In his view, the figure was just a teenager with no visible weapons, not even a common dagger at his waist. There was no way he could take out a hundred soldiers at once. Besides, this teenager didn't seem to have the aura of a cultivator, no rippling qi or battle intent."Perhaps he's using poison," he thought, his mind racing through possibilities like a startled hare.Temur's face suddenly turned cloudy, as a horrifying conclusion invaded his mind like a serpent slithering into a peaceful garden. "You're using poison, aren't you? Hand over your poison to me, boy! Who knew I'd have mercy on you this afternoon! Your life hangs by a thread thinner than a silkworm's spinning!"Temur's expression worsened; anger boiled over when he saw that a mere teenager dared to challenge and intimidate his troops. His face turned the color of ripe plums, and the veins on his neck stood out like ropes.That figure, who wore simple clothes and looked calm as still water in a mountain lake, was Eadric

"Hurry up! Hurry! There's a demon behind us!" he shouted, his voice cracking with tension and anxiety that threatened to break his mind. "Run as if the Yellow Springs themselves were opening beneath your hooves!"Whether he realized it or not, his foot was pressing too hard, making his horse's ribs feel broken one by one under the cruel pressure of his fear-driven strength. In the pain that followed, the faithful horse that had carried Temur through countless battles became angry, its animal instincts finally rebelling against its master's abuse.The horse whinnied, a sound full of pain and rage that echoed across the desert like a curse, raised its legs high into the air and threw Temur from the saddle with all its might. The officer flew through the air like a discarded puppet, his arms flailing wildly against the darkening sky.In the midst of his escape, the Hadarac Desert through which he was traveling was filled with dry, withered trees that stood like silent witnesses to countl

"Who's there?" Du Ba's voice dominated the silent night, carrying the authority of his position and experience. A flash of silver instantly lit up as he drew his sword, Autumn Frost, ready to fight again if needed. The blade hummed with a faint resonance, as if eager to taste blood once more.The clatter of other weapons soon followed, filling the cold night air with the promise of violence. The three Miao disciples already held their respective weapons, their eyes fixed on the figure coughing in the darkness, muscles tensed like drawn bowstrings.Instead of answering, the figure coughed even more, the sound echoing across the dunes as the desert wind picked up, swirling sand around them like a protective veil, adding to the mystery of the night. The moonlight seemed to dim, as if reluctant to reveal the stranger's identity."Sir, who are you? And when have you been there?" asked Du Ba in a suspicious tone, his eyes narrowing as he appraised the figure. He glanced at his three younger

"My name is Eadric Rong," the figure said as he scratched his head, his slender fingers moving through hair as black as midnight ink, as if reminiscing about the distant and memorable past that stretched beyond mortal comprehension."Sometimes people call me the Little Priest. There are also those who call me the Little Priestess. It's been a long time since I've heard that name."Du Ba breathed a sigh of relief at the confession, his tense shoulders relaxing like mountain snow melting under spring sunlight. The cool desert breeze carried the scent of rare medicinal herbs from Eadric's robes, a fragrance known only to cultivators of the highest order."Ah, it's Priest Guo..." he said with a faint smile that softened his weather-beaten face. His knowledge of the Daoism that only exists in Longhai Continent makes him confident that this young priest is an ally, not a threat from Podura Continent."Priest Guo... Taoist Master Guo?" asked Ye Qing, his expression full of question marks lik

Below the walls of Water Dragon City, thousands of exhausted soldiers looked down, their faces blank as unmarked gravestones, all hope lost like scattered ashes. Their once-gleaming armor now dented and stained with the evidence of their desperate struggle against overwhelming odds."I don't know how much longer we can hold out," a soldier lamented in a despairing voice as he gazed towards the dark horizon where enemy campfires burned like malevolent stars in the pre-dawn gloom. "The city is already destroyed, and we're just waiting for death to come and claim us, one by one."The companion beside him, his face half-hidden beneath a cracked helmet that had saved his life three times already, referring to the crowd of Golden Sun Empire soldiers outside, replied with a voice as hollow as an empty well. "How could we possibly face them? They're too strong, like demons from the ancient legends! Just look, they're waiting just to conquer us, playing with us like a cat with a wounded mouse.