The First Order!

"Looking for someone. Is there a merchant caravan belonging to Chen Boss staying here?"

The old man jerked his chin upstairs. "Second floor, innermost room on the left."

Huang Yun thanked him, went up to the second floor, found the room, and knocked on the door.

The door opened quickly. A middle-aged man in his forties stood behind it, dark-skinned and lean, with the shrewdness and wariness unique to a merchant in his eyes.

"And you are?" Chen Boss sized him up.

"I'm Peregrine Falcon, here for the escort mission accepted by Heroes' Hall." Huang Yun directly showed him the bronze badge.

When Chen Boss saw the number on the badge, his gaze relaxed somewhat. He stepped aside from the doorway. "Come in and talk."

The room was small. A map lay spread across the table, with a teapot and cups beside it.

Chen Boss invited him to sit, poured him a cup of tea, and got straight to the point. "We leave at dawn tomorrow. There are three carriages in total, carrying medicinal herbs and ores. Nothing worth much, but this route hasn't been peaceful lately. Several bandit gangs deep in the wasteland have been active recently. My previous guards were intercepted on the road, and two Soul Ancestors died. That's why I came to Blackstone City to recruit more people."

He glanced at Huang Yun. "You're an agility-type Soul King?"

"Yeah."

"Good. I have two other Soul Kings in the caravan—one assault-type, one defense-type. We happen to need an agility-type like you to scout and keep watch up front. Your job is to stay three to five miles ahead of the caravan. If anything happens, send a signal back. Fight if you can win; if you can't, just come back and report it."

Huang Yun nodded. "Fine."

Chen Boss smiled in satisfaction. "Then it's settled. Gather at the city gate at dawn tomorrow. I've prepared the food and water; you just need to show up. The pay will come in two installments: thirty percent before departure, and the remaining seventy percent when we reach Black Wind Valley."

"No problem."

Huang Yun got up and took his leave. He rented a room downstairs at Fortune Comes Inn, entered it, shut the door securely, crossed his legs, and began meditating.

He closed his eyes and circulated his Soul Power. At the same time, he activated Lightning Falcon Eyes, spreading his senses across several dozen feet around him. Only after confirming that no one was watching him did he relax.

For the next seven days, he would be crossing the Nether Wasteland with this merchant caravan.

No one could say what they might encounter along the way.

But whatever it was, he was not afraid.

Nothing happened that night.

At dawn the next day, before the sky had fully brightened, Huang Yun had already packed up and left the inn.

The morning wind carried the scent of sand and earth as it rushed against his face. A few early-rising travelers hurried along the streets.

By the time he reached the city gate, Chen Boss's caravan was already there.

Three carriages stood in a line, their compartments tightly covered with thick gray canvas, concealing whatever was inside.

Each carriage had two packhorses, their hooves wrapped in thick anti-slip cloth. They were clearly equipped for frequent travel across the wasteland.

Chen Boss stood beside the first carriage, speaking with two men.

One was powerfully built, nearly two meters tall, broad-shouldered and thick-backed. His bare arms were knotted with muscles, and a broad sword like a door panel was strapped across his back.

The other was leaner, with a cold expression. A pair of short blades hung at his waist, and he stood to one side with his arms folded, his gaze continuously scanning the surroundings.

When he saw Huang Yun approach, Chen Boss waved him over.

"You're here? Come meet the others."

Huang Yun walked over. Chen Boss pointed at the burly man and said, "This is Tie Shan, a level fifty-two assault-type Soul King. You can call him Old Tie."

Tie Shan grinned, revealing a mouthful of white teeth. His voice was loud. "You look unfamiliar, little brother. First time in the Nether Wasteland?"

"Yeah, first time." Huang Yun nodded.

"Alright. Stick with Old Tie, and I guarantee no one will dare lay a hand on you." Tie Shan slapped his chest, making it thump loudly.

Chen Boss then pointed to the lean man. "This is Liu Ying, a level fifty-one agility-type Soul King. You're both agility-types, so it'll be easier for you to work together on the road."

Liu Ying merely nodded slightly without speaking, which counted as a greeting.

Huang Yun did not mind and returned Liu Ying's nod.

Chen Boss then introduced Huang Yun to the rest of the caravan.

Besides the three Soul Kings, there were four guards, all Soul Ancestors, riding on the shafts of the three carriages.

There were also two cooks, one assistant to handle odd jobs, and Chen Boss himself, making eleven people in total.

"I told you the rules yesterday. Stay three to five miles ahead, signal if you spot anything, fight if you can, and come back to report if you can't." Chen Boss gave one final reminder. "The bandit gangs operating in the wasteland are all troublesome. Don't try to show off. Safety comes first."

"Understood."

The caravan set off.

Once they passed through Blackstone City's gates, the road quickly changed from stone paving to yellow-brown dirt. Vegetation on both sides grew increasingly sparse until even the grass vanished, leaving only gray-yellow sand and broken stones stretching to the horizon.

This was the Nether Wasteland.

Huang Yun traveled roughly two miles ahead of the caravan, keeping a steady pace.

He did not fly, instead sprinting on foot. Each touch of his toes against the ground sent him gliding several yards forward, light and agile.

At the same time, he activated Lightning Falcon Eyes. He had only acquired this ability recently, so he needed to use it more to master and develop it properly.

In fact, he was rather looking forward to getting robbed. That way, he could hone his killing skills again.

Pale violet lightning patterns appeared in his pupils, spreading outward in the shape of lotus flowers.

The entire world became exceptionally clear and slow in his vision. He could see the outlines of distant dunes, the trembling air currents on the horizon, even tiny insects crawling through cracks between the sand and stones by the roadside.

His spiritual power spread out as well, covering a two-mile radius. Not the slightest movement could escape his perception.

He maintained this state for most of the day.

The sun rose from the east to directly overhead, then gradually shifted westward.

The Nether Wasteland had drastic temperature differences between day and night. During the day, the scorching sunlight heated the ground until it burned, but by evening the temperature dropped quickly, and the wind turned dry and cold.

They encountered trouble twice along the way.

The first time was in the afternoon. A pack of Black-Maned Wild Wolves followed the caravan from a distance, numbering around a dozen. They were merely ordinary beasts, not even Soul Beasts.

Huang Yun could not be bothered to act. He called back to the caravan, and Tie Shan, who had been bored out of his mind, immediately rushed over with his broad sword on his shoulder. With several booming slashes, he felled the leading wolves, and the rest scattered in panic.

The second time was at dusk. As they passed the ruins of an abandoned village, five Soul Masters emerged from behind the crumbling walls to block their path.

Those five did not look like an organized bandit gang. They seemed more like petty thieves taking advantage of the chaos in the wasteland. Their leader was a Soul Ancestor, while the other four were all Soul Grandmasters.

The leader saw that the caravan had three guards. Before he could even deliver his lines, Liu Ying moved.

Two flashes of cold light swept past. The short blades left their sheaths and returned again, so fast that no one could even see the movements.

Two cuts appeared in the Soul Ancestor's clothing over his chest, blood seeping through them. His face turned white.

The others fared even worse. Sections of their fingers had been sliced off, and they howled in pain.