Do Not Harm My Lord!
Several days later, as dusk approached, a convoy slowly made its way through the desolate desert, braving the swirling sandstorm.
"Stay close! We must get through this sandstorm area before dark!"
The young man leading the group turned around and yelled at the convoy. He looked to be no more than twenty years old, but there was an unusually fierce look in his eyes.
"Brother Li, we've been moving fast enough. There are still five days until the agreed time, but we should be there in three days at most."
From the convoy, one of the men stepped forward, walked alongside the young man, and offered some suggestions.
"I know, but this windy, sandy area is too vulnerable to attacks by Snake People."
"This is the first time my elder brother has let Xiao Li lead the team alone, so we can't afford to be careless."
The young man was Xiao Yan's second elder brother, Xiao Li.
This was the first time he had led a team independently since he and his elder brother Xiao Ding founded the mercenary group. The goods they were escorting were of considerable value, and there was no room for error.
No sooner had Xiao Li finished speaking than more than a dozen snake shadows darted out from behind the sand dunes not far ahead.
"... Brother Li, your mouth must be blessed!"
Stop joking! Prepare for battle!
A dozen mercenaries shielded the truck behind them, drawing their weapons in unison to face the Snake People.
Without a word, the Snake People- Snake People leader flicked his tail, leaped into the air, and slashed his curved blade straight at Xiao Li's face.
Xiao Li parried with his spear, but was forced back half a step. After regaining his footing, he circulated his Dou Qi to counterattack.
Unexpectedly, the Snake People leader grinned and suddenly spat out a cloud of dark green poisonous mist.
Xiao Li's pupils contracted, and he hastily turned his head to avoid most of the poisonous mist, but a few wisps still managed to enter his nasal cavity.
A chilling, numbing sensation instantly spread from his throat to his limbs, his arms went limp, and the Snake People's scimitar came at him again.
Xiao Li hastily tried to defend himself, but due to insufficient strength, he was shaken so badly that his tiger's mouth split open, and he was sent flying backwards, crashing into the sideboard of the truck.
The leader of the group suffered a setback, and the remaining mercenaries retreated and huddled together.
The Snake People had dispersed, slowly approaching in a semi-encircling formation.
The Snake People leader licked the blood off his scimitar, his snake-like eyes filled with mockery.
Xiao Li gripped the gun handle tightly, took a deep breath, and prepared for a desperate fight.
Just then, the sand beneath their feet suddenly trembled.
The Snake People who were attacking them steadied themselves and looked around in surprise and uncertainty.
The Snake People leader's vertical pupils suddenly contracted as he sensed a terrifying energy rapidly approaching from beneath his feet.
With a loud "boom," the sand suddenly exploded.
A giant dragon, formed entirely of yellow sand, burst forth from beneath the sand, its body winding and coiling, raising a curtain of sand that filled the sky.
Not only Xiao Li and his group, but the Snake People also looked up at the majestic dragon, their minds blank.
What is this thing?
The next moment, the salon's head dropped down, crushing through the Snake People formation.
Under the crushing weight of the dragon, the bodies of the Snake People were easily torn to shreds like pieces of paper.
The snake blood was splashed on the yellow sand, but it was instantly covered by the sand waves that followed, leaving not a trace.
The dozen or so Snake People all perished in just a few breaths.
As the sandstorm subsided, a flurry of yellow sand fell, and the dunes returned to their tranquility.
A figure emerged from the smoke and dust, his black hair fluttering slightly in the wind and sand.
Xiao Li swallowed a mouthful of bloody saliva, planted his Long Spear in the sand, and, barely managing to stand upright by supporting himself on the spear shaft, cupped his hands and said:
"Xiao Li of the Desert Iron Mercenary Group thanks you for saving my life."
Upon hearing this name, Qin Yu couldn't help but turn his head and glance at him again.
So it's Xiao Yan's second brother. I never expected to run into him in this kind of situation.
"It was just a small favor."
After saying that, Qin Yu unfolded the Purple Cloud Wings again.
Xiao Li opened his mouth, wanting to say something more, at least to ask for a name, but Qin Yu had already taken flight, his figure swallowed up by the sandstorm in the blink of an eye.
Xiao Li coughed twice, clutching his chest, then took out the antidote he always carried with him from his waist and swallowed it. He looked in the direction where the figure had disappeared, his brows furrowing slightly.
The man's gaze made Xiao Li feel as if the other person seemed to know him.
But he didn't remember ever seeing this person before. Could it be from Wutan City?
Meanwhile, after leaving, Qin Yu followed the sensations of his Innate Treasure-Seeking Body and the clear guidance from the Earth Vein, heading towards the depths of the desert.
That Yellow Sand Giant Dragon was created by him using the desert environment and his control over the Earth Vein Force.
You know what, this trick is surprisingly effective at clearing out these Snake-People Tribe minions.
On the rest of the journey, Qin Yu also helped out several caravans that were attacked by the Snake-People Tribe. There was no other reason than that he was just itching to help.
With the help of the unique environment of the desert, Qin Yu naturally broke through to the level of Two-Star Great Dou Master.
A few days later, he finally arrived at the location of the Green Lotus Core Flame.
From the surface, this place appears to be nothing more than an Plain and Unremarkable sand dune, but the incredibly violent Earth Vein Force surging deep underground is undoubtedly giving Qin Yu a clear indication of his situation.
This is it.
Qin Yu retracted his Purple Cloud Wings and landed on the top of the sand dune. Just as he was about to activate the Earth Vein Force to explore the underground situation, the sand dune beneath his feet suddenly trembled violently.
At the same time, a strange feeling welled up in Qin Yu's heart, as if something was welcoming his arrival.
The next moment, the yellow sand on the surface of the dune began to slide down in a rustling sound, and the entire sandy area suddenly collapsed.
The moment the sand collapsed, Qin Yu spread his Purple Cloud Wings to steady himself. The yellow sand within a radius of tens of meters beneath his feet sank down, revealing the scene below.
One after another, dark openings led in different directions.
Qin Yu extended his senses and finally located a cave entrance, then stepped inside.
As Qin Yu ventured deeper, the rock walls on both sides grew increasingly hot, and the air became increasingly scorching.
It was pitch black all around, and the rocks underfoot felt scorching hot, like stepping on a stove that hadn't completely cooled down.
Following his senses, Qin Yu turned several corners in the passageway, and suddenly a light appeared ahead.
Stepping out of the passageway, my vision was suddenly distorted by the scorching air. Large swathes of dark red lava churned in the darkness, bubbling up with bubbles the size of bowls.
"So this is the location of the Green Lotus Core Flame...?"
Before Qin Yu could do anything, a huge bubble suddenly appeared in the center of the lava pool.
The bubble burst open, and an extremely pure fire-attribute energy gushed out from the depths of the magma.
Qin Yu instantly became alert. He remembered there was a Fourth Rank Two-Headed Fire Spirit Serpent here. Could it have found him so quickly?
As a result, the Two-Headed Fire Spirit Serpent did not appear; instead, the magma in front of Qin Yu changed color.
From dark red to orange-red, from orange-red to bluish-white, and finally, the entire surface of the lava pool was coated with a cool and eerie lotus-green color.
The surrounding temperature soared in just a few breaths, forcing Qin Yu to activate his Dou Qi to protect himself from the scorching heat.
In the center of the lava pool, a fiery lotus is taking shape.
Qin Yu stood there, staring blankly at the Fire Lotus that had materialized out of thin air.
The Green Lotus Core Flame... it just emerged on its own?