First Meeting with Dylin

In the boundless, rock-strewn expanse of the Gobada Wasteland, the wind howled as it whipped sand and gravel against the jagged stones, producing a piercing, mournful wail.

A pair of eyes, deep as cold pools, hid between layers of stone crevices, completely obscured by a voluminous silver robe. These eyes remained unblinking, locked onto the figures speeding across the horizon. Only when the targets had drifted into the distance did the silver-robed figure crouch low, merging into the earth as if becoming one with it, slipping underground without stirring a single grain of dust.

Over a hundred miles away, in a massive subterranean cavern, a cold and gloomy aura permeated the surroundings. The silver-robed figure, having just returned, knelt on one knee and respectfully reported everything he had observed to a withered figure shrouded in a dark green robe.

This withered old man, known as the Grand Wizard, had a hunched back. The hands protruding from his robes were as dry as chicken claws, his skin wrinkled over knobby joints, appearing entirely devoid of life. Yet, his eyes glowed with a faint, eerie green light, resembling a starving wolf foraging in the wasteland at midnight, brimming with cruelty and cunning.

After hearing his subordinate's report, the old man slowly turned his neck to look at the two other powerful figures beside him, his voice raspy and dry: "Gentlemen, according to my servant's surveillance, our target squad will no longer follow their previous route, but has instead diverted to bypass us from the north."

Beside him, a tall, burly middle-aged man draped in a pitch-black robe with a massive cyan saber strapped to his back frowned, his face showing clear displeasure. His deep, resonant voice carried a hint of reprimand: "Grand Wizard, can your subordinates controlled by Soul Seeds not transmit intelligence directly through soul connection? Running back and forth to deliver messages like this will cause us to miss our window of opportunity at the slightest delay! We only agreed to let you join us because we valued your intelligence-gathering capabilities through Soul Seed control!"

The Grand Wizard, far from being angered by the rebuke, merely grinned, revealing a mouthful of yellowed teeth as he let out a sinister chuckle: "Lord Beaumont, my Soul Seed control is merely a crude method of enslavement, not a supreme soul contract established by the heavens; it lacks such profound mystical abilities. Only when a subordinate controlled by a Soul Seed is on the verge of death is it possible to transmit the final images; otherwise, we must rely on this back-and-forth delivery."

Just as the two were arguing, a third voice, cold and calm, rang out, shattering the stifling atmosphere of the cavern: "At this distance, we can still catch up to them."

Beaumont and the Grand Wizard turned simultaneously to look at the man who had spoken.

This individual wore a luxurious dark-gold robe, his appearance so handsome it was almost demonic, his face as smooth as a youth's. Most startling of all was the vertical pupil in the center of his smooth forehead, which was currently half-open, swirling with a heart-stopping golden light.

If Barn of the Ice Blade 123 Squad were here, he would surely recognize this three-eyed youth at a glance—he was none other than Dylin, a character with significant presence in the original records! And the burly Beaumont beside him, as well as the withered Grand Wizard, were all god-level powerhouses who had appeared before!

Beside Dylin stood four bizarre magical beasts: lion-bodied, winged, and possessing six eyes on their faces—they were Dylin's offspring, the Six-Eyed Golden Lions.

Clearly, of Dylin's five sons, four were still alive.

Dylin's pale golden eyes swept toward the direction of the wasteland, his tone brooking no argument: "We shall surround them."

The Grand Wizard's expression shifted slightly, half-warning and half-persuading: "Lord Dylin, this escort team is not weak; there are three Lower Gods in their ranks! Furthermore, our target, the Tiebo, has an extensive root system and is quite heavy. Even if we succeed in seizing it, it will be extremely difficult to transport across this wasteland. The gains will not outweigh the losses."

The vertical pupil on Dylin's forehead narrowed slightly. He cast a cold glance at the Grand Wizard, his tone carrying a condescending command: "Grand Wizard, you defected from the Evil Royal City to the Azure Fire Royal City. If you wish to gain our trust, you must demonstrate your worth and obey arrangements obediently. As for how the Tiebo will be transported, that is not for you to worry about."

The Grand Wizard's withered cheeks twitched, a flicker of resentment flashing in his eyes, but he dared not act on it. He lowered his head, suppressing the rage in his heart, and replied in a low voice: "As you say, my Lord. I obey."

Just as Dylin had implied, this Grand Wizard was originally a member of the Evil Royal City, captured during a war between the royal cities by Dylin and Beaumont. He had saved his own life from their blades by relying on his two unique skills: "Soul Seed Control" and "Refining Soul Gold Beads," defecting from the gloomy and oppressive Evil Royal City to join the Azure Fire Royal City under the command of Dylin and Beaumont.

However, he was still in a probationary period, his loyalty unproven; there was still a long road of trials before he would be truly accepted by the Azure Fire Royal City.

Yet, in the Grand Wizard's own view, while Dylin and Beaumont were arrogant and overbearing, they possessed the formidable strength to match, giving them the capital for such arrogance. More importantly, the Azure Fire Royal City not only boasted unparalleled overall strength but also provided extremely generous treatment to the soldiers of its legions.

In contrast, the former Evil Royal City was filled with blood, gloom, and oppression every day; even the Grand Wizard, who considered himself cruel and heartless, had long found it unbearable. By comparison, the overbearing nature of Dylin and his companion was not entirely intolerable.

As Dylin flew out of the underground cavern first, transforming into a streak of dark-gold light heading north, Beaumont and the Grand Wizard dared not delay, following closely behind. Behind them, over a dozen Sanctuary powerhouses with refined auras also transformed into streams of light to keep pace.

At this moment, the Ice Blade 123 Squad on the wasteland remained completely unaware of the impending attack.

The squad members had indeed noticed several Sanctuary auras scouting them along the way. But in the Gobada Wasteland, any unusual movement would attract the gaze of Sanctuary powerhouses; Barn and his team could hardly slaughter every curious Sanctuary expert they encountered.

Fortunately, for this escort mission, they had chosen to travel rapidly on the surface, which was much faster than using underground tunnels. Coupled with the fact that they only needed to escort two Tiebo, their burden was greatly reduced. According to their projections, they would reach the safe zone in ten days, at which point they could ascend and fly at high speed, completely escaping the danger zone.

But just as the squad was moving at full speed, a surge of powerful energy suddenly erupted from the southern horizon!

"Enemies!"

Fukaloss, as a veteran god-level member of the team, had the sharpest perception and was the first to issue a stern warning.

Beside her, the Earth Violent Bear Gideon growled upon hearing this: "Declan, take over for me!"

Before the words had faded, the bear and the dragon quickly swapped positions, handing over the heavy burden of the Tiebo and preparing for battle.

In the blink of an eye, the energy fluctuations erupting from afar swept toward them, and three figures descended like meteors—or rather, three humanoid god-level powerhouses!