Above the Snake-People Tribe.
All the Snake-People truly felt that furious and powerful Dou Qi.
That Dou Qi... seemed as though the heavens themselves were about to come crashing down!
They realized clearly that all of this had been caused by the mysterious and powerful human in the sky.
Their shock and reverence grew ever stronger. The Snake-People bowed to the ground once more and cried out.
"Master!"
At that moment, it was as though an invisible barrier had been shattered. The long-standing divide between different races and humans seemed to vanish in an instant.
It was just that they seemed to have evolved into a state ruled by a feudal slave-owning class.
And Xiao Fan was undoubtedly the one standing at the very top of this pyramid of power, the one who held everything in his hands.
After finishing all this, Xiao Fan hovered quietly in the air, his gaze sharp as a torch as he looked down upon the Snake-People below.
He could clearly see that as the surrounding Dou Qi surged like a raging tide, crashing against them again and again,
some gifted Snake-People with outstanding aptitude had already begun trying to break through their current realms.
In every corner of the Snake-People Tribe, the fluctuations of someone successfully breaking through could be felt from time to time.
Even the several Dou Wang experts who had already been quite powerful had broken through the bottleneck of a one-star increase with the aid of this mighty force.
Even Medusa, seated on her throne, could not help taking a deep breath as she felt the dense, raging Dou Qi, struggling to suppress the urge to sit down and cultivate at once.
Watching it all, Xiao Fan nodded in satisfaction.
Very good...
He thought to himself that these Snake-People would all become the solid foundation of the Heavenly Court he would establish.
It didn't matter if they lacked talent. With Dou Qi this fierce, even a pig could take flight.
"From this day forth, this place will be called the Demon Division. You are to stand ready at all times to carry out this emperor's orders..."
Xiao Fan's voice rang out again, solemn and dignified.
"Yes!"
Countless Snake-People answered in unison, their voices reverberating throughout the Tagor Desert.
Even Medusa, who had always been immensely proud, slowly lowered her head, which she had held high until now, to show her submission.
After successfully subduing the Snake-People Tribe, Xiao Fan left Medusa to handle everything that remained in the wake of the devastation.
With Medusa's strength and skill, dealing with this would be no trouble.
At that moment, however, Xiao Fan had something else on his mind. He strode through the air and flew toward the edge of the Tagor Desert.
He had suddenly remembered that Xiao Yanzi's two elder brothers, Xiao Ding and Xiao Li, seemed to have started a mercenary group in this area.
Thinking back to those days, Xiao Fan couldn't help finding it a little amusing.
Back then, Xiao Yan's Dou Qi had regressed, and many in the clan had changed their attitude toward him.
Yet Xiao Ding and Xiao Li had resolutely left the Xiao Clan and come to the edge of the desert to set up a mercenary group.
Their purpose was simple: if Xiao Yan ever found himself unable to stay with the clan, he would at least have somewhere to turn.
There was no denying that Xiao Yan's two elder brothers cared for him and looked after him in every possible way.
Their brotherly bond was truly touching.
And since Xiao Fan and Xiao Yan were so close, they saw each other often.
Naturally, he got along well with Xiao Ding and Xiao Li too, and the three of them shared a deep bond.
Xiao Fan circulated the Secret of Travel, moving at astonishing speed. Before long, he had arrived in Shimo City.
Looking down at the city below, its details flashed through Xiao Fan's mind.
As an important city on the eastern border of the Jia Ma Empire, Shimo City held an especially strategic position.
It stood firmly on the edge of the Tagor Desert, surrounded by endless stretches of yellow sand.
Yet this seemingly desperate location had made Shimo City a vital passage linking the Jia Ma Empire with the vast desert, as well as a major trading hub.
Xiao Fan concealed his presence and entered Shimo City.
The city's streets and alleys crisscrossed one another. They were packed with people, bustling with noise and activity.
Merchants from every corner of the land wore all sorts of clothing and spoke in a variety of accents. Some led camels laden with goods, while others pushed carts piled high with merchandise, weaving through the city.
Besides the merchants, there were all kinds of mercenary groups. Their members were strong and sturdy, blades at their waists, their eyes alert and practiced.
These mercenary groups were an important force in keeping the trade routes safe, and a distinctive sight in Shimo City.
"The Desert Iron Mercenary Group..."
Xiao Fan murmured the name, then used his soul perception to search through the bustling city.
His perception spread through the city like a fine web, swiftly and precisely.
Soon, he pinpointed their location.
"Over there..."
Xiao Fan dispelled his concealment formation and walked steadily along the street.
The surrounding din never let up.
Just then, a petite figure suddenly rushed out of an alley beside him and collided straight into him.
With a dull thud, the little girl stumbled back several steps, nearly falling to the ground.
"S-sorry!"
A timid, frightened voice rang out.
Hearing it, Xiao Fan looked down and saw a young girl gazing at him fearfully.
She wore a light-green outfit of simple elegance. Though the fabric was ordinary, she made it seem uniquely charming.
Her body was still small, but she had developed unusually early. Her figure already had the curves of a grown woman, full where it should be and narrow where it should be.
Yet her youthful face and timid gaze made it clear at a glance that she was still young.
"Mm... It's fine."
Xiao Fan narrowed his eyes and sized up the girl before him.
In that instant, the Heaven-Swallowing Demonic Art inside him seemed to sense something and began to stir instinctively.
A faint yearning welled up inside him, making him feel as though Qing Lin before him were a delectable "feast."
Interesting... the Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils?
So... she was Qing Lin?
A mischievous thought sprang into his mind.
The corners of Xiao Fan's mouth lifted slightly, forming a sly smile that was hard to notice.
He raised his hand and pointed at his clothes, which looked as though they had been covered in dust.
He said deliberately, "But my clothes are very expensive. You got them dirty, so you'll have to pay me back..."
He paused, a glint of amusement in his eyes.
"These clothes cost a thousand gold coins. Since you seem so pitiful, just give me five hundred..."
At his words, Qing Lin's face turned as pale as paper. Her lips trembled, and her eyes were full of helplessness and fear.
She lowered her head instinctively and said in a tearful voice, "I... I don't have that much money to pay you... I only have sixty gold coins. Would that be enough?"
"Sixty? That might work,"
Xiao Fan drawled deliberately.
"You can work for me to pay off the rest..."
As he spoke, an evil smile appeared at the corners of Xiao Fan's mouth. In Qing Lin's eyes, that smile looked as hideous as a demon's...