A Sudden Incident

Upon hearing this, Xiao Ce turned his gaze toward the two brothers clashing fiercely in the training ground.

Their fighting styles were extremely vicious. It looked less like sparring and more like a life-or-death battle.

As a One-Star Doushi, Xiao Ding naturally held a firm advantage. However, his Dou Qi was wood-attributed and lacked offensive power, so he could not defeat Xiao Li anytime soon.

Xiao Li, on the other hand, was only a Nine-Star Dou Zhe, but his Dou Qi was lightning-attributed and exceptionally aggressive. His fighting style was even fiercer. He knew that the longer the battle dragged on, the lower his chances of winning became, so he fought with extreme aggression.

Unfortunately, not everyone could fight above their level, especially across such a major realm.

Xiao Li ultimately lost. He was blasted away by Xiao Ding's strike and landed flat on his back, gasping heavily, yet he kept shouting about how satisfying it had been.

After the match ended, Xiao Ding walked over to Hai Bodong, cupped his fists, and bowed respectfully.

"Thank you, Elder Hai, for your guidance earlier!"

During the fight just now, Hai Bodong's casual remarks had made him realize just how unfathomable the old man was. As soon as the match ended, he had rushed over to thank him.

At the same time, he was somewhat puzzled.

Cousin Xiao Ce had not been away from home for very long. How had he become acquainted with such an unfathomable expert as Elder Hai?

Judging by the way they interacted, they did not seem like master and disciple. They seemed more like friends.

In the distance, Xiao Li sprang up from the ground with a kip-up and likewise ran over to Hai Bodong, respectfully saying, "Thank you for your guidance, Elder Hai."

Hai Bodong nodded faintly, maintaining the bearing of a lofty expert perfectly.

Neither Xiao Ding nor Xiao Li minded Hai Bodong's indifference.

The colder and more aloof he acted, the more the two brothers felt that he was extraordinary.

Xiao Ding then looked to the side.

"Cousin Xiao Ce, you came too."

Xiao Ce smiled and nodded. "Good thing I did, or wouldn't I have missed such a wonderful match?"

"Haha, Cousin Xiao Ce, you flatter us. My second brother and I have only this little ability. It probably isn't worth mentioning in front of you."

Xiao Ce merely smiled without explaining, while Hai Bodong and Xiao Yi Xian both wore expressions as though that were only natural.

That left Xiao Ding, who had been watching their expressions all along, completely dumbfounded.

"No, I was just being polite. Are my second brother's and my abilities really so unworthy of mention before Cousin Xiao Ce?"

"Just how strong is Cousin Xiao Ce?"

Xiao Ding had always been calm and steady, but he was actually quite satisfied with the strength he and Xiao Li had attained. What he had said just now had merely been modesty.

Yet whether it was Xiao Ce, Xiao Yi Xian, or Hai Bodong, every one of their expressions told him that the strength he had secretly taken pride in truly was not worth mentioning before Xiao Ce.

That stung a little.

But it also made him even more curious about Xiao Ce's current strength.

He couldn't possibly have reached the Da Dou Shi realm, could he?

Compared to Xiao Ding's active thoughts, Xiao Li wore an eager expression. "Cousin Xiao Ce, how about we exchange a few moves later and let the brothers in the mercenary group see the strength of our Xiao Clan's genius?"

Xiao Ce stretched lazily and did not refuse.

"Sure. A little practice is fine."

"Then it's settled."

Just as they were talking, a figure came hurrying over from the distance.

"Leaders, something happened!"

Xiao Ding and Xiao Li frowned and looked toward the mercenary who had brought the message.

"What happened?"

The messenger panted several times before urgently saying, "Captain Xuelan discovered a rare medicinal herb in the desert. They finally killed the magical beast guarding it, but people from the Sand Mercenary Group suddenly showed up to steal the spoils. They've surrounded Captain Xuelan and the others now."

The moment Xiao Li heard this, he clenched his fist hard, his knuckles cracking.

"Those damn bastards."

"Call everyone over. Grab your weapons!"

Xiao Ding narrowed his eyes, and a dangerous glint flashed through them as well.

He looked at Xiao Ce and the others, then smiled apologetically. "Cousin Xiao Ce, a small matter has come up in the mercenary group that my second brother and I need to handle. We can only excuse ourselves for now."

Xiao Ce waved a hand and chuckled. "No problem. If you two cousins don't find us a nuisance, we can come along and watch the excitement."

Xiao Ding's eyes immediately lit up.

"How could you possibly be a nuisance? We couldn't ask for more, Cousin Xiao Ce!"

Very soon, Xiao Ce's group set out in force. Led by the messenger, they quickly spotted Xuelan's squad, already surrounded by the Sand Mercenary Group.

"Leaders, the two leaders are here!"

The surrounded Xuelan squad spotted Xiao Ding and Xiao Li leading people over from afar. Their faces immediately filled with excitement, and they cheered loudly.

Within the Sand Mercenary Group, a gaunt middle-aged man carrying a greatsword on his shoulder stepped forward with a mocking smile. He seemed to have expected Xiao Ding and Xiao Li to appear.

"Xiao Ding, Xiao Li, you two finally came."

Xiao Ding narrowed his eyes slightly. Before he could speak, however, the hot-tempered Xiao Li shouted sharply, "Wen Hao, our Moti Mercenary Group and your Sand Mercenary Group have always stayed out of each other's way. What do you mean by bringing people to surround members of my Moti Mercenary Group today?"

"Heh heh~"

"What do I mean?" Wen Hao chuckled, then said brazenly, "From the moment you two brothers refused the leader's recruitment, you should have known this day would come."

"The leader specifically instructed us to give you a proper welcome whenever we encountered you outside. I can't exactly treat the leader's words as wind in my ears, can I?"

Xiao Li gritted his teeth. "So that's how it is. How shameless!"

Seeing this, Xiao Ce looked at Xiao Ding. "Cousin Xiao Ding, do you need me to help?"

Xiao Ding took a deep breath and shook his head. "If it were another captain from the Sand Mercenary Group, we might really need Cousin Xiao Ce to step in. But Wen Hao is merely a Two-Star Doushi. My second brother and I are more than enough together!"

After saying that, a fierce glint flashed across his face as he stepped forward.

"Wen Hao, if you want to cause trouble for my Moti Mercenary Group, you're not qualified!"

A longsword appeared in Xiao Ding's hand as he shouted, "Second brother!"

Before his words had even faded, he shot toward Wen Hao like an arrow loosed from a bow.

Xiao Li and Xiao Ding had coordinated together countless times. He followed instantly, a spear suddenly appearing in his hand, arcs of lightning dancing around its tip.

"One One-Star Doushi and one Nine-Star Dou Zhe!"

"Even if you come at me together, what can you do to me?"

Though Wen Hao spoke as if he did not take the two seriously, a hint of gravity flashed across his face. A pale yellow Dou Qi flame gauze robe instantly rose over his body as he swung his greatsword.

The weapons collided with repeated clangs, sparks scattering like a rain of fire as dust filled the air.

The three became locked in battle, exchanging dozens of moves in the blink of an eye.

At first, relying on his Two-Star Doushi cultivation, Wen Hao could fight one against two without falling behind. Yet Xiao Ding and Xiao Li fought like two mad dogs, trading injury for injury. After only several dozen exchanges, he began to lose ground.

"With strength like this, you dare come cause trouble for my Moti Mercenary Group?"

Xiao Li roared, his voice deafening. A savage, bloodthirsty look flashed across his face as he seized the opening while Wen Hao was blocking Xiao Ding. He thrust out fiercely, his spear shooting forth like a spirit snake leaving its den and striking Wen Hao's Dou Qi gauze robe, sending him staggering back seven or eight steps.

Xiao Ding's coordination with him was nearly perfect. Before Wen Hao could steady himself, wood-attributed Dou Qi surged along Xiao Ding's longsword, and he slashed it across Wen Hao's chest.

Rip!

The Dou Qi gauze robe over Wen Hao's chest was instantly torn open. His body flew backward as scalding blood sprayed through the air.

He had lost!