Chapter 111

Chapter 111

As night deepened and the temperature plummeted, a layer of frost settled on the cave's floor and walls.

The cultivators inside meditated, dozed with closed eyes, kept their eyes open waiting for dawn, or watched warily around them... each had their own way of coping.

With everyone huddled in the same cave, despite clear demarcations between groups, none could rest or sleep soundly in such an environment. All remained on high alert.

The caravan members, being more numerous, had specially assigned a portion of their group to take turns keeping watch. This ensured they could react immediately to any incident.

None were fools; when traveling, they wouldn't place themselves in peril.

The wind and sand howled outside the cave.

This sound echoed every night, and the crowd had grown accustomed to such evenings.

At midnight, Ning Yuzhou, who was dozing, suddenly opened his eyes.

He casually glanced around the cave but quickly retracted his gaze before anyone noticed him looking.

His fingers moved slightly around him, a subtle action that went unnoticed by all except Wentai Tu, huddled in her cloak for warmth, and the two Yellow Crystal Ants responsible for keeping watch.

The first half of the night passed without incident until, as dawn approached, people began to let their guard down.

Suddenly, a thud sounded as a meditating cultivator collapsed to the ground.

The companion next to him jumped in surprise, intending to check on him, only to feel something amiss with his own body. He too fell to the ground, weak and helpless.

More and more people toppled over. Their minds were lucid, but their bodies felt limp, their internal spiritual energy stagnant, leaving them unable to muster even a fraction of their strength.

Fear spread across their faces as they realized they had been caught off guard.

Yet they had been vigilant throughout the night and hadn't detected any strange odors in the air. They were clueless about how they had been ensnared.

"Big Brother, they've all fallen."

A gruff voice rang out. With great effort, those still conscious turned to see that everyone in the cave had succumbed, save for several burly men standing upright. One of them had spoken the words just now.

These men no longer concealed their auras. The air around them was filled with a menacing aura of bloodlust and plunder, their wolfish eyes gleaming with malice, and their smiles held sinister intentions, striking fear into the hearts of those present.

The leader of the caravan was filled with dread as he struggled to speak, "Y-You're bandits from the Shifting Sands?"

The burly leader of the group grinned maliciously at the caravan members. "No harm in letting you know, so you can die with clarity. We're from Black Rock Gorge."

Upon hearing "Black Rock Gorge," the hearts of the caravan members sank.

Black Rock Gorge lay somewhere within the Shifting Sands, home to a gang of merciless bandits. They specialized in plundering caravans and cultivators traversing the Shifting Sands, leaving only death and carnage in their wake. They left no survivors.

When encountering the bandits of Black Rock Gorge, unless one's strength surpassed theirs, few managed to escape.

Before entering the Shifting Sands, the caravan had thoroughly vetted the accompanying cultivators.

Despite their caution, they never anticipated that the Black Rock Gorge bandits would disguise themselves as ordinary cultivators and infiltrate the rear of their group, biding their time until the entire group gathered in a single cave tonight, before making their move.

What infuriated and terrified them even more was that somehow these bandits had managed to catch them off guard, rendering them powerless and unable to utilize their spiritual energy, like lambs awaiting slaughter on a chopping block.

The bandits took their time relishing the anger and terror of their victims, not rushing to kill them.

Their intentions were easy to guess. This was the Shifting Sands, and during the night, no living creature dared venture outside. These people were already in their grasp; no one would come to their rescue. Before dawn, this group was entirely at their mercy.

Since these people were as good as dead, wasn't it more entertaining to torment them before their demise?

Most had heard of "Black Rock Gorge," the notorious den of bandits in the Shifting Sands. No cultivator emerging from there was anything but evil.

Now that they were in the hands of these ruthless bandits, did they have any chance of survival?

Despair spread across their faces.

After indulging in the despair and fear of their captives for a while, the bandits began dragging individuals to the center of the cave, tossing them carelessly onto the ground.

Two of the bandits approached the corner with ill intent.

They had identified these targets last night. Both the man and woman were exceptionally attractive, and before killing them, the bandits intended to have their fun.

*

When the first person collapsed in the cave, Wen Qiao, who was meditating, and Ning Yuzhou, who was dozing, both opened their eyes.

After assessing the situation in the cave, they didn't take any action. Since entering the Shifting Sands, both had ingested detoxification pills made from the royal honey of Moon Bees, protecting them from falling victim to the current situation.

As the others fell, they also leaned against the wall behind them, feigning weakness and helplessness.

As the two bandits approached them with wicked grins, the pair understood their intentions.

Ning Yuzhou looked at them with darkened eyes.

When the bandits reached within ten feet of them, suddenly a black shadow lunged toward the two bandits. Unprepared, they were swiftly ensnared by a whip and yanked closer.

A white figure flashed by, crashing into the two bandits.

"Ahh—"

The bandits screamed in agony.

The commotion startled the other bandits who were moving the fallen individuals. They quickly rushed over.

Upon discovering the two figures standing in the corner, one holding a stone-gold long whip that bound their two comrades, the leader's eye twitched.

When they recognized the appearance of the bandits ensnared by the whip, the group of bandits couldn't help but be taken aback.

The faces of the two bandits were torn open, blood streaming down their cheeks as their eyeballs burst like popped sacs under the assault. Their entire visages looked as if they had been ravaged by some unseen beast, causing them to howl in agony—a sight that even made the heartless bandits wince.

The leader of the bandits barked an order: "Capture them!"

The other bandits charged at the duo.

However, just as they neared within ten feet, they collided with something invisible, causing them to stumble back from the impact of their own momentum.

Unsure and wary, the bandits reached out to touch whatever it was they had hit, only to discover that it was a barrier conjured by an array formation. Astonishment filled their voices as they exclaimed, "Boss, there's an array here."

The bandit leader was taken aback once more. He stepped forward and struck at the barrier with his weapon, watching as shimmering lights confirmed its existence. The array centered around the two individuals, protecting them inside while preventing anyone outside from advancing even a step closer.

When had this been set up?

Typically, when an array master laid down an array, they could not do so without being noticed by those around them—unless they were a high-level array master capable of setting up arrays stealthily to ambush their foes.

Throughout the night, they had kept a close watch on the people in the cave, not missing any of their movements, and yet they hadn't seen any indication that these two had been setting up an array around them. It remained a mystery as to when the pair had managed to place this array.

Could one of them be a high-level array master?

Yet, the age and cultivation level of these two were too young and too low for them to be a high-level array master, no matter how proficient they might be in array formations.

The face of the bandit leader darkened instantly. This unforeseen development sent shivers down his spine, urging him to act with caution. "Kill the others," he commanded hastily. "I'll deal with these two."

"Yes!"

The bandits responded in unison, disregarding the pair and heading straight for the others in the cave to eliminate any potential threats.

The fallen cultivators, upon seeing Wen Qiao and Ning Yuzhou still standing, felt a glimmer of hope. However, this hope was quickly extinguished, plunging them into despair once more.

The bandit leader began his assault on the array.

Wen Qiao shook her long whip, tossing the two bandits, who had been clawed to shreds by Wen Tutu, aside. She yelled, "Wen Tutu, beat him to death."

Wen Tutu let out a series of threatening growls, transforming into a ball of fur as it lunged towards the bandit leader attacking the array.

The bandit leader instinctively dodged, but still found himself struck by the demonic rabbit, sending him flying backward and crashing into the nearby wall.

Seizing the opportunity, Wen Tutu pounced forward with a fierce cry. Its sharp steel claws extended, raking across the back of the bandit leader, tearing off a chunk of flesh.

Meanwhile, Wen Qiao and Ning Yuzhou left the protective array, intercepting the bandits who were in the midst of slaughtering others.

There were six bandits lurking within the merchant group. Two had been caught off guard by Wen Qiao's surprise attack and were now rendered helpless after being clawed by Wen Tutu. The bandit leader was currently occupied with Wen Tutu, leaving three bandits remaining.

Among the bandits, the leader was at the Spirit Essence Realm, while the rest were at the Void Origin Realm.

With higher realms than their opponents, neither Wen Qiao nor Ning Yuzhou intended to engage them head-on. Ning Yuzhou directly activated an array disk, trapping the bandits within and restricting their movements. Meanwhile, Wen Qiao wielded her whip, driving the bandits away from the cave, planning to use them as sacrificial pawns.

It was the overconfidence of these bandits that led to their downfall. They assumed that the pair's lower cultivation levels made them insignificant threats. In their arrogance, they never expected to meet their match here.

As Ning Yuzhou entrapped two bandits with his array disk, Wen Qiao chased another bandit out of the cave.

The bandit quickly realized her intentions and a sinister smile spread across his face. "A mere Pulse Formation Realm cultivator dares to fight us? Die!"

The bandit grabbed the incoming long whip and pulled forcefully, attempting to drag his opponent closer.

Wen Qiao went along with the motion, flying towards the bandit. Just as she was about to be captured, she twisted her waist and leaped sideways, then kicked off the wall, using the momentum to lunge back towards the bandit. In the instant she released her whip, her feet kicked out, landing squarely on the bandit's chest.

The force behind the kick was so immense that the bandit felt his internal organs churning. He realized that this strength far exceeded what a Pulse Formation Realm cultivator should possess.

Unfortunately, his realization came too late. He stumbled backward, the golden stone whip wrenching free from his grasp as he was struck by the whip, propelling him out of the cave.

The moment the bandit tumbled out of the cave, the swirling sandstorm engulfed him like a monstrous meat grinder, instantly shredding the man into a bloody pulp. His screams echoed briefly before falling silent.

Those inside the cave, witnessing this scene, were both terrified by the horror of the moving desert at night and astonished by Wen Qiao's combat prowess. She had managed to force a Void Origin Realm bandit out of the cave, although her tactic was somewhat crafty. Nevertheless, in life-or-death battles, such considerations were often overlooked.

After eliminating one bandit, Wen Qiao turned around, intending to use the same method to drive the bandit trapped by the array out of the cave.

The bandit caught within the array was frantically attacking it, desperate to break free.

Seeing Wen Qiao approach, Ning Yuzhou deactivated one of his array disks, releasing the trapped bandit.

Upon regaining his freedom, the bandit revealed a bloodthirsty grin. He vowed to make these two pay for underestimating him. Without hesitation, he lunged at them, his large ring-bladed saber slicing through the air in a bloody arc.

Wen Qiao braced herself against the blow, a crack appearing on her golden stone whip.

Furrowing her brows, Wen Qiao's expression grew increasingly stern. A surge of anger welled up within her—this was the first whip her husband had forged for her.

Overcome with fury, Wen Qiao felt an explosion of strength within her body as she rapidly closed in on the bandit.

As their distance narrowed, she reached out and grabbed one end of the bandit's long saber, ignoring the pain as her palm split open and bled. With her other hand forming a fist, she unleashed a punch aimed at his heart.

Heavenly Body Fist - Thousand-Weight Punch!

A loud thud echoed as the bandit's towering body crashed to the ground.

Wen Qiao leaped over, her hands transforming into countless shadows of fists as she brutally pummeled the bandit, leaving him barely alive. Then, she lifted him up and threw him out of the cave.

Once again, the sandstorm silently claimed another life, leaving no trace of the body behind.

The cultivators sprawled on the cave floor watched the scene unfold in shock.

Their gazes swept over the two individuals. Wen Qiao's ferocity surprised them, but what truly astonished them was Ning Yuzhou, who stood by the side. Aside from trapping two bandits with his array disk, he had hardly intervened throughout the ordeal.

He was the most terrifying of them all.

A profound array master, capable of creating array disks that could ensnare Void Origin Realm cultivators. With a mere gesture, he could set up an array formation undetected, luring unsuspecting victims into his trap.

The bandit leader, by this point, had been clawed to near death by Wen Tutu, lying motionless on the ground, his fate uncertain.

Now, only one bandit remained, trapped within the formation.

Initially, this bandit had also been attacking the formation frantically, desperate to break free. However, after witnessing his leader's defeat at the hands of a mutated beast and the fate of his fellow comrades, he was filled with dread. His attacks gradually ceased as he stared in terror at the two figures standing alone in the cavern.

Wen Qiao held the long whip, now marred with cracks, her expression cold and sharp like a drawn blade, effortlessly overshadowing her appearance and identity.

Her piercing gaze was fixed on the last bandit trapped within the formation.

Under her intense stare, the bandit was frozen with fear, not daring to harbor any vile thoughts. He had assumed she was a beautiful but weak female cultivator, only to discover that she was a man-eating queen, a ferocious flower.

Ning Yuzhou, who had been standing calmly by, approached and took her bleeding hand to inspect it. "A'zhuo, it's enough," he said gently.

The icy look on Wen Qiao's face softened slightly, and she gave a soft assent, accepting the spirit pill he offered by taking it into her mouth.

Then Ning Yuzhou tended to the fallen cultivators in the cave, checking their conditions. Meanwhile, Wen Qiao inspected the bandit leader, whom Wen Tutu had left bloodied and beaten. Finding him still alive, she used her whip to drag him over to the corner, tossing him into the formation alongside the two bandits whose faces had been mauled by Wen Tutu.

Compared to those whose faces were disfigured, the bandit leader's face was relatively intact, although much of his body had suffered. It was hard to say who was worse off.

Wen Tutu, who had torn them apart, transformed back into a small, adorable fur ball, leaping onto Wen Qiao's shoulder to rest.

After examining the affected individuals, Ning Yuzhou explained, "The substance that has afflicted you is akin to a bone-softening paralysis drug. It appears to be derived from pollen extracted from a spiritual herb found in the desert, colorless and odorless. If accidentally inhaled by a cultivator, it causes weakness throughout the body, stagnation of spiritual energy, and eventually, complete immobility due to body stiffness."