Night over the Starshadow Desert unfolded slowly like a mysterious painted scroll. The ink-black sky seemed swallowed by endless darkness. The stars shone faintly in the distance, veiled by layer upon layer of yellow sand, leaving only a heart-stopping blackness. Wind slipped silently between the dunes, occasionally lifting wisps of fine sand like dancing ghosts.
The Starblade Squad had just left a trail of destruction through the Shadow Race's secret base. The once mysterious, heavily guarded compound now lay in ruins. Collapsed walls and shattered equipment all told of their valiant triumph. Yet their actions had also been like a boulder hurled into a tranquil lake, instantly exposing their whereabouts. The Shadow Race's alarms echoed shrilly across the desert, their piercing cries seeming to penetrate the soul and send chills down the spine.
A band of powerful pursuers poured from the base like a surging tide. Clad in black battle armor, they radiated an icy menace in the night. Anger and resolve were written across every face, and they had only one target-the Starblade Squad. These well-trained pursuers moved in perfect unison, their footsteps rumbling through the desert like muffled thunder, shaking every grain of sand.
Ye Lingyun led the squad swiftly through the desert, their silhouettes flickering beneath the starlight. Tall and straight-backed, he wore a black cloak that snapped in the wind. His brows were tightly knitted like two deep furrows, and vigilance glinted in his eyes. That light was as steady and sharp as stars on a frigid night. His sharply defined face seemed carved by blade and chisel, exuding a stern allure. As he hurried forward, he kept glancing back, sensing the presence of their pursuers.
"We have to move faster." Ye Lingyun's voice was low and powerful, like a roar from the abyss. He swept