The Sand Mercenary Group!

The next day, the sun was already high in the sky before the master and disciple finally awoke from their slumber.

"My sweet disciple, your master was too vigorous last night; I have made you suffer," Xiao Ze said, gently rubbing her head with a look of doting affection.

The soft bed was a chaotic mess, with undergarments discarded haphazardly.

Last night, the two had engaged in a battle of three hundred rounds, everything understood without a word.

"Master, this is what I ought to do," Qing Lin said, clinging tightly to Xiao Ze's embrace, savoring the fleeting peace.

Ever since she was born, she had endured the coldness of the world; even a stray dog on the roadside could bully her.

Now that she had met her master, it was he who had taken her in and given her a starting point to climb upward. Even if it meant offering her body, she was perfectly willing.

After dressing again, Xiao Ze and Qing Lin walked out of the room side by side.

Following his tutelage throughout the night, Qing Lin had grown into a graceful young woman, her figure lithe and beginning to show its budding charm.

In the main hall, Xiao Ding and Xiao Li had been waiting for quite some time; only when they saw Xiao Ze approach did they finally heave a sigh of relief.

"Third Brother, you certainly know how to sleep. I thought you might have slept your life away," Xiao Ding teased with a smile.

"My apologies, Big Brother, Second Brother. The journey was exhausting, and I slept a bit too soundly last night," Xiao Ze said, feeling a little sheepish as he told a shallow lie.

Xiao Ding did not pay it much mind and continued, "The entire Desert Iron Mercenary Group has been dispatched. I expect news will arrive before long; for now, we need only wait a moment."

Ever since his third brother mentioned needing to find a Heavenly Flame yesterday evening, the two brothers had sent out their entire force first thing this morning.

Even if they had to turn Stone Desert City upside down, they were determined to find the whereabouts of the Heavenly Flame.

However, when his gaze fell upon the young woman beside Xiao Ze, a trace of surprise emerged in his eyes, and he inwardly marveled at how delicate she was.

Moreover, this woman gave him a sense of familiarity, as if he had seen her somewhere before, though he could not quite place it.

"Third Brother, who is this?"

"Big Brother, this is Qing Lin," Xiao Ze introduced.

"Leader Xiao Ding, it is I, Qing Lin. Do you still recognize me?" Qing Lin asked with a faint smile.

It had to be said that the grown-up Qing Lin truly possessed a unique allure.

"You are that little girl?" As soon as these words left his lips, both Xiao Ding and Xiao Li widened their eyes, filled with shock.

She had been a little girl just last night; how could she have grown so much in the span of a single night?

Could it be that they had missed something?

"It was Master who helped me awaken a special constitution, which caused my form to change. I am now also a Dou Emperor," Qing Lin explained briefly.

"So that is how it is."

Hearing this, Xiao Ding nodded.

No wonder his third brother had taken Qing Lin as his disciple; the answer lay right here.

"A Dou Emperor... wait, did you say you are a Dou Emperor?" Xiao Ding's expression shifted, his heart filled with horror.

Is this right?

Who in their right mind becomes a Dou Emperor overnight? Even if one started cultivating from the womb, it shouldn't be like this.

"This is all thanks to Master," Qing Lin said, her gaze fixed on Xiao Ze, her eyes filled with adoration.

"We are truly envious," Xiao Ding said with a wry smile, never expecting his third brother to possess such means.

They say that comparing people to one another only leads to frustration.

He hadn't believed it before, but now his own face was stinging from the reality of it.

Compared to Qing Lin, those of them who had buried their heads in hard cultivation were truly nothing but clowns.

Fortunately, such a constitution was not something just anyone could possess, or the Dou Qi Continent would be in complete chaos.

Xiao Ze naturally saw the jealousy in his brothers' hearts and would certainly not favor one over the other.

"Big Brother, Second Brother, you need not worry. I have some high-quality medicinal pills here. You can take them during your cultivation to achieve twice the result with half the effort." As he spoke, Xiao Ze retrieved several dozen jade bottles from his storage ring.

He was now a fourth-tier alchemist, and the pills he refined were highly effective—perfectly suited for his brothers.

"This..." Looking at so many precious pills, Xiao Ding and Xiao Li exchanged glances, unable to help but sigh with emotion, "We never expected to benefit from Third Brother's fortune."

"When we were young, Big Brother and Second Brother took care of me. Now that I have the ability, I could never be an ungrateful person," Xiao Ze said with a smile.

He had always kept that kindness in his heart.

The two brothers said nothing, merely accepting the pills.

Soon, word came from their subordinates that they had discovered a cavern on the east side of Stone Desert City, which appeared to be an entrance leading underground.

However, because their movements had been so grand, other mercenary groups assumed a treasure had emerged and began to eye it covetously, leading to a clash between the two sides.

"This must be the work of the Sand Mercenary Group again!" Hearing this, Xiao Li slammed his hand down, shattering the teacup on the table instantly.

"The Sand Mercenary Group is the strongest force in Stone Desert City aside from the City Lord's Mansion, and they have always been at odds with us. Seeing us make such a big scene this time, they were bound to come and stir up trouble," Xiao Li explained further.

"Their leader, Sha Luo, is a Dou Grandmaster."

Hearing this, Xiao Ze smiled faintly, "Rest assured, leave this matter to me. A mere Dou Grandmaster dares to snatch my belongings? In my eyes, he has already paved his own path to death!"

Indeed, in the past, their Desert Iron Mercenary Group would certainly have had to avoid such a sharp edge.

But today is not like the past; their third brother has arrived.

In the presence of a Dou Zong, even a Dou Emperor must kneel, let alone a mere Dou Grandmaster who dares to be so arrogant—he clearly does not know how to write the word "death."

The next moment, enveloped by Xiao Ze's Dou Qi, the group vanished from the hall in an instant.

Meanwhile, on the east side of Stone Desert City.

Across the vast desert, yellow sands raged.

Yet, even in this harsh environment, a hint of murderous intent permeated the air.

The Desert Iron Mercenary Group and the Sand Mercenary Group stood in a standoff around the entrance of a cave.

Surrounding them, a crowd of onlookers had long since gathered; the discord between the Desert Iron Mercenary Group and the Sand Mercenary Group was nothing new.

Now that the Desert Iron Mercenary Group had discovered a cave resembling a treasure vault, how could the Sand Mercenary Group not be green with envy?

They had come sniffing the moment they caught the scent.

"Team Leader Xue Lan, the man who arrived is Mo Xing, second only to their leader. With our leader and vice-leader absent, should we temporarily avoid their edge?"

The person beside her saw the aggressive momentum of the opposition and suggested retreating first to wait for the leader to arrive.

Who would have thought that Xue Lan would remain unmoved, the long spear in her hand radiating a cold, sharp luster.

This cave was discovered by them; how could they possibly hand it over?

"Mo Xing, does your Sand Mercenary Group belong to the canine family? You came the moment you caught the scent!"

"Heh, Miss Xue Lan, you are still as charming as ever, though your mouth is a bit foul!"

Mo Xing's face was sinister, his entire body exuding a powerful aura far beyond that of anyone else present.

"Besides, the area around Stone Desert City is public territory. You brought people to surround this place—what exactly are you planning to do?"

His gaze swept over the cave entrance, his intentions self-evident.

This place, my Sand Mercenary Group wants it!