Chapter 236: Arriving at Stone Desert City! The Initial Fame of Xiao Yi Xian!

In the blink of an eye, three days had passed, and Liu Ling was now walking barefoot on the scorching yellow sand.

The vast desert, with its golden sand, was the dominant feature here. The howling winds, carrying sand, swept through the land, creating a ceaseless tumult.

The blazing sun poured down from the sky, baking the ground below and emitting a stifling heat. The rising heat caused the air to shimmer, distorting and blurring the view.

Ordinarily, in such harsh conditions, one would hardly feel comfortable, yet Liu Ling walked barefoot on this land.

As long as his body was in contact with the yellow sand, Liu Ling could feel the fire attribute Dou Qi within him becoming more lively.

After three days of rigorous cultivation, Liu Ling had reached the realm of a Seven-Star Dou Grandmaster. (Yesterday, I mistakenly wrote Dou Grandmaster as Dou Master, please forgive me.)

At the moment, Liu Ling, bare-chested, was standing on a sand dune, frowning at a map in his hand.

Having entered the Tagore Desert over half a month ago, Liu Ling was now nearing the location of Stone Desert City marked on the map.

Looking ahead, he could faintly see the outline of a massive city at the eastern periphery of the Tagore Desert.

Seeing Stone Desert City not far away, Liu Ling let out a long sigh, his face breaking into a smile.

After more than half a month of arduous cultivation and journeying in the desert, he was understandably weary. The prospect of a place to rest naturally excited him.

Nodding to himself, Liu Ling took out a white robe from his storage ring and put it on.

The robe bore the symbol of an ancient cauldron with three silver waves carefully engraved on it.

Patting the exquisitely crafted alchemist robe, Liu Ling made his way towards the dusty city, now within close reach.

As he approached the city, the number of people around him increased. The men, mostly shirtless with darkened skin, seemed rugged and hearty at a glance.

The occasional passing women, despite their slightly darker complexion, had a kind of sexy, bronze hue. Their tight leather outfits barely covered their chests and a bit below, with their slender waists boldly exposed. Their long, supple legs were covered only by short skirts or shorts, creating an enchanting charm as they moved.

Walking along, Liu Ling enjoyed the sight, licking his lips and looking up at the yellow city now visible in detail. Above the city gate, three large, pale-red characters were carved into the wall, exuding a faintly bloody aura from afar.

"Stone Desert City..." Liu Ling muttered softly, smiling as he slowly approached the city gate.

At the city gate, a dozen armored soldiers, holding spears, were shouting at the passersby to pay the entry tax. Seeing these soldiers fully armed regardless of the heat, Liu Ling felt somewhat surprised. The defense here seemed even stricter than some larger cities.

Perhaps due to the hot weather, the guards seemed irritable. Their uncompromising shouts continuously urged the people at the gate.

Approaching the gate, Liu Ling frowned slightly at the soldiers' shouting, shook his head, and walked straight towards the city.

In the  Empire, alchemists were treated almost like nobility, and they were exempt from such entry taxes, a privilege Liu Ling appreciated.

"Hey, kid, why aren't you paying to enter…" A soldier glared at Liu Ling as he walked straight into the city, but his shouting ceased when he saw Liu Ling's refined alchemist robe. His angry expression instantly transformed into a fawning smile. "Sir, are you entering the city?"

"Yes." Without stopping, Liu Ling walked past the trembling soldier and continued into the city.

"Gulp!" Relieved that Liu Ling didn't take offense to his earlier rudeness, the soldier swallowed hard, turned around, and respectfully called out, "Sir, the Snake People in the Tagore Desert have been restless lately. Please be careful if you leave the city."

Liu Ling slowed his pace, acknowledging this unexpected information with a nod before disappearing into the city walls' darkness.

"Damn, that was close. If the higher-ups knew I offended a third-grade alchemist, they'd have thrown me to the dogs." Watching Liu Ling's departing figure, the soldier sighed in relief, wiping cold sweat off his forehead. Returning to his post, he seemed much more restrained, no longer rudely shouting at the incoming visitors.

...

As Liu Ling emerged from the somewhat dim city wall passage, his vision brightened. The city, with its distinct desert architecture, came into view.

The city in the desert, compared to the cities within the empire, had a more simple and robust feel. Perhaps due to its proximity to the Tagore Desert, its defense was much more stringent,

with fully armed soldiers patrolling everywhere.

"Make way, make way!"

Just then, a commanding voice echoed from the city gate, accompanied by the rapid sound of horse hooves.

Hearing this, Liu Ling couldn't help but stop and watch.

A moment later, a carriage drawn by two horned unicorn horses entered from outside the city gate. The carriage moved quickly, not avoiding pedestrians and kicking up dust.

On the carriage, a flag fluttered in the wind, bearing the name "Mo Tie Mercenary Group," revealing an aura of iron-blooded toughness.

Behind the carriage, several robust men, armed and sitting on the unicorn horses, scanned passersby with sharp eyes. Their aura, tinged with the scent of blood, indicated they were real warriors, not just any mercenaries.

"So, it's the Mo Tie Mercenary Group. No wonder they're so domineering!"

"In Stone Desert City, the Mo Tie Mercenary Group ranks within the top three. Only the Sand Mercenary Group surpasses them. It's said their leader is a Dou Grandmaster, making their position unshakable. Besides the Sand Mercenary Group, only the Storm Mercenary Group can barely compete with Mo Tie."

"Yeah, I heard the Mo Tie Mercenary Group was founded by two brothers. They're much younger compared to the leaders of the other two major groups."

As the carriage passed, the surrounding people whispered about the Mo Tie Mercenary Group.

From their conversation, Liu Ling learned more about Stone Desert City.

"The Mo Tie Mercenary Group, huh?"

Thinking of the domineering carriage that had just passed, excitement and determination shone in Liu Ling's eyes.

His teacher's task for him was to establish the strongest mercenary group in Stone Desert City, surpassing all others.

But Liu Ling already knew from the people's talk that the strongest in Stone Desert City were only low-level Dou Grandmasters.

With his current strength, establishing a mercenary group and gradually becoming the biggest in Stone Desert City would not be difficult.

...

As a neighboring country of the Jia Ma Empire, the territory of the Yun Empire was no smaller than that of the Jia Ma Empire and even more vast in some aspects. However, compared to the Jia Ma Empire, the Yun Empire was undoubtedly much more chaotic.

Poison Masters, a profession almost universally despised in the Jia Ma Empire, flourished exceptionally in the Yun Empire. In every city, one could see people in Poison Master robes. In the Yun Empire, a scene rare in the Jia Ma Empire was common – the sale of poisons.

In every city of the empire, there were shops specializing in the sale of poisonous substances. Anything related to poison could be bought there, with the stronger the poison, the higher the price.

At the moment, in the Black Mist City of the Yun Empire, a figure in a wide black robe and a veiled face was in a shop buying poisonous insects and herbs.

"Boss, how much for all these items combined?"

"You want all of these?"

In the shop, the lavishly dressed shopkeeper excitedly asked the person in the black robe.

The black-robed person had almost single-handedly bought all the high-grade poisons in the store.

This sale alone could exceed the shop's earnings for an entire quarter.

"Yes, I want them all. Hurry up and get them for me!" the person in the black robe said with certainty.

"Alright, please rest here for a moment while I prepare them," the shopkeeper said before turning to go into a back room.

After the shopkeeper left, the black-robed person murmured to themselves, "Yay, one step closer to completing the task given by my teacher!"

This person was none other than Xiao Yi Xian, who was sent by the Liu Yun Sect to the Yun Empire for training.

In less than a month since arriving in the Yun Empire, Xiao Yi Xian's cultivation had already broken through to the level of a Three-Star Dou Ling, which was very close to the Dou King realm required by Gu He.

Collecting poisonous insects and herbs was even easier for Xiao Yi Xian.

Almost in every city she visited, she acquired a large batch of poisonous insects and herbs.

As for the last task – breaking through to a Five-Star Alchemist – it wasn't difficult for Xiao Yi Xian either.

Just as Xiao Yi Xian was looking forward to completing her task and returning, several uninvited guests arrived at the shop.

"Are you sure the person is here?" a young man in red asked his attendant.

"Yes, I saw her enter with my own eyes. Her figure is exactly the same as the one we saw on Hundred Poison Mountain," the attendant confirmed, pointing at the shop entrance.

"Qin Bo!"

"It's up to you now!"

The red-robed young man turned to a middle-aged man in yellow robes standing behind him.

"Don't worry, Master Wan Hai!"

The man referred to as Qin Bo by the young man replied respectfully.

Then, the group marched into the shop with a menacing aura.

The other customers in the shop, upon seeing the young man in red and his entourage, quickly moved aside, creating a path for them.

Coincidentally, this path led to Xiao Yi Xian, the person the red-robed young man was looking for.

Under the black veil, Xiao Yi Xian's brow raised at the sight of the young man, and she hurriedly urged the shopkeeper, "Shopkeeper, are my items ready?"

"Almost, just three more minutes!"

Hearing Xiao Yi Xian's urging, the shopkeeper hurried out to respond.

After saying this, the shopkeeper noticed the red-robed young man at the entrance. Although somewhat flustered, he still managed a smile and said, "Master Wan Hai, your presence graces my humble shop."

"Cut the crap. I'm telling you, don't sell her anything today!" Wan Hai said disdainfully upon seeing the shopkeeper's obsequious manner.

"Ah, Master Wan, this customer's business is worth nearly three months of profits for my shop," the shopkeeper replied, looking somewhat troubled.

"You wretch, did you not understand what I said? Do you believe I can make you and your shop disappear today?" Wan Hai threatened angrily.

"Ah!"

Seeing Wan Hai take his anger out on the shopkeeper, Xiao Yi Xian sighed heavily.

"Your name is Wan Hai, right?"

"If you have a problem, take it up with me. Don't trouble others!"

Hearing Xiao Yi Xian's response, Wan Hai's face broke into a mocking smile and said, "Really? Today, I want to see what face lies beneath the veil of the 'Little Poisonous Girl' who killed over a dozen people on Black Mountain."

As he spoke, Qin Bo, who was standing behind him, suddenly charged towards Xiao Yi Xian.

His body surged with a powerful Dou Qi energy, and when he was about ten meters away from Xiao Yi Xian, he threw a punch that emitted a bowl-sized yellow light.

Dou Qi materialization!

This was something only a Dou Grandmaster could achieve!

The shopkeeper's pupils dilated at the sight of this yellow light, and his legs gave out, unable to move.

The onlookers were also shocked.

"Who would have thought that the Wan family's young master would have a Dou Grandmaster as his attendant."

"This person in black is out of luck. Offending Master Wan in Black Mist City means there's only one path left – death."

At this moment, in everyone's eyes, Xiao Yi Xian was as good as dead.

However, what happened next shocked everyone.

Just when the powerful yellow light was about half a meter away from Xiao Yi Xian, she slowly extended her hand.

A thin layer of purple light appeared on her pale palm, and she grabbed the yellow light in her hand.

After a dull sound, Xiao Yi Xian appeared unharmed in front of everyone.

"

Only an Eight-Star Dou Grandmaster, who gave you the courage to attack me?"

With a cold rebuke, Xiao Yi Xian moved swiftly towards Qin Bo. A flash of cold light passed, and Qin Bo incredulously covered his throat as he slowly fell backward.

"Thud!"

Qin Bo's unexpected fall completely frightened Wan Hai, who was standing not far behind. The arrogance he had upon entering was gone, and he involuntarily stepped back.

"Your turn!"

After dealing with the only Dou Grandmaster in the room, Xiao Yi Xian's gaze turned to Wan Hai.

Wan Hai was only an Eight-Star Dou Fighter, and for Xiao Yi Xian, killing him was as easy as crushing an ant.

"Little Poisonous Girl, don't be rash, let's talk!"

"I already gave you a chance last time, and you didn't cherish it!"

A cold light appeared in Xiao Yi Xian's eyes.

In the Yun Empire, she had seen too much killing and had been forced to participate in many battles, so she no longer had any aversion to killing.

(End of Chapter)

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