"The Sand Mercenary Corps, isn't that the group that Xiao Yan wiped out in the novel?" Chen Mo thought to himself as he walked in.
"Who goes there?"
As soon as they stepped through the gate, they were stopped by several burly, middle-aged men with tanned skin, bare arms, and scars covering their bodies.
Among them, a man with a deep scar on his face and a sinister expression, who seemed to be the leader, openly leered at Nalan Yanran, spewing vulgar words.
"Where did such a delicate beauty come from? That figure, that face, tsk tsk, simply top-notch," he said, reaching out to touch Nalan Yanran's face.
Then.
With a loud bang, a dark, shadowy figure was sent flying, crashing into the tables and chairs in the courtyard before finally coming to a stop.
"Keep your hands to yourself," Nalan Yanran said coldly, the faint azure Dou Qi around her gradually receding into her body.
"A seven-star Dou Master."
One of the men hurried inside to report, while the others rushed to help the man up. "Second Leader, are you alright?"
"You've got some nerve! Do you know where you are? How dare you injure me? None of you will leave here alive today."
The man called the Second Leader, bloodied and supported by his men, showed no fear and instead barked furiously.
Hearing this, Chen Mo suddenly understood why the Sand Mercenary Corps had been wiped out. With a brainless Second Leader like this, it was no wonder they were doomed. He then smiled faintly and said, "Whether we can leave alive or not, I don't know, but you certainly won't have the chance to leave."
"W-what? Ah!" The Second Leader's pupils contracted as, in the midst of Chen Mo's faint laughter, a purple flame laced with lightning was thrown onto his body, instantly igniting him.
The men beside him, feeling the terrifying heat of the flames, ignored the burning Second Leader and retreated in panic.
Amidst the agonized screams, the Second Leader's body twitched a few times before turning into a charred lump.
"You're a devil!"
"You killed the Second Leader; the Leader won't let you get away with this."
The remaining men stammered in fear, backing away toward the inner hall.
They never expected that the seemingly harmless young man could be more terrifying than a devil when he acted.
The Second Leader, a two-star Dou Master, was engulfed by the flames and, after a brief struggle, turned into a charred lump.
"100 Luck Points, not bad."
As Chen Mo absorbed the Thunder Fire back into his body, Sha Luo, the Leader of the Sand Mercenary Corps, emerged from the inner hall wielding a large blade, accompanied by several men.
"Who dares to cause trouble at the Sand Mercenary Corps? Tired of living?" Sha Luo's fierce gaze swept over Chen Mo and Nalan Yanran before he turned to his men and asked, "Where's Mo Xing?"
"T-the Second Leader... he was burned to ashes by him," one of the men stammered in terror.
"Burned to ashes?" Sha Luo's pupils contracted as he looked at the glaringly obvious charred remains of a human figure not far away.
From the time his men reported the incident to the moment he emerged, how much time had passed? What kind of flame could reduce a two-star Dou Master to a charred lump in such a short time?
Sha Luo stared intently at Chen Mo.
Chen Mo smiled as he looked at Sha Luo.
This calm gaze made Sha Luo hesitate to immediately avenge Mo Xing. Instead, he spoke in a deep voice, "Friend, I wonder where my Sand Mercenary Group has offended you, to warrant you killing him."
"His hands and feet were restless, his skills were mediocre, and he dared to threaten me with arrogant words," Chen Mo said nonchalantly, picking at his nails. "If I didn't kill him, my thoughts wouldn't be at ease."
Arrogance.
Sheer arrogance.
Chen Mo's audacious words.
Sha Luo couldn't help but let out a series of cold laughs. "Very well, then let me see what you've got."
"Mad Blade Art!"
Sha Luo roared, stomping his foot and launching himself toward Chen Mo.
The clumsy broadsword in Sha Luo's hands moved with fierce momentum, slashing at Chen Mo's head from a tricky and vicious angle.
The aura of a Dou Grand Master was unmistakable.
Seeing Sha Luo act so decisively, Nalan Yanran feared that Chen Mo might not be able to withstand the attack. With a flip of her palm, a faint green sword appeared in her hand as if by magic, ready to block the strike for Chen Mo.
"Senior Sister, no need for you to intervene. I want to test just how strong this Dou Grand Master is."
With the agility of a swimming dragon, Chen Mo effortlessly dodged Sha Luo's tricky strike.
Creating some distance, Chen Mo formed the hand seal of the Thousand Thunder Incantation and pointed at Sha Luo, who was still charging forward.
"Thunder, strike!"
A bolt of lightning descended from the clear sky.
Sha Luo, mid-attack, looked up in shock and hastily retreated.
The lightning struck a bluestone, instantly reducing it to powder, leaving only a charred mark on the ground.
"Thunder Spell, dual attributes of Thunder and Fire..." Sha Luo's throat tightened slightly. Dual attributes, and at such a young age, already possessing the cultivation of a Dou Master. Such a prodigy could only be nurtured by a major power.
The thought flashed through his mind, and after weighing the pros and cons, Sha Luo quickly ceased his attack and addressed Chen Mo again in a friendly tone. "Friend, it's better to resolve enmities than to create them. Since Mo Xing is already dead, let bygones be bygones. Can we sit down and talk this through?"
"Missed him, what a pity," Chen Mo replied off-topic, gently rubbing his fingers. His technique wasn't quite polished yet, and using the Thousand Thunder Incantation had caused his fingers to cramp.
Seeing the young man's expression of lingering excitement and the woman beside him gripping her sword, ready for battle, Sha Luo's face darkened. "No room for negotiation?"
Just as he was about to attack again, an overwhelming aura spread from outside the courtyard, causing Sha Luo's expression to darken once more.
A feeling of despair began to seep into his heart.
"Dou King," Sha Luo muttered in shock. "As expected."
"This is..." Nalan Yanran, sensing the familiar aura, exclaimed in surprise, "The Sixth Elder."
The figure of the Sixth Elder did not appear, as if he only wanted to release a bit of his aura to intimidate.
Chen Mo had actually noticed the person following him earlier, though he wasn't sure which elder it was. He hadn't expected them to intervene so soon.
But since they had, he might as well make good use of it.
...
"What, assimilate?"
Under the pavilion, Sha Luo was visibly displeased upon hearing Chen Mo's proposal.
"You're unwilling?" Chen Mo's tone carried a hint of threat.
"Willing, willing," Sha Luo wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, reluctantly agreeing.
"From now on, the Sand Mercenary Corps will be renamed Lofty Cloud Pavilion, and you, Sha Luo, will be the branch master stationed in Desert City." Seeing Sha Luo's somewhat reluctant expression, Chen Mo added, "Of course, I won't let you suffer. Here are some Tier 3 Elixirs."
With a flip of his hand, Chen Mo placed several small jade bottles in front of Sha Luo.
I specifically looked it up, and the leader of the Sand Mercenary Corps has two names: one is Sha Luo, and the other is Luo Bu. Desert City is also known as Stone Desert City. Hmm, this might be a typo by Potato.
(End of Chapter)