Night Assault

At night, the Tagore Desert was finally no longer so scorching, and instead carried a refreshing chill.

The breeze swept up fine sand. Keeping to the shadows of the dunes, the mercenaries gathered Dou Qi beneath their feet, minimizing the sound made by contact with the sand.

After a while, Lu Sheng, who was leading the group, came to a stop. He raised an arm, and the entire team immediately crouched low in unison, as though someone had pressed pause.

Before long, two figures suddenly appeared at the edge of a distant dune.

Walking in front was a middle-aged man around forty. He stood straight as a pine tree, with resolute features and eyes as sharp as an eagle's.

The man beside him wore a dark teal combat outfit. Tall and powerfully built, his exposed arms were knotted with muscles that seemed ready to explode with strength. The heavy Black-Iron Greatsword on his back was nearly as wide as his shoulders, and merely carrying it gave off an oppressive sense of weight.

Seeing them, Lu Sheng immediately rose and hurried forward, his manner exceedingly respectful. "Senior Lin Xiao! You've finally arrived! I'm Lu Sheng, Master Mu's adopted son. On behalf of all the brothers, thank you for lending us your aid!"

Lin Xiao gave a slight nod, his gaze sweeping over the mercenaries lying prone in the sand. He said in a deep voice, "Time is short. No need for pleasantries. Before the Snake-People discover us, we must end this quickly."

He turned slightly and pointed to the burly man carrying the greatsword behind him. "This is Liu Shi, vice captain of the Storm Mercenary Group. He is a One-Star Battle Master, and he will assist us."

"So you are brothers from the Storm Mercenary Group. Lu Sheng will remember this kindness." Lu Sheng clasped his fists and spoke solemnly.

Liu Shi merely nodded slightly without saying anything.

"Tell me the situation." Lin Xiao did not waste words and went straight to the point.

Lu Sheng drew a deep breath and explained the intelligence he had gathered, as well as the plan. "There are nearly thirty Snake-People stationed in the oasis camp. Their leader is a Three-Star Battle Master, and he can also control a second-rank Mujin Snake. He'll be very troublesome.

"Our plan is to split into two groups. I'll lead the first squad in a frontal confrontation to draw their attention, while the others lead the second squad in an attack from the flank."

After hearing this, Lin Xiao nodded slightly. "That will work. Leave the Snake-People Battle Master and the Mujin Snake to Liu Shi and me. Do your best to hold back the other Snake-People and buy us time."

"Move out!"

With Lin Xiao's command, the team immediately sprang into action.

About half an hour later, outside a small oasis.

Under the moonlight, the outlines of palm trees could vaguely be seen within the oasis, while several faint torch flames flickered. Two Snake-People sentries were patrolling nearby. They had lean, muscular upper bodies covered in fine dark scales, with thick snake tails trailing behind them.

"Two hundred zhang directly ahead, there are two Snake-People patrolmen. Both are at least Three-Star Dou Practitioners." Lin Xiao halted. After closing his eyes to sense the area, he spoke in a low voice.

Because they were too far away, even his soul perception could only determine their approximate location and level of strength.

"The Snake-People are highly alert. It'll be difficult to get close without being discovered. We might as well attack directly and seize the initiative," Lin Xiao suggested. Compared to humans, Snake-People possessed unique sensory abilities, making it difficult to ambush them successfully at close range.

"Wait, Senior Lin Xiao. I have a way to deal with the Snake-People patrolmen without being discovered," Lu Sheng hurriedly whispered.

"Oh? You have a way?" Lin Xiao was somewhat surprised. Snake-People were naturally extremely sensitive to dangerous auras. Even he had no way to silently eliminate the patrolmen, so what method could Lu Sheng possibly have?

Lu Sheng beckoned to someone behind him. "Brother Qing Mo, we're counting on you."

Qing Mo stepped out from the crowd.

"Are you sure?" Lin Xiao asked. Since Lu Sheng dared to let this young brother make a move at such a time, he should have some confidence in him, but Lin Xiao could not help asking anyway.

"Yes." Qing Mo nodded. In his perception, one of the two Snake-People was a Five-Star Dou Practitioner and the other a Six-Star Dou Practitioner. They would not be much of a problem for him.

"Please," Lu Sheng said solemnly.

"Alright."

Qing Mo said no more and quietly slipped forward.

He completely concealed his Dou Qi, his body nearly gliding along the ground as he merged with the shadows of the dunes.

When he was around one hundred and fifty meters away, Qing Mo stopped. This was the optimal attack distance he had calculated. It would ensure the daggers' penetrating power while avoiding the Snake-People's senses to the greatest extent possible.

Qing Mo exhaled a breath of stale air, his eyes sharpening as two cicada-wing-thin Silent Flying Daggers flew from his hands almost simultaneously!

Falling Leaf Flying Daggers!

Wrapped in Qing Mo's Dou Qi, the flying daggers minimized the sound caused by air resistance. Like fallen leaves swept up by the wind, they shot from the Snake-People patrolmen's blind spots along inconceivable arcs.

The two Snake-People only felt their bodies stiffen, the scales on their skin instinctively rising, but it was already too late.

Before they could even make a sound, the flying daggers had already ended their lives.

One had his throat severed. The other suffered an even worse fate, his head pierced straight through by a flying dagger as he died on the spot.

Thud, thud. The two towering Snake-People bodies collapsed limply onto the sand.

Good! Lin Xiao inwardly praised him, a trace of surprise appearing on his face. Qing Mo's mastery of concealed weapons had completely exceeded his expectations. Even he could not have done it so cleanly and decisively, and it had been almost entirely silent.

"Go!" Lin Xiao did not waste time. He gestured to Qing Mo, then led the others onward.

Soon, the group arrived beneath the gate in the rock wall surrounding the oasis. Though crude, the rock walls stood nearly five or six meters tall.

Lu Sheng searched the two Snake-People, then shook his head, indicating that he had found no key.

"Break the gate by force."

Lu Sheng exchanged a glance with Lin Xiao, then gestured to the people behind him. Everyone immediately held their breath as Dou Qi silently circulated within their bodies.

Once they made a move, they would certainly alert every Snake-Person in the camp. There was no longer any need to stay hidden.

"Senior Lin, I'll clear the way!"

"You and Senior Liu Shi should save your Dou Qi for the Snake-People leader. Leave the other Snake-People to us!"

After speaking, Lu Sheng suddenly raised his hand. A surge of azure Dou Qi erupted from his body before being forcibly compressed into his palm.

The next instant, he threw a fierce punch at the gate before him!

Low Black-Tier Dou Technique—Mountain-Breaking Fist!

A dull boom rang out alongside a sharp crack. The heavy gate shattered instantly, with broken stones and splinters flying everywhere.

"Charge!" Lu Sheng took the lead. Dou Qi burst beneath his feet, and he shot forward like lightning, becoming the first to rush through the gate.

"Kill!" As Lu Sheng charged in, the other mercenaries followed close behind.