205: Steppe Wolf Riders

It wasn't the Sand Shadow Bandits.

The Sand Shadow Bandits spent all year in the desert; their movements deliberately mimicked the rhythm of drifting sand, with more elusive footwork. However, these people's way of moving was closer to the stealthy gait of cavalry after dismounting—heavy footfalls but lifting their feet lightly, habitually maintaining coordination between front and back.

Northern Desert Wolf Clan Skirmishers.

This judgment flashed through Chen Linsheng's mind instantly. He slowly opened his eyes, his gaze calmly scanning the crowd by the campfire.

"Enemy attack." His voice wasn't loud, yet it clearly reached everyone's ears. "Northeast, four hundred and fifty zhang, twelve to fifteen people, flanking in a fan formation. Northern Desert Wolf Clan, disguised as horse bandits."

The atmosphere by the campfire suddenly tightened.

The copper coins in Zhou Tong's hand vanished instantly, and his body slid silently into the nearby shadows like a civet cat, disappearing beyond the camp's perimeter after a few leaps. Zhao Tiezhu gave a low growl, grabbed his shield and machete, and quickly moved behind a shield on the eastern side of the camp. Li Qinger swiftly extinguished the fire, leaving only the faint glow of embers, while several diamond-shaped darts glinting with a faint blue luster slid from her sleeves. Atop the rocky hill, A Ying's longbow was already in hand, the bowstring trembling slightly as a pitch-black Demon-Breaking Arrow was quietly notched.

Chen Linsheng stood up and brushed off non-existent dust from his robes.

"Tiezhu, guard the east; Qinger, protect the flanks and the rear; A Ying, suppress long-range; Zhou Tong, harass and delay." He gave concise orders. "I will break their formation. Leave survivors, especially the leader."

As he finished speaking, the sandy ground to the northeast suddenly exploded!

Twelve figures erupted like malevolent ghosts crawling out of the earth, launching a violent attack!

They were indeed wearing a mix of leather armor and masks, and their weapons were common bandit styles like sabers, scimitars, and bone hammers. However, their formation during the charge, their silent hand signals for coordination, and the wolf-pack-like ferocity and discipline etched into their very bones were definitely not something ordinary outlaws could possess.

Leading the charge were five burly men with sabers and shields in a wedge formation, moving extremely fast and stepping silently on the sand. Following closely were four archers with arrows already notched but not yet released, clearly waiting for a volley at the moment of engagement. On the left and right flanks were two people each, holding lassos and throwing axes, responsible for flanking and cutting off the retreat. At the very back, a particularly thin figure wearing a Wolf-head bone helmet followed slowly, holding a uniquely shaped Curved short blade with a blade glinting with a dark green luster.

Their target was clear—the solitary figure by the campfire embers, Chen Linsheng.

"Fire!" the wolf-headed leader at the back barked hoarsely.

"Swish, swish, swish!"

Four sharp arrows tore through the air, flying in a triangular formation toward Chen Linsheng's face and chest! The arrows were extremely fast, their tips barbed and glinting with a faint blue under the weak starlight—poisoned!

Almost simultaneously, the lassos and throwing axes from the left and right flanks whistled in, sealing off his space to dodge. The shield-bearers in front had advanced to within twenty zhang, shields thrust forward and sabers pointing diagonally, brimming with Killing Intent.

With seamless coordination and cunning timing, this was a squad of fierce soldiers skilled in sudden strikes and slaughter!

Chen Linsheng moved.

He didn't retreat or dodge; instead, he stepped forward to meet the arrows!

He opened the five fingers of his right hand, palm facing forward, and pressed out lightly toward the four poisoned arrows.

Inside his body, the spark of "Great Sun True Flame" within the Heart Fire Qi Vortex suddenly brightened! Hunyuan Qi and Blood surged forth, instantly condensing, compressing, and exploding in his palm!

It was no longer a simple containment and neutralization of the Hunyuan Palm, nor the heavy suppression of the Mountain Suppressing Seal, but a brand-new power that fused the blazing characteristics of the True Flame with the essence of Primordial Chaos One Qi!

"Whoosh—!"

He thrust out a palm strike, silent and soundless.

But wherever the palm wind passed, the air suddenly distorted and heated up!

Those four poisoned arrows seemed to hit an invisible wall of fire; the arrow shafts hissed, and the faint blue poisonous light on the tips was instantly dimmed and annihilated! Then, the shafts charred, bent, and shattered, turning into four pieces of charcoal that fell powerlessly to the ground!

The remaining momentum of the palm wind didn't fade, continuing forward to collide mid-air with the incoming lassos and throwing axes from the sides.

The tips of the lassos made of twisted cowhide suddenly ignited with dark red flames, which spread rapidly, causing the holders to let go in horror. The two throwing axes were like hitting a red-hot anvil; blue smoke rose from the blades, their trajectories deviated, and they embedded themselves deep into the nearby sand with two "thud" sounds, their handles charred.

All of this happened in the blink of an eye.

The five shield-bearers charging from the front were now within ten zhang. Witnessing this bizarre scene, the fierce light in their eyes grew even stronger, yet they didn't retreat at all. Instead, they roared in unison, bringing their shields together to form a steel barrier, with sabers thrusting out from the gaps like a steel porcupine, crashing toward him!

Chen Linsheng's gaze turned slightly cold as he took a second step.

This time, he thrust out both palms, and the interweaving luster of crimson-gold and blazing white in his palms intensified!

The prototype of the newly realized "Blazing Sun Hunyuan Palm" was being used in actual combat for the first time!

"Boom—!!!"

Both palms slammed firmly into the center of the joined shields!

There was no deafening clash of metal, only a dull, sizzling explosion like wet wood being thrown into a fierce fire!

The five hardwood shields covered in fine iron began to melt and distort like wax the moment they touched the palm prints! The five burly men holding the shields felt an indescribable, scorching, massive force surge toward them like an overwhelming wave. The heat not only burned the shields but also penetrated through them, directly invading the arms they used to hold the shields!

"Ah—!"

Piercing screams rent the night sky.

The leather armor and sleeves on the five men's arms were instantly scorched, their skin blistered and carbonized, and a pungent smell of burning filled the air. Even more terrifying was that the scorching power was like a maggot in the bone, rapidly surging up along the Meridians of their arms, frantically burning their Qi and Blood!

The five men were hit as if by a heavy blow, staggering backward. The shields in their hands fell to the ground with a clang, already deformed and useless. They clutched their charred, smoking arms, rolling in pain on the ground and letting out wails that didn't sound human, no longer capable of fighting.

Chen Linsheng didn't even look at them. With a flash of his body, he passed through the gap and faced the archers behind and the enemies on the flanks.

"Kill him!" the wolf-headed leader's voice carried a hint of shock and anger.

The remaining seven men charged forward, unafraid of death. The archers discarded their bows and drew their sabers, joining the enemies on the flanks in a combined attack. The saber light was cold, and the Moves were ruthless, specifically targeting the lower body and joints—clearly a practical saber technique forged through life-and-death struggles on the prairie.

Chen Linsheng's figure wove through the saber light like a leisurely stroll. The Crane Ape Illusory Wind Steps, when performed on the sand, became even more elusive and unpredictable. He no longer used his palms, occasionally flicking away saber blades with his fingers—the finger wind was scorching, causing his opponents' webbing between thumb and forefinger to split. At other times, he used elbow strikes and knee bumps; anyone hit would inevitably suffer broken bones and tendons, with a scorching internal energy boring into the wound, causing pain to the very marrow.

The battle was almost a one-sided crushing.

These wolf clan Skirmishers were certainly fierce, but their strength was mostly in the middle to Late Stage of the Flesh Refining Realm, and the leader had only just entered the Jiaojin Realm. Before Chen Linsheng, who had fused the True Flame characteristics and possessed strength comparable to the Late Stage or even Perfection of the Jiaojin Realm, they were simply not enough.

On the rocky hill, A Ying's Demon-Breaking Arrows were occasionally fired, each one accurately hitting non-lethal spots on enemies trying to sneak attack or flee. The evil-breaking power on the arrows caused the wounds to burn and the victims to Move sluggishly. Zhou Tong was like a ghost, roaming the perimeter, constantly harassing with blow darts, tripwires, and poison caltrops, coordinating with the poisoned concealed weapons Li Qinger fired from time to time, leaving the enemies unable to cope. Zhao Tiezhu firmly guarded the eastern side of the camp, using his shield to violently swat away two enemies trying to circle around for a sneak attack.

In less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, eleven of the twelve wolf clan Skirmishers had fallen.

Only the wolf-headed leader, seeing things were going south, had already quietly retreated to the edge of the battlefield. He crouched down, seemingly about to merge into the sand and escape—it was the Sand Escape Technique, a secret transmission of the Northern Desert Wolf Clan!

"Want to leave?"

Chen Linsheng gave a cold snort and stomped his right foot violently on the ground!

"Boom!"

Hunyuan internal energy penetrated the ground, causing the sand within a three-zhang radius to vibrate violently like the surface of water! The wolf-headed leader, who was about to dive into the sand, froze. His escape technique was interrupted, and with a muffled groan, he stumbled out of the sand.

Chen Linsheng's figure was like lightning, reaching him in an instant. His right hand's five fingers were like hooks, clawing toward the leader's throat!

A fierce light flashed in the wolf-headed leader's eyes as he slashed back with his Curved short blade like a venomous snake, aiming directly for Chen Linsheng's wrist. The blade wind was foul-smelling, clearly coated in a potent poison.

Chen Linsheng didn't dodge. The five fingers clawing down suddenly accelerated, and a crimson-gold light flashed at his fingertips!

"Clang!"

When his fingers collided with the poisoned blade, it actually produced the sound of clashing metal! The poisoned blade was forcibly knocked aside, and Chen Linsheng's fingers continued their momentum, accurately gripping the leader's throat. Hunyuan internal energy penetrated, instantly sealing the circulation of his Qi and Blood.

The wolf-headed leader's body went limp, the short blade in his hand fell with a clang, and his eyes were filled with unbelievable shock. This Wolf Venom Blade of his was forged from the fangs of a mutant poison wolf mixed with cold iron; it was incredibly sharp and could kill with a single scratch, yet it was actually knocked away by the opponent's bare hand?

Chen Linsheng carried the captive like a small chicken back to the center of the camp.

Zhou Tong, Zhao Tiezhu, Li Qinger, and A Ying had quickly cleaned up the battlefield, tying up the enemies who hadn't died and gathering them by the campfire embers. Out of the eleven enemies, four were dead, five were heavily injured, and two were lightly injured, all having lost the ability to resist.

Chen Linsheng threw the wolf-headed leader onto the sand, stepped on his chest, and looked down at him.

"Who sent you?" His voice was calm but carried an unquestionable pressure.

The wolf-headed leader spat out a mouthful of bloody saliva and grinned savagely: "The wolves of the prairie never open their mouths to their prey..."

Before he could finish, Chen Linsheng applied a bit of force with his foot.

"Crack..." The sound of a slight bone fracture rang out.

The wolf-headed leader groaned, his face instantly turning pale, and cold sweat broke out on his forehead.

"You aren't Sand Shadow Bandits, yet you disguised yourselves as horse bandits to ambush us here. Your target was clear, aimed directly at me." Chen Linsheng said indifferently, "Although the Northern Desert Wolf Clan has occasional friction with our Great Qi, you wouldn't penetrate deep into the Sea of Death Desert without reason to attack a young Martial Artist who just obtained a Secret Realm Legacy. Unless... someone offered a price you couldn't refuse, or gave you a reason you couldn't ignore."

He released his foot, squatted down, and looked into the other's eyes, which were distorted with pain: "Tell me the employer and his purpose. I'll give you a quick death. Otherwise..."

At his fingertip, a wisp of blazing white, needle-like True Flame Qi flickered, emitting an aura that could incinerate everything.

The wolf-headed leader felt the terrifying power contained in that wisp of Qi, and a flicker of fear finally flashed in his eyes. He could feel that if this wisp of Qi entered his body, it wouldn't just be pain; it might even burn his soul along with it!

"...It's, it's a Central Plains person." He spoke hoarsely, his voice trembling with pain. "He wore a mask, and his voice was altered, so I couldn't tell his age or identity. He contacted us through our middleman at the border and paid five hundred taels of gold and... three 'Blood Wolf Pills' that can assist in breaking through to the Iron Bone Realm."

Blood Wolf Pills? Chen Linsheng's eyes narrowed slightly. These were Medicinal Pills refined by the Shamans of the Northern Desert Wolf Clan using secret methods; they could stimulate Bloodline potential and assist in Breakthroughs, and they rarely circulated outside. The other party was generous and could obtain the Wolf Clan's secret medicine, so their background was definitely not simple.

"He required you to ambush me here to test my strength and evaluate my newly acquired power. More importantly..." the wolf-headed leader panted, "he wanted us to make sure to seize a 'treasure' you brought out from the Secret Realm. He didn't say exactly what it was, only described it as a 'crystal or feather containing the aura of pure flame Origin'."

A crystal or feather containing the aura of flame Origin?

Chen Linsheng's heart jolted.

Was it that pure white core crystal? Or... the crimson flame great peng feather?

The other party not only knew he had obtained the Legacy but even knew he might possess a fire source crystal or a mysterious feather? With such well-informed intelligence, could it be one of the survivors from the Secret Realm? Or a power that could buy detailed information from the survivors?

"What else did the employer say? Regarding the 'Sand Shadow Bandits' or 'Ghost Sand'?" Chen Linsheng pressed.

The wolf-headed leader shook his head: "He only said that if we succeeded, we should deliver the 'treasure' to the northwest corner of the Sea of Death Desert, to a rocky slope called 'Black Wind Pass,' where someone would be waiting. As for the Sand Shadow Bandits... he mentioned them once, saying 'Ghost Sand' is an old friend of his, and told us to avoid the Sand Shadow Bandits' activity areas when acting to avoid conflict."

An old friend?

Chen Linsheng's gaze turned cold. As expected, the employer behind this has a connection with the Sand Shadow Bandits, or rather, with "Ghost Sand"! They might even be a remnant of the White Lotus Sect or a Central Plains power colluding with them!

"That Central Plains person, what other characteristics did he have?" Chen Linsheng finally asked.

The wolf-headed leader tried hard to remember: "He... he had a very faint scent on him, like incense mixed with old book scrolls. There was an old scar on the webbing of his right hand, shaped... a bit like a New Moon. Also, when he left, I caught a glimpse of a jade pendant hanging from his waist; it was pale green and white, and it seemed to be carved like... a bird holding a book in its beak?"

A pale green and white jade pendant, a bird holding a book?

Several possibilities quickly flashed through Chen Linsheng's mind. Tingtao Academy? Some aristocratic families who liked to pose as intellectuals? Or a disguise?

He stood up and said to Zhou Tong: "Give him a quick death."

Zhou Tong nodded, stepped forward, and a fine needle silently pierced the back of the wolf-headed leader's neck. The leader's body stiffened, his gaze quickly unfocused, and he died silently.

Beside the campfire embers, there was a moment of silence.

The night wind grew colder, carrying a wailing sound from deep within the distant desert.

Chen Linsheng looked at the corpses scattered on the ground, his gaze deep.

Before the Assessment task had even truly begun, the vipers in the dark had already bared their fangs.

The Northern Desert Wolf Clan Skirmishers were just the vanguard to test him. More dangerous ambushes and more treacherous enemies would follow.

And that "Central Plains middleman" hidden behind the scenes, who knew he carried a "treasure" and was an old friend of "Ghost Sand"... just who was he?

Who exactly is coming to find trouble with him?