Rescuing Qing Lin, Welcoming an Honored Guest!

Stone Desert City, southern district.

The blazing sun hung high, while yellow sand billowed through the air.

Outside the spacious courtyard, the area had long since become a slaughterhouse of blood and fire!

"Kill! Kill them all!"

The leader of the Sand Mercenary Group, a burly man with a face full of flesh and a bare upper body, waved the Opening Mountain Seal saber in his hand as he roared madly, "Whoever kills Desert Iron's second commander, Xiao Li, will be rewarded fifty thousand gold coins! He'll be my second-in-command!"

Under a hefty reward, brave men would surely emerge!

The Sand Mercenary Group's mercenaries, their eyes bloodshot, charged madly at the defensive line formed by the Desert Iron Mercenary Group like starving wolves that had caught the scent of blood!

"Hold the line! Hold it!"

Xiao Ding's resolute face was also twisted with ferocity. Holding a pitch-black heavy sword, his entire body wreathed in pale yellow dou qi, he sent enemy after enemy flying with brutal slashes!

He shouted hoarsely at his brothers behind him, "Protect the second commander! He's at a critical moment in his breakthrough! Once he breaks through, I'll lead you back and slaughter them!"

"Kill!"

The two sides collided fiercely, each fighting for their own survival and interests!

Blades flashed, and flesh flew!

Hovering ten thousand meters above, Xiao Yao took in everything below.

His brows furrowed slightly.

I didn't expect Xiao Ding and Xiao Li to have both advanced to the Da Dou Shi realm ahead of schedule.

With a sweep of his divine sense, he understood the entire situation.

So that's how it is. The Desert Iron Mercenary Group's rapid rise has threatened the Sand Mercenary Group's top position in Stone Desert City. On top of that, Xiao Li is breaking through the Dou Shi bottleneck right now. Rob sensed the threat, so he joined forces with the other mercenary groups in the city to strike first and nip this future danger in the bud.

Xiao Yao sighed. The mercenary world truly was a reflection of the Dou Qi Continent—where the strong devoured the weak.

Suddenly, at the edge of the chaotic battlefield, a bald mercenary with a vicious look took advantage of everyone's distraction to quietly bypass the main battlefield. Carrying a bloodstained curved saber, he charged toward the women and children vaguely protected at the rear by the Desert Iron Mercenary Group!

Among the panicked crowd, one frail figure stood out in particular.

She was a young girl with an innocent appearance, dressed in elegant pale green garments. Her skin possessed an unusual, almost unnatural fairness.

Her delicate little face was filled with terror and unease. Amid the chaotic shoving, she accidentally fell to the ground and was left at the very back.

The bald mercenary raised his bloodthirsty blade, grinning viciously as he chopped down at her!

The young girl shut her eyes tightly in fear, her long lashes trembling violently.

Yet the agonizing pain she imagined never came.

At that moment, the entire world seemed to fall into an eerie silence.

She cautiously opened her eyes. Then she saw a scene she would never forget for the rest of her life.

A dazzling golden streak of light descended before her like divine punishment from the nine heavens. The bald mercenary, who had been grinning savagely, turned into ashes along with his saber the instant he touched that golden light, unable to even let out a scream!

Reduced to dust and scattered to the winds!

Everyone, whether they were the Sand Mercenary Group members fighting desperately or the Desert Iron Mercenary Group members holding their ground, was utterly stunned by this sudden, heaven-sent attack!

The chaotic battlefield froze in eerie stillness.

Everyone stopped what they were doing and raised their heads, staring toward the sky with incomparably horrified expressions, as though they had seen a ghost.

A young figure had appeared in midair at some unknown time.

Dressed in black, with black hair, he stood with his hands behind his back. His robes fluttered in the wind as he looked down indifferently upon the masses below.

Riding the wind through empty space, he stood proudly in the air!

There were no Dou Qi Transformation Wings!

"Th-this... is this... an existence beyond a Dou Wang?"

"A Dou Emperor?! Or... something even higher?!"

Everyone present went blank. They did not even dare continue thinking about it! They could only stand frozen in place, their bodies trembling violently from extreme terror!

Rob, the leader of the Sand Mercenary Group, was so frightened that his soul nearly fled his body, sweat pouring down him like rain!

Why would such an immortal figure appear here?! And... and he even helped the other side?!

On the other side, Xiao Ding was equally stunned and confused. Looking at the figure in the sky, he sensed a faint familiarity, then seemed to think of something as he muttered to himself.

No way... could it be...

Xiao Yao ignored the reactions below and merely released a trace of the pressure belonging to a Dou Zong expert.

He controlled it with precision, letting it envelop only the Sand Mercenary Group!

"Thud! Thud! Thud!"

Rob and every member of the Sand Mercenary Group behind him felt as if an invisible divine mountain had crashed down from above! They could not even muster the thought of resisting. Their legs gave way, and they all fell to their knees upon the scorching yellow sand!

"M-Mercy, Senior! Have mercy, Senior!"

Rob immediately kowtowed frantically, begging for mercy.

Xiao Yao slowly descended from the sky.

When everyone clearly saw his excessively young, godlike handsome face—one that was even younger than most of those present—the disbelief in their eyes deepened further!

"I am Xiao Yao."

He calmly announced his name.

"Boom!"

The Desert Iron Mercenary Group instantly erupted into an uproar!

"Xiao Yao?! He has the same surname as our commander and second commander!"

"He... he's an expert from the clan!"

"We're saved! Hahahaha! We're saved!"

After the brief shock came earth-shaking cheers and wild joy at having survived a disaster!

Meanwhile, Rob and the others kneeling on the ground looked ashen, as if their parents had died!

Xiao Yao did not spare them another glance. His gaze turned cold, and he released his pressure once more!

"Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!"

The bodies of those who had just charged toward the women and children and begun killing suddenly trembled. Then, like sand sculptures, they silently turned into dust that was scattered away by the hot wind.

This unfathomable and terrifying display left everyone completely speechless. Their gazes toward Xiao Yao were filled with endless fear and reverence, as though they were looking upon a god!

"Big Brother." Xiao Yao turned to Xiao Ding, who was still standing there in a daze, and smiled faintly. "Aren't you going to welcome me inside?"

"Ah! Yes! Yes!"

Only then did Xiao Ding snap back to his senses. Trembling with excitement, he immediately roared at the brothers behind him with all his strength:

"Desert Iron Mercenary Group, follow me in welcoming the honored guest from our clan! Prepare a grand feast!"

As he spoke, he quickly stepped forward and respectfully cupped his hands to Xiao Yao. "Th-thank you, Cousin Xiao Yao, for saving us!"

At the back of the crowd, the little girl named Qing Lin peeked out with her small head. Her unique jade-green pupils trembled as she stared unblinkingly at the immortal-like figure who had saved her life, her eyes filled with worship and gratitude.

As though sensing her gaze, Xiao Yao turned his head.

His gaze met those unique Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils.

A warm smile slowly appeared on his face, which had always been as calm as water.

That smile made Qing Lin's little face flush red all the way to her ears. She hurriedly lowered her head in embarrassment.