"The Sand Mercenary Group... isn't this the group that Xiao Yan wiped out in the novel?"
Chen Mo's heart skipped a beat as he walked in.
"Who's there?"
As soon as they stepped through the gate, they were blocked by several rough-looking, middle-aged men with tanned, scarred skin, most of whom were bare-chested.
Among them, the man with a deep scar on his face, who seemed to be the leader, looked at Nalan Yanran with an undisguised, lustful gaze and spewed obscene words from his mouth.
"Where did this delicate little beauty come from? That figure, that face, tsk tsk, absolutely top-notch," he said, reaching out to touch Nalan Yanran's face.
But then...
With a loud "bang," something dark and ugly was instantly sent flying, crashing into some tables and chairs in the courtyard before finally coming to a stop.
"Watch your hands," Nalan Yanran said coldly, the light blue Dou Qi that had erupted around her gradually retreating into her body.
"A seven-star Dou Shi!"
One of the men hurriedly ran inside to report, while the others rushed to help the man up. "Second Captain, are you okay?"
"You've got some nerve! Do you know where you are? How dare you hurt me? None of you are leaving here alive today!" The man, addressed as the Second Captain, was helped up, covered in blood. Despite his injuries, he showed no fear and instead barked angrily.
Hearing this, Chen Mo had a moment of realization. He thought he understood why the Sand Mercenary Group was destined to be destroyed—having a brainless Second Captain like this was a sure recipe for disaster. Smiling faintly, he said, "I don't know if we'll leave alive, but you certainly won't get the chance."
"Wha-what? Ah!" The Second Captain's pupils contracted in fear as Chen Mo's soft laughter was followed by a purple flame, crackling with lightning, which was tossed onto him. In an instant, the flame engulfed him.
The men nearby, feeling the terrifying heat of the fire, backed away in panic, abandoning their burning captain.
Amidst his agonized screams, the Second Captain's body twitched a few times before turning into a charred corpse.
"You're a demon."
"You killed the Second Captain! The Captain won't let you off!" The remaining men stammered in fear as they retreated further into the hall.
They could hardly believe that the seemingly harmless young man could be so terrifying in action.
The two-star Dou Shi Second Captain had been turned into charcoal by that flame in mere moments.
"100 Luck Points, not bad," Chen Mo thought as he absorbed the Thunder Fire back into his body. Just then, the group's leader, Shaluo, emerged from the hall with a large knife in hand, followed by several burly men.
"Who dares cause trouble at the Sand Mercenary Group? Tired of living, are we?" Shaluo's fierce gaze swept over Chen Mo and Nalan Yanran before he turned to his men. "Where's Moxing?"
"Th-the Second Captain was... was burned... burned by him," one of the men stammered in terror.
"Burned... burned alive?" Shaluo's pupils shrank as he looked over at the human-shaped charcoal figure not far away.
Judging by the time it took for his men to report the situation and for him to come out, how could such a short period of time produce a fire capable of turning a two-star Dou Shi into a pile of ashes?
Shaluo stared intently at Chen Mo.
Chen Mo just smiled at him.
There was something unsettling about that calm gaze, which made Shaluo hesitant to immediately take revenge for Moxing. Instead, he spoke cautiously, "My friend, I don't know how we may have offended you, but was it really necessary to kill him?"
"His hands were dishonest, his strength was lacking, and yet he had the audacity to issue threats," Chen Mo said casually, picking at his nails. "If I don't kill such people, I won't be at peace."
Arrogant.
Absolutely arrogant.
Chen Mo's brazen words made Shaluo laugh coldly. "Very well, let's see what you're capable of."
"Wild Blade Art!"
With a roar, Shaluo stomped the ground and charged at Chen Mo with ferocity.
The large blade, despite its size, danced in Shaluo's hands with terrifying precision and speed, slashing towards Chen Mo's head at a deadly angle.
The aura of a Dou Grandmaster was unmistakable.
Seeing Shaluo attack so decisively, Nalan Yanran worried that Chen Mo might not be able to withstand the blow. She flipped her palm, and a light blue longsword appeared in her hand, ready to help him.
"Senior Sister, no need to intervene. I've been wanting to test how strong a Dou Grandmaster really is."
With a swift movement, Chen Mo easily dodged Shaluo's cunning strike using the "Dragon-Like Movement" technique.
After creating some distance, Chen Mo formed a seal with his hands and pointed towards the advancing Shaluo.
"Thunder, strike!"
A bolt of lightning descended from the clear sky.
Shaluo, who had been attacking, looked up in shock and quickly retreated.
The lightning struck a stone, reducing it to powder, leaving only a scorched mark.
"Lightning technique... and Thunder Fire dual attributes..." Shaluo swallowed hard. A dual attribute talent, so young, and already a Dou Shi—such a prodigy could only be nurtured by a major power.
As thoughts raced through his mind, weighing the pros and cons, Shaluo quickly stopped his attack. He addressed Chen Mo as a friend once more, "My friend, it's better to resolve enmity than to create it. Since Moxing is dead, let's consider the matter settled. Can we sit down and talk?"
"Missed him, what a pity," Chen Mo muttered, rubbing his fingers. His inexperience in using the Thousand Thunder Art had caused his fingers to cramp.
Seeing the young man with a look of dissatisfaction and the woman beside him ready for battle with her sword, Shaluo's expression darkened. "So, there's no room for negotiation?"
Just as he was about to make another move, a powerful aura emanated from outside the courtyard, causing Shaluo's expression to darken even further.
A sense of despair welled up within him.
"A Dou... Dou King..." Shaluo was stunned. "It's true..."
"This aura..." Nalan Yanran, sensing the familiar energy, exclaimed in surprise, "Sixth Elder!"
The Sixth Elder did not reveal himself, seemingly content to exert some pressure from a distance.
Chen Mo had long noticed someone tailing them but wasn't sure which elder it was. He hadn't expected them to intervene so soon.
But now that they had, he intended to make good use of the situation.
...
"What? You want to recruit us?" Shaluo, under the pavilion, was reluctant to agree.
"You don't want to?" Chen Mo asked with a hint of threat in his tone.
"I... I do," Shaluo said, wiping the cold sweat from his forehead, albeit reluctantly.
"From now on, the Sand Mercenary Group will be renamed Lingyan Pavilion, and you will be the Branch Master of Lingyan Pavilion stationed in Desert City," Chen Mo said. Seeing Shaluo's displeasure, he added, "Of course, you won't be treated unfairly. Here are some third-tier pills."
With a flip of his hand, Chen Mo presented several small jade bottles in front of Shaluo.