"Hmph! The Desert Iron Mercenary Group won't let your Sand Mercenary Group take what we've set our sights on!"
Xue Lan snapped coldly. Even though the other side outnumbered them, she wouldn't give in.
The group leader had repeatedly stressed that nothing must happen to it.
"Heh, that's not up to you. Get them!"
Since Xiao Ding and Xiao Li weren't here, they might as well go all the way and wipe out the Desert Iron Mercenary Group's fighting force now.
After that, Xiao Ding and Xiao Li would be grasshoppers after autumn, easy for him to crush.
Just as the two sides were about to clash, a voice of immense authority suddenly descended from the sky.
"You're just a Dou Shi, yet you dare hurt the Desert Iron Mercenary Group? You're asking for death!"
Several figures appeared in the sky. At their head was a young man, handsome and aloof.
On either side of him were Xiao Ding and Xiao Li, the leaders of the Desert Iron Mercenary Group.
Qing Lin and Xiao Zi were with them as well.
At the same time, a terrifying pressure enveloped all of Stone Desert City. Everyone present wore expressions of utter horror. Under that pressure, they felt as insignificant as ants, as lowly as blades of grass.
Xue Lan struggled to lift her head. When she saw that it was her group leader and deputy leader, she was overjoyed.
But when her gaze fell on the young man at their head, the shock in her beautiful eyes was impossible to hide.
The newcomer was the group leader's third younger brother. They'd met him yesterday, but she hadn't expected the group leader's third brother to possess such terrifying strength.
His pressure alone was enough to leave everyone present unable to move.
When the members of the Desert Iron Mercenary Group saw their leader come to their aid, they all looked delighted.
Their leader was here. The tables had turned!
If you can come, so can I!
Now it was the Sand Mercenary Group's turn to tremble!
The members of the Sand Mercenary Group immediately turned ashen-faced. Under that pressure, they had no choice but to kneel, their heads pressed to the ground.
Mo Xing wanted to invoke his group leader's name, but even if their leader came in person, it probably wouldn't help.
Because their opponent was actually a Dou Zong expert!
Only a Dou Zong expert could travel through the air, but how could a Dou Zong expert be in a little place like Stone Desert City?
Xiao Ze ignored the Sand Mercenary Group entirely. A mere Dou Shi wasn't worthy of his attention.
After landing, Xiao Ding looked over his mercenaries and asked with concern, "Is everyone all right?"
"Thankfully, you arrived in time, Group Leader. We're all fine." Xue Lan shook her head.
Then she led them to the entrance of the underground passage. "Young Master Xiao Ze, this should be the underground passage you were looking for. We'd only just discovered it when the Sand Mercenary Group cut in. Thankfully, you arrived in time."
If they'd been any later, she didn't know what might have happened.
Xiao Ze nodded as he looked at the underground passage.
If nothing unexpected happened, this was the passage leading to the underground magma, where the Green Lotus Core Flame was hidden.
"Thanks for all your hard work. Once I've obtained the Heavenly Flame, I'll hold a celebration feast with everyone." Xiao Ze thanked them.
"Xiao Zi, deal with everyone here, and take care of the Sand Mercenary Group's base as well."
Before entering the underground passage, Xiao Ze gave the order.
"Yes, Master." Xiao Zi acknowledged the order and withdrew.
It had been itching for a fight for ages but hadn't had a chance to show what it could do. Now its chance had come. It was time to teach these humans just how powerful the Amethyst Winged Lion King was!
--
"Qing Lin, and Big Brother, Second Brother, you should head back first. I can go in alone."
"Master, would you like your disciple to go with you? I'm a Dou Huang expert, after all." Seeing that her master intended to enter alone, Qing Lin immediately grew worried.
Xiao Ze smiled. "Silly disciple, your master is a Dou Zong expert. Even if Queen Medusa is down there, I can suppress her with ease. Don't worry. Go back and wait for me."
Xiao Ze patted her head affectionately.
"All right." Qing Lin nodded.
Seeing this, Xiao Ding and Xiao Li didn't say anything more.
They were only Dou Shi. They couldn't help much even if they went along; they might just become a burden.
After Xiao Ze entered, the place soon returned to its usual quiet.
Meanwhile, at the Sand Mercenary Group's base, Xiao Zi looked down at the group from above with disdain.
A mercenary group led by a mere Da Dou Shi could be wiped out with a wave of its hand.
Then Xiao Zi transformed into its beast form. The towering Amethyst Winged Lion King, as huge as a mountain, exerted pressure no weaker than Xiao Ze's—perhaps even stronger.
It charged into the base. A series of mournful screams rang out, and every last mercenary was devoured by the Amethyst Winged Lion King.
Only after finishing did it leave, satisfied.
The Desert Iron Mercenary Group, led by Xiao Ding and Xiao Li, followed close behind and looted the place clean in no time.
And with that, the Sand Mercenary Group was destroyed.
--
Inside the underground passage, Xiao Ze could clearly sense the power of the fire element mixed into the air.
It was faint, but at least it proved he was headed in the right direction.
Following his instincts, he wound his way through the passage for about a quarter of an hour before spotting a red glow. It was the underground magma.
Just then, a glittering scale caught his attention.
"The scent of the Snake-People Tribe?"
Xiao Ze picked it up and sniffed it.
"Could it be... Queen Medusa has already gone down?"
Puzzled, Xiao Ze plunged in.
The heat of the magma couldn't harm him, so he didn't need to worry about it for now.
At last, after diving to a certain depth, a wave of heat rushed toward him.
At the same time, a fierce battle below immediately caught his attention.
A woman was fighting a Heavenly Flame.
She wore a luxurious purple brocade robe that accentuated her slender, curving figure. She looked mature, and a faint, alluring charm seemed to seep from her. Beneath the robe, a section of purple snake tail showed, swaying gently with a wild, bewitching grace.
Only Queen Medusa could have such a devilish figure. Unfortunately, she was so focused on the Heavenly Flame that she hadn't noticed anyone watching her.
Finally, after she'd exhausted her strength, the Green Lotus Core Flame's power also weakened considerably. Queen Medusa thought victory was within her grasp and prepared to take the Green Lotus Core Flame.
But then, everything changed. A young man shot forward at incredible speed, reaching her in the blink of an eye and snatching the Green Lotus Core Flame away.
"Thanks, Queen Medusa. I'll gladly take the Green Lotus Core Flame." Xiao Ze smiled as he used Three Thousand Lightning Movement.
Even the thick magma couldn't slow him down in the slightest.
"Damn it! Where did this little thief come from?"
Queen Medusa froze for a moment, watching helplessly as someone snatched away the treasure she'd nearly obtained. She immediately flew into a rage.
She struck with a fierce attack, unleashing the full force of her Peak Dou Emperor cultivation.
A terrifying surge of Dou Qi sent the underground magma churning like a storm-tossed sea, with the power to lay waste to the world.
But the smile on Xiao Ze's face didn't fade. With Three Thousand Lightning Movement boosting him, Queen Medusa couldn't touch a single hair on his head. Instead, he drained all the Dou Qi from her body.
Seeing that the moment was right, Xiao Ze boldly moved in front of Queen Medusa and wrapped an arm around her slender waist.
"Your Majesty, why get so angry? It's not as if I'm going to eat you."
Before you continue