Strength reigns supreme; this is an unchanging principle in the world of cultivation.

And so, Ye Xiruo spent her days in the carriage, constantly healing her injuries, only getting out for some fresh air at night. Ling Yue rarely showed herself, remaining quite mysterious. Ling Xue remained innocent and carefree, retaining a pure and innocent heart. Aunt Ling harbored deep hostility towards Ye Xiruo, her sharp, gloomy eyes always sweeping over her, and of course, verbal sarcasm was never uncommon.

What? This young lady, out of a moment of kindness, saved a great bodhisattva. What? Ye Xiruo had better behave herself and not try anything that seemed like courting death, otherwise she would be mercilessly annihilated...

Ye Xiruo was used to this. Regardless of Aunt Ling's intentions, judging by her gaze and attitude, it would be difficult for her to live a peaceful life to the end. The cultivation world was full of eccentric and incredibly powerful individuals, capable of slaughtering entire clans at the slightest provocation. Ye Xiruo didn't intend to remind Aunt Ling; even if she did, she figured it would only result in a few sarcastic remarks and nothing more.

With a day and a half to go, the convoy would soon be leaving the endless desert, and everyone was more or less relaxed. Their warning system was working well, and they did not encounter those terrible sand bandits along the way.

Ling Yue came out once to warn everyone not to let their guard down and to remain highly vigilant for the remaining day and a half. For some reason, she had a bad feeling that this time it wouldn't be so easy.

Inside the tent, Aunt Ling said to Ling Yue, "If anything happens, please take the young lady and leave quickly. I will cover your retreat. The Ling family will have to rely on you from now on."

"Aunt Ling, what are you saying? Are you telling us to abandon you and run away alone? Do you think they won't calculate all the possible outcomes once they make their move? Let's just let things take their course. Maybe we can make it out of the endless desert safely?" Even she herself didn't quite believe what she was saying.

Ye Xiruo overheard every word of the conversation. Although Aunt Ling was sharp-tongued and had a bit of a bit of a tongue, she was a loyal servant. However, she hadn't expected her luck to be so bad, being teleported to the Endless Desert, where ruthless sand bandits roamed. If she really encountered them, how many people could she possibly save?

Ye Xiruo didn't think much of it. After swallowing a few pills, she continued to heal her injuries. Now, her true energy had recovered to 50%, but it still wasn't enough.

At noon the next day, Ye Xiruo, who was cultivating, suddenly opened her eyes. The aura around her had changed; there were people, and more than one, surrounding them.

"Stop." That was Ling Yue's cold voice.

Ye Xiruo touched her forehead. Was she really destined to be cursed? This luck was truly appalling.

"Miss Ling, you are indeed as beautiful and captivating as the legends say."

"Sara, you're joking."

“Not bad, you have color, and you can even recognize who I am. Well then, I'll give you face. You and these goods will stay here today, and I can let them go. Otherwise, their remains will be buried forever in the endless desert.”

These few words, though brief, were filled with a bloody undertone.

"Why should I believe you?" What credibility can a pirate who breaks his word have?

"Hahaha, that's a good question, but what other choice do you have now besides trusting me?"

"At worst, it's just death. I, Ling Yue, have never been afraid of death, and there are no cowards in my Ling family who are afraid of death."

A round of applause erupted from Shaluo: "Miss Ling is right, this is 'better to die a glorious death than live a shameful life'."

"Enough with the nonsense, let's fight."

Ling Yue's heart sank to the bottom. She hadn't expected that she still couldn't escape it and would be cornered by Sha Luo. Sha Luo had probably made plans long ago, secretly observing them until now before making his move.

A huge silver ice bow appeared in Ling Yue's hand, which matched her overall appearance quite well.

The sand bandits gradually appeared, their bodies a blood-red mass, and they completely surrounded the entire caravan.

"So, Miss Ling, are you still not willing to change your mind?"

Ling Yue's face was pale. Whether she agreed or not, a battle was inevitable today. She didn't believe a word Sha Luo said.

"Quiet down, everyone. Don't listen to his nonsense. When has Sharo ever spared any of his men? His greatest pleasure is watching us struggle or beg for mercy on our knees. Stand up, pick up your weapons, and even if you die, take someone down with you."

"I swear to fight alongside the young lady."

"Heh, since you're so ungrateful, I won't pester you any longer. Soon, you'll realize just how wrong you were. I'll make you regret it." A cold, bloodthirsty light flashed in Sharo's eyes.

Just as a major battle was about to break out, a powerful mental fluctuation suddenly came from the back of the convoy.

Who dares disturb my cultivation?

Immediately, everyone's expression turned to Σ(°△°|||)︴, what happened?

Shaluo roared, "Who are you, you coward hiding in the shadows? If you have the guts, come out and fight me!"

"You insolent junior." An invisible flame ignited on Sharo and the other sand bandits. The flame was transparent and looked weak, but it seemed to be immortal.

"water."

"It's no use, boss." This flame is too strange; it can't be extinguished at all.

Shaluo mobilized all his inner energy to try and extinguish the small flame, but to no avail. Damn it, what kind of flame is this? How can it be so eerie?

"Ahhh—" Several screams came from over there. When Sharo looked up, what she saw terrified her.

A person who was perfectly fine just moments ago was instantly reduced to ashen powder, while the invisible flame continued to burn slowly.

The sand bandits, who were originally ready to make a big splash, were now extremely shocked and frightened. This man-eating flame was truly terrifying.

"Bing Xin Yan, you are Xiu Qi Yu."

Shaluo shouted out in a mixture of anger and fear. He had ventured out into the world in his early years, and this flame was clearly the Ice Heart Flame, whose current owner was Xiu Qiyu.

Xiu Qiyu is a name known throughout the entire continent. In the battle for the Heavenly Ranking, he single-handedly killed dozens of Nascent Soul cultivators, hundreds of Core Formation cultivators, and dozens of alien races, ultimately squeezing into fourth place. This guy is a killing machine.

Xiu Qiyu has been training outside recently, so why is he in the Ling family's caravan? Sha Luo was in a state of panic. He was the one who was at the mercy of the others just now, but now he was the one who was at the mercy of the others.

"Within three breaths, take your men and get out of here."

"Boss, let's retreat."

Several more people were burned to ashes, and now only fear remained in everyone's hearts, including Sharo himself.