, what else could be done? Should he really have gone with that Captain Fu Wei?

Shen Che's action was the only choice.

Shen Che paid no mind to Elder Bai's anxious concerns.

"Arguing about this is meaningless."

"Since it's done, there's nothing to regret."

"What we need to do now is leave this desert as quickly as possible."

He proposed a simple, brutal plan.

"We won't rest. We'll speed up our journey and try to cross this sand sea within a day to reach White Sheep County."

This suggestion was exactly what Elder Bai wanted.

He just wanted to get as far away from this troublesome place as possible.

"Good, we'll do as Young Master Shen says!"

The three wasted no more time. After determining their direction, they urged their camels and set off again.

The dust kicked up by their hooves soon disappeared behind the rolling sand dunes.

About half an hour after they left.

Two fast horses galloped from another direction and stopped at the messy battlefield.

The newcomers were also dressed in black leather armor, though the beast totem on their chests was slightly different.

One scout, who appeared older, dismounted and looked at the scattered limbs and severed arms, his face so grim it could drip water.

The thick scent of blood mixed with the dry heat of the sand was nauseating.

He squatted down and examined Fu Wei's headless corpse.

"Killed in one blow, man and horse alike, smashed into the sand by a tremendous force."

"This destructive power... it's definitely not something an ordinary True Meridian Realm martial artist could achieve."

Another, younger scout walked over, his voice filled with surprise.

"Could it be an expert from the Primordial Qi Realm passing by?"

"No matter who he is."

The older scout stood up, his tone chilling.

"Anyone who dares to harm our Gale Bandit Group in the Forgotten Sand Sea must pay with their life."

He took out a small bamboo tube from his embrace.

He opened the lid, and a gray carrier pigeon flapped its wings and flew out. It circled in the air once before speeding off into the depths of the desert.

"The Great Leader will get justice for our brothers."

Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, it was the dawn of the next day.

The night's journey had left Elder Bai and Bai Fengling looking somewhat weary.

The sky turned a fish-belly white, dispelling the desert night's chill.

Elder Bai looked towards the distant horizon, his spirits lifting slightly.

"At this pace, we'll be out of this hellhole by this afternoon."

Shen Che didn't reply.

Ever since sunrise, he had sensed something was wrong.

Within the clouds in the sky, there was a hawk.

It didn't fly far, nor did it dive to hunt. It just hovered at a constant distance, following them for over an hour.

This was highly unusual.

He knew they were being watched.

After a while longer.

Bai Fengling, who was on the move, suddenly spoke, "Did you guys hear something?"

Elder Bai reined in his camel and listened intently.

The sound of the wind, the tinkling of camel bells, and besides that, utter silence.

"Fengling, are you too nervous and heard wrong?"

But as soon as he finished speaking, his own expression changed.

A low, continuous vibration emanated from deep within the earth.

It felt like thousands upon thousands of giant beasts were galloping in the distance.

"Not good!"

Elder Bai's voice suddenly became sharp.

"It's a cavalry! A large-scale cavalry!"

The source of the vibration came from all directions, growing clearer and louder.

Rumble!

Like muffled thunder rolling across the land.

On the distant horizon, a sky-obscuring cloud of dust first rose.

Then, streams of black torrents emerged from the ends of the sand dunes.

Countless riders, clad in uniform black armor, with their warhorses even wearing simple barding, converged into a sea of steel, charging from all directions.

They uttered no shouts, no roars.

Only the uniform, heart-stopping thunder of hooves.

Not far away, a merchant caravan, struggling on its journey, was stunned into stillness by the sudden spectacle. Everyone trembled, not daring to breathe.

"Heavens... heavens above, it's the Gale Bandit Group!"

"Why would they mobilize so many people? Are they trying to pierce the sky?"

Desperate whispers came from the merchant caravan.

Bai Fengling's lips trembled. He looked at the endless black tide of people, his voice cracking.

"They're coming for us."

Elder Bai stared intently at the black banner fluttering in the wind at the front of the bandit formation.

On the banner, a ferocious tornado pattern was embroidered with golden thread.

His face instantly drained of all color.

"Kuangfeng... it's the Gale Bandit Group."

"The true overlords of the Forgotten Sand Sea, numbering over ten thousand, with eyes and ears spread throughout the entire desert. They're practically the emperors of this place."

A black tide composed of thousands of cavalrymen stopped abruptly a hundred meters away from the three of them.

The synchronized halt kicked up a wall of sand.

This torrent of steel stood silently in the desert, a chilling aura washing over them.

Within the bandit ranks, the crowd parted like Moses parting the sea, creating a passage.

A jet-black beast, half a head taller than an ordinary warhorse, slowly strode out.

Seated upon the horse was a man.

He wasn't wearing the black leather armor like everyone else, only a simple gray martial suit. At his waist hung a long saber, its scabbard looking ancient.

The man was around forty years old. His face wasn't handsome, and a shallow scar on his left brow bone added a touch of fierce valor to him.

He didn't unleash any terrifying aura, yet as he sat there calmly, he became the center of this world.

He was the soul of this torrent of steel.

The Great Leader of the Gale Bandit Group, Zhang Kuangfeng.

Zhang Kuangfeng's lips moved. His voice wasn't loud, but it clearly reached everyone's ears.

"Who killed Captain Fu Wei?"

His tone was very plain, as if he were asking about the weather today.

But this calm question carried more pressure than any roar.

Bai Fengling's face had turned as white as paper. He wanted to say something, but found his throat felt as if an invisible hand were choking him, rendering him unable to make a sound.

Elder Bai took a deep breath and, instead, calmed down.

He knew this hurdle today would be difficult.