That Glance

After meeting Xiao Yi Xian, Chen Xiao continued on his journey.

Once he stepped out of Green Mountain Town, he took out the map and glanced at it, then immediately decided to pick up his pace.

Whoosh—

With a thought, the Purple Cloud Wings unfurled behind him, and he shot off into the distance.

Behind him.

At the corner of a small house, more than a dozen mercenaries who had been itching to make a move stood dumbstruck. They looked at one another, all of them speechless.

"Go back!"

After a long silence, Wang San, the mercenary in the lead, waved his hand and led the group back toward Green Mountain Town.

But after walking quickly for a while, one of the mercenaries noticed something was wrong.

"Wang San, this is the wrong way. That's the direction of the Mad Lion Mercenary Group."

"That's right. I'm going to join the Mad Lion Mercenary Group. The Wolf Head Mercenary Group actually dared to set its sights on a Dou Wang expert. They're already on the path to death. Whoever wants to go back can go back. Also, don't call me Wang San. Wang San died today. From now on, my surname is Tang."

The group of mercenaries hesitated for a moment, but in the end, they gritted their teeth and followed.

Just as he had said, if the Wolf Head Mercenary Group dared to scheme against a Dou Wang today, they would dare to plot against a Dou Emperor tomorrow. If they kept muddling along with them, sooner or later they would end up without even an intact corpse.

Run! They had to run!

What the dozen or so men did not know was that Mu She and Mu Li, the father and son who had given them the mission, had been following in the shadows from beginning to end, taking in everything.

"Father, is that kid really a Dou Wang? What do we do?"

"I don't believe such a monster really exists. Still, what harm is there in letting him off this once?"

Mu She shook his head with a grave expression, but he did not dare keep walking down a road that led only into darkness.

The truth was, he could not afford to gamble.

"But Father, didn't you say earlier that leaving a grudge unavenged isn't the style of our Wolf Head Mercenary Group?"

Mu She fixed his useless son with a stare. "You forget countless things every day. Why not forget this one too?"

Sensing the unfriendly look in his old father's eyes, Mu Li hurriedly nodded and gave his assurance.

"Father, I've forgotten it now."

"Mm. A teachable child. Let's go back. Although we're letting that kid off, these traitors must be dealt with!"

High above in the distant sky, a streak of light, like someone chasing the stars and moon, cut across the horizon in an instant, flying toward the loess city standing amid a sea of golden desert.

As the city drew closer and closer, a wave of scorching air immediately rushed against his face.

Stabilizing himself in midair, Chen Xiao looked at the sea of sand that seemed to stretch beyond sight and was deeply shaken.

In both his lives, this was his first time seeing a desert!

It was like someone from inland seeing the vast ocean for the first time; it was only natural to find it wondrous.

"After a day and a night of travel, I'm finally here. But this place doesn't seem very friendly to me..."

Dropping from the sky to the ground, Chen Xiao's body trembled slightly, and the Purple Cloud Wings on his back emitted a faint violet glow. They slowly contracted, finally turning into a tattoo that clung to Chen Xiao's back.

After that, Chen Xiao circulated his cultivation method and sensed things for a moment, then noticed the abnormality of this region.

Perhaps because of the special terrain, nearly eighty percent of the energy in the air here consisted of Fire Attribute and earth-attribute energy. The five elements were severely imbalanced.

In a region like this, people of the fire and earth attributes would undoubtedly thrive like fish in water, and their cultivation speed would be considerably faster.

As for those of other attributes, it was exactly the opposite.

"No wonder Hai Bo Dong hid here for so many years without being discovered by Medusa Queen or the Mite'er Family. A normal person really wouldn't think of it."

With a light laugh, Chen Xiao changed into a set of whiter robes that were cooler and less likely to absorb heat. Only then did he stride slowly toward the loess city that was now not far ahead.

As he gradually approached the city, more and more passersby appeared around him. Most of the men among them had bare torsos, revealing dark, healthy skin.

The occasional women passing by were not wrapped up tightly like those on the other side of the Magical Beast Mountain Range. They all wore tight little leather outfits, and aside from the places that had to be covered, they exposed whatever they could.

On that sexy bronze skin, obvious tan lines could sometimes be seen. As they walked, their waists twisted left and right like water snakes, carrying a uniquely alluring charm and style.

It would be rude not to look, but it would also be rude to look too much.

Chen Xiao stopped at just the right point and shifted his gaze toward the top of the city gate, where two huge pale-red characters stood.

"Mo City..."

The two large characters had been carved into the city wall. From afar, they actually gave off a feeling thick with bloodshed.

And the truth was not far from that.

As far as Chen Xiao knew, the cities on the edge of the Tagor Desert were harassed by Snake People from time to time. They were not as stable as the cities farther inland.

Likewise, the mercenaries active here often entered the desert. Some even abducted female Snake People and transported them to major cities for auction. Many noble lords were especially fond of that kind of thing.

Back and forth it went, causing the conflict between humans and Snake People to grow more and more intense. Once they met, it was basically a fight to the death.

"It doesn't have much to do with me."

Chen Xiao shook his head slightly and continued forward.

At the city gate, over a dozen fully armed soldiers stood beneath the blazing sun, clad in armor and gripping long spears as they shouted for passersby entering the city to pay the entry tax. This was also a major source of income for many cities.

However, the entry tax was not aimed at everyone. Alchemists of noble status could receive preferential treatment.

Even the most basic first-tier alchemist could come and go freely in every major city.

Including the Imperial Capital!

This was the weight carried by the word "alchemist."

Chen Xiao was not an alchemist, so naturally he was not among those receiving preferential treatment. He took five loose gold coins from his Storage Ring and handed them to the soldiers, then entered the city smoothly.

Walking along the streets inside the city, Chen Xiao ignored the curious gazes cast his way and kept scanning the buildings on both sides, which had a distinct desert style.

After walking for several minutes, he finally saw a Map Store named "Ancient Map" at the corner of the street.

Found you!

Chen Xiao smiled freely.

Immediately afterward, he quickly ran through the relevant information in his mind.

Although according to his memories, this trip would not be very dangerous as long as he did not do anything stupid, he still had to guard against the unexpected.

"Right now, he should only be able to unleash power at the Dou Ling level. With my strength as a Seven Star Da Dou Shi, even if we really fight, I can run if I can't win. He has no idea I have the Purple Cloud Wings, so the odds are as high as eighty-eight percent!"

After making a rough estimate, Chen Xiao no longer hesitated and pushed open the half-closed door of this Map Store, which carried a faintly ancient air.

Stepping inside slowly, Chen Xiao found that the interior was not very spacious. Two Moonlight Stones embedded in the ceiling emitted a faint glow, illuminating the shop quite brightly. There were not many customers either, only three men who looked like mercenaries, each selecting the map they wanted on their own.

Aside from them, there was only an old man behind the counter, head lowered as he carefully made a map.

He was clearly quite advanced in age. His slightly messy head of white hair was tied back casually, and the wrinkles on his face were clearly visible.

However, the withered hand gripping the black drawing pen was exceptionally steady and powerful, not at all like what an elderly man in his twilight years should possess.

As if sensing Chen Xiao's gaze, the old man drawing the map slowly raised his head.

With just one glance, he could no longer look away!

The update will be tomorrow morning. I have plans with a friend in the afternoon, and I may not be back in the evening.