An Encounter with the Desert Iron Mercenary Group; Snake People Slain in an Instant

An Encounter with the Desert Iron Mercenary Group; Snake People Slain in an Instant

The Tagor Desert. The scorching sun hung high in the sky, baking the entire land as burning-hot yellow sand stretched beneath their feet.

Xiao Tian raced along the way, his Purple Cloud Wings beating without pause. His figure drifted like a phantom, swift and elusive. Only after half an hour, when he seemed to spot figures up ahead, did he finally stop.

But soon after he landed, a dark-skinned man came sprinting toward him.

When he reached Xiao Tian, the dark-skinned man gasped for breath several times before looking at him with a pleading expression and saying:

"Little brother, you showed up at just the right time. We've been attacked by the Snake People. Please, help us get to Stone Desert City and bring back reinforcements!"

Hearing this, Xiao Tian paid little attention. All he wanted was to cross the desert as soon as possible, so he prepared to summon his Purple Cloud Wings and leave.

But just then, the dark-skinned man suddenly grabbed him by the leg and begged, "Little brother, I'm begging you, help us just this once! I'll give you a huge reward. Otherwise, our entire Desert Iron Mercenary Group will die here!"

The dark-skinned man clung tightly to Xiao Tian's leg, refusing to let go, as if afraid he might run off.

"Say that again. What's your mercenary group called?" Hearing this, Xiao Tian abruptly stopped and asked with a slight frown.

"The Desert Iron Mercenary Group. Why?" The dark-skinned man asked in confusion, noticing Xiao Tian's strange reaction.

At that, a look of utter astonishment appeared on Xiao Tian's face.

"The Desert Iron Mercenary Group of Stone Desert City. Could it be..."

After a moment of shock, Xiao Tian immediately looked at him again and asked, "What are your leaders called?"

The dark-skinned man froze, then blurted out, "Xiao Li and Xiao Ding. Why?"

Hearing those two names, Xiao Tian was utterly astonished. He hadn't expected to run into Xiao Yan's two older brothers.

They were both Xiao Yan's biological brothers: the eldest, Xiao Ding, and the second, Xiao Li. Xiao Tian had been close to them since childhood. After all, in the entire Xiao Clan, only Clan Leader Xiao Zhan's family had ever treated him kindly.

"Little brother, judging by your expression, do you know our Desert Iron Mercenary Group?" Seeing Xiao Tian standing there in a daze, the dark-skinned man couldn't help asking.

"More than that. Your leaders are my cousins!" Xiao Tian replied with a wry smile.

"Huh? What..." The dark-skinned man's mouth fell open in disbelief.

Seeing him freeze, Xiao Tian tossed a Detoxification Pill from his Storage Ring and handed it to him, saying calmly:

"Your lips are purple. You must have been poisoned by a snake. You should detoxify first."

The dark-skinned man accepted the pill and immediately thanked him before swallowing it. His complexion soon recovered halfway.

"Little brother, if our leaders are your cousins, then this is even simpler. Hurry to Stone Desert City and bring back reinforcements, or our brothers will all die!" the dark-skinned man urged anxiously. Many Snake People were already surrounding their group, and their numbers kept growing.

"Just lead the way," Xiao Tian said, giving him a look.

The dark-skinned man froze, then asked in confusion, "Just the two of us?"

Xiao Tian nodded and said calmly, "Stop wasting time. Lead the way."

Seeing the unquestionable confidence in Xiao Tian's eyes, the dark-skinned man hesitated for a moment, then pointed in a direction.

Xiao Tian immediately summoned his Purple Cloud Wings and carried him swiftly through the air.

The sudden flight left the dark-skinned man wide-eyed and stunned. He had never imagined the young man before him could fly through the air.

As everyone knew, that was a privilege reserved for Dou Wang experts.

A moment later, Xiao Tian spotted a dozen or so mercenaries behind a hill, weapons in hand, fighting seven or eight oddly shaped Snake People.

"Waaah! Kill them! Kill them all!"

Just then, one of the Snake People's leaders shouted. The others rushed toward the mercenaries to attack.

At the sight, the Desert Iron Mercenary Group's men all turned grim, their hearts sinking into despair.

These Snake People were incredibly tough to deal with. They had already lost several brothers.

The reinforcements still hadn't arrived, and they couldn't hold out much longer. Their squad was likely to be wiped out.

Gritting their teeth, the dozen or so mercenaries gripped their weapons tightly, ready to charge forward and fight to the death.

But just then, a figure suddenly descended from the sky and landed heavily between the two sides.

The sudden appearance of the young man with the giant sword made both sides pause in surprise.

"Stand back!"

Xiao Tian turned his head slightly and spoke calmly to the dozen or so mercenaries behind him.

Hearing him, the men looked at him in confusion, but their bodies instinctively stepped back a few paces.

Facing the eight oddly shaped and powerful Snake People, Xiao Tian drew the Zi Wu Qi Xing Sword from his back. Surging Dou Qi covered its blade, which gleamed with a fierce, icy light.

"Waaah! Where'd this little brat come from, sticking his nose where it doesn't belong? Kill him!"

Seeing Xiao Tian's actions, the Snake People's leader flew into a rage and let out a menacing roar. The Snake People all charged at Xiao Tian.

Watching them surge toward him, Xiao Tian calmly raised the Zi Wu Qi Xing Sword and swung it in a sweeping slash.

A sharp tearing sound suddenly rang through the air. A glint of light burst forth like lightning, slicing through space and tearing the three Snake People at the front into pieces.

Blood mist burst into the air. Scarlet blood sprayed across the sky, and a thick stench of blood filled the surroundings, making everyone sick.

Seeing their three companions cut in half, the remaining five Snake People were so terrified they froze, forgetting to attack.

At this sight, the corners of Xiao Tian's mouth curved upward. He stamped his foot down, and his body turned into a blur. Sword raised, then falling, he took the lives of the remaining Snake People in the blink of an eye, including their leader.

In just a few seconds, all eight powerful Snake People had fallen to his sword.

After dealing with them, Xiao Tian slung the giant sword over his back again.

The dozen or so mercenaries were left staring in shock, their eyes wide and their mouths agape.

After a long while, a beautiful woman among the mercenaries rubbed her forehead and looked at the dark-skinned man beside her.

"Dan Zai, w-where did you find such a powerful reinforcements?"

The dark-skinned man scratched his head and smiled sheepishly. "Hehe, Xue Lan, I just happened to run into him. He said our leaders are his cousins!"

"Our leaders' cousin? And he's that powerful?!"

Hearing this, all the mercenaries stared at Xiao Tian in disbelief, their mouths hanging open as if they'd seen a ghost.