Green Fire Life-Death Talisman

The fiery talisman before his eyes was only three fingers wide. Azure runes covered its surface, radiating a mysterious aura.

This was the Green Fire Life-Death Talisman!

It was a masterpiece created after Xiao Yan's fire-control techniques had reached an extremely profound level.

Of course, profound fire-control techniques alone were not enough to create the Green Fire Life-Death Talisman. One also needed the Myriad Flame Emperor Physique.

Thus, in the entire Battle Qi Continent, only Xiao Yan could create this mysterious Green Fire Life-Death Talisman.

Xiao Yan immediately stepped out of his Portable Space and arrived at the Sand Mercenary Group's base.

At that moment, the Sand Mercenary Group's base was permeated with the grim aftermath of battle.

Qing Lin rode atop the Two-Headed Fire Spirit Snake, floating in midair as she looked down upon the heavily injured Luo Bu.

Behind Qing Lin, Xiao Ding and Xiao Li led the Desert Iron Mercenary Group's elites in surrounding Luo Bu on all sides.

"Luo Bu, join the Desert Iron Mercenary Group or die. Make your choice."

Xiao Ding looked at the badly wounded Luo Bu, his old rival, and spoke coldly.

Luo Bu exhaled heavily and looked at the young girl riding that terrifying magical beast, his expression unreadable.

He knew this girl. She was a maid of the Desert Iron Mercenary Group, said to be the descendant of a Snake Person and a human. She had never been welcomed by either humans or Snake People.

He had never expected this girl to possess such terrifying beast-taming abilities, capable of commanding a Dou Spirit-level magical beast.

And there was also that white-haired old man who had not moved since appearing. His strength was equally unfathomable.

"I can join the Desert Iron Mercenary Group, but I want to be the third commander."

After careful consideration, Luo Bu's eyes shifted as he spoke coldly.

"You can't be the third commander. You can be the fourth."

At that moment, Xiao Yan's figure appeared out of thin air in midair, and his calm voice rang out.

"Young Master Xiao Yan."

"Little Yan." X2.

Everyone wore different expressions as they looked at the suddenly appearing Xiao Yan.

Qing Lin was delighted, while Xiao Ding and Xiao Li exchanged smiles.

Hai Bodong revealed a shocked expression. Even he had not noticed how Xiao Yan had appeared.

"You're Commander Xiao's powerful younger brother?"

Luo Bu's eyes were filled with wariness. He had long known that Xiao Ding had a younger brother even stronger than them.

When Xiao Yan had been searching for the underground passage leading to the Green Lotus Core Flame in the desert, Luo Bu had not dared to appear and cause trouble because he feared Xiao Yan's strength.

However, his scouts had reported that Xiao Yan had already left Shimo City.

Yet now, he had appeared again.

It seemed that today, he had no choice but to surrender first. Preserving his life was what mattered most.

"That's right. I'm Xiao Yan, the third commander of the Desert Iron Mercenary Group. So you can only be the fourth commander."

Xiao Yan smiled softly.

"Heh, fourth commander is fine too."

Luo Bu gave a dry laugh.

"Commander Luo, those who understand the times are the wise ones. You made a smart choice."

Xiao Yan spoke blandly. Then an azure flame talisman appeared on his fingertip. With a flick of his finger, it turned into a streak of azure light and shot into Luo Bu's body.

Luo Bu's expression darkened. As he examined himself internally, he found a talisman above the qi vortex in his dantian, radiating faint azure fire energy. That faint fire energy entered the vortex, causing its rotation speed to increase slightly.

"What did you do to me?"

Luo Bu's face darkened. Anyone would feel that something was wrong with a flame talisman appearing inexplicably within their qi vortex.

"Commander Luo, this is my unique secret technique, the Green Fire Life-Death Talisman. Ordinarily, it is of tremendous benefit to your cultivation. But if you harbor any disloyal thoughts, all I need to do is activate this fire. The Green Fire Life-Death Talisman will transform into raging flames, using your battle qi as fuel to burn through every meridian in your body until all your battle qi is exhausted."

An azure flame appeared in Xiao Yan's palm as he smiled at Luo Bu.

Yet to Luo Bu, that smile was like a devil's.

Luo Bu sat cross-legged and mobilized the battle qi within his body, trying to expel the flame talisman. But at that moment, the flame talisman vanished.

However, Luo Bu could still sense the faint fire energy emitted by it. It had not disappeared, but concealed itself.

Luo Bu's face immediately turned ashen.

He had only pretended to surrender. In the future, he might still be able to stage a resurrection within the Desert Iron Mercenary Group and seize control of Desert Iron in return.

"Xiao Yan, I don't believe in this so-called Green Fire Life-Death Talisman of yours!"

"I already agreed to join the Desert Iron Mercenary Group. Why are you still pushing me so hard? Aren't you afraid I'll fight you to the death?"

Luo Bu gritted his teeth as a battle qi armor surfaced over his body.

Xiao Yan sneered and poured battle qi into the azure flame in his hand.

Luo Bu discovered in horror that the concealed flame talisman in his dantian had reappeared. Then a flame fell into his qi vortex and ignited his liquid battle qi.

The qi vortex began spinning automatically, flinging the burning liquid battle qi out of the vortex. The liquid battle qi entered his meridians and circulated throughout his body along them.

Luo Bu screamed miserably and rolled across the ground in agony. Azure flames burned across the surface of his body.

Soon, his clothes were burned away, frightening Qing Lin into turning her head aside and directing the Two-Headed Fire Spirit Snake to move farther away.

"M-Milord... spare me!"

Luo Bu desperately slapped at the flames on his body and begged loudly for mercy.

Xiao Yan stopped supplying battle qi, and the flames all over Luo Bu's body receded like a tide into his dantian. They re-formed into a flame talisman above the qi vortex, then concealed themselves once more.

On the ground, Luo Bu's face was pale. The pain that had made him feel as if he could die at any moment had caused even his soul to tremble.

And in less than a minute, half of the liquid battle qi in his vortex had been burned away.

Only then did the crowd come back to their senses. The scene was deathly silent, and they looked at Xiao Yan as though he were a devil.

Even Hai Bodong was stunned by Xiao Yan's miraculous secret technique.

A wisp separated from the azure flame in Xiao Yan's hand and floated toward Xiao Ding.

"Big Brother, this is a subsidiary flame that can control the Green Fire Life-Death Talisman. Absorb it into your dantian."

Xiao Ding nodded. He trusted that Little Yan would not harm him. The instant the azure flame touched his palm, it entered his body, traveled along his meridians, and entered his dantian, where it floated above his qi vortex and burned quietly.

With Luo Bu dealt with, the Sand Mercenary Group was incorporated into Desert Iron without further obstruction. Xiao Li handled the follow-up work of the merger.

Five days later, Xiao Li held a banquet to welcome the Sand Mercenary Group into Desert Iron, inviting every chef in the city to prepare the feast at the Desert Iron base.

Even Shimo City's lord attended, and the Desert Iron Mercenary Group's status and strength gained official recognition.

At the banquet, Xiao Yan sat with Qing Lin. The young girl was especially happy today and drank a great deal of fruit wine.

"Miss Qing Lin, a toast to you—and an apology for how I treated you before."

A middle-aged man approached carrying a cup of strong liquor, bowing slightly as he raised his cup to Qing Lin.

"Uncle Zhiping."

Qing Lin hurriedly raised her fruit wine, a happy smile blooming across her little face.

She knew this man. He was Uncle Zhiping, who loved dragon sunflower sauce. One of his friends had died at the hands of the Snake People during a mission, so he had deeply despised Qing Lin for having half Snake Person blood. Every time they met, he had treated her with cold words and looks.

Being shown respect by Uncle Zhiping made Qing Lin extremely happy.

And that night, many mercenary group members who had once disliked her came to offer her drinks, so the young girl drank too much.

Her little face was rosy red.

She wrapped both arms around Xiao Yan's neck, hanging her entire body from him.

"Young Master, Qing Lin is so happy."

Her eyes closed, the young girl leaned against her young master's safe chest and murmured softly.

A trail of tears slipped from the corner of her eye.

Xiao Yan reached out and gently wiped away the tears from the young girl's fair face. He knew they were tears of joy.

He lifted the young girl in his arms and returned to the room, gently placing her on the bed and covering her with a soft blanket.

Even in her sleep, the young girl still did not release the arm she was hugging.

Xiao Yan allowed her to hold his arm in her embrace. He simply sat at the bedside and remained there the entire night.

The next day, when he woke up, Qing Lin had already disappeared.

Rubbing his slightly numb arm, Xiao Yan went to find his eldest brother.

"Big Brother, my Green Fire Life-Death Talisman cannot be removed by anyone below a Dou King. The moment Luo Bu seeks someone to remove it, you will sense it. You need not hold back—activate it directly."

The Green Fire Life-Death Talisman Xiao Yan created could only be removed by someone two major realms stronger than him.

As his strength increased, he would be able to create even more powerful Life-Death Talismans.

"Luo Bu has witnessed the power of your Life-Death Talisman. He surely won't dare harbor any more disloyal thoughts. Besides, with your pills, your second brother and I are advancing by leaps and bounds. Once we become Grand Dou Masters, we won't need to worry about Luo Bu at all."

Xiao Ding patted Xiao Yan on the shoulder and spoke with great excitement.

"Big Brother, purchase some medicinal ingredients in the city over the next few days. I'll refine another batch of pills for you to use as rewards for the loyal members of the group."

Xiao Yan said.

If the Desert Iron Mercenary Group wanted to develop, it could not do without a good reward system, and precious medicinal pills were the best tool for winning people's loyalty.